Rift in Ponyville

by xnaturalblue

22

Sonar Moonshadow wasn’t quite sure where he was as he floated aimlessly through the void. Something kept him from panicking, though, and blips of voices started to echo around him. A familiar child’s laughter seemed to catch his focus, and the more he listened, the closer it got until his hooves touched a hardwood floor. His surroundings materialized by the moment as he realized that his vision was working, and slowly, Sonar found himself in Fire Bolt’s childhood living room. He’d only visited her mother’s home once before, and the experience had been less than pleasant. Nonetheless, he recognized the feel of the home and the hallway that giggles echoed from.

He stepped closer to the sound and gently pushed a bedroom door open, his heart melting as he saw a very young Bolt fall over with laughter as a teenaged Serenade Remix played with her sister’s toys recklessly, making the wooden ponies smack into each other as she feigned their screaming voices. Sonar recognized the pony from photos alone and felt a twinge of pain in his chest as he realized that this would be the closest thing he would get to meeting her.

A wooden panel creaked under his hoof and Serenade Remix snapped her head up at the sound, seemingly unable to actually see him. In that brief moment alone, everything blinked back to darkness and silence as he was plunged once again into the void. A sparkling mane from afar caught his attention, and as it grew closer, he was amazed to see Princess Luna.

“Hello, Sonar Moonshadow. I’ve been trying to reach you.” She smiled.

“…Me?” He asked, shocked.

“Yes, you!” Luna giggled. “It’s been a little difficult with that talisman of yours. Misty Seeker is a very smart mare.”

“Oh! I… yeah. I’ve been able to visit her in my sleep. What did you… need from me?” He asked awkwardly, feeling out of place as he tried not to flail in the air.

“You’ve come incredibly far from where you began. You and your friends have organized in a sense that not many could have done on their own. I’m impressed.” The princess smiled gently, tilting her head. “I believe I was meant to guide you to where you are now, but it seems you have figured it out all on your own with that magic you have.”

“Thank you, Princess. But really, we couldn’t have done any of it without the help of Misty!” He exclaimed.

“And you found her upon your own magic’s guidance, yes?” She smirked knowingly.

“I… suppose so. But we’re really lost right now. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. I don’t know how to save you and Princess Twilight.” In a moment, he found himself sitting on a grassy hill with the princess under the night sky.

“Do not worry yourself with our fates. They’ve been sealed for quite a while. I suppose I only bought myself time by leaving Jesterbones on the moon.” She looked to the stars. “But your journey has just begun, truly. May I tell you a story?”

“I would love that,” Sonar whispered, unsure if he was speaking to the princess or the stars.

“Long ago, there were six ponies known as the Pillars of Old Equestria. Are you familiar with those few?” Sonar nodded after thinking back to his history courses for a moment. “Well, far earlier than that, there were eight. Eight ponies defended Equestria for decades, and I remember them well. One thing has stayed the same through all of these generations of friendship and harmony – magic. Your princess of friendship represents this element, as did Starswirl the Bearded. Do you understand?”

“I do. But I didn’t know recorded history went back further than the Pillars of Old Equestria…?” He questioned.

“It sadly does not. Memory alone keeps these eight alive. A powerful unicorn led the group called the Fated Eight, and her blood ran in Starswirl, it ran in Twilight Sparkle, and now… I believe it runs in you.” Luna turned to him with a determined stare, and he wanted to shrink under the pressure. “Magic, Justice, Courage, Forgiveness, Change, Patience, Charity, and Humility kept Equestria within its worldly bounds before my sister could even raise the sun.” She broke their gaze at that, returning it to the night sky. “And I have reason to believe that the Fated Eight’s power has returned to protect our world from the evil that threatens it.”

“What exactly are you saying? That it’s up to me to… save Equestria? I’m flattered, but I don’t think…” Sonar trailed off shyly, looking down at his hooves, always amazed when he could use his eyes.

