Chapter 1 (Remastered)
Nopony in Ponyville noticed the tremors until their photos were falling off the walls. From nothing, they built to a dull rumble that threatened to shake the town apart. Everypony inside rushed to doorways to wait out the vibrations, while the few who were brave or unlucky enough to be outside found themselves staring skyward.
A ball of fire arched across the clear day, trailing black smoke in a billowing tail. As it fell, blazing brighter than the sun, a roar joined the quaking earth that grew louder and forced everypony to clap their hooves over their ears.
Nopony moved as it marched overhead, crossing the town and heading deep into the heart of the Everfree Forest. A wave of panic passed over everypony as it neared the ground: a frantic scramble to some form of cover to brace against a shockwave that never came. A muted crash ended the sphere’s flight and tendrils of fire leapt into the air, igniting trees and adding more smoke to the remains of the tail. The tremors stilled, but the howl of noise continued.
Twilight skidded to a stop in front of the forest’s path. Rainbow Dash was already there waiting for her. “Rainbow? What’re you—?”
“Same reason you’re here, egghead.” She flashed a smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Twilight opened her mouth, but the clatter of hooves from different directions drew her attention. Applejack and Fluttershy galloped side-by-side down the road leading from their homes by the Whitetail Woods, and Rarity and Pinkie Pie ran to meet them from downtown Ponyville. Gathered together, they exchanged looks, all fearful, all determined. Twilight turned towards the forest. “C’mon, girls! Let’s go!”
The six raced into the trees.
The rush of noise gradually quieted as they made their way closer, dodging tree roots and animals fleeing the impact site, their journey made disconcerting by sunlight streaming through the canopy making everything seem bright and merry.
Applejack stamped through a rotted log in her gallop and called out, “Whaddya think we’re in for, Twi?”
“I don’t know; that looked like a meteorite, but it didn’t land like one. We’ll probably need to put out some fires, but we could be in for anything, really.”
“Oooh, it could be anything?” Pinkie mused. “Maybe it was soft and squishy, like marshmallows! I bet it was a marshmallow meteor!”
Rarity grumbled, “I hope whatever it is isn’t much further.”
Snorting, Rainbow teased, “C’mon Rares; a little running never hurt anypony.” She leapt off her hooves and backflipped around a branch, hovering just above the group. Her grin widened. “Right, Fluttershy?” At her friend’s squeak of surprise, she laughed.
Twilight shot ahead a few paces, calling over her shoulder, “Less talking, more running.”
They slowed their pace as they approached a clearing of blown down trees. An oppressive wave of sulphur invaded their snouts and they squinted as much against the stench as the brightness of the sphere in the center of the circle.
Applejack’s brow knit in suspicion. “Somethin’s not right. Shouldn’t that thing’ve burned out by now?”
As the words left her mouth, the wild flames died down, surrounding the lumpy ball in an orange corona. With the crackling hiss of moisture cooking out of green wood, the blob lurched upwards. The six stared wide-eyed as the dark silhouette of the thing’s core separated and spread.
Four cloven hooves sprung from the mass, dragging it up to standing. A ropy tail flicked to life behind it as the center elongated into a barrel-chested torso. Horns erupted from a newly formed head.
The fire tightened around the new shape until it hung like flesh. A giant bull stood before them, glowing orange and yellow, a full head taller than Princess Celestia. It lowered its featureless face toward the group and pawed the ground. A grinding sputter sounded from its head and twin plumes of smoke poured from its nostrils.
They could feel the heat pouring off of the beast across the wide distance. They slunk back a step and Rainbow cried, “Twilight, what is that?”
“I don’t kn—” The bull scraped its hoof again and charged. “Run!” They scattered around the flaming bulk and looped back into the clearing. Twilight shook her head to clear it. “Fluttershy, have you ever seen any animals like this?”
Eyes narrowing in determination, Fluttershy said, “No, I haven’t, but it might be in pain.” She flew towards the bull as it stepped back into the clearing, and waved her forelegs to grab its attention. It paused at her approach and regarded her with its unreadable face.
“Are you hurt? You don’t have to be scared. My name’s Fluttershy and I help animals, will you let me help you?”
The beast lowered down in a threatening crouch. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and poured her will into her gaze, searching out weakness, looking for empathy in the liquid current of fire.
The bull was empty.
Fluttershy turned to flee as it charged from dangerously close, unable to dodge around its bulk and just barely avoiding its horns.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow yelled, “go up! Up!”
Scrunching her eyes shut, Fluttershy darted straight into the sky. The bull reared up on its back legs to follow, swinging a hoof upwards, zeroing in on Fluttershy’s exposed belly.
A guttural roar made the beast’s swing falter. Fluttershy sailed up out of reach and turned to the sound. A large brown bear padded into the clearing, his teeth bared at the creature. “Harry!” Fluttershy squeaked. “It’s dangerous here, go home, please!”
Harry growled and hunkered down, glaring at the bull, which dropped back to all fours and matched the bear’s stance. Fluttershy screamed, “Harry, no!” as they lunged.
Paw met hoof and Harry tackled the bull, dragging it to the ground. His rage turned to a yelp of pain as fire leapt up his shaggy fur. He tried to pull back, but the amorphous flesh held fast. His eyes widened.
