A strange jewel is removed from the Castle of the Two Sisters to be studied by Twilight and Starlight, only for them to lose Rainbow Dash while their backs were turned.
A jewel that had long been hidden within the depths of the Castle of the Two Sisters, has been recovered by Twilight and Starlight because of their eagerness to study and learn all about it and the strange energies it gives off every now and again. While gathering the last of a few things to study the markings on the strange jewel, they unknowingly get a visit from Rainbow Dash who is then dragged into a strange world by the jewel. When Twilight and Starlight return to continue the studies, they soon learn of what has transpired in their absence. As the two of them gather all the help they can to try and bring Rainbow back into their world, Rainbow Dash soon learns that survival is much harder than Daring Do makes it out to be.
Deep within the depths of the Castle of the Two Sisters a blinding flash of light burst through the darkness, shattering the calm quiet state of being that once filled the once endless sea of black. As the light slowly dimmed and died allowing the darkness to slowly consume the room, a single cluster of violet jewels decorated in various runes sitting alone in an empty room. The runes upon the jewels burned into a dying light as the faint sounds of hoof steps could be heard.
“Are you sure whatever it is, is even down here?” Starlight whispered to keep her voice from echoing off the walls.
“Well we’ve been picking up large bursts of magical energies for the past few months coming from here. So it's safe to say that it still is.” Twilight replied as she looked down at an ever changing map, “Or at least this map we made says it is, or was down here. Whatever it is has gone dark again, and the map can’t pick it up anymore.”
“How many rooms are down here?”
Looking at the map Twilight sighed as she watched it tracking her and Starlight, “Well I only saw one large room last time, but now all I can see on here is us walking down this staircase.”
“We should have taken a chance to give the map a lingering time limit on the larger source.” Starlight sighed as she kept pace next to her mentor.
“You know we couldn’t.” Twilight replied as she used a spell to light up the path before them, “We took a risk on these current enchantments,” She groaned trying not to tear the map apart in frustration from losing their target, “If you remember the countless times we tried just to make this one map.”
“Yes I recall, and that just means we now know how much magic to use per enchantment. Allowing us to lower the overall amount per enchantment, while increasing the number of enchantments we apply.” Starlight faintly giggles as Twilight shot a glare towards her.
“We tried that remember, parchment is one of the few kinds of writeable items that can be enchanted. And it can’t handle much beyond what we’ve got.” Twilight reminded Starlight as her lumination spell slowly began to flood their path, the magical energies it gave off gave their map something to follow.
As the lower levels slowly began to appear on the map, Twilight and Starlight carefully moved onward. Keeping their ears and eyes open for the odd creature or critter that could have made their way down to the area. Reaching the end of the walkway they came to a long, shallow, and winding descending ramp which caused Twilight to groan in frustration.
“Shame we don’t know where we are going, otherwise we could have teleported.” Starlight chimed in causing Twilight to faintly growl in response as they continued to walk.
“Well we could make the ground slick enough to slide down there, but the map doesn’t show how far we have to travel downward. So we could miss the room...” Twilight began to ponder as she thought about their options, “unless the room is at the end of this.”
“Maybe one of us makes the ground under us slick, and the other be prepared to slow or stop us should we get near?” Watching how Twilight smiled to the idea, Starlight faintly blushed as she rubbed the back of her head, “So who’s doing what?”
“Well if you know the spell, then you make the ground slick and I’ll slow us down as we get closer. Since I’ve got the map.”
As they came to an agreement, Twilight and Starlight stared at the large near empty room that now greeted them.
“Or just walk about fifty yards in a spiral?” Starlight questioned as she looked back at the path behind them, “Seems kind of pointless to have it like that doesn’t it?”
“This castle was built with countless tricks and slides,” Twilight responded as she examined the room, “we would have to talk to Celestia and Luna about why it was done like that.”
As they looked around the illuminated room they saw nothing but bare walls, they even lacked any kind of possible carved designs. It only made the two of them wonder why this room was even made, or even why they had been drawn to its location.
“Twilight, look.” Starlight whispered pointing towards the far end of the room.
Gazing upon the cluster sitting on the floor, “That can’t be what we’ve been detecting can it?” Twilight doubted as the two of them walked over and began looking it over, taking what notes they could about the jewels.
“I’ve seen something like this before.” Starlight perked up in astonishment, drawing Twilight’s attention, “Ya, in that book Luna lent us on stones and gems that can be used for aiding and assisting with relaxing into a deeper sleep.”
Thinking for a moment Twilight’s eyes widened as her mind made the connection, “It does…” She said with a faint tone of hesitation, “But it doesn’t look quite like some of the others in the book.” With a closer examination both mares began to notice more and more distinguishing features, ones that kept the very jewel before them oddly different from what they saw.
“Is there a chance Luna missed one?” Starlight asked while Twilight began taking measurements of its overall size.
“I wouldn’t expect her to, unless this…” Letting out a faint groan Twilight sighed as she rubbed her head, “no it couldn’t be new. Neither Luna or Celestia had been in her for a thousand years before the return of Nightmare Moon, and they haven’t been here since we defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Luna.” Rubbing her chin Twilight pondered a bit before nodding with a dissatisfied hum, ‘Maybe Luna forgot she had this?’ Twilight asked herself in a whisper believing that couldn’t be the case.
As they took down the last of the measurements, Starlight gently ran her hoof over a small piece of the jewel.
With a sudden realization Starlight let out a faint gasp, “Twilight!” She called out as she rubbed the jewel back and forth, “Rub it like this.” Following her student’s action Twilight’s eyes faintly narrowed, “You feel it as well don’t you?”
“Yes…” She hesitantly responded trying to make out what she felt, “Did you bring any paper and some coal with you?” Twilight asked only to watch as Starlight faintly frowned as she shook her head.
Doing what they could to examine the jewel, Twilight and Starlight began pouring over what few notes they had brought with them. Each bit of text was over the handling and caring of dream stones, but among all of it they searched for the use of magic around them. In the end the only warning they had was to ensure never allowing the jewel to crack or break, as the magic contained within them would be released in a violent and catastrophic event.
“Okay Starlight, like we agreed.” Twilight motioned as Starlight vanished in a flash of light, “Now to give her just a moment…” She groaned while channeling what magic she needed into her horn.
Popping up in the open floor of Twilight’s library, Starlight took a few steps back and took a wide stance to brace herself. Looking up Starlight watched as the jewel appeared in the air above her head, catching it with her magic Starlight began to groan as she lowered the jewel as slowly as possible. Within a few short moments Twilight popped in and began assisting Starlight.
Once the jewel was safely lowered onto the floor the two mares collapsed where they stood, panting from exhaustion they began to laugh at their haphazard plan.
“It’s kind of funny isn’t it?” Starlight asked as she slowly began to stand up.
Taking Starlight’s helping hoof up Twilight sighed, “What do you mean?”
“Well if we made even the smallest mistake, like having its weight slightly off. I could have either dropped it after it came in, or slammed it into the ceiling.” As she explained, Starlight soon remembered how bad of an idea it was to bring up things like this to Twilight after the fact.
“Or teleported it into the middle of town, or through a wall, or right behind Applejack as she bucks a tree!” Twilight exclaimed as she began shaking Starlight, “We could have destroyed Ponyville!”
“Ya, but you didn’t.” A calm faintly gruff voice spoke in a faintly annoyed tone.
“That’s not the point Spike!” Twilight groaned as she let go of Starlight and walked over towards him, “We should have taken a little longer to plan this out, taken multiple trips to ensure we didn’t make any mistakes.”
“You could have also asked Big Mac to bring it here in one of the Apple Family waggons or carts, if you’re that worried you would have made that much of a mistake with magic?” Spike asked with a deadpan like stare as Twilight began to blush from embarrassment.
Rubbing the back of her head Twilight nervously giggled, “You do have a good point there.” Returning her focus to the jewel Twilight began pouring over her notes, “Okay so what we’ve managed to take note of is this, we can activate these dream stones, but only if we use enough magic and have attuned the energies of our magic to make the stones vibrate the right way. Shall we get started?”
Looking over the jewel Starlight groaned as she tried to make heads or tails of the runes, “I don’t know Twilight, I think we need to look up these runes first and see what they do.” As Twilight came over to look at the runes Starlight continued to explain, “If we don’t understand a single one of them, then there’s no telling what could happen. At the best we could hope nothing happened.”
“And at the worst the possibilities are endless.” Twilight groaned in faint disappointment as she rubbed one of the runes etched into the jewel, “Alright, let's go find the book of runic spells.” Twilight sighed in disappointment knowing that their chance to research the jewel had to be pushed back, that weeks of planning leading up to this one moment was being brought to a halt because of one variable.
Leaving the room Starlight and Spike nervously smiled as they followed Twilight, hearing her rant and rave over the one little hiccup in their project. Once the room was empty and silent a single rune began to shine on the jewel. Slowly the books began to levitate off where they stood, the floor began to shake and rattle as a second rune slowly began to glow.
As the runes began to burn to life with magical energies Rainbow Dash came bursting through an open window, “Hey Twilight I just got the new Daring Do book!” Looking around Rainbow saw the room was empty, “Twilight?” She called out ignoring the jewel sitting in the middle of the room, “You here egghead?” Landing on the floor Rainbow began to huff and puff as the room began to feel heavier in more ways than one.
As Rainbow’s breathing became more forced and weighted, she looked around the room only to see several books floating in the air.
“What the…” She panted as she turned around finally noticing the jewel, “Where did they get that?”
Slowly the room grew darker than a cloud filled night as the runes shined brightly, Rainbow could feel a cold chill slowly creeping up her spine as a violet vortex began to spiral before her eyes. Rainbow tried to call out for Twilight and Starlight only to find her voice was could not be heard. As the vortex grew in size before her eyes Rainbow turned to run only to feel herself being pulled in towards it, she cried out for her friends as loud as she could while digging her hooves into the floor.