“I wasn’t sure at first. But I am now. The responsibility does not lie upon you alone. Are you aware that there are eight of you sleeping in Lava Lamp’s home as we speak?”

“Eight of us… There were nine until a few hours ago. That can’t be right. I don’t even know three of them well enough to determine if-”

“But I do. Your partner’s sense of justice has been powerful since her birth… she believes it to be to a fault. But I see it as magical.” Luna placed a hoof on Sonar’s shoulder. “And her sibling, they are the most courageous pony you’ve met, yes? Facing the unknown without a shiver of fear?”

“I don’t… How do I know that the friends I have now are the right ones? Just because there’s eight of us doesn’t mean that they all represent the powers you’re looking for.”

“Ah, but I am not the one searching for them. He is. And he has found you all; he’s touched each of you with a darkness that he believes will hinder you. Your sight, for example.” The casualty of her words stunned Sonar into silence for a long moment.

“Jesterbones blinded me?”

“Indeed. He made your birth… uncomfortable, respectfully. But your lack of sight and wings has made you far more powerful than any average unicorn, as I’ve never seen anything like it. And the death of Fire Bolt’s father was his making, too. To stop her from seeing things properly before she could bloom into the mare she is today. But it backfired, and her passion for seeking what’s right is inspired by this loss.” Sonar’s brain couldn’t keep up with the flow of information, but Princess Luna continued. “Lava Lamp’s patience through this difficult time has been faced with attempts at breaking her spirits, but her tolerance is endless. She has quietly kept time in case the sun ever shone again without a single frustration or outburst. And Marshmallow Creme… I’m not sure how to describe it to you. She represents a change that impacts each and every one of you. Change is the only thing in life that’s constant, yes?”

“What about the others? You said there’s… Forgiveness, Charity, Humility…? How can I know that the others are the right ones? How can I find the right ones if they’re not?” He asked frantically as the darkness of the night seeped through the grass and into his hooves.

“The ponies you have are the ones you need. Time will tell.” Sonar’s vision began to fail back to its usual blackness as a blinding light overtook him, his horn igniting with a heat that trickled all the way down to his hooves.

Sonar Moonshadow awoke in a cold sweat and a tremor that clicked his teeth together relentlessly. “Moonbeam? What’s wrong?” Bolt asked groggily as she awoke from her deep slumber. “Did you see Misty again?”

Unable to reply, he stood and raced from the home of sleeping ponies for fresh air as Bolt stretched out to follow him. “We have to fix this.” He said as the two stood in the darkness.

“I know we do, but don’t worry! We’ve come so far and at the very least-”

“No, we have to fix this. It’s up to us alone.” He cut her off sharply, regret blooming in his chest as she recoiled from the shouting.

“…Listen, I know this is hard. I’m not having the time of my life either. But I need you to tell me what you’re thinking, or I can’t do anything about it.” Bolt sighed, still reeling from being woken up so abruptly.

They stood in silence for several minutes as Sonar heaved in as much of the cool air as he could get. “Princess Luna showed me… something. There were…” He tried to grasp the memory before he lost it. “There were eight ponies a long, long time ago. Before the Pillars. And they’re back, or at least, Princess Luna thinks they are.”

“Oh… wow. Well, if they’re back, can they help us figure this out?” She guided the conversation.

“They’re within us,” He said plainly and the two returned to silence.

“Okay… What do you mean?” She asked gently.

“There are eight elements that can fight the darkness. And there are eight of us.” He turned to Bolt. “We have to use this power… somehow. I don’t even know who corresponds to who yet.”

“That makes sense. Do you remember what the elements are? Maybe I could help you figure it out.”

“Erm, Magic, which is… me, I guess. You’re Justice. Sap is Courage. I think… Lava Lamp is Patience? Then we’ve got Forgiveness, Humility, Charity, and… Oh, Marshmallow is Change. Somehow. I don’t have a lot to work with.” He felt stupid as the words left his mouth, but he continued anyway. “I know it’s a lot, but I don’t really know what to do with it.”

