> The Dark Essence
>  by Cyberponychronics
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Episode 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they step out of the train in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy Rarity and Twilight Sparkle laugh as they are greeted by the ponies on the platform.
As they reach ponyville, Rarity asks to Applejack: ''What have you planned for the boys' return from their excavation in the old Royal Castle? I hope something special for Gary.''
Applejack laughs, waves the girls goodbye and heads towards Sweet Apple Acres.
''Well,'' Rainbow Dash yawns, ''I gotta go hit the clouds. See ya tomorrow.'' She says as she flies off.

As twilight enters the Castle of Friendship, she is greeted by Starlight Glimmer and Trixie.
''So, how is Flurry Hearts?'' Starlight asks.
''Great, she learns fast from her parents, and of course, me.'' Twilight says, full of pride.
Then she yawns: ''I'm going to bed, don't make it too late you two.''

At the other side of Ponyville, three Alicorn-like brothers stick their dirty head out of their mine after a week of excavating the mineshafts.
The oldest, the pale white stallion says to his younger siblings: ''Go get yerself cleaned at my house, I'll be joinin' ya shortly.''
As the red colored one leaves, the blue one stays and asks: ''Don't you need help with the gems we found in the mine, Jay? It darn sure looks heavy.''
Jay opens a can of Energy Drink, as he says: ''Nothin' too heavy for me bro. Ye ain't rememberin' who yer talkin' to?''
He laughs as he lifts a large bag full of gemstones out the mine.
''See y'all soon!'' Jay says as he flies off.

Twilight wakes up with the feeling something is not right.
She hastes towards Starlight and scares at the sight of her student pale and sick on her bed.
Her eyes are a darker tint of red and her hooves look beat up.
As Twilight checks Trixie, the same has occured to her as well.

''So, how in Equestria did  this happ'n?'' Applejack asks.
''Yeah, it's not like this could happen out of the sudden, right?'' Rainbow asks as well.
Then the Cybers enter as well and Gary hugs Applejack, while Jay examinates the sick Starlight.
As Jay turns around, Twilight asks worried: ''What is it? A virus?''
Jay sighs as he turns around. ''No, it's far worse. Thought this was extinct when Earth disappeared too.''
His brothers suddenly are scared and cover their horns with their hooves.
''What's all the fuss about now?'' Rainbow asks.
''What we have here is the extreme Magica Disease. While harmless among those who don't have magic, those who have, well, you see it here.'' He says while pointing at Starlight and Trixie.
A wave of shock goes through the room.
''It ain't just illness, it's the disease that took out the civillians of Mount Olympus millions of years ago, meaning even gods cannot escape it.''
''And what happens if we don't cure them?'' Rarity asks while Twilight leaves towards her library.
''If this ain't cured, their fate, and the unicorns on the planet, well, they kinda die.''
Another wave of shock hits the room as Rarity covers her horn with her hooves and Pinkie Pie faints her unique Pinkie way.
''However, there's a cure. It's called the Dark Essence, a rather unique type o' cure.'' Jay says as he looks at the scared mares.
Twilight leaves her library as she asks: ''Why?''
Rick coughs and says: ''You know, the Dark Essence is a potion that is brewn with dark magic. Back on Earth we had a load of that, in case one of us needed it.''
''Yeah,'' Gary adds, ''I believe we had it stored in the Seattle facility, back when...''
Jay cuts him off. ''Don't mention it. What we were doin' there at the time wasn't really fun.''
After a short silence, Twilight says: ''I need to think for a while. Can you all return tomorrow morning?''
Everypony agrees and leaves.

It's late as Twilight is still studying several books surrounding the mysterious Magica Disease, searching for the right spell.
After an hour, she gives up: ''None of these books include any information on the Magica Disease. Why can't I find anything on this? Not even a drop of history is leaked.''
She screams angrily as she throws a few books away.
''Twilight?'' Spike, half asleep, says: ''Maybe you should ask Jay about it. After all, he did indentify it right away.''
Twilight clears up and hugs her now sleeping assistant, while saying: ''Spike! You are a genius!''

''And now, I'll give y'all the best Bacon Tower Sandvich yer ever have seen!'' Jay whispers to his brothers as he carefully lifts a plate with a huge sandwich towards his brothers.
But just as he is about to place it on the small table, he drops it as someone knocks on his door.
Frustrated, Jay opens his door and says to Twilight: ''Hope yer havin' a good darn reason to scare the mane of somepony at 2 AM!''
''Yes, I have.'' Twilight says. ''I want to know everything about the Magica Disease.''
Jay opens the door wider and says: ''Take a seat then. Wanna have a cup o' juice?''