Outside of the room Twilight and Starlight were returning while having a light conversation, as they neared the door they found their voices became lighter and lighter with each step they took. And even the pressure on their bodies growing while objects began to float around them, with a single glance at each other they gave as much effort as they could muster and ran towards the door. As they burst through the door they were greeted by the swirling vortex only for it to vanish a second later.
“What was that?” Starlight asked as the effects of the vortex faded from the area around the jewel.
“I don’t know.” Twilight said in a worried tone as she looked around the messy room, only for her to focus on a single saddle bag laying in the room, “But I think Rainbow Dash just learned a little more than we did.”
Turning around Starlight’s eyes narrowed in shock as she saw the bag, “If she was in the room when that thing opened,” She began to state as her voice trembled in worrisome fear, “we don’t know where she could have gone.”
It was a bleak light that Rainbow woke up to, her eyes squinted as she tried to see and make out the world around herself. Everything seemed to be near dark but never truly crossing over, yet the dim light was hardly enough to see things moving beyond twenty feet at best. Beyond that everything seemed like a blur as the wind blew dust around, carrying a faint howl of a wounded animal with it.
Slowly Rainbow followed what she heard seeking out the animal in question. As she drew closer and closer the animal appeared to be moving further away from her, taking a chance Rainbow jumped as she spread her wings only to feel herself fall down and fumble. Stopping for a moment she flapped her wings as hard as she could, only finding she could come off the ground by a foot at the most.
Yet even still she only fell back down panting and wheezing for air, with a groan she turned her attention back towards the animal she heard. Only to discover it had gone further out of her hearing. Taking a step forward Rainbow felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the faint sounds of movement just outside of her sight made her jump and twitch with each.
“Who’s there?” She asked hearing the movements again as they sounded to be encircling her.
The first to attack caused Rainbow to jump away from it, only to find herself face to face with a creature the likes of which she never seen before. Its body appeared to be non-existent as smoke waffeded off its body, its eyes shined a dark orange before slowly turning a blood red. Even its body changed from a calm wafting appearance to violent jet streams shooting away.
As it tried to bite Rainbow she quickly dove to the side, with a faint bit of luck she didn’t find one standing there and ran as fast as she could. She could hear the creatures giving chace, constantly trying to bite her, some even jumped at her only to tackle their fellow members and attack them. Rainbow couldn’t see it but she heard one crunch as she ran, followed by the sounds of a few pack members devouring the dead.
Running as fast and for as long as she could, Rainbow tried to keep up with the landscape as it came at her. Before long she soon found herself running into a cave only to hear the creatures growl and dig at the ground towards the entrance. Something was keeping them out, what she didn’t know but was more than grateful to feel a sense of relief from them.
As she calmed down, Rainbow soon saw a few pages and what could only be a part of a journal cover. *I don’t know how long I’ve been here since I opened the gate, but clearly this world is not like my home.* The first of the few pages read as Rainbow gathered them up, *Even the creatures here are different in how they act, it doesn’t matter if they eat their own kind to them food is food. I tried eating what little vegetation is here, but the taste alone was enough to induce vomiting. The water is even worse as there is a foul smell that comes from it, I don’t know how these creatures survive. But clearly no pony I know would be able to live here. One thing I have noticed, there are some areas these creatures don’t go. And it often depends on which creatures can’t go where, like something blocks that group or only allows a specific group through. I can only ponder what it is and why.*
“Somepony has actually been here?” Rainbow groaned as she looked at the last couple of pages, only to see random scribbles and markings that made no sense to her.
Looking around she soon saw an old saddle bag covered in dust, it wasn’t hers yet she felt she it could come in handy later. For what reason she didn’t know. All she could be thankful for is the fact those creatures were forced to sit and pace outside of the cave.
The notes Rainbow had were clearly incomplete, and missing far more pages than she could hope for. Looking at what remained of the back binding, the journal had to be at least twice as thick as any Daring Do book she had. But who would carry around a journal that big, and for what reason?
Answers she knew she would have to look for later as one of the few pages she had mentioned something she saw earlier.
*In all honesty I should have just left that damn thing where I found it. That damn jewel has been nothing but trouble, bringing me here when it pleases, often keeping a rift open for months on end with these horrors pouring through. I can be thankful that most of them die off just after crossing over, not sure what causes it or why, but I’m thankful all the same. The only group that didn’t die, and still plague my home land are those damned shadow beasts. Not sure what else to call them, but it seems fitting, the smoke coming off their body almost makes them appear like they are shadows. Our only saving grace is that they can’t seem to take the sunlight in my world, they must have evolved to this harsh environment and extreme low lighting. When I went to hunt them down, I caught one straggler in an open field just as the sun came over the horizon. The painfilled scream it let out still haunts my darkest nightmares, when I close my eyes I can sometimes still make out its shape and how it squirmed in the sunlight. Its death took the better part of two hours, and yet the pain was so intense to the creature that it couldn’t run to save itself. And I was too paralyzed by its screams to do anything for it. I pray they never evolve beyond what they are, for if they even gain a small amount of resistance to our sun, I don’t think any living thing will stand a chance against a horde of them. When I get back home, I’m going to use the runes I’ve discovered in this world to bind that damn thing. And then I’m going to cast it into the darkest reaches of the dream realm, where I hope nopony should find it. Or at least if they do, they never mess with it.*
Thinking back Rainbow recalled the jewel sitting in Twilight’s castle, how it just dragged her into this world. It then became clear to Rainbow that this world has had only one other visiter, but how they got out each time was the real question she needed answered. The obvious thing to her that he had got out was his statement of being pulled in at random, how he planned on dealing with the jewel, but most of all his extensive knowledge of this world that he brought back with him.
Whomever this pony was, they clearly would have kept the more important parts of the journal. But what fell out and was left behind could help to give Rainbow the best way out, or at the least she hopped for. Looking at the shadow beasts Rainbow examined how the reacted to one another, at best she could tell they didn’t have any hierarchy among themselves as they seemed to fight each other.
And should a fight make contact with another beast, that one joined in till at least one died and the others feasted upon its carcass. It was hard for her to tell how many were there as the smoke rising from them mixed and blurred, but for now it didn’t matter as the cave was the only place she could rest for the time being. She hoped they would grow board and leave soon, but what seemed clear to her was the fact they were hungry and any meal would do.
Looking out at the sky Rainbow noticed it slowly grew darker, and not a single star shined in the sky. She had hoped it would be easier to see at night, using whatever passed for a moon or even the star filled sky to light her way. Sadly it seemed that was not the case as the world outside grew darker with each passing second.
Once it was pitch black Rainbow heard the beasts start to whimper and growl, though the sound suggested they were turned away from Rainbow. Trying to guess what was bothering them Rainbow soon saw a white figure slowly crawl out of the ground, how she could see it was anypony’s guess but the sounds of fear from these beasts almost made her feel safe. Slowly it walked towards her causing the beasts to, for a lack of a better word, go crazy as they seemed to petrified to move.
As this new creature neared the cave, Rainbow felt around and found a large boulder to hide behind. Peeking out she saw this new creature appeared to be a unicorn, while at the same time it wasn’t. Across its body where fur should have been she only saw dragon like scales, thinking about Spike; Rainbow noticed that while her purple little friend’s scales were slightly more rigid.
This creature however, the scales were smoother and more rounded than Spike’s. As it came to a stop Rainbow was almost glad to see a pony of some kind, she nearly came out of hiding to greet her would be saviour. Only to dive back behind the boulder as she watched its face take on a horrid look, its eyes began to grow darker than the world around it, its mouth became elongated as it let out a low bellowing sound.
Rainbow could only hear what happened as the sounds of a fight started soon after. She didn’t know who to cheer for, the ones who guarded her only way out or the scary new figure that came out. Rainbow was unsure of how long the fight lasted between the two, only that when it came to an end she wished she hadn’t flown through Twilight’s window today.
“I know you’re in there.” A soft voice called out to Rainbow, “Please stop hiding, you know how I hate to have my limits tested. Or are you still the same conniving bitch I always remembered you as?” Rainbow slowly stepped out to see the white creature standing unharmed, as if nothing had ever happened to it despite the sounds of conflict earlier, “Don’t keep me waiting, your runes may keep me out, but there is nothing stopping me from collapsing the cave in on top of you. Even if you did live I’d make it your tomb.”
Looking up at the creature Rainbow waved her hoof in front of its face, “You’re blind?” Rainbow asked causing the creature to twitch its head towards her voice.
“Someone new?” It asked as it leaned down to smell the air, “Strange, you don’t smell new to me.” Taking another deep whiff it faintly sighed, “Then again your kind always smelled the same to me, even that third one who came here.”
“Somepony else is here?” Rainbow asked in excitement hoping to have more help.
“Was here, she left this place eons ago.” Looking to its left it continued to explain, “Though she didn’t leave this place as she came her, she was different, something latched on, but that parasite always did linger around that gate. I’d have to say that of all those who came here she was the lucky one, dropped in right next to the exit.”
“Can you tell me where that is, I’d like to get back home.” Rainbow pleaded with the creature, hoping it would listen to reason.
“Now why would I allow you to leave so easily?” It asked as its face slowly returned to the horrid look it gave before the fight bringing with it a deeper more grading voice, “When its been so long since I’ve had a taste of your kind, the sucklant flavor that almost makes my mouth melt as I taste it. These hounds do nothing for the taste, and I haven’t eaten since she was here.”
“Since who was here?” Rainbow asked as she sat down to hug the satchel.
“Why the first of your kind to come to this world, our first visiter from a new place, oh how she learned to trick and tease me. I would pull her back into this world with my hunger, but I could never make her land where I wanted her. So I would hunt her down, only to lose her as she escaped.” Rainbow couldn’t see it yet she could hear the dripping of saliva as the creature spoke, “She learned how to keep me from dragging new victims here by branding my flank, I could never remove it and I never learned how she caught me off guard. How that bitch angers me so, and yet I want to eat her flesh. Tell me, where is she now?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Rainbow whimpered causing the creature to relax and regain its casual face.
