Chapter 23 - Situation Assessment
Buff sighed while he applied another roll of gauze around Rainbow's barrel. She was sitting in the middle of her library back in Manehattan after her army of copies defeated all the Therohs in Equestria. Most of them were apparently in Ponyville, which gives her a good idea on what their creator is after.
"You really need to think about wearing armor sometimes, Ms. Sketch," Buff groaned. "If you're going around playing vigilante."
"I'll probably be wearing something next time you and I get in a tussle," Rainbow Dash responded with a knowing grin. "How's it looking, Doc?"
"Well it was indeed a deep gash," he replied while severing the gauze. He set it aside and looked at her. "And will become a complete giveaway that you got into a little accident. More news for the news."
"I'll just paint it gray, let's go Sketch," Rainbow said before reverting back to Pencil Sketch. "Ugh. I do not have time to put up with this pony's madness. Whoever they are." She stood up and nuzzled Buff, along with a kiss to the cheek. "Thank you, Buffy, for the medical care."
"You're welcome. And 'Buffy'?" Pencil shrugged before grabbing her Dark Magic tome sitting behind her and placed it in her Saddlebags. "First Rough Stallion. Now Buffy? I should start giving you a nickname."
"Good luck trying to find one," she responded while making her way out of the room.
"I already have, Colors." Pencil, and Rainbow, who immediately woke back up, blanched and froze.
"You are not using that," she replied to him, while continuing her way out.
"Yes I am!" Buff yelled back while gathering his tools.
"No you're not!"
"Yeah huh!"
"Nuh uh!" Pencil teleported into her studio to apply paint to her body. "No 'Colors'. Now I have to go freak out the others. If you want you can stay the night. Just don't go kicking your hooves up on the dining room table. Or, if you'd like, you can accompany me to this meeting."
"Finally!" He groaned before following out of the library and into the foyer. "Thought I'd never get to see you on your missions. What time is it?" He looked out the window at the dark skies, the night making ponies go to sleep in the apartments nearby. Their mansion was the only residence that was practically lit up.
"It is nine o'clock," Pencil said from beside him. "I believe Rainbow has eased up on her anger at her friends just a little bit. So I will allow her out of her cage for this one. You hear that Rainbow? Are you going to behave?"
"Buck you, Pencil," Rainbow Dash responded, looking through her eyes. Pencil Sketch sighed before turning off the lights in the building and making her way outside. Once Buff was out the door, she pulled him in with her wing and melted into the darkness with him right next to her, making their way to Canterlot Castle.
Twilight and the elements were sitting around Celestia's room, going over the plan for tonight. Celestia wanted them to be calm and collected, not badger her with questions because she may just leave and never come back to help them. Which would definitely happen. And since this was an Equestria thing, she brought in the Captain of the Royal Guard, as well as Princess Cadance. Even if she did say come alone. Right now, they were not on a contract.
"So...who is this Mystery Mare?" Cadance asked, sipping her tea while looking at the clock on the wall. It was nine thirty three and they were heading down to the gardens at nine fifty since it was less than a teleport away. "Any identity?"
"She is a pony of interest," Luna answered, in slight honesty. "She was able to wield all the elements of Harmony, as well as the Element of Loyalty, when we attended Pencil Sketch's show in Ponyville. But what has me worried is how she was able to stop over three thousand of those things barely hurt. She took them all on by herself and her magic by creating two thousand copies of herself. That were actually able to listen and focus. Unlike our own copies."
"So a possible mage?" Shining Armor asked. "Do you think she has any idea on what's going on with these things suddenly appearing in Equestria?"
"I believe she has a hoof in it myself," Luna responded spitefully. "She could have inadvertently caused it. How else do you suddenly appear out of nowhere the second those things started to attack? Luckily, no one was hurt."
"She could have," Twilight thought out loud before she stood up and stretched. "And she could not have. We'll just have to ask her. We just need to be ready for any tricks. I hope your guards are ready for her Shining. She's strong. And she's definitely powerful. And we have no idea how she became so powerful. Or was able to wield so much magic like that. It was like a black sea of ponies when she arrived in Ponyville."
"Think she could help us rebuild?" Applejack asked.
"I don't know," Celestia asked before she set down her tea and stood up with everyone else. "Let's go and find out. Hold on." She lit her horn and teleported them all to the Royal Gardens behind the castle, right at the entrance. "I just realized she said meet her in the Canterlot Royal Gardens. But she never said WHERE in the Canterlot Royal Gardens. There are multiple areas."
