Darkfire has become a pegasus pony because of a weird flower not even Zecora seems to know about. Fast-forward four years. Darkfire has married Rainbow Dash and had a kid, Shadow Zap. He now goes by the name Darkwing. However, something is about to happen that will change his life. That thing is himself. Note: will contain spoilers of my next story, the prequel to this. It will be called Darkfire Universe: Arrival, the first in an ongoing series. This is the second book.
As I walk home, I wonder what might have happened if I never tried to pick that flower in the Everfree Forest. Surely, I would not have the good life I have now. As I finish these thoughts, I realize I am at my cloud house, an exact replica of Rainbow Dash's cloud house. I fly up to my cloud home and open the door. Standing there is my son, a small rainbow colored pegasus with my manestyle.
"Hi, Dad!"
"Hey, Shadow Zap! Where's your mom?"
Just then, Rainbow Dash steps out of the kitchen. She walks over and helps me takes off my saddle bags, then gives me a hug. I flashback to a happy scene.
We are at dinner, and the waiter brings our food. After we are finished and Rainbow Dash is happy, I pull out a box I had hidden in my saddlebags that I had brought. I open up the box and say the lines.
"Will you marry me?
She cries out in joy and hugs me.
"Of course I will!"
"Honey?"
When she speaks, I realized I have zoned out for a second. For some reason, that happens a lot for me. I should ask Dash and see if all pegasi get this. "Yes? I'm sorry dear, I zoned out again."
"I said: Do you want to go out for a while, just the two of us? Scoots said she'd watch Shadow Zap for us." She smiles at me with that amazing smile, one of the many reasons I married her. I sigh.
"I'm sorry dear, I promised I'd be at Caramel's birthday party. Maybe tomorrow."
She looks down at the clouds under our feet. "Okay." Then she perks up. "I'll go with you!"
I think about it for a second. "Sure. I'm just surprised you would go after 'The Fight'." 3 months ago, Rainbow Dash and our friend Pinkie Pie got into a giant argument. Despite attempts by me and one of our other friends, Twilight, they have not spoken to each other since.
At this statement, Dash sighs. "I thought it over, and I'll forgive Pinkie Pie for blowing up our other house. I just hope she'll forgive me for that horrible prank I did." Dash had substituted Pinkie's punch with one of Zecora's age potions. I turned Pinkie Pie into a baby. Let me tell you, it took an entire week for Twilight and I to get her back to her right age. In retaliation for that horrible prank, Pinkie used her strangely large knowledge of explosives to blow up our first cloud home. Luckily we were out on a date at the time. When Dash found out Pinkie had done it, Dash confronted the pink party machine. Then they had The Fight.
I wave a hoof in a sweeping motion, as if sweeping away Dash's worries. "Ah, you know Pinkie Pie. She'll forgive you for sure!"
"I- I guess. Let's just go ahead and go." We leave Shadow with Scootaloo, and take to the skies.
We fly through the air. After helping Applejack on the farm all day, it felt good to stretch my wings. I look over at my wife. She looks majestic in the air, like always.
We land near the door, next to the zebra known as Zecora. "Hello, Darkwing. It is nice to see you." A little less than a year ago, Zecora revealed why she rhymes. An evil zebra had cursed her. It took a while, but Twilight and I figured out how to break the curse. Ever since, Zecora has spoken normally. "And Rainbow Dash! Nice to see you as well. I didn't think I'd see you here though, seeing as Pinkie's hosting this party."
"Nice to see you too, Zecora," I say, trying to change ths subject. " So, do you have any potions or magic that can cure a sore throat. My little Shadow Zap has had one for a few days now.
Zecora places her hoof on her chin and looks at the night sky, thinking. "I believe I do, tomorrow I will bring the brew." As I realize what she said, my eyes widen. Zecora sees this, and realizing what she said, she groans with frustration. "Oh, hay. I am sorry for scaring you, Darkfire, I have not been cursed again. I had just been rhyming for so long, I'm used to it. Every once in a while, I rhyme a little. Again, sorry for scaring you." I sigh with relief, and we walk into Sugar Cube Corner.