“Telling me the truth won’t save you, yet I’ve always found it more fun to play with my food.” Pacing back and forth it groaned as Rainbow now hoped there was somepony in this world who could help her, “I’ve got it. To the South West of here is a cave she once hid in, make it in two days and I won’t eat your leg. Fail and you will wake up with one less limb. In that cave you will find more pieces of whatever that bitch kept tearing apart, not that it would help you as she kept most of it. I think she did it to taunt and toy with me, that thing carried her scent for months driving me crazy. If I had to guess it was unimportant beyond that playing around.”
“So if you don’t know what it was, then you are blind aren’t you?” Rainbow asked hoping she could use the same trick that last pony did to trick her new tormenter, though all she had to use was her mane and tail hair to pull it off.
“Sight is relative in this world, as she and I no doubt guess you as well have learned. The way you see, and the way any of us here see are different and varied. These beasts for example track using their minds, they feel out the psychic world around themselves and chase after the tiniest bit of weakness in this world.” That bit of information was enough to give Rainbow an explanation as to why they ate their own and why their eyes didn’t have pupils, “When I started to come out of the ground they felt nothing and knew what it meant, my mind was clear and empty causing confusion among their younger members. The more experienced were looking for a way to escape, but knew I wouldn’t let them get far.”
“And you see by sense of smell.” Rainbow stated as she felt around for something sharp to trim her hair.
“Catching on.” It replied slowly turning to walk away, “My counterpart is coming, and I’d rather not be here when it arrives. When conflict between us is had, nothing within ten miles is left standing. And anything between that tenth mile and two hundred further out is blown away and killed. Maybe one day when I grow tired of this life I’ll seek out death and have one last glorious fight.”
As it walked away Rainbow called out to it, “Wait, which way is South West?”
“She figured that out, why can’t you?” It replied as the distance between them grew greater till Rainbow could no longer see it.
Before long Rainbow could hear then soon feel the ground shaking, as something walked by her. Without warning Rainbow soon felt a gust of wind kicking up and blowing dirt and dead beasts around, yet she could see nothing as it moved through the area. Was this unseen thing the counterpart that creature spoke of, and if so then where was it?
As Rainbow dealt with her new situation she now found herself in, Twilight and Starlight were busy pouring over every book, scroll, and tome they had on runes and jewels.
“Okay so this set on left spike ‘A’ is to limit the amount of magical energies the jewel can use at any given point in time.” Twilight sighed as she mapped the jewel out on a bit of parchment, “Or at least that’s what it looks like, I can’t find anything on most of these runes. Maybe every third to fifth is one that has been documented.”
“Well if that’s the case, then that would explain why it didn’t stay open for too long.” Looking at another part of the jewel Starlight took notes on the runes while comparing what could be referenced, “And right side ‘A’ has a similar set, but differs half way down.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked as she walked over to add to the map of the jewel.
“Well halfway down it does restrict how much is used, but right here is a whole new set.” Pointing to the change, Starlight brought over a book showing the different set, “Right here it seems like the runes go from limiting how much magic the jewel can use, to syphoning off the excess magic like they keeping it from storing anymore.”
“But why?” Twilight asked pondering this new information as they looked back and forth, between the jewel and the books.
“Because the first pony to ever have it wanted to ensure the jewel could not take anypony into another world.” A booming voice called out to them followed by a flash of light as Princess Luna came into the room, “I got your letter Twilight, and I feared this to be true. I always called it the Jewel of Dreams, but years after I first found it I was searching through a dense forest and came across this.” Passing to them an old torn up journal Luna continued to explain, “The pony who once owned this also owned that jewel, though much of the journal is missing somethings were still there. This jewel will take a pony into another world, one so hostile and near inhospitable, that no normal pony could live there for long.”
Looking through the journal Twilight let out a faint groan, “Princess…” She hesitated to say as she held out the section of the book they needed, “this page talks about them discovering runes in that world, but then it skips over to them detailing some kind of dragon pony hybrid that kept chasing them.” Looking through the pages Twilight noticed something odd about the ink, “I’ve never seen a red ink before.”
“That’s because its mixed carefully with the original owner’s blood.” Luna replied as she lowered her head and looked away.
Continuing to read through the pages with an odd mix of disgust and confusion upon her face, Twilight soon came across the passage that explained the need for that.
*This damned bitch doggs me night after night, even going so far as to use the sister of the jewel to draw me back into this world. My only saving grace is that I learned each drop into this world is never the same place, and once I have my bearings straight I easily make my way back home. But each time I have less and less of this journal when I do, so I’ve been careful enough to leave behind pieces that would be of use to any creature who could be foolish enough to tamper with the jewel.
Sadly however I know this part won’t be among those left behind as that bitch is wising up to my tricks, making me require a new plan to deal with her. How I wish I could use my magic or even fly in that accursed world, for some reason despite being able to feel the energies in the air I can’t tap into them. The runes are quite capable of tapping into them or more accurately drawing them in for use, which makes me wonder if a race once lived there and knew the reason behind why they could only cast in this manner.
Even flying is a problem as I need two things to make it possible to even get over large distances quickly, I need hight and a strong gust of wind equal enough to knocking me over. And even then I’m limited to gliding for however far the wind will take me, making it almost seem faster to just walk or run if the situation calls for the latter.
For the time being however I’m glad she’s still a little confused and tracking down the pages inked in my blood, they carry the strongest part of my scent that drives her wild from what I’ve seen. So crazy that she almost stuck around to fight her so called counterpart just to try and get at what she assumed was me, it was a risk to do that, but I’m glad I did it just to know how to trick her for a time. One thing I can be grateful for to her dragging me into this world so much, is the runes I continue to discover and come across.
Each so unique and different, the native language of whomever left them behind is difficult to decipher but more than helpful. As I’ve learned how to mix them with the magic of my world to make something stronger to bind the jewel, once I get back to the sister jewel I’ll apply the first of the runes at the temple. It will make it impossible for her to ever get near it ever again and drag me or any creature there again, then I’ll carve the next several sets into the jewel to ensure that it can’t be easily activated.
At best I’ll only be able to restrict its use for so long, not sure how long as of yet, as these are untested combinations and could have very volatile effects. And the last thing I need to do is destroy the jewel, I attempted that once and it nearly blew up the room I stored it in. As far as I know I’m the only pony who can access the realm of dreams, so maybe I’ll dump it off there in the darkest part where no creature could access it. With a little luck it may go unnoticed for all of time.*
“So that’s why you named it as you did, but you had no clue what it really was when you first found it?” Twilight inquired as she read through what bits of the journal remained.
“Correct.” Luna replied as she turned the page to what shown to be an inkblot of sorts, “After I came back to Equestria from my banishment, I dug up this old journal from my old private archives. I soon learned of that creature there.”
“No offence Princess Luna, but that’s just a drop of ink between two pages.” Starlight said as she tilted her head to try and make out what it appeared to be, “Looks like a cloud to me.”
“According to the original owner of this journal, that is actually a parasite with no solid form.” Luna explained as she turned the page containing information about it, “As you can see even the original owner had an encounter with this creature, stating how it uses a small part of itself to track its target. It latches a small piece onto the unsuspecting host and then follows something that emanates from that piece, what it is they never did discover but clearly it can track that piece between worlds.”
“I call it a parasite because of how it feeds off its host just enough to live, yet unlike a normal parasite it doesn’t feed to a point of killing the host. One thing I can document about it, is that this creature is rather powerful enough to alter the mind of its host making them seek out dark areas. This only happens as the creature gains further control over the host, and if the host is perceptive enough to realize this change then they can fight against the thoughts and urges the parasite creates.” Twilight read aloud to everypony in the room before looking at Princess Luna, “So when it latched onto you, you had no way of knowing and because you often work during the evening. There would have been almost no change to your prior thoughts.”
“That is correct, it was clever enough to notice my jealousy for the love and affection the subjects gave to my sister.” Looking down at her hooves she turned away in shame, “It pushed those thoughts to create the idea of making an eternal night, and in turn changed me into Nightmare Moon.”
“That explains why the writer even goes into detail of how to kill the parasite.” Twilight replied as she continued to read.
*My first encounter with this blasted scurge granted me much insight, while it hates light in all forms and grows stronger the darker things tend to be. It is similar to other creatures of that world, the sunlight in my world kills it off, though it takes constant interaction with the light to make it happen. I wouldn’t have the capability to keep up with the sun long enough to make that happen.
So instead I created another way to deal with it, by combining a rune from both worlds I managed to create a stone that shines like the sun in even the darkest of caves. The only downside to it comes from the runes themselves, the size of the stone, and the amount of time needed for it to work. The larger the stone, the more time it has to sit out in the sun to work later.*
“Isn’t that surprising” Starlight giggled as she rubbed under her chin, “a source of solar powered light in the form of the rune.”
“Yes, but it states that too large of a stone and it may never get enough of a charge.” Twilight replied as she held out the pages, “Too small of a stone and it won’t have enough of a charge to last longer than an hour at best.” Turning through the pages of the journal Twilight groaned, “So this goes into detail of monsters and creatures we’ve never faced, and it even mentioned a sister jewel to allow a way back from that world. So we have a way to get Rainbow back here, but it doesn’t seem to mention how.”
“That is true.” Princess Luna chimed in as she turned the pages to an image of what they could only assume to be the sister jewel, “The pages following were torn out as a means to help confuse whatever was chasing the writer, so we can only assume that those pages are in the world Rainbow Dash is in. Giving her a chance to know how to come back.”
“If she can ever find the pages.” Starlight added before covering her mouth in a faint tone of shame, “Sorry, it's just that we have no idea where Rainbow could have landed or even where the pages are hidden.”