“No!” Fluttershy wailed. Rainbow’s hooves circled her middle as she rushed to help her animal friend. Her screams turned to sobs as the bull dragged Harry down. She struggled in her friend’s grip, but Rainbow held tight, leading her back towards the others.
The bull stood over the blackened and smoking remains of the bear. Bile rose in the back of Applejack’s throat. Leaping to a felled tree, she stamped down hard and split off a large section of its trunk. She spun on her hooves and bucked it with all her might at the bull.
The hunk of wood hit the beast with a rebounding crack, sinking into its chest. A whining hiss of superheated water followed as the log blackened and flaked away. The bull stepped forward, completely unfazed. Applejack broke off another piece and sent it sailing.
Twilight’s horn flashed and magic surrounded the log. With a burst of force, it sped up and shot into the bull’s chest. The wood hissed and spat, burning to char the same as the first, but the bull reeled back from the blow. It shook its head and stamped the ground, leaving a long scorch mark beneath its hoof.
Twilight shot another bolt of magical force and the bull turned towards her, lunging forward without warning. Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight beneath her forelegs and flew her clear of the charge. “This isn’t working!” she called as she was set back on her hooves.
As they scrambled around another rush, Rarity’s eyes widened. “The river isn’t far from here!”
They turned together and bolted through the trees, dividing the bull’s attention as they darted in and out of cover, bringing it on a slow and meandering chase. The foliage fell before the creature, charring and twisting away from its aura of heat, hissing and blistering under its hooves. Pinkie Pie shouted, “I’ll buy everypony time to cross!” and veered off course, banging a drum and playing a clarinet. The bull reared back and lunged, parting the trees like blades of grass, and Rainbow lifted Pinkie away from harm at the last moment.
At the river’s edge, the water high and turbulent, Fluttershy lifted Rarity off the ground and Twilight wrapped her hooves around Applejack. In a flash of magic, they appeared on the opposite bank and watched Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash carry their other friends over. A relieved sigh escaped Twilight’s muzzle as she caught her breath.
Trees a smoking ruin at its appearance, the bull burst from the forest and charged headlong into the river, boiling the water to a haze of steam around its glowing form. Twilight squinted through the orange mist at the creature’s legs. The heat kept the water away from its fiery flesh; it was less fording the river than parting it.
Concentrating, Twilight conjured twisting whirlpools up from the waves, lifting them high and slamming them into the bull’s body. Steam poured away in torrents from her efforts before it even touched her target, but the bull paused and shook its head in a daze. Twilight’s eyes widened. ‘The magic is slowing it down!’
“We need the Elements of Harmony; I’ll meet everypony back in that clearing!” Scrunching her eyes shut, she vanished with a thunderclap of energy. The bull regained its bearings and charged.
“You guys get across, I’ll keep it busy.” Rainbow puffed out her chest and bellowed, “Hey, ugly!” leaping into the air. Her friends scattered to the sides, Fluttershy taking turns carrying them all across, while Rainbow buzzed around the bull’s head, dodging its horns and hooves. As the others made it to the far bank and galloped into the trees, she sailed over its head and blazed her way through the air, leading the bull back across the river and into the forest.
Rainbow flew in looping twists around the bull, keeping its attention focused on her through the chase and drawing it up to its full height to bat at her with its forelegs. They lurched back into the clearing, where Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity heaved in gulps of air during their reprieve. Rainbow didn’t let up, goading the creature with boasts and catcalls.
Twilight reappeared with a pop and slammed the tome holding the Elements of Harmony to the ground. “Quickly!” She flung back the cover as Rainbow darted to join them.
Five necklaces lifted up into the air and flashed to each pony, locking into place. Twilight’s crown settled onto her head and a shockwave of force leapt from the group in every direction. The charging bull was blown off its legs and rolled across the ground, leaving a smear of char before scrambling back to its belly.
The Elements lifted them from the ground in a glow of magic as they focused together, spinning in a circle and letting the power course through them. Twilight let out a breath of relief. “Okay, I think we’re goi—”
A howl filled the air as the bull swung its head skyward, and Twilight’s mind blanked mid-sentence. Her consciousness torn from reality and her mind thrust into nothingness, she had time to think, ‘Astral projection; a psychic message,’ before blinding orange cut through the darkness.
The burning meteor of the bull roiled through the expanse of nothing, moving ever forward. As she watched, another two fiery spheres flanked the first. Then more. And more. Countless rows forming countless columns spread in front of her, stretching back through the emptiness; a never ending wall of embers. The first pulled away from the group and streaked toward a glittering blue marble far in the distance.
Twilight’s thoughts were assaulted by a cascade of images, none clear, but all of fire. Plants burning. Towns burning. Ponies burning. An entire world consumed, the blue overpowered by an endless ocean of red as more and more bulls descended from space.
The final image lingered in her consciousness, bright and clear: the horde of meteors returning to the void, leaving the smoking ruin of an entire planet behind them.
Twilight awoke in a heap, lifting herself off a fallen tree in the clearing. She blinked and shook her head, watching her friends slowly rouse themselves from a similar state of groggy confusion. She looked over her shoulder at the bull.
The creature stared back through its featureless face, waiting silently, its tail flicking back and forth in an idle restlessness. Her gaze hardened.
“It’s a scout,” she said, willing the tremor out of her voice. “There’s an army coming. We have to stop it.”
