Where There Is No Rainbow

by Ruchiyoto

A Dark Mystery

After walking miles along the roadside, it lead to a new area no-pony has ever been to. It looked like some pony could get lost at a place without a map but the two brothers knew they were on the right path. Strangely enough, they find themselves in a small area, there were barbwire fences with dolls attached to them, they had a burnt face, maybe Starswirl was trying to create a ritual to protect himself from someone, maybe he was scared, but why would he need this if he has magic, perhaps he was getting prepared for something.

They looked around to make sure if anyone was nearby but no one could be found, not for miles or anywhere. The brothers kept close to each other so neither of them would get lost, a shack was found, it was rather small, perhaps Starswirl was in there. Black Cross had knocked on the door, but no one answered, they listen closely to check if anyone was home however all they heard was the wind gusting, it was too quiet and rather creepy at the same time.

"Hello, is anybody home?" said Black Cross, as he had knocked on the door again, still no answer.

Then suddenly the two brothers hear rustling noises around the corner, they went around back of the shelter where they found another pony, or supposedly one, you couldn't see his face as it was covered by a hoodie, he appears to be searching for something in the garbage can. "Hello?" Black Cross had called, the hooded figure looks at them and takes off his hoodie only to reveal that it was Stygian all along, "Uhh can I help you?" he asked.

"Wait, you're Stygian, I've read about you.." said Black Cross.

"Do you know me?" asked Stygian.

"Well not personally, this is the first time I've ever seen you, I've read about you in Twilight's book about Friendship," said Black Cross as he scratched his head knowing he finally met someone mentioned from a book that Princess Twilight wrote.

"Oh right, I remember reading about that, and Twilight too, I think I met her" said Stygian.

Black Cross learns that Stygian knows Twilight, perhaps he could help them find Starswirl the Bearded.

"Hey, maybe you can help us, we're looking for Starswirl the bearded" said Black Cross.

"Oh right, I know him too, he's my teacher..." Stygian added.

Black Cross and Hearts Dalliance had looked at each other, they had no idea that Starswirl was a teacher.

"Right this way, follow me" said Stygian, he walks passed the two brothers leading them to an old structure that looks like a house but with no windows and only a sealed door that a unicorn could surpass that barrier, Stygian teleports the two ponies inside where the place looks like a library, there were books lying around and tables were dirty covered in filth.

Starswirl appears before them, he was meditating upon a stairwell, Stygian had whispered to his ear about the visitors and he begins to wake up where he had walked down stairs to talk to them.

"You are from Ponyville, I presume?" Starswirl claimed, as he shook their hooves introducing himself to the brothers.

"We traveled pretty far in search for you" said Black Cross.

"What do you need me for?" asked Starswirl.

"An alicorn had spoken to me and my brother in our dream one night, this entity had a dark blue coat, it had a wavy mane as similar as Twilight's mane but it was sparkerly like the night sky, it was also wearing a black crown on its head, and I believe it had a cutie mark but I couldn't really tell - my memory is too vivid from now" said Black Cross.

"Hmm... and this creature had told you to get help from me?" asked Starswirl.

"That's right, it mentioned that something had happened, then all of our friends suddenly disappeared" Hearts added.

Starswirl paused and remembers a pony who is able to enter the dreamrealm, "I believe you have met Princess Luna" Starswirl claimed, "Yes, she will occasionally enter your dreams and sometimes helps you confront your deepest darkest fears" he added.

Starswirl was unsure what to think why Princess Luna would send them here.

"..and your friends have disappeared you say?" asked Starswirl.

"That's right, on Thursday, all of our friends have disappeared without a trace" said Hearts Dalliance.

"What else did Princess Luna tell you?" asked Starswirl.

"I recall she claimed that Twilight Sparkle had done something wrong, then she said something about the 'Dark Kingdom' which I have no idea what that was all about" said Black Cross.

Starswirl went cold, he was shocked hearing that Black Cross had mentioned the Dark Kingdom, he never heard of that term in ages, perhaps over millennial he thought, but it was definitely no myth. He walks back and forth thinking about the Dark Kingdom and the random occurrence that has been happening.

"Oh dear, this cannot be happening, maybe Twilight was onto something" Starswirl murmured.

"What did you say about... Twilight?" asked Hearts Dalliance.

Starswirl looks at them, he knew they would be asking questions in regard of his past research on the Dark Kingdom.

"What is this Dark Kingdom?" asked Black Cross.

The Dark Kingdom was said to be the opposite side of the Pastel Kingdom or as they call the living - which is where Equestria is now. Starswirl goes in depth with his research but no one knows where it came from. It was believed that the Elder God, Pegasus had created the ponies, including the realms within so that they can enter as they pleased. In theory, the reason Pegasus created the Dark Kingdom was to punish those who broken its commandments. According to MachoPoni, there was a way to get in but Starswirl would never thought that the Dark Kingdom would come to us.