“Which is why we are going to spend as long as we can studying this journal to find a way to help Rainbow Dash from where we are.” Twilight replied as she flipped through the book till she found a few sets of runes and descriptions, “And we are starting right here.”
As Twilight and the others poured through their portion of the journal, Rainbow sobbed in the world she had been forced into.
“It’s okay, it’s going to be…” She whimpered as she tied off the stub of her leg near a roaring fire.
“You taste far better than I expected,” The creature chuckled as it savored Rainbow’s leg, “a bit gamey and chewy than I’m used to. But I’ll accept it nonetheless.” As the creature snacked on Rainbow’s severed leg, Rainbow Dash pulled a burning piece of wood out of the fire.
“F~u~ck!” Rainbow cried out as she pressed her stub against the burning piece to cauterize her open flesh.
“Now that smells even more delectable than this raw piece.” The creature groaned as she slowly neared Rainbow, “Maybe I’ll cut off another limb and toss it into the fire just to see how it smells and tastes.” Rainbow sobbed as she reached for another burning piece and pointed it at the creature, “Sorry, but that won’t harm me.” The creature stated as it pressed its chest into the burning wooden spear.
“I’m not losing another limb just because you’re hungry.” Rainbow sobbed still feeling the searing pain of her stub, “Come any closer and I’ll rip your fucking heart out.”
The creature laughed as it neared Rainbow, “Like you would ever stand a chance of th-” It began to boast only to groan as its head snapped up and looked towards the left, “bastard.” It groaned before backing away from Rainbow, “We’ll pick this up some other time.” The creature claimed as it rushed off just before the ground started shaking.
Rainbow groaned in relief as she passed out from the pain. It was several hours before she woke up only to stare at something flapping about in the faint breeze, held down in the mouth a skull of a strange creature. Limping over she soon found it to be more pages of the journal tightly clamped within the creature’s teeth.
*Surviving here is difficult enough without anything to eat, though I’d never say it back home to anypony I’ve come to enjoy the taste of meat. I almost want to sympathize with my stalker, but that would mean I’d give myself to that creature just to say I did the right thing. Sadly for it I’d rather watch the damn thing starve as it tries to track me down, last night it almost stuck around for its counterpart to arrive.
I’d have to say one more minute at best, but that thing moves so slow it could have been morning by the time they fought. Though as fast as my stalker took off it was clearly closer than that. The oddest thing about last night from what I could see had me rather confused, I mean sure I had heard it speak a few times but that was just telepathy so the voice could have been anything.
But lastnight I had a good view of it, and I swear I thought I saw it was female. I could be wrong as its body is all I can see in the dark, as it emits a glowing light from itself. Maybe tonight I’ll investigate as I found a set of runes that can trap it. For how long I’m not sure, I won’t have time to study them till after dark. Already I can hear those damn beasts drawing near, if only I had a name for them like smoke pests, dark hounds, I have been tempted to make it something insultive like boner farts. But even I feel that’s too foalish in nature.*
Looking through the pages Rainbow saw the runes and the details of each, event he explanation and hasty written notes on the page containing the trap. *The trap holds better than expected, and I was able to confirm that yes it’s a bitch from how it cursed me and threatened to kill me. On a side note I was able to discover that it is female which only makes me question if the counterpart is male, or if she has a male among her species to procreate.
Going back to the trap it seems to be holding longer than I first anticipated, I had first guessed five minutes from what I understand of these runes. But now I’m wondering if these traps last longer based on the strength of what’s caught in them. And if so, would it be possible to add an amplification to make it hold longer.
With any luck I may be able to do away with her all at once by forcing her to face her counterpart, while I run as far as I can get in the dark, or maybe even just bait my next trap at dawn then let everything fall into place. I doubt she’d be that stupid to think I waited in the same spot all day, maybe a trap set up further out, perhaps half a day’s trip or so? I’ll see what I can do by leaving a decoy half a day out then plan from there.*
Looking over the runes and the continued description for each, Rainbow began to study them as best she could.
“I wish egghead was here.” She sobbingly groaned as she rubbed her throbbing head.
The first set of runes were at least simple enough for her to understand, it left a decoy in place of the real thing to confuse everything in that world. Everything about the decoy was identical to the original with the exception of movement or speaking, it could stay in place of the original for as long as it was needed. Looking over several others, Rainbow found some notes that put a faint grin upon her face.
*Who knew there was a rune that causes explosions in this world. I spent the last few days carefully tweaking it to give it a delay for either time, or a trigger of some kind as if it could be tripped. If I carve the rune into something, then wrap it with a piece of cloth marked by the rune for my decoy.
Then I think I could do something about that bitch. Though my problem would be if any of the other creatures attacked it as well, not that I wouldn't mind it very much anyway, just that it could be a waste of a decoy. I know that the trap works as I’ve tested it in the area surrounding my home, a few birds went poppity pop, pop, pop, but later I learned a hydra had eaten one my decoys and lost its life as well.
Though I find that to be interesting and rather insightful, I can’t make a comparison from that lumbering pest to the one that stalks me. She has claimed that nothing can harm her, so I wonder if that’s just from the outer scales on her body, or if her internal organs are also protected. Only way to know is to kill her then carve open the cadaver for dissection, preferably within the confines of my home.
Where I will have all the time in the world to study her to the fullest. Though I have come to ponder if she lays eggs like dragons do, and the need for a male is non-existant or the male is her counterpart and their conflict results in a recreation similar to the phoenix. I’ll know for sure once I’ve had my chance to poke around in her squishy bits.*
Knowing the day was still early, Rainbow began practicing how to use the runes. Her main hope was to better prepare herself for the next encounter she may have with her newly acquired stalker. The only thing that made her ponder if there was a way to kill the creature was the last page, where the original owner pondered if she could be killed at all without facing her counterpart.
For the time being it was the only bit of hope Rainbow had, as she began to plan surviving this place just to make it back home.
Chapter 5 Maps, Maps Everywhere, And Not A Path To See
“How can this make any sense!?” Twilight groaned as she went over what few pages they had, “North of the Valley of Deathly Chills, East of the Crimson Tower Spike, but West of the Fields of Frozen Flames? I get these are places in that world, but couldn’t they have at least drawn a second map?”
Starlight and Luna blushed as they knew Twilight was asking no pony but herself, “So while she tries to figure that out, what can you tell me about that parasite that latched onto you.” Starlight asked only to see Luna turn her head away, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” She began to say only to stop and change her statement, “I didn’t realize that you still feel bad about what happened.”
“I-it’s alright Starlight Glimmer,” Luna whispered as she tried to find the words to explain how it happened, “It was shortly after I discovered the jewel within the dream realm, it was like any other night I was up alone. I went into the realm and entered the nightmares of others to help them find the answers, and resolutions to problems they didn’t know how to deal with during the waking day.” For a moment Luna paused as she looked up at the jewel to see a faint shine from one of the runes, “But that night there wasn’t any nightmares for me to tend to, there wasn’t anypony who needed help so I just walked among the dreams. Enjoying the wonderful things they wished for or enjoyed doing themselves, it was then I saw that jewel shine like it is now.” With those words the two smaller mares jumped back as Luna walked towards it, “But when I saw it back then I could only see it as a small dot, no bigger than maybe the tip of a quill at best.”
Slowly stepping closer to it, Twilight examined the glowing rune, “I’ve seen that one before.” Twilight whispered as she looked through the journal, “Here it is!” She exclaimed as the others came closer towards her to have a look, “According to this, the rune that’s glowing now is meant to keep this jewel dormant for as long as possible. And it does this by draining what magic the jewel tries to take in, and if that’s the case then that means…” Twilight groaned as she flipped through the pages, “that these following runes aid in disrupting the jewel’s use of magic up to a certain amount.”
“And what of the other runes?” Starlight asked as a second bottom rune on the far left began to shine.
“That one, according to this, acts as a means to force out any overflow of magic the first rune can’t.” Twilight giggled as she smiled with enthusiasm to learn how the runes interacted with one another, “Oh this is amazing, which one or ones are lighting up next?” Twilight asked as she faintly bounced off the ground.
“None of them are.” Luna said as she looked up and down the jewel, “Maybe there’s something about it in the journal?”
Flipping through the pages Twilight soon came across an odd bit of information, *Though I fear this part will be useless to whomever reads it, I still feel that it must be noted and inked within these bindings.The runes I’ve carefully etched into this damned jewel don’t just restrict the usage of the damn thing, or how often it activates, but some runes don’t do anything to aid in restricting the jewel. Sadly I seemed to have lost a bit of my mind while working, staying up late and working on as little sleep as possible.
All just to ensure that bitch can’t come after me again, and no pony could ever fall into that world. The runes do something else remarkably when active, if used right they can grant communication between that world and wherever the caster is from. Sadly however, the runes don’t work in reverse and I have no idea why I etched them into the jewel.
At least no idea in my stable rational mind, I’d have to check back in my notes to see if crazy me left anything.* Looking through the journal they found nothing more on the matter other than a small note on another page, *Can’t blame me for this, blame crazy me, that bitch is an asshole who can’t write to save her life. Or at least it appears that way, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.*
“So that part she’s talking about is in the other world with Rainbow.” Luna groaned as they looked over the runes, “And one way communication only, that makes this far more difficult than expected.”
“Maybe,” Twilight sighed as she looked over several books on long distance communication through magic, “it says one way but maybe because it acts as a focus point.”
“You mean like Spike when he burns those scrolls with his breath?” Starlight inquired as she looked over to see the young dragon going over a check list of things he had to do.
“Sort of,” Twilight replied as she as she came to the section regarding runes, while looking at theory on interdimensional communication, “Spike just sends a message from one point in this world to another point in this same world, but when he does it he has to have the individual and their location pictured in his mind.”
