Twilight Sparkle, aspiring student of Princess Celestia has been tasked with the most difficult challenge a Magian must face. Making friends. Along the way she will discover what it means to truly be a friend and uncover a power unlike any other.
Twilight Sparkle, aspiring student of Princess Celestia has been tasked with the most difficult challenge a Magian must face. Making friends. Along the way she will discover what it means to truly be a friend and uncover a power unlike any other.
Image by smilingdogz who without, this story wouldn't be possible.
Several books hovered in the bright magical glow of her mentor, the Celestian smiled over at her as the uppermost marking upon her back began to glow.
A pair of elegant ethereal sun-yellow wings spread from her back as runes etched themselves into her body, the pencil she held shattering to pieces as she gave it a gentle squeeze. Just as quickly as she had witnessed the spectacle it was over. Her mentor stood before her just as she always had. Her white dress hugging her buxom frame.
"What you have witnessed is the powers that make up this world. The first you are quite familiar with. Magians, infused with Mana, that which holds all life together and the ability to channel this energy into great feats of magic. The second are the Avaros or as the prefer to call themselves, the Skyborn." Celestia smiled for a moment, watching her student. Her furious scribbling came to a stop, the young Magian glancing up from her notes to her mentor and offering a sheepish smile.
"Sorry." she mumbled.
"Not at all my faithful student. Its good to know you are paying attention. Now, as for the Avaros, they are born of the Elements. Of Air and Water." Celestia turned her back to her student, allowing her to gaze upon the winged tattoo that sat between her shoulders.
"In a way they are also born of Mana, as all things are, but not in the same way the Magians are. Avaros are granted that which no one else is." Celestia chuckled as she turned back around.
"Tattoos? But I have one." Twilight pointed out.
"No Twilight. That marking upon you is a part of who you are. Anyone knowledgeable of the different races would instantly recognize it as the Mark of the Ancients, the first Magians. But that is a topic for another day my faithful student." Celestia smirked, returning to the lesson at hand.
"The wings upon the back of an Avaros are a symbol of who they are and are also what allow them the power of flight. The most powerful of the Avaros can even control the skies themselves and twist the weather to do their bidding." Celestia paused for a moment, letting what she had said sink in before she moved on.
"The final of the three, but the toughest and kindest, are the Gaians. The Children of Terra, born of Fire and Earth." Celestia intoned, Twilight watching as the runes once more etched themselves into her mentors hand.
"Unlike the previous two, the markings upon a Gaian aren't so easy to see. And you are quite unlucky if you are given the chance to see them." Celestia said softly as the runes faded away.
"What do you mean?" Twilight gulped.
"In this instance I have willingly showed you this in order for you to further understand what I am telling you. The Gaians take care of the land and provide bountiful harvests that we would not survive without. But when pushed to the edge and when in great need, they call upon the great strength of the Titans from which their power was born..." Celestia held up a shard of the pencil she had held moments ago in her magic.
"And can perform amazing feats of strength. A single punch from a Gaian could shatter every bone in your body." Celestia warned. Twilight gulped again.
"What about you?" she asked softly. Celestia blinked in surprise.
"What of me, my faithful student?"
"You have the magic of a Magian like me, the wings of an Avaros, and the strength of a Gaian."
"Ah, you mean the Fourth Race. The one for which I am named after. The Celestians. We are born to be the Guardians of Terra, to defend and protect this realm from those who would wish harm upon it."
"We? There are others like you Princess?" Twilight asked. Celestia froze, hanging her head.
"Yes...we are few...but we are quite powerful in our own right." She said quietly. A shaky breath later she turned and placed her hands upon a small box.
"Twilight Sparkle. I fear you will learn more of my kind in the coming week than I would wish upon you. But this is a task I can trust only to you." she lifted the box, holding it out for her student.
"Take this with you my student, it will prove its usefulness in due time."
"Wh-where am I going?"
"A little town by the name of Eravil."
The train ride to Eravil wasn't long, but it seemed to drag on for ages. Twilight sighed to herself, looking at her bags out of the corner of her eye. Within them sat the box that had been entrusted to her. For what purpose was she being sent away? What was she suppose to learn so far away from her mentor? And how was she suppose to open that stupid box?
"Twilight, you need to relax." Spike said from beside her, setting his comic book down and focusing his attention on her. She gave him a half-smile and sighed.
"I-I know Spike, its just...Confusing." she said, struggling to find the right word for how she felt. He sat up on his knees, smiling and shaking his head, a single fang jutted out from under his lip just slightly. Twilight had always found it cute and was often times distracted by it, like now for instance.
"Hello? Terra to Twilight!" he said, shaking her out of her daze.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Spike. What were you saying?"
"I said that you're her prized student, there's no one stronger in magic than you! I mean except the Princess, but she's not Magian like you. My point is, you've got nothin' to worry about! Just be yourself and you'll figure this out Twi'." he beamed. Twilight pulled him into a gentle hug.
"Thanks Spike...I needed that."
"Anytime Twilight."
"Arriving at Eravil! All passengers please disembark! Don't forget your luggage!" the conductor called out. Twilight stood and stretched, reaching for her bags, though Spike had already grabbed hold of them.
He was easily half her size, but he managed to take hold of all her bags with little effort. Sometimes she forgot he was Dragonkin. His strength and resilience to magic was a constant reminder though.
"You know, I can carry my bags Spike..."
"Yea and show everyone in this town you're a Magian? I doubt it'd go over well until they know you better. Remember last time we went to some random town?" he pointed out. Twilight grimaced.
"Don't remind me...but I meant I can carry a few. You don't have to carry everything!"
"I'm your assistant. Its my job Twi! Now come on!" he laughed, hefting the bags onto his back and making his way off the train. She sighed and followed after him, pulling her notebook from the pouch at her belt.
"Lets see...our new home shouldn't be too far from here. Oak-grove Library."
"We're gonna be staying in a Library? Oh great." Spike grumbled.
"Oh come on Spike, it'll be fun." she tried to assure him
"Yea, for you." he griped
"I'll make those Sapphire cupcakes you like so much." she sang softly. He froze for a moment, glancing over at her.
"With emerald sprinkles?" he asked with puppy dog eyes
"Yes Spike." she giggled
"Well what are we waiting for!?" he grinned, double-timing it towards the massive tree in the distance. Twilight froze, staring up at it.
"That's...amazing." she mumbled.
"Yea, its a big tree. No one knows whats keepin' it there. I mean, its roots obviously but other than that it shoulda fallen over AGES ago!" a girl giggled from beside her. She jumped in surprise, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't even noticed her. How had she slipped past her wards?
"...Hey...you're new here aren't you?!" the girl asked. "Oh, um, yes. We just moved here from Celamont." Twilight replied, double checking to see if her wards were still up, which they were. She had spent years crafting them, nothing should have been able to sneak up on her. So just what was this girl?
"OHMYGOSH!"the girl gasped, suddenly running off.
"Well...she was...strange." Twilight mumbled, turning her attention back to the massive tree. As she gazed at it she began to notice something strange about it. A powerful aura that resonated with the tree itself.
"Its almost like its alive..." Twilight continued.
"Well o' course its alive! Each an every tree from here past Sweet Apple Acres is a livin', breathin' member o' th' community." a voice said from nearby. Glancing around Twilight spotted a farm girl standing behind a cart of goods.
"Names Applejack, nice t' be meetin' yer acquaintance friend. Care fer a taste o' th' juiciest apple ya'll ever did come across?" she offered, holding out a shiny red apple.
"Wow, it does look good. How much?" Twilight asked, reaching for her bits.
"This one here is on th' house city girl, first ones always free, that's how business works ya know. Give em a taste o' th' good stuff and a genuine smile and they'll come back fer more. Its how we Apples have kept goin' these past few years. With good, honest hard work." she said proudly.
Twilight smiled, accepting the apple and taking a smile bite, her eyes wide as it exploded with flavor. It took all of her restraint and willpower to keep from devouring the thing like a starving animal. With a strenuous amount of effort she managed to take another small bite, and then another, savoring the apple.
"Heh, I take it ya'll enjoy it? Mighty surprisin' though, yer th' first city girl to actual eat one o' those like one." Applejack chuckled.
"Well, I was taught it was best not to be rude, especially when offered such a generous gift." Twilight replied, a bit saddened that she had finished the apple.
The farm girl held out her hand for it, though Twilight wasn't sure why. She shrugged, handing it to her and watched as runes etched themselves into her hand and with but a small squeeze she crushed the core, holding only the seeds in her hand, completely and totally unharmed.
"These here beauties oughta grow into some mighty fine trees. Thank ya kindly fer yer business miss."
"Oh, um. Twilight Sparkle." she laughed sheepishly.
"Well, welcome t' Eravil Miss Sparkle. I take it ya'll already found Pinkie, or she found you." Applejack chuckled.
"Pinkie?" Twilight asked
"Big pink hair, faster than any Skyborn ya'll ever did see and lackin' a lick of sense. She's got a good heart, but th' gal ain't got much o' a head on her shoulders." Applejack sighed.
"Still, she ain't hurtin' no one. Jus' a bit too much energy an a bit too much time on her hands. Ya'll best watch yer back for the next few days. No knowin' when she might pop up on ya." the farm girl warned. Twilight gulped and bid her farewell, looking around for her assistant.
"Crud...where did he go? Maybe the Library?" she mumbled.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" a voice screamed moments before something hit Twilight with the force of a hurricane gone mad. Twilight groaned as she lay in a mud puddle, her entire world spinning.
"Oh crud, hey you OK?! Here, lemme help!" the voice said, moments later Twilight was being drenched with rain water, sputtering and coughing as she pushed to her feet.
She sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes to see a Skyborn hovering in front of her with a cloud in her grip. She blinked and stared.
"Oh wow..." she mumbled. According to Celestia, only the most powerful of the Avaros could actually tamper with the weather. But to hold a cloud? That was rare in itself.
"Oh, oops! Hey I know. I'll just dry you off" she chuckled, zipping around Twilight at speeds that must have been record-shattering. Twilight screamed as a tornado formed around her, spinning her around and around before dropping her a bit roughly onto the dirt road.
"See? All better!" she said as she landed, her wings fading away. Twilight glared at her, her hair standing on end in all directions. The Skyborn girl tried to hold in her laughter but it was too much. Soon she was on the ground, dying from laughter.
"Gee, thanks a lot." Twilight mumbled.
"I'm really sorry, but...that's just too funny." she grinned and despite herself, Twilight found it hard to stay mad at her. She sighed, shaking her head.
"Its...fine I suppose. But what are you doing flying around and messing with the clouds?" Twilight asked.
"The names Rainbow Dash, maybe you've heard of me? Only Skyborn to do a Sonic Rainboom in the history of ever? Flyer Extraordinaire and soon to be newest member of the Wonderbolts!" she beamed.
"Uh huh...THE Wonderbolts? Terra's Number One Aerial Defense Force and Stunt Team?"
"Yup. Once they get a peek at these moves they'll be beggin' to have me join em. I am pure awesome after all."
"Yea, that's great. If you don't mind I have to go back to reality now." Twilight scoffed, walking past her.
"Hmph, stuck-up Magian." Rainbow grumbled, taking off before Twilight could spin around.
How did she know I'm a Magian? This sweater completely hides my marking... she began to panic. Though movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention.
"Spike!" she called, chasing after her assistant. She sighed as she caught up to him.
"Geez, why'd you wander off?!" she fussed. He seemed to ignore her, his eyes transfixed on something. Twilight followed his line of sight towards a mature woman dressed in a short white coat over a sleeveless purple shirt and a matching pair of purple sweatpants. In her magical grip sat several different materials.
"Hm, Sparkles are definitely in this season...I'll take three of this one Pierre!" she decided.
"Excellent choice madam Rarity. I'll have it wrapped up for you and sent to your store as usual."
"Thank you Pierre. I knew I could count on you." She giggled. She turned and let out an ear piercing shriek.
"Oh my goodness! What happened to your hair?!" she asked Twilight in a panic.
"My...hair? Oh, I was attacked by a renegade Skyborn." she scoffed.
"Hmph, no doubt you mean Rainbow Dash. She thinks so highly of herself because Eravil relies on her to maintain the weather, lest it mix with the chaotic weather of Everfree. I think its gone to her head." Rarity grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Everfree?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, why yes. Quite close to here is a Forest by the name of Everfree. Its true name is impossible to say, so the locals have gone about calling it that. Its full of Chaotic energy. Some say it was once a battleground in ancient times during the war of the Celestians and Chaoticians. But that's just a bunch of superstitious Mumbo Jumbo. But enough about that, we MUST do something about your hair darling." Rarity tsk'd, shoving Twilight along with her magic. Spike simply followed as if hypnotized, letting out a dreamy sigh.
"I'm surprised to find a Magian in a town like this." Twilight admitted, sitting as still as she possibly could while Rarity worked on her hair. Scissors, combs, and sprays hovered about in her magic with ease as she worked.
"Well Eravil is known for being a welcoming town. All three of the major races live here peacefully with one another. For the most part anyway." Rarity said with a roll of her eyes.
"Let me guess, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Well, not JUST her. Certain people around here just can't agree on certain things. Like cleanliness for example. Have you SEEN the amount of dirt out there? Hmph!" Rarity scoffed.
"But enough of that darling. What brings you to our quaint little village?" Rarity asked as she set her tools aside.
"Oh, Well, my teacher sent me here as part of my studies. Celamont is full of nothing but Magians so she thought it'd be better if I learned of the other Races by living among them." Twilight explained. Rarity however was frozen, a comb in hand and staring with stars in her eyes.
"You came here from Celamont!?" she squealed.
"Oh I've always wanted to go there! The sights, the sounds, the fashion! Oh it must be such a lovely place this time of year." she gushed.
"You've just GOT to tell me what its like!"
"oh well...I honestly haven't seen much of the city. I spent most of my time studying..." she admitted sadly.
"Oh, well that's fine darling. Forgive my little outburst...I've always felt I was more of a girl of class, rather than a farm-town girl..." Rarity sighed.
"Well, you must be busy...I-I'll let you get to it dear." she mumbled, setting the comb aside. Twilight glanced in the mirror and blinked.
"Wow, that's amazing Rarity! Not a single hair out of place." Twilight praised, tilting her head and checking the side.
"well thank you Twilight. I do pride myself in being an expert in fashion." Rarity said with a smile.
"Now, if I can just find...Spike..."she sighed, spotting her assistant making goo-goo eyes at Rarity.
"OK Casanova, lets go." she sighed, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and tugging him along.
"Wasn't she beautiful?" Spike sighed happily as he walked beside Twilight.
"She was a bit of a nut actually. Even though she did a good job with my hair, she sorta forced me to go with her and freaked when she found out we came from Celamont. I can only imagine how she'd feel if she knew I studied under the Princess herself." Twilight sighed.
"I just want to get to the Library and get back to my research." Twilight continued
"A-one A-two, A-one two three." a soft voice chanted, the soft call of a birds song following afterwards alongside several other birds joining in.
"That sounds delightful." Twilight commented, causing a girl about her age to gasp and stumbled into a tree, causing her birds to panic and fly away.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Twilight rushed to her side, helping her up.
"I'm really sorry about your birds miss. Just how did you get them to sing like that?" she asked, though the girl only hung her head and looked away.
"Are you ok?"
"I-I'm fine." she mumbled.
"Oh thank goodness. Oh! My name is Twilight, its a pleasure to meet you miss..."
"Oh um...Fluttershy..." she whispered.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't really hear that. Could you speak up a bit?"
"F-Fluttershy..." she repeated. The two stood there in awkward silence until the birds returned
"Ooook. Well, since your birds are back, I'll just leave you to what you were doing." she said nervously, walking past the girl.
"Aww, but I wanna hear the birds sing!" Spike whined and gasped as Fluttershy sat on her knees in front of him.
"Oh my goodness! Are you...a Beastkin?" Fluttershy asked excitedly as she pointed at his fang.
"huh? Oh, well yea, I am actually." he said proudly, crossing his arms and grinning.
"In fact, I'm Dragonkin, watch this!" he puffed up his chest, letting a plume of green fire escape his mouth and fill the air.
"Oh wow! that's incredible!" Fluttershy giggled
"Oh, um, I'm Fluttershy, whats your name?" she asked
"Me? I'm Spike!"
"Hello Spike. Oh wow, I can't believe I'm talking to a real Beastkin. Oh I have so many questions."
"Well what do ya wanna know?" Spike asked with a chuckle
"Everything."
So it was that Twilight had to locate the Library without Spikes help, while the two chatted away behind her about everything that had to do with Beastkin. Or at least everything according to what Spike knew.
"Well would you look at that! We've got a lot of unpacking to do and I'll be needing the help of my big strong Dragonkin assistant. But thank you for walking with us!" Twilight said, trying to appear happy about the journey.
"Oh, well, maybe I can help? There are a lot of high places you might not be able to reach a-and I can fly." Fluttershy said softly.
"Really? Man, I wish I could fly. I wouldn't be falling off anymore ladders." Spike grumbled.
"Oh you poor thing..."
"Spikes skin is tougher than Grade 7 Diamonds. It'd take the force of an even more powerful Dragonkin to even scratch the little guy." Twilight sighed in exasperation.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I-I didn't think it would hurt!" she panicked, placing a gentle kiss on the spot she had pinched.
"Thanks Fluttershy." Spike chuckled, earning a hug from the soft-spoken Skyborn.
"OK, when you two are done just let me know." Twilight mumbled as she opened the door to the Library.
"SURPRISE!" Pinkie Pie screamed, yanking all three into the Library which was filled with many of the residents of Eravil, balloons and decorations. "...I take it you're Pinkie Pie." Twilight mumbled.
"Yup! The one and only! So, were ya surprised?! When I saw you I realized you weren't from around here because I know everyone here and everyone here is my friend and I thought - well, since you are new here then you don't have any friends. And it made me kinda sad that you were all lonely, Soooooooo I decided I'd throw you a big party so you could makes TONS of friends!" Pinkie said, entirely in one breath. Twilight couldn't understand how it was physically possible to talk so fast without fainting.
"You know Libraries are suppose to be quiet right?" Twilight deadpanned.
"Pffft, what kind of party would that be? Booooriiing!" Pinkie giggled. Twilight sighed, trying to push Pinkie out of her mind as she poured herself something to drink, sipping slowly as the pink-haired girl bounced beside her. Suddenly her throat started to burn, tears stung her eyes and she glanced down at her drink.
Just what in Tartarus did she just drink?! She coughed and dropped the glass, rushing upstairs away from the party to drown herself in the sink.
It was by instinct alone that she was able to find it in the master bedroom, tilting her head under the faucet and running the water until the burning sensation faded away. She panted heavily and sat against the bathroom wall, staring at the sink.
"These people are trying to kill me."
After surviving her brush with fiery death; Twilight had decided it best to return to what she had been wanting to do all day. Study. She sat quietly in her bed, flipping through a book on the History of Terra.
"That's weird, I don't remember this chapter..." she mumbled, flipping back a page.
"The Elements of Harmony? See: The Woman in the Moon?" Twilight mumbled, several books flying from the surrounding shelves in her magic and hovering in front of her as she sat up, glancing over the pages.
"Aha! Here it is. Long ago, the Royal Sisters ruled Terra in peace and harmony, maintaining the balance of Day and Night. But as the years passed it became quite obvious the people of Terra had come to love the Days brought by the Elder sister and simply slept through the Younger sisters beautifully crafted nights." Twilight read.
"That's terrible..." she sighed, continuing along.
"The Younger sister tried her best to hide her jealousy, tried to tell herself that she was still loved and that her job was just as important as her Elder Sister. But as the people chanted day after day for the Elder sister, she began to realize she was but a shadow, barely even that. Her hatred and jealousy consumed her, giving birth to the Tyrant Nightmare Moon and her Knights of Darkness. The Elder sister tried to reason with her, tried to save her from the Darkness in her heart. But in the end she was forced to use the power of the Elements of Harmony, a safeguarded Relic that had saved them in their worst of times, and banish her sister within the moon." Twilight paused, glancing up through her window to stare up at the moon and stars. Sure enough it seemed there was a figure within it.
"How did I never notice that?" she mumbled, looking back down at her book.
"It is said, that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the Nightmare will rise again and bring about Eternal Darkness, unless the Elements are revived and brought forth to defend Terra once more." Twilight set the book down and began to pace about her room.
"The longest day of the thousandth year...Could it mean the Summer Solstice?" she mused, one hand on her chin and the other behind her back as her thoughts raced.
"But that would be...tomorrow morning...Oh no..." Twilight frantically started searching through her books.
"Come on, come on. Elements, Elements!" She panicked.
"Hey Twilight what are you doing? You're missing an awesome party!" Spike said, wearing a lampshade as a hat and flashing a fanged grin.
"I don't have time right now Spike. The very fate of Terra could be in my hands and I have no idea what to do! OH! The Princess will know! Spike, take a letter." Twilight said, clearing her throat. Spike rolled his eyes, grabbing some paper and waving his hand, a pen appearing between his fingers.
"Dear Princess Celestia. I have come to believe that we now stand upon the precipice of disaster."
"Preci...preaci...uh..." Spike frowned slightly, unsure of how to spell the word.
"The edge." Twilight said quickly
"Right." Spike mumbled.
"In my studies here in Eravil I have come across several pieces that point to the return of Nightmare Moon on the longest day of the year. I seek your guidance in this endeavor and hope that together we can prevent this. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
"Aw come on Twilight. That's just an old story to scare little kids."
"But its not a story Spike! The longest Day of the Thousandth year is tomorrow!"
"How can you be so sure though?"
"I just am OK! I can't explain it I just...I can FEEL it Spike." Twilight managed to say, looking into his eyes. Spike shrugged and inhaled slowly, blowing a gentle flame across the note, his magic swallowing it and carting it away to the Princess. Moments later Spikes cheeks bulged as he burped, a scroll piecing itself together within his flames. Spike deftly snatched it out of the air and cleared his throat.
"While I am proud of your furthered studies my faithful student, there are times when even we must relax. You've spent far too much time with your nose stuck in far too many books. I sent you to Eravil in hopes that you would make some friends Twilight. This will be your lesson for your stay in Eravil: Make some friends." Spike read.
Twilight stared blankly at the air, stammering gibberish and letting out a grunt of frustration as she tossed a book across the room, her assistant catching it before it could collide with the wall.
"Come on Twilight. Even the Princess says you need to relax. Just for a bit? The solstice is gonna start in a few hours so everyone is staying up to watch. Rarity says the Princess is suppose to be performing the ceremony here!" Spike said excitedly. Twilight took a slow breath.
"Alright then Spike. I'll just talk to her when she gets here then." She sighed, following her longtime friend downstairs.
In the early morning hours, the people of Eravil made their way to City Hall, where the age old tradition of watching The Princess raise the sun on the Longest Day of the year would take place. No one truly knew when the tradition had begun, or what it was meant to signify. All except for the Princess. But whenever she was asked, her answer was always simple.
"Its a reminder of something that can never be forgotton." She would always say. Hundreds of thousands of people had tried to unravel the cryptic answer to no avail. But as Twilight made her way into the hall she was sure that she had figured it out. It was the day Celestia lost her sister.
The story referred to The Royal Sisters. The first HAD to be Celestia, which meant the second was Nightmare Moon. But she was only speculating. Maybe there was nothing to worry about, maybe she was just being paranoid. She sighed as Pinkie Pie bounced beside her.
"OH this is so exciting! I've never been so excited, well except for the time I saw you come into town and I was all like *GAAASP* but come on, what could top that?" Pinkie snorted. Twilight watched as the mayor made her way to the center of the podium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to our very own Summer Solstice Celebration, where we Celebrate this, the Longest Day of the year and give thanks to Princess Celestia for all she has done for us. Now, help me welcome our esteemed princess, Princess Celestia!" she cheered, the crowd clapping and whistling as a pair of curtains were pulled aside.
"Oh no..." Twilight gulped. Where Celestia should have been standing, there was nothing.
"Wheres the Princess?!" Rainbow called out. Rarity stepped behind the curtain and glanced around, finding only Celestia's crown, walking back out onto the podium with it in her hands.
"Sh-She's gone!" Rarity panicked. Murmurs filled the crowd. Twilight glanced out the window and gulped as the figure upon the moon vanished. A maniacal laugh filled the air as smoke filled the room. The smoke gathered on the podium, forming into the figure of a beautiful woman dressed in black, her draconic eyes searching the room.
"Ah, so good to be free once more. Hello my children." She called out with a smile, though it faded away as only quiet murmurs filled the room.
"Do you not remember me? Did you not see the signs?! Surely someone amongst you knows who I am!" she screamed at them. Twilight stepped forward.
"I know who you are!" she called out, gulping as the creature of darkness turned to her.
"You are the Woman of the Moon, trapped for a thousand years. Nightmare Moon."
"So, you DO remember me. Then you know why I am here." Nightmare chuckled softly.
"You're here to...to..." Twilight stumbled over her words, hanging her head.
"Enjoy this day my children, for it was your last!" Nightmare laughed, surrounded in her magical aura, the moon swallowed in her magical grip and shifting in the sky until it was high above them, casting its moonlight across the world.
"Stop her!" the Mayor cried out, several guards drawing their swords, their wings flowing to life as they kicked off the ground to chase after Nightmare. She scoffed and threw out her arm, smacking them away in a single flare of her magical power.
"Oh please. Is that all you can do? Very well then. Enjoy the night my children! I certainly shall!" she cackled, vanishing in a flash of magic. Twilight gritted her teeth, running out of the hall as quickly as she could.
"Come on Spike!" she called out, her assistant gulping and chasing after her. Together the two ran back to the Library, digging through shelf after shelf of books.
"So uh...what are we looking for? Some hidden lever that leads to an ancient dungeon full of weapons to beat Nightmare?" Spike asked.
"Well no. But if you find that let me know." Twilight mumbled as she scanned through book after book.
"We're looking for information on the Elements of Harmony." Twilight told him
"And just what ARE these Elements of Harmony huh? And how'd you know who that crazy chick was, are you some kinda Magian Spy?! Huh?!" Rainbow Dash demanded, hovering and glaring at Twilight. She gasped as Applejack tugged on her leg, pulling her back down to the ground.
"Calm down Sugarcube. She ain't no Spy. But ya'll do know whats goin on here, don'tcha Twilight?" Applejack asked softly. Twilight sighed softly.
"Yes. I do. The woman we saw is Nightmare Moon, an ancient enemy of Princess Celestia, my Magic Mentor and Friend." Twilight explained. Rarity nearly fainted, though with Applejack shoving an elbow in her side she quickly cut the theatrics.
"The only way to end this Eternal Night is with something called The Elements of Harmony. But I have no idea what they are or where they could be!" Twilight finished.
"Elements of Harmony: A reference guide." Pinkie Pie said, staring at the mentioned book. Twilight gasped, shoving her aside and grabbing the book.
"How did you find it?!"
"It was under EEEEE!" Pinkie sang with a giggle and a snort. Twilight opened the book and began to read.
"The Elements of Harmony. A sacred weapon used by the Royal Sisters to protect Terra from its greatest enemies. Their last known Location was within the Sisters Ancient Castle in...The Everfree Forest..."
Twilight stared at the entrance to the Everfree Forest, Spike by her side, along with five girls who decided to tag along, despite Twilights protests.
"Welp, them Elements ain't gonna find themselves, we best get a move on if'n we hope t' find em. Ah ain't real big on spendin' th' rest o' my life in Eternal Darkness. Ah got a farm t' take care of ya know." Applejack said, breaking the silence.
"Wait! Listen. I really appreciate all you've done but you don't have to go in there. This is my mission, its dangerous." Twilight tried to argue.
"Pffft, like we'd let you just go it alone. Magian or not, your our friend and we aren't gonna leave you hangin' Twi." Rainbow said with a grin.
"Rainbow Dash is right dear. Friends stick together after all. If you are going in, then so are we." Rarity added.
"Besides, it could be fun!" Pinkie giggled. Applejack shook her head.
"Listen Twi', this ain't jus' 'bout yer mission. This is 'bout all o' us. We all live here, we all work here and we all want t' help ya. Whether ya like it or not, we're comin' with." Applejack finished. Twilight sighed softly.
"Alright then. I suppose I can't convince you to stay huh Spike?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, no way Twilight. Celestia trusted me to be your assistant. If you're going somewhere then so am I!" Spike declared.
"Besides, I'm the only one here that can see in the dark." Spike pointed out. Twilight opened her mouth to argue that she could simply conjure a light, but that wouldn't stop him. She nodded, tugging on the straps of her bag and biting her lip.
A quick glance over her shoulder proved that they were still there, waiting for her to make the first move. With a sigh she stepped into the forest, followed by her friends. Meanwhile from the shadows, a figure watched with keen interest at the seven entering the chaos filled forest.
"Hmmm, well this WILL be interesting, won't it?" he chuckled to himself.
"This place is beyond creepy." Twilight mumbled.
"Well it is a chaos Twisted hole of death. No one whos ever gone in, has ever-come-back!" Rainbow laughed, trying to spook everyone. Though as she did the cliff they walked past collapsed. Rainbow and Fluttershy were quick to react, catching themselves in mid-air, though their friends started to slip down the cliff face.
"Shy, move!" Rainbow called, speeding towards her friends and quickly grabbing hold of Pinkie. Fluttershy panicked under her breath as she snatched up Rarity. Meanwhile Twilight continued to tumble and scream.
"TWILIGHT!" Spike screamed, rolling onto his feet and sliding down the cliff-face towards her. On his left was Applejack, whooping and laughing as she slid down, avoiding the falling rocks. Together the two leapt for Twilight. Applejack catching her hand and Spike catching hold of Applejacks' leg, digging his feet into the rock under them to keep them held there.
"Hold on Twilight! I'll try to pull you guys up!" Spike called out.
"Spike don't! If you Change there's no telling what will happen! You could cause the rest of the cliff to collapse!" Twilight yelled. Spike grumbled under his breath. Applejack grit her teeth, struggling to keep a grip on Twilight.
"Whoo! Ya'll sure are heavy fer a city girl." Applejack joked.
"I told her to lay off the midnight snacks." Spike chortled.
"Hey! hanging on the edge of my death here! I'd appreciate you guys putting a hold on the jokes!" Twilight yelled at them. Applejack looked up and blinked.
"Twi', let go." Applejack told her
"WHAT! Are you crazy?!" the Magian screamed up at her
"Listen t' me Twilight! Ah promise ya that what ah'm sayin' is th' honest t' goodness truth. Let go an you'll be fine." Applejack promised. Twilight bit her lip, screaming as she let go. Though her fall was short lived as Rainbow and Fluttershy snatched her out of the air.
"Heh, good thing we were around huh Twilight?" Rainbow grinned. Twilight smiled a little, watching as Spike let go of Applejack, the farmer grabbing hold of the edge of the cliff and flipping over it, hopping from rock to rock down towards the bottom. Spike hooked his now clawed hand into the side of the cliff and slid down after her, both touching down on the ground safely and sharing a high five.
"So ya'll are one o' them Beast things huh? Ah was wonderin' how ya'll could keep a hold o' me." Applejack asked.
"Yea, all of those apples sure put on the pounds huh AJ?" Rainbow joked, ducking under the farm-girls boot and leaping backwards to avoid a quickly thrown knee.
"What was that RD? I can't quite hear ya over th' sound o' how short ya are." Applejack chuckled. The Skyborn grinned and rolled her shoulders
"Oh you wanna play? Lets play!" Rainbow roared, her wings giving a twitch and launching her forward, Applejack blocking the Skyborns' kick with a kick of her own.
Twilight watched in shock as Rainbow matched the Gaian blow for blow. Though a quick tap on the arm from Spike reminded her of why they were here in the first place. She sighed, reaching out with her magic and stopping them both in mid-air.
"HEY! That's enough fighting you two! We've got a relic to find remember?" she asked them.
"Oh...right. Sorry Twilight." Rainbow mumbled. Applejack tilted her hat down over her eyes.
"Sorry, kinda got carried away there." Applejack said softly.
"Its alright, but we need to get moving. I think the chaos here might be getting to us..." Twilight shuddered at the thought. Together they continued their trek into the darkness of the Everfree, until a roar filled their ears.
"What the heck is that?!" Rainbow screamed over the sound, covering her sensitive ears.
"Its...a Manticore!" Twilight yelled, throwing out her arms, her magic forming a barrier around herself and her friends. The enraged Manticore slammed headfirst into the barrier, causing Twilight to wince and pour more magic into her spell, her eyes glowing dimly.
"Landsakes girl, that's some crazy strength ya'll got there. Alright Twilight, on th' next run, drop th' barrier." Applejack said
"What?! That's a full grown Manticore!" Twilight argued, feeding the barrier a bit more power.
"And Ah'm a full grown Gaian in-case ya'll are forgettin''" Applejack pointed out, the runes upon her body glowing brightly as well as her eyes. Twilight gulped, dropping her barrier and leaping aside. Applejack roared slamming her fist into the Manticores' face as it charged her, causing it to stumble backwards. She shook her hand and quickly shifted her stance.
"Phew! That's one heck of a hard head." She mumbled, reaching for her belt where her lasso sat.
"Why don't we see jus' how tough ya really are!" Applejack laughed, leaping over the manticore as it charged again. Hooking her rope around its head and planting her feet firmly on its back. Whooping and laughing as it tried to buck her off.
"WHOO-HOO! GET ALONG LIL MONSTER!" she cheered, gasping as it tripped her with its scorpion tail and bucked, sending her flying.
"Yer turn RD!" she called as she rolled in the air.
"Wait..." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as she spun and flipped in the air, her wings catching her as she slammed her feet into the back of the Manticores' head, rolling around its tail and grinning to herself as she flew around it. She flew faster and faster, forming a tornado around the beast. The manticore roared and smashed its tail across Rainbows side, sending her skidding across the ground.
"Ugh...cleanup, Aisle three." she groaned. Twilight helped her back to her feet, still channeling her magic.
"Lets try all together, there's got to be a way of slowing it down." Twilight said. Rarity nodded, calling to her magic. Pinkie giggled as her runes began to glow in swirls and zig-zags across her skin. Spike stood beside Twilight, flames surrounding his entire body as he exhaled slowly.
"CHAAAAAAARGE!" Pinkie yelled. Fluttershy slid between them and the Manticore, throwing her arms out.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIT!" she screamed, everyone stopping in their tracks. She turned towards the Manticore with a small smile, walking towards it slowly. The Manticore blinked as she placed a hand on its cheek, purring and pushing into her hand.
"Aww, there there. You poor little thing. Here." Fluttershy said softly as the Manticore presented its paw to her. She smiled and tugged on the thorn lodged in its paw, the Manticore letting out a pained roar and tackling Fluttershy to the ground.
"FLUTTERSHY!' her friends screamed, though their fears quickly melted away as they watched the Manticore happily lick the Skyborns' cheeks and hair, causing her to giggle.
"Hehe! down boy!" she laughed, petting it until it stepped off of her. She stood up and dusted herself off, hugging the Manticore gently and watching it walk away into the forest.
"How did you know about the thorn?" Twilight asked.
"I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Fluttershy told her, continuing down the path. Twilight blinked, turning to the others who simply shrugged. Together they chased after their friend, getting that much closer to their goal.
"Hm, they all seem quite skilled. Whoops, out of popcorn!" a snap of his fingers later a bag of popcorn appeared in his hand as he continued to follow them from the shadows. It seemed the show was just getting good.
"Ugh, geez, this Chaos is seriously thick. Its gettin' hard to see anything!" Spike grumbled.
"Oh good, thought it was just me." Twilight sighed in relief.
"Alright, stand back everyone. I'm gonna light up a path." Spike said, breathing in slowly, letting a tiny flame escape past his lips, forming a small sphere of green flame that hovered in the air. He careful crafted several more, throwing out his arms, the flames positioning themselves before them in mid-air and lighting up the path they walked on. But it also revealed the trees around them, causing them to jump and scream.
"Whats wrong with these trees?!" Rarity shrieked.
"It must be the chaos. its twisted them into...this." Twilight gulped, yelping in surprise as one tree reached for her, only to have the offending limb sliced off by Spikes claws. This however, had the effect of pissing off every tree around them.
"Aw crapbaskets." Spike mumbled, leaping over a swinging branch. Twilight threw up a barrier but the limb ignored her spell and smacked into her, curling around her waist.
"Twilight!" Spike chased after her, ducking under another limb and flipping into another, slicing through it with his tail as he changed, though as he landed the tree roots rose up and enveloped him, tightening around him and forcing him to change back.
He threw his head back, letting loose a massive flame that passed straight through the treetops. Nearby Applejack was having just as much luck, aiming to smash through a swinging limb in a single punch, her fist going straight through it as if it wasn't there. As she stood there confused, the branches looped around her ankles and hefted her upside down in the air.
"This is jus' ridiculous." Applejack grumbled. Rainbows agreement was muffled by the trees holding her as she struggled to break free, her eyes watching a panicking Fluttershy cower away from the looming branches. Pinkie Pie merely stood in front of tree, snorting and giggling.
"Pinkie Pie! Run!" Twilight yelled.
"Oh come on girls! Just watch." Pinkie cartwheeled over a pair of branches, twirling in the air to dodge another and turned to the attacking tree, flashing a bright smile. The tree vanished and in its place sat just a normal leafless ceder tree. Those imprisoned in the trees limbs were shocked as one by one Pinkie battled her way to them with only a smile as her weapon.
"All ya gotta do is smile and laugh!" She told them. Spike grinned and glanced down, roaring as he flexed his transforming arms and filling his mind with jokes, a chuckle slipping past his lips. The branches around him snapped and he rolled as he hit the ground.
"It works! Just think of something funny!" Spike called out. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Applejack, who was holding her hat in her teeth and struggling to keep it from being pulled away from her. Rainbow burst into laughter at the scene.
"Geez AJ, you look like a rabid dog! WOAH!" Rainbow gasped as she fell, landing flat on her face. Now it was Applejacks turn to laugh, though when the branches freed her she snatched her hat out of the air and rolled, landing softly on the ground. They turned, finding Fluttershy held in the air with Twilight.
"Aw great, how are we gonna make them laugh?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie Pie crossed her arms and tried to think.
"Twilight! What building has the most stories?!" Spike yelled up at her. She glanced down at him as she struggled against her bindings.
"Now is not the time for questions Spike!"
"The Library!" Spike laughed. Twilight blinked, running what he said through her head. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she caught on, gasping as the branches let her go. She grabbed hold of the branches holding Fluttershy and gulped.
"oops." Spike mumbled.
"Geez Spike, that joke was so corny I almost forgot my popcorn!" Pinkie snorted, pulling a bag of popcorn out of her hair. Fluttershy gasped as her branches vanished, flaring her wings and gently lowering herself and Twilight to the ground.
"D-Did anyone even hear her laugh?" Rainbow asked. All those gathered shook their heads.
"Lets get moving before they decide they want a round two." Twilight said. They glanced back, hurriedly moving forwards, with Pinkie Pie at the rear, glaring at the trees and daring them to attack again. Once clear of them they all sat to take a breather.
"Ugh...Cliffs of doom, Manticores, living trees. What next?" Twilight gasped. Dipping her hands into a river to wash the mud off of them.
"Twilight...back up slowly and don't panic." Spike said softly.
"Spike, what are you..talking...about?" Twilight slowly looked up. Towering over them was the strangest and largest Sea Serpent Twilight had ever seen. Magnificent hair rolled down his scaly head and half a mustache adorned its face.
"What in Tartarus happened to your face?!" Rainbow pointed. The serpent glared down at them before flailing its arms and...crying.
"Oh Rainbow Dash, look what you've done." Fluttershy admonished softly.
"Well we can all see it! I mean just look at it!" Rainbow said, grunting as Applejack swatted her with her hat.
"Now now girls, don't tease him. I mean, just look at those perfectly polished scales." Rarity pointed out. The serpent sniffed and nodded, lowering its head to the riverbank so Rarity could come closer.
"Your expertly coiffed mane, such brilliance, such flair!" Rarity continued, placing a hand on the serpents nose.
"And such a wonderful face and beaming smile, all ruined without your marvelous mustache!" Rarity sighed. The serpent sniffed and nodded, covering its eyes.
"I know! I know! I was just minding my own business when this TACKY cloud of smoke whizzed by and tore it clean off! And now...I'm hideous!" the serpent whined.
"I CANNOT allow such a crime against fabulosity!" Rarity declared, grabbing hold of one of the serpents scales.
"OW! What are you doing?!" it demanded. Rarity shut her eyes tightly, straightening her lightly curled hair so that it fell down her back.
With an iron resolve she took hold of her hair and slashed through it with the scale, using her magic to carry it towards the serpent, replacing his missing mustache with her hair.
"Of course Darling. I couldn't allow such hard work to be for naught. It must be quite difficult maintaining such a perfect appearance here in Everfree."
"Oh Rarity...your hair." Twilight said softly. Rarity sighed, adjusting her now barely shoulder length hair.
"Its fine, short hair is in this season...besides, It'll grow back!" Rarity said with a strained smile.
"So would the mustache." Rainbow grumbled under her breath.
"Well we still need a way across this." Spike pointed out. The serpent dived into the water, his body curling to form steps for them.
"Allow me!" he offered.
"See girls? It pays to be generous." Rarity said with a smile, hopping daintily across and followed by the others. Twilight smiled, waving goodbye to the serpent as they continued on their journey. From how everyone had talked about it, she had been convinced the Everfree was nothing but a place of chaos.
But the Manticore had only attacked them because it was in pain. The Serpent had been nothing but kind to them. And the trees had been an illusion strengthened by fear. But Twilight could credit that to the Chaos that supposedly lived here.
Lost in thought as she was, Twilight failed to notice the bridge she was trying to walk onto was gone, tumbling down over the edge and gasping as Rainbow caught her, pulling her back to safety.
"Geez Twilight, whats with you and falling off of things today?" she laughed.
"Now how do we get across!?" Pinkie cried. Rainbow pointed to her wings.
"Uh, duh!" she said, back flipping over the edge off the cliff and diving straight down through the fog.
"Oh yea." Pinkie giggled. Rainbow grabbed hold of the rope to the bridge, flying across to the other side.
"Heh, piece of cake." Rainbow chuckled as she started tying to bridge.
"Rainbow Dash." a voice called to her.
"huh?! Who's there!? Come on, show yourself!" Rainbow yelled, ready to fight.
"As you wish Rainbow." the voice said as three figures stepped forth from the shadows.
"Who the heck are you?" Rainbow demanded.
"We, are the Shadowbolts." their leader said, all three flaring out their impressive wings.
"We've been looking for Terra's greatest flier, someone who is daring, amazing, and has no fear."
"uh, who?" Rainbow asked.
"You Rainbow Dash."
"Huh? me? Oh yea! Me, heh. Mind telling the Wonderbolts that?" Rainbow mumbled.
"No Rainbow. We want you to join us! We want you to lead us. We've trained here in the Chaos to be the strongest and best flying team and with your leadership we'll be even better than the Wonderbolts."
"Woo-Hoo! You've got yourself a deal buddy. Just let me finish tying this and..."
"No! Its us or them Rainbow." he demanded. Rainbow chewed her lip and hung her head.
"Rainbow Dash! whats taking so long?" Twilight called, her eyes wide as she spotted three figures sporting the colors of Nightmare Moon.
"Oh no..." she gasped as their leader glanced at her, his eyes glowing and the fog growing thicker around them. Rainbow failed to notice this as she looked back up.
"Thanks." she said softly.
"I knew you'd pick..." he blinked as she shook her head.
"Thanks, for the offer that is. But I can't join you guys." Rainbow said, tying the bridge and flying back to her friends. The Shadowbolts shook their heads, vanishing into the Everfree. Rainbow grinned as she landed in front of her friends.
"Rainbow Dash, I thought for a minute there that..."
"Hey! I never ditch my friends! Not for anything. Rainbow Loyal Danger Dash, is my name after all."
"Heh, ah thought yer middle name was Leohguoai!" Applejack tried to say, her words muffled by Rainbow pulling her hat over her face. They shared a laugh as they crossed the bridge, eyes wide as they stared at the ancient castle. Twilight dug into her bag, pulling out her map.
"This is the place..." Twilight gulped. She tugged on her bag straps and stepped inside the ruins of the castle.
"Hey look!" Rainbow pointed at a pedestal above them. Within it sat five stone spheres, each with a magical rune etched into it. Twilight knelt down, pulling out the reference guide and skimming through the pages. Rainbow nodded to Fluttershy, the two flying up and bringing down the spheres for Twilight.
"Well...now what?" Rainbow asked.
"It says when the five are present, a spark will ignite them and bring forth the sixth element. The five being Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty. The sixth being the element of Magic...maybe Magic can create the Spark?" Twilight said, looking over the Elements. Applejack crossed her arms, watching as Twilights eyes began to glow, her magic flowing over the elements.
"C'mon ya'll. She needs t' concentrate." the farmer said softly, ushering them just outside. Twilight gritted her teeth, her eyes closing as she struggled, trying to unlock the secret of the Elements.
The wind began to pick up around her, causing her to open her eyes, gasping as she saw the Elements swirling around in a dark tornado. She leapt for them, vanishing along with them.
Hearing their friend scream, the others rushed inside, seeing light flashing from one of the castle towers.
"Come on!" Spike yelled, being the first to the stairs, the others trailing behind him, all of them ready to fight.
Twilight groaned as she landed on a stone floor, looking up she saw her. Nightmare Moon, grinning and staring her down. Twilight pushed to her feet, her magic flaring instantly. Nightmare chuckled to herself, her wings spreading wide, runes etched into her body glowing brightly and confirming Twilights suspicions. Nightmare Moon was Celestia's sister. Which meant she too was a Celestian.
Which means she is as magically gifted as me, as strong as Applejack, and as fast as Rainbow Dash. But... Twilight ran forward, roaring at the top of her lungs.
"Really? you're joking." Nightmare flicked her wings, flying straight towards Twilight, a spear of chaotic energy forming in her hands. Twilight bit her lip, closing her eyes and teleporting as Nightmare swung towards her. She stood dizzily in the center of the elements, shaking out of her daze and throwing out her arms.
"Come on, just one spark!" Twilight begged, filling the Elements with her magic and gasping as the spark she created bounced back and sent her flying. Nightmare gritted her teeth, appearing within the elements as Twilight reached for them again. The spark of magic danced between the elements, causing them to rise in the air.
"No! No!" Nightmare panicked, blinking as they fell to the ground uselessly. Slowly Nightmare began to chuckle, crushing the Elements in her magic.
"And now that your precious Elements are shattered, my night shall last, forever! AHAHAHAHA!' Nightmare taunted.
"Twilight!" her friends called for her. Twilight spun with tears in her eyes, seeing their shadows on the steps behind her.
"They came for me?" she managed to say softly, her eyes growing wider. Twilight pushed to her feet, wiping away her tears.
"You think the Elements can be destroyed, just like that? Well you're wrong Nightmare Moon. Because the Elements of Harmony, are right here!" Twilight cheered as her friends reached her. The fragments of the Elements began to glow and fly about the room.
"What? no, that's impossible!" Nightmare cried.
"Oh but it is. The Element of Honesty!" Twilight pointed to Applejack, several fragments floating around the farm girl.
"When I was hanging from the cliff, she gave me the strength to let go and built my trust in her just with a genuine smile and a promise that I would be OK. And that bond was made even stronger when her words rang true and my other friends rushed to my rescue." Twilight said with a smile, pointing to Fluttershy next.
"The Element of Kindness!" she smiled as more fragments floated around the Skyborn.
"When we were convinced a manticore was our enemy, she showed us that any and every creature can be misunderstood and simply need the help of someone who can see past whats on the outside." Twilight continued. Nightmare gritted her teeth, tossing a bolt of energy at them, only for the fragments to surround them, forming a barrier.
"But I'm not done yet!" Twilight laughed, pointing to Pinkie Pie.
"The Element of laughter! When we were ensnared by the Illusions of Chaos, Pinkie Pie alone was able to fight through them by facing down our fears with laughter and a smile" more fragments shifted away from the whole, surrounding Pinkie Pie who giggled and hopped in place.
"The Element of Generosity! Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, given only from the goodness in her heart and expecting nothing in return!" Twilight continued, watching as several more fragments hovered around her Magian friend
"And finally, Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, who couldn't abandon her friends to follow her own hearts desire. These five fought through everything you or this forest could throw at us!"
"But you still don't have the last Element! The spark didn't work!" Nightmare Moon argued.
"But it did work. You see Nightmare Moon, that Spark is within us all. I realized it when I heard you all calling for me...when I realized that you all, are my friends!" Twilight finished, the final pieces of the Elements circling her, coming together to form a tiara, necklaces formed themselves around her friends.
Spike simply shrugging as he and Nightmare shared a look. Twilight gasped as the Magic of the Elements filled her, her head snapping back as the Wisdom of the Ancients filled her.
Within the Elements glow she glanced down at Nightmare Moon, channeling the power gifted to her by her friends and directing it at the Woman of shadow. Nightmare screamed and struggled to break free of the elements power to no avail, a bright flash filling the room.
The Element bearers groaned as they lay on the ground, sunlight slowly filling the room. Spike whooped and rushed to Twilight.
"You did it Twilight! You did...whoa." he mumbled. Twilight sat up, glancing down at herself. Along with the tiara she wore, she was dressed from neck to toe in glowing purple armor, a magical spear of light hovering beside her. Looking around Spike noticed much the same of the others.
"Oh heck yea! Now this is awesome!" Rainbow grinned, her armor was a light blue, but didn't even slow her down as she hovered and twirled, getting a better look at herself. Two orbs of energy floated beside the skyborn.
"Oh wow Rarity, its beautiful" Fluttershy said softly. Rarity sighed happily, adjusting her hair.
"Oh I know! I shall never part with you again!" she promised her hair, her pure white armor shining in the sunlight as well as the Claymore upon her back.
"No Rarity, your necklace!" Fluttershy said, pointing at it.
"Oh, well so is yours!" Rarity said. Fluttershy gasped, looking down at the butterfly shaped ornament. Her bright yellow armor clung to her buxom frame as well as a short-sword at her waist.
Pinkie Pie giggled and hopped in place, dual broadswords on either side of her waist.
"Look at mine! Look at mine!" she cheered, pointing at her Balloon shaped necklace. Applejack chuckled, crossing her arms. Her orange armor glowing slightly alongside her runes and her lasso.
"Well, this is kinda interestin'" the farmer mumbled
"You have done well my faithful student." Celestia's voice echoed around them.
"huh?! Princess? where are you?!" Twilight asked. Spike pointed behind her. There, standing in the sunlight, was Princess Celestia. Spike dug through his bag, pulling out the box Celestia had entrusted to Twilight and kneeling. Celestia smiled as Twilight hugged her, the others in the room bowing in respect.
"It seems you've welcomed friendship into your heart Twilight. Now if only another can do so..." Celestia said softly, ruffling Spikes hair as she walked past him, accepting the box and standing before Nightmare Moon.
"It has been a thousand years since I last saw you like this Sister..." Celestia said softly. Nightmare glanced up and to Twilights surprise it wasn't Nightmare Moon, but rather a girl who appeared to be just a bit younger than herself. She pushed to her feet, tears in her eyes as she tackle hugged Celestia
"I'm so sorry big sister! I missed you so much." she sobbed. Celestia slowly wrapped her arms around her younger sister.
"I've missed you too Luna...I was afraid that the Darkness could never be removed..." Celestia choked, holding her sister tighter.
"But now you are back..." Celestia held out the box to Luna. The younger sister hesitating as she opened it. Within sat her crown. The symbol of her authority in Terra before her imprisonment.
"It would bring me nothing but honor and happiness to have you return and rule by my side Luna..." Celestia said softly. Luna hung her head as she held her crown.
"I am not fit to rule beside you sister..."
"Yes you are. If not for my mistakes...for not paying attention when you needed me most..." The two sisters shared another hug. Pinkie Pie ruining the moment by bursting into tears. Celestia smiled as she turned with her sister beside her. The Element Bearers, and Spike, bowing their heads.
"I cannot thank you all enough for all you have done this day. But I fear there is still much to be done." Celestia said to them. She drew the rapier from her belt.
"I ask you all to kneel before me." she spoke up, waiting until they were lined in front of her, tapping her blade upon each of their shoulders.
"I name thee, Knights of Terra, Defenders of the realm." Celestia intoned. They blinked with wide eyes, glancing up at Celestia.
"The power of the Elements now lives within each of you. In times of crisis it will be you who we will depend upon."
"Ya'll can count on us Princess!" Applejack cheered.
"Count me in!" Rainbow grinned, crossing her arms.
"Oh! this is gonna be so much fun!" Pinkie giggled.
"I...I don't know what to say..." Twilight mumbled.
"Hey, at least you get that cool armor!" Spike chuckled. Twilight rolled her eyes, the six friends blinking as their armor faded away, the glow of the elements fading away.
"It will take some time before each of you masters the powers granted to you by the Elements. But I will be here if you ever have any questions." Celestia promised them.
"Hey! You know what this calls for?!"
"A party!" Pinkie Pie cheered. They all blinked, looking at each other.
"H-how did we get here?" Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash chuckled
"That's just Pinkie Pie for ya." she offered as an explanation. Luna blinked in surprise as the people of Eravil welcomed her and Celestia with open arms.
"They are cheering..for us?" Luna asked softly.
"Yes sister. For US, not just me, not just the day. But for US." Celestia promised her. Luna struggled with herself, wanting to be happy. But it felt too good to be true. The Nightmare was gone from her mind, her sister standing beside her, her people being happy to see her. It was too much. Celestia gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled at her.
"Come sister, we've much to discuss. You've missed quite a bit..."
Twilight sighed as she watched the festivities. Everyone here seemed so happy. They all waved and greeted her or offered her a drink or something to eat. No one poked fun at her. It was strange. She couldn't put a finger on the feeling.
"Whats wrong my faithful student? Are you not happy that your journey is over and you can return to your studies?" Celestia asked.
"Well...its just. I went through so much to learn what its like to have friends...and now that I finally have them, I have to leave them." Twilight said sadly. Celestia smiled to herself, clearing her throat.
"Spike, take a letter." she called for him, the Dragonkin quickly doing as told.
"I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree, that the Magian Twilight Sparkle shall remain here in Eravil and continue her studies of the power of Friendship and its connections to the magical spectrum. She is to report to me her findings from her new home at the Eravil Library." Celestia said. Spike quickly writing it down and holding it up for her to sign.
It vanished in a puff of Dragons Fire, to be filed away as an official decree. Twilight gasped as her friends pulled her into a group hug, all of them laughing.
"Well, that was interesting. But what now Celly? You've got your pieces on the board now it seems. I suppose I should start placing some of my own." he mumbled, tossing a piece of popcorn into his open mouth. He grinned and chuckled to himself, vanishing with a snap of his fingers.
"The time will soon be upon us. You know what you must do." she said softly.
"But Princess! Why can't I tell her?!" the guard demanded, hidden in the shadows of the magical mirror Celestia stood before.
"She must discover it for herself my friend. You must keep your place in the shadows until the time is right. I will do what I can to stall for time, keep them safe." she offered him a small smile.
"I'll do my best Princess...I promise, she won't win." the guard swore moments before a spear of dark energy smashed into the mirror. Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, gathering what courage she had left as she turned to face her sister.
"Its been far too long sister. How many years? A few hundred? No...It seems more like a thousand. It must have been quite lonely on the throne for all those years. Any pointers? I'll be sitting there for quite awhile you know." Nightmare taunted as she strode into the room, her dark purple armor gleaming in the moonlight that flooded into the throne room.
The runes etched into her very being matched the glow of her beloved nightsky, along with the fiercely burning magical aura that surrounded her entire being. The final icing on the cake, her incredibly large pitch black wings, stars etched into the ethereal fabric. This was the creature that had stolen her sister from her. A being of jealousy and hate. A being she had created in her negligence.
"Sister, this doesn't have to end this way."
"Oh? Is that your plan Celestia? Put me in time out and talk me down from my high horse? No, thats not how things are going to work. While you have sat here watching our subjects and putting on a few pounds..." she fell silent for a moment, letting the insult sink in,
"I have grown stronger with each and every day. And now the day shall come to an end!" she threw out her arm, a fresh bolt of magic launching towards Celestia, only for a lone knight to fling himself in the way, a barrier sending the bolt through the ceiling.
"Princess! You must get to safety!" his voice echoed with the sheer amount of mana being poured into the barrier. Celestia smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You are very brave Shining Armor. But this is my fight. Get as many people out of Celamont as you can." she ordered. He blinked in shock, glancing over his shoulder.
"I won't abandon you Princess."
"How very touching, are you willing to die for your Princess little soldier?" Nightmare sneered.
"I would proudly lay down my life to defend her!" he roared, drawing his sword from the shield that adorned his left arm.
"SO BE IT!" Nightmare clapped her hands together, forming a simple spear from her magic. Shining Armor charged, leaping over the spear and raising his shield to parry away a strike, gasping as Nightmare's magic snared his ankle and quietly muttering a charm under his breath, freeing himself from her grip and sliding across the ground. He moved to rush once more, Celestia blocking his path.
"That is enough Shining. There is more at stake here than my life or your honor. Think of your parents, your sister, your fiance." Celestia hissed. Shining Armor fell silent, gritting his teeth as a magical blast hit them, Celestia flinging it away.
"Move now!" she ordered. The knight swore under his breath as he slid past Celestia, roaring and flinging a weak bolt at Nightmare, waiting for the right moment. The mistress of the night easily deflected his spell, but it was only a distraction. With his opening clear he spun, slicing through one of her wings and sliding down into the hallway, making his escape.
"I will return Princess!" he called out as he ran. Figures grew from the shadows, blocking his path. He refused to be deterred, charging straight into the fray, sword ablaze with magical power, his shield raised to defend against the guns they drew. No doubt they were loaded with witches bane.
He grinned to himself as they fired, roaring as he flung his shield at the first of the three, sliding to the side with the movement to avoid the first few shots, his shield meeting its target and knocking the first goon out cold. Shining leapt for the wall, kicking off as hard as he could and rolling in the air, gunfire sounding around him and a bullet pinging off of his blade.
The young soldier landed on his hands and toes, sliding forward on his left hand and smashing his armored feet into the second goons ankle with a sickening crack, his blade coming up as he pushed to his feet, one arm hooking around the falling goons midsection, the other resting his blade at their throat as he turned to the last figure.
"Its true what they say about you. Truly the best Celestia has to offer. I'm sure she would be proud of you."
"Gale, shut the fuck up and get him off me!" the wounded figure in his hold spat.
"I dunno Strike, you look good in red." Gale taunted. Shining gritted his teeth, realizing Gale didn't give two shits about his comrades. He could use this time to catch his breath though. It wasn't easy maintaining so much magical power at once, but it was his only hope of making it past the Knights of Nightmare.
There was no telling how many were already in the castle, stories claimed they could hide within any shadow or even in direct moonlight. For all he knew, he was surrounded and these three were toying with him.
"But really, one guard so easily taking two of us down, its quite a shame. You know our queen wouldn't let you live if she knew this brat took you out so easily."
"I'll save you the trouble!" Shining roared as he slit Strikes throat, gritting his teeth as Gale fired, the bullets almost piercing his barrier. Gale stared in shock.
"Witches Bane cuts through any magic. A Celestian would struggle against it!"
"You learn something new everyday." Shining shrugged, jamming his sword into the knights stomach, kicking Gale off of his blade before rushing down the hallway. It was a long way out of the castle and there were more shadows than he remembered.
Nightmare swore under her breath as Shining sliced through her wing, turning her back to Celestia as she chanted. She refused to let some arrogant knight leave a mark upon her and live to tell the tale. At least thats what she thought until she heard the sound of a blade being removed from its sheath.
She turned back around in time to shift to shadow, Celestia's blade leaving a burning sensation as it neared her. The nightmare shifted away, returning to normal form and glaring at her sister. Celestia had cast aside her formal robes, standing in gleaming pure white armor. A sun-crest emblazoned across her bosom, rapier in hand and hand upon hip.
"You think my skills lacking, you think my form pudgy. You are sorely mistaken sister and if need be I will cast you away for another thousand years!" Celestia yelled, her wings flaring to life. Nightmare scoffed, twirling her spear of darkness between her fingers.
"Perhaps you should spend a thousand years in exile, it does wonders for you." Nightmare chuckled, vanishing and appearing in front of her. Celestia raised her blade, knocking back the spear and stepping back slightly, though Nightmare remained on the offense, vanishing instantly only to reappear with a different angle of attack.
Celestia knew she was fighting a losing battle. She hadn't held a sword in years nor practiced any useful combat magic. She had never planned to win this fight, nor did she want to. It had been all too painful to seal away her sister.
She wouldn't dare attempt to kill her, no matter the cost to herself. She gasped as the spear split into daggers, catching one with her blade, the other slicing through her armor and knocking her back into the wall. Nightmare instantly took advantage of the position, resting the edge of a dagger against her rib, the other pinned to her throat. Celestia closed her eyes, dropping her sword.
"Will you hear my words sister? Will you allow me a final moment?" Celestia asked.
"Of course dear sister. You allowed me the same before my entrapment. Turnabout is fair play as they say." Nightmare chuckled.
"I am sorry...those words mean nothing to you I am sure. But every day they have haunted me. For a thousand years I was left to remember that it was I who made you like this. I who ruined our friendship. I, who must now do what I swore to never do." Celestia roared as she pushed forward, the dagger biting into her throat and the runes across her body glowing, the armor around her shattered as she grabbed Nightmare.
With the power of the Titans coursing through her veins she spun, flinging the Nightmare clean through several walls. She stood there for a moment, panting heavily and dressed only in her small clothes. She needed to buy more time. If only a few more precious minutes.
Twilight was already on the trail of the elements, that much was clear in her earlier letter. She only hoped Twilight remained as determined as she always had been. Nightmare Moon slowly made her way back into the throne room, chuckling softly.
"Impressive sister. You finally show that little deceptive side Discord was so proud of."
"How dare you speak his name in this place!?" Celestia cried.
"Does it still sting sister?! The mark he left upon us!? I know you still feel it!" Nightmare poked and prodded.
Celestia marched towards her, runes ablaze upon her skin. Nightmare smiled, catching the punch the angered elder sister threw, sliding forward and grabbing her arm, her own runes glowing as she hefted her sister up by her arm and spun around and around, letting her soar into the air. Celestia rolled, flinging out her wings to catch herself, light surrounding her as she called to her magic.
Nightmare smiled, kicking off the ground as hard as she could, the two sisters flying straight for one another, magical weapons in hand and roaring to the heavens. In a flash it was over. Celestia fell to her knees, Nightmare standing over her, armor badly damaged and blood leaking from her side.
"You are holding back sister. You fight bravely, but poorly. Why?" Nightmare demanded. Celestia gripped the rubble beneath her as she hung her head.
"Because you are my sister and I love you! I cannot bring myself to harm you anymore than I have..."
"You are a fool sister. Such notions are what cost me our first fight. Perhaps in a thousand years you will prove yourself a challenge to me." Nightmare spat. She held up her arms over the elder sister as she began to chant.
It was a spell Celestia recognized, but it had required the power of the Elements for her to use it. Of course, she didn't have the powers of Chaos at her control then.
Twilight yawned as she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She froze and blinked, looking around. When had she fallen asleep?! Looking down she found the reference guide for the Elements...with her drool all over it.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Yup...just another normal day." Spike mumbled as Twilights scream woke him up. He sighed, crawling out of his bed and dragging his feet towards the kitchen.
"Coffee..."he grumbled under his breath, putting on a pot and leaning against the counter. It had been a week since the defeat of Nightmare Moon and still Twilight was scanning every last page of the reference guide.
Spike calmly poured himself a cup, setting it aside and making another for Twilight. Due to his rather...strange appetite, this was the norm for them. He had always made it a habit of keeping his food separate, lest Twilight need a visit to the dentist.
The panicking Magian stumbled her way into the kitchen in time for her assistant to hand her the cup of coffee which managed to somewhat sooth her nerves. Spike peeled the book from her grasp, blowing over it gently to dry the drool, letting a small puff of fire lick the page so it wouldn't cake.
"There, just like new." Spike said with a smile as he set it on the table. Twilight sighed as she sat down, holding her coffee with both hands.
"Thanks Spike..."she mumbled. He raised an eyebrow and sat across from her, dropping two small rubies into his coffee instead of sugar.
"Why is this bugging you so much?" Spike asked, causing her to glance over at him.
"That power, that knowledge. All of it vanished after Nightmare was defeated. None of us remember HOW we did any of that and nothing in this stupid book explains anything!" she sighed in frustration, massaging her temples.
"What if some horrible beast escapes Tartarus and our ONLY hope of defeating it is knowing how these..." she lifted up her tiara, glaring at the trinket "work. I need to know Spike." she set the trinket down, returning to her coffee.
"Driving yourself nuts day and night isn't going to solve anything. have you tried asking the Princess?" Spike asked. Twilight blinked, and then blinked again, staring off into empty space before letting out another ear piercing scream.
"Why didn't I think of that?!" She cried, slamming her face down onto the table. Spike shook his head, summoning his trusty pen and grabbing some paper.
"Ready whenever you are." he said with a smile.
"Grmfrmbrghfer." Twilight mumbled into the table.
"Is that with an F or a Ph?" Spike asked jokingly, dodging a spoon.
"Dear Princess Celestia..."
"What is with these clouds today?" Rainbow grumbled, twirling in the air and slamming her leg through a rather nasty looking cloud that had drifted over from the Everfree. She sighed, sitting on a drifting cumulus and relaxing for a minute.
"Its like the weather there is getting worse." Rainbow mumbled, crossing her arms and gazing over Eravil and towards Everfree. A bad storm was brewing there.
"If that hits the town it'll tear it to shreds..." she gulped, diving off her cloud and flaring out her wings. Gritting her teeth, she pushed her wings harder as the clouds raced towards Eravil.
"Go Dashie!" Pinkie yelled from below, waving a rainbow colored flag. Rainbow chuckled as she dived into the cloud to break it apart, blinking and screaming as she bounced off it and went tumbling backwards through the air. A quick roll and twitch of her wings and she was rightside up once more.
"Tough guy huh? Alright then pal." Rainbow flew up as high as she could, up until the air was thin and her skin felt cold as ice before dropping down like a rock, headfirst toward the gathering storm.
"You're mine!" she screamed over the wind, eyes wide as the clouds began to rumble.
"Uh oh..." she tried to stop, but at that speed it was hopeless, even for her. She could pull up, but she wasn't going to escape unscathed. Though if she pulled up now the storm would definitely hit Eravil.
"The things I do for this town." she mumbled, throwing up her arms in front of her and screaming as bolts of lightning flew at her from above and below. She closed her eyes, still diving straight for the storm.
It wasn't until she bounced off the cloud that she realized the lightning hadn't touched her. Of course the ground wasn't as forgiving. She groaned, rubbing her bottom and finding her armor in place of her shorts.
"What the...how the heck did I end up in this?" she mumbled.
"Dashie that was amazing! You were all like AHHHHHHHHH! and the lightning was all like BZZZZZZT but then you started glowing and the lightning bounced clean off you like it was nothing! and then you bounced off that scary looking cloud thats about to destroy our home." Pinkie summarized.
"Oh crud! Go get AJ! quick!" She told her, her wings flickering to life as she kicked off the ground and chased the storm. Pinkie Pie saluted and proceeded to bounce as quickly as she could to Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow glanced around, waiting until Pinkie was out of sight before she began to chant under her breath, her eyes glowing dimly. She had to stop that storm, no matter the cost.
"Applejack!Applejack!Applejack!" Pinkie Pie yelled, banging on the door like a madwoman. The Gaian sighed as she pulled it open, finding Pinkie just standing there.
"What is it now Pinkie?" Applejack asked.
"You gotta come quick! There's this big nasty storm about to destroy Eravil and Dashie needs help!" Pinkie said quickly before running off.
"An where are you goin'?!" Applejack called after her as she grabbed her lasso and hat.
"To get the others!" Pinkie called back, already past the orchard and out of sight. Applejack stared across her home with wide eyes, seeing the massive storm that was building over Eravil and stretching towards Sweet Apple Acres.
"Oh no..."
"Sounds like its gonna rain." Spike mumbled as he washed the dishes from their light breakfast.
"Another reason to stay inside and study." Twilight reasoned. That was until Pinkie burst through her door and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her outside before she could be scolded for running in a library, amongst other things Twilight had scolded her for before.
"Come with me! There's no time to explain!" Pinkie giggled
"I've always wanted to say that, hehe."
"Pinkie let go! What..." Twilight stared up at the sky with wide eyes, dropping her favorite mug.
"What is going on?" Twilight asked.
"This big ol nasty storm blew in from over the Everfree forest. Dashie is in it somewhere!" Pinkie panicked.
"Calm down Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash is a Skyborn, a very powerful one at that. I think she can handle a storm."
"GAHHHH!" Rainbows screams could be heard faintly over the boom of thunder and clash of lightning.
"But maybe we should help, just in case." Twilight gulped.
"How are we suppose to do anything though?" Pinkie pouted.
"Well...You're a Gaian. You could probably jump up there, but that wouldn't help if you can't manipulate the cloud like Rainbow can. I could try and snare it in my magic, but its too big for me to do it alone."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance then darling." Rarity said with a smile, her eyes glowing brightly. Twilight smiled and sighed in relief.
"With the two of us I think we can push it back. But if even Rainbow can't handle it alone then we might need an extra hand."
"How 'bout two?" Applejack asked with a tilt of her hat.
"Woo-wee, that's a biggun fer sure. Ya'll think my lasso can hold it?" Applejack asked Pinkie.
"Won't know til ya try!" the baker giggled.
"Alright then. Pinks, since ya'll run faster than a scared jackrabbit ah'm gonna have ya do somethin fer me. Ah'm gonna grab that there cloud and ah want ya t' run as fast as ya can t' th' forest with it." Applejack said. Pinkie nodded and gave a salute.
"We'll help." Twilight said, throwing up her arms along with Rarity. The two chanted loudly, calling to the mana that surrounded and flowed through them and wrapping it around the storm.
"Its too big Twilight. I don't think this is going to be enough." Rarity said as she strained to push the storm back.
"Keep trying Rarity! We've got to stop this before it gets ugly." Twilight said through gritted teeth. Applejack meanwhile spun her rope about in the air before flinging it at the edge of the storm, grinning as it latched on snugly. The other end was tied around Pinkie like a harness, waiting for her to pull the storm back to Everfree.
"Alright Pinkie! Go!" Applejack yelled. Pinkie Pie's body began to glow as her runes came to life, the baker kicking off with the power of a train towards the forest and slamming face first into the dirt, burying herself halfway into the ground.
"Sheesh, that's a stubborn storm." Applejack mumbled as she plucked Pinkie Pie out of the ground.
"Owie..." Pinkie whined. She blinked as Fluttershy placed a bandage on her cheek.
"Hi Shy! Wait, why are you outside? I thought you were scared of thunder, and lightning, and big clouds, and your shadow, and..." Pinkie stopped as Applejack put a hand over her mouth.
"Ah think she gets it Pinkie."
"Well, um...I-I wanted to help. I heard Rainbow over the storm a-and...well..." she lowered her head
"Well, ah think ya'll might have better luck than us Shy. Me an Pinks strength is nothin t' that there storm. Twi and Rare are givin it all they got but it ain't budgin'. It looks like its up t' you an Dash." Applejack said.
Fluttershy gulped and nodded as her wings came to life. She rose into the air slowly, taking slow breaths and letting out a squeak as the cloud rumbled.
"Keep going Fluttershy! You can do this!" Pinkie cheered. She nodded meekly and continued upward, her eyes wide as Rainbow came into view. Her friend roared as she rolled about in the air, battling a massive monster in the clouds.
In one hand it held a massive bolt of lightning, fashioned like a spear. In the other it carried a large hammer, trying to smash the prismatic Skyborn out of the air. Rainbow rolled around the hammer, chanting loudly and throwing out her arm, one of the orbs that flew around her shifting into a lightning blade, the other shifting into a shield of ice and surrounding her arm.
She roared as she dove towards the beast, twisting through the air and raising her shield to block the bolt as she slashed his arm with her sword. The beast roared in frustration, bringing up its knee and halting Rainbow in her tracks.
As she was knocked into the air from the blow the beast raised his hammer, bringing it down onto her back and sending her into the cloud below. Fluttershy was frozen in shock and fear, unable to move or speak as it turned its attention to her.
It hefted the spear of light over its head and chucked it towards her, Fluttershy merely hovering there as it soared for her. She managed to scream and throw up her arms as the bolt neared her. She hovered there, expecting to be scorched or torn to shreds.
Slowly she lowered her arms, finding her friend in front of her with both hands on the bolt, her hair standing on end and her eyes glowing brightly as she screamed and crushed the bolt in her hands. Fluttershy stared with wide eyes as her friend hovered in front of her panting heavily.
"Shy...you...alright?" she asked, her voice echoing as mana tore its way through her.
"R-Rainbow, I'm fine but..what about you? I-is that...Mana?" she squeaked as Rainbow glanced over her shoulder.
"Shy, get to safety. I don't know what this thing is. But its tough. I'm gonna have to go all out on it. I don't want anyone to see this." she said softly.
"I-I'm not leaving you here!" Fluttershy argued. Rainbow smiled and hugged her, pinching just above her neck and causing her to squeak as her wings vanished.
"Sorry Shy." she whispered, dropping her. Fluttershy screamed as she fell, blinking as she landed on a small cloud. It drifted down towards the ground where her friends waited, surrounding her as tears filled her eyes.
"Shy! what happened?!" Twilight asked. She shook her head, curling up into a ball, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
"She's been Nullified..." Rarity gasped, noticing Fluttershy's Avaros marking was dulled.
"How??" Applejack asked, Fluttershy simply shook her head again.
"Now isn't the time for questions. Now is the time to help our friend." Rarity said, pulling Fluttershy to her feet and hugging her gently.
"I'll take care of Fluttershy. Maybe you can find a way up there." Rarity said to Twilight. The Magian sighed as she looked up, the storm flickering as if it was ready to burst at any minute.
"Applejack...hows your throwing arm?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow swore under her breath as she pinched the nerve just above Fluttershy's neck. A weak spot of Skyborn. She wouldn't be able to fly for at least an hour, but it was better than what she was about to do. She doubted her friend would ever forgive her for Nullifying her, but it had to be done. Combat just wasn't Fluttershy's thing.
Turning around Rainbow sighed and raised her arms, calling to the mana in the air as the monster ran towards her. It raised its fist and she threw up her arm, casting a barrier in the way, roaring as she flew forward and slashed at it again and again with her lightning blade, another barrier flying up to knock back its hammer.
Glancing over her shoulder she saw Twilight just above the storms edge with one arm out. The Magian fell, only to appear again and cast another barrier around Rainbow who had been shocked to see a Magian this high in the air.
The barrier managed to save her from suffering a blow from the beasts hammer, embedding her in the cloud below. The beast raised a foot to smash her only for Twilight to reach out with her magic and pull her out of the way. She wasn't sure how the Magian was doing it, but she was grateful.
Rolling onto her feet she roared as she ran forward once more, blinking as Twilight appeared in front of her.
"Sorry Dash!" she screamed as she threw her arms around her and teleported. The two found themselves on the ground below.
"What the heck Twilight!? I almost had it!" Rainbow fumed.
"No you didn't. That's a Storm Mason. All you're doing is feeding it!" Twilight argued.
"What?" Rainbow asked
"A storm mason. They normally live in mountains and craft snow storms, but this...I don't understand how this could happen." Twilight sighed.
"So how do we stop it?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, you can manipulate weather. Applejack can throw pretty well, Pinkie's a good catcher, and I've got magic." Twilight pointed out.
"What?" Rainbow asked again
"My throwin arm'? Well shoot, pretty darn good ah s'pose. Why?"
"I need you to throw me up there so I can see whats going on."
"Ya'll wanna run that by me again Sparkle? Did ya'll jus' ask me t' throw ya?"
"Yes, straight up towards the edge there."
"Unless ya plan t' sprout wings ah ain't doin it. How in th' heck are ya expectin' t' get down in one piece?"
"I'll need you two to catch me and throw me back up." Twilight said, nodding to Pinkie.
"This is insane, ya know that right?" Applejack asked as she bent down and cupped her hands.
"I know. But its all we've got. On three...one...two...three!" Twilight kicked off as Applejack tossed her with all her strength, the Magian soaring through the air and blinking as she caught sight of the Storm Mason battling Rainbow...who was using magic to fight it.
Don't be silly Twilight. She's an Avaros, that magic has to be from her Element. She has the armor on...somehow. I'll have to ask how she did that later. Oh crap falling!
Twilight bent her knees as she fell, Pinkie launching under her and cupping the Magian's heels before tossing her back up. On this launch Twilight managed to focus, chanting under her breath and casting a barrier in front of Rainbow to block the smiths attack.
Again she fell with Applejack skidding to a stop below her and catching her one handed, chucking her back into the air like a spear. Twilight managed to throw a barrier around her friend and pull her out of the way of the Smiths foot before she fell again with Pinkie chucking her back into the air.
"Whoopee! This is fun!" Pinkie giggled.
"Focus Pinkie!" Applejack scolded her, keeping her eyes on Twilight, at least until she vanished into thin air.
"Where'd she go?!" Applejack panicked, Pinkie tapping her shoulder and pointing next to them where Twilight stood with Rainbow.
"You know you're insane right?" Rainbow said as Twilight finished explaining how a Magian could fly. The storm above them began to shake and rumble, lighting up briefly as a bolt of lightning crashed down next to them, just barely missing them. Twilight threw up a barrier around them, the next bolt striking it instead of them and coiling around the barrier before sinking into the ground.
"Its too strong." Twilight panted.
"Its gotta have a weakness. C'mon Twi', how can we beat this?" Rainbow asked. Twilight glanced over at her and the two orbs swirling around her.
"We can't...but you can. It feeds off the lightning its cloud home generates and uses it as a source of power and to craft its storms. If you can cut off its source of power..."
"Then it won't have anything to trash the town with. Awesome! How do I do that?"
"You'll have to absorb the lightning yourself." Twilight said softly. Rainbow Dash blinked.
"Oh. This is not gonna be fun."
"Are ya'll nuts? Ah get she can take a lickin, but how's she s'pose t' take in THAT much lightnin an live?!"
"Relax AJ. I got this." Rainbow winked, launching straight up through a hole in Twilights barrier that closed the moment she was through.
"It'll be ok Applejack. Being a Skyborn she can channel that energy into other clouds before it can cause her any real harm and it'll dissipate harmlessly." Twilight assured her.
"What if she can't find no clouds to 'channel that energy' into?" Applejack asked. Twilight fell silent, hoping her friend would be okay.
"I'm an idiot." Rainbow Dash scolded herself as she flew straight towards the Storm Mason, flipping over it and slamming both feet into the back of its head, sending it stumbling forward. Before it could turn she was already flying off towards the head of the storm cloud. In the center sat the Masons Forge with the majority of the lightning channeled into it.
"One Human Battery, comin up!" Rainbow gulped as she dived into the Forge and grabbed hold of the bolts. She threw her head back and screamed as she called on her magic, using it to pull the energy of the lightning into herself.
In the distance she could hear the Storm Mason running towards her and gripped the bolts tighter, gritting her teeth as her leg spasmed from a rogue bolt. She glanced through the corner of her eye, seeing the Storm Mason getting closer.
"COME ON!" She screamed, blinking as the bolts came free of the Forge and sat in her hands. The rumbling slowly began to die down, the Storm Mason standing before her and roaring as it raised its hammer. She gasped, raising up her arms to protect herself, the hammer bouncing off the bolts she held.
"Whoah." She mumbled, grinning as she hovered in front of him.
"That's right, not so tough without your big bad bolts huh?!" she taunted, twirling them in her gloved hands. With one last angered shout the Mason turned away and vanished into a puff of cloud. Rainbow simply stared, still holding both bolts and hovering in mid-air, not even noticing the storm fading away from around her.
"WHOO! Way to go Dashie!" Pinkie cheered from below, snapping her out of her daze. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, her wings vanishing as she stood there.
"Rainbow...are you ok?" Twilight asked as the Skyborn hung her head.
"I dunno Twilight..." she mumbled, staring at the bolts she held in each hand. Any normal Skyborn would've been fried from that much raw lightning flowing through them. But her magic and probably her Element, had kept her safe.
But what was she to do with them now? She mentally shrugged and without thinking tucked them into her belt, her armor glowing and fading into the Element of Loyalty around her neck, taking the bolts with it.
"That was...amazing Rainbow. How did you summon your powers?" Twilight asked excitedly.
"I don't know!" Rainbow yelled suddenly, causing her friends to flinch.
"Sorry, I just...I never asked for any of this crap." she grumbled.
"I-I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I knew I should've gone alone into the Forest..." Twilight sighed.
"Wait, what? You think I'm upset about that? Geez Twilight, for an egghead you really are stupid." Rainbow chuckled. Twilight just stood there, a look of pure confusion plastered across her face.
Rainbow sighed and held up her hand, a little ball of light appearing in it. Twilight blinked, and then blinked again. Her friends had begun to notice it was a pattern of hers, something that happened when she was on the brink of realization.
"You're a Magian?!" Twilight gasped. Now it was Rainbow's turn to explain how a Magian could fly. It was going to be a long day. At least it was sunny outside.
It didn't make sense. It couldn't make sense, It shouldn't make sense! But as she pulled the pieces together she came to several conclusions. The first being that there were just things in this world she didn't know. The second was that friends could be there for you and you might think you know them, but everyone has their secrets.
The third being that the possibility of crossbreeds wasn't that far-fetched, but rare in itself. It took Rainbow snapping her fingers in her face to realize she had been staring blankly for the better of five minutes without responding.
"For starters, I'm not a Magian." Rainbow said, rubbing her arm and lifting her shirt sleeve slightly to reveal a mark of the Ancients. One that all Magian's were born with.
"Then what are you?" Twilight asked without thinking. Rainbow sighed sadly.
"I don't even know really." she admitted, looking around. "Look, I'll tell you what I know, but can we talk somewhere more...Private? People are staring." Rainbow mumbled. The group of friends glanced around, noticing a crowd building.
"Ah think movin' would be a good idea sugarcube." Applejack agreed, giving Twilight a gentle nudge before she fell into another daze. Together they made their way to the Library, where, after Spike had made them all some tea, they sat to talk.
Rainbow stared into her cup, as if she could escape through the light brown liquid. She closed her eyes for a moment, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. Twilight bit her lip, hesitating before putting a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.
"You don't have to explain if you don't want to Rainbow Dash." she said softly.
"N-no. I need to get this off my chest." Rainbow mumbled, wiping the tears away and clearing her throat.
"I was just a kid..."
Ten years Ago
Nightgale sighed as she glanced over her notes, her daughter sitting in her office chair and giggling as she spun around.
"Be careful Dash. I can't have you breaking any bones, this research is important you know." she scolded her. Rainbow pouted, crossing her arms.
"Why do I have to do this? Can't someone else do it?" she whined.
"I already explained Dash...Because you are a growing Avaros your brand of magic is still building and weaving itself into your body. This research has to be done in the middle of that process or the results won't add up to anything!" Nightgale fumed. Rainbow hung her head.
"Sorry..." she mumbled.
"Its alright. As long as you understand. Okay Dash, Open your wings." she ordered. Rainbow sighed and stood, turning her back to her mother and lifting up her ponytail, her small wings coming to life and spreading out. She winced as her mother used a small mana-knife and removed a 'feather'.
"Alright, keep your wings out." she told her, leaving Rainbow standing there and mumbling swears under her breath. Nightgale placed the feather under a microscope, applying a bit of magic to it and watching the results with a grin.
"Just as I thought. No response to conventional methods" she mumbled, scribbling down some notes.
"Okay Rainbow, ready for your treatment?" her mother asked. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she gulped.
"D-do we have to?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Its for the good of science Rainbow. You'll be a hero to injured Skyborn and those with defective wings. All good things in life are earned through hard work and suffering. Now come on." she said as she grabbed her arm.
"NO! I DON'T WANNA!" Rainbow screamed, blinking as her mother slapped her, picking her up and forcing her to lay on her stomach on the operating table. Rainbow kicked and struggled, but her mother simply held her down with her magic while she placed several restraints around her.
"I'll begin the treatment now. It'll be easier if you cooperate Rainbow." Nightgale said softly, holding her hands over her body and chanting softly in the language of the Ancients. Several runes began to mark themselves across Rainbows skin, the Avaros screaming as mana poured into her, her wings twitching and glowing dimly.
Nightgale held a clipboard in her magic, scribbling notes as she continued the process. Rainbow grit her teeth, trying to ignore the pain, trying to pull free of her restraints. Anything. But she was held tightly and there was no escaping. Finally she gave in, sobbing into the pillow that was her only comfort.
"Hm, process still causes pain in subject, but results are what matters." Nightgale said into a recorder. Finally she stopped, picking up her knife once more as she pinched the now fully restored feather. She carefully removed the feather and compared it to the previous one with a smile.
"Yes! I'm a genius! Application of Mana Transference and Binding holds Positive results in Wing/Feather Regrowth and Stabilization. Mana offered: minimal. Mana Maintained: Near maximum. Process almost ready for submission as normal practice." she said happily, turning off the recorder. Rainbow still lay on the table, her face buried in the pillow. Nightgale sighed and crossed her arms.
"It wouldn't be so difficult if you cooperated Rainbow." her mother scolded her. Rainbow said nothing, simply laying there with her face in the pillow.
It wasn't until her body stopped shaking that Nightgale realized her daughter was trying to suffocate herself. In a panic she yanked the pillow away, Rainbow gasping for breath and screaming as she pulled on her restraints.
"I HATE YOU!" she spat, tears stinging her eyes as she flared her wings uselessly. The bindings that held her were built to hold down Gaians. There was no way she'd escape, she knew that. But she was gonna try anyway.
Nightgale sighed, deciding to wait it out. There was no stopping her daughter in the middle of a fit. Eventually she would run out of steam and the Magian would be able to continue her research in peace.
"When you are ready to continue we can begin the Final Stages. I'll leave you to think about your future." Nightgale said as she left the room, her magic undoing the straps that held her daughter. Rainbow curled herself up and hugged her knees to her chest.
"Th-there's more isn't there?" Twilight asked softly. Rainbow nodded again, gripping her cup. Applejack, while trying to be there for her friend, had begun to take notice of several things. The closeness of the two, Twilights concern for her new friend, and the trust Rainbow had given them. She didn't want to make any conclusions, but she kept her eyes open.
"I was born with Defective Wings. My mother being Magian and my Father being born unable to fly at all, it was a wonder I was Skyborn. She was trying to repair my wings as part of her research. At first it was great..." Rainbow admitted, taking a shaky sip of her tea.
"My parents gave me a lot of love and attention then, always asking if I was okay, always trying to do the best they could to give me the future they felt I deserved. But then things went bad, real bad.
"Dad caught some kinda sickness. I think it was called Mareks Disease or something. But it was related to his wings and it was spreading through his entire body and eating him from the inside out. My mothers research was the only thing that could save him. So she turned to more drastic measures." Rainbow explained.
"Everyday she would remove the same feather, everyday she'd grow it back and everyday the treatments became more and more painful. She told me it was to save my father, to save my wings and prevent me from getting sick. She said it'd change the world and I'd be a hero for all of my suffering. She didn't say what it'd cost me." Rainbow squeezed her cup so hard it cracked.
She sniffed as she sat up, placing a hand on her sore cheek. She expected to feel a bruise or a bump. But there was nothing. Just the memory of being hit. She grabbed her mothers chair, using it to stand up high enough to look at herself in a mirror on the wall.
Sure enough she was perfectly fine, despite how hard she'd been hit. She peeked over her shoulder, looking at her wings. Each day they seemed stronger, and even though her mother always stole a feather, it seemed like she hadn't lost a single one.
"Is this the point of all this?" Rainbow asked herself, staring at her reflection. She jumped as her mother burst into the room, looking about frantically and snatching her in her magical grip.
"I've got to hurry! They are coming for my notes, for everything! I can't let them destroy it! I've come too far!" she yelled in frustration. She glanced at her daughter, seeing the glowing mark on her back.
"There's only one way...They can destroy my notes, but they can't destroy my proof, my evidence, my accomplishments!" She giggled uncontrollably, holding Rainbow in the air as the room grew dark.
She struggled to break free of her mothers magical grip, but once again it was pointless. A losing battle. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
"Just get it over with already!" Rainbow yelled.
"This will be the final treatment...after this..." Nightgale paused, never finishing the sentence as she returned to her chanting. A flame came to life on Rainbows left, shaped like a portion of her mothers marking, then another, and another, all swirling around her faster and faster.
Nightgale grit her teeth as an arcane circle spread about around her, another underneath Rainbow, linking them together. A group of scientists burst into the room as the spell intensified, blowing papers around the room which echoed with Nightgales' chanting.
"STOP HER!" one of them yelled. Stepping forward and glaring as a hand stopped him
"If we stop her now we risk killing both of them!" another argued. Nightgale allowed herself a grin. She would have her last hurrah. Her head flung back as the mana began to drain out of her body, Rainbow screaming as it sunk into her skin, drawing patterns and carving its way through her entire being.
Slowly a marking came to life upon her shoulder as her body spasmed, eyes wide and glowing brightly. In an instant it was over, Rainbow falling to the ground as her mother collapsed. Rainbow groaned as someone lifted her, a sad smile touching her lips as her father came into focus.
"I'm so sorry...if I had known..." he pulled her close. She wrapped her arms gently around him, sobs building in her throat as she listened to him wheeze painfully with every breath. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the scientists studying her mother who lay on her side, her skin clinging to her bones.
"Look...at her..." Nightgale wheezed, pointing a bony finger at her daughter.
"See...what my research...has proven?" she chuckled weakly as her arm fell.
"Someone call in the med-team and then security. Blitz, you good to go?" the scientist asked her father. He nodded as he stood, carrying Rainbow.
"We'll get her looked at and taken care of." he promised her father. He answered with another nod, following behind them slowly.
"D-Dad...I-I just wanted to help you..." Rainbow choked. He smiled softly as he continued on.
"I know Dash...But nothing is worth this...Its gonna be okay though. Everything is gonna be okay." he promised, kissing her forehead.
She leaned against him, still held in his arms as a Doctor brought a wheelchair for her father to sit in. The two of them being quietly carted away. Rainbow caught one last sight of her mother, a blanket being pulled over her body.
"It wasn't until they did some tests that they figured out what she did. She took all of her magic, everything that made her a Magian, and gave it to me. Forced it to be a part of who I am in order to preserve her research. To prove that stupid Avaros-Mana theory. Every stupid Magian I met after that just wanted to do test after test after test. It started to feel like my time with mom...I couldn't take it anymore!" Rainbow yelled, tears dripping into her tea.
"And the worst part was...none of it was worth anything! My dad passed away and I was left with nothing! Nothing but stupid Magian jerks looking for a test subject!" she screamed, blinking as Twilight hugged her. Her other friends soon joined the hug. Applejack hugging her from the side and Pinkie from behind. Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I ran. I ran as far away as I could to get away from them. None of them could catch me. My wings were too strong and because of my size I was too quick. I thought everything would be fine if I could escape."
She blinked as a young girl slammed headfirst into her.
"OUTTA MY WAY!" the girl screamed, flaring her impressive wings and trying to get past her. She spun, catching the girl by the back of her neck and pinching lightly, causing her wings to fade away and the girl to drop to the ground. The girl jumped to her feet, gritting her teeth as she tried to open her wings, surprising her by actually making them flicker.
"You've got spunk kid." she chuckled.
"Don't call me kid, lady!" she pouted.
"Alright then, what should I call you? How about rude?" she teased. The girl crossed her arms.
"The name is Rainbow Dash. Learn it."
"Alright then Rainbow Dash. You can call me Spitfire. Now, why are you flying around in a hospital?" she asked.
"Those stupid Magian jerks just wanna poke and prod me and use me for their experiments. I've had enough of it!" Rainbow yelled, the wall next to her cracking as she threw out her arm.
Interesting... Spitfire thought to herself, crossing her arms.
"Well, just ask your parents to get you out of here." Spitfire said matter-of-factly. Rainbow instantly fell silent, hanging her head.
"They can't get me out of here, even if they had wanted to. They're dead." Rainbow spat. Spitfire flinched.
Smooth, real smooth. Way to screw with a kid she scolded herself.
"Ya know, they can't legally keep you here without a guardian or family member. They should've at least sent you to an orphanage, but instead they keep you here to study? That's just lame. Come on kid." she said, grabbing Rainbows hand and pulling gently. Rainbow panicked, screaming in sheer terror.
"NO! NO MORE! NO MORE!" she screamed frantically. Spitfire froze, staring at the child as she let go. Rainbow tucked herself into a corner and curled up, rocking back and forth slowly as she stared into empty space.
"What did they do to you?" Spitfire asked under her breath. She clenched her fist and picked the girl up, carrying her in her arms as she headed for the front desk.
"I want to see your supervisor. NOW!" she demanded. The woman at the desk nodded frantically, stumbling over herself to grab the phone.
"S-supervisor to front desk please!" she stammered. Spitfire stood there with Rainbow curled up against her.
"Please mommy...no more..." the girl cried against her. Spitfire held her tighter.
"Its okay kid...I promise, its gonna be okay." she said softly.
"Th-that's a lie...they always say it's gonna be okay...right before they leave me...that's just how he left me..." Rainbow choked. Spitfire groaned internally.
Sweet Celestia this kid has problems. Just what kind of facility is this? Maybe I should rescue Soarin too... She was snapped out of her thoughts by the arrival of the supervisor.
"Oh thank goodness you found her." he sighed in relief as he reached for Rainbow. Spitfire stepped back, clutching Rainbow close and almost reaching for the pistol strapped to her waist before realizing she had left it at the entrance of the hospital.
"Hold up bub, just what the heck are you doing to this kid? I grabbed her hand and she had a damn panic attack so bad I thought she was dying!" Spitfire screamed at him.
"If you'll allow me to explain. The poor girl is suffering deeply, we are trying everything we can to help her but...there's nothing we can do at this point. If you'll come with me I can give you the details." he promised. Spitfire sighed.
"Fine, but she stays with me doc." she said, not giving him a chance to argue.
"She seems comfortable with you, I wouldn't want to ruin that, despite what she might think of us." he said, agreeing with the arrangement. Spitfire smiled a little as the girl began to snore softly in her arms. She accepted an offered seat, sitting the girl in her lap and wrapping an arm around her.
"Now then, as for Miss Dash's condition...Its something none of us have been able to truly explain. I suppose its best if you see it for yourself." he said, scooting his chair towards them, Spitfire glaring at him.
"Yes well...lift her right sleeve and you'll see for yourself." he said, backing away. She lifted the sleeve and stared, unable to understand what it was she was looking at. She had seen the girl fly, she had Nullified her to stop her from hurting herself or someone else. The girl was clearly Skyborn and as hotblooded as one. So why in the name of Celestia did she have a Magian marking?
"Start talkin', fast." Spitfire demanded. The good doctor did his best to explain, telling all he knew of Rainbows mother and the horrible experiments she had done and of the final nail in the coffin.
"She bound all of her magic to this girl. Her very life-force. And now...if we don't find a way to keep her from using that magic, it will kill her." he finished. Spitfire closed her eyes for a moment.
"I'll do it." she said softly.
"Excuse me?" he questioned her, adjusting his glasses
"I said I'll do it. Look, you're a hospital full of Magian Doctors. Sure, you've studied us Skyborn, but you don't know what its like being us. On top of that she doesn't trust any of you because you keep jamming your damn needles in her. So I'll do it. Just get the paperwork done."
"Ma'am, I can't just simply release this girl to you!"
"Look pal, I spend my afternoons cracking jokes with Princess motherfucking Celestia and I will drag her big round ass down here if I have to. Don't think I won't damn it."she threatened.
He sighed, sliding over to a large cabinet, looking through the many folders until he found the one he needed. A quick double check of its contents and the file was placed on the table and flipped open.
"Sign here and she'll be in your care. We will need to perform checkups and attempt to apply a dampener so she doesn't cast any spells."
"Yea, yea, yea. Gimmie a pen."
Rainbow opened her eyes slowly, finding herself staring at a ceiling she didn't recognize. She looked around slowly. The room she was in felt...strange. No beeping of machines strapped to her, no Doctors moving about, no irritating smell or itchy gown. She sat up slowly, a large comforter falling off of her.
"Oh good, you're awake." a voice said. She turned suddenly, finding the woman she had run into before. Rainbow leapt to her feet, her wings flaring to life and her eyes glowing dimly
"You! Why did you stop me?! I was almost free!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the mana in the air. Spitfire walked over to her slowly, flaring out her own wings and causing Rainbow to stare.
"Relax kid." she said softly, kneeling in front of her. Rainbow slowly relaxed, taking a hesitant step forward, and then another, throwing herself into Spitfire and hugging her. She blinked, slowly wrapping her arms around the kid.
"It took some arguing, and some cards I don't like pulling. But I got you outta that place."
"S-So...I'm not trapped in a hospital? Where am I?" she asked, looking around.
"You're at my place kid. Oh come on, don't tell me you've never been in a cloudhouse before?" Spitfire chuckled. Rainbow shook her head.
"My dad was born flightless and my mom was a Magian..." she shuddered, gripping Spitfires' shirt without realizing it. Spitfire smiled.
"Heh, well, how about I show you around then?" she said, trying to cheer her up.
"S-sure..." Rainbow said softly. Spitfire stood, holding out her hand. Rainbow stared at it for a moment, hesitating before taking hold of it and following her caretaker out of the room.
Past the door was a massive hallway with several doors on either side, carefully crafted from the finest cloudblocks and pieced together by the best that the Skyborn had to offer. Enchanted lights clung to the walls ever so often, keeping the entire place lit up as they walked
"Whoa..." Rainbow mumbled.
"Heh, this is just a hallway kid, the best part is around the corner." Spitfire grinned, leading her there. Past that corner was a large room, bookshelves on the left and right, full of flight manuals, comics and romance novels. A pair of recliner chairs sat about the room with an end table next to each and a larger table in the middle of the room. Under the large table sat several boardgames.
"Wow. This is so cool!" Rainbow cheered as she ran about the room. Spitfire smiled as she watched the girl run about. Soarin peeked his head around the corner, shirtless with bandages around his chest and gut.
"So this is where you ran off to." he chuckled, wincing as Spitfire poked his ribs.
"Shhh." she scolded him, but it was too late. He had caught Rainbows attention. She raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him, holding a random comic book in her hands. He offered her a sheepish smile.
"Uh...hey" he said, waving nervously. Rainbow stayed silent, trying to figure out if she could trust him. Spitfire chuckled quietly.
"Told ya Soarin, kids aren't your thing."
"Oh come on, kids love me" he argued.
"Yea, you tell yourself that." she grinned, glancing back at Rainbow.
"You can use this room whenever ya want kid." Spitfire said with a smile.
"Really?" she asked excitedly. Spitfire nodded and blinked as Rainbow hugged her legs.
"Looks like you're pretty good with kids." Soarin grinned, earning another poke to his bandaged ribs. Normally it would've been a punch, but after his injury she had started going easy on him. The moment was broken by Rainbows' stomach growling loudly.
"Sounds like its lunchtime." Soarin said.
"Pfft, its always lunchtime for you." Spitfire argued, grabbing Rainbows hand.
"Never a bad time to eat." he replied with a wink to Rainbow who couldn't help but giggle.
"Heh, told ya I'm good with kids." he said smugly. Spitfire shook her head.
"Come on, I'll show you the kitchen. Despite being a complete idiot, Soarin is a really good cook. And don't worry, he's one of us kid." she winked, watching as Rainbow let out a breath of relief.
Someday she'd have to get her use to being around Magians again. They were impossible to avoid and not all of them were bad. They just had a need for knowledge and a need for understanding that sometimes went too far.
Way too far in this case, poor kid... she thought to herself. Rainbow felt dizzy as they walked, her head constantly swiveling left and right.
"Its like one big maze!" the girl gasped, her voice echoing.
"You get use to it. Besides, check this out." Spitfire tapped her knuckle on the wall, several lines appearing, each leading a different way.
"Each of these is like a map around the place. Lines like this, mean Bathrooms."
"Bathrooms? Like more than one?" Rainbow asked.
"Well when we have a Military Ball or the like we've gotta host it somewhere and ya gotta have bathrooms."
"Military?" Rainbow asked slowly. Spitfire blinked, looking at the girl. Did she not know? What kind of Skyborn didn't know about the Wonderbolts? It was like she'd been on the ground her whole...
Oh shit
It hit her like a ton of bricks. Her father was born flightless and the disease was hereditary. Rainbow had probably never been a few feet off the ground. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to think of how to explain. Luckily Soarin came to the rescue.
"Ya see kid, me an Spitfire here work for the Princess. You could say we're like Superheroes. We kick bad guy butt and show off our skills for all of Terra to see. They call us the Wonderbolts." he said with a grin.
"The Wonderbolts? That sounds kinda cool. So you guys are super heroes? Is that why you saved me?" Rainbow asked with a smile.
"No Rainbow. I saved you because you deserved it." Spitfire said softly, pulling her into a hug. Rainbow blinked, tears stinging her eyes as she leaned against her. Soarin smiled, letting them have their moment as he headed for the kitchen, twirling a pan in his hand and humming softly.
"Pancakes are a good lunch for kids right?" he thought aloud as he spun two eggs in his other hand, cracking them on the edge of a bowl. Spitfire and Rainbow walked into the kitchen, the younger of which stared with wide eyes. Spitfire smiled, pulling a stool up to the island that sat in the middle and hefting the girl up onto it.
"This place is amazing. Is it like your headquarters or somethin?" Rainbow asked.
"You could say that. Its where we stay when off duty. If we're doin a show or have a mission we stay wherever." Soarin explained.
"Wow...must be pretty cool." she mumbled.
"You know whats really cool. The way you flew through that crowded hallway." Spitfire chuckled.
"I've never seen a rookie fly like that. It was like nothin could touch you." she continued.
"I'm not that great. I was just running." Rainbow continued to mumble.
"Heck, if that's crap flying I'd love to see you really fly." Spitfire grinned.
"Flying is dangerous. My wings might give out at any second." she sighed sadly.
"Wow, those Doctors didn't tell you?" Spitfire asked.
"Tell me what?"
"Dash. Open your wings." Spitfire said softly. Rainbow flashed back to her mother asking the same thing and screamed, falling off her stool. Soarin reacted on instinct, leaping over the island and flaring out his wings, flipping in the air as he snatched Rainbow before she could hit the ground. Spitfire sighed in relief, her nerves on edge and her heart racing.
"I'm so sorry." Spitfire said quietly. Rainbow leaned against Soarin, who held back a wince as she pressed against his bandages, which he had torn clean through with his wings. On top of that, his little stunt had probably torn his stitches.
Sonuvabitch. Ah well. he grumbled mentally. Rainbow snapped back to reality when she felt blood on her hand, slowly moving her hand to look at it. She looked down at herself and realized she was perfectly fine. Slowly her eyes traveled to the soaked bandages her savior was wearing.
"Y-You're hurt..." she stammered.
"Ah its no big deal. Life of a super hero, tough as nails, protector of the weak, spinner of rooms. Wait, rooms don't spin...uh...Spitfire?" he turned to her, seeing she already had her first aid kit. He chuckled softly, setting Rainbow down and pulling over a chair to sit in.
"You should probably look away kid. Its not pretty." he said. Rainbow stood in place and watched as the bandages were removed, revealing a large gash across Soarins' chest above two lines of stitches.
"Wh-what happened?" she gulped.
"Eh, there was this rampaging Ursa tearing up a town and we got called in to sedate it. It put up one hell of a fight. We tried tranq guns but none of us could get a good shot in. Someone was gonna have to go in close and get it in the neck. Anywhere else would just piss it off. OW! Damn that stings!" he groaned as Spitfire dabbed witch hazel over his wound.
"Well its gonna sting. Geez your an idiot..."
"But I'm your idiot." he teased. She rolled her eyes, chucking a cotton-ball at his head.
"Anyway. Spitfire bein' the fastest, she volunteered to keep it distracted so one of us could take it down. Fleetfoot went in for the kill and I hung back as backup. But then Spitfire got pinned down in a group of trees and couldn't get out of the way of the Ursa. So I did what any hero would do." he grinned.
"You beat up the Ursa?" Rainbow asked. He shook his head and laughed.
"Kid, no one can beat up an Ursa. Those things are huge! Took two whole teams of Skyborn with industrial grade cloudblock to move the thing. No. I did the other thing heroes do. I flew to the rescue." he winced as Spitfire began stitching him back together, Rainbow grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently. He smiled, returning the squeeze.
"I did a quick fly by and knocked her out of the way before it could get her. Of course, that meant now it was gonna get me. Fleetfoot was quick, but the Ursa was quicker. It managed to slash straight through my suit and through a couple layers of skin before Fleet knocked it out. Spitfire flew me straight to the hospital so fast that I didn't even hit the ground." he said with a smile.
"You're still an idiot." she mumbled.
"Still your idiot." he replied, another cotton-ball pegging his head. Rainbow giggled at their antics.
"Wow, you guys are so brave..."
"Hey, you're brave too kid. Cooped up in that hospital and still got the strength to fly like a pro? That took guts." Soarin said, lightly punching her shoulder. Rainbow smiled, rubbing the spot and feeling the Magian Mark. Spitfire noticed as Rainbows smile faded away.
"Hey Kid, can I see your wings?" Soarin asked, saving Spitfire the trouble of trying again. Rainbow flinched and nodded, her wings instantly coming to life.
"Whoa! Look how fast they open!" Soarin chuckled.
"Man, those are some mean lookin' wings. I bet you could outrun sunlight on those babies." he continued. Rainbow looked over her shoulder, eyes wide as she realized he wasn't joking. Her normal puny wings were now quite a bit larger, stretching past her arm length easily. She had never noticed before, always too focused on trying to escape.
"H-How the..." Rainbow looked up at Spitfire.
"The doctors told me that whatever your mom did, it saved you and your wings. But that it was horrible. I can't pretend to understand what it was like, but if you need me..."
"Or me. Just sayin." Soarin added, earning a glare from Spitfire.
"I'll always be here for you." she promised. Rainbow hung her head, gripping Soarins hand tightly
"Y-You promise?" she asked as she shook.
"We promise." they said together. Rainbow looked up at them, seeing smiles and truth in their eyes. Slowly she let a smile touch her lips.
"Wow Dashie. I didn't know you were adopted by the Wonderbolts! that's amazing!" Pinkie giggled.
"Yea. It was just Spitfire that took me in. Soarin was kinda like an uncle. I still had a lot of problems to sort through...still kinda do. After everything I went through, every time I see a Magian it just flips this switch that screams and tells me to run away. That they are dangerous and just want to hurt me or finish their damn experiment." Rainbow sighed.
"And then you came to town Twilight and my first thought was that you were sent here to come after me."
"Is that why you tackled me into the mud?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh...wasn't going for the mud actually. I thought you'd use some magic to stop me like they always did. When you didn't I thought maybe I was just being paranoid and freaked out that I'd tackled some innocent person."
"Actually, that's something else I meant to ask Rainbow...I know its not right of me to be asking you things after what you went through, but..."
"Twi', its alright. You can ask." Rainbow assured her.
"How did you know I was a Magian?" Twilight asked. Rainbow scratched the back of her head.
"Well, its kinda hard to explain. Mostly it was the way you walked, but I could feel your magic." Rainbow tried to explain. Twilight bit her lip, desperate to know more. But she couldn't put her friend in that position. Rainbow smiled, noticing Twilights' dilemma
"All Magians are the same in that way. Always wanting to know more. But not all of em are bad" Rainbow quoted. Twilight just stared in confusion.
"It's somethin' Spitfire would tell me when she was trying to get me to go to school. Heh, those were some fun times..." Rainbow chuckled.
"It must have been amazing living with them after what you'd been through." Twilight said.
"Yea...until they had to go back on Duty."
"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit." Spitfire said over and over again as she read the letter.
"Whats up?" Soarin asked, freezing in place as he spotted the letter.
"We gotta suit up." Spitfire said, barely above a whisper.
"Today? Right Now?! But the kid!" Soarin argued.
"I know! Damnit..." Spitfire sighed as she tried to think.
"We can't take her with us, not for this. There's been terrorist activities growing in several key cities. Several casualties and bombings. They think they've pinpointed the leader and want us to go in undercover and snag him." Spitfire told him, handing him the letter.
"This is bullshit. What about Fleet and Tank?" he asked.
"On guard duty in Celamont. There was an assassination attempt on the Princess remember?" Spitfire sat, putting her head in her hands.
"What do we tell her? Where can she go?" Soarin asked.
"I don't know Soarin...but this is gonna break her heart. What if she hates us for it?" Spitfire asked, tears in her eyes. Soarin knelt in front of her, grabbing her hands
"Hey, hey. That kid loves you more than anything, I'm sure if we explain it that she'll understand." Soarin said softly.
"Why did it have to be today?" Spitfire cried.
"I'll go." Soarin said.
"What?"
"I'll go it solo. You watch the kid." he told her.
"You idiot, you know we can't go solo on missions, especially something like this."
"Never stopped you." he grinned, blinking as she stood.
"This is serious Soarin. I ran a few covert ops solo, sure. But I was never seen. This is going into the belly of the beast itself and being out in the open. One wrong move and you'd be dead. I'm not gonna lose you damnit!"
"I-Is everything okay?" Rainbow asked, standing in the doorway. She held a toy turtle in the crook of her arm and was dressed in a Wonderbolts onesie, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
"H-Hey Dash. Y-Yea, everything's fine." Soarin said, Spitfire covering her mouth and turning away as a sob built in her throat.
"Why's she crying? Did something happen?"
"Well, uh....Dash I dunno how to say this...We got called for a mission."
"Yea...its a really important mission. A lot of lives depend on us doing well and its gonna be really really dangerous."
"I'm not going with you...am I?" Rainbow asked softly, hugging her turtle.
"Sorry Squirt...too dangerous, even for someone as awesome as you. But hey, when we get back I'm gonna bring you the worlds biggest souvenir I can find, even if I have to carry it myself." he said softly. Rainbow nodded glumly and hung her head.
"C-Can I still stay here?" she asked.
"I'll see what I can do about that. Since you're still a kid you'd need someone to watch you here. Not my rule of course, you're a bit too awesome for a babysitter." Soarin chuckled, getting her to giggle. Spitfire sniffed and shook her head.
"Will you be back in time for my birthday party?" Rainbow asked.
"I...I dunno Dash. I want to, so badly. We've been looking forward to this ever since we found out when it was. Spitfire had the whole thing planned out. But we'll still celebrate it, the second we get home. We'll get some big ol' tubs of ice cream and have a huge party."
"You promise?"
"On my life and honor as a Wonderbolt." he said as he hugged her. She leaned against him and closed her eyes.
"Ok then...b-but I want the vanilla." She said into his shoulder. He chuckled.
"Alright, you can have the vanilla this time." he stood, ruffling her hair and turning to Spitfire who was frantically talking on her phone.
"You're the best. Okay, she'll be at our place. Just look for the bundle of joy near the comics. A-and she likes her bath with not too many bubbles, and won't eat her veggies unless you give her a handful of candy. Okay, okay. I know, okay, thanks." She hung up and sighed, blinking as Soarin put a hand on her shoulder
"Whats up?" he asked.
"My Sister says she can watch after her while we're gone. But Dash will have to go stay with her since its too far of a flight here to keep checking in on her." Spitfire explained.
"Heh, hear that Dash? You're gonna get to stay with a Wonderbolt legend." Soarin chuckled.
"A Wonderbolt legend?" she asked.
"Yup. She was our commanding officer during our training. They call her Firefly."
"THE Firefly?! Wow, that's...amazing!" Twilight couldn't help herself. Rainbow grinned.
"The one an only. Got a signed cap from her." Rainbow boasted. Twilight was incredibly jealous.
"I didn't take you for a Wonderbolts fan Twi'." Rainbow chuckled.
"Well, their stunts were a part of my studies as a kid. Ways of explaining aerodynamics and differences between the Races. And the shows were really exciting! I never realized just how much could be done in the air." Twilight finished. Applejack and Pinkie shared a glance, both scooting back from the two just slightly.
Hehe, this is so cute! Just look at them! Pinkies thoughts echoed in Applejacks' head.
Pinks, ah told ya not to do that.
Whoops! Sorry!
Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Well, would ya look at th' time. Ah gotta get back t' th' farm 'fore my sister burns it down. Pinks, don't ya'll have some big order t' fill?" Applejack asked. Pinkie gasped.
"OhMyGoshYou'reRight!" she said quickly, zipping out the door.
"Jus' so ya know Rainbow. If'n ya ever need t' talk t' any o' us. Ya jus' hollar an we'll be there fer ya." Applejack said with a tip of her hat. Rainbow smiled slightly and sighed.
"Thanks AJ." Rainbow said softly. She took a slow breath, glancing over at Twilight.
"You wanna know what happened next, don't you?" Rainbow asked. Twilight hesitated before nodding.
"Just like a Magian." she mumbled, but she did it with a smile.
"So this is the bundle of joy I heard about. I figured you two woulda been gone by now." Firefly said, looking at Rainbow. Spitfire bit her lip.
"You know how Spitfire gets with kids Commander." Soarin chuckled.
"Soarin, for the last time, I'm retired."
"Doesn't mean you stopped bein' my commander." Soarin argued with a shrug. Firefly sighed and shook her head.
"I dunno how you put up with him." she mumbled to Spitfire.
"Normally with some Pie." Rainbow spoke up, hiding behind Spitfire as Firefly glanced down at her.
"Heh, sounds about right. I'm surprised it hasn't turned into pudge yet." Firefly joked.
"Gotta keep a slim figure for the ladies ya know." Soarin winked, groaning as Spitfire elbowed him.
"We've got her things packed and ready to go. Just...don't feed her any fish, she swells up like a balloon. A-and she'll argue about it but make sure she gets a nap, and she can't read her comics until her homework is done. An..." Spitfire froze as Firefly put a finger against her lips.
"In case you forgot, I raised you. I know how to take care of a kid. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. You two be careful alright? I want you back in one piece."
"I thought you weren't our commanding officer anymore?" Soarin cracked a grin.
"I'm not sayin' it as an officer. I'm saying it as your friend." she said, putting her hands on her hips. They both nodded.
"Alright, lets get a move on."
"Oh, w-wait." Spitfire knelt down and pulled Rainbow into a tight hug. The young Skyborn hooked her arms around her in return.
"I'm gonna miss you." Rainbow mumbled.
"I'll miss you too Dash, b-but I'll be back soon, okay?" she replied, Rainbow nodding against her. The two slowly pulled away. Soarin ruffling Rainbows hair before the two headed outside where they both took off. Firefly sighed and turned to Rainbow.
"Alright, you ready to go?" she asked with a smile. Rainbow nodded, grabbing her backpack. A man walked into the house, the rest of Rainbows bags lifted in his magic. She froze as she watched him, her eyes wide. Why was there a Magian here? Why was he grabbing her bags? Why was Firefly kissing his cheek?
"uh oh..." Rainbow thought out loud.
"Something wrong?" the man asked. Rainbow fell silent, glaring at him.
"Take it easy Comet. She just doesn't know you yet." Firefly scolded him.
"Come on Dash, the chariot is waiting." she said. Rainbow hesitated, looking around the place she had come to call home before following after Firefly. The ride would've been comfortable if not for the fact that a Magian was sitting right next to her.
A bit too close in fact. She scooted over towards Firefly who was occupying her time with a book. Rainbow sighed, resting her chin in her hands.
"Huh, that's interesting. I didn't know the girl would be a Magian." Comet said, noticing Rainbow's shoulder. She quickly pulled her sleeve down to hide it.
"Don't be silly Comet. She's a Skyborn through and through. Spitfire wouldn't stop talking about all the races they had." Firefly chuckled.
"Uh huh..." Comet mumbled, keeping an eye on Rainbow. It didn't take too long to reach Firefly's apartment, but it felt like ages before Rainbow was finally able to get up and stretch her legs. Firefly held out her hand for her and for a moment Rainbow hesitated before she remembered that this woman was a good friend of Spitfire, family even if she had heard right. She gently grabbed her hand, Comet standing on her other side and holding out his hand. Rainbow glared at him and moved closer to Firefly.
"She seems rather attached to you." he mumbled.
"From what I hear she isn't too big a fan of magic dear. Maybe you should tone down on it while she's here, hm? For me?" Firefly asked. Comet sighed.
"Alright. But I'm going to continue my studies, I have a job to do after all."
"I know kids don't like doing their homework but this is ridiculous." Comet rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Compared to Spitfires' place it was a lot smaller, but still decent in size.
"You can have the guest room for now Rainbow. Its down the hall on the right, first room." Firefly said.
"Hon, I need that room." Comet argued.
"You can do without it for a while." Firefly said simply, helping Rainbow bring her bags in. Rainbow blinked as she entered the room, finding a cloud-bed hanging in mid-air on one side of the room and a work-desk on the other.
"Spitfire said you had some schoolwork to do, you can use that desk there. I figured a cloud-bed would be more comfortable for you."
"Thanks miss." she said softly, setting her bag down and digging through it for her turtle, setting it on the desk before grabbing her homework.
"I'll check in on you in a bit okay? Oh! and Happy Birthday Dash." she said, pointing to a box under her new bed. Rainbow walked over to it slowly and looked at the tag.
"From Spitfire and Soarin." she read, her eyes wide. She tore through the paper and pulled the box open. Inside was a stack of comic books, freshly printed and limited edition.
"Whoa...these aren't even out yet!" she gasped. But there was more inside the box. A Wonderbolts cap, flag and shirt with her name written on the back. A new handheld game to replace the one Soarin broke and a picture of all three of them together. Underneath the picture she found one of her dad and a letter.
"To my daughter, I leave behind everything. My life, my love, and my inheritance. When she is of age I want her to have my home that was given to me by my grandmother as well as the fortune it entails. I could never accept it, being unable to even reach it. Things are different now. When she is ready, I want her to know that I left this world happy to see her doing what I couldn't. Happy to see her smile. And if you're reading this Rainbow, I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart and I'll always be watching over you." Rainbow sniffed as she set the letter down, pushing aside some of the packaging and finding her fathers baseball mitt and lucky cap.
"I love you too dad..." she said quietly, putting everything back into the box except for her fathers cap. She wore it proudly as she went back to the desk to finish her homework.
Dinner was quiet, despite Firefly trying to sing Happy Birthday and offer Rainbow some cake. It just wasn't the same as throwing jokes around with Soarin and laughing at Spitfire when she tried to cook and nearly burned the kitchen down.
"No hats at the table Rainbow." Comet said, pointing to the cap she wore.
"Its a special hat." Rainbow argued.
"Well it can be special somewhere else. No hats at the table, show some respect little miss."
"I'll show you some respect ya dirty Magian." she grumbled under her breath as she took her hat off.
"That's it!" Comet stood and yanked Rainbow up by her arm.
"Hey! lemme go!" Rainbow yelled.
"Comet put her down!" Firefly yelled.
"I'm going to teach you some manners!" Comet yelled, pulling his belt free and looping it. He pulled back and smacked it across her backside, Rainbow crying out from each blow.
"Comet stop!" Firefly screamed, pulling on his arm, only to be shoved aside. Rainbow grit her teeth, the mark on her shoulder glowing as she screamed out in pain. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the belt caught on fire, Comet tossing it aside and dropping Rainbow to the ground.
Rainbow scrambled to her feet and pushed her back to the wall, panting as she glared at him. Comets eyes were glowing as he called to his magic, Firefly standing between them.
"Do it and I swear to Celestia..." Firefly warned.
"You'll do what?" Comet asked, grabbing her wrist.
"You leave her alone!" Rainbow screamed, Comet gasping as he was flung across the room. Rainbow panted heavily, falling to her hands and knees as everything started to spin.
"Rainbow!" Firefly gasped, rushing to her side. Comet groaned, picking himself up and shaking his head.
"That's it. I want that little brat out of here!" Comet yelled. Firefly reached into her boot, pulling out a knife.
"I dare you to try." she threatened. Comet reached for the blade with his magic but it faded the moment it touched it.
"Anti-magic. Ex-military, best of the best for a reason." Firefly told him as she stood, holding Rainbow close to her.
"You're really going to do this over some kid? over some freak?! Didn't you just see what she did?!"
"Because you pushed her to!" Firefly argued. Her voice shook as she pointed the knife at him.
"Get out...GET OUT!" Firefly demanded, flashing the knife towards the door.
"All of my work is here. What am I suppose to do?!" he yelled.
"You can come get it when she's gone at School tomorrow. But I don't wanna see your face again until she goes home. Then we can work this out." she said, still holding the knife. Comet sighed.
"Fine. I'll be back tomorrow." he grumbled, grabbing his coat and slamming the door on the way out. Firefly sank to the ground, still holding Rainbow as she dropped the knife. The girl slowly opened her eyes, groaning and clutching her stomach.
"I'm gonna be sick..."she mumbled, leaning over and puking onto the floor. Firefly sighed softly to herself.
"Come on, lets get you cleaned up and ready for bed."
It was hard for her to sleep that night, curled up in bed with her turtle.
"I miss Spitfire an Soarin..." she mumbled. Of course the turtle gave no response, simply sitting in her arms and offering what comfort a toy could. Rainbow sighed, setting it down beside her and putting her fathers lucky red cap on it.
"Goodnight Tank." she yawned, getting cozy under her blankets and dozing off. The sound of her window opening pulled her from the edges of sleep. She whined as she rolled over, seeing a dark figure in her room.
"Firefly?" she asked as she sat up, her eyes wide as the figure started to glow and walk towards her.
"FIREFLY!" she screamed. Her caretaker yanked on her door, trying to get it open, but it was locked.
"Rainbow?! Rainbow are you okay!?" she asked.
"He's here! He's here!" Rainbow screamed. Firefly stepped back, smashing her foot into the door with no luck. There was a barrier in the way. She roared and kicked again, smashing through the door and able to see inside. she frantically searched the barrier for a weak-spot
"Little girls need to know their place." Comet spoke up, his voice echoing with how much magic he was channeling.
"I'm n-not a little girl!" Rainbow argued, jumping off her bed and screaming as he snatched her out of the air. He lifted up her shirt, looking over the Avaros marking on her back and the Magian symbol on her shoulder. Rainbow sniffed as she tried to kick free, gasping as he pinched the back of her neck and placed a collar on her.
"Just in case you decide to try your little freakshow again, this is a Magical Dampener. So don't try anything funny."
"Comet! Leave her alone!" Firefly yelled through the barrier. He ignored her, hefting Rainbow over his shoulder and heading for the window. Firefly grit her teeth as she raised her weapon.
"I warned you." she grit her teeth as she fired. The bullet driving straight through the barrier and hitting Comets shoulder, causing him to drop Rainbow. He turned his head, looking at the bullet jammed into his shoulder. Or at least would've been if not for the jacket he wore.
"Witches Bane. You sneaky bitch." he said as he turned, throwing out his arm, his magic snatching away the weapon and his barrier restoring itself. He pointed the gun at Rainbow as he stared down Firefly.
"What now hon? Going to get your little knife? Throw me out on the street? HUH?!" he slurred.
"Oh Celestia your drunk..." Firefly realized.
"I couldn't work...couldn't sleep, because everything I have is here. Because you chose this stupid brat over me!" he spat.
"I didn't choose anything Comet. I just wanted her to be comfortable here!"
"Well what about me?! I work hard! I put food on the table! And I'm the one that gets thrown out?! How is that fair?!" he demanded, squeezing the trigger in his anger.
The bullet just barely missed Rainbow, burying itself in the ground next to her. Firefly counted four bullets left in the chamber. She needed a way into the room and all of her gear was in her room down the hall.
She couldn't leave to get it, Comet could be gone by then. She needed to keep him busy, to let his guard down.
"Comet, I'm sorry. I was wrong." Firefly said, holding up her hands.
"That little girl didn't do anything to you. I'm the one that threw you out. I'm the one responsible for all of this. If you want to be angry at someone be angry at me."
"You know...that's a good idea." he raised the gun and fired. Firefly stumbled backwards into the wall, gasping and clutching her rib where the bullet had entered. She took slow breaths, sure that the bullet had pierced her lung, it sure as hell felt like it did at least.
On the last breath she held it, struggling to stay on her feet as everything became blurry. She could faintly see Comet raising the gun once more.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Rainbow screamed as she tackled him. The drunken man easily falling to the ground. Rainbow gritted her teeth as she wrestled for the gun, biting down hard on his hand.
"GAHHH! You little bitch!" he screamed, smashing his fist across her face. Rainbow rolled, taking the gun with her and pushing to her feet with the gun aimed at Comet. He chuckled as he stood, throwing out his arms.
"What? Are you going to shoot me little girl? You haven't got the guts to..." BANG...BANG BANG, CLICK,CLICK,CLICK. Rainbow shook, tears in her eyes as she continued to pull the trigger, despite the gun being empty.
Comet looked down, seeing one hole. All three bullets landing in the same spot, having enough force to push one another through his flack jacket.
He sank to his knees, hanging his head as the Witches Bane sapped at his magic. Rainbow roared as she smashed the pistol over his head, kneeling over him and bashing it into him again and again, only stopping when a hand grabbed her wrist. Firefly held her weakly, her other hand covering her wound.
"That's enough Rainbow...that's enough..." Firefly said softly. Rainbow felt tears in her eyes as she hugged her, her eyes wide as she heard her caretaker wheeze painfully.
"NO! I'm not losing you too!" she swore, rushing out of the room and jumping as high as she could to snatch the phone off the wall, quickly dialing and holding it up to her ear.
"You've reached Celamont Emergency Services, whats your Emergency?"
"My friend needs help! Hurry!" Rainbow screamed.
"Just calm down ma'am, now, whats your name?
"Rainbow fucking Dash, now hurry up and send someone to help her! She's gonna bleed to death!"
"Just stay calm, someone is on the way. I just need some information. What is your place of residence?"
"I don't know! Just trace the call or something!" Rainbow continued. Firefly smiled, sitting against the wall as she took the phone.
"Yes...my name is Col' Commander Firefly of the Royal Air Force, retired. I've been shot in my home and need immediate attention. There's one casualty in the household and a young, very brave little girl who just saved my life." Firefly spoke softly, wheezing and gritting her teeth.
Rainbow ran into the kitchen, finding a first aid kit like the one Spitfire had. She hefted the box off the wall, gasping as it fell to the ground and dragged it along towards her friend.
"Okay...thank you, you have a nice night..." Firefly said as she dropped the phone.
"Firefly! no...no...please don't be dead..." Rainbow cried.
"I'm...alright...Rainbow. Just...conserving...air." Firefly wheezed. Rainbow nodded, looking around frantically until she found Firefly's cell phone and brought it to her.
"You can still text right?" Rainbow asked. Firefly smiled weakly and nodded. Rainbow smiled, digging through the First aid kit. Firefly typed on her phone, holding it out for her.
"Get water and a towel. Lukewarm. Got it" Rainbow nodded as she ran back to the kitchen, filling a bowl with water and dunking a towel in it, wobbling as she carried it back to Firefly.
The wounded ex-soldier set the phone down and winced as she tried to remove her shirt. She grabbed the phone again, holding it out for Rainbow.
"Get the scissors and cut off my shirt." Rainbow read. She nodded, pulling out a pair of scissors from the kit, carefully cutting through the fabric of her caretakers shirt and tossing it aside.
"Now what?" Rainbow asked. Firefly took a slow painful breath, reaching for the towel and pressing it down against the bullet wound.
"Pressure." she gasped. Rainbow held out the phone and Firefly typed with her thumb.
"Witch hazel and cotton balls. Oh! to clean it!" Rainbow realized, placing a cotton-ball against the top of the bottle and tipping it lightly.
Firefly lifted the towel, wincing as Rainbow gently dabbed it over the wound. She closed her eyes as Rainbow set her tools down and read through a little book inside the first aid kit. The girl rushed to the kitchen, tossing things about in search of something.
"Wheres the freakin' saran-wrap?!" she screamed in frustration.
"Bottom...drawer." Firefly called out to her. Rainbow pulled the drawer open and smiled.
"Aha! bingo." she snatched it up and pulled a bit off, running back over to Firefly and pinning the towel down with the wrap to hold it in place. Firefly smiled, laying her head back against the wall.
"Hey! Don't pass out on me! You gotta stay awake, okay?" Rainbow said, keeping pressure down on the towel.
"Yea, yea. I know." she mumbled, opening her eyes and watching as Rainbow kept one hand on the towel, maintaining the pressure, the other holding up the book to read through. Rainbow reached for the tape, ripping it with her teeth and taping down her makeshift bandage. Firefly blinked in surprise as it became easier to breath, gently touching the bandage.
"Hey! be careful with that!" Rainbow scolded her. Firefly grinned.
"Yes ma'am." she chuckled lightly. Breathing still hurt, but it was easier now. Rainbow sat beside her, grabbing her hand.
"Am I in trouble?" Rainbow asked.
"For what? Saving me?"
"I shot someone..." Rainbow mumbled.
"Oh...that's called self-defense Dash, and it was very brave. I've trained soldiers to be killing machines that couldn't pull the trigger when they needed to. You've got guts Rainbow." Firefly chuckled.The sound of sirens drew near, a team rushing into the house.
"Are you alright ma'am?" one of them asked.
"I will be." she said softly, hooking an arm around Rainbows shoulders, the girl helping her stand.
"Your name?" he asked.
"Firefly." she answered.
"Age?"
"Is this really important right now?!" Rainbow yelled.
"He's just doin' his job Dash. Come on." she said, stepping forward with Rainbow helping her stay upright.
"Sorry for the delay ma'am, we'll get you taken care of as soon as possible." the man promised.
"Good man." Firefly chuckled.
"Whoa, uh-damn. We're gonna need a bodybag." someone called from further into the house.
"I'll be needing a statement." the man with them spoke up.
"Sure thing. As soon as you patch me up." Firefly promised. He cleared his throat, his cheeks flushed slightly as he finally pulled his eyes from his clipboard to look at her.
"Do you need anything to wear ma'am?" he asked.
"I prefer the Au natural look. But I've got a spare shirt in the room at the end of the hall."
"I'll have someone fetch it for you." he mumbled. Firefly was laid on a bed and carted into an ambulance, Rainbow hopping inside.
"Whoa kid, hold up." an assistant said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey!" Firefly barked, wincing as she sat up.
"She comes with me." she growled.
"uh...yes ma'am..." the assistant gulped, backing down. Rainbow sat beside Firefly, holding her hand as the ambulance lurched forward.
"You're very brave Rainbow." Firefly said softly.
"I just did what I had to." Rainbow mumbled, looking down at her blood-soaked hands. Her onesie was ruined, the collar still clung to her neck and she still felt sick to her stomach. But at least they were safe.
"It had to have been tough..." Firefly said as she squeezed her hand.
"Wh-what about you an Comet?" Rainbow asked. Firefly bit her lip.
"W-we always had our rough patches...to be honest we were falling apart as it was. I thought...a child would bring us together. But we haven't had any luck having one of our own...then Spitfire asked me to watch over you...and I thought it'd be perfect." Firefly started to cry.
"I could show him how happy we could be...a-as a family." her words began to shake as the tears flowed freely. Rainbow leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"It's okay...everything's gonna be okay." Rainbow said softly. Firefly smiled weakly and nodded. Everything was gonna be okay.
Rainbow sat in silence as nurses fussed over her, having finally removed the collar. They urged her to take a shower and to get comfy.
"I'm fine. I don't really like hospitals." was all she would say. Suddenly the nurses fell silent. Rainbow could feel a powerful presence in the room, slowly raising her head. There before her stood Princess Celestia herself. Rainbow stared, her mouth hanging open as the Princess sat beside her.
"Hello little one."
"I'm not little." Rainbow mumbled "Sorry! I...just...um..." Rainbow stammered, blinking as the Princess laughed.
"Its alright. I've heard you've had a rather rough night and that you're the one responsible for saving my dear friend." Celestia spoke softly.
"Dear friend? You mean Firefly?"
"Yes. She was my personal guard at one time. I rather miss her company." Celestia sighed softly.
"I'm very grateful little one. Friends are hard to come by for someone like me."
"But you're a Princess...everyone loves you."
"True. Everyone loves me, but very few know me. Friends are something greater than that love and I cherish each and every friend I have. However few they are. And thanks to you I still have one of those friends." Celestia smiled as she stood.
"You should go get cleaned up. I hear Firefly is allowed to have visitors and I doubt she would want to see you like this." Celestia spoke up. Rainbow blinked and nodded as she hopped off the bench and followed a nurse to get cleaned up.
"Princess, about the girl..." a nurse spoke up.
"I'm well aware of it. She gives off a rather strange aura. I'll wait here for her." Celestia said, the nurse nodding and heading back to work.
Rainbow sighed as she stood in one of the hospital showers, scrubbing the blood off of her hands. She could still feel it. The weight of the gun, the trigger resisting her finger. She stared at her hands, scrubbing them again and again. A knock at the door pulled her away from her frantic scrubbing.
"Are you almost done? Firefly is awake and waiting for us." Celestia's muffled voice came through.
"J-Just a minute!" Rainbow called back, splashing some water on her face before reaching for the towel. Since her clothes were being washed, or burned, she wasn't sure which; She was forced to wear hospital clothes, stepping out of the room with her hair still dripping wet. Celestia giggled as Rainbow shook her head to dry her hair.
"Come along then little one, lets not keep her waiting."
Firefly sat up as Celestia walked into the room, offering a salute.
"At ease old friend. No need for that anymore."
"Old habits die hard Princess." Firefly chuckled through her breathing mask. Rainbow slowly stepped into the room.
"Hey! there's my hero." Firefly smiled, patting the bed. Rainbow looked up at Celestia who nodded approval. With a smile Rainbow hopped into the bed.
"You okay?" Rainbow asked.
"I should be asking you that." Firefly laughed. Rainbow lowered her head and stared at her hands.
"I understand you had to resort to drastic measures Rainbow Dash. But what you did was done to save the life of someone dear to you and to protect yourself. When anyone else would've run away you stood up and remained loyal to those in need. I understand that doesn't change how you feel, but I hope it eases your mind to know you aren't in any sort of trouble." Celestia said as she sat down.
"Why are Magians so horrible?" Rainbow asked out of nowhere. Celestia closed her eyes for a moment.
"Magians have a strong thirst for knowledge and power. They want to understand everything and maintain it. Some of them let it go to their heads, but there are plenty of good ones out there. Starswirl the wise crafted many spells that help us go about our daily lives. Without his wisdom we would not be where we are today. Then there are members of the Guard and Military who serve to protect us and scientists who study disease and sickness to keep us healthy."
