Fuel the Eternal Flame | A DOOM MLP Crossover

by NotAnEditor

Coming to Fruition

“I really hope Zecora knows what this stuff is.” Applejack hoped, wading over several patches of tall foliage.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I’d hate to come all this way looking for her just to have her tell us that it’s just some weird looking juice.” She sighed, listening to the vial of apple-lava clink in her saddle bag in a pocket next to the artifact.

The country mare shrugged. “I’d prefer that over anythin’. Hopefully were just being ultra-paranoid about some weird lookin’ juice.”

“That’d be fortunate.” she sighed. “But it’s surely important to find out if we’re right.” Twilight explained. “I’d consider this a little more simpler than what I had Pinkie and Rarity do.”

Applejack chuckled at the thought. “Celestia knows what they’re up to. Judging by how crazy them ponies were for that stuff, Pinkie must be doing cartwheels all across Sweet Apple Acres to keep them away.”

The alicorn giggled. “Yeah, and Rarity is probably pretending to be some five star taste tester.” she predicted.

The stetson adorning mare laughed. “If she’d be able to bring herself to drink that stuff!”

Twilight shoved away some bushes for her friend, letting her pass before following through the shady forest further. As the two walked through the mucky woods, the familiar greenish glow of Zecora’s literal tree house made itself apparent ahead.

“Here we are.” Twilight informed her friend as they made their way to the witch doctor’s hut.

The princess went up to the front door, setting a wave of knocks on the loggy entrance. “Zecora?” she called as she knocked.

The rustling of leaves, and bird calls were all that replied to the knocking. “Zecora? Ya home?!” Applejack joined the calling.

More silence. Twilight lifted her hoof to knock one more time, preparing to hit the door before it swung open. The alicorn jumped a little at the sight of the mask staring at her, blue stripes across a beak like-nose of the bird shaped face covering revealed by the newly open door.

“What seemed to have happened, to bring you two towards my humble cabin?” The zebra questioned behind the mask.

Twilight took a moment to cast her gaze upon the torso of the mask-wearing equine. “Oh, Zecora.” she took a breath, spotting the stripes across her body. “Why are you in that?”

Zecora reached up to the mask, taking it off with her hooves. “I was going to obtain more flash bee honey. It is a very easy way to make much more money.” she rhymed. “Now, tell me the issue only, I’m sure I could help everypony.” the zebra turned, heading further into her tree home.

The duo followed her within. “Well, we came here to ask you about a certain liquid thing? I can’t exactly tell what it is, but it's weird and we think you’d know what it is.” Twilight began, Zecora going to one of the tables of her hut to work on some sort of concoction.

“My sister found this stuff she calls apple-lava.” Applejack took the sample out of her friend's bag, displaying the vial. “It’s all red and lightning-y. Everypony loves it, but my sister, ever since she began drinking the stuff she hasn’t been the same!” Applejack explained, worry filling her tone.

The witch-doctor froze at the explanation, turning to the liquid with a concerned look. “And, would you two have happened to give it a drink?” she lifted it out of Applejack’s hoof, eyebrows furrowing.

“Not in a million years! Us and the other four couldn’t even stand its smell.” Applejack explained.

The zebra turned to them. “Good, you all should be safe, I think.” she stated, finishing the rhyme from the last sentence.

Twilight tilted her head curiously. “Safe? So, you’re telling us that it’s dangerous?”

Zecora nodded. “Yes it is, your sister however,” she looked at Applejack. “Maybe involved in a much dire crisis.” she rhymed with the alicorn

“Crisis?” Applejack questioned.

“In all likelihood. And so are most of the ponies who had drunk it, at least, they should.” the wise zebra turned, walking over to a window of her hut and placing the vial on a table

Twilight thought for a moment. “I-Is there anyway we could fix this?” The alicorn stepped forward with a determined look. “Anyway we could stop somepony from being… “changed” by it?”

“Changed is a word I would very much use indeed. In due time, they may be persuaded into numerous devilish deeds.” She glanced at a bookshelf over hers. “Take that book, second shelf, colored blue. That is where the answers to your questions may be due.”

Twilight looked over, spotting the faded blue book sitting on the spooky looking shelf. It was labeless on the side, the alicorn illuminating the novel with her magic. She floated it over, the cover of it lacking words.

On the cover of the book stood a robe adorning creature. It bore resemblance to the statues in that hidden room back in the Castle of Friendship. The alien creature adorned a long, flowing priest robe, hands folded into each sleeve wisely.

“What is this?” Twilight asked, placing it on a log shaped table before beginning to flip through.

“Read through the book and you will see the truth to your history.” she informed. “Now quick, return to the acres. I will follow you there once I create an elixir to prevent you all from meeting your makers.” Zecora said ominously, grabbing an assortment of ingredients before throwing them in the center pot.

