Dark Light

The door was the size of the door at the palace in Canterlot…times by two. To say it was large would have been an understatement. It technically wasn’t even a door. I was just a large swirl of different shades of red bordered by an ancient stone archway. It didn’t look physically possible, there was magic behind it. The ten ponies entered in pairs so if there was any trickery behind the door there was a chance to defend each other, the interval between each pair going in was agreed at three seconds, Dark Light and Rainbow Dash were first. The two went in and after a peculiar sensation were spat out in to the evil and corrupt prison land that was Tartarus. The next pair was Rarity and Pinky Pie, then Shining Armour and Cadence, followed by Applejack and Fluttershy and after a bit more than three seconds the last pair, Twilight and Big Macintosh came through. Twilight apologised for being late and her escorting stallion followed up with his catch phrase.

“Eeyup,”

They started to follow the trail of monsters and possessed ponies in search of Chimera’s main chamber. There was something strange about this place. From what Dark Light had heard it was completely self-supported, there was always a failsafe though. A spell Celestia would cast, collapsing the outer door and destroying Tartarus and everything in it, but there was something that irked Dark Light. It felt weakened. Then they heard it. A deep booming voice echoed around them as if it were coming from their own minds.

“Ah yes, the foals from Ponyville have come to play. I won’t waste time with pointless mind games. I am going to tell you the facts. If you kill me this entire dimension collapses. On to you. That stupid fail safe Celestia had put in place is now tied to my heart beat. If I die you’d have, what, ten seconds to escape. Oh, and by the way expect a challenge getting to me,” The voice laughed maniacally and died out of their heads. There were a few panic stricken murmers, and Dark Light’s head was spinning with ways that he could get everypony out. Only one came to mind.

“QUITE!” He shouted at the nine other ponies. One word to get their attention. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to get us all out…but I can’t. There is only one way to get you out.” He looked down at the ground and huffed. “Applejack? Big Mac? Look after Shim for me; Flash too,”

“No!” Applejack said in a sad and pleading, crying as she did so.

“You have to; There is no other way!” he continued. “I want my son to have a normal life. Tell him about me. Tell him I loved him and if something happens to Shim, raise him as if he were your own. Let him know why his parents aren’t there anymore. And tell the truth. I’ll take care of Chimera. Mac, you lead everypony out as soon as the spell has been cast, I …” he paused. “I can kill him by myself. I have a plan. By the time I’m done you guys will have gone through the door, don’t bother with precautions. Run through as fast as you can. Don’t. Look. Back!” he finished, Big mac started to disagree.

“Ah ain’t leavin’ you!” he said. Firmly.

“YES YOU ARE!” Dark Light Yelled back. “Only two ponies are going to die here. ME AND CHIMERA!” He shouted. “Nopony else,” Big Mac backed down realising there was no arguing with this pony. He was more stubborn than applejack. And so the ten continued. Getting attacked on every corner, or placed in a room full of traps that were only just avoided, until after an hour of pain, anger and blood, the ten ponies arrived at what was easily identifiable as the door to Chimera’s chamber. Dark Light stopped everypony before anything happened.

“This is it, everypony!” He said. In a tone hiding his fear. “We are going to wait here for ten minutes and get some of our strength back, after that all of us will charge in, the eight ‘magicians’ will run in too your formation and start the spell. Twilight, how long will the spell take?”

“It takes a minute to charge,” She said.

“Ok,” The leader of the group said. “Big Macintosh?” the red stallion looked at Dark Light. “We will charge at Chimera and distract him, be ready to jump away when the spell is cast,” The farm pony nodded. “When he is hit, escort these ponies out. It should take you about ten minutes to get back to the door without any distractions, I can give you fifteen. Then I’ll get it over and done with and this’ll all be over,” He faced the ground and let a tear fall from his eye. “Tell Shim, and Flash, I love them,” He lifted his head. “Any questions?” no response. Apart from one from Applejack.

“Yeah, sugar cube could ah see yah in private?” She asked.

“OK. Ten minutes to rest everypony. Then, it’s all or nothing,” He took Applejack round a corner nearby, out of eye and ear shot. “What did you want to see me for A.J.?”

“This,” She leaned over and kissed him firmly. They both closed their eyes and wrapped their hooves around each other. He knew this was wrong, but he also knew she needed this; he did too. Their lips parted as tears rolled down A.J.’s cheeks. “Ah-Ah don’t want you to go!”

“I don’t want to go either, but I have to. If there was any other way that didn’t involve another needless death I would take that option,” He paused. “But there isn’t. Just promise me you will look after Flash, and Shim,”

“Ah- Ah promise,” She said with a sigh. He lifted her chin and they kissed again. Then they joined the others and rested for the remainder of the time they had left. After that, Dark Light got everyone ready and he and Big Mac took a door each of the two door entrance to the grand hall.