"Like my mother." Rainbow spat.
"Rainbow!" Firefly gasped.
"She was one of your precious scientists Princess. Studying my wings and trying to save my father. And now both of them are dead and I'm still here and I don't even know what I am anymore!" Rainbow broke down. Celestia remained silent as the girl vented.
"I just wanted to help my dad...that's all I wanted...I just wanted him to fly with me, to play ball and walk more than ten feet without needing to sit down and catch his breath. Is that so wrong?!" Rainbow demanded.
"Not at all Rainbow." Celestia said softly.
"I just...I just..." Rainbow ran out of steam at this point, babbling nonsense until she passed out against Firefly who wrapped an arm around her.
"She's been through so much..." Firefly sighed. "Is there anything you can do for her?" she asked the Princess. Celestia shook her head.
"Not without causing her harm. The spell used was quite powerful, sacrificial enchantments always are. It would require an equal amount of life-force to undo what has been done. And doing so might kill the poor girl. Her records claim she was very sick, suffering the same illness as her father."
"So we just leave her like this?"
"No. We watch her and make sure she doesn't use her magic. Her life depends on it Firefly." Celestia said softly.
"That's why she puked..." she realized.
"She has the complete embodiment of a full grown Magian within her, but it doesn't belong. Sure, it has saved her life, but it's also a danger to her. I want you keeping tabs on her and reporting to me any changes. If she suddenly becomes ill or if she starts using her magic."
"I understand Princess. I'll pass it on to Spitfire."
"Good. I must be on my way. It was nice seeing you again old friend, though the circumstances could be better."
"Hey, gave you an excuse to get out of the castle" Firefly chuckled. Celestia smiled at that, casting one last glance to the sleeping girl before she left. Firefly sighed quietly.
"Geez Spitfire, what kinda crazy mess have you started?" she mumbled.
After two days of being in the hospital the two were allowed to leave. Though Firefly was to get plenty of bed rest and Rainbow had been suggested a therapist to visit.
"I don't need therapy. I've got you, an Spitfire and Soarin." Rainbow argued. Firefly smiled as she prepared their lunch. A pair of PB&J sandwiches with grapes and potato chips. A masterpiece on a plate.
"You don't have to go Rainbow, but it might help. Dr Accord is well known for being successful with almost every single case he's ever handled." Firefly pointed out. Rainbow sighed, resting her elbows on the table.
"I know I kinda...freak out sometimes. Its just bad memories and flashbacks." Rainbow continued to argue.
"Rainbow, Spitfire tells me everything. Like how you curled up into a ball when she first went to grab your hand."
"I was still in the hospital. I thought she was gonna drag me to the doctors and have them put all those needles back in me and start up all those machines again." Rainbow shivered.
"And when she asked you to open your wings."
"My mother chopped off my feathers with a knife. She always asked me that same thing, every day." Rainbow put up as her argument.
"These are traumatic events Dash. Things your mind keeps expecting to happen that throw you into a horrible panic attack. I'm just worried." Firefly sighed.
"I don't need a therapist."
"Alright, alright. Eat up." Firefly chuckled as Rainbow took a large bite of her sandwich. She was gonna miss her when Spitfire came back.
"Hey um...I wanted to ask you something..." Rainbow spoke up randomly.
"Oh? What about?" Firefly asked as she took a bite of her own sandwich.
"I was wondering...since Spitfire adopted me...and you've been watching me...c-could I call you Auntie?" Rainbow asked quickly. Firefly choked on her sandwich, washing it down with some orange juice and coughing a bit.
"S-sorry. It was a stupid question. J-just forget I asked." Rainbow mumbled, peeling one of her grapes.
"Dash." Firefly gasped, finally clearing her throat. "I don't mind. It was just a bit of a surprise."
"S-So its cool?"
"Yea, its cool."
"Thanks...Auntie." Rainbow smiled and they went back to their lunch.
"HIIIIYAH!" Spitfire cried, spinning and smashing her foot into the targets chest, his ribcage cracking from the blow. Soarin drew his pistol, pinning it to the mans head.
"Code Green, Eagle has caught the Rabbit, requesting evac." Soarin spoke into a hidden mic on his shirt collar
"Roger that Eagle, Evac will meet you on the roof. You got five minutes, move your ass."
"Lets go." Soarin said, tossing Spitfire his other pistol.
"About time we finished this."
"Aww, you miss waking her up don't ya?" Soarin teased.
"Focus damnit, we aren't out of this yet."
"I'll take that as a yes." Soarin said with a grin. Handcuffing the man and tossing him over his shoulder.
"I'll take point, watch my six." Spitfire said softly, peeking around the corner and heading for the stairs.
"Roger that boss." Soarin replied just as quietly, walking backwards and having his pistol at the ready.
"Shit, we got uglies bringing up the rear." Soarin said, firing a warning shot down the hall, causing their would be attackers to duck behind the wall and pull out their own guns.
"They've got the boss!" one man called out.
"Ah hell. Move!" Soarin yelled. Spitfire rushed up the stairs with Soarin hot on her tail.
"Packin' any decent heat?" Spitfire asked.
"Well, one of em has an RPG." Soarin said with a shrug.
"Oh good, but I meant you gunboy."
"Oh. Well I've got my lucky grenade." Soarin joked
"Use it." Spitfire ordered
"Aww, but its my lucky..." he whined, Spitfire glaring at him.
"I'll get you another one! Just use it!" she yelled
"Alright fine." he grumbled, pulling it from his belt.
"So long buddy, we had some good times together." he sighed sadly
"Oh just throw the damn thing!" Spitfire yelled, gasping as a bullet whizzed by and clipped her ear. Soarin bit down on the pin, chucking the grenade down the stairs and spinning around, his arm resting on Spitfires' shoulder as he fired a clean shot up the stairs and through the gunmans forehead.
"Clear, Moving out!" Spitfire rushed up through the door, a helicopter hovering there and waiting for them.
"Lets move!" the pilot called out. They both ran, kicking off the ground and spreading their wings as they reached for the ladder.
"LOOK OUT!" The co-pilot yelled, the RPG having survived the explosion, a man positioning it and aiming at the helicopter. Spitfire spun in the air, chucking her shoe at the man and knocking him upside his head, making him waste his only shot, straight into the building.
"Nice throw" Soarin said with a gentle nod.
"I don't have time to get blown up today. I've got a kid at home waiting for me." Spitfire argued. Soarin chuckled as he sat down in the helicopter, slugging their prisoner across the face to knock him back out.
"Geez, do not get in the way of that mom, am I right guys?" Soarin laughed, the pilots sharing a chuckle as they took off. Spitfire winced as she touched her ear.
"Damnit all to tartarus." she grumbled.
"It looks nice, sort of. Clean up the blood and put a piercing in, no one would be able to tell the difference." Soarin shrugged. Down below, special forces crowded the building for Clean-up.
"Man, I can't believe we're going home." Soarin sighed happily.
"Heh, you miss her too." Spitfire teased as she cleaned her ear.
"Yea, yea. We're just the sappy brigade." Soarin grinned.
Humming filled the air as Rainbow worked her way through a coloring-book, Firefly working on her laptop and the two sharing a pizza. A knock at the door broke their gentle silence.
"I wonder who that could be." Firefly mumbled, heading for the door. She opened it and gasped as she was hugged.
"Hey! How's everything?" Spitfire asked.
"Mom!" Rainbow called, blushing and clearing her throat. "I-I mean...uh..." Rainbow fell silent, standing there and twiddling her thumbs.
She was dressed in her fathers cap, her personalized Wonderbolts' shirt and matching shorts. Spitfire felt tears sting her eyes as she walked over to her, pulling her into a hug.
"Oh I missed you so much." Spitfire gushed.
"I missed you too." Rainbow clung to her.
"Hey, where's your boyfriend? He still owes me that beer." Soarin said. Firefly's eyes widened and she quickly tried to shut Soarin up, but it was too late. Rainbows smile died as she hung her head.
"Whats wrong? Did something happen?" Spitfire asked.
"Its...a long story..." Firefly sighed.
Soarin and Spitfire sat in silence as Firefly finished explaining. Rainbow kept her head down, staring at her hands and blinking as Spitfire grabbed them.
"Sometimes the important things we have to do aren't always the best Dash. But what you did...proves how amazing and strong and brave you are. And I'm so proud of you..." Spitfire said quietly.
"I killed someone...how is that something to be proud of?"
"He brought it on himself Dash. He attacked first, he meant to kill both of you and because you stood up and did what had to be done you saved both of you. Doing what has to be done is the Super Hero Code ya know." Soarin said with a smile.
"D-Do you guys have to kill people?" Rainbow stammered.
"We don't like the idea of it. But in a life or death situation we do what we have to. If we can spare lives then we do. If fighting is the only way out, then its the only way out." Spitfire answered. Rainbow looked back at her hands and then she noticed Spitfires' ear.
"Someone tried to kill you guys too?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, it was a dangerous mission." Soarin mumbled, Firefly punching his shoulder.
"What matters is that we're all okay and together Rainbow. And...I'm happy to be here for you, as your mom, or your friend." Spitfire smiled. Rainbow nodded, wrapping her arms around her.
"Come on, lets get you packed up." Spitfire said, patting her back. Rainbow nodded and hopped out of her seat, rushing over to Firefly and hugging her legs
"You'll visit, right Auntie Firefly?" Rainbow asked. Soarin chuckled.
"Auntie Firefly? That's got a nice ring to it." he pointed out as Firefly glared at him.
"Of course I'll visit Rainbow. oh, I almost forgot." She pulled Rainbows Wonderbolt hat from behind her back. On the side it was signed
From Firefly to my hero: Rainbow Dash Rainbow held it gently.
"Th-thanks Auntie." Rainbow wiped away her tears before they could show. Soarin ruffled her hair and headed into the guest room to grab her things.
"You sure you'll be able to visit? We could just come and see you." Spitfire offered.
"It'll be nice to get out of the house every now and then. It'll be lonely here without her."
"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you again." Spitfire smiled. Soarin came back with several bags over his shoulders and a box in his arms.
"Lets get this train a'movin. Ice cream to eat, monsters to slay, gifts to open!" Soarin cheered.
"Bye Auntie Firefly!" Rainbow said, hugging her tightly. Firefly waved as they got into a rental car and drove off, biting her lip as they vanished out of sight.
"Goodbye Rainbow..."
"Aw man its good to be home." Soarin sighed, setting everything down and cracking his back.
"Geez, you two are turning me into an old man." he chuckled.
"Not too old for a race are ya?" Rainbow asked, flaring her wings.
"First one to the fridge gets first bite?" Soarin asked.
"Mmhm." Rainbow agreed. Spitfire shook her head.
"On your mark, get set, go!" she cheered, watching as they took off with a giggle.
"Whoo-hoo! Aw yea! and Dash is the champion!" she heard Rainbow call out with Soarin groaning in defeat. Spitfire sat down, sifting through their mail and finding a letter addressed to Rainbow from her old hospital. She stared at it for a long time, before realizing Rainbow and Soarin were coming back, both with a tub of ice cream.
"Hey, slow down Dash or you'll..." Soarin tried to say, but it was too late.
"OW! MY BRAIN!" she cried, holding her spoon against her head.
"I warned ya." Soarin shrugged. Spitfire tucked the letter away under a few bills
"So, what do ya want to eat tonight?" Spitfire asked. Rainbow mulled it over a spoon of ice cream.
"Hmm...Fried Chicken!" she declared.
"On it boss-lady-ma'am" Soarin saluted, earning a giggle. Rainbow sighed as she sat down on the couch.
"Auntie thinks I should go see a therapist." Rainbow said suddenly, staring at her ice cream.
"Dash, you aren't crazy or anything."
"I-I know. But...maybe it would help." Rainbow said slowly.
"Do you want to?" Spitfire asked.
"Well...part of me does. The rest of me is scared." she admitted.
"I don't blame you. But your pretty brave Dash. I'll back you up on whatever you decide." Spitfire promised.
"Thanks mom..." Rainbow said as she leaned against her. The two of them just sat there for a while with Rainbow sucking on her spoon, though the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen forced them both to get up. Soarin was dressed in a fancy chef coat and hat, singing random Fracaian Babble as if he actually knew the language.
"And voila! One beautifully cooked meal, by yours truly." he said with a bow. Three plates sat piled with two chicken legs each, a pile of homemade mash potatoes and gravy, a side of roasted corn and finished off with green beans.
"I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Spitfire grinned.
"My devilishly good looks? My wonderful humor? My dazzling smile?"
"Your cooking ya dingbat." Spitfire chucked a green bean at him but was foiled as he caught it in his mouth. Rainbow watched with a mouthful of chicken, crumbs covering her cheeks as she ate. It was good to be home.
Rainbow stared at herself in the mirror, dressed in a new custom made Wonderbolts onesie. It was dark blue with lightning bolts on the shoulders and a rainbow running down the back like a cape.
The bolt on her left shoulder was surrounded in flames while the one on her right had a pair of blue wings. It had quickly become her favorite thing to wear, along with her signed Wonderbolts cap or her fathers lucky red cap. Though she only wore that if she felt she needed it.
It felt like each time she put it on that she could hear him speak. Almost like he was there with her anytime she wore it and as long as she had him and his hat nothing could tear her down. She sighed, rinsing her toothbrush and pulling open the cabinet to put it away. When she closed the mirror it wasn't her reflection she saw, but her mother.
"Hello Rainbow." her mother spoke up. Rainbow screamed, her wings flaring to life and her eyes glowing brightly.
"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that. It was so very hard to pull you from the edge you know. Why burn away what little life you might have left?" her mother asked. Rainbow grit her teeth.
"Gimmie one good reason to believe you." Rainbow asked.
"You don't need a reason from me. You can feel it. The pain of all that magic coursing through you, the ache and the nausea it leaves behind. Every time you grab a hold of that power you are burning yourself away Rainbow. That's not why I gave you my magic."
"Then why did you do it? To prove your theories? To save your career?"
"I did it to save you Rainbow. You and your father." Nightgale said softly, adjusting her glasses.
"That's a lie and you know it." Rainbow spat.
"Is it Rainbow? Do you want to know why I always cut the same feather? Why I went to such lengths?" she asked
"I don't give a damn." Rainbow grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Well that's too bad. The reason Rainbow is because your wings were dying. Decaying and melting away. Applying normal healing methods only multiplied the decay rate. The only way to repair them was by feeding them a source of power that would build upon itself. The only source available..."
"Was magic..." Rainbow realized, looking at her wings.
"Now you understand what hundreds of scientists refused to see. You are special Rainbow. You are my biggest accomplishment in life and in death. But that will be for nothing if you burn yourself out." Nightgale sighed.
"Rainbow, are you okay in there?" Spitfire asked, knocking on the door gently. Rainbow blinked, realizing she had been standing there having a conversation with herself. She glanced back at the mirror, finding only her reflection. She gulped as she stepped out of the bathroom.
"I'll take those therapy sessions now..."
Rainbow bit her lip as she sat in the waiting room. Several parents sat with their children, some twitching nervously and others crying their eyes out. Rainbow felt lost. She didn't belong here with these lunatics and sob story kids. She was better than this.
You sure about that? Nightgales voice asked. Rainbow gulped, squeezing Spitfires' hand. Spitfire wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.
"Its okay Rainbow. We can leave if you want." Spitfire said softly. Rainbow sighed.
"N-No. I need to do this." Rainbow said, mostly to herself. She gulped as a man came into the room. He was dressed in a long white lab coat that lay over his brown collared shirt and red tie, a pair of form-fitting jeans completing his ensemble. Despite his grayed hair he appeared quite young and full of life. His eyes were a bit creepy though.
"Hm, Rainbow Dash?" He called out, adjusting his glasses.
"Th-that's me" Rainbow called out. He smiled, snapping his fingers and flicking his wrist, a tootsie pop appearing between his fingers.
"Care for some candy?" he asked with a genuine smile. Rainbow blinked, looking him up and down. He raised an eyebrow, rolling his wrist once more, the candy vanishing. Rainbow pouted slightly until he pointed to her hand where the lollipop sat between her fingers.
"How'd you do that?" Rainbow asked. He chuckled and tapped his nose.
"Just a little bit of magic and a wave of the hand."
"Magic?" Rainbow asked.
"Ah, yes. You're the one that doesn't like magic. But not all magic is bad you know. For instance!" He snapped his fingers, a cloud forming in the room and raining bits of candy on the table.
"D-Dad, you said you wouldn't do that again." a young girl spoke up, tugging on his coat. She held a baby bunny in her arm, her long pink hair falling down her back. She wore a simple yellow dress that hung below her knees, giving her the modest appearance of a delicate flower.
"Oh! You are quite right dear. I did say that. Ahem." with another snap of his fingers the cloud faded away with a little pop.
"That's some of the weirdest magic I've ever seen." Rainbow mumbled.
"Its not real magic Dash. Those are magic tricks." Spitfire explained.
"Magic is the simple art of performing acts beyond normal comprehension my dear Wonderbolt!" he said with a smile.
"But we've wasted enough time with my theatrics. Shall we move to somewhere more comfortable?" he asked. Rainbow bit her lip and nodded, blinking as Spitfire stayed put.
"I'll be right here Rainbow." she promised. Rainbow nodded as she followed the man in the lab-coat.
"So um...why the lab-coat?" Rainbow asked.
"Ah, such curiosity. You see my dear Rainbow, I am not simply a therapist, I am a Doctor! A man of science! They call me a madman. Though others call me Doctor Dickson Accord."
"That's a funny name."
"Why thank you." he grinned with a tip of an imaginary hat. Rainbow couldn't help but giggle as he led the way into the room they would be using. She hopped up on a red couch, the girl from before sitting in a corner with her bunny.
"Fluttershy dear, would you mind stepping outside? Just for a little bit." Dr Accord asked. The pink-haired girl nodded, taking her bunny and leaving the room. Dr Accord plopped down in his chair, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees.
"Alrighty then Miss Dash. What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"Uh...well...Its kind of a long story."
"Oh I do love a good story." he leaned back in his chair and waited. Rainbow sighed softly.
"You won't tell anyone? This all stays between us, right Doc?"
"Of course my dear. I would lose my job otherwise and I rather like being able to pay my bills." he replied. So it was that Rainbow began to recount the events of her life, the things she had suffered and the acts she had committed to survive. Slowly but surely Dr Accords smile began to fade away as he leaned forward.
"And that's how I ended up here..." Rainbow finished.
"That was quite the tale Miss Dash. I can very well understand your hatred of me and my colleagues. I must say it was quite brave of you to even come here today." he leaned back once more, removing his glasses and dabbing his eyes with a small cloth.
"Mom says not all of you are bad."
"She is a smart woman. We aren't all bad. I don't like to toot my own horn..." he pulled a small horn out of his end-table drawer and squeezed it a few times, making Rainbow giggle.
"But I've always strived to bring about the best outcome for everyone rather than the majority. Now, I won't make you come back to talk to me and I won't make you forget your hate of Magians. But if you want to talk then I'm happy to listen and offer whatever I can to ease your fractured mind." he said softly.
"My mind isn't fractured." Rainbow mumbled.
"Oh? No strange dreams? Hallucinations or anything of the like?" he asked. Rainbow gulped and twiddled her thumbs.
"Well uh...maybe a little..." she admitted. The two sat in silence for a moment, Dr Accord stroking his goatee absentmindedly. This girl was rather interesting, perhaps there was something more here. Such matters would have to be put aside for now. There was work to be done!
"I'd like to try something Rainbow, if you'll trust me that is." He spoke up, breaking their mutual silence.
"Uh...sure Doc...that's why I'm here right?" Rainbow said hesitantly.
"Just lay down and relax. Listen to the soothing sound of my voice." he told her. Rainbow laid down on the couch, her eyes falling closed slowly as she listened to him.
"Good, very good miss Dash. Now, when I snap my fingers you will find yourself face to face with that which you must overcome.1...2...3" he snapped his fingers and Rainbows eyes flew open. She found herself standing in a blank landscape and spun, finding emptiness for miles around.
"What the heck is this?"
"Your mind, your thoughts, your very being." Dr Accord explained. She jumped in surprise as he appeared beside her.
"In here you pull the strings my dear. But sometimes the strings might pull you. We won't go any further than this today, but when you are ready, we will battle your demons together." he offered. Rainbow turned back to look across the barren landscape, seeing her mother standing in front of them.
"Hello Rainbow." she said with a smile. The same crazed smile she had right before Rainbow had become a freak.
"AHHH!" Rainbow screamed as she sat up, panting heavily and clutching her chest, feeling like her heart was trying to jump out. She blinked as she felt arms around her, turning to find the pink-haired girl.
"I-It's okay." she said softly, giving her a gentle smile. Rainbow gulped, accepting the hug and letting the tears flow as the girl held her.
"Shhh, it's okay." she repeated, keeping Rainbow close until her sobs faded away.
"All better?" she asked. Rainbow chuckled and wiped away her tears.
"Yea...thanks." she said softly
"Oh um..s-sure." the girl smiled, hiding behind her hair. Rainbow looked past her, seeing her mother talk with Dr Accord outside the room.
"Hey, I'm probably gonna be coming back here...a lot...did you wanna be friends?" Rainbow asked. The girl blinked and nodded quickly. Rainbow laughed and wiped away a stray tear that tried to come back.
"I'm Rainbow Dash."
"I-I'm Fluttershy."
"Heh, well Fluttershy, I think we're gonna be good friends." She blinked as Fluttershy hugged her again, sighing as she returned it. Outside of the room, Dr Accord and Spitfire watched them.
"It seems we both shall benefit from this my dear." he chuckled.
"Your daughter, is she..." Spitfire began, trailing off as she turned to him.
"Magian? Oh no, not at all. She's Skyborn like her mother. But the poor thing is terrified of flying." he sighed.
"Not even I have been able to help her. But that girl of yours seems to have cracked her shell...Would you mind our next session being in your home? I think I might be on to something." he asked. Spitfire smiled and nodded.
"I don't mind. Dash needs this Doc. Whatever it takes to make her happy, I'll do it."
"Spoken like a true mother. I shall see you next week then my dear! Until then" he tipped his imaginary hat once more and entered the room. All of the pieces were falling into place.
Days turned into weeks, weeks to months, so on and so forth. The sessions became more intense and more terrifying. But through it all, her family and her newest friend Fluttershy were by her side. Before she knew it the sessions were happening less and less and she was craving the company of her friend more and more.
Rainbow sighed to herself as she stared at the ceiling, wondering if Fluttershy would be visiting with her father. This was her last session and she doubted she would be able to make it through without Fluttershy. She jumped as Soarin pushed her door open.
"Hey Squirt, the doc's here." he said softly. She sighed, dropping down from her cloud-bed.
"Oh, and so is your friend." he chuckled, watching as she smiled and rushed out of the room. He hid a grin as he heard the two girls squeal as they shared a hug.
"Alright, alright, lets get this last show on the road!" Dr Accord laughed, taking a seat in Soarin's arm-chair. As the good doctor got comfy, sitting cross legged in his claimed chair, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were setting up on the floor. With a few blankets and pillows the two had put together a pallet to rest on.
"Alrighty then, on the count of three girls. One...two...two and a half...."
"Daddy..." Fluttershy sighed.
"Three!" SNAP. Rainbows eyes flew open, the once white landscape was full of color and mirth after all the times they had visited it, tearing down the walls she had built around herself and helping her through her worst fears. Today was the last white patch and within it stood her mother. Fluttershy stood to her left, Dr Accord on her right.
"We're right here with you Rainbow." Dr Accord said softly.
"I...I know Doc." she gulped, hesitantly stepping forward.
"Don't do it Rainbow. You don't know what you are doing. If you get rid of me now I won't be able to help you." Nightgale said softly, her eyes shifting to Dr Accord.
"Why should I believe you? After all you did..." Rainbow choked out.
"Because I did what had to be done. If I had just left you there you'd be as dead as your father!" Nightgale cried.
"Yes, what I did was wrong and I can't ever be forgiven for my crimes, but at least what I did was done to save you. This man, he's not what you think Rainbow. Please just listen to me!" she begged. Rainbow shook her head.
"No, I'm done listening to you. This man is my friend! He's the only Magian who ever cared about me, the only Magian I can call family. You aren't even my mom. You're just this thing in my head and I want you out! NOW!" Rainbow screamed. Her mother simply stood there.
"I-Is that what you really want Rainbow?" she asked quietly.
"Yes...just leave. I don't need you and I won't ever need you." Rainbow shook, squeezing Fluttershys' hand.
"I have a family who cares, friends, loved ones. People who don't just want to use me." she finished.
"Very well...I won't be here when this turns around to bite you Rainbow...Goodbye." her mother said softly, fading away. But still the blank spot remained blank. Rainbow was at a loss.
After every demon she had conquered there had been a splash of color and life to take over the empty space left behind, but here there was nothing. Just more emptiness. Had she done the right thing?
This question continued to pester her as her eyes flickered open to the sight of Dr Accord discussing something with Spitfire. Fluttershy was still fast asleep, curled against her side and sucking on her thumb with Angel held in the crook of her arm. The bunny slept with his head just below his caretakers chin. Rainbow sighed to herself, closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep as she listened in on the conversation nearby.
"Something seems wrong though." Dr Accord sighed.
"What do you mean? Is she not cured?" Spitfire worried.
"There was nothing to ever cure. Just some mental scaring that needed to be worked through which she has done marvelously. But the final step seemed...unfinished. As if there is some deep trauma she is desperately holding on to, even if she doesn't know it herself. If thats the case then there is nothing else I can do for her. But perhaps my daughter can." he mused, puffing on a crooked wooden pipe he normally kept tucked away in his coat.
"Well, they do look rather cute together." Spitfire chuckled.
"I agree my dear Wonderbolt. I don't suppose you'd mind watching her for a few days?" he asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"I'm sure Dash would appreciate it. But are you sure she'll be okay with us for that long?" Spitfire worried.
"I'll admit, my Fluttershy is easily frightened, but she has the heart of a lion and the quick wit of a fox, and her fathers talent with people. She just needs someone around her to help her exercise it. Maybe spending some time out from under me will help her with that and in the process help Rainbow Dash past her last hurdle."
"Well, if you're sure, then I don't mind."
"Oh good, trapped in a house full of Skyborn girls, its like High School all over again." Soarin joked from across the room
"If you can control yourself maybe it WILL be just like High School." Spitfire grinned. Soarin blinked, for once at a lack for words. He settled for a simple about face and headed into any room that wasn't occupied to process what had just been said to him. Rainbow was left confused on the hidden message in Spitfire's words, while Dr Accord merely chuckled.
"I suppose I should be on my way then. Feel free to call if I am needed. I cannot promise she is past everything, but the flashbacks and night terrors will bother her no more." he said happily.
"Thank you so much Doctor. It means the world to me." Spitfire said as she escorted him out. She sighed to herself as she reentered her home, marching towards Rainbow and Fluttershy.
"Alright you two, up an at em. Lets get you in a real bed." Spitfire said as she pulled them to their feet. Fluttershy mumbled sleepily, still holding Rainbows hand as the two walked towards Rainbows room.
Spitfire smiled as the two climbed into the cloudbed, making her way to the study where Soarin stood, simply staring at thin air. She grinned, hooking her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Uhhh..."
"Shh, I feel mommish right now, don't ruin it damnit." she mumbled. Soarin chuckled, placing his hands over hers, the two enjoying the moment.
"Adults are weird." Rainbow mumbled, Fluttershy nodding agreement as the two snuck back to her room.
"Todays the day." Rainbow said to herself, grinning in the mirror. She wasn't the smartest kid in school, but she wasn't far behind. Today was her High School Graduation and the day she qualified to start going to the Flight Academy. Step One of joining the Wonderbolts and making her family proud.
She checked herself in the dressing room mirror again, making sure her robes were right and her hat was on straight. She couldn't mess this up. Soarin and Spitfire had used their vacation to come and see this. Everything needed to be perfect.
"Oh, hi Rainbow. T-todays the big day huh?" Fluttershy asked softly. Rainbow grinned, crossing her arms.
"Damn straight Shy. Today we become adults!" Rainbow beamed.
"I'm really happy for you Rainbow. A lot of kids said you'd never get this far." Fluttershy mumbled.
"I-I wasn't one of them! I mean, I was worried you might fail, but I always hoped you would make it." Fluttershy panicked.
"Shy, relax. Its cool. Now come on, their gonna be calling us up there soon and we gotta look good." Rainbow said, pushing Fluttershy along. Her friend squeaked and nodded.
"O-Okay. B-But there are so many people out there Rainbow..."
"They just want a peek at awesomeness Shy. Just pretend its a bunch of your bunnies." Rainbow told her. Fluttershy closed her eyes and focused on the image.
"Miss Fluttershy! Graduating at the top of her class and on her way to being a Veterinarian. Congratulations Miss Fluttershy!" the Principal called. Fluttershy squeaked and made her way onstage.
"Oh, thank you very much. I-I hope to help as many animals as I can." Fluttershy said with a wave to the crowd, shaking hands with the Principal and Vice Principal before making her way offstage and into the waiting arms of her father. Rainbow stood in line, waiting for her turn to go onstage. Finally she reached the stairs, a grin plastered across her face.
"Sunset Shimmer! Honors in Advanced Magical Theory!" the Principal called, murmurs filling the room as Sunshet Shimmer pushed past her and walked onstage with a smirk. Rainbow stood in place, wondering if her Diploma just got mixed around. But one after the other names of the people directly behind her were called until Rainbow had enough. She rushed onstage, tears stinging her eyes.
"Wheres mine?!" She demanded, clenching her fists.
"I'm not the smartest, I'm not the best or the funniest. But I passed damnit! I worked hard everyday to make my family proud! I've got my report card and everything proving I passed!" Rainbow fussed.
"Now now Miss Dash. I'm sure there has just been some sort of misunderstanding." The Principal assured her.
"She probably misunderstood the meaning of Failure. The poor things gone delusional and thinks she actually accomplished something." Sunset Shimmer laughed. Rainbows shoulders fell.
"You...You bitch, it was you wasn't it?! You did something, I know it!" Rainbow accused.
"Me? Innocent honor roll student and graduating with a Scholarship to Celestia's Academy for the Gifted me? Whatever do you mean?" Sunset taunted. Rainbow screamed as she lunged for her, tackling her off the stage.
Sunset rolled, snaring Rainbow in her magic, but the Skyborn refused to submit, her eyes glowing as she punched the bully in the jaw, leaving her dazed and confused as Rainbow pulled back for a second punch.
"Thats enough!" Spitfire called out, Rainbow freezing in place as the glow faded from her eyes. Murmurs filled the air once more. Spitfire made her way through the seats and towards her daughter.
"We'll get this sorted out Dash, but not like this." Spitfire whispered as she pulled her off of Sunset Shimmer. The Magian rubbed her jaw as she stood.
"Did you see what she did? She attacked me with magic!" Sunset accused.
"Thats funny, it looked like she punched you." Spitfire argued.
"Look, I dunno who you think you are, but I am Sunset Shimmer and I will not stand for this!"
"Then you can sit down Miss Shimmer, in my office. The same goes for you Miss Dash."
"Aw crud." Rainbow groaned.
Rainbow hung her head, Soarin on one side of her and Spitfire on the other.
"I'm sorry...today was suppose to be perfect...and I ruined everything."
"You didn't ruin anything Dash. Its about time someone slugged that girl." Soarin whispered, Spitfire holding back a laugh.
"What has me upset is that you used magic to do it Rainbow. Don't you remember what we said?" Spitfire asked.
"Yea, I know. I'm not suppose to use magic unless its a life or death situation." she mumbled.
"And while that might've called for a punch or two, thats not how you should've solved it."
"I know mom."
"It was a good punch though." Spitfire mumbled, bringing a smile to her daughters lips.
"You can come in now." the vice Principal said to them. Rainbow sat down in a chair next to Sunset Shimmer, the two of them facing the Principal.
"I was going through our records and discovered that all of Rainbows grades are F-'s. All of her hundreds and...just barely passing grades that I am sure were here before have been changed to zeros." he said to them, glancing at Sunset Shimmer.
"Checking our surveillance footage I discovered this." he turned his monitor to them, showing two of Sunsets goons breaking into the office and getting on the computer.
"As it turns out, doing a restore of the system brings up your true grades miss Dash. While not top grades, they are well beyond passing and I am quite happy to award you the diploma you so rightly deserve. As well as a paid scholarship to the Flight Academy for your troubles. As for you miss Shimmer. We shall see what the Principal at Celestia's Academy for the Gifted wants to do with you."
"Me?! But thats not me on the tape! Its obviously those two troublemakers who never leave me alone!" she argued.
"Oh? Thats not what they had to say." he pointed to the door leading to the counselors room behind him where said two goons stepped out.
"Sorry Sunset Shimmer. They were very persuasive!" Snails apologized.
"Yea, they were gonna hold us back!" Snips whined.
"You little traitors!"
"So...am I still in trouble for punching her?" Rainbow asked. Spitfire winced and shook her head. She would have to explain to her daughter about keeping her mouth shut.
"Well, as for the punch, you were technically already no longer a student at this facility. So I have no power over what becomes of that punch. It falls to the on-hand authorities, being that there are Two Wonderbolts here, I'll leave it in their fine capable hands." he said with a wink to them.
"Thank you sir, we'll see that she suffers the proper punishment." Soarin promised.
"Now then." he reached into his desk, pulling out a blank Diploma and filling in the needed spots along with his signature before rolling it up and standing. Rainbow stood as well.
"Congratulations Miss Dash. You've more than earned this Diploma and all that it entails. I wish you good luck on your future endeavors."
"Thanks Mister P, you're alright." Rainbow said as she shook his hand. Rainbow was able to contain herself for all of five seconds, which was enough time for them to get into the hallway.
"WHOO-HOO!" she cheered, throwing up her hat and giggling like a little girl.
"Aw man that feels good." she sighed.
"I'm so proud of you Dash." Spitfire said as they walked to the car. Rainbow was driving. Something her mother was a bit apprehensive about.
"Congrats Squirt. Two whole months til you gotta do it over again." Soarin chuckled
"Yea, but this time I'm working towards something."
"Hey, that diploma is really somethin' Dash. Not a lot you can do in this world without one." he argued.
"Yea, I know. Hey, you think I can take Shy and go visit Auntie Firefly this weekend?" Rainbow asked.
"Hmmm, Two young girls, fresh out of School and running unsupervised in Celamont with an Ex-soldier. Why do I feel uneasy about this?" Spitfire murmured.
"Pleeeeease?" Rainbow asked.
"Hm, tell ya what. Lets check in with Fluttershy's Dad about it first, okay?" Spitfire asked.
"Alright." Rainbow agreed glumly. She undid her seat belt and got out of the car, her wings kicking to life as well as Soarin's and Spitfire's. The three flying up to their cloud home and heading inside.
"Summertime, here I come!"
In the end Rainbow won out and with some extra cash from both of their families, the two friends were off on an adventure.
"We normally visit by flying or Royal carriage. But this way we get to be in full control of everything. Pretty cool huh Shy? Our first adventure on our own!" Rainbow chuckled.
"Y-Yes..i-its, nice." Fluttershy replied, her bunny, Angel, sticking his head out of her bag.
"Aw crud Shy. I told you not to bring that Rabbit."
"Its a bunny." Fluttershy argued softly, holding him in her arms. "I just couldn't leave him all alone."
"Your Dad promised to watch him and the rest of your animals. I'm not gonna find a squirrel in the car am I? no Racoons? Any fish in your pocket?"
"Um...no. Just Angel." Fluttershy said softly.
"Alright. Just keep him outta my hair. That guy likes to kick." Rainbow mumbled.
"Um, Rainbow. With your 18th birthday coming up, are you planning anything special?" Fluttershy asked, decidedly changing the subject..
"Well...I didn't wanna announce it or anything, but I'm gonna move out the day after."
"What?! But where are you going to stay?!" Fluttershy panicked.
"Relax Shy. My inheritance kicks in when I'm 18. My dad left me his house and a pocketful of cash. He was always lookin' out for me. Sometimes I feel like he still is." Rainbow chuckled, wiping away a tear. Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not crying damnit, some dirt got in my eye." Rainbow mumbled, focusing on the road. Fluttershy nodded, saying nothing as she sat back in her seat. Rainbow pulled into a gas station and hopped out of the car.
"Want anything to snack on Shy?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh, just some carrots for Angel." Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow gave her a flat look.
"I'll take a soda." Fluttershy mumbled.
"Atta-girl." Rainbow chuckled, making her way inside. Fluttershy squeaked as a man leaned against the car.
"Hey there cutie. How about you an me head in the back for some fun?" he suggested with a wink.
"Thank you but, my friend is going to be back soon and we really need to be going." Fluttershy said softly.
"Thats a damn shame. You've got quite the pretty voice. I'd love to hear you scream." he said as he opened the door.
"No, thats fine. I-I don't like screaming." Fluttershy stammered as he leaned in close to her, sniffing her hair.
"You smell nice, lets fix that." he chuckled. Her eyes turned to pinpricks as he grabbed her arms, trying to tug her out of the car.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Fluttershy screamed. Rainbow bolted out of the shop, her wings flaring to life as her arm cocked back.
"Hey buddy!" Rainbow called. He lifted his head in time for her to clock him square in the nose. She rolled her shoulders, shifting into her karate stance as the man got back to his feet.
"You wanna dance pretty boy? I'll dance with ya. Shy, pump the gas." Rainbow said. Fluttershy eeped, setting Angel down in her seat as she got out to fill the car with gas.
"You got some guts girly."
"Yea, I hear that a lot." Rainbow grinned, watching as he pulled a knife.
Oh please she thought to herself. Until his eyes started to glow and the knife transformed into a big freaking sword.
"What the hell?" Rainbow mumbled.
"You're lookin' at a Knight of Celamont kid, still think you're tough?" he chuckled, hefting the sword over his shoulder.
"Bring it." She pivoted as he slashed down with the blade, smacking her palm into it and knocking it out of his hands, another pivot and she was in front of him, smashing her fist into his diaphragm, her free hand grabbing his arm as she turned and flipped him over her shoulder with all the strength she could muster.
"Heh, how do ya like that?!" Rainbow beamed. blinking as a gun was pushed against the back of her head.
"Ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you to unhand that Knight and come with me."
"What for?! He was trying to hurt my friend!" Rainbow argued.
"Yea well, he's my friend and I don't take too kindly to Skyborn trash in my town." he said, cocking the gun. Rainbow roared, smashing her elbow into his wrist and spinning around him, snatching the gun out of his hand and forcing his arm up against his spine, holding the gun against his head.
"Now this is an interesting situation. Wouldn't ya say?" Rainbow panted slightly.
"R-Rainbow. The tank is full." Fluttershy called softly.
"Thanks Shy. I'll be done in a minute." she turned, her eyes glowing for a moment as she chucked the gun as far as she could.
"You gentleman have a nice day." Rainbow said, snapping his wrist and letting him drop to the ground next to his friend as she went back to her car. Rainbow picked up her bag on the way, sitting in the drivers seat and passing the bag to Fluttershy.
"That was amazing Rainbow Dash. Where did you learn all of that?" Fluttershy asked.
"You uh...pick up a few things when your mom is a Wonderbolt." she chuckled. The air was filled with silence for a while after that, Fluttershy finally speaking up.
"I don't understand, why don't you just have your mother let you take the test to get into the Wonderbolts?" Fluttershy asked.
"Because it has to be earned Shy. She couldn't give it to me anyway. Princess Celestia decides on that and only the top fliers of the Academy get a shot. I've gotta be on my game and on top of everything if I want my chance. Besides, all the Wonderbolts would have to approve and only Soarin and my mom would. The others don't know me very well. They never cared to get to know me. I was just that kid that lived with Spitfire." Rainbow explained.
"Oh...sorry." she apologized
"Nah, its alright. I like it better this way. Cause I get to show them what I'm made of." Rainbow grinned.
"And its gonna be a hell of a show."
KNOCK,KNOCK. Firefly smiled as she opened the door, already expecting the hug that nearly knocked her to the ground. Rainbow grinned, still a bit shorter than her.
"Hi Auntie"
"Hello Rainbow. You've been staying out of trouble I hope?"
"Really? No trouble with the law or two crooked knights?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"You heard about that?" Rainbow gulped
"I hear everything Dash." She winked to Fluttershy "Isn't that right dear?"
"u-um, yes Miss Firefly" Fluttershy stammered with a light blush. Rainbow cleared her throat, trying to change the subject.
"Mom said we could stay for the weekend, see some sights and whatnot."
"Sure thing Dash, but first lets get you two settled in." Firefly chuckled, letting them into her home. Rainbow sighed happily as she looked around.
"So, what are your plans now that you two are outta High School?" Firefly asked, handing them each a soda. Rainbow grinned as she popped the top off.
"Soon as I get the chance I'm gonna start attending the Flight Academy, get my Official Fliers license and join the Wonderbolts!" she said excitedly. Firefly paused for a moment, forcing a smile.
"And what about you Fluttershy?"
"O-oh, well. Um...I'm going to be a vet, but I need my Fliers license if I want to be able to really take care of the birds so I'll be going with Rainbow. F-For a year anyway." Fluttershy said softly, cradling her soda. Rainbow and Firefly both blinked glancing over at her.
"Shy, uh...the Flight Academy is pretty tough. You sure you're up for it?" Rainbow asked.
"Of course I'm sure Rainbow. B-but um..."
"Don't worry Shy, I got your back." Rainbow chuckled, clinking her soda bottle against her friends. Fluttershy visibly relaxed and sipped her own soda, Angel dozing off in her lap with a carrot held against his chest.
"Ugh, I can't sleep." Rainbow grumbled. She glanced over at the bed across the room, seeing Fluttershy curled up in her blanket and fast asleep with Angel's head under her chin. The bunny was annoying sometimes, but Rainbow had to admit he was...okay at times.
That was as far as she'd go on that topic. She sighed as she sat up in her cloudbed. She couldn't understand Fluttershy's need to sleep on anything else. Skyborn were made for clouds, but her friend was happy without them.
As long as she had her animals. Rainbow sighed, hopping out of bed and landing silently on the ground. She peeked her head out of her room, making sure the coast was clear as she snuck towards the kitchen.
"Looking for something?" Firefly asked, causing her to jump moments before reaching for the fridge.
"I uh...couldn't sleep." Rainbow mumbled, turning to face her aunt. Firefly sat in her chair, several gun parts strewn across the table for cleaning.
"Dash...come sit down, I wanna talk to you." Firefly said softly. Rainbow sat across from her, resting her hands in her lap and trying to relax.
"Dash, are you sure this is what you want? To be a Wonderbolt?" Firefly asked. Rainbow blinked in surprise.
"What kind of question is that? Of course its what I want! The Wonderbolts are amazing and without em I'd still be...well...you know." Rainbow rambled, rubbing her arm.
"Being a Wonderbolt isn't just about doing good Rainbow. Its also incredibly dangerous. Its not just fun and games. They are going to make you a soldier, everyday you'll be fighting an invisible war Rainbow. There are things that go on in our everyday lives that no one knows about. No one but the Wonderbolts." Firefly sighed, hanging her head.
"I don't care Auntie. If I can help even one person, to save some kid from going through what I went through...I'd give anything." Rainbow admitted.
"Even if you had to kill people?" Firefly choked out. Rainbow froze, glancing down at the table.
"This is..."
"Yes, it is. I haven't used it since that day." Firefly confirmed. Rainbow gulped and without thinking started to piece it together while Firefly watched. It took her longer than she would've liked, but eventually she had the entire thing put together. A 9mm Anti-Magian Riot-control pistol. The same one Rainbow had killed Comet with.
"Its yours." Firefly said softly.
"What?"
"If you want to be a Wonderbolt, you're gonna have to learn to use one and keep one with you. So its yours...unless you turn back now Rainbow. You're so gifted...there is so much else you could do." Firefly grabbed her hands, folding them over the pistol.
"But I won't force you to change your mind. Just promise me you'll be okay..." she closed her eyes, managing to hold back her tears. Rainbow stared at the gun and then at Firefly, unsure of what to say.
"Do you have to bring the bunny?" Rainbow deadpanned as Fluttershy got ready for the day.
"Well...I can't leave him here." Fluttershy argued softly. Rainbow rolled her eyes and slipped her bag over her shoulders. She hesitated for a moment before tucking Firefly's pistol into her inside jacket pocket. Fluttershy stared with wide eyes as she caught sight of the movement.
"I-Is that a gun?! Rainbow what are you carrying that for?!" Fluttershy panicked.
"Shy, remember at the gas station? When those guys came after you?" Rainbow asked softly. Fluttershy gulped and nodded slowly.
"Those two were Knights of Celamont. This City, sworn to protect and serve. This city is crawling with those Magian pricks and I'm not gonna give them a chance to...to..." Rainbow sighed and shook her head.
"I-I understand Rainbow." Fluttershy said softly, cradling Angel in her arms. Rainbow smiled slightly and snatched up her keys.
"Alright, lets go. Theres somethin I wanna show you." Rainbow grinned, racing outside with Fluttershy trailing behind her.
"Be careful you two!" Firefly called after them. Rainbow waved goodbye as they took off down the road. Firefly lifted her wrist and spoke softly.
"Baby bird has left the nest. Do you have visual?" she placed a finger against her ear as she waited for a reply.
"Copy that Mama Bird. Baby Bird is in sight." came the reply.
"Good, don't lose her." she ordered. She sighed softly, leaning against the frame of her door.
"Be careful out there Dash."
"Ugh, I knew we shoulda flown." Rainbow grumbled.
"But we don't have our Flying Licenses. I-I don't think our permits would let us fly in the city." Fluttershy stammered.
"Yea, you're right. Still, this sucks. I didn't think Celamont would have crazy traffic. Its so old-fashioned. Heck, the Princess still gets around with a chariot." Rainbow argued to no one in particular.
"Well, we could just park somewhere and walk." Fluttershy suggested. Rainbow grinned, tugging on the wheel and flipping around a turn, parking in front of a bakery.
"Bingo." Rainbow hopped out of the car
"A bakery? Why a bakery?" Fluttershy asked.
"We can smell our way back to the car if we get lost." Rainbow reasoned as she made her way down the sidewalk.
"Lost?! But I thought you knew this area!"
"I do, kinda. I was little when we came through here. It was before we met Shy." Rainbow explained.
"But there's somethin really cool over here. I never shared it with anyone, not even my mom." Rainbow smiled as she lead the way, her hands tucked into her jacket and Fluttershy walking beside her. Rainbow took a quick glance around, grinning as she led the way to a large hedge, digging through it and opening up a path.
"After you." she smiled, holding the opening for Fluttershy, following behind and covering up the hole. Fluttershy gasped, staring with wide eyes
"Oh my gosh. Rainbow! This is the Royal Garden! We aren't suppose to be here!" Fluttershy panicked.
"Relax Shy. Just look at this place! Isn't it amazing?" Rainbow asked, spreading out her wings and shooting up into the air, bringing several bunches of roses and petals along with her. Fluttershy simply watched as Rainbow flew freely through the air, weaving and rolling about before diving straight down and flipping to a stop at the last second.
"That was incredible Rainbow, but if we get caught here..."
"Shy, relax." Rainbow chuckled, grabbing her hand gently and tugging her along. Fluttershy let herself be pulled along, eeping as Rainbow lifted her off the ground, the two of them spinning about slowly in mid-air.
"Look down." Rainbow whispered. Fluttershy glanced down, her cheeks flushed as she stared at the flowers. The fallen petals from Rainbows flight fit together perfectly to spell out a simple question.
Will you go out with me?
Fluttershy was dumbstruck. She shifted her gaze to her friends face. Rainbow cleared her throat, making a point not to look at her friend while maintaining her gentle hold of her. Fluttershy, slowly hooked her arms around her friends neck, gulping as she leaned towards her.
"Rainbow...I..."
"HEY! What are you doing?!" a guard yelled.
"Crap." Rainbow grumbled.
"Alright you two, come on." Firefly said, arms crossed as she waited for them.
"Had I known they were here with you Ma'am I wouldn't have taken them into custody." the guard began to apologize.
"No its fine. You were just doing your job. With what I've been hearing lately I should be apologizing to you." she sighed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Rainbow asked. Firefly cleared her throat.
"Its not important right now Dash." She said softly. Rainbow wanted to argue, but with Fluttershy tugging on her arm she lost any reason to. Rainbow sighed and decided to let it go, for now. The guard held out Firefly's pistol, having confiscated it from Rainbow.
"I found this on her, no license."
"I see. That would be my fault. I gave it to her for protection."
"Well, thats all well and good, but she'll need a license for that. I'm just happy she didn't draw it on me." the guard chuckled lightly. Firefly faked a smile as she took the pistol, holstering it and letting out a sigh.
"Well, thank you sir. I'll be taking them off your hands now."
"Alright then, try and keep em out of trouble Ma'am." he said with a salute. Firefly rolled her eyes as she left, glancing left and right before giving Rainbow the pistol back. Rainbow tucked it into her jacket, ignoring the worried glance from Fluttershy as they walked to the car.
Rainbow stayed silent on the entire drive home, Firefly looking at her through the rearview mirror. She wanted to say something, but she knew better than to pest the girl. When she was ready to talk, she would come to her. Once back at Firefly's home, Rainbow stepped out of the car and marched inside without a word. Firefly sighed, glancing over at Fluttershy.
"You should go talk to her."
"M-Me? Why me?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'd have thought it was obvious by now." the older Skyborn sighed, crossing her arms.
"Fluttershy, how many of Dash's friends have you met?" she asked.
"Um...well..." Fluttershy blinked as she tried to remember. "None really..."
"She doesn't have any other friends Fluttershy. Just you. The little girl who saw through her tough shell, that was there when she needed someone to talk to, that stood by her side through everything. She needs you." Firefly said with a smile. Fluttershy chewed on her lip for a moment, her nervousness fading away and replaced with a determined look as she held out Angel.
"Can you hold him for me please?" she asked softly. Firefly chuckled, taking the bunny and watching as Fluttershy marched into the house.
"We'll just wait out here." Firefly said with a grin, Angel snoring in her arm.
"R-Rainbow?" Fluttershy called out.
"GO AWAY!" Rainbow screamed from behind her bedroom door. Fluttershy took a slow breath and pressed her hands against the door.
"Rainbow...Can we talk? Please?" she asked softly, her forehead against the door. "Please Dashie?" she gasped as the door flung open, Rainbow Dash standing in front of her, her eyes puffy and red from crying.
"J-Just go away Shy..."
"Yes."
"huh?"
"I'll go out with you." Fluttershy said simply. Rainbow Dash just stared, unblinking at her friend, unsure if she was dreaming or imagining things.
"Rainbow? Are you okay? Please say something..." Fluttershy began to panic. Firefly peeked her head in, Angel sitting atop her head.
"Hows it going?" she whispered.
"I think I broke her..." Fluttershy whimpered.
"Eh, she'll be fine. I'm ordering Pizza if you two get hungry." Firefly chuckled as she ducked back into the kitchen. Fluttershy turned to Rainbow, gasping as she was tackle hugged to the floor.
"Thank you so much Shy!" she squealed. Fluttershy smiled, wrapping her arms around her,
"You're welcome" she said softly. The two of them sat up, cheeks flushed and stammering. Rainbow cleared her throat as she stood, holding out her hand.
"We should get out there before Auntie eats all the pizza."
"I heard that!" Firefly called from the kitchen. The two girls shared a giggle as they left the hall hand in hand.
"I dunno if I'm ready for this." Rainbow admitted. Fluttershy smiled gently
"I don't know if I am either...but we both want this..." She pointed out. Rainbow nodded and sighed.
"I-I know Shy. I'm just not ready for more school." She said, staring at the doors to the Flight Academy.
"We worked hard to get here Rainbow. It wouldn't mean anything now if we didn't try." Fluttershy continued, waiting until Rainbow smiled to give her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Thanks Shy. Come on! We're gonna be late if we just stand around here all day!" Rainbow chuckled, pulling Fluttershy along. The halls were packed with Avaros and Grifanions flying this way and that, all dressed in the uniform of their chosen class and acquired rank. The two rookie fliers took it all in with wide eyes, until a rather pissed flier crashed between them.
"Hey! watch where you're walkin!" she roared, her hands shifting into talons. Rainbow slid between her and Fluttershy, her eyes glowing dimly.
"Rainbow don't." Fluttershy whimpered, putting a hand on her shoulder. The Grifanion in front of them blinked, watching Rainbow's impressive wings fill the hallway and hover protectively over Fluttershy.
"Well, aren't you just big an bad? Gotta give ya props for standin up for your girl. Names Gilda, Commander of A Flight, best flight there is. Make sure I see you there Rookie." Gilda chuckled, her talons shifting back to hands.
She flicked her hair out of her face and turned down the hall, racing a group of Avaros to class. Rainbow let out a slow breath, her eyes fading back to normal and her wings vanishing.
"Rainbow...you didn't have to do that." Fluttershy admonished softly
"Yea I did Shy. That chick was Grifanion. You let them walk over you once and they won't stop, ever." Rainbow turned and stumbled, putting a hand to her head.
"Rainbow! Are you ok?" Fluttershy asked in a panic.
"I-I'm fine. Just gotta sit down real quick." She said quickly, her stomach doing flips. It had been a while since she had last used magic and it had hit her pretty hard. She leaned against Fluttershy, her friend half-carrying her to class. Their teacher spared them a glance.
"New Recruits to the front." he said simply, his rough voice grabbing the attention of the new cadets rather easily. Each new cadet lined up, side by side and ready. The teacher held his arms behind his back, walking down the line and looking each cadet up and down.
"As of today, all of your skills, talents, smarts, strengths and abilities, don't mean jack shit." he said simply.
"You might have been the hotshot of track in your old school, fastest flier or what have you. But here, you're just another cadet. You will earn your place here with blood, sweat, and tears. Understood?" he asked softly, answered only with murmurs.
"I asked if you maggots understood me!" he yelled.
"SIR, YES, SIR!" they answered, Fluttershy hiding behind her hair. He stood in front of her, crossing his arms.
"Speak up Cadet." he demanded.
"s-sir, yes sir." she mumbled.
"I SAID SPEAK UP!" he screamed, tears stinging Fluttershy's eyes. Rainbow grit her teeth, pushing in front of her friend.
"Hey! Just leave her be! She isn't even here to be a cadet, she just wants her fliers license. You don't have to jump down her throat!" Rainbow yelled, the class falling silent. She gulped, realizing she had just yelled at her teacher.
aw shit she thought to herself as he stood upright.
"Whats your name cadet?" he asked softly.
"Rainbow Dash...Sir." she mumbled, managing to keep eye contact. She was already screwed, no reason to back down now.
"Cadet Rainbow Dash, since you're friend here is simply here for a license, you can cover her physical training, as well as your own." he chuckled, crossing his arms.
"Or is that too much for you to handle?"
"Pfft, bring it old man." Rainbow grinned.
"You'll refer to me as Commander Chrome Mist, Cadets will stay in formation!" he called out, each cadet snapping to attention. Fluttershy squeaked as Chrome Mist pointed to her.
"You there, name?"
"F-Fluttershy..."
"Miss Fluttershy, allow me to apologize for my outburst before. It seems there was a mistake in your class assigning. Only those with Military careers in their future join this class. You're stuck for it at this point, but you'll be required to complete some kind of work here."
"I-I'm good with animals." she mumbled.
"Good. You'll be my assistant then. Since your friend there is doing double duty you'll make sure she doesn't die of exhaustion." he said, moving to the head of the group. Fluttershy was left standing there with wide eyes.
"D-Die?!" she squeaked, blinking as Rainbow tugged on her arm.
"Shy, chill. I'm not gonna die, I'm sure as heck not gonna let some old wrinkly soldier yell at you either. I've got this." Rainbow assured her. Fluttershy sighed and shook her head.
"I'm sorry Rainbow..."
"Hey, like I said, its no biggie. Now come on, before Commander butt-munch catches us chatting." Rainbow joked, following the cadets ahead of them.
"Alright, spread out an stretch." Chrome Mist ordered, pointing to a bench for Fluttershy to sit at. Next to the bench was a cooler full of bottled water and a basket of towels. She watched as Rainbow began to stretch, spreading out her wings and letting them get some air.
"Cadet Dash, you've got 10 minutes to lap this track twice. Once for you and once for your friend."
"Yea, yea, start the timer old man." Rainbow called back, crouching down.
"Three, two, one, Mark!" he called, Rainbow shot off from the start line with enough force to bring several cadets with her. Chrome Mist stood in place, bracing himself against the wind with his own wings. Fluttershy stared with wide eyes, seeing one of his wings with a split in the middle.
He seemed unfazed though, watching as Rainbow soared around the track with a smirk. He couldn't help but chuckle as she rounded the last turn, flashing a grin at the cadets as she set off for lap two. The other cadets talked amongst themselves as they watched, muttering about how Rainbow was a show off.
"You cadets better be stretching over there, you're next." Chrome Mist said absentmindedly, glancing at his stopwatch as Rainbow came to a stop in front of him. She skid to a stop, panting slightly and wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead.
"How'd...I...do?" she asked.
"Well, lets check. The track takes an average cadet a time of 5 minutes and 23 seconds to lap." he murmured, picking up his clipboard from the bench.
"Yea?! and?!" Rainbow asked.
"Well, I'd say its a new academy record, wouldn't you?" he asked simply, handing her the clipboard. Under her lap times it read
Lap 1: 2min, 07sec. Lap2: 2min, 00sec.
Rainbow sighed, handing back the clipboard.
"Something wrong cadet?"
"Yea, I can be faster than that. I must be off or somethin'." Rainbow mumbled.
"Well, how about you get some water and try again." Chrome Mist suggested, patting her shoulder as he passed by, ordering the other cadets to begin their lap.
"That was amazing Rainbow. But, are you really sure about this?" Fluttershy asked, holding out a bottle for her. Rainbow accepted it, popping off the lid and pouring the contents over her head.
"Relax Shy. You get an easy ride to your license, I get to show off. Its a win-win situation." Rainbow grinned, her friend blushing as she stared at the hair sticking to her face.
"I better get back to it, save me one of those bottles!" Rainbow called as she headed back to the track, joining the cadets on their lap. Chrome Mist however went over to the bench, sitting beside Fluttershy.
"Tell me what you know about Rainbow Dash."
"Cadet Rainbow Dash to the Col's office, Cadet Rainbow Dash to the Col's office." a voice called over the loudspeaker.
"Aw crud. Sorry Shy..." Rainbow apologized, blinking as Fluttershy kissed her cheek.
"Its okay Rainbow. Maybe they just want to give you an award or something." she reasoned, packing up their picnic.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Rainbow swore as she rushed to the office. She checked her reflection in the window quickly before knocking on the door.
"Enter!" a voice called. She took a slow breath as she stepped inside. Colonel StormFeather and Commander Chrome Mist stood in the office waiting for her.
"Take a seat cadet." Storm said softly.
"Am I in some kind of trouble sir?" she asked, hesitating for a moment.
"Not specifically."
"What did I do?"
"Well to begin, you step out of line, you talk back to your higher ups, you have trouble with authority..."
"With all due respect, sir, I only step out of line to defend my friends." Rainbow argued.
"There is no reason to defend anyone from a teacher Cadet." Storm retorted, leaning back in his chair.
"But there are other things I have heard. Your incredible track record, flight times, Pt scores, academics could use some work, but all in all you are the perfect candidate."
"Candidate? For what?"
"Promotion. Moving from the ranks of Cadet into the higher ups. Tell me cadet, how'd you like a squadron?" Storm asked.
"A-a Squad? You're offering me a squad? Whats the catch?" Rainbow asked. Storm chuckled.
"See commander? Test scores have nothing to do with smarts." Storm pointed out, turning his attention back to Rainbow.
"The catch is that you need to learn to listen to orders, and your squad will be made up of your seniors. You'll have to earn their respect if you expect any of them to take you seriously. And there won't be any response to submitted papers on disobeying soldiers. You'll be on your own."
"Tch, is that all? I'll have them flying circles around this school in a month." she blinked as he tossed her a uniform, a pair of Officers Ranks sitting on top.
"Alright then Lieutenant, do your parents proud."
"Check.me.out!" Rainbow beamed, standing in her quarters in her new uniform.
"I'm so happy for you Rainbow." Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
"I mean, Lt Dash." Fluttershy saluted cutely, causing the Skyborn before her to blush and clear her throat.
"They say I've got a few days to get in the swing of things and then I've gotta get a squad to listen an respect me. But how hard can that be?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, not a lot of students care to listen to you...you have a habit of showing off and it makes them look bad." Fluttershy pointed out.
"I can't help being awesome! Its not my fault they can't keep up with me." Rainbow argued.
"Its not a race Rainbow. The cadets here are suppose to work together as one. Standing up and taking the lead is one thing, but abandoning others in the dust is something completely different." Fluttershy explained. Rainbow sighed, plopping down on her bed, Fluttershy resting her head on her shoulder.
"Thanks Shy." Rainbow mumbled, wrapping an arm around her.
"Squad! Form up!" Rainbow called out, gritting her teeth as her squad remained a jumbled mess.
"Day one...no progress..." Rainbow mumbled under her breath.
"Alright, look guys, you obviously don't like me. I get that. But I wanna show these guys that we can be the best, that WE are the best. I can't do that without you. So what do ya say?" Rainbow asked. A few looked between themselves and stood.
"Alright then, but no boasting or showboating." one enlisted demanded.
"You got it. Now, can we work as a team?" Rainbow asked. She bit her lip as they continued to murmur amongst themselves.
"We'll give you a week. You screw up once and we'll show the higher ups just how bad we can be." the same enlisted spoke up. Rainbow sighed to herself.
"Alright, deal. Now come on, lets get some drills goin'." Rainbow ordered. The enlisted raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"Ugh, please?" she asked.
"Sure thing ma'am." he jokingly tossed back, the others following him as he did some running drills.
"This is messed up." Rainbow grumbled under her breath.
"You're tellin' me. That kid needs to pull his head out of his ass and show you some respect." Gilda said as she landed beside her.
"Heard you got promoted, thought I'd lend a helping hand. Look Dash, the guys beneath us? They just wanna get a rise outta ya. They NEED to look good or they get washed out. He won't let the group look stupid, it'll put him at risk." Gilda revealed.
"You've gotta show him who the boss is, think of it as a test, got it?" she asked.
"A test huh?" Rainbow mumbled, flaring out her wings and hovering as her squad came to a stop.
"Alright listen up! No more playing around guys! We need to show them we're the best. Form up in ranks, wingtip apart." she ordered. The squad merely stared at her, looking between her and the enlisted that stood in front of her.
"Forgetting something?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Yea, I am." she growled, hovering in front of him.
"Laps, now. And if you don't finish before the rest of us you can spend the rest of the night out here, got it?!" she yelled, causing him to flinch.
"Hey! who says I gotta do a damn thing you want?! You're just some rookie who got lucky!" he said as he shoved her.
"Heh, you really shouldn't have done that." Rainbow sighed, unpinning her ranks and dropping them as she took her basic stance.
"You think you're so big an bad? Think I'm so useless? Why don't ya prove it?"
"I don't hit girls."
"Really? You had no problem pushing me just now, I've got plenty of witnesses to that." Rainbow said, pointing to the squad.
"Pfft, they follow me Liuetennent They didn't see anything."
"But I saw plenty." Gilda called out, her ranks shining in the sunlight.
"And I believe they will take the word of one of their best commanders over a bunch of washout punks." she grinned.
"Come on Comet, show her what you're made of, that is unless you're just a chicken." Gilda taunted. Rainbows blood felt cold as ice as his name reached her ears. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists so hard her hands started to bleed.
"Come on! You win and you can have my rank and position. But if I win you shut your damn mouth and get your sorry ass in line, got it?!" she demanded so harshly that even Gilda flinched. Comet sighed, removing his PT shirt and raising his arms. It was obvious he had been trained for Basic Combat, but not much else.
He rushed forward, throwing a few jabs that Rainbow palmed away, getting a feel for his pattern of attack before sliding backwards out of a quick hook, her palm resting on his elbow as she stepped in, grabbing his wrist and hooking her foot around the back of his leg, roaring as she tossed him, the poor soldier to be landing on his arm with a sickening snap. Rainbows' eyes widened as the sound reached her.
"MEDIC!"
Rainbow sat with her head in her hands, Gilda resting a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, he had it comin Dash." she tried in vain to comfort her.
"But not from me. Everyone is always tellin me not to lose my cool and I screwed up."
"That you did Miss Dash." Stormfeather said. Rainbow and Gilda quickly stood at attention, relaxing as he waved his hand.
"I'm disappointed. Daughter of one of our brightest and best and unable to control a single squad."
"With all due respect sir, Cadet First Sergeant Comet refused to listen to orders and openly threatened to make the squad look like a bunch of fools to get Lt Dash washed out sir." Gilda defended.
"That as may be, it is not cause to break his arm and fracture his ribs."
"But he started it! He came at me!" Rainbow argued.
"There is always a better way out of situations like this Miss Dash. Hopefully you'll figure that out on Cloud Duty."
"Cloud Duty?! Thats so unfair! Only proven Skyborn can handle Cloud duty!" Rainbow fussed.
"Well then, prove yourself." Storm said simply as he walked away. Rainbow smashed her fist into the wall, causing it to crack before marching down the hall. Gilda glanced at the crack for a moment, deciding to chase after the angered Lt.
"Don't sweat it Dash. At least he didn't try to demote you or anything. I think he believes you, but protocol an all that bullshit." Gilda said.
"Its not fair. I worked so hard to get here...and its all falling apart." Rainbow sighed.
"Hey, like I said, don't sweat it. And Cloud Duty isn't so tough. As long as you can't control weather you just sit around and watch the pro's. You got it off easy." Gilda chuckled.
"I gotta get goin, but when you get a chance, hit me up in the bunks."
"Uh...sure..."Rainbow waved as Gilda left, sighing and staring at the Janitorial office. Normally janitors were laughed at for being the cleaning crew.
But not when it came to cloud duty. Only the toughest of the tough and best of the best could handle Cloud Duty, literally. If you couldn't shift weather than you were a dead man here.
"Here goes nothing..." Rainbow gulped, gasping as the door slammed open. A grizzly figure stood before her, everything about him massive; From his muscles to his facial hair. His right arm was scorched in several places and his sleeveless shirt was burned in patches. Most likely from rogue lightning bolts.
"You the new kid?" he asked, his voice sounding like the very boom of thunder itself.
"Y-Yes Sir." she stammered, gasping as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't get yourself killed." was all he said before whistling, his squad forming up behind him, wings at the ready.
Oh gods, I'm gonna die here
Once outside they began on warm up drills. Regular stretches and PT prep. Things Rainbow was use to. Then the real work started. The Cloud Commander brought out a small thunder cloud, smashing his fist into the side to anger it. In moments it began to suck up moisture from the air, growing and growing until it filled the area.
"We've got three minutes to clear this cloud before it grows to the point that it destroys the academy! GET TO WORK!" he called over the building storm. Rainbow gulped, rushing at the cloud, completely unsure of what to do. It wasn't until a bolt flew past her that she realized she was alone.
"COME ON GUYS! Didn't you hear him?!" she yelled.
"Yea, we heard him. But he wasn't talkin' to us kid." a senior answered. Rainbow grit her teeth, turning back to the storm.
"Son of a..." she swore under her breath, buzzing her wings and rolling around another bolt. They wanted her to do it alone, Fine. She'd show them why no one messed with Rainbow Dash.
She wasn't going to lose to some storm. Gritting her teeth against the wind she began to fly around the cloud, pulling into a loop around it, going faster and faster until the cloud broke under the pressure.
A quick tilt of her wings and she flew around the smaller chunk until it broke into tiny pieces and faded away. It was a good strategy, one the commander would've suggested. But the storm was building too fast for a single Skyborn to handle. Rainbow bit her lip, realizing she was falling behind and in a last ditch effort took to the sky.
"Where the heck is she going?" a cadet asked, the others shrugged as they watched. Without slowing down Rainbow pulled out of her climb and dropped like a rock towards the storm, screaming against the wind as she smashed through the storm cloud. She'd never flown so fast in her life.
Which was probably why she couldn't stop. No matter how much she tried she couldn't slow down. She rolled and weaved through the air, trying to kill off her speed and in her frustration pulled back over the academy, finally able to pull to a stop over where the storm had been. She gasped as she was tackled by several cheering cadets, leaving her completely confused.
"Uh...Did I win?" Rainbow asked.
"Win? Kid, do you even know what you just did?" the commander asked with a laugh.
"Smashed apart a storm cloud?"
"Ha! Kid, thats the impossible test. No Skyborn can smash a stormcloud by themselves. Why do ya think a team consists of three? You obliterated that thing! With a Rainboom no less. Kid, I'm promotin you to Senior Cloud Specialist."
"A Rainboom?" Twilight asked. Rainbow smirked.
"Yea, its kind of a big deal with us Skyborn. Legend has it only the best can do it and until I pulled it off thats all it was. Just a legend. And then BAM! I go flyin so fast I smash through the sound barrier and light up the sky in an epic Rainbow." Rainbow boasted.
"But thats impossible. Nothing could survive those speeds unprotected. The skeletal structure would shatter under the pressure and muscle mass would turn to jelly." Twilight reasoned.
"Well I'm not any normal person Twi'." Rainbow reminded her. The Magian thought it over for a moment.
"Your mothers magic protected you..." she realized. Rainbow sighed and gave a nod.
"As much as I hate to admit it, yea. There was some part of her that really did love me and I guess she decided to leave that with me." she said softly.
"So...you got promoted. Thats good." Twilight said, trying to change the subject.
"Yea...not really. I was busy almost all day long. No one had ever passed that test. They'd only done it by calling for help or working together. I thought they were screwing with me so I did it alone. After that they realized that I was one of the few Skyborn who could control weather..." Rainbow lowered her head.
"They took away my squad and put me on weather duty. I never had time for anything but work. It was always something happening. A tornado here, a thunderstorm there, too much rain, too little rain. The worst part was, I was good at it."
She wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded to her team.
"Alright, good work guys! Hit the showers and get some rest. I'll clean up here!" Rainbow shouted to them. Her team whooped and cheered as they left. She smiled a little to herself. Just because she had to be stuck here didn't mean they had to be.
She sighed, lowering her goggles and heading back to work, clearing away the remaining clouds before calling it a day. The worn out Skyborn dragged her feet back to her dorm, pushing the door open and freezing in place. There, sitting on her bed in tears, was Fluttershy. She wore a clingy bright yellow dress, her beautiful makeup smudged from her tears.
"S-Shy..." Rainbow stammered.
"R-Rainbow! Oh, I must look terrible..." Fluttershy gasped, trying to wipe away her tears. Rainbow sat in front of her, grabbing her hands.
"Shy, I am so sorry...I got stuck clearing up the sky for the dance..." Rainbow sighed, hanging her head.
"I-its okay Rainbow. I didn't really want to go anyway..." Fluttershy said softly.
"Come on Shy, you spent ages talking about this. I could've been there if I had tried harder."
"You already try too hard Rainbow. I'm worried you're going to hurt yourself. I'm not upset about the dance, really. Its just...I never see you anymore." Fluttershy admitted. Rainbow didn't know what to say. Here she was, 'living her dream', and all of it was falling apart.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Rainbow swore, her heart dropping as her friend shook her head.
"You always say that...and then you never show up. I'm sorry Rainbow." Fluttershy let go of her hands and without looking back, left. Rainbow simply sat there, staring at the bed where Fluttershy had been sitting with her heart caught in her throat. Had Fluttershy just dumped her? Her only real friend in the world, had left.
Because of her. Because she could never keep her word, because that stupid weather team would fall apart without her. Sadness turned into anger as she stood, flinging her belongings around the room, her eyes settling on a picture of her first day at the academy. A picture of her and Fluttershy sharing one of their first kisses. She tossed it at the wall before collapsing onto her bed.
"Resigning? But why? You're the best we've ever had!" Stormfeather said as he stared at the forms and hoping to find a flaw in the paperwork. He refused to give up on this girl.
"I don't have a reason to be here anymore sir. All I ask is for a recommendation so I can get a job somewhere." Rainbow said softly. He considered her for a moment.
Brave, bold, strong-headed Rainbow Dash was here in his office an obvious mess of herself. What had torn her down? Had he been to hard on her? No. She was made of tougher stuff than this, the Wonderbolts themselves had attested to that. So why was she quitting on him?
"What reason did you have to be here before then may I ask?"
"With all due respect, thats a personal matter sir. I just wanna go my own way." she continued, her head down as she choked back a sob.
"Rainbow, your parents had nothing but praise for you. Sure, you could say the same about any parent, but its different with a Wonderbolt. When your mother first started here she had no praise to carry her along even though she had connections with the Wonderbolts. They had nothing good to say about her at all. And look at her now, Head Captain of Alpha Team. You could do great things Rainbow!"
"I DON'T WANT TO! I NEVER ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS!" Rainbow screamed, her eyes glowing for the moment she lost control. She shook slightly and clenched her fists.
"Please Sir...j-just...I can't do this anymore...not alone." she cried, finally breaking down. It was a sad sight to behold. This strong young woman who had come to him and dragged herself to the top, now a broken mess. He stood from his chair, pulling her into a gentle hug.
"I won't approve your resignation. Instead you can take a leave of absence to clear your head and when you're ready to come back, your squad will be waiting for you." he whispered, letting her cling to him as she cried to her hearts content. After being dismissed she went straight to her dorm to pack, leaving him to make an unnerving phone call.
"Get me Spitfire."
"I quit. When Fluttershy left...I had nothing to keep me going. My dads cloudhouse was here in Eravil, and with the Everfree being so close the Weather team needed a hero. So they stuck me here. Queen of the clouds. And I've been here ever since. It was about a year later that Fluttershy graduated and we bumped into each other here. We'd both sorta moved on by that point and for a while all she would do was apologize like it was her fault." Rainbow chuckled to herself.
"But it was my fault. I coulda been there for her. I coulda stayed and helped her like I promised, but I ran away instead."
"But you can go back. You can be the Wonderbolt you wanted to be Rainbow." Twilight reasoned.
"I'm not worth it yet Twi. A Wonderbolt is a person who protects and serves and is always there when they are needed. I'm none of that." Rainbow argued.
"Rainbow, I just saw you take down a storm mason for this town. Is that someone who isn't there to protect and serve? Is that someone who isn't around when they are needed?" Twilight asked, grabbing her hands.
"I was just doing what I had to."
"Sometimes thats all it takes." Fluttershy said softly from the doorway. Rainbow spun, seeing her standing there with Rarity.
"H-How long have you guys..."
"Quite a while darling. We didn't want to interrupt the moment." Rarity answered.
"Rainbow. I know I can't change what happened, but...I'm sorry I abandoned you. I just couldn't do it anymore."
"Shy...how many times do i gotta say it? It wasn't your fault. You did the right thing by leaving. I needed to get out of the academy, get some fresh air. If anything I abandoned you."
"Thats not true. I...watched you Rainbow. Whenever you didn't show up, I went looking for you and I always found you working. You were always working so hard to keep everything together, ever since we were little you've been like that. But you were always trying to make time for me. I felt like I was dragging you down and at the same time...I was so alone. So I made a choice...and now its too late to change it."
"I don't see why, surely you two could...'hook up'?" Rarity suggested. The two Skyborn looked at one another and shook their heads.
"Theres scars there that won't ever heal Rarity. It wouldn't be the same." Rainbow sighed. Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
"Well, it was worth a shot." Rarity mumbled.
"I have a question though..." Fluttershy said softly.
"uh...sure, ask away."
"Why do you always throw yourself into danger?"
"pfft, what? I don't throw myself into danger!"
"Yes you do! When that thing attacked, I could've helped! We all could have! But you fought all alone like you always do!" Fluttershy yelled. Rainbow hung her head, barely realizing she still held Twilights hand.
"Because I dunno what I'd do if I lost you again."
"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Yes, yes, calm down. I'm trying to watch this!" he sighed, tossing a bone to the beast that hid in the shadows.
"Such a touching tale of love lost. And what a battle! Now, who shall we put to the test next? The baker? the farmer? or the bookworm?" he mused, snapping his fingers and glancing at the cages behind him.
"So many to choose from, but which will be the most entertaining? Choices, choices." he tsk'd and turned back to the crystal ball that floated before him.
"I suppose any will do nicely." he sighed, grabbing a glass of chocolate milk.
"Its getting late, you girls are welcome to stay here tonight." Twilight said as she stood, blankets and pillows flying in her magic to form several pallets.
"It could be like a sleepover!" she cheered, brightening the mood slightly.
"Well, as wonderful as that sounds, I fear we must decline Twilight. Fluttershy has her animals to worry about in the morning and quite a few at night. I on the other hand have a rather large order I have to fill by tomorrow evening. Perhaps another time?" Rarity asked.
"Oh...Okay then. Have a safe trip home." Twilight smiled as they left. Rainbow stood, tucking her hands into her pockets.
"I uh...don't have anything to do. I could hang around if you want. But no makeovers!" Rainbow said. In the kitchen Spike chuckled to himself as he pulled out a bag of marshmallows. Carefully roasting a few and setting them in a bowl with a note before sneaking outside.
"This is going to be great. My first sleepover. Spike! Spiiike?!" She called out as she headed into the kitchen.
"Where did he run off to?" she mumbled, spotting the note.
Made you guys a snack for your sleepover. I'm not big on girly stuff so I'll be out of your hair for the night. Have fun Twi'
She smiled slightly as she took the bowl back to the living room.
"Are those fire roasted marshmallows?" Rainbow asked.
"Yup, Spike made em. I guess we kinda scared him off." she shrugged as she sat down. Rainbow expertly popping a marshmallow in the air and catching it between her teeth.
"Man, good thing Pinkie Pie isn't here. She'd gobble the whole thing down before anyone had a chance to see it." Rainbow laughed.
"I doubt she's inconsiderate like that."
"Nah, its nothing like that. Girl just loves her sweets." Rainbow explained nomming another marshmallow. Twilight smiled, happy to see the tears gone from her friends face and the beginnings of a smile growing. It had been a hard day for the Skyborn. Hopefully the night would be better.
"So, know any good ghost stories?" Rainbow asked.
Spike dug his clawed feet into the branch he stood upon, looking out into the town as the night dragged on. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a figure in the air and resisted the urge to wave. If he had seen her then she knew he was there. If she had meant to speak with him then she would come to him. That was what he had been told and he would respect those words. With a sigh he turned his attention back to the town.
"This little place, Eravil. Was the last stronghold against the Chaoticians. Whats hidden away here that won that battle so long ago?" Spike thought aloud. It was something he had wondered for a long time, though he suspected the weapon that proved victorious on that day was the Elements of Harmony, it seemed like there was something more to it.
According to Celestia there had been others, many others, Chaotician and Celestian alike. The godlike beings had fought over the realm for centuries and were thought to be all but extinct. But Celestia had ordered him to keep his eyes open, to watch the Chaos. Did that mean there were still Chaoticians out there? Just how powerful were they? And, when the time came to face them, would he be strong enough to protect Twilight?
"Hm, that one there is peculiar. A Draconic Beastkin. I was sure none of their kind would ever set foot anywhere near Celemaont, let alone little Eravil. Hiding things from me Celly?" he chuckled.
"Well, you've got your little dragon and I've got my pets. Who will win in the end?" he asked, snapping his fingers.
"Go play with the little fire-breather and make it enjoyable."
THUD...THUD...THUD
"What the heck is that?" Spike mumbled, his eyes glowing dimly in the moonlight. In the distance, coming from the Everfree he spotted something...big, marching straight towards town.
"That can't be good." he mumbled, swinging off the branch he clung to and down the tree. Whatever this thing was, he'd have to take care of it himself. Twilight was comforting Rainbow and he planned to let them enjoy their night. It wasn't the first time he'd played the secret hero and he doubted it would be the last.
But this was why he was around. Why Celestia entrusted him to Twilight. He took a slow breath to relax as he rushed toward the creature stomping towards town. If he was quick about it he could probably keep it from even reaching town.
At least thats what he thought until he realized it was a Golem. A creature crafted from Dark Magiks, powerful words, and clay. It was also immune to anything magic and drained the magic out of anything it touched. Spike, being a Beastkin of Dragons, was immune to most magics. One of the exceptions to that being Golems.
Now he was really on his own, there was no way he could drag Twilight into this. As a Magian this thing would devour her! He had to find the words of power that were used on it. But that meant reaching into its mouth, if he was lucky. He kicked off the ground, slamming his palms into its shoulders and flipping over its back, drawing it away from the town and into the forest.
"Thats it, follow the tasty dragon!" he called out after it, ducking under branches and jumping over bushes as fast as his legs could carry him. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, spotting the words of power etched into its forehead. He needed to erase the E, if memory served correctly.
"How the heck am I gonna do that?" he mumbled to himself, pivoting and sliding under the Golem.
"I'M GONNA REGRET THIS!" he called out, roaring as he fully shifted, leaping atop the Golem and throwing his arm around his neck, jamming his thumb into its forehead as it twisted and spun, trying to throw him off.
Spike jammed his teeth into the Golems neck, growling as he slashed his claw through the letters in its forehead, his scales sizzling against the Golems skin. He fought through the pain, feeling one of his teeth chip as he held on for dear life, finishing his etching into the Golems head and leaping as far away as he could.
He panted heavily as he lay on the ground, smoke rising from his body. The Golem groaned as it slowly marched away. Spike chuckled to himself as he reverted to normal, magical burns coating his body.
"Gonna feel that in the morning." he mumbled, crawling to his feet slowly. He kept an eye on the golem as it marched, snapping his claws along with a muttered word before turning away and trudging towards home, gasping as a figure swooped down in front of him.
"Hello Dragonkin." she said softly. Spike blinked, lowering his head and crying out in pain.
"There is no need to prostrate yourself before us, not after the deeds which you have performed." she urged, surrounding him in a blanket of magic.
"T'was quite brave and yet foolish to clamber atop a Golem, one of your sworn enemies." she tsk'd as her magic began to soothe his burns.
"It was heading straight for Eravil. I did what I had to Princess Luna." Spike offered as an excuse.
"I am not reprimanding you Spike. Sometimes the best option is not always the brightest." she said with a small smile.
"It is my understanding...that you have Guarded my Savior for quite some time, and that she is unaware of your protection. Why is this?" she asked as she continued to heal him.
"It was Princess Celestia's idea. As a dragon-kin...I don't quite belong. I sort of stand out in a crowd as well and I'm more of a second-class citizen than anything else."
"We do not remember it that way. The dragon-kin were our brethren."
"To you they were...But the way I hear it, after Nightmare Moons Banishment...things fell apart. The Dragons were still loyal to you and still are Princess." Spike pointed out, stretching a bit as the blanket of magic vanished from around him.
"We see...so that is why she allowed us to fly freely this night. There is much more at work here than we know my dear dragon-kin." Luna murmured as she began to pace, her regal robes flowing elegantly behind her. Spike lowered his eyes, keeping his head down. The younger princess couldn't help but feel a bit amused by his actions.
"One so young, yet so prim and proper. Our sister must've spent quite some time training you Guardian." she mused, earning a blush from him.
"Keep your eyes open Guardian. And for now, continue to keep watch over our sisters ward. I feel old enemies will soon arise." she placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead, her massive wings spreading out and giving one powerful flap to throw her high into the air. Spike watched with a small smile as she vanished into the starlit night.
"I got a kiss from Princess Luna..." he mumbled drunkenly.
The young dragon-kin snuck into the library with as much stealth as he could muster, finding Twilight and Rainbow curled up in a blanket together and passed out amongst a pile of pillows. He chuckled to himself and made his way upstairs, flopping down into his bed, still aching a bit from his short battle.
Magic could only do so much to sooth the burns left behind by a Golem. As his thoughts drifted to the creature he snapped his fingers, a small window opening, showing the Golem walking along its path with the tracer he had left on it.
"Just who made you?" he asked softly.
"That would be me." a voice said, the image before him wavering slightly and revealing a figure hidden in the shadows, his piercing yellow eyes staring into the dragon-kins emerald slits.
"You are quite an interesting Specimen Sir Spike Swiftshrike of Celestia's Secret Guard. But this little game of ours will have to come to an end for tonight, but you won fair and square, so heres a little consolation prize." the figure chuckled, snapping its fingers.
Spike screamed as his scrying glass exploded, a second explosion sounding in the distance, most likely the Golem being commanded to detonate before it could return to its owner.
Twilight and Rainbow were upstairs in an instant, finding Spike laying on his back, his skin burnt black and a few of his scales spread across the remains of Twilights room as he had attempted to shift to protect himself. He rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing and forcing the shift to complete.
"G-Get out..." he gasped, digging his claws into the wooden floor.
"S-Spike..." Twilight cried out, gasping as he let out a bestial roar, causing her to flinch away.
"GET OUT! NOW!" he roared. Rainbow didn't need to be told twice. Throwing her arms around Twilight she leapt for the window, tucking her wings around the two as she spun, flinging them out of the library and into the night sky. Spike growled low in his throat, crouched on all fours as the figure appeared before him.
"I'm impressed boy. You've had a good teacher and you've learned well. But how much can a Celestian teach a dragon?" the figure asked. Spike had no answer, settling for a growl.
"You fought off my Golem, survived a Class 3 Explosion, and still have the gall to stand up to me. I like you boy, but you've got that spark in your eyes. That spark that says you'll die before listening to a thing I have to say. Its a shame really." the figure sighed, raising his hand. Spike's tail raised high in the air as he growled louder.
"Sleep well, sweet knight, t'was a shame we could not be friends."
"NOT TODAY!" Twilight screamed, smashing enough magical energy into the figure to send it flying through the opposite wall. She rushed to Spike's side, throwing her arms around him.
"Oh gods Spike..." she cried.
"Twi' we got trouble. That thing is coming back for round 2!" Rainbow called out, her armor appearing, the bolts flying to her hands as she stood between them. The figure glanced at her from the shadows, chuckling softly as it vanished.
"What the heck was that?!" Rainbow yelled, turning towards Twilight who held a wounded boy in her arms.
"We've got to get him to a hospital..."
"Hey, chill Twilight. The little guy is tough, he'll pull through." Rainbow said, holding the Magian close, even when their friends burst into the hospital.
"What happened?!" they asked together.
"Whoa! Chill out!" Rainbow said, one arm hooked around Twilight.
"Spike's bein' looked at and he's gonna be fine. Some whacko jumped us at Twi's place and the lil' guy got hurt protectin' us." Rainbow explained quickly.
"He protected ya'll? What 'bout yer fancy magic an bolts?" Applejack asked.
"I didn't really have time to think about any of that AJ, when a giant fire breathing lizard tells you to get the fuck out, you get the fuck out." the room fell silent after that, the friends gathered together and waiting to hear about Spike.
"I do hope I am not too late." Princess Celestia spoke up as she entered the waiting room.
"P-Princess! wh-what are you doing here?" Twilight choked out
"Word travels fast about massive magical disturbances." she said simply. She waved her guards away, waiting until they took up post at the doorways before marching into the operating room.
"I-is he really going to be ok?" Fluttershy stammered.
The sight of her adopted son, strapped to a table, bruised, bloody, and burned, brought tears to her eyes. She had trained him to fight, to protect, to die if he had to. But she had never expected this.
"Spike? Can you hear me?" she called out softly.
"Princess?" he gasped, trying to sit up, the nurses gently pushing him back down.
"You shouldn't be moving!" Nurse Redheart sighed.
"Yes, its me. You've been badly hurt Spike and you need to keep still. I know I have no right to ask this...but what..."
"The Chaotician." he said softly, tears stinging his eyes. Celestia lowered her head, her worst fears made true.
"I couldn't...I couldn't do it. H-he was so powerful...all I could do was just sit there!" he roared in frustration, flames licking the ceiling in his fury.
"Thats enough Spike!" Celestia yelled, the boy calming down almost instantly.
"You fought bravely and did all that you could. Not even I could've stood against that monster." she admitted.
"T-Twilight, h-hit him." Spike gasped out.
"He's fading." Nurse Redheart rushed about the room, pulling a breathing machine towards the dragon, pausing as Celestia held up her hand to stop them.
"Give him a moment Nurse." she said softly. The room fell silent as the heart-monitor went dead.
"Princess! we're going to lose him!" the Nurse panicked.
"Have you ever tended to a dragon before nurse?" Celestia asked quietly.
"N-Never."
"Then watch." she said, taking a seat. Slowly but surely the Heart-monitor began to kick back to life, a steady beep filling the room. The sound of bones crunching and twisting back into place made more than a few people in the room queasy, however it was the screaming that really caused the nurse to jump out of her skin. Spike lay on the table, steam rising from his skin as he panted heavily, the nurse strapping a breathing mask to his face to help regulate his breathing.
"What was that?" Nurse Redheart demanded.
"Its a healing process. Its secrets are a forbidden subject of discussion. The important part is, if you give him time to rest, he will be just fine." Celestia stood, placing a small kiss on Spikes' forehead, leaving with a whispered goodbye. Twilight stared at her with hopeful eyes as she left the operating room.
"He's going to make a full recovery Twilight. While he rests...we have things to discuss."
"Princess, do you know what that thing was that attacked Spike?" Twilight asked.
"It is my understanding that you were its target." Celestia sighed.
"It went straight after Spike, he told us to run and tried to fight alone a-and I flipped." Twilight cried.
"Twi' that was the craziest thing I've ever seen anyone do! And I saw you get thrown into the air by Pinkie!" Rainbow argued
"From what Spike was able to tell me, I heard you managed to hit his attacker with a spell...Is that true Twilight?" Celestia asked softly. Twilight blinked away her tears and nodded.
"Perhaps there is a chance then..." Celestia murmured to herself.
"A chance for what your highness?" Rarity asked.
"As you all know...long ago there was a war between the Celestians and a race known as the Chatocians, rulers of chaos and disharmony."
"A-are ya'll sayin' one o' them attacked Spike? But why?!" Applejack asked.
"No one can understand what goes on in the mind of a God of Chaos. He saw something in Spike and wanted it out of his way. Which can only mean he is watching you." the princess sighed.
"Its because of the Elements." Fluttershy said suddenly, clutching the end of her dress.
"Yes, The Elements are the greatest weapon against the Chaoticians. It would only make sense they would be a target." Celestia agreed.
"THEN WHY SPIKE!?" Twilight cried out.
"H-He didn't deserve this...i-its my fault..." Twilight blamed herself, hanging her head.
"Maybe thats what that jerk wants you to think." Rainbow pointed out. Twilight sniffed as she raised her head.
"It'd be too easy for some nutjob to target us, but if he hurts what we care about, and makes us feel like its our fault? We start to fall apart and then the Elements probably won't even work!" Rainbow reasoned.
"Thats...brilliant Rainbow Dash. I never realized you possessed such skills of deduction." Rarity blinked.
"Dashie's smarter than she looks!" Pinkie pointed out.
"Thanks Pinks...I think." Rainbow mumbled.
"But what do we do now? We got some kinda god o' chaos watchin over us an hurtin what we care 'bout. How are we gonna protect ourselves?" Applejack asked. Rainbow chuckled, her armor latching onto her as she crossed her arms.
"He took off running when he saw this. I dare that creep to come after any of us! Ya hear me?! I dare ya!" Rainbow shouted at the ceiling.
"Thats all well and good. But none of us are able to call to our Element the way you can Rainbow. What if we are left without you?" Rarity asked.
"Uh...crud, I can't be in five places at once..." Rainbow sighed, her armor vanishing.
"Well, why don't we just figure it out?" Pinkie suggested.
"How are we going to do that?" Fluttershy asked, jumping as the door behind them opened. Spike slowly made his way into the room. A sword was latched to his waist along with the white coat and armor he wore.
"I'm going to teach you, and we're going to take that bastard down."
Spike gasped as Twilight tackled him to the ground, crying into his chest as she clung to him.
"Oh Spike, I was so worried! Wait, did you say you were going to teach us?" she blinked, wiping away her tears.
"Yea...I did. And I'm pretty much a Dragon, Twilight. Not much leaves a mark on me." he chuckled.
"Spike, no offense buddy, but what do you know about this harmony stuff?" Rainbow asked. Spike sighed, waiting until Twilight allowed him to continue. Now on his feet he looked around the room.
"Since the day I was born, I was nothing but a second class citizen. Just a thing in the streets. No one would care about me, no one would give me a home. And then the Princess found me, just dying on some corner and gave me a chance." Spike smiled at the Princess.
"Spike, you don't have to do this."
"But I do Princess. I saw first-hand what we are dealing with and so did you. Its time to tell the truth." Spike reasoned.
"Wh-what truth?" Twilight asked. Spike sighed, resting a hand on his sword and flicking back his coat, revealing Celestia's coat of arms patched over his heart.
"I am Sir Spike Swiftshrike of Celestia's Elite Guard, entrusted with the safety of the Magian Twilight Sparkle." Spike intoned, smoke drifting from his nostrils. Each of them had a somewhat different reaction. Rarity swooned and fainted, Rainbow just stared while Pinkie continued to blink repeatedly. Fluttershy squeaked while Applejack just chuckled. Twilight stammered and leapt to her feet.
"Entrusted with my safety?! B-But I've been watching after you since I was..."
"Fourteen years old, fresh under the care of Princess Celestia. Twilight, I'm a dragon. I age differently than you do. I look like a kid, but i'm old enough to be your big brother." Spike told her, leaving her to stammer and pace.
"I can't believe I never realized that." Twilight mumbled. "Why did you hide this from me?"
"Because taking care of me made you better at magic. You learned how to be kind to a stranger and to take them in and love them the same way you do with mana." Spike explained. Twilight wanted to be angry, wanted to argue, but the reasoning was solid, if not painful. She sank to her knees, holding out her arms.
"C-can I just have a hug a-and pretend your my little assistant for a few moments?" she whispered. Spike threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
"I am your little assistant Twilight and I'm always gonna be. Thats never gonna change, not if I can help it. But I'm also the little guy thats suppose to keep you safe until the day I'm not needed."
"B-But I need you..." Twilight mumbled.
"Then I'm not going anywhere." he promised.
"Ah uh...don't mean t' break up th' moment. But can someone please explain whats going on?" Applejack asked.
"I have trained Spike since he was but a boy in the streets to be one of the best Celamont has to offer. There are only four among my Elite Guard, Spike being among them. And he was the only one I could trust to watch over Twilight." she glanced over at her student.
"She truly is the most gifted Magian I have ever seen...and I fear dearly for her life." Celestia sighed.
"Okaaaay, now I'm confused...." Pinkie grumbled.
"Yes, I must agree with Pinkie." Rarity tossed in.
"Twilight Sparkle, my protege, is the descendent of the Great Starswirl the Wise, and her magical talent far surpasses his and if left unchecked, could cause immeasurable damage to herself and all of those around her. Her lessons and Spikes unwavering eye were a requirement in keeping her safe." Celestia paused for a moment, folding her hands in her lap.
"Her magical trail can be easily picked up by even the weakest caster because of its intensity, making her a viable target for many of my enemies."
"I-I'm a target? Why?! I didn't do anything! I didn't ask for this!" Twilight shouted, her eyes wide as Rainbows hands rested on her shoulders from behind.
"We all get the short end of the stick sometimes Twi. Sometimes you just gotta roll with what ya got, and what you've got, is seven of the greatest friends a girl could ask for." she said with a smile, directing her attention to everyone in the room. Twilight smiled, taking a shuddering breath and nodding.
"We can do this...together."
A good nights rest, with one Dragon-kin and several covert guards stalking the town of Eravil later, the girls and their teacher stood in a field at Sweet Apple Acres, ready for lesson one.
"The Elements of Harmony are bound to the qualities they signify. Rainbow Dash unlocked the power to call her Element at will by remaining Loyal to her friends and to this town, no matter the consequence to herself." Spike said as he started pacing in front of them, his cloak flowing within the gentle breeze.
"By proving to your Element that you are deserving of it, you will be granted its powers to defend yourself."
"well how the heck are we s'pose t' prove t' these things we're worthy of em? Ah'm as Honest as a gal can be an ah ain't gussied up like Rainbow." Applejack pointed out.
"The Elements aren't just trinkets Applejack. Souls of the greatest heroes of the realm reside within them. Heroes who have given their power to the greatest heros throughout time, including Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The spirits within these need proof that you can handle the power they offer you." he explained.
"Rainbow, could you demonstrate please?" Spike asked. The weather flier shrugged, her armor glowing as it came to life around her.
"When you call to it, what do you feel?" he asked.
"I feel...like I could do anything...would do anything, no...Will do anything, to keep my friends safe. I feel like I'd sooner die then abandon them." Rainbow said proudly.
"Those are the true feelings in your heart, and are reflected by the Element you wear and thats why your armor comes to you so easily. Why its powers bind themselves to you." he smiled as he turned to the others.
"All you need is those feelings you originally had when you fought Nightmare Moon. That strength and determination is the key."
"I don't feel like its quite that simple Spikey. It was all a spur of the moment thing darling. Our friend was in trouble and everything happened so fast."
"Then maybe we need to recreate that." Spike said, drawing his sword, rushing towards Twilight, Rainbow meeting him halfway and raising her arm to catch the blade.
"What the heck Spike?! I thought you were our friend!" she yelled.
"And thats why I have to do this." Spike said softly, rolling around Rainbow and shoving Twilight into Rarity, leaping over a punch from Applejack, his sword finding its way into its sheath as he bounced around Pinkie Pie's wildly flying arms.
"Whoo, that kids' squirrelier then that bunny o' yers Shy." Applejack mumbled.
"Um...he's a year older than me." Fluttershy mumbled back. Spike flung off his cloak, his arms and legs shifting.
"One doesn't become Captain of the Elite Guard overnight girls." He said simply.
"You're the Captain?!" Twilight gasped.
"Yes, I am. And I was nowhere near a match for the Chaotician. If you can't beat me, he'll devour you." he roared as he leapt for Applejack, smashing his leg into her rune-covered arm, flipping over her, his hands firmly grasping her shoulders as he landed, hauling the farmer over himself.
Applejack was tough, she had fought off bandits and Timberwolves and would be suitors who were only looking to pry off her jeans. She refused to be tossed around by anyone. With a roar of her own Applejack spun with the throw, landing firmly on the ground and hooking her arms under Spike, bending backwards and smashing him firmly into the soil.
"Spike! Are you okay!?" Twilight gasped as she rushed over to him, gasping as he spun in place, Rainbow barely snatching the Magian away in time.
"Hey, he said he was Captain of the Princess' toughest guys Twi'. I doubt even Aj could clean that clock that easily." Rainbow said, keeping herself between Twilight and the Dragonkin turned enemy. Applejack panted slightly.
"C'mon then! Show me what they teach at those fancy fightin' schools in Celamont!" she taunted. Spike dusted himself off, removing his sheath and belt, stabbing the sheathed blade into the ground.
"You should have Pinkie tag along." he threw back.
"Spike! Rude!" Twilight scolded. Applejack removed her hat, placing it on a nearby tree limb.
"Hold on tight t' that fer me..." she whispered to the tree as she turned back to Spike, the runes etched across her skin glowing brightly as the Gaian rushed forward. Spike had spent many years in training, learning Spells, hand-to-hand combat, Swordplay, and much more.
One of his most important lessons was the weaknesses and strengths of Magians, Gaians, and Skyborn. Most Gaians relied on the strength of their fists, leaving the legs as an easy target. Applejack was not most Gaians, she was Jacqueline Sunnydale Apple, and her strength was her legs.
Spike dove for her legs, getting a full on Shin to the face, sending him skidding across the ground on his back. Gritting his teeth as he dug his tail into the ground, flinging himself upright and kicking off the ground towards Applejack.
"WHEE!" Pinkie giggled as she tackled him, gasping as he rolled with the tackle and grabbed her arm, spinning in place and chucking her at Applejack. With what seemed like practice precision, the Apple farmer stepped to the side, catching the Pink clad Gaian by the collar of her shirt.
"Spike, ah've lived in Eravil a long time, an one thing a girl learns how t' do in this place, is Dodge Pinkie's hugs." she chuckled, setting her friend down. She blinked as the dragon-kin's eyes shifted, flames engulfing his arms and legs.
"Ready Pinks?" Applejack whispered. Pinkie nodded as she rolled her shoulders. Applejack grabbed her friend by the back of her shirt, roaring as she spun and chucked her at full-speed at Spike.
The cloaked figure tilted his head to the side, snatching Pinkie from the air by her ankle and bringing her to the ground out cold. He started to advance on Applejack, blinking as something snatched his ankles.
"GOTCHA!" Pinkie snorted, he had just enough time to look back up to see a fist smashing into his face, sending him sprawling through the dirt. It wasn't until he stopped moving that the two Gaians realized what they had done.
"Spike! Ah'm sorry, ah didn't mean t' hit ya so hard! Honest!" she cried out as she rushed to his side. The dragonkin groaned quietly as he sat up.
"Sweet Celestia that hurt..." he grumbled, putting a hand against his head. No wonder Celestia had put him through all those strength excersices. If his head had been any softer he wouldn't have it anymore! He blinked as a rag was placed on his forehead.
"Granny says if'n ya'll are gonna chase away all th' boys who come near that ya'll should be askin' em to leave instead of hittin em." a young girl said, keeping the cool rag pressed firmly against his head. Looking up he saw that she wore a red bow in her hair and a pair of blue overalls, a yellow shirt tucked in underneath, a pair of worn out sneakers clinging to her feet.
"Applebloom, this ain't what ya think it is. We were uh...trainin'. An things kinda got outta hand. Wait a minute, what are ya'll doin' out here anyway, don't ya'll have homework to do missy?" Applejack scolded. Applebloom pouted.
"Yes ma'am." she mumbled, marching toward the house atop the hill.
"She's nice. she your daughter?" Spike asked, Applejack blushing deeply and shaking her head.
"Wh-what!? N-No! Sh-she's my sister!" Applejack argued, the Element around her neck losing a bit of its luster. The friends fell silent as the farmer hung her head.
"C-can we talk 'bout this somewhere else?" she asked softly.
Sugarcube corner was completely silent and empty save for the seven friends who shared a table. Applejack stared at her Element, having removed it and placed it on the table.
"Ah ain't worthy o' this thing." she finally spoke up, clenching her fists.
"Of course you are darling! So you have a few lies hidden under your belt, who doesn't? Spikey spent his entire time with Twilight lying to her and they are still the best of friends. Not to say lying is good, but sometimes its necessary." Rarity pointed out.
"Yea...well it didn't have t' be that way...t' tell th' truth, ah was scared."
"Scared? But I've never seen you scared of anything Applejack!" Pinkie argued.
"Well this was a while back. Ah was jus' barely gettin' th' hang of tendin th' farm an...this fella caught my eye. Gods ah was a fool."
Several years ago
"Big Mac, look! Ah got one!" Applejack cheered, holding up her basket. In it sat a lone golden delicious apple.
"Ah told ya Aj, jus' takes hard work. Pa would be proud of ya." the elder sibling chuckled, ruffling her hair.
"Ah'm gonna get better, jus' watch me!" she beamed, the teenager taking a slow breath as she aimed at the tree, pivoting on her left foot and bringing her right leg up hard into the tree, smashing her shin into it. She cried out, stumbling away and holding her shin.
"Ow! ow ow ow ow ow!" she cried out, falling over and sighing as she lay in the grass.
"How 'bout ya'll lemme finish up and go check on Granny? Ah'm sure she needs some help with her pies." Big Mac rumbled, lightly tapping the same tree with his toes, the apples tumbling down into the buckets below. Applejack leapt to her feet, dusting off the dirt.
"Alright fine. but save me some o' th' easier ones!" she called as she ran home, snatching up her fathers hat on the way. Standing at the door to her home was a young man, a briefcase in hand and a look of worry on his face.
"Well howdy there, ya'll lookin' fer business 'round here?" Applejack asked, crossing her arms.
"Oh, hello young miss, are your parents about today?" the man asked.
"Ah ain't no young miss buddy. Ah help run this here farm ya know."
"My apologies, you seem so young."
"Ah'll have ya'll know ah'm jus' a late bloomer." Applejack grumbled. The man chuckled.
"Again, I apologize. You are one of the owners, yes? Then you are just the woman I need to speak to." he cleared his throat and tipped his hat, flashing a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts.
"My name is Dusty. I'm a traveling man, bringing about as much joy as I can to every place I go. Now I came across a few hungry kids a bit of a ways down the road and told them I'd try my best to find them a meal before they starve. The poor things are so hungry they can't even walk. Would I be able to perhaps borrow a few of your wonderful apples to feed a few hungry children? I swear upon my dear mothers ashes I'll find a way to repay you." Dusty all but begged. Applejack gulped, fanning herself with her fathers hat.
"Well sure! Anythin' fer some hungry children. Ain't no need t' pay Mr Dusty. What ya'll are doin' is t' help a bunch o' young'uns who can't help themselves. Ah'll jus' grab a few of em an' we'll be on our way!" she said quickly.
"A' course, what ah didn't know is that there weren't no children goin' hungry. Dusty weren't even his real name. He was jus' some sweet talker lookin' fer a bit o' fun. An ah fell fer his trickery, hook line an sinker..." Applejack hung her head.
"Applejack. Darling, you were only trying to be helpful and do what the Apple Family does best. Being there for others." Rarity tried to comfort her, but the farmer only shook her head in shame.
"AJ, you were just bein' the Applejack we all know. Thats no reason to beat yourself up." Rainbow argued. The farmer shouted, smashing her fists into the table, causing it to crack and fall to the ground.
"Ah let that slimy little bastard take mah innocence an then ah lied t' my own daughter!" she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed.
"Ah ain't any better than he was..."
"Thats enough Applejack!" Twilight yelled, causing the entire group to jump in surprise.
"I haven't known you very long, but I'd like to be able to think I could call you a friend." she continued, waiting until the teary eyed farmer nodded agreement.
"And in the time I've known you, all you've done is prove time and again how good of a person you are and that you always put whats best for everyone before whats best for yourself. Everyone makes mistakes Applejack, but we learn from them and we change for the better." Twilight finished.
"Yer right...ah jus'...ah jus' wish ah could take it all back..."
"Maybe you can." Fluttershy spoke up, hiding behind her hair.
"Why not just tell Applebloom?" she asked. The sweet shop fell silent once more.
"An then what? 'Oh Hi Applebloom, guess what? Ah'm yer mama, an yer pa is a rapist!'"
"She deserves to know. and as long as you keep this lie alive, you'll never unlock the power of your Element." Spike spoke up, heading outside to speak with a few guards. Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but could think of nothing to say. Blinking as Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder.
"Its okay Applejack." she said softly. The farmer slowly broke down, burying her face in the hollow of the skyborns neck and letting the tears flow.
"Ah begged him t' stop...ah begged him t' let me go..ah wasn't gonna tell nobody!"
"I know Applejack, I know..." Fluttershy comforted her.
"Ya'll said they was around here Mr Dusty?" Applejack asked, looking left and right, bags full of apples in her arms, ready to feed several families if need be.
"I'm sure they were right here. Maybe a bit further down?" he suggested. Applejack nodded, following the man off the path and into the thicker part of the woods.
"This is quite a ways off th' path. Ya'll sure ya know where yer goin?" she asked.
"Oh I'm sure. This should be the perfect spot." he murmured.
"Perfect spot fer what?" Applejack wondered, gasping as the man turned and tackled her to the ground, the runes etched into his skin glowing brighter than Celestia's sun.
She gritted her teeth, her own runes glowing weakly as she struggled to fight back, the man smashing her head into the ground over and over until the glow faded. Dazed and in pain, she was helpless to stop the man as he tugged on her jeans, tearing them and using the fabric to tie her wrists.
"W-wait! what are ya doin'? What 'bout them children?!" Applejack shrieked, thrashing about, only to suffer a blow to the head.
"There aren't any children my dear, just one foolish little girl who is gonna show me a good time." he said, unzipping his pants. The young farmers eyes widened as she realized what he meant.
"NO! NO! PLEASE NO! SOMEONE HELP!" she screamed, kicking at him and trying to push to her feet, only to have the man pull her legs and pin her to the ground.
"Scream all you want. No one can hear you out here. Besides, I like it when they scream." he grinned, ripping her clothes away as the girl begged him to let her go.
"Please mister...ah won't tell no one...ah promise..."
"I know you won't. You're a good girl."
"Did no one know? Surely somebody could hear you out there, Eraville isn't that big." Rarity reasoned.
"He took me into the Whitetail woods. Deep in, jus' outside Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack sniffed.
"Them woods is so thick ya couldn't hear a gunshot if you was right outside. Let alone a girl...but somehow he heard..."
"Who?" they all asked. Applejack smiled as she wiped away her tears.
She laid there, crying and choking on the gag shoved into her mouth. Her attacker was taking a break, contemplating round two as he reached for the gag. He pulled it away, smiling as the girl sucked in the biggest breath of air she could and screamed for help. The man only chuckled.
"I already told you, no one is gonna hear..." CRACK....THUD. A tree arched down, falling painfully to the ground, fully torn apart at the bottom. Standing in its place was one Barnaby Macintosh Apple, Eldest of the Apples and one pissed off big brother. 'Dusty' barely had time to jump to his feet, tripping over his pants as the monster of a man barreled towards him, runes in full glow as he smashed his shoulder into the man with a sickening crunch and sent him flying straight into a nearby tree before kneeling down next to his sister.
"AJ? Are ya'll alright? Oh gods ah wasn't fast enough..."
"b-Big mac...y-ya'll heard me..." she cried, leaning against him as he hefted her up in one arm. Dusty pulled himself together and pulled up his pants.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Dusty screamed, his runes and eyes glowing. Macintosh glared at him, his runes glowing so bright the man had to cover his eyes.
"Ah am th' head o' th' Apple Family, here t' protect an guide em. An ya'll jus' pissed me off." the giant of a man rumbled. Dusty made the mistake of charging at him.
"It only took one punch...Ah ain't never seen Macintosh so mad. Th' authorities came 'round an Big Mac explained everythin' as best he could. Ah was a mess fer weeks. It was 'round then ah started showin' signs an...it ain't like th' Apples to end an innocent life. So...ah kept her. She was mine, even if that bastard had given her to me. But ah was young...they wasn't gonna let me keep her. So, with th' mayors help an some favors owed to us...we made her out to be my sister...an ah been livin with that lie my whole life..." Applejack finished.
"I know its hard, but you've got to tell her." Twilight said softly. Applejack sighed quietly.
"Ah know...ah jus' dunno how to do it." Applejack admitted.
"Why not throw her a party?" Pinkie suggested.
"A party?"
"Yea! The biggest, bestest party a girl could have! An then you can sit down with her and have one of those serious talks and just lay everything out on the table and settle it over cake!" Pinkie beamed.
"That...might work." Applejack mumbled.
"Good! I'll get started!" Pinkie giggled, vanishing in a poof of smoke into the kitchen.
"Well, I dunno if theres anything the rest of us can do to help, but if there is..." Rainbow started, falling silent as Applejack shook her head.
"No, ah gotta do this myself."
Applebloom sighed, glancing over her homework. Why was math so...mathy?
"Carry th' two an...no that ain't right..." she blinked as Big Mac leaned over her shoulder, his massive hand gently taking up a pencil and scribbling in a pattern of numbers.
"Remember this?" he rumbled softly. the youngest of the Apple family glanced over the numbers and smiled.
"Oh yea! Ah fergot...thanks Big Mac." she grinned, understanding the question a bit more as she continued. The Eldest gave her a simple nod, returning to the main room of their home to check on Granny Smith.
The old, wizened, and beloved grandmother of the Apples. He found her just as she had been a moment ago, sound asleep with a smile on her face as she rocked back and forth in her chair.
He quietly moved past her, sitting down on the old couch and glancing over a bit of paperwork, carefully working a nearby calculator to double check his own math. Sure enough his facts and figures came out correct.
"We'll need to really bring in the harvest this year..." he muttered, raising his head as the front door creaked open.
"Ah'm home." Applejack called out, grunting as Applebloom tackle-hugged her.
"Welcome home sis!" Applebloom beamed.
"Th-thanks Applebloom...say, how do ya feel 'bout goin t' a party?" she asked as she knelt down in front of her.
"But ah've got school tomorrow. Is this some kinda fancy test or somethin'?" Applebloom asked, crossing her arms. Applejack shook her head
"Ah swear it ain't no test. Ah seen ya workin' hard and Pinkie had an idea fer a party. Ah was wonderin' if ya'll wanted to go. It ain't gonna be so long that ya'll miss yer bed-time. But ah thought it might be fun."
"Well shoot! Sure ah do!" Applebloom cheered. Applejack chuckled, ruffling her hair as she stood.
"Alright, get yer shoes on then an we'll head out fer Sugarcube Corner."
"Can do!" the girl replied with a salute, rushing to her room.
"Ah recognize that face. Today the day?" Macintosh rumbled from the living room as he caught sight of his sisters face.
"Ah have t' tell her...Ah jus' wish ah had realized it sooner." Applejack answered
"Ah'm sure she'll understand. She's a smart girl an ya raised her right. She'll prolly be a might bit mad, but in th' end, things'll work out. Always do." Macintosh spoke, turning his attention back to the papers.
"Numbers are a bit down sis, gonna need a big haul this year." he murmured. Applejack sighed to herself and shook her head.
"We'll make it Macintosh. We always do."
"We didn't have Terra's safety on our backsides 'fore this." he pointed out.
"We'll figure somethin' out. Jus'..."
"Ah know Aj. Go on, do what ya need t' do. Ya know ah'll be here if'n ya need me."
"Thanks Macintosh..."
"Why do I have to do this?" Sweetie Belle whined, doing her best to stand still as Rarity fussed over a new dress design, using her younger sister as a model.
"Don't you want to look nice at the party? Perhaps you'll meet some charming young man." Rarity teased.
"I don't like any of the boys in class Rarity." she grumbled.
"Well, perhaps that friend of yours will notice how beautiful you look in this gown." the elder sister continued to tease.
"S-Scoots doesn't like pretty stuff." Sweetie Belle mumbled, her cheeks flushed red.
"Oh, so you do like her! Well then! What does she like?" Rarity pried.
"I-Its not like that!" she squeaked.
"Oh come now Sweetie Belle. I know romance when I see it. Now spill." Rarity demanded. Sweetie Belle sighed, twiddling her thumbs.
"She doesn't care for all the frilly stuff. She likes the way I usually dress...Do you really think she might like me?"
"And why wouldn't she? You're talented and adorable. Just try to be a little less nervous around her." Rarity advised. Sweetie Belle huffed, blinking as the dress around her poofed, appearing beside her in her sisters magic. She moved to step off of the pedestal, gasping as she was snagged by the arm and pulled to a chair.
"Ah ah ah. We HAVE to do something with your hair dear." Rarity tsk'd, running a comb through her younger sisters hair and applying a healthy dose of spray. The younger Magian pouted, settling for crossing her arms and waiting until the Elder sister had finished.
"And Voila! Well, you were adorable before, but now you look simply amazing!" Rarity gushed. Sweetie Belle glanced at herself in the mirror, blinking and staring.
"Oh wow...is that...me?" she asked, amazed at her reflection. Her normally curly swirl of hair was now straightened and combed over her left eye, the two colors shifting in and out of one another.
"You like?" Rarity asked as she put her tools away.
"Oh thank you Rarity!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, throwing her arms around her sister. Rarity smiled as she returned the hug.
"Of course, thats what Big sisters are for. Now try not to do anything to mess up your hair."
"Do you really think this could work?" Twilight asked as she helped decorate Sugarcube Corner.
"Parties solve everything Twilight!" Pinkie Pie assured her, pulling a balloon from behind her hair and filling it in a single puff of air.
"I guess I'm just worried...what if we get attacked in the middle of this?"
"Thats what Spikey is here for!" Pinkie argued, mixing a punch bowl halfway across the room. Twilight had long ago given up on trying to make sense of her Gaian friend. She suspected magic, but with so much else on her mind it was very low on her list of things that mattered.
A quick glance outside revealed Spike speaking to heavily armored guards. Most likely Celestia's very own personal Elite. Though that only worried her that much more. These were soldiers trained to protect the Princess in secret.
And they were here protecting the Elements instead. Were their lives really in so much danger? The guards saluted to Spike, vanishing into the very light of day itself with Spike standing Sentinel at the entrance to Sugarcube Corner, dressed in his street clothes. He didn't want to draw anymore attention than he already had.
She sighed to herself, glancing over at a nearby table where her Tiara sat. A useless trinket until she discovered how to appease to the Spirit of Magic. How was she suppose to do such a thing anyway?
She was magically gifted, that much was true. But she doubted doing a few impressive spells would convince a centuries old spirit she was deserving of its gift.
Rainbow had risked her very life to prove to the Spirit of Loyalty that she was worthy. Applejack was going to admit her darkest secret to the person it most mattered to as proof of her Honesty. With the way things were going, she was sure she would be the last to obtain her Element.
"Cheer up Twilight! You'll get your element thingy!" Pinkie cheered, tying a balloon around her wrist.
"Gee, thanks Pinkie." Twilight sighed. She sat down, staring at the balloon with her thoughts a blur. So lost in thought was she that for a moment she swore the balloon had been staring back.
"Are you alright?" Spike asked, causing her to jump in surprise.
"SPIKE! When did you get there?" Twilight gasped.
"Sorry. I thought...never mind." he mumbled, sitting across from her.
"Spike...why is this happening to us? Why can't we be normal?" Twilight asked.
"Fate, Destiny, whatever you wanna call it I guess. You're bloodline helps, and I'm Dragonkin. We don't live normal lives Twi." Spike answered, accepting a cupcake from Pinkie with a few sapphires mixed into the icing.
"So...I'm really..."
"Yup, the great great great granddaughter of Starswirl the wise. Greatest Arch-mage who ever lived. For the moment." He happily bit into the treat, crunching the jewels in his powerful jaws.
"For the moment? Is there another Arch-Mage as powerful as him?" Twilight continued to prod.
"Well...yes and no. I'm not suppose to say. Secrecy and safety and all that. There's at least one Chaotician on the loose. If he knew who the Arch Mage was...well, lets just say I was lucky to have my scales." Spike finished.
"We should finish getting the party ready. Hopefully this works."
"Look out below!" a voice cried out, followed by the sound of wheels smashing into pavement and screeching down the street. Said noise came from one Secilia Gumdrop. Otherwise known as Scootaloo.
Her actual name was a close guarded secret, not because of importance, but because she didn't want people knowing her name was 'Gumdrop'. It was way to girly for someone as awesome as her. Besides, she wasn't going to impress Sweetie Belle with a name like that.
She needed to be awesome, like her idol, Rainbow 'Danger' Dash. Sure, she was cool, she had some good tricks, but she wouldn't be truly awesome until she could fly. Then she'd show the whole world what she was made of.
"Oh look, its the chicken!" a girl called out from around a corner, causing Scootaloo to stumble and fall off her scooter.
"Wow, she even flaps like a chicken. What a loser!" another girl laughed, the two giggling as they marched on their way.
"Ugh...I hate those two." Scootaloo grumbled under her breath.
"Me too. But theres nothing we can really do about them." Sweetie Belle said from beside her, holding out her hand to help her friend up. Scootaloo stared for a moment, noticing her friends hair brushed over her eye and the sparkling red dress she wore.
"Uh...Belle what happened to you? Got a hot date I should know about? Is it Rumble?" Scootaloo teased. Sweetie Belle twiddled her thumbs, refusing to make eye contact as her friend dusted herself off.
"Do you think it looks good Scoots?" She asked, biting her lip.
"Pfft, its you Belle, of course it looks good. Now come on! We're gonna miss the party!" She grinned, tugging her friend onto her scooter and buzzing her wings quickly, the scooter zipping down the road with the girls in tow. Sweetie Belle hid a smile as she clung to her friend for dear life.
The youngest of the Apple clan sat alone at a table in Sugarcube corner, poking at a lone cupcake. She had been told to wait here with Pinkie Pie, no explanation or reason, and just left alone. It wasn't really anything new, she wasn't exactly the most popular girl in school and she didn't really have any friends.
Her last friend, Twist, had found her calling in Candy-making and never had time to hang out like they use to. She looked up as the bell to the front door rang, girls and boys from her class flooding into Sugarcube Corner. It only took a few seconds for Diamond Tiara and her lackey Silver Spoon to spot her.
"Aw crud." she muttered under her breath as the two practically raced over to her.
"Awww, is the little farmer sad? Whats wrong potato breath? No one wanna spend time with a dirt monkey like you?" Diamond teased.
"Wow, that was actually kinda clever Diamond, ah had no idea under all that hair ya'll had a brain in there." Applebloom tossed back, shoving her way past the bully. The pampered brat fumed as her target began to walk away. She glanced over her shoulder, finding the uneaten cupcake and hurled it as hard as she could at the back of Appleblooms head.
The cupcake landed with a satisfying SPLAT, but not on the person she meant to hit. Standing between Applebloom and the airborne treat was one very upset Sweetie Belle. The room fell silent as she wiped frosting from her dress and glared daggers at Diamond.
"HEY! At least have the guts to attack someone head-on! And you say I'm a chicken. Pfft, guess it takes one to know one." Scootaloo taunted, arms crossed and her wings spread as wide as she could get them. Diamond grit her teeth as the two stood up to her, murmurs filling the room.
No one stood up to Diamond Tiara, it was unthinkable and never ended well. But here stood two girls, staring her down with no intent of backing down. Maybe Diamond wasn't as tough as everyone thought, maybe she was just a brat. With this spreading through the room she needed to do something drastic. It was time to pull out her ace in the hole.
"Oh yea?! Well at least my parents love me!" she spat, the room falling silent. Scootaloo lunged in a rage, tackling Diamond to the ground and raising her fist, completely intent on doing as much damage as possible. She blinked as her arm refused to move and with a glance over her shoulder she found Applebloom gripping her arm and keeping her from landing the finishing blow.
"She ain't worth it." Applebloom said softly. Scootaloo looked back down at the terrified look in her preys eyes before dropping her. Sweetie Belle helped her friend to her feet, the three girls walking away.
"Y-Yea thats right! Y-You better run Chicken!" Diamond cried, still shaking from the ordeal. She hated to admit that Applebloom had saved her, but a minute later and her face would've been mush. She needed some muscle to keep her safe if she planned to stay on top.
"Ya'll didn't have t' do that ya know." Applebloom said, grabbing a napkin to clean up Sweetie Belle's dress.
"Yes I did. Its not fair how they treat everyone, but we all have someone to run to. You were all alone." she said softly. Applebloom froze, keeping her head down.
"Ah've always been alone, ain't no biggie."
"Its a big biggie!" Scootaloo argued, crossing her arms and grinning.
"Look, you aren't gonna be alone anymore. Names Scootaloo, toughest and fastest thing in Eravil, except for Rainbow Dash of course..." she introduced herself, falling into a sort of daze as she mentioned her idol. Sweetie Belle shook her head and smiled at their new friend.
"I'm Sweetie Belle. I don't really do much..." she admitted.
"Standin' up fer a total stranger seems like a lot t' me. Ah'm Applebloom, mah family owns Sweet Apple Acres."
"Whoa! You mean you live in that place?! Thats awesome!" Scootaloo gushed.
"Eh, its jus' home. Has been since mah Granny an her parents first came here. Its been family tradition that every Apple afterwards runs th' family farm. Someday its gonna be mine an...ah dunno if ah got what it takes." Applebloom sighed.
"Hey, you were tough enough to stand up to Diamond Tiara alone AND keep me from pounding her face in. I think you can handle whatever life chucks at you." Scootaloo shrugged.
"I agree with Scoots. Anyone who can stand up to those two alone has to be tough."
"You did it a minute ago Belle." Scootaloo pointed out.
"Oh, sorry 'bout yer dress an everythin'..." Applebloom apologized. Sweetie Belle shook her head and sighed.
"I-Its fine. My sister might throw a fit but she'll get over it." Sweetie Belle said, the three falling into a fit of laughter. Applebloom hardly noticed her sister and friends enter the sweet shop. It wasn't until Pinkie had popped up in front of her that everything clicked into place.
A banner fell from above with the words "Happy Extra Special Surprise Applebloom" written on it. A slice of cake was placed in front of her with a fanfare of confetti landing on top of her. Something weird was going on and she was gonna get to the bottom of it.
"Okay, ah'll bite, whats goin on? Am I dyin? Did Winona fall off a cliff?" Applebloom asked, wiping confetti out of her hair. Applejack bit her lip and sat down.
"Girls, do ya mind givin' us a minute?" the elder sister asked. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo glanced at one another, turning to their new friend.
"Ah'll catch up with ya later." Applebloom said with a smile. The two gave a nod before migrating to a table in the corner of the store. Applejacks friends each passed by her, giving her shoulder a squeeze before vanishing into the crowd.
"Applebloom, 'fore ya get all scared an whatnot, ain't nuthin bad happenin' t' ya. Ah actually have some good news, its jus' a bit hard t' say..."
"...Are ya pregnant?" Applebloom blurted out.
"What?! No! What would make ya think that?!"
"Well ya were kinda actin funny an all secretive. An ah hear ya cryin sometimes...ah thought maybe ya'll found someone special an it didn't work out." Applebloom explained. Applejack could only stare, trying to work her mouth and failing miserably.
"Applebloom, th-that ain't it. I-Its 'bout yer ma." Applejack said softly.
"My mama? Ya told me she died when ah was little...i-is she okay? D-Did she jus' run away or somethin? Ah promise ah won't be mad at her!" Applebloom blinked as Applejack grabbed her hands.
Everything seemed to slow down as Applejacks words reached her.
"H-heh, th-thats not a funny joke sis." Applebloom stammered.
"Ah'm not jokin' Applebloom. Its th' truth, an ya'll deserve to know it." Applejack said softly.
"B-but...why?! You told me my parents were dead! Why would ya lie t' me like that!?" Applebloom demanded, receiving concerned glances from a few of the party guests.
"Ah didn't want t' lie t' ya like that Applebloom, Ah swear! Ah wanted so badly t' tell ya, but they were gonna take ya away from me a-and once th' lie was out it was so hard t' take it back...Ah'm so sorry..." Applejack began to sob, hanging her head. Applebloom was furious.
Her entire life she had been lied to. She wanted to swear, to throw something, to curse her sis...her mothers name...but she couldn't. Here was her mother, a horrible mess before her.
She had never known Applejack to lie about anything, no matter the consequence to herself. So for her to lie about this...
"Ya still coulda told me." Applebloom grumbled. Applejack could only continue to apologize, blinking as Applebloom hugged her.
"Y-Ya aren't mad?" Applejack sniffed.
"No, ah'm really mad at ya. Ya lied t' me, for my whole entire life! But if ah had t' choose bein' lied t' or never even gettin' to know ya, ah guess it was better t' think of ya as my sister." Applebloom admitted. The two shared a tight hug.
"Ya'll aren't gonna go around bein' a mushy mom or anythin' are ya?" Applebloom asked. Applejack chuckled and shook her head.
"Ah'm not gonna change Applebloom. Only thing different is th' truth is out an ah can stop bein' the bossy big sis." she joked.
"Um, what 'bout my pa?" Applebloom asked slowly. Applejack froze and lowered her head.
"H-He didn't care one ounce fer us." Applejack shook as she spoke. It wasn't a lie, in a sense it was true. He had only cared for himself.
"Oh, so ah'm not gonna meet him?" she continued to dig, wanting to know everything.
"As far as ah know he's dead. And its probably better that way." Applejack sighed.
"He hurt ya that bad?"
"Worse. But that ain't important Applebloom. Whats important is...ah'm here fer ya an ah ain't goin' anywhere." Applejack promised.
"Ah'm gonna miss havin' a sister." Applebloom mumbled, the two bursting into laughter. Nearby the girls glanced at the Element of Honesty, seeing it glow brightly.
"I'd call that mission accomplished girls." Rarity whispered excitedly.
"Yea, an it looks like the kid took it well." Rainbow pointed out, her attention drawn away as the doorbell chimed. In walked a young woman, blue frazzled hair meshed into the arch of her name-brand headphones and her face adorned with her trademark shades.
"Oh no..." Rarity gasped, glancing around quickly and trying to hide herself behind Twilight.
"Rarity, I know you are a big fan of celebrities, but is this necessary?" Twilight asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"That monster is no Celebrity Twilight!" Rarity hissed under her breath.
"Hey Rares!" Vinyl Scratch called out, wading through the crowd of fans gathering around her.
"What do you want Vinyl?" Rarity said through gritted teeth.
"What? Can't a gal visit her sister?"
"SISTER?!" Twilight and Rainbow gasped. Rarity sighed, crossing her arms.
"We both know you didn't pop in for a friendly visit, now what do you want?" Rarity pressed. Vinyl sighed, tilting her shades down slightly and revealing her deep red eyes.
"You know what I want Rarity." Vinyl said softly.
"And you know you won't get it." Rarity hissed.
"Are you going to stop me?"
"TIME OUT!" Rainbow stepped between them.
"First! Can I get your autograph?!" Rainbow asked excitedly. Vinyl flashed a grin and signed the CD Rainbow held out for her.
"Where were you even keeping that?" Twilight asked.
"Duh, my pocket."
"But the back could get horribly scratched!" Twilight argued.
"Relax Twi', There's no music on this disc, I just kept it around in case I ever bumped into someone. Turns out I got lucky." Rainbow grinned, staring at the autograph.
"Okay, ya got your autograph, now what else?" Vinyl asked.
"Huh? Oh, yea right. Just what the heck are you trying to take from my friend?!" Rainbow growled. Vinyl chuckled softly.
"Wow, one minute you're my biggest fan and the next my enemy."
"Hey, awesome at music or not, no one hurts my friends." Rainbow argued.
"That's pretty cool of ya Rainbow. But this is more important than some code. I'm not hurting anyone, I'm here to help." Vinyl explained.
"Yea right."
"She's telling the truth." Spike said from beside Twilight. He glanced over at the DJ and then at the crowd.
"We should take this somewhere more private." he suggested. "Meet back at the library."
The tension in the air could break bones if it was any thicker. Vinyl sat in Twilights armchair, nursing a cup of tea, while Rarity sat on the couch between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Applebloom sat on the ground playing a board-game with her new friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Twilight stood at the end of the main table, pacing back and forth while Spike stood before the room.
"Should the other kids be here for this?" Vinyl asked.
"No harm in letting them stay." Spike pointed out.
"Ya know we can hear ya right?" Applebloom asked.
"Applebloom be nice." Applejack mumbled. the youngest apple grumbled under her breath and went back to her game.
"Okay, lets start from the beginning." Twilight sighed.
"Alright then. My name is Vinyl Scratch, otherwise known as Vanessa Diamondheart Filigree of House Filigree in Celamont. I am the current Head of our noble house and Eldest Sister of Rarity and Sweetie Belle and I am here to take Sweetie Belle with me."
"Huh? I'm going away with you sis?" Sweetie Belle spoke up, worry in her voice.
"No you're not Sweetie Belle. She has no right to take you away." Rarity assured her.
"Why do you want to take her?" Twilight asked, silencing the impending argument. Vinyl glanced over at Spike, who gave a simple nod.
"I'm not just a simple Dj, or a little noble girl. The Filigree house tree is full of mysterious things, the number one thing being, that we are a house of Vampires." Vinyl said, removing her shades. The room fell silent as Rarity hung her head.
"You mean like undead, bloodsucking, sex crazed freaks?" Rainbow asked.
"Undead? No. Blood sucking? yes. Sex Crazed? Well, ask my girlfriend." she winked. Rarity cleared her throat.
"Yes, thank you very much for that unneeded bit of information. I am quite sure Octavia is a very happy woman, now please leave!" Rarity yelled.
"Rarity...i-is that true?" Sweetie Belle asked. Rarity glanced down at her sister, trying to stammer an excuse.
"Its true Belle. You, me, and Rarity are vampires. Its not so bad though. Its kinda fun!" Vinyl answered.
"I'm going to go get some tea..." Twilight mumbled, making her way into the kitchen.
"Belle, You're a vampire and you didn't tell me?!" Scootaloo asked.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know! Please don't hate me..."
"Hate you? Why would I hate you? You're a vampire, that's so cool! Can you fly? Whats it like being a bat?" Scootaloo started to pester her with questions.
"How am I suppose to know?!" Sweetie Belle argued
"Maybe ya'll change in yer sleep or somethin." Applebloom suggested.
"I never thought of that..."
"Well, they seem fine with it." Vinyl grinned. Rarity however was doing her best to kill her elder sister with her thoughts and failing miserably.
"Okay, so, lemme get this straight. Rainbow is some kinda Magian-Skyborn hybrid, Twilight is the great granddaughter of some all powerful wizard, an Rarity is a vampire. Anyone else seein' a pattern here?" Applejack asked.
"Funny you should say that. Thats the whole reason the Elements picked you six." Spike replied. Silence followed his answer. With a sigh he decided to elaborate.
"The Elements of Harmony can only be bound to extraordinary people. People who stand out and make a difference in the world, who do their best against all odds to prove they can make a living in a world that is throwing everything against them. You suffered a horrible trauma and refused to let it run your life. Rainbow suffered loss after loss and fought to get where she is today, Twilight struggled through tomes that would make Celestia's brain hurt, Rarity...well thats her story to tell."
"Spike, how do you know all of this?" Rarity asked.
"He's my boss for starters." Vinyl pointed out, causing Rarity's jaw to drop.
"Yea, I'm lucky number two of the four bad asses kept around to protect Celestia. Well, we're protecting you guys now, but you get the point."
"Wait, that was you outside with Spike?!" Rainbow asked. Vinyl grinned.
"I look pretty sweet in armor huh?" she said with a waggle of her eyebrows
"Vinyl!" Rarity growled.
"yea yea, pipe down Rare-bear." Vinyl teased.
"Ah still don't get why ya'll wanna take away Sweetie Belle." Applejack intervened.
"Ya see, the thing about us, Vampires, we get thirsty, really thirsty. When we reach a certain age, that thirst is all we can think about, until it takes control of us and sends us on a literal bloodthirsty rampage." Vinyl explained.
"Sweetie Belle isn't like that!" Rarity argued.
"And I thought you weren't like that Rarity. How many people did you drain dry before I caught up to you?!" Vinyl yelled, silencing the fashionista.
"B-But I feel fine!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. Vinyl sighed.
"Sure Belle. You feel fine now, but you're already squeaking. Puberty's a bitch, especially for us. Thats why I gotta take you with me for a few weeks. I'll teach you how to fight your thirst, we'll find you a good bank to keep you outta trouble and get you back home as soon as possible." Vinyl promised.
"I don't wanna leave!" Sweetie Belle cried.
"You won't Sweetie belle. Not if I can help it." Rarity promised.