“So you’re thinking we could find a similar rune in these books, and reverse the effect?” Luna asked as she looked down at the page Twilight had opened.
“Well that’s the problem.” Twilight Groaned as she looked at the rune and several paragraphs that followed its image, “According to this we start with the basic vocal rune for leaving messages, then add the proper markings for distance as well as vocal pitch and audio level.”
“In other words we need to know where Rainbow is in that world to contact her.” Starlight sighed as she looked at the directions the journal owner had left, “Well it looks like we are back to square one.” With a grone she slowly looked at the notes she took in regards to directions, “If only we had a map of that place, then these would at least make some sense as to where we can try first.”
“But we still come back to the same problem as before.” Luna chimed in as she rubbed the back of her head, “The fact that she could have landed anywhere, and depending on if she’s moved or not making it that much harder to guess where she is.”
All three mares groaned at how impossible things had become for them, and how this strange new world now held their friend with no real means for them to help her. At best all they could do was study what they had, and find a way to control the jewel. If such a thing was possible.
Rainbow Dash walked through an oddly empty vally, turning her head left and right as she scouted for possible threats. The world she had been stuck in shown no mercy in any form outside of the small shelters she came across, she had even come to learn not to be so trusting with the loss of her left eye. A creature begging for help had spit acid into Rainbow’s face hoping to have an easy meal, Rainbow could thank the skills she had gained during her time in this place.
As the creature began to spit she turned her head without a thought only to lose her eye, and with it a patch of her flesh just above. She had even learned to give up on flying in this world as a strange skeletal like bird shot a spike of some kind through her right wing. The area around the hole would itch from time to time, and when that creature was near she would feel a throbbing pain.
How she cursed her situation and how she ended up being there, though what kept her going was the thought of returning home and being with her friends and loved ones. Up till now she had learned to survive off what pages she managed to collect, or her lucky charms as she had come to call them. Each page detailing how to live in this world, how to get drinkable water, and though she wouldn’t say it eating other creatures.
The last page she had gathered was the biggest lifesaver while also putting her in the most danger, *The water in this place may be toxic, but from my scouting I’ve come to learn that the shadow beasts can drink the water and be fine. I learned how to catch them and studied all I could on my live subject, some nights I almost wish I could record the screams so I can listen to them as I drift off into my slumber. What I had learned however was rather strange, if I remove the intestine and bladder from them I can make a water sack I can drink from.
I’m not at all sure how this is possible, but I’m more than grateful for it now that I can drink something. What I do know is that they lack a liver to filter any toxins out, which makes me wonder if everything here is pure to them. Regardless the intestine bladder sack I made seems to take the toxic water and makes it pure for me, I’d like to study this when I get back home to know how it works.
But that puts my home land at risk to these things, and I cannot ensure it won’t escape. And though I’m ashamed to admit it, I cannot get the taste of their flesh out of my mouth. So succulent and mouth watering, and don’t even get me started on that flavor. Going back to the food I used to eat will be a challenge once I’ve sealed up the jewel.*
Rainbow had come to know what original owner meant in her words, the water she drank sat within the intestine and kidney of one of these creatures. But even with this supply of water Rainbow knew she couldn’t make it with only that. Rainbow had come to learn of the different flavors from each of the creatures she faced, some had even come to keep their distance from her when they were alone.
*How long have I been here?* She asked herself as she walked looking down at the map she had acquired, *Will anypony recognize me when I get back, am I even still the same Rainbow Dash they knew and loved?* Noticing how much darker it had become Rainbow looked for shelter as she tucked the map away, *Even if I did kill that bitch, there’s nothing to say something worse could come. I’d rather have the pain in the ass I know, rather than one I don’t.* She groaned as a shack came into her view, *How stupid does that thing think I am?* She scoffed as she reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a stone and carving tool, *Any port in a storm I assume, but I’m killing it first.* Rainbow groaned as she began to carve a rune into the stone.
Walking up close to the shack Rainbow carefully opened the door only to faintly gag at the smell. Something she knew she would never get used to regardless of however many times she encountered it. Tossing the stone in to the shack Rainbow quickly closed the door and held it shut as best she could, slowly the building shook, rattled and eventually began to cry out through the closed door in pain.
As it all came to a slow halt Rainbow watched as the walls and doors began to sag, “Fucking shapeshifters.” She groaned as she opened the door only to be hit with a burst of hot air, and the smell of burning flesh.
Walking in Rainbow sighed as she knew half way through the night, she would be overwhelmed with the smell of a decaying corpse. But at the very least that smell would cover up her own scent, making it that much harder for her stalker to track her down for that evening. Pulling out the map and several pages that went into great detail about the runes, Rainbow began looking for her way home.
“Where is my lucky charm?” She groaned only to hear her stalker walking around outside.
“Where are you my sweet delectable morsel?” She called out hoping Rainbow’s arrogance would take hold and betray her, “I know you were just here, your scent is so strong in the area an-” She began to mock as the smell of the newly dead shapeshifter filled her nostrils, “Oh you fowl little whore!” She cried out with the sounds of her hooves running far off into the distance, “Did you cover yourself in your own shit, what in all this world is that smell!?” Rainbow snickered as she continued to go over the map and runes, finding satisfaction from her recent kill lending far more aid than expected.
Hearing her stalker was gone to escape the smell, Rainbow pulled out a brass band wrapped around a rune carved stone, “There’s my lucky charm.” She faintly laughed as she compared it to the runes she had, “Okay that makes sense, hell of a way to read a map but it works I guess.” Holding up the stone to her eye the rune began to glow causing the stone to become clear, “Neat trick, wish you didn’t send me halfway around the fucking world to get this trinket.” Rainbow cursed the original owner as she wished the map and her guiding tool were in the same area, “Lets see, I’m here…” She hummed to herself as she looked down at the map, “So where is this sister jewel you apparently loved rubbing yourself with?” Upon the map several locations had come into view, closest to Rainbow was the Fields of Frozen Flames just on the other side of a small mound of rolling hills.
Looking around the map Rainbow soon saw a violet shine, she let out a groaning sigh as she cursed her luck and the original owner of the journal, *You have to be fucking with me!* Rainbow thought to herself as she faintly whimpered, *I was just north of that area three days ago, and you’re telling me I could have been home that much sooner!?* Marked on the map it was just as Twilight had read from her portion of the map, North of the Valley of Deathly Chills, East of the Crimson Tower Spike, but West of the Fields of Frozen Flames.
“Okay,” Rainbow sighed as she followed the map with her hooves, “it’s a two day journey through the fields. But if I remember right, there should be an inactive gateway that should shorten the trip to just a few steps. And that is~” She began to claim with a hint of joy in her voice till she found the place on the map, “one week’s trip to the center of the Valley of Deathly Chills. Where that fucking undead dragon and its cannibalistic kin live. I could go back there and return the favor of what they did to my wing, but that would be pointless when I could just go home.” She sighed recalling how the fields burned parts of her fur with the icy winds that swept through the area.
With her mind made up Rainbow knew what she had to do, in the end she believed her three day trip would have to be longer than that. And a pitstop near the mating grounds for the shadow beasts was the best choice, after all their pelts would help to cover her her own coat granting a bit of protection from the cold.
As Rainbow planned her trip to return home, Twilight and Luna were soon given terrible news as Starlight faintly groaned, “Girls, we can’t bring Rainbow back.”
“What!?” Twilight and Luna exclaimed as they quickly walked over to Starlight, hoping that what she said was a mistake.
“Ya according to this, the last set of runes make it impossible for us to use willingly.” Pointing to the line of written words she continued, “I have to ensure that no creature foolishly uses this damn thing, so the best I can do is restrict its use from the user and set it to only a moment in time.”
“So then we can only wait till the jewel wants to activate?” Luna asked as they continued to read.
“It’s worse than that I’m afraid.” Starlight sighed as she continued on, “Unless the sister jewel is activated by some means on the other end, a gateway allowing transfer from that world into this one cannot form. However a gate going from this one to that one will open as a result, but will only pull within twenty feet of itself.”
“So that’s why Rainbow got pulled in, and everything else was just a mess.” Twilight pondered as she began to measure out the distance, “So then she was holding out her saddle bag just past the twenty feet, that’s why it wasn’t pulled in as well.”
“And to add to that problem, we could be pulled in as well when it activates.” Luna groaned as she slowly stepped a little further back, “As we wouldn’t know when or even if Rainbow has reached the sister jewel.”
“But if a gate opens.” Twilight hmmed as she slowly started pacing back and forth, “If it starts to pull things in, maybe we could send something through. And hope Rainbow gets it. Or…” Twilight claimed as she slowly gave a devilish smile.
“Or?” The other two mares asked as they worried what Twilight had in mind.
“We could mix a location tracking spell with a scrying spell, and attach it to whatever it is we send through.” The violet mare claimed as she slowly started to draw out her plan on a blank piece of parchment, “The object falls through into that world allowing us to track it on this end, wherever it lands we will get to see what’s there and hopefully see how Rainbow is if it falls anywhere near her.”
“But how can we even ensure that our magic will still work in that world?” Luna inquired as she looked at the simple drawings Twilight shown them.
“Didn’t you try to use magic when you got pulled in?” Starlight asked as she recalled Luna having explained her own experience with this other world.
“I actually never tried to use magic in that world.” Luna claimed as she rubbed her chin thinking back to that time, “I fell into that world next to another jewel just like the one before us, I touched it and came back into the dream realm. I feared what would have happened if I didn’t return to lower the moon at the right hour.”
“Since we don’t know if our magic can work, then why not use the one thing that does seem to work regardless of where it is.” Twilight giggled as she pranced towards the jewel, “We make our own runes for both, and carve it into the object we send in.”
“And if it lands in the middle of nowhere and Rainbow never comes close to it, then what?” Starlight faintly laughed as she rolled her eyes hoping the joke would help lighten the mood.