“Ready?” All the ponies nodded. “On the count of three.” The he closed his eyes. “One,” He felt his heart tremble as he remembered his family. “Two,” He remembered his friends, still in Ponyville, oblivious to what was happening here. And then he remembered her. The small Beautiful filly whose life was cut short by evil and terror. That did it, he opened his eyes and Shouted at the top of his lungs staring at the door, anger in his blood, as adrenaline pumped through his body. “THREE!” He and Mac rammed the door hard as it swung open, and they looked around quickly and saw the surprised and angered pony they were looking for, sitting on a throne on a podium, fifty feet high with a drop either side, it stopped at the level the stallions were at currently, and there were stairs leading up to the podium. As soon as they saw this they charged up and distracted Chimera for the minute it took for the spell casters to charge the spell.

“BIG MAC, JUMP!” The grey unicorn jumped. The two of them dived away from the evil pony they were fighting as he was hit by the spell. There was a howl that came from the affected villain and after the light was gone, he started to look weak. “Mac, take the others back to the portal, I have this,” The muscular farmer obliged and ran towards the others, who were tired out from the spell but had no time to rest. Applejack tried to chase after Dark Light, but was picked up by her brother and was dragged out of the throne room.

**************

It was time for Dark Light to hatch his plan. He charged towards Chimera and started to strike him with his hooves hard. After taking a few hits the evil pony blocked the oncoming swings from the grey unicorn, whose strength was surprising, but not enough. He started to parry the attacks and hit him with a greater force. Dark Light stumbled but he knew how to take a hit. He started to block and attack back but his opponent was doing the same. The battle continued for about ten minutes until Dark Light showed signs of weakening. They were half way down the podium steps now, Chimera having the high ground.

Despite his weakness Dark Light fought on, taking every hit and returning it, but that all stopped when Chimera had an awfully brilliant idea. As Dark Light stood up to attack the evil stallion, he noticed that Chimera had turned around and put his legs back. Just before his enemy extended his legs with amazing force Dark Light tensed his chest to prepare for the collision of hooves on his chest. The power of the buck forced him back as he hit the wall parallel to the stairs and landed on the ground. He tried to stand up but could only do so by weakly rotating his front so that he was resting on his front hooves, then doing the same with his flank.

“Pathetic little pony! Is that all you can muster?” Chimera mocked. Dark Light smiled.

“How about this?” The grey unicorn started to charge at the evil pony. He hit him and managed to keep on running up the stairs of the podium and right into the throne. He drew back and looked at the result. An injured red pony sitting in a throne. He grabbed the injured stallion and lifted him from his throne, taking him to the edge of the podium and dropping him, there was a crack and a loud scream as the red lump hit the ground.

“H-how?” The broken villain said, his voice quivering with pain and confusion.

“Acting strong can only lead to those who are stronger than you beating you with ease. By acting weak I lured you into a false sense of security. I am sorry for what I am about to do. Your death is nothing to celebrate. Especially as it will come hand in hand with mine,” The fifteen minutes had passed and now he was going to do what he was told to do. He was still surprised that his plan worked though, but after that thought he delayed no longer, he jumped off the podium and landed with a sickening crack and a blood splatter on to Chimera. He had done it. The evil red stallion was dead. The walls started to cave in and Dark Light closed his eyes and embraced his fate. He saw a bright light and then…

He was gone.

**************Fifteen minutes earlier*************

Big Mac closed and barred the door with the one hoof he had free, the other being occupied with carrying his sister who was now crying. A lot. He instructed the group to run for the portal, and they all obeyed. Weaving their way through the maze they were in. They were limited in their time, but fifteen minutes was more than enough. No creatures or other hindrances could slow them down; they had dealt with that on the way in. The path was still complicated and took them most of their time to get near to the portal.

Just as they were within a hundred metres of the portal the floor behind them started to collapse.

“GO! FASTER!” Big mac shouted as the group approached their escape hatch. They reach the portal and Big Mac threw his sister in before jumping in himself. He got through the portal and landed on the sullen ground that surrounded the door that lead to Tartarus in the over world. He saw his sister running towards the door and stopped her just as the top two key stones in the archway gave way, the portal dissipating into smoke. All that was left were two pillars. Applejack stopped struggling in her brother’s grasp and just sat down and stared between the pillars.

“Dark Light,” she said softly and mournfully.

He was gone.