"Well...if I was a pony that could use Dark Magic, I would stay in the dark," Shining Armor suggested. "So the darkest place in here would be in the southeast end of the Gardens." He pointed a hoof towards the far right of them, where there was a dark area of the gardens. They all looked at each other before they made their way briskly towards the area. Unaware that they were being watched by a certain burly Pegasus in the trees.
Buff let them walk away a few feet before he jumped into the next tree, nearly silently before following them towards the location. They were smart enough to figure it out. Well the only stallion there was smart enough to figure it out.
The group continued walking towards the area, listening to their surroundings for any movement. Twilight's ear twitched when she thought she heard some ruffling behind her, but paid it no attention when it didn't happen again. Soon, they arrived at the possible meeting place. It was indeed dark in there. You could still see yourself, but you couldn't see anything more than the trees on the dead end right in front of them.
They sat and waited for a moment while Shining Armor looked around to see his camouflaged guards in the bushes and trees. Waiting for her.
After a few more minutes, Cadance sighed and turned to Celestia. "Are you sure—"
"I thought I said come alone," a voice said through the air, echoing around the area. They all nearly jumped, making the Mystery Mare chuckle in amusement. "A little jumpy, aren't we?"
"Show yourself at once, pony!" Shining Armor commanded, stomping his hoof.
"Ugh. Or what?"
"We will have you apprehended!"
"With what guards? The ones that you brought are sleeping and probably won't do you any good." The group gasped and looked back behind them at the pile of guards sleeping peacefully on top of each other in a pile before focusing on the area around them, trying to pinpoint her voice. "Rule number one? When you meet with me, don't tick me off by disobeying orders. Or 'SHE' will get very angry. The Elements know what I am talking about." Celestia and Luna looked down towards the Ponyville inhabitants in front of the group, who were all staring around in trepidation. "And when she does, there will be no mercy. And that's not me speaking. It's her. Right now she is calm, but that can change at the flip of a switch."
"We want to know what those things were," Celestia asked, looking around. "We know you know what they are." They were all looking towards the trees, trying to pinpoint that voice. Not realizing that Pencil Sketch reformed herself, after spreading herself around them like a shadow, directly in front of them. Laying on the ground, reading her tome.
"Therohs." They all looked towards the front at Pencil reading with a lamp, connected to somewhere, shining on the book. Cadance and Shining Armor gasped immediately upon recognition while she continued. "They are creatures created entirely out of Dark Magic. You cannot fight it if you don't know any type of combat Dark Magic. If you try, you will die a terrible death by being eaten alive. Those teeth will rip you apart the second they touch you. And those claws will take a big ol' bite out of you. Luckily, I know some healing magic that will take a day or two to put it back in place as if nothing happened. Hello, Royalty of the Crystal Empire. How is Flurry Heart?"
"Pencil Sketch?!" Cadance asked in alarm. "YOU'RE the Mystery Mare?!"
She chuckled before turning a page. "One and the same...two and the same, actually."
Celestia sighed and sat down in front of her along with everyone else before asking, "How did you defeat them? Is there any specific spell that can stop them permanently?"
Pencil laughed and banged her hoof on the ground, confusing them for a second. She wiped a stray tear from her eyes, smile, and said, "I never fought them. SHE did. I was actually resting today after attending a school event that requested my presence. She said, and I quote, 'Let me take this one.' I spotted my bodyguard dancing at the event, oh my Faust, THAT was hilarious! Yes, I am telling them Buff, it is too funny to pass up." A pinecone shot out of the bush heading towards her head before it burst into flames and disintegrated before it even reached her. She didn't even look up from her tome. "I suggest you ponies do not get too close. Or you will end up like that Pinecone. And tell your other guards behind this hedge to stop listening in. I find it very rude. SHE does as well."
Cadance and Shining Armor were a little confused as to who Pencil meant by "She".
"And how is she?" Applejack asked. Pencil stopped her page turning and glanced up at them nonchalantly. Then sighed.
"She is getting there. Buff has been helping. Both me and her. He's so sweet. I owe him a massage later for fixing me up like a newborn foal."
"Buck yeah, you do." Pencil looked over at the right, lifted her hoof, and fired a bolt of magic at him. "Ouch!"
"Quiet, Buffy. Just keep doing what you do best."