"Rarity, when was the last time you fed? I mean really fed. You look paler than Dad." Vinyl argued.
"I keep a good supply, they mail it to me from Celamont."
"I mean a real meal. You'll have to be at full strength when she changes. If I hadn't been strong enough to stop you then I'd just be another body left in your rampage. Do you wanna drop that on her?" Vinyl asked. The other occupants in the room fell silent, knowing when to keep out of family matters.
"I'm strong enough Vinyl! I won't let you take her away! No matter what I have to do, no matter how bad it may seem. She loves it here and I won't ruin her childhood the way you ruined mine!" Rarity yelled, her Element flashing and her armor appearing on her body. Vinyl grinned and stood, setting her cup down on the table.
"Alright Rarity, you wanna have the responsibility of keeping her out of trouble? Beat me in a duel and I'll back off." Vinyl challenged. Rarity jumped to her feet, her armor clinking against itself.
"Fine!"
"Not in the library!" Twilight called from the kitchen. The two sisters chuckled nervously, walking out the front door. Everyone in the room glanced between one another before rushing outside to watch the battle.
"Be honest with me Spike. Does Rarity stand a chance against Vinyl?" Twilight asked.
"I really don't know. Vinyl is my second in command and one of the strongest Magians I've ever met. She could give you a run for your bits if she went all out." He whispered. Rarity drew the claymore from her back, twirling it about with ease in one hand, her eyes fading to red as she glared at her sister. Vinyl grinned, clapping her hands together before shifting her feet apart, arms spread wide in what appeared to be a ridiculous kung-fu stance.
"Ain't she gonna use a weapon?" Applejack asked.
"She is a weapon." Spike chuckled.
"I recognize that stance. Thats the Death Dragon Stance!" Rainbow gasped, stars in her eyes.
"Death Dragon? Why don't I like the sound of that?" Twilight gulped.
"Unlike most Magians, Vinyl fights with her hands. She isn't a big fan of weapons and isn't afraid to get dirty. Its part of the reason she's second in command." Spike explained. Vinyl's deep red eyes seemed to glow faintly, a red hue surrounding her entire being. Rarity gritted her teeth and clutched her sword with both hands as she rushed forward.
Vinyl slid around her, slamming her palms into the back of her armor, sending the younger Magian flying across the street and into Twilights neighbors' home.
"S-she barely tapped her! Is she really a Magian?" Twilight asked.
"She is, but theres more to both of them than meets the eye Twilight. Notice Vinyls magic?" he asked. Twilight looked closer, seeing thin fibers of mana dancing across the elder sisters entire body.
"She's channeling an insane amount of mana to her muscles...that has to be putting quite a bit of strain on her body..."
"Normally, yes. But as a well kept vampire her body repairs itself before any real damage can be done." Spike fell silent as Rarity crawled out of the rubble of the home, happy the owner wasn't occupying it at the time of her 'visit'. She gasped as Vinyl was instantly in front of her, smashing her fist into the ground where the fashionista had been a moment ago.
In an incredible show of strength the younger sister had stabbed the claymore into the ground and flung herself backwards using it to push herself away. Vinyl grabbed hold of the blade and blinked as she was unable to lift it.
Rarity took the chance to tackle her sister to the ground, grunting as Vinyl rolled with the tackle and slammed Rarity into the dirt, her arm jammed against her throat.
"Just give it up Rarity. I'm still holding back and you can't even land a hit. Do you really think you can handle Belle in this condition? Harmonic Powers or not, you can't do this!" Vinyl argued. Rarity threw out her arm, her Claymore coming to her. Vinyl dodged out of the way as she swung the blade, giving Rarity a chance to push to her feet.
"You can do it Sis!" Sweetie Belle cried.
"Thanks Sweetie!" Vinyl and Rarity said together, blinking in surprise. Rarity shook her head and rushed forward once more, knowing how Vinyl would react. Just as she went to slash she saw it, a pivot and an attempt to circle around her.
Without hesitating she spun the claymore around her back, roaring as she slammed the flat side as hard as she could into Vinyl, sending the Magian skidding across the ground. She panted heavily, her arms shaking and the blade slightly cracked, but she had landed a hit.
"I'm impressed Rare-bear." Vinyl's fangs began to show, her eyes glowing brightly and her magic flaring to the point that even Applejack could see the mana encircling her.
"But you aren't anywhere near my level." she said softly, vanishing in an instant and smashing her arm into the back of Rarity's neck, sending the younger sister sprawling across the ground and skidding to a stop in front of her friends.
"RARITY!' they cried out, kneeling down next to her, the armor around her fading away slowly.
"Rarity! Oh no..." Sweetie Belle sat next to her, grabbing her hand. Rarity looked weakly over at her younger sister, seeing the panic in her eyes.
"Belle...you've got...to run." She gasped, feeling something crack as she tried to sit up.
"Stay down Rarity. It'll take a moment for your bones to reset." Vinyl said as her magic slowly faded away. Vinyl reached for Sweetie Belle, blinking as Applejack caught her arm, runes in full glow.
"Now ya'll wait jus' a second there. Ya say Rarity can't keep her sister cause she ain't strong 'nough. But ya'll are forgettin' that she has us around." Applejack growled, her free hand dropping down next to Rarity's face. The wounded vampire could just barely make out a cut on the hand, blood dripping from it.
"And ah think that ya'll should try that little magic trick o' yers again with us showin ya jus' how tough we can be." Applejack finished.
"Thats sweet of ya Applejack. But Rarity tore through seven Gaians, Ten Magians and even a handful of Skyborn before I could catch her. And I can teleport next to her whenever I want. How are you gonna keep a hold of a rampaging Belle?" Vinyl asked. Rarity latched onto Applejacks hand, the farmer hiding a wince.
"Why don't ya let me show ya?" Applejack asked. Vinyl raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Just so ya know, I'm not paying for your hospital bill. Rarity will heal up in an hour at most. But you'll be hurtin for a lot longer if you tussle with me cowgirl." Vinyl warned. Applejack smiled.
"Well, won't hurt t' try!" Applejack laughed, Rarity appearing behind Vinyl and roaring as she smashed her arm across her neck, sending her skidding across the ground. Sweetie Belle sat there in shock, having watched her sister chomp down on Applejacks hand and suddenly vanish. Rarity panted heavily, hair a mess and blood clinging to her lip.
"Applejack, darling..."
"Yea Rarity?" Applejack gulped.
"I owe you one." she said softly, stepping backwards and catching Vinyl by the arm, roaring as she pinned her to the dirt and pulled hard on her arm.
"FUCK! I GIVE! I GIVE!" Vinyl cried out, tapping the dirt. Rarity kept her hold on her arm.
"Not good enough Vinyl. I need your word that you won't take Sweetie Belle away, that you won't try any tricks!" Rarity yelled, pushing the arm a bit further.
"HEY! I NEED THAT ARM!" Vinyl yelled back.
"PROMISE ME!" Rarity demanded, shoving her shoulder out of its socket
"FINE!" Vinyl gasped as Rarity let go of her arm, letting her roll onto her side and grab hold of her shoulder.
"That was a bit of a nasty trick sis."
"It wasn't my idea really, but you always told me to do what has to be done." Rarity admitted, brushing her hair out of her face as she sat down. Rarity gasped in pain as Sweetie Belle tackled her. The red in her eyes faded as she held her sister close.
"Rarity..." she sniffed
"Shh, everything is just fine Sweetie Belle." Rarity said softly. Vinyl smiled as she watched them, grunting as her shoulder popped back into place.
"Rarity, I still think you aren't ready for this. But my word is my word, just keep your friends close, alright?" Vinyl asked. Rarity glanced over at Applejack, Applebloom fussing over her hand.
"Alright."
Spike and Vinyl stood outside, having a conversation the others apparently could not be included in. Rarity was sitting on the couch, Sweetie Belle asleep in her lap. Applejack sat beside her, Applebloom resting her head on her mothers lap and dozing off. Scootaloo crossed her arms, sitting on the carpet wide awake.
"Scootaloo, shouldn't you be getting home? Its getting late." Twilight said. Scootaloo grumbled under her breath and stood.
"My place sucks" she whined.
"I'm sure your parents wouldn't appreciate that."
"They might if they existed." she scoffed.
"What?" Twilight blurted out
"Scoots is an orphan." Sweetie Belle mumbled, half asleep against Rarity. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl. The dirt covering her clothes, cheap band-aids over her cuts from possible crash landings. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it sooner.
"Say kid, you wanna hang with me for tonight?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo's jaw dropped, her eyes sparkling as she nodded.
"That would be awesome!" Scootaloo squee'd. Rainbow chuckled and spread out her wings, blinking as Scootaloo spread out her own.
"Uh...D-did your parents, er...did anyone teach you to fly kid?" Rainbow stammered.
"N-No...my parents were ground-bound...I lost em a couple years ago to some weird disease." Scootaloo mumbled. Rainbows eyes shrank to pinpricks.
"Mareks Disease?" Rainbow asked softly, hanging her head.
"Yea! Thats what they called it. My whole family had it apparantly. But I'm tough, I can handle it!" Scootaloo said, trying to seem tough despite the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. Rainbow sank to her knees, pulling the girl close to her and hugging her tightly.
"Rainbow...you're kinda scaring me" Scootaloo admitted.
"Kid...j-just...hug me damnit." Rainbow choked. Scootaloo hesitated before hugging her idol. It felt nice...She bit her lip, feeling a sob build in her throat. She had fought back the tears for two years now, she could keep them back. She didn't need to cry, crying was for wimps! She buried her face in the hollow of Rainbows neck and bawled like a baby.
"Its not fair! My parents were good people! I'm a good person! I try to be!"
"I know ya do kid..." Rainbow said quietly. Twilight made her way outside silently.
"He's going to be watching them, you and I both know it!" Vinyl yelled.
"Don't you think I know that!? I fucking saw him!" Spike yelled back.
"Ahem. I hope I'm not interrupting." Twilight interrupted. The two fell silent, turning their attention to her.
"Whats up Twi'?" Spike asked.
"I need you to send a letter to the Princess for me. I need some research materials."
"Sure thing Twilight. What do ya need?"
"I need the research notes of Nightgale Primrose."
"Why would you want anything that psycho bitch wrote?!" Vinyl growled
"Because she has notes on Mareks Disease and a Beta cure!" Twilight argued.
"Mareks Disease? The one that took Rainbows father?" Spike asked. Twilight nodded, no longer surprised by Spikes knowledge. She was sure he knew everything about all of them at this point. Who knew how many spies he had? or who they were? The thought sent a shiver down her spine. But that wasn't what was important right now.
"That little girl, Scootaloo, she has it." Twilight choked out. Vinyl stammered and turned to Spike.
"You can't seriously be considering this."
"I know Twilight. She could take necromancy and save lives rather than raise the dead. I'm sure she can take those notes and find a better cure."
"Thanks for believing in me Spike..." Twilight smiled. Spike grinned, writing a quick letter to Celestia, swallowing it within his flames. Moments later he belched out a letter and a stack of papers.
"Ugh...theres gotta be a better way of doing that." he groaned.
Dearest Twilight
I must say, I was quite shocked when I saw what it was you were asking for, but I can understand your reasons. I only ask that you keep me updated on your research into this matter and that no harm comes to the girl. Take care and do not lose yourself Twilight.
"Lose myself? What does she mean?" Twilight asked.
"Eh, probably just worrying about you going science crazy like you did with that potato battery."
"It worked!" Twilight argued.
"You used it to power a machine that wrote books and nearly set the castle on fire." Spike deadpanned.
"You powered a death machine with a potato?" Vinyl asked.
"Where did you think we got the tech for BassOne?" Spike asked. Vinyl shrugged.
"Well, Ima hit the rounds and check on goons three and four. Stay sharp Spike." Vinyl winked, vanishing in a flash of light.
"Whats it like Spike? Your life beyond...babysitting me?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, I don't babysit you. I get pampered around you. You feed me jewels, you read to me, you treat me like your son. And I love it. Life outside that? It sucks Twi'." Spike admitted, hefting the bundle of papers.
"Now c'mon, we got research to do!" he chuckled. Twilight smiled, following him inside. Scootaloo was passed out, held in Rainbows arms, the Skyborn resting her cheek against the girls head.
"Rainbow, I need to talk to you." Twilight said softly. Spike grunted as he set the stack of papers down. Rainbow didn't answer. Twilight sighed and sat in front of her.
"Rainbow. I'm going to cure her." Twilight said. That got her attention. She still held the girl tightly, but her eyes were focused on the Magian.
"I got access to your mothers notes...And I'm going to rework her spell. Celestia gave me some rules though. I'm not allowed to go crazy and I'm not allowed to cause her any pain." Twilight smiled. Rainbow felt her eyes water and sniffed to hold them back.
"T-thats awesome Twi'. D-Do you think you can really do it?" Rainbow whispered. Twilight looked down at the sleeping Skyborn.
"I have to. No one deserves this. Just hearing what it was like for you...if I can stop it for her...then I'll do everything in my power to save her." Twilight promised.
"Gods this is some awful stuff..." Spike mumbled, reading through a few pages.
"Hey Twilight, ya'll got somewhere we can put th' lil ones?" Applejack whispered, running her fingers through Appleblooms hair. Twilight nodded, leading them to the junior section of the library. In the corner was a nap area for younger readers.
"This should work just fine." Twilight said softly. Rarity and Applejack smiled, tucking in Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Rainbow kept her hold on Scootaloo, fearing the girl would fade away if she let go.
"Rainbow..."
"I lost my dad...my mom...my life. This kid...she's goin' down that same road. I can't...I just can't..." Rainbow choked.
"Rainbow!" Twilight stomped her foot.
"I've got this." Twilight smiled. Rainbow nodded slowly, hesitantly standing and taking Scootaloo to sleep with the others.
"Sleep tight kid...we're gonna fix up everything for ya." Rainbow said softly. A smile lit up the young Skyborns face as she nuzzled into her pillow. Rainbow sighed, standing beside Twilight as the Magian tore through paper after paper.
"Are you actually reading?"
"Rainbow, Twilight reads an average of 475 words a minute." Spike said in passing
"And nothing snaps her out of the study zone." he chuckled, demonstrating by tickling her side with a quill, only to have her magic lift him away while she continued to read through the notes. Rainbow smiled slightly and plopped down on the couch next to Rarity and Applejack.
"So...yer a vampire..." Applejack mumbled around a bit of straw.
"Well, not like you're thinking, but yes. I receive a generous donation from a blood bank in Celamont to keep me healthy and from causing anyone undue harm."
"So thats why ya'll wouldn't share yer wine." Applejack grinned, causing the fasionista to blush.
"Whats it like?" Rainbow asked, trying to get her mind off of Scootaloo.
"What do you mean?"
"Bein' a vampire, drinking blood, swinging that big freakin' sword like its a foam bat." Rainbow listed off.
"Its difficult to explain really. Its just who I am. The same way that flying is who you are, or that farming is what Applejack is. I guess thats a bad way of putting it...This isn't going to be weird is it?"
"You were already weird Rares, this just tops on a bit of cool to the weird." Rainbow chuckled.
"Um...Rainbow, I have something I need to ask..." Twilight gulped, staring at a chart.
"Yea?"
"C-Can I see one of your feathers?" She asked hesitantly. Rainbow paused for a moment before standing and spreading out her wings. Twilight hadn't expected such an immediate response.
"I'll need one from Scootaloo too...to compare..." she admitted. Rainbow froze.
"Is there a way to get one without hurting her?" Twilight asked. Rainbow thought it over for a moment and nodded.
"Yea, but you have to wait here." Rainbow said, marching to the Junior section. She knelt down next to the sleeping form of Scootaloo, drawing her finger over the marking on her back, watching her tiny wings appear. She ran her fingers lightly over them, searching for a loose feather and gave it a quick yank.
Scootaloo mumbled in her sleep and rolled over as if nothing had happened. Rainbow sighed in relief, silently thanking Fluttershy under her breath. As her friend filled her thoughts she came to a realization. Where was Fluttershy?
His boots clicked loudly upon the steps that led to his throne. He calmly made his way down towards his most trusted spy, smiling as he passed by her and grabbed a small wine glass. A snap of his fingers later, it was full of chocolate milk.
"Is that everything?" he asked her as he swirled his drink about.
"Yes. Every last detail." she spoke softly, head down and sitting on one knee.
"Good. Keep an eye on things for me and if anything...interesting happens. Let me know. I'm counting on you my dear." he chuckled.
"You...You won't hurt them...will you?" she asked out of nowhere. The question caught him off guard, but he was quick to recover.
"Of course my dear. A promise is a promise. You keep me posted and they keep breathing. That was our deal and though I am somewhat of a bastard I am not a liar. You know that."
"I-I know. I just..." she bit her lip, hiding behind her hair.
"Ahh, I see. Its him isn't it? That Dragonkin that has been training them. He's dug his pretty little claws into that heart of yours hasn't he?" he taunted.
"Its not like that!" she argued, the force of her shout causing him to take a step back and reminding him just what this girl was. It made him so proud.
"Theres no reason to get all fussy about it. I think he is a good match for you. In fact...I think you should follow your heart on this. Consider it a part of your mission, a way to learn more about him."
"I...really? I-Its okay?"
"Of course its okay!" Discord chuckled to himself, watching his daughter leave in a snap of her fingers. All was going according to plan, better in fact. Already the Elements of Honesty, Loyalty, and Generosity were ripe for the picking.
"Three down, three to go." he smirked. He sighed to himself as he swirled his drink about in its glass, shifting his gaze to his other minions, heads bowed and awaiting orders. It was too easy, but he did have an unfair advantage, so complaining wasn't allowed. He stopped in front of his first puppet, smiling down at her.
"You, go to Eravil, show them true magic, and see if you can take down the librarian."
"Of course! None can compare to the awesome might of the Great and Powerful Trixie! E-Except you of course!" she stammered, vanishing in a flourish of her cape.
"D'ya really think that airhead is gonna be anywhere close to her level?" his other minion asked.
"I highly doubt it. But it will make things a bit more entertaining, don't you agree?" he asked, sipping his drink.
"Yea yea. When do I get to have some fun?" she demanded.
"Soon my eager friend, soon."
"I don't like it, its too quiet." Vinyl sighed.
"Its Eravil, its a quiet place." an armored guard answered, her bright flame yellow wings keeping her at a brisk hover. Vinyl leaned against the rooftop she stood on and shook her head.
"Not lately. He's gotta be watching this place somehow. But how? Its shrouded in Harmonic Energy. Scrying would be impossible without a conduit." Vinyl mumbled.
"I see something, coming out of the woods. Its got a heavy dose of chaos clinging to it." a third guard called out, peering through a sniper rifle. Vinyl's eyes glowed for a moment, enhancing her vision as she stared out across the town. Fluttershy stumbled out of the woods, brushing leaves and twigs out of her hair, several animals surrounding her and helping her.
"Stand down, its just Fluttershy. She takes trips into Everfree to tend to sick animals all the time. She's bound to be cloaked in the stuff." Vinyl reasoned. The guard hesitated before obeying
"You have to admit its a bit strange. I don't remember seeing her at the party, or even outside the library during your duel." the Skyborn guard pointed out.
"Keep tags on her, you know her better than I do." Vinyl ordered. The Skyborn nodded, her armor fading as she took off for a darkened cloud, a rifle strapped to her back. She took her position, keeping her scope focused on Fluttershy, watching her march into town with her animal friends.
"C'mon Fluttershy, please let this all be a misunderstanding." Spitfire begged under her breath.
Twilight held pens, papers, machines and test tubes in her magic, all of it flying about her lab as she examined the two feathers, a book on Avaros wing growth hovering beside her for reference. She needed a base line between the feathers, matching up everything with Nightgales' notes, she began to form a pattern.
"According to these notes, normal application of magical restoration leads to an enhanced decay rate, causing the opposite effect in an infected Avaros. But fueling the wings with mana from the air in the same manner a Magian calls to it reverses the adverse effects and strengthens the afflicted wings tenfold." Twilight mumbled.
"And in English?" Rainbow asked.
"Trying to heal her wings normally will make them break down faster. But doing what your mother did...it turns tiny wings into massive ones by using mana in the air to breath life into them." Twilight explained, putting a hand to her chin.
"But the process is broken, flawed, and inhumane." she sighed, pondering her own notes.
"There has to be a way to apply the same effect in a more humane manner without causing pain or death to either the Magian or Avaros in the equation." Twilight began to pace back and forth, her supplies following in her wake and mixing several concoctions.
Rainbow hovered above a cushion, her wings giving a light flap every now and then. She was always more comfortable when she was off the ground. Twilight didn't seem to mind, even though a sudden gust might blow away some of her papers. Twilight took hold of her beakers, glaring at the contents with a sigh.
"I'm missing something. Something important, a missing link."
"The Avaros-Magian theory." Pinkie said from a nearby corner, causing them both to jump.
"Huh?"
"The Avaros-Magian theory, a guidebook on magical links between races." Pinkie read, holding the book up in the air.
"Where did you find that?!" Twilight gasped as she grabbed the book.
"In the reference section!" Pinkie giggled with a snort. The Gaian showed herself out, giving a wink to Rainbow Dash behind Twilights back and mouthing something to her. Rainbow stared for a moment, unsure of what it all meant. Pinkie was hard to understand sometimes...scratch that, she never understood Pinkie, no one did.
"A link exists between the three races, as can easily be seen within the Celestians, a bond of Magic, Strength, and Speed, a perfect balance. All the three races lack is that link that makes a Celestian what they are." Twilight read aloud. She glanced over at Rainbow and then back at the book.
"How did I not see it before?!" she gasped.
"What?" Rainbow asked, watching Twilight fumble around the room, her paper ablaze with notes as she continued to read.
"I-Its unthinkable, but at the same time so obvious. Your mother stumbled upon the secret of the Celestians. Rainbow, you're the link in the chain!" Twilight cheered.
"I am? What the hecks that mean?" Rainbow demanded. She gulped as Twilight pulled out a needle.
"I need a sample of your blood."
The girls jumped as Rainbows scream filled the library from the basement.
"S-Should we check on her?" Rarity spoke up
"Ya'll wanna fight Twi'?" Applejack asked.
"If'n RD ain't fighting back, ah ain't going in there." she finished, flipping through a book on crops. Silence fell back over them, a knock at the front door drawing their attention.
"I got it!" Pinkie bounced to the door, pulling it open.
"Hi Shy!" she giggled, letting their friend in.
"I-Is everything okay?" Fluttershy asked nervously, hiding behind her hair.
"Fine is a strange way of putting it, but yes I would say so." Rarity answered, followed with a yawn.
"We should get some rest. Prolly got a big day ahead o' us tomorrow." Applejack chuckled.
"Quite right Applejack. Shall we meet back here tomorrow?" Rarity asked.
"Its a long walk home, 'sides, th' girls are asleep just over there. Why not jus' stay here?" Applejack pointed out. Rarity glanced over at her sister, seeing her suck her thumb cutely.
"It would be quite a shame to wake them..." she said softly. Pinkie beamed as she pulled a bundle of pillows and blankets out of one of the bookshelves and quickly built a pallet on the floor.
"Slumber party!" she whispered excitedly. Downstairs, Rainbow was rubbing her arm and grumbling under her breath.
"This is incredible..." Twilight breathed as she examined the sample under her microscope.
"Yea, its blood, whoop de freakin doo." Rainbow continued to grumble.
"Rainbow, take a look." Twilight said, stepping away from it. The Skyborn hesitated before peeking into the microscope.
"Okay, theres a bunch of stuff movin. Big deal." she remarked.
"Keep watching, notice what happens when I do this." Twilight tapped her finger lightly against the microscope, feeding a bit of magic into the blood sample. One of the cells instantly died, shriveling up and dissipating into the surrounding cells which began to grow.
"Is that suppose to happen?" Rainbow asked as she stood up.
"The cells are feeding each other. When one is weak it gives itself up to the others to strengthen them. When you use magic it kills off a whole handful of these, but they keep you going by giving what is left of themselves to the rest of your body. Its built a self-defense mechanism beyond anything I've ever seen." Twilight rambled.
"Twilight. I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm a flier not a scientist." Rainbow stopped her. Twilight sighed, putting a hand against her chin.
"Okay, I'll explain it like this. How old do you think Celestia is?" Twilight asked.
"I dunno...5000 years?" Rainbow guessed.
"Okay, good guess. I actually don't know the answer...But thats probably not far off all things considered. Now, why does she look so young?" Twilight continued.
"She's a Celestian, aren't they immortal or somethin?" Rainbow questioned.
"Yes, and No. A Celestian is the combined force of a Magian, a Gaian, and a Skyborn. The magic of the three races is strong in them and its through these combined magics that they live for so long. Their bodies are a wonder of science, constantly refueling itself in an almost endless cycle." Twilight explained. She smiled and held up the blood sample.
"You're blood has entered the first stage of that." Twilight finished.
"Okay...so can you cure the kid or what?" Rainbow wondered, not caring much for the details. Twilight sighed.
"Well, with your blood, your mothers notes, my notes, and a bit of magic...I most likely can..."
"Okay, well lets do it!" Rainbow said, holding out her arm and shutting her eyes to avoid looking at the incoming needle.
"Its not exactly that simple Rainbow." Twilight sighed.
"Why the heck not?!" Rainbow fumed.
"One, your blood might not be compatible with hers. If her body refuses to accept it then we might end up killing her instead of saving her." Twilight began, counting off on her fingers.
"Two, the binding process requires Mana and Lifeforce. I have no idea how much is required to make it a permanent solution." she continued.
"And three, we only get one shot at this. If we mess it up...she'll die...or I will."
"Twi...I..." Rainbow stammered. The Magian only smiled at her. It was a smile Rainbow had seen before, the last smile her father had given her.
"I'll do it." Rainbow said quickly.
"Huh?" Twilight stared, utterly confused.
"The spell thing. I can use magic. You said so yourself, my body does that healing thing. I've got a better chance of surviving this." Rainbow argued.
"True, but you don't know the first thing about advanced spellcasting Rainbow. Sure, you can use magic, but you don't cast spells, you just fling mana through the air with no sense of precision or control!" Twilight argued back.
"Then teach me! I'm not going to lose you or anyone else Twilight!" the two fell silent, Twilight in mid-thought and Rainbow awaiting an answer.
"We'll do it together." Twilight smiled, cracking open a book on advanced spells. Rainbow groaned internally. She hated studying, more than anything in the world. But it would be worth it if she could save the kid.
Applejack was the first awake in the morning. As quietly as she could, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Ah hope Twilight won't mind if ah make some breakfast fer everyone." she murmured under her breath.
"Nah, she'd probably appreciate it." Spike said over a cup of coffee, causing the farmer to shriek and spin around.
"Shoot Spike, warn me next time ya'll decide t' scare me outta my skin!" she hissed under her breath. He only flashed her a monster-toothed grin and went back to his coffee. With a sigh she dug through the kitchen, humming a light tune as she mixed a few ingredients into a bowl.
"Say Spike?"
"hm?"
"Do ya'll think we can win?" she asked softly, still stirring the bowl full of batter.
"Without a doubt Applejack. I'm not gonna lie, it'll be tough, but looking at all of you, how hard you work and how determined you are. The Chaotician will be sorry he ever messed with you guys." he grinned. It slightly eased her nerves to hear that, but still she was worried. It seemed her worry was obvious, as Spike stood and smiled at her.
"Applejack, its gonna be fine. He was here, in this house. He had every chance to take me out, to take down Twilight and Rainbow, and he ran. When he bumps into the six of you, what is he gonna do then?" Spike asked. Applejack couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yer right Spike. ah guess ah'm jus' worried somethin'll go wrong."
"Thats what we're here for. To make sure things go right." he winked, relaxing back into his seat. With her mind currently at ease, Applejack set about making her famous Apple Cinnamon pancakes. The smell was enough to drag three young girls from their slumber, all three following the scent into the kitchen.
"Oh my gosh! Yer makin pancakes!?" Applebloom cheered.
"Well, its my first day bein a real mother t' ya an ya'll have some new friends. Ah figured it'd be a perfect time t' whip out an ol' family recipe. Ya'll three take a seat an ah'll have em ready in jus' a minute." Applejack smiled. The three kids hopped into their chairs, giggling between themselves. Applejack couldn't hide her smile as she placed three plates of pancakes before them, sliding a fourth over to Spike.
"Scoots, shouldn't you go tell the shelter mom where you are?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo sighed through a mouthful of the most delicious pancake she had ever tasted.
"Yea I gueth." she said around her food, taking another large bite.
"So ya'll are really an orphan?" Applejack asked softly. Scootaloo nodded somberly, digging back into her pancakes, frowning as she finished the last bite. Her eyes lit up as Applejack presented her with a second helping.
"Thanks Miss Applejack!" Scootaloo gasped, digging into her pancakes once more.
"Slow down Scootaloo! Yer gonna hurt yerself!" Applebloom laughed. Applejack watched the three friends chat away over their pancakes before glancing over at Spike, his plate long since relieved of its load. He was reading through a large scroll, but spared the time to return her glance.
"Ohmigosh do I smell pancakes!?" Pinkie gasped from the sitting room, zipping into the kitchen. Applejack however was ready for her, thwacking her nose with a spoon.
"Down Pinkie!" she barked, the baker whimpering and taking a seat.
"Ya'll always eat up everythin' 'fore anyone else gets a chance. Don't ya worry none, yer gonna get yers after everyone gets theirs." Applejack told her. Pinkie nodded meekly. One by one the others poured into the kitchen, accepting a plate from Applejack and finding somewhere to sit. Applejack looked around, doing a headcount.
"Where th' heck are Twi an Rainbow?" Applejack asked.
"Still downstairs." Rarity sighed, nursing a cup of coffee. It was definitely too early in the morning and her head was still pounding from the beating she had taken the day before. Applejack slid into the seat beside her weary friend and offered her a smile.
"Ya'll feelin alright Rarity?" Applejack asked softly. Rarity glanced at her friends bandaged hand, feeling her stomach tie up in knots.
"I-I will be...the real thing is a bit different from the package if you get my meaning." she mumbled over her coffee. She glanced over at her younger sister, happily chatting away with Applebloom and Scootaloo.
"I didn't want this life for her Applejack. She deserves so much more..."
"Ah hear ya Rarity, but if anyone can help her through it, you can." Applejack assured her. Rarity smiled weakly and in her tired state, rested her head against her friends shoulder.
"Ya'll ain't gonna bite me again are ya?" Applejack joked.
"Hardy har har. No, I've had my fill." Rarity threw back.
"...Whats it taste like?" Applejack couldn't help but wonder.
"Normally like one of Pinkies attempts at a drink, far too sweet but quite addicting. You taste like apples." Rarity mumbled. Applejack grinned smugly.
"Told ya Apple Farmin was in my blood."
"Shush before I decide to have a snack." Rarity grumbled, eyes closed and dozing. Applejack rolled her eyes, blinking as Twilight trudged into the kitchen, accepting a cup of coffee from Spike.
"Well howdy Twilight, hows yer research goin'?" Applejack asked.
"mmm...coffee..." she mumbled, sipping the drink like her life depended on it.
"Give her a minute." Spike chuckled. Slowly the Magians eyes opened, giving her a view of her packed kitchen.
"Um...Morning everyone..." Twilight greeted.
"So, 'bout that researchin'?" Applejack asked. Twilight blinked and gasped.
"Oh! The research! Yes, well. I've discovered some interesting facts and built a few theories, but its going rather well."
"So you can really help Scoots?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly. The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to the young Magian. She hung her head.
"I was pretending to sleep and listened in on everything." She mumbled.
"Belle, I told you. I'm fine!" Scootaloo argued.
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" Sweetie Belle yelled, glaring at her friend.
"I notice when you stop to catch your breath, I can see how much it hurts when you push yourself too hard. And I know you're just acting tough so no one will worry." Sweetie Belle continued. Twilight bit her lip as she watched them argue.
"I'm just giving everyone else a chance to catch up!"
"Thats enough kid." Rainbow said as she entered the kitchen. Scootaloo stared up at her idol, watching as Rainbow walked across the room and leaned against the counter behind her.
"Drop the act and listen to your friend." Rainbow ordered.
"I'm not actin'. I'm fine!"
"Kid, I had what you have. I know, okay? I know." Rainbow said softly. Scootaloo could only stare, looking Rainbow up and down slowly.
"A-are you gonna die too?" Scootaloo asked softly.
"No way kid. We're gonna get through this, see that nerd over there?" Rainbow pointed to Twilight, the Magian raising an eyebrow.
"She's workin' on a cure right now and I bet this time next week you'll be flying." Rainbow grinned.
"R-Really?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, her wings buzzing as she jumped up in her seat. Rainbow looked over at Twilight, seeing determination in her tired eyes and chuckled.
"Really. Now C'mon, I heard you need to go tell your 'mom' where you're at." Rainbow said, ruffling her hair. Scootaloo grumbled and sighed, following Rainbow out of the library.
"She seems rather attached to that little girl." Rarity remarked.
"She told me that girl reminds her a lot of herself at that age. They both suffer from Mareks Disease, both lost their parents, both were told they would never fly. But Scootaloo doesn't have a psycho mother to save her like Rainbow did. I guess thats where we come into the picture." Twilight chuckled over her coffee.
Eyebrows were indeed raised at the comment. Once the words were out in the open Twilight came to a realization. It sounded a lot better in her head.
"N-No thats not what I meant!" She quickly tried to argue, spilling her coffee, laughter filling the kitchen.
"We ain't judgin ya none sugarcube. It did seem an awful bit quiet down there." Applejack teased. Spike hid a grin as he coughed into his hand.
"Saw-it-coming." he said quickly, earning a smack to the back of his head.
"Did ah miss somethin'?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle only shrugged, the two making their way out of the kitchen and to their unfinished board game. Laughter and arguments flew back and forth in the kitchen. Spike smiled as he watched it unfold and allowed things to be normal for once.
Scootaloo gripped the handles of her Scooter and Rainbow had an idea.
"Hey kid, how about a race?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo stared up at her idol.
"Y-You wanna race..me?" she asked in shock.
"Sure, if I win, we'll go out for ice cream and you tell me about your parents." Rainbow held out her hand.
"And...if I win...you have to adopt me!" Scootaloo said quickly, grabbing Rainbows hand, giving it a quick shake and then snapping out her wings, the tiny nubs buzzing faster than Rainbow could see and sending the girl screeching down the street.
"...Hey!" Rainbow grit her teeth and took off at a run after the girl, flicking open her wings and soaring just above the ground, quickly catching up. Scootaloo glanced over at her, buzzing her wings hard and pulling out front just slightly.
Rainbow was barely even pushing herself, she could easily soar past the kid, but then what? She glanced over at the kid, teeth clenched, knuckles white, eyes focused. The kid wanted to win so bad, like her life depended on it.
What the heck am I thinking? I can't adopt a kid! Ugh, crap. she sighed to herself, letting up a bit, the girl pulling ahead and sliding to a stop in front of the orphanage. She leaned over the handles of her scooter, wheezing slightly with her eyes shut. Rainbow gave her a moment before landing beside her.
"You okay kid?" Rainbow asked softly. Scootaloo gave her a thumbs up and rested her scooter against the wall.
"Wait...d-did I win?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow chuckled, crossing her arms.
"Yup, just barely kept ahead of me kid. You've got some pretty tough wings." Rainbow told her. Tears filled the little girls eyes as she tackled Rainbow in a monster hug.
"Whoa! Calm down kid!"
"I-I can't believe I won..." she sobbed against Rainbows shirt. Rainbow sighed, wrapping her arms around the kid.
"Yea yea, I'll win next time kid." Rainbow chuckled. She gasped as Scootaloo grabbed her hand and pulled her into the orphanage. The Shelter mom gasped as she caught sight of Scootaloo.
"Where have you been?!" she demanded. Scootaloo froze for a moment before standing tall.
"I-I was with my friends. We had a sleepover at the library." Scootaloo explained herself.
"You should've told me you weren't coming back last night Scootaloo. Go to your room."
"B-But Miss Taker!" Scootaloo argued.
"Now!" Miss Taker yelled
"Hey! You can't treat her like that!" Rainbow shoved Scootaloo behind her, glaring at the shelter mom.
"And just who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" Miss Taker demanded.
"I'm her new mom, now wheres the friggin paperwork?!" Rainbow growled.
"You can't just march in here and demand I hand a child over to you! Especially after you have shown what kind of person you are. Now, if need be I will contact the authorities and have you removed from the premises!" Miss Taker threatened. Scootaloo whimpered behind her, tugging on her arm.
"I-I'll be fine Rainbow...I don't want you to get in trouble..."
"Its cool kid, I got this." Rainbow whispered, turning back to Miss Taker. The others were probably going to have a fit, but she needed to do this. Summoning her strength she called out to her armor, standing tall before the panicking shelter mom.
"I am Rainbow Dash. A Knight of Celamont acting under the direct orders of Princess Celestia herself. And I demand you bring me the paperwork for this child." Rainbow spoke in her best military voice. Miss Taker, for her part, seemed rather calm on the outside as she fumbled for the mentioned papers.
"J-Just sign here ma'am." she gulped.
"You're the best Rainbow! Lemme go get my stuff!" Scootaloo hugged her leg before vanishing into the orphanage. Rainbow could faintly hear children congratulating the girl.
"Its about time Scoots. We were all thinkin' you'd be buggin' us forever." she heard a voice say.
"Hey, don't worry about that. I'll visit just to make sure someone is buggin' ya." Scootaloo threw back before returning with a bag slung over her shoulder. Rainbow looked over the papers, her armor vanishing as she handed them back.
"We um, we'll need t-"
"Check in on me in a few months, blah blah blah. I was adopted, I know the drill." Rainbow interrupted.
"C'mon kid, lets get outta here." Rainbow saved one last glance for the shelter mom before leaving with Scootaloo in tow. It wasn't until she stepped outside that she realized what she had done.
"Crap..."
"I win!" Sweetie Belle cheered.
"Crud, best out of 37?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle shrugged and helped her friend put the game back together. Rainbow walked into the library, a more than excited Scootaloo on her tail.
"You girls aren't even gonna guess what just happened!" Scootaloo buzzed excitedly to her friends.
"You learned to fly?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo shook her head, practically vibrating in place.
"Diamond Tiara fell down a well?"
"Well that would be as good, but no. I got adopted!" she cheered.
"Thats great Scoots!" Sweetie Belle and Applebloom cheered together. Rainbow Dash plopped down in a chair, resting her face in her hands.
"Uh, by who?" Applebloom wondered. Scootaloo zipped over to Rainbow.
"The one an only Rainbow Dash!" she answered, the room falling silent.
"Do you girls mind giving us a minute to talk to Rainbow?" Rarity asked. The three friends shared a worried glance before nodding. Rainbow gasped as her friends yanked her into the kitchen, all of them staring her down.
"Rainbow, ya'll don't know th' first thing in takin' care o' a child. What'd ya go an do a stupid thing like that fer?" Apple demanded.
"Because...because she deserved it." Rainbow answered.
"Thats wonderful of you dear, really. But where is she going to sleep? You live in a cloudhouse, she can't fly!" Rarity argued.
"I'll carry her!" Rainbow argued.
"How is she gonna get down? Oh! we could build a ladder!" Pinkie snorted.
"A cloudhouse drifts Pinkie, a ladder would fall off eventually." Twilight tossed in her two cents.
"Well I can't take her back! This isn't like some slip-up at the store and you get a refund. Spitfire was there for me when no one else was. Theres no one out there for this kid, its gotta be someone who understands her, who can be there for her..." Rainbow argued.
"I think its a good idea." Spike said out of the blue, all eyes turning to him.
"Who knows better what Scootaloo is going through than someone who survived it?" Spike asked, making his way out into the main room and joining the boardgame.
"Well Spike approves, so I guess I do too." Twilight smiled, using her magic to wash the dishes.
"You girls kinda have a point...where is she gonna stay?" Rainbow sighed, slamming her forehead into the table.
"She could stay here." Twilight suggested.
"I would be able to keep an eye on her condition and the library door is always open. I've got an unused guest room, and this way we don't have to worry about her being stranded in your cloudhouse or unable to get home." Twilight smiled. Rainbow blinked, the other girls sharing a look.
"I should ask her first Twi'. She was kinda excited about me taking her in." Rainbow finally said, peeking her head out of the kitchen.
"Hah! I'm on a roll today." Scootaloo grinned as she won another game. Spike, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle groaned in defeat.
"Hey Scootaloo, you mind comin' in here for a sec? Give them a chance to win, ya know?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo shrugged.
"Heh, they need the practice." Scootaloo chuckled, making her way into the kitchen.
"Whats up?" she asked, looking up at Rainbow.
"I uh...we need to talk kid."
"Oh...am I going back to the orphanage?" Scootaloo asked quietly.
"What?! No! No way! We just uh...we gotta talk about living situations kid. Those wings of yours are tough, but they can't get ya off the ground yet. So you can't stay at my place..."
"Oh...right..." Scootaloo mumbled.
"But, remember that nerd?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm right here!" Twilight fussed.
"Well, she offered to let you stay here until we get you flying." Rainbow said, ignoring Twilight.
"She's not gonna experiment on me is she?" Scootaloo whispered.
"Nah, not unless we say she can, which is gonna have to happen to get your wings in flyin' shape. But we'll wait til you're ready for that." Rainbow winked, ruffling her hair.
"So, what do ya say? Wanna hang with Spike and Twi' til I figure somethin out?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo looked over at Twilight.
"Well...Spike is kinda cool...and he was gonna show me his comic books...I guess I can hang here for a while." Scootaloo bit her lip and twiddled her thumbs.
"Am I still gonna get to see you?"
"Of course you are kid. What kinda parent would I be if I ditched you?"
"A bad one." Pinkie answered, sucking on a spoon covered in pancake batter. Rainbow gave the baker a flat look before turning back to Scootaloo.
"Right, and that wouldn't be cool. So, you hang here 'til we get you flyin', and I'll try and figure out the rest of the details. Deal?"
"Deal!"
"Hey Spike? Whats Twilight doin' down there anyway?" Scootaloo asked, helping her 'roommate' clean up. Spike paused for a moment, thinking carefully on his words.
"Well..." he thought of lying, of coming up with some excuse like he always did. But what was the point in that? Scootaloo's life was on the line here, she deserved to know the truth, besides it wasn't anything terrible that needed hiding.
"She's working on a cure." Spike answered.
"Well, yea. Rainbow told me that. But, how? Those guys at the hospital worked for ages on my parents and got nothin..." Scootaloo sighed, hanging her head. Spike smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Scoots, Twilight is a real brainiac, an on top of that, she's got Rainbow helping her. Heck, I bet she gets a cure before the week is over." Spike grinned.
"Yea, haven't heard that before..." she grumbled. Spike sighed, putting a hand against his chin.
"Hey, wanna see somethin cool?" he asked, looking back and forth. Scootaloo perked up slightly. Spike led the way outside behind the library.
He took a quick look around before shifting into his practice stance, flames slowly forming around his body. Scootaloo stared with wide eyes as he flowed through the simple forms, the flames dancing around along with him. She was practically jumping in place as he finished.
"Teach me! Teach me! Teach me!" she said quickly.
"Alright, but you gotta promise to not show it off." Spike chuckled, happy to have her mind on better things.
He carefully looked over the fragments of armor. All that remained of Nightmare Moon was within these few pieces, held in a special container to hold back and suppress any remaining chaos.
"What do you think Dr Accord? Quite a strange find we have on our hands hm?" Spell Nexus asked his colleague.
"Yes, quite a strange find indeed. Though we can't learn much by simply staring at the fragments through a box now can we?" Dr Accord replied, circling the clear container
"I agree, but until we know more we can't risk removing them."
"I understand, but how are we to know more without further study?" Dr Accord argued. Spell Nexus paused for a moment, tucking his hands into his lab coat and letting out a sigh.
"I suppose you are right, as you always are. Very well. I'll prepare. Be ready with the decontamination unit so I can get out and clean without any problems." Dr Nexus finally gave in.
Dr Accord hid a mischievous grin as he stepped out of the room. He watched from the observation window as Spell Nexus opened the box, his eyes glowing with a surge of magical power before he ran his hands over the fragments.
"This is...strange...its almost as if the armor itself were alive..." Spell Nexus murmured.
"I wouldn't take that as a surprise. It is riddled with a thousand years of pure chaos and hate." Dr Accord replied over the intercom.
"Wait...somethings happeni-AAAAAAHHH!' Spell Nexus screamed in pain as dark energy arched out of the armor, clinging to his body.
"Dr Accord! GAHHHH! Help me!" he cried out, seeing his friend grin at him from the window. His eyes widened as he watched the man snap his fingers and vanish. He had to think quickly, there were only a few precious seconds left before his mind was lost to the chaos. Summoning every last ounce of magic he could hold, he began to pull the escaping darkness into himself, his cries of pain echoing throughout the room. Piece by piece runes etched themselves into his body, as old as magic itself, the spell began to seal the darkness within him. Spell Nexus smiled one last time before collapsing in a heap upon the floor.
"ZZZZzzz, Oh, hello Webster...hee hee, why yes, I'd love to touch your spine..." Twilight mumbled in her sleep. Spike sighed, poking her from a distance with a broom.
"GAH! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drool on you!" she cried out in shock as she sat up. Spike raised an eyebrow, managing to hold back the laughter that welled up in him at the blush on his caretakers face.
"Sleep well?" he asked, unable to hide just a tidbit of mirth.
"I was trying to stay awake. This is a very important mixture" Twilight yawned and stretched, sighing as her bones gave a light pop into their rightful positions.
"Sleeps important Twi', you always tell me that ya know." Spike grinned. Twilight huffed, looking at her notes and checking her mixture. She had carefully left out the details of the mixture as it contained her magical essence as well as a few years off of her life. She carefully shoved the copy of Undead and you: a guidebook for beginner necromancers under her papers out of view.
Spike would throw a fit if he found out he had given her an idea on how to perform the spell to cure Scootaloo. Especially one so drastic. Now she just needed to test her concoction. If her theory was right, based off of Nightgales' notes, Scootaloo would show almost immediate signs of recovery upon digesting the potion. It would be a simple test run to help Twilight collect data and figure out the amount needed to form a permanent cure.
She would have to eventually reveal the truth though. Celestia had ordered her to keep her updated on her progress. THAT was a conversation she was not looking forward to. Necromancy fell under the category of Chaotic Magics, despite not using Chaos in quite a number of its tomes. In fact, Twilight had been rather surprised by how easy it was to transfer life force from one being to another.
She pushed to her feet, gasping as her legs gave out from under her, quickly catching herself in her magic before she hit the ground. The Magian sighed in relief, gently letting herself down and staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"This is gonna be harder than I thought..."
"Alright, here it is!" Applebloom cheered, presenting the run down remains of an old treehouse.
"Uh...what is it?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Its my si...uh...moms ol' clubhouse. We jus' gotta fix it up an we can make it our own little place!" Applebloom said excitedly.
"Like a secret hangout, or our own Headquarters!" Scootaloo gasped.
"Exactly! I was hopin' ya'll could help me out with it...I mean, if'n ya want t'..." Applebloom mumbled. Scootaloo grinned, twirling a hammer between her fingers.
"Lets get to it!" the young daredevil cheered, the three friends sharing a high five before starting on their new clubhouse.
"Kid seems to be doing okay. I'll keep an eye on them." the guard said through her com
"Good, don't get lost in that forest." vinyl replied, doing her best to blend in town, which was a bit difficult when you were known as a DJ Sensation halfway across the globe. She sighed, sitting at a diner and running her tongue over her fangs. It had been a few days since she had a drink and she was starting to feel the withdrawal digging into the back of her mind.
It was nothing new, she had gone months dry before. Spike had nearly torn her head off when he had found out, but she had been fine. For the most part anyway. No doubt he was keeping track of the days.
She liked the little guy, but his position made him kind of a dick at times. She sighed again, adjusting her shades and tossing some bits on her table before leaving to make her rounds. She raised an eyebrow, watching a cart roll into town of its own accord.
"Well, that's not normal." Vinyl mumbled. She couldn't outright investigate it, not in the open like this. She'd have to hang back in the gathering crowd. A cloud of smoke appeared around the cart as it unfolded into a stage, a woman appearing from the smoke, cape flowing in a nonexistent wind and fireworks launching into the air.
Oh great, a sideshow. I don't have time for this crud. Vinyl thought to herself, at least until she saw a slight flicker of dark energy fly from the magicians' hands to light several fireworks. That got her attention.
That was definitely Chaos she just used. What the heck is a third rate magician doing using Chaos? she wondered, melding into the crowd.
"Citizens of Eravil! Watch and be amazed by the fantastic feats of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" the woman introduced herself, throwing up her arms, chaos seeping from her fingertips and down across the stage, setting of smoke bombs.
Sure, these were all harmless tricks, but anyone who could hide a chaos signature was someone that instantly jumped on her radar. Vinyl scratched the side of her neck, speaking into her wristband
"Spike, we got a problem."
"Spike, we got a problem. Theres this chick in the middle of town. I didn't even sense her magical trail, she's using Chaos to pull of a bunch of magic tricks. Should we take her out?" Vinyl spoke in Spikes ear.
The dragon-kin peeked over his shoulder, seeing Twilight trudge through their home.
"No. You'd give yourself away and cause a panic. We need to handle this quietly. Just keep an eye on her for now."
"Alright, if you say so boss...oh crap. BZZZZT"
"Vinyl? Vinyl? Answer me!" Spike gripped the broom he held, rushing past Twilight.
"Hey Twi'! Gotta-go-check-on-something!-Be-back-in-a-little-bit!" Spike said quickly, dashing out of the library at near full tilt panic. Had Vinyl been found? Why was the com dead? What the heck made her pause? He skid to a stop, finding a woman standing atop a stage, forced to shield his eyes at the sheer amount of Chaos emanating from her.
The crowd in front of her was mesmerized by the show she put on, quite literally to the point that several were drooling. Spitfire tackled him, slapping a pair of shades over his eyes before rolling off of him. He rolled onto his feet and nodded to her, the two watching as the woman continued her spell.
"She snatched Vinyl before I could react. She's fighting it though. Hopefully she'll break out soon. Until then, what do we do? Anyone who latches eyes on her is gonna get sucked into whatever she's brewing." Spitfire reported.
"We go in hot and get out before we're seen."
"Stealth Knight style?" Spitfire grinned. Spike rolled his eyes.
"A guy buys a comic one time and never hears the end of it." he grumbled, both of them resting a hand over their heart, their Celestial Armor appearing around them. The woman smiled, looking at them over her shoulder.
"I think we're busted." Spitfire mumbled. The two gasped, rolling out of the way as an arch of chaotic energy flew towards them. Spitfire drew a pair of pistols, letting bullets fly, only to have them ping off a chaos barrier.
"Shit. I can't get a shot in." Spitfire rolled out of the way of another attack, taking to the air and vanishing in the clouds. Spike nodded.
"I've got it. Don't waste anymore ammo. You're only gonna get one shot at this." Spike ordered, dashing the distance between himself and the stage, flipping onto it in front of the Magian.
"Well well, Trixie takes it that you are the little soldier master gave the BBQ treatment to. Whats it like when a dragon burns?" Trixie taunted, humming softly as he drew near.
"Oh, Trixie wouldn't do that if she were you." Trixie smiled, humming a bit louder. Spike shook his head, his vision blurry.
"She's pouring chaos into her voice!" Spike shouted into the com, gasping as he sank to his knees, covering his ears against the sound of her humming. His armor faded slowly, his eyes growing dull. Trixie smiled, lifting the shades from his eyes and tossing them aside.
"Much better. Now then, go join the others." Trixie ordered, Spike fighting against the urge to obey. Trixie sighed, placing her hand on his shoulder and leaning down towards him.
"Hey! Keep your hands off my buddy!" Rainbow said, tackling Trixie off her stage. The crowd slowly started to come to their senses, Spike making himself scarce and vanishing into the crowd. Vinyl groaned, putting a hand against her head. She blinked, finding Spike beside her.
"Earplugs in, shades on. She's using Chaos illusions." Spike ordered. Vinyl nodded, slipping her headphones on and cranking up the volume, shifting her shades back onto her face and watching as Rainbow rolled off of the Witch that had ensnared the crowd moments ago.
"Well, is this a challenge? Very well peasant. Show Trixie what you've got!" she challenged. Rainbow fanned out her wings, roaring as she rushed forward, their eyes meeting and her wings locking in place.
Trixie wrapped her in a simple binding spell and chucked her across the stage, taking her place back in its center. Rainbow groaned, struggling against the bonds that held her and blinking as Applejack helped her to her feet.
"Ya'll alright partner?" Applejack asked. Rainbow grit her teeth, eyes glowing for a moment as she shattered the spell holding her.
"Yea, I'm fine. Theres somethin weird about that chick. She had Spike all googly eyed and tossed me around like it was nothing. I hate to say it but I don't think I can take her." Rainbow admitted.
"Lemme try." Applejack grabbed her lasso, catching Trixie's wrist.
"Whoa there partner! No one tosses RD 'round but me." Applejack chuckled. Trixie raised an eyebrow, the two of them latching eyes in a staring contest. Applejack gasped as Trixie pulled on the rope, using her magic to twirl it around the Gaian and shove her onto her back. Rainbow grabbed hold of the rope, struggling to untie her friend.
"Hmph, this is obviously a test of magical ability. Stand back girls." Rarity crossed her arms, her magic swarming around her and her eyes glowing. Trixie scoffed, flinging an arch of chaos at the Magian, rather surprised when Rarity knocked it away. Trixie tossed down a smoke bomb, appearing in front of Rarity and staring deep into her eyes. Rarity felt her knees buckle, falling to the ground with tears in her eyes.
"The heck did you do to her?!" Rainbow demanded.
"Trixie doesn't know what you're talking about." Trixie said, playing innocent. She returned to the stage, resuming her spell and ensnaring her audience.
"This is bad, we can't risk blowing cover." Vinyl said softly, clenching her fist.
"Yea, and she's got a barrier protecting her from Witches bane. She has to be working for the Chaotician." Spike growled.
"What do we do?" Spitfire asked from the safety of her cloud.
"We play along for as long as possible until we find an opening."
"HEY!" a voice called out. Trixie spun and grunted as a spell smashed into her barrier. Twilight panting slightly and holding out her arm, smoke drifting from her hand.
"Well, the little Librarian shows her face." Trixie grinned, letting down her enchantment
"Very well Sparkle. You want to dance with the Great and Powerful Trixie?! So be it. But know this, anything you can do, I can do better."
Twilight sighed to herself, her body aching and begging her to rest. Her experiment had taken more out of her than she thought it would. She peeked out of her window, blinking as she watched Spike and one of his guards skid across the ground. What in Celestia's name was going on? She stepped outside, watching the battle unfold and chewing her lip.
These people were suppose to be the best of the best. Whatever they were fighting must have been tough if two of them couldn't take it down. Her eyes widened as she saw her friends join the battle, one after the other falling to the Magians' powers. It was then that Twilight noticed it. The dark energy encircling the woman and filling her eyes and swirling around her throat.
"She's hexxing them through eye contact...but theres more than that. Her voice too?" Twilight realized. She dug into her pocket, pulling out a pair of ear plugs in a small case labeled Snoring Spike Emergency kit, popping them into her ears and letting out a slow breath. She winced as she called to her magic, feeling less than spectacular after sacrificing a few years of her life for science and Scootaloo. And Rainbow a voice in her head added. She threw out her arm, begging the Mana to help her as she flung a full powered counter spell to smash the barrier.
"HEY!" Twilight yelled, watching her spell smash into the barrier. She gulped as the woman turned around
"Well, the little Librarian shows her face." she wore a menacing grin, waving her hand towards the crowd who seemed to come to their senses.
"Very well Sparkle. You want to dance with the Great and Powerful Trixie?! So be it. But know this, anything you can do, I can do better." Trixie flourished her cape as she stepped down from the stage and into the clearing, staring down her opponent. Twilight fueled her magic, pulling her reading glasses from her shirt pocket and slipping them on. She took a slow breath and began to chant softly, grunting as threads of chaos wrapped around her arms and legs.
"Come now Sparkle, did you think you'd have time to chant some powerful ancient spell? Please, only novices think to hit with their heaviest spell first." Trixie taunted.
"Ranmir nova Caex!" Twilight whispered harshly, a bolt of raw mana flying down the threads holding her and sending a shock-wave up Trixie's spine, the chaos fueled Magian crying out in pain and stumbling backwards.
"You want to play dirty?! Trixie can play dirty!" Trixie roared, pulling the surrounding chaos into herself, a long pure black staff forming in her hands. She spun the weapon about and around, thwacking herself in the head.
"T-Trixie meant to do that!" she argued to no one in particular. Were Twilight not suffering a magic induced hangover of epic proportions, she might've been able to flick her pinkie and stop this Trixie person. But as she was it was difficult to even attempt gathering mana.
"Twilight, use yer Element!" Applejack called out. Twilight gasped, weaving to the left out of the way of Trixie's staff, gritting her teeth and pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Trixie jabbed outward with the butt end of the staff, Twilight just barely managing to avoid it. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as one jab brushed her hair, her eyes wide as it singed the few locks it touched. She did NOT want that to hit her.
"C'mon Twilight! You've got this!" Rainbow cheered. Twilight panted heavily, out of breath and energy. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. Trixie however seemed like she hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Why are you doing this?" Twilight asked.
"Why?! You dare ask Trixie why?! Because unlike the likes of you Sparkle, Trixie had to struggle and fight every day of her life. While you were living the high life under your beloved princess, I was starving in the streets! He offered me a chance to live, a chance to be something more than a useless street rat and all Trixie has to do is take her revenge on all of you snob nosed nobles!" she roared, spinning with the staff, directly into Twilights ribs.
The Magian cried out as sparks danced across her body, collapsing onto the ground and placing a hand over the wound. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as Trixie moved closer to Twilight. Rainbow grit her teeth, launching forward, only for Trixie to catch her eyes once more, the Skyborn collapsing and clutching her head.
"This jus' ain't right. How are we s'pose t' fight her if we can't even get close?!" Applejack chewed her lip.
"Twilight seems like the only one immune to her stare...I'm afraid she is on her own..." Rarity said softly.
"We can at least buy her some time!" Applejack argued.
"And how do you suggest we do that?"
"PARTY CANNON!" Pinkie cried, smashing the DO NOT PRESS Button on her cannon, launching a plethora of condensed confetti and streamers directly into Trixie.
"GET UP TWILIGHT" her friends cried out. The Magian groaned as she rolled onto her side, digging her fingers into the dirt and clawing her way into a standing position. Trixie swore under her breath, tearing the clingy confetti out of her outfit and hair. Twilight took the chance to snatch the staff in her magic, roaring as she snapped it in two, the backlash causing Trixie to scream in agony and fall to her knees. Twilight marched over to her, gasping as Trixie tackled her, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Become mine, kneel to my power!" Trixie demanded. Twilight raised an eyebrow, tapping her glasses.
"Sorry, Hex proof." she smirked, smashing her fist into the magicians gut and rolling over, pinning her underneath and weaving her magic over her eyes and mouth. Twilight sighed heavily, her friends rushing over to her, Applejack and Pinkie keeping the disruptive Magian pinned while Rainbow and Rarity helped Twilight to her feet.
"That was awesome Twilight! How'd you keep her from getting into your head?" Rainbow asked.
"huh? Oh!" Twilight popped out the earplugs.
"Sorry, could you repeat that?" she asked. Rainbow stared at the earplugs.
"The heck are those for?"
"Well, normally Spike snores...rather loudly. But I noticed something when she was on the stage. This...it wasn't exactly a mana trail...but it was focused on her throat and eyes and she was using it to hex the crowd."
"Okay, so ya'll protected yerself from hearin' her magicky words. But how'd ya avoid her eyes?" Applejack asked, adding a healthy dosage of rope to the magical bindings. Twilight tapped her glasses.
"Hex proof glasses. A few of my fellow students back in school liked to cheat by hexing others eyes. So I made myself a pair of these to keep cheaters out." Twilight answered.
"Heh, and the power of the nerd wins the day." Rainbow chuckled. Fluttershy peeked out from behind a bush.
"I-Is it over?" she asked softly.
"Shy, man am I glad to see you. Hey, we need The Stare." Rainbow smiled.
"Oh, um...well, I don't know." Fluttershy mumbled, hiding behind her hair. Twilight looked around at her friends, utterly confused.
"Whats the stare?" Twilight asked.
"No, its The Stare dear." Rarity corrected,
"Fluttershy has this wicked cool power where she looks into someones eyes and they have to do whatever she says." Rainbow explained.
"Huh? How is that even possible?"
"Lots of things are possible silly!" Pinkie snorted. Twilights head hurt too much to argue, and so she simply relaxed in her friends hold as they helped her into the library. She winced as they sat her down in her arm chair, Rarity letting out a sigh as she peeled up the singed shirt. "Oh my goodness...that's quite a mark..." Rarity mumbled. Spike burst into the library, smoke drifting from his nostrils as he glared at Trixie, though his attention was quickly drawn to the near shirtless and injured Twilight.
"Twilight!" he gasped, rushing to her side. "This is my fault...I shoulda stopped her on that stage..."
"Spike, this isn't anyone's' fault but mine. I'm the one that stood up to her. B-besides, its not that bad." She forced a smile, gasping in pain as Rarity let her shirt drop back on to it.
"Vinyl, you help Twilight. I'll check in on our magician friend." Spike ordered softly.
"Wait, Spike!" Twilight gasped, holding the wound and holding out her glasses to him. He smiled, accepting them happily.
"Thanks Twilight...get some rest okay?"
"Yes Dad" She giggled, leaning back against her chair. Vinyl stood behind her, placing her hands on her shoulders.
"You uh...might wanna brace yourself. This is gonna be a bit of a wild ride." Vinyl said softly. Twilight gripped the arms of her chair, eyes wide and glowing as Vinyl poured her magic through her system, flushing out the building chaos from her wound. Her friends watched as her back arched against the chair, the Magian crying out and falling unconscious
"I-Is she...?" Rainbow started.
"Chill lovebird, flushing out chaos is a pretty tense experience. Doesn't help that she was playing with necromancy before deciding to tango with Miss Manipulative bitch."
"Necrowut?" Rainbow asked. Vinyl sighed, leaning against the wall.
"Necromancy, the practice of Dark Magicks on the border of chaos. Stuff used to raise the dead and make them your slaves. You're bookworm here gave up a few years of her life workin' on that spell your mom used." Vinyl answered. Rainbow could only stare, clenching her fists.
"She gave up a few years? What do you mean?" Rarity asked, gasping as Vinyl tossed her a small vial.
"Inside that, is ten years of your friends life, along with magic not even Celestia would try her hand at. She made it for that kid you're all so worried about." Vinyl said, walking past them and following after Spike. The friends gathered around the vial, setting it on the table.
"Ten years...she gave up ten years because I couldn't let some little kid..." Rainbow muttered under her breath.
"What were ya s'pose t' do Dash? Ignore a kid in need? Jus' sit back an let her die? T'weren't yer fault she decided t' do this an th' fact is She did decide." Applejack argued.
"Oh my gosh! You know what this means?" Pinkie asked everyone. They all turned to her, wondering what she had figured out. She seemed rather excited, practically bouncing in place.
"I get to make a big party to celebrate ten years of parties she missed!" Pinkie squealed. The group sighed in exasperation.
"Pinkie! That's not important right now!" Rarity fumed. The Baker pouted, hanging her head.
"I'm sorry Pinkie. I didn't mean it like that. We just have some rather...important things on our hands right now. We don't have time for a party, let alone ten." Rarity said softly. Pinkie nodded, falling quiet and hugging her knees on the couch. Applejack looked around the room. Rainbow freaking out about Twilight and blaming herself, Rarity feeling sorry and useless after Trixie had hexed her, Pinkie tucked into her shell and Twilight out cold and missing ten years. She glanced over at Fluttershy, seeing her friend a bit more tense than normal.
"Ya'll alright Shy?" she asked softly.
"Oh, um. I'm fine. I-I'm gonna go check on Spike" she said quickly, heading downstairs. Applejack raised an eyebrow, glancing at her friends one last time before sneaking downstairs, stopping a few from the bottom and listening in.
Spike crossed his arms, watching as the Magian woke up, Vinyl finishing the last symbol on the collar they carried before snapping it shut around Trixie's throat.
"Alright, everything good?" Spike asked. Vinyl released the magical bonds. Trixie screaming at them and reaching for the Chaos, only to have the collar light up and give her a nasty shock.
"Systems up an workin' bossman." Vinyl gave him the thumbs up.
"Alright. Trixie. You're going to tell me everything you know about the Chaotician." Spike told her. Trixie only laughed, quietly at first before throwing her head back in full tilt crazy bitch laugh mode. She let out a sigh, blowing her hair out of her face and staring back at him.
"Master is a God, my God and protector. Any moment now he will save me from this and you'll regret ever crossing Trixie! If you even harm a hair upon Trixie's head, you'll be sorry!" she spat. Spike sighed, holding out his clawed hand and snapping a single follicle of hair in his grip.
"I'm a very patient man Trixie. Playing with Chaos is forbidden, punishable by death. Its an old law, never changed, never came up in the thousand years Nightmare Moon was banished. I can legally do whatever I want right here and right now and will exercise my right if I don't get what I want." he growled, smoke drifting from his nostrils and filling the small room. Trixie fell silent, refusing to answer him and calling his bluff.
"She's not gonna talk boss." Vinyl sighed, crossing her arms.
"M-Maybe I can help?" Fluttershy asked, stepping into the room. Trixie glared at her, opening her mouth and pausing before turning her head away.
"Shy? Not to be mean or anything but...how could you help?" Spike asked.
"Well...I...I can show you." Fluttershy swallowed and stepped forward.
"Trixie." she called, the woman turning to look at her. Fluttershy widened her eyes slightly, everyone in the room suddenly feeling a massive weight of dread upon their shoulders. Trixie took the brunt of the assault, having locked eyes with Fluttershy.
"Tell us who sent you here." Fluttershy said in a monotone.
"D-Discord...G-God of Chaos..." Trixie stammered, tears stinging her eyes.
"WHY?!" Fluttershy demanded, clenching her fists in anger.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Spike said, grabbing Fluttershy's arm, the Skyborn turning to him. Spike grit his teeth, caught in the gaze of The Stare. Fluttershy quickly blinked, the weight on Spikes shoulders fading away. He panted slightly, letting go of her arm.
"That's enough Shy. That's all we need to know." Spike said softly.
"I-I'm sorry..." Fluttershy quickly ran up the stairs, leaving Spike and Vinyl with a sobbing Trixie.
"Now, if you don't want another dose of that, you'll answer the rest of our questions."
Applejack scrambled up the stairs just ahead of Fluttershy, leaning against the wall out of sight as the Skyborn burst into the room.
"Everything okay?" Rainbow asked, seeing the two of them. Applejack signaled to Dash to keep quiet about her, the Skyborn turning her attention to just Fluttershy.
"I u-used The Stare...I-I didn't mean to be so harsh. Oh, I hope they forgive me..." Fluttershy mumbled.
"Hey, I'm sure they will Shy. Um, hey, don't your animals need you?" Rainbow asked, trying to shift her attention to something else. Fluttershy gasped, her wings appearing as she ran out of the library. Rainbow sighed softly, glancing over at Applejack.
"What the heck was that about AJ?"
"Have ya'll ever seen Shy use Th' Stare before?" Applejack asked.
"Nah, I've just seen what happens to someone after it hits em. Not pretty. Why?"
"Ah coulda sworn it felt jus' like when that Magian downstairs looked me in th' eyes. Jus' t'ain't natural Dash."
"Hey, have you taken a look at us AJ? I'm a freak, Rarity isn't even human. Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie. Not much natural goin' on around here." Rainbow argued.
"Yea, ah guess yer right..." Applejack sighed as she sat down, toying with her hat.
"Ugh...my head...feels...clear actually. Wow, what did she do?" Twilight asked as she woke up.
"What did she do? What did YOU do?! Twilight...ten years? Really? I thought we were doing this together!" Rainbow fumed. Twilight bit her lip.
"It was an experiment!" She tried to argue
"In what? How stupid you can be?!" Rainbow demanded. Applejack grabbed her arm.
"Dash, ya'll mind lettin' me talk t' ya fer a minute?" Applejack asked, giving her arm a tight squeeze to let her know she wasn't taking no as an answer. Rainbow grumbled as Applejack dragged her to the kitchen.
"What gives Aj?"
"What gives? Rainbow, ah don't even know where t' start. But ah s'pose startin' with a question might work. Rainbow...are ya'll crushin' on Twilight?" Applejack asked.
"WHAT?! No! No way! Why? Did she ask?"
"No ya ninny, she didn't ask. She's too busy 'bout t' burst into tears after ya darn near tore her head off fer tryin' t' help ya an that girl ya'll adopted." Applejack deadpanned.
"Aw crud...Hey! Don't make me the bad guy here!"
"Ah ain't makin ya th' badguy. Ah'm jus' tellin' ya t' think 'fore ya speak after askin' fer her help" Applejack said calmly before going back into the living room. Rainbow stood there speechless, her mouth working but no words coming out. She could faintly hear Applejack speaking to Twilight and chewed her lip as she peered into the living room.
"Hey Twi', ya'll feelin alright?" Applejack asked with a smile. Twilight sniffed and wiped away her tears.
"Y-Yea! I'm fine. Just..."
"Twi', kinda hard t' lie t' th' Element o' Honesty, don't ya think?" Applejack joked. The Magian chuckled and sighed.
"Rainbow was right. I shouldn't have made that potion. I was just so excited that I found some way to help that little girl, I didn't think before I acted." she sighed.
"Ain't no harm in it sugarcube, 'cept for a few missin' years...Ah think it was brave of ya, even if it was stupid. But whats done is done, ain't no changin' it now. Maybe ya'll can find another way, maybe this is th' only way...Its up t' you what ya do Twilight an as yer friend ah'll back ya up an whatever ya choose." Applejack smiled.
"Thanks Applejack. I appreciate it..."
"Anytime Sugarcube." Applejack patted her shoulder and adjusted her hat.
"Speakin o' th' young'ins, ah beter go check in on em. No tellin' what trouble they might've gotten themselves into." The farmer gave a tilt of her hat before leaving the Library. Rarity stood from her spot on the couch.
"She's right. I should go and see how Sweetie Belle is doing...She might..." Rarity paused, suddenly rushing out of the Library after Applejack. Pinkie Pie bit her lip before turning to Twilight.
"So...um...ten years? Missing a lot of birthdays huh?" she asked. Twilight smiled.
"Well, I don't have to miss them. I happen to be friends with a great party planner." she said, the baker instantly cheering up.
"Really?!"
"Yes Pinkie, really, just not in the Library this time, okay?"
"You got it!" she beamed, bouncing out of the Library while humming a happy tune all the way to Sugarcube Corner. Twilight sighed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. She hardly noticed Rainbow enter the room. It wasn't until she heard Spike that she opened her eyes.
"Whoops. My bad." he mumbled, going back down stairs. Twilight stared, jumping in surprise as Rainbow sat next to her.
"Hey uh...Sorry about that Twilight." Rainbow said quietly.
"I-Its fine Rainbow. You were right. It was pretty stupid of me to do that."
"Yea, but you only did it cause of me an that kid. No one has ever cured this crap except my mom, and it killed her. I shoulda expected something like this..." Rainbow sighed.
"Lets just say we both screwed up." Twilight giggled. Rainbow let a smile touch her lips as she nodded in agreement.
"I guess we're both idiots." Rainbow chuckled. Twilight sighed, grabbing the vial and staring at it for a moment.
"Rainbow, if this works...We can save her."
"But what if it doesn't? Thats ten years of your life that are just gone for nothing."
"Well, I can afford it. Magians, being bound to the magical spectrum, often live longer than most people by about ten or twenty years." Twilight stated. Rainbow rolled her eyes, deciding not to argue.
"But...this is just a trial run Rainbow. If this works we'll have a baseline for the potion and I'll be able to figure out how much time needs to be transferred for a permanent solution." Twilight admitted. Rainbow stared at her for a moment before her words clicked into place. She planned on giving up more of her life.
"Y-You can't really be thinking I'm gonna let you kill yourself Twilight..." Rainbow said, her mouth dry as she spoke. Twilight chewed her lip, blinking as Rainbow grabbed her hand.
"Without letting me help. You pitched in ten years, now its my turn."
Applebloom wiped the sweat from her forehead, happily accepting one of the few clean towels they had from Sweetie Belle.
"Well girls, ah think we're jus' 'bout finished." She smiled, looking at their handiwork. The rundown tree shack was now, in their eyes, a first class clubhouse. A ramp that could be raised and lowered to keep out intruders.
A crows nest rested on top of the roof, built to watch the stars or to see across the orchard. Sleeping quarters, cubby holes for their backpacks, a snack cabinet and a few power outlets. They just needed Applejack to help them with the electrical wiring.
"Who gets to go in first?" Scootaloo asked.
"I'd say Applebloom. Its her farm and her idea to fix it up."
"Ah think we should all go in together. We all worked hard on it ya know." Applebloom smiled. Together the three friends took the first step into their clubhouse and into their new world. Posters of the Wonderbolts hung on one side while famous singers sat on another, a pile of tools sat in the corner.
"Girls, today, we start a new adventure." Applebloom said softly. Scootaloo put a hand to her mouth, coughing into her fist.
"Oh come on Scoots, I know you hate mushy stuff, but that's no reason to..." Sweetie Belles eyes widened as Scootaloo sank to her knees, struggling to breath, tears streaming down her cheeks as air refused to fill her lungs.
"Scootaloo!" she cried, kneeling next to her friend. She spun, turning to Applebloom.
"GET HELP!"
Applejack grunted as Applebloom tackled her to the ground.
"Applejack! we need yer help! Scoots stopped breathin'!" she cried, Applejack was to her feet in an instant, legs pounding hard into the dirt as she and her daughter ran to the clubhouse, seeing Sweetie Belle carrying the sickly Skyborn on her back.
"How do we get to the hospital?" She asked quickly.
"This way!" Applebloom took off at a run, Sweetie Belle chasing after her. Applejack swore under her breath, chasing after the girls.
"Just hold on Scoots." Sweetie Belle said softly, her eyes turning a deep red as she pushed her body to the limit. She could just barely feel her friends heartbeat against her back, focusing on following Applebloom and the constant beat of her friends heart. As long as it was there her friend was alive and well.
Applejack was surprised by the girls speed, though she knew when a friend was in danger nothing stopped her from helping. Why would it be any different for these three? Despite their situation, a smile touched her lips. She took a slow breath as the power of the Titans filled her, her runes glowing brightly and her footsteps leaving a resounding thud against the ground.
In two powerful strides she had lifted Sweetie belle onto her shoulder, quickly snatching Applebloom under her arm and tearing through the orchard at speeds that would make Rainbow Dash jealous. Applejack barged into the hospital like a bull in a china shop, her eyes latching onto the closest nurse.
"Ah need a doctor, now!"
"I-Is she gonna be alright?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking up at Applejack.
"Ah don't rightly know. But she's a tough one, ah'm sure they can help her." Applejack said softly. Rainbow and Twilight made their way into the waiting room, Applejack standing and catching them both by the collars of their shirts as they tried to rush into the emergency room.
"Now hold it right there. Ya'll can't jus' go bargin' in there while they are workin'." Applejack reprimanded them, forcing them both to sit down and wait. Twilight held the vial in-between her hands, her eyes every so often glancing at the clock and then the doors. The air around them grew tense as a nurse finally stepped outside.
"Is one of you Rainbow Dash?" she asked, looking between them.
"That's me" Rainbow stood up.
"She asked to see you. She's awake, but try not to excite her too much." she said softly, letting Rainbow in. The Skyborn clenched her fists, seeing Scootaloo strapped to a breathing machine and wearing a sad smile.
"I built a clubhouse today..." she wheezed into the mask. Rainbow sat beside the bed, offering Scootaloo a smile.
"That's great Scootaloo. How ya holdin' up?" Rainbow asked.
"Well...they won't let me outta here. So probably not as good as I thought." she joked. Rainbow chuckled mirthlessly and sighed.
"Scootaloo. I'm not gonna lie to you. This thing...its killed a lotta good people. A lotta strong people."
"But..." Scootaloo sucked in a shaky painful breath. "You beat it." She argued. Rainbow shook her head.
"No I didn't kid. My mom beat it, doin' a lot of stuff she shouldn't have." Rainbow replied, gently grabbing Scootaloo's hand.
"But...Twilight, the nerd, she's here with a cure. But she can't give it to you unless you want it."
"Why wouldn't I want it?" Scootaloo asked in confusion.
"That's what I said." Rainbow laughed. She bit her lip and sighed.
"Its really important that you let her give it to you Scoots, no matter what. Okay?"
"Okay...I trust you Rainbow Dash." she wheezed into her mask. Rainbow nodded, letting go of her hand and stepping outside.
"Twi' you mind comin' in?" Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded, taking a slow breath as she followed Rainbow into the room.
"H-Hey Scootaloo. How are you feeling?" Twilight asked. Scootaloo rolled her eyes weakly.
"Is everyone gonna ask me that? Its gettin' kinda old." she wheezed.
"Right, sorry. Stupid question..." Twilight mumbled. She gripped the vial and stepped forward.
"I made something for you." Twilight smiled wearily as she sat beside the sickly Skyborn. She popped the cork off the vial and held it out to the girl.
"This...is gonna make me better?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well, for a while, yes. Its just a start, but it'll get you outta this bed and back to spending time with your friends." Twilight admitted. Scootaloo sighed, wincing as she sat up and grabbed the vial.
She huffed a powerful breath from the mask before ripping it off and chugging down the contents of the vial. A nurse quickly rushed into the room to place the mask back on, having been alerted when it came off and watched as her patient downed a strange substance.
"What are you doing?!" She demanded. Twilight jumped and fell out of her chair, Rainbow spinning in place and stammering an excuse.
"Blegh, ugh, sheesh that's disgusting!" she whined. She blinked in surprise, looking at herself. It didn't hurt to breath...she wasn't wheezing or struggling for air. Her body didn't hurt all over and her head was clear. She threw off her blanket, tossing her legs over the side of her bed and sliding off, gasping and laughing as she stared at her hands.
"I...I feel...Awesome!" she cheered. Twilight sighed in relief, watching as Scootaloo tackled Rainbow Dash in a powerful hug.
"Thank you so much!"
"Hey, don't thank me kid. Twilight is the one who helped you." Rainbow chuckled. Scootaloo looked over her shoulder at Twilight, watching the Magian pick herself up. She lowered her gaze.
"Um...thanks Miss Twilight." she mumbled.
"You're welcome Scootaloo. You deserve a normal life, I'm happy I could give you a start." Twilight gasped as her Tiara appeared in her hands. The star shaped crystal in the center glowing with life and warmth.
"Hey kid, you should go say hi to your friends. They are kinda dyin' out there worrying about you. Especially that Sweetie Belle." Rainbow grinned, watching as Scootaloo rushed past the nurse to see her friends.
"I...But I made such a big mistake...why is it reacting?" Twilight wondered.
"Twilight, was it a good idea for me to bum rush a cloud of death at high speeds knowing I wasn't coming out of it? Was it a good idea for Rarity to face down Vinyl, one of Celestia's freakin' guards of awesomeness, just for Sweetie Belle? No, not even close." Rainbow argued.
"I gave up ten years of my life Rainbow."
"To save an innocent girl. With your magic and your life. I'd guess that's good enough for an ancient spirit of magic." Rainbow reasoned. Twilight smiled, gripping the trinket and following her friend out into the waiting room. Scootaloo was buried underneath her friends in a powerful hug.
"GAH! Lemme go!" she cried out, finally giving up and accepting the hug. The three friends stood up, Sweetie Belle pulling her friend close and sniffing back her sobs.
"Belle, chill out okay? I'm gonna be fine!" Scootaloo said as she returned the hug. Rarity rushed into the room, completely out of breath.
"Sweetie Belle, no!" Rarity cried out, watching as her sister dug her fangs deep into Scootaloo's neck.
Oh no, oh no, oh no. LET GO! Sweetie Belle screamed at herself, holding her friend in a literal deathgrip as she drank her dry. She felt Rarity's hands on her shoulders.
"Stop it Sweetie Belle! This isn't who you are!" Rarity cried. Twilight called to her magic, hoping to seperate the two somehow, stopping as the door opened, Vinyl shaking her head.
"Too late sis. She's gotta let go on her own. If you try an rip her off you'll kill the kid, cause she's taking that throat with her." Vinyl said, leaning against the doorway.
"Then help me!" Rarity demanded. Vinyl sighed, pushing past her sister and resting a hand on Sweetie Belle's shoulder.
"Belle, this is your friend. If you don't stop, she's gonna die and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life." Vinyl whispered to her. Sweetie Belle felt tears sting her eyes.
I'm trying! she screamed in her head, blinking as Scootaloo wrapped her arms around her weakly.
"Don't listen to her Belle. Adults don't know what they are talkin' about...though, I'd kinda appreciate it if you let go...feelin' kinda dizzy here..." she mumbled weakly. Sweetie Belle gasped as she pulled away, stumbling backwards and panting heavily.
Her eyes were a fierce blood red, her fangs showing for the entire world to see. Rainbow quickly snatched up Scootaloo, staring in shock as the wound in her neck closed itself, though the girl was out cold.
"Belle..." Applebloom took a step towards her friend, her eyes filled with concern.
"NO! S-Stay away Applebloom! I-I don't wanna hurt you too!" She cried, everyone in the room staring at her. She scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as her legs would carry her, which after a fresh meal, was rather far.
"I told ya Rarity. We're just lucky she decided to let go, but who knows what trouble she is gonna get into out there." Vinyl scoffed, grunting as Rarity spun, smashing her fist across her face. The fashionista said nothing as she turned and chased after her sister. Applejack sighed, adjusting her hat.
"Applebloom, ya'll stay with Twilight an Rainbow, keep an eye on yer friend." she said softly.
"Where are you goin?" She pouted. Applejack stopped, her back to them as she spoke.
" 'Fore ya'll try an argue, ah remember what yer sis said. When she put a stop t' yer rampage she was at full strength or somethin like that right? An last time ya'll had a snack was yer little fight with her," Applejack spoke before Rarity could pester her with questions.
"Applejack, you can't seriously be considering..."
"Will ya shut up an bite me 'fore ah come t' my senses?" Applejack grumbled, her cheeks flushed slightly. Rarity sighed, the two friends skidding to a stop.
"I-I won't take much."
"Take what ya need. ah'm tougher than ya'll think." Applejack winked. Rarity hesitated for a moment, accepting Applejacks' hand and digging her fangs into the soft flesh. Applejack winced slightly, watching as her friend suckled on her like a newborn on its mother. Rarity gently let go, giving the wound a slow lick.
"Was that really needed Rares?" Applejack asked, looking at her hand, watching the spit sink into the bite marks.
"In a manner of speaking, yes. You'll thank me when you don't get an infection darling. Now..." Rarity paused, her red eyes scanning the town. She hooked her arm in Applejacks', calling to her magic.
"Wait! Don't...!" Applejack felt her entire world turn in on itself as Rarity teleported them next to Sweetie Belle. They found the girl curled up in a corner in her bedroom.
"Sweetie? Are you alright?" Rarity asked quietly, unsure if her sister could actually tell the difference between her and a meal.
"I hurt Scoots...I-I couldn't stop myself..." she sniffed, curling up tighter in her corner
"But you did stop yourself. You've already shown how strong you are..." Rarity said softly. She knelt down in front of her sister, holding out her arms.
"You're stronger than I was, stronger than I am Sweetie Belle. Sure, you took a nibble of your friend, but she'll live and she'll forgive you." Rarity promised.
"I'm a monster...J-Just leave me alone." She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin against them.
"Sweetie Belle, how many people do you think I bit when my time came?"
"I dunno...didn't Vinyl keep you locked up?"
"Only after I'd eaten half of the town. It took her nearly two hours to catch me. But you...you came straight home...you fought down the urge...Belle, no one in our family has ever been able to fight this like you did."
"H-How can you live with yourself? knowing what you did a-and the people you hurt?" Sweetie Belle demanded.
"Because I wasn't myself...I had no control over what I was doing. Its not easy...every day I remember each and every one of them and remind myself why its so important that I don't lose control. Let me help you...like I should have before." Rarity's eyes faded to normal, her arms still held out. Sweetie Belle hesitated, crawling the short distance to her sister and accepting the hug.
Rarity rubbed a hand up and down her back, her other hand cupping the back of her head gently as the younger sister cried against her. Applejack bit her lip, unsure if she should leave or stay.
"Applejack, would you mind putting on some tea?" Rarity asked softly.
"Uh...sure Rares." Applejack sighed to herself as she left the room, finding her way to the kitchen and putting on a pot of water to boil. Rarity came downstairs a moment later, managing to reach her chair before breaking down. Applejack sat beside her, rubbing her back.
"Rarity..."
"This is my fault Applejack...I should have acted sooner. I should have kept an eye on her!" Rarity choked.
"Ya'll were there fer her when she needed ya, that's what matters." Applejack said softly, pulling her friend into a gentle hug.
"Applejack...thank you...I don't suppose..."
"What? Ya'll think jus' cause ya got a fancy set o' chompers on ya that its gonna change things between us?" Applejack asked.
"Well, yes..." Rarity admitted, blinking as Applejack cupped her cheek, placing a soft kiss against her lips. Rarity pulled away, stammering and blushing. All the while Applejack smiled at her.
"I wasn't quite expecting that..." Rarity mumbled
"Rares, we been goin' out, fer a few months now. Ah been waitin' t' make a move cause ah didn't wanna rush ya. But the timin' seemed right. Ah'm sorry if ah pushed ya bu-WHOA-MMF!" Applejack gasped as the fashionista tugged on her shirt, pulling her into a passionate kiss. She slowly let go, smirking as she pulled away.
"I was worried I might scare you away if I went any further...and...eventually you would learn the truth about me. I just couldn't imagine losing you so I..."
"Tucked yerself in a corner an hid? Ain't that th' exact opposite o' what ya'll just told yer sister t' do?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. Rarity sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"Gods forgive me for being an idiot." she mumbled.
"Ah don't know 'bout them. but ah s'pose ah can forgive ya fer that. 'sides, yer my idiot." Applejack grinned. Rarity gave her a blank stare, an insult hanging on the edge of her tongue and interrupted by the tea kettle
"I got it!" Sweetie Belle said, pulling it off of the stove and dropping two teabags into it. Applejack and Rarity stared at her for a moment.
"What?" she asked, looking between them. "D-did I do something wrong?"
"Belle...h-how long...were you um..."
"I saw the whole thing." she said quietly. Rarity sighed and smiled.
"Would you like to share some tea with us? It'll help with the uh...aftertaste..." Rarity bit her lip, watching as her sister mulled it over.
"I'll just take a cup to my room. I need a little more time." she replied softly. Rarity nodded, pulling three cups from the cabinet and pouring out the tea, adding three cubes of sugar to Sweetie Belles' and giving it a little stir with her magic.
"Careful, its hot." she warned, smiling as she watched her make the trip up the stairs.
"I think...she's going to be okay, with some time anyway." Rarity sighed in relief, letting out a squeak as Applejack wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder.
"Told ya so. Ain't nothin t' worry 'bout sugarcube."
"Perhaps its not something to worry about now, but there are going to be more bumps in the road for her, and for us." Rarity sighed.
"Not jus' us Rarity. Ah'm surprised ya'll ain't caught on t' RD yet." Applejack chuckled
"Oh I'm well aware of her infatuation with Twilight. But I thought it best to let things happen on their own. I just hope Pinkie Pie feels the same." Rarity rolled her eyes, intertwining her fingers with Applejacks' at her waist.
"Should we tell em?" Applejack asked softly.
"That they are perfect for each other? Maybe."
"No, not that...Ah mean 'bout us." Applejack bit her lip as Rarity stiffened in her grip.
"Ain't no one asked, so ah ain't had t' lie or nothin', an ah ain't bein' impatient with ya. But..."
"After Scootaloo recovers and things settle down. I think that would be the best time Applejack." Rarity interrupted, turning in her hold and smiling. Applejack grinned slightly, stealing a quick kiss.
"You should go check on your daughter." Rarity whispered. Applejack swore under her breath, rushing out of Raritys' home, pausing at the door.
"This ain't over Rarity! Ah'll be back ya know!" Applejack chuckled, tipping her hat before taking off. The Magian smiled to herself as she watched the farmer go, sighing as she glanced at the untouched cups of tea. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.
Applebloom yawned loudly, gripping the railing of Scootaloo's bed and trying to stay awake, meanwhile Twilight and Rainbow Dash stood outside the room. Twilight was lost in thought as she paced back and forth, while Rainbow kept blaming herself for letting this happen.
"You said the wound just closed itself?" Twilight asked softly.
"Yea...as soon as I grabbed her, it was gone."
"Maybe the potion was a bit too strong, or maybe that's just an effect..."
"Ugh...crud my head hurts..." Scootaloo groaned as she woke up.
"Scootaloo! Oh thank goodness. Twilight! Rainbow! She's awake!" Applebloom called out to them, both running into the room.
"Kid...I'm so sorry..."
"Um, why?" Scootaloo stopped her.
"I'm suppose to take care of you and I let...'
"There was no way you coulda known she was gonna bite me. How the heck were you gonna stop it?" Scootaloo deadpanned. Rainbow sighed, gripping the railing.
"Besides, I feel fine. Except for a killer headache..."
"Probably just from the blood-loss. It'll fade away." Twilight tossed in. Scootaloo touched her neck, feeling the scarred flesh.
"Am I gonna turn into a vampire?" Scootaloo wondered. There was no fear in her voice when she asked the question, merely curiosity. Twilight couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head.
"No Scootaloo. You aren't going to turn into a vampire. You'll recover just fine and be out of here in no time." Twilight assured her.
"Aww, I was kinda lookin' forward to it. Then Belle wouldn't be all alone..." Scootaloo paused as she looked around the room.
"Uh, where is she anyway?"
"Scoots, she ran away..." Applebloom said quietly
"What?! And you let her?!" The Skyborn yelled angrily
"She wouldn't let anyone near her! Ah tried but she was scared o' hurtin me an took off so fast ah could barely see her move!"
"Ain't no need t' worry. She's safe an sound at home with her sister." Applejack said as she stepped into the room, grunting as Applebloom hugged her tightly. Scootaloo pulled out her IV, slipping out of bed.
"Hey, where are you goin'?" Rainbow stopped her
"I'm gonna go see Belle. She's probably beating herself up over this and I gotta see her." Scootaloo said.
"Uh...where are my clothes?" she wondered, realizing she was in a hospital gown.
"Being washed. But I had Spike get you something to change into." Twilight answered, holding out a pile of clothes.
"Twi', you're gonna let her go?" Rainbow asked in shock.
"Her friend needs her. If it were you and me, what would you do?" Twilight asked. Rainbow sighed, crossing her arms and grumbling under her breath.
"I'd check in on you..." she admitted. Twilight nodded, shoving everyone out of the room.
"Go ahead and get changed Scootaloo, and then you can go check on your friend." Twilight smiled, closing the door behind her. Applejack and Rainbow just stared at her.
"What?"
"You're uh...kinda good at this mom thing." Rainbow realized
"Well I did take care of Spike...even if I wasn't really taking care of him..." she sighed, rubbing her arm.
"Well, take it from a parent, ya'll would make a good mom Twilight." Applejack smiled.
"Thanks Applejack."
"Ready!" Scootaloo called out, stepping out of her room dressed in a Wonderbolts hoodie, a matching pair of jeans and wearing Rainbows lucky red cap.
"Where'd ya get these anyway?" Scootaloo asked.
"They're mine kid. And now they're yours." Rainbow said, placing her hand on her head.
"This cap belonged to my dad...its the last thing I have of his." Rainbow smiled, watching as Scootaloo took off the cap.
"But...why give it to me if its so important to you?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow grabbed the cap, placing it firmly on Scootaloo's head.
"Because you're just as important kid. Now come on, we gotta check on your friend."
"You know Dash, ya'll make a good mom too." Applejack whispered to her friend in passing.
Rarity raised an eyebrow as she opened the door, Applejack winking at her
"Told ya ah'd be back." she grinned, Rarity barely managing to hide a blush.
"I take it you are here to see Sweetie Belle?" she asked. Scootaloo nodded in determination.
"Alright, she's still a bit...touchy on the subject. So please don't swarm her."
"Its fine, I'll talk to her alone." Scootaloo said.
"You sure kid? What if she has another episode?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo hefted up the hoodie.
"Worse case scenario? She gets a mouthful of Wonderbolt and I get another trip to the hospital. The nurse was kinda nice anyway." she shrugged.
"Ah'm goin' with ya Scoots. She's my friend too." Applebloom crossed her arms.
"Alright, but let me do the talkin' okay?" Scootaloo asked. Applebloom nodded, the two heading up the stairs to see their friend.
"Should we keep an eye on them?" Twilight asked.
"Nah, ah trust everythin' is gonna be fine." Applejack said. glancing at her daughter. If it came down to it she was sure Applebloom could stop Sweetie Belle before she hurt anyone, and the noise would draw their attention.
"Speaking of which...Twilight, Rainbow. Could I speak with you a moment?" Rarity asked. The two looked between each other and shared a shrug, following their friend. Rarity chewed her lip as she handed out cups of tea, Rainbow leaning against the counter and staring at her cup as if the liquid would bite her. Twilight accepted a seat, taking a sip of her tea.
"Mmm! This is delicious Rarity."
"Why thank you, its my own special blend. It helps calm my nerves."
"I'm not gonna get some weird vampy thing happening if i drink this am I?" Rainbow asked.
"No ya ninny. Ah can vouch fer that." Applejack rolled her eyes, enjoying her tea.
"Ya know, speakin' of that. I've noticed the two of you have been spending a lot of time together...are you turning into a girly girl or something AJ? You aren't secretly puttin' on dresses behind our backs are you?" Rainbow grinned.
"No, ah ain't gettin' gussied up like some southern bell." Applejack said over her cup. Twilight fell silent, focusing her attention on her cup.
"We simply enjoy the company of one another, as I've noticed you and Twilight rather enjoy each others company." Rarity said slowly
Scootaloo gulped as she knocked on the door.
"Belle?" she called out.
"S-Scoots?!" she gasped, jumping to the door and locking it.
"C'mon Belle! Lemme in!" Scootaloo yanked on the knob.
"Just leave me alone!" Sweetie Belle cried.
"Quit bein' an idiot an open th' door. We jus' wanna talk!" Applebloom yelled.
"Bloom?! W-why are you here?!"
"Cause ah'm yer friend too! Ain't no one mad at ya! At least let Scoots in!" Applebloom demanded. The door cracked open, Scootaloo stepping inside.
"Belle?" she jumped as the door slammed shut, Sweetie Belle slamming the lock closed.
"You shouldn't have come here Scoots...what if I lose control again? What if next time I don't let go?"
"Then thats my bad. You're my friend Belle and I don't wanna lose you. So you bit me, it was kinda cool. For a moment there I thought I'd turn into a vampire a-and then you wouldn't be alone..."
"you...You aren't mad?"
"Well my neck hurts, but no, I'm not mad."
"B-But I could've killed you!"
"Yea, but you didn't. So its cool."
"H-How can you just forgive me...j-just like that..." Sweetie Belle hiccuped, trying to wipe away her tears. Scootaloo rubbed her thumb across her cheek, wiping them away for her.
"Because when I was all alone and there was no one there for me...you were there. You made me wanna get up outta bed in the morning, to actually go to school an try living my life. If I didn't have you Belle, I'd still be alone. Now I've got you, an Bloom, an even Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo smiled, pulling her friend into a hug. Sweetie Belle panicking.
"Belle, just calm down an hug me before I get sick of being mushy." Scootaloo chuckled. Sweetie belle bit her lip, wrapping her arms around her gently. She sniffed, tightening her hold slightly.
"See? No big deal." Scootaloo chuckled. Sweetie Belle shook as she struggled to pull away.
"Uh...you can let go now...Belle?" Scootaloo gulped.
"Belle?!" She yelled, watching as her friends eyes faded to red.
"CRAAAAAAAAAP. Sorry Belle." she slammed her head forward, trying to fight her way out of her friends hold. Though in her current position she was a bit off her mark, ending in a rather awkward kiss between the two. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as she pulled away, stammering and blushing. The Magian eventually fell silent, covering her mouth with her hands.
Oh my gosh she just kissed me... she realized.
"Belle? You okay?" Scootaloo asked.
"I...I don't know. I think so." She stammered.
"So, um...I uh..." Scootaloo coughed, her cheeks burning as her friend turned to her.
"That was an accident wasn't it?" Sweetie Belle realized, the disappointment in her voice rather obvious, even to the junior daredevil.
"You uh...didn't want it to be did you?" Scootaloo asked, moving a bit closer to her
"Does it have to be?" Sweetie Belle wondered, closing the distance between them.
"On what?" Sweetie Belle whispered, lips nearly touching
"You aren't gonna bite my lip are you?" Scootaloo joked, earning a punch to the shoulder.
"Ow! Crap Belle, when did you get so tough?" She winced, rubbing her shoulder
"Uh...when I bit you..." she mumbled.
"Oh right, vampire. Ugh, do I have to read up on that or somethin'? Is this gonna be a thing if we're dating?"
"D-Dating?!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Well, yea...I mean, we did kinda kiss...And we've been friends forever. I mean, its cool if you don't-Oof!" she gasped as Sweetie Belle tackled her to the ground
"You really gotta warn me before you decide to break my ribs Belle." Scootaloo joked, sighing as her friend sobbed against her chest.
"Belle? uh..."
"S-sorry...I just...I didn't think..."
"Belle, I'm really not use to bein' this mushy, but...aw screw it." She sat up, grabbing her friends shoulders and planting a heavy kiss against her lips, Applebloom shoving the door open and staring.
"Uh...my bad." she mumbled, slamming the door shut. Sweetie Belle wore a goofy grin, staring into empty space, Applebloom knocking on the door.
"Is it safe t' come in?!" she called out.
"Y-Yea!" Scootaloo called back, trying to fight down her blush.
"Things were kinda quiet an ah started t' worry...So...everythin' good?" the farmgirl asked slowly. Scootaloo glanced over at the still dazed Sweetie Belle.
"Uh...Yea, I think..." Scootaloo said, waving her hand in front of Sweetie Belle's face.
"Ah think ya broke her Scoots." Applebloom chuckled.
"She started it!" Scootaloo argued.
"Well, ya sure finished it!" Applebloom laughed. Sweetie Belle shook herself, looking between Scootaloo and Applebloom, her face flushing red.
"A-Applebloom! w-when did you get here?"
"My bad..." Scootaloo chuckled.
"What the heck are you talkin' about Rarity?"
"Well. All I am saying is that you two have been rather...close as of late. You certainly wouldn't share such a tale of your past with the rest of us, though we still count ourselves your friends and don't find any harm in it." Rarity defended.
"I'm helping her with Scootaloo. Of course she'd be spending more time around me and she told me about her past because I asked." Twilight reasoned.
"All of that is true, but if I had asked, would you have told me everything in such detail Rainbow?" Rarity asked. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue, feeling a shudder run up her spine as Applejack raised an eyebrow. It was completely impossible to lie around Applejack, even if you didn't know you were lying. She swore the Gaian was secretly using some kind of ancient magic.
"I dunno, maybe? N-No..." Rainbow sighed.
"Okay, so I trust her, big whoop. What are you tryin to get at anyway?" she demanded.
"I am simply pointing out that there is a strong connection between the two of you. Something wonderful that you shouldn't ignore."
"Um...I'm not quite sure what you're saying Rarity...I'm still a little new to the friend thing..." Twilight admitted. Rarity sighed in exasperation, glancing over at Applejack. The farmer raised an eyebrow as the fashionista bit her lip.
"Ya'll sure?" she asked.
"Positive."
"What are they doing?" Twilight asked quietly
"How should I know?!" Rainbow whispered harshly. The two of them watched in shock as Rarity and Applejack shared a soft kiss.
"Oh my gosh....Pinkie totally owes me 20 bits." Rainbow mumbled. Applejack cleared her throat, grabbing Rarity's hand
"What we're tryin' t' say, is we know how ya feel cause we feel th' same way." Applejack spoke up.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Time out Aj. You, an...Rarity? How long?" Rainbow asked.
"A few months now ah s'pose...we were both kinda busy with our own lives an never really had much time fer each other."
"Yea, great. How the heck does that even happen? Rarity can't go near a speck of dirt without having a heart attack and you're like half dirt." Rainbow argued.
"Well, opposites attract as they say. Truth be told, it all started with that camping trip we took." Rarity sighed dreamily.
"The one where you got lost?" Rainbow asked. Twilight remained silent, observing and making mental notes, this was a part of friendship after all and would be important information for her report.
"Its' a bit o' a long story, but that's where it started fer us. So we know what we're talkin' 'bout here." Applejack explained.
"Okay...so you two are playing matchmaker? I'm not interested in any kind of relationship. I thought you guys would realize that with my track record, or in case you forgot, even Fluttershy dumped me." Rainbow choked out.
"Rainbow..." Twilight reached out for her, the Skyborn shoving her hand away.
"I'll catch ya later Twi'" Rainbow mumbled, making her way outside and taking off before anyone could stop her.
"So much fer lettin' things happen." Applejack sighed. Twilight chewed on her lip, her thoughts a blur.
"What do I do?"
"You give her some time to cool off, and then you go after her. Twilight, you came here to make friends, yes?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded.
"Yes, that's what my assignment was..."
"This is just another step in being friends, a bigger, somewhat frightful step, yes. But a step nonetheless. I would bet my entire business that Rainbow Dash loves you, she's just too hurt to see it."
"But..."
"What 'bout yer feelin's? Well, what 'bout em Twi'? How do ya feel when Rainbow is 'round? When th' two o' ya'll are together?" Applejack smiled, watching the realization dawn upon her Magian friend.
"Take our advice. Wait until Scootaloo is ready to come down, take her home and when Rainbow Dash comes around, tell her how you feel." Rarity smiled.
"Why is this so important to you two?" Twilight asked softly.
"Because you're our friend and we want to see you happy. Is that not a good enough reason?" Rarity replied. Twilight hung her head, staring into her tea. Applejack cleared her throat
"Things have been mighty quiet upstairs, ahm gonna go check on th' young'ins." she said softly, leaving the Magians alone. Silence filled the room, until Twilight finally decided to voice her thoughts in a panic.
"What if she gets angry with me? Wh-what if she tells me no and runs off and never comes back?" Twilight fell silent as Rarity held up her finger.
"My thoughts were the same before Applejack and I were together. It turned out, she was as frantic as I was and our little incident in the forest brought everything out in the open." Rarity chuckled softly.
"She wanted to let everyone know about us...but I was afraid...and she was so understanding...I really don't deserve her, but fate thinks otherwise."
"Sounds rather romantic." Twilight offered.
"I suppose it is...But not quite as romantic as you and Rainbow." Rarity pointed out. Twilights blank stare caused her to sigh.
"You really need to get out more dear...Twilight, you sacrificed ten years of your life, because Rainbow Dash needed you, because that girl needed you. Thats quite a big leap." Rarity elaborated. Applejack came back downstairs with Applebloom in tow.
"Rarity, ah'm headin' out. Ah'll try t' stop by later fer our uh...normal get together." Applejack called out.
"Alright Applejack, I look forward to it." Rarity smiled, watching her friend leave. She sighed, looking into her empty cup.
"What's it like?" Twilight asked.
"Sometimes, its tough. You don't always agree on everything and you wonder why you bothered to take the plunge. But every other day, you realize it was worth it, worth the fights, worth the apologies and the effort." Rarity smiled, wiping away a gentle tear.
"You two can come out of hiding now." Rarity called out. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo blushing as they slunk out of their hiding space on the stairs.
"I trust everything turned out well?" she asked the two of them with a knowing smirk.
"Uh, yea! Everything turned out awesome. No more bites." Scootaloo chuckled nervously.
"You've a bit of lipstick smudged on you dear." Rarity mouthed, tapping her lips. Scootaloo blushed, rubbing it off into her hoodie.
"Belle! Why were you wearing lipstick!?"
"I was trying to look pretty..." she mumbled. Scootaloo groaned.
"Belle, how many times do I gotta tell ya not to bother. You look amazing as you are."
"Who knew you were such a little romantic?" Rarity teased, Scootaloo grumbling under her breath. She glanced around the room, focusing on Twilight.
"Um...where'd Dash go?" she asked, worried.
"Sh-She had to go take care of something important. But she'll meet us at the Library later." Twilight explained.
"Oh...Okay. So uh..." Scootaloo gasped as Sweetie Belle hugged her, grumbling as she hooked an arm around her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
"Catch ya later Belle!" Scootaloo called as she rushed for the door.
"I guess that's my cue to leave." Twilight smiled.
"OH, Twilight. Think on what I said." Rarity winked.
Scootaloo felt like a million bits. For once in her life, she didn't have to fake her health, she'd kissed the hottest thing to walk the planet, and she was adopted by her idol. Years of bad luck were flipping on their head for the young speedster. Twilight on the other hand was a nervous wreck, thoughts of Rainbow filling her mind and causing her to panic. What was she going to say to her? How was she going to react? Scootaloo glanced up at Twilight, noticing the panic in her eyes.
"Twilight? Everything cool?" Scootaloo asked, causing the Magian to jump in surprise.
"Huh? Oh, yes, um...Just lost in thought. Sorry about that...I've a lot on my mind at the moment."
"Oh, important grown-up stuff huh?" Scootaloo sighed.
"You could say that." Twilight answered, watching as Spike in his armor along with his guards made their way to a chariot. He paused as he spotted Twilight, saying something to the others before heading over to her.
"Miss Sparkle, we have an urgent matter to tend to in Celamont. We will return as soon as we are able. I trust you and the others can take care of yourselves without us. You've already proven that." Spike spoke up, his voice sounding quite a lot deeper inside of his armor.
"O-Of course. Have a safe trip." Twilight watched him leave, sighing as she entered the Library. She froze, catching eyes with Rainbow Dash. She was saved from an awkward conversation by Scootaloo rushing inside
"Hey kid, how'd things go with little miss vampy?" Rainbow asked with a grin, noticing the smudged makeup
"Oh, ya know, we just kinda talked things out." Scootaloo shrugged. Rainbow tugged on the hoodie, showing the smudge.
"Seems like a lot more than talkin' kid." Rainbow joked, Scootaloo blushing and looking away.
"She almost bit me...I was just tryin' to get free an one thing kinda led to another, ya know? I mean, not that I mind...she is kinda cute." Scootaloo admitted.
"Heh, good for you kid. Why don't ya go get cleaned up? I gotta talk to Twi' about some boring grown up stuff." Rainbow grinned, ruffling Scootaloos' hair and giving her a gentle shove towards the stairs. Rainbow waited until she had vanished out of sight to speak up.
"Twi', about what Rarity an Applejack were talkin' about..."
"Its okay Rainbow." Twilight interrupted; "I-I understand if things seem a little strange and that we're just good friends." she said quickly, biting her tongue. She didn't want to make Rainbow uncomfortable.
"Right, uh...not really what I was gonna say. I mean..." Rainbow sighed, hanging her head.
"What if...what if they were right?" she said barely above a whisper. Twilight remained silent, waiting for Rainbow to continue. The Skyborn stood, clenching her fists.
"I'm tired of sleeping in a cold bed, tired of being alone..." Rainbow shook, tears dripping down her cheeks and falling to the carpeted floor below. Twilight bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Pinkie Pie hiding in one of her plants.
"Kiss her!" the baker mouthed, before somehow managing to vanish into the plant. Twilight gulped, taking a step forward.
"Rainbow, you aren't alone. You've got me and the rest of our friends a-and Scootaloo!" Twilight argued.
"Twi', you know thats not what I mean...I-I wanna try...I mean, I'm cool if you don't wanna...crap, I didn't even ask if you swing that way. Geez, this must be awkward...way to go Dash." Rainbow reprimanded herself, blinking as Twilight grabbed her shoulders. The two stared into one anothers eyes, the space between them closing slowly.
"UHHHH...Twilight?! How do I turn off the water?!" Scootaloo yelled, water pouring down the stairs. Twilight sighed.
"I-I should go fix that..." she mumbled, letting go of Rainbow and moving away.
I'm losing my chance. I gotta do this now! Rainbow yelled at herself, grabbing Twilight by the arm and, before the Magian could argue, pulled her into a kiss, her arms wrapped tightly around her. Twilight let out a surprised squeak, her eyes wide. If not for the water filling her home she would've gladly stayed there, but the safety of her books and the little girl panicking upstairs demanded her attention. Twilight panted slightly as the kiss broke.
"I uh..."
"Should check on Scoots, probably a good idea." Rainbow interrupted, standing there as Twilight rushed upstairs. Rainbow nearly jumped out of her skin as Pinkie popped up behind her, tossing confetti into the air and blowing a fanfare into her skull.
"YAY DASHIE!"
Spike and his guards entered the throne room, kneeling before Celestia and Luna with their prisoner in tow.
"This is the one you spoke of?" Celestia asked softly.
"Yes. We were caught by surprise by her tactics. If not for your student we may not have captured her." Spike answered. Celestia turned to her sister, the two sharing a glance before the younger of the two made her way down to them. Trixie glared at the Princess of the Night, baring her teeth and struggling against her bindings.
"Calm thyself child. We mean no harm to you." Luna said softly.
"Sure, just like the nobles never meant any harm to any of the children in the street." Trixie spat.
"We cannot vouch for the Nobles, we rather dislike them ourselves and have little understanding of their purpose. But you show great promise. We have heard of your skill in magic and your natural ability to control Chaos." Luna replied, circling the magician.
"Of course you've heard of Trixie's talents. Everyone has."
"Hm, great skill, but overconfident. Surely you will make a great student." Luna smirked and for the first time in a long time, Trixie felt her blood go cold. Just what was this crazy Princess planning to do with her? She watched as a guard entered the throne room, the man kneeling before Princess Celestia.
"You wished to see me Princess?"
"Yes, Shining Armor, I did. This woman here, she goes by the name of Trixie Lulamoon. You are to guard her with your life and to make sure no harm comes to her and to make sure she does not leave Celamont. Am I understood?" she spoke. Shining Armor glanced at Trixie and gave a nod.
"Yes Princess. I will guard her with my very life."
What is going on...
You are going to become my pupil. To train in Proper Dark Magicks and to better your skills as a true Magian. In time your power will truly rival that of Twilight Sparkle. She, the Faithful Student, and you, the Dark Apprentice Luna's voice filled her thoughts. Trixie gulped, feeling her bindings fade away.
And what is to stop Trixie from running away? she thought back. Luna smiled, glancing over at Shining Armor.
Why, the brother of your rival of course. The magic of Starswirl is strong in their family. We doubt that even we could break free of his holding spells at full strength. You may try though, it will be a good exercise for what is to come, my Dark Apprentice. Luna let a slight chuckle slip past her lips as Trixie dashed for the door, Shining Armor tossing a barrier in the way.
"She's a slippery one. I guess I'll have my work cut out for me on this one. OH, Princess?"
"Yes?" Celestia hid a smile.
"Please don't tell Cadence you have me watching another girl for you. It didn't go so well for me last time..."
"YOU LIED TO ME!" she screamed, chaotic energy crackling around her.
"I did no such thing." he scoffed, remaining calm.
"Why did you send Trixie to kill Twilight? You said you wouldn't hurt them!"
"Yes, I did. My dear, think for a moment. We are talking about Trixie. She could barely make her tricks work if not for the little bit of chaotic power I loaned her. How on Terra was she going to possibly cause any harm to your dear friend?" he asked with a smirk. The girl paused for a moment, shaking her head.
"That doesn't excuse all the other things you've done. You sent the Sky Mason to ruin the town, you hurt Spike! And you got your own student captured!" she argued. He sighed, holding up a finger.
"First, The Sky Mason was a test and The Element of Loyalty passed it with flying colors." he held back a chuckle at the pun.
"Second, Spike, the Dragon boy. I needed a way to peer into the town when you aren't there. Now, after his little...incident, I can tap into the chaos within him and take quick peeks at everything he sees. You and I are well aware that I could've finished him. But I promised I wouldn't." he smiled, watching as she began to calm down.
"And lastly, as for Trixie. She isn't captured, she is undercover. Why, even now she has been reporting to me that Princess Luna has taken an interest in her and is training her to be The Dark Apprentice. A title that has not been held in over three thousand years. And when her training is done, she will be ready to help us once more. So you see, my dear Fluttershy, I have kept my promise the entire time." Discord finished, watching as his daughters fury diminished, tears stinging her eyes.
"I-I'm so sorry! I-I just..."
"Shhh, its okay. You were only concerned about your friends. Its what makes you who you are and one of the many reasons you are so important in our endeavors. I will keep my promise, but I need you to keep yours. They are already suspicious, lets not give them reason to investigate, hm?"
"Y-You're right...Sorry Daddy..."
"Its alright, but we both have places to be, or all will be for naught." he slid into his lab coat, placed a kiss on her forehead and gave a snap of his fingers, vanishing from his lair and appearing inside of his lab.
"Well, back to the old grind."
"Pinkie! What are you doing here?!" Rainbow demanded, her ears still ringing.
"I'm celebrating you and Twilight finally kissing. Its been almost fourteen chapters! What took you so long?!" Pinkie Pie demanded. Rainbow sighed, decidedly not asking what her friend meant by 'chapters'. Some things just weren't worth the headache.
"Oh I'm so happy for you Dashie! I thought you two would NEVER kiss! And then all the Twidash shippers would be so sad..." She sighed, patting Rainbows shoulder.
"Well, I gotta go get the party ready! Have fun!" she giggled, simply walking out of the library and leaving Rainbow even more confused. Twilight came back down, her clothes soaked and her hair matted against her face.
"Well, I might need a new bath tub. But she seems to be having fun with the bubbles." Twilight sighed. Rainbow simply stared in silence, until Twilight pulled the water out of her clothes and hair with her magic, dropping it into the kitchen sink.
"Show off." Rainbow mumbled to herself. Twilight raised an eyebrow, her friend mimicking the movement.
"So, uh...what now?" Rainbow asked, turning her head to hide her growing blush. Twilight cleared her throat.
"Well, I'm not sure. I've never been in a relationship before...should we go on a date? Or is it too early?" Twilight began to pace about the room, a worried look plastered across her face. Rainbow couldn't help but smile as she watched her friend mumble and try to figure it out. With a roll of her eyes she grabbed Twilight by her shoulders.
"How about, tomorrow, I take you out for milkshakes? My treat." Rainbow grinned. Twilight stammered for a moment, before settling on a nod.
"I-I'd like that."
Sweetie Belle sighed to herself, staring into her vanity mirror. The young Magian tugged on her lip, revealing one of her fangs and letting out another sigh. She couldn't help but worry, seeing tinges of red in her reflections eyes.
Why couldn't she just be normal? Why couldn't she just be happy? A knock at her door snapped her out of her thoughts, a quick glance over her shoulder revealed her sister Rarity.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." the older sister said softly as she entered the room.
"No, not really." Sweetie Belle mumbled, turning back to the mirror.
"Rarity...I'm scared..." she admitted. Rarity offered her a smile, setting a small cup of tea next to her.
"This is my emergency blend. Naturally grown herbs with a touch of ancient magic. When you feel at your worst, just take a sip."
"A-and this will fix everything?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"The hunger, the flashes. The loss of control. Its only a temporary fix and not something you can always count on. But, I don't think you'll be needing it Belle. You seem to have found your own form of control." Rarity knelt beside her sister, placing a hand on her cheek.
"That friend of yours. You care deeply for her, don't you?" Rarity asked. The sudden rise of color in her sisters face was all the answer she needed.
"Love is a strange and powerful thing Sweetie Belle. Embrace the feelings in your heart, and everything will be just fine. I promise." She kissed Sweetie Belle's forehead as she stood, making her way downstairs. Sweetie Belle turned towards the forgotton cup of tea, staring into the brown liquid.
As she stared, an image of her friend Scootaloo appeared within, smiling up at her and letting out that laugh she loved so much. She set the tea back down, looking up at her mirror and seeing only herself in it. As long as she had Scootaloo, she would be fine.
"Whoa...what the heck happened to me?" Scootaloo wondered, looking at herself in Twilights mirror. Her normally puny wings had grown and almost reached half of her arms length. She gave them an experimental flap, gasping as she was flung backwards off the stool she stood upon, barely catching herself on the sinks edge.
"Phew, man. I bet I could hit mach speeds with these babies." She chuckled, looking over her shoulder. It was a bit strange being able to see her wings instead of just feel them. Was this what Rainbow and Twilight had been talking about? Were her wings a part of her sickness? If she drank another potion would her wings get even bigger?
"Hey! You still up there kid?!" Rainbow called out.
"Y-Yea! Just drying off!" Scootaloo called back.
"Well hurry up! We're watchin' scary movies tonight!"
"The training is tough Master, but nothing Trixie cannot handle. Trixie has gained their full trust and in time will return to finish what was started with Twilight Sparkle." Trixie spoke into a small orb.
"Well done Trixie, be sure to keep up appearances and do not let your guard down. Luna is as much a trickster as I and if you give her an opening she will know everything."
"I understand master." Trixie said softly, the orb vanishing. Luna smiled, resting a hand on her students shoulder.
"We trust that he suspects nothing?" she asked softly.
"Of course Mistress. Trixie is quite the actress. Not even The god of chaos can see through her act." the Magian beamed. Sure, she could remain loyal to Discord, but under him she was but a puppet.
She had known what she was to him, but with him being the only thing keeping her off the streets, there hadn't been much of a choice. The power he gave her, the safety she felt, it had eventually blinded her.
But with Luna it was different. Sure, she was pushed harder each day, but at the end of every lesson there was a genuine smile and on some occasions a reward for her efforts.
"Do not be so hasty to judge. Discord is the master of tricks. If anyone could see through you, he could. Do not let your guard down my Apprentice." Luna said softly. Trixie nodded, letting out a slow breath.
One of her first lessons had been in shielding her thoughts, with her new teacher digging into her mind at random intervals to reinforce the importance of the lesson. It was rather amazing how differently time passed within the Dream world. Within a period of two hours she had learned two weeks worth of magic lessons.
Her focus was broken by a hand running up her side, Luna's breath hot against her neck. That was when she struck, but Trixie was ready, slamming a wall between her Mistress and her Mind. Luna managed to contain her excitement, simply clearing her throat.
"Well done my Apprentice. You have grasped the material much faster than I expected. Soon we can move on to Combat Spells and Manipulation." Luna praised.
"For now, retire to your quarters and maintain your connection with Discord. He cannot be allowed to suspect we are on to his little game and for that...we fear we must feed him information on the Elements. It is the only way to ensure our ploy works." Luna sighed.
"Trixie understands Mistress." The Magian said softly. Luna flashed a smile, watching as her student left her quarters.
"Forgive us for asking Mistress...but does the loud one catch your eye?" a voice rumbled from the shadows.
"We are rather fond of her loudness, but she is a simple child in need of a guiding hand." Luna answered.
"I'm convinced otherwise Mistress. I've seen that look in your eyes before." a woman spoke from beside the giant.
"T'was it not the same look upon thine face when you gazed upon your beloved, Midnight?" Luna taunted. Midnight rolled her slitted eyes as she stepped forth from the shadows.
"You wound me Mistress. What about Scar and his little flower?" Midnight diverted attention to her partner, a giant of a man shifting out of the shadows, a pair of powerful bat-like wings stretching from his back.
"Is it wrong for us to seek happiness?" Scar rumbled.
"Tis not wrong at all, we were hoping to hear that things had worked out for thee."
"Mistress, we are as ageless and duty-bound as you. We have not the time for such indulgences." Midnight said softly.
"You are right...such things are better left to our subjects...Keep an eye on the girl for me. I must away to my duties." Luna sighed as her two most loyal guards vanished into the shadows.
"After all these years...after all we did to you...you two still care for us...thank you."
With a sigh, his helmet was placed upon his home desk, armor following suit along the way to his personal shower. A pair of eyes watched him in passing, belonging to a concerned Princess.
"Shiny? Is everything all right?" Cadence asked softly, snapping the weary knight from his stupor. He rubbed his eyes and gave another sigh.
"Everything's fine Cadence. Just some new recruits and a few new assignments. There was also some incident in one of the labs, but no one seems to have been hurt."
"An incident? Why would something like that fall under your jurisdiction?" Cadence wondered.
"Well, that lab holds the remains of Nightmare Moon. But they are still sealed up pretty tight. Spell Nexus says it was just some kinda potion gone wrong and Dr Accord backed up the story. Still..."
"You don't believe them? But they've been working for Celestia for years!" Cadence argued.
"Its not that I don't believe them...I just have this feeling...When Princess Celestia was attacked...I just knew somehow. And when I went to save her she was battling Nightmare." He sighed once more, gripping the doorknob to the restroom.
"She ordered you away for your safety and the safety of everyone in Celamont Shining. What happened there wasn't your fault."
"I could've taken Nightmare. But...thats not what has me on edge." he rested his head against the door, relaxing slightly as Cadence slipped her arms around him, laying her head against his back.
Despite being a Celestian, she was about a head shorter than him, and was always having to look up at him. She didn't mind it really, it was nice and she found it romantic at times.
"I had that same feeling in that lab. Like something was terribly wrong. And I'm going to find out what, if its the last thing I do." Shining finished. Cadence rolled her eyes, standing up on the tips of her toes and planting a kiss against his neck.
"At least take some time to relax before throwing yourself into something like this." She whispered before slipping away. He gave her a half-hearted smile before entering the restroom to relax with a shower. The tension slowly faded from his muscled frame as the hot water rained down, washing away the days sweat.
He could faintly hear Cadence past the roar of rushing water, shifting about his apartment. His thoughts however returned to Nightmare Moon, and her fragmented armor.
What were the good Doctors hiding from him? And why, after so many years of service to Celestia, would they be hiding anything? So lost in thought was he that he failed to notice Cadence sneaking into the shower.
Spell Nexus paced back and forth slowly, several of his companions dressed in robes, faces hidden behind the hoods, and awaiting his orders. His army was small, weak, feeble. His Mistress could not return to this, no...he needed more soldiers. His Mistress would need more children to her cause.
"As you are aware, six young woman have unlocked the power of the Elements and wiped away our Queen. But in that form she was weak, held back by that whimpering Princess Luna."
"What are we to do about it then? She is gone, all we have left is her armor!" one hooded woman argued.
"Yes, we do have her armor and within it, a thousand years of her pure energy. We need only a vessal and powerful magic for our Queen to be born anew, a body of her own with nothing to hold her back."
"Where are we to find such magic?" a man questioned. "We are strong, but I doubt we possess the power you seek."
"You are correct my friend. We lack the magical power necassary to revive our Queen, for now. But, there is someone who does have the power we need. The Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight sneezed, a chill running up her spine.
"You okay Twi'?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I think someone is talking about me though..."
"Eh thats just some superstition." Rainbow scoffed quietly, so as not to interrupt the movie, which was keeping Scootaloo occupied.
"Not everything is superstition. Many Magians possess a sixth sense about these things Rainbow." Twilight stated.
"What, like Pinkies Pinkie Sense?" Rainbow asked. Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Pinkie Sense?"
"Oh right, uh...Huh, I dunno how to explain it actually. Well, okay. This one time I was doing this crazy wicked trick and I didn't have enough power to come out of a dive. Pinkie, five minutes ahead of time, had placed a huge bale of hay in the exact spot I was going to crash because her knees were wobbly." Rainbow explained.
"What do wobbly knees have to do with you crashing?" Twilight asked. Rainbow sighed, trying to think of a better way to explain it.
"Pinks gets these weird sensations that tell her something is gonna happen. Like your sixth sense thingamajig."
"Its not a thingamajig Rainbow. Its an innate sense that comes from being in-tuned with mana. Pinkie Pie is a Gaian. There is no way she could have an ability like that."
"Twi', are you really gonna argue about Pinkie? How many times has she popped out of nowhere since you got here?" Rainbow asked.
"She snuck up on me. There is a proper explanation for everything Rainbow Dash. And I am going to prove it."
"Prove what?" Pinkie asked, the pair stumbling off the couch.
"OOOO Popcorn!" Pinkie giggled, grabbing a handful and plopping down next to Scootaloo.
"This is the best part!" she snorted, both her and Scootaloo screaming in surprise, absorbed in the movie.
"Snuck up on ya huh?" Rainbow grinned, earning a light jab to her arm, the two friends untangling themselves from one another. Twilight cleared her throat.
"Pinkie Pie, would you mind clearing something up for me?"
"Aww, but I don't wanna do any cleaning!" Pinkie whined.
"Thats not...nevermind." Twilight sighed, "Rainbow seems convinced that you have an innate ability to predict the future."
"Huh? Oh, you mean my Pinkie sense?"
"Pinkie, there is no such thing."
"Of course there is silly! How else did I know that Rainbow has a surprise for you?" Pinkie asked. Twilight raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her shoulder at Rainbow who whistled innocently.
"Even if Rainbow is planning some sort of surprise...She probably told you about it or even asked for your help. So that proves nothing." Twilight grinned as she crossed her arms.
"Hmmm, I guess that makes sense. But if Dashie had TOLD me what the surprise was then I'd be throwing a party!" Pinkie argued. Twilight sighed.
"Alright then. Prove you can predict the future." Twilight demanded.
"It doesn't work that way silly. Its not really the future either. Its more like...random events! Like how Scootaloo is gonna pass out in three seconds even though she's trying really hard to stay awake an impress Dashie." Pinkie pointed to the young girl who let out a yawn and collapsed into the blanket she was huddled in.
"Okay then...how about...hmmmmmm..." Pinkie stuck out her tongue and squinted an eye.
"Nope, I got nothing! Night!" she giggled, waving goodbye and making her way out of the library yet again. Rainbow chuckled softly as she picked up Scootaloo.
"OOF! Kids kinda heavy." she mumbled. Twilight sighed, pulling open the door to the downstairs guest room, Rainbow carrying Scootaloo to what would be her bed. She carefully tucked her in, slipping a plush turtle in the crook of the sleeping girls arm before placing a kiss against her forehead.
"Sweet dreams kid..." she said softly, tiptoeing out of the room.
"That was really sweet Rainbow." Twilight whispered, leaving the door slightly ajar to keep some light shining in. She wasn't sure if Scootaloo was afraid of the dark, but she didn't want to risk waking her.
"It just felt like the right thing to do." Rainbow shrugged. She sighed, letting out a yawn as she stretched.
"I uh...better be gettin' home. Got a lot to do and the weather is suppose to be getting kinda intense over the next couple of days. I'll catch ya later Twi..." Rainbow stammered nervously, walking past her friend.
Twilight chewed her lip as she watched her go. Was it right to just let her walk out the door? Rainbow had confessed and confided in her, speaking of her cold lonely bed...Twilight closed her eyes, slamming the locks on the front door closed just as Rainbow reached for it.
"Huh? What the..." Rainbow spun around, seeing a light glow around Twilight, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as she recognized the presence of magic.
"R-Rainbow...would you like to stay the night?" Twilight blurted out, clenching her fists, eyes still tightly shut. Rainbow leaned against the door, waiting until the Magian dared to crack open her eye to let a smirk touch her lips.
"N-Not like that! I just mean...well...um, y-you said you didn't like sleeping alone so I thought, maybe you would like to stay with me tonight. A-And that way you could be here in the morning when Scootaloo wakes up!" Twilight explained herself. Rainbow simply maintained her smirk, watching as the Magian became more and more flustered. It was rather cute how she stumbled over herself, it reminded her of Fluttershy...
Maybe thats why I like her...ugh, what are you doin' Dash? Rainbow thought to herself, sighing as she stood upright.
"...and I'm totally okay with you deciding you don't want to stay the night. I mean, we only did just sort of start going out, maybe things are moving too fast..." Twilight continued rambling, even as Rainbow stood in front of her.
"Twi, chill." Rainbow smiled, Twilight slamming her mouth shut.
"I'd love to stay."
Spike groaned, putting a hand against his head, the table fell silent as his comrades noticed his discomfort.
"You alright boss?" Vinyl asked softly.
"Its just a headache." Spike assured her.
"To be fair, you don't get headaches sir. Last time you had a headache we had to wrestle a pair of Wyndigo with our bare hands." Spitfire grumbled over her coffee. The group was currently keeping an eye on Trixie Lulamoon who was at a diner across from theirs.
Spike had hoped that he could simply drop Trixie off and hightail it back to Eravil, but there was something he was still missing, something Luna had sensed but had remained silent about.
On top of that, Celestia had Shining Armor keeping tabs on Trixie. The man who was the official highest ranking member of Celestia's guard, outside of the four knights who sat at the little table.
All were in casual wear, doing their best to blend in. Their fourth member had a few issues managing to get to Celamont without arousing suspicion, but things had worked out in her favor when the students were given a Week break from School. Cheerilee sighed to herself, staring into her own cup of coffee.
"She's right Spike. I'd rather not repeat that little experience." the schoolteacher agreed
"Weren't you the one riding on top of one of them like it was a bull?" Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"How else was I going to get control of it?" Cheerilee responded. Spike sighed as the two glared at one another. Sadly the two were not on good terms, what with Vinyl being a Vampire of high standing and Cheerilee being an ex-hunter...sometimes things got rather interesting, even when off the job.
"Alright you two, knock it off. You want the truth, I'm worried." he sighed, the three women gulping.
"The Chaotician was there, in front of me...he could've finished me off, but didn't. Why? He sends a low-class lackey to take on Celestia's prized pupil, knowing she couldn't possibly win. Why? Furthermore...how is he keeping tabs on everything?" Spike grit his teeth as the answers eluded him, the headache only getting worse.
"You need to calm down boss before you blow a gasket or somethin. To be honest, I was wonderin' the same thing...and you're not gonna like what I came up with."
Fluttershy sneezed, eyes wide as she stared in the mirror. Someone was talking about her. And they weren't saying nice things.
Episode Eleven: The Demon Baker of Eravil Part One
"Twilight wake up!" Pinkie screamed in Twilights ear, causing the Magian to shriek and stumble out of her bed, taking Rainbow Dash with her. Pinkie blinked, staring at them for a moment before shaking her head.
"We've got a bi-bi-big pr-problem!" Pinkie stuttered, her entire body vibrating and her eye twitching.
"Ugh...Pinks this is a bad time to have a doozy..." Rainbow groaned.
"Oh come on, you aren't still trying to convince me about this Pinkie sense thing are you?" Twilight deadpanned, untangling herself from Rainbow.
"Something big is gonna happen! Right in the middle of Everfree! We gotta moooooove! HIC!" Pinkie hiccuped, stumbling out the window.
"Pinkie!" Twilight gasped, blinking as she found the Gaian vibrating beside her.
"Yea?" Pinkie beamed. Twilight shook her head, opening her mouth to question the vibrating bundle of sugar, though Rainbow slammed a hand over her mouth.
"Pinks, lead the way." Rainbow said, glancing at Twilight. Pinkie gave a shaky salute and bounced her way out of the room.
"Rainbow, what was that about?"
"Look, if she's wrong then nothin' bad will happen. But what if she's right and someone needs our help?" Rainbow asked. Twilight fell silent, hanging her head.
"I-I didn't even think about that..."
"Its cool Twi, everyone new to Eravil goes through the same thing. You get use to it the longer you're here. You catch up to Pinkie, I'm gonna check on the kid and I'll meet you there. Alright?" Rainbow smiled. Twilight gave a gentle nod and chased after Pinkie Pie.
"Might wanna change outta your jammies!" Rainbow called after her, the Magian blushing as she rushed back into her room. Rainbow grinned, making her way downstairs and peeking into Scootaloo's room, finding the girl still sound asleep. Twilight zipped past as she chased after Pinkie Pie, carrying a book in the crook of her arm. Rainbow chuckled, turning back to Scootaloo.
"Hey squirt." Rainbow said softly, shaking her shoulder a bit. Scootaloo cracked an eye open, grumbling and hiding her head under the pillow.
"Yea, that sounds like a good idea to me too. Look, me an Twi' gotta go check on somethin important. Try not to break anythin' while we're gone or she'll kill us both." Rainbow grinned, Scootaloo giving her a thumbs up before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep. Rainbow left the room quietly, waiting until the latch closed to kick her wings into full gear and chase after Twilight.
She tore through town, kicking up dust devils and almost knocking over a fruit cart. Twilight didn't believe in the Pinkie Sense, but Rainbow had experienced it and knew that if Pinkie said something big was going down, then something big was going down.
Twilight panted heavily as she ran after Pinkie Pie. She was well aware that her pink haired friend was a Gaian, but that still didn't account for her monstrous strength in her legs even without tapping into her powers.
It was just barely enough for her to keep an eye on the pink blur as she ran through town with a reference book hooked under her arm. She gasped as the wind kicked up behind her, a blur snatching her up and pulling up beside Pinkie Pie. Twilight glanced down, seeing a grinning Rainbow Dash carrying her.
"Sorry Twi', you gotta learn to keep up" she joked, though there was concern in her eyes. Was Twilight wrong? Was there some truth behind this Pinkie Sense? If so, Pinkie Pie would be able to predict danger before it even occurred. Such an ability warped her thoughts on several laws of science. She would need to conduct some tests.
"What the hell is that?!" Rainbow yelled, flaring her wings and slamming her heels into the dirt, coming to a stop just outside the Everfree. Twilight glanced up, eyes wide for a moment before the colors were too much. She tore her gaze away, gasping in pain and covering her eyes.
"Twilight! You okay?" Rainbow panicked.
"I-I'm fine. There is a powerful magic source surrounding the forest. A-As a Magian I can SEE the mana flowing a-and its rather bright" she explained. Pinkie Pie snorted, tapping her arm and holding out a pair of purple shades.
"Here! I thought these might come in handy, but I kinda sorta forgot to give them to you...sorry" Pinkie chuckled nervously. Twilight slipped the shades on, looking back at the forest. Even with the shades on she was forced to squint to even try and see.
"Well, Pinkie was right about one thing. There is something big happening in Everfree." Twilight mumbled. Though, moments later, a figure came stumbling out of the forest.
"Fluttershy?! Whoa, hey!" Rainbow caught her friend as she stumbled, crying and clinging to her Skyborn friend.
"Shy, whats wrong?" Rainbow asked softly. Fluttershy shook her head.
"R-Rarity came with me to help a family of bunnies get home a-and there was this flash of light and she collapsed and told me to run. I-I didn't know what to do s-so I ran..." she sobbed. Rainbow nodded as she grit her teeth.