“Or what if we get the runes wrong and nothing happens?” Luna chimed in as she looked over a chapter in regards to crafting runes.
Twilight gasped as she teleported with magic, popping up next to Luna and flipping through the pages, “Or worse we get it wrong and it blows up in our face, or turns us into statues, or even-” Twilight trailed off as Starlight slowly walked up to Luna.
“We just had to get her started didn’t we?” Starlight groaned as the two mares watched Twilight go stir crazy with the possibilities of what could or couldn’t happen.
Luna sighed as she shook her head at the sight before her, “Well we all have our moments, I believe it would be best for us to let her work this out on her own.” Turning her attention towards Starlight, Luna continued to explain, “I don’t know much about that other world, only that when I had arrived there it was already rather dark. Almost as if there was a thick cloud of smoke blanketing the place.”
“Like there would be when a building is on fire.” Starlight said to make a similarity between the two.
“In a way yes.” Luna nodded in response, “Only this smoke had no source and was constant throughout that world, or at least what little of the area I was in. When I returned everything seemed fine to me, and I carried on with my task of lowering the moon. Thought for the first time in my life I had thoughts against lowering it, even wanting to keep it up in the sky for just an hour longer.”
“Is it possible something came back with you, or rather inside of you?” Starlight inquired as she looked passed Luna and straight towards the journal, “Forgive me for speculating, but the writer did mention some creatures over there being similar to a parasite. And how they could go unnoticed in many cases.”
“It is a possibility that could have happened.” Luna sighed as she thought about the events that caused her to turn into Nightmare Moon, “But still it would all come down to me having made that first choice to tamper with the jewel, and to eventually take it out of the dream realm and put it in the castle my sister and I once ruled.”
As Starlight acknowledged Luna’s willingness to lay claim to her own faults, Twilight continued to rack her brain against the metaphorical wall that she had come to know. All in the namesake of trying to find a way to communicate with their lost friend.
The day was coming to its long drawn out end as Rainbow walked through the open valley, all around her was just a vast open plane stretching further than the eye could see. Her last bit of refuge was half a day’s trip back where she came from, just at the edge of the Fields of Frozen Flames. Those lands had left most of her senses feeling dull, the flames were hot enough to make her body feel freezing cold with a single touch.
Oddly an advantage she was able to abuse to no end, though the fields burned endlessly with no signs of stopping. There was a fragrance that seemed to fill the air even a hundred miles out, it made Rainbow feel like she could go for years on end without food, water, or rest. And while it was much like where she found herself, her stalker apparently avoided those lands entirely.
Though in her stead something nearly as terrible as her roamed freely and unaffected by the smell. A horrid disfigured creature standing nearly taller than the mountain that cradled Canterlot, it was deathly thin with yellowed skin and glowing eyes walked through the area devouring everything it could get. Yet regardless of how much it ate it still hunted for more to consume.
Despite the creature’s appearance and obvious dominance in the area, it clearly avoided the flames in full fear of them. Rainbow had pondered if that creature could kill her stalker if they fought, but even still she had to risk more than just the odd chance they’d ignore one another as her life would rest on the line. But her thoughts on the matter slowly began to fade from her mind as her eyes gazed upon a large stone structure.
At best it could have been a city block away from where she stood, yet even still Rainbow was ecstatic as she began to jog towards it. The place was just as the map had suggested it would be, resting dead center of this obvious death trap of an empty plane. Her way home, her escape from this world, her chance to be reunited with her friends once more.
All she could hope for was now within her grasp and slowly being pulled away, as the world around her slowly started to turn dark. Rainbow picked up her pace galloping towards the structure, her only safe haven against her stalker this evening.
“NO YOU DON’T!” Rainbow’s stalker cried out as she burst through the ground in a blind hungry rage, “I’ll not lose my new meal so easily!” She exclaimed as she pinned Rainbow into the dirt, “That last bitch escaped me time and time again, and I’ve been starving for the taste of such sweet meat from another like her. I’ll not give you up so easily.” She snarled as she slowly tried to take a bite out of Rainbow’s left shoulder.
As her teeth pressed down into Rainbow’s flesh, the creature’s prey slowly began to expand. Rainbow’s stalker quickly became confused at her meal’s ever rapidly growing size.
“YOU BITCH!” She cried out in sudden realization as the expanding double exploded in her face.
“Didn’t like that too much did ya?” Rainbow laughed as her voice moved with no trace of her taking a step, “I found a few new runes for playing tricks on others, but I had to fix them just for you.” Rainbow’s stalker followed the sound of Rainbow’s voice, only to grow frustrated and confused as she tried to match it with Rainbow’s smell, “That one only messed with your sense of smell and your hearing. But maybe the next one will send you off somewhere far away, the hell if I know or care.”
“Dirty trick.” She groaned poking the closest double to herself, “I bite the wrong one and I could be finished is that it?”
“Something like that.” Rainbow teased as she unveiled her plan, “I wanted to keep you on the tips of your hooves long enough for me to escape and get to that damn jewel, what’s worse about it, you could be stuck there long enough for your other half to show up.”
As the doppelgangers began to mockingly laugh at their cornered victim, Rainbow continued to run as fast as she could towards the structure. All at once she heard a loud burst followed by a shockwave that knocked her off her hooves. Looking back at her trap Rainbow was shocked to see what her stalker had done, with great haste Rainbow struggled to get back onto her hooves while trying to move forward.
“How’s that for a trick!?” The stalker cried out as she charged Rainbow in a fit of furry and hunger, “Your little trap can’t hold me if there’s nothing left of it.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Rainbow groaned as she slowly gained her balance and ran for the structure, “I’m almost home, I’m almost home, I’m almost-” Rainbow chanted to herself only to cry out in pain as she felt her stalker’s teeth biting down on her back right hoof.
“No more tricks, no more waiting, no more games.” She wailed as she pulled Rainbow back, “I’ll keep you alive for as long as I can, feasting upon your succulent flesh slowly. Hearing your cries of pain, listening to you beg for death as I slowly tear you apart piece by tiny agonizing piece.”
Reaching as far ahead of herself as possible, Rainbow groaned as she grabbed a loose stone. In one quick motion she struck her stalker across the head, causing her to release Rainbow from her grasp while lamenting in pain.
“I’ve got one last trick up my ass.” Rainbow groaned as she limped up the stairs, “I call it a ‘Fuck you’.” Rainbow pressed upon her open wound, dripping her blood and smearing it across the step she was on, “Hope you enjoy it.” Rainbow mocked as her stalker dove for her, only to clash with the barrier that kept her from nearing the structure.
“You whore!” She cried out as she slammed her hooves against the barrier, the smell of Rainbow’s blood filling her nostrils and driving her mad.
The intoxicating scent was more than she could handle, the taste from Rainbow’s hooves both from before and now rested upon the tip of her tongue. Keening she tried to dig under the berrier hoping to have one last chance at tasting her prey.
Rainbow laughed as she limped towards the jewel, “My parting gift to you bitch. A little something to remember me by, hope you love how it tastes.” She mocked while taking notice of the jewel starting to glow, “Try not to let it waste, and don’t lick it all up at once. Cause that’s all you’re getting.” Laughing harder than ever Rainbow leaned back as she felt the pull of the jewel’s gateway, for a single moment Rainbow was at peace knowing she was going home.
And yet even still she soon began to worry about how much different things were between the two worlds. And if she could readapt to the life she once had after all the time she spent in this one. In the end Rainbow knew she would have to settle for the choice she had made, and would have to live accordingly in regards to that choice.
“Some things never change.” She whispered to herself as the jewel pulled her through with her last memory of that world would now and forever be, that stalking pain in the ass going mad.
“It’s opening!” An old familiar voice cried out, making Rainbow feel at ease.
“I see something coming through.” Another familiar voice shouted with a twinge of fear.
“Perhaps it's Rainbow Dash?” Luna? Rainbow thought to herself with a faint giggle as she pondered how and why a princess would even bother with such a worthless issue.
Twilight, Luna, and Starlight watched in worried anticipation as several items began to lift off the ground. Soon enough a cyan colored hoof slipped through the gate and into their world, for a moment they all gasped in excitement and relief as a bit of a faintly rainbow colored mane was next to enter.
Their joy and wonder was brought to an abrupt end as a scared and mutilated Rainbow Dash stepped forth, “LOOK OUT!” She cried as she dove passed the three of them and tackled Spike into the closest wall, her foreleg pressed against his neck causing the young dragon to gasp and cough as he struggled.
Pulling a dagger made from bones, wood, and flesh, Rainbow prepared to gut Spike as the threat she had come to know and accept. In one quick thrust the tip of the bone dagger sat upon Spike’s stomac, his scales slowly began to show signs of boiling and melting away.
“Let me go.” Rainbow groaned as she tried to kill the dragonling she had pinned so easily.
“Rainbow, that’s Spike, he’s your friend.” Twilight groaned as she fought against this strange new strength Rainbow now had, “Why are you attacking him?”
“Spike?” Rainbow asked as she relaxed the leg Twilight had caught in her magic, “Spike…” She groaned slowly lowering him to the ground, “that’s right…” She panted as her nerves slowly began to calm, “he’s been with us since you moved here. He’s with us isn’t he?”
“Rainbow, what happened to you?” Starlight asked as she gazed upon the peg leg Rainbow now had, the hole in her right wing, and the burnt blind eye she now sported.
“It’s been a long ten years girls.” Rainbow faintly sighed as she let Spike go and leaned against a bookcase, “All that running, all that fighting, when I first came across dragons in that world I learned they could speak and think just like us. They were friendly at first, but…” Looking at the hole in her wing she looked at Spike in shame, “well you get the idea. And it wasn’t just me they attacked, I woke to them eating their own sleeping kin. To them any sign of weakness makes you a meal.”
“But you’ve been gone for only ten days.” Luna claimed as they calmly and slowly approached Rainbow.