The group started the trek back to Canterlot. They arrived within a week, as they could travel freely and had no need to be cautious. There was nothing that attacked them or slowed them down, unlike on the way there, were they encountered many obstacles and had to hide for hours on end, greatly slowing their progress. The entire group were disheartened at the loss of their leader. Big Macintosh took charge of them all, making sure they would be able to continue and trying to cheer them up. The arrival at Canterlot was met with a carriage that took them to the palace, where the princess great them all.

“It is good to see you all, but I can’t help but ask. Where is Dark Light?” The princess questioned. Applejack hid her face in her Stetson to hide her tears as he brother stepped forward.

“He- He’s dead ma’am,” Big Mac said. The princess looked towards the nine ponies that had made the return trip, closed her eyes and sighed. “An’ afore yah say anythin’ don’t say yer sorry. That word has caused enough problems,”

“Well, It may not be my place to ask but, how did he die?” Then Applejack stepped forward, Tears fresh in her eyes.

“When we went inta Tartarus, an’ that evil guy, Chimera, told us if ‘e died than the entire place would collapse,” She tried to continued but was too teary to do so. As she cried Big Mac went over and hugged her so Twilight stepped forward and started off from where Applejack had stopped.

“We got to where Chimera was and Dark Light told us his plan. He sacrificed himself so that we could have time to escape. He managed to succeed because just as we reached the portal, Tartarus started to collapse. We managed to get out just in time and when we were out of Tartarus, the portal-door thingy broke. Dark Light didn’t make it out,” The purple alicorn said.

“I see. Give his wife my condolences. He was a brave stallion and I will make sure his name is known. Well done to you though. Together you saved Equestria, again,” The white princess said. “Now, I would suggest you get home, your families will have missed you, and you two,” She gestured at Cadence and shining armour, “You must head back to the crystal empire, and tell my sister of your success,”

“If even on pony dies, it’s not a success,” Shining armour replied, as he and Cadence left for the empire.

The seven remaining ponies headed to the station and got on the first train back to Ponyville. The compartments were share by the same ponies, apart from the empty seat next to Rainbow Dash; She chuckled a little.

“What yah laughing at Rainbow?” Big Mac asked.

“I just remembered the conversation we were having on the way to Canterlot a month ago,” She said with a smile. “Those are the things I want to remember him by, not the way he died. He wasn’t just Equestria’s hero, he was our friend. That’s how I remember him,” The two apples in the compartment agreed.

“I’m surprised y’all could be so … honourable, Dash,” Applejack said, and laughed only to be joined by the other two ponies in the compartment. After an hour of chatting and talking about all the good things they had done with Dark Light, the Pinky parties, the last winter wrap up where he helped on the farm by helping plough away the snow, so that the ground could be used to plant seeds, doing odd jobs around the orchard to earn some bits and volunteering to be a test subject for one of twilights spell, which turned him completely green apart from his eyes. It lasted for a few hours and he managed to jump at Big Mac whilst he was bucking by crawling on the ground and blending in with the grass. The big red muscley stallion let out a surprisingly girly scream when it happened. The memories were good. They provided a good image for their now lost friend.

They arrived at the station and as soon as they did they said good bye and parted ways, but Big Mac and Applejack didn’t head to Sweet Apple Acres, They instead went to Shimmer’s house. They both had sunken hearts and lumps in their throats as Big Mac raised a hoof and knocked on the door. The beautiful light blue mare opened the door, and smiled at them inviting them in to sit down. They entered in and sat down in her living room, Shimmer sitting on a chair that was next to them but angled so she could see the two siblings.

“Shim, There’s something we’ve got to tell yah,” Applejack spoke. She took a large breath. “Dark Light, He,” She sighed “He died, savin’ us, all of us. He died to save nine ponies who otherwise woulda died with him. He’s a hero,” As the orange mare said those words, Shimmer started crying. Applejack embraced the widow, and she embraced her back, and started crying as well. Big Mac joined in in the embrace trying to calm both of them down. He was sad, but he had only ever come close to crying once; that was when Applejack left for Manehatten as a filly. This time he didn’t cry, he needed to be strong for the two mares.

“Ah promise, Me an’ Mac’ll help in any way we can. Financially or otherwise,” The crying orange mare said. Shimmer nodded in a way that said ‘thank you’.  She leant out of the hug and sat down. “Do yah want us tah stay?” Shimmer nodded. The two farm ponies nodded and stayed. Then Shimmer asked them what happened and so they told her, about their mission, about Chimera and about his adamancy of them leaving and him taking care of Chimera by himself. They stayed with her for an hour before she said they could go if they wanted to. They left and didn’t say sorry, but instead said he was a good stallion. Then they went to their farm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sister!” The dark blue alicorn ran to her older sister yelling out to get her attention. The urgency of her voice managed to get what she desired.

“I Can get him back!”