“That’s a great start! Okay, well, hmm. For Jelly Splash, do any of those really… ring a bell?” Bolt asked, now fully awake.

Sonar shook his head. “I don’t think we’re supposed to figure it out right now. Time will tell,” He echoed the princess’s words.

“That’s just fine. We can work with that. You alright?” She lowered her voice as commotion sounded from inside the home.

“Yeah. It’s fine. Can we go back inside?” Sonar asked sheepishly.

“For sure.” Bolt opened the door for him, and he paused before entering.

“Oh, Boltie?” She raised her eyebrows expectantly. “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I don’t know why I…”

“It’s alright.” She smiled. “We’re going through a lot right now and you’ve held it together better than anyone else. Now let’s go find those elements, alright?”

He smiled back and walked inside to the sight of everyone awake, save for the two sisters who were still nestled up together under a blanket. A few of the many lamps were now turned back on, but kept dim enough to avoid disturbing the sleeping mares. “Hey, you good?” Sapphire inquired quietly.

“Yeah, we’re alright. We’ve got a new gameplan, though.”

---

“So… elements. We’re supposed to represent elements?” Marshmallow asked, almost raising her voice above the whisper that allowed Iris and Marigold to sleep.

“I suppose. I didn’t get any information past that, but…” Sonar glanced thoughtlessly to the sound of light snoring. “It’s all of us. Including those two. I guess her timing was perfect, considering we just met them.”

“Wait, can you go over the list again? What am I supposed to be?” Jelly Splash asked.

“I… don’t really know yet. That’s the thing. I only got confirmation for Boltie, Sap, Lava Lamp, Marshmallow, and… I mean, me.” He replied, trying to multitask as his mind raced through the dream repeatedly.

“Then how do you know that it’s actually us? Actually all of us?” She pressed, making Sonar push his hooves together anxiously.

“Princess Luna said that you’re the right ones. Kind of… vaguely I guess. But I’m positive that it’s us. All of us.”

“If it’s us, how do we use it? Like, what are our next steps here?” Sapphire questioned confidently.

“I think what we really need to focus on is figurin’ out how them snorin’ over there play into any of this. I ain’t even expect to be part of this, but princess’s orders are princess’s orders,” Lava Lamp sighed. “But how do we approach somepony after all o’ that?”

“I have no idea. But I do know what I wished I would’ve heard when I experienced something similar,” Jelly said firmly. “I think Fire Bolt can help me out with that.”

---

Behind Lava Lamp’s house, Jelly Splash and Marshmallow Creme sparred and tussled. Jelly had a fair amount of combat experience over her years spent alone, and Marshmallow only knew defensive moves from her time in Cloudsdale. Fire Bolt and Sonar Moonshadow were next in line and watched with twitching smiles as their friends fought for power.

Jelly seemed out of place, which added up – she’d had years of solitude to perfect her self-defense, but it was the solitude that kept her from real practice. Marshmallow, on the other hand, had absolutely zero understanding of the elements of combat and instead had acted solely on instinct when she’d needed to. It was life-saving adrenaline that wasn’t as present in the grassy lands of Sire’s Hollow, so the two of them tussled with equal fervor. At one point, Jelly Splash was able to pull Marshmallow Creme into a chokehold that lasted a convincing few seconds, but the pegasus was able to slip out with a swift kick to Jelly’s jaw. She tumbled backward with a sharp huff of breath, and Sapphire finally called out for a draw.

Jelly squinted at Marshmallow for a long few moments, heaving in her breaths before straightening out and tilting her nose in the air. She outstretched her hoof and Marshmallow took it wearily, shaking on their tie. “And that was…” Sapphire darted inside for a few moments before retreating proudly. “Just around twenty minutes! That was good!”