As they sit at the table and Rick, half crying, is eating what is left of the sandwich, Jay starts telling: ''The story begins like a million years before even the Dinosaurs roamed the Earth. A dark entity, which to this date hasn't been fully indentified or even named, found it's way on an in that time unlivable Earth. But as the climate was lethal any lifeforms at the time, this entity had no chance of surviving the lethal climate, so it's kinda turned into a gassy substance. And that is the birth of the Maca Tox. 
Fast forward to approximately 3400 BC, when the first mythical gods had their children, known as the First Generation. One of these 'First Genners' accidentally came in contact with the Maca Tox. While the Maca Tox was harmless as one, this 'First Genner' split it in half, creating the Dark Essence and the Magica Disease. He later controlled the Magica Disease to successfully whiping out his parents, cousins and himself. But, the Magica Disease roamed further on Earth, becoming a sentient being. The Dark Essence however, became part of the 'Second Generation', also known in the modern Earth society as the Legend family. Due to this, they possessed the ability to create the only cure for Magica Disease.''

After a moment of silence, Rick yawns and says: ''I dunno, about what you guys are going to do, but I'm gonna go sl-''
He couldn't finish his sentence before falling asleep, which triggers laughter by Jay and Gary.
After laughing, Jay looks at Twilight and says: ''So the only cure is in the south of Vanhoover, but it's locked away hidden in the wilds of what once was Washington State's large mountains.''
''Hold up, we locked them up in Mount Rushmore, right? As far as I know that the Rushmore Facility was higher secured.'' Gary says confused.
''Nope, the Essence wasn't stored there.'' Jay smiles. ''Where would you store that kinda important stuff? In an abandoned Facility somewhere north where no one expects it to be or in a highly secured weapons depot where any normal thinking thief would expect it?''
''Makes sence.'' gary sighs.
Jay stands up and grabs a old and damaged book and gives it to Twilight.
''Here. This is Mythological Diseases Volume I, describing anythin' you need to know.''

As the mane six are aboard the train, Jay cleans up a few parts of his as he notices a damaged sheet of paper on the ground near the bookcases. As Jay picks it up and reads it, a shock goes through his body as he reads about the security measures installed in the Seattle Facility, and he calls his brothers.
''Fella's, the gals are in the biggest danger yet. This paper here, this thing describes the safety systems.'' Jay says scared...

Next Chapter: The Dark Essence Part 2
> Episode 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

''Station Vanhoover! Station Vanhoover! Don't forget to take your luggage with you when you leave the train!'' The Conductor shouts as the train enters Vanhoover Station.
As soon as the train stops,  the six mares step on the platform and Twilight checks her map, pointing North.
After walking a while, Rarity starts doubting Twilight's map reading skills and asks: ''Twilight, are you sure we are going the right way? We have seen this tree a several times already.''
But Twilight murmers a bit and walks further.

Back in Ponyville are the Cybers packing up for the travel towards Seattle Facility as Cyan Flower asks: ''Are you gonna be back soon?''
Jay smiles and hugs his daughter, saying: ''Don't yeh worry, Cyan. We'll be back safely with the girls. Right, fella's?''
''Yup!'' Gary says.
''Bet your bits on that!'' Rick laughs.
But as they enter the train and wave back at Cyan, Derpy and Discord, Jay start to get depressed.
''We'll never bring back the girls. The security in that Facility seems sloppy but it sure ain't that.''
Rick bounces to Jay and smiles.
''Don't worry! We got an advantage on those traps remember?''
Jay nods and says: ''And that's why you are the Element of Happiness, always cheerfull.'' and laughs.

''Here it is.''
Twilight points at a dark cave next to a tree that looks suspicious.
As they enter the cave, they stumble upon a lightningbolt shaped signature carved on the wall.
Fluttershy, who is scared, looks at the signature and says: ''It's a dead end, how about we go back?''
But Rainbow Dash disagrees.
''This place is build by Jay, so there is somewhere a secret switch!'' she says as she flies around and knock a against a pillar.
Then the lightningbolt splits, causing Fluttershy to jump in shock.
A smell of cafeïne, sandwiches and rotten meat rolls out of the dark tunnel leading towards them.
As they enter, they are greeted by a lot of red cans with whgite letters on them and green bacon.
''Jay said this place was abandoned ever since they left this area back when they were humans, right?'' Rarity asks.
Then they stumble against a orange and black car with a spoiler and the number 16 on it.
''This confirms it. There is someone here.'' Twilight says.
Then they hear a voice similar to Rick ask: ''Who's touching my Mustang?''
A dark Red Alicorn, followed by a brown Stallion Pegasus, comes around the corner and says to the brown Pegasus upon seeing the girls: ''I told ya there was something different about this world. Look at these lasses.''