They all clamored back to standing and gathered in a group, lifting off the ground as the Elements of Harmony hummed back to life. As the magic surged through them, throwing them into the meditative trance of power, only Rainbow Dash saw the bull rear up on its back legs and swing a hoof through the air.
A chunk of its darkened core flew free from the end of its leg, coated in liquid flesh, barrelling at the group.
Rainbow’s aura vanished as she flared her wings and turned, bucking with all her might. Her hindlegs connected with the projectile in a solid thunk, sending it careening away from her friends and back to the clearing.
The magic left the others as they stared at Rainbow Dash. Liquid fire sheathed her back legs, glowing bright, racing up her cannons towards her barrel. No one could say a word as Rainbow Dash was completely engulfed.
Twilight locked gazes with Rainbow. Through the haze of orange fluid she could read the pain in her friend’s face, bright and sharp, but the resignation and acceptance was far more terrifying. Silence stretched out as Rainbow’s mane crisped and her skin grew taught. The rotten egg smell of sulphur was overpowered by burning hair.
Rainbow’s voice, raspy and dry, but still unmistakably her, full or strength and conviction, erupted from the blaze. “I love you guys.”
Rainbow turned through the air, her mane in tatters, her silhouette turning gray, and streaked through the air. An inch from the bull, a thunderclap shook the air as color exploded from her hooves. The rainbow streak, bright and vivid through the fire, struck the beast in its solid core, tearing through the liquid flesh and carrying a hunk of its core away. The gaping wound shot tongues of flame in her wake, and the remains of the bull lurched and fell still, its liquid flesh burning away to smoldering ash like a dying campfire.
The magic of the Elements faded, and they landed back in the clearing. As soon as hooves touched ground, they shot off at a gallop through the trees. Rainbow’s flight path of destruction ended at the charred and blackened bark of a tree, fat and broad with age. Their breaths hitched as they looked for any sign of their friend.
The Element of Loyalty lay at the base of the tree, the golden neck bands twisted from heat and blackened with soot. A sharp crack down the middle split the dulled ruby lightning bolt in two, marring its surface. Wide eyed and in shock, they turned to face each other.
All six gems, bright and shaped to match each mare’s special talent, shared the same flaw.
The Elements of Harmony had broken.
Five sets of hooves made the slow trek back through the Everfree Forest and into Ponyville with the twisted Element of Loyalty floating in the middle of their group, suspended in Twilight’s magic. Nopony noticed how empty the town was as they crossed in front of town hall and entered the desolate marketplace, their expressions frozen in shock.
They arrived at the library, and found Spike waiting for them at the door, a scroll in his claws. He handed it to Twilight and stepped aside as they entered, his expression grave and ashen. Twilight unrolled the letter and cleared her throat. Her words came out barely above a whisper.
“To my most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,
“Please forgive the brevity of this letter, but you are no doubt aware of the declaration of war psychically transmitted across all of Equestria. This, coupled with the reports of a meteor strike near Ponyville, leads me to hope that you have further information.
“I hope this letter finds you and your friends in good health.
“Princess Celestia.”
Twilight’s legs gave out on her. Applejack rushed to her side and offered a steadying hoof, guiding her back to standing and whispering, “It’s gonna be okay, sugarcube, it’s gonna be okay.” Twilight leaned against her side and shivered, before nodding once and crossing the room to her desk on faltering steps.
Everypony gathered around while she pulled a sheet of parchment and a quill from her desk. As the feather touched the paper, an image of Rainbow Dash flashed through her mind and a tremor of panic raced up her spine. She took a deep and strained breath, willing away her emotions, focusing on the task at hand. The feather scratched out the first word in shining black ink.
Spike watched the words flow onto the page. He swayed where he stood and threw out his arms, clutching the side of the desk to hold himself up. Fluttershy broke the silence when a strangled sob tore its way out of her throat. She sunk to her haunches and found herself hugged on either side by Pinkie and Rarity.
Twilight blinked and two teardrops fell to the page, smearing the last word she’d written. She leaned away from the page as her chest shuddered, forcing down her feelings, fighting her way through writing the letter.
A hoof settled on her shoulder and she jumped, turning to find Applejack behind her. Silent streams of wetness ran down her friend’s cheeks, but Applejack nodded in encouragement and rubbed her back. She took a ragged breath and blotted away the wet patch on the sheet, starting fresh on the next line.
Spike’s claws tore away thin shavings from the desk as he gripped harder. When Twilight’s letter reached Rainbow Dash’s fate, chunks of wood came away in his claws, and he pinwheeled backwards onto his tail. Leaping to his feet, he fled up the stairs, burying his face in the crook of his arm. The door slammed as Twilight signed her name.
Twilight dragged herself to her hooves and lifted the completed letter in her magic. Applejack stepped back and slunk to the floor, hugging the others, as Twilight climbed the stairs on shaky legs.
She knocked gently and called through the door, her voice rough, “Spike? Open up, I’ve gotta send this to the—” her throat hitched and she sniffed to clear her snout “—princess.”
Spike opened the door and peered around it with a single bloodshot eye. Twilight grimaced at what she could see of his expression and tried to push her way into the room, wanting nothing more than to hug him. Before she could, he breathed a tongue of flame over the scroll and slammed the door with a bang.