Twilight’s purple eyes skimmed swiftly through the book, slowly widening with every page read. The letters and words certainly signified old ponish, or at least some variety of it. Notes were written around each paragraph, trying to sum the words in a more modern tongue. Twilight could just make out most of the words thankfully.

She floated it in front of her, reading further into the tales informed by the tattered, old book. “W-What is this? It must be some form of… historical fiction! There’s no way in Celestia’s name that this stuff could be true!” she exclaimed as she read further.

“It was passed down generations of my family, whether physically or orally.” she uncorked the vial, pouring the fluid into the pot, boiling from the lit fire beneath it. It sizzled and crackled as it landed in the liquid of the pot, lightning shooting across it. “It’s truths may be questionable, although to me it’s made a lot of strange things seem more believable.” she explained. “My ancestors named it the Codex.”

The alicorn side-eyed her friend, slightly levitating the book to her to showcase to her friend what the current page presented.

“You must keep the contents of it hidden.” Zecora began just in time. “To those of higher authority, this book is forbidden.”

Twilight floated the book back to herself, keeping it away to ensure that Applejack didn’t catch the glimpse she had just hoped to give to her. “I-I understand.” The princess nodded.

“Now, go. Before something dangerous undergoes.” The zebra looked up from her cauldron at the two, nodding them up to get moving.

Applejack turned, heading out. Twilight took a moment longer to read before quickly joining her friend. As the two exited, Zecora gave them a worried look, knowing what may happen soon. She blinked away her dread, shifting to a determined stare as she focused on mixing her new concoction.

~

Fluttershy winced in pain, feeling the wind disrupt the wounds of her sides. She flew slowly over the Everfree alongside Rainbow Dash, looking across the canopy for any signs of reddish glows or anything else of the sorts.

The injuries had healed across her body, at least to a point where bandaging was not necessary, however her hide was still raw and soft and stung. The physical pain associated with the injury wasn’t the only issue.

That triad of eyes, glowing angry green, deep into her soul. The two mandibles, crackling wide open as if ready to bite her head clean off, the long, gnarled claws dripping with ooze. She could feel herself hold back a heave just from the thought of that monster. It could hardly leave her mind.

The same could be said about her dreams. The more gruesome and violent ones she had seen while under the influence of that monster’s poison had continued.

Ginormous horned beasts with blades of flame extending from their wrists, visions of her friends in zombie-like states, faded pelts and emotionless faces. They only moaned traces of their voices as they shambled at her, attempting to strike at her with their hooves and lunge for chunky bites.

More noble looking monsters joined the barbaric ranks as well. Still bipedal, wearing what appeared to be armor and wielding weapons with blades of fire. Those ones spoke to her. Their voices were deep and striking, their eyes glowed bright orange and their faces, at least from what she could see under their helmets and masks, were skeletal and rotting.

What they had said to her exactly had slipped from her mind but what she knew for sure was that they wouldn’t stop asking her about something. Over and over again, with unimaginable force within their deep and crackly voices. She couldn’t help but shiver at the thought. Though, at least in the land of the waking, the only thing bringing those beasts back to her was her own thoughts and memory.

She had tried to talk to others about it, although most of the time she’d hold herself back. By Celestia, I haven’t even said thanks to Twilight... nor the other three. A stroke of guilt was brought to her. Fluttershy had been much more reluctant to converse lately. Even to her closest friends, like she hadn’t even known them. She was surprised that she let out more than a peep to them back at the cider line.

This also could be attributed to her complete hermitization. She felt way too hesitant to make the trip to Ponyville from her cottage, every peek into the woods reminding her of what that thing did to both her and Mr. Lizard.

She had begun neglecting her animals a tad as well, frequently forgetting to feed them. Especially those outside. For most of the days she’d sit in bed under the covers hoping nothing would come and attack her, even during the day.

Then there was Discord. Fluttershy would call to him frequently in her cottage at night, alone and afraid to sleep. However, the mystical Draconequus was absent. Unresponsive. She would assume that he’s busy but everytime after that incident that she did call for him, the God of Chaos wouldn’t arrive.

Fluttershy frowned at the thought, eyes deep in thought as she hovered over the Everfree forest. “Fluttershy!” She heard her friend, Rainbow Dash call. “What are you looking at?!”

The nature-loving pegasus jumped, looking over at her friend with wide eyes. “O-Oh! Oh,
was I spacing out again?” She blushed in embarrassment, smiling nervously.

“Yeah! I know it’s been a tough past week for you, Fluttershy, but we need to focus.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Eh-alright, Rainbow.” Fluttershy’s ears folded back as her friend huffed.

A bit of guilt struck Rainbow over the miniscule lash out. It seemed to have hurt, judging by the other pegasus’ reaction. “Just, listen, Fluttershy. I’m sorry for getting annoyed there, but I’m just worried.” she began. “I’ve hardly seen you since you came out of that hospital and I haven’t been sure that you were alright for a while. I haven’t seen you around Ponyville at all! Is everything okay?”