“It was fine.” Jelly Splash trotted to sit against the base of the house, sulking as she chugged down the entirety of her water. “Twenty minutes is nothing if we’re going against something outside of time. You two up next, I’m trying again.”

Sapphire sat next to the unicorn, playfully shoving her shoulder and muttering something outside of Bolt’s hearing range. Fire Bolt took several shaking deep breaths as her partner steadied himself in front of her, lowering into a defensive stance and shifting his balance between hooves. His lack of normal sight only mildly evened their playing field, as Sonar Moonshadow grew up with parents that took his self defense incredibly seriously. He’d been raised with a particular tutor, a mare that was blinded in a flight accident, that taught him to fight for himself frighteningly well. Fire Bolt, on the other hand, had only taken out her childhood and teenaged angst against a tattered punching bag.

“Alright, your time starts when I shout out from Lava’s clock. Again, you’re not trying to win quickly, you’re just trying to win and keep your head up for as long as possible.” Sapphire ran inside and Bolt twitched with anxiety as she waited for the mark. A few long moments passed as the two stared at each other intently before a shout rang through the yard, and Sonar Moonshadow swiftly attacked. Bolt didn’t even have the time to fly out of his reach before she tumbled across the grass in a tight grip, her mane catching bits of dirt and debris as she struggled from Sonar’s grasp. Her heart jumped to her throat as a real sense of danger twitched up her spine, a feeling that she’d never experienced at the hooves of her partner. Bolt grunted and twisted out of Sonar’s hooves, getting a weak kick in at his stomach before placing a much harder kick against his chest that sent him sprawling backward. She took the opportunity to take flight, shoulders aching from the grasp that Sonar had her in before a blast of magical heat hit her back hoof. Fire Bolt dodged another beam of magic with a yelp before a third sent her to the ground, the breath being knocked from her chest as she heaved in the dirt.

Sonar’s magic was very clearly being restrained, as the blasts of magic had only acted as light shocks of electricity to throw Bolt off her balance. Regardless, she quivered with adrenaline and threw herself to her hooves just in time to dodge another blow from Sonar, spinning around to deliver a swift kick to his front hoof that sent him tumbling chin-first into the dirt. A moment of sympathy on Fire Bolt’s part ended up being a moment of weakness as she was tackled to the ground once again. As Sonar pulled her into a suffocating grasp, Bolt tried to ignore the alarm bells ringing off in her brain that told her she should be genuinely afraid and failed. “Get off of me!” She groaned, using her back hooves to send a full-force strike to Sonar’s midcenter and sending him dragging across the grass. Against her better judgement, Bolt saw red and delivered a swift punch to his jaw as he gasped for air in the dirt, only drawing back when Sapphire called for it.

“Boltie, you win! Timer’s up!” Sapphire Swirl’s voice faded into full volume after Bolt could only hear her breath and heartbeat after several moments, and she blinked down at her partner’s bloody nose. He wiped his face with a hoof, standing feebly and shooting her a look that she couldn’t recognize. “Eight minutes!”

Fire Bolt fully settled back into reality and backed away from Sonar by a few steps before realizing she was shaking like a leaf. “Moonbeam, I’m sorry! I- you were already down, I shouldn’t have-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” He said in a hushed tone, approaching her with the demeanor that a rabbit would approach a wounded lion. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to do, right? Get that… flame out of each other.”

“Right.” Bolt felt her own grimace and turned away, trotting toward Lava Lamp’s home. “I’m going to talk to the sisters, they should be up by now.”

“Hold on, I’m coming!” Jelly Splash hoisted herself up with a grunt and raced to catch up to Fire Bolt.

Inside, Marigold Meadow had her head tucked under Iris Tenderheart’s chin as the two lay sprawled across the hardwood floor. Lava Lamp’s living room was still lit quite dimly; a cozy atmosphere with a starkly different emotion that plagued the air. Bolt paced for a moment, calming her gasps into shallow breaths as the two sisters sniffled and swallowed sobs. Finally, she sat down in front of the two before eventually falling into a slouch. “Hey.”