"If you must know, but back then I did some research on the Dark Kingdom, when I was sent into limbo along with the Pony of Shadows long ago, I could have sworn I thought my life flashed before my very own eyes, I saw a dark landscape it was a cold and dark kingdom with isolation but I realized I was stuck in time and space, I could not get in to the Dark Kingdom or perhaps that wasn't my fate, I thought it was the afterlife, then after I returned to Equestria thanks to Twilight, I did some research on this kingdom, I didn't actually believe it but according to MachoPoni, he reported that he returned to life after leaving a dark place, I assumed they meant the Dark Kingdom but why is that, I wondered," he said.

"What is the Dark Kingdom and what does it have to do with ponies coming back to life?" asked Black Cross.

"I believe that after we die, we are sent to the Dark Kingdom, an isolated and empty void where ponies are forgotten, of course this theory was incorrect, not every pony enters this dark realm, only to those who have step foot in its world or perhaps if some pony had commited a crime and cannot let go of the past, they will be sent there" Starswirl explained.

"This is all my fault, if I hadn't given Twilight my journal then she wouldn't have been curious enough to find out what this Dark Kingdom was like, now I understand" said Starswirl.

"...but how does that explain why our friends our disappearing?" asked Hearts Dalliance.

"An interesting question, but rather difficult to answer, the Dark Kingdom is a place where the dead can enter, back then the living was able to enter but no one cannot enter anymore, if you were to set foot in the Dark Kingdom, should you become dead as the rest, this theory was proven when I found a diary written by MachoPoni who had a near-death experience when he entered the Dark Kingdom, his body was turning dark and gray or perhaps everything was colorblind to him he thought, the reason our friends are disappearing is because they have been raptured into its realm, at least that's what MachoPoni had recorded when his girlfriend had been dragged in" said Starswirl.

"Then how come we're not affected, why didn't we get raptured into the Dark Kingdom?" asked Black Cross.

"Well, according to his diary, when MachoPoni went into the Dark Kingdom he came back to life but didn't get to save his special pony.." Starswirl claimed, "Her name was Dust, and she came back to our realm only to be completely gray, after that, MachoPoni and Dust had children together, which they then came out as gray ponies, therefore, the reason we aren't effected is probably because we are half dead" he said.

"Does this mean we are related?" asked Hearts Dalliance.

"Now that... I am unsure of, the only thing we have in common is our gray coat, I cannot explain why ponies are gray" Starswirl explained.

"How is this even possible?" asked Black Cross.

"That... I am not sure of" said Starswirl.

"...how are we going to get our friends back?" asked Hearts Dalliance.

"It's impossible, comparing this crisis to MachoPoni's story, this occurence is completely different since MachoPoni only entered the Dark Kingdom and came out alive, therefore we cannot bring our friends back from this point" said Starswirl.

"Then how are we going to stop the Dark Kingdom from coming into our world and save Equestria?" asked Black Cross.

"Hmm... there might be a way, but I don't really know if the legend is true.." said Starswirl.

"We're not getting anywhere" said Black Cross, the two brothers had looked at each other and they walked around the room reading spell books to find a way to get their friends back.

"Now hold on, there still may be hope" Starswirl added.

"What is it Starswirl?" asked Black Cross.

Starswirl picks out a book from a shelf about other elements that existed in their world.

"...like I said, this is only a legend, but I could be wrong" said Starswirl, he opens the book to reveal the mysterious power of light that brings happiness to everything around.

"Do you think this spell could work?" asked Black Cross.

"There is a possibility, but I've never tried it myself - according to this book, if you bring in six ponies along with each of their own belongings, you could unleash the power of light, since we do not have the elements of harmony, this spell might be our only chance to push back the Dark Kingdom" Starswirl explained.

"We can do that, there is me and my brother, who else do we need?" asked Black Cross.

"Well, you just have to find somepony to help you-" said Starswirl.

"What about Stygian?" asked Hearts Dalliance.

"Stygian is my pupil, unfortunately he cannot be in your ritual, you will need some pony that you know and can trust, it can be some pony who is part of your family, or maybe a friend, but that is up to you to decide, I cannot help you from there" said Starswirl.

"Then there's no time to waste, let's find some ponies that can help us" said Black Cross.

"It's not that simple, there aren't many ponies left in the world, it would be difficult to find ponies with a darker skin color, but I cannot help you, if you can bring me four more ponies into your party then I may be able to help cast the spell for you, then from there we should be able to bring our friends back" said Starswirl.

"Alright, then I guess we'll be on our way" said Black Cross.

"Before you do... there is one thing you should know, the element of light has some side effects, this spell will remove all negative energy, maybe even ourselves, I just hope you know that you are making the right choice" Starswirl added.

Black Cross and Hearts Dalliance left Starswirl, with little time left before the Dark Kingdom swallows up Equestria, they will find ponies they can trust, until then, they shall return to Starswirl, and they will save their friends. They exit.