Fluttershy nodded smally. “I-I’m okay.” she lied, looking for something to change the topic. Her ears perked at the sight of a glowing red under the trees. “There!” she pointed a hoof down to the pool of apple-lava.

Rainbow looked down as well, spotting the pool. “Let’s go check it out!” she grinned, ready for adventure as she flew down towards it.

Fluttershy followed her friend down the canopy, making sure to flutter between a pair of bush like treetops to get below the thick forest. There sat a severely drained pool of the stuff, lacking the fluid thanks to the recent utilization of its contents by the Apple family. Where much of the energy like substance used to sit were crackles and streaks of red lightning going across the mucky dirt.

Rainbow and Fluttershy landed next to the lowered pool. “The apple-lava’s all sunken in.” The rainbow maned pegasus pointed out, taking a step or two towards it. She moved a hoof to one of the shooting shocks that remained from the mud.

Once she made contact with it, she immediately withdrew the hoof, eyes wide. “OW!” She jumped back, shaking her hoof, a bit of the red lightning dispersing across the cyan hide. “Ugh, note to self, don’t touch the apple-lava.” She set her hoof on the ground, backing away from the pit.

She glanced back at Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus not saying anything.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Well, it looks like Applejack’s family drained everything. Most of everything.” she stomped her hoof on the ground to get rid of the electric feeling within it. “So, should we go look for anymore?” the daredevil asked. “I kind of feel like there’d only be one, ya know? Kind of makes no sense that no pony would have found these things before now if there was.” she explained

“Eh… Rainbow Dash?” The shy pony called for her friend’s attention, eyes fixed on something above the canopy of the Everfree.

“Wha-What in Equestria is that?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking in the direction that her pal was staring in.

There, just being made out above the trees could be seen a dome made of some magical light blue aura. It was strikingly similar to that magical protection spell Shining Armor had casted at his and Princess Cadence’s wedding. Well, Rainbow Dash had simply recalled it as “the weird protective bubble thingy.”

It was off in the distance, assumedly surrounding some sort of location. “We’ve gotta go check that out!” Rainbow exclaimed, dashing into the air.

“A-Are you sure about that, Rainbow? T-Twilight told us to-...” She gave up on trying to stop her once Rainbow Dash flew above the canopy, not paying an ounce of attention to her point. Most likely do to Fluttershy’s lack of volume in her tone.

The yellow pegasus glanced at the pool before taking flight and following her friend.

“We don’t know if th-that’s dangerous or not!” Fluttershy pointed out, flying alongside her friend.

“It’s worth checking out.” The cyan pegasus pointed out, squinting her pinkish-red eyes ahead. “I think it’s around that old castle place.” The pony realized, spotting it below the tinted blue dome. There, in a large field that broke from the Everfree, stood the dilapidated and destroyed former home of their royalty. The protective barrier surrounded it strong and steadfast.

“Why in Celestia would that magic dome thing be there?” Rainbow asked as they flew towards it.

Fluttershy shook a little. “M-Maybe it’s best if we d-d-don’t investigate?” she suggested.

“Aw, come on, Fluttershy! Live a little.” the daring mare flew her way over the old rope bridge that led across the chasm to the castle, landing in front of the dome and onto the path that would usually lead to the front entrance.

The shy pony landed beside Rainbow, ears pinned back. “P-Please don’t tell me y-you’re going to try to g-g-go in there.” her cyan pupils were small in fear.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, making her way to the bright blue aura. “What’s the worst that could happen? I’ll just reach a hoof in.” she lifted a hoof nonchalantly as she advanced closer to the dome. The closer she got, the more a light, heavenly sounding noise beamed from the aura.

Eventually she got to a distance that was close enough to reach a hoof from. The pegasus gently moved it closer and closer towards it, the bottom part of her leg being engulfed by a tingly feeling, both warm and cold. It made her mane frill up a little as she planted the hoof further through, beginning to walk into the other side of the dome. It seemed to have accepted her.

Her entire body was washed over with that same feeling until she made it to the other side. It felt rather normal inside the dome as she looked across the castle.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her hooves, then back at herself, making sure she was okay. The pegasus then turned around, looking back at Fluttershy who was now much less scared of going in there.

“Come on in!” Rainbow Dash urged.

It appeared that Fluttershy caught the message, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth as she reached a hoof in. Once it was slightly within the dome, she flung her eyes open, giving her limb a weird look as it edged closer to the inside ground.

Fluttershy gasped a little at the feeling before she staggered the rest of the way through, shivering a little. “Th-that felt… weird.” the pegasus stated.

“It’s safe here though.” Rainbow Dash said, looking across the castle, listening to the gentle hum of the magical barrier’s aura. “A little peaceful, ya know?”

Her friend nodded, staring across it as well. “...We should tell Twilight.”

Rainbow Dash nodded back. “Yeah, I like that idea.” The two turned, making their way out of the barrier and taking flight, heading back towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Comments

[Silentwoodfire]

Where is that Discord anyway?