Reaching in to her saddlebag Rainbow removed a single page, “Ten days for you.” She groaned as she passed the page to them.
*The flow of time between the worlds is odd at best,* The page began, *I never truly know how fast or how slow that world’s time is flowing till after I’ve returned home. My first trip nothing had changed between the time I left and the time I returned. But the second time I was dragged in I returned only to learn that the one day I spent there, one decade had passed at home completely unknown to me. The third time I learned that while I had been in that world for one year, half a day had passed back home and I had managed to return just in time for some unexpected company.
While I’m glad I managed to keep them from falling into that world, next time I may not be so lucky and neither will they. And yet, it makes me ponder how and even why this happens. Does the jewel cause some kind of flux in the flow of time between the worlds with each trip, or is there something else at work that causes this on the cosmic scale?
I don’t know much about the flow of time, or even how time can be affected through the use of magic. Though I have heard rumors of a young upstart named Swirlystar, Beardedswirl, something that ends with ‘The Bearded’, who seems to be tampering with such things. I would ask him about it and see what he thinks, but if he’s that willing to tamper with the flow of time, then he’d be just as stupid to want to see that other world and get himself killed.
Best I remain ignorant to the matter for the time being, till I have a better way to deal with that damn jewel. Enchantments won’t work, nor will simple negation spells, maybe these strange runes I discovered there will be of some use.*
“So time can flow differently in that place?” Twilight groaned as she slowly walked over to a chalk board and began working on equations, “But it doesn’t always flow in the same manner, sometimes slower, sometimes faster, sometimes equal to.” She mumbled to herself now lost within her train of thought.
“It’s hard to imagine that to you its been ten years.” Starlight claimed as she looked over several of Rainbow’s wounds, “What happened here?” She asked as she accidentally touched the wound causing Rainbow to faintly twitch.
“One last fight with an old pain in the ass.” Rainbow smiled as she thought about how she left her stalker in that world, “She bit me good, but I returned the favor with a rock to her skull and leaving some blood she can’t get to.”
“Seems to me like you went a tad far Ms. Rainbow Dash,” Luna sighed as she began to channel magic through her horn, “adding insult to injury was never really something you would do.”
“You spend ten years fighting for your life and then tell me if you’d come back the same way you left.” Rainbow snapped back as she took hold of the Princess’s collar, “I had to face hounds who’s bodies I could only track through the smoke coming off them, dragons who would eat their own just to live, some kind of half dragon half pony thing that ripped half my leg off of me and ate it before my eyes!” Rainbow cried out as she pulled the Princess closer into herself, “I lost my eye because I thought something was cute, cuddly, and friendly, only to learn that’s how it tricks its next meal.” Sitting back Rainbow slowly loosened her grip on Princess Luna, “I saw a monster so tall and scrawny, yet it had the power to take on a hydra and a horde of dragons all at once with its bare claws.” As her hooves slipped out from Luna’s collar, Rainbow fell over half awake, “But none of them could ever come close to that bitch who ate my leg, who stalked me for ten years constantly mocking me till I wised up. Why…” Rainbow groaned as she slowly lost consciousness, “why wouldn’t I… insult that bitch…”
Placing a hoof under Rainbow’s nose, Starlight sighed in relief, “She’s just asleep.”
“The journal pointed out how horrifying that world was,” Luna sighed as she lifted the jewel from where it sat, “but I had no idea that it was truly enough to rival the horrors of Tartarus.” Opening a portal to the dream realm Luna frowned as she looked down at Rainbow, “I should have done away with this thing when I first recovered my magic,” She sighed as she tossed it as far into the darkest section she could, “I’m sorry I didn’t remember this thing girls. I’ve nearly cost the two of you your lives and the life of your friend.”
“It’s alright Princess.” Starlight whispered as the portal to the dream realm slowly closed, “You didn’t spend much time there, nor did you read over the journal in the extent that we have in the time we were searching for a way to bring her back.” Patting Princess Luna on her shoulder, Starlight continued to comfort her, “There’s no way you could have known what she or any of us would have faced over there.”
“You’re right…” Luna sighed as she looked down at Rainbow Dash, “but at the same time your wrong. That jewel and what happened to Rainbow is my responsibility, and my burden to bare.”
As Starlight tried to comfort Luna on the matter, Spike walked up and tapped Starlight on her shoulder, “I would go to Twilight for this, but it’s hard to reach her when she gets like this.” Lifting his chin Spike pointed to a spot that had started to irritate him, “Can you tell me what’s causing this burning sensation?”
Looking at his neck where Rainbow held the dagger, Luna and Starlight saw his scales in that area had seemed to melt away. Leaving a soft pink flesh exposed and vulnerable to any and all attacks.
“What was on that thing?” Starlight asked as she looked down at the white blade, “It’s not coated in anything, and I’m not detecting any magical enchantments.” Bringing it closer to Spike they watched as the air around the dagger grew warmer, the faint waves of heat radiating off the white blade growing hotter and hotter as it got closer to Spike.
“It may not be enchanted, but it surely reacts to dragons rather negatively.” Spike whimpered as he dove behind Luna.
“I wonder why that’s so.” Starlight inquired as she looked back towards Rainbow, “Maybe it has something to do with those dragons she faced in that other world.” Overlooking the sleeping pegasis, Starlight noticed several things about her, “Look at this rope.” She called out to every creature in the room.
Holding up the multicolored rope for Luna and Spike to see, Starlight noticed that Rainbow’s mane and tail also seemed a lot longer than it normally was.
“She let her own hair grow out long enough to cut it off, and make a rope out of it?” Luna inquired as she pulled the missing half of the journal out of Rainbow’s bag.
*How I curse myself for not learning these things sooner. Oh sure, I could just buy rope from anypony in my world at any time. So readily available and in quite the abundance as well, but what fucking good does that do me here?
Not a damned one, that’s what. Thankfully I have more than enough… eh er… willing volunteers I guess I should call them, that have given me more than enough trial and error in learning how to do much of these things. Making rope, tanning hide, sk-acquiring the hide to tan it, oh fuck it not like any creature back home will read this.
Killing my would be predators and skinning them to acquire the hides I need to tan, while also granting me sustenance… oh so wonderful, succulent, delicious sustenance. How I’ll miss the taste of that meat once I return home, though I’ll be glad to be rid of this horrid water I have to carry in this bladder bag. One thing I’ll have to test back home is a dagger I recently learned how to craft, a rather odd thing that is made from the bones of some rather tall gangly looking beast.
Though that’s just one piece to make it, and rather hard to get as that thing will try to eat me and it never sleeps. The rest is sinew from the guts of a shadow beast, and a hollowed out horn from some odd looking creature I can’t even begin to try describing. Lastly it has to be made in the venom from a rabbit lizard looking thing, not sure what it is or what to call it.
Maybe it’s closer to a lizard crossed with a meerkat or a goffer, either way it looks cute at first but spreads out a fan like neck piece before trying to spit an acid of some kind. Rather strange creature, if I see one as I leave this world I’ll try to catch it so I can better study it. Regardless of that, I’ve learned that this dagger works against dragons only, and a cannibalistic group in this world fears being within a mile of it.
I’m unsure how they can detect it that far, but once I made it and went to their camp they fled. I wonder if there is a smell they pick up on, or if it's a heightened sense that warns them of the dagger. I wanted to try studying it properly but was ambushed by one that was so starved, its need to feed overwhelmed its sense of self preservation.
Or maybe their attack was brought on by self preservation due to starvation. It was rather hard to tell one way or the other, because shortly after the attack I found my dagger in his chest. Oddly he died, but not from a fatal wound, but because the dagger caused him to melt from the inside.*
“Well that explains quite a bit, but it leaves several questions in its stead.” Luna sighed as she gave the page to Starlight.
“I think it would be best we kept this away from Rainbow Dash.” Starlight faintly chuckled with a worrying tone in her voice, “She dove strait for poor Spike, no telling what she’ll do next time he startles her.”
“I believe that will be the least of our worries.” Luna faintly groaned in a worried tone, “She was thrown into a world with nothing but hostile creatures trying to kill and eat her, adapted to that world as though it was normal, and now she’s back in a world where such a thing is rather scarce. I fear what she will do when she doesn’t have an outlet for the tendencies she’s picked up over there.
It was three days till Rainbow woken from her slumber, at times while Twilight and her friends tended to the sleeping mare. They tried to be cautious and let her rest as soundly as can be, only to find each little creak of the floor, every light step of their hooves, any little thing that seemed out of place startled their sleeping friend. Causing Rainbow to jump at them in a frenzy with full intent to kill whomever disturbed her, at times even Twilight found it difficult to contend with this change in her friend.
The only one of them who found little to no challenge in dealing with Rainbow, just happened to be Pinkie Pie.
Yet even still she had her complaints, “Do any of you know how hard it is to dodge darts at the last minute?” She groaned while digging into her mane and pull out a sharpened elongated bone, “Where is she even hiding these things?” She shouted before curling up to whimper her following question, “And how does she know where to throw them without looking?”
“I have to agree with Pinkie on this darling.” Rarity sighed as she tried to remove some strange substance from her mane, “You say she’s been sleeping this whole time, yet she’s clearly booby trapped that room. I took one step into there and found myself…” Blushing she lowered her head, “well Spike found me before going to get you for help, and I’d rather not talk about it.”
“At least yours was just some gunk she got you caught up in with some embarrassment,” Applejack groaned as she tapped her hoof on the table, “I’ve lost three good apple barrels to her. And almost ended up on a cast. What all did she go through in that other world?”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” Rainbow yawned as she walked into the room, “How long was I asleep?”
“Three days.” Twilight replied as she walked up to Rainbow who only jumped back when Twilight came within hoof’s reach.
Looking at Twilight and the others in shock, Rainbow cleared her throat as she rubbed her shoulder, “Y-yea, its been a long time and a lot has happened.”