Immeidiately, Pinkie pops up in front of us. Even though we are used to it, Rainbow Dash and I flinch. However Zecora just stands there, unfazed somehow. "Hi Darkwing, Zecora, and-" Immeidiately, her hair falls straight and her coat's hues darken. "-Rainbow Dash." I nudged Rainbow Dash forward and gestured at Pinkie. Rainbow Dash looked down at the ground.
"Look, Pinks, I'm sorry for playing that prank on you, and I forgive you for destroying mine and Darkwing's home." For a moment I think, It didn't work!, then Pinkie returns to normal and smiles. "Aw, Dashie, I forgvie you! Now let's party!" Pinkie pulls all of us into the crowd. I get seperated from the others and make my way into the kitchen where my friends Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Caramel, Fluttershy,and the Doctor sit at a table, talking. Off to the side, Lucky and Big Mac are talking about something, probably about the apple farm or Lucky and Rarity's boutique.
"Hey, guys, what-"CRRRAAASSSHHHH!!!!!!
Applejack, Twilight, Caramel, and the Doctor jump up. "What th' hay was that?!" Applejack asks us.
The Doctor replies, wearing a grin, as always. "I don't know, but let's find out!" He rushes out the door. We all groan, then everypony chases after him.
We rush outside, and what I see surprises everypony, including Zecora, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash, who have joined us. There is a six-foot deep crater, and at the bottom is a human and a teenage alicorn!
"Give up, Sombra! We won't let you take the Crystal Empire!" I yell as I fire a shadow bolt at him. The Elements of Harmony, Nyx, Spike, and I were at the arctic empire to find a way to save it from the evil King Sombra. Currently, Nyx and I were stalling him to buy time for Twilight to find a relic known as the 'Crystal Heart'.
The shadowy being cackles evilly. "You think you can defeat me, hero?! Don't make me laugh!" He fires off a spell at Nyx, who doesn't dodge it in time, and disappears immediately on impact. I yell in rage and charge at the evil king. He cackles again, and fires another bolt, striking me this time. I immediately black out.
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Darkwing's POV
My doppelganger climbs out of the crater. "Nyx, I think we're back in Ponyville!" He turns to see our group. "Hey, girls!" I immediately place myself in between the girls and my double.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!" I call to the shadowy bipedal figure that looked like my former self.
He gives me a confused look."What do you mean, Pegasus who I have never met?"
I give a confused look, then groan. "My name is Darkwing, and the girls are under my protection!"
"Wait, if you protect the girls, and you are wielding a familiar staff, then..." He trails off.
"I've had enough of your insane mutterings!" I charge at him, ready to swing my staff.
He dodges, and gives an exhausted look. "Idiot, I'm you!"
I pause for a minute as I process these words, then shake my head. "You're lying!" I charge at him again, and he teleports using a staff almost exactly like mine.
He groans again, then smiles. "You want proof? ...Fine!" He teleports into the middle of the crater, and starts drawing shadows into the area immediately around him. That proves it. Only one person/pony can do that, and that pony is me.
I stop attacking and he smiles again. "Good. Glad to see you've come to your senses. I'm you, but I go by the name Darkfire, and this is my adopted daughter, Nyx." Said alicorn waves at me.
Twilight steps forward. "Wait just a minute! How is there two of you?!" Darkfire nods then goes into a thinking mode that happens to me sometimes. I smile. He's still me, just in a different form.
Finally, Darkfire smiles. "Well, Twilight. Nyx and I were fighting the evil King Sombra, and he casted a peculiar spell. Apparently, the spell teleported us to this dimension."
Everypony has a shocked expression, other than Darkfire, Nyx, and I. I know I've seen wierder, and Nyx and my double probably have too. I clear my throat, grabbing everypony's attention. "Well, it's getting dark, and Darkfire and Nyx probably don't have a place to sleep. I volunteer Dash and I's house! That alright with you, honey?" Dash nods, and I smile again. "So, Darkfire, Nyx, will you come with us? I believe we have a lot to talk about."
Darkwing and I sit in two recliners in the living room, talking. "So," I begin, "do you want me to tell you my story first?"
"Yes."