"You did all you could Shy. We'll save Rarity. You go get AJ an tell her to meet up with us." Rainbow ordered softly. Fluttershy sniffed and nodded, spreading her wings and taking off towards Sweet Apple acres.
"Pinks, go with her. You'll get to AJ faster than she will." Rainbow ordered. Pinkie saluted and zoomed off.
"Why send Fluttershy if Pinkie will get there faster?" Twilight asked. Rainbow shook her head as she sighed.
"I just told Shy that to get her away from this. She's strong an all but...this kinda thing isn't her style. I just feel better with her being far away from danger." Rainbow mumbled. Twilight smiled as she put a hand on her shoulder.
"You know her better than anyone else. She's your closest friend and she was more than that for a long time. I understand Rainbow." Twilight assured her. Sure, she felt just the tiniest bit of jealousy, but she knew Rainbow was only trying to protect her first and closest friend. At least thats what she kept telling herself.
"Well, we better get goin'. Rarity's in trouble." Rainbow marched into the forest, shuddering as she passed through the sphere surrounding the forest.
"Ugh, I feel sick..." she groaned, putting a hand against her head. She blinked as she heard a loud thud. Turning around she spotted Twilight gasping for air and digging her fingers into the dirt.
"Twilight!" Rainbow cried, dropping to her knees beside her. Twilight curled up into a ball, sparks dancing across her entire body.
"out...need...out..." Twilight rasped. Rainbow lifted her off the ground, carrying her outside of the sphere. The moment they left the forest Twilight sucked in a huge breath, coughing and leaning against her friend.
"What the heck happened Twilight?" Rainbow demanded. Twilight shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.
"That is an Anti-Magian Riot Control Sphere...its use was banned over 50 years ago after it killed several Magians. Any Magian who steps into that is drained of their magic and...and...oh gods Rarity is in there..." Twilight choked, burying her face in the hollow of Rainbows neck. Rainbow glanced over her shoulder at the sphere.
"So what your sayin' is...any minute now that thing could kill Rarity?" Rainbow asked softly. Twilight tensed in her arms, which was answer enough for her.
"Wait here Twi, I'm goin back in."
"Y-You can't! You're part Magian Rainbow. Going in there would drain all of the mana thats holding back your illness. I-If you stay in there too long..." Twilight tried to argue, Rainbow silencing her with a kiss.
"Hey, I'm the Element of Loyalty remember? Wouldn't be cool if I left my friend to die. Besides, I'm the fastest thing on the planet. I'll be in an out before you can blink." Rainbow grinned, setting her friend down on the ground.
"I promise Twilight. I'll be back soon." Rainbow dove into the sphere, wings kicking into high gear before Twilight could stop her. She watched with bated breath as her figure sank into the darkness of the forest.
Twilight shook as she blinked, half expecting to see her friend standing there with Rarity in her arms and that devilish smirk she always wore. But sure enough, Rainbow was still deep in the forest.
Rainbow felt her stomach lurch as she dove through the sphere, her wings pumping as hard as they could. She grit her teeth as she dodged around trees and scanned the area for any sign of Rarity. She felt herself slow down, glancing over her shoulder and gasping as her wings began to shrink.
Aw shit...Did not think this one through Rainbow threw up her arms, grunting as she dropped like a rock and bounced several times across the ground. She panted slightly as she pushed to her feet on shaky legs.
"Okay...note to self, no mana means no wings. Good to know." she wiped a bit of blood from her lip, stumbling through the forest on foot.
"RARITY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" Rainbow called out, her vision starting to grow blurry. In the distance she saw a small light and a figure on the ground.
...there was this flash of light and she collapsed and told me to run... Fluttershy's voice played in her mind. If what she said was true, then that was the light and that figure had to be Rarity. Rainbow grit her teeth as she walked closer to the glowing orb and her friend.
The closer she got, the weaker she felt, almost as if her entire body had turned to lead. She sank to her knees, crawling towards her friend and putting a hand on her shoulder, rolling her over. She panted heavily, resting two fingers against her friends neck, a smile on her face as she felt a weak pulse.
"I'm...gonna...get you outta here....Rarity..." THUMP. Rainbow fell to the ground, struggling for each breath of air until the world went dark.
Pinkie Pie blinked twice, a pain throbbing in her upper arm and her toes curling.
Oh no! Dashie's in trouble too?! Pinkie panicked, her runes glowing brightly as she double timed it to Sweet Apple Acres. She zipped past Fluttershy, pausing in mid stride to flash her a smile before resuming the race to Applejack. She stopped instantly in front of the door to her friends home, knocking rapidly.
"APPLEJACK!APPLEJACK!APPLEJACK!" she yelled, calming down the moment her friend opened the door.
"What is it now Pinkie?" Applejack deadpanned. Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, pausing as she stared at her friend. Applejack was dressed in a snug fitting tuxedo, her hair combed out and draping down over her shoulders.
"Are you getting married?" Pinkie asked, pointing to the outfit.
"Huh? What?! N-No! Ah ain't gettin' married ya ninny. Me an Rares have a date at some fancy restaurant an ah ain't got no dresses so ah borrowed one o' Mac's old Tux's. Does it look alright?" Applejack chewed her lip, looking over herself.
"You look great Applejack! I bet Rarity is gonna love it. Oh my gosh! Rarity! She's in trouble!" Pinkie gasped, remembering her reason for being there.
"What? What do ya mean in trouble?"
"She went into the forest with Fluttershy and there was this big white light flash thingy and Rarity fell over then Shy came running out and my Pinkie sense went crazy so I woke up Twilight and Rainbow, they were so cute in her bed, but then Twilight thought I was lying about my Pinkie sense and I fell out the window and Rainbow told me to go to the doozy I felt and Twilight came running and then Rainbow carried her all cute like an stuff and THEN Fluttershy ran out of the forest saying Rarity needed help and Dashie told her to come get you but then told me to come get you cause I'm faster and then I ran all the way here from the forest and felt another doozy that told me that DASHIE is in trouble too and then I passed Fluttershy and gave her a smile cause she seemed really sad and then I got here and knocked and you came out in your tux and I was like - Are you getting married? and you were like..."
"PINKIE!" Applejack yelled.
"Oh, right, sorry. Oh my gosh we gotta go!" Pinkie gasped, snatching Applejack by the arm.
"Wait, Pinkie ah can't go in my..." Applejack blinked as she found herself standing outside of the Everfree forest next to Twilight and Pinkie Pie.
"How th'..." Applejack began, Twilight jumping in surprise.
"I found Applejack!" Pinkie beamed. Twilight stared for a moment, the Gaian letting out a sigh.
"I was tryin' t' look nice fer my date with Rarity alright? Can we jus' drop it?" Applejack grumbled. Twilight swallowed and nodded.
"R-Rainbow went in after Rarity but...s-she hasn't come back out..."
"Thats because..." Pinkie grunted as Applejack punched the back of her head.
"Now ain't the time to be ramblin' Pinkie!" Applejack said quickly. She didn't need Twilight panicking over Rainbow. She already looked a mess, no reason to make things worse.
"Why are ya still out here though?" Applejack asked.
"Theres a barrier around the forest...any Magian inside there is at risk of dying..." Twilight stammered. Applejack grit her teeth, staring into the forest.
"An ya'll are sayin Rarity is in there?" Applejack asked. Twilight chewed her lip as she nodded.
"Y-yes. I'm not sure for how long. B-But...I-I'm sure the two of them are okay." Twilight answered.
"Come on Pinks." Applejack held out her hand, Pinkie producing the farmers hat from behind her back. Applejack tucked the hat on snugly, bolting into the forest with her runes in full glow alongside her pink haired friend. Applejack grit her teeth as she pushed herself harder, Pinkie alongside her. In the distance she could see a faint light and two figures collapsed on the ground.
"There! Thats gotta be them!" Applejack called out. She grunted as Pinkie tackled her into a bush.
"Pinkie! whats th' big idea of..." Applejack stared with wide eyes as a cloaked figure landed where she had been standing just a moment ago, wielding a large scythe.
"Shhhh" Pinkie silenced her, hopping out of the bush.
"That wasn't very nice." she pouted. The figure twirled the scythe above their head before slashing at the baker. Pinkie hopped over the scythe, twirling in the air and landing behind the cloaked figure.
"Missed me!" she teased, bending over backwards to dodge the next slash. The scythe twisted and twirled, Pinkie just out of reach of the deadly blade each time. Applejack crawled out of the bushes, making her way towards Rarity and Rainbow.
"Jus' hang on. Ah'm gettin' ya outta here." Applejack promised. Rarity stared up at her weakly, reaching out a shaky hand.
"L-look out!" she gasped hoarsely. The hair on the back of Applejack's neck stood up, her world moving in slow motion as she turned around, a second cloaked figure rushing at her with a sword.
In an instant the figure vanished, Applejack shutting her eyes tight, expecting the blade to pierce her at any moment. When it hadn't, she opened her eyes, finding the tip of the blade in front of her face, coated in blood.
Looking up she saw the smiling face of her friend Pinkie. The baker had thrown herself in front of the attack, smiling all the while.
"I made it...in time..." she giggled, grunting as the blade was pulled free.
"PINKIE NO!" Applejack screamed, catching her friend as she fell.
"You Idiot! You weren't suppose to kill her!" the first figure scolded. Applejack grit her teeth, roaring as her runes began to glow. She kicked off the ground at rocket speeds, smashing her fist as hard as she could into the swordsman's face, sending him spiraling past the scythe user.
She panted heavily as her armor appeared, marching towards the Scythe wielder.
"You don't have time to play little apple, your friends are hanging on by a thread." she chuckled. Applejack froze, glancing over her shoulder. Rarity had rolled onto her side, her hair a complete mess, her nails were caked in dirt and her dress was ruined.
Obvious signs that she was very much not okay. The struggle for air and the empty gaze were other clues as well. Rainbow Dash however was turning pale and getting paler by the second. Pinkie Pie...
Where'd she go?! Applejack stared at the blood stain on the ground where she had left Pinkie, wondering where her friend had possibly gone. She was given an answer as the baker smashed her knee into the scythe users chin, sending her flying after her partner. Her hair lay flat against her head, the baker panting and clutching her wound.
"That...really...hurt..." she whined, her armor appearing around her. Though it was a rather dull pink, her dual swords dressed with jagged teeth instead of the smooth edged blades Applejack had seen before.
The two cloaked figures scrambled to their feet, rushing towards Pinkie Pie with weapons drawn. The baker danced between them, slicing just under the scythe blade, cutting clean through and sending the blade flying into a tree.
Her second blade flipped in her hand, Pinkie burying the hilt of her blade hard into the swordsman's stomach, roaring as she chucked him through several trees, spinning and lifting her leg, kicking the scythe user clean across the face before spinning once more and bringing her knee into their gut, sending them flying after their partner.
"Applejack...get Rarity and Rainbow..." Pinkie ordered coldly. Seeing no reason to argue, she rushed back to their friends, scooping Rarity onto her back while hooking Rainbow under her arm.
"Go, I'll cover you." Pinkie ordered, her armor starting to crack and flicker.
"Pinks...ah..."
"GO APPLEJACK!" she yelled, hopping backwards out of the Swordsman's attack path, his fist leaving a crater in the ground where Pinkie had been.
So he's a Gaian like us...that explains how he took those hits like nothin'. But what 'bout th' other one? Applejack wondered. Though she didn't have time to dwell on such things.
Every second she was here was another second Rarity and Rainbow didn't have.
Applejack gasped as the Scythe user leapt at her only to have Pinkie Pie grab hold of the swordsman and chuck him into her, the two cloaked figures tumbling across the ground in a mess of limbs and cloth.
"We need to retreat!" the scythe user yelled, the two leaping to their feet and vanishing into the forest. Pinkie Pie rushed up beside Applejack, gripping her swords tightly as the two ran for the forests edge.
Pinkie Pie grit her teeth, managing to keep her eyes open long enough to tumble out of the forest before passing out in front of a panicking Twilight. Applejack skid to a stop, panting heavily.
"Call...help..." she gasped. Twilight's eyes began to glow, surrounding them in her magic.
Aw crud, not another teleport... Applejack slammed her eyes closed as the world flipped inside out, the Gaian stumbling as she was pieced back together inside of Eravil General Hospital.
"We need help!"
"How could this happen?" Twilight sighed, holding Rainbow's hand. Her friend was strapped to several machines to monitor her health. Rarity sat in a nearby bed, fussing at Applejack.
"You ruined a perfectly good Tuxedo and its all my fault. You HAVE to let me make you a new one."
"Rarity, ah ain't worried 'bout th' dang suit. Ya nearly died in that damn forest. Ah almost lost ya..." Applejack argued. Twilight allowed herself a small smile, happy to see Rarity healthy enough to worry about things like clothing.
Pinkie Pie had been taken into intensive care and the Doctors refused to tell them anything. Rainbow had yet to wake up, but the color had returned to her skin and she had stopped coughing.
"Ugh...where the hell am I?" Rainbow groaned.
"Rainbow! Oh thank goodness you're awake..." Twilight cried. Rainbow glanced over at her, squinting a bit.
"Whoa...an angel...am I in heaven?" she joked, Twilight glaring at her.
"I'm in trouble aren't I?" Rainbow mumbled.
"What were you thinking?! What if Applejack and Pinkie hadn't gotten to you in time?!" Twilight yelled, Rarity and Applejack falling silent.
"Oh, right, cause I'm the only person with stupid ideas. I was tryin' to save Rarity!"
"By getting yourself killed?!" Twilight screamed
"HEY! Don't even talk! You killed off ten years for Scootaloo!" Rainbow yelled back.
"HEY! NO FIGHTING! Cute couples don't fight like this!" Pinkie yelled, standing between them. There was a moment of complete silence as the two stared at their friend, Twilight gasping and hugging her friend
"Pinkie! You're okay!" she cried
"OW! Hugs should never hurt this bad." the baker whined.
"Whoa, wait, what happened?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie chuckled nervously as she slipped out of Twilights grip, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I uh...gotta tell you girls something..." She chewed her lip for a moment, her poofy hair drooping slightly.
"I'm..."
"Miss Pie! There you are. You had all of us worried. We still need to finish our tests and make sure you are alright." Doctor Stable sighed from the doorway.
"N-No. I'm really alright! It was just a little scratch and I forgot about my low blood sugar!" Pinkie argued.
"Pinks, ah saw that bastard shove a sword as thick as my arm through ya. How anybody can be okay after that is a miracle. An then ya'll went all stir crazy on em, ah was damn near scared fer my own life when ya pulled out them swords." Applejack spoke up. Pinkie chewed her lip, glancing around the room.
"H-He uh...didn't stab me?" Pinkie looked around the room, hoping they would buy it. She sighed, tucking her hands under her shirt and hefting it up over her head, a nurse covering Doctor Stable's eyes. Pinkie ran a hand over her stomach, where a large scar sat.
"I'm sorry but...did you just say..." Rarity paused, unsure how to phrase her question. Doctor Stable of all people had fainted, the nurse calling in another nurse to help get him to a bed. Pinkie chuckled nervously, hanging her head.
"Yea, um...its hard to explain...and weird" she mumbled, slipping her shirt back on.
"Pinkie, in the past few weeks we've found out that we're the Elements of Harmony, I'm a freak of nature, Twilight is the great grand-kid of the greatest wizard ever, Rarity is a freakin' vampire and Applejack is a mom. Weird is who we are right now." Rainbow argued.
"She has a point Pinkie, but this...this is scientifically impossible." Twilight shook her head.
"Well not really, I mean, my mom was a Chaotician..." Pinkie mumbled. The room fell silent as the baker twiddled her thumbs.
"I uh...should start at the beginning huh?" she asked, answered only with nods.
"Well...I know Chaoticians are bad people who only wanna hurt others, but my mom wasn't like that! A-and neither was my grandma, or her momma, or her momma or..."
"Pinkie, how far back does this go?" Twilight interrupted.
"Um...a few hundred generations?" Pinkie guessed. Twilight's thoughts were racing at a mile per minute.
Pinkie Pie's family line has been full of Chaotician's that no one has been aware of. Just how many are really out there? she wondered.
"B-But like I said. They aren't bad an evil or anything like that! B-But my mom did kinda do a bad thing..." Pinkie bit her lip as she sat down.
"I was a stillborn and it really made my momma sad. All she wanted in life was a family. I mean, she had my sisters, but she wasn't their real mom. She wanted a kid of her own so...when I didn't make it, it really tore her up...so she used her magic that her momma told her to never ever EVER use."
"She revived you?" Twilight gasped.
"Um...kind of."
She panted heavily as she lay in bed, the doctors falling silent.
"my baby...is my baby...alright?" she asked, too tired to even lift her head. She was sure she would've heard crying, so why wasn't there any crying?
"I...I'm so sorry Miss Pie..." the nurse apologized. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched her daughter be wrapped up in a towel.
"no...NO! Bring me back my baby! Bring me my baby girl!" she screamed as they turned to walk away with her child. This couldn't be happening, it shouldn't be happening, not after she had waited so long.
Nine hard months of imagining all the wonderful times she would share with her bundle of joy, raising her, teaching her, playing with her. All of it came crashing down as the doctors took her away.
"COME BACK!" she screamed, the room shaking around her, lights flickering and the walls cracking. Softly, so soft she almost didn't hear it, she heard the cry of a baby girl. The doctors standing in shock and unwrapping the bundle they held. The girl held up her arms, crying louder and shutting her eyes against the light.
"I-It's a miracle..." the nurse gasped. The Doctor returned slowly, holding out the girl to her mother.
"My girl...my little girl..." she cried.
"Momma!" Pinkie giggled, the room falling silent. Ataxia Pie felt tears sting her eyes as the girl reached for her grabbing hold of her pinkie
"My darling little girl...my little Pinkie Pie." she giggled, the girl gurgling and laughing with her mother.
"It sounds rather sweet. But I don't think I understand what truly happened." Rarity sighed.
"Maybe if'n ya'll would try an get some rest ya'll could think better." Applejack mumbled under her breath.
"Ever since my great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandma Eris decided to live a mortal life its always been a really big rule to never use any bad powers in our family. My momma broke that rule when I was born, or when I wasn't born."
"You were born through Chaos." Twilight realized. It explained everything. How Pinkie Pie could predict random events without a magical source, how she had fallen out of her window and simply appeared beside her, how she was so quick, had so much energy, and made no sense about anything at all. She was a creature of Chaos.
"I guess you could say that. But its kind of a weird way of putting things and makes it look like my mom hardly worked to get me here. I mean, GOSH, nine months carrying me around and then twenty hours of labor and the shock of finding out I was dead..." Pinkie petered off, hanging her head.
"I never woulda guessed Pinks...you're always so happy an cheerful. I thought you had the perfect life." Rainbow mumbled.
"I'm happy and cheerful because being sad doesn't help anyone. Smiles and laughter make people feel better and when people feel better I feel better." Pinkie replied. The group of friends put on their biggest smiles, entering a staring contest with the baker. Pinkie attempted to maintain a serious face, but the smiles were infectious and she found herself giggling.
"See?! Smiles are amazing!" she snorted, her smile faded just slightly though as she continued.
"My momma didn't realize what she'd done until the incident..."
Pinkie Pie had proven to be a rather energetic and rather random bundle of fun. Ataxia had to work doubly hard to keep her husband Clyde from suspecting something strange. It didn't help that her daughter had most definitely inherited her Chaotic powers, despite being one of the few Gaian's in her family line.
At times Pinkie would simply vanish from one room right before her eyes only to appear beside the cookie jar or in her room or on top of the roof.
She had never worked so hard in her life, but she didn't regret it for a second. Her only problems were keeping Clyde from spotting Pinkie during a Chaotic frenzy. Which she was in the middle of, Pinkie Pie on top of the roof and giggling as she walked across the tiles, hopping over them.
"Pinkie Pie! Come down from there!" Ataxia demanded, her daughter glancing over at her as she hopped to the next tile.
Though, as she wasn't paying attention, she slipped and missed the tile, tumbling down the roof in a mess of twisted limbs, banging her head hard against the gutter before toppling off the roof and hitting the ground hard.
Ataxia stared in shock, unable to believe what she had just seen. She marched towards her daughter on shaky legs, tears stinging her eyes as she neared the body.
"Oh gods please no...Pinkie Pie...pl-please don't..." she sank to her knees next to her daughter, screaming at the top of her lungs as she cried, hanging her head and refusing to accept the reality that her daughter was gone.
She blinked as a hand rested against her cheek. Raising her head slowly she found herself staring into the eyes of her daughter. Her face was bruised and her arm was sagging down off her shoulder. Her neck was definitely broken. But here she was, wiping away her mothers tears.
"Don't cry momma, please don't cry..." Pinkie sniffed. Ataxia pulled her into a gentle hug, Pinkie wincing as a few of her bones popped.
"Don't scare me like that..." Ataxia choked.
"I-I'm sorry momma...I-I was just playing..." she whimpered.
"I-Its okay Pinkie. Y-You just can't play like that, okay?" she smoothed out her daughters hair, trying to ignore the blood staining her pink curls.
"Lets get you cleaned up." Ataxia carefully lifted her daughter, glancing around as she marched into her home, quickly making her way to the kitchen, sitting Pinkie on the counter and grabbing a rag, folding it over itself and holding it out.
"Bite down on this sweety, this is gonna hurt a little." she warned. Pinkie nodded, biting down on the rag and screaming into it as her mother twisted and popped her arm back into place.
Next came her neck, held in place with a bit of magic, her mother gritting her teeth as she popped her head to the side, tears streaming down her cheeks as she worked furiously.
Bandages hovered in her magic, wrapping around wounds moments after they were cleaned. Pinkie glanced at herself, wincing as she touched the bandages on her head.
"Don't mess with those bandages. They need to stay in place." her mother scolded. Pinkie pouted and nodded, letting out an eep as her head slid to the side, her collar bone sticking out slightly. Ataxia gasped, pushing her head back into place and holding it there with some gauze tape and more bandages.
"I'm a mummy!" Pinkie giggled. Ataxia sighed, kissing her daughters forehead.
Gods...what have I done?
"I uh...got into a lot of accidents even after that. Everytime I'd just get back up and dust it off. Things didn't really get weird until high school." Pinkie sighed, scratching the back of her head.
"Thats when we found out about my powers"
"You totally gotta see this Pinkie. Its the most amazing thing ever!" her friend, Berry Blitz told her, leading her into an alleyway.
"I dunno Berry. I got a bad feeling about this." Pinkie mumbled, her left ear twitching and her elbow throbbing.
"Oh come on, are you gonna trust that Pinkie sense thing over your best friend?" Berry asked, crossing her arms.
"Well...I-I guess I trust you Berry...my Pinkie sense has never lied though."
"And since when have I lied to you?!" Berry grumbled.
"N-Never..." Pinkie stammered.
"Right! Now come on!" she grinned, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the alley. Pinkie chewed her lip, glancing back and forth.
"We really shouldn't be here Berry." Pinkie whined, eyes wide as boys from their school stepped out of their hiding places.
"Hi there girls." Dribble chuckled. He was a rather big guy and the top basketball player in the school.
"H-Hey, you said there were only gonna be two or three guys." Berry stammered.
"A few heard what was up and decided to tag along. It ain't really your problem though. We already danced remember?" he flashed a toothy grin, Berry glaring at him.
"You'll delete the pictures now right?" she asked.
"Yea yea. You brought us the untouchable girl and a deals a deal." he chuckled, grabbing Pinkie by the arm.
"Um, I'm not much of a dancer you know..." Pinkie chuckled nervously.
"Oh thats fine, we'll be doing most of the work." He whispered, nipping her ear. Pinkie's eyes widened as he hooked his arms around her. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Berry shaking her head and apologizing before vanishing past the crowd of boys.
"Berry? Berry?! BERRY?!" Pinkie cried out for her friend, scrambling out of Dribble's arms and running down the alleyway, eyes wide as some of the boys pulled out knives.
"Hey, you aren't goin' anywhere til we have some fun."
"Your kind of fun is mean and gross!" Pinkie fumed, shoving one of the boys. He grunted as he hit the wall, slashing out with the knife and slicing Pinkie's cheek as he fell. She froze, putting a hand against her cheek and touching the scar. She hung her head, staring at the blood on her hand.
Slowly her hair began to deflate, falling flat against her head. The boy stumbled to his feet, flipping the knife around in his hand before rushing at her. Pinkie stepped to the side, grabbing him by the wrist, her runes glowing dimly as she snapped it back, spinning and snatching his knife out of the air before spinning once more and burying the blade in his shoulder. She appeared beside another, growling and staring into his eyes
"What the fuck is she?!" the boy screamed lifting his knife. Pinkie snatched it out of his hands, roaring as she hefted it above her head. She paused as a boy rushed her from behind, burying his knife in her back. She slowly turned, giggling and marching towards him.
"She ain't human...sh-she's a demon! Run!" he screamed, the boys pausing as a gunshot rang out. Dribble held a small pistol, shaking and pointing it at Pinkie.
"Alright bitch, get on your knees." he demanded. Pinkie scoffed, marching towards him slowly.
"I'm not playin' around! I'll shoot damnit!" he yelled. Still Pinkie continued on, the first bullet zipping by and brushing against her cheek. The next buried itself into her leg, causing her to pause for a moment. The third shot however, landed directly in her forehead, dropping her to the ground.
"Oh shit man...you fucking killed her!" one boy panicked.
"L-Lets get outta here." Dribble panted, taking his gang and running as far away as they could from the scene. An hour later Pinkie's eyes opened, the girl groaning as her entire body suffered a massive shock of pain. She grit her teeth as she pushed to her hands and knees, the bullet falling out of her head and clattering against the ground.
She stumbled to her feet, wincing with each step as she made the long trek home. She gasped as lights flashed in front of her, grunting as her mother pulled her into a tight hug.
"My little girl, what happened to you?! You didn't come home and you didn't call, oh my goodness, is this a gunshot wound?! What were you doing?!" her mother demanded. Pinkie sniffed and buried her face against her mother, crying her heart out. Nearby, an officer waited patiently to take a statement.
"M-my friend...at least I thought she was my friend...brought me to an alleyway for something cool a-and then this guy Dribble...him and his friends tried to...tried to...and I tried to protect myself, b-but then he pulled out a gun and..." she broke into sobs, unable to recount the horrors of what she had done and what had been done to her.
"Thats alright miss. We'll have an ambulance here soon to take you to the hospital and get you home an safe. We'll take care of the rest. Be safe, alright?"
"Thank you Officer." Ataxia smiled, wrapping a blanket around Pinkie's shoulders.
"Mom...t-there was something else too. I-I snapped a-and I stabbed one of them...a-and the gunshot...h-hit me here..." she tapped her forehead, her mother staring in shock at the blood smear. She had thought someone had hit her, but a bullet...
"Mom...w-what am I? Am I a monster?" she choked, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ataxia hugged her close.
"No, not at all Pinkie. You are the sweetest most loveable bundle of laughter and joy I have ever known. You are not a monster and you never will be. You were only trying to protect yourself." her mother assured her in a soft voice.
"But the bullet..."
"Pinkie. I promise...you're not a monster...Lets get you cleaned up and taken care of and I'll explain everything."
"When we got home...she told me about our history and about my birth. When she saved me, there was a lotta anger an frustration in her spell and some of that became a part of me. Whenever...I'm close to the edge, I kinda...snap...and go crazy Pinkie until I pass out." Pinkie sighed.
"Heh, man...I bet they were surprised to see you after that." Rainbow laughed. Pinkie wore a sad smile.
"Yea...they started telling the cops I was dead when they left me, didn't help their case at all, but people started looking at me a lot differently. So we had to move. My mom went back to the rock farm my papa owns and she sent me here to live with Auntie Cake who gave me a job and made sure I never had any episodes until now." Pinkie sighed.
"My brain hurts..." Twilight mumbled.
"Sooo...what? You can't die?" Rainbow asked. "Thats kinda pretty damn cool." she pointed out.
"You don't think I'm a monster?"
"Pfft, why would I? Pinks, you throw the most epic parties ever, bake the best sweets, tell the best jokes, and you're a super zombie."
"Not really a zombie. I'm alive, kind of..." she mumbled.
"Yea yea whatever. Pinks, you're our friend. Right girls?" Rainbow asked, her friends nodding and smiling at their pink haired friend.
"We accepted Rarity bein' a vampire, why would we up an hate ya fer bein who ya are? Ya'll didn't even have no choice in th' matter." Applejack argued. Pinkie sniffed, tears stinging her eyes.
"You girls...are the best friends...a girl could ask for..." she shook, burying her face in her hands.
"Yea, we're pretty awesome." Rainbow grinned, the room filling with laughter. The room fell silent however when the door opened, revealing Princess Celestia.
"Princess, how long..."
"I heard everything." she said softly. Pinkie Pie gulping as Celestia turned to her.
"Pinkie Pie...are you alright?" Celestia asked softly. The Gaian blinked, staring at the Princess.
"h-huh? You aren't...gonna arrest me? Or throw me in a dungeon? or do weird experiments?" Pinkie rambled.
"No. I've known for some time about your history. I am ashamed to admit it, but I had been avoiding this meeting for quite some time and had I stepped forward sooner you may not have had such a terrible experience..." she sighed as she took a seat, a pair of guards standing at the doorway, though Spike marched in, glancing around at them.
"Spike, you couldn't have stopped this." Twilight interrupted him before he could scold himself. He opened his mouth to argue, Celestia grabbing his arm and shaking her head. The dragon sighed, taking a seat next to the Princess.
"As you are already aware, there is an Anti-Magian Riot Control Sphere active in the Everfree. It was stolen from the Celamont Armory last night and we currently have no idea who took it. Being that they targeted this place instead of simply activating it in Celamont, it must be the work of the Chaotician." Celestia hung her head for a moment.
"Pinkie Pie. I know it goes against everything your family stands for, but I need you to attempt to locate the Chaotician."
"Hey! Hold up!" Rainbow yelled, wincing as she straightened her back, glaring at Celestia.
"You march in here, knowing damn well Pinkie was some chaos zombie thing and who knows what else, and still wanna boss us around? What else are you hiding huh? I think its about damn time we put an end to all this cryptic bullshit!" She yelled
"Rainbow! Princess, I am so sorry. She's just..." Twilight froze as Celestia held up her hand.
"You're right Rainbow Dash. This matter revolves around all of you and it isn't fair for me to keep you in the dark. I've already seen the consequences of doing so." she wore a sad smile as she looked between the Element bearers before her.
"I will reveal all that I know, but I ask you all not to think any differently of me." Celestia snapped her fingers, the two guards at the door entering and pulling the door closed behind them. Celestia's eyes glowed for a moment, a sigil appearing on the door and spread across the room.
"You may show yourselves." Celestia ordered the two guards. They glanced at one another before resting a hand over their hearts, the armor vanishing and forming a sunburst mark. Before them stood Spitfire and Cheerilee, the schoolteacher shaking her head.
"So much for secrecy." Cheerilee sighed.
"Mom?!" Rainbow gasped.
"Hi Rainbow..." Spitfire mumbled. Rainbow hung her head, gripping her blanket.
"I told you she would be angry." Cheerilee mumbled. Rarity stared for a moment, her thoughts still a bit bogged down after experiencing the full effects of the Sphere.
"Yes, I am. To tell the truth I actually enjoy my teaching job, and as a bonus I can make sure your freak sister doesn't hurt anyone."
"Hey now! That ain't no way t' talk about anyone!" Applejack growled. Cheerilee crossed her arms, turning her attention to Applejack.
"Old habits are harder to kill than your Chaotician friend over there. Or your vampire girlfriend. I swear, it seems every Gaian I know is rolling around in the sheets with..."
"Cheerilee you promised you wouldn't do this." Spike growled. The Gaian fell silent. The dragon cleared his throat and took a look around the room.
"I know you want answers, and we'll give them to you. But we've got a bigger problem on our hands right now. Right now this room is sealed off from any prying eyes and ears, so we can speak freely." Spike explained.
"First and foremost. The Chaotician has managed to place spies in several high security areas. We gathered as much information as we could from Trixie, but the Chaotician has to be watching her somehow. There are times when she simply refuses to respond to anyone." he sighed.
"We also suspect...that I might have become one of his Spies, as well as Fluttershy." Spike hung his head, gripping the arms of his chair.
"Spike, ya'll would never betray us an Shy sure as sugar ain't no spy!" Applejack argued.
"While there is much we don't know about you Spike, I highly doubt you are a spy or that you would even openly admit it." Rarity tossed in.
"Its not a matter of choice. During our battle he buried traces of chaos in the Library. Vinyl was able to get rid of it, but there was still a heavy trace hidden in my scales. We suspect he is using that chaos as a conduit to spy on whoever I am near. Hopefully he isn't aware that we've discovered this. We can use it to feed him false information."
"You keep talking like you know the guy." Rainbow scoffed. When silence answered her joke she simply stared.
"You know who it is don't you?" Rainbow asked.
"The living Chaotician we are aware of, not including Pinkie's family line...is The God of Chaos himself. Discord. Once upon a time, he was my consort." Celestia answered.
"Wh-what? Y-You were actually..." Twilight stammered.
"He was a better man back then Twilight. He and I managed the balance between Harmony and Chaos, keeping the world in check. I am not ashamed to admit that I loved him dearly and my heart is still bound to him. But he has caused too much pain and we must stop him."
"Okay, I think I'm putting the pieces together...ugh, if only this headache would go away" Rarity sighed. Applejack folded up her sleeve and held out her arm, Rarity blushing deeply.
"Applejack I..."
"Shut it, bite it, quit yer whinin'." Applejack silenced her. Cheerilee clenched her fists, calming down as Spike glared at her. Rarity glanced around at her friends, chewing her lip.
"E-Everyone is watching..." Rarity whispered.
"It's jus' a lil bite Rarity, ain't like its some romantic thing." Applejack chuckled, her laughter fading as Rarity looked away.
"Oh...uh..."
"Shoulda told her everything Rare-bear." Vinyl chuckled, fading into the room through one of the sigils. Cheerilee drew a pair of pistols, sighing as she glared at Vinyl.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO THAT!?" the teacher yelled.
"I've seen you slap a mountain troll and stare down a shade...and you get freaked out by me walking through walls? Seriously?" Vinyl sighed.
"I thought this room was sealed off. How can she..." Twilight began
"Bit of my essence in the spell, a small contract with the Princess and these babies turn into my personal doors." Vinyl grinned.
"Oh, Rares, Belle is outside worried about you. And theres that Scooter kid out there too."
"What?! Oh gods, we can't afford to have her panicking!" Rarity panicked.
"Rarity! Chill. I told her you're totally fine. She just wants to see you is all." Vinyl chuckled. Rarity sighed, hanging her head. Rainbow tossed her blanket aside, wincing as she slid out of bed.
"Rainbow, where are you going?" Twilight demanded.
"To let my kid know I'm okay." Rainbow answered, blinking as Spitfire stood before her.
"Dash, do you really want her to see you like this? Beaten and bruised and coming back from near death? You almost flooded the house with tears when I did that to you." Spitfire scolded her.
"Yea, but mo.."
"Don't 'but mom" me. Get back in bed. Right now!" Spitfire ordered. Rainbow gulped, sitting back down and pulling the blanket up to her nose.
"Wow...I'm impressed." Cheerilee mumbled.
"Military upbringing helps a little. I didn't get mad often, but when I did..." she chuckled, taking a seat next to Twilight.
"Um, its...an honor to meet you." Twilight said with a strained smile.
"Twilight Sparkle. Prized pupil of Princess Celestia, descendant of Star Swirl the Wise, Element of Magic and current girlfriend of my daughter. The honor is mine." she smiled.
"Moooom!" Rainbow whined.
"Shush, be happy I don't have any pictures of you with tank." she teased, Rainbow blushing deeply.
"So...how long have you and Spike..."
"Only these last few years. Before that I was just head of the Wonderbolts. I still am, but its more in title than action these days. The Knights take up all of my time lately." Spitfire sighed, resting a hand on Rainbows leg.
"I've been thinking of passing the torch like the last Skyborn Knight did. But theres only one person who could take that torch from me..." she looked Rainbow in the eye.
"And I refuse to let her do it. After everything thats happened, it wouldn't be fair. Besides, she's an Element of Harmony, thats more important than some silly secret Knight business."
"Mom...I..."
"So tell me about this girl of yours." Spitfire interrupted. Rainbow gripped the blanket, tears stinging her eyes.
"She's just like me...I look at her and I see me, before you found me...before I had a future..." Rainbow shook as a sob built in her throat.
"But she lost everything so quickly...her parents LOVED her so much and held on like my pops did. She ended up all alone a-and she's got the same thing, that same stupid disease!" Rainbow punched the mattress, trying to collect herself.
"I heard as much...but tell me about her Rainbow. About why you took her in." Spitfire smiled. Rainbow glanced at her, unsure of what she wanted. With a shuddering breath she closed her eyes and thought about her daughter.
"Well...she's pretty amazing on that scooter of hers. She beat me in a race ya know...she bet me that if she won, I'd adopt her, and if I won, she'd tell me about her parents. It was pretty close but she did this thing with her wings to make her scooter go faster." Rainbow chuckled, Spitfire grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"She's just got so much ahead of her, she could do awesome things...but...if she...if she..." Rainbow shook, refusing to think of such things. Twilight leaned over the edge of the bed, causing the Skyborn to blink as she kissed her cheek.
"She won't Rainbow. I promised, remember?" Twilight smiled.
"Speaking of which Twilight. How goes your research?" Celestia asked knowingly. Twilight froze, chuckling nervously.
"Um, well, you see...Conventional methods only increase the decay effect..."
"I've read the notes Twilight. Many, many times. I tried very hard to understand Nightgale. She was one of the brightest and best and her need for a cure drove her into darkness. I don't want to see the same happen to you." Celestia spoke softly, but there was a hint of worry in her voice.
"Tch, Twilights nothin' like her. You know what she did? My mother spent every day cutting off my feathers for her damned science. Twilight ASKED me if she could have a sample and let me get it. And then? She chucks away ten years because I asked for her help." Rainbow sniffed, forcing back her tears.
"Thats a debt I'm gonna spend the rest of my life repaying and as long as I'm around I refuse to ever let Twilight fall into any kind of darkness!" Rainbow swore. Celestia chuckled softly.
"She is definitely your daughter Spitfire." she commented.
"She was like this when we met. I just gave her a home." the Skyborn shrugged.
"This is all touchy an wonderful an all, but ain't we still missin somethin'?" Applejack asked.
"Your right. Fluttershy. She's walking with Applebloom to get here. I asked her to get her because I needed some spare time." Spike explained nodding to Vinyl.
"I've got a knack for sensing chaos and its levels of power. Your little friend with the animals? She's God-tier, its scary, like hella scary." Vinyl added.
"She goes into the Everfree to tend to animals all the time and her shack is right outside of it. Of course she'd be..." Rarity tried to argue
"Covered in the stuff? Yea, thats what we thought at first too. But have you noticed how she is never really around during these little attacks on all of you?" Cheerilee asked.
"The Storm mason attacked and Fluttershy just happens to show up after all of you have tried your hands at fighting it." Spitfire added.
"Then Sweetie Belle's instincts suddenly kick in? Not likely. I've seen that trick before. That bastard Scythe did the same thing to you to get me out in the open all those years ago. Give a growing vamp a drop of fresh blood and it'll drive em nuts. Someone wanted you to fight that day Rarity." Vinyl growled.
"But it goes further back than that. Applejacks mystery attacker? No trace of his body was found. We know he was pounded to a pulp by the head of the Apple family, but there should have been pulp left over. Instead investigators just found one very destroyed tree and signs of struggle." Cheerilee sighed.
"W-what th' heck are ya sayin'?" Applejack demanded.
"Applejack...your attacker was the Chaotician. Discord wanted you to have a child. It's how he has been watching you." Spike explained. Applejack's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
"N-No! T-that can't be true! Applebloom's perfectly normal! S-She ain't no devil spawn!" Applejack cried, Rarity grabbed her arm, getting her attention and staring deeply into her eyes.
"That isn't what he said Applejack. Applebloom is your little girl and she is a wonderful sweet girl. She is certainly not any 'devil spawn'. Just look at Pinkie! She's the nicest person around and this has been a part of her family for generations!" Rarity argued.
"Thats...another matter...Pinkie's great grandmother Eris is also one of Discords children."
"My grandpa is the meanie attacking us?!" Pinkie gasped, tears in her eyes.
"I suppose he is..." Celestia sighed. Applejack was still a bit shaken up, Rarity holding her and whispering soothing words. The fashionista gently kissed her friends forehead, glancing over at Celestia.
"You seem to still have something to say." she pointed out.
"Yes, I do. The Chaotician has had a place in each of your lives, trying to mold you to fit his plans. He provided Nightgale with a means of saving her family, assaulted Applejack, funded a gang of vampires to bring about Rarity's potential to only later use Sweetie Belle to further Rarity's strength. He fathered the line that led to Pinkie Pie being here today and if my assumptions are correct...Fluttershy is his daughter." Celestia let her words sink in, glancing around the room.
"Wait...what about me? You said he affected all of our lives..."
"Except for yours Twilight...he could never get close to you until recently." Celestia spoke quietly, hanging her head.
"W-what do you mean?"
"She means, that we've been protecting you since before you were born Twilight." a voice echoed in the room. From behind a nearby curtain, Twilight Velvet revealed herself, dressed in a long-flowing white cloak, a sunburst emblem sitting on each shoulder.
Twilight recognized those robes, she had been told only the Arch mage ever wore them. It was at this point that Twilight fainted. Velvet sighed, shaking her head.
"I told you this would happen Princess." Velvet mumbled.
"I didn't doubt you, but the truth needed to be told." Celestia mumbled back.
"Well...any other mindfucks for us today?" Rainbow asked.
"Like, how do you know Shy is bad? or that my grandpa is her dad? Does this make us Cousins?! Do I have any other family members I don't know about?!" Pinkie gasped. Celestia sighed, raising her hand. Silence filled the room as everyone stared at her.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! I'm Royalty?! Oh my gosh! This is the best day, EVER!' Pinkie giggled, hopping around the room.
"That...explains so much..." Rarity mumbled.
"As I said...Discord was my consort and Eris my daughter. She didn't share her fathers love of Chaos and pranks, not as much as him anyway. She went out into the world to find herself and the Pie family line was started. I kept my eye on her after..." Celestia paused, hanging her head.
"I apologize...some memories are too painful to remember." she murmured, pushing to her feet.
"If you have questions...have Spike send me a letter." she said softly. Velvet spoke a single word, vanishing and taking Celestia and Vinyl with her, the sigils vanishing.
"That was...interesting..." Rainbow mumbled, watching as Pinkie continued to bounce around excitedly.
"Well at least she's better." she chuckled, looking down at Twilight.
"MOM!" Scootaloo yelled as the door swung open. She raced to Rainbow's bed, jumping into her lap and hugging her tightly.
"OW! Sheesh kid, do ya gotta squeeze so hard?" Rainbow groaned.
"S-sorry...t-they said you were lost in the forest a-and that you almost died a-and I..." Scootaloo's rambling stopped as Rainbow put a finger against her lips.
"Kid, I'm right here, right?" Rainbow asked, Scootaloo nodding.
"Then none of that other junk matters. All thats important is that we're alive an awesome." Rainbow grinned, wiping away one of Scootaloo's tears.
"Hey squirt, wanna meet someone even more awesome than I am?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo blinked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yea right, there isn't anyone like that. I mean, maybe the Wonderbolts." Scootaloo shrugged. Rainbow pointed over Scootaloo's shoulder, the young Skyborn turned her head, eyes wide as Spitfire waved to her.
"Oh my gosh! Are you...is that..." Scootaloo squeaked as Spitfire smiled.
"So, you're my Granddaughter? Dang, I really am getting old." Spitfire chuckled.
"...what?"
"Squirt, this is my mom." Rainbow grinned. Scootaloo stared for a moment before fainting.
"...Do all the girls faint around you?" Spitfire asked.
"Can't help bein' awesome." Rainbow shrugged. On the other side of the room, Sweetie Belle stood at the side of her sisters bed, wearing a worried expression as she looked between a distraught Applejack and a bandaged Rarity.
"Rarity..a-are you okay?" Sweetie Belle finally spoke up. Rarity offered a smile.
"Oh, me? Why yes, I'm fine Sweetie Belle. Just a bad bump and a minor magical headache. I'll be back to myself in no time. Would you mind bringing Applebloom in when she gets here? Applejack really needs to see her..." Rarity looked down at her friend, cradled in her arms.
Spike shared a glance with Rarity, though he stayed silent. He shrouded his thoughts on matters of state, things he normally focused on. For all he knew, all that Chaos in his system could be feeding his very thoughts to Discord.
He had known there was some powerful Chaotician out there...but not the God of Chaos himself. It was a sobering thought, realizing how close he really had come to death.
"Oh um...S-sure Rarity." Sweetie Belle mumbled, running back out into the hall to wait for her friend. Twilight slowly came to, mumbling and putting a hand against her head.
"Rainbow? Scootaloo? Ugh, I had the weirdest dream..."
"Really? What was it about?" Spitfire asked innocently. Twilight jumped in surprise, staring at the wonderbolt.
"Um..."
"Don't faint again. We need you awake." Spitfire chuckled.
"huh? Oh right, the..." Twilight blinked as Spitfire's hand covered her mouth.
"Shush. Eyes and ears are everywhere. Sit with your family, be happy." Spitfire ordered under her breath. Twilight blinked, looking over at Rainbow holding Scootaloo.
My...Family? But, me and Rainbow are only dating...I didn't adopt Scootaloo. She did. I mean, I care about her...but does that make us a family? Twilight wondered.
"Um, i-is everyone okay?" Fluttershy asked from the doorway. Applebloom looked around her into the room, spotting Applejack held in Rarity's arms. She sighed in relief as she entered the room.
"Ya'll had all o' us worried when ya jus' up an vanished outta th' house. Granny dang near had a heart attack when we couldn't find ya an Big Macintosh almost started up a search party. At least until he smelled sweets in the air." Applebloom giggled, pointing to the still bouncing Pinkie Pie. Applejack was silent however. Just staring at her daughter.
She looks so normal...acts so normal...she ain't never done anything weird. So it can't be true...right? she thought to herself.
"Applejack? A-Are ya okay?" Applebloom asked worriedly, only answered by the same blank stare.
"Momma...are ya okay?" Applebloom asked, tears stinging her eyes. Applejack slowly came to her senses as her daughter cried for her. She sat up and held out her arms.
"A-Ah'm jus' fine Applebloom. Ah jus' had a big ol' fight that took a lot outta me is all. So don'tcha go worryin none 'bout me, ya hear?" she sniffed. Applebloom sniffed back her tears, leaping into her mothers arms. Fluttershy sighed in relief, seeing all of her friends in one piece
"Fluttershy! You'll never guess...!" Pinkie grunted as a layer of magic slapped the back of her head, another covering her mouth.
"You'll have to forgive Pinkie, she's been ranting about these new treats she came up with all day and its become rather annoying. She should know better than to tell everyone after what we just talked about." Rarity glared at Pinkie who simply stared for a moment before realization sat in, the baker pouting and crossing her arms.
"Awww...I guess no party then..." she mumbled.
"How about a "We're still alive" party?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie stared at the wall for a moment before leaping for joy.
"That's a great idea! I'll go get started!" she giggled, zipping out of the room and down the hall. The room fell silent, all eyes on Fluttershy, at least until Spike cleared his throat.
"You okay Shy? It must have been tough having to leave Rarity like that..." Spike said in his most sincere voice. Fluttershy hung her head, gripping her skirt.
"I-I'm okay. I'm just so happy no one was terribly hurt" she hiccuped, quickly smearing away the tears that threatened to build up.
"Well, my head hurts beyond anything I can even describe, and Rainbow suffered a crash and tumble at several miles per hour, and Pinkie Pie...well, she's fine." Rarity chuckled.
"But yes, no one was terribly hurt. But that still begs the question as to what exactly happened?" Rarity pointed out.
"One o' those cloaked bastards said somethin' 'bout not killin' us. Like they need us or somethin'." Applejack sighed
"K-Killin'?! Ah thought ya'll said..."
"Ah know what ah said Applebloom. It ain't nothin t' worry 'bout. Ah promise. Why don't ya'll go and play with Sweetie Belle for a bit while we finish up talkin'?" Applejack forced a smile. Applebloom pouted for a moment before joining her friend outside the room.
"Did anyone get a good look at these guys?" Spike asked.
"Not really. All ah managed t' notice was one of em was a Gaian. Punched a big ol' hole in th' ground durin' th' fightin. Th' other was some weird woman with a Scythe." Applejack explained. Spike stiffened for a moment, his hands on his knees.
"A scythe? Did the guy have a sword?"
"Yea, how'd ya know?"
"Call it a hunch." Spike answered, rushing past Fluttershy and down the hall.
"Anyone else getting tired of that?" Rainbow asked, the entire room nodding agreement.
"You wouldn't happen to know what Spike is hiding from us, would you Miss Spitfire?" Rarity asked.
"Well, I'm not completely sure about this, but, before me there were others on his team. Some were tough enough to stick with it, others...not so much..."
"Hold on a minute, are ya'll sayin' those people who attacked us use t' be Knights?" Applejack asked.
"They might have been, but they sure aren't now. I've only heard him talk about them once or twice. They've been a high priority target for years now. It doesn't make sense for them to just come out into the open like this...unless they are after something thats worth the risk." Spitfire sighed, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. The room was silent for a long while, Spitfire eventually turning to Cheerilee.
"He's gonna need backup and seeing as you aren't on good terms with certain members of this group, I think it'd be best if I stay here." she flashed a small grin at the Gaian.
"...Alright then...Enjoy babysitting." Cheerilee rolled her eyes as she left, having to force a smile as she passed the two girls playing tag in the hall.
"I rather miss the way things used to be..." Rarity sighed.
"I think we all do Rarity." Twilight agreed.
"I don't. My life was boring as Tartarus before all of this." Rainbow chuckled, looking down at Scootaloo.
"If I had the chance to do it all again, I'd just end up right back here." she sighed.
"Thats so sweet." a man spoke as he stepped into the room. Rainbow and Fluttershy stared with wide eyes at the man.
"Doc?" Rainbow gasped.
"Daddy?! What are you doing here?!" Fluttershy panicked.
"Now now my dear, no reason to fret. I'm here on business you know!" Dr Accord chuckled, tucking his hands into the pockets of his labcoat.
"Hm...everyone all present and accounted for? No? Where's the pink one?" he asked, glancing around.
"You mean Pinkie Pie? She's putting a party together. Wait, how do you know about Pinkie?" Rainbow asked. Dr Accord sighed, leaning back on his heels.
"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you my dear. I really am a madman." he chuckled, snapping his fingers.
Pinkie Pie froze as a chill ran up her spine and all the warmth left her body.
He stood in silence, hands in his pockets and his head down. His eyes however, were everywhere. The scythe blade buried in the tree was the final nail in the coffin for him. Only one woman carried a weapon like that.
The blade was forged from a Dragons Fang and imbued with his dying magic. Or so the story had gone. He stopped as he reached the clearing where the Sphere sat. He sucked in a breath and threw his head back.
"SKYLAAAAR! MORIGAAAAN!" he screamed. He panted heavily as two cloaked figures stepped out from the shadows. The woman lowered her hood, smiling at the young dragon-kin.
"Its good to see you again after all these years Spike." she said softly.
"Don't give me that Morigan...why are you here?" Spike demanded, his slitted eyes shifting. Skylar gripped his sword, Morigan grabbing his shoulder.
"I'm here because I must be here. The same reason you're here Spike." She answered.
"Mistress..." Skylar growled.
"Shush. This is my fight. Stick to the plan my pet." she whispered. Skylar let go of his blade, standing back as Morigan stepped forward.
"Why now?" Spike asked.
"I can't hide forever Spike. We all have to finish what we start." she sighed, chaos dancing around her. Spike grit his teeth, flames billowing around him and his arms shifting.
"Spike! GUH!" BZZZZZZZZZZT Spitfires voice rang in his ear. He dodged to the side as a lance of chaos zipped past him, Morigan twirling another about herself as she rushed him.
"This is a distraction. Isn't it?" Spike asked as he threw up his scaled arm to block the spear.
"As perceptive as always Spike." she smiled, another spear spinning around her, she gasped as chaos lanced from the ground, causing her to flip backwards. Spike panted softly, wincing as Chaos danced around him.
"I had a good teacher..."
Cheerilee watched as Spike began to fight Morigan and Skylar. Her only knowledge on the pair was they were once Spikes partners in defending Celestia. But that had been years ago. The two should've been old or dead, but they seemed younger than she was.
"Spike! GUH!" BZZZZZZZZZZT Spitfires voice rang in her ear.
Shit! It was a distraction! Cheerilee realized, turning back only to bump into Skylar. The man lowered his hood, wearing a demented grin and missing an eye.
"Enjoying the show?" he asked, the schoolteacher leaping away, a pair of pistols flying to her hands only to be sliced clean through in one flick of the mans blade.
She grit her teeth, ducking under the next swipe of his sword and burying her fist into his stomach, sending him sprawling across the ground. She winced, rubbing her hand.
"What is he made of?" she mumbled, eyes wide as the man rolled onto his feet and launched towards her.
Shit... Cheerilee reached for her boot knife, blinking as a sword buried itself into Skylar's' skull, pinning him to a tree. She blinked and the sword was gone, a blur zipping past her and tackling Morigan. Spike paused, panting heavily with sparks of chaos dancing over his scales.
"What just..."
"Pinkie." Spike answered, nodding to Cheerilee. The Ex-Hunter returned the nod, taking off at a blistering run towards the hospital. She only hoped she wasn't too late.
SNAP. An array of symbols etched themselves into the walls, Dr Accord chuckling quietly. Spitfire aimed her pistol directly at him, the man raising an eyebrow.
"All this time...all of this time it was you..."
"Oh come now my dear Wonderbolt, are you really going to shoot me? I've done so much for your family you know." his attention turned to Rainbow, the Skyborn kicking off her bed and charging at him.
"Cupcakes." he spoke quietly, the girl pausing in mid-air. She landed silently, arms at her sides and a dead look in her eyes.
"What did you do to her?!" Spitfire demanded.
"Months of peeking through her head, my dear. A simple seed that has had years to grow." he answered, snapping his fingers. Rainbow screamed as Chaos sparked around her, dropping her to the ground.
"Rainbow!" Twilight gasped, pausing as the man turned his attention to her. Spitfire slid between them, raising her pistol, a hand to her ear.
"Spike! GUH!" Spitfire gasped as she was flung across the room, slamming into the wall. Dr Accord sighed as he shook his head.
"I really didn't want to do that." he mumbled. Twilight grit her teeth, her armor appearing around her.
"Just as brave as he was. You MUST be Twilight. You know, I once worked with Starswirl. He was a crazy old man, but a fun old man." he chuckled.
"Ah, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is all of you. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony." he looked around the room and frowned slightly.
"Oh right, we're missing one. No matter, she'll come to us!" he chuckled.
"What do you want from us?" Twilight demanded.
"Want? What kind of Villain would I be if I told you what I wanted? Have you ever read a comic book? Thats how they always lose!" he argued. The noise woke Scootaloo, the young Skyborn wiping the sleep from her eyes and looking around.
"Uh...whoa, what happened?" she mumbled. Discord grinned, Twilight standing between him and Scootaloo, her arms out wide.
"Don't even think about it!" she yelled, eyes glowing brightly.
"Do you really think yourself powerful enough to stop me girl?" Discord asked, leaning close to her.
"AH BET AH AM!" Applejack roared, eyes wide as her punch was blocked by Fluttershy. The shy skyborn kept her head down, her arm holding back Applejack's.
"F-Fluttershy...so its true, ya really did betray us..."
"Please Applejack...don't make me do this..." Fluttershy begged, keeping her head down.
"Applejack! Tell me, hows the little one?" Discord beamed. Applejack trembled, roaring and throwing another punch, Fluttershy smashing her palms into the Gaian's gut and sending her skidding backwards. Applejack fought in a blind rage, runes in full glow as she chucked punch after punch, Fluttershy slipping around them and pushing the Gaian closer to the wall.
Applejack panted heavily, gritting her teeth as she spun, slamming her leg hard into Fluttershy's gut. The skyborn skid backwards slightly, Applejack staring with wide eyes as Fluttershy grabbed her leg and threw her into the wall.
"Please Applejack...don't fight anymore..." Fluttershy asked. The Gaian stared in shock as her 'friend' started to cry.
"Now now my dear, no need for that. I am a man of my word after all. I won't kill any of them." Discord chuckled. He turned his attention back to Twilight, wearing a small smile.
"Are you angry with me?" he asked softly. He didn't need an answer, her posture was answer enough as well as the magic staff she held.
"Good, hold on to that for me." he chuckled, snapping his fingers. In a flash of light he was gone, taking Fluttershy with him. The markings around them vanished, leaving them to stand in silence. Moments later Cheerilee burst into the room, a knife held in her hand.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked quickly, eyes scanning the room. She was answered with silence and a sense of dread.
"Sorry momma..." Pinkie chewed her lip as she sliced through her hand with a kitchen knife. She stared at the blood on her hand, panting slightly and trembling as her vision blurred. Her hair flattened against her head and her eyes dulled, the knife slipping from her grip and clattering against the counter.
Pinchy knee, ear twitch, shoulder cramp.
The baker rushed out of Sugarcube corner, runes in full glow as she ran towards Everfree. She grit her teeth as her armor appeared, quickly drawing the two blades. Without even bothering to aim, she chucked the first forward as hard as she could, the Gaian from before stepping into its path and getting nailed to a nearby tree. Pinkie snatched up the blade, running past Cheerilee.
Hm? Whats she doing here? Thats weird... she thought, focusing her attention on the other figure. The woman with the scythe. She had no doubts now. The woman was a Chaotician. she had thought as much before, but seeing her use Chaos to fight Spike was more than enough proof.
Pinkie roared as she tackled the woman, grunting as a pair of feet buried themselves in her stomach, tossing her away. The baker rolled in the air and landed silently, her armor vanishing as she stared down the woman.
"So the reports were true. You really are a Chaotician." the woman smirked.
"Takes one to know one." Pinkie spat. The Baker shifted to the side, dodging a sword, the man from before tumbling past her and stopping beside the woman.
"So...he's like me..." Pinkie realized. The woman shrugged and stepped forward, pausing for a moment as Spike threw himself between them
"Don't even think about it Mori..."
"SIT!" the woman commanded, Spike grunting as he sank to one knee and bowed his head. He growled and struggled to stand, falling to both knees, his hands digging into the dirt. The woman patted his head gently and turned her attention to Pinkie Pie.
"You best run off to your friends dear, they need you." she said softly, vanishing with a snap of her fingers, her lackey following her lead.
"Damn it..." Spike smashed his fist into the ground, Pinkie frowning as she hooked her arms around his and helped him to his feet.
"Who was that crazy lady?" Pinkie asked, her hair inflating like a balloon.
"It's a long story. The short version is that she is a Wanted Criminal. Worry about it later, we've gotta get to Twilight and the others." Spike winced as he stepped forward, Chaos dancing around his body.
"You're hurt Spikey. You aren't going anywhere but the hospital!" Pinkie declared as she lifted him. Spike sighed, smacking his forehead.
"Ugh...what the heck..." Spitfire mumbled, putting a hand against her head as she sat up.
"Oh good, you're awake." Cheerilee sighed from beside her. She jumped in surprise, reaching for her pistol and finding herself in a hospital gown.
"At ease Soldier. We almost lost you. Don't go doing something stupid now that your back." Cheerilee chuckled.
"Almost lost me? What...?" she winced as her back popped, everything rushing back to her.
"The Doctor! He's...!"
"Discord. Yea, we know...He left his calling card when he almost killed you." Cheerilee grabbed a stack of papers, handing them to the recovering Skyborn. Spitfire carefully read over the report.
"This much Chaotic Energy..." Spitfire shuddered.
"Thats only what Vinyl managed to pry outta you. If we'd been any slower we'd be looking for a new member of the Knights." Cheerilee muttered somberly.
"Wait...Rainbow! Is Rainbow alright? The Element Bearers..."
"Everyone is alright. A bit shaken up...Your daughter has some mental scarring and she hasn't spoken since her recovery. Thank the Gods we have Vinyl..."
"Yea, but we've got bigger problems." Spike said from a nearby bed, the dragon-kin hanging his head.
"Morigan and Skylar are a part of this." he said softly, gripping his blanket so tightly it almost tore.
"What does that mean for us?" Spitfire asked, setting the report down. Spike closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Until we can be sure Morigan is out of the picture...I'm standing down as acting Captain of the Knights."
"Rainbow, please...j-just talk to me." Twilight begged. Rainbow just sat in silence, realizing how much of her life was a lie. How much of it HAD been a lie? Had Fluttershy ever loved her? Had dumping her been a part of the Master Plan? Had she just pretended to be weak and helpless for all those years? There were so many things she had cherished in her past that now...
"Rainbow?" Spitfire limped into the room, looking at her daughter. She slowly lifted her head, tears stinging her eyes at the sight of the wounded Wonderbolt.
"All of this...its all my fault. If I hadn't made you take me to that place...he'd never have gotten into my head a-and you wouldn't be hurt..." she choked. Spitfire smiled, wincing as she sank into the chair beside Rainbows bed.
"You're wrong Rainbow. You couldn't have known any of this would happen. None of us knew. And trust me...if this hadn't happened, something else would've. I'm a Knight Rainbow, and a Wonderbolt. This is what I do...and why I wanted a different life for you." Spitfire spoke quietly, placing her hand on Rainbows shoulder. Twilight chewed her lip as she watched them. Spitfire noticed her however and nodded her head towards the Magian.
"If things had been different, you never would've met her. Never would've met that kid. Nightmare Moon would be in charge and that girl would wither away. You've done more good than bad Rainbow, remember that." Spitfire whispered, wincing as she stood once more and made her way out into the hall where an armored guard waited for her with a wheelchair.
Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat, unable to look at Twilight.
"I messed up Twi'...I let that bastard get in my head a-and..."
"It's not your fault Rainbow. B-But if he hadn't done that...what would you be right now?" Twilight asked, jumping as Rainbow glared at her.
"T-Think about it! You went to see a Doctor because of your mental health. In the end he still helped you. If he hadn't, you'd be just like you were before Spitfire found you." Twilight explained herself. Rainbow sighed, lowering her head.
"I...I guess your right. But did he only help me so he could use me? What about Fluttershy? I just have so many questions..." Rainbow sighed.
"That makes two o' us Dash." Applejack said quietly from across the room. She kept her eyes focused on the sleeping form of her friend Rarity, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Namely her daughter in the daycare center.
"Heh...I guess my whining is nothing compared to your problems huh AJ?"
"Now hold on, ah didn't say that! Ah jus'..."
"Its cool. I'm not mad." Rainbow said calmly, holding up her hands and giving her friend a small smile.
"Do ya think its true? That Applebloom might be one o' those things?" Applejack asked, hiding her eyes behind her hat.
"I'd rather not try to lie to you Applejack. With how he acted towards you, most likely its true. But that only means what you want it to mean." Twilight answered. Applejack peeked from under her hat at the Magian, seeing a determined look in her eyes.
"She might have Chaotician blood flowing through her, but she's still your daughter. She's never had a teacher or practiced any form of chaos magic or even knows she has it." Twilight pointed out.
"But...ain't magic gotta be controlled? What if it hurts her?" Applejack started to panic.
"I can help!" Pinkie said from the middle of the room, holding her hand high in the air.
"I mean, if you want...I'm not suppose to use magic but I was taught how to control it. Chaos is really...chaotic...and sometimes it has a mind of its own and just HAS to do something or it gets really really bored." Pinkie rambled
"Though, I wouldn't worry about it. If she hasn't done anything you couldn't explain then she won't do anything for a while. My momma didn't have her first burst of chaos until she was a teenager. I'm a special case for uh...obvious reasons." the pink haired girl pattered off, falling silent and twiddling her thumbs.
"Ah ain't never seen her do anythin' strange...so she should be alright...right?"
"At least until her balloons come in." Pinkie Pie giggled.
"Ah uh...appreciate it Pinks. Its a real load offa my mind." Applejack smiled. Silence fell over them, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They were the Knights of Harmony, Bearers of the Elements. But what were they suppose to do when one of their own had betrayed them?
"This sucks." Scootaloo grumbled, sitting up in her sleeping bag.
"Yea, a campfire would make it a whole lot better." Applebloom added, laying on her stomach and resting her chin in her hands. She had let her hair down, her bow carefully folded and resting next to her bag.
"Well they didn't want us around all the confusion, at least we have a TV." Sweetie Belle said, trying to cheer up her friends.
"Yea, with hospital channels on it. Ugh, I hate this place. Nothing good ever happens in a hospital." Scootaloo continued.
"Oh? What if ah suddenly fell asleep an left you love birds alone?" Applebloom waggled her eyebrows, letting out a long fake yawn. She giggled as both of her friends blushed furiously and began to stammer, trying to argue with their friend.
"Welp, that answers my question. G'night!" Applebloom curled up in her sleeping bag, feigning sleep with a loud snore. The remaining two friends simply stared, slowly turning towards each other. Scootaloo gulped as Sweetie Belle fluttered her eyes at her.
"Uh...we should try an get some sleep..." Scootaloo stammered, ignoring her friends' incredibly adorable pout.
"Well, maybe we could...I dunno...share a sleeping bag?" Sweetie Belle mumbled, her face flushing red. Scootaloo glanced around as she chewed her lip.
"You aren't gonna nibble on me in your sleep are you?" she joked, grunting as Sweetie's pillow smacked into her face.
"No. I've got it under control now." the girl continued to pout. Scootaloo sighed in defeat, opening up her sleeping bag. Sweetie Belle crawled inside the small space, wrapping her arms around the Skyborn and sighing happily.
Scootaloo shifted about to get comfy, zipping up the bag and smiling as Sweetie Belle's soft snore filled the air.
"Sleep tight Belle..." she mumbled, kissing her forehead.
"He's made his move. Quite a bit sooner than we had hoped." Luna sighed, turning to her sister.
"I had hoped it wasn't true...This makes things rather difficult." Celestia mumbled.
"Whats worse is Morigan showed her ugly mug and now Spike's standing down." Vinyl added, her ethereal form hovering before them.
"Things are better that way...Morigan has a certain...way with animals." Celestia explained. Vinyl clenched her fists, glaring at the Princess
"Spike isn't some dumb animal!"
"We are well aware of that. It doesn't change the fact that were Morigan to order him to kill all of you he wouldn't hesitate." Luna argued. Vinyl crossed her arms as she looked between them.
"Well then, what do we do?" Vinyl asked. The Princess' were quiet for a moment, no doubt speaking among themselves and leaving Vinyl out of the loop. It was something she was growing accustomed to, but normally being patient was worth it.
"Have Spike return to Celamont as soon as possible. Until this matter is settled and Morigan has been removed from the picture, you are acting Captain of the Knights." Celestia ordered.
"Whoa! H-hey! I'm just a fighter Princess, I can't LEAD these people!" Vinyl stammered.
"You've shown you have what it takes in the past Vanessa. I trust you with this responsibility far more than the others." Celestia admitted.
"What about Spitfire? Heck, she led the Wonderbolts!"
"Her mind and body are a wreck after her encounter with the Chaotician. Even without those problems...She would command the Knights in a military fashion that would be predictable to our enemies."
"But I'm an insane loose cannon...okay, kinda seeing the point here. But still..." Vinyl sighed, realizing she was fighting a losing battle.
"I'll take over until Morigan is dealt with, after that I'm putting Spike back on his pedestal."
"Very well then. Your first act as Captain is to pass on a message to the remaining Element Bearers." Luna pulled a scroll from her robes, spreading it out over the table.
"What the heck is this?" Vinyl asked as she glanced over the symbols.
"Something we failed to do many years ago. A ritual to seal away Discord forever."
"Should we really be doing this?" Twilight asked, watching as Applejack and Rainbow sparred in the hospital courtyard. Rainbow ducked under a punch, catching Applejack's knee in her palms and spinning with a sweep kick that Applejack leapt over, the two pushing away and panting heavily.
"Well, you saw what Fluttershy did to Applejack...obviously we aren't as strong as we thought we were." Rarity said softly.
"Yes, I understand that perfectly...but here of all places?" Twilight sighed.
"I'd say this place is perfect for such things, help is quite literally around the corner should we get hurt." Rarity pointed out, several objects hovering in her magic, passing between her and Twilight.
"I suppose your right Rarity. But how are we suppose to get strong enough to beat Discord?" Twilight continued to worry.
"Maybe this will help." Vinyl spoke up from behind them, holding a scroll in her hands.
"Whats this?" Twilight asked as she accepted the scroll, still juggling several chairs and tables.
"It's from the Princess'. They say its the secret to defeating Discord. The only downside is you're gonna need The Element of Kindness."
"I highly doubt Fluttershy is going to help us." Rarity spat.
"I didn't mean the Bearer Rares. Just her Element. You get that and you can use this little spell to banish Discord for good. Theres something else too...Something I shoulda taught you a long time ago." Vinyl sighed, her magic surrounding her.
"Rarity. I'm going to pass on The Death Dragon to you and all of its secrets."
"I wanna learn it!" Rainbow yelled, grunting as Applejack slugged her.
"Hey! That was a cheap shot!" Rainbow growled. Applejack only grinned, bouncing on her toes.
"Shoulda been payin' attention sugarcube." Applejack chuckled.
"Yea, whatever." Rainbow grumbled, walking towards Twilight and the others.
"Vinyl, I appreciate it but I'm no fighter." Rarity sighed. Vinyl put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.
"Thats where your wrong Rarity...You fought harder than anyone I know...I got the scars to prove it" she chuckled.
"I wasn't myself then Vinyl."
"You have that potential though Rarity. Now come on, do you wanna learn the last thing Dad gave us or what?" she asked.
"I do!" Rainbow said excitedly.
"Sorry kid, Vamps only." Vinyl apologized.
"Aw c'mon! I could totally pull it off!" Rainbow argued.
"The Death Dragon is fueled by the blood of a loved one, combining the magic of the vampire and the strength of the bond the two share to overcome ones own weakness and turn it into power. I can't teach it to you because you can't do it." Vinyl explained. Rainbow blinked and pouted.
"Aw man, really?" she sighed, crossing her arms.
"Besides, wouldn't wanna have you hide your awesomeness behind magic." Vinyl tilted her shades down slightly, winking at the Skyborn before turning back to Rarity.
"What do ya say Rares? Ready to join the Family Business?" Vinyl asked, holding out her hand. Rarity chewed her lip for a moment as she glanced between Vinyl and her friends. The Magian stood slowly, taking her sisters hand.
"Very well Vinyl. I accept."
"Alright, first things first. Farmgirl. she's gonna need a snack." Vinyl pointed to Applejack.
"W-What?! You want me to...but I..." Rarity stammered, her face flushed red.
"Oh for fucks sake rares." Vinyl mumbled.
"I get it..." Twilight murmured as she stood.
"The blood of the loved one is stronger than blood forcefully taken, correct?" Twilight asked. Vinyl grinned, simply nodding.
"Channeling that much Mana in such a way would normally shred muscle tissue and tear the body apart at the seams...but as Vampires fed willingly and by ones you love, the bond and the blood overcome the danger. Rarity, I don't think you have much of a choice if you plan to use this technique." Twilight deduced. She sighed and squirmed in place.
"Could you all at least turn away?" she asked as her cheeks burned. With a shared sigh, the group turned their backs to Rarity and Applejack. The farmer rolled her eyes, pulling Rarity close and tilting her head to the side.
Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat, wrapping her arms around the Gaian as she buried her fangs into Applejack's soft skin, the Farmer gasping softly and slightly tightening her hold on her Magian friend.
"Are you two done yet?!" Rainbow yelled, keeping her back to them. Rarity pulled away from her friend, clearing her throat and fighting down her blush. Applejack was definitely not helping, winking at her and covering the bite with her hand.
"Y-Yes. I'm ready." Rarity stammered.
"Good. Think fast!" Vinyl roared, charging for Applejack. Rarity's eyes widened as she found herself between the punch and her friend, catching it between her hands with ease.
"I...How did I..." she stood there in shock, Vinyl smiling at her.
"I told you Rarity. You're a Filigree, one of the last, one of the strongest." Vinyl said softly. Rarity looked at her hands, closing her eyes for a moment. Had Vinyl always been this nice to her?
There was something she had forgotton...something important. Try as she might she couldn't remember it. Vinyl seemed to sense her frustration, putting a hand on her shoulder and lowering her shades.
"Relax, let your mana flow freely. Think of your friend there. Think of how important to you she is, think of what you would do...the lengths you would go to just to keep her safe and happy." Vinyl all but whispered, a dim glow surrounding the younger vampire
"Now imagine being powerless to stop her from being hurt. Forced to watch her suffer and cry out your name, knowing you can't reach her and let all of that loose" Vinyl smiled as Rarity's mana flared all around her, causing her friends to take a step back. Vinyl however remained in front of her, hand on her shoulder and surrounded in her own mana.
"Open your eyes Rares." Vinyl ordered. Rarity slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she looked around.
"Do you see it?" Vinyl asked. Rarity nodded slowly. It was as if the entire world had shifted to a crawl. She felt as if she could race a train on foot, fight any monster, or stop any disaster.
"What is this?" Rarity asked, looking down at herself as power surged through her.
"As mushy as it sounds, its the power of love." Vinyl chuckled. Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, instead she settled for pulling her sister into a hug, crying against her shoulder. Vinyl smiled, gently wrapping her arms around Rarity as their magic faded away.
Why was she crying? Why did her heart ache so badly? Why did she feel like something was missing?
"Rarity...a-are ya alright?" Applejack asked softly. She glanced over at the farmer, seeing the concern on her face and collected herself.
"I-I'm fine...Or I will be." Rarity chuckled softly, wiping away a stray tear. Vinyl took a step back, slipping her shades back on and chuckling softly.
"Yea, you will be Rares." she said quietly before vanishing. Rainbow stared blankly at it all, utterly confused.
"Does anyone even know what the heck just happened?"
"Absolutely not!" Celestia yelled, slamming her fist against the arm of her chair. Twilight stood tall however, never breaking eye contact.
"I understand your concerns Princess, but this is my duty! I've risked my life in your name countless times before, why is this so different?!" she demanded. Celestia sighed, folding her hands in her lap.
"You wouldn't be risking your life, you would be risking your mind and all of the secrets held there. Only the Elements can resist his powers."
"There are other ways Princess...As your Arch mage I am well versed in Chaotic Magiks."
"No, I forbid it Twilight. Chaos is not the answer, especially against one of its Gods. Harmony and Willpower will overcome him in the end."
"And if they fail? My daughter is among them, risking so much more than she realizes." Twilight continued to argue.
"She is the Element of Magic...I cannot change what is done. I can only hope for the best...sending you to battle Discord will only hurt her chances of success Velvet. Do you want that for you daughter?" Celestia asked, her voice losing some of its strength. Twilight hung her head, fighting down her anger.
"So I do what? Stand aside helplessly while my daughter fights what could very well be a losing battle?"
"That is all we can do Twilight..."
"Do you really have so little faith in her?" Spike asked as he entered the throne room. Twilight spun in surprise, expecting to see the dragon-kin's smiling face. Instead she was greeted with anger, smoke drifting from the boys nostrils.
"Are you so convinced she doesn't have what it takes? That none of them do?" he demanded, glaring at her.
"Spike I..."
"No. Obviously you don't believe in them. If I could, I'd fight Discord myself. As it stands I'm about as useful as a toothpick against a bear, especially with Morigan in the picture. So rather than risk being in the way I stepped aside, because I trust in Twilight and in her friends. Maybe you should spend more time with your daughter and get to really know her." Spike spat, walking past her and towards the Knights Quarters.
Twilight stood there, utterly dumbfounded by what had just happened. She had known the truth about Spike since the first day she had met him, but in all that time he had always been a sweet little boy to her. Was he right? Was she selling her own daughter short?
"Princess...perhaps I could at least visit her...and offer what I can?" She asked. Celestia smiled, silently thanking Spike as she nodded.
"I think she would appreciate that."
"The time is almost upon us. Celestia will seek out the Baker and she will lead the rest to us." Dr Accord mumbled mostly to himself. Fluttershy stood meekly nearby, a torn mess between the plan and her friends. He needed her to be ready, to do what must be done. With a sigh he turned to her, placing his hands upon her shoulders. She slowly lifted her head, her body tensing as their eyes met. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but he was left with no other choice.
THE ENDING TO THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM ITS ORIGINAL POST. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER IS UNCHANGED
"Just show me what she showed you!" Rainbow begged Rarity. The fashionista sighed, her body glowing as mana surrounded her.
"She told me to picture Applejack in danger beyond my help. I've already told you Rainbow Dash to try picturing Twilight in the same manner, and as my sister said, this is something only a Vampire can do. Were you to attempt it you would only injure yourself Rainbow" Rarity explained once more. Rainbow sighed, crossing her arms.
"There's gotta be more to it than that. I'd be totally unstoppable if I could pull that off!" Rainbow argued. Applejack and Twilight sat nearby, focusing on the scroll Vinyl had brought them while their friends argued.
"Ah hope ya'll understand this here gibberish Twilight. Cause ah sure don't." the farmer mumbled, staring at the ancient symbols.
"It's written in the language of the Ancients. The same language used to harness Mana for Advanced Spells." Twilight explained, eyes scanning over the contents of the scroll.
"So this is some kinda Spell? How in th' hay are we s'pose t' use it then? Only you an Rarity can use magic." Applejack pointed out.
"Well, if I'm reading this right...we only need a bit of magic and...some blood." Twilight blinked, reading over the scroll once more.
"B-Blood?! What kinda crazy spell is this?!" Applejack demanded.
"One meant to seal away an immortal God of Chaos." Twilight answered absentmindedly.
"This spell is incredibly old...it seems we only need a drop from each of us, smeared over our Element and a simple enchantment." Twilight murmured.
"How in th' hay are we gonna do that when Shy still has..." Applejack paused, her eyes widening. Twilight hung her head, coming to the same realization as her friend. In order for the spell to work...they needed Fluttershy's blood.
Doctor Stable watched in silence as his machines whirred and hissed loudly, Pinkie Pie sitting in the middle of the madness, nodes attached to her and leading to the computer nearby. The baker sat cross legged, eyes closed and a random part of her body twitching every now and again.
"Doctor, shouldn't we be helping her?" a nurse whispered.
"Princess Celestia herself has assured me that if anything, we need her help." Doctor Stable replied, his eyes focused on the computer screen. Pinkie Pie shook, her shoulder spasming and her head twitching to the side. The machines began to whir louder and suddenly came to a screeching halt as Pinkie opened her eyes.
"I...I found him..." she mumbled, eyes widening as she began yanking nodes off.
"I FOUND HIM! I need to go!" she yelled, tumbling through the cords and running out the door before anyone had a chance to wonder what was going on.
"So...what you are saying is...in order for this spell to work...we need to get Fluttershy's blood onto her Element somehow?" Rarity asked softly.
"Yes well...I suppose it won't be easy but..."
"Oh just come out an say it! You want us to kill Fluttershy. I bet the Princess wants us to kill her! You know what, I bet she knew the whole damn time!" Rainbow yelled, blinking as Applejack slapped her.
"AJ, what the heck!?"
"None of us like this anymore than you do Dash. If Shy were here...if she were really our friend, we wouldn't be in this mess. Ain't none of us wanna hurt her. But we gotta do what we gotta do."
"Best case scenario, we knock her out and collect a sample." Twilight quickly added.
"And worst case scenario?" Rainbow asked. Twilight bit her lip, clutching the scroll.
"Well...w-we might not have a choice Rainbow..." Twilight stammered. Rainbow hung her head as she shook.
"I'll do it..." she mumbled.
"What?"
"If we have to kill her then I'll do it. She's a Skyborn, she'll be too quick for anyone else. Stack on the fact that she's runnin' around hyped up on chaos magic and my odds are lookin' a lot better than anyone else.
I'm the fastest we've got, I know Shy better than anyone else here and...I doubt she'll wanna kill me, heck, she held back on AJ from what you guys told me." Rainbow took a shuddering breath and quickly cleared her throat.
"Just...tell me it won't come to that..." she begged softly. Twilight set the scroll aside, pulling the Skyborn close.
"I promise Rainbow, I won't let it come to that."
"GIRLS!GIRLS!GIRLS! I FOUND HIM!" Pinkie yelled, popping up next to them.
"He's in Celamont! He's under the castle!" she exclaimed, the group gasping and leaping to their feet.
"We have to hurry! For all we know he could be planning an attack on the Princess' right now!" Twilight panicked.
"Wait a moment Twilight. Doesn't this feel a little...easy?" Rarity asked.
"Easy? Th' heck do ya mean easy?" Applejack asked.
"Think about it. An all powerful God of Chaos attacks us, leaves us alive and hides in a place we obviously can find him. He obviously knows more about us than we do, so he should know we could find him with Pinkie Pie's help." Rarity counted off on her fingers.
"You think its a trap?" Twilight asked.
"Without a doubt in my mind." Rarity replied. Applejack crossed her arms, looking amongst her friends.
"So what if it is a trap? Ain't gonna stop us from doin' what needs t' be done" she reasoned.
"You're right. But we can still be prepared." Twilight agreed, glancing over her shoulder.
"Spike could you...oh..." she sighed, realizing her assistant had left for Celamont hours ago.
"Maybe I can help" a young man spoke up. The group turned, finding him leaning against a wall and wearing a pure white hoodie, his hands tucked into his pockets and his head hung low.
"Uh...I'm not sure you know what we're getting ourselves into McWeirdo." Rainbow answered. He simply shrugged as he walked towards them.
"You're about to walk straight into Discords hands, right where he wants you and be forced to kill the only family I have left. Pretty sure I know what you're getting into." he replied, pausing as Rainbow grabbed hold of his hoodie.
"You better talk fast you little..." she blinked as he flicked his hood back and flashed her a bucktoothed grin.
"A-Angel?" she stammered, eyes wide.
"Angel? Fluttershy's bunny?" Rarity asked.
"You're a Beast-kin..." Twilight realized. He shrugged once more and chuckled.
"Kind of. I'm actually breaking a LOT of rules doing this. But Dad broke them first." Angel sighed.
"...WAIT A MINUTE! You saw me and Shy..." Rainbow glared at him, the bunny flashing another grin and sliding backwards, leaving his hoodie in Rainbows grip.
"Look. You girls are my last chance of saving my sister. Pops is gonna realize I'm gone any minute now and all hell is gonna break loose. Are you gonna let me help or not?"
"The more the merrier!" Pinkie giggled
"It is as you feared mistress. The Elements are walking into a trap. But Master will not tell me what the trap is." Trixie sighed. Luna paced about her room slowly as her thoughts raced. Just what was Discord up to? Why had he spared the Elements if he was just planning to lead them into a trap?
She hadn't expected his plan to make any sense, but this...it was impossible to wrap her head around. Was he just toying with them? No. There was something she was missing, an important link in the chain of madness Discord had left in his wake. But where was it? The first was easy.
His Daughter, Fluttershy. Somehow he had known she would take a place among the Element Bearers. The next, Rainbow Dash. He had gotten his claws into her while she was but a little girl in desperate need of help.
Then there was his affiliation with the Vampire Crime Spree in Celamont a few years before Luna's return.
Then...there was Applejack, the young mother of a Chaotician. And of course there was Pinkie Pie, whose bloodline had been fathered by Discord himself.
Was it chance? Luck? No, it couldn't be. Discord never relied on luck. Every single move he made was carefully calculated to keep everyone on their toes, himself included.
She thought back on the five lives he was connected to, pondering what effect it had on each of the bearers only to realize that in the end, it had made each of them stronger. It didn't make sense. Why would he WANT them to be stronger? Did he just want a proper challenge? It was driving her mad!
"Are you alright Mistress?" Trixie asked worriedly. Luna glanced over at her pupil and took a slow breath to calm herself.
"Yes, my apprentice. I am fine. Though I worry as to what Discord plans to do with this trap of his. I suspect he is aware of your true position in all of this...should he contact you again, simply continue to act as you have. Let him believe we are convinced we have the upper hand in all of this."
"Of course Mistress..." Trixie replied softly, still worried for her teacher.
Celestia grit her teeth and forced herself to relax, hands at her sides and her features emotionless.
"How dare you step foot in this place?"
"This place was once my home, as it is yours Celly."
"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Celestia yelled, the entire throne room shaking with her rage. Discord sighed softly, tucking his hands into his pockets. Three cloaked figures stood behind him, awaiting his orders.
"Things don't have to be like this. We can have what we lost, we can be happy. All of this can just go away if you give me a chance to prove myself." Discord held out his hand and wore a gentle smile. Celestia scoffed.
"How long did that speech take you? You never were good with words." she spat. He sighed once more and shook his head.
"So this is it then?" he asked softly. Celestia answered by drawing her sword, Spike standing to her left in his armor and Vinyl on her right.
"You know you can't win this fight." Discord warned.
"You fail to realize that I've already won." Celestia smirked.
"Sit Spike." Morigan ordered softly, though the armored figure did nothing. She stepped forward and lowered her hood.
"SIT!" she yelled. Still he did nothing. Celestia smiled as she glanced at the former Knight.
"I'm afraid he can't hear you while he's sleeping." she said softly, a loud snore emanating from the armor
"But he can hear me just fine." Luna spoke up from behind them.
"Spike! Defend your Princess!" Luna ordered. The Knight drew his sword and rushed towards Morigan, Skylar drawing his blade to parry the dragon's blade. Morigan leapt backwards, Spike giving chase and Skylar following behind to defend his mistress. Vinyl rolled her shoulders and smirked under her armor. She blinked as Celestia held her arm in front of her.
"Not yet." she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and Vinyl took a step back. She was well aware that Celestia was no match for Discord. This wasn't a battle of strength or magic or even speed. It was a battle of wits. This was all just one big chess match and Celestia was in Check.
Her next move had to made as carefully as possible. Around Discord however, the safest move was also the craziest. The Chaotician spun as Luna leapt at him from behind, raising his hand and catching the flying knee she threw at him. The Celestian gritted her teeth, hovering with her wings and glaring at him.
"It's good to see you again Lulu."
"I wish the same could be said for you." she spat as she landed, tossing away her royal dress. Underneath she was dressed in her personalized combat gear. A pair of dark blue shorts hung just above her knees with a matching sports top leaving her belly revealed to the world. She reached into her pocket, slipping on a pair of Mana Gloves, the fabric meshing with her skin as she fed a spark of magic into them.
"The time for talking is over it seems. Fluttershy Dear, keep the Knight busy while we wait for your friends." Discord snapped his fingers, the Skyborn vanishing and appearing beside Vinyl. The Knight slid away with Fluttershy giving chase. Celestia gripped the hilt of her Rapier, Discord standing between her and Luna with his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets.
"You both know you won't win this." he warned softly.
"As my sister told you before Discord. We have already won." Luna smirked, roaring as she rushed forward.
Morigan grit her teeth as Spike slipped around Skylar with ease, smashing his elbow into the back of the Gaian's head and spinning with a leg sweep to drop him to the ground followed up with the hardest head stomp he could muster.
No doubt Skylar was out cold and would be for at least a few minutes. She was on her own and without her commands to hold the dragon at bay. She sighed, calling to the Chaos in the air and letting it funnel around her.
"Why?" Spike said softly, causing her to pause. She watched as the armor began to shake, her eyes widening as she realized the boy was crying.
"Why did you do this? Why did you leave me? WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME?!" he screamed as he rushed at her, the former knight barely having enough time to block his sword with one of her spears. Again his attack came with just as much fury, causing her to stumble backwards.
"When I needed you the most, you left me behind, with no reason, no answers, and then you started destroying everything! WHY?! TELL ME WHY!" he continued to scream at her as his blade flew through the air with deadly precision. Morigan gasped as she bumped into the wall, Spikes sword aimed well and true as it drove through her chest, nailing her to the wall.
He shook as he gripped the sword, his head down. She smiled softly, placing her hands on his shoulders and wincing as she leaned forward to place a gentle kiss against his helmet.
"Because I love you little Spike. Because I did what had to be done just like you have now." she whispered. His armor faded away, the dragon gritting his teeth and shaking his head.
"This isn't what I wanted..." he sobbed as his eyes opened.
"But its what had to be done." she placed her hand against his cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
"Go Spike...She needs you more than I do. She cares for you so much more than I do. Just remember this final lesson...What has to be done...is not always what we want to do." she kissed his forehead, wincing as she leaned back against the wall and snapped her fingers, her entire body swallowed in chaotic flames.
Nearby Skylar suffered the same fate as his Mistress' life slowly but surely came to an end. Spike sank to his knees, staring at his sword embedded in the wall and the scorch mark of one of the few true family members he ever had.
Sweet fucking Celestia what is this bitch made of?! Vinyl thought to herself as she slipped around one of Fluttershy's punches and buried her fist into the Skyborns stomach. She hardly reacted, simply grabbing Vinyl's arm and throwing her across the room.
This is getting ridiculous. None of my punches are doing anything. Whats worse... She threw up her arms, grunting as a punch smashed into her forearms and sent her flying across the rest of the room. Vinyl quickly righted herself in the air, panting as she landed.
I'm pretty damn sure she's holding back
"Need some assistance?" Cheerilee taunted through her earpiece. She could just tell the Gaian was grinning, probably with a bag of popcorn in her lap too.
"It'd really be appreciated!" Vinyl yelled as she leapt backwards, Fluttershy's fist smashing into the tiled floor and leaving a crater behind.
"Just keep her still. I'll make it easy for you. This should knock her out and you can slip a collar on her" Cheerilee ordered. Vinyl rolled her eyes and rushed forward, gritting her teeth as she threw up her arms, a spell sparking between her hands and Fluttershy grabbing her arms.
"DO IT NOW!" Vinyl yelled. A single gunshot rang out, Fluttershy leaning backwards and yanking on Vinyl's arms, the bullet landing in the Knights armor. Fluttershy turned her head slowly, spotting Cheerilee up on a balcony. Vinyl blinked, realizing the Skyborn had vanished. She glanced up, seeing her standing behind Cheerilee.
"LOOK OUT!".
Pinkie Pie and Angel froze in place, clenching their fists and shaking their heads.
"No...NO!" Angel yelled, suddenly running as fast as his legs could carry him. Pinkie simply stood there, tears dripping down her face as her friends crowded around her.
"Pinkie? Are you okay? Whats wrong?" Rarity asked worriedly.
"Ya'll can tell us Sugarcube, we're here fer ya remember?" Applejack comforted.
"AJ's right. Whatever's got you down is just as much our problem as yours Pinks." Rainbow grinned. Pinkie Pie shook her head, tearing her eyes from her friends. How was she supposed to tell them their friend was a murderer?
Vinyl watched in horror as Fluttershy grasped Cheerilee by her helmet, snapping her neck in one fluid motion and dropping the Knight from the balcony like a piece of trash. She grit her teeth, rushing to catch her friend only to have the Skyborn tackle her out of the way, pinning her hard to the ground and clutching her throat.
Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to pull free. She gasped for air, kicking and squirming under Fluttershy to no avail. Her eyes widened as she saw the dead look in the girls eyes, the tears soaking her cheeks and her entire body shaking.
That bastard...he mind raped his own kid...Wait...THATS IT! Vinyl bit her lip, her armor fading and her mana surrounding her body, Fluttershy's hands burning as she squeezed her now unprotected throat.
Vinyl focused her magic around her shades, shattering them and hitting Fluttershy with the full power of the Mesmir, only for the girl to hit her with the full power of The Stare. Vinyl blinked as she found herself in a dark landscape, a little girl in a frilly yellow dress hugging her knees sitting nearby.
"I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...I'm so so-oh-oh-rry" she sobbed as she rocked back and forth. All around her were corpses. One of which sat directly in front of her with her head turned at a horrible angle. The corpse of Cheerilee.
"You have to stop me..." Fluttershy choked, hugging her knees tighter.
"Look kid. You're tough. You can get outta this yourself. If I had the strength to stop you, then Cheerilee wouldn't be dead. I'm probably gonna join her in a minute if you don't get a grip, or uh...lose your grip." Vinyl chuckled nervously.
"I can't...I just can't..." Fluttershy sobbed, shaking her head. Vinyl sighed as she sat next to her, looping her arm around her shoulder.
"Well, then do me a favor. Tell Rarity what happened and have her tell my friend Octavia. Don't let Belle know...I want her to be as happy as she can be for as long as she can. Maybe you can tell her I went on a long vacation" Vinyl chuckled sadly, already feeling her vision begin to fade as her real body continued to struggle for air.
"I don't want this. I never wanted this. Y-You believe me, don't you?" she begged
"Yea...I believe ya kid." Vinyl said softly, her eyes starting to close slowly.
"Miss? Miss?!" Fluttershy gasped as Vinyl collapsed and began to choke. The vampire gasped for air as she was flung from the Skyborn's mind, finding herself staring at Fluttershy held in Spike's death grip.
"Are you alright Vinyl?" Spike asked through gritted teeth. The vampire coughed and gave a nod.
"Doin' a lot better than Cheerilee..." she said sadly, smashing her fist across Fluttershy's face and knocking her out cold. Spike slipped a collar around her neck and sighed as he pinned her to the ground.
"It's my fault...I let myself drown in my own sorrow and it cost all of us." he mumbled. Vinyl shook her head, rubbing her throat and removing the remains of her shades.
"We can play shift the blame later Boss." Vinyl nodded her head towards the battle across the room, wincing as she stood. Spike grabbed her arm and shook his head.
"It isn't our place Vinyl...we need to get Fluttershy to the Element Bearers." Spike said as he stood, hefting the girl onto his back. Vinyl swore under her breath, lifting Cheerilee bridal style.
"Fine...You're the boss for a reason." Vinyl mumbled as she followed him.
"HIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAH!" Luna roared as she spun and threw her leg for Discord's head, the Chaotician lifting his arm and catching her kick, leaning backwards just in time to avoid Celestia's rapier. The Chaotician slipped backwards, tucking his hands back into his pockets and smiling at the sisters.
"You've both lost your touch. I'm quite sure you put up more of a fight last time." he sighed.
Luna spread out her wings wide, roaring as she spun in the air, legs a blur as she twirled, Discord stepping back to avoid most of her kicks, others he was forced to paw away, eyes wide as Luna vanished, a powerful kick hitting him square in the back and causing him to stumble forward.
Again Luna sank into the shadows, roaring from below and slamming her fist into his chin, tossing the God of Chaos onto his back.
"Yup...that still hurts." he groaned, pushing to his feet. The Lunar Princess took a slow breath, clenching her fists as she prepared for another onslaught.
"Sister! You must flee!" Luna called out, keeping her eyes focused on Discord.
"I will not abandon you Luna!" Celestia argued
"Do not be foolish! You are in no condition to fight sister. I have prepared every day for this...At the very least I can buy you the time you need. NOW GO!" Luna roared, rolling around Discords fist, smashing her elbow against his arm, twirling around him and smacking the back of her fist to the back of his head.
Discord fell forward, lifting his legs up over his back, palms slamming into the tiled floor and smashing both feet into Luna's back before twirling on his hands and throwing himself high into the air, rolling around Luna as she righted herself with her wings and charged him.
"RUN TIA!" Luna screamed as Discord snatched at her wings, spinning around and around. The Lunar Princess grit her teeth, her wings vanishing and her body spinning through the air.
Discord was momentarily caught off guard by the tactic, giving Luna enough time to hit a wall and begin running along it as fast as her legs would carry her.
"I'll admit Lulu. I'm impressed, but do you think it will be that easy for Tia to get away? Surely I'm not the only one that noticed her extra pudge."
"For the last time. I am not fat!" Celestia yelled.
"Shush Tia, the warriors are talking." Discord silenced her.
"You and I have a score to settle Discord. And today, we shall finally learn who the true master of chaos is!"
"LUNA NO!"
Pinkie Pie shook her head as she sucked in a large breath.
"Angel is getting ahead of us, we should really catch up!" she said suddenly, chasing after the bunny. The four friends glanced at one another before running after the pair.
"Somethin' ain't right. Pinkie gettin' like this an that bunny feller losin' his cool? Am ah th' only one worried?" Applejack asked.
"Well, we are dealing with forces we don't understand and power we can't even begin to imagine. Who knows what could happen?" Twilight sighed.
"Or what could've happened. Pinkie's Pinkie Sense has yet to be wrong and that was a doozy if I have ever seen one." Rarity pointed out.
"Whatever the heck it was, its not gonna stop us from kicking that bastards ass into the pavement." Rainbow growled, flaring out her wings and soaring high into the air.
Applejack closed her eyes for a moment, her runes glowing and her speed doubling, the Gaian easily catching up to Pinkie Pie and Angel. Rarity and Twilight both groaned in frustration, eyes glowing and their magic linking as they teleported themselves along to keep up.
Applebloom frowned as she stood at the front desk, doing her best to be patient while the nurse chatted away on the phone. Applejack had always told her that patience had the best rewards, but this was getting ridiculous.
She huffed and cleared her throat, the nurse glancing at her. She didn't need to be the daughter of the Element of Honesty to know the smile the nurse threw at her was fake.
"How can I help you?" she asked in a voice that was a bit too sweet.
"Ah was wonderin' if ya knew where my uh...where Applejack Apple is?" she asked as politely as she could. The nurse sighed, typing something and glancing at her.
"How do you spell that?"
"Really?" Applebloom deadpanned, the nurse staring at her.
"A-P-P-L-E-J-A-C-K" Applebloom said as clearly as possible and struggling to contain her frustration as the nurse simply stared at her computer screen.
"It says here she should be in room 273."
"Ah already checked there, and in th' garden an th' courtyard." Applebloom fumed
"Well maybe she is being looked at or was discharged. In either case you'll just have to wait little girl." the nurse smiled at her again before returning to her phone. Applebloom grumbled under her breath as she marched back to her friends.
"Well, where are they?" Scootaloo asked, Sweetie Belle latched to her arm and in eternal panic mode.
"They don't even know. Heck ah doubt they even tried t' find em."
"W-What if something tried to hurt them again?" Sweetie Belle panicked
"I doubt it. Besides, even if something came at them, I bet they could handle it no problem." Scootaloo beamed, hugging her friend before she could start hyperventilating.
"Well what are we s'pose t' do?" Applebloom grumbled. The three friends stood there thinking of a plan of action.
"We should just look for them ourselves. If we each take a different wing we're bound to find at least one of them." Scootaloo suggested. Sweetie Belle however shook her head and gripped her arm tighter.
"P-Please don't leave me alone Scoots!"
"Belle, this isn't the time to..."
"Ah think ya'll should stay with her Scootaloo. She ain't had no episodes while yer with her. What if she freaks out an starts bitin' people?" Applebloom asked. Scootaloo groaned and glanced at her friend, seeing her shake and cling to her. Was that the reason she was clinging to her? was Sweetie Belle afraid of losing control?
"Is that true Belle? Am I keeping you from going bat crazy?" Scootaloo said softly. Sweetie Belle nodded quickly, blinking in surprise as Scootaloo gave her hand a squeeze. When she looked up she was greeted with the usual cocky smile and a wink.
"Guess I'm stuck with ya then." she chuckled. Applebloom rolled her eyes and held up her hand, her runes glowing dimly.
"Ah'll probably get in trouble fer it, but ah can run pretty fast like this. Ah'll jus' look twice as hard while ya'll get more done with two sets o' eyes."
"Alright then, lets make it a race. First one to find one of them wins, loser treats the winner to whatever they want at Sugarcube corner." Scootaloo beamed. Applebloom held out her hand, Scootaloo wincing as she shook it.
"Oops! Sorry Scoots!" Applebloom chuckled nervously, her runes vanishing.
Celestia gasped as a wall of flame rose before her, causing her to leap backwards, more chasing after her.
"GO!" Luna screamed at her through the flames. The solar princess swore under her breath, sheathing her blade and searching the flames for a weak spot, only for another to rise before her and force her out of the room, the doors slamming in her face.
"LUNA!" Celestia cried as she pounded on the door, guards rushing to her aid and charging the door. Shining Armor stood beside her as she tried to collect herself.
"Princess..."
"He is here Captain. The Chaotician and my sister are in there." she interrupted him. He nodded and marched to the door.
"AT EASE!" he ordered. The guards paused, stepping aside and allowing the Captain to step forward. Shining drew his sword, eyes glowing brightly and his magical aura surrounding the blade. He roared as he stabbed it into the crack between the doors and let his magic flare, the doors flying off their hinges. The way was still blocked by flames however.
"Fill Ranks behind me!" he ordered, his Soldiers falling into two lines behind him with shields and weapons at the ready.
"On my Mark!" he yelled, his magic forming a large shield in front of him.
"CHARGE!"
Discord grinned as he looked over Luna in her chaotic armor, the same armor she had worn when she had challenged her sister for the throne. The armor of Nightmare Moon.
"This power consumed you once Lulu. Whats protecting you from it now?" Discord asked, his arms behind his back.
"Before I was fueled by petty jealousy and empty rage. Now I fight to defend those I care for. The Chaos will not take me this day!" she held out her arms, a pair of blades materializing and twirling around her as she charged at him. Discord slipped around one blade, tilting his head to avoid the other and hopping above Luna's leg as she tried to kick him.
Her moves are rather predictable. Strange. Either she's forgotton who she is dealing with...or... Discord turned around quickly, smashing his fist hard into the real Luna's face, smashing in her helmet and knocking her down to the ground hard enough to shake the room.
"You always were good as a Shadow Lulu. But sadly thats all you have been." he sighed. Luna struggled to sit up, crying out as Discord stomped on her arm, the armor around her fading. He tsk'd softly.
"You know. Your plan might have worked if you had let Celly stay and play. Although, I am playing this little game of ours with a stacked deck, so it was never truly a fair fight."
"How about I fix that!?" Shining Armor yelled as he leapt through the flames. Discord turned in time to have the soldiers shield smash across his face, guards pouring in from the hole Shining Armor had made and surrounding Princess Luna.
"Get the Princess to safety! All of you!" Shining Armor ordered. Discord rubbed his cheek and chuckled softly.
"You must be Shining Armor. Great prodigy of Twilight velvet and Nightlight Star." he smiled and bowed respectfully.
"I am Discord, God of Chaos and the unexpected." he snapped his fingers, Shining Armor lifting his shield in time to catch a shadow, his face stoic and his stance unchanged.
"But it seems you were expecting that." he mumbled. The Chaotician watched out of the corner of his eye as Luna was carted to safety, the flames closing behind the guards.
"Tell me boy, do you think you can fight me alone? I just took out a Celestian in one punch. As powerful a Magian as you are, that is all you are." Discord warned.
"Tell me Discord. Do you think you can land that one punch?"
The train ride to Celamont left everyone feeling even more uneasy than before. Angel had fallen silent and Pinkie Pie had joined him, leaving the other four to attempt and talk amongst themselves.
"We'll need to check with the Princess' first and make sure Discord hasn't already tried to make a move." Twilight murmured
"What if he HAS already made his move? We aren't exactly in the best shape right now." Rarity argued softly.
"We do what we have to and we take him down. Simple as that." Rainbow growled.
"Except it won't be that simple." Spike said as he marched into their car with Fluttershy on his back. Vinyl stood behind him wearing a pair of cheap shades.
"Spike!" Twilight paused as she spotted Fluttershy and the collar around her neck.
"And me. No it's cool. Almost died from suffocation but no I'm fine, thanks for asking." Vinyl griped as she took a seat. Angel glanced at Spike and Fluttershy, the dragon staring back.
"Make a move" Angel growled
"Do you really want me too?" Spike asked softly. Twilight rolled her eyes as she stood.
"Both of you quit it. All the testosterone in here is making me sick." she said as she glared at both of them.
"Twilight, do you have the scroll?" Spike asked, nodding his head towards Fluttershy. She gasped and nodded, turning to dig through her bag. This was a perfect chance to get the blood sample she needed.
"AHHHH!" Spike screamed behind her, followed by a loud thud. Fluttershy had awoken, a knife materializing in her hand and quickly jammed into Spike's eye, the dragon-kin removing the blade and covering his eye with a clawed hand.
Flames consumed his hand and smoke rose from his eye as he burned the wound shut, his armor quickly surrounding him. Angel appeared between Spike and Fluttershy with his hands tucked into his jean pockets.
"Shy, you don't wanna do this. I know you don't." he said softly. She simply stared at him, tilting her head to the side as another knife materialized in her hand.
"You don't have to do this!" Angel yelled, pulling his hands from his pockets and taking a step forward. The Skyborn giggled and with a flick of her wrist the door beside her opened. With a wave of her hand she hopped out and spread out her wings, the bunny swearing under his breath.
"Thats not Shy...theres no way thats Shy..." Rainbow mumbled. Vinyl rested her hands on Spikes shoulders and sighed.
"Discord toyed with her head. She's been trapped in her own mind while that THING goes around doing whatever the hell that bastard wants. We thought the Collar would hold back her powers but we were wrong.
Heck, she's pretty much a damn Demigod." Vinyl explained, forcing Spike to sit down. Twilight sat on her knees in front of him, gently cupping his cheeks as his armor faded. Vinyl removed her shades and slipped them over his eyes
"Spike..."
"You can fuss over me later Twilight. We've got bigger pr..."
"SHUT UP!" she yelled, her body shaking.
"Just shut up already. I don't care about any of that right now. You were just...st-st-Hurt very badly and you want me to ignore it? I'm not tossing this aside Spike. We've still got approximately seven minutes and twenty-two seconds left before the train arrives in Celamont. Rainbow, hand me my bandages."
"Oh no, oh no, oh no. What did I do that for?! Fluttershy panicked while her body soared giddily through the sky. She was rocketing straight for the castle in a race against the train. No doubt her body was intending to go back and help her father against the Princess'.
NO! I won't do it! I won't hurt anymore people! she screamed, her wings beginning to flicker. Her body rolled in the air, leaving her with motion sickness and ruining her focus. Her wings quickly shifted back into full power.
"Sorry little butterfly, but daddy wants a real daughter of chaos."
In hindsight...this was a really bad idea Shining thought to himself, eyes wide as he leaned to the side and dodged what had to be the biggest fist he had ever seen. His sword had been sheathed into his shield, freeing his hand for more advanced protective spells.
He was trapped on the defensive, raising his shield to bat away Discord's shadows and swatting away spells with his own. He needed to get back on the offensive somehow. This was Discord, God of Chaos and Disharmony, King of tricks and the unexpected.
Time to be unpredictable.
Shining Armor drew his sword, sliding around a shadow instead of blocking it like he had been while smacking another away as he rushed towards Discord.
"A last ditch rush? I'm dissapointed." Discord sighed as he waved his hand, the flames moving in to swallow the knight. Shining Armor grinned and stabbed his sword into the ground, his eyes glowing as he flung out his arms, casting a massive barrier that tossed back the flames until they extinguished against the walls of the throne room. Discord blinked as the barrier vanished, the Magian continuing his charge.
"I take that back...I'm impressed!" Discord laughed as he joined the charge, shadows lancing up from the ground and glancing off the Magian's armor or bouncing off his shield.
Discord hurled back his fist, Shining grinning as he raised his shield only to slide to the side at the last minute.
He flicked his finger, a long string of magical aura tensing up and sending his sword flying at the Chaotician. Discord grinned, catching the blade and turning to look at the Magian only to spot said Magian leaping at him with his shield.
So thats your real weapon. Discord realized as the bladed edge of the shield buried itself into his chest and pinned him to the ground. Shining Armor panted heavily as he pulled his shield free, rearing back for another blow. Discord raised his hands and grinned
"You've bested me fair knight. I shall be away!" he laughed, his body fading into black goop and slipping through the floor.
"NO! NO!" he yelled, trying to snare him in one of his barriers, only for it to vanish into thin air. He yelled in frustration, slamming his shield into the tiled floor while his guards rushed back into the room to check on him.
"Sir are you alright!?"
"Spread out! Find him! We can't let him escape!"
"Thats enough Captain!" Celestia yelled, causing him to freeze in place.
"Let us be satisfied that we are still alive after such a battle...gather yourselves and be at the ready. Captain Armor, I order you to get some rest until you are summoned back. And I commend you greatly for your service this day...Princess Luna still lives thanks to you." she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before leaving to tend to her sister. Shining Armor sighed as he lifted his sword, slipping it into the sheath within his shield.
The guards began to mumble and chatter amongst themselves about what had just happened, wondering just what the extent of their captains abilities were. He shook his head and glared at them, pointing his blood covered shield at them, some of the black goop dripping onto the floor.
"You have your orders, move!" he yelled, forcing them along. He knew this wasn't the end of this. Discord would attack again, and next time he would end him.
The group of friends and Knights rushed off the train and through the streets of Celamont with Vinyl taking the lead and Spike bringing up the rear. Spike and Vinyl hidden in their armor of course. There was no reason to make a scene and scare the entire city.
Still the Nobles and people walking by watched in curiosity and confusion, doing their best to move out of the way of the panicking party. Some shop owners closed up their stalls and rushed home, thinking that it would be best to avoid whatever the group was running towards.
Before they could even reach the gates a party of Avaros Guards swooped down around them, several Magian soldiers appearing with them. Before they could ask what was happening the entire group was teleported into the castle throne room where Celestia stood staring at the destruction left behind.
"Princess Celestia!" Twilight yelled, rushing to her teacher. The Princess smiled sadly, accepting a hug from her student.
"You should not be here Twilight. You're friends need their rest."
"But we found him! He's here!" Pinkie yelled.
"We are aware..." Celestia said softly. The throne room doors were blown off their hinges, numerous tapestries were burned to ashes, several windows were smashed to pieces. Pieces of several columns were broken off and flung about the room, several holes had been punched into the floor, scorch marks covered several spots along the walls and even a few patches of blood caked the room.
"Holy heck, what happened here?" Rainbow mumbled.
"One heck o' a fight if ah ever did see one." Applejack whistled
"Does this mean he's...dead?" Rarity asked as she looked around.
"Sadly Discord is an immortal being. As long as he has Chaos he can never truly be killed. Though he is wounded. We will have but a short time to prepare ourselves for whatever it is he plans to do next." Celestia answered somberly.
"What about Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, clenching her fists. She glanced to Spike, his armor fading and his hand lightly touching the bandages twilight had placed over his eye and wrapped around his head.
"She got away from us. We had worried that she had returned here." Spike said softly.
"She hasn't been spotted anywhere near the city. She must have regrouped with Discord." Celestia surmised, doing her best to keep her eyes off Spikes bandages.
"We have another problem...Discord's pretty much mind raped Fluttershy to be a heartless killing Machine...we already lost Cheerilee." Vinyl grit her teeth.
"Sure...I didn't care much for the crazy old broad...but no one deserves that..."
"No, Fluttershy did." Spike said softly "And she almost took out Vinyl as well. We only managed to take her out by surprise attacking her"
"Great...just great!" Rainbow yelled, slamming her fist into the wall and sinking to her knees. Angel stepped forward, removing his hood and bowing his head
"My name is Ahrimanes Apep Eris-son. But my father calls me Angel." he raised his arms, palms up as guards surrounded him.
"I am a Chaotician Beast-kin and I am turning myself in. I offer all of my knowledge willingly for but one favor." he winced as shackles were slapped onto his wrists and a collar slammed around his throat.
"And what would that be?" Celestia asked cautiously
"Whats the plan?" Vinyl asked while a nurse changed out Spike's bandages. A full team had taken it upon themselves to remove the first set and perform proper care on his eye, removing it and cleaning out the socket. As for the burned flesh...Science and Magic could only do so much.
The nurse held open his 'eye' and reached for a swab, dipping it in a cleaning solution and running it along the socket. Next she placed a cotton-ball inside and let go of what remained of his eyelids, quickly replacing the bandages.
"Thank you." he mumbled, pulling up the hood of his jacket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small paper, passing it to Vinyl.
"As I asked each of you to do, she chose someone to take her place. Someone worthy of the title of Knight of the Titans." he said softly. Vinyl blinked as she stared at the letter.
"I uh...wow. I was expecting a chick. How are we gonna recruit this guy though?" she wondered.
"We be honest with him. We hold nothing back and explain the situation and whats at risk." Spike answered. Vinyl sighed as she continued to read.
"Barnaby Macintosh Apple. One Hundred Percent Pure-blooded Titan in human form huh? I think she might've just had the hots for the guy. I mean, I know the facts. Supposedly the whole Apple family line comes from big bad Terra herself."
"I only hope he accepts." Spike sighed, fussing with his bandages.
"What do we tell the girls? What are we going to do about their School?" Rarity continued to whine and worry. Rainbow sat in a corner hugging her knees to her chest and ignoring any and all attempts at comforting her.
"As heartless as it sounds...we've got bigger problems." Applejack sighed, glancing at Twilight who had finally given up on getting through to Rainbow. The Magian huffed as she took a seat at Celestia's conference table, the Princess herself in the infirmary tending to her sister.
"Whats th' plan?" Applejack asked Twilight, the Magian blinking.
"W-Why are you asking me?"
"Cause you're the leader miss leaderpants!" Pinkie answered with a wink.
"Pinkie has a point. When things have been at their worse it's been you thats kept a level head and pushed us forward darling. We need you." Rarity added, hands fidgeting and the woman obviously still concerned about giving the bad news to Sweetie Belle and her friends.
Twilight looked between her friends, seeing the hope in their eyes as well as sadness. But there was determination there as well, a determination to do what had to be done. With a shuddering breath she pulled the scroll from her belt and spread it out over the table.
"The new plan, is the old plan. We're going to save Fluttershy, seal away Discord, and make things right. But I'm going to need all of you...that means you Rainbow." Twilight called over her shoulder. The Skyborn glanced over at her, Twilight wearing a smile and awaiting her reply.
"How the heck are we suppose to save her?" Rainbow muttered. Angel held up his hand, his chains jangling against one another.
"We just gotta get in her head and drag her out. If you can hold her still long enough, I can do it. But uh...Someones gonna have to go in with me. Someone she cares about." he nodded his head towards Rainbow Dash.
"Huh? Me? Why me?!" Rainbow demanded. Angel gave her a flat look and sighed.
"I don't see anyone else here who managed to get that girl in be-OOF" he grunted as Rainbow tackled him
"You.Shut up.Right now!" she yelled, doing her best to strangle the bunny through the collar around his neck. Rarity and Twilight sighed, snatching the Skyborn in their magic and prying the two apart.
"Angel has a point Rainbow. You have the closest relationship with Fluttershy. Her subconscious HAS to listen to you. And if it works we'll be able to save her." Twilight said softly. Rainbow glanced at her and sighed, turning back to Angel.
"Fine...but no tricks bunny boy or I swear to Celestia I'll..."
"You'll what, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia herself asked as she entered the room. Rainbow chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. Angel however smiled and waved to the Princess.
"I think they are just about ready Princess." he said as he held up his arms. A flick of Celestia's wrist and the chains fell.
"And so am I."
"Everything is coming together nicely." Discord murmured as he marched in circles, Fluttershy standing beside his throne with a dead stare.
"The Elements will come for me and all of this can come to an end. Or rather it can all begin. Chaos is such a fickle thing" he sighed as he sat in his throne. So many years of careful planning and manipulation would finally come to fruition this day. He smiled and snapped his fingers, the figures in the shadows of his throne room making themselves scarce.
They would take no place in the battle to come. No...their place was the war that would take place afterwards.
Luna's eyes slowly opened to reveal several of her guards surrounding her and Trixie in a nearby chair. The moment the Princess awoke her student was at her side.
"Mistress! Are you alright? Sorry, stupid question. C-can Trixie fetch anything for you?" the young magician grasped the Princess' hand in both of hers, putting on a weary smile.
Just how long has she awaited my revival? Luna wondered, glancing at one of her guards who merely smirked before returning to formation.
"Calm thyself my apprentice. I am not as badly injured as they make me out to be. A spike of Chaos to the brain, not a deadly dosage, but enough to put me out of fighting condition. I was careless and it could've cost me dearly. But it didn't. Why?" she sighed as she sat up, surprised when Trixie provided her with a glass of water before she could even request one.
With a smile she accepted the glass, soothing the ache in her dry throat and letting her thoughts wander. She had given her battle with Discord everything she could and more. He had obviously been holding back, that much had been clear during the fighting.
That one punch could've been the end of it all. He wouldn't even need to focus the chaos to do it. Just letting it roam free within my mind would've been enough. He would've had to use a concentrated dose of chaos to simply knock me out and spare me. Why would he make it more difficult? or for that matter, why would he spare me?
"You seem troubled Mistress..." Trixie noted softly. Luna nodded, placing a hand over Trixie's.
"I am very troubled my Apprentice. All things considered that battle should've been where my life ended. But here I am"
"Because you are strong Mistress!" Trixie argued.
"I would like to believe that. But the truth is that Discord could've easily done away with me if he so chose to. But he didn't. Even a Chaotician has reasons for what they do. They may not make any sense or even be related to the task at hand, but they have a reason nonetheless." she smiled for a moment, watching her student absorb her every word
"The question here is, why would he spare me when it would've been easier to kill me?" Luna asked. Trixie pondered the question for a few moments, a hand against her chin and a few bells on her hat jingling.
"Perhaps he needs you alive for his plans?" Trixie suggested. Luna smiled, giving Trixie's hand a squeeze.
"An excellent theory. Now we just have to figure out what those plans are."
"Ah'm mighty sorry 'bout all th' trouble they caused" Big Macintosh apologized to a group of nurses while Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo stood behind him with their heads hanging low.
"We're sorry' they apologized once more. Nurse Redheart only sighed and shook her head.
"It's alright. Children will be children. Though I have to say I haven't seen any children quite as..." she paused and glanced at the destruction the trio had caused. One by running at full speed with her Runes at full glow, another carrying her friend on her back as she sped through the hospital with quick bursts from her wings and the last one panicking and moving things out of their way with her magic.
"...I believe 'talented' is the word I am looking for here." she chuckled. The three girls giggled amongst themselves, at least until Macintosh glanced at them, effectively silencing all three.
There had been no anger, not even a talking to or a scowl. Just a simple shifting of his eyes in their direction. The thing about Big Macintosh was, he didn't talk much, but if he did, you had better listen.
"Maybe ah can put their talents t' good use on th' farm. Got some extra work needs doin'. Ya'll think all of em are healthy 'nough fer it?" he asked with a small smile. The three girls groaned, earning a giggle from Redheart.
"I believe they are more than capable, just as long as they have someone keeping a good eye on them. Take it a little easy on them though, from what I can gather they were only looking for their respective guardians and family."
"They ain't here?" Macintosh asked, his brows furrowing. Redheart blinked and checked over her clipboard
"No. They checked out quite some time ago. No one really realized with all the chaos going on around here. Did they not go home?" she asked. Big Mac sighed, the air practically rumbling around him.
"Thank ya fer yer time Miss Redheart." was all he said, turning on his heel and marching out of the hospital with the girls following behind him. Curiosity got the best of Scootaloo, the young flier racing in front of Macintosh and marching backwards as she looked up at him.
"Hey Big Mac, do you know where Rainbow is?" she asked with hope in her eyes.
"Or Applejack?" Applebloom tossed in
"W-what about Rarity?" Sweetie Belle said, still a bit panicky.
"Ah reckon the whole lot of em are in th' middle o' some serious business with th' Princess'. But that ain't much o' yer business." Big Macintosh rumbled, keeping his eyes forward.
The girls murmured amongst themselves as Big Mac led them to Sweet Apple Acres, though standing at the gate waiting for him was someone he didn't expect. Spike smiled and waved his arm back and forth in the air.
"Hey, whats up?" he asked as they reached the gate.
"Spike! You know where Rainbow is right?" Scootaloo asked as she grabbed him by his lime green shirt.
"Uh...not really. They kinda hopped on a train and Twilight told me to hold down the fort, well Library anyway." Spike chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Macintosh glanced at him for a moment before turning to the girls.
"Why don't th' three o' ya'll go ahead t' th' house an ask Granny if she needs any help cookin'? Ah gotta talk t' Spike 'bout somethin'" he said as softly as he could. Applebloom gulped, patting Spikes shoulder as she passed by him, dragging her friends away from what would be one of Big Mac's famous little talks.
She just hoped Spike came out of it okay. The Gaian waited until the girls were well and clear out of his sight and hearing before turning his attention back to Spike.
"Ya'll can tell yer friend t' stop hidin'" he pointed to one of the trees, Vinyl letting out a sigh and dropping from it silently, her cloak of shadow fading to reveal her standing in her armor.
"So I guess Cheerilee wasn't just obsessed with you." Vinyl chuckled.
"Ah'd appreciate it if ya'll didn't use yer magic 'round here." he continued, ignoring the Magians observation. Vinyl glanced at Spike who simply nodded, the illusion around him fading and revealing the bandages over his eye.
"Alright, you've got us figured out and you probably know why we're here." Spike said, dropping the act.
"And ya'll probably know my answer, so we're done here. Ya already took my sister into yer craziness an ya got a good woman killed with this secret society o' yers. My sister ain't had no choice in th' matter o' course. Th Elements chose her an her friends. But ah got a farm an family t' tend t', so take yer business someplace else." Big Macintosh crossed his arms, Vinyl taking a step back and crouching just slightly.
"I have one question." Spike said softly, holding up a finger.
"Shoot."
"How did you know Cheerilee was dead?" Spike asked. Vinyl blinked and glanced between Spike and Big Mac. The giant chuckled softly and sighed, looking up at his trees.
"Most people are blind t' th' world 'round em. They think trees are jus' trees. Ain't nobody realized jus' how important they are." he smiled for a moment before turning his gaze back to the pair of knights.
"Yer friend was a Gaian, born o' th' earth an o' th' Titans. When our time comes we return t' th' earth an t' th' Titans who created us. If ya listen carefully, sometimes they can be heard." he said softly, closing his eyes for a moment, his runes in full glow and causing Spike to squint his good eye.
"Apparently ya'll owe her five bucks Miss Scratch." Macintosh chuckled as he walked past the pair. Vinyl stared as the giant continued to walk away.
"So uh...he can talk to dead Gaians? Geez, I thought I had a cool power." Vinyl grumbled
"She did say he was pretty much a Titan in human form...maybe its true?" Spike wondered
"In any case, what are we gonna do now? He was our best bet and I don't see a plan B." Vinyl pointed out. Spike crossed his arms and let his thoughts wander, Vinyl falling silent beside him.
"I suppose all we can do is wait until he's ready." he shrugged, walking away from the farm. Vinyl rolled her eyes and followed after him.
"Sometimes I wonder what its like inside that head of yours boss."
Angel stood before a brick wall, taking a slow breath and glancing over his shoulder at the remaining Element bearers
We're coming to save you Shy... he thought with a smile. He leaned towards the wall, rapping his knuckles across several bricks as he hummed
"Shave and a hair-cut...two-bits" before taking a step back, the wall splitting down the middle and sliding open.
"Just through here is my fathers Castle. He is probably expecting us or even watching us right now, so everyone be on your guard" Angel warned. The girls nodded, each calling out to their respective Element as they stepped through the doorway, only to find themselves in a large darkened room. Angel swore under his breath and snapped his fingers, the room filling with light. Discord stood in front of them with his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets, a smile touching his lips
"So you came after all. Forgive me for skipping all the traps and whatnot, I'm on a rather important deadline. I'm sure you don't mind though. Now then..." he turned his gaze to Angel, the beastkin gritting his teeth as Fluttershy appeared beside Discord, her wings spread wide and her lifeless eyes gazing at the floor.
"Let her go!" Angel yelled, clenching his fists. Behind him, Twilight nodded to Applejack who slowly grabbed hold of her lasso, Rainbow getting ready beside her. Pinkie Pie drew her swords as quietly as possible, each of them holding their breath as they prepared to put their plan to the test.
"If thats what you want" Discord shrugged, snapping his fingers. Fluttershy's eyes widened for a moment, the Skyborn drawing her sword as her armor appeared around her, cracked and dulled with chaos surrounding her. Angel shifted his stance, stepping to the side as Fluttershy leapt for him.
"NOW!" He yelled as he tumbled backwards. Applejack twirled her lasso, tossing it as Fluttershy turned to chase after Angel and catching the Skyborn by the waist, tightening the rope around her and latching her arms to her sides. With a quick tug on the rope she pulled Fluttershy to her, throwing her arms around the girl and holding her in place.
"Hurry up!" Applejack yelled, wincing as the Chaos from Fluttershy's armor started to chip away at her own.
"No you don't!" Discord stepped forward, blinking as Pinkie Pie stood before him, twirling her swords as her hair deflated slowly. The Chaotician grinned, taking a small step back, watching as the baker widened her stance, the light leaving her eyes and a few cracks showing in her armor.
Discord pulled his hands from his pockets as Pinkie rushed at him, blocking her swords with the sides of his hands. The baker grit her teeth, flipping a blade around in her hand and leaping into the air, smashing her knee across his cheek and causing him to stumble a bit. He rubbed his cheek and smiled as he glanced at Pinkie once more.
"Of course...You're little Pinkie Pie aren't you?! Oh Wonderful! This should be exciting!" he laughed, chaos surrounding him as he stepped to the side to avoid another kick, smacking his palm into her back and sending her tumbling through the air.
Pinkie dug her blades into the air, Chaos helping her to right herself before she slammed into a wall. She glanced over at her friends, seeing Angel standing in front of Fluttershy and grabbing hold of her shoulders.
Twilight and Rarity stood on either side of them, surrounding Angel, Rainbow, and Fluttershy in their Magic while Applejack kept the Skyborn still. Pinkie let a smirk touch her lips as she rolled out of the way of Discords attack.
She panted slightly, watching as he pulled his hand from the wall. She readied herself for the next attack, knowing she only had to keep him busy long enough for them to free Fluttershy, but she had no idea how much longer her armor would hold out against the Chaos.
Discord stood upright, marching towards her slowly. Had he realized she was running on borrowed time? She grit her teeth and marched forward, refusing to back down and flourishing her blades, gasping as he smacked one away and gripping her remaining sword in both hands.
"Come now my dear, do you really want to fight me? I mean...we're family after all, aren't we?" he asked sweetly. She glared up at him and shook her head.
"No,No,No,No,No! Family takes care of each other and loves each other. You hurt your own family and other families for your own stupid reasons!" she yelled.
she gasped as she managed to just barely duck under his hand, lunging forward and burying her shoulder into his gut, tackling him to the ground and roaring as she smashed her fist across his face, gritting her teeth as he caught her next punch. She winced as her armor cracked and split apart, smashing her head forward into his, panting slightly as her vision started to blur.
Hurry up girls...
Applejack grit her teeth, keeping a tight hold of Fluttershy, despite the sting of Chaos seeping into the cracks of her armor and sinking into her skin.
"Alright, we gotta be quick about this." Angel placed his hands on either side of Fluttershys head and nodded to Rainbow. The Skyborn groaned and leaned forward as Angel's hands began to glow. With an apology whispered under her breath she pressed her lips gently against Fluttershy's.
when she opened her eyes she found herself standing in a place she recognized. Or at least thought she did. Beside her stood Angel, the two surrounded by Fluttershy's worst fears and regrets deep within her mind. Sitting before them was Fluttershy herself, hugging her knees to her chest and bound to the ground by ethereal chains.
"Shy!" Rainbow called out, rushing to her side. Fluttershy looked at her friend, her eyes widening
"R-Rainbow Dash?! W-What are you doing here?! Oh no...d-don't tell me I killed you too...OH Rainbow, I'm so sorry..."
"What? Killed me? Pfft, C'mon Shy. You aren't exactly the toughest girl around." Rainbow joked. She shook herself and knelt beside her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Look Shy, we need you. I dunno how long this connection we've got is gonna last. You've gotta break outta here." Rainbow told her, looking into her eyes.
"I...I can't Rainbow. I can't go back out there after what I've done..."
"Sis, we don't have a lotta time to argue." Angel spoke up, his body shaking and blood dripping down from his nose.
"A-Angel?!" Fluttershy gasped, trying to rush to him and collapsing against the tug of her chains.
"All of your friends are waiting for you...They need you Sis. If you don't get out of here with Rainbow then all of them are probably gonna die." Angel said softly.
"I can't..."
"YES YOU CAN!" Rainbow yelled, lowering her head.
"All that time I acted so tough around you Shy...I was just trying to impress you. You have this crazy strength to just keep going no matter what happens. No matter how badly someone treats you or how bad things seem, you always seemed to just shrug it off and keep going...I wanted to be tough like that" Rainbow admitted. Fluttershy lowered her head and took a slow breath.
"I-I'll go with you...b-but afterwards...you need to lock me away."
"Lock you away?! What the heck are you..." Rainbow blinked as Fluttershy put a finger against her lips.
"I'm a monster. I've done so many terrible things and hurt so many people...I don't deserve you as a friend Rainbow...B-But I do owe you and the girls. So after everything is said and done...You have to haul me away to be put away so I can't hurt anyone else."
"Shy...thats the stupidest thing I ever...!"
"Promise me..." Fluttershy whispered, gripping at her chains.
"But..."
"PROMISE ME!" Fluttershy screamed, the realm around them shaking and her chains thrashing about. Rainbow gritted her teeth, tears stinging her eyes as she spoke.
"I promise..." She whispered. The chains binding Fluttershy within her mind snapped, Rainbow gasping as she found herself being held by Twilight, the world spinning around her. Fluttershy took a step forward, drawing her sword and patting Angels shoulder.
The beastkin followed beside her, the two marching towards Discord and Pinkie Pie. The baker smiled in relief, gasping as Discord grabbed her by the throat.
"Put her down!" Fluttershy screamed, pointing her sword at her father. Discord glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes as Angel crossed his arms.
"Why choose now of all times to stab me in the back?"
"Your charm kept me from changing old man. You broke Shy's brain and that broke the charm. I would've tried earlier but uh...not much you can really do while trapped in the body of a bunny." he shrugged, wiping a bit of blood from his nose. Discord huffed, chucking Pinkie Pie aside, the baker rolling across the ground and caught by Applejack before she could slam into another pillar.
"She's out cold..." Applejack sighed.
"Rainbows out too. I really hope the two of them can do this..." Twilight said as she set Rainbow down, pulling the scroll from her belt.
"Twilight, take the girls and run. We'll buy you enough time to prepare your spell" Fluttershy said softly, raising her sword. Angel glanced over his shoulder at her, giving her a thumbs up.
They want us to run...Fluttershy knows about the spell? T-Then...They all knew...the entire time, Discord knows about the spell! Twilights eyes widened.
"We won't leave you behind!" she yelled, reaching out towards her only to have a barrier of chaos shock her hand.
"This is my fight now Twilight. You have to be ready for yours" Fluttershy said under her breath. Twilight grit her teeth, surrounding herself and her friends in her magic and teleporting away.
Discord watched them from the corner of his eye, turning his attention back to his current opponents.
"Like Father, like children. Though you said so yourself...all you can do is buy her a bit of time. And then what my child?" he asked, holding out his left arm, his bones crunching loudly as it morphed into a monstrous limb complete with claws and surrounded in a thick layer of chaos.
Twilight sighed loudly at the mess she found in the kitchen. Flour covered every possible surface along with what she assumed to be cake batter. The distinct smell of burnt baked goods filled her home along with the sight of several severely burnt discs filling her trashcan.
Though in the middle of all the carnage stood one Scootaloo Danger Gumdrop Sparkle, holding up a small cake in her hands with the words 'Happy mothers day' poorly written atop it in purple and blue frosting.
The girl herself was covered in flour, cake batter hanging from her hair and smudged against her cheeks. Twilight wanted to be upset, to tell the girl that there was no need for all of this mess. But the smile on her face and determination in her eyes silenced her.
"You could've gotten a cake from Pinkie you know..." Twilight sighed again.
"It wouldn't be the same. It doesn't count if I don't do it myself mom!" Scootaloo replied without hesitation. Rainbow yawned and poked her head into the kitchen, eyes wide as she looked around before spotting Scootaloo. She chuckled and ruffled the young Skyborns hair, scooping a bit of frosting off the cake.
"Not bad Squirt, but next time...try to keep everything in the bowl" Rainbow grinned. Twilight sighed once more and lifted the cake in her magic, cutting it into several slices and snatching a few plates out of the cabinet, setting the table and crossing her arms.
"We'll worry about the mess later. Right now, we've got a cake to eat"
Applejack groaned as she woke up, feeling as if a heavy weight was resting on her. She sat up slowly, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
The last few weeks had been rather tough. Between managing the farm, training to better understand her powers, and dealing with Appleblooms random bursts of chaotic power, sleep had been rather impossible.
She yawned and stretched, gasping as someone cleared their throat. The farmer cracked an eye open and found Applebloom sitting in her lap, holding a tray of food.
A simple breakfast of toast with zap apple jam, apple cinnamon oatmeal with a touch of honey, and a glass of orange juice. Applejack grabbed the tray gently and set it on her bedside table.
"D-Did ah do it wrong? A-ah know ya said it was somethin' ya only made fer yer ma b-but ah thought..." Applebloom gasped as she was pulled into a tight hug.
"Its perfect Applebloom...every last bit o' it." Applejack sniffed.
Vinyl and Rarity blinked in surprise as Sweetie Belle lead them through town and towards Town hall where a large stage sat, ready and waiting. To their surprise they found Twilight and Rainbow already there as well as Applejack.
"Hm...so something is going on here." Vinyl mumbled. Sweetie Belle only gave her an innocent smile before making her way to the stage. From behind the curtains came Scootaloo and Applebloom, taking up posts on either side of their friend.
"Today, is the day we celebrate the best person in our lives. Our moms" Sweetie Belle began, before hanging her head.
"I never really got to know my mom, so I've always sorta seen Vinyl as my mom...and then Rarity kinda took her place when vinyl sent us away." She admitted, twiddling her thumbs. Vinyl stared in shock for a moment before collecting herself.
"So you remember everything?" Vinyl asked, clenching her fists. Sweetie sniffed and shook her head.
"I never forgot...but Rarity didn't seem to remember anything...so I just went along with it." Sweetie answered. Scootaloo cleared her throat and put a hand on Sweetie Belle's shoulder.
"What she's tryin to say is that today is for you two. Just like today is for the best parents a kid could ask for." She spoke up, flashing a smile at Twilight at Rainbow.
"Ah dunno 'bout all that. Fer th' longest time ah thought ah didn't even have a momma. Even if ah didn't know it before...ah always felt like ya'll were my momma Applejack an ah'm th' happiest kid on Terra knowin ah have ya." Applebloom added. The three girls took a step back and smiled
"So this, is for all of you!" they said together, a spotlight appearing at the edge of the stage, revealing Spike at a piano and Pinkie at a set of drums. Fluttershy stood at the other end with a tambourine, the three friends giving the girls a thumbs up as they began to play. Sweetie Belle took center stage, flooding the area with her powerful voice atop the song.