Iris glared up at her silently, but Bolt could see beyond her misplaced façade into the swirling pools of pain within her eyes. Marigold was overtaken by tremors, tilting up her chin to meet Bolt’s dual-toned eyes. “I can’t believe she’s gone…” She whispered. “It was so… the way she… it was so sudden.”

Bolt nodded, choosing to stay silent as Jelly Splash took a seat at her side. “I can’t get the picture out of my head,” Iris spoke up. “That picture… I keep replaying it all in my mind.” Fire Bolt reached out to place a comforting hoof on Iris’ own, hoping to extinguish some of the fire in her eyes. Jelly sat quietly, her face twisted into something unrecognizeable as her usually crystal-hard exterior softened.

“Why did it have to happen? And now?” Marigold’s timid voice cracked.

“Sometimes… Well, sometimes, there are no answers. It's just pain and a sense of loss that cuts deep.” Bolt ran her hoof up and down Iris’ as she looked away from their faces. “It feels like you’ve been gutted alive. And sometimes it’ll still feel exactly as bad as when it first cut you. But other times… You can live again.”

“Without her.” Iris barked, pulling her hoof away from the pegasus’ own. “She was so full of life. And now I’m just supposed to… It doesn’t feel right.”

“I remember feeling that way when I lost my brother. It's a void that leaves you alone.” Jelly met Iris’ piercing gaze, matching its intensity until the other’s softened again. “The Nightfall’s magic delivered a similar fate to him. Gruesome, and… and unfair.”

“I’m sorry,” Marigold gulped, and Iris chose to stare at her hooves. “I didn’t know you…”

“Don’t apologize. Loss is a language that all of us speak now,” The unicorn sighed, looking to Bolt for her cue.

Out of the corner of her eye, Iris Tenderheart peeked to watch Bolt’s expression change. “My sister went peacefully. It’s not the same, but I can understand that it’s… confu-”

“Fuck,” Iris laughed tearfully, albeit slightly delirious. “We’re a bunch of freaks, aren’t we?” Jelly Splash snorted, and the four of them burst into adrenaline-fueled laughter. “I’m gonna… I need a shower.” She heaved, leaving her sister to fall into the embrace of Fire Bolt.

A whimper slipped through the grasp, and Jelly soon joined the hug, protecting Marigold Meadow with her arms.

Outside, Sapphire wiped blood from Sonar Moonshadow’s snout with a wet rag, laughing every time he winced. “Stop moving! You’re gonna end up looking like Hannibal Lecter if you don’t let me get this off!”

“It hurts!” Sonar fought a smile with a flinch. A few feet away, Marshmallow Creme told her entire life story with a healthy amount of exaggeration as Lava Lamp listened calmly. The two were turning out to be a perfect pair with Marshmallow’s ability to talk for hours and Lava’s enjoyment in sitting and listening.

“Do you think they’re doing okay in there?” Sapphire suddenly asked, their voice falling flat.

Sonar gulped. “I imagine so.”

“It’s just… she seemed a little off.”

“Boltie?” Sapphire hummed. “Yeah, I know. We’ve never really… She’s never laid a hoof on me. And I’ve never laid one on her.”

“I know damn well you haven’t. You’d be in a thousand pieces right now if you did.” Sapphire finally gripped his chin to wipe the blood away more aggressively.

Sonar chuckled. “I believe you. But… I don’t think we should be… paired up again like that.”

“Let’s hope you never have to be. You think we should check in on them?” Sapphire Swirl leaned back, squinting at their handiwork and looking out for any more spots of blood they missed.

“Nah, I don’t think so. It’s best to leave it up to them. And time.” Sonar Moonshadow wiped the excess water from his face and sniffled enduringly.