"Yeah, wooing you—"
"Anyway," Pencil continued, ignoring him. "Therohs are a rare spell that only a very small amount of ponies learn how to do. Myself included."
"So you know how to stop it," Twilight assumed. "How are you learning all of this?"
"Years and years of study, Sparkles. I learned the basics of Dark Magic by teaching myself almost three months after I experimented with painting when I was a filly in Cloudsdale. That is how I stopped my bullying the first time around. The second time, me and her came down to Ponyville."
"Then you ran away." Pencil suddenly morphed into Rainbow Dash and lunged at Applejack, pinning her to the ground, body crackling with dark energy like electricity, and shocking the ponies at the meeting.
"Watch it, farmer!" Rainbow yelled into her face, her hair covering her right eye like a blanket. "Or I'll do worse to you than what I did last time! My offer still stands about sending you deep into the Frozen North do NOT!...Test me." She let her go and stopped her magic, then pulled back from the shocked group. She blew her very long Rainbow mane out of the way, then settled back down and continued to read while speaking. "And I did not run away. I took a break permanently. That looks interesting. Now, yes I know how to defeat a Theroh. It's as easy as one, two, three, and four." She raised her hoof and focused her magic for a moment to try out this spell. It glowed a bright white like a lightbulb before it fired out a flame. She chuckled and looked up at them with a smile, glancing over at the impressed faces of the Princesses and the elements, besides Cadance and Shining Armor who were just staring at her in shock. Rainbow Dash was dead! Yet, here she was, spewing fire out of her hoof.
"Now in order to take down a Theroh, you must know dark magic," she explained before cancelling out the spell. "No exception. You must know strong Dark Magic. A Theroh is not for a noob. You must know advanced and interloped magic. My magic is practically in the midst of Discord's. I can turn this area of the ground upside down and you won't even know it until you stood up and fell on your head. And...I could control the sun. I never had a reason to use that spell, but I have archived it. Now that you know you must know advanced Dark Magic to defeat a Theroh, now you must learn about a Theroh. Before they attack, they eat. At least the new ones do. The older ones are already big and strong enough. If you see a Theroh, destroy it immediately. Summon your dark magic and hit it with all you've got. When I was fighting in Ponyville, I didn't just touch them and poof! They're gone. No, I was overloading them with Dark Magic. The bigger they get, the tougher they are to destroy. The biggest one is like trying to break a Diamond with metal. So knowing that there were three hundred in Ponyville alone and around a hundred and fifty in Appleloosa and Dodge Junction, that's six hundred Therohs by the way, I had to put a copy of all of my magic into my clones. Can you even fathom how much magic that is?"
"From what I've gathered so far," Twilight answered in fear. "That's enough to wipe out the whole continent of Equestria without even moving."
"Almost. That's enough to wipe out Equestria and any neighboring lands." They all dropped their mouths at her. "Yes. I have more than that amount of magic. How? That is a secret that you will never know. My magic passes that of Celestia, Luna, and Cadance combined. Now back on topic. First, you hit them with your magic and defeat the whole horde. If you do not defeat the whole horde, you risk more coming. That one loose Theroh will howl for more backup and you have around three minutes to hightail it out of there because that was just the smaller unit you were fighting. There is an army more of 'em. Hope you're writing this down, Egghead.
"Second, you grab the crystal from the lead Theroh's remains and keep it alive before it loses signal. That is the only way to know who created it. The lead Theroh will be noticeably different from the rest, you can't miss it. If that crystal loses signal, you have to wait for another horde to strike. That could be a short or long time, and the one who created that horde could have been making three hordes while we are waiting. Third, track that signal back to the commander. Which could be a pony."
"So a pony attacked Equestria," Cadance assumed, still a little put off that there was a ghost in front of her and Shining Armor.
"I wouldn't say immediately a pony. A pony knowing Dark Magic on a level like my own is extremely rare, and ultimately unlikely. There would only be one in the whole world that knows Dark Magic on par with mines. I'm not even bragging, that's a fact. And that would be me at this moment. The one you're looking for, they would have to fight me. And it WILL be disastrous. Not a lot of ponies have as much luck with Dark Magic as I did. They would mostly cave in, let it consume them, and let it slowly destroy their soul and body...not to mention self-esteem. I am sure you have all seen that. A pony who has tried Dark Magic and ended up sick. Well I have never ended up sick from practicing magic. Now anyway, let's move this along. I have a meeting with Buff's back in twenty, and I have another meeting with a few sponsors in thirteen hours.