Twilight lowered down onto her belly as the embers of dragonfire flashed out through the window. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door, whispering, “Please let her answer quickly.”
After an eternity played out in a matter of minutes, she heard a belch through the wood and a letter slid under the frame. She half stumbled down the stairs to her friends, wiping her eyes as she held up the letter. The penmanship was messy and rushed compared to others from Celestia, and she had to squint to read it. Everypony took deep breaths and willed themselves quiet as she cleared her throat, hiding the waver in her voice.
“My dearest Twilight,
“It has been a long time since I’ve gotten such sad news. All of Equestria will mourn the loss of Rainbow Dash, one of the greatest ponies I have met in all my years of living. You and your friends have my deepest sympathy, and each and every one of you will be in my thoughts, though I feel words are inadequate.”
Twilight paused in reciting as the light dimmed. In a mental fog, she trotted to the window. The moon had risen early, eclipsing the sun and casting the world into a dim, red haze. Twilight marveled in a hushed tone, “She...Princess Celestia’s declared a national tragedy.”
She turned back to her friends. Wordlessly, they bowed their heads and joined the moment of silence.
When the light came back, Twilight returned to the letter.
“I have placed a request with the treasury to expand your monthly living expense stipend to help you give Rainbow Dash a send-off worthy of her importance to Equestria, and her importance to you.
“I’m reluctant to ask now, but when you can, I request you and your friends come to Canterlot. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.
“With my love,
“Princess Celestia.”
Twilight closed the letter and floated it to her desk. She cantered from the window and collapsed against her friends, hugging them with desperation. They grasped each other, searching for comfort, but only finding the empty spot where the sixth set of hooves should have been, powerful limbs that could keep fear at bay with reckless ease, now missing.
There would come time to make funeral arrangements and struggle to move on, but at the moment all they could do was cry against each other, lost to the world around them. The reality had sunk in.
Rainbow Dash was gone.
Applejack sighed and sunk into the couch, pulling off her formal black Stetson as everypony filed into the library. They sat in a rough circle, smoothing their funerary outfits and pulling back veils. Spike cast a miserable look around them and undid his tie, pulling off his tuxedo piece by piece as he plodded up the stairs, leaving a trail of rumpled clothes behind him. As the bedroom door shut with a click, Applejack let out another heavy breath.
Rarity looked out the window from her spot next to Applejack, her expression vague. “I can’t believe she’s gone.” She shook her head and sniffled. A hoof settled on her shoulder. She turned and gave Applejack a thin smile.
Fluttershy wiped at her puffy eyes and hugged herself as if huddling for warmth. “There was so much I still wanted to say to her.”
“She—” Pinkie’s voice hitched, and she cleared her throat. Brushing a sheet of straight mane from in front of her eyes, took a deep breath. “She was the best of us. That day, against that bull thing, she kept saving us.”
Fluttershy’s lip quivered as she met eyes with Pinkie. Smiling weakly, Pinkie went on, “When...when poor Harry…” She closed her eyes and sniffed. “Dashie grabbed you to keep you away from the bull.” Fluttershy squeaked in agreement as Pinkie turned to Twilight. “And...and she flew both of us away when we almost got squished.”
Twilight gave a solemn nod as Pinkie’s gaze settled on the floor. Sighing, Pinkie said, “And on the other side of the river, she kept it busy. She must’ve been so tired already, but she kept everypony safe.”
Applejack looked at her hooves and found she had ruined her hat by twisting it. She shut her eyes tight. Rarity’s hoof stroked her back, and she bit back a sob.
Pinkie looked back up, silent streams of tears running down her cheeks. She was normally such a loud crier. “It didn’t matter what it was, she was always there for us...for all of us. What are we gonna do without her?”
As Pinkie held her face in her hooves, everypony else turned to Twilight, their expressions searching and hopeful. Applejack tried to smooth out her Stetson as she said, “I ain’t gonna be gettin’ over Dash any time soon, but I wish I knew why this happened. Do you know what’s goin’ on, Twi? What that thing was, what happened to the Elements?”
Twilight sighed and settled back on her haunches. “I don’t know what happened…” Her expression set hard, a grim determination edging into her voice, “but I’m gonna find out.”
Twilight winced inwardly as they nodded. Her racing mind plotted an array of tests and plans all throughout the subdued dinner and somber goodbye the group shared at Sugarcube Corner. When she returned to the library, she went directly to her desk and pulled the Elements of Harmony in front of herself one by one, pouring over books, searching for anything she could find.
The sun moved across the sky and she grabbed a few candles to see the page. When they all burned down, she lit up her horn, prodding Element after Element, flipping page after page, a manic need to have something, anything for when they left for Canterlot in the morning gripping her.
Rubbing the bags under her eyes, she cast another spell over the current necklace in front of her. A grunt escaped her muzzle and she barked out, “Nothing!” as she slumped in her chair. The magic glow around her horn faded, casting the room in darkness, and she sat upright, sparking light back around the room.
“Mustn’t sleep,” she muttered to herself, “gotta stay awake, invasion coming, Elements broken, no time to sleep…” She got to her hooves and stretched out her back, groaning at the stiffness. She floated a fresh candle out of a cabinet and sparked it to life, pushing it onto a holder that was already overflowing with the remains of previous candles. “Girls are counting on me, can’t sleep, can’t have that dream again…”
Twilight shuddered. The dream, reliving Rainbow’s last moments, replayed through her head and she shoved it away with a steadying breath.