"Alright then. You and I both know that the path branched out after the teleport to Equestria, so I'll start after that. Stop me if there are any differences." He nods, and I clear my throat. "So, I landed in Equestria, and met the girls. After helping them defeat Discord, I became the Protector of the Elements of Harmony.
"About a year after I showed up in Equestria, the girls, the Doctor, Celestia, and several others were taken by a man named Paradox." He raises a hoof, and I stop talking.
"That event never happened here."
"Okay then, Paradox is almost as strong as a god. After he took everypony, I traveled to the world he created. I saved everypony, and defeated Paradox after a long battle. The world started to collapse, and I dove through a portal. When I returned to Equestria, it had been half a year. Now, Nyx is actually the reincarnated Nightmare Moon. When I had returned, she had taken over Equestria. After I confronted her, I learned she had a kind heart, and we worked to bring back peace.
"After an attack from monsters on Ponyville, she brought the princesses back from their banishment on the sun and moon. They returned her to the form she is in now, and I adopted her. I trained her, and now she is about half as strong as me. We got a message from Celestia, asking for ours and the girls' help in saving a place called the Crystal Empire.
We traveled there, and Nyx and I faced down an evil shade, known as King Sombra. He casted a strange spell that transported us here, and here we are."
He nods. "Now for me, I guess. Instead of fighting Paradox, I picked a strange flower to bring to Zecora so I could find out what it did. Now, when I touched it, it turned me into a pony. We destroyed the one-of-a-kind flower, and I returned to living. Evntually, I married Rainbow Dash. and almost everypony got married, other than AJ, who was too busy on the farm. I got a job at Sweet Apple Acres, had a kid, and now you're here."
I realize an important detail. "How long has it been since you beat Discord?"
He thinks for a moment, the replies, "Five years."
"It's only been 2 years in my world! I guess I also traveled in time. Funny how that-"
BOOM!
"Not again!" Darkwing moans, as we dash towards the source of the noise, Carousel Boutique.
We rush down to Carousel Boutique alongside Rainbow Dash. Outside, we run into Twilight, the Doctor, Caramel, Big Mac, and Applejack. "Hurry! We need to get inside!" I yell to the others, and we rush inside. I climb the stairs to the second floor two steps at a time.
In the hall we come across Lucky, Rarity's husband.He has several large bruises and a twisted ankle. He points toward Rarity's room. "Strange... stallion... wants Rarity..." I help him stand up, and we head into Rarity's room. What we see there terrifies us.
A gray Pegasus with a black skull for a cutie mark holds Rarity by the neck at arm's length. "Don't make me ask again! Where is Darkwing?!" he yells at her.
She points at our group. "Rig-Right behind you! *Urk!*" The gray stallion whirls around towards our small group and drops Rarity. He smiles evilly at us.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Darkwing and his pony friends!" The air crackles, and a beam erupts from the grey colt's hoof. I roll out of the way, and the beam strikes Lucky!
"AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!"
Lucky crumples to the ground, a cold, dead body. Rarity quickly stumbles over to him. Meanwhile, the gray stallion laughs, and crashes through the window. He flies toward the Everfree Forest. Everyone gathers around Rarity and the corpse of Lucky.
He is going to pay for killing one of my friends! I turn to the group. "Twilight, Applejack, stay with rarity and comfort her. Everyone else, we're going after that evil Pegasus!" I leave the room, followed by Darkfire, the Doctor, Caramel, Big Macintosh, and Rainbow Dash.
We rush through town and into the Everfree Forest. We follow a trail of hoofprints to a clearing. On the other end, the evil stallion waits. "Who are you? Why do you want with me?!" I cry out. He cackles evilly.
"Oh, you know who I am," he calls out to me. "We've met before! But, in case you've forgotten, here's a hint. I killed your the other members of the original Master Heroes!" A fashback goes through my mind.
A man with a tuxedo and tie stands over the dead bodies of Rocker, Gunsmith, and Mimic. Darkwing, in human form, stands across from the man, with rage showing on his face. "You will pay for this!" he yells, and fires a Shadow Bolt at the man. It strikes the man in the head, killing him. "Destructo! B-But... I killed you," I stammer, trying to comprehend what he said.