"Third you track down their creator using a spell that will take you straight to their magical source. Once again? Dark Magic only. And fourth? The boss level. More than likely, those who created the Therohs will be powerful. It will take all of you to take it, or them, out."
"'It' or 'them'?"
Rainbow nodded her head. "Yes. Those who create the Therohs' are usually creatures from a different area of Equestria or farther out. I figured that out the second I felt them. Their origin was not Equestria."
"So overseas then," Shining guessed.
"Or underseas, underground, above ground, in an underground world underneath Equestria. You never know. Dark Magic can do a lot of things. There is absolutely no limit. With a magical reservoir like mines, I could create a whole continent with living ponies floating in the sky, complete with a sun, moon, weather, and nature. That's what it's like with Dark Magic and that's why it's sooo great."
"But I thought you said nopony has as much magic to do that," Rarity recalled.
"Exactly. No pony. It could be a two headed monkey, a tree with a mind. If they can grab a boatload of Dark Magic, they can create a Theroh. Just beware of the big ones. The Meta Theroh. Big Boss Theroh."
"A 'meta' Theroh?" Celestia asked cautiously. "Can you give us a description?"
"You do not need one," Rainbow replied while closing her tome. The second she closed it, a bunch of runes appeared on it, covering up the whole thing, making it glow like a flashlight before it dimmed. "You WILL know it when you see it. I assure you. Now, this has been horrible and all, but it is time I left and went home. I have business in the morning."
"Wait," Rarity said. Rainbow glanced over at her while placing the tome in her saddlebags. "How is everything, Darling? It must be stressful managing a company." Rainbow raised an eyebrow before she looked at her in suspicion, leaning in close in her face nad snarling.
"What are you getting at Rarity? Are you trying to woo me in and tear me to the ground again? Because if that's the case, you'll be underneath it!"
"No! We honestly want to know dear." Rainbow looked at her suspiciously before she glanced at the rest of them. They were all sharing the same curious looks, more than likely trying to figure it out. Especially Cadance and Shining Armor, who still were in a shocked state-of-mind.
Pencil sighed and responded, "Well, managing a company isn't all bad. But it does become taxing. The hard part hasn't even begun because the studios are not up and running yet. I have two more that need to be finished and then I have to hire artists, teachers, and other staff to maintain them. Yes, I am coming close to being a billionaire, but I still have to have sponsors, as well as permission to open my studios around Equestria. If all goes well, in the future they will not just be for art. They will be for music, inventions, and so much more that I can expand. They will be as large as warehouses, possibly even castles. And right now is a golden opportunity to make that happen. During the Sketch Movement."
"I've heard about that," Rarity said. "Did you start that?"
"Inadvertently. Somepony saw one of my paintings in a museum, said some things, got the crowd started, and it spread like wildfire. So now everypony is being creative, artistic, and imaginative. I did send a message that there was indeed some downsides to it though. Such as being too engrossed to realize that you are losing track of your must-dos in life."
"I told you," Twilight pointed out. "I told you that somepony—"
"But as long as they are able to balance it out by continuing to go to work, pay bills, and other things, then do what they want last, they will be fine. Now I must take my leave. Goodnight. Buff, touch me."
Buff trotted out of his hiding spot and touched her on her hind leg, making her sigh. "I know, I know, we're not there yet," Buff chuckled. "I just wanted to see you become embarrassed. It didn't work, did it?"
"Nope, nice try. Let's go. And Rarity?" She nodded towards Rainbow who gave her a slight smile. "Thank you for asking." The two of them literally melted into the darkness, disappearing from their sight. They stared at the spot before turning to Rarity.
"What was that?" Fluttershy asked, finally making herself known.
Rarity sighed in response. "It was the right thing to ask. Rainbow may have become slightly unstable, but even I know there is still kindness in there somewhere."
"Yeah, speaking of which," Cadance said, grabbing their attention. "SHE'S ALIVE?! WHY DOES NOPONY KNOW ABOUT THIS?!!"
"I'm also EXTREMELY interested in all of your excuses for not telling anypony this," Shining Armor agreed.
"Rainbow Dash has told us," Luna explained, turning away. "That if we were to tell anypony she will do something to Equestria. And after all that we have seen, I have a feeling it would be absolutely no problem to her. Stressless to whatever she plans."
The others followed after her while Cadance asked another question. "So she is an enemy of Equestria then."