The bedroom door creaked open and Spike’s voice drifted down the stairs. “Twilight?”
She jerked and spun towards the stairs. She shook her head again and cleared her throat, trying to banish some of the exhaustion from her voice. “I’m here, Spike.” He rushed down the stairs and hugged her around the neck. She returned the embrace and found that he was shaking. “Everything okay?”
He sniffed, his face buried in her mane. “I-I had a bad dream. I’m scared, Twilight.”
Twilight’s heart ached. She lifted the little dragon in her forelegs and sat on the couch, rubbing his back in soothing circles. “I’m scared, too, Spike, but it’ll be okay.”
He sniffed again. “How’s it gonna be okay?”
She closed her heavy eyes and rested her head on Spike’s. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure something out.” Spike’s quivering lessened in her embrace as they sat together in silence, receiving comfort from each other’s presence.
“…Do you know what’s going on, Twilight? I heard you and Applejack talking about the Elements after Rainbow Dash’s fune-f-funer—” his voice caught.
Twilight tightened the hug. “I don’t know yet. Normally you can sense the magic in everything; even broken spells have a traceable path, where you can follow the leaking energy, but the Elements look…” she frowned, idly rubbing his scaly back, “…dead. They look dead, like they never had any magic at all, which is impossible.”
“Well, what does that mean?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “I wrote to Princess Celestia to see if she’d heard of such a thing, but all she said was that she’d sent it along to the high scholars. Maybe they’ll find something I didn’t, but everything I’ve found in my research suggests this is something new.” She massaged her temples with her hooves. “I should get back to work; the girls are counting on me to figure it out…”
She turned to stand and go back to her desk, when Spike’s grip tightened. His voice came out small and fragile, reminding Twilight exactly how young he really was. “Stay with me a little longer, please?”
Twilight resettled and wrapped her hooves around the baby dragon. “It’ll be okay, Spike,” she whispered. Her eyes drifted shut as she sat with him.
Twilight’s eyes met with Rainbow Dash’s. Twilight could see her reflection in them, through the haze of liquid fire, saw her own horror crystallized. She saw the pain in Rainbow’s face as the heat consumed, the acceptance, the resignation. There it was again: the exact moment when Rainbow Dash realized she was going to die. Twilight tried to shut her eyes, but couldn’t, and she watched helplessly as Rainbow turned and blazed away, too fast, but never over. She heard Rainbow’s voice echo endlessly. “I love you guys.” “I love you guys.” “I love you—”
Twilight’s eyes snapped open and she shuddered, hugging the sleeping form of Spike close to her chest. She shut out the early morning light, blinking away her tears and struggling to keep her sobs from waking him up.
Rainbow Dash found herself in a world of mist. She sat on her haunches in the swirling whiteness and tried to collect her thoughts. Her body was absolutely still, more so than she had ever been before. As she contemplated it, she realized she wasn’t breathing.
Rainbow inhaled. She found the sensation foreign and strange, like picking up a hobby she hadn’t tried in years. She touched a hoof to her neck and couldn’t find a pulse.
The mist receded and Rainbow looked around at the clarifying landscape. She sat at a crossroads, the worn dirt path beneath her continuing into billowing mist in front of and behind her. The crossing path stretched into the same mist to either side.
The paths cut through grassy fields, which also disappeared into the white, and as Rainbow looked, she found the stillness to be unsettling. Wind didn’t stir the blades and no insects crawled through the dirt. Rainbow sat alone in a frozen world.
She lifted a leg to walk forward. Pausing mid step, she stared at her raised hoof. The desire to move hadn’t been her own, she had felt a compulsion to walk ahead into the mist. She looked forward and the desire grew stronger. With some effort, she looked back over her shoulder.
The path behind her disappeared into the mist as well, and with halting hoofsteps she turned around and headed back, feeling the hairs of her coat stand on end as her body demanded she head forward instead.
As she reached the fog, it held strong against her muzzle, like she was trying to push her way through a cloud. It didn’t give and eventually sprung back, pushing her down onto her haunches. She stood up on her hindlegs and leaned against the barrier. As she tried to push through, she saw distorted shapes in the distance, and leaned in close, trying to make out the shapes.
Across the veil of mist, Rainbow could see her friends. A hollow echo of their voices filtered through the fog and her eyes widened. They were calling out to her. They needed her.
“Twilight! AJ! Rarity!” she yelled, shoving against the fog. It rebounded and she fell onto her back. Rolling over, she leapt into the air and hammered against the mist with her hooves. “Fluttershy! Pinkie! I’m here! Where are you guys?!”
Darting back, she threw her shoulder against the barrier, bouncing away harmlessly. Again and again she charged, screaming at the wall that held her in. She grew sloppy and frantic, crashing to the ground and tearing up chunks of grass.
With no heartbeat to count the seconds, no fatigue, no soreness, no strained breaths, time lost meaning to Rainbow as she slammed against the barrier. Her body screamed at her to turn around and continue forward, but she refused to give in, not when her friends were looking for her, not when they needed her.
She collapsed against the wall in despair, burying her face in her hooves, burning with the need to continue down the path.