Destructo laughs at my remark. "Yes. In fact, I was dead, for a while, at least. A godlike being known as Paradox resurrected me, and put me into the body of a 12-year-old colt, as well as taking away my memories and powers." Darkfire gasped at the name of the inter-dimensional conqueror's name. I then realized he faced Destructo once as well.
Destructo clears his throat, and continues speaking. "About 4 years after I arrived, I read an article about one Darkwing. He had just beaten an Ursa Major, and as soon as I saw the picture of him standing over the unconscious bear, I started regaining my powers and memories.
"That was a year ago. I started training, and learning as much as I could about you and your friends, Darkwing. I know all of you and your friends' strengths and weaknesses! About a month ago, I unlocked my full power. I came to Ponyville to destroy you and your friends! And now, here we are!" Caramel charges recklessly at Destructo, trying to hit him. The former human fires another energy beam, hitting Caramel right in the face. Caramel collapses to the ground.
"We're not afraid of some big-shot villain!" Rainbow dash cries.
"Eenope!" Big Mac agrees. They charge more cautiously than Caramel, but I know what is about to happen.
"Guys! Don't let him touch-" I cry out, but it's too late. Destructo grabs Big Mac's leg, tripping him. Big Mac starts to glow, and the glow is slowly transferred to Destructo. I saw this three too many times before. Destructo was draining Macintosh's life force!
The last of the light leaves Big Mac's body, and there is a flash of light. When my eyes clear, a lifeless body lays on the ground, next to a now stronger Destructo. Rainbow Dash flies back to us immediately. "What the hay just happened to Big Mac?!" she cries out.
Darkfire has a grim expression on his face. "He's drained Big, Macintosh's life force, gaining Big Mac's strength."
Destructo laughs at us. He takes to the skies, saying, "That's enough pain for now!" He flies off before we can do anything. I walk over to Big Macintosh and pick him up. Boy, is he heavy! I turn to Dash aand Darkfire.
"Come on... let's go tell Fluttershy and Pinkie that they're widows now." I say with a grim expression.
I sit down in a chair across from the Doctor, Twilight, and Darkwing in the new library. A year ago, Twilight had to move the library because the collection was too big.The new library looked like any old library. "So," I say to the trio. "How are the girls doing?"
Darkwing looks at me with a sad gaze. "Applejack has come to terms with losing her brother, as I expected her to. The other girls are not doing so good. Fluttershy won't leave her cottage for anything, and Rarity cries whenever she thinks we're out of earshot, which sometimes we aren't. And Pinkie Pie won't leave her room either, but we think she's snapped. The Doctor is taking you and Applejack to see her tomorrow." I nod to this, agreeing to the task.
Twilight cuts in. "Now, could you tell us exactly what Destructo can do, you two?"
"Sure," I say to the librarian. "Let's explain this villain to them."
Darkwing nods and begins. Destructo is mentally ill, and thus, he is extremely dangerous." I recognize that line. It is from the database back in Master Heroes HQ on Earth. How does he still remember it after four years? I could barely remember it myself.
I cut in. "Now, for his powers. His main power is shooting energy beams from his palms. However, he can also suck the life force out of anypony through touch. When he does, he gains the powers and skills of the pony he absorbed the life energy from."
"He also has a grudge against the Master Heroes, our old group, for some reason he never explained. He..." Darkwing chokes up for a minute. "He killed all of the original three Master Heroes shortly after I- I mean we- joined the team. In a fit of rage, we killed him with one our Shadow Bolts."
"Now, I follow up, "he's back, and wants to make us suffer by killing our friends, then utterly destroying us. Is that all you needed to know?"
Twilight shakes her head. "We still need a plan for when Destructo comes back. Darkwing, tomorrow while the Doctor and Darkfire go to see Pinkie, bring Rainbow Dash and Nyx and meet me here."
Darkwing makes a thumbs-up with his wing. "Sure thing, Twi." He puts a hoof into the middle of the circle of chairs. The Doctor and Twilight put their hooves in, and look at me expectantly. I groan and put my hand in. We throw our hands/hooves up in the air and cheer. Darkwing and I leave the room and start heading to the cloud house where Rainbow Dash was watching the kids.