Applebloom and Scootaloo danced their way to opposite sides of the stage, each picking up a microphone to join in the song, slowly making their way back to Sweetie Belle. In an amazing show of effort the three held onto the last note before dropping to one knee as the music stopped, striking a pose and panting heavily from their performance.
Although the audience was a mere party of five, the applause could've been coming from the entire town with how satisfied they were with the show. The three girls gasped as they found themselves each pulled into a hug by their respective families.
"Best mothers day ever!"
Celestia sighed to herself as she sat upon her throne, waiting for the next noble to enter. It was always this day, always today that tore her up the most inside. A day that constantly reminded her of what she once had, and what she could never have again. She was pulled from her thoughts as the next noble marched into her throne room, hidden within a faded brown cloak.
"Welcome my friend. You have something you wish to ask?" Celestia spoke up. It was the same with all these nobles. They came to her seeking a way to lift themselves above the others or to get their way around the city.
All she had to do really was grin and bear it until the last one had come and gone. Though this one seemed different. No flashy shows of wealth or fame, no flowery dress or overpriced suit. What was this person up to?
"I do have something to ask you Princess..." the woman spoke up, lowering her hood. Celestia's eyes widened as the woman looked up at her and smiled.
"PANCAKES!" Pinkie screamed as she sat up, eyes wide and her entire body shuddering.
"Pinkie! Its okay. You aren't in danger anymore" Twilight comforted her.
"No time for that! Those pancakes need Syrup! Wait...huh? Oh hi Twilight! Did we win?" Pinkie asked excitedly. Twilight lowered her head, barely noticing the smile leaving Pinkies lips.
"W-We won didn't we? Where's Fluttershy?" She asked, looking around. All she found was Rarity using her Magic to tend to Applejack and Rainbow Dash on the ground nearby. Another look around showed they were still in Discords castle underneath Celamont.
"With you and Rainbow out of commission we didn't have much of a choice...Fluttershy gave us a chance to regroup..."
"Well then we gotta go back! She's in there all alone and that big fat meany pants is a monster!" Pinkie argued, her armor instantly appearing around her as she stood.
"We can't use the scroll without all of us Pinkie. Rainbow hasn't recovered yet..." Twilight started.
"I'll be fine" Rainbow groaned, pushing herself into a sitting position. Applejack grinned, gently pushing Rarity's hands away and looping her arm in Rainbow's, the two leaning against each other to get to their feet.
"Applejack! I haven't finished!" Rarity argued, glaring at her.
"We ain't got time for that. We already wasted 'nough time jus' sittin' here. Twi' ya'll think ya can get that spell ready?" Applejack asked. Twilight looked at all of her friends. Every single one of them was waiting for her decision. She gripped the scroll tightly and nodded.
"Yes...but I'm gonna need everyone's help. Here is the plan..."
Fluttershy flourished her sword, hand upon her hip and fire burning in her eyes.
"My friends are worth my life and more and I won't let you hurt them anymore!" she roared, raising her blade to deflect his claws. Angel leapt to her rescue, rolling through the air and smashing his knee into Discord's cheek, sending him skidding across the cobblestone. Angel slowly pulled his hands from his pockets, grinning and rolling his shoulders
"Man, I've been dyin' to do that for years" he said with a grin, roaring as he charged forward once more, Fluttershy flanking his left and the two attacking as one, Discord forced to leap back to avoid the onslaught.
The Chaotician threw out his arm, a scythe forming in his hand as Fluttershy flared out her wings and dashed forward. Angel's eyes widened as the scythe flew straight at his sister.
"SHY LOOK OUT!" He yelled, tackling her out of the way. Discord grinned, twirling the scythe and slashing clean through Angel, stepping forward and slamming his foot hard into the injured beast-kins gut, sending him flying into the wall.
Fluttershy rolled in the air, trying to fly after him, only to have a chain catch her wrist. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped as more rose up around her, clamping around her ankles, neck, and other wrist, pulling her to her hands and knees. Discord sighed, the scythe fading as well as his claws.
"Tsk tsk tsk, look what you've made me do." he held up Angels arm in front of her face, waggling it a bit to make his point.
"If you had just done as I asked none of this had to happen. Sure, I might've roughed your friends up a bit, but it was never my true intention to kill them you know. Alas, now I fear I might have no choice." he crossed his arms, ignoring her attempts to break free of the chains that held her.
"Ah, silly me, I almost forgot" he chuckled, kneeling down and yanking the Element of Kindness from around her neck, chaos swirling about underneath her and the chains dragging her down into it.
"It didn't have to be this way Fluttershy..." Discord said sadly as he watched her vanish, tossing the Element onto his altar and resting his hands against the edge of it.
"Any moment now...they will return and all of the pieces will fall into place. Begin the attack on Eravil" he whispered to the shadows.
The eyes in the darkness vanished as the command was given, a short silence hanging over the Chaotician. For a moment he questioned himself on his chosen path, the next moment he was tilting his head to the side to avoid a kick from Rainbow Dash.
No time to change the past now
"ACHOO!" Applebloom sneezed, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering.
"Hey AB, you okay?" Scootaloo asked, putting the back of her hand against her friends forehead.
"S-Somethin' ain't right..." the Gaian mumbled, glancing at Big Macintosh. The giant scooped her up in his arm and marched into the living room, placing her on the couch.
"Big mac...Ah'm gettin' th' Chill again..." Applebloom said through chattering teeth. Big Mac only nodded, gently kissing her forehead.
"Girls, stay here with Applebloom. Ah gotta go run an errand." he rumbled as he made a beeline for the front door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat beside their sickly friend, grabbing hold of her hand.
"Whats the chill?" Sweetie Belle wondered. Applebloom smiled as she sniffed, her eyes drooping down little by little.
"I-Its somethin' that's always been a part o' th' Apple Family line. Only one of us ever has it at a time. Though, ah think Granny still gets it every now an again...Whenever somethin' really really bad is gonna happen, ah get all sick like this...then Big Mac wanders off and when he comes back ah'm always feelin' better." Applebloom explained
"So its like some kind of danger sense?" Scootaloo asked, blinking as Applebloom dozed off. The remaining two friends glanced at one another.
"I wonder what Big Mac does to cure her..."
Macintosh gritted his teeth as Spike marched beside him towards the center of town.
"I thought it was Apple Family Policy to never tell a lie" Spike muttered as his armor appeared around him, Vinyl taking her place on Big Macintosh's right, already dressed in her armor with mana swirling around her. The Gaian sighed, cracking his knuckles as a suit of armor sprang up around his form.
"Ain't lyin'. Ah don't plan on joinin' yer little group. But ah ain't 'bout t' stand by an let somethin' hurt my home."
"So, she already passed everything over before she kicked the bucket huh? That explains why she didn't see Fluttershy coming. Her powers were fading...that idiot..." Vinyl grumbled under her breath.
"No time t' chat" Macintosh rumbled, charging into town as storm clouds gathered and darkness fell over the citizens of Eravil. From the shadows sprang several figures cloaked in darkness and wearing the Emblem of Nightmare Moon.
"The Knights of Nightmare? They should've vanished when she was torn apart by the Elements!" Spike grunted as one launched towards him, blocking the sword that came at him with his arm, roaring as he launched his free fist forward only to have the figure melt into the shadows around him and vanish.
"I need Light!" Spike yelled to Vinyl. The vampire nodded and pulled every bit of mana into herself that she could hold, throwing her arms and casting it outwards in a massive sphere, breaking through the shadows and revealing the Knights from their hiding places. One stepped forward, twirling a scythe between his fingers and wearing a maniacal grin.
"So, you're the fabled Celestial Warriors huh? Where were you bastards when we overran Celamont?" he demanded. Spike remained silent however, drawing his sword. Vinyl's entire form lit up with magical energy. Big Macintosh simply remained where he stood, fists clenched and muscles pressing against the armor he wore.
"Tch, you guys are no fun. They call me Gale by the way." he introduced himself with a fanged smirk. Vinyl shifted slightly.
"Boss..."
"No." Spike interrupted her
"But..."
"Too many days. I can hear you struggling"
"I took on more than this punk back when I was dry!" she argued.
"Aww, whats the matter? Trouble in paradise?" Gale taunted. Everyone fell silent as Big Macintosh stepped forward, the armor vanishing from around him.
"They call me Big Mac." he introduced himself, holding out his hand. Gale blinked, glancing over his shoulder at the other Knights of Nightmare. All of them shrugged in confusion. Gale stabbed his scythe into the ground, accepting the handshake. The pair took a step back from one another, Gale pulling the scythe from the ground and Big Macintosh raising his fists, though his runes remained dull as he slid across the ground in a boxers stance.
"Pretty quick for a big guy!" Gale laughed, slicing with the scythe. Big Mac ducked under it, sliding forward and slamming a hard right into Gale's ribs and sending him tumbling across the ground. The Scythe fell to the ground, Big Mac grabbing it and snapping it with a flick of his thumb.
"This here is my home an ah won't have ya'll tearin' it apart. Ah'll give ya one chance to leave." he warned, his runes slowly starting to come to life.
"The next punch will kill you"
Rainbow swore under her breath as her kick missed, twitching her wings and spinning in the air to send a second kick directly at Discord's head, the Chaotician blocking the kick with his arm and shoving the Skyborn away. Rainbow quickly threw out her wings and snatched the bolts from her belt, roaring as she charged once more, Discord sliding behind her as she flew by.
Swearing once more she flared out her wings and spun, eyes wide as Discord slid forward faster than she could blink, his fist buried in her gut and sending her into the ceiling, the Skyborn falling to the ground and clutching her stomach.
Nearby Twilight was struggling with herself, mouth moving frantically in a long chant that Rarity mimicked only half a second behind her, the two of them doing the best they could to keep their magic hidden from Discord. He slowly started to turn towards them, though Applejack was quick to react; Sliding between him and the Magians while Rainbow pushed back to her feet.
Once again Rainbow hurtled herself at the Chaotician, roaring at the top of her lungs with each strike, putting every lesson Spitfire had ever taught her into each punch, only for Discord to catch her arm in his, palming away a punch and leaping above one of her kicks. All the while he wore a sadistic grin, his piercing yellow eyes glowing in the dim light of the cavern like castle he had built.
Rainbow swore under her breath, rolling her arm around his and grabbing his elbow, roaring as she hurled her free fist towards him.
She cried out as he stepped forward, causing her to stumble and lose her grip while her punch sailed uselessly over his shoulder. In the same move he slipped his arm around hers and grabbed ahold of her elbow, pulling back his other arm and smashing his fist clean across her face, sending her tumbling across the stone floor and into a pillar.
"Rainbow!" Twilight cried out, blinking as Rarity grabbed her arm.
"They can handle this Twilight. We need you here." Rarity argued softly. Twilight clenched her fists, her magic rising once more around her as she resumed the chant. Applejack was next to the plate, glancing over her shoulder and letting out a sigh of relief as she caught sight of Rainbow crawling out of the rubble around her.
The Gaian took up her stance, rolling one of her shoulders and sliding forward on her left foot, twisting her hips and flinging a hard right into Discords arm, grinning as he stumbled back slightly from the punch.
She might not have been the brightest of people, but when it came to a fist fight, she was practically a genius. Too many times she had seen the Chaotician block Rainbows attacks rather than dodge. Which meant...
She grinned, continuing her onslaught, faking another right only to bounce off her toes and slam her leg into his ribs, gasping as he caught her leg.
Aw heck, not this crap again... Applejack thought to herself, dropping her body to the ground and pushing her hands hard against the floor, roaring as she rolled her legs, Discord stepping back and letting her jump to her feet. He sighed and raised his fists, mimicking her stance.
She gasped as he rushed forward, smashing his forearms against her chest and forcing her to stumble back. Applejack quickly caught herself, skidding backwards and ducking under a quick jab, roaring as she brought her fist up into his chin only for Discord to catch her fist in both his palms.
She hopped backwards, taking up her stance once more, glancing over her shoulder and seeing Rainbow at the ready. Another glance and she saw that Twilight was still chanting.
Jus' how long does it take t' cast one damn spell?! she gritted her teeth, flinging a punch as Discord bounded towards her once more, eyes wide as he snatched her punch out of the air. Applejack screamed in pain as he squeezed her fist and forced her wrist back.
Discord grunted, more in surprise than pain as Pinkie slammed her foot into his face from behind, sending him into his own throne and crumpling the chunk of stone.
"Thanks fer th' save Pinks" Applejack winced as she rubbed her wrist. Pinkie only nodded, drawing her blades and leaping backwards as Discord leapt from the rubble, the two catching eyes and grinning at one another. Pinkie bounced off a wall, Discord smashing into it only moments behind her, chasing her across the room and up another wall.
Pinkie flipped over him, twirling with her blades and forcing him to slide out of the way as she smashed into the ground, her runes in full glow.
"So you held back last time. You're more fun than I thought, but I should expect that from one born of Chaos" Discord chuckled. Pinkie merely twirled her blades and shifted her stance, her armor fading from light pink to a dull bright red as her hair deflated.
"I suppose it is time to get serious then." Discord sighed, his eyes glowing brightly as he rushed forward, blades growing from his arms as he slashed, Pinkie standing her ground and deflecting the attacks; The baker growling under her breath as she pushed forward.
She grinned as she caught his blades within hers, the two glaring at one another. Her hair suddenly inflated, the baker giggling as she kissed his nose
"TAG!" she squealed, ducking in time for Rainbow to leap over her and smash both knees into Discords face, causing him to stumble backwards. Applejack grinned, her muscles tightening and her armor groaning in protest as her runes blazed across her skin. The farmer roared with all of her might as she slung her fist forward into the Chaotician's chin.
She grinned as the very air before her cracked from the force of the punch, Discord sent flying backwards and followed by a nice resounding boom that echoed within the chamber. Applejack panted heavily, watching as Discord crashed through several pillars and a wall.
"Oh my gosh! Was that the Titan's Bellow?!" Rainbow asked excitedly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"We can trade secret moves later Dash!" Applejack yelled, slinging her lasso around her Skyborn friend and yanking her out of the way of a bolt of chaos.
"He's flingin' magic!" Applejack called to Twilight and Rarity. Rarity smiled, doubling her flow of Mana.
"You go Twilight. I can keep the spell going" Rarity said softly. Twilight nodded and in an instant she was beside her friends, the air thick with her magic signature from the teleport.
A wave of her hand and a barrier was erected, knocking back another spell. Discord chuckled as he stepped forth from the cloud of smoke and rubble, dusting off his suit and lab-coat.
"Twilight Sparkle. You're as powerful as I thought you'd be." he praised. Twilight twirled the spear of magic that hovered by her side, her eyes alight with mana.
"Hm, I suppose we don't really have time for smalltalk. A shame, there's so much I could teach you" he pouted for a moment. wiping away a small tear
"I don't need the Chaos. I have my friends!" Twilight declared, bouncing away another spell and flaring up barriers around her friends as they struck out, dodging around punches, kicks and spells, all trying to land a hit. Discord threw out his arms, a sphere of dark energy surrounding him and throwing back his attackers. When the sphere faded he stood before them as a monster.
Several blades of darkness swirled around his being. Pitch black armor coated his entire body while a single fang jutted out of his mouth and his eyes carried a menacing glow.
His hands had become claws, arms coated in several spikes and terrible misshapen wings sprouting from his back.
Mismatched horns grew out of his head and smoke seeped out of his nostrils, the room rumbling with every breath he took. His voice shook the very air around them.
"Behold a true God of Chaos! Do you still want to continue this foolish battle?!" he roared. Applejack answered by slamming her fist into his gut. Causing him to stare in shock.
"This is for my Daughter!" she roared, sliding a foot back and smashing her fist as hard as she could into his chin, sending him through the ceiling and creating a massive hole.
She threw out her arm, Pinkie latching on as the farmer spun, chucking her up after the Chaotician. Rainbow snaked her way into the hole after them, hugging the wall as she sped past Pinkie and caught her hands just before she lost momentum; The prismatic Skyborn roared as she chucked the baker as hard as she could.
Cracks began to form in Pinkies' armor as she neared the Chaotician, the pink fading to black as she roared with all of her might, slashing clean through him with her blades.
Her eyes rolled back into her head as her armor shattered and her blades vanished, Pinkie falling down the hole towards Rainbow who waited below, quickly plummeting down the hole to carry her friend to safety.
"Not yet!" Discord roared. Rainbow glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of him chasing her down the hole.
"Are you serious?! Hows anyone survive a hit like that?!" Rainbow argued, kicking her wings into overdrive and pulling up at the last minute to avoid crashing into the ground.
Discord did not care for such things, bending his knees as he smashed into the ground and grabbing hold of one of his many blades. His armor was cut into and a bit of black goop was dripping out of it. But beyond that he seemed completely unfazed from the onslaught.
"We can't keep this going Twilight. We need a plan!" Rainbow said through gritted teeth. Sparks danced across her body and sweat coated her brow. It was obvious to anyone that she was utterly spent. Glancing at Applejack she saw much the same. Though there was determination in her friends eyes, there was also knowledge that she was fighting a losing battle. Twilight had to act, and quickly. She blinked, glancing over at Rarity, a smile touching her lips
"I have an idea." Twilight gulped and grabbed hold of her spear, rushing directly towards Discord. He only grinned as he flicked his wrist and muttered a chant, Twilight shrieking in pain as she was swallowed in a column of black fire.
"Twilight!" her friends cried out, fire sprouting up before them and keeping them away from their friend.
"You know my dear. I knew this day would come. This day that you would try to strike me down, that the descendant of Starswirl would seek to avenge his soul. And do you know how I knew? hm?" he asked, watching as Twilight fell to her knees, some of the flames still licking at her magical armor.
"Because he told me himself! Right before I killed him." Discord chuckled.
"It was a magical moment! There I was, about to strike him down and the blasted old fool has a vision and starts spilling all the futures beans. From day one of your little adventures I've known the ending. But you keep fighting the truth. So I'll just make it easy for you to understand." Discord twirled one of his blades, stabbing it through her hand and nailing her to the ground.
"Leave her alone! You want a Magian to kick around?! Take me instead!" Rainbow screamed, hurling a weak bolt at him, only to have it knocked aside by one of his blades.
"It's not a Magian I'm looking for. Its the Blood of Starswirl. The Blood of an Archmage." Discord slowly pulled his blade free, with a fresh coat of blood and walked over to his altar.
"The last little ingredient to my lifes work." he said softly. Twilight shook as she stood, ignoring the pain in her hand and throwing out her arm, the Elements glowing, including Fluttershy's which rested on the altar.
"Aoi'tominos Hec'ket Vran'kir Aidimosni vex!" Twilight chanted under her breath, Rarity's voice meeting hers as she finished the spell. Discord froze as the words filled the air. This whole time he had forgotton the other Magian in the room. In shock he turned to see Rarity's hand bleeding, and her blood smeared over her Element.
Twilight snatched the Tiara from atop her head, clenching her fist and letting her blood drip over the gem. Applejack and Rainbow drew knives to cut their thumbs, adding their own blood to their elements, Pinkie bit into her thumb and slid it across her necklace. It was only after the display was done that Discord began to laugh.
"Very clever, but you are forgetting one thing! No Element of Kindness! No speck of my daughters blood upon her Element!" he gloated, knowing the spell could not be completed.
"We don't need hers. We have yours!" Twilight roared, her spear flying well and true, slicing across his nose, a lone drop of blood falling onto the Element of kindness. The Elements flashed, filling the room with light which Twilight pulled into herself, wrapping the spell around Discord as tightly as she could.
With one last defiant breath, Discord flung his blade upon the altar, smashing it into the relics he had prepared. He grinned as they began to glow, turning his gaze to Twilight.
"Well done Twilight, but this day is still mine!" he laughed as his body was encased in stone, still laughing all the way until his entire body was nothing more than a statue.
The relics upon the altar began to glow, shooting through the ceiling and vanishing in a brilliant light. The room fell silent, save for the labored breaths of the remaining warriors. Twilight smiled, collapsing as her eyes rolled back into her head.
"Hold on there Twi'! We're gonna get ya outta here!" Applejack promised as she hefted the Magian up in her arms.
"We can't leave...Fluttershy..." Twilight said weakly before sleep finally claimed her. Rainbow hefted Pinkie Pie onto her back, the baker mumbling about cakes as she let exhaustion take her.
Applejack followed suit, hefting Twilight onto her back, the friends turning to Rarity who was standing before a nearby door.
"She's in here. I-I can feel it." Rarity said softly. Applejack nodded, slamming her foot into the thick steel door and sending it flying off its hinges.
Inside the room sat Fluttershy, chained to the walls and floor. Clasps sat along her wrists, ankles, waist, neck, and legs;
It was a sad sight. Her head hung low as she rocked back and forth, at least as much as her bindings allowed.
"I'm sorry, so sorry, so sorry." she whispered again and again, sobbing between gasps of air. Out of nowhere she began to howl and pull on her chains, thrashing about and lashing out, her wings flapping wildly and the room filled with chaos as she tried to slash through her bindings.
"FLUTTERSHY!" the three still conscious friends screamed. Fluttershy froze mid-tantrum, slowly raising her head to see them standing before her. Her tears doubled as she watched them walk closer, her body falling limp in her chains and her wings fading.
"Y-You have to kill me..." she shuddered. Rainbow walked up to her, her eyes and element glowing for a moment. Fluttershy slammed her eyes shut, blinking as she felt the chains fall away.
"Get up and follow us." Rainbow said quietly, turning away from her. Fluttershy stammered and nodded, pushing to her feet and stumbling along behind them. She blinked in surprise as she spotted her father, nothing more than a statue in front of his altar.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Fluttershy panicked, rushing over to the altar. Her Element still sat there, but the relics were gone. She bit her lip as she lifted the Element that was bound to her, feeling unworthy of its power.
"Yea, great, lets get going Shy." Rainbow ordered.
"You don't understand...he wanted this." Fluttershy said, shaking her head.
"Why? After all the crap he put us through, why would he wanna lose?!" Rainbow demanded.
"Those artifacts, he used you like he used me. He copied the Elements power and made his own." Fluttershy explained, hesitating before latching the Element of Kindness around her neck.
"Whoa, wait. You're saying he made some Elements of Chaos or somethin?" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy nodded sadly, placing her hand against the statue, her head snapping back and her eyes glowing.
"That's right my dear. Thank you ever so much for chanting that spell for me, it was one of the missing pieces. Oh and when Twilight awakens I'll need you to thank her for donating her blood." Discord spoke, using Fluttershy to communicate.
"I should smash you to pieces." Rainbow growled.
"Just like the pieces your mind was in before I came along? Its sad really, none of you realize just how much I have helped you. Did you ever wonder why that spell of yours required blood? Why a Harmonic Power needed an offering? Because it wasn't strong enough. Because it needed a bit of Chaos for the home stretch. Just like the Archmage. Oops, I've said too much, Ta-ta!" Discord laughed, Fluttershy stumbling away from his statue.
"So we need to find those Elements as quickly as possible before they find their hosts." Rarity reasoned.
"We gotta get outta here first." Rainbow mumbled
"L-let me." Fluttershy stammered, snapping her fingers, the group appearing in the castle courtyard. Fluttershy sank to her knees, clutching her chest and panting heavily. The Element of Kindness glowing brightly around her neck.
"Fluttershy! Are you alright?" Rarity panicked
"I-I'm fine. S-She doesn't like it when I do that is all..." Fluttershy answered, pushing to her feet.
"We need to turn me in." She mumbled, trudging towards her next prison.
"Shy, we aren't turning you in. I'd rather die then give my best friend to a bunch of Magian scientists." Rainbow spat
"What?" Fluttershy asked in shock, looking between her friends. She clenched her fists, tears stinging her eyes.
"You promised!" she screamed, blinking as Rainbow slapped her.
"Shy, what do you think is gonna happen? That Celestia is gonna chuck you in a cell to rot? No...You're the daughter of an evil god. You've got powers of Chaos and powers of Harmony at a snap of your fingers. These guys are gonna wanna know what makes you tick, just like they did with me. And I am NOT letting ANYONE go through that."
"Well its not like she can go on the run. How are we suppose to hide her from Celestia?" Rarity hissed.
"Ya'll managed to hide from her Rarity." Applejack pointed out.
"No, my sister was watching out for me. I don't really count as a threat anyway. But Fluttershy..." she turned to her friend, seeing her grip her skirt and struggle for each breath. All the while the Element clinging to her neck continued to glow.
"Look at her." Rarity said simply. The three friends all turned to look at the Skyborn. She was in obvious pain, but still she kept the Element close.
"That's it! I got an idea. Look, Shy, think you can power on?" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy only nodded weakly.
"Rares, help her walk." Rainbow said, adjusting Pinkie on her back as she started to march towards the Castle.
Big Macintosh slid backwards out of the path of three of the Knights, all three launching towards him with swords at the ready. The giant of a man sucked in a breath, his runes in full glow as he slammed his foot into the ground, the ground cracking around him and causing the three to stumble.
Macintosh rushed forward, tucking in his arms and burying his shoulder hard into the three Knights, the sounds of bones snapping filling his ears. Nearby Vinyl was teleporting about Eravil, snatching innocent bystanders out of the way of the battle while Spike provided backup.
The dragon-kin was kept busy as he flung away bolts and parried away weapons with only his sword and his arm. But as quickly as everything began it suddenly stopped. The Knights froze, looking to the sky for a moment before slipping into their own shadows and vanishing. Big Macintosh panted heavily, glancing about but finding nothing.
"Strange..." Spike muttered as he too glanced around, his form and Vinyl's still hidden within the armor. Sunlight slowly peeked through the clouds that had gathered, revealing quite a bit of damage to the town.
Slowly people came out of their homes, gathering around Macintosh and the two Knights of Celestia. Their thanks fell on almost deaf ears, the three muttering acceptance as they continued to glance about. Why had the fighting simply stopped?
Guards awaited them at the main gate. Rainbow clenched her jaw, expecting them to try and arrest Fluttershy, but instead they were allowed to pass. The friends jumped in surprise as medics rushed to help them, Celestia and Luna standing before them as their wounds were dressed. A nurse reached for the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy shaking her head and taking a slow breath.
"I-It k-keeps me under control." she whispered. Luna nodded in understanding while waving the nurse away. The younger Princess took a seat next to the visibly shaking Skyborn and offered her a small smile. Fluttershy blinked in surprise, spotting bandages wrapped around Luna's head, several more showing briefly on her arms beneath her sleeves as she moved.
"Fluttershy, we have come to understand the truth about you. We believe it explains quite a lot. Why I felt a connection with you when we met on the battlefield. You know the darkness as I do." Luna said softly.
"I am more than aware you had no choice but to obey your father. Rather from fear of losing your friends or from being imprisoned." she continued, grabbing Fluttershy's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Nearby, Trixie clenched her fists but remained silent, hidden in a cloak Luna had given her.
"I-I don't know what to say..." Fluttershy stammered
"Say that you will let us help you. That you will let the nurses tend to you and remove the Element before it causes permanent damage." Luna practically begged. Fluttershy bit her lip, looking over at her friends, bruised and bandaged, all because she had been too afraid to act sooner.
She gulped and nodded, unlatching the Element and dropping it into Luna's outstretched hand. Nurses rushed to her side to begin the long process of healing her.
"Hey! If a single one of you tries anything funny with my friend..." Rainbow began to threaten, Celestia raising an eyebrow. Rainbow glared back.
"We have learned our lesson from what you suffered Rainbow Dash. There will be no experiments, no studying. We will only go as far as asking a few questions and if she refuses to answer we will back down. Is that alright with all of you?" Celestia asked. The three friends looked to one another before nodding approval.
"We want to be there with her when you ask." Rarity said, Celestia agreeing without hesitation. After another check of their condition they were left alone in the medical tent.
"Well, on the plus side, they were expecting us to win." Rainbow sighed, rubbing her bandaged cheek. She was sure her jaw was gonna be sore in the morning, but at the moment she was more concerned with her unconscious friends. Pinkie was mumbling about sweets, so most likely she would make a full recovery.
But Twilight was still out cold, stripped of her armor and her wounds dressed as best as Celamont's finest could do. Fluttershy suddenly froze, staring at the entrance to the tent. Rainbow glanced over and saw Spike, half of his face wrapped in bloody bandages and fresh scars coating his arms.
He marched directly towards Fluttershy and before anyone could react he had pulled her into a hug. Fluttershy began to stammer.
"Just shut up." Spike said quietly. He took a step back and undid the bandages around his head, his eye perfectly healed and the Dragon-kin smirking.
"That's payback for stabbing me in the back...er well you know." he joked, tears stinging Fluttershys' eyes. Rainbow wanted to be angry, but Spike deserved his tiny bit of revenge after what had happened. He turned away from her and looked to Twilight.
"What happened?" he asked as he stood beside her.
"She got trapped in some kinda fire. Messed her up pretty bad..." Rainbow said. Spike reached into his bag, pulling out a small book and waving it under her nose.
"Huh? Is that First edition?!" she gasped, sitting up quickly and gasping in pain.
"Relax Twi'. You aren't really in any condition to be moving around." Spike said softly.
"Spike! You're okay!" She gasped, hugging him and wincing slightly. He sighed and hugged her as gently as he could.
"Does this mean...we won?" She asked, looking around. Rainbow grinned.
"Yea, we won egghead. What the heck was with that last ditch charge anyway?" Rainbow asked.
"We needed Fluttershy's blood to finish the spell. Discord as her father has the same DNA makeup so I needed to get close enough that I wouldn't miss." Twilight explained.
"He got your blood too Twilight and now he has his Elements." Fluttershy said quietly from her bed.
"Yea...but we've got our Elements too. Its good to have you back Fluttershy." Twilight smiled. Fluttershy blinked in surprise, sparing her friend a hesitant glance
"Y-You aren't mad?" Fluttershy asked.
"Fluttershy, you could've easily killed all of us, turned your back on us and joined Discord. But instead you proved you were our friend and fought back. I'm more concerned than anything else. You took on family for us." Twilight replied.
"Alright, enough mushy stuff, get some rest Twi'." Rainbow demanded, her eyes wide as the Magian planted a firm defiant kiss on her lips. Applejack whooped from nearby, chuckling at the flustered Skyborn. Spike cleared his throat.
"I need to get going and start tracking down those Elements Fluttershy mentioned. Hopefully they haven't found their hosts yet." Spike sighed, making his way out of the tent. Vinyl peeked her head inside.
"Hey, I brought you girls a present!" she chuckled, the Crusaders rushing into the room.
"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle cried out, rushing to her sister and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.
"Mom" Applebloom sighed in relief, rushing to Applejack and hugging her tightly.
"Applebloom...ya called me mom..." the farmer choked, pulling her daughter close.
"Ah thought ya weren't comin' back...i-it was like ah lost my parents all over again." she cried, Applejack shushing her and running her hand through her hair.
"That ain't never gonna happen Sugarcube. Ah promise." she whispered.
"Heh, you'd think they'd be throwin us a party or somethin. We did just beat a god you know." Rainbow grumbled
"That doesn't mean we can't party!" Pinkie giggled from beside her.
"Gah! Pinkie!" Rainbow shrieked.
"Whoops! Sorry Dashie!" Pinkie snorted, the tent filling with laughter. Fluttershy allowed herself a soft chuckle, hanging her head and staring at her hands. Her friends had seemingly forgiven her, despite all she had done.
I should be locked away...I should be put on trial and never be allowed to see the light of day...so why are they so happy to have me here?
"This doesn't make sense sister." Luna said softly. Celestia nodded, the two surrounded by their guards, Trixie trailing behind them within the circle of guards.
"I agree...But nothing Discord has done ever made sense. Not until the end..." Celestia sighed.
"We can only wait and see what comes of his actions. In the meantime we will need to ensure nothing unbecoming comes of the Element Bearers."
"We have already planned for such things Sister." Luna glanced over her shoulder at Trixie who carried a small injured bunny in her arms, letting a smile touch her lips. Discord wasn't the only one who could plan ahead.
"The girls power continues to grow. It shouldn't be much longer before she is strong enough to serve her purpose" Spell Nexus grinned as the Knights of Nightmare gathered around him, bowing their heads. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
"And as luck would have it...there seems to be a job opening in Eravil. It must be my lucky day."
"487...488...489..." Rainbow breathed as she lifted herself up once more, Scootaloo sitting cross legged on her back as the Skyborn continued her push-ups. Her body ached, her bandages felt like they were about to snap off and her vision was a bit blurry, but she refused to have it any other way. She was a lean mean fighting machine and planned on staying that way.
Especially after... She grit her teeth as the memory of Twilight being trapped in flames played back in her mind. She felt her muscles tighten as she rushed the last few push-ups.
"500!" Rainbow groaned out, blinking as she found a bottle of water hovering in front of her face. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Twilight reading several tomes Luna had given her, her eyes glowing dimly as she held out the bottle of water and kept the books hovering in the air before her. As an added measure to her own method of training, Twilight held herself in the air within her magic, trying to use as little mana as possible for her multi-tasking.
Rainbow grinned, laying flat on her stomach and snatching the bottle out of the air, pouring the contents over her head and sputtering a bit.
"Alright Squirt, up an at em. I gotta stretch" Rainbow called out. Scootaloo nodded, getting off of her back and jumping in surprise as Rainbow rolled backwards and performed a quick kip-up. The older skyborn rolled her shoulders, wincing as her muscles burned. She grinned as she glanced at Twilight, the Magian quickly stuffing her nose back into her books.
"It's alright to stare at awesomeness Twi'" Rainbow chuckled, a crumpled up paper bouncing off her head. Rainbow simply shrugged and turned her smirk to Scootaloo.
"Hey Squirt, how's that girl of yours?" she teased. Scootaloo blushed and chuckled nervously.
"She's uh...pretty attached to Rarity at the moment. I haven't seen her much since they let you guys outta the hospital..." she mumbled. Rainbow frowned, crossing her arms and glancing at Twilight. The Magian smiled, her feet touching the ground silently and her books closing around her.
"You know what we need? A nice walk into town." Twilight said as she marched past them, her books stacking themselves atop her table. She winced slightly, pausing for a moment and leaning against a bookshelf.
"You okay?" Rainbow asked softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Twilight only smiled, patting her hand gently.
"I'm fine. Just a bad headache. I guess I overdid things a bit." she chuckled, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
"How about a trip to sugarcube corner? On me" Twilight smiled at both of them. Scootaloo bounced up and down excitedly. Rainbow frowned for a moment, watching Twilight and Scootaloo head for the door. She didn't know much about magic, not as much as Twilight anyway. But she did know what 'overdoing it' felt like.
Twilight glanced over her shoulder and smiled.
"Are you coming Rainbow?" She asked. The Skyborn sighed, putting on a smile of her own as she tucked her hands into her shorts. She could question Twilight later, right now, relaxing was probably the best thing to do.
One week ago
Fluttershy bit her lip as she and the others were led into one of Celestia's meeting rooms.
"This room is normally reserved for the Knights only..." Velvet said as she walked past them. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, her mother shaking her head.
"We'll talk later, I promise." Velvet said softly, nodding her head to the table. Twilight frowned, but nodded, making her way to the table with her friends. Celestia and Luna soon entered along with a woman in a cloak, carrying an injured bunny in her arms.
"Angel!" Fluttershy cried, rushing towards him, though Luna blocked her path.
"I apologize Fluttershy, but there are more important matters. Your sibling will recover from this, but he has a debt to repay." Luna explained. Rainbow smashed her fist into the table, glaring at the Princess.
"I thought we agreed there wouldn't be any experiments!" she yelled.
"And we shall stand by our word. The boy offered us knowledge for the safe return of his sister. As you can see, she is safely with us once more. We have kept our word and now he must keep his. Would you rather we left him dying as you did?" Luna asked of Rainbow. The Skyborn gritted her teeth as she sat back down.
"If I'd known he was there..." Rainbow started, silenced as Luna raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter now. Everyone is safe, let us leave it at that." Celestia interjected before taking a seat. All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who reluctantly took her seat and lowered her head.
"First and foremost...I want it to be known that we harbor no ill will towards you Fluttershy. The Element of Kindness chose you for a reason. And if that weren't enough..." Celestia smiled, passing her eyes over everyone in the room.
"...these five all support you. I doubt we could arrest you even if we wanted to." Celestia chuckled, though her mirth soon faded away.
"But that doesn't change what has happened. Lives have been lost...others have been ruined...and many others have scars that will never heal..." Celestia glanced at Twilight for a moment before nodding to Luna.
"It is because of all of this that we will be keeping an eye upon you dearest Fluttershy. You need not worry, we do not intend to invade thy personal life or personal space. But until certain matters can be taken care of...such as your health...we will be watching you." Luna spoke up.
"As for the rest of you. Go home, get some rest, forget your duties and just live your lives." Celestia all but begged.
"Heh, really? After all o' that nonsense we went through, ya'll think we're jus' gonna quit?" Applejack asked, crossing her arms.
"I must agree. We've been through too much to simply quit. Although, perhaps some relaxation is in order, but we will still be ready to do what we must. Right girls?" Rarity turned to her friends with a smile, all of them nodding agreement.
"I don't understand..." Fluttershy interrupted. The Skyborn shook with silent sobs as she shook her head.
"How can you all just forget what I've done? What I am?" she demanded, looking at each of them.
"All of this is my fault. I could've said something, or maybe done something or..."
"No you couldn't." the cloaked figure stopped her. The woman lowered her hood, revealing herself to be Trixie, the magician who had attacked them. Twilight reacted instantly and without thinking, her magic lashing out to knock out the Magician. She was rather surprised when Trixie deflected her spell with little effort, keeping her eyes focused on Fluttershy.
"You had no choice...If you had chosen any other path...Master would've destroyed you as he almost did to many of us upon failure. You defended us from his wrath, made him treat us with respect, even if it was fake. Trixie cannot thank you enough. It is thanks to you and your friends that Trixie can live her life." The Magician continued.
"And if a useless little girl like Trixie can become a student of a Princess...then Trixie doesn't see why you cannot be forgiven for crimes that pale in comparison to Trixie's record." Trixie smiled, turning her attention to Twilight who was still holding on to her magic.
"Twilight Sparkle. In our first encounter, you were far more than a match for Trixie. Trixie fought for the wrong reasons then. But one day Trixie will have her rematch." The Magician grinned and snapped her fingers, vanishing from the room. Luna hid a smile as the girls murmured amongst themselves over what had just happened.
"I assure you, Trixie is a changed woman...just as I am." Luna spoke up, causing the room to fall silent. She cleared her throat and cast her gaze around the table.
"Please understand...we do not ask thee to give up thy titles or duties. We merely ask that you all rest and recover and try to forget your troubles until the Elements are needed once more."
The girls all looked at one another for a moment. Ever since they had become the bearers of Harmony their lives had been turned upside down. Would it be possible to just go back to a normal life?
"why don't you girls think it all over after some dinner?" Velvet suggested, the Magian vanishing and several maids entering the room, carting trays of food along with them.
Dinner came and went in a rather awkward silence. Everyone was too tired to do anything more than head to their given room for the night and rest. Rainbow however was anxious, as was Twilight. Both for different reasons however. Twilight lay in one of the many beds in the large room they were sharing with her thoughts racing.
Spike and her own mother...She was left with so many questions and so few answers. Meanwhile, Rainbow sat on a bed across from Twilight, watching her friend toss and turn.
Her eyes were drawn to the bandage around her hand and the few covering up her burns. Sure, she had gotten a bit roughed up too...but Twilight and the others had shielded her from most of it. Twilight's barriers, Pinkie Pie's incredible fighting, and Applejack's grim determination...and of course Fluttershy buying them time.
And Rarity kept Twilight's complicated as shit spell going...Geez...did I even do anything? Rainbow wondered as she watched Twilight finally relax.
In the end I was just a punching bag...and Twilight was hurt. She clenched her fists and shook herself.
I refuse to be weak, I refuse to watch the people I care about get hurt again! Just you watch Twilight...I'm gonna protect you, no matter what
Twilight groaned as she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her head felt like it was about to explode and her body ached all over.
Guess that's what I get for trying to be a hero. she chuckled to herself.
"Good morning Twilight" a voice echoed in front of her. Twilight lowered her hands, staring with wide eyes as a cloaked figure hovered in front of her. All around her was nothing but white; stretching on into nothingness.
"I'm...not awake, am I?" Twilight asked as she stood.
"Yes...and no. Not really, but at the same time, yes." the woman answered.
"That's not much of an answer...and who are you anyway?" Twilight demanded. The woman simply lifted her hand, symbols appearing around Twilight and flinging her into the abyss. Twilight screamed as she sat up in her bed, causing her friends to topple out of their beds nearby.
"What in tarnation?!" Applejack gasped, groaning loudly as she hit the ground.
"wheee!" Pinkie giggled as she rolled off her bed. Rainbow zipped into the air at the sound of screaming, clenching her fists and looking every which way. Rarity was still sound asleep, as was Fluttershy.
All eyes turned to Twilight, who had hugged her knees to her chest, hyperventilating and trying to calm herself with long deep breaths. Her friends quickly surrounded her, all trying to help but only making things worse.
"I'M FINE!" Twilight yelled, her eyes glowing and a barrier throwing her friends away from her. She gasped and leapt to her feet
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that I just..."
"Twi, chill. We've all done some crazy stuff after a nightmare. I kicked Soarin in the junk once when he was tryin' to snap me outta one." Rainbow interrupted, offering her friend a smile.
"Rainbow's right Sugarcube. Jus'...give us a bit of a warnin' next time." Applejack winced as she stood back up
"What kinda nightmare was it? Were there evil flying cupcakes?!" Pinkie gasped as she bounced in front of Twilight.
"What? No. It was..." she blinked, realizing she couldn't even recall the nightmare.
"I don't know what it was actually...I don't really remember any of it..." Twilight admitted, putting a hand against her head.
"Eh, probably for the best. Don't want it haunting you." Rainbow smiled, patting her shoulder. Twilight nodded, but the fear of what had been there still clung to her mind.
"I'm worried Princess..." velvet admitted as the two shared a small breakfast.
"It is only natural to worry about ones children." Celestia tried to sooth her friend.
"What if...what if she's never the same? What if he got in her head?" Velvet continued to panic.
"Magic will be there for her, just as she was there for me. I won't lie to you...if his magic has indeed entered her mind...it will be a trial in itself for her to endure the madness...but I have great confidence in her and her friends." Celestia smiled, sipping her tea.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Spike asked from his post at the door, his eyes never leaving the hall.
"There is nothing WE can do, but YOU can be there for her as you always have." Celestia pointed out, setting her cup down and standing.
"There is much to be done. My duties won't wait just because I ignore them." the Princess joked as she left them. Spike crossed his arms for a moment, letting his thoughts drift, at least until velvet put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know...You wanna tell her?" Spike asked. Velvet nodded, the two parting ways. Spike heading to the barracks, and Velvet heading to speak with Twilight.
Velvet couldn't help but smile at the scene she walked in on. Twilight sat in her bed with Rainbow's head resting on her shoulder while the scholar read silently. Three young girls ran about and played while Twilight's friends tried to get them to calm down. She marched into the room, placing her hand atop each little girls head as she passed by them, the girls instantly calming down and taking a seat.
"How th'..." Applejack mumbled
"When you are the mother of two of Terra's strongest Magians you learn a few tricks." Velvet winked at Applejack before turning her attention back to Twilight.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." She joked, Twilight closing her book and setting it aside. She was obviously not in the mood for jokes. Velvet sighed and folded her hands in her lap.
"Right...I guess we'll skip to the important things then...Everything you've been told is true. The Sparkle family line leads all the way back to Starswirl himself, making us some of the most powerful Magians to ever live. Your fathers family line isn't too shabby either. Which is what makes you and Shining so special." Velvet began. When Twilight remained silent she decided to continue.
"Like my mother before me, and her mother, and so on and so forth, I took on the role of Archmage and the place of The Knight of the Ancients. My entire life had been devoted to nothing but complex spells and combat training in order to take my place by Celestia." she smiled and sighed.
"And then I met your father. A scholar stumbling about with wild theories and ideas no one had ever even imagined. There hadn't been a man like him since Starswirl himself. At least that's how Celestia put it...I admit, I tried very hard to ignore him. I felt my duties to the Princess were more important than my own happiness. Celestia thought differently." Velvet chuckled a little as she sat back.
"The long and short of that is she pushed me to be with him and a few short years later I became the happy mother of two amazing children. But...unlike the rest of us...you were different Twilight." Velvet unrolled her sleeve to reveal a sunburst tattoo etched into her skin.
"At birth I was given this mark and gave up my childhood to be the master of magic I am today. I had expected the same to be done for you. Honestly I had expected it to be done for Shining. But Celestia refused to put either of you through it." Velvet rolled her sleeve back down, glancing over at Applejack and Applebloom, sitting together and reading a children's book.
"Instead, we decided the two of you would lead normal lives. Though both of you decided against that. What with Shining going into the Guard and your magic proving more powerful than we thought...It was a struggle to balance my duties and be the mother you deserved."
"Does dad know?" Twilight asked suddenly. Velvet blinked and cleared her throat.
"No...as far as he knows I'm an adviser at most and Spike was introduced to our family to help you learn more about responsibility and magic. Of course, that second part is still true, he was also there to protect you."
"From what? Why does me being a descendant of Starswirl mean so much?" Twilight demanded.
"Starswirl was the greatest Magian to have ever lived. His magical prowess rivaled that of Celestia, Luna, and Discord combined. Your magical potential makes him look like a child playing with a sparkler." Velvet explained.
"There are many who would want to take that power from you Twilight. Many who...if successful, could topple Celamont at a snap of their fingers. We couldn't risk that kind of power roaming free. So Celestia and Spike kept a careful eye over you while I and many others watched the shadows." Velvet grabbed Twilight's hand and smiled, though worry shined in her eyes.
"There is so much more I want to say Twilight, so much more that needs to be said. But I don't even know where to begin. For now...be careful of what follows you in your dreams, and don't let your magic get the better of you...I love you Twilight." Velvet murmured before simply standing and leaving. Twilight sat there staring at the spot her mother had been. She jumped in surprise as Rainbow squeezed her shoulder.
"You okay Twilight?" Rainbow asked. Twilight blinked, looking down and seeing she was still holding the book. Looking around she found Scootaloo and Sweetie belle still bouncing around the room, Applebloom sitting with Applejack in a corner and reading.
"Rainbow, did...did my mother come in here?" Twilight asked slowly as she turned towards her friend.
"Your mom? I haven't seen her since last night Twi." Rainbow answered. Twilight looked back at the book she had been holding, seeing a faint trace of a magic trail. Her mother HAD been there. But no one else knew it...Was this the power of an Arch mage? And what did she mean about what followed her in her dreams?
She cried out as pain lanced through her head, putting a hand to her forehead and shaking as images of a cloaked woman flashed through her mind. When the pain faded away she found her friends around her. She gave them a weak smile and shook her head.
"I'm alright. Just a headache...I used a lot of magic in the fighting, p-probably just magical backlash. It'll go away in a few days." She assured them. Though still obviously concerned, they seemed to believe her. Sadly Twilight didn't even convince herself...
"The seeds are in place. The chaos grows within her dreams. Soon she will be ripe for the picking Master." a young woman chuckled, her head down. Spell Nexus grinned, adjusting his suit.
"Good. Keep an eye on her, and get Scythe on finding those relics Discord left behind. I don't know what that idiot planned to do with them. but I'm sure we can find a much better use for them." he ordered, the woman teleporting away. Spell Nexus took one last look in his mirror, adjusting his tie and his circle rimmed glasses.
"Perfection. Simple perfection. Look out Eraville, here I come!"
Present Day
Scootaloo licked her lips, her face pressed against the glass as she looked over the different treats. Pinkie grinned and looked at the young Skyborn from the other side of the glass.
"See anything ya like?" Pinkie giggled.
"Tons! I just dunno which one to pick..." Scootaloo chuckled nervously
"Hmmm, how about one of each?" Pinkie asked. Scootaloo glanced over at Twilight and Rainbow.
"Uhhhh, that's a lot of sugar squirt..." Rainbow began, Scootaloo's lip wobbeling. She sighed and nodded to Pinkie, the baker spinning a tray and dropping one of each treat atop it before bouncing over the counter and dropping the tray at a nearby booth.
"Eat up! Oh! can't forget the milk!" Pinkie snorted, zipping into the kitchen and returning with several glasses of milk before leaving to tend to her other customers. Scootaloo stared at the tray with wide eyes, snatching up a blueberry muffin and digging in.
Twilight sat in the booth, reading through another one of her books and wincing slightly, placing a hand against her temple. Rainbow frowned, putting a hand on her shoulder, only for Twilight to give her a smile and return to her book.
She's definitely hiding something...But what? A better question is why? Does she not trust me or somethin? Rainbow wondered, blinking as Scootaloo held a cookie out to her.
"I can't eat all this myself ya know." she joked. Rainbow grinned, accepting the cookie. Right now was for Scootaloo. It was for them to relax, not to worry over stupid things that were probably not important.
We're still gonna have a talk about this later Twilight...
"For the last time Sweetie Belle, I am alright!" Rarity fumed, her sister carrying a bowl of soup and pouting.
"But the doctor said..."
"That I have a clean bill of health and need to simply hold back on using magic for a few more days and I will make a full recovery. You've no reason to worry about me. What about that friend of yours? Shouldn't you be spending time with her, hm?" Rarity questioned. Sweetie Belle lowered her head.
"I-I guess. I just...feel weird around her. A-And I'm so scared that I...that I..." she blinked as Rarity kissed her forehead.
"You feel happy around her don't you? Safe with her?" Rarity questioned. Sweetie froze for a moment and nodded.
"Then there is nothing to worry about. She means too much to you for you to hurt her Sweetie Belle. Why don't you go check on her? I'm sure she misses you." Rarity said with a smile. Sweetie Belle bit her lip and nodded, setting the soup down on Rarity's worktable before rushing downstairs and out the door. Rarity sighed in relief, rubbing her temples to sooth her headache. She had been warned that using her magic would have side affects, but her work required a little magical flair.
"I'm sure some tea will help." she murmured, making her way to the kitchen.
"Almost done" Spike grunted, hefting a bag of fertilizer over his shoulder and running back and forth as he tended to Fluttershy's animals and garden. Fluttershy watched him from a bench on her front porch, glancing down at her bandaged body. Her thoughts drifted to Angel. He had been recovering rather well under the care of Princess Luna and Trixie.
She even got to visit him from time to time, but under heavy guard. Not that they didn't trust her. It was just that no one knew if Discord had left any hidden keywords to trigger her darker side and everyone wanted to be ready to react in case something went wrong. Thus, Spike had been tending to her and watching over her while she recovered.
"Y-You really don't have to do all of this Spike." Fluttershy spoke up. He froze, dropping the bag of feed he'd been carrying and dusting his hands off on his overalls. He marched over to Fluttershy and crossed his arms.
"It's not that much, besides, I like work. keeps me busy. And in your condition you shouldn't be doing this kind of hard labour. Besides, someones gotta keep an eye on you and I don't trust Luna's guard to keep their hands to themselves." Spike admitted. Fluttershy sighed softly, Spike frowning for a moment. The Dragon-kin hopped onto the bench beside her.
"Fluttershy...you know me keeping an eye on you is just a formality right?"
"I-I know...I just...I miss Angel...I miss tending to my animals...and working in the garden...I miss things being normal." Fluttershy began to cry.
"I miss the days when I didn't have the blood of others on my hands!" she yelled. Spike froze, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.
"Fluttershy...how many people do you think I've killed?" he asked her suddenly. She paused, hiccuping and glancing over at him, seeing a dark light in his eyes.
"I don't know how well you knew Morigan. She was practically my mother, and I killed her Fluttershy. Without hesitation I ended her life and given the chance I would do it again." Spike continued, taking a shuddering breath.
"It needed to be done...it had to be done. We all know, if you could've chosen your own path, you would've spared them." Spike chuckled softly, wiping away a stray tear from his eye.
"You are innocent in all of this. You did what you did because you truly had no choice. My actions were my own. The important thing is to not let your mistakes consume you." he whispered.
"I...Spike..."
"Sorry." Spike interrupted, jumping off the bench.
"I should get back to feeding the rest of the animals" he chuckled, his smile returning as he went back to work. She frowned as she watched him go back and forth. He accepted her for what she was, for what she had done. But did anyone accept him for what he was? For what he had done?
"Macintosh, fer th' last dang time, ah'm fine!" Applejack yelled, wincing as he poked her rib.
"An fer th' last dang time ah'm tellin ya that ya ain't. Ah'm sorry Aj, but ya can't work th' fields like that. Jus' take th' day off, spend some time with that lady friend o yers. Or maybe spend a day with yer daughter at th' park." Big Mac argued.
"H-How dare you?! Ah spend plenty o' time with Applebloom!"
"Ah ain't said ya don't. But maybe a day o' jus' you an her is somethin ya'll need. Ah'll handle the chores today"
"But..."
"No buts. Yer officially on leave from work til ya recover. Now git!" Macintosh laughed, gently shoving her out the door.
"Th' nerve! Ah oughta...!"
"Applejack?" Applebloom said softly, grabbing hold of her jeans. Applejack swore under her breath as she locked eyes with her daughter.
"Ah thought ya'll would be playin with yer friends."
"Ah haven't seen them since we got back..."
"Well that ain't right. Tell ya what, how 'bout we go into town an have a day t' ourselves? Jus' you an me?" Applejack said with a smile, gasping in pain as Applebloom hugged her.
"Really Applejack?!" Applebloom asked excitedly.
"Y-Yes really." Applejack choked out, pulling free of her daughters grip and holding out her hand. Applebloom happily grabbed her hand, the two marching through the orchard toward town.
"That sure was a big plate of sweets..." Twilight mumbled. Scootaloo nodded, licking her sticky fingers, Rainbow chuckling and pulling a Dum Dum out of her hair.
"Yea, we're gonna need a way to burn off all that sugar...how 'bout a race Squirt?" Rainbow grinned, flaring out her wings. Scootaloo's eyes widened, her wings coming to life and causing her to stumble. Twilight smiled, noticing they had grown quite a bit larger.
"Dang Squirt, those look like some killers! Heh, I was gonna give ya a head start, but with those babies you might be just as fast as me." Rainbow grinned, ruffling Scootaloo's hair. The young flier squeaked, buzzing her wings a bit. Twilight shook her head, stepping off to the side and holding up her hand.
"First to the fountain and back wins. Ready?" Twilight asked. Rainbow nodded, leaning down a bit and spreading out her wings. Scootaloo followed suit, her heart pounding in her ears. She was born to be fast, she had to win this!
"GO!" Twilight laughed, gasping as the two fired off like bullets, Scootaloo slamming her feet hard into the ground as her wings buzzed, kicking off and gliding along while Rainbow sped alongside her, the two grinning against the wind in their face. As Scootaloo reached the fountain she tucked herself into a ball and rolled, skidding to a stop and turning to run back, Rainbow right on her tail with a breakneck turn. Scootaloo gasped as Rainbow picked her up, spiraling up into the air.
"D-Dash!" she cried out, clinging to her. Rainbow smiled.
"Relax Squirt. You're a Skyborn. You were born to be up here." Rainbow said softly, letting her wings vanish. For a moment they hung in the air, Scootaloo staring with wide eyes as Rainbow fell. On instinct she kicked her wings into high gear, letting them buzz against one another as she zipped through the air in a blur towards her idol.
Rainbow smiled to herself, gasping as Scootaloo tackled her in mid-air, throwing her wings out to their full span to try and slow the fall. At the last moment Rainbow threw out her wings, slinging an arm around Scootaloo and pulling out of the fall. She gently hovered near Twilight with Scootaloo still clinging to her and buzzing her wings.
"Hey Squirt? You alright?" Rainbow asked softly as she pulled away. Scootaloo blinked, looking up at Rainbow who was smiling down at her.
"I-I'm fine. But why did you fall?!" She cried. Rainbow pointed down, Scootaloo slowly following with her eyes and realizing she was hovering above the ground on her own.
"Am I...Am I flying?" she gasped, tears stinging her eyes.
"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle cried out as she ran towards her. The Skyborn turned, gasping as Sweetie Belle tackled her out of the air, the two smiling at one another on the ground.
"Well, ain't that somethin?" Applejack chuckled as she walked in on the scene, Applebloom grinning and piling on top of her friends, the three wrestling to get to their feet first.
"Weird seein' you in town this early Aj." Rainbow pointed out. Applejack shrugged, crossing her arms.
"Big Mac's put me on vacation. says ah'm too hurt t' work th' fields." She scoffed. Rainbow gently poked the farmers rib, causing her to wince and clutch her side.
"I would say he is correct Applejack. You might be a Gaian, but Discord was a Chaotician. Its a shock none of his magic had lasting effects on any of us. Though we can probably thank the Elements for that." Twilight pointed out, right before she winced, putting a hand to her head.
Rainbow froze, her eyes widening as the pieces clicked.
"Say that again."
"Huh? The Elements most likely shielded us..."
"No, before that. About lasting effects. What could Chaos magic to do a person...say...a Magian?" Rainbow asked softly. Twilight blinked.
"Well. From what I've been able to read up on, Chaos magic had ways of cutting off Magians from Mana altogether. Driving many to the point of madness. Why?" Twilight asked, she squeaked as Rainbow Dash grabbed her shoulders.
"Sorry AJ, gonna have to ask you to watch the kids." Rainbow apologized, throwing her arms around Twilight and sending the two into the air with a powerful flap of her wings. Half a second later she had turned and was hurtling for Eraville General Hospital.
Twilight would've screamed were it not for the wind shoving it back down her throat. She was forced to throw her arms tightly around Rainbow as the Skyborn raced towards the hospital. She was still dazed and blinded even when they had landed and been led into a waiting room. She finally came to her senses with a shake of her head and took a look around slowly.
"Rainbow...why are we here?" Twilight asked.
"Because you're hiding something from me Twilight." Rainbow replied, keeping her eyes forward. Twilight opened her mouth to argue, freezing as Rainbow turned toward her.
"R-Rainbow, honestly, I'm alright...The spell to seal Discord used a lot of magic, and that was only to charge the spell. Actually casting it...and channeling the Elements like that...took a lot more out of me that I didn't have. I'm just experiencing some magical backlash is all. It'll fade away in time." Twilight explained.
"What if its not just some magic backlash thing? What if its something worse?" Rainbow argued
"I'm sure Rainbow. I was diagnosed and...told not to use magic for a while." Twilight mumbled. Rainbow blinked and stared.
"THEN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING ALL DAY?!" Rainbow demanded. Twilight flinched and turned away.
"What if they told you not to Fly?" she whispered.
"what?"
"What if you couldn't fly?! What if your injuries ruined your wings and they said you couldn't fly...what would you do?!" Twilight demanded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Rainbow had no answer, taking a hesitant step towards her friend.
"Magic is all I know Rainbow...Its who I AM. I can't just let it go..."
"Twilight...no one is asking you to let it go just...give it a break, just for a little while...please?" Rainbow asked softly, kneeling in front of her and gently brushing the tears away with her thumbs.
"What about the Town? If something attacks...or if Scootaloo..." Twilight began to stammer, Rainbow shaking her head and hardly noticing the nurse walking toward them.
"If anything thinks its gonna do a damn thing to this town its got another thing coming. There's still five of us in fighting condition ya know. Just...hold off on the magic a bit. For me?" Rainbow asked softly.
"Excuse me, Twilight Sparkle?" the nurse interrupted.
"Y-yes, that's me."
"The Doctor will see you now." she said softly, offering them both a smile as she turned on her heel to lead the way. Twilight took a shuddering breath as she stood, marching alongside Rainbow.
"Now stopping at Eraville Train-station!" a voice called over the loudspeaker. Spell Nexus hid a grin as he stood, grabbing his bag from the compartment above his seat. Everything was going according to plan. His transfer had gone smoother than he had expected. Princess Celestia herself had signed the papers, convinced that having a scholar of his caliber so near her student would do her well.
You are a fool Celestia, putting me so close to your precious protege. So lost was he in his thoughts, he didn't notice a young woman coming down the aisle, the two colliding. He grit his teeth as the scent of rain and mildew filled his nostrils.
The woman was definitely Skyborn and despite her meek appearance of a simple cloak draped over her shoulders, a button up shirt and low pinstriped skirt, there seemed to be something more about her. Something in her eyes and the way she held herself.
"My apologies miss. I wasn't quite watching where I was going. I do hope you can forgive me. Oh! Allow me to introduce myself! I am Spell Nexus, Princess Celestia's top researcher in the magical field." He said with a smile and a bow. The woman returned his smile, adjusting her glasses
"No no, it was my fault. I've been so distracted lately. So much to do, so much left undone. I'm a bit of a researcher myself as well. Nothing quite as fancy as working for the Princess though." she sighed, keeping her smile as she dug through her papers, carefully tucking them back into one of the many binders she carried.
The two marched off the train together, Spell Nexus letting his thoughts roam.
A researcher hm? What would a Skyborn research anyway? And that aura she gives off...just what kind of woman are you?
"Oh, I never did get your name Miss." he chuckled nervously.
"Hm? Well, I never did give it, but I suppose it would only be fair. You can call me Miss Yearling" she said with a gently tip of her hat.
"The famous children's book author? What brings a woman like you to Eraville?" he wondered.
"I was offered a job actually. Teaching children of all things" she laughed. Spell Nexus froze in place, his heart pounding in his ears. That job was his! It was his ticket to securing the Element of Magic. Why was someone else being given the job!?
"Ah, so you two have arrived!" a man laughed as he walked towards them. He wore a rather strange trenchcoat and a brown pinstripe suit underneath.
"Doctor! Wait for me!" Ditzy cried out, panting slightly as she caught up with him.
"Ah! Sorry about that Ditzy. Couldn't afford to miss them!" he chuckled, turning his attention to Spell Nexus and Miss Yearling.
"Now then, I think an explanation is needed. I've also been called about that teaching job you two are looking into." he said with a smirk.
"How did you know we were here for the job?" Yearling asked.
"Because the Mayor asked me to come get you two. I was rather surprised by her methods, but its her town. It seems the three of us will work as substitutes until a permanent solution is decided upon. I look forward to working with you!" he said, waving to them as he walked away.
So its a competition then is it? Fine! I am a man of magic and science! I have taught classes all around the world! I can handle a bunch of children
"So that's the infamous Doctor...an interesting man." Yearling giggled, adjusting her glasses.
"Well, Mr Nexus, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I have somewhere to be. I'll see you at work tomorrow." she excused herself, leaving him to his thoughts. One in particularly stuck with him well into the night.
Who was this Doctor? and why could he not sense anything from his Aura?
"Doctor...is everything okay?" Ditzy asked as she watched him pull the TARDIS key from his pocket.
"Just my thoughts Ditzy, nothing important!" he assured her with a smile, tucking the key away. As it was right now, it was just a trinket.
"Okay...well...Dinky is really excited to have you teaching her class tomorrow! But...what are you going to tell them about their old teacher?"
"Sometimes the truth is better than sugarcoated lies Ditzy. If we lie to them now and they learn the truth later, that only makes matters worse and only hurts them more." he sighed.
"Doctor!" a voice cried out, following by a bundle tackling his legs and wrapping around him.
"Hello there Dinky, ready for school tomorrow?"
"I sure am! I can't wait for all my friends to meet you and hear about all..." she blinked as he put his finger to her lips.
"I'm just a teacher Dinky. Lets keep stories as stories, hm?"
"Aww...okay..." she mumbled sadly. With a quick hug she rushed to her mothers side, accepting her hand and walking with them to Ditzy's home on the edge of town.
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day... the Doctor let his thoughts wander, gripping the vibrating key in his pocket.
"Hello?! is anyone home?" a voice called out. Applejack stumbled off the couch and made her way to the front door, nearly tripping over three little girls playing tag. She pulled the door open, blinking at the strange woman standing outside.
"Uh, ah'm mighty sorry miss, but th' library ain't open right now."
"Oh, I see. Well, I'm actually supposed to be a resident here for a while. Is Twilight Sparkle not here?"
"Ya'll a friend o' Twilights'? Well, ah s'pose she won't mind if'n ah let ya in. She's out an about with a friend, dunno when she's comin' back." Applejack explained.
"I see, well, I'll be sure to keep to myself until she arrives." the woman said with a smile, making the trek through the tidal wave of toys, book forts, and scrambling girls seem like a stroll in the park. Scootaloo dived past the woman to dodge Applebloom trying to tag her and the woman simply stepped around the trio of giggling girls. Humming lightly, she took a seat on the couch, setting her many binders down and pulling one open.
"Wait a minute...I know who you are!" Scootaloo cried, gasping as Applebloom tackled her.
"Tag! yer it Scootaloo!" Applebloom declared triumphantly.
"No fair!" Scootaloo grumbled. The woman smiled, closing her binder.
"You know me little one?" she asked softly. Scootaloo nodded and pointed.
"You write the Daring Do books!" she claimed with a smile.
"I take it you are a fan?"
"Heh...well, its kinda the only book I ever read...I got it for my birthday one year at the orphanage." Scootaloo admitted. She rushed out of the room, returning with an old copy of Daring Do and the Treasure of the Beastlands
The woman tapped her chin and reached into her bag, holding out a book, Scootaloo's eyes widening.
"Well, I suppose someone who can take care of one of my oldest stories deserves a little peek. Just try not to share it with anyone. This isn't on shelves yet." she winked. Scootaloo nodded quickly, sitting down and quickly surrounded by her friends as she started to read.
Applejack grinned as she took a seat on the couch.
"So, ya'll write books? Ah can see how yer a friend o' Twilight's" the farmer chuckled.
"Actually I don't know her at all. I was just told that this would be the best place for me to stay while I am here. Princess Celestia said it was not only the safest place, but the smartest."
"Huh, well, the most Book smart ah s'pose." Applejack shrugged.
"You heard the Doc Twi', no Magic for the next week." Rainbow said softly as they entered the library. They both froze, spotting the woman on the couch.
"Oh my gosh I am so sorry! I completely forgot and..." Twilight began to panic, the writer holding up her hand.
"It's alright. A nice young man greeted me at the train-station and finding this place wasn't all that difficult. Your friend was kind enough to let me in and these girls seem rather happy with my latest work," She said with a smile, nodding her head at the three girls with their noses buried in the storybook.
"S-Still, I should've been here to welcome you and help you get settled in and relaxed..."
"If what I heard from the Princess holds any merit, I think its you that deserves to relax," She winked, reaching between her breasts and flashing a small badge that held the same sunburst marking as the Knights.
"Hold up a minute, you're one of the Knights?!" Rainbow asked, a bit shocked.
"Shhh, not so loud. And no, I'm not a Knight. I'm more of a...consultant. I hardly know Sir Spike or the others to be honest. We've only worked together a few times. But that's not whats important right now. What is important is that Teaching Job that's available," She explained.
"Oh right...Cheerilee's old job..." Twilight sighed, hanging her head.
"What do you mean, old job? Did she get fired?" Sweetie Belle asked, her bottom lip wobbling.
"No! No, nothing like that Sweetie belle, um...she uh..."
"She was killed helping us save everyone." Rainbow interrupted, kneeling down in front of the girls.
"When the Princess was in danger, she did everything she could to protect her and it cost her life...She died a hero, protecting the princess." Rainbow continued, the three girls bursting into tears.
"Did ya really have t' do that Rainbow?" Applejack scolded, pulling Applebloom close and letting the girl cry against her.
"What? Want me to keep it from them and just spring it up on them randomly one day?" Rainbow argued causing Applejack to flinch. She knew all too well what keeping a secret like that could do. She however had been lucky enough to have an understanding daughter.
"Ah s'pose yer right...ain't fair t' keep it from em..." Applejack sighed.
"I-I'll go make some tea..." Twilight stammered.
"Uh uh! No way Sparkle. You sit your butt down, Doctors orders," Rainbow glared at her, cradling Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle sniffled and wrapped her arms around herself, blinking when Miss Yearling put a hand on her head, offering her a smile.
"I didn't get to meet her personally, but I heard she was a wonderful teacher and that she deeply cared for all of her students. I hope I can be as good a teacher as she was," She said softly, smiling as Sweetie hugged her leg.
"So...you are gonna take up post here in Eraville?" Rainbow asked.
"Well...I'm just one candidate. There's two others. A 'Spell Nexus', supposedly Celestia's greatest researcher in the magical field, according to himself. Something seemed off about him though. Almost...fake..." She sighed.
"Spell Nexus is in Eraville?!" Twilight gasped, her eyes wide.
"Oh gods here we go..." Rainbow murmured.
"Oh don't start with me Rainbow. He's only the greatest mind in Celamont! I think he would make a wonderful teacher...well in Magic anyway..." Twilight chuckled.
"Yes, but Eraville is a town of ALL the races. Not just Magians. Which is why I was picked, and another man. I only know him as The Doctor. He seems to just be a young man but...his eyes..." She stopped for a moment, clenching her fist.
"Those eyes have seen decades of misery..." she murmured, blinking as Sweetie Belle dozed off against her leg. She smiled and stood, lifting the Magian.
"Seems its time for bed." Miss Yearling smiled.
"Ah'll take her home, need t' get Applebloom home too, fer she passes out," Applejack offered, gently taking Sweetie Belle from the Teacher to be.
"Oh and...let th' kids down easy, kay?" Applejack said softly as she left, Applebloom yawning and waving to Scootaloo. Rainbow sighed as she stood, lifting Scootaloo.
"C'mon Kiddo. Lets get you to bed," she murmured, leaving Twilight alone with Ms Yearling.
"You should sit Miss Sparkle."
"Oh um, please, call me Twilight," the Magian chuckled nervously as she sat down.
"Very well, you can call me Ariadne, or Ari for short," She said with another wink.
"I'm a little surprised...but a part of me feels I shouldn't be. First Spike...then my own mother, and now one of the greatest childrens book authors. Who next? The Mailman?" Twilight scoffed. Ari only shrugged, adjusting her glasses.
"You might wanna watch what you say in certain places Twilight. I was personally unaware of your mothers involvement in anything. But I can keep my lips sealed, others aren't so good at that." Ari warned. Twilight's eyes widened as she covered her mouth.
"It's getting rather late. Maybe you should get some rest. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow you know."
"Hm, So the Skyborn is one of Celestia's little soldiers. She can't possibly suspect my true intentions...still, I will have to be careful around her." Spell Nexus muttered, staring into his scrying glass. In his short time near his competition he had managed to mutter a spell to track her, allowing him to easily spy on his target.
He hadn't even expected to be so lucky as to have a window directly to Twilight Sparkle. His curiosity simply led him to keep an eye on the Skyborn. Oddly enough however, his spell had failed to reach 'The Doctor' as he called himself.
"Perhaps he has some sort of protective charm? In any case, both of them are hiding something. If Celestia is entrusting them with this task, they both have connections to her. One a soldier...and what of the other?" he mused, pacing about his room.
During his stay in Eraville he had been given one of the offices of Town hall, refurnished into a bedroom and close to any facilities he might need. It was the best a small town could offer. He honestly could care less if her were living in a box. His only focus was his mission. Once his Queen was revived he would have everything he ever wanted!
It was only a matter of time.
"Up an at em Squirt!" Rainbow called out, Scootaloo shrieking as she was snatched from the world of dreams and flung off her bed. She groaned and grumbled as she stood, Rainbow wearing a smirk.
"Time for School Squirt. Miss Yearling is gonna walk ya, I gotta check up on the weather and Twilight's gotta get the Library open. But I'll come pick you up when I get off, kay?" Rainbow smiled. Scootaloo gave a small nod, Rainbow's smile fading away.
"Hey...whats wrong Scootaloo?" she asked, kneeling in front of her.
"Is Miss Cheerilee really...d-d..." Scootaloo started to ask, tears filling her eyes. Rainbow pulled her close, rubbing her back gently.
"Ya know...Gaians don't really die." Rainbow said softly, Scootaloo looking up at her.
"Just ask Applejack, or Applebloom. I'm sure Applejack spent last night tellin' her. The long an short of it Squirt, your teacher might not be there to teach you anymore, but she's still with you and watching over you. She went out makin' sure you kids had good lives to live."
"You aren't gonna die a hero are you?" Scootaloo asked suddenly. Rainbow was caught off guard. She couldn't exactly promise she wasn't going to die. Everyone died someday and that was something she had known and lived with since she was just a kid.
"I'm not gonna lie or try to sugarcoat it. I dunno. Heck, just doin' my job could get me killed. One rogue bolt and its lights out. And there's this whole Elements of Harmony junk. Anything could happen, and making some bullshit promise that I'm not gonna die is only gonna make it harder on you if I do go an screw up. But I can promise you this..." Rainbow smiled, grabbing Scootaloo's hand.
"I'm not gonna go and get myself killed. I've got five amazing friends all watchin' my back. We've got magic and crazy ancient powers. We aren't gonna go down easy. Heck, we just beat a freakin' God of evil magic. Besides, I'm not really in any condition to do much. I'll probably just be babysitting newbies learnin' to move clouds."
"Promise?"
"I promise Squirt. Now c'mon, you're gonna be late."
"Looks like everyone is here. Shall we get started?" The Doctor asked as Scootaloo and Miss Yearling walked into the classroom. Scootaloo took her seat near her friends, setting her bag down and glancing at the clock.
"Now now students, calm down!" Spell Nexus called out over the noise. Still they continued to talk over one another, the Magian gritting his teeth.
"Allow me." Miss Yearling said softly. She walked up to the chalkboard and slowly wrote out her name. She lifted a ruler and gently tapped the chalkboard, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Good morning class, my name is Miss Yearling and I am going to be one of your substitute teachers." she introduced herself.
"Good Morning Miss Yearling," the class said together. The Doctor grinned, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"I am The Doctor, and I will also be one of your teachers," he said with a wave, Dinky waving back at him.
"And I am Spell Nexus, Celestia's personal and best researcher in the field of magic. I shall be teaching you alongside these two."
"What happened to miss Cheerilee?" Diamond Tiara demanded. Spell Nexus paused for a moment as his eyes latched onto the necklace she wore. Miss Yearling stepped forward, resting her hands on the desk.
"I am sorry to tell all of you that Miss Cheerilee has unexpectedly passed away. If you check your desks you will see a permission slip for you parents to attend her service next week." she said softly, both Spell Nexus and The Doctor looking at her in shock. Murmurs filled the classroom.
"B-But Mith Cheerilee can't be dead!" Twist cried
"Now now everyone. I know its terrible news, and we understand that its going to affect all of you rather harshly. So today we are going to be doing silent study and getting to know one another." The Doctor tossed in, offering each student a genuine smile.
"She ain't dead!" Applebloom yelled as she stood, the classroom falling silent.
"She ain't...She's still here watchin over us jus' like she always has. Applejack told me all 'bout it. When a Gaian dies...she returns to th' planet, t' Mother Terra with all th' others that were born from her. So even if she ain't right here teachin' us, she's still watchin' us! R-Right?" Applebloom looked around the classroom.
"You are absolutely right young lady." Miss Yearling said with a smile.
"As a matter of fact, why don't we study that today? If all of you can open your Science books to page 73 you can see proof of this as studied by Starswirl the wise." she cracked open a book and lifted a piece of chalk, The Doctor stepping aside and standing near a window. Spell Nexus grumbled under his breath and stood beside him.
"Now, as can be seen here. A Gaian who has been buried for a period of several months still holds a natural healthy glow. Many Magian scientists practicing rather complicated magic found a direct connection between the body and spirit of the Gaian, showing a direct path and proof they were still with them. Some experiments even managed communication with the deceased, but was quickly ended out of respect for the families." She continued, turning the page.
"While on the subject, does anyone know anything about Avaros? Or Magians?" She asked. When no one answered she merely giggled.
"That's alright. It is some advanced material after all. We are only going to delve just a little into it before returning to the normal lesson plan. Now, we Avaros are born of the Sky we love so much. Thus our names 'Skyborn'"
"Excuse me, but none of this is true! When a woman and a man love each other they..." Diamond Tiara interrupted
"Yes, that is the manner in which children are born. But our Spirits are much different. Our Spirits are formed long before our bodies and only match up with a body that fully represents our true selves. A spirit belongs to no race until it latches onto its chosen body." Miss Yearling continued her explanation.
"When an Avaros passes away, their spirit returns to the sky, to forever fly along the breeze. And when a Magian passes away...Their spirits return to The Great Pool." A chill seemed to fill the room as Miss Yearling drew a large circle on the chalkboard.
"The Great Pool is the place where all Magians draw Mana within themselves. Am I correct Mr Nexus?" Miss Yearling turned to her coworkers, the Magian jumping slightly.
"Hm? Ah, yes! indeed you are Miss Yearling. A pool dwells within each Magian and determines how much Mana one can hold. But The Great Pool holds all Mana in the known universe, as well as those who have passed on to the other side." Mr Nexus agreed.
"So...when someone holds mana...they are holding the spirits of Magians?" Sweetie Belle asked, staring at her hands.
"Almost correct. They are in-tuned with those Spirits, and it is through these spirits that a Magian asks for the power to cast a spell." Miss Yearling said with a smile.
"I'm sure Mr Nexus or Miss Sparkle could tell you more on the subject if you are interested. For now, I believe its time for a little break. You may talk among yourselves."
"Ya know...I don't feel so bad now. Knowin' all that stuff Miss Yearling had to say." Scootaloo mumbled around her sandwich. Sweetie Belle gasped suddenly, a large smile on her face.
"Do you know what this means?!" she squealed.
"Uh...Ah got nuthin'" Applebloom shrugged.
"It means my parents aren't gone forever and neither are Scootaloo's!" Sweetie Belle explained.
"All I have to do is try and use magic and I could probably reach out to my parents!"
"Ah don't think it works that way Belle...But maybe Miss Twilight knows somethin'? Or Mr Nexus...t' be honest he kinda scares me. Somethin' jus' don't...feel right 'bout him." Applebloom shuddered, sneezing a moment later as Spell Nexus walked past them, giving them a smile before moving on to keep an eye on the other students.
"Look! Ah even get Th' Chill when he walks past me!" Applebloom argued.
"Thats kinda weird...Hey, I was thinkin'. You've got The Chill and Pinkie has her Pinkie Sense. She's a Gaian, you're a Gaian, maybe she can teach you how to use it to find stuff!" Scootaloo said excitedly.
"Th' closer ah get t' somethin' th' worse Th' Chill is. Ain't exactly need any teachin' and why would ah WANT t' get closer t' whatever is makin' me sick?" Applebloom argued.
"Well...I had a talk with Rainbow Dash this morning. I was worried she might end up dying a hero since she's one of those Elements of Harmony an she straight up told me that she might! I mean...its nice to know she isn't gonna try an lie to me like the Doctors did with my parents. But what if they are in some kind of danger?"
"Well what are we s'posed t' do 'bout it?" Applebloom wondered.
"Well...I didn't wanna say anything but..." Scootaloo glanced around and grinned, placing her hands in front of her friends, a little spark dancing between them.
"Whoa! Scoots, how did you do that?!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Shhh! Quiet down Belle! I just kinda...did it. I can't really explain it, but I think whatever Twilight gave me to fix my wings also gave me powers!" Scootaloo said in an excited whisper.
"So what? Ya'll think jus' cause ya can make some fancy shmancy sparks that ya'll can be a hero?" Applebloom wondered.
"No. But I bet the three of us together could probably do somethin if worse came to worse. I finally have parents again...I don't wanna lose em..."
"Ya aren't gonna lose em Scoots, but lets not do somethin' crazy."
"Sometimes the crazy things are the most fun." The Doctor chuckled as he sat in a chair near them, causing the three girls to jump.
"H-How long..."
"Oh, I didn't hear a thing." he chuckled with a wink.
"But I should tell you...Skyborn and Magic don't mix too well. You should let your parents know about this. If by this time next week you haven't told Miss Sparkle, I will." he warned softly, ruffling her hair before walking away.
"What is with these teachers?" Scootaloo mumbled.
Rainbow sighed as she looked over pile after pile of paperwork. They had brought in someone else to train the new cloud movers and with her in critical condition, they had put her on morning paperwork.
"Well, beats bein' blasted by bolts. Heh, I should write that down, Twilight would be impressed." she mumbled, going through the long agonizing task of filing each paper.
knock knock knock
"Whatever you want, it can be handled later!" Rainbow called over her desk.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Rainbow sighed, walking around her desk and up to the door
"Oh for Celestia's sake. WHAT?!" She yelled as she pulled the door open
"Hey Squirt." Soarin chuckled, grunting as Rainbow hugged him tightly.
"Soarin...what are you doing here?"
"Well, someone has to teach these rookies how to move clouds." he grinned.
"You put in for a transfer to keep an eye on me, didn't you?" Rainbow deadpanned.
"Saw right through me huh? Well, Spitfire came back injured from a solo mission and I heard about some nasty business you got yourself into. Figured it was my turn to be on the front lines."
Rainbow blinked and stared for a moment, realization dawning on her slowly. Soarin didn't know. He was just another Military guy out of the loop and doing his best to defend his home and his people. She pulled him into her office, locking the door and peeking out the window, her eyes glowing dimly as a symbol drew itself on the wall.
"Rainbow! You aren't supposed to..."
"I've been training under Celestia's personal student. I know what I can and can't do and I know what I need to do. Its not fair of them to keep you out of the loop. Spitfire wasn't on a Solo Mission. She works for the Princess." Rainbow interrupted him.
"of course she works for the Princess, she's a Wonderbolt."
"No, Soarin..." Rainbow sighed, leaning against her desk.
"She's a Knight. Part of some crazy secret service fighting a secret war beyond the Wonderbolts. All to protect The Elements of Harmony." Rainbow explained.
"I don't understand."
"Yea, I didn't at first either. She kept it a secret from everyone and I only found out not too long ago myself. I thought she'd at least tell you but...thats just how she is. She was probably tryin' to protect us. Heck even the Archmage is kept a secret."
"Ya know, she was always a bit picky about the details of her missions. I didn't expect anything like this though." He shrugged.
"You aren't mad?"
"That she didn't tell me she was some secret Knight to keep my stupid ass alive? No, not really. A little upset she couldn't trust me to have her back, but it was probably on Celestia's orders. Oh that reminds me." Soarin fished into his pocket, holding out an envelope.
"Whats this?" Rainbow wondered as she tore it open.
"A letter from someone named Gilda. Orders were to bring it right to you. Seems she is rising in the ranks and asked for you by name. She's due to visit Eraville sometime this week to speak to you about something important. We couldn't get anymore details than that."
"Gilda huh? I didn't think she'd even remember me." Rainbow mumbled, reading over the letter. It said pretty much everything Soarin had told her, only going as far to say that Gilda needed her.
"I guess I'll figure out what this is about when she gets here." Rainbow sighed, the symbol vanishing as she put a hand against her head.
"Ugh I'm stupid. Doc said no magic til we recover." she groaned.
"Yea, you're an idiot." Soarin chuckled as he sat beside her. She grinned, punching his shoulder.
"Yea, but I'm your idiot."
"It seems I underestimated the competition. And that girl, the loud one. She has one of Discords Trinkets." Spell Nexus growled.
"Her name is Diamond Tiara, her father is a rather important businessman. His donations alone saved Eraville from being torn to the ground." Scythe handed him a file, the Magian grumbling under his breath as he read through the file.
"You've done well. Find me the other relics. Quickly. I fear there isn't much time left to enact our plan."
"Whatever you say." Scythe shrugged as he vanished.
"Soon Twilight Sparkle, soon you will play your role."
"Everything is ready for your trip Sir" a young cadet said as he saluted. Gilda grinned, adjusting her collar and placing a hand over the jewel that hung around her neck.
"Good, keep an eye on things for me until I get back. it's your ass if anything goes wrong." she warned, marching past him. She didn't want to be late after all.
"You sure its cool for me to tag along Dash?" Soarin asked as they gently coasted along a stray air current
"You did your job for the day right?" Rainbow asked with a smirk.
"Of course I did." Soarin scoffed
"Then its cool. If not, I'll take the heat, its no biggie. But you gotta meet Scoots." Rainbow said with a smile.
"Yea...Spitfire told me a little bit about her. Said she reminded her of a certain someone we both know." Soarin chuckled, tucking his hands into his jean pockets as they landed softly
"So, wheres this bundle of sugar and joy?" the Wonderbolt asked as he glanced around. Rainbow patted his shoulder as she marched into the school, grunting as Scootaloo hugged her.
"Hey squirt, ready to go?" Rainbow asked with a smile.
"Yup. Bye Miss Yearling! Bye Doctor!" Scootaloo called out as she rushed out of the school, bumping headfirst into Soarin. Rainbow smiled to herself, staying behind to talk to the teachers.
"So...how'd it go?" Rainbow asked softly as she walked up to them.
"I would say it was a rather productive day. Miss Yearling seems to have everything under control. Even I am amazed by her well of knowledge in History" The Doctor chuckled.
"Well, I like my tales as accurate as possible. I have weak subjects though. Math for example...it's always just been..."
"Mathy?" The Doctor offered, the pair sharing a laugh.
"Wasn't there some other teacher?" Rainbow wondered.
"Spell Nexus excused himself earlier in the day. He seemed satisfied that we had things under control." Miss Yearling said with a roll of her eyes.
"And Scootaloo? There weren't any outbursts or anything were there?" Rainbow wondered.
"She was very well behaved, her and those friends of hers seem like a good bunch. Just a bit too excited to try new things they might not be ready for." The Doctor chuckled.
"For someone so young, you make a wonderful mother." Miss Yearling said with a smile. Rainbow chuckled nervously.
"Well I was in her shoes once, I guess my foster mom taught me right."
"It's hard to tell she's adopted, had you not mentioned it, I would've thought you two were blood." Miss Yearling admitted.
"Heh, I keep hearin' that. Guess it's just cause of everything the two of us have been through..."
"Well, Lessons to be planned and papers to grade. Lots to do and so little time. Until tomorrow ladies." The Doctor smiled, taking Dinky's hand and walking out of the school with her.
"He's a strange one..." Miss Yearling chuckled as she packed up her notes.
"Welcome to Eraville." Rainbow scoffed, marching outside and smiling as she watched Scootaloo squeal and dance around Soarin.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! You're Soarin Stormwing!" She squealed once more.
"Yea...Uh..." Soarin looked to Rainbow, the younger Skyborn grinning as she marched up to them.
"Alright Scoots, ease up. Soarin likes kids but not crowds."
"Just how many of the bolts do you know Dash?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Well, I only lived with Spitfire and Soarin, the others I saw a few times." Rainbow shrugged
"That reminds me. Spitfire had a lot to say about you. Said you were somethin' special." Soarin chuckled as he knelt down in front of Scootaloo.
"Welll...I don't like to brag but...I did beat Rainbow in a race. It's how she adopted me ya know!" Scootaloo boasted. Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave a shake of her head.
"Heh, she used to always beat me in races. You must be pretty quick."
"That's nothin! Check this out!" Scootaloo stuck her tongue out as she focused, holding up her hands and letting a spark jump between her fingers. Rainbow and Soarin froze in shock, Scootaloo's smile fading away.
"Scoot's...h-how long have you been able to do that?" Rainbow asked softly.
"I dunno, I just kinda...did it the other day..." She admitted. Soarin, noticing the youngest Skyborns' frown, burst into laughter as he stood.
"Oh man, that brings back memories. She's definitely your kid Dash." he said with a large grin, Scootaloo's smile quickly returning. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue but realized what he was doing.
Right...no reason to make a bad situation worse. We just talk to Twilight and...give Scoot's the rules on magic. Rainbow thought to herself.
"Alright, pack it up, we gotta get to the library!" Rainbow said as she snatched up Scootaloo and took off, Soarin shaking his head as he chased after them.
"Welcome home young miss" a maid greeted Diamond Tiara. she sighed and waved the woman away, making her way upstairs towards her room. She had more important things to worry about than whatever the maid wanted.
Embrace your power... a gentle voice whispered, her hand drifting to the necklace she wore. She had been sure it was a gift from her father. She had awoken one morning to find it on her nightstand. But when she had thanked him for it he had seemed...surprised...as if he had been unaware of the gift.
Her suspicions went to one of the maids, or perhaps an admirer who had left it for her, but no one knew where it had come from. And then the voices started...telling her to seek out her power, to take control...and she liked it.
And then the strangest of things had happened. She had been keeping an eye on the girls who had stood up to her. Scootaloo most of all. The sickly Skyborn seemed to be healthier every day and then there was that strange display she had put on for her friends.
"Now how does a Skyborn use magic, hm?" She wondered aloud as she paced about her room.
The girl is different...special...she could be of use...
"Her?! Special?! HA! She's nothing but a worthless Skyborn!" Diamond argued with the voice.
And yet she has power...power you could make your own...
Now there was a thought. But how could she take that power from Scootaloo? She had money and influence, but she doubted that would give her the edge she needed.
Earn her trust...and trust in your own power...
She smiled, putting her hand over the necklace and letting out a happy sigh.
"So I just have to be all buddy buddy with her, make her believe we are friends and then when the moment is right...I'll strike and take everything from her."
"Phew...sure is a hot one t'day..." Applebloom muttered under her breath as she made the trek home. She blinked in surprise, finding an umbrella above her head.
"Can't have one of my students dying of heatstroke." Spell Nexus said with a smile, flinching as Applebloom sneezed and shivered.
"Pardon me...sorry Mister Nexus, ah can't help mah uh...sinuses! Ah get real bad 'round them fancy fabrics that come in from Celamont." She fibbed, feeling very uncomfortable around the strange Magian.
"Not at all, it should be I apologizing. But I couldn't help but notice you walking all alone. Also I wanted to ask you about that girl in class...Diamond Tiara I think was her name. Do you know anything about her?" he asked as they walked, Applebloom feeling her eyes water and her body turn into lead as The Chill settled in.
"Well...she ain't th' nicest o' people. In fact, she enjoys bullyin' everyone she can, sides fer Silver Spoon, her lackey. Ain't much else t' tell. Her pa owns a pretty big business so she's all rich an whatnot an likes throwin that in everyones faces." Applebloom explained, wiping the snot from her nose and letting out a sigh. There was definitely something wrong nearby.
"Well this is my stop! Thanks fer th' umbrella!" Applebloom shouted quickly as she took off at a run, her runes glowing dimly as she pushed herself as far away from the man as possible. Each step away from him was a breath of fresh air. She burst into her home, panting heavily but with a clear head.
"Landsakes girl, ya'll dun look like ya been tryin' to outrun a bear! Whats'a'matter with ya?" Granny Smith asked, putting her hand against the girls forehead.
"Hmm, Th' Chill huh? Musta been somethin fierce t' make ya run like that."
"Granny ah think my teacher is evil." Applebloom blurted out.
"Nonsense! Why?" Granny asked as she sat in her rocking chair.
"Ah was fine all day, but every time he got near ah would get Th' Chill. And jus' now he started walkin' home with me an askin questions 'bout Diamond Tiara an th' Chill got worse an worse th' longer ah was near him, but now ah'm fine!" Applebloom explained quickly, still out of breath and slumping down to the ground.
"Hmmm...thats mighty strange lil Apple...Ah ain't never known Th' Chill t' be wrong...but ain't much t' go on. Keep yer eyes an ears sharp, an make sure yer brother knows."
"Granny, ah know Big Mac ain't my brother..."
"Shoot, jus' cause Applejacks yer Ma' don't mean anythin' changed. He ain't the uncle type anyhow." Granny cackled. Applebloom sighed, lifting her bag and heading into the den to start on her homework.
Twilight squeaked in surprise as the library door opened, Spike and Fluttershy marching inside.
"Just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay" Spike said with a smile. He took a quick glance around as his smile faded.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
"Yes...I don't see why it wouldn't be...And before you ask, no, I haven't been using magic. It's been...difficult..." Twilight sighed, slumping against her ladder.
"Well take a break! Your number one assistant is on the job!" Spike grinned, snatching up the scattered books and rushing to reshelve them.
"Just like old times huh?" Twilight smiled.
"Yea...like old times..." Spike said under his breath, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Oh Spike, I-I'm sorry..."
"No, it's fine. Nothing we can really do about it now. But hey! If you'll make the cupcakes I'll make the tea" He said with a fang toothed smile. Twilight returned the smile and made her way to the kitchen, Fluttershy following behind.
"I'm really sorry about everything Twilight..."
"Fluttershy, for the last time, none of this is your fault. Do we really need to go over it again?" Twilight sighed, frowning as she had to duck down into her cabinets, remembering not to use magic.
"I-I know but...With Spike always keeping an eye on me...t-theres no one here to help with the Library..."
"I'm the Librarian, it's my job to take care of this place. Spike helps out whenever he can, so does Rainbow. Even Scootaloo fixes up the Fiction Section. Besides, Spike does a lot, if he gets a break in every now and again, I'm happy."
Fluttershy sighed, hanging her head.
"He's hurting Twilight..." She said softly, causing the Magian to pause.
"I can see it in his eyes...in the way he talks...all of this...it hurts him a-and I don't know what to do..." Fluttershy hiccuped as she began to cry. Twilight gently hugged her Skyborn friend.
"Fluttershy..."
"I hurt him...a-and I'm forcing him away from you and it's only hurting him more! B-But I don't want him to leave me...I'm so selfish..." She continued to cry.
"Ya know, it's kinda hard to talk behind a beast-kin's back. Heightened senses and all that." Spike said from the doorway, Fluttershy stammering and blushing, trying to wipe away her tears. Spike walked up to her, grabbing her hands gently and smiling up at her.
"You weren't yourself Fluttershy. That monster isn't you, just something inside of you. We all have that same monster in us. Discord forced that monster out of you and you fought it back." he assured her.
"B-But...I..."
"As for everything else. I just miss things being the way they were...just like you do, heh...It's hard to deal with, but I'll get over it. And if this is about my eye, just have a talk with Vinyl...Or any of the Knights. Firefly snapped my arm in half once. I made the mistake of walking up behind her..." Spike chuckled. Twilight watched them for a moment, squeaking once more as an arm was slung around her shoulder.
She turned towards the owner, one more squeak escaping her as a pair of lips were pressed firmly against hers.
"Well that's interesting." Soarin chuckled as he walked into the kitchen with Scootaloo on his shoulders. Rainbow pulled away from Twilight with a grin.
"Yea, life is pretty good." she smirked, giving Twilight's shoulder a squeeze. Spike froze as Soarin locked eyes with him, still holding Fluttershy's hands.
"Sup lil man?" Soarin chuckled, Spike internally sighing with relief.
"Nothin' really. Just working hard" Spike chuckled nervously. Rainbow furrowed her brow and sighed before taking a quick glance around, her eyes glowing for a moment and darkness filling the room as a symbol appeared over the window.
"Alright, I'm sick of this secrety bullshit." Rainbow growled, letting go of Twilight and marching up to Spike, hefting him up by his shirt.
"Spill. Everything. NOW!" She demanded. Spike sighed, placing his hands on her wrists.
"Alright alright, calm down." Spike grumbled, Rainbow setting him down. He turned to Soarin and Scootaloo, biting his lip. Sure, it would be easy to tell Soarin the truth...but Scootaloo? He was her friend, someone she trusted, another kid she could be herself around.
Here goes nothing... He thought to himself, his armor appearing around him. Soarin nearly dropped Scootaloo as years of military instinct kicked in and he saluted.
"At ease Soldier." Spike ordered, his armor fading away. Soarin chuckled a little, resting his hands on Scootaloo's knees.
"So uh...this is weird." Soarin mumbled
"Very." Spike agreed.
"Spike that was awesome! How'd ya do that?" Scootaloo wondered, leaning forward.
"I uh...I'm..."
"Spike works for Princess Celestia as a knight. He's my personal bodyguard." Twilight said with a wink.
"A-And since you and Rainbow live here now, he's also been your bodyguard." she continued. It wasn't really a lie. But it made things easier.
"Oh wow! Can I be a bodyguard?" Scootaloo wondered as Soarin set her down.
"No way Squirt, not til you are older. Spike gets away with it cause he's a dragon." Rainbow chuckled, ruffling Scootaloo's hair.
"But I can do the magic thing!" Scootaloo argued, Twilight blinking and Spike pausing.
"Yea, I wanted to ask...Dash, you sure she's adopted?" Soarin grinned, laughing as Rainbow punched his shoulder. He blinked in surprise as he noticed Fluttershy, quickly rushing over to her and glancing at her bandages.
"What the heck happened to you girls?" Soarin asked softly, clenching his fists.
"M-Mr Stormwing, please don't be upset!" Fluttershy stammered, squeaking as he hugged her.
"My name is Soarin...you know that Shy...now whats wrong? You never call me by my last name unless something is bugging you." He said softly, the Skyborn trembling in his grasp and burying her face in his chest.
"Ugh..." Rainbow groaned, the symbol on the window flickering as she put her hand to her head.
"Now who is the idiot?" Twilight teased as the symbol vanished, light returning to the room.
"Yea yea, but some stuff needs to be said in private." Rainbow grumbled.
"First things first. Soarin, Shy, I need the two of you to go hang out in the living room or somethin'...Spike, go with em. Me, Scoots, and Twi need to talk. Magic stuff." She explained. Soarin nodded without argument, practically carrying Fluttershy with Spike trailing behind. Rainbow turned to Twilight, slamming her hands on the Island in the kitchen.
"Why does she have magic?" Rainbow demanded, Scootaloo hanging her head.
"I-I don't know! I-It has to have been a side effect."
"Twilight, as a kid, magic almost killed me, we gotta do something!" Rainbow yelled, causing the Magian to flinch.
"M-Maybe it's different? I-I mean...your mothers magic was forced on you. My Magic was part of the potion a-and Scootaloo accepted it." Twilight pointed out. Rainbow paused, kneeling in front of Scootaloo and grabbing her hands.
"Listen Squirt, I'm not mad at you, or Twilight. I just need to know, and be honest...what does it feel like when you do that trick of yours?" she asked softly.
"I-I dunno, I just feel...warm I guess? It's kind of exciting and awesome to look at." Scootaloo admitted.
"Does it...hurt at all?" Rainbow wondered, Scootaloo shaking her head.
"No...is it supposed to? D-Did I screw up?" Scootaloo panicked, gasping as Rainbow hugged her.
"Not at all kiddo...I'm just freaking out over stupid stuff...but just in case, I'm gonna have Twilight check you out, alright?"
"A-Alright Dash..."
Rainbow ruffled her hair as she stood, glancing at Twilight.
"Sorry for yelling, I just..."
"I understand Rainbow...a life changing event like that...well, I'd be worried if you took something like this in stride..." Twilight sighed, taking a slow breath as she knelt in front of Scootaloo.
"I-I'm gonna need to use magic to double check and make sure everything is fine..."
"Just a little Twilight, Doc's orders." Rainbow nodded. Twilight placed her hands on Scootaloo's shoulders, giving her a warm smile.
"I need you to be brave, okay? This might feel a little weird, but its just a diagnostic. Everything should go smoothly as long as we both stay calm and relaxed."
"A-Alright Miss Twilight...Rainbow trusts you, s-so I trust you too."
Twilight managed to hide her frown. At least the girl trusted her, if for different reasons than she would've hoped for. She closed her eyes, letting a bit of Mana fill her and then passing it through Scootaloo, the Skyborn shivering and clenching her fists, her eyes glowing dimly. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, the same glow consuming her.
"Well? Anything...weird?" Rainbow wondered aloud.
"Shhh..." Twilight said softly, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Scootaloo's, the two closing their eyes.
"Everything...is fine...perfect even..." Twilight murmured as she stood, stumbling a bit as her magic faded.
"So I'm not sick or anything?" Scootaloo asked, the glow fading from her eyes. Twilight smiled as she sat on a stool, her legs shaking a bit.
"You seem healthier than me actually." Twilight giggled, Scootaloo smiling widely.
"But magic is dangerous Scoot's. You can't just use it whenever you want." Rainbow added quickly.
"B-But..."
"It's cool Squirt. Once Twilight and I recover, we'll give you the rundown on magic and its rules, kay? Til then, try to keep the lightshow to a minimum. It's uh...well...when I was a kid, I got called a freak...a lot..."
"So...I'm a freak?" Scootaloo mumbled, looking at her hands.
"Hell no! You're awesome! But people can't handle our level of awesome, so they try to bring you down to their level with insults and bullshit."
"Rainbow!" Twilight admonished
"She's heard worse." Rainbow argued, Scootaloo laughing and smiling up at them.
"You two argue like my mom an dad..." She said with a sigh, squeaking as she was pulled into a hug by Rainbow. Twilight joining soon after.
"Hey, that's what family is for right?" Rainbow beamed, sighing as both Twilight and Scootaloo rolled their eyes.
"Oh you two are so gonna get it!" She laughed, starting with Scootaloo in what would forever be known as the Great Tickle-Fight War.
"So...I don't suppose you know whats going on Sir?" Soarin asked of Spike.
"Just...Spike...And, well...it's a bit of a story." Spike sighed as he sat down.
"It's all my fault..." Fluttershy choked, Soarin squeezing her shoulder.
"I refuse to believe that Shy."
"Good, because it isn't true. There was a Chaotician, Discord himself. He was hiding under the Alias Dr Dickson Accord." Spike explained, Soarin gritting his teeth and Fluttershy trembling in his arms.
"The Doc was...no way, there's no way he coulda...What did he do? What did he do to Rainbow? What did he do to Fluttershy?!" Soarin yelled.
"Calm down. He's a living statue right now thanks to the Elements of Harmony. As for what he did...He tore through their minds, turning Rainbow into a vegetable and Fluttershy into a killing machine against her own friends." Spike explained.
"Her wounds are from fighting against his magic and then fighting against her own father. If Rainbow didn't already hold it, I'd think Fluttershy would hold the Element of Loyalty." the Dragonkin chuckled.
"So all this time...your pops was..."
"H-He really did help Rainbow! A-And h-he never treated me badly." Fluttershy argued. Soarin gently let go of her, Fluttershy stammering and taking a step back. Soarin sat down on the couch, letting everything sink in. He glanced up at Fluttershy, patting the couch.
"Sit down Shy, I'm not gonna bite. I'm just...dealing with everything." he mumbled. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, weighing her options. Though, she decided it'd be best to face the consequences now rather than later.
"So, from the start of all of this...I've been buddy buddy with some evil bastard?" Soarin asked.
"H-He wasn't...isn't evil." Fluttershy stammered, hanging her head.
"I know he's your dad and everything Shy, but the guy was a Chaotician."
"So am I." Fluttershy blurted out, chaos filling the air around her as she clenched her fists. Soarin simply stared at her, shaking his head.
"That's different Shy, you're..." He started, Fluttershy facing him suddenly
"What!? Trustworthy? Kind? Skyborn? I'm still a Chaotician, like my father. Does that make me evil? Just because of what I am?!" She yelled, tears flowing freely as the Chaos faded
"He attacked you, turned you against your friends, made you fight. I get it, I shouldn't judge just cause someone is different in some way...shoulda learned that lesson with Rainbow. But if all that stuff he did is true then he got what he deserved." Soarin argued.
"More like he got what he planned for." Rainbow said, leaning against the chair Spike sat in.
"Right after we creamed the guy he straight up told us he had planned it all from the start. But...I've been doin' a lot of thinking...and he really did help me...ya know?" Rainbow sighed as she took a seat.
"We actually came to a similar conclusion. All of Discords interactions with all of you led directly to this point. He had an involvement with Rarity's family in Celamont..." Spike began, drawing a symbol into the table with his claw and tapping it.
"Which lead to Rarity ending up here in Eraville. He fathered the line leading to Ataxia Pie which led to our interesting situation with Pinkie Pie. His actions around the Apple household led one woman to suffer greatly but come out stronger because of it.
His sessions with Rainbow led her to be able to function in an open society such as Eraville and to even give a bit of trust to the Magians she hates. And then there's Fluttershy...his own daughter. He gave her a friend, helped her out of her shell and gave her the courage to speak."
"What are you saying?" Soarin asked, trying to piece together a puzzle he couldn't see.
"It's almost as if he were teaching them...grooming them...but for what?" Spike mumbled.
"Well, whatever his reasons, there is just a part of me that can't stay mad at him...he was family..." Rainbow sighed. Soarin crossed his arms, leaning back on the couch and letting his thoughts wander.
"This morning, I was just a guy headin' out to see the girl I watched grow into a woman and crack some stupid jokes..." Soarin grumbled.
"Welcome to my world." Spike chuckled.
"And you are certain of this?" Luna asked softly. Angel rolled his shoulder and gave a nod.
"He didn't go into great detail about it, but I like to think I know my pops pretty well...He was hurtin' somethin' bad. At first I thought he was just ticked that things weren't goin' his way. But when I was fading and he caught Shy...I saw the truth then. He coulda killed me. Right then and there. But instead he left me to bleed out...and I probably woulda healed up before that." Angel sighed, sitting cross legged, one hand on his leg and his new arm being worked on by Trixie.
"Master did often times seem distracted by his own thoughts. Trixie knew better than to question him though." Trixie muttered as her magic worked, eyes focused on the task at hand and chaos carefully weaved in-between her own Mana to bind her magic firmly to his body.
"I realized much the same in my own encounter with Discord. His lone punch that left me a mess upon the floor...It would've taken less effort on his part to simply kill me in that punch rather than render me unconscious." Luna agreed.
"He was definitely holding back. Right up until that last hit. It was like he knew exactly where I was gonna be." Angel sighed, blinking as Trixie backed away from him. He experimented with his new arm, rolling his shoulder a bit.
"Your student is pretty amazing Princess." Angel chuckled, patting his shoulder.
"Of course she is." Luna smirked, Trixie blushing slightly and bowing her head.
"But back to the matter at hand. Discord was playing with a stacked deck, as he was want to do. If we understand current events...his deck was stacked in our favor." Luna murmured as she began to pace back and forth.
"So you are thinking the same thing? That he was just doing all of this to make them tougher?" Angel asked. Luna gave a small nod, letting out a sigh.
"My only concern is...What could be so terrible that Discord would give up everything to stop it?"
"So whats on yer mind Pinks?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at the Gaian across from her. The two sat in Sugarcube Corner in one of the many colorful booths. Pinkie had spent the past five minutes staring at a milkshake. Which was a bad sign. Normally she would've been on her twelfth shake at this point.
"I was thinking about Applebloom and I got really really really worried so I started watching her and i noticed she gets kinda weird sick around strange things, kinda like my Pinkie sense and then my Pinkie sense went off and I realized it really WAS like my Pinkie sense and that her powers are showing already." Pinkie quickly explained
"Ya mean Th' Chill? But that's always been a part o' th' Apple family. Granny gets it sometimes too." Applejack argued.
"Applejack...I can feel Chaos and...she's using A LOT..." Pinkie mumbled, staring into her milkshake. Applejack gulped, gripping the table.
"She ain't hurtin' or nothin' is she?"
"I don't think so...but better safe than sorry. You gotta tell her a-and I'll...I'll teach her what I can." Pinkie promised, crossing over her heart and holding up her Pinkie.
"Ah trust ya Pinkie, but ah gotta be there when ya...well when ya do whatever it is ya gotta do..."
"Sure thing Applejack, it'll probably be better that way. And uh...sorry for spying on Applebloom..."
"Yer heart was in th' right place Sugarcube,"
"Shining please..."
"I KNEW! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!" Shining Armor yelled, slamming his fist into the wall, his entire body shaking.
"I knew something was wrong...and I did nothing...I failed in my duty as Captain..."
"What could you have done? He fooled all of us Shiny...If anything, I failed you...I knew him. I should've recognized it was him and I am sure Celestia and Luna feel the same. If the people who knew him best were so easily fooled, why are you the failure for seeing what we didn't?" Cadence argued. Shining Armor sighed and shook his head.
"The problem is...I still feel like something is wrong. Something I've forgotten, something so important..." he muttered, tensing up as Cadence slipped her arms around him.
"Please, you can't keep beating yourself up over this. Tomorrow, if you like, we can have an audience with Celestia and discuss everything, but today is a day to relax, you promised." She argued softly. Shining took a slow breath, staring at the crack in the wall and gave a weak nod.
"I did...I'm sorry Cady, I just..." he began
"I know Shiny, I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much." she giggled as she slid away from him.
"I still wonder...why me?" he chuckled weakly, letting her pull him by his hand to the couch.
"I'm not going to lie Shining...I'm a lot older than I look, but you knew that...I've had a few suitors, none that I really felt a true bond with, but people I loved all the same. There's something oddly different about you.
You've got just the perfect amount of goofball and honor. You treat me like a person, instead of an object to be worshipped. You're the kind of person I could see myself marrying someday." Cadence listed off her fingers, blinking as Shining chuckled. She pouted, glaring at the soldier.
"What?" she frowned at his laughter. Shining dug into his pocket and cleared his throat.
"Funny story, I kinda had the same idea." he admitted, pulling a small box out of his pocket. Cadence felt her eyes widen as Shining Armor slid off the couch and down to one knee. He showed her that same goofy smile that had won her heart on their first date and popped open the box.
"Princess Mi Amore' Cadenza...would you marry me?" he asked softly. Cadence gently lifted the box from his hands, setting it aside and grabbing his hands. She looked into his eyes, unable to hold back the tears that filled her own.
"Cadence, I..."
"Shut up and kiss me." she interrupted, tackling him to the ground in a passionate kiss. Shining wrapped his arms around her, indulging the kiss, though his heart still thumped in his throat. She hadn't exactly answered his question and this wouldn't be the first time she had distracted him from a topic.
Sensing his unease, she broke the kiss and smiled.
"Yes..." she whispered against his lips, causing him to blink.
"Really?" he chuckled.
"Of course really! Why would I say no?" she squealed as she sat up in his lap.
"Well, I'm just some crazy soldier. You're a Princess." he pointed out.
"If you thought I would say no, why ask?"
"Well, if I didn't ask, I'd just spend the rest of my life wondering if I should have. I'd rather spend what years I've got left as your husband." Shining said, flashing a grin. Cadence rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Not gonna lie, that really caught me off guard. I guess that's another one of the reasons I love you." she murmured, holding out her hand. Shining smiled, lifting the box in his magic. He carefully slid the ring over her finger, planting a kiss upon the back of her hand.
"You know, I had this whole romantic dinner planned out for this." He admitted.
"Got impatient?"
"Just felt it was the right moment. Guess my gut instincts really are always right."
Which only worries me more...what am I forgetting?
"Well, I've got a lot to think about, I'll leave it to you Si...Uh, Spike." Soarin chuckled. He gave Rainbow one last hug and turned to Fluttershy, pulling her close and hugging her as tightly as he dared with all the bandages she wore.
"This isn't your fault Shy, and even if it was your fault...We love you, and we always will." he whispered before pulling away. He gave a wave and walked out the door.
"He's right Shy." Rainbow added before Fluttershy could speak up. She glanced over at Spike, nodding her head towards Fluttershy. He blinked and stared for a moment, until Rainbow walked past him.
"I don't care what kind of badass you are. Hurt her, and I'll bury you." she whispered in passing, patting his shoulder.
"Well, Twi's got some research stuff to do and I promised to help her. You two are always welcome here, but I gotta kinda ask the two of ya to leave so we don't get distracted." Rainbow beamed towards Fluttershy.
"Oh, um, sure Rainbow. See you later?"
"Of course Shy. Go get some rest." Rainbow winked. She waited until they had both gone to let out a sigh.
"You two can come out now." Rainbow called, Twilight and Scootaloo stammering as they stumbled out of the kitchen.
"Soooo, Miss Fluttershy is like us?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow gulped and chuckled nervously.
"Uh, well ya see kid, uh..."
"Fluttershy's mother was a Skyborn, but her Father was a Chaotician. Her magic is different from ours Scootaloo, but only in its rules and its method of use. Chaos Magic is normally frowned upon because its dangerous." Twilight explained.
"But you said Magic itself was dangerous too." Scootaloo argued.
"And that's exactly right Scootaloo. Any type of magic is dangerous, but magic itself...is alive." Twilight smiled, a twinkle in her eye as she sat down. Most people ignored her when she began to rant, but Scootaloo seemed entranced by her every word.
"Mana, that which Magians call to in order to cast spells and use magic, is a living breathing entity."
"This is that Pool thing right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Thats right...The Great Pool, from which all Mana comes from. One exists within each Magian and ones power determines the size of that Pool. But with Chaoticians', there is no Pool." Twilight continued.
"Then how do they use magic?"
"Chaos Magic...is something no one truly understands. Not even those who wield it. It is something that is created around and within the wielder or stolen from others...Magic is dangerous, because it can cause great harm if used without proper knowledge. Chaos Magic is dangerous because of its very nature.
But that doesn't mean its bad. It is just different. When used right, it can do things Magic itself could never hope to do. Which is why so many are tempted to use it and end up hurting themselves."
"So, Magic is dangerous, until you learn it. But Chaos Magic is always dangerous? Then why does Miss Fluttershy use it?" Scootaloo continued to ask.
"She doesn't, Squirt. It's just part of who she is, just like Magic is a part of who we are." Rainbow said softly.
"Ohhhh. Do you know how to use Chaos stuff Twilight?" Scootaloo wondered. Twilight squeeked and shook her head.
"N-No, I just know theories and things I've read!"
"Oh. Well thats cool I guess. Soooo, when do I start learning magic?"
KNOCK KNOCK
"Who the heck could that be?" Rainbow wondered as she answered the door. A little girl wearing a diamond encrusted tiara smiled and waved.
"Hi! Can Scootaloo come out and play?"
"Ah'm home!" Applejack called, grunting as Applebloom slammed into her and hugged her.
"Welcome home Applejack!" she beamed up at her. Applejack chuckled, ruffling the Gaians' hair as she removed her hat, hanging it next to the door.
"How was School?" Applejack asked. Applebloom frowned for a moment and sighed.
"Ah think my Teacher is evil." She mumbled, Applejack bursting into laughter.
"Sounds about right si...uh...Applebloom." Applejack quickly corrected herself. The two stood in an awkward silence for a moment, before Applebloom giggled.
"That's gonna take us a while, ain't it?" She asked with a smile. Applejack chuckled and gave a nod.
"Yea, but ah'm sure we'll get it. Now, whats this 'bout yer Teacher bein' evil?"
"I don't like it." Vinyl growled
"We don't get a choice." Spitfire argued.
"We've got clear evidence he had connections to the Chaotician and we want to just LEAVE THEM?!" Vinyl yelled.
"We have to trust in Princess Celestia's Judgement. She knows Spell Nexus well, better than she knows us." Spitfire continued.
"Yea, she knew Doctor Accord pretty damn well too." Vinyl spat as she marched away.
"Hey Scoots! One of your friends is here!" Rainbow called out. Scootaloo came rushing with a smile.
"Hey whats...up?" She froze as she spotted Diamond Tiara, gritting her teeth and slamming the door shut.
"Whoa! What the heck Squirt?!" Rainbow asked.
"That monster is NOT my friend! She's a bully and an ass!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Hey, whoa, shhh, watch the language. If Twi' hears that she'll kill us both." Rainbow said under her breath
"Right...sorry...But she is NOT my friend Dash. She threw a cupcake at Applebloom, she always jokes about how I'm just a useless orphan, she..."
"I get it kid. I had plenty of bullies. But that's not how ya deal with em. Making them mad, only makes them bully you more. Trust me on that one." Rainbow chuckled.
"Well what am I supposed to do?" Scootaloo demanded, crossing her arms.
"Why not try and be friends?" Twilight suggested. Both Skyborn raised an eyebrow as they turned to face her.
"Maybe she's only mean because she doesn't have friends?" Twilight wondered.
"She has her lackey Silver Spoon, who is just as bad as she is...Pretty much everyone either hates her or is too scared to do anything but bow when she walks by." Scootaloo argued.
"Well, maybe if you showed her you can be friends, she wouldn't bully you. What have you got to lose?"
"My pride, my dignity, my patience..." Scootaloo began to list, Rainbow bursting into laughter.
"Just try? Maybe she just needs friends. Would you say this Silver Spoon is really her friend? Or just someone else who is scared of her?" Twilight asked. Scootaloo was about to answer, her thoughts flickering to every time she had seen Silver Spoon.
Had she just been shadowing Diamond because she was scared? She never spoke out or spoke up unless it was to back-up something Diamond Tiara had said. She never acted unless Diamond Tiara did. Maybe she was just like everyone else and Diamond really didn't have any friends.
"Why should I try when I know she is just gonna bully me?" Scootaloo argued. Twilight sighed, tapping her chin
"I'll make you a deal then. If you are right, and she is just doing this to bully you more, I'll clear my schedule and teach you everything I know about magic." Twilight offered.
"BUT! If I am right, and she just needs a friend, then you have to do Spike's chores for a week." Twilight grinned, holding out her hand. Scootaloo scoffed and accepted Twilight's hand. She hadn't seen Spike do much else than sweep and wash the dishes. Besides, she couldn't lose. Diamond Tiara thrived on the suffering of others, she COULDN'T want a friend, or even understand what a friend was.
"Welp...time to lose my pride." Scootaloo mumbled.
"Hm...that could've gone better...maybe I need a better tactic?" Diamond wondered aloud, crossing her arms and thinking. She had to draw Scootaloo out somehow. She jumped in surprise as the door opened again.
"What do you want?" Scootaloo demanded.
"I wanted to apologize Scootaloo. I...had a bit of a talking to from my parents and I realized what I've been doing to you and the others in class is wrong...I just want a chance to prove myself." Diamond stammered, rubbing at her eyes to hide her tears. Scootaloo groaned and sighed.
"I want you to remember something Diamond. Back at Sugarcube Corner, Applebloom stopped me from beating you into the ground." Scootaloo growled, flaring out her wings which now stretched past her arms length.
"I was very sick then and very weak. I've only gotten stronger since then. So if this is some kind of trick, I want you to know, NOTHING will stop me next time. Got it?" Scootaloo said quietly. Diamond nodded quickly, sniffing and wiping away her tears.
This is going to be easier than I thought
"So...whenever ya'll get near him, ya get Th' Chill?" Applejack asked, clenching her fists as Applebloom nodded.
"And the further away ah get from him, th' better ah feel. Somethin' ain't right about him..." Applebloom shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Ah'll look into it Sugarcube. Ah uh...wanted t' talk t' ya about somethin' important before that though. Has anything else...weird, been happenin' around ya?" Applejack asked. Applebloom thought for a moment.
"Well ah mean, there's Belle bein' a vampire, and Scootaloo has this weird spark thing she can do with her hands. And ya'll bein' my momma and one of those Element o' Harmony things. But ah think that's about it. Why?" Applebloom wondered. Applejack put her hand to her chin, thinking for a moment.
Sounds like that little Skyborn is a lot more like Dash than we thought. Maybe ah should talk t' Twilight? That can probably wait though...Ah gotta tell Applebloom th' truth...
"Well, ah wanted t' talk t' ya 'bout yer pa." Applejack explained, sitting and gripping the table. She blinked as Applebloom grabbed her hand.
"Ya seem really upset 'bout him...He musta really hurt ya bad fer ya to feel like that. Ya don't have t' talk 'bout him if'n ya don't wanna." Applebloom said softly, offering her a smile as she gently squeezed her hand.
"Thats mighty mature of ya Applebloom, but some things have gotta be said. Applebloom, yer pa weren't no normal person. He was one of those magicky types..." Applejack tried to explain.
"So he was a Magian?" Applebloom asked.
"Well no, he was somethin' else. He uh...ah dunno how t' really say it Applebloom but...yer pa was one of them Chaoticians." Applejack blurted out. Applebloom sat there for a moment, taking in what she had heard.
"He was a what?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"Ya see Applebloom. There are Gaians, like us, then there are Skyborn, like yer friend Scootaloo and Rainbow. Then there are Magians like Sweetie Belle or Twilight. And then there are Celestian's, like th' Princess an her sister. But then...there are Chaoticians...they ain't nothin' but no good lousy, lyin', cheatin'...!" Applejack froze, letting out a slow breath.
"No, that ain't it. Ain't all of em bad but...yer pa was one of em, an he was a bad one. Ah didn't know til it was too late and it ain't the Apple way to toss away a life..."
"Ah don't understand." Applebloom admitted.
"What ah'm tryin' t' say is...Ya'll got my Gaian blood...and ya got his Chaotician blood in ya...ya have magic in ya, powerful magic that could hurt ya if'n ya aren't careful. S-So ah'm askin' my friends t' help ya with it, okay?" Applejack chewed her lip, watching as Applebloom tried to piece everything together.
"So...my pa was some weird magicky jerk who gave ya me an then jus' took off on ya? And...ah've got his magic?" Applebloom asked.
"Ah s'pose that's th' simple way t' look at it."
"But ah ain't never used any magic. How do ya know ah have it?" Applebloom wondered.
"Well, ah'm sure you know Pinkie Pie. Well...she's one of them Chaotician's, one of th' good ones."
"Pfft, Pinkie Pie? Ah know she's weird but she ain't no magician si...uh...Mom..." Applebloom sighed. The two looked at one another, bursting into laughter.
"Well, ah ain't sayin' she is some kind of magician, but she really is one o' them Chaotician's. Her ma is one, but her pa is a Gaian."
"So she's like me? Or am ah like her? Ah'm so confused..."
"Ah am too sugarcube, but we're gonna figure this out together, okay?" Applejack gulped, squeezing Applebloom's hand. Applebloom nodded, returning the squeeze.
The two jumped practically out of their skins as Pinkie rapped her knuckles on the table and cleared her throat.
"Lesson number one!"
Fluttershy sighed as they reached her cottage, turning to Spike with a small smile.
"Thank you, for everything Spike. I'm sorry to have caused everyone so much trouble..."
"Fluttershy...none of this is your fault. We keep telling you that. Heck, if anything, this has been the best vacation I've had from the Knights in a long time." Spike chuckled, his laughter infectious and causing her to giggle. She chewed her lip, stopping at the stairs.
"Spike I was wondering...would you care to come in for some tea?" She asked, gripping her skirt.
"Sure. I can brew some up pretty quick." Spike shrugged.
"No I mean, um...I-I'll make it." she stammered. Spike paused mid-stride, looking up at her as realization dawned on him.
"Oh, well, I suppose thats fine..." Spike mumbled, flashing back to what Rainbow had said.
I don't care what kind of badass you are. Hurt her, and I'll bury you.
"Actually, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner sometime." Spike said quickly, flashing a fang-toothed grin, his suspicions confirmed as Fluttershy's face lit up in a fierce blush.
What the heck am i getting myself into now...
"Is that...Scootaloo? With Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle wondered, sitting on a bench with her sister Rarity, the two enjoying a pair of ice cream cones.
"Ah, your little friend? Maybe you should go speak with her," Rarity winked. Sweetie Belle blushed, handing Rarity her cone before rushing after Scootaloo.
"Is it true you can do magic?" Diamond asked excitedly. Sweetie Belle paused, hiding behind a trashcan. Scootaloo glanced around and sighed.
"Well, no. I can't." Scootaloo shrugged. Diamond frowned for a moment and shook her head.
"But I saw that thing you did! Wasn't that magic?" Diamond continued to pester.
"Nope. You must've been imagining it. I mean, come on, that's just crazy." Scootaloo chuckled nervously.
"But you had light in your hands! Please Scootaloo, I won't tell anyone!" Diamond started to whine. Scootaloo groaned in frustration, crossing her arms.
"Why are you so interested huh? As long as I've known you, all you wanted to do was bring me down and treat me like crap. So why are you being all buddy-buddy now huh?" Scootaloo demanded, her eyes glowing dimly.
"Is it because you think that now that I'm not just that weak little Skyborn, that you can use me as one of your little tools? HUH?!" Scootaloo yelled, gasping as Sweetie Belle hugged her tightly from behind.
"That's enough Scoots." Sweetie Belle whispered. Scootaloo slowly relaxed, letting out a shuddering breath as the glow faded from her eyes.
"So you can use magic..." Diamond mumbled.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about." Scootaloo scoffed, letting herself be dragged away by Sweetie Belle.
"Scootaloo, why were you talking to her? And why did you show her that?" Sweetie Belle asked softly. Scootaloo stayed quiet for a while, clenching her fists and letting out a sigh.
"I made a deal with Miss Twilight that I'd give her a chance. She showed up sayin' some nonsense about being sorry. But I bet she just wants to use my magic for herself." Scootaloo explained, her anger growing with each word.
"It does seem weird that she would try to be your friend..." Sweetie Belle mumbled. Scootaloo glanced over at her, letting herself relax.
"Belle...thanks. Rainbow and Twilight told me that magic can be pretty dangerous...and that I shouldn't just be playing around with it. I don't even know what I was gonna do with it just now, I was just so...angry..."
Sweetie Belle smiled, hugging Scootaloo's arm.
"You helped me when I couldn't control myself. It's only fair if I return the favor."
"You suspect he has something to do with the incident?" Spike asked. Vinyl nodded, crossing her arms.
"It was him and Discord in that lab with the Nightmare Armor. We can't just assume he had nothing to do with it, not with him being so close to the Element Bearers." Vinyl growled.
"And your sisters." Spike added, ignoring the glare that was shot his way. The two of them stood a short way outside of Fluttershy's cottage.
"Rarity is one of them, yes. So she is in just as much danger as the rest of them, which puts Belle in danger and possibly everyone in Eraville." Vinyl argued.
"I agree. But we can't act against Celestia's orders."
"So we're just gonna stand back and do nothing?" Vinyl growled
"I never said that." Spike chuckled, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"We can't act on a hunch, and we can't act against Spell Nexus without any proof. But were I to allow a Knight a temporary leave of absence to tend to their family..."
"Then I could keep an eye on my sisters and watch out for Spell Nexus..." Vinyl realized. Spike nodded, pulling an envelope out of his pocket.
"Take a few weeks off, keep in touch in case anything comes up." Spike winked. Vinyl chuckled softly, accepting the envelope.
I guess that's why he's the boss...
Rarity watched with a smile as Sweetie Belle chased after her friend, glancing down at the two cones she held. She felt her vision blur slightly and shook her head.
Now now Rarity! You can't be losing yourself now! Just...take a deep breath and relax...maybe I should talk to Twilight? She has to know more about this than those Doctors right? she wondered, blinking as Sweetie Belle soon returned with her friend.
"Well hello Scootaloo, how are you today darling?" she asked with a giggle.
"A lot better than I was doin'" Scootaloo chuckled, Sweetie Belle still clinging to her arm.
"Can we get Scoots an ice cream too Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked, pouting cutely. Rarity sighed and gave a nod.
"Of course, in fact, this is the perfect chance for you two to go on your first date!"
"Yea! Wait, what?!"
"Come on Egghead..." Rainbow mumbled, lifting Twilight off the couch and carrying the Magian upstairs to her bed. Twilight mumbled in her sleep, leaning against the Skyborn.
"Hmm, I'm almost done..." she whined, the book she held falling from her grasp. Rainbow reacted without thinking, snatching the book in her magic and gently setting it on the ground. She knew Twilight would throw a fit if a book was damaged, especially if it was her fault.
"You can finish whatever secret nonsense you are working on later, get some sleep." Rainbow chuckled, dropping Twilight into her bed. She sat down beside her, waiting until Twilight's ramblings came to an end to finally stand.
"Sleep tight Twi..." She said softly, heading back downstairs.
Scootaloo is out with her friend. Twilight is passed out. Spike is watching Shy...Got the place to myself... Rainbow grinned for a moment, rolling her shoulders. She might not have any equipment, but that wouldn't stop her from training. She would need to be in better shape if she was going to protect Twilight, and that meant pushing her boundaries. All of them.
"Here goes nothing..." Rainbow grit her teeth as her eyes lit up
"Ah already told th' other two ah ain't interested in yer little club." Big Mac said softly.
"I'm not asking you to join. I'm asking you to keep an eye on things here." Spitfire argued.
"An ah'm tellin' ya there ain't no need fer that. This is my home, an fer as long as ah live an breath ah will protect it. Now, why don't ya'll tell me th' real reason ya wanted t' talk t' me?" He asked, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the trees.
Spitfire chewed her lip for a moment, letting out a sigh and hanging her head.
"When she came to you...was she happy?" Spitfire asked.
"Ah don't rightly know. She had accepted things, that much ah know. Happy ain't th' word ah'd use, but she weren't sad, or upset. Maybe jus' a little upset ah s'pose. Ain't fair t' just lose everythin', let alone know you are gonna lose everythin'." he answered. She let out a sigh, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Ah might not know ya Miss Spitfire, but ah know that look. Yer thinkin' pretty hard 'bout yer choices, am ah right?" Big Mac asked.
"I went into the military fully aware it could cost my life. But I had nothing to lose, and then...and then I met Rainbow and...every day I wonder if it will be the last time I see her..." Spitfire admitted.
"Then quit, settle down, live a peaceful life." Big Mac argued gently.
"I can't. Not knowing what I know about the world. How dangerous it really is and how much the Knights need me..."
"Then fight, protect. Ah can't choose fer ya. Though if'n anything can help ya make up yer mind, it'd be that girl o' yers." Big Mac chuckled
"You're right...You're right! I'll talk to her! Oh...thanks, for listening. And...the Knights really could use someone like you..." Spitfire said with a sad smile, her wings flaring out. A second later she was gone, leaves dancing about where she had just been. Big Mac inhaled slowly, rapping his knuckles against the tree he leaned against, the apples filling the buckets around him.
A quick glance up showed the sun on the other edge of town, signaling the end of his day. He rolled his shoulders, hefting the last few buckets onto the cart and pulling it into the barn. With a smile he stepped into his home, the hair standing up on the back of his neck the moment he stepped into the door.
Glancing around he spotted the source. There in the living room stood Applebloom, black and red sparks dancing around her while Applejack and Pinkie Pie watched. Applejack glanced at him, gasping and quickly turning to Pinkie Pie. The Gaian nodded, lightly tapping Applebloom's shoulder. The sparks slowly faded, Applebloom shaking her head.
"H-How did ah do?" she said, seemingly dazed.
"Well, for your first try, pretty good! But you gotta keep it from going everywhere, like confetti!" Pinkie giggled.
"Do ah want to know?" Big Mac asked.
"Ah uh..." Applejack started.
"Ah'm learnin' magic! Well how t' keep it from goin' nuts anyway. Ah uh...need a bit more practice..." Applebloom chuckled nervously. Big Mac glanced over at Applejack, then at Pinkie Pie. With a sigh he marched past them.
"Ya'll jus' be careful not t' get hurt, alright?"
Applejack frowned as Big Macintosh vanished upstairs, turning back to Pinkie Pie and Applebloom.
"I think that's enough learning for today, lets celebrate with cake!" Pinkie said quickly, rushing out the door. Applebloom and Applejack stared for a moment before laughing.
"Ah guess cake sounds good right now."
"Sir, now is the perfect time to strike! She is weakened, but her magic is as strong as ever. The Skyborn is distracted and the house is otherwise empty!" a robed woman argued.
"Yes, but if she spots us then we have to kill her and that will draw unwanted attention before we are ready. We need to think this through properly. We only have one shot at this." Spell Nexus sighed. He glanced around at his soldiers, his brothers and sisters, Fellow Children of Nightmare.
He had to make a choice. Strike while the iron was hot and risk discovery, or wait out his prey and risk losing any chance of success. He gritted his teeth and took a slow breath, turning to face his army.
"We capture the Element of Magic tonight. Bring her into the forest unharmed. Silence the Skyborn if you must, but do not kill her. Now go!"
"A bit late for a meeting don't you think?" The Doctor asked. Miss Yearling shook her head, looking up as stars began to dance in the night sky.
"You are a strange one Doctor, but not quite as strange as Spell Nexus. I am sure you noticed as well." she said, glancing over at him.
"Well, he did seem a bit off, but you know those types." The Doctor shrugged.
"...How old are you Doctor?" Miss Yearling asked suddenly, catching him off guard. He chuckled nervously.
"Why so curious? One would think it rude to try and determine someones age..."
"You aren't a Magian, certainly not a Skyborn and I highly doubt you are a Gaian. And you lack the scent of a Beast. So what are you?" She demanded.
"Allow me a question?"
"Of course."
"What gives me away?" he wondered. She smiled, crossing her arms.
"Your eyes Doctor. They have seen many years of terrible things. One would think you an old man with eyes like that. As for picking out your race...Skyborn have a habit to hover or fidget, we hate being still. Gaian's are calm, gentle, quiet. Magian's walk with power and grace. You do none of this." She explained.
"Well, you've quite the keen eye for a supposed children's book Author Miss Do." The Doctor chuckled, causing her to stare.
"Oh don't get me wrong, you are entirely correct in your assumptions, but don't think me in the dark my dear co-worker. Skyborn fidget you say? You have the control of a militant, only moving when you have to, yet you carry the scent of rain, meaning you enjoy a nice flight among the clouds, making you a Skyborn. On top of you constantly saying that you are one of course...But one who acts like a soldier" The Doctor smirked.
"That doesn't explain how you know who I am..."
"Oh please. The best stories are the ones that are true." he scoffed, causing her to laugh.
"So you've read my stories? And instantly thought them true?"
"Dinky loves them, and I've quite a few stories of my own Miss 'Yearling'."
"I don't suppose you would mind sharing?"
Scootaloo huffed, looking at herself. Rarity had taken it upon herself to stuff her into a custom made tuxedo and then vanished upstairs with Sweetie Belle. She didn't mind getting to spend time with Sweetie Belle, but a date?
I mean...we are kind of dating, aren't we? Isn't this the kind of thing we are supposed to do? Ugh, I shoulda asked Rainbow about this stuff. she argued with herself. She turned to look at herself in a nearby mirror.
Heh...I do look kinda cool in this suit...I guess it isn't so bad. I get to hang out with Belle and I can just tell Twilight that Diamond was still herself She grinned.
"Well, I see someone is enjoying their Tuxedo." Rarity giggled, causing the young Skyborn to squeak and quickly spin around. She opened her mouth to argue, only to stop and stare as Sweetie Belle waved nervously. Her hair had been combed out and straightened, the two tones parted and flowing down her shoulders and partially over the left half of her face.
She stood there in a sparkling white dress, parted along the side to allow free movement of her legs.
"I assumed the two of you would enjoy something more lively than a quiet dinner. So I've given Sweetie Belle some bits and I am trusting her to your care Scootaloo. Don't be out too late now!" Rarity gushed, gently pushing them along. Scootaloo blinked as the door slammed shut, Sweetie Belle gripping the purse Rarity had given her.
"You too...Um...Rarity told me they are having a dance off behind Sugarcube corner tonight...We could just sit and eat something o-or maybe just go back to the library, I mean, she did kind of come up with this last minute and I know how much you hate..."
"Belle, its cool. I mean, it was probably a lot of work to get that curl out of your hair and it's pretty cool outside. If you wanna dance I'd love to go." Scootaloo chuckled, gasping as Sweetie Belle hugged her tightly.