“…My, my, my. It’s been ages since I’ve seen a pony resist the pull for this long.”
Rainbow’s ear swiveled towards the voice, coming from the path off to the right. Its simpering tones were familiar: deadly and mocking. She turned her head and squinted into the mist.
“And do I recognize that pathetic whimpering?”
Rainbow stood and trotted towards the voice. The mist receded as she headed along the path, and she saw a faint glow through it, off in one of the fields. She tentatively left the path, and the glowing haze grew in clarity.
Chains made of light wrapped around his long body, cuffed to each mix-and-match limb, encircling horns, hooves, claws, scales, fur, and feathers, locking him in complete immobility. Rainbow halted in front of Discord, tethered in the field.
His tone oozing condescension, he mocked, “Ah yes, it is indeed Ms. Rainbow Dash, the blustery little pegasus who was just absolutely dying to turn her back on all her friends.”
Rainbow bristled and she dropped into an aggressive crouch. “Discord! What did you do to me? Why can’t I get back to my friends? If you did something to them, I’ll—”
Discord laughed loudly, cruelly. His bindings bulged around his heaving stomach, but he didn’t move an inch. “Me? You silly mare, haven’t you realized you’re dead?”
Rainbow raised up out of the challenging stance, her eyes wide. “...I’m dead?” She turned in place, trying to find her bearings, an impossible task in the world of mist. Four pathways were all she could see, one sealed off holding her friends, one beckoning her body, and two stretching away into emptiness.
She forced a breath and winced at the oddness of the sensation. She frantically wished to feel the thundering of her heart instead of stillness. She turned back to Discord.
“Yes,” he confirmed, the mirth leaving his tone. Rainbow thought he almost sounded sad. “This is the land between worlds. You’ve kicked the bucket, and it’s time for you to move on; your afterlife awaits.” He looked pointedly at the path that pulled at Rainbow, sapping her strength.
“...Why are you here? Aren’t you trapped in stone?”
Discord regarded her coolly. All theatricality left his tone as he answered. “I am here, and I am not here. My body cannot die, and my mind cannot exist in stone. This is my prison.” His eyes narrowed and he frowned, his expression not angry, but contemplative. “How is it that you have not followed the path to your reward? How are you resisting the pull?”
Rainbow frowned and her brow knit in puzzlement. She looked at the path leading on to her final rest, then back towards her friends, so close and so far away. Her voice was hollow and flat, almost robotic. “I have to get back to my friends; they need me.”
Discord’s expression remained neutral and ambivalent, but his eyes were sharp and attentive. “Your friends are of no concern to you anymore: you are dead.”
Rainbow dropped back down, wings flared and glaring. “You shut your face!” she yelled. “I gotta get back and help them! They’re in trouble! They’re…” Rainbow reeled back as if struck. Memories churning just below the surface flooded her mind, driving her down onto her haunches.
The bull charged in front of her, chasing her friends, burning trees to ruin under its hooves. Fire consumed her, and she could feel every nerve ending, could smell the hairs in her nostrils crisp to ash.
The psychic message replayed over her thoughts. Endless rows and endless columns of bulls, descending on a planet, descending on her home.
Her eyes snapped open and she jumped back to her hooves. “The bulls are coming; I gotta help them! I gotta—” She flung herself back at the barrier, slamming again and again.
“Rainbow Dash.”
She stopped and hovered in place. Time had almost fallen away again and Discord’s voice demanded attention, but the strength wasn’t what made her pause. It was the kindness in his tone. She flew back to his prison and landed at his feet, looking at him in silence.
For a moment, Discord simply watched her, searching her face. “...I am wondering how I managed to convince you to abandon your friends and forsake loyalty.” His frown deepened. “Though I suppose I only forced you to trade one loyalty for another.”
Rainbow sat without speaking as they regarded each other.
“...There is a way back to your friends, though it’s not an easy path to follow. It is possible.”
Rainbow’s eyes brightened, but then narrowed with suspicion. “Why tell me? You’re totally the bad guy.”
Discord rolled his eyes with an exaggerated flare. “Oh, you ponies are all the same; ever since Equestria came into being you all think chaos is a bad thing.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Before Equestria? What’re you talking about?”
He chuckled indulgently. “And you’re so arrogant, too, like the world sprung into existence when your silly little tribes came together.” He shook his head, the motion constrained by the chains. “Older cultures knew chaos was just as useful as order, and order just as destructive as chaos.”
He rolled his eyes again and looked back at Rainbow, his tone serious. “I am not your enemy, Rainbow Dash. You yourself carry a great supply of chaos in your heart. Not nearly as much as that pink friend of yours of course, but chaos lives and breathes inside of you.” He smirked, the amusement not quite entering his steadied and emphatic gaze. “The Elements of Harmony are the only things in Equestria that can hold me, so you see, your group found yourselves quite directly at odds with my goals.”
Rainbow frowned, mulling over his words.
“I also have a vested interest in keeping those bulls from ruining my world.”
Rainbow jumped in surprise.
He nodded as best he could. “I saw them as your memories returned. When I escape again, which I will, I would quite like to not wake up in a burned out crater of a planet, thank you.”
Shaking her head, Rainbow tried to wrap her mind over the turn of events, comparing the images she had of Discord at the height of his power, twisting Equestria to his whims, and the current, kind, helpful creature in front of her.