Inside, Marigold Meadow had already fallen back asleep from emotional exhaustion. Fire Bolt and Jelly Splash gently laid her onto a pillow, covering her shoulders with a blanket. It took an hour for Iris Tenderheart to exit the steamed-up bathroom with a wet mane, but she’d escaped to a bedroom before anyone could approach her. Marshmallow and Lava had made their way inside too, the pegasus chatting up a storm all the while as Lava concocted a savory-smelling stew in a large pot. A small flame licked the cast-iron basin and filled the living room with a tangy but pleasant aroma.

Eventually the top of Iris’ head poked out from a doorway, catching Fire Bolt’s eye. She beckoned the pegasus closer who complied slowly, careful not to startle her and entering a bedroom. “Hey… Fire Bolt?” She acknowledged after a few moments of silence.

“Hmm?” Bolt hummed.

“I wanted to apologize. I’m sorry for being so harsh earlier. I-”

“Woah, woah!” Iris’ mouth hung open as she was harshly cut off. “Don’t do that! Don’t… You don’t have anything to apologize for. You’re probably going through a lot of emotions right now, and I don’t blame you one bit for being angry.” Bolt placed her hooves on the other’s shoulders as if to restrain from shaking some sense into her. “You could’ve knocked my teeth out and I would’ve understood you.”

The two giggled. “Oh come on, I can’t throw a punch! Well… I’ve never spoken to anyone like that before. Except for Velvet Daisy and she usually deserved it. I felt really bad for snapping at you, and it won’t happen again. Here.” She pulled away from Bolt’s hooves to retrieve a small piece of cardstock, and when she flipped it over, Bolt was astonished.

“Oh wow. How did you…?” She whispered.

“It’s nothing, really.” In Iris’ hooves was an abstract drawing of dozens of ponies with their hooves in the air, all squeezed into a three-by-three inch square. “I wanted to give this to you as an apology for earlier because we’ve both lost a sister. That makes us sisters now.”

“That’s really sweet, Iris. I don’t know what to say,” Bolt smiled softly as the mare shyly looked around the room. “You’re a great artist.”

“Oh, you’re just saying that. I had all kinds of time to practice, though.” She grinned back, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“No, I mean it! Small details are even harder, too!” A loud crash suddenly drew the two from the room.

“What was that?” Marshmallow Creme exclaimed just before a stumbling Sapphire Swirl barreled through the back door, answering her question.

“Sorry for the noise! Sonar and I were tumbling around back there. Hit the side of your house, but there’s not any damage. Sorry, Lava Lamp!” Sonar Moonshadow smugly sauntered in a moment later.

“Don’cha worry, this house has seen it all. Front door has been holin’ on by a thread since the sun was in the sky. You alright?” Lava snickered, stirring the pot before tapping the wooden spoon against the edge and approaching the ruffled-up pegasus.

“Yeah, all good. Is that soup ready yet?” Sapphire shook out their wings as Sonar’s nose twitched in the air.

“Just about. Y’all take a seat now and get comfortable, I want to talk about some plans.” She resumed her stirring after tossing a hoofful of a red powder into the pot and everyone sat nervously. “Well don’t look at me like that, I just want to figure out how we’re supposed to work together. None of us can raise the sun in the sky, right?” Everybody shook their heads.

A few minutes later, everyone had a bowl of warm soup and a smile on their faces. Fire Bolt all but inhaled her bowl, requesting seconds before Sonar could even finish his first. She inched closer to him, leaning against his side as he ate quietly. “Alright,” Lava Lamp started, wiping food from her mouth with a deep breath. “I think we should go to the Crystal Empire.”

Jelly Splash stiffened. “Why? We were already there.”

“Not all of us. I’m curious about that map that led y’all here. I need to know why Cadance sent you to us.” Sapphire glanced nervously at Jelly, but her response surprised everyone.

“Alright. Let’s sleep on it, and I’ll take us there.”

Author's Note:

sorry for the brief hiatus!! holidays and finals left very little time for RIP. but weekly uploads are back! :)