"Oh thank you! Lets go!"
Vinyl smiled as she watched Sweetie Belle and her friend make their way into the party.
"Thanks again for lettin' me DJ Pinks, it means a lot." Vinyl said over the music. Pinkie merely winked, making her way through the party to make some more snacks.
Alright, with Belle here that just leaves Rarity. She can probably handle herself...and none of my wards have been triggered... Vinyl lost herself in her thoughts for a moment, blinking as someone tugged on her jeans. Looking down she spotted her sister.
"Sup Belle? Wheres your date?" Vinyl teased.
"I told her I was leaving to get some punch. Um, c-could you play a song for me?" Sweetie Belle stammered. Vinyl knelt down, hugging her gently.
"Of course Belle, just tell me when." Vinyl said softly. Sweetie Belle happily returned the hug before rushing off into the crowd once more.
"Alright, lets kick this party up a notch!"
"Ain't those yer friends?" Applejack asked. Applebloom glanced over, seeing Scootaloo awkwardly dancing, led by a giggling Sweetie Belle.
"Eeyup. Looks like they are on a date or somethin'" Applebloom chuckled, turning her attention back to the slice of cake she had just acquired.
"Heh, soon 'nough that'll be you out there dancin' huh?" Applejack teased.
"Eh, not really. Ain't no one in class likes me cause ah talk funny." Applebloom shrugged. Applejack felt her smile fade away, looking at her daughter. The young Gaian happily chewed away at her cake, content to be the outcast.
"Ya really feel that way?" Applejack asked softly.
"Well ah ain't alone or nothin'. Ah've got Sweetie Belle an Scootaloo. 'Sides, ain't it a bit early fer me t' be thinkin' 'bout boys, or girls ah guess." Applebloom pointed out, grabbing another forkful of cake.
"Yea...ah s'pose so. Ah'm jus' worried 'bout ya is all."
"Well yer my Ma, it's yer job t' worry." Applebloom giggled. Applejack fell silent once more, fighting back her tears as she nodded.
"Mom..."
"Don't 'Mom' me! Why are you in here doing magic?" Spitfire demanded. Rainbow sighed, leaning back on the couch and crossing her arms. Spitfire simply stood there, arms crossed and waiting for an answer.
"I couldn't protect her. When she really needed me all I did was get my ass kicked and watch..." Rainbow grumbled.
"Rainbow..."
"No! Look, I've been studying, and practicing. I know what I can and can't do and thats why I HAVE to get stronger. What if something worse than that attacks? We're still the Elements of Harmony right? We fought off Nightmare Moon and Discord. There's gotta be some other crazy big bad monster just waiting to get a piece of us right?!" Rainbow argued. Spitfire fell silent for a moment, Rainbow shaking her head.
"I'm right aren't I? And you know what else?! Why the heck was Soarin' kept out of the loop huh? He came to check up on me ya know an I told him everything." Rainbow continued. Spitfire slumped down beside Rainbow, hanging her head.
"Dash...I didn't tell him because he deserves to live a happy life. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want any of this...I just wanted...I just..." Spitfire buried her face in her hands as the tears flowed freely. Rainbow swore under her breath, pulling the Skyborn close.
"I'm sorry...I just hate being in the dark. Its not right to take it out on you." Rainbow apologized softly, Spitfire shaking her head.
"You're right though. You deserve to know and so does he. I just couldn't bring myself to drag you two into this..."
"Well it's a bit late for all of that now...Hey, we've got some ice cream in the freezer. Ya know...if you plan on staying a bit?" Rainbow offered. Spitfire sat up, wiping away her tears and nodding.
"T-That'd be great Rainbow..."
"No! look, I've been..." the words faded as the conversation calmed down, a figure in the shadows sighing in relief. It had only one job. Collect the Element of Magic. Anything else had nothing to do with it, just so long as it wasn't spotted. Another pause, it hugged the wall, letting memories flood it before turning towards the stairs. The two Skyborn were busy discussing something on the couch. Now was the best chance.
It snuck along the wall, grabbing the railing of the stairs and hopping over, quickly glancing at the pair of Skyborn. They had yet to notice it. Though they had stopped arguing. Taking the front door out was out of the question. A window exit would have to work.
Quietly slithering up the stairs, it found a door, unlocked. A quick muffling spell as a precaution and the door slipped open with ease and was just as quickly closed. The Magian slept relatively silently, suddenly tossing and turning in her sleep before calming down. It held its breath as it moved closer to the sleeping figure, taking a slow breath as it weaved its magic around the Magian. There could be various wards protecting her that would go off the moment she was touched. So it would have to work fast.
With a smirk, and its work done, the spell was applied, a simple Mana Blocking Hex and a net placed above it. With one last slow breath the spells were applied, the Hex shifting into place and the net snapping tight, held in its magic as it rushed for the window. Even without looking it could tell the Magian had been awoken by the Hex and was struggling against it.
"RAINBOW! SPIKE! HELP!" The Magian screamed. With no other choice now, it leapt out the window, hitting the ground and rolling before taking off towards Everfree.
"RAINBOW! SPIKE! HELP!" Twilight screamed, moments later the sound of glass shattering echoed through the library. Rainbow grit her teeth, taking the stairs four at a time and bursting into the room. Glancing around she found the window broken and hurled herself out of it, spotting Twilight being carted away by some shadowy creature in what looked like a net made out of Mana. She gritted her teeth, flying after it and wincing as her body spasmed in pain, her wings flickering out and the Skyborn plummeting to the ground.
She grunted as Spitfire caught her, setting her down gently.
"We have to go after her!" Rainbow yelled, stumbling and falling to her knees.
"You need to recover Rainbow, you can't go chasing after things like that. Not right now. Go find your friends, we'll chase that thing down, alright?" Spitfire said, pulling out her phone. Rainbow stared for a moment at the dirt where Twilight had been dragged. She barely heard Spitfire speaking to the other Knights over the phone. Her mind was only on one thing.
I failed again...
Spike froze, his eyes wide and his fist clenched. The words repeated themselves over and over in his head.
Spike, it's Spitfire, Twilight's been kidnapped by some shadow creature. I'm in pursuit, Everfree. Rainbow is gathering the Element Bearers
He slammed the phone shut, standing from his seat to Fluttershy's surprise.
"I-Is something wrong?" she stammered. He paused, putting on a smile for her.
"No, everything is fine. I just need to tend to some business real quick. I uh...dunno how long it'll take though..." Spike chuckled nervously.
"O-Oh I see, that's okay! I'll um...just clean up..." She mumbled.
"I'll come back." he said softly, making sure to stay calm as he walked for the door. Only when he was beyond the garden did he let the panic set in. Had Vinyl been right? And if so, how had Spitfire been the first to react?
On top of that, he couldn't call Vinyl in, she was, by all means, off duty to take care of her sisters.
Although, if the Elements gather to go after Twilight, then Vinyl will have to go along to protect her sisters. Fuck it He pulled out his phone, dialing quickly.
"Vinyl, they've got Twilight. Protect the other Elements at any cost" he ordered. Vinyl sighed on the other end.
"You got it bossman, never was one for rules," Vinyl chuckled as she hung up. With that taken care of, Spike took off into Everfree, shifting once he was hidden in the trees and latching onto the scent of Lavender and Honey.
"I'm coming Twilight, just hold on!"
"Shy!" Rainbow called out, Fluttershy blinking in surprise.
"Rainbow? Whats going on?" She asked, squeaking as Rainbow grabbed her shoulders.
"Twilight's been kidnapped, we gotta go after her!" Rainbow said in a panic, dragging Fluttershy towards the door.
"No." Fluttershy said suddenly, stopping and causing Rainbow to stumble.
"W-WHAT?! What do you mean no?!" Rainbow yelled. Fluttershy smiled, shaking her head.
"She'll be okay Rainbow. Spike ran out after her just a while ago...I knew something had upset him...he just said it was business he had to take care of...but when he got out there he just took off like it was really important." Fluttershy explained. Rainbow swore under her breath.
"Doesn't matter. We're still going to do SOMETHING Shy." Rainbow argued.
"Like what Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, hanging her head. She rolled up her sleeves, showing the large bandages and stepped forward, lifting up Rainbows shirt to show bandages around her stomach.
"What are we going to do Rainbow? Throw ourselves into danger and have to stand there while the Knights struggle to save not only Twilight, but all of us as well?" Fluttershy demanded, tears in her eyes.
"Shy...I...I can't stand by and do nothing..."
"Then we won't. We'll get everyone together, and we'll be there for Twilight when Spike brings her back. We'll only be in the way if we go after her." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow sighed in frustration, shaking her head.
"Fine..."
"Well ain't this a surprise. What are ya'll doin' here?" Applejack asked with a smile as Fluttershy and Rainbow stepped into the party. Her smile faded as she noticed their faces and the dried tears on their cheeks.
"Is everythin' alright?" Applejack wondered.
"Twilight's been kidnapped. The Knights are going to save her." Fluttershy said in a whisper. Applejack blinked, clenching her fists.
"Well we gotta go help em!" she yelled, crying out in pain as Fluttershy gently poked her rib.
"We won't be any help to them Applejack. They would just have to rescue us with her."
"Well then what do we do?" Applejack demanded. Fluttershy looked out across the party.
"We play the part. Whoever has Twilight wants us to panic. So we stay calm, we stay with the children, and we keep our eyes open." Fluttershy whispered. Applejack sighed, finally nodding.
"Alright, but ah'm gonna go get Rarity." Applejack argued, Rainbow nodding agreement.
"I'll stay here, you two go together." Fluttershy said with a smile. The two of them returned the smile for a moment before rushing away from the party. Fluttershy took a seat, smiling as kids danced and played nearby.
"Ahh, this is just what I needed..." Rarity murmured as she sipped her tea.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"I knew it was too good to be true..." she sighed, setting her tea down to answer the door. She smiled as she spotted Applejack, pausing when she noticed Rainbow looking a bit worse for wear behind her.
"This is an unexpected visit, is something the matter?" Rarity wondered.
"Twilight's been kidnapped, Spike an them have gone after her. Ah jus'...Ah jus' had t' come make sure ya'll weren't next" Applejack said softly, hugging her. Rarity gently returned the hug, looking over at Rainbow.
"I see...And why have you two not chased after her? Despite your condition, I would think the two of you would be the first to get involved" Rarity pointed out.
"Because Fluttershy has a point..." Rainbow grumbled.
"What she means is that we had a talk with Shy 'fore we got here. We'd jus' get in their way as we are now..." Applejack explained.
"I see...and what would've been your plan had I also been missing?" Rarity wondered.
"Ah woulda chased after ya no matter what."
"Even if you were in the way?" Rarity smiled. Applejack paused, turning to Rainbow.
"A-Ah...yes..." Applejack admitted. Rainbow swore under her breath, punching the door.
"Yes well, I doubt there is much we can do. And even if I were also missing, I wouldn't want you putting yourself in harms way in your condition Applejack. Though it warms my heart to know you'd risk so much for me. So what is our plan now?"
"We go back to Shy and keep eyes on the kids. We act like we are in the dark about Twilight and we wait on the knights." Rainbow growled. Rarity wanted to argue, but it really was the best option. If someone had managed to grab Twilight of all people, how would they fare any better?
"Very well. But should we hear nothing within the hour I say we throw caution to the wind." Rarity winked as she walked past them.
It was too dark.
"Damnit..." Spitfire swore under her breath, stopping in midair and trying to find the trail again. Had the creature turned at some point? She couldn't risk using any light, or she would give herself away.
"This way," Spike growled in the darkness. All she could see were his emerald eyes.
"I'm running blind in here Sir." She whispered. Spike simply nodded.
"Try to keep up, if things get out of control, follow the sounds of fighting." he growled, taking off into the forest. She sighed, doing her best to keep up with him, only able to manage to keep up by the faint scent of smoke and rustling among the forest. A dim glow out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, causing her to pause. With a gasp she glanced around for Spike.
"Sir wait!" she hissed, drawing her pistol. Spike froze, slinking into the shadows.
"Finally, our moment has arrived. Bring forth the Armor." Spell Nexus ordered, hidden within his ceremonial robe. Four others in robes carefully carried Nightmare Moon's armor into the center of their circle where Twilight Sparkle sat, still trapped and held in place by the shadow creature.
"Whatever you are planning with that armor, it's a bad idea!" Twilight yelled, wincing as the Shadow sliced into her cheek.
"You will remain silent Magic. Your words aren't required for you to serve your purpose to our Queen." Nexus hissed. Twilight grit her teeth, but remained silent, trying to make out the figures in the darkness, gasping as the shadow blocked her vision.
"Everything is ready Master."
"Good, gather the sample." Nexus ordered. Twilight flinched as she felt something cold against her cheek.
"We will need more than that." Nexus growled, Twilight crying out as a blade dug into her arm, her body shaking as she struggled against the creature holding her.
"Good, now, the Armor..." Nexus said, directing the robed figures around the circle, applying Twilight's blood to each piece of armor. Together they stood within the circle, each surrounded in Mana and placing their magic around the armor. A chant filled the air, the clouds parting to reveal the full moon above them.
Spell Nexus grinned as a storm grew around them, lifting the armor into the air. He raised his hands as lightning struck the armor and then Twilight, the Magian screaming as the magic from the five gathered in the circle sunk into her skin. She watched weakly as Mana was pulled from her, slowly taking shape in front of her.
Darkness slowly consumed her senses, leaving her to slump against the shadow that held her.
Spike swore under his breath as he leapt from the shadows, Spitfire covering him from the safety of the trees as he tore his way into the circle. He stood on his back legs, letting out an impressive roar and filling the sky with flames. He hunched over Twilight, glaring at the figures hidden within their robes. He yelped as a spell smacked into his side, turning to glare at the Magian, only for another spell to pelt him.
He threw himself over Twilight, acting as a shield for her and racking his brain for a plan of action.
"We need to leave!" one of them cried
"But the ritual!" a woman argued, more spells pelting against Spike's scales, keeping him trapped on the defensive. In the dark as they were, only his flames and the glow of magic would give Spitfire a chance at assisting him. And it would be difficult to tell everyone apart as anything more than shapes in the darkness. Spitfire couldn't shoot for fear of hitting Twilight. So he was on his own.
At least, that's what he thought. Spike shifted his gaze as a figure dive-bombed into the circle, burying its feet into the head of one of the robed figures. The wounded Magian raised her hands to counter, only for a rope to latch around her wrists and tug her to the ground.
"INCOMING!" Vinyl laughed as she danced into the fray, hooking an arm around a robed figure and spinning in place, chucking him into another, the two skidding into a tree. The final two stood side by side.
"This isn't the end!" One of them screamed before they vanished, the other robed figures disappearing as well. Spike panted slightly as he shifted back to normal. He looked down at Twilight, finding a bad cut on her cheek and a worse one along her arm. But otherwise she was alright.
"Is she okay?" Rainbow asked in a panic.
"She'll live. Vinyl, take us home." Spike ordered, the Magian saluting as she surrounded everyone in her magic, teleporting them into Rarity's workshop where the mentioned Magian was standing with Fluttershy.
"I see everyone is in one piece." Rarity sighed in relief.
"What happened to your orders?" Spike asked. Vinyl shrugged.
"They tricked me," Vinyl chuckled, patting Rarity's shoulder. Rainbow held up her hand, surrounded in Mana. But something about it seemed...different.
"You shared Mana with her...and then vanished..." Spike realized, turning to Rarity.
"I realized we couldn't stay away Spike. So, we put together a plan of action..."
"This isn't right. We should be out there!" Rainbow yelled, punching the wall.
"Well, it's like Shy said, we ain't gonna be much help, are we?" Applejack asked.
"Rainbow...your wounds aren't quite as serious as ours, are they?" Rarity wondered.
"Yea...I didn't really do much..." Rainbow grumbled.
"That's not what I meant Darling. I mean, your magic isn't as affected as mine or Twilight's." Rarity argued gently.
"Yea, so?" Rainbow asked.
"Perhaps there is something we can do. But we'll have to be careful of course." Rarity smirked as she took a seat.
"What happened t' stayin' out o' harms way?" Applejack grinned.
"Oh I meant all of that, but I refuse to simply sit around and do nothing while those ruffians do whatever it is they are planning with our friend. Now listen carefully...this is a spell my family has used to keep track of one another. Something my mother once used if we ever got lost..." Rarity exhaled slowly, her eyes glowing dimly. She held out her hand, a small sphere taking shape and showing an image of Sweetie Belle laughing with Scootaloo.
"Its a tracking Spell." Rainbow realized. Rarity nodded, closing her eyes.
"You need to focus on only Twilight, everything about her, and let her pull you to her." Rarity explained.
"You know the spell, why can't you?" Rainbow asked.
"Because me and Twilight are but friends Rainbow. I know very little of her. Her mannerism's, her worries, her feelings. These are things you SHOULD know, being as close to her as you are." Rarity explained. Rainbow sighed, taking a seat in front of Rarity.
"Okay, what about your babysitter? How do we get past her?" Rainbow wondered. Rarity placed her hand on the table and winked.
"Vinyl cheats by searching for my Magical Signature. So, we'll give it to her."
"A Tracking Spell...I just followed her scent without thinking..." Spike mumbled, setting Twilight down on Rarity's couch.
"What about the girls?" Spike wondered.
"Pinkie Pie is doing a wondrous job of keeping things going. Fluttershy and I expected the worst and prepared what we could without causing a panic."
"Look at you Rare-bear. You'd make a good Knight." Vinyl chuckled, lightly punching her shoulder.
"We'll worry about that later. Call Celamont, we need specialists and we need to know what they were doing with that armor."
Spell Nexus screamed in frustration, his followers kneeling before him as he vented his rage.
"Master, the spell might not have finished, but it was definitely cast. Should we return, I am sure we can..."
"SILENCE! We needed more time, a way to give our Queen form. Her magic remains strong there, but it will fade without something to hold it together. If we return in time, they will be waiting for us." Spell Nexus hissed.
"We will have to start anew...We must recover what we can of the Armor. The Element of Magic is still bonded to it...Gather Discords lackeys, tell them to forget his relics for now and focus on returning the Armor to us. I will stay in Eraville to keep up appearances." he ordered them, waiting until they were gone to remove his spell on the room, the illusion of a robe vanishing as he sat on the edge of his bed utterly exhausted.
His plan might've failed now, but he would see it through to the end. Nightmare Moon would rise again.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted!" Scootaloo sighed as she flopped down onto the couch. Rainbow chuckled, ruffling Scootaloo's hair.
"Then go to bed Squirt. You've got School tomorrow ya know." Rainbow pointed out. She nodded, hugging Rainbow before rushing off to her room. Rainbow sighed, making her way upstairs and into Twilight's room. The Magian was still fast asleep, Spike and Vinyl standing guard in the shadows and Spitfire off in Celamont with the recovered armor of Nightmare.
Rainbow sat on the edge of the bed, gasping as Twilight hugged her waist. She opened her mouth to speak, stopping as Twilight began to cry.
"Twilight..." Rainbow sunk into the bed, hugging her close as she cried.
"I should've been up here..." Rainbow mumbled, Twilight shaking her head.
"Y-You couldn't have known." Twilight hiccuped. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue, Twilight glaring up at her through her tears. She fell silent, simply nodding and tightening her hold on her.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight again Twi. Those bastards are gonna have to go through me if they want a piece of you."
"That's what I'm afraid of Rainbow..." Twilight choked out, clinging to her.
"S-Spike couldn't do anything but stand over me...y-you all had surprise on your side, but what happens next time? What if they come when we're asleep? What if they take Scootaloo? What if someone gets hurt because of me?" Twilight demanded.
"I thought about that a lot when Rarity was little." Vinyl spoke up, looking out the window.
"And I realized I didn't have a choice in the matter. I could stand around worrying about what if's, or I could do something about it. You want them safe, then keep them safe Sparkle."
"Hey!" Rainbow turned to glare at the vampire, but she was gone, as was Spike. She turned back to Twilight, the Magian seeming lost in thought, though she still clung to Rainbow like her life depended on it.
What the heck did those bastards want? Were they trying to steal her magic? And why'd they need that freaking armor for it? Rainbow growled to herself. She winced as Twilight tightened her grip, but refused to let her see.
"Get some rest Twi'...We've got your back, kay?" Rainbow whispered. Twilight reluctantly nodded, letting weariness take over as she leaned into Rainbow.
"It had to be him." Vinyl growled. Spike shook his head, holding up a folder.
"Spell Nexus has an alibi, he was at the Mayor's Office since this afternoon working on his idiotic lesson plans." Spike scoffed. Vinyl looked through the folder, seeing that most of it was Magic related.
"They aren't gonna understand any of this crap. Hell I barely understand any of this crap. Besides, anyone could've written this. Its too coincidental Boss. First the incident with the Armor in the labs, then Discord showing up, then Nexus getting into Eraville and now the Armor coming back into play? I call bullshit." Vinyl argued, tossing the folder back.
"As it stands we have nothing physical on him and we can't go off a hunch. There are still the others to be accounted for as well. There were five of them there, all powerful Magian's, they managed to peel off some of my scales with those bolts." Spike sighed. Vinyl watched him for a moment, crossing her arms.
"So what do we do?"
"We wait Vinyl. That's all we can do now."
"What am I...doing here?" Twilight mumbled as she looked around. One moment she had been curled up against Rainbow, the next she was standing in the middle of nowhere. There was something familiar about this spot though...She took a few steps forward, trying to recall, gasping as something crunched under her foot. She took a step back, blinking as she found a marking on the ground. She knelt down in front of it, brushing her hand over it and shivering as she recognized a faint hint of Mana residue. A powerful spell had been used here.
This is...
She jumped as she heard rustling nearby, summoning up her magic despite the throbbing pain it brought. She prepared herself to fight, until the sound of crying reached her ears. She hesitated, keeping a tight hold of her magic as she moved towards the shifting bush. She sucked in a breath, pulling the bush open and staring in surprise at what she found.
Trapped in a bundle of thorns was a young girl with shoulder length blue hair, her face dotted with gentle freckles that seemed to pop amidst her mocha brown skin. Tears stained her cheeks as she struggled in the vines, crying out as they tore into her.
"H-Hold on! I'll get you out!" Twilight cried, causing the girl to pause and open her eyes. Twilight froze once more as she caught sight of the girls eyes. They were eyes she had seen before. They were the eyes of Nightmare.
The girls lip wobbled as Twilight simply sat there staring at her, forcing Twilight to act.
Maybe she's like Spike? But what would a dragon-kin be doing out...wherever we are? Twilight wondered as she grabbed at the thorns, wincing as they bit into her palms. She carefully looped her magic around a few more, working as quickly as she dared until the girl was freed. She smiled, gasping as the girl latched onto her, hugging her tightly.
"It's alright...My name is Twilight...whats yours?" she asked softly. The girl hiccuped, sitting down and rubbing at her cheeks. She glanced at her hands and then at herself, looking back up at Twilight before she started to cry again.
"Shhh, its okay! Take your time" Twilight said quickly, hugging the girl close. She sniffed and clung to Twilight, shaking against her.
"It'll be okay..." Twilight promised, running her hand through the girls hair.
Even her hair seems like...But that doesn't make any sense. Her curiosity piqued, Twilight glanced at the girls shoulder, finding what she expected. A marking sat upon her shoulder, showing her to be a Magian. With a lump in her throat, Twilight leaned forward over the girl, looking past a tear in the blue shirt the girl wore. Sure enough, an Avaros marking sat between her shoulders. And if she had to guess, she would say the girl had the markings of a Gaian as well.
"Do you know how you got here?" Twilight asked slowly.
"N-No...I-I just w-woke up in there." the girl sobbed. Twilight sighed in relief. The girl could speak.
"I kind of just woke up here too." Twilight admitted, the girl glancing up at her.
"Do you...know your name?" Twilight asked. The girl shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes once more. Twilight smiled, running her hands through the girls hair again.
"It's okay. I'm sure you'll remember...We should probably get somewhere safe" Twilight spoke softly, not wanting to scare the girl. Though her thoughts were a wreck. How did she get here? How did this girl get here? Why was she a Celestian? Why did she have Nightmare's eyes?
Panic. Panic was the first thing that came to mind. Rainbow had slowly awoken to find she was alone in bed. Heading downstairs proved fruitless as she searched high and low for Twilight.
Okay, just...relax. Maybe she went off with Spike somewhere? Y-Yea that's gotta be it...ugh, then why do I feel sick? Wait, I've still got that spell Rarity gave me Rainbow argued with herself. She sat down on the couch, letting out a slow breath as she was filled with Mana.
"Dash?" Scootaloo asked, snapping her concentration in half. Rainbow opened an eye, looking at her adopted daughter.
"Mornin' Squirt. How'd ya sleep?" Rainbow asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. Scootaloo seemed to have missed the panic filling her voice as she simply stretched and smiled
"Pretty good. I was kinda worried things would be weird at that dance but it turned out alright." She chuckled. Rainbow smiled, leaning back against the couch.
"That's awesome Squirt. Heh, I was a pretty terrible dancer as a kid ya know..." Rainbow sighed. They sat there in silence for a moment, Scootaloo climbing up on the couch.
"Hey I uh...I wanted to thank you..." Scootaloo said softly
"Tch, for what?" Rainbow scoffed
"For adopting me...I uh...I know you let me win..." Scootaloo mumbled
"What makes you think I LET you win?" Rainbow argued
"Come on Dash...you're the best flyer ever. I'm just some kid who can't even fly..." Scootaloo squeaked as Rainbow slumped forward, slamming her hand on the table.
"You aren't just some kid Scoots. I had the doctors to force me to keep going...You...You had nothing...and here you are...if it'd been me...I woulda just laid down an died...So quit sellin' yourself short Squirt." Rainbow said quietly, wincing as Scootaloo hugged her. She smiled, returning the hug.
"Although...I have been training...so next time we race I'll definitely win!" Rainbow grinned, Scootaloo smiling up at her and nodding quickly.
"Alright, go get some breakfast Squirt, I got some stuff to do."
"Lemme guess, 'Boring Adult Stuff'?" Scootaloo deadpanned, Rainbow answering with a nod. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, hopping off the couch and heading into the kitchen. Rainbow watched her for a moment, retaking her position on the couch and closing her eyes.
The spell slowly took form in her mind, filling her vision with an image of Twilight, only to be smashed to pieces, sending Rainbow reeling over the back of the couch. She stood slowly, a hand against her head as pain lanced through her body.
THAT was new. The spell had worked perfectly before, so why wasn't it working now?
Maybe she's in one of those 'Barriers'. Which means she really is with Spike. Rainbow sighed to herself. She blinked spotting Scootaloo looking at her worriedly
"I'm fine Squirt, just uh...practicing a spell and it kinda backfired."
"I thought we weren't supposed to be using magic..."
"You aren't" Vinyl said from the doorway. Rainbow rolled her eyes as she stood, dusting herself off.
"I was just worried alright? You guys don't tell me what the hell you're up to and I wanted to know where Twi was." Rainbow explained herself. Vinyl stared at her for a moment. Rainbow's eyes widened as realization set in
She doesn't know where Twilight is either...
"Scoots, why don't you go ahead to the Schoolhouse? I've got a lot of work to get done today and I gotta have a talk with Vinyl here. More boring adult stuff." Rainbow chuckled. Scootaloo frowned for a moment but nodded
"Alright...But you an Twilight still owe me Magic Lessons!" Scootaloo giggled, slipping on a jacket and stepping into her shoes before rushing past Vinyl.
"How long as she been gone?" Vinyl asked
"I don't know. I woke up and she wasn't there. I tried tracking her down and all I got was a damn wall." Rainbow sighed.
"None of my wards went off. She had to have left of her own free will. Maybe she's in a Seal?" Vinyl wondered aloud.
"Or maybe those bastards have her again" Rainbow growled
"I doubt it." Spike added, causing both Vinyl and Rainbow to look up. Spike hung from the cieling by his tail, arms crossed and eyes closed.
"They wouldn't risk being caught. They knew about me when they attacked and they would know I'd up my game if they were caught. Those spells they hit me with are proof enough they were waiting for me. It also speaks volumes of their experience. DragonSlayer spells haven't been practiced in ages." Spike explained as he dropped silently to the ground.
"So then where is she?" Rainbow demanded.
"I don't know. She has a bit of a talent for sneaking out. She used to do it as a kid to get into the library." Spike sighed. He glanced at Vinyl and then at Rainbow before tucking his hands into his pockets.
"We'll set up a perimeter and see if we can't find her. We can assume the worst, but lets not panic over it. I'm sure she just needed some time alone to think."
Twilight smiled, finding the girl had finally relaxed and had even stopped crying. Though she still couldn't recall her name or how she had ended up in the bushes...or anything else about herself.
"We seem to be in Everfree...Which means a Teleport wouldn't be too difficult. I just need to figure out where we are relative to Eraville..." Twilight murmured. She blinked, looking down as the girl let go of her hand and found her pawing at the ground.
"There's something here..." the girl said softly. Twilight knelt down, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.
This...this is where they dragged me...the grass is bent this way so...Eraville has to be that way... Twilight cleared her throat, holding out her hand.
"That's a great find! Now I know where to go. Hold on tight, okay? This might feel a little weird." Twilight warned. She squeaked as the girl hugged her and held on for dear life. She sighed, wrapping her arms around the girl as her magic welled up inside of her. Turning her gaze toward Eraville, she let her magic flow freely, surrounding the two of them within the spell before they popped in and out of existence, stumbling into Rarity as she came out of the Spa.
"Twilight! What are you doing using Magic? I thought we had talked about this and..." Rarity stared for a moment, realizing Twilight was in her pajama's and noticing the girl clinging to her. She gasped, eyes wide as the girl glanced up at her. Twilight's eyes widened as well, quickly wrapping her magic around Rarity's mouth and shaking her head.
"Rarity please don't freak out." Twilight hissed. Rarity took a calming breath, giving a nod and waiting until Twilight's magic faded.
"Forgive me dear but...what is going on?!" Rarity demanded, doing her best to keep her voice level.
"I...I honestly don't know. Could we um...talk in private?" Twilight asked, looking around at the stares her current attire was drawing. Rarity mumbled something under her breath, the trio appearing in her shop. Twilight blinked in surprise, looking at Rarity.
"My magic might not be on par with yours Darling, but we Filigree's have our tricks that come in handy. Now...an explanation please?"
She gulped, the girl still clinging to her as she did her best to explain.
"I...I woke up out there Rarity...where they had me. And she was there j-just...crying...she was all alone out there in a thorn bush a-and if I hadn't found her who knows what could've happened?" Twilight cried.
"This is all very strange darling...And...well...she has an uncanny resemblance to...well..."
"I noticed...but she ISN'T her Rarity. She's afraid and alone, she doesn't even know who she is." Twilight argued.
"Then should we not get the Princess' assistance in this matter?"
"NO! We can't! J-Just...LOOK at her Rarity...They would see those eyes and...and..."
"Alright Twilight, calm down dear. I can't quite understand your connection with this girl but...she seems rather important to you. Is everything alright Twilight?" Rarity asked softly
"I...No Rarity. Everything is not alright. I'm...I'm scared. But that girl...there's something about her. I can't just leave her."
Rarity sighed, putting a finger to her chin in thought.
"What is your plan then? Simply hide her from the Princess'? What of Spike? Surely he would report this." Rarity pointed out. Twilight stiffened, her eyes wide.
"I...I don't know." She realized
"Well, you should hide her." Pinkie suggested, causing everyone to jump out of their skin.
"PINKIE! I have told you before not to..." Rarity began, silenced by a cupcake
"It was an emergency this time! I mean, look!" Pinkie held up her hand, Chaos swirling around it and leading towards the girl.
"She's DROWNING in this stuff! If I didn't find her then Vinyl would and then the Princess would!" Pinkie argued. Twilight let out a sigh of relief.
"T-Thanks Pinkie...but...why?" Twilight asked.
"Because she's important to you. So she's important to me. That's what friends are for Twilight. But I can't keep this up forever...We need a plan if we wanna keep her safe." Pinkie said softly. Twilight frowned, looking down at the girl.
"We seem to have forgotten about her in all the excitement. How are you darling?" Rarity asked the girl. She blinked, looking up at Rarity and then at Twilight.
"I-I don't know...I'm scared but...Twilight saved me..." she said softly. Rarity groaned, biting her lip.
"She's adorable...Alright. I don't know how we are going to pull it off but...perhaps there is something I can do to assist you." Rarity sighed as she stood. She marched over to her worktable, pushing aside a few materials and smiling as she spotted a pair of round-rimmed spectacles. Humming a bit, she held them gently between her fingers, her eyes glowing dimly as she mumbled something under her breath.
She turned to Twilight, slipping the glasses on and smiling. Her dark blue eyes shifting to a golden yellow behind the lenses. She removed them, holding them out towards the girl.
"Try these on dear, I think they will be a perfect fit for you." Rarity smiled. The girl hesitated, glancing up at Twilight. The Magian nodded, giving her a smile. She turned back to Rarity, accepting the glasses and slipping them on carefully, her draconic eyes shifting behind the glasses and appearing normal, though the color remained.
"It's a start Darling." Rarity murmured.
"She still needs a name! What about...Twinkle?!" Pinkie squeaked, everyone shaking their heads, the girl included.
"It's not really fitting Pinkie, but the effort is appreciated Darling."
Pinkie frowned for a moment, tapping her chin and racking her brain for more ideas.
"Nyx..." Twilight mumbled, everyone looking at her. She looked down at the girl and smiled
"How does Nyx sound?" Twilight suggested.
"Nyx...my name is...Nyx?" the girl mumbled, smiling up at Twilight
"My name is Nyx!" she squealed, hugging Twilight tightly
"Well, that solves one dilemma, but leaves another. How do we keep her a secret from the Princess', let alone the Knights?" Rarity asked. Silence reigned over them as they wracked their brains for any sort of plan, little Nyx clinging to Twilight's arm and looking between them, her eyes latching on Pinkie Pie and the Chaos swirling around the Gaian's hand.
"OH OH OH! I've got it!" Pinkie cheered with a snap of her fingers. She lurched forward for a second as if she was going to be sick, her hair deflating a bit before she sat upright and cleared her throat.
"Heh, sorry. I uh...haven't done this a whole lot ya know..." she mumbled, glancing at her hand.
"We understand dear and we appreciate it immensely. But what is this idea of yours?" Rarity wondered. Pinkie blinked, snapping her fingers again, a piece of paper floating in front of her along with an envelope. She squinted a bit, rubbing her chin and nodded, the paper floating over to Twilight. Rarity looked over her shoulder, reading along with her.
"Are you sure this'll work Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"Of course it will! You get this letter from some distant family in some far away place asking you to watch after your darling cousin Nyx for a while. I show you some tricks to keep her off the radar and we come up with something better later!" Pinkie cheered
"That's...rather brilliant Pinkie..." Rarity murmured. Pinkie nodded, snapping her fingers once more, the letter vanishing.
"If we're lucky, they'll find that sitting on your desk." Pinkie smirked.
"Girls...thank you...so much." Twilight gasped as both of them hugged her
"Think nothing of it Darling. Now...Pinkie, you should get started on those lessons. Meanwhile, I'll put together something for Nyx to wear."
"I don't like this..." Vinyl mumbled, crossing her arms and peeking over her shades at the early morning streets of Eraville.
"I hate it when you say that." Spike sighed in her ear piece. She scoffed, adjusting her shades.
"Then stop giving me reasons to say it." She shot back, her eyes glowing dimly behind her shades as she laid a thin blanket of mana underneath herself, spreading it throughout Eraville.
"Wouldn't be doing my job otherwise" Spike mumbled, Vinyl catching sight of him for only a second before he was gone. She never did figure out how he just simply vanished. At first she had suspected Chaos, but she would've been able to sense it, just like the few chaos signatures lighting up Eraville as of late. One was obviously Fluttershy, another being the Apple Family girl, Applebloom. Another that flickered in and out constantly HAD to be Pinkie Pie, and for a moment she swore there was another, but it was in the same direction as Pinkie...
"Just what is she anyway?" Vinyl growled. She sent another pulse through the blanket of Mana, letting out a sigh of relief as she found Twilight with the baker and Rarity. But there was another there. Someone she didn't recognize but at the same time...felt...familiar.
"Spike, I found her. She's at Rarity's." Vinyl muttered softly.
"Good work." was all he replied, going silent once more. She frowned at that, but let it go. If Spike had something to say, he would say it. And if he was staying quiet, then it was something she'd rather not hear.
"Oh! Good morning Spike," Fluttershy greeted with a smile, wincing as Spike grabbed her arm.
"You haven't recovered much...Shouldn't you be resting up?" he asked softly. She frowned, glancing at the bag balanced between her arm and hip.
"I needed to feed my animals..." she mumbled, as if the argument would stop Spike. It didn't. With that same smile, he gently, but forcefully, took the bag of feed and went to work, leaving Fluttershy to watch as he handled her daily chores.
"Couldn't I just..."
"No."
"But, it won't hurt if I..."
"No."
She sighed, marching into the kitchen and putting on a pot for tea.
"I'm not some dainty little flower..." she mumbled under her breath.
"I'm well aware. I got a taste of one of Applejack's kicks and I'd rather not do it again. You caught it like it was nothing." Spike called from the living room, reminding the Skyborn just how powerful his hearing was.
"I-I..."
"Shy, it's fine. It doesn't matter how strong you are. You're injured and working an injured body leads to further injury. So, until you recover, I'll be handling your chores, okay?" he spoke softly. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, her eyes wide and heart pounding in her ears. Spike glanced around, exhaling slowly.
"Fluttershy..." he began, the Skyborn shaking her head.
"Spike, I-I um...Its gone, but...that was...she was..." she slowly sank to her knees, hanging her head.
"She's back..."
"WHOA!" Twilight cried out as she fell into her bed, Pinkie Pie flopping onto the floor. Twilight reacted without thinking, snatching Nyx out of the air in her magic and pulling the girl against her chest.
"Sorry Twilight! I was aiming for the front door." Pinkie sighed. Twilight shook her head and chuckled.
"It's perfectly fine Pinkie. It was better than walking and I doubt I could've done a proper teleport." Twilight smiled. Though her smile instantly vanished as Rainbow kicked her door open.
"WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA...?" Rainbow screamed, stopping as her eyes latched onto the girl in Twilight's arms, her glasses askew and revealing her eyes. Rainbow's eyes lit up for a moment, the Skyborn finding herself in a full nelson hold by Pinkie, the door locking behind the Gaian.
"Now Dashie, let's just be nice and calm. Deeeep breaths Dashie. You love Twilight right? And you wanna see her happy right? So let's not scream or shout. Just...calm..." Pinkie said slowly. Rainbow grit her teeth, her fists clenched and her body shaking.
"I want an explanation...NOW!" Rainbow screamed.
"It's my fault! I-I-I woke up out there a-and..."
"WHAT?!"
"TIME OUT!" Pinkie yelled, flipping Rainbow onto the floor and sitting on her stomach. Nyx hid herself in Twilight's embrace, clinging to her shirt the moment the screaming started.
"Okay...okay, I'm good Pinks...I just...I freaked okay? I woke up...and Twilight was gone and no one knew where she was and I just...I..."
"It's okay Dashie. When you love someone, you worry. So! This is Nyx, Twilight's cousin. Isn't she adorable!?" Pinkie squeaked. Rainbow gave her a deadpan stare
"I wasn't born yesterday Pinks. I saw those eyes. Now what in Celestia's name is that?" Rainbow demanded.
"She's innocent in all of this Rainbow, just look at her..." Twilight whispered. Pinkie helped Rainbow to her feet, the Skyborn hesitantly stepping closer. Nyx glanced at Rainbow, still clinging to Twilight for dear life.
"Okay, so its a cute kid. But..."
"She just looks like her Rainbow. She doesn't know anything. I found her out there where they had me." Twilight explained, telling Rainbow everything. At the end, Rainbow was sitting cross legged on the bed, staring intently at the girl in Twilight's arms.
"So...this kid is drowning in Chaos and has those eyes and you wanna keep her here instead of telling the Princess'?" Rainbow asked.
"Could you have turned Fluttershy in?" Twilight asked suddenly.
"Wait, hold up, that's different Twi! I've known Shy my whole life!" Rainbow argued.
"I know, but...I just feel...I CAN'T leave her alone and if I give her to the Princess' who knows what they'll do to her..." Twilight explained herself.
"They'll imprison her, question her, experiment, see what makes her tick, that's what people do in Celamont Twi. So I guess we're hiding her." Rainbow sighed.
"How you gonna pull it off?" she asked. Twilight looked down at Nyx, giving her a smile.
"Well...we work on the glasses...and we introduce her as my distant cousin. It'll take time for anyone to dig up records to disprove it and will give us time to think of something better."
"That's a good short term plan Twi', but its bound to backfire. When they find those records, when she drops her glasses, when they figure out she's a Sun-cursed Celestian, it'll backfire. I don't wanna bring you down Twi', but we need something better than that."
"Well...it's all we've got..." Twilight sighed.
"It'll have to do I guess. We'll just burn that bridge when we get to it. Welcome to the family kiddo." Rainbow chuckled. Everyone froze in place as the sound of a door opening echoed through the library, followed by footsteps on the stairs.
"Hey Rainbow! We found Twilight!" Spike called out. He stopped at the door, finding them on Twilight's bed. The aforementioned Magian clutching a child to her chest and offering Spike a weak smile.
"But I guess you knew that already heh." Spike chuckled. It didn't take Twilight long to realize he had reverted to his old self, not wanting to reveal his true nature with a stranger in the area. Spike opened his mouth to speak, Twilight jumping in before he could
"Spike, I'd like you to meet my cousin Nyx." she said a little too quickly. The girl glanced at Spike, tightening her hold on Twilight. Spike froze for a moment before chuckling nervously.
"Your cousin? Wow, I didn't know you had a cousin so young Twi!" Spike laughed. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat.
"M-Me either actually. But she's going to be staying with us for a little while." Twilight continued.
Spike glanced between them for a moment, Twilight visibly sweating. Spike only shrugged
"Hey, as long as I get to keep my room."
Twilight held her breath as Spike marched away. Rainbow glanced at Twilight, swearing under her breath as she chased after Spike.
"How long until we arrive?" Gilda demanded.
"Two days by train Sir. Security checks have been causing delays, but it should be a smooth ride from here on out."
"Good, that will be all." she dismissed the officer, turning her attention back to a few folders strewn across her lap. Notes on each bearer of Harmony. She already knew Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash rather well, the other four were the ones she was interested in. Though the one that really caught her eye was the Element of Laughter.
"Just what are you?" Gilda murmured as she opened the file again. All of her spies, her entire network, all of her connections, and all she had was a single page of information on Pinkie Pie. Basic information, height, age, place of birth. Something anyone could find. Her only juicy bit of information was that the girl seemed to be stronger than the average Gaian, and even faster than an Avaros in their prime. But there was something off about her, something that just wasn't...right.
"I'll just have to get my claws on her and see what makes her tick." she sighed, setting the folder aside. Her next big target was the vampire, Rarity Filigree. It hadn't taken much digging to find the little Family Secret, even if it had cost the lives of two of her best men. All she needed to get control of her was to stop the flow of Donated Blood being sent.
The important target however was Rainbow Dash herself. The Skyborn was heavily devoted to her friends. If Gilda wanted her plan to go off without a hitch she would need to convince her that she had her friends safety in mind.
"The things I do for power..." she sighed, the gem hanging around her neck glowing dimly.
"Spike..." Rainbow gasped, the dragon simply standing there.
"Twilight has several extended family members, only three of which are Magian. The rest are mostly of Gaian descent and are simple farmers. Not to say its impossible for a Magian to be born among Gaian's. Just unlikely." Spike said calmly.
"I don't know why Twilight would lie to me about something like this. But I trust her, and I trust you Rainbow." He finished before she could speak up. With that he left. Rainbow clenched her fist, blinking as she found Pinkie beside her.
"I knew he was a big softie..." Pinkie giggled. Rainbow relaxed, shaking her head.
"He probably knows everything huh? But then why wouldn't he do anything? Isn't it his job?" Rainbow wondered aloud.
"Because sometimes the best thing you can do is not always the right thing." Pinkie answered with a sad smile. Rainbow glanced at the baker, only to find she was gone.
"This day needs to stop being weird..." Rainbow grumbled.
"Somethin' weird is goin' on 'round here." Applebloom mumbled, blowing her nose into a crumpled up tissue.
"Is The Chill acting up?" Scootaloo asked, Applebloom nodding. She glanced past her Skyborn friend, eyeing Spell Nexus next to the Doctor, the two discussing the next lesson plan.
"Somethin' ain't right 'bout him. Ah ain't never felt th' Chill this bad before." She sighed, unable to focus through her pounding headache.
"Maybe he's evil?" Sweetie Belle wondered, the three girls turning to look at the strange teacher from Celamont. He SEEMED normal, but something was still off.
Everything about him was fake. His smile, his way of speaking, all of his actions. But at the same time it was hard to believe he meant anything but good, for a moment it was easy to fall for his smile and to see a better person underneath. But then it was lost again.
"What would an evil teacher want anyway? Extra homework?" Scootaloo scoffed. Applebloom sighed, laying her head on her arms.
"Ah guess yer right, still, somethin jus' ain't right."
"Mistress, I know it is not my place to ask this...but..."
"You are curious as to how Celestia and I are not at one another's throats?" Luna finished for her student, looking at Trixie over her cup of tea. Trixie lowered her head.
"I-I apologize Mistress, as I said, it was not my place to ask..."
"No, it is a fair question, one I am sure many have wondered. I take full responsibility for the Darkness in which I was consumed. I let it take a hold of me and I let myself drown in it until I could no longer understand reason." Luna explained softly, taking a sip of her tea.
"Despite drowning in that darkness, what good there was inside of me remembered...Every night...she cradled me so gently in her magic as she lifted the moon. She did her best to craft the stars to match one of my masterpieces, and as morning came, she just as gently lowered me to slumber." Luna smiled sadly, setting her tea down. She lifted Trixie in her magic.
"Tell me my apprentice, what do you feel?" Luna asked gently. Trixie blinked, taking a moment to carefully think out her next words.
"Warm, Mistress. As if without it being said, I know you would never drop me." she answered. Luna nodded, gently setting Trixie down.
"When one is as magically intuned as we are, and is held in the Magic of another, we can feel their emotions, their true feelings. It was much the same between Celestia and I while I was imprisoned. She felt only regret that she could not have saved me from my fate. With my mind free of the Darkness, there was only clarity. I came to realize how far I had gone over my jealousy.
Our people have changed much in the time I was gone. I was rather surprised to discover they even seek my council during the later hours. It warms my heart to know that after so long, I am not just her shadow. We are equals and we always have been...I was just too blind to see it then." Luna finished. She lifted her cup once more, taking a small sip.
"Thank you for your question."
"O-Of course Mistress"
Rainbow sat in silence, watching as Nyx sat in Twilight's lap, the two enjoying an encyclopedia of all things together. The silence was broken as Scootaloo burst into the library, dropping her bag next to the door and flopping onto the couch.
"Ugh, so good to be home." the Skyborn sighed, smiling up at Rainbow.
"How was School?" Rainbow wondered, glancing at Twilight.
"Eh, it was alright I guess. Bloom is convinced one of our teachers is evil and the others are just weird. And no one has seen Ms Yearling in a while...did she leave?" Scootaloo wondered as she sat up.
"I'm not sure Squirt, I haven't seen her either. But she writes books, maybe she had somethin' important to do." Rainbow shrugged. Scootaloo turned to Twilight, caught by surprise when she noticed Nyx.
"Oh hey." she waved, Twilight and Nyx looking up, the two jumping in surprise.
"Were the two of you really that lost in there?" Rainbow deadpanned.
"S-Sorry. I guess we both just really like to learn." Twilight giggled. Nyx nodded agreement, careful to keep her spectacles balanced.
"Soooo, who are you?" Scootaloo wondered, tilting her head to the side. Nyx cleared her throat, calming the pounding of her heart and putting on a smile.
"I'm Nyx." she introduced herself. With Rarity's help they had dressed Nyx in a white undershirt, the fabric light but thickly woven to cover up any obvious markings. On top of that she wore a dark purple vest, a pitch black skirt completing her outfit. Her hair was kept in a ponytail, something Pinkie had suggested to further throw off her similar appearance to Nightmare Moon.
"Huh, never seen you before. You new in town?" Scootaloo asked as she sat in front of them.
"You uh...could say that..." Nyx mumbled, suddenly very very interested in the knitting technique used on Twilight's rug.
"Nyx is a distant family member of mine. She'll be staying with us for a while Scootaloo." Twilight explained with a nervous smile.
"...So she's family? Cool! Wait, am I sharing my room?!" Scootaloo panicked
"Nah, Nyx is more nervous than Fluttershy, so she is always latched onto Twilight. You get to keep your room to yourself Squirt but i'm losing my favorite spot on the bed." Rainbow pretended to grumble.
"S-Sorry Rainbow..." Twilight apologized failing to notice the humor in her friends voice. Rainbow simply shook her head.
"Eh its fine. But she's gotta let loose at some point Twi', you can't keep her cooped up in here." Rainbow pointed out.
"I know, but..."
"I'm not ready..." Nyx finished for Twilight.
"Pfft, I guess I can understand that. It kinda sucks out there sometimes, but you can't make friends trapped in here Nyx.. Hey! That gives me an idea. Can I bring AB and Belle over? We won't break anything!" Scootaloo begged. Twilight sighed in defeat and nodded, Scootaloo jumping to her feet and rushing for the door.
"Is this a good idea Twi?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, this way, Nyx can make some friends. What do you think?" Twilight looked down, the Celestian in her lap fidgeting a bit.
"What if they get mad at me like Miss Rainbow did? Or panic like Miss Rarity did?" Nyx wondered, hanging her head.
"Aw c'mon, I didn't get mad." Rainbow sighed.
"They acted like that because you are different Nyx, they didn't know how to react. But Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom are different too. They won't get mad, or panic, or anything like that. But, you can't exactly tell them everything just yet either."
"Why? Whats wrong with me?!" Nyx demanded, blinking as Twilight hugged her tightly. She looked up, seeing her own tears mirrored in her caretakers eyes.
"Nothing is wrong with you Nyx...but not everyone understands that..." Twilight said, barely above a whisper. The two tensed up as Rainbow joined the hug, wearing a smirk.
"I don't understand either of you, can't even try to lie. But I'll be damned if I let either of you be sad while I'm around."
"It's good to see you Cadence, though I wish it were on better terms than this." Celestia sighed.
"I agree, though there is good news to be had as well." Cadence giggled, holding up her hand. Celestia smirked, glancing at one nervous Shining Armor.
"It's about time. I was wondering if you'd ever have the courage Captain." she teased. Shining Armor cleared his throat, tapping his wrist.
"Can we get back on topic? Namely, the Nightmare Armor. How did it get out of here? And Discord...how did he manage to hide here for so long?" Shining wondered.
"I am sad to say I don't have any of the answers you are looking for Captain. The only thing I recognized of Discord were his eyes...he must have hid them from me with an illusion...In any case, I SHOULD have known it was him. I apologize Shining Armor, in this, I failed you." Princess Celestia lowered her head for a moment, catching Shining off guard.
He cleared his throat, shaking his head
"No. I don't think shifting blame around on ourselves will fix anything Princess. But there's something else bugging me, something I'm forgetting...Someone else who had ties to the Nightmare Armor." Shining realized, clenching his fists.
"Spell Nexus, he was there Princess, he shared Discord's story and alibi."
"I understand your concerns Captain, but Discord dug himself deep undercover. If we suspect everyone who agreed with anything concerning him..." Celestia began, Shining shaking his head.
"I can feel it Princess. Something just isn't...RIGHT. I felt it when Nightmare attacked, I felt it when the incident in the lab happened, I felt it when you needed me most and it's even stronger now Princess...At least allow me the chance to speak with Spell Nexus." Shining Armor almost begged. Celestia folded her hands in her lap, glancing at Cadence who only nodded.
"I am afraid I cannot allow you to leave your post Captain, not while a supplementary Captain is still only in training." Celestia spoke up, Shining hanging his head.
"But...I could call on Spell Nexus on a matter of important business, and were there to be any possibility of danger, I would need my Captain by my side." she said with a smirk. Shining Armor chuckled, bowing his head.
"I dunno Princess...seems like an awfully dangerous thing to leave lying around." Daring sighed, hands on her hips.
"As much as I hate to admit it, we lack the time to go searching for it. We can only hope it turns up in the hands of someone who doesn't know what it can do." Celestia spoke up.
"What about the teaching job? Should I go back?" Daring wondered, Celestia shook her head.
"That man, The Doctor, I feel we should leave things in his hands for now. I need your eyes elsewhere...from the shadows if possible." Celestia explained. Daring Do simply shrugged.
"If thats what you want Princess..."
"I'd rather you enjoy doing what you do best. But..."
"Yea yea, a bit short on hands as of late. I appreciate the work, not every adventure of mine is worthy of a book."
"Ahem, Nyx, these are my friends, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo grinned, stepping to the side as she introduced her friends.
"It's nice to meet you Nyx!" Sweetie Belle said with a wave.
"Happy t' meet ya!" Applebloom said, holding out her hand. Nyx blinked, hesitating before grabbing it, gasping as Applebloom shook her. She clenched her eyes shut, quickly grabbing her glasses and yanking her hand away
"U-Um t-thank you! It's nice to meet all of you too um...Applebloom, Sweetie Belle..." Nyx nodded to them, wrapping her arms around herself and turning her gaze away from them. They didn't notice her eyes did they?
"So, what do ya'll do fer fun Nyx?" Applebloom wondered.
"Fun?" Nyx asked in turn, confused.
"Oh boy..." Scootaloo sighed. The speedster tapped her chin, running out of the room for a moment, only to return with a stack of cards and a board game tucked under her arm.
"Guess we'll just have to teach her." Scootaloo smirked.
"I call the penny whistle!" Sweetie Belle cheered, helping Scootaloo set up the board.
"I don't understand...you don't think I'm...strange?" Nyx asked
"Well I think you're pretty weird Nyx, buuut I'm kinda weird too, so it's cool. Whats strange is you dunno how to have fun, and we're gonna fix that. Now, what piece do you want?" Scootaloo chuckled, placing the pieces in front of her. Nyx froze, looking at all of them.
"Um...this one is fine I guess..." she mumbled, picking up a soldier and placing it on the board.
"Huh, no one ever picks the Knight. Should be a good game." Scootaloo smiled. Nyx panicked for a moment, until she saw that smile. There was just something about it that calmed her fears, that told her everything was going to be okay. As she looked at the others she found the same smile, Sweetie Belle had a gentler smile, while Applebloom wore a genuine welcoming smile. Scootaloo's seemed a bit cocky, but genuine all the same.
She couldn't help but smile as well.
"Alright, I'll go first!" Scootaloo cheered, drawing a card from the pile. Nyx felt a shiver run up her spine as the lights dimmed, but a quick glance to her left revealed it was Sweetie Belle.
"Hehe...sorry, we uh, kinda have a thing for the dramatic effect." Sweetie Belle admitted. Nyx shook her head and turned back to Scootaloo. The Skyborn cleared her throat and read off the card.
"Your journey begins five paces north where a rumbling draws your attention. Do you seek it out, or avoid it?" Scootaloo tapped her chin, looking at her pegasus piece on the board.
"Hm...I'm going in!" she declared. She glanced at the card for the page number for her choice, flipping the book open and clearing her throat.
"You push through the bushes in search of the sound, amazed to find a spring! Gain three defense tokens. Heck yea!" Scootaloo cheered, placing three of the tokens in front of herself. Applebloom was next, drawing a card and letting out a chuckle.
"Terra smiles upon ya, move 10 paces and receive 5 defense tokens." Applebloom set the card down, moving her potted plant to the given space and grabbing her tokens.
"Alright Nyx, draw a card." Scootaloo told her. Nyx nodded, grabbing a card and tensing up as the words seemed to jump at her. she dropped the card, scrambling backwards away from the board game.
"Whoa! whats wrong?" Scootaloo asked, reaching for the card. She sighed and shook her head.
"That's rotten luck...'You are attacked by the Nightmare, lose 1 defense token and draw again or Lose a turn.'" Scootaloo grabbed one of her own tokens, placing it back into the pile.
"Here, just draw again." Scootaloo smiled.
"I-I don't understand..." Nyx shook in place, her head hurting as the word Nightmare echoed again and again. She didn't know what it meant, but...it scared her, more than anything, more than being trapped in the thorn bush all alone, more than being screamed at by Rainbow, more than upsetting Twilight.
"Not all the cards are good things, sometimes bad things happen. But you're new, so I defended you with my pegasus for this turn. Huh, actually the Knight has the ability to defend itself, but it has a 5 turn cool down. Oh well, I already used the token heh, anyway, we'll help you out Nyx, it's what friends do." Scootaloo said with the same cocky grin.
"I thought we were all going against each other to win..." Nyx mumbled, confused.
"Pfft, sure, one of us is trying to win, but that doesn't mean everyone else has to lose." Scootaloo argued.
"That's right! It's possible for every player to reach the end and win together." Sweetie Belle tossed in.
"We've only managed it once though, ain't really that easy with a lot o' th' stuff bein' random like th' cards and dice. But with luck, our abilities, and keeping each other safe, we can do it!" Applebloom nodded. Nyx looked down at her Knight, now aware of his ability to defend.
"Can I use my Knights power to protect someone else like you protected me?" Nyx asked.
"Yea, but you have to wait 5 of that persons turns before you can use it again." Scootaloo answered. Nyx gave a nod, reaching for the deck.
"Let's beat this then...together"
"YEA!"
"Welcome back" the cloaked woman said softly. Twilight blinked, looking around and finding herself in an empty void save for her and the woman.
"I fell asleep?" Twilight thought aloud.
"Why would you have to be asleep to see me? Perhaps you are daydreaming, or maybe this is reality and THAT is the dream." the woman mused, looking out into the void.
"What do you want from me?" Twilight demanded. The woman sighed, crossing her arms.
"I can't answer that. But you'll figure it out, you Sparkles always do, it's in your blood." the woman chuckled as she vanished. Twilight found herself staring at her ceiling, Nyx snoring softly against her side and wrapped up between her arm and blanket. She smiled slightly, rolling on to her side and wrapping both arms around her.
"They are going to find her Twilight, it's only a matter of time." the cloaked woman smirked in front of her.
Twilight screamed as she rolled off the couch, groaning in pain as she stumbled her way into the waking world. She took a quick look around, her magic sparking to life long enough to test reality. On the floor next to her was a stack of books, knocked over in her panic. Before she knew it, three little girls were by her side, the game forgotten.
She let out a sigh, giving them a smile
"S-Sorry about that. I guess I dozed off..." she chuckled nervously. She froze as Sweetie Belle grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Rarity always tells me not to hide my nightmares, because they will only get worse until I face them. If they are hiding behind fear, then they only get stronger, but when you face them with friends, they lose that strength and eventually go away." she said with a soft smile. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I um...t-that's really good advice Sweetie Belle. But I don't think its really something to tell to little girls..."
"Well at least tell Rainbow about it, I mean, you guys are a thing right? Isn't she supposed to be there for all that mushy stuff you need?" Scootaloo argued. Twilight felt her cheeks burn. How were a bunch of kids telling her what to do?
"W-When Rainbow gets back I'll talk to her, okay?" Twilight assured them. She waited until they all nodded agreement to stand and dust herself off.
"So, what have the four of you been up to?" Twilight wondered.
"Oh! Our game!" Sweetie Belle gasped, rushing back to the board game. Scootaloo and Applebloom moved to follow, pausing when they found Nyx rooted to the spot.
"Uh, Nyx? Ya'll comin'?" Applebloom asked.
"Huh? OH! Right um...I'll be there in just a second." Nyx did her best to smile.
"Alright, we'll just plan around your turn til you get back." Scootaloo grinned, chasing after Sweetie Belle. Applebloom stayed back however, crossing her arms. Something was bothering Nyx, that much anyone could tell, or at least Applebloom noticed.
She glanced between Nyx and Twilight for a moment and gave a nod.
"Hey Nyx." Applebloom spoke up. Nyx turned just in time to be hugged by the Gaian.
"Ah want ya t' remember that we're here for ya if ya need us. Doesn't matter fer what, jus' know that friends look out fer each other, kay?" Applebloom said softly. Nyx hesitantly returned the hug, confused as Applebloom made her way back to the boardgame. She looked up at Twilight who seemed lost in thought.
"T-Twilight?" she stammered, snapping the Magian out of her daze. Twilight quickly knelt down to her eye level, letting out a squeek as Nyx hugged her.
"Nyx you're shaking...is everything okay?" Twilight asked. Nyx took a slow breath and shook her head.
"I-I don't know. I feel like this is my fault..." Nyx answered, hanging her head. Twilight hugged her tightly.
"Don't ever think that Nyx. We'll figure all of this out, okay?"
"Okay...I um...should probably get back to the game huh?"
"Yea...have fun" Twilight smiled, tensing up as Rainbow marched in out of a fading rainstorm.
"You leave clouds alone for TEN minutes and everything goes to shit." Rainbow grumbled, peeling her shirt off and ringing it out onto the porch. She kicked the door shut, slinging the shirt over her shoulder and smiling over at Twilight. Nyx glanced at Rainbow before making her way back to the board game in the other room.
"Everything alright?" Rainbow asked, her smile fading a bit.
"Yea um...Not really...Rainbow do you remember that Nightmare I had?" Twilight gulped. Rainbow was by her side in an instant.
"Twilight, whatever is going on, you can tell me...you know that right?" Rainbow said softly. Twilight nodded, taking a slow breath
"I know, I just...don't know how to explain it..." she shuddered.
"I don't care if it doesn't make sense, just...talk, kay?" Rainbow smiled. Twilight nodded, taking a shaky breath.
"There's this woman...dressed in a brown cloak and standing in a void. She knows who I am but I don't know her. She keeps talking in riddles and never answers me...she usually casts me out into the void and I fall until I wake up. But I'm not really awake, she's there waiting for me...telling me...." Twilight wrapped her arms around herself, tears stinging her eyes
"What am I going to do?" Twilight whimpered, eyes wide as Rainbow pulled her into a hug.
"You're going to remember that you've got friends Twilight. Friends who are willing to do anything for you. Heck, we followed you into Everfree, believed in you against Nightmare Moon AND Discord. But even someone as strong as you needs help Twi', and that's what we're here for." Rainbow spoke softly, but there was still power behind her words. Twilight slowly hooked her arms around her friend, burying her face in the hollow of her neck and letting all the held back tears free.
From the other room, four girls watched with growing curiosity.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Sweetie Belle wondered quietly.
"Of course she is. Rainbow's got this." Scootaloo boasted with a grin.
"Fer once, ah think Scoots is right." Applebloom giggled. Nyx stayed silent however, glancing at the three girls and then back to Rainbow and Twilight. Was everything really going to be okay? Was it her fault Twilight was in so much pain?
"Heh, ah know that look." Applebloom's voice broke her thoughts. Nyx blinked, looking at the Gaian.
"W-What?" Nyx panicked, her hand going to her glasses to ensure they hadn't slipped any.
"Follow me." Applebloom whispered, grabbing Nyx by the hand and leading the way out the front door. Scootaloo moved to follow, gasping as Sweetie Belle clung to her arm and shook her head.
"The heck Belle?" Scootaloo demanded under her breath.
"They need to talk alone a-and um..."
"Oh I get it, you just want to be alone." Scootaloo deadpanned. Sweetie nodded guiltily, leaving Scootaloo to sigh and sit with the clingy vampire. It wasn't so bad though.
"A-Appebloom! where are we going?" Nyx asked, unable to hide the panic in her voice.
"Yer hurtin', ain't ya Nyx?" Applebloom asked, ignoring the question. Nyx tensed up, relaxing slightly as Applebloom flashed a smile over her shoulder.
"Miss Twilight is hurtin' and ya'll think it's cause of you. Ah bet she told ya not t' worry 'bout it." Applebloom chuckled, still dragging Nyx by the hand.
"H-How...?"
"Ah know th' feelin'. Fer th' longest time, ah thought ah was all alone. Applejack an Macintosh always took care o' me, but it jus' wasn't enough. Ah loved em with everythin' ah had, but it weren't the same. Ah wanted my momma an papa." Applebloom answered. She let go of Nyx's hand, putting her hands on her hips as she looked up at the stars.
Nyx took a look around, finding that Applebloom had led her to a park. Applebloom grabbed a swing, nodding to another. Nyx waited a moment, watching as the Gaian climbed into her chosen seat, taking the other for herself.
"Applejack was always workin' so hard t' make things right fer me. Funny 'nough she turned out t' be my momma in th' end. Ah somehow always knew, but ah jus' didn't really understand til she came out an said it. Still though..." Applebloom looked down at the ground and then to Nyx.
"Sometimes adults have problems too, jus' like us kids. An it ain't really no ones fault. Knowin' that, its still hard t' accept that them hurtin' ain't cause o' somethin' we did. Adults hurt sometimes, it's life. All ya can do is be there for em like how Rainbow is there for Twilight now." Applebloom smiled, kicking the ground a little to give her some lift, gently leaning forward to push herself along the swing.
Nyx mimicked the movement, unable to keep a smile from touching her lips.
"So what you are saying is...it's not my fault she's hurting? And that she's going to be okay?" Nyx asked.
"Now yer gettin' it! 'Course it ain't always as simple as that. Hurt don't just go away, but people get better all th' same. Twilight'll get better too. It's okay t' worry 'bout her, but don't go blamin' yerself or get too worked up 'bout it." Applebloom chuckled, throwing herself forward off the swing and landing perfectly in the grass. Nyx gulped, furrowing her brow and flinging herself from the swing, flailing in the air and gasping as her feet hit the ground unbalanced, causing her to stumble and eventually faceplant into the grass.
Applebloom snickered and helped her friend to her feet.
"Guess ya'll don't get much practice in whatever faraway place ya come from huh?" Applebloom joked. Nyx sighed and shook her head, blinking as she noticed a weight missing from the bridge of her nose. Applebloom locked eyes with her and in that moment she panicked, clenching her eyes shut tight and pulling away from the Gaian.
Twilight was going to be furious with her! Not only had she snuck out without saying anything, but now someone had seen her eyes!
"Oh wow, ya'll got eyes like Spike!" Applebloom gasped. Nyx peeked at the Gaian from between her fingers, finding her standing there holding her glasses. She peered through them, her own eyes shifting to a light blue.
"Huh, so ya got magicky glasses? Ah mean, ah know people act strange 'round Spike cause he's a dragon an all that. Are you one too?" Applebloom wondered, holding out the glasses to her. Nyx didn't know what to say, taking the glasses and putting them back on.
"No I...I don't know what I am..." Nyx admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. Applebloom crossed her arms and gave a nod.
"Well that makes two of us." she chuckled. Nyx blinked, gasping as Chaos swirled around the Gaian in front of her. It was only for a split second, but it was enough to make a point.
"Ah ain't really s'pose t' be doin' this kind of thing. Applejack an Pinkie Pie told me Chaos ain't th' friendliest type o' magic an bein' a Gaian ah could get in a lot of trouble if someone saw me usin' it." Applebloom explained, holding out her hand.
"But ah think it's only fair, since ah saw somethin' ah shouldn't have. So now you know my secret an ah know yers." She winked. Nyx stammered and slammed her mouth shut, accepting her hand.
"What do you think they are talkin' about?" Scootaloo wondered, leaning against a shelf, Sweetie Belle's head in her lap. The Magian shrugged.
"I dunno...come to think of it, we don't really know much about either of them. And Applebloom has been acting kinda weird lately." Sweetie Belle mumbled.
"Well she was talking about that Chill thing. Maybe she felt somethin'?" Scootaloo mused
"But why wouldn't she tell us? And besides, she normally sneezes or something."
"Hey, if its any of our business she'll tell us. I'm not really too worried about it." Scootaloo shrugged, glancing past the doorway and seeing Rainbow and Twilight chatting. She glanced down at Sweetie Belle who had begun to doze off in her lap and let out a sigh.
"That's not a bed Belle..." Scootaloo mumbled with a small smile.
"So, you know her, but don't?" Rainbow asked, sitting across from Twilight on the floor. The Magian toying with a pair of Rubix Cubes to ease her nerves.
"I don't know. Maybe my mother knows something...She said 'You'll figure it out, you Sparkles always do.' She had to be talking about SOMEONE in my family line." Twilight sighed, setting down one solved cube and moving to the next, Rainbow jumbling up the previous one.
"Do you think your mom is gonna give you any straight answers though? Not to be rude or anything, but she's been hiding this from you since before you were born. Even if it was for the best." Rainbow pointed out.
"I know...that's why I haven't tried asking her, and why I haven't told Spike. I just feel...like it's something that I have to figure out on my own. Maybe she's testing me...but why?" Twilight sighed, setting down the cube and glancing at Rainbow who was still jumbling the other.
"Who knows? Magic is weird. I mean, all that psycho whatchamacallit stuff I went through as a kid in my own head? Sounds an awful lot like the same shit." Rainbow held out the cube, satisfied with its randomness.
"...Then...maybe..." Twilight stared at the cube for a moment, slowly twisting one side back and forth.
"Maybe that's what I need..." she murmured, setting the cube down and taking a slow breath.
"Twilight? What are you..." Rainbow began, eyes wide as the Magian snapped her fingers, the cube fidgeting between them.
"...The hell did you just do?" Rainbow breathed.
"Chaos...that was...Chaos..." Twilight gasped.
"The hell do you mean?! What are you doing messing around with Chaos?!" Rainbow yelled, causing Twilight to flinch.
"Calm down! It was just an experiment! I just needed to know..."
"BULLSHIT! Just needed to know isn't a damn excuse you can use around me Twilight!" Rainbow continued to yell, blinking as Scootaloo hopped on her back, throwing her arms around her.
"STOP FIGHTING!" She yelled, Sweetie Belle hiding around the corner and watching. Rainbow sucked in a slow breath, exhaling sharply through her nose and glaring at Twilight for a moment.
"We aren't...fighting, just..."
"Not speaking properly..." Twilight tossed in to save Rainbow from drowning.
"Yea..." Rainbow sighed, standing as Scootaloo stepped back. Without a word she marched out the door, slamming it behind her on the way out. Twilight kept her gaze on the pair of Rubix Cubes in front of her, both of them solved.
She said I would figure it out...Is Chaos the answer? It doesn't make sense, and nothing she said made sense...Maybe I'm just grasping at straws...
"Twilight?" Scootaloo asked, snapping her out of her daze.
"I'm sorry Scootaloo, I'm just...oh who am I kidding...I'm not okay right now Scootaloo and I just need some time to think. So does Rainbow...t-that's why she left, so that we wouldn't yell again. I'm sure she'll be back as soon as she cools off and we can discuss things like adults. Okay?" Twilight smiled. Scootaloo stared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"Alright, if you say so. I think we're just gonna hit the sack." she chuckled, grabbing Sweetie Belle's hand and leading her to her bedroom.
"Right...goodnight." Twilight made her way into the other room, staring at the empty space.
Where was Nyx?!
"Oh isn't it just lovely Applejack?" Rarity gushed. The pair sat atop Applejacks' roof on a pair of lawn chair's. Rarity's was far more lavish of course, with cushions and a cup holder and a seat warmer; But Applejack still counted it as a date. She had to make up for the last one not even happening.
"Sure is Sugarcube. Th' stars always look best after th' rain. Sure was nice o' Rainbow t' clear up th' clouds fer us. Ah'll have t' set aside some Cider t' thank her with." Applejack chuckled, blinking as Rarity climbed into her lap.
"Heh, what happened t' needin' yer cushions?" she teased.
"Your lap is far more comfortable than any cushion and far more romantic I would say." Rarity winked. Applejack felt her breath catch in her throat as the moonlight caught the Magian's face perfectly, illuminating every little painstaking detail of the prim and proper woman's' daily routine.
Applejack wasn't really one to care for make-up or the like, thus Rarity had done her best to wear as little as possible around her, having a more natural appearance which the farmer seemed to love. But she still kept up with her herbal baths and weekly spa visits.
"Ah ain't really th' romantic type, but can't say ah'm against this." Applejack murmured, snaking an arm around the fashionista and causing her to squeal as she buried her face in the hollow of her neck, placing teasing kisses against her skin.
"EEEE! You're terrible!" Rarity squeaked, unable to hide her smile.
"Ah try darlin'." Applejack chuckled, leaning back in her chair. Rarity let out a sigh, resting her head on Applejacks shoulder.
"I'm not making you uncomfortable am I? Oh! I forgot about your injuries!" Rarity squeaked, standing up and gasping as the farmer tugged her back down.
"Ya'll ain't hurtin' nothin. 'Sides, this is cozy. It's nice t' jus...relax fer once." Applejack said with a smile. Rarity gave a nod, curling up in Applejacks lap.
"Ya know, it's s'pose t' get pretty cold out. Might have t' go curl up in bed..." Applejack murmured with a smirk. Rarity rolled her eyes, tapping the farmers nose
"As I said, you're terrible. Bed. Now."
"Yes ma'am!"
Inhale. Hold. Exhale. It was a small ritual meant to calm the nerves, and usually it worked. But not now. Not in this darkness. In this same darkness he had been useless. Would another attack come? Who would they target next? Rainbow, due to her mutations? Or even Scootaloo who was following in her footsteps. Or maybe they would go after Twilight again, or even the Nightmare Armor.
"She was sure of it and I have no reason to doubt her. She sensed the presence of Nightmare Moon." Spike sighed.
"What do we do?" Vinyl wondered.
"That's the problem...there's nothing we really can do. We can watch and wait..."
"But if we wait too long we're screwed. What about that kid?" Vinyl demanded.
"She's strange...and they are lying to protect her from us."
"Why? We're the freakin good guys here, we are risking our asses to keep them alive, so why hide from us?" Vinyl continued.
"Because they aren't hiding from us." Spike chuckled, glancing at the vampire. Vinyl stared at him for a moment, utterly confused.
"The Princess'? Well shit, now I'm even more confused." Vinyl sighed.
"Yea...me too. Me too..."
Inhale...Hold...Exhale.
"Now what? We just continue to sit on our hands and wait for shit to hit the fan?"
"Yes. We are the clean up crew after all."
"And this is our mess, right. Well...call if you need me boss man." Vinyl mumbled, vanishing from view. Spike glanced over his shoulder at the dimly lit cottage behind him. Inside, a Skyborn hummed a soft tune, her hair down and freshly brushed and a smile touching her lips as she glanced out the window and spotted him.
It was strange...someone being so happy to see him these days. Maybe he could enjoy it. He watched as Fluttershy vanished out of view, a pie in her hands. He turned toward the cottage, his hands in his jean pockets and let out a sigh.
"Your apprentice is a bit of a strange one Princess." Angel pointed out, letting out a slow breath as he punched the air, putting his new arm to the test. Small sparks of Chaos danced around his outstretched arm, sparking in the air and causing a small explosion.
"We are rather fond of her strangeness...it comforts us." Luna admitted, taking a sip of her tea as she watched the Beastkin go about a few forms. He currently stood in a horse stance, one arm striking forward as the other pulled back.
The idea behind the movement was rather basic. One was to imagine a rope attached to both hands. When one hand lunged forward, it tugged the rope, pulling the other back.
"She's special to you, that much anyone can see. But her skill is rather impressive all things considered. Makes me wonder what you've been putting her through to advance her so quickly..." he smirked for a moment, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Or what you've been motivating her with." he snarked, causing the Princess to momentarily choke on her tea.
"W-We assure you, we haven't the faintest idea what you mean!" Luna argued. Angel only chuckled, letting out another slow breath, another punch, another explosion. His strength was slowly returning. He hadn't been anywhere near One Hundred Percent during the fighting, but he hadn't had much choice.
Fluttershy had needed him and in that moment he had failed. It was pure luck he wasn't dead. Well, not PURE LUCK, but pretty close to it.
"I'm not one to judge Princess. If it means anything, I think you two are a perfect match. You balance one another in ways I can't see anyone else doing it. She needs you and it seems you need her."
"You sound rather wise for one so young." Luna murmured.
"I'm older than I look...Like that Dragon you two keep around." Angel pointed out as he stood upright, rolling his shoulders one after the other.
"I had no part in the Guardian's growth. He is Celestia's prodigy. His Loyalty to us however...without ever even meeting us before..." Luna lowered her head for a moment, letting out a sigh.
"Well, If what I hear is true...Celestia did raise him. Only makes sense he'd be attached to the two of you. She probably told him stories about you. Heck, my pops had tons of stories about both of you. Mostly pranks and happier times. Sometimes he'd have his dark days and rant, but never into detail..." Angel sat, rubbing the back of his head.
"It is true. Back then Celestia was the butt of many jokes and wonderful pranks...But then Discord's Darkest Day came about...when he murdered Starswirl the Wise." Luna grit her teeth, shaking slightly.
"I didn't mean to bring up memories like that. My apologies Princess." Angel spoke softly, leaning back onto his hands.
"Tis not your fault, it has been on our mind for quite some time now. A Chaotician has logic far different from any other being...But that makes you and your sister special Cases. Even though you were raised by Discord..." Luna rubbed at her chin, another sigh filling the air.
"If it helps at all, Fluttershy was pretty much raised alongside Rainbow Dash by Spitfire. And I was just the little bunny in her arms all the time, sealed away for trying to tear my father from his gilded throne and put an end to his Chaos." Angel chuckled.
"That is one other thing that bothers us...why did you rebel against thine father?" Luna wondered. Angel sighed, leaning forward and hugging his knees.
"Because of my mother." Angel answered instantly. Luna blinked, watching as the Beastkin stood.
"She loved him, with everything she had...She would do anything he asked of her and in the end it got her killed. The bastard didn't even shed a tear for her...Did he even love her? Did she mean anything to him? Or was she just another goddamn tool?!" He roared, chaos spiking around him.
"Master hid his feelings well." Trixie spoke up, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. Angel paused, looking at the Magian and forcing himself to relax.
"Yea, I guess he did. He really was the only one who knew what was going on in his head."
"Perhaps you are right..." Luna mused, glancing out her window at Discord's statue in the gardens.
"This doesn't really feel like a good idea..." Nyx admitted.
"Pffft, we'll be fine. Applebloom grabbed a bunch of hay and did all the math junk to see where we'd land. Besides, you're at the back, so we'll cushion the fall" Scootaloo argued, before anyone else could argue she had leapt off the little platform they had built in one of Applejack's trees, dragging her friends along down a zip-line.
A cacophony of screams, squeals, and laughter followed as the four friends were swept up in the wonders of gravity and speed. Up until the ride came to a rather abrupt end, and the rope they had decided on snapped.
Sweetie Belle and Nyx were the first to notice, Sweetie Belle throwing her arms around Scootaloo and Nyx grabbing hold of Applebloom. Both 'Magians' squeezed their eyes shut tight as they called to their magic, wrapping it around themselves just before hitting the unforgiving ground below.
"Ow..."
Were they on to him? Had he been found out so quickly? No, it wasn't possible! He had taken every precaution to hide his involvement. Surely Celestia only wanted to speak to him in private. Too many eyes and ears could latch onto valuable information sent by any other means.
"This does give me a chance to retrieve the armor..." he murmured to himself as he paced back and forth, his magic packing what few belongings he had. If Celestia needed to see him in person then it HAD to be something of importance.
"One cannot be too sure...just in case..." he snapped his fingers, triggering a fail safe spell he had put in place upon arriving in Eraville. A signal of sorts for his underlings to blend in and report to him their findings. He had to keep his network open after all.
His luggage trailing behind him, Spell Nexus made his way for the train station.
Gilda raised an eyebrow as a man marched past her, carting luggage within the hold of his magic. Though he wasn't her concern, something felt...off, about him.
It didn't help that he seemed to stare at her in shock as she made her way around him. She didn't have time for idiot Magian's today. Just for one lone Skyborn.
"Oh! H-Hello Gilda..." a gentle voice called out.
Of course she's here... Gilda mumbled to herself, turning and putting on a smile
"Well if it isn't little Shy? I don't suppose you've seen Rainbow have you?" Gilda asked as nicely as possible. Something that caused Fluttershy to pause.
Shit, was I TOO nice? I don't remember bein' a jerk to her...Right, she was Rainbow's girl, I didn't go anywhere near her
"Whoa! Hey, are you one of those Sky Soldiers?" a little boy beside Fluttershy asked excitedly. Gilda glanced down at him, instantly noticing his emerald eyes.
"Tch, that ain't really a little kid's business. I'm here on Official Business and that's all ya need to know" she answered, turning back to Fluttershy.
"She won't go with you Gilda" Fluttershy said softly, though there seemed to be strength in her words. She gave the boy's hand a squeeze and took a shuddering breath
"There's too much here for her that she can't leave behind. She won't even try for the Wonderbolt's anymore because of it. S-So please, just leave and don't come back." Fluttershy finished.
"That's pretty impressive of you Shy, comin' out of yer shell like that. But that ain't for you t' decide. I'll speak with Rainbow Dash and explain to her the situation. If she wants to make sure this dirt back town stays in one piece, she'll join me" Gilda argued, flicking Fluttershy's forehead, she blinked as the boy grabbed her other wrist.
"I couldn't help but notice that rather interesting Necklace you have there miss" He said quietly, his voice seeming a lot deeper than it had a moment ago. Gilda felt a shiver of fear run up her spine, yanking her hand free and taking a step back.
"Look here brat..."
"G? Is that you? Holy shit it is you!" Rainbow's voice called out, the Skyborn slamming into the ground next to them, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
"It's nice to see ya Gilda, sorry I couldn't meet up with you sooner, wasn't really expecting you so soon" she admitted. Gilda chanced a glance at the boy, but he was gone! Fluttershy gripped her skirt, lowering her head.
"Yea, I uh...I wanted to get here as soon as possible. Is there somewhere we can speak in private?" Gilda asked, nudging her head towards Fluttershy. Rainbow raised an eyebrow
"Military junk huh?" She asked, Gilda nodding.
"I-It's okay Rainbow, I-I need to get going anyway..." Fluttershy quickly stammered, her wings kicking to life and carrying her away as she ran past them. Rainbow chewed her lip as if she was going to chase after, but stopped when she glanced back at Gilda.
"So...whats all this about G?" Rainbow asked, crossing her arms. Gilda cleared her throat.
"Not out in the open, Dash." Gilda growled under her breath. Rainbow nodded, leading her towards a large tree in the distance.
Rainbow glanced around, her mana sparking for a moment. She could feel Twilight nearby, but not Scootaloo or Spike. Twilight's magic didn't seem to have it's normal pull, meaning the Magian was probably passed out. With a smirk she flicked the door closed and turned the lock, guiding Gilda to the living room and flopping into Twilight's arm chair.
"Now, what was up with this letter?" she asked. Gilda sighed, taking a seat on the couch nearby.
"I have tons of soldiers ready to raise arms for the cause. But none of them are you Rainbow. There's talk of war on the horizon and I need the best Terra has to offer. I need you Dash" Gilda explained, opening her suitcase and dropping a pile of folders on the table.
Rainbow glanced over a few of them. Most of it seemed like normal peace talks, a few worrying moments here and there, but all seemed fine.
"Nothin' seems that urgent here, besides, I'm a Washout, hardly fit to call myself Weather Captain. I'm not what you need Gilda, you need soldiers, and you've got em" Rainbow shrugged, holding the folders out to her.
"Dash, none of them are YOU! You have the Sonic Rainboom. I'd need that just once, JUST ONCE, and I'd send any enemy that thinks twice about us running home scared! I'm not askin' you to fight or to kill. I just need someone who can lead, who is strong, who has a mind of their own and doesn't need me to explain when they can wipe their damn ass" Gilda argued. Rainbow only chuckled.
"Sounds to me that you just want the Sonic Rainboom and none of your guys have the guts to try. That or they splattered their guts pushing for it" Rainbow guessed. Gilda sighed, taking a slow breath to relax.
"It's true. According to all official documents, we're in the clear. But that is just on the surface. Peace talks are failing, Beasts are joining up tribes, old allies have turned a blind eye and some have even stabbed us in the back. We're against a wall with nothing but a few measly soldiers that haven't got what it takes" Gilda admitted.
"I hear you adopted some little girl. Without you there to help us Dash, she'll die, as will many other innocents" Gilda tossed, Rainbow stiffening. Though she soon started to chuckle. Of course Gilda had information on her life. If Spike and the others could spy on them, why couldn't the rest of the military?
"So, you've been watching me huh? Is that what our military is good for? Since it obviously can't defend the home it's built to keep safe" Rainbow spat as she stood, Gilda jumping to her feet. The Grifanion was easily nearly twice her height, but that wouldn't bring her down.
"Listen to me Gilda, whatever shit thinks it is going to tear through my home has another thing coming. I'm needed here, more than you or any of your damned spies could know. I'd think if they'd had any skill they would know what's been going on around here" Rainbow scoffed
"Dash, I didn't spy, I just..."
"You just what?! Did some research? Picked up some info here and there? Look, I've dealt with more than a few military types lately Gilda and I'll tell you this" Rainbow flared out her wings, buzzing off the ground and staring into Gilda's eyes, her own glowing dimly
"I won't have my strings pulled by you fucks anymore. My life, my family, my everything is here, and I'd sooner die before I abandon any of that. Now get the fuck out of my house" She growled, her wings fading. She turned her back, marching for the door and opening it. Gilda held an argument on the end of her tongue but stopped herself.
She stopped at the door, holding out the folders to Rainbow.
"What?" Rainbow demanded.
"Take em, really read through everything. When you change your mind, I'll be waiting in Celamont" Gilda said softly, waiting until Rainbow snatched the folders away to leave.
"I-Is all of that true Rainbow?" Twilight stammered, causing the Skyborn to tense up.
"T-Twilight?! How long uh..." she chuckled nervously, gasping as the Magian tackle hugged her.
"Rainbow, maybe we should at the very least look into what she has to say" Twilight said softly, causing Rainbow to stare at the Magian in surprise.
"She just wants to scare people with the Sonic Rainboom. It's kind of legendary, only person to ever do it. Ya know, that whole thing. Getting mixed up in Military crap is a terrible idea Twi" Rainbow argued
"But what about being a Wonderbolt?" Twilight asked. Rainbow sighed, rubbing the back of her head.
"Don't you think I have a lot on my plate already?" She smirked, her Element glowing around her neck for a moment. Twilight nodded slowly, putting a hand to her chin.
"At the very least we can bring this up with Princess Celestia, we are the Element's of Harmony after all. It is our duty to maintain Harmony in Terra"
"Yea, against huge threats to everything like God's of Chaos. You don't walk onto a firing range and start shooting ancient magic at people Twi, they use these things called Guns. Might've heard of em, they work really well at KILLING PEOPLE" Rainbow continued to argue, causing Twilight to flinch away.
"H-Hey...Sorry I just..." Rainbow stammered, looking at her hands. She took a shuddering breath as Twilight grabbed her hands.
"I didn't think of any of that Rainbow...I just wanted to help" Twilight explained herself softly
"Y-Yea, I know. And that's the cool thing about you Twi, you always wanna help. But this is somethin we should keep our noses out of. Gilda might've been cool to me back then, but she's a cold military freak"
"Alright, I won't push it. But, if..."
"Yea yea, I guess we could at least mention this to the Princess' and see if its legit" Rainbow caved. Twilight smiled, her smile fading as she turned to look for Spike.
"Right...still haven't gotten used to that" she sighed
"He'll be back Twi', soon as he's done defendin' Shy" Rainbow smirked knowingly
"You're sure?" Vinyl asked, watching the woman leave the library
"Completely. That's one of Discord's Artifacts without a doubt. It's oozing chaos, but you can't tell from far away. I only noticed it because I was right in front of her."
"Well what do we do about it? Do we just take her in?" Vinyl wondered, watching the woman pace around town
"She's a high ranking member of the Royal Air Force. There's laws, yellow tape, paperwork, rights. We can't do anything on a hunch," Spike argued
"Again with the damn hunch, look, she's got a Chaos Artifact around her neck, that's more than enough for some questioning right?" Vinyl growled
"Not even close. She could've been given it as a gift, it could be a family heirloom, any number of things, and just happens to have Discord's Signature on it. There's no telling what his artifacts look like or if they changed appearence or if they manifested in any number of ways like the Elements," Spike explained.
"So, we wait, watch, and do nothing, again?" Vinyl sighed.
"For now. But I'll be looking into a few things in the meanwhile"
"And what do I do? Be a good dog and sit?"
"Atta girl" Spike chuckled before hanging up
"...Oh I'm gonna kill him"
Twilight sighed as she stared at them, covered in cuts and leaves and tree sap.
"Nyx, what happened?" Twilight asked with a sigh. The girl gulped, rubbing her arm and wincing a little
"We fell out of a tree a-and I just acted without thinking" she admitted
"Her an Belle broke our fall. It's my fault Twilight. I thought we could try zip lining cause it seems really cool a-and Nyx was totally against it but I forced her to a-and the rope broke and her and Belle caught us..." Scootaloo stammered quickly. Twilight couldn't help but smile.
"That's very grown up of you Scootaloo. Being able to stand up for your friends instead of shifting blame to someone else. But Nyx...we talked about thinking things through..." Twilight sighed, the girl hanging her head.
Twilight hadn't been too happy to find out Nyx had snuck out the night before, but had only given her a talking to about safety, rambling on into a lecture.
"I-I know Twilight, I'm sorry..." Nyx mumbled, letting out a squeak as Twilight hugged her
"Just...be more careful okay?" Twilight whispered, Nyx slowly returning the hug. Scootaloo chuckled, gulping as Twilight glanced at her.
"Oh, I didn't forget about you Scootaloo. You need to be careful too. Your condition is stable now, but we have no idea when that might change" Twilight warned
"Why not just make another potion?" Scootaloo shrugged. Twilight tensed up and cleared her throat.
"It's not the...simplest thing to make Scootaloo. It takes time, lots of time..." Twilight said softly
"Then how'd you make the first one? Did you just have it layin' around somewhere?" Scootaloo questioned. Twilight was rather happy with the young girls curiosity and the fact that she actually listened to most of her lectures. But this was one topic she did not want to discuss.
"Scootaloo, I..."
"Kid, room, talk, now," Rainbow interrupted from the stairs. Scootaloo groaned, marching alongside Rainbow toward her room.
"Twilight, whats going on?" Nyx asked quietly
"I uh...It's complicated Nyx. But, Scootaloo has a rare illness that took her parents from her. So Rainbow Dash adopted her and I'm working on a cure. I'm...I suppose close isn't really the word, but I've managed to help her be a little better for a short while,"
"With some kind of potion? You said it takes time, would it go faster with help?" Nyx wondered
"NO!" Twilight yelled, regretting it as Nyx took a step back. She let out a sigh, sitting down on her knees and holding out her arms
"I mean...This isn't something you can help me with Nyx. I can't really explain it too well, but it isn't exactly safe. I'm sorry I yelled, forgive me?" she asked, smiling as Nyx hugged her.
Rainbow let out a sigh as she sat on the bed, patting the spot beside her
"We gotta talk Kid"
Scootaloo hopped onto the bed, looking up at Rainbow with a frown
"This isn't about the zip line thing is it? Cause Twilight already..."
"No kid, this isn't about that. Heck, you shoulda told me about the zip line thing, I woulda given you some better rope. No...this is about that potion Twilight made you" Rainbow squeezed her knees, looking at the wall and trying to think of the best way to explain.
"I know that you're excited about feeling better, and about magic, and tons of other stuff Squirt, but you've gotta understand that Twilight put A LOT into that potion" Rainbow began to explain, a shudder slipping into her voice
"She said it takes time to make, but she made that one pretty quick didn't she?" Scootaloo argued. Rainbow chuckled sadly, shaking her head.
"Kid, that potion literally takes time. Twilight took away some of her own time and gave it to you," Rainbow blurted out, the two staring at one another.
"Wait, what? How's that even a thing?" Scootaloo wondered, looking over herself.
Well, cats out of the bag, might as well just freakin' say it Rainbow mumbled to herself. She turned, lifting her leg on the bed and grabbed Scootaloo's shoulders gently
"Scootaloo. Twilight gave up ten years of her life to make you that potion. If she makes more, it could kill her..." Rainbow began, chuckling sadly and shaking her head
"But she won't stop until she knows you're cured."
"She...she really did that...for me?" Scootaloo whispered, tears stinging her eyes. Rainbow nodded, pulling the girl close
"Yea, she did. That's just the kind of person she is Squirt. She'll make another potion, probably a stronger one, but she promised me she'd wait until you needed it" Rainbow smiled as she pulled away
"B-But what if she dies?!" Scootaloo argued
"I said the same thing kid...so uh...I'll be helping with the next potion" Rainbow admitted. Scootaloo jumped to her feet on the bed, shaking her head and clenching her fists
"Y-You can't! You promised me! I can't lose my parents again!" Scootaloo yelled, hiccuping and shaking as tears flowed freely. Rainbow hardly hesitated the pull her into a near bone crushing hug, tears of her own staining her cheeks
"That means a lot to me Scootaloo. You mean a lot to me. I know we haven't been a family long, but we're still a family. And family takes care of each other. I'm helpin' Twi' so that none of that happens to any of us. We'll all figure this out together, okay?" Rainbow sniffed, Scootaloo nodding as she clung to her.
"The supply from Celamont has been stopped"
"Good work" Gilda chuckled
"No, Sir, I mean, it was stopped, almost a week ago. A large shipment was sent but nothing afterwards"
"What? But she can't live without that crap!" Gilda argued
"I-I understand Sir, she must have another source, we'll keep digging!" CLICK.
Gilda growled as she stuffed her phone into her pocket. First Rainbow shut her down, then the rest of her plans began to fall out. What had they missed? What had changed?
"Well hi there!" a perky voice spoke up, Gilda raised an eyebrow as a blur of Pink suddenly came to a halt before her.
"I'm Pinkie Pie! And youuuuu have something pretty interesting on, don't ya miss?" Pinkie asked, tapping her finger against the crystal Gilda wore. She gritted her teeth, grabbing the girls wrist
"Look here bitch, keep your hands to yourself and maybe you won't lose em!" Gilda yelled. Though Pinkie didn't seem to react. All she did was smile
Wait a minute, Pink hair, that smile...
"Hold up, did you say, Pinkie Pie? The baker?" Gilda asked. Pinkie only nodded, her smile never changing.
"Yup, that's me, party planner extraordinaire, and welcomer of new friends. But you aren't the friendly type are you Miss?" Pinkie asked, her smile fading and her eyes becoming dull. Gilda stepped back as her instincts kicked in, blinking and finding the girl was gone.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS TOWN?!"
"And you're sure of this?" Nexus hissed into his phone
"Absolutely. There is no denying it, the ritual was not a complete failure, and what is better, the vessel has been taken in by Magic herself" the other end answered. It was almost too good to be true.
"But she is but an infant in her current state, unaware of her destiny and blinded by the kindness of Magic"
"Keep an eye on them, gather what information you can and prepare a spot for the ritual. We won't fail this time"
Scootaloo cleared her throat, doing her best to calm down as she and Rainbow came out of her room. Seeing Twilight sitting there chatting with Nyx, she couldn't help but think on what Rainbow had said.
Ten whole years...she gave up ten years of her whole life just cause of me. the thought brought more tears to her eyes and without thinking she ran to the Magian, hugging her tightly as she sniffed and struggled to pull the tears back.
"S-Scootaloo?! Are you alright?" Twilight panicked, wrapping her arms around the Skyborn. Rainbow smiled, sitting nearby and patting the girls back.
"I think she's gonna be just fine Twi'" Rainbow said softly. Nyx watched quietly as the two of them sat there with Scootaloo, whispering calming words. Twilight glanced over at Nyx, holding out her hand to her, the younger 'Magian' hesitating for a moment before taking it and gasping as Twilight pulled her into the hug.
"Everything's going to be okay girls...I promise you" Twilight whispered shakily, tears stinging her eyes as well. Scootaloo nodded, tightening her hold on the Magian. She wasn't going to lose her parents. Twilight and Rainbow had promised her that.
"You told her?!" Twilight yelled, Rainbow flinching away. After finally calming her down, Twilight had put Scootaloo to bed, Nyx dozing off soon afterwards and joining the Skyborn.
"What was I supposed to say Twi'?!" Rainbow yelled back. Both Skyborn and Magian cried out as Pinkie smacked them upside their heads. The baker glared at one and then the other.
"Pinkie, while I appreciate the help, please don't spy on our private lives," Twilight sighed, already knowing what the baker was going to say.
"I'm not spying. I just have a Pinkie sense for when you two are fighting. I have no idea over what or why, but cute couples like you shouldn't fight," she argued
"We aren't...fighting, we're just..." Rainbow stumbled over her words
"We were fighting and it's my fault. I got angry Rainbow. Scootaloo is young, she should be happy, not worrying over whether she is going to wake up tomorrow or if people around her are going to die," Twilight sighed
"Twilight...I-I get it. I really do, but she was bound to find out at some point. At least now she knows and if something DOES happen, she'll be ready for it," Rainbow argued gently
"You're right Rainbow. But nothing is going to happen. I promised that, and a Sparkle keeps their promises," Twilight smiled. Pinkie Pie nodded happily, leaning over and whispering to Twilight
"Nyxie hasn't had any problems has she? Pinkie Sense is a little weird with...you know..."
"Huh? No, Nyx has been fine. She might've hurt herself a little in a zip line accident, but nothing else," Twilight answered. Pinkie let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
"Okie dokie! Just make sure she practices all that stuff okay? I've gotta get ready for Applebloom's lesson tomorrow, night night girls!" Pinkie waved as she walked out the door.
"I will never understand her," Rainbow sighed. She turned back to Twilight, rubbing the back of her head
"I shoulda asked before I told her, but I felt she needed to know. I'd want to know..." Rainbow sighed, blinking as Twilight kissed her cheek and smiled
"She deserved to know. I can't help but feel it's been a bonding experience between all of us. S-She even...called me mom..." Twilight mumbled, clearing her throat and wiping at her eyes. Rainbow chuckled, hugging Twilight
"Well would ya look at that. Sparkle has mom syndrome." She teased, grunting as Twilight weakly punched her.
"Shush, she called you mom too," Twilight argued. Rainbow only shrugged.
"Yea, but that's cause I'm awesome"
Scootaloo and Nyx giggled as they watched the two of them, slipping back into the darkness of the room.
"So Twilight and Rainbow are your parents now?" Nyx asked as they climbed onto the bed.
"Yea...I guess they are. I mean...Rainbow adopted me, and Twilight is curing me. They care about me, and well...I care about them. At first I was just really happy about being adopted by Rainbow," Scootaloo admitted, leaning against the pillows while Nyx sat in front of her.
"She's been my hero for a long time ya know? I always wanted to fly like she does and be cool like her, so when she took me in it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me," She chuckled, Nyx nodding in understanding.
"And then Twilight gave me that cure, and I found out I can fly! I mean, it's so cool!" Scootaloo said in an excited whisper, rubbing at her eye and clearing her throat.
"I never thought I'd really be able to fly, an then finding out it's all cause Twilight...cause she gave me..." Scootaloo sniffed, caught off guard as Nyx hugged her.
"It's okay to cry, it's okay to be sad. But even while being sad, you can be happy. Twilight is just the kind of person that really cares for people, especially those close to her. I bet she'll be a great mother for you Scootaloo," Nyx said with a smile as she sat back, adjusting her glasses.
"Yea...t-thanks Nyx. And...thanks for not laughing at me, please don't tell the girls I was crying..." Scootaloo mumbled. Nyx smiled and gave a nod
"I promise Scootaloo"
"Ugh, come on Z, I'm tired damn it" a young man groaned
"Patience my young friend, our wandering is soon to end," a woman replied. Her face was hidden by an old brown cloak that ran down her body, stopping just above her ankles and bare feet. The man wore a similar cloak, but his was much newer. He also wore a pair of red sneakers, groaning from her reply.
"You said that an hour ago" he argued as they continued to march on
"I have not lied to you. What is but an hour or two?" she chuckled, never turning to him as she continued to lead the way.
"Two? Oh come on! My feet are killing me. Why can't we just teleport there?!" He yelled, lifting up his hand and preparing to snap his fingers. Though he had no idea where she was leading him
"Magic is great and a true beauty. But for us, it is lazy. To learn, to know, to embrace, to be, we must continue on our journey. If you truly wish to grow, then my ways you must know. You can choose to stay put, or to travel by foot," the woman smiled. He sighed in defeat, lowering his hand.
"I hate you so much," he mumbled, letting out another sigh as she pat his head.
"This had better be good Zecora..."
"AHHHH!" Applebloom screamed, panting heavily as the chaos dancing around her suddenly stopped, a small sphere sitting between her hands and her legs shaking.
"Oh my gosh! You did it!" Pinkie Pie cheered, bouncing in place.
"Ah...Ah did?" Applebloom asked, looking up at her teacher who nodded quickly. She looked down at the sphere with a weak smile.
"This little ball...this is my power?" Applebloom mumbled, standing upright and staring at the ball. It was only about as big as her fist.
"Mhm, it's even bigger than mine was at your age! Mine was the size of a marble!" Pinkie snorted, holding her hands gently around the sphere.
"What does that mean fer me?" Applebloom wondered as she stared at the Sphere. She gasped as Pinkie gently pushed the Sphere into Applebloom's chest, her eyes wide as it sank into her body, leaving a tingling feeling running through her body.
"It means you're almost ready Applebloom," Pinkie said softly, hugging her.
"Pinkie, ya'll are scarin' me a little..." Applebloom admitted.
"Whoops! Sorry! I just got really excited is all, you're learning so quickly! It took me a month to manifest my energy without exploding," Pinkie said with a smile.
"Ya'll better not be explodin' things in my house!" Applejack called out, causing both of them to jump. Applejack smirked as she peeked her head out at them.
"Gotcha, but please don't blow nothin' up. We jus' patched all th' leaks in th' roof," Applejack sighed.
"Yes ma'am!" both Applebloom and Pinkie Pie said with a salute, leaving the Gaian to groan and roll her eyes while they laughed.
Nyx couldn't help but smile as she watched Scootaloo hug Twilight and then Rainbow.
"Take it easy today kid, I've got a lot of paperwork I gotta burn through. So don't go ziplining without me, k?" Rainbow chuckled as she ruffled the Skyborn's hair.
"Yea yea, I won't," Scootaloo promised. Nyx blinked in surprise as Rainbow put a hand on her head.
"I don't know a lot about you, hell I don't know anything about you. But you're important to Twilight, and to Scootaloo. Someone that important can't be a bad thing. Besides, seems like you're the one with the brains in Scoot's group of friends. Take care of her for me today, k?" Rainbow said softly.
Nyx gave a nod, a bit confused on Rainbow's words. Was there actually something wrong with her? Applebloom hadn't panicked about her eyes. She thought they were amazing.
Was it really so bad to be different?
"Alright, I'm outta here! Behave for Twilight!" Rainbow called out as she left. Twilight rolled her eyes and sat in her chair, reading through a scroll quietly.
"Hey Twilight, me an Nyx are gonna go meet Belle and AB at Sugarcube corner, is that okay?" Scootaloo asked.
"That's fine Scootaloo. But no stunts! Not until Rainbow gets back," Twilight smiled over her scroll
"Yes mom," Scootaloo pretended to groan, giving Twilight's hand a gentle squeeze before heading out, dragging Nyx along.
"It's kinda weird calling Twilight mom..." Scootaloo admitted as they walked
"But a good kind of weird," she chuckled. Nyx gave a nod in understanding. Would it be weird if she called Twilight mom?
"Now Sweetie Belle, I know you were only keeping your friend safe, but you need to be more careful. Please don't come home covered in cuts today, okay?" Rarity asked.
"What was I supposed to do?" Sweetie Belle asked, her head down.
"Excuse me?"
"If it'd been you an Applejack falling out of a tree, what would you have done?" Sweetie Belle demanded, glaring up at her sister. Rarity smiled as she knelt down and placed her hands on the younger Magian's shoulders.
"With so little time to think, I probably would've done the exact same thing Sweetie Belle. Though I'd try not to be jumping out of the tree to begin with. I suppose I am being rather harsh about all of this. I just worry about you is all. Be careful today? For me?" Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle slowly smiled, hugging her sister
"Okay Rarity...I won't jump out of anymore trees,"
He was sure of it. Something HAD to be going on. As the time drew closer and closer, that knot in his stomach tightened more and more. It was the same when he was on the trail of Nightmare Moon.
"Relax Captain, before you scare off the recruits," Cadence mumbled beside him. Shining forced himself to relax slightly, his helmet held in the crook of his arm, his shield at the ready and his sword sheathed within.
He was done taking chances. Now was the time for action.
"Presenting High Sorcerer Spell Nexus!" the pair of guards at the door intoned. Sure enough, in stepped Spell Nexus himself, that knot twisting in Shining Armor's stomach.
"Princess! You have rather amazing timing in summoning me!" Spell Nexus called out as he marched toward the throne. Stopping at the foot of the stairs he bowed to Celestia and then to Cadence. Shining Armor remained silent, even as the knot twisted more.
"Oh? Do tell, I am rather curious," Celestia admitted, chancing a glance at Shining Armor, a sign for him to be at the ready. He readied himself to reach for his magic, if Spell Nexus was up to something and saw mana manifest, he'd definitely react. He needed to catch him by surprise.
"Yes, I noticed something rather strange about that town you sent me to. There are several strange magical signatures and sources about that place. So I did a bit of looking around, and I'm rather terrified by what I've discovered..." he admitted.
"Discovered?" Celestia asked.
"Yes. There is a child in your student's home with an uncanny resemblance to Nightmare Moon, but not just that...Twilight Sparkle seems to be shielding the child. I fear Mind Manipulation, but I couldn't bring myself to raise a hand against a child, especially if I were wrong," Spell Nexus continued.
"This is grave news indeed...Why not tell me sooner?" Celestia asked, gripping the arm of her chair.
"There was no telling if my message would reach you any other way Princess, I've seen things moving in the shadows of that town, it isn't safe," he answered quickly.
"And you are dead sure of this?" Shining Armor spoke up
"Most definitely Captain, that little girl holds powerful dark magic, but it can barely be sensed beyond Twilight Sparkles wards," Spell Nexus assured him. Shining chewed his lip, glancing at Cadence and Celestia.
"We must act quickly then..."
"Heya Nyxie! Hi girls!" Pinkie Pie greeted them as they marched into Sugarcube Corner. They all smiled and waved to her, making their way to a table in the corner, away from the growing crowd and giving themselves some privacy.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking between her friends, hesitating before grabbing Scootaloo's hand. The Skyborn rolled her eyes and smiled as she gently squeezed the Magian's hand.
"Well, I was thinking about working on my take off. Thanks to Dash, I can hover pretty well, but I gotta get off the ground first ya know?" Scootaloo chuckled.
"Sounds like a plan, we could get some rope an ya'll could practice from th' crows nest at th' clubhouse," Applebloom suggested
"Would that be safe?" Nyx wondered, everyone glancing at her.
"Heh, as safe as can be Nyx. We'll keep Scoot's in a safety harness with th' rope. An this one won't break on us, it's one of Applejack's ropes. She's lettin' me use it," Applebloom explained.
"One of her rodeo ropes? She really let you have one?" Pinkie Pie gasped, kneeling at their table and causing them all to jump in surprise.
"Hehe, sorry. That's just so great to hear Applebloom! And I think it's a great idea to help Scootaloo really learn to fly, just uh, maybe take it a little slow until you have Rainbow Dash around?" She suggested
"Wow Pinkie, I never knew you were all about safety with all the crazy things you do," Scootaloo admitted.
"Well of course I am! The party cannon has to be calibrated just perfectly to spray a perfect amount of confetti, too powerful and it all just explodes inside, but too weak and it falls out. Then there's worrying about collateral damage caused by impact, so I have to take into account wind speed, trajectory, power, oomph, and make sure I'm a good distance from any weaker structures," Pinkie explained
"Wow, that's uh...kind of like a Twilight explanation," Scootaloo mumbled.
"Twilight isn't the only smarty pants, just the biggest smarty pants," Pinkie Pie winked.
"Speaking of which..." Pinkie glanced around the store and leaned in close.
"No one knows any of your secrets right?" Pinkie asked, looking at each of them in turn. Nyx tensed up, glancing at Applebloom and then back at Pinkie.
"Um, well..." Nyx began.
"Not anyone besides us Pinkie," Applebloom said with a smile and a wink, giving Nyx's shoulder a squeeze. Pinkie gave a nod of approval.
"Good, Nyxie needs someone she can trust, I'm glad it's you Applebloom. Well, Auntie Pinkie needs to get back to work, you girls have fun today!" She winked before heading back behind the counter.
Nyx gulped as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared at her.
"What'd she mean by secrets?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Aw come on Belle, ya'll know what she meant," Applebloom scoffed.
"Well, I guess so..." she mumbled.
"Maybe we should wait til we get to the clubhouse to start spilling the beans huh?" Scootaloo suggested. They all nodded in agreement.
"This is...nice," Fluttershy said softly, brushing her hair out of her face as the gentle breeze faded away. Spike only chuckled, laying on his back on the picnic blanket, his hands under his head as he gazed at the clouds.
"Yea, it is," he murmured, closing his eyes. She glanced over at him, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the little puff of smoke that escaped his lips.
"I've been thinking a lot about what you said before Spike...about Morigan," Fluttershy spoke up, Spike sitting up instantly.
"Shy, you don't have to..."
"But I do Spike. She didn't speak much, but when she talked about you she always seemed...excited. At first I thought she was just excited to fight you, but the more I watched her, the more I realized she was just excited to see you, like a mother seeing her child..." Fluttershy said quietly. Spike hung his head and let out a chuckle.
"Yea...that sounds like her...thanks Shy," Spike mumbled, turning his gaze back to the clouds. Sure, Morigan was dead, by his hand no less. But that didn't mean she was gone.
"For the last time Vinyl, I have plans!" Rarity growled
"And you need to cancel them. Sure, you can use the Death Dragon, but what good is it to you if you've got no hand to hand skills?" Vinyl argued. Rarity turned to yell back, reaching up in time to catch Vinyl's fist, the impact sending a shudder through her body and making her legs wobble.
"See? If I'd really meant that punch, you'd be on the ground," Vinyl continued to argue.
"Then what? What do you want from me?!" Rarity yelled, blinking as Vinyl grabbed her shoulders.
"I want you to be safe, I want the Elements to pick someone else, I want you to live out your dreams, make all those fancy sparkly dresses and show the nobles they aren't shit. But I can't have any of that Rare-bear, so I'm doing the next best thing," Vinyl explained herself, taking a step back.
"So, you comin' or what?" She asked, holding out her hand. Rarity sighed, flipping open her phone
"At least allow me a cheering squad."
Applejack raised an eyebrow, midkick and holding her phone to her ear.
"Ya'll want me t' what?" Applejack asked
"Well, Vinyl thinks it best that I do some impromptu training with that new skill I picked up and I would truly hate to cancel our plans, so I thought, why not combine them? It will get her off my back and afterwards we can have some alone time," Rarity suggested. Applejack sighed, looking across the orchard. She had been double timing it in order to get to Rarity in time for their date...this would buy her at least a little time.
"Ah s'pose that's fine, ah might be a bit late though," Applejack admitted. Rarity only giggled on the other end.
"Of course Darling, just come by whenever you have the time!"
Applejack sighed as the line went dead, tucking the phone into her back pocket. She rolled her shoulders, staring at the trees as she marched, searching for the perfect spot. Satisfied, she rolled her shoulder, her runes glowing dimly, hardly even visible as she slammed her fist into the ground, causing a rolling rumble that shook most of the trees around her, easily filling most of the buckets.
It was a bit of a lazy trick, but it did speed up the process, and she was on a tight schedule. Just so long as she kept her strength in check, there wouldn't be any damage to the roots.
"Alright! This meeting will now begin!" Scootaloo declared, smacking her hand on the table. She glanced at each of her friends and sat down, resting her hands on the table, a short distance apart. With a slow breath, her wings unfurled, and at the same time, her eyes began to glow, magic sparking between her hands, leaving a bit of smoke drifting from the table. Nyx stared in shock, her eyes widening with each passing second. With a grin Scootaloo leaned over to Sweetie Belle, pulling up her lip to show off one of her fangs, leaving Nyx to stare more.
Finally, Applebloom shocked all of them as Chaos sparked around her, her hair standing on end and Chaos lifting them into the air. It all came to an abrupt end, Nyx shaking and wrapping her arms around herself. But it wasn't fear that caused her to shake. It was laughter. This entire time she had been afraid, because she was different.
But her friends were different too...
"Alright Nyx, ya'll can show em," Applebloom said softly, gently reaching for her glasses.
"T-Twilight said I shouldn't..." she stammered.
"And Twilight said we shouldn't either, but we all know each others weirdness anyway, so we aren't breaking any rules," Scootaloo winked. Nyx bit her lip and nodded, closing her eyes and letting Applebloom pull the glasses away.
"P-Promise not to freak out?" she asked
"Fer th' last time Nyx, ain't no one gonna..." that was all she got away with. Nyx opened her eyes, her wings unfurled and her magic sparking around her, her body lit up with deep purple runes, the clubhouse shaking around them. Nyx slowly calmed down, panting slightly, her wings disappearing as she put a hand against her head.
"Holy shit Nyx that was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Scootaloo cried out, pointing at her eyes.
"You've got more powers than I do!" she chuckled.
"You...You aren't mad? Or scared?" Nyx asked, her draconic eyes shifting around the room to each of them. Applebloom offered her a gentle smile.
"Ah told ya Nyx, ain't no one here scared of ya. Yer our friend, an we might not be as weird as ya'll are, but together ah think we match ya pretty well," Applebloom pointed out. Sweetie Belle nodded with a smile, her fang poking out over her bottom lip.
"Mhm! Though, I only just found out about my weirdness..." Sweetie Belle admitted.
"Well me too!" Applebloom laughed
"Huh, to be honest, I guess I only just got my powers too," Scootaloo realized.
"And then suddenly we meet you Nyx. It's almost like fate or something," Sweetie Belle smiled, her eyes a dull red. Scootaloo put her finger against the Magian's fang, Sweetie Belle latching onto it without thinking and suckling gently, her face flushing red as she realized what she was doing.
Though her eyes faded to normal.
"T-Thanks Scoots..." she mumbled, Scootaloo only smirked, winking at her and only further fueling her blush.
"But that definitely explains what ya are Nyx," Applebloom spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.
"What?" Nyx asked excitedly, she had been wondering ever since Twilight had found her.
"Yer a Celestian silly. Ya'll have Skyborn wings, Gaian Runes, an Magian Magic. But ya'll are s'pose t' be really rare. Ah mean, that's what it says in my books anyway," Applebloom said, dumping her bag on the floor.
"Applebloom...d-did you go read all of this for me?" Nyx asked, starting to tear up.
"Well, it was mostly cause ah was curious, but ya'll didn't even know either. When ah didn't know what ah really was...it hurt, real bad. But then Pinkie Pie an Applejack helped me out and ah'm really getting th' hang o' things!" Applebloom explained herself, holding up a book on Races.
"There's lots o' interestin' things in these books ya know, stuff ah never even knew," Applebloom chuckled.
"Are books really that cool though?" Scootaloo groaned, wincing as Sweetie Belle glanced at her.
"Books are pretty amazing Scootaloo," Nyx said with a nervous smile.
"Huh, that's right, when we met you an Twilight were nose deep in some book...I mean, if you all think they are cool then I guess they can't be all that bad," Scootaloo shrugged. Applebloom placed the book on Races on the table.
"Right here! It says there are three main races, Gaian's like me, Magian's like Sweetie Belle, an Avaros like Scootaloo,"
"Skyborn," Scootaloo corrected, holding up a finger.
"Ah know, but that's just what th' book calls ya, shush, ah ain't done yet," Applebloom scolded. Nyx gulped as Applebloom continued
"There's plenty o' other Races though. There's Beastkin like Spike, Human-like creatures who are more Animal than anythin' else," Applebloom went on.
"I dunno, Spike seems pretty human," Scootaloo pointed out.
"Well so do I," Sweetie Belle argued, everyone turning to her. She seemed to sink in to herself a little.
"I mean, just look at me...No one would ever know I was a Vampire...I didn't even know," she sighed sadly, squeaking as Scootaloo tugged her close.
"Eh who cares about all that, you're still you Belle, an Spike is still Spike," Scootaloo beamed.
"What about me?" Nyx asked softly. Applebloom smiled, turning the book towards her. A picture of Celestia next to a diagram was shown.
"Celestian's are God-Like beings, made up o' th' three main races. Th' Wings o' an Avaros, Th' Strength o' a Gaian, an th' Magic o' a Magian. While some Gaian's are incredibly strong, an other's are jus' stronger than yer average person, Celestian's are all blessed with intense strength.
It's th' same with th' other two races too. Some Avaros are skilled fliers, others are still figurin' it all out. But Celestian's have an innate sense t' fly like pro's.
A Magian's skill is determined by th' Pool within em. A larger pool grants th' ability t' cast more spells, an more Mana heavy spells, an more advanced spells. Some Bloodlines possess large pools, but Celestian's have th' largest Pool's of mana, thought to be close t' th' Great Pool itself," Applebloom read from the pages.
"Okay, so, a lot of that kinda just went over my head..." Scootaloo admitted.
"Well, th' only Celestian this book knows 'bout is Princess Celestia, but there's Princess Luna now too, but ah'd bet anythin' she's jus' as strong. Which means..." Applebloom turned to Nyx, tapping the diagram.
"Nyx is strong too," she finished explaining.
"That's why Twilight was afraid...b-because I have all this power?" she stammered.
"Well, if ah've learned anythin'...an ah really have. Power is dangerous Nyx. If'n ya don't know how t' use it, it'll hurt ya. Ah think Miss Twilight was scared that ya'll might hurt yerself," Applebloom offered, closing the book.
"Hey wait, I wanna know more about Beastkins." Sweetie Belle said as she snatched up the book.
"Well, you could just ask one," Spike said from the window, causing the four girls to scream. Applebloom reacted without thinking, Spike gasping as he was tugged into the clubhouse, Chaos looped around him, his limbs tied up tight.
"Huh, wasn't expecting that, guess Pinkie Pie really knows her stuff," he chuckled. Applebloom put her finger against his nose.
"Spike, how long were ya'll watchin us?" she asked quietly
"Huh? I just got here, Twilight wanted to know where Nyx had run off to and Pinkie mentioned you went to some clubhouse when I went by Sugarcube corner looking for all of you" he explained himself, glancing at Nyx who fumbled to put her glasses on.
"Spike, my Ma is th' Element o' honesty, ah don't appreciate lies anymore than she does," Applebloom glared at him. Spike sighed and held up his finger.
"Okay, okay, ease up a little. I listened in on everything," Spike admitted, Applebloom still not letting him up.
"What do you want from me anyway?" Spike asked
"Well ya'll offered t' answer Sweetie Belle's questions, so ah'm holdin' ya t' it," Applebloom answered, sitting him upright and resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Well, shoot, I'm not going anywhere like this, heh..." Spike chuckled nervously.
"Well...whats it like being a Dragon?" Sweetie Belle wondered, sitting in front of him.
"Well, whats it like being a vampire?" Spike asked back. She blinked and touched her chin.
"I don't really know...kinda weird..."
"Well there ya go. But if you want the real answer, I'm a second class citizen, I barely have any rights, I get by because Princess Celestia smiled on me and left me with Twilight. I breath fire, I do my job, and that's it," Spike said in a small rant.
"Oh wow...ah never knew..." Applebloom mumbled.
"Really? Is that really what it's like being a dragon? What about the stuff you showed me?!" Scootaloo argued. Spike just shrugged.
"You learn a few things when a Princess lays eyes on you, all that stuff is to keep Twilight safe," Spike answered.
"Right...you have that armor! Twilight said you were her bodyguard or somethin'" Scootaloo remembered, snapping her fingers.
"Ya know...ah was doin' some readin' an it says some interestin' stuff 'bout Dragons," Applebloom smirked, lifting up the book and holding it in front of Spike.
Very little is known of the Dragons or Dragon-kin. They rarely ever leave their homes in the Beast Lands. What little we do know was granted to us by our Princess. Many Dragon's live for hundreds of thousands of years. Why is not something we were able to learn, but we do know that it has a bit to do with the aging process...
Spike growled, Applebloom's Chaos ropes shattering around him. He slumped forward gently, resting his arms on his knees.
"What do you want from me Applebloom?" Spike asked softly, flames licking the air in front of him as he spoke.
"Jus' th' truth really Spike. Ya'll ain't a kid like us, are ya?" Applebloom asked. He sighed, hugging his knees to his chest.
"I am, but at the same time I'm not. I am a kid, but I'm a kid among Dragon's, around you...I'm a few hundred years old," he explained.
"So why lie t' us?" Applebloom wondered.
"Because I never got the chance to be a kid. I was abandoned and left to die, I'm just an animal, nothing more," Spike mumbled.
"That isn't true!" Scootaloo yelled. Spike glanced over at her.
"You aren't just some animal Spike. You're my friend, Twilight's friend, everyone's friend! You taught me to protect myself, you help Twilight everyday, you're helping Fluttershy everyday! You do so so so much and you never take any credit for it..." Scootaloo continued. Spike chuckled weakly
"Hearing that means a lot Scootaloo, but it doesn't change anything...and as for Nyx..." Spike glanced over at her, the girl clutching her glasses. He smiled, holding his hand out to her.
"You've got questions, you're scared, you don't understand what you are or what is happening around you. I know the feeling pretty well..."
"Y-You've...got eyes like mine..." Nyx stammered, slowly lowering her own glasses.
"Somethin' like that, yea. Everything Twilight's said to you is really important Nyx. You're different, very different, but that's not a bad thing, just look at your friends," Spike tilted his head to Applebloom.
"They don't care about any of that, and they are all almost as different as you are, so embrace who you are...but carefully, no one wants to see you get hurt. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go bodyguard," he chuckled, giving a lazy salute and falling out the window. The girls rushed to it, but he was gone.
"That was kind of intense AB, just what the hell have you been learning?" Scootaloo asked. Applebloom chuckled a little, rubbing the back of her head.
"Oh well, ya know, jus' how t' control this weirdness," she explained. Nyx looked down at her glasses, her heart pounding in her chest.
She squeaked as Sweetie Belle hugged her, Applebloom joining and both girls glancing at Scootaloo. The Skyborn groaned, joining the hug.
"Once a weirdo, always a weirdo, welcome to the club," Scootaloo grinned
"She means Crusader, we're Crusaders," Sweetie Belle argued
"Crusaders of what?" Scootaloo asked
"Well I dunno yet! But we need something better than Weirdo!"
Nyx started shaking with laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Nyx?" they asked. She shook her head and sniffed.
"Thank you...f-for everything..."
"Spike! Did you find her?!" Twilight asked in a panic. Spike held up his hand and smiled
"Yea, she's with the girls at a clubhouse in Sweet Apple Acres. Looks like a sleepover, everyone's fine," Spike assured her. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, Rainbow patting her shoulder.
"Damn near tore up the city didn't ya Sparkle?" she teased, Twilight glaring at her.
"Of course I did! If Nyx were lost, or hurt..." she began, silenced with a kiss.
"Twi, chill, I get it," Rainbow whispered. Spike cleared his throat
"Also, cat's kind of out of the bag, partially anyway. Applebloom apparently one upped you Twilight, she did her research pretty well, called me out on my age," Spike chuckled. Twilight simply stared for a moment, until Rainbow burst into laughter.
"S-So I never questioned my assistant, I think that shows trust!" Twilight argued
"It was an important part of everything really," Spike added.
Spike glanced over his shoulder into the distance.
"In any case, I think Nyx is going to be just fine Twilight...and yea, I know, not everything, but I know," Spike chuckled, snapping his fingers and vanishing before he could be questioned further. There was something strange about Applebloom.
Seems like she has her Mothers Persuasion
"Sup bossman?" Vinyl asked over the comm in his ear.
"I've got a bit more info on our little secret...worrying info," Spike sighed.
"I don't like this," Shining Armor muttered. Cadence sighed, giving a shake of her head.
"I know Shiny, but Auntie gave Spell Nexus jurisdiction. He has some of her best guards..."
"And what about me?! Am I not her best?!" Shining Armor demanded, his anger fading the moment he realized he had raised his voice.
"Cady, I-I'm sorry..."
"It's fine Shiny. I know you aren't mad at me," Cadence smiled at him.
"And speaking of you, what would she do without her Captain? She can't just send you on errands willy nilly, you idiot. If this girl really is Nightmare in hiding, then she's too weak to do anything more than manipulate Twilight into protecting her. A small group of Celamont's best should have no problem, and if they do, then she'll most definitely send you Shiny," Cadence assured him.
"I don't know, something still doesn't feel right..."
Nyx frowned, watching Scootaloo slip on her backpack.
"Somethin' wrong Nyx?" Scootaloo asked her over her shoulder.
"Well um..." She began, Twilight clearing her throat. Nyx looked over, eyes wide as Twilight held out a messenger bag for her.
"I packed it myself. I borrowed some notes from Scootaloo's teacher and made a few copies for you so you can catch up with everyone," she explained.
"I...I can go with Scootaloo?" she asked slowly as Twilight slipped the bag over her shoulder, fussing with her vest and hair.
"We talked about it Kid, and you really should be going to a real school, even if Twilight would rather teach you herself," Rainbow chuckled, ignoring the glare of death Twilight shot at her.
"Though, I want you to remember the rules..." Twilight began.
"I know, I know. Keep my vest and glasses on and be careful with my magic," Nyx sighed. Twilight knelt in front of her, hugging her close.
"I just worry Nyx...They aren't ready for you..." Twilight leaned back and smiled.
"But you're ready for them, have fun today, okay?"
"I will!"
"WE'RE GONNA BE LATE! LETS GO!" Scootaloo yelled from the door.
"Wait, what? Are you serious!? We're just stopping in the middle of this fucked forest?!" he yelled at the robed woman. Zecora for her part, simply smiled.
"This place so drowned in darkness and sorrow...Of it we will craft a shelter, a home to borrow," she answered.
"Oh come on, quit with the rhymes...Its just getting ridiculous now..."
"My way of speech is my own, now help or we shall be without a home," Zecora ordered, setting her satchel down. He sighed and followed after her, watching as mana weaved around the woman, yet she channeled none of it. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but he had once made the mistake of attacking her. That had been his first lesson and one he had learned quickly. Being basically a god didn't matter when an angry, whatever the hell she was, decided to put you in your place.
He still didn't understand why she had claimed him as her student, or what she intended to teach him. But he doubted she would just let him walk away now. Besides that, his curiosity refused to let him give up, no matter how tiresome she was. He would figure out what made her tick, and only then would he get his revenge.
"Alright, please introduce yourself to the class," The Doctor said with a smile, standing beside Nyx and Scootaloo. Nyx glanced over at Scootaloo who gave her a smile and a nod.
"H-Hello everyone, m-my name is Nyx. I'll be staying in Eraville for a while a-and I hope we can be friends." she stammered, adjusting her glasses a bit. No one could tell she was different...right?
Diamond Tiara scoffed, sinking into herself sheepishly as several students glanced over at her. The Doctor cleared his throat, putting a hand on Nyx's back and causing her to jump slightly.
"We'll do a quick review of our last lesson to get you up to speed. Miss Sparkle has assured me you won't have any problems with the material so lets get started, hm?" he said softly. She gave a nod, spotting an open seat near Applebloom. She set her bag down next to the seat, looking around and seeing a few students watching her. Had they noticed something? She started to panic, calming down as Applebloom tossed her a smile.
"Jus' relax Nyx," she said quietly, nodding her head towards the front where the Doctor was writing on the chalkboard. Nyx took a slow breath, pulling out her notebook and the notes Twilight had made for her, comparing them to the lesson. The notes didn't match up exactly to what the Doctor was explaining.
There's so much extra information here...is he holding back for me? Or did Twilight give me extra notes? Nyx wondered.
"Any questions? Nyx?" The Doctor asked. She squeaked as she was called on, clearing her throat and shaking her head.
"N-No, I'm fine," she said quickly.
"Nerd" Diamond Tiara scoffed. Nyx frowned, sinking into her seat a little. Had she said something wrong?
"Excellent! Now then, open your books..." The Doctor continued, his voice droning on through the lesson. Anything that was missing from her notes was quickly added, Nyx coming out of her shell more and more as the day continued. The Doctor chuckled each time she raised her hand for a question and before she knew it the day was over.
She frowned as The Doctor began dismissing them for Recess.
"Is that all?" Nyx frowned.
"Just for today Nyx, there's always more to be learned, especially for those so keen to understand the world around them. I'm sure Miss Sparkle can more than assist with your thirst for knowledge," The Doctor chuckled, passing out a few homework sheets as the students passed. Scootaloo was quick to rush to Nyx's side, throwing a glare at Diamond Tiara.
"Whats with her?" Nyx asked.
"She's a bitch, that's what," Scootaloo scoffed, Nyx staring at her friend.
"Trust me, just ignore her, c'mon," Scootaloo mumbled, grabbing Nyx by her arm and dragging her to a table where Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were waiting.
"Scoot's wasn't kiddin' when she said ya'll liked t' learn," Applebloom said with a smile. Nyx chuckled nervously as she sat down.
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, looking at her friends. They were silent for a moment, letting their friend stew, but knowing her being one to panic, quickly burst into laughter.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with it Nyx, jus' shows ya'll really are related t' Miss Twilight," Applebloom teased. Nyx smiled weakly at that, turning her attention to the homework sheet that had been given to her.
"You okay Nyx?" Scootaloo asked, turning away from her sandwich.
"Y-Yea! I'm fine just...I've got a lot on my mind," she admitted, opening up her own lunchbox to find it organized just like her bag had been. A glance at Scootaloo's things revealed the opposite. She could take a guess as to who packed what.
Sweetie Belle glanced around before resting her head on Scootaloo's shoulder, the Skyborn barely shifting with the added weight and digging in to her sandwich. She set it down long enough to poke her finger into the Magian's mouth, waiting a few moments and bumping her shoulder into Sweetie Belle gently before going back to her sandwich.
"Ya'll are curious, ain't ya Nyx?" Applebloom teased, causing her to jump.
"Uh well, I mean, yea..." she chuckled
"Belle is a vampire, remember? Bein' 'round Scoot's an drinkin' from her keeps her calm an happy," Applebloom explained, taking a bite out of an apple. Nyx picked at her salad, apple slices lined up on the side as well as two slices of toast, enchanted to warm up when she unwrapped them.
"Isn't that a little weird though? Doesn't it hurt?" Nyx asked. Scootaloo scoffed around her sandwich.
"Compared to what I use to deal with, this is nothin'," she boasted, Sweetie Belle giving her a worried look. Scootaloo thumped her chest and grinned.
"I'm cool Belle, don't worry. Mo...Uh, Twilight an Dash are taking good care of me. Not a single wheeze or anything!" She pointed out. Sweetie Belle frowned for a moment but eventually nodded, opening her own lunchbox and letting out a sigh.
"Rarity packed me tea again..." she mumbled. Applebloom dug into her bag, pulling out a spare homemade juice box and passing it to her friend.
"Thanks Applebloom!" she squealed happily. Nyx smiled at her friends as they enjoyed their lunch.
Everything seemed so...Normal.
"You can't be serious..." Spike breathed as he read over the letter.
"So, what do we do now Boss?" Vinyl questioned sarcastically
"Just sit on our asses and let it run its course?" she continued. Spike didn't even have words to bite back with. Vinyl was right. He had waited too long.
"We don't know when Spell Nexus will make his move. With that many guards and needing to get them in without being seen, he'll probably return alone, or with a very small contingent while the others arrive in civilian dress...At best we have a couple of days," Spike mumbled as he paced back and forth.
"So, what the fuck do we do Boss?" she asked, serious this time. Spike glanced over at her and let out a sigh.
"Vinyl...Do you remember what that mark on your body represents? What it prevents?" he asked softly
"Yea, its a charm made by a fucking god to keep us from betraying each other," she explained.
"No Vinyl, its a Binding that makes it so we can't disobey the Princess. Well, makes it so that you and the others can't," he explained, pulling his shirt aside to show that he bared no such marking. Vinyl stared with wide eyes.
"Spike...what are you planning?" she asked. He gave her a sad smile as he removed the comm from his ear.
"Something I probably should have done a long time ago Vinyl...After all, the things we must do, are not always the things we want to do," he said softly. He snapped his fingers and he was gone, his comm on the ground in front of her.
Fluttershy chewed her lip. Several times she had felt that same spark of Chaos. The one that had put everything in motion. Nightmare Moon was back and hiding. Spike had assured her that he was on top of everything, that it wasn't Nightmare, but Fluttershy was sure.
She blinked in surprise as one of Luna's guards marched up to her cottage. She stepped outside, opening her mouth to greet them and was stopped as they raised their hand.
"Lady Fluttershy, I apologize, it has fallen to me to take upon the duty as your Watcher for this afternoon. Your normal guard has made it aware to us that he will not be able to tend to you for some time," she spoke, turning her back after her piece was said.
"Where is my friend?" Fluttershy asked, finding her voice.
"I am not aware of your previous guards location, nor identity. I have only been tasked with passing along a message and keeping an eye on you. More-so, I have been tasked with ensuring your safety. It was made clear you are very important to many people," she explained, never turning around.
"What about the other guard? Where is she?" Fluttershy began to panic.
"The other Knight remains in town, watching the other Element Bearers. I was told you needed a personal guard while they merely must have a watchful eye about," the woman answered, still keeping her back to her.
"I-I see...Do you know if he'll be coming back?"
The guard finally turned around, her mouth working for a moment before she let out a sigh.
"I do not know Lady Fluttershy, I honestly don't,"
"What do you mean gone?!" Twilight yelled at Vinyl. The vampire sighed, adjusting her shades and holding out Spikes comm.
"He dropped this and took off, I dunno where the hell he went. The Princess' are losing their shit and things are falling apart everywhere. Look, where's that kid of yours?" Vinyl asked, not having to wait long for an answer as Nyx and Scootaloo stepped into the library.
"I'll be damned, luck is on my side today," Vinyl mumbled, her magic sparking, she blinked as she found herself immobilized, held in the sway of Twilight's magic. She chuckled and peeked at Twilight over her shades.
"Come on Sparkie, we both know this won't hold. Maybe if you'd stop jumping the gun, you'd realize I'm trying to help you," Vinyl said calmly. Twilight grit her teeth as her magic flared and doubled, wrapping another layer around Vinyl to hold her in place.
"Uh..." Scootaloo took a step back, putting her arm in front of Nyx.