“You are free to ignore me and continue to your afterlife if you’d like. The affairs of the living are beyond you now, and it’s the easier choice. No one would blame you and you wouldn’t be letting your friends down: to them, you are dead and gone.”
Rainbow paused in thought. The pull drawing her towards her eternal reward burned. She longed to give in. She could feel the peace emanating from the stretch of mist when she focused, and she knew in a part of her heart that her battle was over, and she would see her friends again in time.
Her body might have been tireless, but her mind was beaten. Her memories and the allure of the beyond had taken their toll, leaving her exhausted past the hardest race, the most sleepless night, her fastest speeds.
The vision of the bull, pawing the ground and aiming its horns at all her friends, had never left her thoughts. She met Discord’s gaze. “Tell me how to get back.”
Discord nodded minutely. “There are six relics that once existed in the world of the living called the Elements of Strife.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Like the Elements of Harmony?”
“The same magic that made one made the other, though the Elements of Strife were destroyed a thousand years before the Elements of Harmony came into existence.” Discord’s voice grew listless and he sighed. “They’re still in Equestria, but they’re dead. The magic that inhabited them resides in this world beyond the veil now.”
Discord yawned extravagantly. Rainbow tapped her hoof with impatience.
“To make a long and terribly, desperately boring story short, the Elements of Strife can be reborn in the world of the living, and you can hitch a ride with them.”
Rainbow waited for several moments. She rolled her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “And?”
Batting his eyelashes, Discord asked in a sing-song voice, “And what?”
She stamped her hoof. “And what are they?! Where are they? How do I get them, and how do I...rebirth them, or whatever?”
“Hmn?” Joy danced in Discord’s eyes, belying his raised brow and questioning frown.
Rainbow sighed again and sat down on her haunches. “Is there any way I can get you to just get on with it? Do a silly dance? Walk on my forelegs? Cartwheels?” She waved her hooves.
An unreadable expression flashed across his face before he smiled. “Yes. Scratch the dewclaw on my lion arm, will you? It’s been itching for weeks.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and stomped over to him. She swiped her hoof at the nub on his arm and he sighed in satisfaction. “Little higher, right there, ohh, that’s it. Ahh…”
Grumbling, she stomped back a few paces and sat down, glaring at him. He shot her an indulgent grin. “I don’t know where they all are or what they all look like.”
Her glare grew venomous and she felt her eye twitch.
“The first one is further that way, though.” He glanced down the right path, leading away from the crossroads. “It’s called the Bodhisattva’s Leaf, and also the Element of Inaction. Just keep going that way ‘til you find the goat. He knows more about all those old things than I do, anyway.”
Rainbow rubbed her face and got to her hooves. She let out a groan. “Thanks for your help, I guess.”
Turning to face the path, she set off at a trot. The mist receded as she traveled further from the crossroads, and the pull of her beyond faded in strength with each step. Soon she could see a still and frozen meadow stretching away in front of her. Her pace increased, her will no longer sapped.
Discord watched her vanish into the mist. Smirking, he wriggled his paw until a single claw edged out of the chains. With a leering grin on his face, he twisted his wrist sharply and a loud snap of cracking bone shotgunned from the joint. His limp paw pulled free from the chain and he shook his arm, snapping his wrist back into place.
Flexing his claws as the bones reset, he extended his paw outwards. A small cloud formed, raining chocolate milk into his palm.
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Author's Note: It begins! I've been extremely excited to tell this story since before I finished my previous fic and it's a great relief to finally begin sharing it with all of you. Barring any major disasters, Coming Back will update once a week on Thursdays with a new chapter.
Any and all feedback, positive or negative, is welcome. I've got thick skin; if you don't like it, tell me why! If you do like it, I'm an insufferable egotist so tell me why for that too!
For those that read this, there is a small contest going on for this chapter. Echriedz devised an excellent game when we were editing, which is roughly entitled "What Rainbow Dash's Last Words Should Have Been." Here is a small sampling of some that the two of us came up with:
"None of you are in my will."
"Dear Princess Celestia....fuck you."
"Rarity...you're starting to get a lil fat."
"Shit...I forgot to feed Tank."
"Damn, what smells so delicious?"
"Hey Pinkie, hurry up and pull a fire extinguisher out of your ass."
"I guess I'm..." Puts on sunglasses. "FIRED."
"So how was your day, Rarity? We never have a chance to just talk anymore."
"Hey AJ, wanna hoof wrestle?"
"I secretly poisoned one of you."
"Are you ready kids? OOHH who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"
"This is what I get for voting for Obama."
The contest is to come up with your own "better" final words for Rainbow Dash. Post to the comments here or shoot me a PM between now and Sunday, December 2nd at 11:59 PM EST. No restriction on number of entries per person, although for the sake of sanity it might be best to confine your entries to a single comment or PM. Winner will be chosen by the rigorous method of "which one we like the most" and will get the chance to preread chapter 2 before it goes live next Thursday. In the case of no or too few entries to judge, y'all are a bunch of spoilsports.
Umm I gonna try something but I knees I not going to in sooooo " Ohhhhhhhhhh FFFUUUCCCKKK!!!"
Damn, this is pretty good. Can't wait for more.
edit- as for last lines, how about:
"Rarity, I love...your sister!"