"Mmm I'm not sure about that either," Twilight responded. "Rainbow Dash at this moment is like trying to balance a stick on your hoof. She's tricky. She can go to the left of instability and anger. Or to the right of relaxation and peace. She doesn't want to stay up, she wants to go down. But I do have a theory on her Dark Magic though."
"Tell us," Celestia ordered.
"Pencil Sketch was created around the time Rainbow was being bullied at Flight Camp. She was young during this time, desperate to find something to take down those bullies. And since that bullying went on for a long time, she could have been waiting for an excuse to use Dark Magic that she could have either found...or was given to her."
"Are you saying," Celestia questioned. "That Rainbow was desperate enough to go to somepony and ask them to teach her Dark Magic?"
"Either that, or she found something that taught, and gave her, Dark Magic. I know for a fact it's one of those two." They walked back into the guarded palace while Cadance responded.
"I believe she found something. Like she said earlier, there is no other pony, thing, or creature, that could have that much magic."
"Yeah but what?"
"I have a good idea," Applejack answered, coming out of her shocked state of mind. "That book she was lookin' at while talkin'."
"Oh yeah!" Twilight responded. "She was looking at that the whole time we were talking before she jumped you. She was also looking at it when she did that spell. So a possible tome."
"A very thick and secure tome," Luna corrected. "When she closed it the tome was glowing and completely covered in runes. Possibly some tracking spells too."
They stopped at the doors to the palace and faced each other. "That tome is a vital key," Celestia said to them. "I suggest you all discreetly investigate the origins of Dark Magic tomes. Try to find out what tome Rainbow, and Pencil, had in their possession tonight."
"Sooo," Cadance muttered in confusion. "Are Rainbow and Pencil the same pony, orrr..."
"Pencil Sketch is to Rainbow Dash like Nightmare Moon was to Princess Luna," Twilight explained. "But she's more on the peaceful side. She comes out whenever Rainbow gets upset, angry, or just overall destructive."
"So she keeps Rainbow in check," Shining guessed.
Twilight nodded in agreement. "They share the same body but can take on different personalities. They also share the same mind at times I've noticed. But other than that they switch out and can still have contact with each other."
"Well I don't know about you," Rarity said suddenly. "But I know we all have a long road ahead of us. I suggest we should get on the two's good side by being gentle. That was the first smile I've ever seen Rainbow put on her muzzle."
"Yeah, how did you do that exactly?" Twilight inquired.
"I asked about her and showed that I actually care. If we want to reach Rainbow, we have to show we care about Rainbow. That's the key to getting her back. Not demanding she come home. I suggest we all do it. Because if not?...We'll lose Rainbow Dash forever."
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Huh, not sure I buy that a being of darkness that can only be hurt by dark magic nor that dark magic is somehow more powerful or greater than any other sort of magic but then the origins of the knowledge isn't exactly unbiased so can be considered a extremely unreliable narrator so it works I think.
Rarity is speaking about rainbow like she's an object. If she were to find this out then I'm sure there would be an interesting talk.
Did I understand all that correctly? Twi and them are gonna have to learn dark magic to fight the therohs and their source?
8943543
Pretty much. But are they willing?
The idea that only dark magic can beat dark magic is ridiculous. Where is the balance in that? It's already silly that Rainbow is stronger than millennia old beings but the magic she uses is also completely unstoppable except against itself? That's just dumb.
8945457
8945689
That's exactly what I'm inputting. There will be a further explanation in the future.
Very wise words Rarity
.
Finally we get a power ranking for RD
That's a lot of power
8943416
It has great benefits for a pony if they can use it without letting it drive them completely insane which apparently is quite common or rather over ninety nine percent of cases
Oh, fuck you too Rainbow Bitch
8968239
Especially since doing the opposite was how you lost her in the first place.
8943543
Well if twilight asked for lessons it might get her some good points in rainbow book but twilight is too stubborn to ask for help because she able to do so much with her magic that she never thought about what she doesn't know or can't do.
9755119
Come on they acted like jerks and tried to force her to come back plus twilight has taken up breaking and entering rainbow home and rainbow shouldn't be ticked off with them. I'm not even sure they care about her as a person considering they didn't even notice that she was missing until the weather team asked her so called friends if they seen her.
8968239
And actually facing where they went wrong wouldn't hurt either. Considering when a relationship of any sort requires understanding where things went wrong when they go wrong.