"Scootaloo, take Nyx and go find Pinkie, don't ask questions!" Twilight yelled. Vinyl sighed, her mana flaring around her body and shattering Twilight's hold on her.
"You might be able to hold me at full strength Sparkie, but not like this. Your good buddy Spell Nexus is on his way right now with a bunch of Celestia's best to take that kid away," Vinyl turned to Nyx only to find Scootaloo had already taken off with her friend in tow.
"Son of a bitch!" She swore, gasping as Twilight snagged her ankle and brought her to the ground.
"We don't have time for this shit Sparkle!"
"MAKE TIME! Why are they coming for Nyx?!" Twilight demanded.
"Because she's fucking Nightmare Moon!" Vinyl yelled back. The two sat there, staring at each other.
"Yea, your disguise needs work. Look, you care about the kid, right?"
"Yes,"
"And you don't want her locked away in some dungeon, right?"
"Right,"
"Then let go of me so I can help!"
"I can't," Twilight shook her head, tears in her eyes.
"Why the fuck not?!" Vinyl demanded. Twilight hung her head.
"I...I just can't. I can't explain it, there's just this...this feeling that if I let you go after her, I'll regret it," Twilight explained. Vinyl sighed and sat up.
"Alright, how about this then...I'll hold down the fort here. YOU go after the kid, and use this," she held out Spikes comm, "to get in touch with me. I have a few...friends, who might be able to help us out,"
"This can't be true," Luna murmured. Celestia clenched her fists as her sister read over the letter.
"There must be something at work here sister, that boy, he couldn't just..."
"Luna. Spike has always done what he has had to do. What he has felt he must do...In this case it seems he feels he is our enemy. Dragon's cannot be tamed with chaos alone and in her child-like state I highly doubt this Incarnation of Nightmare possesses the power necessary to do much else than hide. Her innocence would be more than enough to win over Twilight,"
"But what if she is innocent, sister? What has this incarnation done to warrant our actions?" Luna asked softly.
"She is Nightmare Moon. Given a chance she will bring about Eternal Night, we cannot let that happen, even if it means fighting our own,"
"Why does all the crazy shit happen to me?" Scootaloo grumbled, her wings kicking into high gear and helping her push her scooter faster. Nyx clung to her, leaning into her back between her wings with her arms wrapped tightly around her friend.
"W-Why did Twilight tell us to run?!" Nyx asked over the wind.
"I dunno! But something tells me she made the right call!" Scootaloo called over her shoulder, skidding her scooter to a stop at Sugarcube corner. The two girls gasped as they popped out of existence and in front of Pinkie Pie in her room.
"Pinkie, how the..." Scootaloo began, Nyx latching on to Pinkie's arm. Pinkie hugged her gently before turning to Scootaloo.
"Shhh! Okay, here's the plan. Me and Nyxie are gonna sneak out to my papa's rock farm and you are gonna go home to Twilight like nothing happened. Everyone know their part? Okay, go!" Pinkie said quickly
"Wait! What is going on?!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Um...well, a bunch of bad people think Nyx is a bad person and are coming to take her away so to make sure she can be safe I'M gonna take her away to somewhere no one can find her until they give up looking for her!"
"But won't they just come after her the moment she comes back here?" Scootaloo argued. Pinkie opened her mouth and sighed.
"Y-Yea...Didn't think that far ahead," Pinkie admitted.
"I have to go..." Nyx said quietly, stepping away from Pinkie Pie, "I have to go...Twilight...You and Scootaloo...You're all fighting for me and you don't even know me...I don't even know me...M-Maybe they can tell me who I really am. A-And then I won't have to hide and you all won't have to panic over me,"
"Nyx, that's stupid. I do know you. You're Nyx, the weird distant relative of Twilight's that loves books," Scootaloo argued. Nyx chuckled sadly and shook her head.
"No...I-I'm not Scootaloo. I'm not Twilight's distance relative...we aren't related at all. She found me in a bush..." Nyx said, removing her glasses. She unbuttoned her vest and let down her hair. Taking a slow breath.
"And then she hid me...and it hurt her. Everything I do hurts her...I don't want to hurt her...So I-I'll do what I have to. Just promise me something?" she asked.
"What?"
"Tell mom I love her," Nyx smiled sadly before letting loose all of her magic.
Spell Nexus wore a very large grin as he looked out the window of the train. There just in the distance was a massive beacon of magic and chaos, marking the exact location of his queen.
Had she realized her potential already, even as a child?
In any case, it made things all the easier for him. Celestia would be more than willing to assist him with a confession from the girl herself.
Nyx's eyes rolled back in her head, Spike catching her before she could hit the ground.
"S-Spike?" Scootaloo gasped, still in shock from Nyx breaking ALL of Twilight's rules. Just what was she trying to do?!
"Hey Scoot, no time to chat. I gotta get going, tell Twilight I said hi!" Spike laughed, giving a lazy salute before snapping his fingers and vanishing with Nyx in tow. Scootaloo and Pinkie sat there in silence for a moment.
"Um...What just happened?"
Twilight stared at the beam of light, knowing its source all too well.
"Nyx...Nyx no!" She cried, rushing toward the source. But just as quickly as it started, it ended. The remaining mana however hung heavy in the air and could probably be felt for miles.
Everyone would think that Nightmare Moon had returned.
"Okay, calm down, deep breaths...What do I do?" Twilight asked herself. She closed her eyes, taking a slow breath.
You'll figure it out, Sparkles always do, the woman's voice echoed in her mind. What did it mean? And what did it have to do with Nyx? She shook her head, continuing on the path to where Nyx had last been, gasping as Pinkie Pie popped into existence in front of her.
"Pinkie, wha..."
"No time!" Pinkie yelled, grabbing her hand. Twilight blinked, realizing Pinkie was carrying Scootaloo on her back.
"After them!" Spell Nexus yelled. Twilight stared and gasped as Pinkie snapped her fingers.
Moments Earlier.
Pinkie's eyes went wide as her shoulder twitched and her heart ached. She quickly snatched up Scootaloo, tossing the Skyborn on her back.
"Hold on tight Scooty!" She called, leaping out of her window as Guards poured into her room. She rolled through the air with a squeal and hit the ground hard, bending her knees and taking off at a sprint, the sounds of teleports catching up to her.
"Why are we running?!" Scootaloo yelled over the wind.
"Why are they chasing us!?" Pinkie yelled back. Scootaloo had no answer for that, tightening her arms around Pinkie's neck. Pinkie chewed her lip, glancing over her shoulder at the soldiers gaining on her. While Celestia knew her secret, she could guess the guards didn't, and she doubted they would just turn the other way once they found out just how much chaos was in her system.
Especially after the light show Nyx had put on in HER room...That she had just run from.
The Gaian paused for a moment as her eye and knee twitched together, veering around a corner and quickly snapping her fingers, mumbling an apology to Scootaloo as she teleported silently. She popped into reality in front of Twilight, snatching up her arm just as the Guards turned back on to her scent.
"Pinkie, wha..." Twilight began
"No time!" Pinkie yelled
"After them!" Spell Nexus yelled, joining the group of Guards chasing her down. Pinkie swore under her breath, snapping her fingers again, taking Twilight and Scootaloo with her. The three tumbled across the ground, Pinkie laying on her side and panting heavily while Chaos sparked painfully across her body.
"P-Pinkie!" Scootaloo panicked, crying out as a spark shocked her hand. Twilight tugged Scootaloo away, hugging the girl close.
"J-Just give her a moment Scootaloo," Twilight stammered. Pinkie smiled weakly, snapping her fingers one last time, appearing before the Guards. They wouldn't stop chasing after the trail of Chaos. So she'd give them what they wanted.
"PINKIE NO!" Twilight cried, but it was too late. She was gone. It was obvious even to Twilight that Pinkie had been using the Chaos within herself rather than around herself. The same Chaos that was keeping her alive.
But why? To protect Nyx? That had to be it. Nyx had obviously stopped holding back her magic for some reason and had put on a show for everyone to see, marking her signature across the magical spectrum. Pinkie must've caught on and covered it with her own.
"W-What is happening?" Scootaloo stammered in her lap, looking up at her. Twilight struggled to find something to say, looking around as words failed her. Pinkie had dropped them off a short distance into white tail woods. Fluttershy's cottage wouldn't be too far.
"I...I don't know. But we are going to fix it," Twilight promised as she stood. She held Scootaloo's hand and began the trek to Fluttershy's cottage.
Nyx awoke slowly, finding herself on a mat with a brown blanket placed over her.
"That was really stupid Nyx," Spike spoke up from beside her. She glanced over at him and sat up slowly.
"Where am I?" she asked, ignoring his remark.
"Somewhere special. It won't keep us hidden for long. Celestia has a damn good memory. I say we have a day or two," Spike murmured, holding out a bottle of water to her.
"What is going on?" She asked, taking the bottle gingerly.
"Nyx...I don't really know all the details, but you've got magic that belongs to someone else...Very dangerous magic. And you look like her too. That little show of yours has all of Terra chasing you down, and anyone close to you," Spike explained. He kindly left out the part of Guards already on the path to grab her.
"Then why not let them take me?" she pointed out, clutching the bottle.
"I'm just a freak...A Celestian who shouldn't exist, right?" she asked him, her eyes glowing dimly in the darkness. His own eyes glowed as well, the dragon-kin letting out a sigh.
"Because I'm a freak who shouldn't exist," he chuckled, slipping an arm around her shoulder.
"They think you're evil, that you want to hurt them...We'll prove em wrong though, but you've gotta trust me. I had to do this...It was the only way to keep Twilight from being dragged into this mess," Spike explained.
"Spike...I don't know what to say,"
"You don't have to say anything, just rest up, I'll take care of the rest," he said softly, scooting away and letting her lay down. She smiled over at him, still clutching the water bottle close. In the Darkness, all that could be seen was the glow of his eyes.
His eyes that were the same as hers.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Rainbow yelled, standing over Pinkie Pie and holding out her arms, covered in her armor and glaring at the Guards.
"She was at the center of a Chaos Event. She fled the scene and was openly Channeling it!" Spell Nexus argued. Pinkie curled up tighter underneath Rainbow, wrapping her arms around herself.
"It's okay Dashie, just let them do their jobs," Pinkie said weakly.
"Fuck that Pinks. Don't you idiots know we saved the whole damn world?! Twice! She's the fucking Element of Laughter!" Rainbow continued to argue with them.
"That as may be, we cannot leave anything to chance. By Decree of Princess Celestia I am taking her with me," Spell Nexus continued to press.
"Now, this is interesting, wouldn't ya say?" The Doctor chuckled as he marched on to the scene. He held up his hands as spears were pointed at him.
"Now now, calm down a moment. I believe there has been a rather large misunderstanding here," The Doctor began.
"This is none of your business Doctor," Nexus said through gritted teeth. The Doctor pulled something out of his coat pocket, flashing it to the Magian.
"Actually, it is my business," he argued, Spell Nexus glaring at him and snatching the badge out of his hand. He looked over it again and again, sure enough, it was real.
"So what?! I have jurisdiction, given by Celestia herself!" he yelled.
"Guards, Stand Down, Code Platinum 7," The Doctor ordered, the Guards standing at attention.
"We will compromise then. You take her in, but we use my Cell to hold her while I build a case for her innocence. Or we can fight through the yellow type," The Doctor spoke softly. Rainbow just stared in confusion.
"Fine, have it your way, but this isn't over Doctor," Nexus growled. The Doctor winked at Rainbow and glanced down at Pinkie Pie. Catching the hint, Rainbow helped Pinkie to her feet, walking forward and grinning as a path opened in the guards ranks.
"T-Thanks Doc..." Pinkie chuckled weakly.
"Don't thank me yet Miss Pie. We've still a ways to go to get out of this one,"
Vinyl tapped her foot impatiently, jumping in surprise as the comm buzzed to life.
"Hello? Is this thing on?!" Twilight asked.
"I read ya Sparky. Tell me you've got good news," Vinyl begged.
"No...I've got nothing. I don't know where Nyx is and Pinkie sacrificed herself so we could get away,"
"wait what? The hell do you mean sacrificed herself?" Vinyl demanded. Twilight recounted the events over the comm, Vinyl's heart dropping.
"We're at Fluttershy's cabin right now,"
Shit...shit,shit,shit,shit,fuck,shit,damn it,fuck! Vinyl chanted in her head as the sunburst mark began to burn.
"Sparkle...Listen to me carefully. Get Fluttershy and fuck off somewhere, lose the comm. I get what the bossman was doing. You need to keep away from the Knights and the guards!" Vinyl yelled, crying out as runes raced across her body. She bit her lip, flaring out her mana to maintain control.
"This...fucking...AHHH!"
"A-Are you alright?!" Twilight panicked over the comm.
"JUST DO WHAT I SAID FOR FUCKS SAKE!" She yelled, grabbing the comm and crushing it. She dug her nails into the floor, her body shaking as she panted and struggled.
I get it now boss...You aren't Marked like us, so you went off the grid. I'm not a Knight...I'm a fucking Dog,
Vinyl cried out again as the mark burned more, her magic already forming the spell to teleport to Fluttershy's cottage. She needed to buy Twilight some more time to get away. She struggled to her feet, spotting a standing mirror and rushed for it, flinging off her shades and staring into the mirror, hitting herself with her Mesmir at Full Blast, embedding several orders into her mind. Moments later her magic flared against her will, shattering the mirror. Vinyl stumbled backwards until her back hit wall, sliding down it and staring drunkenly into space.
The Sunburst Mark flared, working its magic with her own to repair the damage she had done to herself.
Hurry up Sparkle...
"What have I done?" Twilight asked herself, staring at the comm in her hands. She held it in her magic, clenching her eyes shut tight as she crushed the device.
"Twilight...I-I think we should go," Fluttershy stammered from the doorway. Twilight took a slow breath to calm her nerves, inhaling some fresh air and putting on a confident smile.
She was the Leader. She had to be strong.
"I think you're right Fluttershy. But we aren't going to run away from this," Twilight said, sounding stronger than she felt.
"We're going straight to Celestia herself and making this right," she declared, letting her magic flare outwards, a large arcane circle forming under her. Long distance teleport was tricky business. But she knew exactly where she wanted to be.
"I caused all of this...My stupidity. All of this is my fault...But I am going to fix it. Shy, please take Scootaloo somewhere safe, and the others. I'll talk to the Princess and make this right!" she gasped as Scootaloo tackled her.
"Wait! B-Before you go...N-Nyx had a message. She...She said...'Tell mom I love her'" Scootaloo cried, looking up at her. Twilight went stiff, staring at Scootaloo in shock. The Skyborn slowly stepped back from the circle, grabbing Fluttershy's hand and wiping away her tears.
"B-Be safe Mom..."
"I...I will," Twilight smiled. And then she was gone.
"Come now Rarity, surely Twilight will have an explanation for all of this," Rarity argued with herself as she came upon the Library. She stepped inside, finding a heavy mix of mana in the air. Her eyes followed the trails for a moment before landing on Vinyl propped up against a wall with her mana swarming around her body.
"V-Vinyl!" Rarity rushed forward, gasping as the magic lashed out in front of her, cutting her off. She grit her teeth and tried again, once more stopped by Vinyl's magic. Again she felt a pang in her heart at the sight of her injured sister. Something she remembered happening often when she was a child.
Just how long had Vinyl been fighting this secret war? Had it always been like this? Her excuses had never made any sense...Had all of it truly been to keep her and Sweetie Belle safe?
She took a slow breath, her armor forming in full around her, Valkyrie helm and all. She slowly walked forward, wincing as mana bounced across her armor. She knelt in front of Vinyl, wrapping her arms around the vampire.
"I'm here sister..." she whispered, gasping as Vinyl shoved her away.
"Rares...R-Run..." Vinyl gasped weakly.
"I won't abandon you again!" Rarity yelled, memories clicking into place.
"I...I remember! That night when I followed you out of the house, when that man captured me, when I made your life so much harder just because I couldn't listen to you...Because I didn't...listen..." Rarity stood slowly, clenching her fists angrily.
"Is this like then sister?" Rarity asked softly. Vinyl smiled sadly, tears stinging her eyes. Rarity swore under her breath as her armor faded away.
"This one time I will trust you Vinyl...You deserve that much. But we are talking after this, I swear it!" Rarity yelled as she gathered her Mana. She didn't know what she would need it for. But something was definitely coming. In a flash she was gone, teleporting to the only friend she could think to go to.
Vinyl swore under her breath as she ended up at Fluttershy's cottage.
"This...is bullshit," she mumbled under her breath. She pulled out her cell phone, dialing a very secret number as she stomped back and forth in front of the cottage.
"Pick up the fucking phone or I swear to every God I know...!" Vinyl began
"Hello?" Celestia answered from the other side
"OKAY! SEVERAL THINGS! THING NUMBER ONE! FUCK YOU!" Vinyl yelled into the phone.
"I'm sorry?" Celestia responded in confusion.
"I get it now, ya know? Why Spike took off. Before you ask, I dunno where the fuck he is. If I did, your little 'Gift' woulda sent me after him already," she continued on. Celestia sighed in realization.
"You must know WHY the Enchantment works as it does?" Celestia argued gently.
"Yea, so your little lapdogs don't turn on you or bossman. Look, I get you gotta cover your ass, but a fucking warning woulda been nice. Do you know what its like to be literally mindfucked? BY YOURSELF?!" She continued to vent.
The conversation was mostly to tell off a Princess, but in the back of her mind she was trying to think of more to say to keep Celestia distracted. A distracted Princess was not an efficient Princess.
Which would give Spike more time to establish himself.
"Vanessa, I am sorry. The Enchantment that was passed to you was directly from Twilight Velvet and before her the specific portion you are experiencing prevented an assassination attempt. It is also only a safety feature should a Knight betray their own," Celestia pointed out.
"I didn't betray shit! I just wanted some damn answers and this FUCKING MARK of yours started using MY MAGIC!" Vinyl continued
"Spike took off because of some shit you aren't telling us. I start wonderin' why and then this Mark just takes control of my body. Now I'm standing outside this damn cottage and losing my mind. So give me one good reason not to jump ship, cause I'm damn sure I can tear through this with a little time," Vinyl growled.
She was bluffing...mostly. She hadn't really gone full power before, who was to say she couldn't break a few hundred year old Soul Binding, Mind Controlling, created by basically a God, Enchantment.
"Vanessa, if you wish to discuss this, we can. You'll have to return to Celamont if I am to fix the Enchantment, something that I will be doing because I trust you and your judgement. But now is not the time for such things, there is..."
"A mini Nightmare Moon? Yea, met her. Sweet kid, scared of everything," Vinyl listed off nonchalantly. Celestia was silent for a moment, most likely trying not to unleash her anger.
"Do you know where she is?"
"To be honest, no fuckin' idea, why? She's just a damn kid, what the hell do you think she is gonna do?" Vinyl demanded.
"Was Rarity not 'just a damn kid' when she killed several innocents and almost killed you?" Celestia asked softly.
Vinyl had to admit, that was a solid point.
"Okay, good point. Rarity is a vampire though, The Change is natural,"
"And Nightmare Moon is nothing but pure hate and jealousy, now made Incarnate,"
"Look, let's say I hunt the kid down. What are you gonna do with her?" Vinyl asked, biting her lip in fear of the answer.
"Her magic will be sealed and we will determine whether or not she is a true threat to Terra...and if she is, she will be sealed away," Celestia answered.
"So she has a chance...Alright then. I'll be your Dog for a little longer Princess," Vinyl mumbled, hanging up and tucking her phone into her pocket.
Alright boss, looks like a game of cat an mouse...You never let me really know you personally, so I can't just 'Port to ya...Smart. You took off without giving me a lick of info, so the Mark can't make me track you. I can take my time finding you, which gives you more time to vanish. But I'll find you eventually...You better have that kid ready to prove herself when I do find you Boss...
Fluttershy squeaked, surprised by Rarity appearing in front of them. Scootaloo acted without thinking, throwing herself in front of Fluttershy and flaring out her impressive wings. At least until she realized it was just Rarity.
The Magian blinked and looked around, surprised to find them in the middle of town.
"I don't suppose the two of you have time to talk, hm?"
"Um...Of course Rarity," Fluttershy answered, grabbing Scootaloo's hand. Rarity glanced around and let out a slow breath, enveloping them in her magic.
"I hope this works...I can't say I know Rainbow well, but Pinkie Pie has shared a little TOO much with me," Rarity muttered, dragging them with her teleport. She stumbled a bit as they came back into existence, Fluttershy thinking quickly and wrapping a gentle shell of Chaos around Scootaloo to keep her comfortable.
"Um...What is happening?" Scootaloo asked, finding them standing in a Cell.
"Ah, there's the rest of the group, well most of them anyway, if you ladies would be so kind as to exit the Cell?" The Doctor asked, opening the locked door.
"And why, pray tell, are we in here to begin with?" Rarity asked, looking around, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks as she spotted Pinkie Pie shackled to a corner and wrapped in a straitjacket. Her magic flared instantly, eyes shining bright and her hair floating about in the air.
"Now, Madam Filigree, if you would be so kind as to relax..." The Doctor began, taking a step back. Rainbow rushed in, waving her hands quickly
"WHOA! CHILL!" She yelled. Rarity slowly let go of her mana, clenching her teeth.
"Someone explain to me why our dear friend is SHACKLED TO A WALL!" Rarity demanded.
"Because it's the only way to keep her from being tied down forever," The Doctor quickly explained.
"Rare's, just sit a sec and lemme explain," Rainbow begged. Rarity sighed, stepping out of the cell, followed by Fluttershy and Scootaloo.
They watched as the door was locked once more.
"Dash..." Scootaloo's lip began to wobble as tears stung her eyes. Rainbow was there in an instant, snatching her up in her arms and holding her close.
"I-It's my fault! It's my fault Pinkie is in there! I-I went to her with Nyx a-and there was magic and then Spike showed up and...and...and..." she sobbed. Rainbow shushed her gently, rubbing up and down her back.
"Shhh, later kid, we'll talk later," Rainbow promised, sitting down and holding Scootaloo until she had cried herself to sleep.
"It seems it has been a tough day for many," The Doctor sighed.
"Okay, so...What is going on?" Rarity asked softly.
"Nyxie thought she was hurting Twilight...So she wanted to throw it all away to make Twilight happy. Spikey showed up and knocked her out and then he ran away with her. The Guards were coming...and if I didn't do anything they would just follow Nyxie's magic...
S-So I broke the rules and made sure they saw me using as much Chaos as I could without hurting anyone. I got Scootaloo and Twilight away safely a-and I went back so they would take me in...So Nyxie got away a-and Twilight isn't in trouble and all of you are safe," Pinkie explained with a sad smile.
Silence filled the room. Rarity would've yelled, were it not for the sleeping Skyborn.
"Twilight came to me with Scootaloo...She didn't tell me much, but she went to talk to Princess Celestia. She said she was going to make things right," Fluttershy spoke softly.
"I found a bunch of Knights and that Spell Nexus prick about to pounce on Pinks so I jumped in. Then the Doc showed up with some fancy badge and a code word that made em all back off," Rainbow tossed in. The Doctor chuckled softly.
"A little bit of a favor I don't normally call in, the moment seemed right," he shrugged.
"Can we please have one normal person in this town?" Rarity asked with a sigh.
"Said the Vampire Princess," The Doctor murmured with a wink.
"Can we PLEASE have someone in this town that doesn't know more about us than we do?" Rarity growled.
"You're a Princess?" Rainbow scoffed.
"Yea, right behind me," Vinyl said as she stepped into the room with a sigh. She was wearing a cheap pair of blue shades.
"Guess a few hundred years works out some kinks," she mumbled to herself
"what?"
"Nothing, look, I don't like this anymore than any of you do. Pinkie Pie there will get a full pardon off the Princess as soon as we clean the shit off the fan that is the kid. Where-mmmmnnngh!" Vinyl bit her lip, turning around and smacking her head into the wall.
"Please don't break anything," The Doctor sighed.
"Fuck you Doc, you know I don't really mean that, but fuck you," Vinyl growled. The Doctor dug in his coat, pulling out a ring. Vinyl groaned, holding out her hand. The Doctor slipped the ring onto her middle finger, Vinyl hunching over for a moment and dry heaving.
"Am I the only one confused here?" Rainbow asked. Vinyl let out a slow breath.
"Okay, I'm cool. I got about an hour or so before this shit breaks. Look, being a Knight means having this shit," she pulled her shirt aside to show a small glowing sign etched into her breast.
"Its a 'Gift' from the Princess. Pretty nifty shit, except when its not. I'm on a leash, and this thing makes sure I'm a good doggy. If that means using my magic for what the Princess wants, done," Vinyl explained.
"Isn't that kind of illegal? Like, mind control kind of shit?" Rainbow argued.
"Its the Princess herself, don't think normal laws apply. The Solar Knights technically don't exist, what law would cover this?" Vinyl pointed out. She sighed and sat down next to Rarity, giving her a small smile.
"I erased your memories Rare-bear, so that you'd think I was just some deviant club owner that sent you off and didn't wanna deal with you. I sent you here, in this little cage of a town Celestia keeps all of her playthings in. You've got every right to be a bitch to me," Vinyl scoffed, wincing as the sunburst mark glowed brighter.
"It seems Celestia refuses to play nice," The Doctor sighed.
"She wants that kid, more than she's wanted anything. She's so damn determined that she's Nightmare Moon, she doesn't give a shit about anything else. The moment this ring breaks, I'll be back on her leash, chasing after the kids scent. You all have gotta find her an Spike before I can...Where the hell is Sparkle?" Vinyl asked, looking around.
"S-She went to talk to Celestia," Fluttershy spoke up.
"Oh fuck..."
Twilight held her head as the world came back into focus. She was just outside the castle, Guards rushing out to 'greet' her. It wasn't everyday someone teleported to the castle and with Celestia's strict orders in place as of late, no one was taking any chances.
Upon seeing it was only the Princess' favored student, they backed down, bowing to her.
"Miss Sparkle, it is a pleasure to see you. We were not expecting to see you today," a guard spoke up.
"I apologize sirs, this isn't a scheduled meeting, but I need to talk to the Princess, its urgent," Twilight explained, stumbling a bit. The teleport had taken more out of her than she expected.
Guess I am still recovering... she sighed to herself.
"We will escort you..."
"That won't be necessary, stand down men, I'll take it from here," a voice called out. Twilight couldn't help but smile as her big brother Shining Armor stepped forward. His lack of a smile however caused her own to fade away.
"Shining, I need to talk to the Princess," she said softly. He nodded and sighed.
"The Princess isn't seeing anyone right now," he said with grim determination.
"Wha...Shining this isn't funny! This is seriously important!" Twilight argued, blinking as Shining Armor placed cuffs around her wrists.
"I know it is Twilight, which is why I have to do this..." he said sadly. She stood there in shock as his magic enveloped her, the enchantment on the shackles placing a lock on her magic.
"Shining...N-No! Please! Don't do this!" she yelled, moments before she was teleported to Celamont's holding cells.
"You can't be serious," Shining said through gritted teeth.
"I know it is hard to take in Captain. But your sister has been exposed to Dark Magics, her body and mind are vulnerable and could easily be twisted by this Incarnation of Nightmare. Until we are sure there are no hidden triggers in her mind that would cause her to attack us..."
"Then I'll be the one to do it. But you swear that she won't be hurt?"
"We will have our top experts extracting any dangerous magic from her to restore her to her old self, you have my word Captain," Celestia promised. She watched as Shining Armor turned and marched away.
You may deem this as harsh...But it is better than watching another one of my students die,
"I gotta admit Spike, this might be the craziest thing you've ever done,"
"I know Twilight, but it's the right thing," Spike said with a small smile. Twilight Velvet sighed, leaning against her doorway.
"What do you plan on doing about all of this then?" she asked. Spike was quiet on the other end for a moment and Twilight feared he would leave her in the dark.
"I'm going to prove a freak can belong. It's too late for me, but she's innocent...and I need your help proving it. I have her safely hidden away, but not for long. We need to confront Celestia before she takes drastic measures," Spike said quickly.
"She might already have gone too far Spike. You know this is a touchy subject for her, or have you forgotten how the Enchantment works?" she pointed out. Spike sighed.
"No, I didn't forget...By now they will have Vanessa hunting me down and a group of guards will be going for your daughter, if they haven't reached her already,"
"What do you think? Would she simply lock Twilight away in the main cells?" Velvet wondered.
"She'd want to 'pry the dark magic' from her. Even she knows that's bullshit, but she's lost in the past,"
"And what about us? What about our past Spike? Are we lost too?" Velvet teased slightly
"We might be...I'll see you at the castle,"
"It's a date," Velvet chuckled, the pay and go phone melting in her magic. It was an emergency line with a one time use.
"I guess I'll never get to retire,"
"I don't get it," Rainbow admitted.
"Look, I dunno the details, just bits an pieces. But Celestia is really paranoid about brainwashing,"
"Like she's done to you?" Rarity argued.
"We can talk about that later, running out of time here. Look, all you gotta know is she's had her closest friends and family brainwashed and set to assassinate her. With all this shit going down..."
"No way, she won't think Twilight is an assassin! Will she?" Rainbow asked, looking around the room.
"We'll have to assume the worst. On the one hand, they'll perform a diagnostic on her and realize she is clean of any Negative Type Magic. On the other..."
"She'll be forced into a cell until someone qualified to diagnose the Princess' Personal Student, comes around,"
"All the snobs an eggheads in Celamont...Who the hell isn't qualified?" Rainbow scoffed.
"You don't get it, there's only one person she's gonna trust to check on Twilight and its that fucking Magian..."
Spell Nexus grinned as the guards surrounded him, readying a long distance teleport. Celestia herself had sent an emergency message, demanding his assistance in 'Cleansing' her prized pupil. It was too perfect. He had trapped one of the Elements in a cell and now another had been handed to him on a silver platter.
Now we just need to track down the Incarnation, he thought to himself, relaxing as the magic of the circle flowed around and through him. In moments they had arrived, Spell Nexus being greeted by a grim faced Shining Armor.
"Captain," he smiled.
"There's work to do," Shining Armor grumbled, leading the way to the cells. It wasn't a long walk, but it dragged on, leaving Spell Nexus anxious for what would eventually lead to his crowning moment. They stopped before a cell, Twilight Sparkle herself looking up at them.
"Shining...Please..." She begged. It was rather sad, how easy they had made it for him.
"It's okay Twilight, he is going to help you..." Shining said softly, taking a step back.
"I will need some privacy Captain,"
"I'm not leaving you alone with her,"
"I tried to be polite, but I suppose you'll want the truth. The process of Cleansing is not a pleasant one Captain. I would rather spare you the pain of seeing your sister in such a state," Spell Nexus explained. It wasn't a lie. Cleansing was rather brutal, but he had a different set of spells in mind.
"There's nothing wrong with me! Please! I need to talk to the Princess!" she yelled, gripping the bars of her cage.
"Probably a trigger placed by the Nightmare Incarnation, a need to see the Princess to make an attempt on her life. Sending her prized pupil in her place..." Spell Nexus sighed. Shining Armor grit his teeth, grabbing the bars for a moment.
"Be strong Twilight," he said before walking away.
"SHINING! PLEASE!" she called after him, but he was gone. Spell Nexus waited until he was sure he was alone with her, crouching down and grinning, his eyes becoming that of Nightmare Moon.
"Hello Magic, we've much to discuss,"
Nyx shivered, opening her eyes to find her surroundings had changed again. Where once was wood there was now stone. She sat up, her hand landing on a note.
Hey Nyx, sorry to drop you off like this. I gotta go run an errand real quick, but I'll be back with more food in a few hours. There's a box near you full of some snacks and drinks to hold you over
Love, Spike
She smiled a little, opening the box and finding some fruit snacks.
Is this your life? On the run and eating fruit snacks? a voice piped up in her head. She paused and glanced around.
"H-Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing in the cave. She frowned, grabbing a juice box and wrapping her blanket around her shoulders.
She missed her bed. She missed her friends. She missed School.
She missed Twilight.
With a sigh she set her snacks and juice down, standing with the blanket around her shoulders.
"Everyone is going out of there way for me...Just because they think it's the right thing to do. If I really have this bad person's magic, can't they just take it away?" she wondered as she paced around.
"Spike said...They were chasing me for my magic. They think I'm evil because of it. So I just have to not use it...right?" she asked no one. Of course, she received no answer.
You've gotta trust me Spikes voice echoed in her head. She smiled a little, sitting down with the blanket wrapped tightly around her.
"I...I trust you Spike,"
Pinkie shivered, her head twitching to the side before she hunched forward with a loud groan.
"Pinks, you okay?!" Rainbow panicked.
"I-I'm fine, b-but Twilight's in danger!" she called out. Rainbow swore under her breath and stood.
"What do we do?" Rainbow asked, looking at her friends. Vinyl shook her head, the ring melting around her finger.
"Decide without me, I'll head off somewhere an look for Spike to buy you time for your plan, don't waste it," she said quickly, teleporting away.
"We should go get Applejack a-and then Rainbow, you could use that spell to find Twilight," Fluttershy suggested. Everyone blinked and glanced at her.
"Um...I mean, i-it's an idea,"
"Shy that is a damn good plan," Rainbow grinned. She paused and glanced at the Doctor.
"I'll keep an eye on the little one and your friend, no harm will come to them, I swear it," he promised.
"Thanks Doc!" Rainbow called as she grabbed Rarity and Fluttershy by their arms, pulling them along towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Twilight glared at Spell Nexus through the bars to her cell.
"Now I get it...You're the one possessed by Nightmare!" Twilight yelled, struggling to get out of her cuffs.
"Oh, not possessed, Awakened. And you too will Awaken, Magic. You see, the Ritual was so close, until the rest of the Bearers ruined it...But now, I have you and the link I need to find my Queen,"
"Queen?" Twilight asked, wincing as her magic sparked just faintly between the cuffs.
"Nightmare, of course. You and her are linked by Magic and Blood. Why, you could say she is your child," he taunted. Twilight felt her heart skip a beat.
My...Child? she looked up at him, struggling to summon any mana at all.
"But enough gloating. You will Awaken, and with the Link, you will lead me to my Queen so that we can finish what we started," Spell Nexus held out his hand, Nightmare's Chaos seeping from his skin and slowly filling Twilight's Cell. She backed up into the corner, but it chased her down, latching on to her and digging in to her flesh. She screamed and thrashed in her cuffs, desperately reaching for her magic and unable to reach through the enchantment on the cuffs.
"You Sparkles are rather powerful, so surely you can struggle, but the pain will only grow with every minute, accept your fate and the pain will fade," Spell Nexus murmured. Twilight glared at him through the haze of Chaos.
"F-Fuck you!" she spat, sure that she would've made Rainbow proud in that moment. He only shrugged, watching as the Chaos continued to seep into her body. Darkness filled her vision and all at once, the light was gone.
Twilight was simply floating in the Abyss once more, the hooded figure floating beside her.
"You're in quite the bind," the woman chuckled.
"Is now the time for riddles?" Twilight asked. The woman shrugged.
"Now is the time to get comfy. Your body is no longer your own Sparkle and while your power is great, you cannot break free of this alone. It's up to them now,"
"Them?"
"The Elements, your friends. I hope you picked a good bunch, or this is where it ends...For both of us,"
Spell Nexus gently held Twilight, one hand on her back and the other under her arm with her leaning in to him as they walked. Shining rushed to them, pulling Twilight's arm over his shoulder.
"Is she...?" words failed him as she smiled up at him weakly. She didn't speak, only leaning in to him.
"She will make a full recovery Captain. The amount of Chaos in her system worries me. There is no knowing just how long this Incarnation has had her claws in your sister, but I think we have a way of ending all of his once and for all," Spell Nexus held up a small crystal.
"I've sampled the Chaos from her system and with a bit of her blood mixed with the Chaos I have crafted a simple Phylactery that in theory should lead us directly through the link held between them,"
"Link? What link?" Shining demanded.
"My apologies, they don't educate the guard as they should, not your fault of course. To maintain control as she has over your sister, Nightmare, or the Incarnation, must maintain a link between them, we can follow that link directly to her, capture her, and end this," Spell Nexus explained. Shining stared at the crystal, feeling Twilight shiver against him.
"I'll trust that to you for now. I need to make sure Twilight is safe," Shining decided. Spell Nexus gave a nod, bowing slightly and dismissing himself.
"S-Shiny..." Twilight groaned weakly.
"Save your strength Twily, we'll get through this, I swear," Shining promised. She gripped his shirt for a moment before passing out. He let out a sigh and lifted her up in his arms.
"I swear Twily, they'll pay for doing this to you," he growled under his breath as he carried her to her old room. Not much had changed within, he was sure Celestia's maids still came in to keep it clean, on the chance Twilight would visit.
He gently tucked her in, letting out a sigh as his comm buzzed to life.
"Captain Armor, report," he answered.
"Sir, he's arrived!"
Shit
He let out a slow breath, his sword within its sheath and a pistol strapped to his hip. He'd never liked guns. A sword moved with him, was a part of him, an extension of himself. It was easier to slice than to shoot. Maybe that tied in to his heritage, to the beast inside that preferred close quarters combat and claws.
So it was that a six foot tall suit of snow white armor, a red cape clinging to its shoulders with a sunburst patched in to it, marched toward the main gate of Celamont.
The guards hesitated, both gripped spears and unsure of how to act. This man, who had saved them many times and probably many more they didn't know about...
Was a traitor.
"I will not kill you, but if you block my path, I cannot promise you will leave unharmed," Spike spoke up, his voice much deeper from inside the armor.
"w-Why Sir?! Why betray the Princess?" one demanded. Spike sighed, resting a hand on his sword hilt.
"There are things at work you would not understand. You should know, I have not betrayed her, rather she has betrayed me," Spike said, continuing on his path forward. The guards lifted their spears at him. They had seen this man on the battlefield, they knew what he was capable of, but they had a duty to their Princess.
Spike couldn't help but smile. It seemed not so long ago, he stood in their shaking boots, ready to die for his Princess. Though all things considered, had that really changed?
"You're both rather brave, I'll be sure to let the Princess know you stood your ground like you were trained," Spike shifted his stance, the guards glancing at one another. Spike paused and stood upright, the guards staring in confusion. At least until they heard the clinking of armor behind them.
Relief flooded them as their Captain stepped forth.
"Men, carry a message to the Princess, tell her the Traitor has arrived," Shining Armor ordered, flaring out his mana as the Guards rushed to do as ordered.
"Captain Shining Armor, of course she would send the finest of soldiers," Spike chuckled.
"Your praise means much sir. I would rather we not do this today," Shining admitted.
"So, she sent you for Twilight as well then? To think she would be so cruel," Spike sighed, glancing up at Celamont's towers. He tilted his head to the side to avoid Shining's bolt of magic, flung in anger.
"You are many things Captain, but an idiot is not one. I'm sure you're aware Celestia keeps you in the dark on many things," Spike began, lifting his arm to catch Shining's sword, the Magian glaring at him while mana filled him.
"Did you not just say you'd rather not face me, Captain? I admit, I feel the same," Spike pointed out, watching Shining leap away, mana coating his blade and shield.
He's going all out. If he took Twilight in, then she has to be safe. But with all the strings being pulled by Nexus, just how safe is she? Spike wondered. He smirked inside the armor and let out a slow breath.
"If you fall here, who will protect her Captain? I know much is hidden from you, but there is one thing you know about me," Spike pressed a hand to his chest, his cape billowing in the wind.
"This armor was bestowed upon me by Celestia, my Loyalty to her binds its magic to me, so if I truly betrayed her, why does the armor still function?" Spike argued. Shining had to pause at that, his mana flickering for only a moment.
"I have my orders Sir, it's rather late for me to turn sides, don't you think?" he argued back. Spike swore under his breath. He didn't want to hurt anyone, especially Shining. Twilight would REALLY never forgive him then.
I could reveal myself...but what would that solve? Beyond making him question everything he knows, it might buy me enough time... Spike pondered.
"You intend to do this?" Spike asked, unclipping his cape, the material vanishing in a puff of green flame.
"We don't have to. You could turn yourself in Sir," Shining offered.
"It would be suicide Captain, surely you've noticed by now. My lack of a Mana Signature, no Scent of Sky, no Gentle Aura," Spike listed off. Shining stared for a moment, shifting his stance.
"What are you?" he demanded.
"I'm something you'd rather not fight Captain," Spike answered, drawing his sword.
Applebloom sneezed, chaos sparking around her for a moment. She glanced around, seeing only Applejack nearby carrying a bucket. Seeing her daughter staring she set the bucket down and raised an eyebrow.
"Someone's comin'" Applebloom explained. Seconds later, Rainbow slammed into the ground between them.
"Afternoon Rainbow, what brings ya'll out here?" Applejack wondered. Rainbow glanced between them, clearing her throat.
"We uh, got a bit of a problem," Rainbow paused as Applebloom shivered, Chaos sparking around her again.
"Ah think Miss Twilight's in trouble..."
"Wow that's scary," Rainbow mumbled.
"Why?" Applejack demanded, clenching her fists.
"No! Not like that Aj! I mean, Pinks said the exact same thing," Rainbow quickly defended herself.
"This like th' last time?" Applejack asked. Rainbow glanced at Applebloom, deciding details could wait.
"Not exactly, it's uh..."
"It's Nyx, ain't it Miss Dash?" Applebloom asked. Rainbow tensed up and let out a sigh.
"Look, I already gotta deal with Pinkie doin' this; is this gonna be a thing?" Rainbow asked.
"Ah'm sorry, still gettin' th' hang o' all this Miss Dash, but...Nyx is safe. Ah can feel it," Applebloom smiled. Rainbow knelt in front of her, biting her lip.
"Ya'll wanna know 'bout Miss Twilight, right?"
"Yea...Pinks just said she was in trouble, but she ain't doing so well herself..." Rainbow sighed.
"Ah dunno how t' jus' pick up things like Pinkie does...But ah can try!" Applebloom offered. Rainbow chuckled and stood, putting a hand on her head.
"I appreciate it kid, but let's worry about that later, k?" Rainbow said softly.
"Lemme get this straight RD, yer gal is in some trouble an ya'll ain't gonna take th' chance to find her?" Applejack asked.
"That Chaos stuff is dangerous AJ. I've seen it hurt Shy, I've seen it hurt Pinkie. I'm not gonna offer up your kid, besides, we know WHERE she is. She went to talk to the Princess," Rainbow explained. Applejack chuckled, patting Rainbow's shoulder.
"Then what's th' problem? If she's with th' Princess then she should be fine!" Applejack laughed.
"That's the problem AJ..."
"Go for V," Vinyl answered her phone out of habit.
"Vanessa, Spike has returned to Celamont and is currently battling Captain Armor, we need you to provide backup,"
Are you nuts? You want me to fight Spike? Why the fuck would he bother fighting anyone when he can just teleport to the throne room? Vinyl wondered.
"Backup for who exactly?" she played dumb.
"Now is not the time for games,"
"Who says your Captain needs backup anyway? Can the Great Descendant of Starswirl not handle a lone little Dragon?" Vinyl teased, even as her mana wove the spell to take her to Spike. She shook her head, having had enough of the conversation and hanging up the phone. She could deal with Princess Buttmunch and her punishment later. She closed her eyes, the sunburst mark glowing brightly, her armor coming to life around her moments before she popped into existence behind Spike.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and chuckled.
"Looks like I have less time than I thought," he muttered.
"I'm not too happy about this either boss," Vinyl pointed out. She looked past him at Shining Armor, the Captain of the Guard a bit out of breath, but his mana still rushing about at full force.
Guess no one is a match for ya, huh boss?
"Well, you know why I'm here Boss, so...we gonna dance?" she asked. He turned toward her and shrugged.
"I told you before, I don't know how to dance," he pointed out. He shifted to the side, Shining Armor gasping as he fell through Spike's afterimage and tumbled back to his feet beside Vinyl.
"Don't worry Captain, I didn't forget about you," Spike said. Vinyl was sure he was grinning behind that helmet. Was he really enjoying this? Or was it all just for show?
"Where's the kid?" Vinyl asked as the Sunburst mark burned her skin.
"Safe from the Knights. She's innocent in all of this,"
"Innocent my ass!" Shining yelled, gripping his sword.
"That THING poisoned my sister! Do you have any idea what she had to go through?!" he continued to yell. Spike let out a sigh.
"You are mistaken captain, it wasn't the child that poisoned your sister. It was the very person you trusted to save her," Spike argued. Shining Armor charged forward, his sword knocked away by Spike's gauntlet and his shield caught by the dragon-kin's sword.
"Your little tricks worked well against the Knights of Nightmare, even better against Discord, but I am a very different being Captain. I know more about you than you could ever know, and I know that you cannot win this battle," Spike taunted, shoving Shining backwards. Vinyl grit her teeth as the Captain slid back into place beside her.
"I could use some assistance Sir!" Shining yelled at her.
Vinyl grit her teeth, steeling her resolve and deciding she had no choice but to fight. And then the Mark began to burn her skin. She blinked and stared at Spike for a moment, before bursting into laughter.
You sly motherfucker, using her own shit against her,
"Oh wow, you know, I just realized...Celestia is an idiot, huh Boss?" she asked. Spike chuckled and shrugged.
"Wha..."
"Sorry Captain, but our Princess refuses to let me fight him," Vinyl sighed. Before Shining could question her further, she rushed forward, throwing her fist toward Spike's face, only for the Sunburst to flare runes across her armor, pain rushing through her and dropping her to the ground.
"The Enchantment I spoke of before Captain, makes sure we cannot betray one another or the Princess. It forbades us from causing harm to one another," Spike explained, helping Vinyl to her feet.
"So all this time, you've been held back by her Enchantment?" Shining realized. Spike gave a short nod.
"Then why did she order me to stop you?" Shining demanded.
"Because of the kid," Vinyl said weakly, Spike helping her sit down.
"If you want to understand, we will explain it to you Captain, but first we must rescue your sister,"
"Rarity, whats going on?" Sweetie Belle asked as she watched her sister fuss over what seemed to be nothing.
"Oh, well, my friends and I must take an emergency trip to Celamont for some rather important business. Your teacher is going to be watching over you and your friends until we get back," Rarity explained. Sweetie Belle blinked, feeling the familiar sensation of her sister's magic wrapping around her and finding herself beside Scootaloo.
"H-Hey Belle," Scootaloo said softly, quickly rubbing her eyes.
"Um...Hi, wait, were you crying?!" Sweetie Belle gasped, hugging her friend close. Scootaloo groaned but accepted the hug, leaning into Sweetie Belle.
The Doctor smiled as he walked in with Applebloom. She let out a sigh, marching over to her friends and tapping them both on top of their heads. She glanced at The Doctor who simply nodded.
"Scoots, remember when ya'll said we could be heroes?" Applebloom asked, her eyes slowly changing, white shifting to yellow.
Shining Armor looked between the two knights as they walked. He was sure at least one of them was on his side, still having his suspicions about the Captain. Of course, if it came down to a fight, he was on his own, all thanks to the Princess' Enchantment.
"Where are we going?" Shining Armor asked softly.
"A place from another time Captain. I've been in this position a long time, longer than you can imagine, while I'd love to tell you everything..."
"There's just too much to tell, huh? Secrets that need to be kept and things that I just can't know?" Shining Armor chuckled.
"Hittin' the nail on the head there," the female knight scoffed.
"Bein' totally honest, I'm in the dark here too. Bossman has a habit of deciding whats best for us to know, but that's what makes him the boss. You don't go around tellin' every single one of your men the whole situation do ya?" she asked him. Shining stared at her for a moment, realizing she was right.
When it came down to it, his men only knew what they NEEDED to know about an ongoing situation. That way they could focus on their individual roles without causing undue panic.
Was that how it was with the Elite?
"That is not to say that I plan to leave you in the dark Captain, simply that at this time I can't share all the details,"
Shining gave a nod of understanding, raising an eyebrow as they stopped in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and staring at a wall of rock.
The Elite Captain rested his gloved hand against the stone, muttering something under his breath. The rockface shifted to the side, revealing a small cave.
"I ask that you remain calm Captain, I promise you, the child is harmless," he stepped into the cave, Shining Armor falling in behind him.
"Uh, I hate to break it to ya boss, but this place is abandoned," the Female Knight spoke up, mana surrounding her.
So she IS a Magian, she sure doesn't fight like one... Shining thought, shifting his attention back to his superior.
"We're too late. We need to go, now!"
"Nngh...Spike?" Nyx mumbled as she awoke to the sounds of movement. She sat up, her blanket wrapped tightly around her. The young Celestian let out a yawn as she pushed to her feet, a shiver rushing through her and the hair on the back of her neck standing on end as several men in armor appeared around her.
She glanced between them, clutching her blanket tightly.
"A-Are you going to kill me?" she stammered. The men glanced between one another, seeming unsure.
"No child, we are not going to kill you," a man in a blue suit walked through the circle of armor. She gasped as her eyes locked with his.
"Y-Your eyes are like mine..." she realized, reaching a hand out to him. He smiled, grabbing hold of her hand.
"Yes child, just like yours, come along, we have a busy schedule to keep and this cave is hardly an appropriate place for you," he chuckled. Nyx gave a nod, walking beside him with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.
"Um, d-do you know where Spike is?" she asked. The man froze for a moment.
"I believe he is away on some important business child, very important business, though I am sure he will catch up with us soon. Have you gone through a teleport before?" he asked her. She blinked and gave a small nod.
"Twilight took me through one," she answered. He smiled gently and turned to face her, holding her hands in his.
"Alright then, men, we're ready," he nodded to the armored men who formed a circle around them. In a flash they vanished, Nyx shivering as they reappeared. She rubbed at her eyes, gasping as she was lifted into the air. Gaining her vision she found herself held in someones magic.
It felt strangely warm.
"So this is her..." a woman sighed. Nyx turned to face her, eyes wide at her sheer beauty. She watched as the woman's power doubled, swirling mana around her to keep her in the air. Wings slowly unfurled behind her while runes blazed into life across her skin.
"Y-You're like me!" Nyx gasped, her smile fading as the woman glared at her.
"No, I could never be like you," the woman growled, lowering her to the ground. Nyx gasped as the mana around her latched onto her arms and throat, chaining her to the ground. The woman stood in front of her, holding her hand out. Nyx squeezed her eyes shut tight, struggling to hold back the tears running down her cheeks.
Was this woman going to kill her? Just because of her magic?
"Princess, if I may be so bold. We need her alive if we are to save your student," the man interrupted. Nyx risked opening an eye, the woman slowly lowering her hand.
"Your games and tricks won't work on me Nightmare," she spat before turning away. Nyx gasped as the man took hold of her chains in his magic. He bowed to the woman he had called 'Princess' and dragged Nyx away.
"W-Whats going on? What did I do?!" Nyx demanded, but no one answered her. She hung her head as she was pulled along.
This is it, they are going to take my magic and kill me, aren't they? she began to panic
"We aren't going to let her hurt you," he spoke up once they were alone on a stairwell. He looked over his shoulder, flashing his eyes, just like hers.
"D-Do you have someone elses magic too?" she stammered. He gave a gentle nod and leaned down in front of her, tapping her nose.
"I have YOUR magic. Because you gave it to me and I'm going to give it back to you," he explained with a smile.
"I don't understand...Have we met before?" Nyx wondered. He chuckled and stood, holding out his hand to her, she hesitantly grabbed it.
"Only once Child, when you were created," he said softly.
"Created?" Nyx looked up at him as they walked, but he remained silent from that point onward. They stopped at a door, the man holding out his hand to it; his magic flared and the door slid open, the man leading her inside.
Her chains faded away as he lead her to a bed in the middle of the room, lifting her on to it gently.
"Now, the Princess wants us to hurt you, but we aren't going to do that Child, instead we are going to save you and the rest of the world from her madness. Will you help us?" he begged on his knees, holding her hands.
"H-How can I possibly help? I'm just a kid," Nyx pointed out. He shook his head.
"You are so much more than that. You're a sign. The coming of a New Age, you only need to tap into your true potential. So, will you save us?" he asked. Nyx bit her lip.
Die what could be a potential very painful death
or
Save herself and everyone else.
It was a pretty simple choice, but would she really be able to help anyone?
"If my magic can really save everyone, then I'll do it!"
Celestia shook, gripping the arms of her throne.
She looked so fragile and innocent...But I can't afford to be fooled again. Spell Nexus can handle it from here. What would I have done to that child had he not been here? Would I have lost Twilight due to my own carelessness? She began to panic. She spun in place at the feeling of magic flaring near her.
"Luna, you surprised me,"
"Likewise sister. Moments ago you seemed as if you were ready for battle, but now here you stand in a cold sweat," Luna pointed out, waving her hand gently through the air against Celestia's mana trail.
"I apologize. We've captured the Incarnation and I almost lost myself,"
"I see, so you've captured a child and your first instinct is to threaten her?" Luna questioned.
"She is no child!" Celestia yelled, the walls groaning. She let out a slow breath, calming herself.
"We are equally aware of what this 'creature' has done to you sister. But we cannot look toward the future while holding the past so heavily upon ourselves. Lest you forget, I AM that creature sister. Surely no longer, but she was born of my anger and hate.
I ask that you not fall down the path I once walked Sister. Your hate for this child simply because of the nature of her existence will surely be your downfall," Luna argued, walking away before Celestia could get a word in.
Was she truly wrong? She couldn't be. Spell Nexus had found proof with Twilight after all.
"Whoa, this is weird," Rainbow mumbled, her friends stumbling beside her.
"Rainbow, weren't ya s'pose t' take us t' Twilight?" Applejack groaned as she stood up.
"I thought I did, but there's some kind of...wall in the way," Rainbow pointed out. Her teleport had been aimed directly for Twilight, but they had ended up just outside the castle gate.
"A safety measure of Celamont," Fluttershy mumbled, all eyes turning to her.
"There's holes in it, ways around and through it, when it's not being monitored," she spoke a little louder, her arms wrapped around herself.
"Right, we'll talk later Shy, right now we've got a friend to save,"
"This is rather insane, don't you think? What are supposed to do, simply waltz in and demand they give us Twilight?" Rarity asked, but Rainbow was already marching past guards and headed inside, her armor coming to life around her as a guard came up to stop her, shrinking under her gaze.
Rarity and Applejack shrugged before following suit, Fluttershy walking between them with her head down.
"She's with us," Applejack growled at the guard.
"One would think Celestia's royal guard would have more backbone than this," Rarity muttered.
"We outrank em Rare's. Rank means everything to these bottom of the barrel goons," Rainbow explained.
"Wha...Ah yes, I forget you have quite a bit of military knowledge. Well then, just how far will these get us?" Rarity wondered.
"All the way to the Princess herself, only thing that could really stop us is the Captain of the Guard," Rainbow chuckled over her shoulder, grunting as she slammed into something thick and heavy. She growled as she righted herself.
"Hey!" she yelled, blinking as the man turned to her. Unlike the others of the Guard, he stood his ground. He looked between them for a moment and gave a nod.
"Twilight's friends, right?" he asked softly.
"How'd ya know? Th' fancy magic suits give us away?" Applejack joked.
"Well, mostly, you are heroes after all. Sorry, I don't mean to hold you up but there's a bit of an emergency situation going on here," he explained.
"Yea, we kind of figured, just give us our friend back," Rainbow demanded.
"I'd love to, except she's gone, no one knows where she is,"
"...Bullshit," Rainbow breathed out slowly, her mana flaring up around her, the Skyborn crying out and holding her head while her mana faded.
"Okay, not bullshit...Oh shit," Rainbow spun around, swearing under her breath.
"It's gotta be them! Last time I couldn't reach Twilight was cause she'd gone out THERE, and now I can't even feel her!" Rainbow yelled.
"Hold on," the Captain looked up, tapping his shoulder twice and slamming his fist to his chest. He gave a nod to the air, his mana ensnaring each of them before they could argue, carried in his teleport.
"Nice to see you girls," a familiar, if a bit distorted, voice greeted them.
"Sp-!" Fluttershy slammed her hands over her mouth.
"Okay, the fuck is going on here?" Rainbow demanded, raising her arm to catch Vinyl's hand, glancing at the armor clad vampire.
"Huh, guess the 'Bolts don't play around," she chuckled, taking a step back.
"I'd hoped she would catch you off guard, some secrets need to be kept Miss Dash. Before you begin your tirade and demand I unmask myself, keep in mind the company we keep. Nyx has been captured by our enemies, they also have Twilight. They can only intend to finish what they started," Spike explained.
"You wouldn't happen to know where they might be, would you?" Rarity asked.
"Right under Celestia's nose of course," Spike sighed.
"The room is sealed by thirteen high mages, counting Celestia. No way in, no way out. Simply put, we've already lost," Spike sat down, resting his hands on his legs.
"Our only chance is to take down Nightmare as soon as possible,"
"Yea, big problem in that plan. Pinks is in jail and we don't have Twilight, ya know, the one that controls that weird laserbeam of death that's saved our asses twice?" Rainbow argued.
"I'm working out the details. For now, our only chance is to let them believe they have us. We take up post around the room and the moment the seal falls, we go in, grab Twilight, regroup in Eraville, get Pinkie Pie, retreat into Everfree and recover. Nightmare will take her time exacting her revenge, and hopefully Nyx will still be in there somewhere," he sighed as he stood.
"You've been thinkin' pretty hard on this, huh bossman?" Vinyl asked inside of her armor. He gave a nod.
"Captain Armor, I apologize, but to maintain appearances we will need you to act in the dark,"
"You haven't failed me yet sir," the Captain sighed, giving a salute before teleporting away.
"So now what?" Rainbow growled.
"Now? Now we clean the shit off the fan," Vinyl scoffed.
Celestia frowned, watching Twilight be placed on the ground near the chained Incarnation. Both had been put into a deep sleep to make the process easier. The room had been sealed and all preparations had been made.
She watched Spell Nexus finish a few final sigils to the circle, dusting off his hands and taking his place around the ring. He raised his hands and began a soft chant, magic pouring forth from both Twilight and the Incarnation.
"I failed you Twilight..." Celestia mumbled softly.
"She isn't the only one you failed Princess. Honestly, I am surprised I got this far," Spell Nexus chuckled. She blinked, just barely catching his words.
"I...I'm sorry?" she asked, utterly confused. Until the moment he turned to her.
"Oh, you will be," he laughed, his eyes the same eyes that haunted her dreams. The Eyes of Nightmare. She flared out her magic, crying out as bolts slammed into her from every way, dropping her to the ground. Half the circle focused their mana on her, keeping her pinned and forcing her to watch as Mana was ripped from Twilight and funneled into the Incarnation.
"TWILIGHT!" She cried out, struggling against the bonds that held her. She had been such a fool. She practically gave them Twilight, and the Incarnation.
Once again, it was all her fault. She screamed as she slowly pushed to her knees, flooding herself with as much mana as she dared.
"W-We can't hold her!" a mage cried, Nexus swearing under his breath and snapping his fingers. A pair of blades pressed against her throat, Celestia daring a glance up at her attacker. She recognized the craftsmanship.
"Scythe, so you still live," Celestia spat.
"No thanks to you," he shrugged.
"Hey! Hurry the fuck up old man, this shit can only hold her for a few minutes!" he yelled, digging the blade against her skin.
"Why not finish me? You have me pinned and this blade is capable of the task. You won't get another chance," she growled.
"Because your death will not come by our hands Princess. You will fall to the rightful ruler of Terra, and then our Queen will take her place upon the throne. All of course, thanks to you. Watch Celestia, as all you've fought for crumbles beneath you," Nexus cackled, the sigils glowing brightly.
The Incarnation was lifted into the air, enveloped in Twilight's mana and a cloud of Chaos. Slowly her body began to change; From young innocent child, to true Nightmare Incarnate. She was gently lowered to the ground on her feet, stretching out her arms and pulling the Mana around her into herself, a silk dress forming around her body.
Her eyes opened slowly, Nightmare looking at her hands and then around the room. She stumbled forward a step, clutching her head and letting out a pained shriek that shook the room and its inhabitants to their cores.
Nexus rushed forward, placing his hand on her head, instantly calming her down. She slowly straightened herself, taking a shuddering breath.
"My Queen?" he asked softly.
"I see...So I live again, do I? Strange, the coward...I feel...something, but cannot hear her," Nightmare muttered.
"We have given you a body of your very own, no one to hold you back," Nexus smiled, bowing his head. Nightmare glanced about the room, her eyes falling on Celestia.
"You've even captured Celestia...I am impressed. Now, why would you go so far for me?" she wondered.
"We are but your children, seeking that which you promised my Queen. Night Eternal," Spell Nexus answered. Nightmare took a step forward, stumbling and caught by Nexus.
"Not all went according to plan as we had hoped. We must retreat for now my Queen. Your power needs time to stabilize," Spell Nexus explained softly. She grit her teeth, turning her gaze to Celestia.
"We will meet again, and the throne will be mine," she growled, lunging toward Celestia to make her point, her foot brushing against Twilight on the ground. Her anger vanished in an instant, Nightmare sinking to her knees and placing her hands against the unconscious Magian.
"T-Twilight?" she gasped, tears stinging her eyes and for a moment, Celestia saw it. She saw a child, lost and unsure of herself. Until Nightmare clutched her head once more, holding out her arm. Spell Nexus quickly grabbed her, the mages surrounding him.
Scythe pulled his blade away and leapt over next to them, grinning as they vanished. Seconds later Spike burst into the room with his sword drawn, followed by Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack.
Celestia pulled herself to her knees, her head down in shame. She placed a hand against Twilight's shoulder.
"Damn it, I am so fucking sick of them just taking off!" Vinyl swore, punching the wall.
"They know they can't face us...Chase them down, in a panic like that, there's no way to hide themselves, not for long," Spike ordered. Vinyl nodded, lifting her head as if searching for a scent before teleporting away. Spike knelt in front of Celestia and Twilight.
"I failed you..." she mumbled.
"Perhaps, but I've failed you as well. Now is the time for action," Spike replied, slipping his arms underneath Twilight.
"She's innocent Princess," Spike said quietly, his back to her.
"She's trapped inside that thing. I saw her...only when it was too late," Celestia scoffed as she stood, placing a hand against the cut on her neck. She closed her eyes for a moment, her magic flaring around her.
"Spike...Release Vanessa. Nightmare wants me. Perhaps I can..."
"The child will not speak to you sister. Frankly, I would prefer not to speak to you," Luna spoke up from the doorway.
"Uh...hey," Rainbow waved. Luna nodded in her direction, keeping her eyes focused on Celestia.
"Just now, she and Twilight Sparkle slept in this madness you allowed. I could not keep to myself any longer and sought them out. Our Savior will live, though we fear for what remains of her lifespan," Luna explained herself, stepping forward and placing a hand on Twilight's forehead.
"We believe she has been Bewitched. A Power we once held as Nightmare, but t'was not Nightmare that cast this..." Luna mumbled, holding her hands over Twilight, blinking as she vanished.
"OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!" Rainbow yelled.
Nyx slowly opened her eyes, feeling the warmth of magic around her. She looked at her hands, feeling...strange. Looking around the room she saw the man with her eyes, but he was shorter...Or was she taller? She took a step forward and stumbled, blinking as memories flooded her. Things she had done, things she wanted to do, things she needed to do.
T-These aren't my memories? Are they? What...What...Am I really a monster? D-Did I kill all those people?! she grabbed her head and began to scream, her thoughts fading as a hand rested on her head. Nyx felt herself fading as her eyes landed on the man, everything going black.
She felt herself floating along in the darkness, being slowly wrapped in warmth. Her eyes felt heavy, she just wanted to sleep. She could sleep and everything would be better. She would wake up and Twilight would be there, and Scootaloo too. Sweetie Belle would be there, she rarely left Scootaloo's side. Applebloom would be there too...
She smiled, thinking of her friends, squinting against a dim light that began to grow.
She peered through the light, seeing Twilight passed out on the floor. She snapped back to her senses, rushing to Twilight's side.
"T-Twilight?" she gasped, unable to stop the tears running down her cheeks. She cried out as the Darkness returned, throwing her back. She struggled against it, tearing through it and screaming as it coiled around her
"TWILIGHT! MOM!"
Applebloom shivered, rolling her neck.
"Okay, this is super weird," Scootaloo mumbled.
"All things considered, is it any weirder than normal?" Sweetie Belle asked with a few bits of red still slowly fading from her eyes. She busied herself with cleaning and bandaging Scootaloo's finger. The Skyborn shrugged.
"What do ya think?" Applebloom asked, looking over at Pinkie Pie.
"I can't really tell, these locks are pretty nifty things, but what do you feel?" Pinkie asked weakly.
"Somethin's changed...Ah think it's Nyx a-and maybe miss Twilight," Applebloom guessed, rubbing the back of her head.
"Are they okay?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"Ah dunno, both of em are alive, ah know that much, but ah can't really pin anythin' down,"
"I think you've done wonderfully so far, and for one so young. Miss Pie seems to have trained you well," The Doctor chuckled as he returned with a few juice boxes. He sat in their circle, passing them out.
"Thanks Doc. So, you know all our secrets?" Scootaloo asked.
"Not really a secret when someone knows it," The Doctor pointed out, sipping his juice box.
"Can we let Pinkie out?" Sweetie Belle interrupted, uncomfortable talking about her own little secret.
"I've done everything I can. I just need..." The Doctor paused as a scroll appeared before him, falling into his hand. He unrolled it and grinned, jumping to his feet and rushing to Pinkie Pie, holding out the scroll to her.
"Miss Pie, you have officially been pardoned of all crimes. The Princess' send their apologies and regards and plan to compensate you for your pain and suffering," The Doctor listed off. Pinkie smiled as the scroll began to glow, the locks on her jacket and chains vanishing. She slipped out of the jacket, taking in a huge gulp of air and gasping as the girls piled on top of her in a group hug.
"Well, that solves one problem, but leaves another," The Doctor mumbled, reading the rest of the letter.
Applebloom let out a squeak, both her and Pinkie shuddering.
"That's super weird," Scootaloo pointed out. The Doctor gave a nod, pulling something out of his coat pocket. It seemed like a tiny flashlight, making a buzzing noise as he aimed it at Applebloom. He flicked it towards himself and gave a nod.
"Seems those lessons of yours have awakened some interesting things,"
"Well duh!" Pinkie snorted. Applebloom shrugged as her friends looked at her.
"She can Manifest Chaos now, that opens all kinds of fun doors, hehe," Pinkie giggled
"Mhm...well, I believe you girls have a schedule to keep, so I won't keep you waiting," The Doctor smiled at them, tucking his hands into his coat pockets.
"Oh! And remember all the things I warned you about? Forget everything I said, do what feels right," he said softly, waving as he left.
"The heck does that mean?" Scootaloo wondered.
"It means ya'll get t' use those fancy powers o' yers,"
"Ooooh, so you got a plan?" Pinkie asked. Applebloom stood up and crossed her arms.
"Eeyup!"
"Something serious is going on," he mumbled, glancing over at Zecora. She didn't seem fazed at all, simply going about checking her different vials and placing them gently on her newly made shelves. Nature seemed to just bend to her will, giving her everything she needed.
She had been trying to teach him, but things hadn't worked out.
"Zecora, are we just shacking up in this fucked forest to deal with whatever the fuck THAT is?" he asked, pointing to the growing Chaos in the distance. She only gave him a smile, going back to her work.
"One of these days this secrety shit is gonna bite you in the ass," he grumbled, turning his attention back to the madness in the distance. Was the signature a Chaotician? A simple wielder of Chaos such as himself? Sure, he fancied himself a God, but he'd been proven wrong on that by the woman who currently held his leash.
Was Zecora just going around adding would be Gods to her collection? She had things in jars he had never seen before, maybe she was just an insane collector of dangerous shit. The idea perked him up a little, giving him the sense that he was inherently dangerous.
Still, whatever that was in the distance...well, he wanted nothing to do with it. And yet Zecora went about as if there was nothing there.
Just what the fuck are you anyway?
She let out a whistle as she glanced at the charm around her neck. The pink jewel was glowing brightly as she turned, letting out a sigh as she found herself facing in the direction of Celamont.
"I've barely left the castle and shit is already going down," Daring mumbled under her breath. She tucked the jewel into her shirt and reached for her compass, flicking it open and glancing around.
"Come on little magic trinket...Come to Mama,"
Spell Nexus let out a sigh as he sat at his Queen's bedside. It wasn't the most extravagant, but that would change soon enough. For now they would be trapped. A small underground living space, carved out in an Era forgotten with the peace held by Celestia. It had been created in part of a chain of other spaces, meant to be an underground city for civilians to live in during times of war.
They were also carefully hidden, so as to be kept out of sight of their enemies. It would keep them safe, for a time.
"She is unstable...The Child is fighting her somehow," Nexus murmured over his notes. On a nearby bed rested Twilight Sparkle and between them sat one of his mages, siphoning magic from the Magian and fueling it into their resting Queen.
"If only we had more time. I could find a way to fully subdue the Child..." he sighed and began pacing about the room. The supply of magic would help push things along, just as long as they didn't take too much at once. What good was a dead battery?
"T-Twilight..." his Queen muttered in her sleep. Spell Nexus paused, glancing between them. He walked up to his mage, tapping their shoulder.
"That will be enough for now, away with you, I must check something," he ordered. The mage nodded obediently, face hidden by their hooded robe and left the room. Nexus held out his hands to either woman, releasing the sleeping spell. Both awakened slowly, Nexus taking a step back and cloaking himself to observe them.
"Ow..." Nightmare groaned as she awoke. She sat up slowly, hearing a groan from beside her. Her eyes widened as she spotted Twilight rubbing her head. All at once she was no longer Nightmare, she was Nyx. She threw herself at Twilight, hugging her tightly.
"Twilight! You're okay!" she gasped. Twilight blinked, looking around slowly. Nyx stood up, panicking a little as Twilight seemed oblivious of her.
"Twilight?" she asked, reaching out to her and realizing just how tall she was. She glanced at herself, spotting a standing mirror nearby and rushing over to it.
"Oh wow, is that...me?" she wondered aloud, touching her face. She gasped in surprise as arms wrapped around her, spotting Twilight through the mirror.
"Mmm..." Twilight groaned against her, Nyx turned and returned the hug, chuckling a little.
"Hey, I'm taller than you...Heh..." she sighed, still not getting a response. She looked around the room as she felt a chill, clutching Twilight close.
"Who's there!? Show yourself!" she demanded. Seconds later the man with her eyes stepped from the shadows and bowed his head.
"I didn't mean to spook you, but I had to be certain...Is that you Child?" he asked softly, seeming very tense.
"Yes it's me, who else would it be?" Nyx wondered. He seemed to breath a sigh of relief as he stood upright.
"We were worried things might not work out as we had planned, but I am happy to see you safe. Celestia found us trying to pull out your potential instead of executing you as she had asked of us. That woman there did everything she could to save you and us," he explained. Nyx looked down and smiled.
"Twilight saved me again...But whats wrong with her? She won't respond to me," Nyx pointed out.
"She fought with all her might and Celestia fought back. She took on many powerful spells so that we could escape. I only just barely managed to pluck her from Celestia. I am sure she intended to kill her," the man sighed. Nyx grit her teeth, keeping Twilight close.
"Why would she do that? What have we ever done to her?!" Nyx growled, her magic flaring around her.
"Please calm yourself Child. Remember, we've unlocked your potential and your magic is very very powerful,"
Nyx took a slow breath, relaxing her hold on her magic.
"You seem to know a lot about me mister, just who are you anyway?"
"Oh I suppose I never did really introduce myself. I am Spell Nexus, formerly Celestia's expert in all things magic, until I realized she is a tyrant, controlling everything and everyone to her own benefit,"
Nyx frowned, looking down at Twilight who smiled weakly up at her.
"You said my magic could save us all, right Mister Nexus?" Nyx asked softly.
"Yes Child, but not with Celestia standing against us. We may be able to discuss things between us, but I doubt she will see reason, our only option may be to fight..." Nexus hung his head.
"She wanted to see us all dead, just because I exist. If that's how she wants to play things, then I'll return the favor. Show me how to fight, show me how to use my magic,"
"Perhaps I am captain, but these are my orders," Celestia said softly. He glanced at the scroll once more.
"You want the guards to go on vacation?" he asked.
"Not vacation, Captain. 'Patrol'. Far from Celamont," she chuckled.
"Princess..."
"None of us are a match for her Captain. Even in my prime I could not truly best her, and in our last fight I only managed to buy your sister enough time to acquire the Elements. So once more, she and I shall fight and from there we can only hope the Elements can win,"
"Why not just throw them in ahead of you?" Spike scoffed inside his armor.
"Don't answer that. You intend to wear Nightmare down, being a Celestian of equal strength, even outside your prime, she'll have a tough time killing you. And no matter what your orders, I and my company will fight alongside you," he growled. Celestia smiled sadly.
"My mistakes have given rise to this time and time again, I think it only fitting that I finally end it and I cannot drag you into this Shining Armor. As for you Captain Commander, should we survive this you and I will have words," she scolded him. He only shrugged inside of his armor, turning to Shining Armor.
"I understand your frustration Captain, but your duty is to your people. The time for your fight will come soon enough. I swear to you on my life, I will save Twilight Sparkle,"
Shining sighed, tucking the scroll into his belt.
"If you make it out of this Sir..."
"Then I will tell you everything you wish to know. If I don't, then ask your sister," he chuckled, punching Shining's arm.
"Heh, so she's high enough rank to be let in on all the secrets?" Shining scoffed.
"Actually, just a similar situation. She just got there first Captain. You recall, God of Chaos, Nightmare Moon's return. We just happened to be closer to her than you at the time of those events. I promise, it will all make sense later,"
"I'll take your word on it, for now. If you'll excuse me, I have a city to evacuate,"
Vinyl walked around in circles, finding herself in the middle of nowhere just a ways outside of Celamont.
"The trail hits here...and just sinks into the ground. There's no sewer system out here, is there?" she mumbled, doing another check, her mana pulsing across the ground. She froze as the pulse returned, revealing several large holes under the ground.
"An underground city, huh, now what are you doing here?" she wondered, focusing her mana around her arms and letting it spiral around and around into drills. With a smirk she began to dig her way down, tunneling her way into the first pocket.
"Well well well, what have we here? A rats nest!?" Vinyl yelled, leaping backwards out of the way of what must have been binding spells. Nothing quite cracked like a binding spell. Unless those had been meant to blow up her head.
"You found us quicker than I expected Lieutenant Commander," Spell Nexus spoke up from the rising dust.
"Look, just hand over Sparkle and the kid and we can do our little dance mono y fisto," she ordered.
"I'm not much of a fighter, but you'll find that she is," he grinned.
"She?" Vinyl gasped as a leg slammed into her head, sending her tumbling across the dirt. She groaned as she stood, spotting HER. Nightmare Moon, sporting a pair of dark blue shorts and matching sleeveless top.
"Kid, you really don't wanna do this dance," Vinyl warned.
"You've come here to hurt them, to hunt me down! I refuse to go without a fight!" she yelled. Vinyl swore under her breath, catching her leg and rolling, bringing Nightmare/Nyx with her and slamming her hard into the ground. She flickered, following up with a hard right into her face, bouncing her into the ground once more.
She refused to let up, slamming her leg into Nightmare's ribs and sending her flying across the ground.
"You fight like a kid! Cause that's what you are! Just a Gods damned kid stuck in an adults world!" Vinyl yelled. Nightmare pushed to her feet, her body shaking. Vinyl gasped as magic coiled tightly around her. Glancing out of the corner of her eye she spotted Twilight Sparkle.
The Magian seemed out of breath, focusing all of her energy on keeping Vinyl restrained.
"Sparky, the fuck are you doing?!" Vinyl yelled, going silent as she spotted her eyes.
What is with all the mindfuck going around these days?
"Please, d-don't...don't hurt her..." Twilight winced, her eye flickering to normal for a moment.
Shit, at least I know you're in there Sparkle...
"I had the chance to kill her and she's still standin', if you wanna keep her that way, AND ME, then you gotta let go, right now!" Vinyl yelled, flaring her mana around herself to block Nightmare's fist.
"If you really mean that, then just leave!" Nightmare demanded, shifting back. Twilight's magic faded from around her and Vinyl relaxed, holding up her hands.
"Look, I couldn't leave if I wanted to, which with Sparkle over there against me, I'd really love to get out of here. But I'm a dog on a tight leash and I've been ordered to chase you," Vinyl explained.
"Well you've chased me. If you can't leave then at least don't attack anyone," Nightmare ordered.
"That's it? You aren't gonna tear my head off? Toss me in chains? Brainwash me?" Vinyl questioned.
"I'm not Celestia," Nightmare scoffed.
Wow that's actually kinda brutal how true that is
"Wow uh...Alright. Mind if I hang out? Pretty sure this Enchantment will kill me if I go back empty handed," Vinyl chuckled. Nightmare flashed a smile, holding out her hand.
"Of course, if you mean no harm then I see no reason to cause you harm,"
Vinyl shook her hand, utterly shocked.
"Wow, shaking hands with Nightmare Moon. Not how I expected my day to go," Vinyl mumbled. She glanced over at Spell Nexus, seeing hatred seething from every pore of the mans body.
"So, whats with tall, dark, an creepy?" Vinyl asked, pointing at Nexus.
"Mister Nexus? He saved me from execution. I owe him my life," Nightmare smiled.
How can this bundle of sweet be Nightmare Moon? Vinyl wondered.
"Right..." she mumbled.
No need to pull the pin on this grenade just yet. Play it cool V and just wait for backup,
"This is horseshit," Rainbow muttered, watching from above as Celamont was abandoned.
"It's the best they can do Rainbow. This is Nightmare Moon after all," Fluttershy said softly from beside her. Rainbow scoffed.
"She wasn't so tough before,"
"We had Twilight before, and she still defeated Princess Celestia before we fought...And we didn't ACTUALLY fight her. Twilight awoke the Elements, remember?" Fluttershy argued gently.
"Yea, whatever. Look, Discord is stronger than Nightmare Moon right? We BEAT Discord, so we can beat Nightmare, simple math," Rainbow shrugged.
"I don't think it's that simple,"
"Well duh, Nyxie is still in there!" Pinkie argued, sitting on top of a small cloud.
"PINKIE!" Rainbow and Fluttershy gasped, both hugging her tight.
"What are you doing here?" Rainbow laughed.
"Oh, me? I'm distracting," she giggled.
"Distracting?" Fluttershy asked. Pinkie nodded.
"Mhm. Oh! Looks like times up," Pinkie poofed into the cloud, the two Skyborn staring at one another.
"What just happened?"
Applejack reacted without thinking, throwing her fist as Pinkie popped into existence in front of her, her Gaian friend sidestepping the blow.
"Whoa! Sorry there Pink's. Ah'm a might be jumpy right now..."
"It's okay Applejack. We've all had a really rough couple of days. Say, do you know where Nyx is?" She asked, looking around.
"Um, Pinkie dear, Nyx isn't Nyx anymore..."
"Ohhh...That's what she meant," Pinkie realized aloud.
"Uh...who meant what now?" Applejack asked, blinking as Pinkie booped her nose and vanished.
"Uh...what th' heck jus' happened?"
"Are you sure this is gonna work AB? How do we even know Nyx is in the castle?" Scootaloo groaned.
"Ah can jus' feel it. An, she ain't there, but she's gonna be, ah can't explain it. We can't stand 'round fer too long though. Ah know ah asked Pinkie t' distract everyone but even she can't keep em busy forever,"
"And why are WE here? We're just a bunch of kids Applebloom," Sweetie Belle whined.
"We're more than jus' a bunch of kids. We're Nyx's friends and she's our friend, so we can't jus' abandon her when she needs us. Ah made her a promise an an Apple never goes back on their promise!" Applebloom argued, holding out her arm to her friends. A panicked crowd surrounded by Guards rushed by, fading into the distance. Applebloom nodded and ran across the street, leading her friends through the alleyways.
"Uh, how in the hell do you know where you're goin'? Scootaloo wondered.
"Ah've been here with Applejack a couple times fer business trips. Ah use t' play hide n' seek with some o' th' local kids 'round here. We're jus' goin' th' long way 'round t' th' Castle. If'n we get spotted we'll be dragged wherever all those people are goin'"
"You mean the people evacuating an entire city? Speakin' of which. Why?" Scootaloo grumbled.
"It can't be anything good..." Sweetie Belle added.
"Whatever it is can wait til after we rescue our friend, come on!"
"Hiya!" Pinkie waved at Celestia.
"Pinkie Pie, I am happy to see you well," Celestia spoke softly, several pieces of armor hovering in her magic while she dressed.
"You look kind of busy Princess," Pinkie noted, walking around her slowly.
"...That's stupid," Pinkie pointed out. Celestia turned to argue, but she was gone.
"What...just happened?" she wondered aloud.
"I'm surprised," the cloaked woman chuckled. Twilight cracked open an eye to look at the woman floating beside her within her own mind. She took a slow breath, weaving the mana in and around herself faster and faster.
"You said it yourself, we Sparkles figure these things out...I just need to find my way around...this," She sighed, looking up at the giant lock.
"That Nexus is a rather powerful Wizard in his own right. Being juiced up by a God gives him an extra edge," The woman sighed.
"I broke through for a moment...Long enough to stop Vinyl from hurting Nyx, which means that I CAN get through it. I just need to work faster..." Twilight murmured. She blinked in surprise as the woman slinked her arms around her from behind.
"You are trying a bit too hard. Here, relax your mind," She whispered.
"Um..."
"I'm a piece of you Sparkle, don't make this weird,"
"I'm not the one hugging people in my mind," Twilight argued
"Like I said, don't make it weird. I shouldn't be helping you in the first place, but I'd rather not see you stuck here too much longer. You've got stuff to do, so...Relax your mind," she leaned into Twilight, placing a kiss on her cheek.
It was strange, not like the kind of kiss Rainbow would give her. It was more like the kind of kiss her mother would give her.
"What do I even call you? This thing in my head that haunts my dreams and tries to teach me things..."
"Hm, interesting question. I don't exactly have a name. What would you call a piece of yourself that you can't live without?" she asked.
"Magic?" Twilight wondered. She could practically FEEL the woman's smile.
"That seems a fair name. You can refer to me as Magic. Now...That Seal on your mind..."
Spell Nexus paced about his room slowly.
"Our Queen lives, but the child holds domain over their mind...and Magic...She broke free of my hold for a moment. It seems her love for the child is a powerful weapon, one I might be able to use to our advantage," he chuckled.
"Sir?"
"Magic will join our Queen on the assault. Even without the charm, she will do whatever it takes to protect the Child, meaning she will risk her life for our Queen. Celestia won't be able to battle her own student!"
"..her own student!" Nexus declared.
"Shit..." Vinyl swore under her breath, making her way back down the hallway to where Nightmare Nyx sat with Twilight.
"How's she doin' kid?" Vinyl asked, still hidden within her armor. No reason to play her cards just yet.
"She hasn't talked yet...Something is wrong but I have no idea what," Nyx sighed, holding Twilight's hands. Vinyl bit her tongue.
Buried in enemy territory...Options. Tell the kid everything and try to bust out of here. Pro's - she knows the truth an we rescue Sparkle. Cons - she thinks Nexus saved her life, she's gonna believe his word over mine. Other option, I hang around and eyeball the two of em. Pros - I can be there when they try to take Celamont. Cons - I'm gonna have to fight the two of em...Fuck me to the moon,
"Seems like some kind of mind meddling shit to me. Discord did the same thing to his own daughter," Vinyl blurted out. It was a nice in between. She wasn't revealing it was Nexus who brainwashed Twilight, but she wasn't sitting on her hands.
Progress.
"Mind meddling, hm? Is there a way for me to see for myself?" Nyx asked, looking up at her.
"I...I have a way to get in her head. I might be able to bring you along for the ride kid, but I doubt it's pretty in there. This woman...She's like a mother to you, right?" Vinyl asked softly.
"She is. She's very important to me miss. Maybe if I had just listened to her, none of this would've happened..." Nyx sighed. Vinyl knelt down between them.
"Alright, I'll pull you into her head kid, but if shit hits the fan I'm yanking you back and...well I'm not gonna lie kid, it's not gonna be a fun experience," Vinyl warned.
"I don't care. Whatever it takes, she deserves whatever I can give,"
"You're a good kid..." Vinyl chuckled, flaring her magic. Her first step, was to make sure no one disturbed them, her magic coating the door behind her in several layers of seals that would make celestia's head spin.
Should do the walls for good measure... She realized, her mana coating the entire room.
"Deep breaths kid, it's your first time, so I'll be gentle," Vinyl joked.
"my memories say i'm not a virgin," she answered without a thought.
"Those memories aren't you kid..."
"They belong to who I am meant to be. Nightmare Moon did what she did because she felt betrayed and alone. Her own family cast her out. I take up her mantle because Celestia has to be stopped. She was willing to execute a child and anyone who got in the way of that goal. She has to be stopped and if that means becoming this...this monster...then that's what I'll do," Nyx growled.
"Wow kid...that's...heavy," Vinyl sighed, linking her magic between them.
"Alright, bridge is up kid, be sure not to fall off," Vinyl spoke softly. Nyx nodded and Vinyl could feel her mind wander across to Twilight, the incarnation crying out as the connection whipped back and shattered.
"KID!" Vinyl leapt to her feet.
"T-There's a wall, I can't get in..." Nyx groaned, putting a hand to her head. Vinyl swore under her breath. Of course Nexus would've built defenses into his brainwashing. Which only bugged her more. Why hadn't Discord done the same?
"As much as I hate to say it kid...She's gonna have to break herself out of that. I'm sure she can. When uh...When we weren't on talkin' terms, she snapped out of it long enough to keep me from breaking one of your ribs," Vinyl pointed out. Nyx looked up at her and then back to Twilight.
"It's linked to emotion somehow then...W-Which means she does love me," Nyx scoffed, hugging Twilight tightly.
Yea, she loves ya more than ya know Kid...
"I ask that all of you rescue Twilight...I will hold off Nightmare as long as I can. Once you have Twilight, you will be able to use the Elements against Nightmare," Celestia spoke softly.
"There's just one problem with that Princess. When we pulled Nightmare from your sister, they were two seperate beings...Nyx IS Nightmare Moon. If we tear the two apart, what will become of her?" Rarity wondered.
"I honestly do not know,"
"Bullshit! You've known everything, every fucking thing. I'll tell what the fuck is gonna happen, she'll die. Just like I almost did," Rainbow spat, pointing an accusing finger at Celestia.
"Um, what do you mean Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, glancing between them.
"Magic to a Magian is life. That kid is just a bunch of magic put into a body. The Elements are gonna peel that magic away like skin from bone and she'll have nothing left. When I was in that damn anti magic sphere shit...I felt it...Like everything I was had just been torn apart..." Rainbow wrapped her arms around herself.
"What do you suggest then Rainbow Dash?" Celestia demanded, flaring out her wings and filling herself with as much power as she could hold.
"With all my strength I am hardly a match for her. When the time comes, what can you possibly do to stop her?" she continued.
"I don't fuckin' know...But Twilight'll know. You wanted us to kill Shy for her blood, Twi figured a way around that, she'll figure out a way around this!"
"You have a lot of faith in my daughter," Twilight velvet chuckled as she entered the room.
"I wish I had that. I should've had that...Whatever it takes, we will do what we must. None of us can hope to cause any sort of harm to her, so this is in your hands once more. If you truly believe Twilight can save that girl, then you have my support," she said with a small smile.
Pinkie cleared her throat, tapping her wrist.
"We don't have a lot of time left girls. Nyxie is gonna be coming here any minute now" she pointed out.
"Well, ah s'pose it's now or never then, huh?" Applejack sighed, slipping on her hat.
"Good luck everyone," Celestia smiled sadly.
"She's a good kid," Rainbow said one last time as she and her friends left.
"I know she is..."
Applebloom shivered, holding out her arm. Guards walked by them, seemingly oblivious.
"Okay, so, why are we in the castle?" Scootaloo whispered.
"Cause Nyx is gonna be here an we gotta rescue her," Applebloom repeated herself.
"How do you know?" Sweetie Belle continued to press.
"Ah saw it, okay?! Ah had this weird vision of her sittin' in a room here an cryin'" Applebloom leaned into the wall
"It was all in flashes, but one o' th' big things ah saw was all th' people leavin' Celamont, which means she is gonna be here soon,"
"So your way weirder than mine powers told ya we need to save her, alright, I'll buy it. So, do you know which room?" Scootaloo asked. Applebloom sighed
"No, but she's gotta come through one of these hallways," she stood upright, Chaos sparking around her for a moment.
"Pretty sure its this way, ah jus' hope Pinkie bought us enough time..."
"So many secrets, so many things you always hid from us, what are you hiding this time Discord?" Luna asked. The Chaotician shrugged, a zipper appearing over his mouth. Luna sighed and began to pace back and forth.
"We are aware that the deck you played with was stacked in our favor, so why not tell us the truth?" Luna watched as Discord pulled the zipper open.
"Because no matter what I say, nothing will change, no matter how prepared you think you may be, you are wrong," he spoke softly.
"So wrong that you would throw away everything? Slaughter your friend? Betray thine wife?!" Luna cried. Discord gently grabbed her hands, smiling down at her.
"Sacrifices must be made my dear Lulu. Celestia will never see that. All she will ever know is that Starswirl died by my hand. And surely, you don't intend to let her know you've been diving into my mind?" he chuckled.
"Our curiosity forced our hand. You always have your reasons, you never act unless you must. The Elements...will they be strong enough?"
"I honestly cannot say...I played my last card in the battle with Twilight Sparkle. From this point, it's up to them. Goodbye Lulu," Discord smiled once more, Luna gasping as she awoke.
"I see...You wanted me to speak with you. Your last card, hm? Then why allow me in?"
"MOM!"
"Nyx?!" Twilight gasped at the voice. A ripple filled the void around her as something bounced off the lock.
Shining Armor let out a slow breath, his mana swirling about him in preparation. A circle spread out around him as his mana built up more and more, several runes carved into the air around him while his entire being was aglow with magical power.
He had always done his best to be a proper soldier, to do as ordered, to obey his Princess, but as he watched a figure march into Celamont he began to question all he had thought to be true.
"Captain..."
"I know, keep the people safe. I'll maintain our position here." he interrupted his Lieutenant. She let out a sigh and squeezed his shoulder, turning to shout orders while Shining raised his hands, letting his magic flare outward and expand, forming a large barrier over all of Celamont.
Celestia had claimed her battle might very well destroy the city itself, if she managed to contain it.
Shining just hoped he was up to the task of containing a pair of Gods.
Vinyl whistled as a barrier was slammed over all of Celamont.
"This magic..." Nexus growled under his breath.
"That'd be Celestia's Captain. Shining Armor, the Aegis of Celamont. Weird that he'd wait for us to get into Celamont before raising it..." Vinyl murmured, still hidden in her armor.
"The City...it's empty," Twilight managed to say, leaning against the Vampire, her eye flickering again.
"You're right..."
"Then Celestia means to fight me head on," Nyx mumbled, continuing the march forward.
"Kid, you don't have to do this," Vinyl spoke up, placing a hand on her shoulder. Nyx hung her head, letting out a shuddering breath.
"I really do have to do this. If not me, then who else? Only a monster can fight a monster," Nyx chuckled weakly.
"Look kid, I feel that on a deep level, trust me, but there's always another way...Look, how about this, lemme go in ahead of you and if she doesn't listen to reason, then you two can duke it out in some fancy royal duel, loser bends knee blah blah blah, deal?" Vinyl offered.
"My queen, I...!" Nexus began, Nyx holding up her hand to silence him.
"I have so many memories, so many attempts at trying to talk to Celestia and here we all are today. But maybe she'll listen to one of her own. You'll have your chance to speak to her, but when she refuses, she and I shall fight, is that fair?" Nyx asked. Vinyl gulped and gave a gentle nod.
"Good, then let us continue onward. I would prefer to settle things peacefully, but I fear she will not stand for that,"
"Only one way to find out. This shield keeps us locked in, but that means we can take the scenic route, everyone hold on to your lunch," Vinyl ordered, surrounding them in her magic. Before anyone could react she had snatched them in her teleport, stopping right at the doors to Celestia's throne room.
"Alright, showtime," Vinyl mumbled under her breath, throwing out her arms and letting her magic slam the massive double doors open.
Celestia stood her ground before her throne as Vinyl marched toward her. Had the vampire fallen prey to Nightmares Bewitching? Was such a thing even possible? Celestia was more than aware that the vampires had no love for her. Had she pushed Vinyl too far and the vampire had simply turned sides?
If that were true, the Enchantment would've sapped her magic, and from her display with the doors, she was of her own mind and still loyal to her. Vinyl knelt before her for a moment before standing upright and taking a slow breath.
She knew Vinyl had a few choice words for her, but it seemed she planned to set aside her anger for a moment.
"Princess, I'm begging ya, don't do this," Vinyl said suddenly, holding out her arms and standing between them.
"Many times I have failed to act and look at where I am now,"
"If you fight her, you're on your own," Vinyl warned, hanging her head.
"I am more than aware of this, too long have I put off this battle," Celestia sighed as she marched down from her throne.
"So you intend to fight, rather than speak? You haven't changed at all," Nyx scoffed, marching forward. Celestia was caught off guard for a moment. The body and voice were that of Nightmare, but the way she spoke and stood was different.
"Is that you child?" Celestia asked, lowering her sword slightly.
"Does it change anything if it is? Nightmare Moon and I are one and the same. That's why you intended to kill me before I could become a threat to you, when I was just an innocent harmless child!" Nyx yelled, her mana flaring around her.
"I...I...Yes, I meant to be rid of you. And if I had done so we would not be here now about to cross blades for the fate of my people," Celestia argued.
"YOUR PEOPLE?! YOU DARE MAKE THAT CLAIM?! How many of them know the real you, huh? How many of them know just how low you would fall to keep the throne? How many of them did you trample across, running to safety?" Nyx lowered her head, shaking and clenching her fists.
"HOW MANY OF THEM DID YOU ABANDON LIKE YOU ABANDONED ME?!" she demanded. Celestia was speechless.
"You don't deserve their love or praise. You don't deserve that throne," Nyx continued, a pair of daggers forming in her hands.
"You don't deserve to live,"
"No no no no no! Nyx don't!" Twilight yelled, willing her body to react, to do something, anything!
"Leave her be Sparkle, you have other things to worry about," Magic pointed out. Twilight huffed in frustration, her magic looping in on itself and going back to work on the lock.
"I can't just sit here! Nyx might have Nightmare's memories, but she's still a child! MY CHILD!" Twilight yelled, peeling away another layer of the lock.
"You aren't just sitting here, you are doing what very few mortals can't claim. You are solving Platinum's Puzzle," Magic grinned. Twilight faltered for a moment, glancing at the grinning woman.
"P-Platinum's Puzzle? The unsolvable Riddle? The unpickable lock? The Mages Mindwarper?!" She listed off.
"It does go by many names, but yes, the one and the same. And yet here you are, solving it, picking it, and your mind seems rather intact, for the most part," Magic seemed to tease.
"It's supposed to be impossible..."
"Didn't I say earlier?" Magic asked, leaning in close.
"You Sparkle's always find a way,"
Pinkie stood still, clenching her fists and letting out a squeak as a shiver ran through her body.
"Girls...She's here, and she brought Twilight," Pinkie murmured, leaning against the wall.
"Whoa, ya'll alright Pinks?" Applejack helped the Gaian to her feet, letting her lean against her.
"Guess I haven't really recovered yet, hehe..." she giggled weakly, Chaos sparking around her body.
"Don't overdo it Pinkie, we need you, but we can't have you falling apart on us. How else are we gonna smile?" Rainbow pointed out. Pinkie shook her head and pointed her thumb behind her.
"The throne room, we gotta move fast,"
"What about Celamont's Teleportation Protection?" Rarity argued gently.
"In case of a threat like this, the Aegis would've been released, meaning all the inner defenses are disabled," Fluttershy spoke up.
"Again, we're talking later. Let's do this girls!"
Spell Nexus chuckled to himself from the shadows as his Queen drew her blades. All was going perfectly to plan.
And then in a bright flash of light, so many of his plans came crumbling down. There standing between Celestia and his Queen was that damned Captain Commander.
"My Queen! He will not spare you nor show mercy!" Nexus yelled quickly.
"Why would anyone show a monster mercy?" his queen Scoffed, twirling her daggers and preparing to fight. Spell Nexus grit his teeth. He could attempt to assist his Queen, but this was a battle between Gods, and despite his power and wisdom, he was but a lowly mortal.
Spike let out a sigh as he stared down Nightmare Nyx.
"Why would anyone show a monster mercy?" Nyx scoffed, twirling her daggers. Spike chuckled softly and crossed his arms.
"You'd be fairly surprised how many monsters are out there Nyx," Spike smiled inside his armor.
"How do you know my name?!" she demanded, pointing a dagger at him. Spike walked forward slowly, his armor glowing as it began to fade away.
"Boss no!" Vinyl yelled, but it was too late. The dragon-kin tilted his head to the side as he looked up at a shocked Nyx. She shook, struggling to keep her grip on her daggers.
"I'm not gonna fight you Nyx, I'm here to protect you, remember?" he asked softly, leaping backwards from a bolt of magic.
"W-Why are you wearing that armor Spike? Why didn't you bring me in?" Nyx whispered.
"Because I'm a real monster Nyx. You're an innocent kid," Spike answered without hesitating.
"You're not a monster! You...You rescued me, ran from home, left everything behind j-just to save me and...and here you are...defending Celestia..." Nyx sank to her knees, trying to process everything. Spike knelt down in front of her, the next bolt flung at him being deflected by Vinyl.
"I've had it with your shit," she growled, mana swirling about her body.
"Capture them alive Lieutenant. They are friends of our friend after all," Spike ordered.
"What are you going to do to them? T-To me?" Nyx asked, blinking as Spike hugged her.
"Nothing Nyx, we're not doing anything to you or them. This is Nightmare's doing, not yours, and we're gonna find a way to fix it," he answered. Nyx grit her teeth, a dagger forming in her hand. Spike gasped as Celestia's magic formed a bubble around him, knocking Nyx away.
"We should thank you dragon. The child's mind was rather strong, confused as she is now we can finally take our rightful place," Nightmare breathed, rolling her shoulders. Vinyl leapt at her from behind, Nightmare rolling her eyes and slamming a wing into the vampire, sending her flying through the wall behind her.
"Now, shall we dance Knight? Or will you step aside and allow me to face my sister?" Nightmare growled. Spike let out a sigh, slowly tucking his hands into his pockets, all the emotion draining from his face. His body relaxed and a thin coat of scales appearing across his skin.
"You intend to fight a God? You are either very brave or very stupid," Nightmare laughed, flinging a bolt at him, Spike's tail slashing through the bolt with ease. Vinyl groaned as she climbed her way out of the rubble.
"Oh shit...Hey! Nexus! I don't like you and you don't like me, but if you wanna survive to see tomorrow, now's the time to run!" Vinyl yelled.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! No one can stand up to our Queen..." Nexus froze as Nightmare flew past him and through the wall. Spike stood where she had been just moments ago.
"I won't kill you Nyx, but I refuse to let Nightmare keep control. If I have to, I'll start breaking bones," Spike warned. Nightmare roared as she rushed toward him, daggers drawn.
She slammed the dagger down into his shoulder, eyes wide as the mystic blade shattered against the thin layer of scales.
"Is that the best you can do?" Spike growled, a pair of horns forming atop his head. He hopped up and spun, slamming his leg into Nightmares shoulder, sending her soaring once more.
Spell Nexus stared in shock as time and again the dragon-kin knocked the Nightmare away with what seemed to be relative ease.
"You there! Explain this madness!" Nexus demanded of Vinyl. She let out a sigh.
"That right there, is my Boss, and that's his Battle Mode. He's serious about this fight. It's funny, last time he did this was against a God of Death," Vinyl chuckled.
"Lies! A Beastkin can't be that powerful!" Nexus growled, turning his gaze back to the battle.
"That's not any Beastkin pal, that's The Dragon of Celamont," Vinyl scoffed, standing beside him, her mana swirling around them slowly.
"The Child was right sister! This soldier of yours is just another poor soul you've dragged into your cowardice! Your inability to face your mistakes! JUST ANOTHER LIFE YOU'VE RUINED!" Nightmare yelled. Celestia lowered her head.
"Stand down Captain," Celestia ordered. Spike paused, his scales fading and his hands slipping out of his pockets.
"Yes Princess, I understand," Spike replied, stepping aside.
"Really? A little goading is all it takes for you to break? How simple minded you are Celestia," Nightmare mumbled.
"Nyx, this is your last chance to take back control. Because when Nightmare kills Celestia, I am going to kill you," Spike warned. Nightmare stared at him, shuddering at the look in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself, screaming while her magic flared around her.
The madness came to a grinding halt as Twilight wrapped her arms around Nightmare. The Magian was panting heavily, her own magic sparking painfully around her form. She opened her eyes and smiled.
"It's okay Nyx...You don't have to fight anymore,"
Twilight tightened her arms around Nightmare Nyx, her legs shaking a bit.
"This isn't who you are Nyx, you can be whatever you want to be and no matter what you want to be, I'll still love and protect you," Twilight swore. Nyx hesitantly wrapped her arms around Twilight.
"Aww, such a sweet moment," Vinyl chuckled. All eyes turned to her, realizing she had taken the time to knock out the group of mages while everyone had been distracted.
"Well, happy ending, score one for V," Vinyl sighed, wrapping her mana around the group of mages.
"Not quite. I have control again, but Nightmare is still there...She's still me. And I still feel the same," Nyx pointed out, glaring at Celestia.
"If the people knew the truth about how you came to power, the wars, the betrayal and failure, would they still love you?" She demanded.
"Their love for me is not what is important. Peace is what is important, and maintaining that Peace isn't something that comes easily child," Celestia spoke softly, still gripping her sword.
"You would do well to remember, we had our part to play in this as well Child," Luna added as she entered the room, the Elements of Harmony by her side.
"Twilight!" her friends called out, rushing to her. She smiled weakly, leaning against Nyx.
Her friends stopped as Nyx glanced at them, wrapping her arms tighter around Twilight.
"Whoa!" Rainbow held up her hands, letting her armor fade. The others were quick to follow.
"This...is an interesting development," Luna murmured, offering Nyx a gentle smile.
"Sure, we aren't innocent, but what else were we to do? She was the one in charge, the one in power. We couldn't go against her!" Nyx yelled.
"And yet, we did. You are seeing only the horrible thoughts of Nightmare. You are missing the whole story," Luna spoke softly, holding out her hand. Nyx hesitated, grabbing her hand.
"Should you allow Child, we shall show you the whole truth, and from there you may decide your path," Luna offered. Nyx looked around the room, anger still boiling inside of her when she looked at Celestia. All she could think about was when she was chained down by that woman's magic as an innocent child, about to be killed for simply existing.
"I don't know how much my opinion of her will change. A woman willing to murder a child..." she spat.
"We do not ask you to change your mind, only to open it," Luna explained softly.
"I accept...But I want Twilight somewhere safe. Away from her," Nyx demanded.
"It shall be done. Bearers, would you mind guarding Twilight Sparkle and keeping an eye on our sister while the child and I speak?" Luna asked.
"Um...Yes Princess," Fluttershy murmured, chaos sparking around her and coating the floor. Nyx allowed Rainbow to take hold of Twilight, offering them a smile.
"Thank you for taking care of me,"
"Don't sweat it kid, thanks for saving Twilight..." Rainbow chuckled sadly.
"You're wrong. I didn't save her. She saved me," Nyx smiled. The girl turned woman followed Luna into a corner of the room where the two sat down. Luna smiled at her 'reflection', holding out her hands, palms up.
Nyx frowned, but placed her hands on top of Luna's.
"Loyalty, could we ask for thine assistance?" Luna called out. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, pointing at herself.
"Me? uh...Sure I guess," she shrugged. She glanced between her friends, Applejack giving her a nod and sitting beside Twilight. Rainbow let out a sigh, joining Luna and Nyx, resting her hands on her legs as she sat, crossing her legs.
"So, what do ya need me for?" she asked. Luna held out her hand.
"Wouldst thee join hands with us? Surely thou must realize by now what it is we intend?" Luna asked. Rainbow felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and let out another sigh.
"You wanna do that mind diving stuff? Why me then? I'm not exactly an expert on magic, and this 'thou, thine, thee,' stuff is hurting my head," Rainbow argued. Luna couldn't help but smile, clearing her throat.
"I apologize Rainbow Dash. We...I, am still adjusting to this new culture. That way of speaking is a way of being myself, remembering another time. Things are so very different from how I know them. As for why I chose thee...You...You have experience in this field more than any of your friends. Was it not this path in which Discord healed the scars of your mind?" Luna spoke softly.
"How the hell do you know about that?" Rainbow growled.
"Celestia told us. We wanted to know everything about those who saved us from ourselves. And as for who told her, your mother and aunt shared that tale, but only because they were seeking guidance in helping you. You are a once in a lifetime case Rainbow Dash. You must surely have noticed your wounds recover faster than your friends," Luna offered her a small smile.
"Miss Rainbow?" Nyx finally spoke up.
"It's a long story kid...Fine, I'll help. But if I think for one second you are doing something funny in there..." Rainbow began to threaten.
"Her mind is a space that will not truly welcome me. Discord was welcome within your mind, because you saw that man as a father. We must admit, we treated him much the same..." Luna's smile faded for a moment before she cleared her throat.
"Shall we then?" she offered. Rainbow nodded, turning to Nyx.
"Alright kid, this is gonna be pretty weird. The short of it is, we're going inside your head to work out some problems you don't even know you have. Don't worry, I'm gonna be there every step of the way. I heard you've got that chicks memories, so you know that..." Rainbow pressed her thumb against the Element of Loyalty around her neck.
"...This thing means I've got your back, no matter what anyone else says," she grinned.
"I know Miss Rainbow...From that moment you promised to protect me to Twilight. I just had this feeling that if you had to...You would die for me..." Nyx hung her head.
"Listen here Nyx. I want you to know," Rainbow pointed to her friends.
"Every single person over there would die to save you, especially Twilight. And I'm the one that's supposed to rush in first, so of course I'd do anything to save you," Rainbow grinned, gasping as Nyx hugged her.
"Alright, lets get to work kid. You've gotta let us in. You don't have to trust her, just let her in the door, alright?"
"I understand, I tried the same thing with Twilight before, but something knocked me back. It seemed like a...Lock of some sort, maybe a wall? I'm not sure..."
"Interesting...It sounds quite a lot like Platinum's Puzzle. Nightmare would invoke such a thing," Luna scoffed, glancing over at Twilight.
"And that Child of Starswirl solved it...Your mother is a great woman," Luna chuckled. Nyx stiffened for a moment, smiling a little as her magic flared, opening the bridge to her mind.
"Yea...She really is..."
"I'm sure of it. Nexus really is innocent, check it," Vinyl, still in her armor, dragged a finger against Spell Nexus' skin, several runes lighting up.
"An extremely powerful Seal, just barely enough to hold back the Nightmare from escaping on her own. So that's why he needed Nyx. Nightmare was attempting to escape...But between his own Seals and us jumping in the middle of the ritual, it fell apart," Spike murmured, glancing over at Princess Luna. She and Rainbow Dash had mana swirling around them, a line of magic connecting their minds to Nyx.
"Spike..." Twilight wheezed. In an instant he was by her side, Vinyl blinking in surprise at his speed.
"I'm right here Twi," he said with a smile, grabbing her hand. She smiled weakly, wincing as her magic sparked around her.
"I-Is Nyx going to be okay?" she asked, trying to turn her head to where Nyx sat. Spike sat in her line of sight.
"Being honest, I dunno. Princess Luna is going to do whatever she can to save her from Nightmare and she has Rainbow helping her," Spike answered. Twilight nodded, laying her head back in Applejack's lap.
"Sorry to have worried you all...I shouldn't have tried to rush things like that..."
"Ya'll did what ya had t' fer that girl Twilight. If'n it'd been Applebloom, ah woulda done th' same," Applejack argued.
"I must admit Twilight, if I found Sweetie Belle in such a situation, I would've gone far more overboard," Rarity chuckled nervously. Twilight sighed, squeezing Spike's hand.
"Thank you everyone..." she smiled weakly before finally passing out. Spike let out a sigh.
"Is she gonna be alright Spike?" Applejack asked quietly, cupping her hands under Twilight's head.
"She's gone through a lot, freed herself of Nightmare's control. Battled against the magic of a God and won. She just needs some rest Applejack," Spike assured her. He stood and faced Celestia, grabbing his sword and stabbing it into the ground. He stood between her and Twilight, a determined look in his eyes.
"Was I wrong Spike?"
"Everyone makes mistakes Princess," Spike glanced over at Nyx "and everyone deserves a second chance,"
Nyx blinked as she floated in an endless void. Glancing down at herself she realized she was back to normal. In a flash of light, a little girl about her age took form, a head full of rainbow taking shape as she fully entered the space.
"Oh cool," she chuckled. It was a bit more high pitched, but she recognized the voice.
"Miss Rainbow?" Nyx asked, confused. The girl grinned, pointing a thumb at herself, the Element of Loyalty forming around her neck.
"In the flesh! Well, sorta. This place is your brain space kid. You're more comfortable around kids your age, so I got shifted. I don't mind, this kinda takes me back anyway. This first step is gonna be the hardest one. All this inky black stuff? That's the crud that's crowding your mind," Rainbow explained.
Nyx took another look around. It seemed to go on forever. Just how in the dark was she?
"I'm not gonna lie, not my thing, it took me literal months to clear away all my issues. So we're gonna jump to the big thing first," Rainbow held out her hand and Nyx took it without thinking.
"Where is Luna?" Nyx wondered. Rainbow glanced around, the Darkness slowly filtering away from her, as if afraid of her. A patch of white appeared on the ground beneath them, the two sinking through the Darkness to land on it.
"I guess she's stuck at the Door. You wanna trust her, but you can't. That's fine for now, we'll worry about that in a sec," Rainbow shrugged. She pointed down.
"This is about how much I can clear on my own. Think of it as a Comfort Zone, a place where nothing bad can touch you. If things get too hard, this spot will ALWAYS be here to save you," Rainbow assured her.
"Right...What do I do now?"
"Now...Now we fight Demons."
Luna let a sad smile touch her lips, her magic focused on the two before her.
"The Child does not yet trust us. We cannot blame them, though we hope Loyalty will help her see the truth," Luna spoke up.
"What will this solve Sister?" Celestia sighed
"We will spare a child of your Mercy," Luna all but spat.
"I'm not one to jump into someones family issues, but you two need to chill the fuck out," Vinyl said as she stepped between them, flaring out her mana to the edge of Fluttershy's Chaos.
"I suppose I should feel betrayed, but I did back myself into the corner on this one," Celestia chuckled softly.
"You seem to be taking this rather in stride Princess, I hope you know that none of us are truly against you," Rarity pointed out nervously
"When you've lived as long as I have, you try to take things as they come. If I am being honest, against the Elements, Spike, and Vinyl, I doubt myself a match,"
"Bullshit, a snap of your fingers would put me into a fuckin' Coma," Vinyl spat, patting the Sunburst mark on her armor.
"And a simple illusion of Morrigan would stop me in my tracks," Spike shrugged.
"We only beat Discord cause o' Twilight, ah doubt th' lot o' us could fight ya if'n we wanted t' Princess. Not that we wanna. But that there girl is Twilight's," Applejack added, squeezing her friends shoulder.
"And if'n we have t', we'll defend her," she finished.
"I would expect nothing less of you all," Celestia smiled, sheathing her sword. She glanced over at Luna, offering her a smile.
"You have my support Sister, even if you had to twist my arm for it,"
"We knew thou wouldst come around sooner or later," Luna returned the smile. Rainbow stiffened slightly, wincing as magic sparked from Nyx to her.
"I-Is she alright?" Fluttershy asked quickly.
"Loyalty is a tough one dearest Fluttershy. But the Darkest Depths of Nightmare's Mind are nothing to be scoffed at..."
"Demons?" Nyx asked.
"Yea kid. Your Demons, the things that scare you the most, the things you hate more than anything. Whatever the heck it is that you think ruined your life," Rainbow pointed out. She let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head.
"For me...It was my mother," she frowned for a moment.
"Your mother?"
"It's a long story kid an we don't really have time to...Actually...Maybe it'll help. Have a seat kid," Rainbow sat down and closed her eyes for a moment, a campfire appearing in the center of her little circle.
"How did you..."
"This is my personal bubble. Anything past this, is all you. Heck, you can do it too, you can even control my bubble, since its your head," Rainbow grinned. Nyx crossed her arms and closed her eyes, a pair of small wooden stools appearing.
"Good work, fast learner. I like that," Rainbow chuckled. She held out her hands, a pair of sticks forming with marshmallows. She passed one over to Nyx and held her own over the fire.
"Alright, so the long an short of my story is that i'm dying," Rainbow began.
"What?!"
"Relax kid, I'm not going anywhere. But it is pretty serious. I have an illness called Marek's Disease. It's basically Death for a Skyborn. It kills our wings and destroys us from the inside out,"
"That's...horrible...I'm so sorry,"
"Eh, not your fault. But my mom was studying it, trying to cure it, cause my Dad also had it," Rainbow took a slow breath, gripping her stick tightly.
"You don't have to talk about this Miss Dash..."
"I do Kid, cause you've gotta do the same. I can't tell you to fight a war in your head and then be a bitch about my own problems. Don't repeat any of my swears either or Twilight'll kill me," Rainbow relaxed a little and sat upright.
"She started filling my body with small doses of Mana. All creatures interact with the magic of Terra differently, ya know? But only Magians and Celestian's can take Mana into their bodies. My mom thought that magic would be the answer. If Mana became my Immune System, the power of Magic could cure me," Rainbow did her best to explain.
"The Avaros-Mana Theory," Nyx mumbled. Rainbow stared for a moment.
"It's a theory based off the belief that if a Skyborn got their hands on magic, they'd basically be a god, or just stupidly powerful"
"Wow that's...an incredibly well way to explain it," Nyx giggled.
"You probably know all the details, huh?" Rainbow smirked.
"Sorry..."
"Don't be. Just look," Rainbow pointed to the edge of her circle.
"It got...bigger?" Nyx realized.
"Being yourself, it's pushing back the Darkness. Let's keep going then," Rainbow took a bite out of her marshmallow.
"Everyday, she'd cut off a feather. Everyday, she'd grow it back, only to cut it again," Rainbow spread out her wings. Nyx covered her mouth in shock. Rainbow's entire right wing was gone, only shreds of what it once was.
"It hurt kid. It hurt a lot...I can always remember that pain...But it wasn't the only thing. I could feel the mana tearing through me. It made me sick. it didn't belong," Rainbow started drawing circles in the ground with her stick.
"One day, my mom freaked out. The other doctors were going to stop her project. So she did something stupid. She gave me all of her magic. A ritual using her life as the duct tape to hold me together,"
"A Soul Ritual...bound by powerful Sacrificial Magicks...She made you into a Hybrid!" Nyx realized.
"Yea. Then my pops kicked the bucket and I had nothing but this..." Rainbow lifted her sleeve, showing the Magian marking on her shoulder. Her wing slowly came back to life.
"The Doctors wanted to know what made me tick. They poked and prodded me every single damn day wanting to further that stupid theory. I was just a kid, no older than you," Rainbow took a slow breath to relax.
"I was a freak. I should've been dead, but she refused to let me die. So i tried to run, an on that day, I met my real mom," Rainbow smiled and seemed to actually glow.
"Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. She got me outta that place, took me literally under her wing and got me the help I needed. I spent months in this little space, taking baby steps, one at a time, into the darkness," Rainbow sighed.
"I had basically an entire family walking alongside me the whole way and I had all the time in the world to get where I needed to be. You don't exactly have that luxury kid...On top of the fact that I had an expert helping me. I've just got experience with the treatment...But I'll be damned if I let you go this alone!" Rainbow stood from her stool, holding out her hand.
"You're very brave Miss Dash..." Nyx smiled, taking her hand.
"Nah, i'm just crazy," she grinned. The two turned to face the Darkness.
"The thing I hate the most, that I fear more than anything else. The thing that ruined my life..." Nyx let out a sigh.
"I can only think of one thing..."
"What is it kid?" Rainbow asked softly. Nyx frowned as a figure took shape before them at the edge of the circle. A little girl, a book under her arm while her free hand adjusted her glasses. In a burst of flame the book burned away, her glasses cracked and shattered, revealing her eyes. The eyes of a demon.
"We ain't lost! Ah jus' don't recognize this hallway!" Applebloom argued, shuddering and leaning against the wall.
"Uh...You okay?" Scootaloo wondered. Sweetie Belle clung to her arm, shaking worse than Applebloom. Scootaloo glanced around, feeling her hair stand on end.
"Okay...what is going on?"
"P-Powerful m-magic..." Sweetie Belle stammered.
"It's gotta be our sisters. T-They are fightin' with Nyx!" Applebloom realized, forcing herself upright.
"Shoot, ah can't figure out where it's comin' from, it feels like its everywhere!" she growled in frustration. Sweetie Belle pointed down the hall.
"It's there," she mumbled, letting out a squeak as Applebloom hugged her before taking off.
"Guess we should follow her, huh?" Scootaloo smirked, grabbing Sweetie Belle's hand and giving it a squeeze. The Magian gave a nod, clinging to her friend.
"Hold on Nyx, we're comin'"
"Wow," Rainbow scoffed.
"That's pretty damn deep kid,"
"It's true though. I should've just stayed in that bush. Maybe some creature of Everfree would've eaten me and none of this would have happened," Nyx sighed.
"I dunno how Twilight got out there Nyx, but if somethin' had come to eat you she woulda fought it off or died trying to save you,"
"And that's the problem Miss Rainbow. Twilight has been attacked, hurt, brainwashed, and almost killed, all because of me," Nyx lowered her head, the darkness creeping in, unable to reach beyond Rainbow's Bubble.
"You're beating yourself up kid, literally. Aren't you forgetting something?" Rainbow stepped forward into the Darkness, wincing as it wrapped around her.
"R-Rainbow!" Nyx gasped.
"I'm fine kid! I told ya, didn't I?! Any of us would die for you! So this is nothing!" Rainbow yelled, continuing her march forward even as the Darkness swallowed her. She finally reached the Other Nyx, throwing her arms around her in a hug.
Nyx blinked, finding herself in place of her other self and in Rainbow's arms, the bubble spreading around them. Rainbow panted slightly and smiled.
"I...What?"
"It's you, right? Both of them," Rainbow glanced over her shoulder, pointing to the other bubble where the first Nyx stood in a panic.
"She's a memory of that moment now. This is your main focus so this is your 'body'," Rainbow explained.
"Is she just going to stand there, forever crying out?" Nyx asked.
"She doesn't have to. You can give her a hand," Rainbow said softly. Nyx looked down at the Darkness that kept them apart. Rainbow grabbed her hand.
"I'm with you all the way kid,"
"R-Right..." Nyx gulped, and took her first step into the Darkness.
"That man is rather impressive sister. Nightmare would've reacted within an instant. To cast such a powerful seal in such a short time..." Luna murmured.
"There were reasons I trusted him..." Celestia sighed.
"It's funny. Applebloom said she thought he was evil...Ah shoulda said somethin' sooner but ah..."
"No matter how much you care. This isn't something you just let walk into your life. It takes time," she continued with a weak smile.
"Rainbow seemed to take to it rather quickly," Rarity chuckled
"That's how Rainbow is...If you're her friend, nothing else matters," Fluttershy giggled, the Chaos seeming to dance giddily around her.
"Do you think she'll be able to help Nyx?" Rarity glanced over at Nightmare.
"I know she can. I was there for Rainbow's treatment. My father just guided her, she did all the work. I can feel the Chaos pulling back already," Fluttershy smiled.
"And, should she decide I must still perish?" Celestia asked. They glanced between each other, none of them having an answer.
"Then the two of you will Duel," Spike cut through the silence "the same way I and Morigan fought,"
Twilight let out a sigh as she found herself floating next to Magic once more.
"Is this always going to happen?" she groaned
"Unhappy to see me? I thought you couldn't live without me Sparkle," Magic teased with a wink.
"I...I'm grateful for your help, but I still have so many questions,"
"Sadly I can't really answer them. Think of it like an Exam, little Sparkle. Would it be fair if you started your test with all the answers? I think not,"
"What do tests and fairness have to do with the real world?" Twilight argued
"My girlfriend had literally everything taken from her! Her daughter lost her parents. LOVING parents! Applejack was forcefully taken in the name of all of this! And don't get me started on Nyx!" she continued to vent.
"You're right Sparkle. The world is unfair. It's full of shit and horrible things. Here's a thing you don't know Sparkle," Magic leaned in close
"How much has little Spike suffered for you?" she whispered before leaning back. Twilight's mouth worked, but no words came out.
"Since your conception, he has sacrificed every moment of his life in dedication to you. Is it fair to drag his life through the dirt for your sake? Sure, he's not even a real citizen, not even human," Magic continued, hovering around her.
"But let's move on. Vanesssa, the vampire. She was fooled into joining the Knights by your mother of all people. Forced to be a good little dog by the Princess you idolize, all for the sake of her sisters. Hell! Let's jump back before she was a dog! Did you know she had to kill her mother with her own two hands?" Magic laughed.
"I GET IT! Life isn't fair! That just further proves my own point!" Twilight shouted.
"No Sparkle, you understand nothing. Which is why I will tell you nothing," Magic mumbled, snapping her fingers. Twilight groaned in pain as she awoke, finding her friends around her.
"How ya holdin' up Twilight?" Applejack asked softly. She looked into the Farmer's eyes, gulping as she thought of all the woman had been through. Risking her life by following her lead; Her struggle in raising her daughter and the lies she had been forced to keep. Her eyes drifted over to Fluttershy.
Forced to be a pawn in her fathers game. Believing herself to be a monster. Trapped by her guilt for what she had to do and still fighting on.
Rarity, much in the same boat, hating herself for simply existing. Remembering all the people she hurt when the monster inside took over.
Pinkie Pie. Not even she knew what she was. Something that ate away at her everyday, and still she fought and smiled, worrying about the happiness of others over her own.
Twilight began to cry as her friends crowded around her, hiding her face behind her hands.
"Twilight!" they all panicked.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." she muttered over and over again.
"Ya'll ain't got nothin' t' be sorry 'bout ya ninny," Applejack chuckled.
"You all...You all followed after me, risking everything just because I..."
"That's what friends do Twilight. We are there for one another, just as you have been there for all of us," Rarity argued gently.
"You always run ahead Twilight. You take the lead when none of us know what to do," Pinkie laid down beside her and squeezed her hand.
"That's right. If we hadn't followed you, you would've fought Nightmare on your own, even if you couldn't defeat her," Rarity pointed out.
"You could've left me for dead...All of you could have. You should've thrown me in the dungeons...But you said I was your friend, someone important. You protected me, protected all of us. So never apologize Twilight. Just be our friend. That's all we need," Fluttershy smiled, wiping away a few tears of her own.
"I...Thank you, everyone..."
Applebloom gasped and pressed herself against the wall, motioning for her friends to do the same.
"Ah made a mistake!" she hissed under her breath. They peeked around the corner, seeing Nightmare's guards enter a room.
"They really just let us walk in, huh?" one of them chuckled.
"Whatever. Nexus said the kid might break through, so if shit hits the fan we can just go in and kill them all," another laughed.
Applebloom grit her teeth.
"We gotta do somethin," she growled.
"Like what? we're kids!" Sweetie Belle argued.
"We're more than kids. We're Crusaders!" Scootaloo cheered as she jumped into the doorway.
"Hey fuckface!"
"Wow kid. I knew you learned fast, but this is nuts..." Rainbow looked around. It had started as several little white bubbles, each protected by Rainbow, until Nyx had managed to connect them. Now they stood in a small library.
"Took me a month to get my field going," she mumbled.
"S-Sorry...should it be a field?" Nyx frowned
"No kid, it's your happy place. I picked a field to fly in, because i'd been trapped and chained down for so long...Being out in the open air is the greatest feeling in the world when you've been stuck on the ground your entire life..." Rainbow chuckled, blinking as Nyx hugged her.
"Uh, kid?"
"You've been through so much..." she murmured. Rainbow rolled her eyes, returning the hug.
"I think that's enough for today kid. We can't get through everything in one session. Things start getting weird if you try too hard. Come on," Rainbow held out her hand, a door appearing.
"I'll see ya on the outside," she winked, walking through it. Nyx smiled and blinked, finding herself sitting with Rainbow and Luna. She glanced over at the Skyborn, seeing her a bit out of breath with Chaos sparking around her body.
"R-Rainbow!" she panicked. Rainbow shook her head.
"I'm fine kid. What about you?" Rainbow asked. Nyx looked down at herself, glancing over her shoulder.
"I...I'm confused more than anything else. I didn't get to really see what it was Luna wanted from me," she admitted.
"There's a lot of gunk to work through. I'll make ya a deal kid," Rainbow held out her hand, wincing from the Chaos.
"Gimmie a month. At your speed, we'll tear through most of it, and if you still wanna fight the Princess, I'll back ya up,"
"Rainbow!" Rarity yelled.
"But if you can't decide, then you've gotta go back to being that little kid Twilight loves so damn much," she continued, ignoring Rarity.
"You...You would fight your own Princess? What about your Loyalty?" Nyx accused.
"Listen kid, I'll tell ya a secret," Rainbow leaned back and sucked in a breath.
"FUCK CELESTIA!" she yelled, everyone staring in shock.
"Everything that tore my life apart leads back to the bitch standing over there and what did she do about it? She knew everything about us since we were born, tracked us all down an kept tabs on us. But when shit hit the fan she never stepped in to save us. If we were so damn important, why'd she just sit an watch?
She sends her own fucking student to fight her sister who she fucking pushed to the edge.
She adopts a dragon and trains him to kill and die for her.
She BRAINWASHED HER OWN FUCKING PEOPLE! So ya see kid, I am staying loyal. Loyal to the people who matter to me, Loyal to the people who have been there for me every step of the way, and Loyal to the people who deserve it," Rainbow grinned.
"I never knew you felt so strongly about me Rainbow Dash. It is true, I never interfered. But tell me, how well would your Element fare you had I stopped the things that motivate you?" Celestia asked softly.
Rainbow had no answer.
"So many times I wish it could be I...But it can't. If I could've prevented any of this, I would have. I suppose in your eyes, that makes me worthless. But if it makes you happy, then I will take all of that hate in stride, because that is my duty," Celestia finished.
"So, Nyx, child of Twilight Sparkle. What say you to this offer?" Luna asked softly.
"...A month. I'll wait until then," she grabbed Rainbow's hand, pulling her into a hug.
"And if it comes to that, i'll face Celestia alone."
Applebloom held her breath, her Chaos spread around her friends and herself while they hid under a table.
"Okay, so, I goofed," Scootaloo groaned.
"Yea, shoulda really thought twice 'bout tryin' t' blow him up with yer mind," Applebloom grumbled.
"Well you give it a shot!" Scootaloo whispered harshly.
"Ain't that simple. Ah'm still learnin. Pink's ain't taught me any kind of fightin' stuff. Jus' how t' protect myself an only if'n ah gotta,"
"What are we gonna do? He's gonna find us!" Sweetie Belle chewed her lip.
"I like your spunk kid, so I'll kill you quick. Just come on out,"
"AB, you're the one that said we'd get to be heroes, this is our shot,"
"Fine, ah'll prove my point," Applebloom took a slow breath, the chaos sparking around her. A copy of herself appeared behind the man. The copy raised it's hand and in an instant its head had been lopped off.
"I'll be damned, so that's how you're hiding from me. One of you is a little demigod. Guess I can't really kill you. My queen is gonna wanna see you. I'll make ya a deal kid. Give yourself up, and your friends get to live," he offered, twirling a knife about in his hand.
"H-He's quick..." Scootaloo gulped.
"He's also way stronger than me...Ah'm hidin' us, but he ain't hidin anything..." Applebloom whispered.
Scootaloo grit her teeth, wracking her brain for an idea. Anything. Something that could get them out of this.
She thought back on everything she knew about magic and everything she had heard from Twilight and Rainbow.
"I have an idea,"
"H-Hi Twilight..." Nyx stammered, sitting beside her. Twilight winced as she pulled herself up, throwing her arms around Nyx.
"While I am more than thrilled we have settled the current conflict, there are still many things to clear up," Celestia interrupted.
"Leave Nexus and the others to us Sister. With time we are sure we can purge the Nightmare from their systems. We shall require assistance containing it. During that time if the Bearers could assist us..." Luna gave them a smile, Rainbow giving her a thumbs up.
"Good. We'll make for Eraville. Vinyl and I will maintain surveillance on Nyx while Twilight and Rainbow help her work through this. We'll also see what can be done to revert Nyx to her true form," Spike added.
"My true form?"
"The Guardian speaks the truth child. You are far too gentle a soul to be Nightmare Moon. This body does not suit you," Luna winked.
Nyx let out a sigh, a shudder running up her spine.
"Oh no. No!" She gasped as she jumped to her feet.
"Whats wrong kid?" Rainbow wondered.
"The Knights. Nexus brought the Knights with him! I just felt one. I-I don't know where, it faded so quickly..."
"So they still live..." Luna muttered.
"We'll have to find them, they'll listen to me," Nyx clenched her fists.
"We doubt that Child. The Knights act only on the Ill Intentions of Nightmare, not her orders. This will be a battle, and there shall be blood," Luna growled, snapping her fingers and vanishing.
"This is a stupid idea," Applebloom mumbled.
"You got any better ones?" Scootaloo argued. The three girls linked hands. Scootaloo in the center.
"Jus' make it count," Applebloom continued to grumble.
"Alright...NOW!" Scootaloo yelled, the girls rolling out from under the table. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle filled themselves with as much Mana and Chaos as they could hold, funneling it through themselves into Scootaloo.
Scootaloo fought back tears from the pain of having so much magic fill her.
Is this what Rainbow meant about pain? Is this the crap she dealt with? She couldn't afford to let the pain win. Her friends were counting on her.
"HEY!" Scootaloo yelled, drawing the Nightmare Guards attention. With all that she had she flung the gathered energy at him, smoke rising from her body as the mana around them faded.
"S-Scootaloo! Are you okay?" Sweetie Belle panicked.
"T-Totally cool, you two should move though. They are gonna find me pretty quick, ya know? Magic leaves a signature or some crap like that. At least, that's what Twilight was going on about," she chuckled weakly.
"Scoots...Ya'll knew that this whole time...Well we ain't leavin' ya behind!" Applebloom argued, lifting the Skyborn onto her back.
"H-Huh! Are you nuts?!" This is your chance to get to Nyx!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Chaos ain't like yer fancy magic Scoots...it feels...Don't ya dare ask me t' leave ya while yer hurtin'" Applebloom growled as she peeked around the corner past the knocked out guard.
"H-Hurting?" Sweetie Belle whimpered.
"I-I'm fine! I just need a sec is all," Scootaloo argued.
"Ah felt all o' it Scoots...Ah mean, ah didn't REALLY feel it, not like you did. Ah guess ah felt you feel it...Ah can't really explain it. Ain't like ah heard yer thoughts or nothin' but ah could tell, ya'll thought ya were gonna die a hero," Applebloom said softly, slipping around the corner. Sweetie Belle kept close, glaring at Scootaloo.
"Alright, ya got me. I figured if I could use myself as bait then you two could get Nyx and get out of here. I was out of ideas, sue me," Scootaloo grumbled, trying to ignore the adorable fuming Magian beside her. She was going to get a talking to later.
Applebloom shuddered and stopped, shifting Scootaloo a bit on her back.
"Ah think ah finally found her! Hold on t' yer lunch, ah ain't done this with passengers yet," Applebloom warned. Sweetie Belle grabbed Applebloom's arm, the Gaian lifting her free hand as she looked at a large door.
"Please work, please work, please work, please work," she whispered under her breath again and again, clenching her eyes shut tight as she snapped her fingers.
"Hello again Scythe. incapacitated I see," Luna mumbled, weaving her magic around him. Something rather powerful had burst in front of him, but she couldn't tell what. The trail led down the hallway.
"An ally strong enough to defeat a knight...Curious," she murmured.
"Oh good, it's you," Scythe groaned.
"We are so happy you remember us. We've much to discuss old friend," Luna grinned.
"This is all my fault...And now I have to just sit here and wait for everyone else to clean it up..." Nyx sniffed, wrapping her arms around herself. Twilight laid nearby, fast asleep. Rainbow had asked her to stay to make sure Twilight was okay while she and the other Elements went to face the Knights.
"I don't know what to do anymore...I thought all I had to do was come and face Celestia, but its so much more complicated than that...What would I even do after I beat her?" she continued, tears stinging her eyes.
"Nyx!"
She blinked and looked up in time for three girls to tackle her to the ground.
"A-Applebloom? Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? What are you doing here?!" she demanded.
"Whoa, you look way different Nyx..." Scootaloo mumbled.
"Almost like..." Sweetie Belle blinked as Applebloom covered her mouth.
"We're here cause we're friends Nyx, ain't nothin' more t' it. Ah made ya a promise, that ah'd be there when ya needed me, so here ah am," Applebloom smirked. Nyx sniffed, wrapping her arms tightly around them.
"Thanks girls..."
"Well, ain't that cute. Guess the Queen is taking a nap," Scythe spat, twirling his namesake weapon beside him
"Stand down Scythe,"
"Yea, not happenin' cuteness. I won't harm ya, since that's my Queen's skin you're wearin'...And these kids..."
"Hey, I knocked you down once! I'll do it again!" Scootaloo yelled. Everyone blinked in surprise as Applebloom leapt at the man, Chaos sparking around her.
Scythe grinned, twirling his weapon and knocking her backwards, Applebloom seeming to flicker and appear above him as the Chaos grew thicker around her.
"Well, that's interesting..." he mumbled, throwing up his arm in time to catch her punch. Nyx jumped to her feet, Scythe snapping his fingers.
"Sit down kid, this is our fight," he smirked. Nyx blinked, finding herself sitting down against her will.
Scythe let out a sigh as his weapon fell to the ground.
"Just one little punch and my arm breaks. Well, didn't expect it to hold up well against a real Demi-god. But who taught you to play with fire?" he chuckled. Applebloom didn't answer, panting slightly while she glared at him.
"Not talkin' huh? It's cool kid, but you should know," he grinned as he appeared behind her, smashing his boot across her face.
"Your tricks ain't gonna work on me twice, so stay down an I won't have to hurt ya,"
"Applebloom!" her friends cried out, Scootaloo jumping to her feet and gasping as Sweetie Belle pulled on her arm.
"Ah'm alright! Jus' keep Nyx safe!" Applebloom yelled as she stood back up. Her runes slowly began to glow, the Gaian taking each step slowly.
