Where There Is No Rainbow

by Ruchiyoto

Brother Thy Keeper

Ada was preparing to summon an old family member which Black Cross had believed to be their ancestor who may also be their guardian from the beginning.

"Who are we summoning?" asked Ada.

Black Cross moved his head up and down slowly nodding, "I think you know whom" he said.

Ada remembers why Black Cross came all the way from Ponyville to Manehattan, he needed her help, after telling her a story that Starswirl had told him, she suspects that Black Cross was referring to MachoPoni and his girlfriend, Dust.

"Okay, I was just checking to make sure" she added.

Black Cross unsheathed his sword in case if something goes wrong as if it would protect him from what they are about to do. He takes a step back holding onto his sword in front of him while Ada prepares to summon their ancestor. Then raw energy filled the room as the circle that Ada drew began to suck it all in only to reveal the soul of a past family member. They realized that MachoPoni and his wife Dust are now in the room with them.

"Huh? What is this place, and how did I get here?" asked MachoPoni, he looked around the room curiously and noticed Dust was standing beside him.

"Calm down, we just have a few questions to ask you" said Black Cross.

"Who are you?" asked Dust.

"You probably don't realize but we are your great grandchildren from the future" said Black Cross.

MachoPoni and Dust looked at each other confused, they don't remember having children.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken for someone else, we never had any children, Dust and I aren't married" said MachoPoni.

Black Cross was utterly confused and he didn't want to upset the spirits of his ancestors, perhaps they needed to refresh their memories somehow.

"Then what about the story about Dust entering the Pastel Kingdom with her whole body all gray?" asked Black Cross.

"The part where she was gray is true but she never came back to the living... I can't remember what happened after that" said MachoPoni.

Dust had looked down to the floor not showing any emotions, she had a rough relationship with MachoPoni during those bad times, it never healed her wounds for what she had done to MachoPoni.

"It was all my fault..." said Dust, she paused and wanted to tell MachoPoni the truth.

"This isn't good," - Ada had noticed the negative energy surrounding the saddened spirit, - "If this continues, Dust could really hurt somebody" she added.

"Then why have you summoned us?" asked MachoPoni.

Black Cross was feeling upset as if he wasn't making any progress, he wanted to gain trust with MachoPoni but things take a harsh turn for him and Dust.

"I don't know, I just wanted to protect my brother" said Black Cross, he paused and looks at the floor.

"Your brother?" MachoPoni replied.

"You see, our parents have died during the war, after that I kept him close to me, if something bad happens to him, then I don't know what'd I do next" said Black Cross.

"Hmm... it sounds to me, you weren't doing a good job - where is your brother now?" asked MachoPoni.

"I don't know, am I not my brother's keeper?" said Black Cross.

MachoPoni paused not knowing how to respond to his reaction, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"My brother is all I have left, there's no-one else in this world that I care about, but I have to do what must be done even that means I have to save Equestria otherwise there won't be a place to protect him in" said Black Cross.

"Well I'm not sure how am I suppose to help you, I don't know the situation that's going on" said MachoPoni.

"It's about the Dark Kingdom, it's going to swallow up this world and make it into another replica of itself" said Black Cross.

"The Dark Kingdom?!" - MachoPoni looked at Dust and remembers him being there - "You know about the Dark Kingdom?" asked MachoPoni.

"I've only heard legends about it, I don't really know why this is happening to our world but our friends are trapped inside" said Black Cross.

"It's impossible to leave," - MachoPoni shook his head, - "Someone would have dragged them in there, if they did, only they can bring them out, same thing happened to me with Dust and I blame Clint for doing that to her" he said.

"So you're saying our friends were not raptured into the Dark Kingdom?" asked Black Cross.

"No, he's saying someone or something pulled them into the dark realm" said Ada.

"If that were the case, then who is the culprit?" asked Black Cross.

"You'll probably have to find that out on your own," - MachoPoni stands straight up, - "But until we meet again" he said, for a moment of silent MachoPoni acts as if he was ready to return back to the afterlife... but nothing happens.

Dust smacks MachoPoni, "Don't be rude, they need our help!" she shouted.

Black Cross turns to Ada, "Wait, why can't they return back to the afterlife, I thought you said the spell was temporarily?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe there's something preventing them from leaving, something is holding them back" said Ada.

Ada explains that when a spirit has been called upon the living, they cannot return to the afterlife unless they are forgiven for their sins or they let go of the distant past.

"There's still one thing I just don't understand, how come we aren't affected, why haven't we been dragged into the Dark Kingdom, why does it only effect to ponies with color?" asked Black Cross.

"That's probably because the Dark Kingdom... or whoever is dragging everypony, it does not see you as a threat or maybe they see you dead already" said MachoPoni.

"I've heard stories that you almost turned gray, was that true and are gray ponies associated with the Dark Kingdom?" asked Black Cross.

MachoPoni is beginning to get bored answering questions, he scratches his head and thinks about the origin of the dark side, "That part was true, I almost turned gray," - he nodded and remembers that experience, - "Also, the part where ponies are born with gray and darker skin color has nothing to do with the Dark Kingdom, that is a myth" said MachoPoni.

"Then where did gray ponies came from?" asked Black Cross.

MachoPoni smirks remembering the time he asked his mother that question, "I've heard stories of the first ponies that walked this land, before there were color - there was only gray ponies everywhere," - he leans forward to touch Black Cross's horn with his to show him the prehistoric events before Equestria was founded many years ago, - "These ponies weren't isolated or upset about anything, they were strong and extremely intelligent, they are the reason we have color today" said MachoPoni.

"Now I think I understand" said Black Cross.

"Listen, I may not know what happened and I don't know how you plan on stopping it, but really, you don't need magic to protect someone - or whoever, I had to learn that the hard way, back then we had no magic, I had to journey across the Dark Kingdom alone to save Dust, but I realized it was all for nothing, then after I returned back to the Pastel Kingdom I thought my heart was broken knowing that Dust had betrayed me..." - he looks at Dust but she turns around not making any eye contact with him, - "then that's when my body had turned back to it's original skin color, purple, you see happiness doesn't come naturally, sometimes you gotta feel sorrow" he said.

"But I thought happiness gives you color... or was it color that gives you happiness?" asked Black Cross.

"There are other methods to find happiness, but color is just an abstract of that philosophy" said MachoPoni.

"So what's going to happen to us if I find happiness, will I get my own color?" asked Black Cross.

"You shouldn't have to change the way you look.... like I said earlier, gray ponies are intelligent and rather stronger than any other colorful horses" said MachoPoni.

"I guess you're right" Black Cross added.

He realized the truth about the past, he and Ada decided to go to Ponyville where they would meet up with his brother to find an alternate solution to save Equestria, but there wasn't enough time, they hurry to the village where they would expect to stop the ritual and defeat the evil presence within the Dark Kingdom where they believe that someone is responsible for summoning the dark realm.

Author's Note:

The idea for the title of this chapter being "Brother Thy Keeper" is a reference to the Bible, when God had asked Cain, where his brother was. Cain answered, “I know not; am I my brother's keeper?” In this case, Black Cross was responsible for protecting his brother, he believed that the 'Elements of Light' would protect his little brother and save Equestria, however it wasn't really necessary, he can stop the Dark Kingdom from merging with Equestria without the power of magic.