Jay, Rick and Gary fly over the forests as they see an opening to land.
Jay quickly dives and slides over the ground, almost hitting a tree at full speed.
Tip-toeing the pain out of his hooves, Jay says: ''We, owh, got to, owh, hurry. Who knows what, owh, hazards they'll encounter.''
But as he tip-toe around, both Rick and Gary burst out into laughter.
''Yeah, owh, laugh you jerks. Wait 'till, owh, this happ'ns to you both.''

After Jay is done tip-toeing, he and his brothers are walking towards the mountains towering high ahead of them.
Noticing the plants and trees around them, Rick starts to worry: ''Shouldn't these trees be a lot, uhm, less overgrown?''
Jay looks up. ''Wait, yer right. These trees look alot overgrown indeed. Must've been nature goin' crazy and grow like wildfire in the time the humans were offline from existence, considerin' what happ'ned to the old JLP base.''
Jay looks down at his map again. ''That should be it...'' He says dreamy.

After encountering the two million exactly identical ponies, the darkish red Alicorn takes the girls down a hallway, saying: ''We don't get visitors that of'n, seeing how far we are from civilization. So, we got some safety measures installed.''
After pointing them to a room, he locks the door, leaving the girls stunned, and says: ''You're not getting out for a while. We need to run some prognoses on you, to make sure you're not poisoned by the virus.''

After searching for a while, they found the hidden entrance to the Seattle Facility, but something isn't quite what Jay expects, making him not trusting anything.
''There be somethin' fishy about this. First, the doors' opened and second, it smells like someone has been livin' in the old Facility for a while.''
Rick nods and steps into the shadows of the entrance, soon followed by Gary and a hestitant Jay.
But as they progress inside the Facility, the heavy door shuts tight behind them, making their vision even more obscure.

After walking around, Jay suddenly knocks his head onto a rock, activating something inside him, making his eyes glow like flashlights.
Surprised b y this, Jay starts to laugh and says: ''Look at this! I'ma new hero. Call me ''The Flashlight!'' Haha, genius!''
After Rick and Gary activate their flashlights as well, they move on to what appears to be the main hub of the Facility.
But when they  turn off the lights of their eyes, they hear a familiar voice saying through a microphone: ''Is this thing on? Uhm, Welcome to the Orange Facility. Anyone who dare entering this place shall and will be...''
''Orange? That you through the comms?'' All three brothers ask.
''Jamy? Giratin? Master?''

After being led to Orange's camera room, he greets the brothers, only to receive a huge shouting backfired at him.
After the brothers are done, Orange asks: ''What did I do wrong this time? Okay, I may have altered the old Seattle Facility at first. But seriously, this is where the 604th, Clonier and I ended up when we got sucked into a black hole.''
Jay interupts him. ''A black hole yeh say? We all three ended up in the same hole, or portal dunno what it was. Heck, even C 'n Indy made it here. If you made it as well, it'll only mean Jaylee and Kaylea will indeed end up here, and who knows more? I'd say we put our energy in findin' the rest of our crew!'' 
Rick and Gary agree with full entousiasm, but Orlando shakes his head.
''I will remain here. I have some unwanted guests to deal with.'' he says as he switches on the camera where the girls are stored.
Seeing their friends locked up, Jay 
immediately shouts at his brother: ''LET THEM GO NOW! THEY ARE OUR FRIENDS AND THEY ARE HERE BECAUSE WE SENT THEM!''

After releasing the mares, Applejack is the first to thank the brothers and asks: Now where's that Dark essence Doohicky ye've been jabberin' about, Jay?'' 
''Yeah! Where is that Dark thingy stored?'' Rainbow asks as well.
''Funny yeh mention,'' Jay says. ''It's right here.''
He hits a wall behind him so hard that his leg cracks and a drawer emerges from it, revealing a lot of purple bottles.
''Letsa patch up 'em lasses back home.''

''So you ain't coming, Orlando?'' Rick asks his brother.
''No, I have some business here, Master. But I'll stay in contact! Bye fellers!''
He lifts his hoof towards his head, making a saluting pose, as his brothers do the same.
''See ya around, Soldier.'' Jay says...

Next chapter: An Emerald to Forget