Dont you just hate phantom neggers, people who dislike your story without leaving a comment telling you why, a pretty good story so far let's see where this goes
This premise, it intrigues me. I shall be watching you...
1706948
Let's try that again in English this time.
1707439 I don't think he capable of it
Great story can't wait for MOAR!! Also
[youtube=oggEFjAJeXo]
You know listening to those lyrics I'm wandering that this song is whre they got the idea for the return of harmony
Boredom and procrastination led me to putting our full convo on a Gdoc. Names have been taken out since knowing our true names will send us back to the 8th dimension of Xzuthian where we would be re-enslaved by Cthulhu's second cousin Steve (Dental plan is great but he's a dick). Fair warning some of the suggestions are a bit....adult natured. Forgive us.
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw3269-13307137218884.png
I was going to think of a caption to submit, but I don't think I could beat
There's just no surpassing that.
On another note, nice story, will follow.
1708907
The scary shit we think of in the wee hours. But submit some anyway, since the ones on the gdoc are bats and mine, so they don't really count. Just there for musings and prevent duplicates.
Psst...the orgasm one was mine
1707060
Eh, it happens. Cost of doing business, I think. Obnoxious, in that I got a thumbs down before any views on both Coming Back AND Rainbow Rambles when they first went live. Couldn't even wait for someone else to look at it before you trolled? Really?
1714580 yes
Interesting... the arrival of this bull was incredibly surprising and this war thing is not exactly what one would expect. Dash's loyalty and focus on her friends REALLY shines in this, as does Spike's youth.
But my favourite by far HAS to be the portrayal of Discord. He is completely true in that chaos isn't bad... and he's still sneaky. Can't wait to see what happens with him!
My entry. "I just want you all to know that I hated you all. Especially you Twilight."
I just read the conversation. Looks like I was beaten to it!
Entry two: "Twilight, Pinkie. I've always shipped you two"
Loving this already. You're definitely doing my favorite pony justice.
"Let's see the Wonderbolts top this... "
The contest winner is Subsolar Drift for his hilarious, "Twilight, Pinkie. I've always shipped you two."
At first... I had a sad.
But then, I had a mad. 
Now I have a "God dammit bats, why didn't I start reading this sooner you tiny bastard?" 
I like this!
Also, just for funsies, I'll post my own alternate last words.
"Smells like... victory."
also,
"Is it hot in here, or is it just me?"
Love the philosophy embedded into the story along with the irony keep it up
It sounds to me like Discord is planning something
1714580
Votes update more frequently than views. It's entirely possible the downvoter read before voting.
I know the contest has been done for forever, but I just can't resist!
"Girls, look, I just got 20000% hotter! Top that!"
"Look, ma, no hooves!"
"No, I don't wanna be cooked into Cupcakes!"
"And you WONDER WHY I wanted everything to be COOLER..."
"Guys, check it out, I'm a Rapidash now!"
"Rarity, get over here, I want a marshmallow!"
I'd say more, but I'm sure these are groan-inducingly bad as it is.
This looks very good I shall continue reading...
Oh and congrats on being featured.
I honestly cried a little at Dashie's death
Player <Bull Demon> has joined the game
<Fluttershy> Hello, there...
<Twilight Sparkle> Welcome to the server!
<Bull Demon> wrrrrraaaaaaaarrr *Please do not use caps lock*
<Rainbow Dash> What the-? You guys go on ahead. I got diamond armor!
<Applejack> No way!
<Fluttershy> He's killing the poor animals!
<Bull Demon> Wrrrraah!
<Rainbow Dash> Guys, shooaaaAAAAAAH!
Rainbow Dash burnt to death
Player Rainbow Dash left the game (forever)
...
<Rainbow Dash> Lol ghostmod
Sorry, I was told to write this as a Minecraft server.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In all seriousness, I started reading this and (no joke) my friend puts on:
Screw you, death, I'm Rainbow Dash.
Dammit, I have a test to study for. Fimfic is gonna make me fail out of college!
Finally moved onto this fanfic, loving it (only finished 2 chapters so far but still loving it)
But this, this has completely destroyed me for nearly a whole day, I sat in classes just staring at the wall like my whole family just died... I hope there are more similar moments like this ahead, as depressing as they are, its those moments that make stories so great, the impact they have on someone like me is just amazing.
And thus, my re-reading of this awesome fanfic begins.
(Not to many noticeable changes but it does seem to flow better.)
Hmm, the remastering has noticeably made the chapter read better. Also, am I just imagining things, or did you include a better description of what the bull actually looked like? The scene with Harry was a nice addition that made a bit more sense than a flock of birds somehow slowing down the unstoppable force that even a flying tree trunk couldn't stagger, but I do think that the birds popping like popcorn was stronger imagery than Harry's burning corpse. Overall, this was definitely an improvement, and I can't wait for more.
And so it begins... again...
Just as awesome as the original, definitely flows better. Looking forward to the rest of the remastering
gawd. it is so much sharper a stab at the heart than before. nearly had me in tears at work.
excellently done.
Dude, legitimate tears, no joke, every single time I read the beginning of this story, I bawl like a child who just got punished.
On a more serious note, I like the revisions, the flow is incredible.
Make haste, Mr. Bats, MAKE HASTE!!!
can't wait to read the other revisions.