"Things could be different kid," Scythe sighed. Applebloom glared at him as her eyes filled with yellow.
"But they ain't," she spat. The two charged at one another, each throwing a punch. A loud bang filled the room as the two collided. Scootaloo threw out her wings and placed herself over Sweetie Belle, one of her wings stretching out over Nyx and pulling her close.
When the dust settled, Applebloom was sitting on the ground with a hand over her eye. Scythe stood in shock, finding his fist held in the hand of Twilight Sparkle.
"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough girls, thank you for holding on," Twilight said softly.
"Color me surprised Spar..." Scythe began, his words cut off as Twilight flickered, her foot coming down hard into his shoulder and dropping him to the ground. Another flicker and her palm was against his chin, throwing him into the air slightly. The Magian let out a slow breath, slamming her left elbow across his face, following the movement with a spin and throwing all of her weight into her right leg straight into his ribs.
The Nightmare Knight never had a chance to react, crumpled against the wall with his world spinning.
"...What the fuck..." Scootaloo mumbled.
"What?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"This is Scythe, my most trusted and most powerful warrior. He cannot be killed. He is many and none, he is all, he is nothing. He is everywhere and nowhere," Luna explained.
"Such high praise Princess, I knew you loved me," he chuckled.
"And yet, something broke him for but a moment. His story intrigues us. Woulds't thee recount it for us Scythe?"
"Sure, since it makes you happy. And you are adorable when you're happy...I found a little chaos Scion and her brat friends. They used a Skyborn of all things as a Conduit for their magic and caught me off guard,"
"Then we had a fun little fist fight. She really is his kid, heh..." he let out a sigh, tilting his head back.
"And then Sparkle ruined all the fun..." he grumbled
"But hey, she still couldn't kill me. So, the hell have you fucks been up to?"
"Soon, he will escape our bindings. He was never here to begin with, but his tale is interesting, no?"
"You don't think he means Applebloom?!" Rarity gasped.
"Discord's Gaian brat," Scythe chuckled from the doorway.
"I knew the old bat liked to get around, but boy did he really get around. Speakin of gettin' around," Scythe gave a wave and was gone as if he had never been there.
Pinkie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Somethings not right," she said through chattering teeth.
Nyx stared in shock as Twilight made quick work of Scythe. The Magian panted heavily, resting her hands on her knees.
"I-Is everyone okay?" she asked, still trying to catch her breath.
"Y-Yea, we're fine, but what was that?!" Scootaloo asked, still shielding Sweetie Belle and Nyx. Twilight smiled and collapsed, caught by Pinkie Pie.
"Girls!" Pinkie called out, her friends appearing around her in Rarity's magic.
"Whoa," Rainbow whistled as she glanced around the room, chaos and mana still heavy in the air. Pinkie glanced over her shoulder at Applebloom, wearing an angry pout.
"Ah know, ah'm sorry. He didn't really gimmie a choice," Applebloom mumbled, her left eye closed and a bit of yellow still swirling about in her open eye.
"Wait, you beat this dude?" Rainbow asked.
"Uh, no...Ah jus' kept him busy, Miss Twilight put him down," she answered.
"And I just sat here being useless..." Nyx growled.
"He did some weird thing that kept Nyx from movin," Scootaloo argued
"And what are you three doing here, hm?" Rarity asked, crossing her arms. Scootaloo stood upright and hooked her wings around her friends.
"Comin' to save our friend," she answered smugly
"D-Don't be hard on them," Twilight stammered, wincing as she cracked an eye open
"I couldn't have caught him without their help," she continued. Pinkie let out a sigh and stuck up a finger,
"You get a Twily pass this one time but we are doing double practice after this!" she fussed. Applebloom chuckled weakly before passing out. Applejack rushed over to her, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized the girl was only asleep.
"What were ya'll thinkin'?" she mumbled.
"They were thinking the same thing as us AJ, right squirt?" Rainbow asked softly. Scootaloo gave a nod, wincing as mana sparked painfully around her. Rainbow chuckled and knelt in front of her, cupping her cheeks.
"Guess we should start those lessons, huh?" Rainbow asked, wincing as Chaos sparked around her.
"Guess you were fighting hard too..." Scootaloo sighed, frowning a little.
"Hey, we're in this together Kid," Rainbow grinned, winking over at Nyx.
"It's weird," Pinkie mumbled as she set Twilight down in bed, marching back over to Scythe.
"That guy again? Did he haul ass here after he escaped?" Rainbow growled.
"No, he said so himself while he was with us that Twilight trounced him, did he not?" Rarity pointed out.
"That's not whats weird girls. The weird thing is...this one is real..." Pinkie mumbled, tugging on Scythe's cheek.
"Twilight did something to him, I-I don't really know what, it happened so fast. I've never seen anything like it. Even my memories of Nightmare..." Nyx put a hand against her head.
Sweetie Belle frowned, squeezing Nyx's other hand.
"T-Thanks Sweetie Belle. I'll be fine. Whatever he did seems to be wearing off," Nyx assured her.
"I still have no idea what's going on," Scootaloo admitted, her legs shaking a bit and her wings fading. She blinked as Rainbow scooped her up into her arms.
"Get some rest kid, we'll talk later, k?" she smiled, mana sparking around her hand as she tapped a finger to the Skyborn's forehead. Scootaloo passed out instantly, quickly placed in bed beside Twilight.
"That was...impressive," Rarity spoke up.
"Hey, I can learn stuff too," Rainbow joked.
"We still got a problem here, this guy," Applejack argued, tying a rope tightly around him.
"What do we do?" Rarity wondered. Fluttershy sat on her knees, propping Scythe in a sitting position against the wall. Everyone watched as she reared back her arm and slammed her hand across his cheek. Scythe groaned as he came to, glancing around. His body seemed to flicker but stayed bound within Applejack's ropes.
"Okay, that's a new one," he mumbled, glancing over at Fluttershy, his eyes wide as he was hit with The Stare.
"Hello Scythe, I'd like to have a few words with you," she stood, lifting him by the rope.
"In private. Applejack, would you come with me please? I'm still considered dangerous and someone has to be there in case anything happens," Fluttershy spoke quietly, despite the power she wielded.
"Ah s'pose that is my rope there. Rares, Rainbow, ah'm trustin' th' kids t' ya'll," Applejack winked, following Fluttershy out into the hall.
Fluttershy set the man against the wall, crossing her arms and letting out a slow breath.
"Midnight, if you'd please?" she asked softly. From her shadow came a young woman, dressed in thin purple armor bearing Luna's crescent moon.
"You called for me Lady Shy?" she asked with a gentle bow.
"Do you know of this man?" she asked, pointing to Scythe. Midnight frowned at the sight of him.
"He was once one of our own Milady. Many rituals and many horrifying magics changed him...Despite my distaste for him, not all that he does is his fault," she explained.
"Hey, I take credit for at least half of my work you know," he scoffed, grunting as Midnight smashed her fist across his face. There was no anger in her actions. Her face was as calm as always.
"Ah'm mighty confused here," Applejack admitted.
"Apologies Lady Applejack. The Knight entrusted to watch over and protect Lady Shy vanished without a word. I was ordered to become her shadow and to take the place of the previous knight," Midnight explained.
"Whats with th' 'Lady' stuff?"
"We're Knights, remember?" Fluttershy pointed out, placing a hand against her Element. Applejack chuckled nervously.
"That's right...Rainbow mentioned somethin' 'bout that before. Ah ain't one fer all these military shenanigans," Applejack gently pushed between them and Scythe, grabbing his shirt as her runes began to glow.
"But ya'll done tussled with my daughter an her friends. An ah can't jus' sit by an let that slide," she chuckled. Fluttershy took a step back, nodding to Midnight to do the same.
"Please, I've fought literal gods, you think a punch from a little Gaian is gonna, URGH!" Scythe ended up swallowing his words as Applejack's fist was buried in his gut, twisting slowly.
"Ah hear ya'll are pretty sturdy. Now, ya'll are gonna answer my friends questions, so ah ain't got no reason t' hit ya again, understand?"
"Thank you ma'am, could I have another?" he choked out. Applejack pulled back her fist, blinking in surprise as she felt a hand on her wrist.
"I believe that is enough dearest Applejack. Scythe will speak in due time. It is rather strange for him to be in this state. We must take action before he recovers," Luna murmured, a twinkle in her eye as she spotted Midnight in Fluttershy's shadow.
"And we have an idea..."
A week later
Rainbow let out a sigh as she slipped under Twilight's arm, pulling the Magian against her.
"I swear Twilight, if I catch you without that stupid cane again..." she growled.
"I-I can't rely on it too much! I'll never recover like that! I need to actually walk, even if only a little bit," Twilight tried to argue.
"Twilight...Please..." Nyx sighed. Twilight let out a defeated sigh, letting Rainbow set her in her chair, the Skyborn leaving to grab the aforementioned cane.
"I know, I know...I did a bit of the impossible and now i'm paying for it..." Twilight grumbled, smiling as Nyx stood on her toes and leaned over the arm of the chair to hug her.
"You'll get through this," Nyx swore, adjusting her glasses as she stepped back.
"Tick tock kiddo, don't forget your appointment," Rainbow pointed out as she came back in with Twilight's cane. The Magian reluctantly accepted it, pushing to her feet.
"I haven't forgotten, kind of hard to...I'm meeting Miss Fluttershy and we'll be heading into the Forest. I'll be back soon," Nyx promised.
"I'm coming too!" Scootaloo stumbled out of her room, her bag strapped and loaded.
"It's not a big deal Scootaloo..."
"It is a big deal! Like it or not i'm in this too. Besides, who protected who?" she grinned, wincing as Nyx gently flicked her forehead.
"Fine...But no shenanigans," she mumbled, turning back to Twilight and Rainbow.
"We'll be back soon,"
"Yea, take care," Rainbow smiled.
"Y-Ya'll sure ah can't jus' come along Pinks?" Applejack practically begged.
"Nope! Sorry Applejackie. I'd really not even want Applebloom going, but she HAS to be there," Pinkie snorted.
"We'll be fine momma. It's jus' a quick thing. We'll help out Nyx an then come right back, ah promise," Applebloom winked with her good eye, crying out as Pinkie Pie tugged on her ear.
"Ah'm sorry!" she whined, pouting as Applejack placed a hand over her bandages.
"Ah worry 'bout ya...Ah can't even begin t' understand what ya'll are goin' through an that scares me. Ya even got hurt cause o' this an weren't nothin' ah coulda done 'bout it..."
Applebloom put a hand on the bandage wrapped over her eye.
"Ah pushed myself pretty hard during that, more than ah really should've. Pinkie warned me what would happen...But my friends were in trouble, so ah did what ah had t'. After all, ah made an Apple Family Promise. Ah can't take that back," she giggled.
"Ya'll jus' keep what Pinks says in mind, alright?" Applejack sank to her knees, pulling the younger Gaian into a tight hug.
Pinkie Pie stood by the door, waiting for the tender moment to end.
"I don't think its as strong as an Apple Family Promise. But you've got a Pinkie Promise that Applebloom is going to be perfectly fine!" Pinkie declared.
"it means plenty Pinks, ya'll hurry back, ya hear?"
"Scootaloo? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy wondered, Chaos dancing around her.
"I'm here to protect my friend, duh," Scootaloo scoffed.
"She wouldn't be persuaded otherwise..." Nyx sighed.
"She'll need to stand outside the circle, or she'll get zapped," Pinkie pointed out, appearing along with Applebloom. Nyx frowned at the sight of her friends bandages, Applebloom glaring at her before she could apologize again.
"Hey, why's AB get to be here?" Scootaloo argued.
"Cause ah'm part o' th' circle ya ninny," Applebloom pointed out, a small spark of Chaos dancing around her. She cried out as Pinkie tugged on her ear.
"Stop! Ah'm sorry!"
"We need three users of Chaos for the circle. Me an Shy-shy can't do it alone and Nyx is in the center so she can't be the third. Applebloom was our only option," Pinkie pointed out.
"Not only that, but the best one," Fluttershy giggled, the Chaos settling around her slowly. "It's ready whenever you are Nyx,"
"Thank you miss Fluttershy," Nyx removed her glasses and vest, handing them to Scootaloo. She shuddered as she entered the circle, watching Pinkie Pie and Applebloom take their spots. Fluttershy raised her hands, Applebloom and Pinkie mimicking the movement.
The Chaos rushed around the three Scions of Discord, linking them together.
"Bound in Shadow, locked by we, be unbound with the power of three!" they chanted together. Nyx's head snapped back as the Chaos soaked into her, her little body shifting and growing, becoming the full grown form of Nightmare Moon.
"Been a week already, huh kid?" Scythe chuckled as he rose from her shadow. Nyx rolled her eyes as she sat down.
"Good to see you too," he sighed, sitting down and crossing his legs. He shot a smile at Applebloom.
"Hey! How's my favorite Scion? Sweet wraps," he boasted, pointing to her bandages.
"Hey! You watch it!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Relax bird breath, I'm not going anywhere,"
"Th' Princess made sure o' that one," Applebloom scoffed, wilting a bit as Pinkie glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.
"Right, right, more focus, less chatty," Applebloom mumbled.
"You've been working really hard this entire Week Applebloom. When we're done, we'll grab some snacks. my treat!" Pinkie giggled, putting her smile back on.
"Ain't that sweet? All of you just living so happy and free even as a bunch of freaks," Scythe chuckled.
"Don't make me come in there!" Scootaloo yelled.
"That's enough Scootaloo, if you can't stay calm then you will have to leave," Fluttershy spoke softly, never blinking, her gaze focused harshly on Scythe. When Scootaloo looked around she realized it was the same for Applebloom and Pinkie Pie.
Just being close to them was forcing her stomach into knots, the Skyborn forced to sit under the growing pressure.
"Scoots...Y-You okay?" Nyx panicked, wincing as she reached too far to the circle's edge, zapped by the chaos.
"Y-yea, Im fine. Just a bit heavy. How're you holdin' up?" She wondered.
"Almost done and then we can go. Promise to stay home next time?" Nyx asked.
"Yea, don't think I can handle too much more of this to be honest," she joked, lurching over and emptying her stomach.
"Scratch that, i'm uh...just gonna back up a little," she groaned, dragging herself behind a tree, peeking around and glaring at Scythe.
"She's a good friend," Scythe spoke up suddenly, his voice missing its usual edge.
"She really is," Nyx chuckled.
"Keep her safe kiddo, you'll need her someday," he winked as he was pulled back into her shadow. Nyx clutched her stomach as her body began to revert.
She was left in the fetal position as the circle burned away around her. Applebloom chewed her lip, groaning in frustration as she waited. Finally the last vestiges of the circle sank away, the Gaian rushing to her friend and throwing her arms around her, hugging her close.
"Scoots! Bring her stuff!" she called out. Scootaloo gave a thumbs up, standing on wobbly legs and bringing over the vest and glasses. Applebloom gently pulled the vest over her friend, smoothing out her hair before placing the glasses over her eyes.
Nyx slowly awoke to the sight of Applebloom over her, finding her head in the Gaian's lap.
"Mornin' sleepyhead," Applebloom joked.
"Morning," Nyx murmured back as her cheeks flushed. Applebloom sighed, putting a hand against her forehead.
"Ah swear ah keep wonderin' if ya'll are catchin' something, but ya seem fine," Applebloom mumbled.
"M-Must just be part of the recovery period," Nyx stammered.
"It is a lot of Chaos," Fluttershy tossed in, coming to Nyx's rescue.
"Huh, ya know, that face reminds me a lot of Bel...Uhhh..." Scootaloo began, Nyx staring at her with wide eyes.
"Oh hey! I totally forgot about this super important thing I promised to do! Gotta run!" Scootaloo shouted, spinning around and jumping down the hill, her wings buzzing to life and letting her coast away.
"THAT was weird..." Applebloom mumbled. Nyx let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and leaning into her Gaian friend.
"Yea, but we're all a bit weird, aren't we?" Nyx asked.
"Ah guess so..." Applebloom agreed, chaos faintly dancing around them.
"I'm sorry, what?" Vinyl asked, staring at Shining Armor.
"A rematch. One on one," he repeated, keeping his eyes on Spike. The Dragonkin let out a sigh, he and Vinyl still hidden in their armor.
"We'll make it an official match then. Captain to Captain. No gimmicks or tricks like in our last fight. I will face you man to man," Spike swore, the air thickening around them.
"Was that...?"
"A Contract, yes. One that binds my every word until you've agreed to the terms," Spike answered.
"Terms?"
"You must face me with all that you have with intent to kill, holding back will only lead to severe injury on your part. I do not say this as a boast of my own power, I say this out of experience. You are not the first captain to request this duel and you won't be the last. I've put many out of commission," Spike explained.
Shining Armor gulped but gave a nod.
"Your Lieutenant and mine shall vouch for the battle and watch over the fight. At their agreed word, the fight will stop and no sooner,"
"Sounds reasonable,"
"In the Event of my defeat, I will step down as the Captain Commander,"
"Wait, what?!"
"I agree, the fuck boss?!" Vinyl yelled.
"My position is one I obtained when I pursued this same challenge. I refused to back down and many times I was put back in my place. I've been around for a long time Shining Armor. Why would I fight a chance at retirement? Of course, I won't be simply handing over my position,"
"I..."
"These are my terms Captain. Should you lose, you will suffer no consequences, other than your men seeing you fail. You can walk away and never speak of this again. I'll answer what questions you have that I can," Spike offered.
"I...I accept your terms,"
"It was rough, like...Everything was heavy and it was almost like the life was being sucked out of me," Scootaloo recounted with a shudder. Sweetie Belle pouted at that.
"Not like that Belle. Its different than being bitten,"
"M-Maybe I should stop biting..."
"And do what? Become the first vegetarian vampire?" Scootaloo joked.
"Actually, there are many vampires who sate themselves with blood substitutes," Nyx stated, entering the clubhouse alongside Applebloom.
"Really?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.
"Yea, though...Um...It's a long and difficult process to have your body adjust from fresh blood to anything else and there's a chance you'd just make yourself sick..." Nyx chuckled nervously.
"Oh..."
"'Sides, Scoot's don't seem to mind ya bitin' her none," Applebloom teased, wagging her eyebrow.
"A-Applebloom!" Sweetie Belle whined, smacking her with a pillow, the Gaian toppling backwards.
"Uh...Shoulda warned ya she just had a snack," Scootaloo chuckled. Applebloom gave a thumbs up and sat up, pulling the pillow off her face.
"At least she hit me with a pillow," she shrugged, her bandages coming loose. Her friends stared for a moment.
"Uh, AB, you uh..." Scootaloo pointed. Applebloom's eyes shifted and she chuckled nervously, snapping her fingers, the bandages wrapping themselves around her head again.
"Sorry, better?" she asked.
"D-Does it...Does it hurt?" Nyx stammered.
"Pfft, nowhere near as much as it first did. Pinkie Pie says it'll work itself over if ah jus' let it be. Dunno how long though. It's happened t' her too but we're different..." Applebloom sighed, placing a hand over the bandage.
Scootaloo scoffed, her hair standing on end as mana swirled around her. The Skyborn stuck out her tongue, making weird faces until Applebloom started to giggle.
"Ha! Gotcha! Look AB, you an Nyx might be the weirdest of the bunch, but we're pretty weird too and I refuse to be outweirded, that's my thing ya know," Scootaloo grinned.
She's a good friend...
Nyx blinked as Scythe's words echoed in her mind, letting a smile touch her lips. She scooted over to her friend, throwing her arms around her.
"Uh..."
"Just hug me back," Nyx grumbled. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and returned the hug.
"Alright, I guess its okay,"
"You want to what?" Nyx repeated.
"Midnight, if you would show yourself," Luna asked. One of her guards appeared from within Fluttershy's shadow, giving a bow.
"Shadow Merging...How's that supposed to help me?"
"Ah, so that is a memory you've kept. Then you should understand that a Binding Seal can be made from such a thing, one that..."
"That can revert me! B-But its more theory than practice," Nyx countered.
"Yes, it would be but a theory, except we possess something most others do not," Luna smirked, placing a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder.
"In our presence are Scions of Discord! The Greatest God of Chaos there ever was. Normal laws of magic need not apply,"
"We do not mean to assume, but would you three assist us in this?" Luna asked.
"Three?" Pinkie asked, holding up two fingers.
"Me and Shy-Shy are the only...oh," Pinkie realized, glancing over at Applebloom.
"S-She can't!" Fluttershy stammered.
"She's just a kid," Nyx argued.
"Art thou not 'just a kid'?" Luna demanded.
"Its her choice," Pinkie spoke up, sitting beside Applebloom. She gave her hand a squeeze, the Gaian gasping and sitting upright.
"What?! Where?!" she yelled, crying out and covering her eye as Chaos swirled around it. Pinkie tugged her hand away, revealing the sclera had turned pitch black, the iris bright yellow and swirling in on itself slowly. Pinkie held her hand over the eye, Applebloom slowly calming down.
"A-Ah'm s-sorry," she sobbed, quickly pulled into a hug. Pinkie whispered soothing words to her, pulling away and cupping her cheeks.
"I know it hurts...but we need your help...You're the only one who can help us to help Nyx..."
"It's gonna hurt, ain't it?" Applebloom sniffed.
"A lot a lot..." Pinkie confirmed
"Well, w-what are we waitin' fer?" she scoffed, standing and holding a hand over her eye.
"A-Applebloom, you shouldn't..."
"Ya'll shouldn't have run off without us, a lot o' people did a lot o' things they shouldn't. Now ah'm gonna do th' right thing an ah don't care 'bout anythin' else. Ah made a promise and an Apple never goes back on their word! Gah!" she crouched over as Chaos sparked around her body
She shuddered as Fluttershy placed a hand on her shoulder, Pinkie grabbing the other.
"We can make it a bit easier on you, but not for long..." Fluttershy murmured. Applebloom nodded.
"J-Jus' tell me what ah gotta do,"
"Applebloom..." Nyx felt tears sting her eyes.
"We apologize, but we thought you suffered enough," Luna sighed as they floated in the Dreamscape.
"Is Applebloom going to be okay?"
"She will recover. The Gaian's bodies were never meant to handle Mana, let alone Chaos. She pushed herself far beyond her limit's for thine sake and that power is bursting forth, demanding control and freedom. The other Scions can keep it in check and as long as she does not overexert her power, it can be quelled," Luna answered with a small smile.
"This ritual won't overexert her?"
"It holds many risks to her, thus why the Scion's fear allowing it,"
"T-Then we shouldn't do this!"
"Do you have such little faith in your friend? Surely you wouldn't want her to fight for naught?" Luna seemed to taunt her.
"She shouldn't have to suffer for me!" Nyx yelled. Luna scoffed and crossed her arms.
"Then you know nothing of loved ones. When someone cares so deeply they will do everything in their power to save you. We believe in that child and we believe in you,"
"Even if I decide to kill Celestia?" Nyx spat.
"On the off chance you decide to continue with this duel, we doubt you've the heart to strike her down. Even at our most powerful and with the most rage we've ever felt, we could not end her," Luna said with a smile.
Nyx let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
"I just wish things could go back to normal..."
"Eh, whats normal anyway?" Scythe chuckled as he formed in front of her. Nyx gasped, drawing a pair of daggers. Scythe held up his hands, showing sigil's glowing across his skin.
"Woah there kid,"
"It seems the Scion's work is complete," Luna smiled.
"Yea, bit weird bein' severed like this," Scythe murmured, turning slowly in the abyss to get a good look at himself.
"S-So Applebloom is okay?" Nyx stammered. Scythe grinned, flashing his sharp teeth.
"Ah, the littlest Scion. I guess she's alive if that's what you wanna know," he shrugged. Nyx let out a sigh of relief.
"There are other things to worry about child. Scythe in this state cannot be maintained as the Seal for too long,"
"Then..."
"Basically kid, you keep me here too long and we start to burn each other out. I'd say a week would be good. Lemme stretch my legs, you get to stretch yours and then we go back to this little party,"
"So every week you get to just run free?" Nyx growled.
"I doubt it," he held up his hand, showing off the glowing markings once more.
"Pretty sure I can't even leave your side. So get used to having me as a roommate kid,"
Present Day.
"Like this?" Scootaloo asked, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as mana swirled around her slowly. The rubiks cube in front of her jiggled slightly, the Skyborn letting out a huff and wincing at the crash behind her.
Rainbow groaned as she sat up, having been unceremoniously dropped.
"Yea, pillows were a good idea..." Rainbow mumbled.
"S-Sorry,"
"Eh, don't be Squirt. If I didn't expect to fall I wouldn't have volunteered. You've got some pretty decent control, lifting a lot of stuff at once, including a full grown person, is pretty hard," Rainbow comforted her.
"Can I try again? I think I've got it this time,"
Rainbow smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Sure thing Squirt, let me just get comfy first," Rainbow winked, crossing her legs and letting out a sigh.
"Alright, lets do this,"
Scootaloo nodded, turning her back to Rainbow again. Her mana swirled around her, surrounding the older Skyborn first and lifting her a foot off the ground gently. Next the couch was lifted as well as a bookshelf. Scootaloo let out a slow breath as she opened her eyes, turning her attention to the cube again.
Sticking her tongue out, she reached for the cube again, slowly turning one of the sides.
"Okay...Um..."
"Remember the centers, righty alg," Rainbow offered. Scootaloo chuckled and continued, flicking the cube back and forth, her hands tightly clenching her knees while the objects in her hold swirled around her.
Twilight took a seat in front of her, unable to keep herself from giggling as a 'drive-by' Rainbow Dash kissed her cheek.
"How does it feel? All around you?" Twilight asked softly, holding out a cup of juice. Scootaloo slowly reached a hand out, accepting the juice, her eyes glued to the cube.
"It's weird...A lot different than it was before. Before I just kinda let it fill me up and let it explode, but now its like...Its...weird...Like...Like my heart beating..." Scootaloo scoffed.
"I must sound so stupid..."
"Not at all Squirt. That's actually pretty cool to hear. Magic is a big part of who we are. It's a big part of you, even before getting these sweet powers," Rainbow grinned, now floating upside down.
"So, it's supposed to be like this? All warm and tingly?" She asked, the cube still flicking back and forth.
Rainbow and Twilight nodded.
"Mana is a sort of Life Force, so it's no surprise its 'Warm and tingly'," Twilight pointed out, lightly tapping the cube with her finger. Scootaloo shuddered and stared.
"I...I felt that! I-It was like you poked me!" she gasped.
"When you extend yourself like this, you truly become one with the mana around you. The more you experience this, the more you'll adjust until you can perform tasks like this without even focusing," Twilight said with a smile. Scootaloo slowly set everything down, being careful to twist Rainbow right-side up this time.
She snatched the cube out of the air as her mana faded, grinning as she held out the solved puzzle.
"Show me"
Luna shook her head as Nexus glared at her. Looking to her left sat a much calmer Nexus, sipping a cup of tea while chains rattled around his wrists.
"We must say, your spellcraft is most impressive. We can see why our sister holds you in such high regard," Luna complimented, ignoring the snarling Nexus chained down on her right.
"That means a lot coming from a Princess. Still, I failed in properly containing the Nightmare Anomaly. It still has full motor control and at least partial access to my mind. It can't use my magic to the fullest with the Seals in place or access the well of spells I have tucked away.
Though we both know Nightmare has it's own spells and means of survival. How goes the testing and removal?" Nexus asked calmly, not even looking at the other Nexus.
"We've been assured Celestia's best are at work, but we've added a few of our own to the task. We also have the Bearers preparing a Cleansing," Luna smiled and accepted a cup of tea.
"YOU CANNOT HOLD US HERE!" the other Nexus snarled.
"What you say is true. We cannot hold you here, thus we shall place you somewhere you can be held, but that is a conversation for another time. I am sorry that I must be away so soon,"
"Not at all Princess. It's nice to have some civil company. Good luck out there," Nexus gave a gentle salute as Luna faded away.
Nyx let out a sigh, double checking her answers and twirling her pencil between her fingers.
"Seriously Nyx, you're too much of a nerd to check that again," Scootaloo scoffed.
"It helps me relax," Nyx shrugged, rolling onto her back on the carpet and glancing over at her friend. Three little spheres floated around the Skyborn while she stared at the next problem.
"You're control is getting better," Nyx remarked. Scootaloo grinned at that, letting her pencil float as well.
"Mom says I'm a quick learner," she chuckled, snatching her pencil out of the air.
"Now if only science was as easy as magic..." she sighed.
"Magic's complicated too I mean...I'm literally magic," Nyx pointed out as she sat up, pointing a finger at herself.
"And technically science too I guess...They aren't really too different when you think about it," Nyx thought aloud
"Yea that helps me with this a whole lot," Scootaloo scoffed
"Have you tried going over it with Twilight?" Nyx suggested. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
"I'm already bugging her with a lot, ya know? I don't wanna push it..."
"Push it? What do you mean?" Nyx questioned.
"She's done more than enough for me, I don't wanna make her mad by asking for more!" Scootaloo blurted out. Nyx couldn't help but giggle a little, throwing up her hand to swat away the Skyborn's pillow.
"I guess I can understand that, but we both know she'd be happy to help, eager even," Nyx pointed out. She closed her eyes and slipped off her glasses, slowly opening them as she looked at Scootaloo.
"Or did you forget?" she asked sadly. Scootaloo scoffed.
"You aren't really Nightmare Moon though...I mean, I SAW the real Nightmare Moon. She...She was so angry and hurt..." the Skyborn started to shake, the spheres around her falling to the ground.
"Scootaloo...?"
"It was like she'd been robbed of everything and then tossed aside! No one even listened to her! She was alone!" Scootaloo began to cry, gasping as Nyx hugged her.
"Scootaloo, how do you know all of that?" Nyx asked as she held her. The Skyborn blinked, her vision blurred by tears as she clung to her friend.
"I-I don't know...I just...Felt it..."
"Hm..." Pinkie grumbled as she stared into Applebloom's eyes. Applejack stood nearby, a nervous wreck.
"S-So? How is she?" Applejack wondered, struggling to hold back the panic in her voice.
"Hmmm...Cakes, creams, put em in a box," Pinkie said suddenly
"Cookies, pies, make lots and lots?" Applebloom answered in turn. Pinkie nodded as she stood.
"Well, there's good news and weird news," Pinkie offered, turning to Applejack.
"But not any bad news? So she's okay?"
"Wellll...The good news is she's perfectly healthy and she'll recover just fine,"
"Oh thank goodness..." Applejack finally relaxed.
"The weird news is, I never taught her that ditty...She shouldn't know it..." Pinkie mumbled
"But ah've always known that...Ah think..." Applebloom blinked and frowned.
"M-Maybe she heard ya sing it before? Ya'll do tend t' drift off into yer own little world an sing Pinks," Applejack offered.
"Yea, but never that one. I keep all my songs on a tight schedule I'll have you know and that one is a very special song. It's a Pie Family Code," Pinkie stated, holding up a finger.
"My Grandma Eris came up with it, we all know it cause she knew it," Pinkie smiled a little.
"Ah don't follow..."
"Applebloom managed to properly manifest the chaos inside her, much larger than mine when I was her age an pretty decently close to what I have now. She stood toe to toe against Luna's meanie guard. She knows my secret song!"
"Ah'm confused too," Applebloom admitted. Pinkie sighed and shook her head. She placed her hand on top of Applebloom's head, letting the Chaos spark around her. Instantly a matching spark danced around Applebloom.
"Deep down, we're sisters. We're family. A family of Chaotician's. We share more than that. At the peak of our Ascension, our minds connect," Pinkie explained slowly.
"Ascension?"
"Geez, this much serious Pinkie makes me look totally out of character..." Pinkie griped under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Pinkie winked, stepping over to Applejack and whispering.
"She'll pick up on it eventually since we're Linked now, but she's starting to step into her role as a Goddess of Chaos. A whole lot faster than I did, probably cause she's directly related to Discord and I'm just far down the line. I gotta go talk to Fluttershy about it more though...But no panicking! It's not a bad thing, just a weird thing"
Applejack nodded while Applebloom stared in silence. Her eye remained unchanged, haunted by yellow and black.
"What'll happen when she becomes one of those?"
"Well, nothing. I mean, if I hadn't said anything, would you have known I was a Goddess of Chaos?" Pinkie pointed out. Applejack stared for a moment.
"Wait, yer a Goddess?!" Applejack demanded in a harsh whisper.
"Only by technical standards...Anyway, I gotta get going! Applebloom!" Pinkie spun, watching her student stiffen and stand upright.
"I'm really proud of you," Pinkie giggled before vanishing with a little pop.
"Ah promise not t' do that..." Applebloom mumbled. Applejack sighed and pulled her daughter into a tight hug.
"Ya'll ain't gotta promise me nothin...Ah jus' wanna make sure yer safe an happy..."
"I know!" Nyx cried out. Luna let out a sigh as she paced back and forth.
"Perhaps it is Destiny..."
"Destiny that a little girl suffers pain that isn't hers on top of all she's already dealt with?" Nyx demanded.
"Destiny that her fate would be tied to yours," Luna smirked.
"I don't know how I feel about that. I understand she has Twilight's Magic, but when Nightmare attacked, she was still an average Skyborn," Nyx pointed out.
"Magic is more than simply the ability to wield mana. Magic comes in many forms. Your friend seems to be rather sensitive to the feelings an experiences of others. Perhaps a Latent Psy Ability?" Luna mused.
"In a Skyborn?"
"Why not a Skyborn? Psy Ability is most often connected to suffering. Her entire life until that point was every Skyborn's worst fear. Grounded with no hope of flight; The two dearest people in your life stripped away by the thing that has forever ruined your birthright, Watching as the rest of your kind freely floats along the breeze..."
"You speak as if you've known her for years..." Nyx scoffed.
"Nay child...We speak from a very different experience..." Luna sighed. She shook her head and put on a smile.
"We appreciate the trust you have put into us. Though it seems it is time for you to awaken. We wish you luck with your friends little one,"
Nyx frowned as her eyes opened.
"Captain, if I may speak freely?"
"Granted"
"You're a fucking idiot and your girlfriend is going to kill you,"
"Noted," Shining mumbled. He took a slow breath and put on a smile.
"How do I look?" he asked.
"Like a man ready for war," Steelheart scoffed, punching his shoulder.
"I couldn't land a single hit on him before and he wasn't even fighting back..." Shining admitted suddenly.
"T-Then why the fuck did you challenge him?!" she screamed at him.
"I don't know. Just a gut feeling..." he shrugged. She froze at that, her face shifting from anger to understanding.
"Then I'll just have to watch," she sighed, patting his shoulder.
"Don't tell my parents..." he chuckled weakly.
"HE WHAT?!" Twilight shouted, Celestia hiding her mirth behind her hand.
"He sought out a simple duel. No harm will befall either of them. You know how men can be Velvet," Celestia smirked. Twilight glared at her.
"I bet it was you that put him up to this!"
"I have considered it, but this was all of his own volition. You know how ambitious Sparkles can be," Celestia teased smugly.
"You've tugged her strings enough Sister. We can speak upon her behalf. Twas something that sat on Young Armor's mind for quite some time. He believes himself inept due to the need for The Guardian in the first place," Luna interrupted.
"It fills his dreams that, were he a better guard, such a group as the Solar Knights woulds't be obsolete. A foolish thing to dream, but fools have achieved much," she chuckled.
"He isn't ready,"
"You thought quite the same of your daughter, did you not? We understand that you care for their safe being, but you cannot downplay their strengths. They have both done a great many things," Luna pointed out.
"There are only good things that can come of this Twilight. Shining Armor might very well surprise us all in this bout and pull one over Spike. Or, he may fail, but have the chance to show what he is truly made of for all to see and at the same time Spike gets to let loose, just a little bit," Celestia tossed in.
"You two are betting on this fight, aren't you?" Twilight deadpanned.
"I-Is this really okay?" Nyx stammered. A Skyborn girl smirked at her as she spread out her wings.
"Oh come on, you can't tell me you haven't dreamed of doing this," she scoffed. Nyx chewed her lip and glanced around before letting her own wings out.
"Okay, maybe just once...B-But then we go back inside!" she compromised.
"Alright, alright. Just one jump. Race ya!" the Skyborn laughed as she took off at a run, leaping from the rooftop and spreading out her wings. Nyx shook her head.
"This is stupid, this is stupid, this is stupid!" Nyx chanted as she mimicked her friend, throwing herself from the roof and spreading out her wings.
"This...is...AMAZING!" She laughed as she glided gently behind her friend.
"Told ya! C'mon! Don't fall behind!"
Nyx smirked and gave her wings a powerful flap, quickly catching up.
"Okay, so. You were right this one time..." Nyx admitted.
"Eh, I'll take it. So, ready to head back?"
"I guess...we have been here awhile today, huh?" Nyx realized, glancing over the landscape. Her little library had stretched out to so much more in such a short time. Just in the distance she could see the schoolhouse and in the opposite direction she spotted Applebloom's clubhouse.
"You've got a nice little field goin' here," Rainbow chuckled, gliding backwards. A door opened up behind her, the Skyborn sailing through with ease. Nyx relaxed her mind, a door opening before her and opened her eyes to find herself on a couch.
In front of her sat Rainbow Dash, a bit out of breath, but wearing a proud smile.
"M-Miss Rainbow...maybe we..."
"How ya feelin' kid?" Rainbow interrupted her. Nyx sighed, a sad smile touching her lips.
"Confused more than anything else...Nothing in my memories really adds up..."
"Well, they aren't YOUR memories. Just memories of someone else's life. A thousand years in the muck might've twisted em a bit," Rainbow pointed out.
"Maybe...But there's still truth buried in there...Celestia is still guilty," Nyx argued. Rainbow only shrugged.
"Can't say I know what you are talkin' about kid. But I started thinkin' about what she said before. I don't like it, and I'm still on your side of things here but...Maybe she was right, about a few things at least," she scoffed.
"At the same time, just how in the right is Nightmare? She took on a power that warps minds and destroys souls in order to tear down her own sister," Nyx mumbled, glancing at her hands
"Yea...that's enough serious talk. You're dismissed kid, go have some fun, k?" Rainbow grinned.
Vinyl glanced over at Shining Armor's Lieutenant. Steelheart Swiftblade. She had quickly risen through the ranks after joining the guard. Youngest and brightest of her class. And here she stood, just a crazy vampire wrapped up in someone else's nonsense.
"The rules of this match are simple. The battle will continue until either are unable to fight or we call it to end. A winner will be determined by our agreement. The fighters may begin when they are ready!" Steelheart declared.
"And a fair warning. Should I feel the life of either fighter is at risk, I will step in," Vinyl added.
"Understood Lieutenant Commander. But should you step in, we will do our best to battle around you," Spike teased, his cape melting away slowly. Shining Armor gripped his shield tightly, hand resting over the hilt of his sword while he crouched low.
"An interesting stance. Not one they would've taught you in the guard," Spike commented.
"I had a little home schooling," Shining remarked with a smirk. Spike gave a nod and drew his sword, giving it a little twirl. He shifted his left foot forward, raising the blade overhead and holding out his left arm, beckoning the captain to attack.
Shining grit his teeth as he dashed forward, unsheathing and slashing with his blade in one swift movement, losing his balance as Spike parried the blade away and stepped forward, burying his fist into the captain's gut, sending him sprawling across the ground.
Shining righted himself, rolling to his feet and staring as Spike retook his position.
"Rather unfair of you to hold the line, don't you think?" Shining scoffed.
"Would you prefer I take the offensive?" Spike questioned. The armored giant took a few steps forward, his form seeming to flicker and suddenly appear before Shining Armor. He swore under his breath, raising his shield in time for Spike's sword to scrape across it, his world flipped upside down as his legs were literally swept out from under him.
Shining dropped his sword, freeing his hand to push off the ground and flip back to his feet. A muttered chant summoned his blade back to his hand.
"You are holding back Captain," Spike pointed out.
"So are you Commander," Shining Armor chuckled
"Why don't we step it up then?" Spike asked, sheathing his blade and retaking his stance from earlier, sans his sword.
"CQC?" Shining realized, the punch from before making a bit more sense. He stabbed his shield into the ground, sheathing his sword within.
The Magian let out a slow breath, pushing his right foot forward and cupping his right hand as he stretched it outward, his left palm upward at his hip. He cried out as Spike's knee slammed into his gut, but held his position, wrapping his arms around the commander's midsection and kicking off the ground to bring him down.
Spike grinned within his armor, hooking an arm under the airborne Magian and kicking off the ground, shifting the Captain's momentum into a flip and slamming him unto the unforgiving ground below.
"You are still holding back Captain. Give me all you've got. I haven't even seen a flicker of Mana about you," Spike taunted.
"Is this really okay?" Steelheart whispered to Vinyl.
"I mean...He hasn't broken anything yet...Honestly I expected it to be over already..." Vinyl mumbled.
"Broken?!" Steelheart glared at Vinyl, the vampire giving a shrug.
"I guess my boss has a soft spot in his heart for yours," She answered, "Don't worry. If things get rough for the Captain, I'll stop the fight, no matter what Commander butt munch has to say," she promised.
Shining Armor let out a sigh
"Sir, as strong as you are, why did you not battle the Chaotician?" he asked suddenly. Spike chuckled.
"I did fight him,"
"what?"
"I fought with Discord, and I was swiftly defeated. I stood no chance against him,"
"But t-that's impossible!" Shining shouted.
"Why? Because you were capable of fighting him? Strength is not so easily measured by who can defeat who. Being the right man for the right situation changes things. Try fighting me as your true self and see the difference," Spike pointed to the shield.
Shining Armor lifted his shield, casting the sword aside as Mana flared around him.
"That's more like it Captain...Now, COME AT ME!" Spike roared, causing the gathered crowd to flinch. Shining stood his ground as he rushed forward, roaring with all of his might.
Spike slid to the side to avoid a strike from the shield, throwing out his leg to catch Shining in the gut, but the Magian reacted quickly. With a smirk, the Captain lifted his free hand, throwing up a barrier and letting it coil around the leg, jumping and letting the spell rebound, allowing him to flip over the attack.
The two fighters spun toward each other, the crowd watching with bated breath as a cloud of dirt and dust was kicked up, blinding them from the result of the clash.
As the dust settled, the two fighters stood, staring each other down. The bladed point of the shield was pressed to Spike's throat, a trickle of blood running down his armor. At the same time, Spike's fist was buried against Shining's rib, trapped in a barrier but most definitely having done some damage from the way the armor was bent at impact.
Shining smirked weakly, his legs shaking as he coughed up blood onto the Captain Commander.
"S-Stop the match!" Steelheart cried.
"Captain Armor, do you hold the will to continue?" Vinyl called out, holding her arm out to keep Steelheart back.
"I'm fine Lieutenant Commander. Just a flesh wound," Shining answered without delay.
"I agree with Steelheart. This match is over," Spike stated.
"S-Sir!" Shining argued.
"I cannot escape his barrier. My hand is trapped. His shield could end me at any moment, but the movement would free my hand. We are at a stalemate," Spike continued.
"It seems you've just barely bested me Captain, but not quite enough to hold my spot. I fear I will have to remain in my position for a while longer," he chuckled.
"W-We can continue..." Shining stammered, he blinked as the Commander shook his head.
"There are times when you must know that you have done all you can...Do not push your luck Captain, too many care for your well being," Spike whispered, tilting his head to where their Lieutenants stood.
Shining glanced over, seeing Steelheart glaring at him. He let out a sigh and gave a gentle nod.
"Very well Sir. I agree to a Draw," Shining caved. The two let down their guard and took a step back, giving a salute to each other.
Vinyl quickly teleported down, slipping herself under Shining Armor's arm and surrounding the two Captain's in her magic. As an afterthought she glanced over at Steelheart, snagging her as well and teleporting the group away.
"W-What the fuck?!" Steelheart yelled.
"Sorry, I don't like crowds," Vinyl chuckled, helping Shining Armor into a chair. Spike sat nearby with a soft sigh.
"Now, we've proven a point to the Guard...So let's get to what really matters. Shining Armor...you deserve to know the truth," Spike placed his hands on his knees.
"What is revealed in this room, can never be known to any other living being. Am I understood Captain?" Spike asked. Shining Armor gave a quick nod, glancing at his Lieutenant and finding her staring blankly at the wall.
"Sorry, I wanted to include her just so she could see you safe, but what we've gotta say is for your ears only kid," Vinyl chuckled and raised her hand, showing a line of mana connecting her finger to his Lieutenant.
Shining rested his hands on his knees, glancing between the Knights.
"I have so much I want to know..."
"Let us start with the simple things then," Spike chuckled.
"Right...During our fight, you held back. Why?" Shining demanded. The Captain commander sighed as he sat upright.
"As you are well aware Captain Armor, I am quite the force to be reckoned with. I gave as much as I could in our fight within reason. Had I gone all out, your life could very well have been in danger," he paused for a moment, only to chuckle.
"Your sister would never quite forgive me should I make such a mistake,"
"That's another thing. What is your connection to Twilight?"
"Well, considering she bears the Element of Magic, we were ordered to ensure her safety as well as the other Elements," Spike answered without hesitation.
"I, however, have personally guarded Twilight for her entire life. Save for when my duties call me away,"
"Not that I want to complain...But why? Unless you knew she was going to become the Element of Magic..." Shining realized.
"Starswirl the wise had many prophecies before his passing. One such spoke of The Elements of Harmony. A weapon long buried from a war between Gods. The weapons would be held by mortals to defend the realm once more,
Believe it or not, we've been guarding you as well Captain, though you made it easy for us by joining our ranks," Spike leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"You seem tired Sir..." Shining pointed out.
"You try bein' in the big guys shoes," Vinyl scoffed from nearby.
"Now now Lieutenant, the Captain has just as much on his shoulders as I do," Spike gently admonished.
"There is much on my mind Captain Armor. You recall our first battle, when I stated that turning myself in was suicide...I believe you deserve to know why," Spike placed his hand over the sunburst on his chest
"BOSS, NO!" Vinyl cried out. Shining Armor gasped, rubbing the spots out of his eyes, the world slowly coming back into view. He simply stared as his adopted brother smiled at him sheepishly.
"Hey," Spike chuckled, scratching at his chin. The Captain of the guard gasped and grabbed the boy by his shoulders.
"Are you serious?! What the fuck were you thinking letting my shield get so close to your throat?!" he yelled. Spike shook his head and smiled.
"THAT'S what you're concerned about?" Spike argued gently.
"I could've seriously hurt you, of course I'm concerned," Shining argued.
"I...what?" Vinyl shook her head and sat down.
"You aren't shocked to find out I'm your boss?"
"Well, that's pretty weird, yes. But still..."
"We can worry about my well-being later. For now, let's go over what you need to know,"
"So, you just knew her song?" Nyx asked as she tossed the ball back.
"Yea...An' it feels like ah've always known it..." Applebloom admitted as she caught the ball.
"I mean...I guess I can sort of understand...After my 'Awakening' I feel like I've always had these memories...Maybe I had them before and they were just blocked out..." Nyx sighed.
"Guess we're both jus' a bundle o' weird, huh Nyx?" Applebloom giggled. Nyx smiled nervously as she nodded.
Look anymore obvious and I'm gonna hurl, Scythe's voice filled her head. She cleared her throat, mentally kicking him and focusing her attention back on their game.
"So, how are your lessons with Pinkie going?" Nyx wondered, changing the subject.
"Good ah s'pose. Ah've learned a lot better control. My eye ain't shifted back yet though...Ah wonder if it ever will," Applebloom sighed.
"I mean, it does look pretty cool," Scootaloo argued gently, grunting as Sweetie Belle punched her arm. The Skyborn frowned for a moment before rolling her eyes.
"But I'm sure it'll go back to normal soon," she added, Sweetie Belle giving a nod of approval.
"Yea, maybe yer right...Hey, that reminds me..."
Twilight frowned as she leaned against her cane.
"Hey! Don't even think about it!" Rainbow shouted, glaring at her from the kitchen doorway. She turned and gave the Skyborn her saddest look, earning only a slightly softer glare. Defeated, she sat down and sighed.
Rainbow shook her head and sat in front of her, holding out a mug of hot chocolate.
"So, you wanna talk about it?" Rainbow asked softly.
"About being trapped inside my own head and watching my body do whatever it wanted? About this weird thing that lives somewhere in the deepest parts of my brain and calls itself magic?" She began to list off.
"Sure, and the thing Scootaloo was flipping out about," Rainbow nodded, sipping her hot chocolate.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, confused. Rainbow waved her hand.
"When you beat the ever-living shit out of Nyx's new shadow friend," Rainbow explained.
"Oh! Well, that. Um..." Twilight gripped her mug.
"Yea, THAT. Scoots wouldn't shut up about it. Keeps asking me to teach it to her,"
"She can't learn it," Twilight said softly, not making eye contact. Rainbow raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly and putting her hand on Twilight's leg.
"Twi..."
"I shouldn't have let her see that..." she mumbled
"She said it was pretty amazing," Rainbow shrugged.
"It's stupid is what it is," Twilight scoffed.
"If it's stupid and it works then its not stupid. Whatever you did took down an immortal Nightmare Knight!" Rainbow argued.
"I could've died!" Twilight suddenly yelled.
"What?"
"What?"
"It's called Shifting, or Flowing. When someone becomes truly One with the Mana of the world and Flows with it," Spike explained.
"But its dangerous, if you get caught in its Pull, you'll never come back and you will fade into the Aether," Shining added.
"I'm honestly surprised you know about it. I hadn't expected Twilight to use something like that," Spike sighed.
"Father taught it to us. He gave us the proper warnings, told us it was something we should only ever use if we were truly desperate. As analytical as Twily is, she would've gone through every possible scenario before resorting to it," Shining explained, crossing his arms.
"Still, it bothers me that something like that WOULD become her ultimate decision..." he griped.
"Then there's the case of the child..."
"The Incarnation of Nightmare Moon. Are we really letting it roam freely?" Shining wondered.
"Hey! She's not an 'it'!" Vinyl growled, snapping to attention as Spike glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Sorry about my Lieutenant. She isn't one to keep her feelings to herself. Probably why I dragged her into this," Spike shrugged.
"Still a bit strange to consider you've been the one in that suit. How do you fit in it anyway?" Shining laughed.
"Sorry, that's a secret I can't tell," Spike chuckled. The two captains sighed.
"What does this mean for us?" Shining asked softly.
"Nothing. Out of the suit, I'm just Spike, the Dragon-kin assistant to Twilight Sparkle. I honestly prefer that life to this one..." Spike sighed as he sat back.
"I still have so many questions...Do Mom an Dad know?"
"Mom does...Pretty sure Dad suspects something,"
"Mom's know everything, huh?" Shining smirked.
"Couldn't hide it from her if I had tried," Spike admitted.
"Boss, I didn't realize how close you were to the Captain..." Vinyl admitted.
"We're practically brothers. The Sparkle Family has taken real good care of me..." Spike smiled softly.
"So I owe them everything I can give. Being told I was to guard Twilight was almost a dream come true. I'd get to live out my dream of being an everyday kid and protect someone who meant the world to me..."
"No Gentle Aura, No Scent of Sky, No Mana Trail...I should've put the pieces together..." Shining scoffed.
"Who would've guessed Beast-kin?" Spike teased
"You said you've been doing this for years...How old are you Spike?"
"That's the question I was worried about...I'm a Dragon, I don't age like a normal human. So, in perspective...I'm roughly 12 or 13 I suppose...Realistically I am a few hundred years old, at least from when Celestia found me,"
"Found you?"
"It's a long story. Have you ever wondered why there aren't any other Dragon-kin?"
"I...I never thought about it,"
"No one does. Beast-kin are second-class citizens, no better than animals,"
"YOU AREN'T AN ANIMAL!" Vinyl and Shining shouted together.
"I appreciate both of you, but the truth is the truth. I'm a creature. A Beast. Even the best of intentions still end the same. You took me in, saw me as a brother, but at times, still treated me like a pet. I don't hold it against you, in fact, I actually really enjoy that little spot behind my ear..." he admitted with a slight blush.
"The point still stands. Beast-kin aren't respected on the same level as 'Humans'. So no one ever bats an eye at the ever rare Dragon-kin," Spike shrugged.
"Still, someone noticed, right?" Shining almost begged.
"Celestia did. When she found me...I was dying in the street. I crawled into an old church and made a small fire, desperate for warmth. I'd been wandering aimlessly through Celemont with no idea why I was left here.
Then she found me. She was like an Angel...She took me to her carriage and let me sleep. When I woke up...I was in a bed and there was food and shelter. I didn't know how to react to it all and for a while I lashed out, but never at Celestia...I spent a long time apologizing to all the castle staff I had terrorized in those days..."
"I...I'm s-so sorry," Shining stammered.
"You've done nothing wrong Shiny. Technically as the 'big brother' I can say I'm proud of you." Spike teased, earning a punch to the shoulder.
"Time's running short boss," Vinyl tossed in, glancing at the frozen Steelheart.
"Can't hold her any longer or there is gonna be some damage," She warned. Spike nodded, his armor taking shape around him.
"Let her be," Spike ordered, his voice much deeper in the suit. Steelheart stumbled as she came to, caught by Shining Armor.
"You really should take better care of yourself Lieutenant," he teased. She smacked his chest as she fumbled her way out of his arms.
"You idiot! What the hell were you thinking?!" She shouted, pausing as she spotted Spike and Vinyl.
"Yes Captain, tell us, what were you thinking?" Spike added. Shining Armor shrugged.
"I needed to prove something to myself,"
"Did ya get the answer you were lookin' for?" Vinyl chuckled. Shining looked at Spike, hidden in his armor. He turned away and let out a sigh.
"I found something. Something important," he nodded.
"I'll speak with you again later, Captain Commander,"
"I look forward to it Captain Armor,"
"Seriously boss, whats the point of a secret identity when you just reveal yourself?" Vinyl argued.
"He deserved to know...Lately I've been wondering if there really is a point to my disguise..." Spike admitted.
"Sure, tell the world the Captain Commander of Celestia's Elite guard is a child, great idea," Vinyl scoffed.
"Hm...you're right, no one would believe that," Spike laughed.
"Still, it must feel liberating to have that secret out there, no?" Spitfire wondered over her coffee.
"It is nice not having to hide. At the same time...was it the right call?" Spike murmured. He jolted upright at the sound of footsteps, Spitfire and Vinyl hiding within their armor quickly. Spike smiled as Nyx burst into the room.
"Spike!" she called out, pausing at the sight of the other Knights.
"It's just me Kid," Vinyl chuckled nervously. Nyx relaxed slightly, glancing at Spitfire.
"I'm a friend, no worries," she offered. Nyx sighed in relief, turning to Spike.
"What's up Nyx?"
"Oh, right! Come on!" she grabbed hold of his arm, jerking him from his chair. He looked to his subordinates, the two of them only shrugging at his situation. Doomed to his fate, he allowed himself to be pulled along outside the Library where Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle waited.
"What's going on?" he asked slowly.
"Well, ya'll mentioned ya never got t' be a kid...So we thought we outta change that! Ya'll any good at baseball?" Applebloom beamed, holding out a bat to him. He stared at it for a moment, seeing Scootaloo slip on a catching mitt and Sweetie Belle putting on a face guard.
"Ah hope so, cause ah'm pitchin!"
"Alright, you're on!"
Rainbow's frown faded only just slightly as Pinkie placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.
"I've heard about it, but I didn't think anyone would really do it..." Pinkie admitted.
"So it's possible with any kind of magic? You or Shy could do it too?" Rainbow wondered.
"No. There is no Pool for Chaos. Chaos just...IS. The best I can do to match Twilight's Flow is..." Pinkie let out a slow breath, her hair becoming straight and falling down her shoulders, Chaos sparking around her body slowly. Rainbow blinked and Pinkie was beside her, another blink and she was across the room. She shook her head, finding Pinkie back to normal and behind the counter once more.
"It's not really as fancy schmancy as Flowing or as dangerous, but that's only because of who I am, or I guess WHAT I am," Pinkie snorted.
"Could she really have died?" Rainbow almost whispered.
"If she had let her grip on reality slip...She would've become part of the Pool and faded into the Mana around her..." Pinkie answered.
"I asked her never to do it again and..."
"She couldn't promise it," Pinkie interrupted. Rainbow looked up from her hot chocolate.
"It's not an easy decision to make Rainbow. Offering your entire existence for the sake of your loved ones. If you broke a wing and Twilight begged you never to fly again..."
"I-It's not the same!"
"IT IS!" Pinkie shouted. Rainbow stared in shock. Pinkie Pie never shouted. Not like this anyway.
"It's everything she is and it's all she has to protect who she loves. You can't make her stop. You can just be there for her," Pinkie scolded, her cheeks puffed up.
"I...Thanks Pinks...I needed that," Rainbow smiled, sipping her hot chocolate.
"Of course. Everyone likes Hot Chocolate!" She giggled. Rainbow shook her head.
"Yea. Anyway, I uh..."
"Gotta go talk to Twi-Twi?" Pinkie smiled, waggling her eyebrows.
"...Yes," Rainbow answered, sipping her mug before zipping out the door.
Fluttershy giggled at the sight of Spike running from Applebloom, chasing first base while she held the ball out towards him. The dragon-kin slid to safety, wearing a proud smile
"Shoot, almost had ya!"
"Gotta be faster than that Applebloom!" Spike beamed.
"yea yea, don't even think o' stealin' second. Ah'm watchin you!" she warned with a smile back.
"Lady Shy, do you not wish for your previous guard to return to his post?" Midnight asked softly.
"He...deserves his original post..."
"You are too kind for this world Lady Shy,"
The two of them tensed as Spike glanced in their direction. Fluttershy swore she saw him wink.
Midnight let out a soft chuckle and gave her Charge a gentle shove
"Your Knight calls to you," she teased as she faded into her shadow.
"R-Right..."
Shining's thoughts were a mess. He had been given the answers he wanted, but was left with so many more questions. Celestia must've known. She had to know. Luna probably knew as well, but that woman was shrouded in secrets.
His mother knew, according to Spike, or at least suspected something. His father was probably too busy to wonder or worry about such things.
Shining paused in his tracks as he reached home.
Did Cadence know?
Had she kept him in the dark all this time? To be fair, his rank didn't exactly grant him the right to know and only circumstance had brought things to light. He gulped as he stepped into his home, grunting as Cadence practically tackled him. He sighed as he closed the door behind him, wrapping his arms around her.
"Cadence..."
"We're going to Eraville," she said suddenly, looking up at him.
"I...what?"
"You need to go talk to your sister," she explained, turning away from him and lifting a few bags in her magic.
"I've already cleared your leave of absence with Auntie. She thinks you need some time to clear your head after all the madness going on around here," she continued. Shining shook his head and grabbed her arms gently.
"Cady...Did you know about the Commander?" he asked softly.
"Know what?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder. He smiled as he looked into her eyes.
She didn't know. He didn't know why he thought she would. Technically she wasn't a Princess of Celamont. She was more or less a refugee.
"I learned a lot...a lot that I could've just gone without knowing...Maybe this vacation is a good idea," he said with a soft smile.
"Good, because you aren't getting out of this," she added firmly.
She let out a slow breath as her mana faded
"Better, not quite all the way, but better," Vinyl nodded.
"Honestly Vinyl, how am I supposed to know the difference?" Rarity demanded
"You'll know Rare-bear, til then, just keep practicin'" Vinyl winked over her shades.
"That reminds me...We never did get to speak about...everything,"
"Not much to tell, but shoot," Vinyl shrugged.
"Uh...Should ah go?" Applejack wondered, glancing between the sisters. The two vampires looked back at her and laughed.
"Nah. Besides, you're the emotional support too ya know?" Vinyl smirked. She removed her shades, letting the pair stare at her deep red eyes.
"You of all people know what my eyes mean Rarity," Vinyl spoke softly.
"Now that I think of it...you've never come Down, have you sister? Just how long have you been fighting?"
"Down?" Applejack wondered.
"Your girls eyes there? Beautiful bits of blue that they are. She's in a Down State. Relaxed, loose, calm. My eyes...Red, fierce, powerful. I'm tense, tight, coiled, ready to pounce. In an Up State or Battle Ready. Prepared to fight on instinct, reacting before I can even think," Vinyl spoke slowly, shifting her eyes between the two of them.
"It is quite an intense experience. You can hear everything around you and sense the slightest movement. You can even hear the sound of a beating heart..." Rarity gulped and sat down, wrapping her arms around herself. Applejack was at her side in an instant, pulling her close.
"You get it now?" Vinyl asked, putting her shades back on.
"Ya'll would put yourself through that every day?" Applejack asked.
"For my sisters? I'd crawl through hell by my teeth," Vinyl scoffed.
"Almost did once actually," she realized.
"The big point to be made here is that Rarity needs you. This shit is hard. You're her Anchor, the thing that brings her back Down to reality and keeps her stable. Don't fuck it up," Vinyl ordered.
"H-How dare...!" Rarity began to growl
"Ya have my word," Applejack nodded.
"Good...Well, lets call it a day. Too much of this shit will drive you crazy after all," Vinyl chuckled as she stood.
"We are still talking later!" Rarity called after Vinyl as the elder vampire teleported away.
Macintosh raised an eyebrow as Spitfire waved to him.
"Pretty sure we done had this conversation once before. My mind ain't changed if that's what yer wonderin'," he rumbled softly.
"No I...Just wanted to thank you,"
"Ain't no need. This here is my home an ah'll defend it with my life," he replied with a nod.
"More than that, I wanted to thank you for the advice. You're very wise for someone your age," Spitfire chuckled.
"Ah blame th' work," he shrugged "leaves ya a lot of time t' jus' think 'bout th' world," he chuckled, glancing out into the distance toward the old clubhouse.
"Those girls are really something else," Spitfire sighed
"They were somethin' else before all this, now ah'd say they are somethin' more," Macintosh murmured.
"Now you are just sounding like some old sage," Spitfire scoffed.
"Now that, ah blame on my pa,"
"I'm sure he was a great man,"
"With all th' know how ya'll got in yer secrety society, ya probably know all 'bout th' Apple Family Roots. Not that we keep it a secret,"
"I've never done much digging unless it was relevant to a mission. I know your parents delved into Everfree for some odd reason and were never seen again...I'm sorry, I didn't mean t..." she paused as Macintosh raised his hand. He pointed over his shoulder, revealing the group of girls making their way toward the Apple Family home.
"I can't believe how good your control has gotten Scootaloo!" Nyx squealed. The Skyborn scoffed and grinned.
"Come on! I'm awesome! What's the surprise about?" she boasted.
"Yea yea, yer a whole bundle o' amazin. Ah say it's th' fact that ya'll are actually listenin' t' Twilight's lessons. Now if only ya could do th' same in class!" Applebloom taunted.
"Do you think Twilight would let me join in your lessons?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"Pfft, of course she would Belle. Twilight loves teaching. You should come by tomorrow. I'm gonna be learnin' about how to teleport,"
"Oh Gods that's the last thing we need..." Nyx sighed, shaking her head.
"Seems ya'll had a fun day," Macintosh chuckled
"Hm? Oh hey Big Mac! Is it okay if..."
"There's some extra pie tucked away in your cubby. Blankets an pillows are already in yer room. Don't wake granny," he said with a wink. The group of girls hugged him before rushing into the house.
"You've a talent with the kids," Spitfire pointed out.
"It's an Apple Family thing," Macintosh shrugged, glancing up at the sky.
"Ah'll tell ya somethin Miss Spitfire. Th' world is so much bigger than we know or think. Things none of us could ever really understand...So ah keep t' my little piece o' th' world and keep it safe from those things that would cause it harm. Am ah makin' any sense?" he asked, turning his gaze to her.
"I...I'm not sure,"
"Then ah'll spell it out fer ya," he rumbled, standing up to his full terrifying height.
"Ya bring trouble wherever ya go. You an them Knights an those Elements. Ain't right of me t' really blame ya. Can't change Fate or Destiny or what have ya. But don't go draggin' others into it. This town has enough on its shoulders already. Ah don't mean t' be rude, but ah'd personally appreciate this bein' our last little talk,"
"Oh...I see. Well, I will leave you be then. Have a good night and...thank you again," Spitfire turned, glancing at him one last time before taking off.
Macintosh let out a sigh, grunting at the punch to his arm.
"Now why ya'll bein' rude?! Little lass jus' wanted a piece o' yer mind, maybe somethin' more!"
"Ma..." Macintosh groaned.
"Don't you 'Ma' me! Ya'll apologize t' the gal!" she huffed at him. The once matriarch of the Apple family crossed her ethereal arms, not letting her short stature keep her from scolding the giant of a man before her.
"Spits takes things pretty personal," Cheerilee added in from his other side.
"'Sides. Pretty sure she's bangin Soarin. Dunno if they are serious though," she shrugged.
"Ain't ya'll got better things t' do than t' pester me?" Macintosh demanded.
"Nope!" they laughed together.
Zecora stared out into the distance towards the nearby town, the wind idly blowing around her.
"So...Whats the deal?"
"Within that town for us to see, a young girl slumbers, deep in need. Tomorrow we venture forward after rest, to put her abilities to the test,"
"So you are claiming another student? You makin' a travlin' school or somethin'?"
She only smiled at him, patting his shoulder as she stepped inside, the wind suddenly stopping.
"Startin' to creep me out woman..." he sighed "I almost feel bad for the girl...but this should be interesting"
Twilight stumbled a little and leaned against the wall, muttering under her breath and huffing angrily as she grabbed her cane. She was able to walk a bit better and had once again tried to get rid of the thing.
"Guess I'm stuck with you for a bit longer..." she mumbled, climbing down the stairs carefully.
"Honestly Darling, is it truly so terrible? What of that grand wizard you always speak of? Did he not get about with a cane?" Rarity tittered, glancing at her Magian friend over a cup of tea.
"Starswirl had a walking stick. More a staff than a cane," Twilight argued.
"Then why not get one of those?" Pinkie wondered. Twilight paused at the base of the stairs, her eyes starting to sparkle.
"Of course! A staff is much more respectable!" She gasped
"But...it's a magical tool...I can't just grab any old staff. There could be horrible consequences,"
"Well, how DO you get a staff? Oh oh oh! Does it have to pick you?" Pinkie wondered.
"I...Sort of. It has to be intuned with your magic, which could take weeks or even months of being exposed to your specific magical signature..." Twilight sighed sadly before plopping into her chair.
"Sooo...You are saying you only require a proper piece of wood that has been exposed to your magic for a few weeks or months?" Rarity asked slowly.
"Yes...why?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. Rarity cleared her throat and walked toward a wall, gently tapping her knuckle against it.
"You live in a tree Darling. Why, I bet this entire thing has been exposed to your magic for some time. Would not a strong branch work?" She pointed out. Twilight gasped in realization.
"Rarity, you're a genius!"
"I try Darling,"
"Whoa!" Scootaloo gasped, rolling backwards and slamming her palms into the ground, flipping back onto her feet and wobbling back into her stance.
"Not bad...Not bad at all," Spike smirked as his tail flicked back and forth.
"That's kinda cheap, tripping me with your tail outta nowhere," She fumed.
"Fights are rarely ever fair Scoots. I won't lie to you...not anymore...I can see the potential in you to do amazing things someday. The earlier you learn the better you'll be. This might be a harsh lesson for a kid to learn, but the world isn't as great as everyone thinks," Spike pointed out, hopping backwards as she leapt at him. The young Skyborn flicked her wings and spun, causing Spike to palm her foot down and sidestep the follow-up overhead kick.
He couldn't help but smile at how quickly she took to the lessons. Though it hurt a piece of him deep down.
"Spike, I already know how much the world sucks, wasn't that kinda the point of these lessons?" She scoffed. She cried out as Spike stuck out his palm just in time for her to smack her face into it. She stumbled backwards, clutching her nose and grumbling under her breath.
"There's a lot you don't know. A lot I hope you never know. But life is kinda funny like that. So, until i'm sure that kind of world can exist..." he grinned and beckoned her forward tauntingly
"Come at me,"
"Ah dunno..."
"I swear Applejack, she'll be okay," Fluttershy said softly.
"A-Alright, fine...But if'n anythin' happens...!" Applejack began, letting out a sigh. She followed her friend back outside where Applebloom waited.
"So...?"
"Ah s'pose ya'll can give it a shot," Applejack relented, unable to hide a smile as her daughter squealed and pumped her fist in victory.
"Listen closely Applebloom. Any constructs you make are an extension of yourself, just like the Chaos they are made from. If anything happens to them, you'll suffer the consequences," Fluttershy warned, patting Applejacks shoulder as the parent tensed at her words.
Applebloom simply nodded in excitement, ready to get started.
"You need to picture the object you want to create and let the Chaos take shape," Fluttershy explained. She held up her finger, drawing a slow line in the air out of Chaos. Applebloom watched with wide eyes as her teacher grabbed it, the line morphing into a pencil between her fingers.
"Oh Wow...Does it work?" Applebloom wondered. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle as she twirled the pencil.
"Of course. Since it's a Chaos Construct it does what I will it to do," she pointed out and dropped it, the pencil hovering in front of her before vanishing.
"So...ah jus' gotta picture it an..." Applebloom stuck out her tongue in concentration, holding out her hands while a thin rope slowly materialized in front of her. With a smirk she grabbed either end of it and began skipping rope with a giggle.
"It's weird...Ah can feel th' rope hittin' th' ground like it's my own two feet,"
"Ya know, it's kinda th' same when it comes t' our trees," Applejack smiled.
"Like bein one with nature or somethin'?" Applebloom wondered, her rope vanishing.
"Exactly" Fluttershy and Applejack said together. The two glanced at one another before bursting into a fit of giggles.
Angel let out a slow breath, glancing out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you have to keep watching me?"
"No, Does it disturb you?"
"It's a little strange, sure. Just wondering what you get out of it," he shrugged, closing his eyes once more, a thin aura of Chaos surrounding him.
"Trixie was unaware Chaos could be used in meditation," the magician admitted.
"There is a lot to Chaos that no one knows," Angel murmured softly, the normal dark brown hue of crackling Chaos shifting to a gentle blue around him. He cracked open an eye and smirked as Luna marched into the room.
She offered him a smile in return.
"we are happy to see you well," she remarked.
"I appreciate all you two have done for me Princess...And for Shy...She's all I got, ya know?" He choked, the aura fading away. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself, blinking as he felt a hand atop his head. Luna crouched beside him, her hand moving gently between his ears.
It had a strange calming effect on him, leading him to lean into her as she wrapped an arm around him.
"Thou hast held out for such a long time...Trapped in thine weakest form for so many years and forced to be a voyeur to thine Fathers acts...Know that we are here for thee," Luna spoke softly. Angel couldn't remember the last time he had cried, but in that moment the dam broke.
He clung to the Lunar Princess, letting years of bottled up emotions all pour out at once. He screamed, he cried, and all the while she held him gently in her arms, assuring him that it was alright.
Trixie chewed her lip as she watched them. She had always known there was something strange about the bunny that Fluttershy carried. Who could have known he was such a tortured soul? She began to think her own problems were far insignificant to his. With a shake of her head she marched over to the pair, flopping down and placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Trixie knows you are strong. Were Trixie to have gone through the same...well...I do not think I would have stayed sane...What Mistress says is true. We are here for you Angel," Trixie promised. He scoffed and snaked his arm around here, tugging her in close.
"Guess I ain't as alone as I thought..."
"Are you sure about this Nyx?" Sweetie Belle frowned.
"Of course. Everyone else is focusing on learning more about themselves, so why not us? Besides, I have a chunk of knowledge about Vampires now," Nyx pointed out. She let out a slow breath as her mana began to manifest. Sweetie Belle felt something click and shook her head as a shudder ran up her spine.
"Okay, that is really weird,"
"What was it like?" Nyx asked, pulling out her notebook.
"I could FEEL you. Like...in my head and all around me..." Sweetie Belle tried to explain, hugging herself.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out..."
"No no, its fine. Just...weird. There was also this feeling, I dunno how to point it out...Like hearing a voice...But you don't remember who it belongs to,"
"I see...So maybe..." Nyx began to murmur under her breath as she furiously scribbeled down notes.
"Gonna let me know whats going on?" she eventually asked.
"Oh! Sorry! Well...I was thinking...I'm just an amalgamation of Magic and Blood,"
"Nyx..."
"Let me finish. I exist as a Construct made up from the Blood of Twilight Sparkle and the magic of Nightmare Moon. Nightmares Essence connects me to Luna in a weird sort of way.
Luna was once the Mother of Vampires. She made a deep connection with them and they stood as the first of her Guard. There is no way of knowing how many Vampyr still serve Luna, even with my bits of memory, not without directly asking her at least.
But there is a powerful connection between her magic and the Vampyr she bound herself to. I wanted to test that link and you Belle, are proof...Proof I'm a 'proper copy'..." Nyx finished, hanging her head.
Sweetie Belle huffed and cupped Nyx's cheeks.
"You aren't her copy. You've got some stuff she has, that's it,"
"My love of nights," Nyx argued.
"Miss Twilight is a night owl," Sweetie Belle countered. Nyx opened her mouth to continue, blinking as Sweetie Belle shoved her hand over her mouth.
"So you've got Princess Luna's fancy magic, so what? She's basically your second mom,"
"I...I hadn't thought of it like that...Second mom?" Nyx questioned.
"Well duh, Twilight is definitely your mom and you are for sure her kid. Books, stargazing, nerding out, which you are literally doing right now...All of that is stuff Miss Twilight does. If anything, you're her copy, but in a good way," Sweetie Belle giggled. She squeaked as Nyx hugged her tightly, her notebook forgotten.
"T-Thanks Belle...I needed that..."
"Anytime Nyx,"
"Smell that?" Shining Armor grinned as they stepped off the train. He happily inhaled the mid-day air.
"The smell of adventure?" Cadence joked, happy to see him finally starting to relax.
"No. This is the smell of a self made town, of hardworking individuals,"
"So you feel right at home, don't ya?" Cadence smirked, slipping her hand into his.
"I wouldn't say I'm self-made..." Shining mumbled.
"So humble, young Captain," Cadence giggled.
"So, where is Twily's place?" Shining wondered, pulling out a map.
"Ya'll lookin fer Twilight?" Applejack asked with a small smile.
"Miss Applejack. Its good to see you again," Shining Armor chuckled.
"Shining Armor, right? Ain't you that fancy Captain? Must be important if ya'll are comin' all this way to see Twilight. Ah hope ya know she ain't in the greatest o' conditions right now..."
"It's actually just a friendly visit. Applejack was it? Of the Apple Clan, correct?" Cadence asked as she approached the modest shop stand. Applejack gave a gentle nod while Cadence peered over the apples on display and let out a small giggle.
"You've put a lot of love into this harvest, haven't you?"
"Why o' course ah have," Applejack stated proudly.
"I'm not teasing, I mean every word. Just look. Even without someone of my particular talent you can tell the hard work behind every apple. Not a single bruise or blemish. Each one properly washed of any speck of dirt. I wouldn't be shocked to find these apples on display in Celamont," Cadence continued to praise.
"Ya'll flatter me miss," Applejack chuckled nervously.
"Cadence has a talent for finding love in all its forms," Shining smiled, slipping an arm around her and hugging her close.
"Seems she found the greatest love right here," Applejack beamed.
"Now who is flattering who?" Cadence giggled.
"Alright, ya'll seem like proper folk. Ah was jus' 'bout t' close up anyway, so ah can show ya t' Twilight's place," Applejack offered.
"I appreciate it. I'm excited to see her," Shining smiled.
"Ain't no big deal, ya'll were a big help when it came t' savin her,"
"I...yea..." Shining sighed.
"Well, no time t' waste!" Applejack smiled as she finished closing up the stall, firmly grasping the cart and pulling it along.
"Would you prefer heading home first?" Cadence asked.
"Twilight's place is on th' way t' my farm so ain't no big deal really. 'Sides, a friend o' Twilight's is a friend o' mine. That there girl has done a lot fer us. She's practically family, an an Apple takes care o' family," Applejack stated proudly.
"She's lucky to have you as a friend," Shining Armor chuckled weakly. Applejack simply shrugged, leading the way to a large tree in the distance.
"A tree?" Shining Armor wondered.
"A library," Applejack confirmed.
"Of course she'd stay here," he laughed. Applejack stepped up to the door, giving a gentle knock before stepping in.
"Hey Twilight! Ah brought some friends o' yers!" Applejack called out. Twilight stumbled a little in surprise.
"Friends of mine? Oh please don't be nobles..." Twilight huffed.
"Oh come on Twily, that hurts ya know," Shining Armor teased as he peeked over Applejack's shoulder.
"S-Shiny?!" Twilight stammered. Applejack stepped aside, letting Shining Armor enter the library. He looked around slowly, letting out a long whistle.
"Wow, talk about living in paradise. I don't think you had this many shelves back at the tower," he chuckled, grunting as Twilight hugged him tightly. He hesitated before gently wrapping his arms around her.
"I...I'm so sorry Twilight..." he shook, tightening his arms around her.
"You don't have to apologize Shiny," Twilight scoffed as she smiled up at him.
"But I...I should've trusted you. I should've..."
"You did your job Shiny. You made the hard decision to protect your Princess over blindly trusting family,"
"Family? Well shucks, that explains that look in yer eye," Applejack laughed.
"Look?" Shining Armor glanced over his shoulder at Applejack.
"Jus' somethin' special 'bout you an her. Ya'll got a sorta spark to yer eyes. Ah know it sounds strange but it tells me yer th' type to do what feels right no matter what. Tellin' th' truth, its why ah first put my trust into Twilight," Applejack nodded.
"That's very sweet Applejack," Cadence giggled.
"Wait...Cadence?!" Twilight gasped, stumbling her way out of Shining's arms and squealing as she grabbed Cadences' hands.
"How is my favorite Sparkle?" Cadence giggled.
"Hey!" Shining whined.
"Hush you," Cadence teased.
"Oh! I'm just working on a little project. Come on, I'll show you!" Twilight squealed, limping as she pulled Cadence along. Cadence huffed and lifted Twilight, holding her bridal style.
"H-Hey!"
"Just point the way. Can't let my Princess stumble about, now can I?" Cadence teased with a sad smile.
"Well...I-Its over there..." Twilight mumbled, pointing around the corner.
"Mighty strong for such a small thing," Applejack murmured.
"She's probably as strong as you," Shining Armor shrugged.
"Ah ain't one t' boast but ah kind o' doubt that..." Applejack gently argued.
"Well she is a Celestian," Shining shrugged as he followed after them. Applejack paused in place and shook her head, heading back to her cart.
"Alright, that's enough o' that fer today. Ya'll take care Twilight!" Applejack called.
"B-Bye Applejack!" Twilight stammered, her face flushed as she realized her friend saw everything.
"She was nice. You have some wonderful friends," Cadence giggled.
"Y-Yea...um...You can put me down you know..." Twilight mumbled. Cadence relented, setting Twilight down gently
"So what is this project of yours?" Cadence wondered, staying close. Twilight smiled and pulled back a cloth, revealing a dimly glowing tree branch, slowly twisting in on itself while several markings were etched into the wood.
"Well, as I am sure you've heard from your arrival, I...may have overexerted myself..."
"And so I have been forced to get around on a cane..."
"Which I notice you aren't using," Cadence pointed out.
"I don't need it. Especially now that I have this!" Twilight beamed, spreading out her arms over the branch.
"A branch?" Cadence asked.
"A staff," Shining realized.
"Exactly! I've been using my magic within this tree since my arrival in Eraville. The wood is perfectly intuned with my magic," Twilight practically squealed.
"So now you have a cane you can be proud of," Cadence teased.
"A staff is much more respectable than a cane," Twilight huffed.
"Trying to step into the shoes of a certain All mighty wizard?" Shining teased.
"Starswirl's Staff was crafted over many years. Mine is probably only going to take an hour more at most. Not quite as intricate or nearly as powerful. Though it will act as a catalyst and amplifier,"
"I think you're the last person that needs an amplifier," Shining chuckled.
"It would've been a great thing to have at the castle..." Twilight mumbled. Shining swore under his breath and pulled her into a hug.
"Mom! We're home!" a pair of voices called out. Nyx and Scootaloo paused as they came around the corner and laid eyes on Shining Armor. Nyx tensed and Scootaloo reacted, throwing out her wings protectively and staring him down.
"That's...interesting..." he mumbled, slowly letting go of Twilight.
"Scootaloo, Nyx. This is my brother, Shining Armor," Twilight introduced him. He waved nervously to the two.
"Did I hear them call you 'mom'?" Cadence asked with a large smile and a twinkle in her eye.
"You got a problem with that!?" Scootaloo growled. Cadence knelt down in front of Scootaloo, placing a hand on top of her head.
"You seem like a wonderful daughter. You love Twilight a lot, don't ya?" She asked. Scootaloo blushed and took a step back, keeping her wing in front of Nyx.
"I'm so sorry. She's a little excitable," Twilight chuckled nervously.
"So that's her?" Shining asked softly as he glanced at Nyx. She shivered and tucked herself behind Scootaloo.
"Yes, her, my Daughter," Twilight declared, crossing her arms. Shining blinked and looked at her, clearing his throat.
"Sorry, I just..."
"Am being overprotective again? If anything you should be trying to protect her," Twilight all but growled.
"I've never seen you like this before Twilight. The mama bear look suits you," Cadence teased.
"What the hell is going on?" Rainbow huffed as she entered the room. She was drenched in sweat with a towel around her shoulders and a bit of rain still soaked into her hair.
"Oh, its you," Rainbow murmured. She walked by Nyx and Scootaloo, ruffling their hair as she passed by.
"Ima hit the shower Twi. I ordered pizza on my way in!" She called out as she vanished up the stairs.
"...Twilight, details, now," Cadence smirked. She groaned and marched around them. She grabbed Nyx's hand and moved to the couch. She smiled as Nyx sat beside her, Scootaloo claiming the seat on her other side. Shining and Cadence each claimed a seat across from them.
"It's...complicated," Twilight sighed.
"Twilight was captured by the Children of Nightmare, a group tainted by Nightmare Essence and determined to give Nightmare a body of her own...Me," Nyx suddenly spoke up.
"So you admit to being an incarnation?" Shining questioned, crying out as Cadence slapped him.
"C-Cady?!"
"That girl is every bit a living breathing person as you or me," She glared at him.
"You're too stuck in your need to protect to be able to see it,"
"You're right. Something just feels off. But not in the normal way. I can't make heads or tails of it," Shining sighed.
"That talk with the Commander didn't help much either. Left me with a lot of questions, wouldn't ya say, Twi?" Shining sighed.
"You know?"
"I do. A little. He told me you knew more,"
"I'm confused," Scootaloo admitted.
"They are talking about Spike," Nyx whispered.
"Even kids know more than I do," Shining scoffed.
"We were kind of in the right place at the right time," Nyx pointed out.
"Huh, he said that too. So...Nyx, was it? I hear you are on the fence about the Princess," Shining Armor murmured.
"She has done plenty of good for this world, but she has also done many terrible things. Then again, how innocent am I?" Nyx sighed, blinking as Twilight hugged her tightly.
"Why didn't you talk to me about this?" Twilight shook as she spoke.
"I...I didn't want to make you worry..."
"Like mother like daughter," Cadence giggled. Twilight smiled a little at that as she sat upright, slipping her other arm around Scootaloo and pulling both girls close.
"I wouldn't give them up for the world," Twilight said proudly.
"M-Mom! Come on, t-that's embarrassing," Scootaloo groaned, even as she leaned against her.
"I'm jealous," Cadence sighed, leaning into her hand and bouncing her ring finger against her cheek. Twilight's eyes widened, glancing from the ring to Shining's hand.
"Oh. My. GOSH! You didn't!"
"He did!" Cadence squealed. Shining rolled his eyes and smiled.
"I regret nothing," he winked.
"So when are you two having kids?" Rainbow teased from upstairs, leaning against the railing.
"After the wedding," Cadence answered without missing a beat. Shining stared at her for a moment, opening his mouth and unsure what to say.
"My turn. When are you two getting married?" Cadence grinned.
"I uh...We haven't uh..." Twilight began to stammer.
"We all have a lot going on in our lives right now. Marriage is a big important step and something you should be prepared for. I hate to admit I am one of the things in the way of that..." Nyx chuckled nervously, attempting to come to Twilight's rescue.
"She's right. Lot goin' on. End of the world type stuff on our shoulders constantly," Rainbow added as she fluttered down next to the couch from the railing. She leaned into the couch and gave a wink to Twilight.
"R-Right! We can't really decide on something so important with everything going on right now," Twilight agreed.
"I see. Taking the adult approach and waiting for the right time," Cadence murmured with a knowing smirk.
All eyes turned towards the door as Spike marched in.
"Hey Twilight I think Shining Armor might..." he paused as he spotted everyone in the room
"...Visit...heh, guess I was a little slow on this one," he chuckled.
"Spike. Didn't we promise not to have any secrets from each other?" Cadence asked softly. He tensed up at her words, tempted to just leave back out the door.
"Well I mean, some secrets are meant to be kept," Spike answered matter-of-factly.
"Wait, you said you didn't know!" Shining Armor accused her.
"No, I didn't know. But between you and the lovely girls here, I put together the pieces. I once ran a country myself you know," Cadence pointed out.
"Wait, a-are you...?" Nyx stammered, eyes wide as Cadence winked and spread her wings, her magic snagging Spike before he could run off and tugging him in against her. She smirked down at him, laying him across her and Shining Armor's laps.
"And no Spike, I don't have all the details, but I do know a certain somedrake has been hiding a lot more than comic books from me," she smiled, one hand on his chest and the other scratching a soft spot behind his ear.
Everyone watched in awe as Spike suddenly relaxed with a soft growl vibrating in his throat.
"I...I didn't know he did that..." Twilight mumbled.
"Dragons are quite special and must be treated with care and respect. No matter how adorable they are," Cadence gently lectured. Spike was practically putty in her hands.
"Could make a man jealous like that," Shining Armor teased. Spike's eyes widened and he attempted to roll to freedom, only managing to turn onto his side and end up with Cadence's hand resting on his rib. She frowned a little as her eyes began to glow dimly.
"Hiding a lot more than comic books..." she mumbled. Spike chuckled nervously.
"I uh...Have a tough job..." he tried to argue his case, wincing as she tugged on his ear.
"I don't care just how high up you rank mister. You are still that little dragon to me, no matter how old you really are," she huffed.
"Besides, I'm probably still quite a bit older than you," she added under her breath. Spike turned his gaze to Nyx, mouthing Help me
"U-Um so miss uh...Cadence, was it? Are you a Princess as well?" Nyx wondered. Cadence's hands stopped.
"I suppose I qualify. It's not a topic I often talk about. If I am being perfectly honest, there isn't much for me to be Princess of..."
"I think love is quite an important spectrum, don't you?" Shining Armor chuckled.
"W-Wait! Mi Amore Cadenza?! The Warrior of Heart?! T-Thats you!?" Nyx gasped, her eyes wide.
"Well that's a title I haven't heard in a long time. I suppose that's one of Auntie Luna's memories?" Cadence wondered.
"It's kind of spotty, b-but yes. I-It's wonderful to meet you," Nyx beamed.
"Warrior? Cadence?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come on Twilight. What with you being an Element of Harmony, surely you know we have to get our hands dirty every now and again. Isn't that right, Spike?" Cadence turned her attention back to the dragon in her lap who let out a soft whimper. He yelped as she lightly dug her fingers against his rib, her hands matching the glow of her eyes.
Slowly Spike began to drift off to sleep. Cadence huffed and stood, placing him in her seat. Without care or ceremony she removed his shirt, revealing a large bruise over his left side. Twilight stared in horror and Rainbow quickly covered Nyx and Scootaloo's eyes.
"Just how long have you been like this...?" She wondered, letting her fingers wander over the bruise.
"He seemed a bit off center before...I thought he was just tired, but this..." Shining clenched his fist.
"This isn't a normal wound..." she mumbled, crouching in front of him. Her magic flitted around the sleeping dragon-kin and she continued to mumble under her breath.
"A-Are you tellin' me he's hurt?! B-But he was fighting with me!" Scootaloo argued, shoving Rainbow's hand away. All eyes turned to the young Skyborn as she glared at the sleeping dragon.
"He shoulda told me he wasn't feelin' up to it..." she mumbled, crossing her arms.
"Men have a habit of keeping things from the women they care about. They don't want us to worry," Cadence explained.
"W-Well he still shoulda told me!" Scootaloo huffed.
"You're right, but he would rather see you happy," Cadence smiled over her shoulder.
"I can help him out a little...This is more Luna's talent than mine but..." she let out a slow breath, her magic folding over him in layers. She gently slipped his shirt back on and lightly patted his cheek.
"C-Cadence wait!" Spike started as he woke up. He blinked, finding everyone staring at him.
"I uh...I can explain?"
"I would hope so. This young lady here is very worried about you," Cadence smirked as she stepped to the side, forcing Spike to meet eyes with Scootaloo. Nyx glanced between them.
"Scoots, I..."
"Don't hide from me Spike...The world sucks enough without me having to think I'm gonna lose you..."
"I..." Spike sighed and leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees.
"You won't ever lose me Scootaloo...None of you ever have to worry about me kicking the bucket..." he shook as he took a slow breath.
"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Twilight wondered.
"I'd like that," Spike admitted. Cadence sighed.
"You can't run from your problems forever, either of you."
"The bruise is from when the Children of Nightmare took Twilight. The Possessed were all High Ranking Casters of Celestia's court. They were skilled in...Dragon Slaying spells," Spike spoke up, squeezing his knees.
"I used myself as a shield over Twilight, not even realizing I was flinging myself into their trap. They knew if I showed, that I would do whatever it took to protect Twilight. I'm just lucky I have a few wild cards..." he chuckled weakly.
"That Lieutenant of yours really is something else," Shining Armor chuckled.
"You rang?" Vinyl asked as she teleported behind them, still suited up in her armor.
"I was wonderin' what was takin' you so long, Boss. Didn't realize you had a family reunion goin' on," she chuckled. She paused for a moment and gave a proper bow to Cadence who stared in mild confusion.
"Celestia said to make sure you were doing well on your little vacation. Personal message only given to me," Vinyl explained, her mana flickering for a moment. Cadence blinked.
"Well, she is interesting...Wait a minute..." Cadence stepped forward, planting a finger against Vinyl's armor.
"Vanessa, you sly dog..." she smirked. Vinyl gulped and shrugged.
"Yea...Figured I couldn't hide my scent from you, even with the fancy suit. But uh, don't out to me the others. Only Sparkie there knows and I'd like to leave it that way. Princess' code, right?" Vinyl asked.
"Fine...But you and I are catching up later," she said as she tapped Vinyl's armor.
"Friend of yours?" Shining Armor wondered.
"We go back a ways. I never forget a face, even if its hiding how cute it is in some fancy suit of armor,"
"Oh come on, you flatter me Princess," Vinyl scoffed. Shining Armor stared for a moment and gasped, his face flushing bright red as the pieces clicked.
"Are you serious?" he asked. Vinyl sighed.
"Well shit, guess I got nothin' left to hide," she muttered, snapping her fingers. Several seals lit up along the walls while a bubble formed around them. Vinyl flopped into Twilight's armchair as her armor vanished.
Nyx stared for a moment at the now exposed DJ, letting her magic spark for a moment. Vinyl tensed up and cast her gaze to the Celestian.
"D-Don't do that," Vinyl mumbled.
"Sorry, I just had to be sure...Sweetie Belle said it was a weird experience as well," Nyx smiled sheepishly.
"Yea, my head isn't a place for you to be in, Kid. I don't care how many of those memories you've got," Vinyl all but growled.
"It's not quite me 'being in your head'. I don't know your thoughts or feelings. I can just sort of tell you are there..." Nyx admitted.
"Anyone gonna explain?" Rainbow cleared her throat.
"You might remember Princess Luna. well she was once The Mother of Vampires. Seems your girl there picked up a few of her tricks," Vinyl scoffed, pointing at Nyx.
"I was doing research!" she argued. Shining Armor burst into laughter to the point of tears, slapping his knee as he tried to pull himself together.
"T-That settles it right there. S-She is one hundred percent YOUR daughter!" he continued to laugh. Finally he pulled himself together, glancing at Vinyl
"You're a Vampire?" Shining asked with a raised brow. Vinyl simply winked over her shades, flashing her fangs.
"What did you think the Princess Code meant?" She scoffed. Twilight looked between them, completely confused.
"You know each other?" she asked.
"We're...well acquainted, consenting adults," Cadence added as Shining chuckled nervously.
"What?" Twilight stared at them. Rainbow huffed and leaned down
"Not tryin' to assume anything here but I'm pretty sure they fucked," she whispered. Twilight's face burned bright red as Rainbow stood back up.
"OH! I-I see, um...That's interesting,"
"Y-Yea, small world," Shining stammered.
"Alrighty, awkward silence aside. I didn't come here to hear about the Children of Nightmare or to put you on the spot Nyx," Cadence smiled.
"I came to check on my family,"
"Huh, I guess that is what we are now," Scootaloo realized. Her eyes widened as she hopped onto her feet on the couch.
"WAIT A MINUTE?! Are we royalty?!" she gasped. Nyx smacked her forehead as the room filled with laughter.
"Well, House Sparkle is a Noble house. Damn, I guess this makes me an uncle now too," Shining pointed out.
"I dunno, you kinda looked at my sister sideways..." Scootaloo smirked. Nyx blinked and looked at her friend, tears starting to sting her eyes as she hugged the Skyborn tightly.
"You're a good sister and a good friend," Cadence giggled.
"Don't need love magic to see that," Vinyl smirked "Crazy kid and her friends rushed all the way to Celamont just to rescue her," she added.
"You what? You're just a kid" Shining scoffed. Scootaloo grinned, pointing a thumb at herself as her magic sparked.
"Hey, I'm a lot more than a kid!" she argued. Shining raised an eyebrow, looking to Twilight.
"It's uh...long story?"
"I mean, to be fair..." Rainbow leaned into the back of the couch, her own magic sparking.
"I...am confused," Shining Armor admitted.
"I was at first too," Twilight giggled. Rainbow gave a nod.
"You were hella adorable trying to figure me out," the Skyborn teased, earning a smack to her arm.
"Well, I'm happy to see ya bein' able to settle down Sparkie. Just don't let your guard down. The Elements picked you for a reason Twilight...You an Rarity and the rest of your friends," Vinyl sighed and leaned forward.
"Vanessa..." Twilight breathed. Vinyl blinked and turned to her.
"You're a good person...and a wonderful sister," Twilight said with a smile. Vinyl cleared her throat and adjusted her shades
"S-Shit, I know that. But uh, thanks..."
"You...You really think of me as your sister?" Nyx asked as they walked toward the clubhouse.
"I mean, Twilight is your mom, right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well...Y-Yes," Nyx smiled.
"Well she's my mom too. Same mom, means we're sisters," Scootaloo shrugged, "Simple math,"
"That's not how math works..." Nyx frowned for a moment, rolling her eyes as Scootaloo grinned at her.
"I guess it works this time..." she relented.
"Course it does. So what are we workin' on at HQ?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Well I already got my notes from Sweetie Belle and...Wait, HQ?" Nyx paused and looked at the Skyborn.
"Well yea, what would you call the clubhouse?" Scootaloo pointed out. Nyx tried her best to argue but found herself unable to properly answer.
"Right. HQ it is then. I'm going to go over some notes and get Applebloom's input. I also want to test your magic a little bit against mine," Nyx finished her original thought.
"Sounds like it could be fun. Hey uh...Do you know how to teleport?" Scootaloo grinned as her eyes glowed dimly.
"Ya'll sure 'bout this AJ?" Big Mac rumbled softly as he patted his arms down, making sure the bandages were wrapped tight.
"Twilight has her magic an some crazy kung-fu technique. Rainbow Dash knows full on proper martial arts and now she's got magic too. Rarity is a dang all powerful vampire an Pinkie and Shy are basically Goddesses. I'm sure Big Mac. No holdin' back on me neither," Applejack demanded as she set her hat on a nearby branch.
"Not t' be rude lil sis, but if'n ah ain't holdin' back, we picked a sorry spot fer it. Ya'll gonna make up fer th' damage?" he asked.
"Ah like t' think of it as incentive t' hold my own. If'n ah don't, my friends'll get hurt," she pointed out. He shrugged and rolled his shoulder as his Runes began to glow.
"Ah'll start out slow, gimmie some time t' warm up. Sound fair?"
"Ah s'pose that works," She shrugged, clenching her fists and bouncing in place a little.
"Alright. Ya'll are doin' double time per tree that falls," he warned as he stepped forward.
"Nothing can ever be normal..." Vinyl sighed under her breath as she stepped into her sisters shop.
"Well, you have yourself to blame for that one," Octavia teased from across the room. Vinyl froze, glancing between the woman and her sister. Rarity was calmly pouring the Gaian a fresh cup of tea.
"T-Tavi, you uh...didn't say you were stoppin' by," Vinyl chuckled nervously.
"And how would you have replied if I had? Nah Babe, stay home an I'll see ya soon?" she mimicked the vampire.
"A rather spot on impression, Miss Melody," Rarity giggled. Vinyl groaned and crossed her arms.
"I'm a busy gal, sue me. Is everything ok? Were you followed? Do you..." she stopped in her tracks as Octavia stood. The Gaian marched over to her and took a gentle hold of her head. In a swift motion she had tugged the vampire against her.
"You've been away for too long. I was worried Sir Spike would have to send for me..." she admitted.
"I...I'm sorry Tavi...Bossman's been running himself ragged. Not to mention Spit's bein' out of commission for a bit and me having to play Captain...A-And Cheerilee..."
"She no doubt went out with a smile on her face. Nothing made her happier than defending those she cared about," Octavia murmured. Vinyl clenched her fists.
"S-She fuckin' knew it was comin'. I dunno how, but she knew. Hell, she already passed the Mark," Vinyl growled.
"I never heard all of her experiences, let alone all of her time with your mother. Not even the Journal tells as much. But I wouldn't be surprised if she had glimpsed the future," Octavia shrugged, playing with Vinyl's hair and tugging the vampire lightly against her neck. Vinyl fell into a routine of habit, wrapping her arms tightly around the Gaian and digging her fangs deeply into her offered flesh.
Rarity felt her face flush red as the two stood in the middle of her living room. Vinyl stayed mindful of Rarity and kept her hands firmly against the small of Octavia's back as she fed. Slowly she pulled free, dragging her tongue over the bite marks and maybe licking more than she needed to.
"How are you feeling?" Octavia asked softly, looking into the Vampire's eyes.
"A hell of a lot better with you around..." Vinyl admitted under her breath. Octavia smirked and lightly patted her cheek.
"Luna has made things rather easy on me since her return and Rarity has been so kind as to offer me her guest room while I am in town,"
"Think nothing of it Miss Melody, though I do wish to discuss some things with the both of you..." Rarity spoke up from her seat.
"Ask away Rare-Bear," Vinyl shrugged.
"I want to know more about Mother and Father. I want to know more about you, sister,"
"I guess we are due for some family bonding eh? Come to think of it, where's Belle at?"
"Oh, she is with her friends. They have a lovely little clubhouse they frequent for their get togethers,"
"Good...Good," Vinyl nodded as she sat down. Octavia wasted no time in claiming her lap and resting her head upon her shoulder, easily dozing off.
"Is she...?" Rarity began.
"She likes to sleep off a feeding. Says she wakes up feeling better than before I bit her," Vinyl shrugged.
"Interesting..." Rarity murmured, clutching at her skirt.
"Rarity. I know you hate this and I wish I could change it..."
"You've done your best to deal with me Sister,"
"Rares, I don't 'deal with you'. I look forward to seein' your cute little face everyday," Vinyl teased gently.
"How...How long have you been with the Knights?"
"Hm...Right about the time I sent you an Belle here," Vinyl answered after thinking over it for a moment.
"And, before that?"
"Before that, I was runnin' solo. Trying my damndest to find Big Boss and put his ass down before he could..." Vinyl blinked as Rarity leaned away from her. It took her a moment to realize she had hunched over Octavia with her fangs fully bared and her mana clutched tightly. She forced herself to relax and cleared her throat.
"I was fighting for a long time..." she said just above a whisper.
"And yet you still found a way to care for us..." Rarity smiled.
"Eh, I was lucky to have Twilight," Vinyl shrugged.
"I find it rather strange to think we have that in common," Rarity tittered.
"Yea, the Sparkles sure are somethin," Vinyl sighed as she leaned back.
"Is there something more I should know about Twilight?" Rarity asked gently.
"Let's see...Only what you've already been told. She's stupid powerful. Stronger than she knows. Heck, you are too," Vinyl grinned, slipping off her shades.
"I doubt that..."
"Rarity. I did the paperwork on your little fight with Discord. You tell me anyone else that can keep an Ancient Ritual going on their own and I'll eat my shades," Vinyl scoffed.
"T-Twilight taught me most of it and the rest wasn't really that complicated,"
"I can't read it,"
"What?"
"I can't read it Rarity. The scroll? I have no fucking idea how the spell works. I could understand Sparkie being able to read it, but when I heard you finished the spell?" Vinyl shook her head and let out another sigh.
"I blame the Elements. You've never handled a Greatsword before. I couldn't even lift the thing. It's bound. Heart, body, and soul. That spirit in that rock you wear..."
"S-So the Element of Generosity is why I could read it. That doesn't mean..."
"And who the fuck else can wear that Element, hm?" Vinyl argued with a grin.
"I mean..."
"The Elements chose YOU. Besides, you're stronger than me by a long shot. Mom was a Hunter, Rare-Bear. She had Wards, Charms, all sorts of spells that would literally cause a Vampire to melt by touching her skin,"
"What? B-But Father...?"
"Love is a crazy thing Rarity. When she fell for Pops...it all peeled away. He was the only Vampire that could touch her. She trusted him more than herself. When I say he was the only Vampire that could touch her, I mean it. She didn't know she was pregnant with me," Vinyl shivered as the words left her mouth.
"Then...Her spells would've...!"
"Yea. Shit was tearin' me apart inside of her while I was still bein' properly pieced together. Luckily, she reworked the spells before they did me in. Which meant she was ready for you Rarity. I can't knock off those scars, but you never had them. Sure, there were some kinks to work out...Which is why I wanted to take Belle with me..."
"A-Are you saying...?"
"Yea...Belle is probably stronger than both of us...How else do you explain how she beat The Change?"
"Well, you said it yourself sister...Love is a crazy thing," Rarity winked. Vinyl chuckled a little.
"Yea, that Skyborn really is somethin' else. This whole damn town is weird..."
"I thought you enjoyed weird, Sister,"
"I like it in small doses Rare-Bear. Not by the gallon,"
"It'll grow on you eventually,"
"Yea, sure it will,"
"Feel better?" Cadence asked with a small smile. Shining Armor gave a gentle nod as he accepted a cup from his sister.
"That knot isn't there right now. I...I harshly judged Nyx without even getting a chance to know her..." he sighed.
"Your job requires you be able to make split second decisions at the cost of hundreds of lives if you fuck it up. Honestly, I'm only a little mad," Rainbow chuckled.
"You sound like you speak from experience," Shining Armor pointed out.
"Well, my mother is Spitfire. Might've heard of her? Captain of the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow winked.
"Ah. You're the Rocket," Shining smiled.
"The Rocket? Oh I gotta hear this," Rainbow said as she slid into her seat.
"It's something that kind of came up during a training exercise. Coordination between Skyborn and Magian's. We somehow got into discussing home life and she mentioned her Little Rocket at home. Couldn't want for the shift to be over so she could rush back and forget about the military for the rest of the night,"
"Heh...She uh...She never called me that to my face," Rainbow mumbled. Twilight couldn't help but giggle a little. Spike however was pensive.
"Bit for your thoughts?" Cadence asked him. He let out a soft sigh.
"Shining. When is that knot the strongest?" Spike asked.
"Well...It's weird. It's just a gut feeling but I swear it was at its worst when Nightmare Moon attacked Princess Celestia. I just knew and came running. She sent me away of course..."
"Wait, you fought toe to toe with Nightmare Moon?" Rainbow gawked, slamming her hands on the table.
"He stood up against Discord too. If not for him, Princess Luna would have died," Spike tossed in. Rainbow stared for a moment before glancing at Twilight.
"Is there another sibling I'm gonna have to be on the lookout for?"
"N-No, just us," Twilight stammered.
"Actually, I meant to ask why you..." Shining Armor began, biting his tongue as Twilight tensed.
"Why I Shifted? My daughters and her friends were in danger. My body wasn't going to react in time. I could watch children die or I could act," Twilight answered, clenching her fists.
"I knew it," Shining grinned.
"You'd already run it all through your head. Dad always said it was a Last Resort. I encountered the Knights of Nightmare during her return. A teleport wouldn't work on them. They could fade even into their own shadows before I could even think of which shield to cast. They were merciless..." Shining Armor was mumbling by the end, relaxing as Cadence squeezed his leg.
"You made the right call Twily," Shining smiled, the light returning to his eyes.
"I think we got a little off topic there. Wasn't there something you had to say, Spike?" Cadence diverted back to the dragon-kin. He gave a nod and let out a slow breath.
"The Sparkles have always danced along and around the strings of fate. The world seems to bend around them in all sorts of weird ways. That 'knot' is more than just a gut feeling. It's your sense of right and wrong, the world literally calling out to you," Spike explained.
"Is this some speech or some actual hidden truth?" Shining joked.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure...But your mother and father have done the same thing. Most call it just a parents intuition tied into the magical spectrum, but its covered all of our asses more times than I can count. Why else would dad teach you two something so dangerous? Unless..."
"Unless he felt it?" Twilight and Shining asked together.
"Right, so your whole ass family is weird, got it," Rainbow grinned
"Well I mean, my Dad..." Twilight paused and glanced at Spike.
"Dad isn't some weird secret rank, I swear," he said quickly.
"He is one of the Princess' most...Eccentric researchers," Shining chuckled.
"Not sure he could pull off anything in secret to be honest..." Cadence added.
"Sooo, you're whole family is weird?" Rainbow reiterated.
"Yes I um, I guess that fits," Twilight sighed. She tensed up as her eyes began to glow brightly. A large smile touched her lips as she stumbled her way off the couch, instantly caught by Rainbow.
"It's ready!" She squealed excitedly. Rainbow blinked and shook her head, slipping the Magian's arm over her and helping her make her way towards the tree branch. Twilight gently slipped away from her and leaned against the counter, laying her eyes over hours of work coming to fruition. She placed her hands over the branch, ushering forth a few hushed words and grasped it.
She shuddered as the glow faded away from the branch turned staff, testing it against the ground and taking a cautious step. Beaming proudly she rounded the island of her kitchen and back into the sitting room.
"Twilight Sparkle proudly reporting for duty!"
"Today's the day, huh?" he asked as Zecora led him toward the town. She simply nodded, a mild shifting of her cloak while she seemed to slide across the ground without a sound.
"You gonna tell me more about this kid or am I just suppose to watch and learn?"
Again, a nod. She kept her gaze forward and even to him she seemed tense.
"Well shit, I guess this is how its gonna be," he huffed, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Should I make some noise?"
"A proper test of their might would be fine. Just try to be gentle this time," Zecora answered softly.
"Gentle ain't my thing but I won't bust up any buildings," he chuckled and rolled his head.
"Let's play," he smirked and slammed his hands together, Chaos flooding the area and darkening the sky.
"COME ON OUT OR I BURN THIS WHOLE SHITHOLE TO THE GROUND!"
Shining Armor sighed as the room rocked from the boom outside. He stood slowly and patted himself down.
Cadence gave a gentle shake of her head, pouring herself another cup of tea.
"Even on my vacation..." he mumbled and pivoted, his mana sparking gently around him. Spike chuckled a little as he walked beside him.
"We don't get days off," he joked as his armor sprang to life around him.
"Must be handy to have it on call like that," Shining smirked
"Oh you have no idea," Rainbow added as her own armor formed around her at Shinings left.
"W-Wait!" Twilight stumbled after them, still adjusting to walking with her staff.
"Twilight. You may join us but please remain at the rear guard. You need time to prepare," Spike ordered gently, glancing at her over his shoulder. She let out a sigh and nodded, following them outside her home and toward the growing Chaos. There stood two people in light brown cloaks.
The one who issued the challenge had his arms crossed, revealing average everyday wear underneath his cloak. A simple sleeveless dark red shirt and a pair of faded jeans leading into his black sneakers. Despite how he held himself there was a wild look in his eyes and undeniable power exuding from his very presence.
To his side stood a young woman who felt it best to keep her hood up, but her piercing gaze drove through them all. She kept her cloak wrapped around her, revealing nothing but her bare feet on the dirt paved streets. Twilight shivered as the woman seemed to ignore all but herself.
"He's dangerous, but she's on another level," Twilight murmured behind them. Shining gave a nod, keeping his gaze focused on the pair.
"I'll take him if you take her," he smirked, his eyes flicking to spike for a moment.
"I'd rather not fight them at all to be honest. That woman most definitely knows what I am. This armor isn't going to fool her for a second, not with eyes like those," Spike answered under his breath.
"We ain't here to fight either of you anyway," the man scoffed, pointing to Twilight.
"You there, kid, bring your ass up here and I won't bust up your pals," he growled.
"Well that's not going to happen," Shining argued, crossing his arms as his mana flared and popped a bubble around Twilight.
"S-Shining!" She gasped
"I'm sorry Twilight. Indulge your brother a little, please..." he whispered. He took a slow breath and cleared his throat.
"I am Captain Shining Armor. Captain of Celestia's Royal Army. If you wish harm upon Twilight Sparkle or any of this towns citizens then you will have to face me," he announced.
"I am the Elite Captain of Celestia's Solar Guard. My name need not concern you as I have none. I too stand between you and Twilight Sparkle," Spike added.
"And I'm Rainbow Dash, Twilight's girlfriend. You wanna get to her, you gotta go through me," she growled, the bolts at her hips coming to life and spinning around her. Spike and Shining glanced at the Skyborn as she lit up with elemental and harmonic power, hovering slightly.
"We're quite the group. I recommend just dropping this and leaving," Shining chuckled.
"Names Jinx. You could call me a God of Chaos if you like, doesn't matter to me," he shrugged. Shining tensed up at the admission.
"A Chaotician? So soon after Discord?"
"So that's what you call em here? Interestin'. So that shit earlier was Discord? I admit I was a bit thrown off by that...So which one of you took him down, huh?" Jinx asked, looking between them.
"Oh oh oh! I helped!" Pinkie cheered from behind the pair. Jinx glanced over his shoulder and paused as Pinkie smiled at him.
"You stay out of this," he mumbled.
"Awww, but why?" Pinkie pouted, her bottom lip wobbling.
"Because I don't want to break this entire town. Because I can't contain that explosion. Because you're too cute to punch. Pick a damn reason and stay back," he argued. Silence hung over them for a moment until the cloaked woman began to laugh softly.
"I apologize for my friend, is it possible to seek a peaceful end?" she asked gently.
"Do you still intend to go after Twilight?" Shining asked.
"We came here on a quest, and she will be our guest. Should you stand in our way, I fear there will be blood this day," she nodded.
"Then I guess we have to fight," Shining sighed.
"W-wait," Twilight stammered, clutching her staff.
A heavy crack echoed around them and all eyes turned towards Sweet Apple Acres where heavy boom after boom rang again and again. Shining glanced at Jinx and the man lifted his hands.
"Hold up! That's not me!" he defended himself.
"Most likely Applejack," Rarity sighed as she entered the square followed by Vinyl in her armor.
"And there's more of them, great," Jinx grumbled. Rarity glanced among her friends and smiled a little.
"Well, friends are there for one another after all. It seems you've decided to go after a dear friend of mine and I will not allow it," Rarity huffed, holding out her hand. Her Claymore came to life without her armor, gently placed upon her shoulder. Rainbow blinked in shock.
"Wait! You can pull that thing outta thin air?! Without your armor? Since when?!" she gasped.
"Honestly Rainbow Dash, I wish you would pay more attention," Rarity sighed, pointing the blade at Jinx.
"We have you vastly outnumbered. I suggest you leave this place and abandon whatever thoughts fill that head of yours. You may be powerful but together we are stronger still," Rarity declared. Shining smiled over his shoulder at Twilight.
"You have some wonderful friends," he remarked. She leaned against her staff and gave a proud nod.
"Lets see...One vampire...no wait...Two vampires, an Elemental Skyborn, a dragon and a hotshot Magian...Alright then. All of you can come at me at once," Jinx mumbled.
"Wait a minute!" Pinkie huffed
"Oi! you stay out of this, cupcake! You trying to blow this town up or somethin?! If we tussle then this place will crumble to the ground," Jinx argued and then pointed to Shining Armor.
"Shield boy here can deflect and contain, his dragon pal can absorb, the vampires can teleport and redirect spells. You're a powerhouse like me. We're damn good at destruction. So stay back and let the safety squad handle me," he argued.
"I'm not comfortable with how much you know about us," Spike sighed as he marched forward.
"You kidding? You stand there like an open book and get mad when I read ya?" Jinx spat. Everyone blinked in surprise as Twilight teleported between the pair. She placed a hand on the womans' shoulder.
"You don't look like her, but that cloak is the same. You know something about me, don't you?" Twilight asked as she shook.
"Twilight!" her friends cried out. The woman placed her hand on Twilight's while offering her a small smile.
"I...I'm going to go with them," Twilight declared.
"WHAT?!" everyone yelled.
"Twilight, dear, please reconsider. We don't know..." Rarity began, pausing as Twilight shook her head.
"That's right Rarity. We DON'T know. Remember what Fluttershy said, back in the forest? Sometimes we all need to be shown a bit of Kindness. I know it sounds weird but...I...I don't think they mean any harm," Twilight tried to explain. Spike chuckled in his armor.
"If Twilight Sparkle trusts them then I shall as well," he answered.
"S-Sir!" Shining Armor glanced at Spike and then to Twilight.
"I've got to trust my gut, Shiny" Twilight smiled weakly. He clenched his fists for a moment and let out a sigh.
"Then I'm going with you. I've gotta trust my gut too ya know," he smirked.
"I'll tell all of ya right now. We ain't here to just bust heads, as much fun as it'd be. To be honest, I dunno what this crazy bitch wants with the kid. She just made it sound important is all. She ain't the gentle type though. I can't make any promises the girlie won't get hurt but it ain't our point to cause any harm," Jinx pointed out. His eyes shone with a dark light for a moment.
"I could blow this town to high hell with a snap of my fingers. Luckily, I'm on a short leash. My point here is - if any of you try to get in her way then you have to deal with me, got it?"
"And get it through that head of yours that if you hurt my Twilight..." Rainbow growled as her eyes began to glow. Jinx chuckled and held his hands in the air.
"Yea yea. You can tag along but don't get in the way," he scoffed.
"May I request your name?" Spike asked of the cloaked woman.
"You request my name but hold back yours? I've no problem sharing of course. I am no demon or terrible horror, you may refer to me as Zecora," she introduced herself. As she breathed her name the air seemed to thicken.
"Sir?" Shining Armor spoke softly, glancing at Spike
"She has magic, but she's no Magian," Spike muttered in response
"A keen eye on one so young, it leaves me to wonder who trained such a tongue," Zecora smirked for a moment.
"Many strange creatures have brought me to the point I stand at now. Perhaps there is something I could learn from you as well," Spike admitted.
"My people and dragon were once friends, I would not be against connecting old ends,"
"Lead the way then I suppose. Where Twilight goes, I go," Spike nodded, taking up post beside her. Shining Armor let out a sigh as he claimed Twilight's other side with Rainbow hovering just above them.
"I don't like this," Rainbow admitted.
"Sorry Dash...I just..." Twilight began
"It's cool Twi. Something just feels off, ya know?" she huffed.
"Yea, I blame Z for that. She's a whole hell of a lot weirder than anything I've ever seen," Jinx scoffed, crossing his arms as they walked.
"You're pretty weird yourself," Rainbow argued.
"Coming from an M'brir? Well don't I feel special," Jinx joked.
"A what now?" Rainbow stared at him and he let out a sigh, scratching at his chin.
"I swear I must be speakin' another language or somethin' here..." he grumbled.
"An M'brir? Something akin to a Chimera?" Spike asked. Jinx grinned a little.
"Aha! So you do understand me!" he laughed
"Blame my heritage. I could not fathom the language the word comes from but my own magics make it possible for me to translate, if only roughly," Spike explained.
"Chimera?" Rainbow asked, her wings fluttering slightly.
"You're a Hybrid, Rainbow," Twilight pointed out, clutching her staff tightly in both hands as they walked.
"So this Chimera thing, there's others like me?"
"Use'd to be plenty M'brir. They were bred as Soldiers..." Jinx muttered, gritting his teeth. Zecora patted his shoulder and he relaxed, if only slightly.
"Haven't seen many around other than you lately. World's too scared of your kind cause of what your existence means," Jinx spat.
"I don't like the sound of that..." Rarity admitted, her sword still slung over her shoulder. Her and Vinyl marched in the rear, both keeping a tight hold of their mana.
"That Princess of yours, what makes her so damn special?" Jinx asked, stopping in place. The group paused to stare at him.
"Well?" he demanded, looking at each of them.
"Celestian's are the combined might of the Main Three Races. Magian's, Skyborn, and Gaian's. They are gifted with the might of all three," Twilight explained, biting her lip. She glanced at Rainbow then back to Jinx.
"You already know where I'm goin' with this kid, don't you?" Jinx asked softly.
"This is about that thing my blood does...isn't it?" Rainbow asked as she landed by Twilight.
"I...Well...Yes. Celestian's are considered to be Immortal Godlike beings. Their bodies are a wonder of both science and magic," Twilight began.
"Whats this have to do with your friend?" Shining spoke up.
"I'm a special case," Rainbow shrugged, mana sparking around her slowly.
"I see. I thought that was simply something granted to you by the Elements," Shining murmured.
"M'brir are the first step into the Forbidden realm of the Celestian's. They were considered Demi-God's in their own right," Jinx added, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"I'm surprised that Princess of yours lets you roam free," he spat.
"Ya know, I'm not her biggest fan, but you sure are talkin' a lot of shit," Rainbow argued.
"Yea, save me your patriotism when your people are slaughtered," Jinx growled. Rainbow stopped in her tracks and Jinx cleared his throat.
"Sorry. It's a touchy subject," he mumbled, turning his gaze away.
"Celestia wouldn't...Would she?" Rainbow glanced at Twilight, the Magian lowering her head.
"T-There are documents of several wars the Princess has fought in. There's a chance one such war might have been against these people..." Twilight admitted.
"All's fair in war though. Not like we were the peaceful sort to begin with. We learned something we shouldn't have and we fought over it," Jinx shrugged, resuming his march forward.
They walked in silence for what felt like ages, pausing as they reached the edge of Everfree.
"You can't mean to go in there," Rarity scoffed.
"Yea, not a fan of the place myself but it's weirdly cozy. Trust me, nothing in there is gonna wanna come near us while she's around," Jinx pointed his thumb to Zecora who continued to march onward. The tree's themselves seemed to shift to either side, making the path clear for her. Twilight chewed her lip before deciding to follow after, leaving the rest of the group to trail behind.
Again they marched in silence. Shining Armor deciding it best to craft a large barrier around them. Spike smiled within his armor as he admired the shield.
"Malleable, it bends against the nature and folds in as if flowing like water...But stays strong and constricts if anything were to strike it. Impressive," he murmured.
"Guess they don't call ya the Aegis for nothin," Vinyl chuckled.
"It's a pretty cool bubble I guess, but can't you do this too Twi'?" Rainbow wondered.
"I could, but not like Shiny does. I couldn't come close to the power of his Shields," Twilight admitted sheepishly.
"Aw come on Twily, you could pull it off if you tried," Shining chuckled nervously.
"Don't sell yourself short Captain. Your talent is one you should be proud of," Spike remarked, patting his shoulder.
"You may release your dome, we have arrived at my home," Zecora announced, standing before a massive tree. A bubbling green moat surrounded the entire thing with a stone walkway covered in moss leading to the door.
Several lanterns built within animal skulls hung around the area as well as several totems placed in a pattern around the tree. Jinx paused at the start of the stone and held out his hand.
"Alright, this is gonna be the rough part folks. The kid can come past here but no one else. Not my rule," Jinx stated.
"Bite me, you aren't taking Twilight out of my sight," Rainbow growled. Jinx stepped onto the stone and crossed his arms.
"Try me kid. I'm sayin' this for your own good," he replied, crossing his arms and waiting. Twilight let out a slow breath and grabbed Rainbow's hand.
"I will go with you but I won't leave my friends behind," she answered.
"That's cool of ya kid, but your friends physically can't come in here," Jinx stated once more. Rainbow scoffed and stepped forward onto the stone, lurching forward slightly and clenching her fists as her mana sparked painfully around her. She forced herself to stand upright, staring Jinx in the eyes.
"Rainbow!" Twilight cried out.
"I-It's the same. It's just like that damn sphere. S-Stay back Twilight," Rainbow glanced over her shoulder.
"Impressive kid. But I guess being an M'brir helps ya there. How long can ya hold out in here without that crud you call Magic?" Jinx wondered.
"It's Runic Magic. The same used in Collars," Spike realized, looking at the totems and the stone floor. He stepped forward onto the stone, his armor vanishing while he slipped his hands into his jean pockets.
"I said I was staying with Twilight and I meant it. This won't keep me from protecting her," he argued, smiling up at Rainbow. She returned the smile weakly as her skin started to pale, gasping as Rarity pulled her back.
"R-Rarity?! What the hell?!" she yelled.
"You saved me from that once before, I am simply returning the favor,"
"Much as I hate to admit it, I don't think we can go in there," Vinyl sighed, placing her hands on her hips. Shining Armor shook his head.
"You want my Sister, who is still in recovery, to enter an Anti-Magic area and be sapped of her mana?" he growled.
"If she wants to hear out Z, then she'll have to learn to handle it," Jinx shrugged.
"You can't expect a Magian to stand in that shit!" Rainbow argued. Silence fell over the group as Shining Armor stepped onto the stone, flaring out his Mana and placing a barrier around himself.
"We'll do this my way then," he stated firmly, his voice echoing with the might of his power.
"Holy shit..." Vinyl breathed. Jinx stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Have it your way Captain! If you can hold her then that's fine by me. Not a fan of these rules anyway," he shrugged, making his way inside. Shining turned to Twilight, slowly weaving a barrier around her.
"S-Shiny..." Twilight frowned and he smiled in return, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I can handle this Twilight. You need to talk to them, right?" he spoke softly. Twilight nodded and marched beside him, Spike taking up the rear.
"We'll be back," Spike promised as they vanished inside.
"I hate this," Rainbow mumbled, sitting just in front of the stone.
"I'm not happy with it either. That's my boss in there ya know. I'm supposed to be at his side in situations like this but I'm as useful as wet tissue in there," Vinyl sighed, leaning against a tree and still cloaked in her armor.
"Twilight's brother...He's a rather interesting one," Rarity murmured.
"Royal Knight Captain Shining Armor. The Aegis of Celamont. Royal Soldier and official highest ranking officer of the Guard. He's a handful," Vinyl pointed out.
"He just put a shield around himself, right?" Rainbow asked softly, her mana sparking weakly.
"He did a hell of a lot more than that. You can't see the flow of mana like we do but if you tried that trick of his it'd probably kill you," Vinyl sighed.
"Hell, it'd probably kill me. He's a crazy one, that's for sure," she grumbled.
"But there's a way for a Magian to deal with that kind of shit? A way I could go in there?" Rainbow demanded as she stood.
"Sure, but it's not some shit you can just pickup like that spell Rarity gave you," Vinyl argued. Rainbow swore under her breath.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing! I promised I'd be there for her!" Rainbow shouted at them.
"You are here for her Darling. She's able to power on because she knows you are here," Rarity spoke softly.
"Listen Rainbow...I know it sucks being stuck out here, especially with me," Vinyl chuckled a little "But if I were Sparky? Knowin' I had you out here as a safety net? I could face down anything,"
Rainbow glanced between them and huffed, turning her gaze back to the tree.
"Her brother can handle that...right?"
"Far as I know, he's properly war trained. From what I hear, he'd have my job if I wasn't around," Vinyl answered honestly.
"Then I guess I'll just wait..."
Applejack panted heavily, Big Mac wearing a small smile as he wiped away a bit of sweat.
"Lets call it there fer now," he rumbled, patting a bit of dirt from his shirt. Applejack sighed and stood upright, feeling several joints pop.
"Ah s'pose that's a good idea. Honestly dunno how much longer ah could go for..." she chuckled nervously, rubbing at her arm.
"You've gotten a lot better," Big Mac pointed out, motioning toward the damage around them. Several craters dotted the area around them, but not a single one touched any of their precious trees. Big Mac had no intention of destroying his own property, but he had made it a point to try and at least damage the roots partially to truly test his sister.
He was proud to find not even a single leaf out of place.
"An ya'll are still holdin' back on me," Applejack accused.
"This here was a sparrin' session little sis, not a real fight," Big Mac argued gently. Applejack frowned at that and let out a sigh.
"Ah guess yer right. Ah'm jus'...Ah'm worried," she admitted, gripping her arm. Big Mac smiled and grabbed her hat, placing it on top of her head.
"Ya'll got a bunch of wonderful friends by yer side. Trust in them like they trust in you an ya'll are gonna be jus' fine lil sis," he murmured, patting her shoulder as he headed toward the barn.
"Yea..."
"Ya know, kind of rethinking this one..." Scootaloo admitted while Applebloom double checked the harness.
"Well we've got Nyx with a buffer spell ready an ah've got a backup if that fails. 'Sides, we also got plenty of mats under ya. We can call it off if ya ain't comfy," Applebloom pointed out, Nyx giving her a thumbs up. Scootaloo took a slow breath.
"N-No. I can do this...I gotta do this. I'm just nervous," Scootaloo admitted.
"Well its something totally new. But I know Bloom and Nyx won't let you down," Sweetie Belle tossed in, standing by with a med-kit and a smile.
"Alright girls, I'm counting on all of you. H-Here I go!" Scootaloo declared, spreading out her wings and kicking off the ground, giving her wings a few flaps and stumbling about. She blinked as she found Nyx beside her, the girl flicking one of her wings against hers and stabilizing her in the air. Nyx drifted down just below her, standing on the mat while Scootaloo hovered in place.
"Whoa, you can fly?!" Scootaloo gasped.
"I uh...learned," Nyx chuckled nervously.
"Oh, right. Well, how am I doin' then?"
Nyx walked a slow circle around her and nodded.
"You're a little tense. You've gotta relax or you are gonna drop like a rock. Just trust in the harness and feel it out," Nyx offered.
"Right, sure, just relax," she mumbled. She glanced at each of her friends, seeing them each ready to jump in if need be. Nyx already had, further proving that she could count on her.
"Okay...okay..." Scootaloo took a slow breath and closed her eyes, giving her wings a gentle flap, tilting left and then right. She could feel Applebloom giving some slack to the harness and coasted along, rising up and gliding back down. All the while Nyx walked underneath her. Scootaloo slowly dropped to the ground, landing on the mat and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"That was great!" Nyx cheered, hugging her. Scootaloo threw her arms tightly around her, burying her face in against her as she held her.
"Huh? Y-You okay?" Nyx stammered.
"T-Thanks," Scootaloo stammered. Nyx let out a soft sigh and tightened her arms around her.
"Anytime...What are sisters for?" Nyx chuckled. Scootaloo grinned and hopped back, holding out her hand as she lightly hovered.
"You gonna fly with me or just leave me hangin' here?"
"I do owe you one," Nyx smirked, accepting her hand and slowly spreading out her wings. The two gently hovered in front of each other, idly gliding back and forth. All the while Applebloom kept a careful hold of the rope, giving it more slack little by little.
"It's almost like they are dancing," Sweetie Belle whispered beside her. Applebloom gave a little nod, staying focused on the task at hand. Nyx seemed to guide Scootaloo along, shifting forward or back with Scootaloo following behind.
Nyx pulled away from Scootaloo and coasted backwards, holding out her hands toward her friend. Scootaloo smirked and gave a twitch of her wings, coasting along and snatching Nyx by her hands as she started to spin, the two giggling as they drifted down to the ground.
"A Skyborn who can do magic and a Magian who can fly...And they are sisters?" Diamond Tiara mumbled to herself as she watched the group from behind a tree. She did her best to keep her phone steady as she recorded the entire interaction between them, including the little dance they did in the air. She wanted to get a good shot of Nyx's shoulder but her sweater kept them both hidden from view. Though she was certain she had seen the girl use magic before and Applebloom had even mentioned something about her having a spell ready.
"And the farmgirl...she said she had a backup. Is this whole group just a bunch of freaks?"
They have been blessed with strength to match their guardians...the bearers...we can control them, take their strength! the voice echoed. She grinned and tucked her phone away as she placed her hand upon the jewel.
"Yes...why be friends when I can have them beg at my feet?" she giggled and marched away.
Pinkie pouted to herself as everyone left her behind. She wasn't happy with it but he was right. If she got involved in the fighting, especially in the middle of town, a lot of people might get hurt.
She was tempted to follow after them but her Pinkie Sense went off the moment she stepped forward, telling her she was needed in town. A glance around showed nothing, but her Pinkie Sense hadn't failed her yet. Despite her own feelings, she would listen to what it had to say.
With a sigh she marched back into Sugarcube corner to go about her day. A quick smack to her cheeks and her smile was back, the baker hopping over the front counter and sliding into the kitchen.
"Alrighty, no more achin', its time for bakin!" she snorted.
Zecora smiled at them as they entered her home, casting her gaze over Shining Armor's barriers.
"Impressive is the skill you show, but no harm is meant here you know," she stated.
"I appreciate the compliment, but you're a bit insane to think a Magian should enter a place like this unprepared," Shining argued lightly, clenching his fist.
"We can leave. This has to be taxing, even for you," Spike spoke up. Shining glanced over at Twilight and grinned, giving her a wink.
"I'll be fine. After all, my sister needs me," he chuckled. Twilight bit her lip and sighed.
"i-I'll try to be quick. Thank you...Miss Zecora, you..." she blinked as Zecora held up her hand. The woman motioned to a few pillows on the ground. Watching Jinx claim one they realized they were being offered a space to sit. Twilight accepted and was quickly flanked by Spike and her brother.
"What is it you want with my sister?" Shining Armor asked, a bit softer this time as his breathing slowed and his mana calmed. He rested his hands on his knees and kept his gaze focused on the woman.
"Deep within a power awakens, something ancient and sometimes...mistaken. If she wishes to survive this life lesson, I offer in turn a few...sessions..." she murmured, tapping her chin.
"What do you know about The Madness?" Spike asked, crossing his arms. Shining and Twilight glanced over at him but he kept his gaze forward.
"Your kind call it Chaos, that's all you've ever known it as I guess. But when it comes from a true pure-blood caster like whoever you all tussled with, it leaves a mark. Not to mention how your own brand of magic works. The long an short of this shit is that girl there is Tainted and eventually it'll kill her," Jinx pointed to Twilight. She gripped her staff and gulped.
Shining placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"So what? You have some sort of cure?" Shining asked.
"A cure? This is no disease, but I do offer a solution if it would put you at ease. I will share what I know, so that the girl may learn control," Zecora smiled.
"And you offer this service freely? There must be some other goal here or why would you threaten the safety of our home?" Spike demanded.
"Z here likes to teach. She also has this weird thing about balance and nature, I don't fuckin' get it. But you," Jinx pointed at Twilight again, his eyes shifting to bright yellow as he chuckled.
"You are gonna do big things kid," he murmured as his eyes returned to normal.
"So its Prophecy then. Something she has to be ready for?" Spike looked between them and received no answer.
"Whats the Madness?" Twilight choked out.
"Discord's Madness...Isn't something that can properly be explained. In your fight, he poisoned your body and mind with his Chaos, his own Being. Eventually it will kill you or drive you into complete insanity...I-I wanted to have Vinyl try to purge it but doing so would kill her and possibly fail all together...
I wanted to remove it myself, but every time I look for it...its gone...There isn't any way for us to get rid of it. The only chance of survival is Peace of Mind...So we didn't tell you, in hopes that we could simply help you to enjoy the little things...to go back to your normal life. To be happy and in turn, push it back..." Spike lowered his head and took a shuddering breath.
"Not a bad plan little man, but not really enough. It's all ya had though. No reason to beat yourself up over bein' weak," Jinx chuckled, patting Spike on the shoulder.
"S-So you'll teach me to fight this?" Twilight asked of Zecora. The woman nodded, the beads in her hair clacking together.
"And you plan to have her be here for these sessions? Standing on top of an Anti-Magic Zone?" Shining grit his teeth.
"You're here, ain't ya? If she wants to live through this, she's gotta learn to handle it," Jinx argued.
"Long ago, your kind did channel as I do. If you'd like I can teach it to you," Zecora offered. As she spoke a wisp of mana danced around her but never through her. Several more wisps appeared about the room, just idly floating by until one landed in Twilight's lap. She sat her staff across her legs and cupped her hands around the wisp, giggling a little.
"It's...warm..." she murmured and closed her eyes.
"A quick learner I see. I suppose this truly is your destiny," Zecora smiled.
"Alright...we'll do this, BUT...I need time to show Twilight how to withstand this place. So if you need to do these sessions before then we will do them outside of here. Is that good enough?" Shining asked. Jinx glanced at Zecora before turning back to them.
"That's fine for now. Me or Zecora will show up to bring her here when her lessons start. If she doesn't show up, we'll drag her here. She's a ticking time bomb an could go off any minute. Honestly it'd be easier just to kill her," Jinx shrugged, grinning as both Spike and Shining glared at him.
"But I don't make the choices around here. Zecora wants her alive, so she gets to live. That's just how it goes," he sighed and flopped onto his back.
"I apologize for him and must emphasize that I do not do this on a whim. Long have I traveled to be here and I know my path is clear. You walk a dangerous road, though of course I am sure you've been told. I will try my best not to cause you strife or to interfere with your daily life," Zecora promised.
"I...I appreciate it. Thank you for seeking me out. May we go?" Twilight glanced at Shining, seeing he was breathing a little heavier now.
"Yea go on, get out. Let me have my damn nap," Jinx waved his hand at them. Zecora leaned forward, giving Twilight's hand a squeeze. When she let go the trio found themselves outside the hut.
"Whoa! Uh...Welcome back?" Rainbow chuckled a little. She gasped as Twilight suddenly hugged her and quickly threw her arms around her.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay..." Rainbow murmured. Vinyl laughed a little from nearby.
"What'd I tell ya? Everything's good," she teased, Rainbow glaring at her for a moment.
"That was rather quick. Did you find everything you needed Twilight?" Rarity asked softly.
"I...I honestly don't know..."
"Twilight..." Shining sighed, his mana vanishing, "Take some time to rest. Tomorrow, we start training,"