“Well it’s always bes-” Pinkie began to claim as she popped up out of nowhere only to be interrupted as Rainbow punched her in the face.
As Pinkie Pie landed on the ground sobbing, Rainbow stood there unflinching as her pupils narrowed and her eyes shook. The sudden surprise from Pinkie caused Rainbow to flash back to the first shapeshifter she had faced, at the time it appeared like one of her friends happy and ready to greet her. But when her guard was down it vanished from Rainbow’s sight only to pop up as something horrifying, making every attempt to swallow her whole at every chance of every second it could.
While in that world there were still some nights Rainbow would relive every horrid experience, all as she slept recalling how close she had always been to death.
“Rainbow?” A faint voice ringed in her ear slowly pulling her out of her current state of mind, “Rainbow?” The voice called again this time much clearer, “Rainbow!” Twilight shouted tapping Rainbow on her shoulder causing her to tackle Twilight.
“FUCKING SHAPESHIFTER!” Rainbow cried out as she tried to strangle Twilight.
Without hesitation Applejack, Rarity, and Starlight struggled to separate Rainbow from Twilight while Fluttershy did what she could to assist Pinkie.
“Rainbow we are your friends, you are home now.” Starlight groaned trying to hold Rainbow back, while Applejack and Rarity struggled to keep Rainbow from swinging her hooves.
“When did she get this strong?” Aj asked as Rainbow’s hoof slipped through her grasp, “Oh nelly.” She shockingly claimed as Rainbow’s hoof swung back striking Applejack square in muzzle.
As Applejack fell back holding her now bleeding nostrils, Rarity soon felt herself being flung around similar to a rag doll. As Rainbow tossed Rarity across the room, Twilight cast a spell to catch Rarity and set her down gently. Looking towards Rainbow, Twilight quickly cast a spell to teleport Starlight away from the rampaging mare.
With the sensation of being touched gone, Rainbow stood there hyperventilating as her heart rate rushed faster than it ever had. No pony knew what to make of this outburst, or what to make of Rainbow’s sudden frozen state and shocked expression.
“Rainbow?” Twilight softly called out as she calmly walked to the now sweating mare, “Rainbow it's us, your friends. You came back three days ago and passed out after an outburst towards Princess Luna, you just woke up after sleeping for three days.” Slowly Rainbow began to come out of her fractured state of mind as tears rolled down her face, “It’s okay Rainbow, you’re home now, you’re safe among friends and loved ones.”
Looking around the room Rainbow took in the devastation she caused to her friends, “Fuck me.” Rainbow sobbed as she looked at the friends she harmed and scared, “Twilight, I’m so sorry. I-I don’t know what came over me.”
“Well darling,” Rarity softly spoke while keeping her distance, “why don’t you tell us what you remember happening just now.”
“A shapeshifter popped up out of nowhere, it was like my first time facing one of them all over again.” Rainbow sobbed as she sat down, “But this time there was five of them, when normally they hunt alone. One startled me so I punched it, another tried to grab me and I didn’t have my runes so I tried to strangle it. But more just kept coming at me, they were going to eat me.” Looking at the others Rainbow slowly buried her face into her hooves, “But that’s not what happened is it?”
Twilight held out her hoof to Rainbow letting her make the choice of what to do next, “Rainbow are you alright?” Twilight asked as she tried to make sense of what had just transpired.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME!?” Rainbow cried out as she backed up to the wall, “I don’t understand what just happened, I know I was here and then I was there, and now I’m back here again.” Laying next to the wall Rainbow continued to cry as the others looked at her with pained expressions, “Come on egghead you know things, please tell me what’s going on.” All of them stood there in silence unsure of what was wrong or even how to move forward from this point.
“I-I don’t know.” Twilight claimed as she turned away in shame, “I really wish I did, but I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Several days had passed since Rainbow’s outburst, and with each passing day she only seemed to grow worse and worse. At first her outbursts seemed to show signs of being controllable, that Rainbow could keep a tight lid on the way she acted out and how she acted out towards what triggered her. In the end it only appeared that the steps they had tried taking only seemed to make matters worse.
Sure they had talked about all she had been through, Rainbow had learned how to cope with what she had gone through and how it affected her now. But even still she found it hard to get a handle on everything as it was. The chaos and horrors she had come to accept as part of her life, now instantaneously exchanged for peace, harmony, and pretty things.
On the darkest night to have struck Ponyville, Rainbow ran out of her home in Cloudsdale with a crazed look upon her face. The darkness reminding her of that stalker constantly hunting her down.
“Come on!” Rainbow cried out waking those close enough to hear her, “I know you’re out there, I’m ready to die if you are!” She laughed expecting to face that glowing white bitch once more.
Twelve ponies were harmed that evening by Rainbow Dash alone, the first three had been attacked when they went to yell at her for causing such a disturbance. The last nine had come in reactions to screams, and were injured in their attempt to restrain Rainbow Dash from harming any other ponies. She was finally stopped when Applejack and Twilight managed to step in, Applejack had her front right leg broken and Twilight learned how threatening Rainbow was with her use of runes.
The following morning Rainbow woke up behind a barrier in Twilight’s castle, the only thing she recalled from the night before was a fight with several creatures like her stalker. All of them hungry for her flesh and eager to take her down. When she saw how badly damaged Twilight and Applejack were, she cried in horror as she pieced together what had really happened.
“Please,” Rainbow sobbed to them as she pressed herself against the wall of the barrier, “send me back to that world. Things are so much simpler there, I know what to expect, I know what could come after me. I don’t know what’s real here and what’s just my mind playing tricks on me.” As her tears dripped from her cheeks Rainbow cried as she continued to beg, “I can’t keep going through life like this, please send me back there.”
“We can’t.” Twilight groaned as she rubbed her leg, unable to make eye contact with her troubled friend, “Princess Luna tossed it back into the dream realm where she found it.” With a sigh she sat down keeping her back to Rainbow, “She said that she tossed it so far that not even she can find it again.” Twilight did her best to hide the shame she now felt, fearing she had failed her friend.
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Discord’s voice chuckled from out of nowhere, “I had heard of such a thing that existed in another world, but never thought I would see it first paw or claw. Whichever I’m going to be holding out in your time of need.” As he popped into the room Twilight sat in, he bowed to the two ponies as he faintly nugged Fluttershy towards them, “We were having tea at Fluttershy’s place when she told me all about what had happened, and through I find this quite entertaining.” Discord groaned as he rolled his eyes before smiling, “But Fluttershy asked me to help in anyway I can, and so far I’d have to agree with your troubled friend. Sending her back could solve all problems.”
“Discord!” Fluttershy shouted as she stomped her hoof, “That is not the kind of help I was talking about, and you know it.”
Clearing his throat Discord blushed at the fuming yellow mare, “Yes well…” He groaned tugging at his neck like a collar, “it was only a simple suggestion. Another solution would be to let me take her to my home in the lands of chaos, there I’m sure I can help get her back on track.” As the mares looked at him with suspicion, Discord snapped his fingers, “I think I can help, look I even have a book on the matter. And here it recommends Electroshock Therapy to help reset her brain right he-” He paused only to groan and speak under his breath, “wait, no, this is for schizorenia, schizophonia, schizo-something that sounds made up to me. Okay so that book is a bust, but I’m sure I can help her.”
Before anypony could respond they soon heard the tapping of Rainbow’s false leg as she paced back and forth, “Are you sure that you can handle me, and help me?” Rainbow sobbed as she tried to make sense of what she now knew.
“As sure as I am that your leg is about to break.” Discord claimed holding up his right claw with his two outer fingers folded in, and the two inner fingers pointed straight up.
“My wha-” Rainbow began to ask as she took one more step only for the old bone to crack under her weight, “MOTHER FUCKER!” Rainbow shouted as she used her remaining back leg to dive towards Discord, “I’m going to rip out your spine, and use it as a pitching wedge. Then I’m going to remove your guts and entrails, and craft your corpse into a meat toboggan so I can ride your sorry mix-matched-misshapen-ass into the lowest depths of Tartarus.” Rainbow ranted and raved as her friends stared at each other and Rainbow in shock, as she went into horrifying details about what she intended to do to Discord for his lack of action.
“Right, should have done something about that.” Discord blushed as everypony now glared at him and his lack of action, “Okay, okay I’ll fix it.” He groaned snapping his fingers together, with a faint flash of light Rainbow’s false leg turned into a candy cane, “There, now if she’s ever hungry she has a snack.” Rainbow cursed the spirit of disharmony as she continued to threaten how he’d need a colostomy bag when she was done.
“Discord.” Fluttershy faintly scolded as she tapped his thigh.
“Fine.” He sighed snapping his fingers again turning it into a sturdy piece of mahogany, “So Ms. Dash, care to take a chance and let me try and help you?” Discord asked the slowly claming mare as she began to heave and pant, having now spent her energy and making her voice sound more raw than before.
Looking around her confinement Rainbow rubbed the tears that slowly began to form in her eyes, “I don’t have much of a choice, egghead can’t help me though I know she tries.” Slowly Twilight opened a hole in the barrier allowing Rainbow to step out, “And I can’t keep living like this, I don’t know when I’ll snap and lose control, and there’s no telling if my friends will ever make it in time to stop me. I could have killed somepony with my last outburst, there’s nothing to say I won't with the next one.” Walking up to Discord she wrapped her hooves around his right leg, “If you can help me then I’ll take the help.”
Looking around the room Discord looked at every pony only to sigh, “Very well,” Raising his right hand he prepared to snap his fingers, “just please do remember you made this choice to come with me. There is no telling when you’ll be able to return home to everypony, or if you can return. This is a whole new experience for both of us, I just happen to have the magic to better understand your situation.” Rainbow sobbed as she nodded and gave a faint farewell to her friends, leaving Equestria with Discord hoping for the best while only expecting the worst.
