A Soaring Hope

Chapters

Light in the Darkness
Down The Rabbit Hole
Beginning of The End

Light in the Darkness

“My name is Sorin Cloud, and I’m one of the few remaining free ponies, let alone pegsai, in this war-torn world of Equestria.”

I couldn’t tell ya what the year it was or if it was still ruled over by the sun goddess, Celestia. But what I can tell ya….is that a lot has happened since that fateful day. The day the world turned to the brink of destruction. But I guess I should start at the beginning. Thousands of years ago, the twin sisters, Celestia and Luna, ruled the day and night respectfully. But then, one day, the younger sister, Luna, out of jealously and rage, refused to bring down the moon and became the being known as Nightmare Moon. Celestia, using the Elements of Harmony, sealed her sister in the moon and peace returned to the land. But it was not to last, as per predicted, on the thousandth Summer Sun Festival in Ponyville, Nightmare Moon escaped from her prison and descended onto the land, proclaiming that they would never she the sun, nor their princess again. But then, six would-be friends sent out to find the lost Elements of Harmony and stop Nightmare Moon, as well as save Princess Celestia. And after many obstacles but onto their path, they succeeded in finding the elements, stoping Nightmare Moon, and saving Princess Celestia. As well as releasing Princess Luna from the darkness in her heart. The six friends fought many battles after that, such as the Embodiment of Chaos, the Queen of the Changelings, and the Dark King of the Crystal Empire. But as to those dangers, the six had as many if not more happy times of peace and prosperity. But such as the thousand years of peace after Nightmare Moon’s first defeat at the hands of her sister, Celestia, this peace was not meant to be as well. For soon, a race of beings, alien to those of Equestria, came to the world and soon, hell broke loose. The first encounter was made by the wielder of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, as she met the being known as Painis Cupcake. Painis has been known for nothing else but devouring those around him. And as he met the Element of Laughter, he said what he normally says, his name and that he was to eat her. Taking it as a joke, Pinkie playfully dodged every move made by him and in ironic sense, ate Painis in one gulp. But that was the beginning, as for some weird reason, the two beings fused together and became the being known as Pinkis Cupcake. Around the same time, Rarity was in a local graveyard when she noticed someone mourning over a grave. When the man left, she came by to pay her own respects, when a spirit shot out of the ground. The spirit said that his name was RubberFruit, a freak, whose goal in life was to have everything and everyone. He explained that it was the full moon that brought him back and declared that Rarity was now his property. As he rushed at her to claim her, their souls fused as well. The same way that Pinkie’s had with Painis Cupcake. Regaining the memories of both beings, the hybrid known as RariFruit came into being. After that, one by one, the rest of the wielders of the Elements of Harmony well possessed by these freaks, until the day that the Princess of Magic and her loyal assistant were also taken over. After that, the true chaos began the likes of which the Spirit of Chaos, Discord, could only dream of. Those who fought back against them were either killed or changed like them. And even for the innocent ones, it was either run away and go into hiding, or become the same freaks that they had become. That’s where we come in. I’ve been hiding with a group of ponies ever since this whole mess began near the outskirts of Manehattan. I wanted to stay back and fight to protect my home of Cloudsdale, but I was just a filly at the time, and my father was able to get us out of there in time. But my drive to turn things right has only increased during all this time. So I’ve honed my skills in order to bring them down, but the last time I faced them, it almost cost me my life. That’s when Doctor Whooves suggested an idea that may turn the tide in this war, maybe even end it. That if we go back in time and stop this terrible fate from ever happening, Equestria will have a shining new future to look forward to, instead of the bleak and dissolute wasteland it is now. But...a future like that does come with a price, and I’d be willing to give my life for if need be.

Just then, my transmitter started beeping, informing me of a call. I set it on the floor in front of me as a 3D image of the doctor came into view.

“Sorin, it’s almost time. Can you come back now?” he said.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute. Get everything ready, will ya?” I replied.

“Of course.” he said as the picture blinked out.

Looks like it’s almost time for me to leave this world behind me. But wither it stays the same or changes for the better is up to what I do next. All I hope is that fate smiles down upon me and my victory.

As I made my way back, the streets were empty and the buildings in ruin. But there is something in seeing old ruins in the glissading twilight, even though the ruins themselves aren’t that old. But luckily, nopony saw me as I made my way back to the base. It looks like a normal run-down storage facility on the outside, but that’s where the genius comes in. We built downwards into our secret base. Only those of us know there's even a base here. As I got inside, most of the other ponies were still looking over research, documents, and calculations for the trip. It took us two years to get it right, but we did it. A couple minutes in and I’ve found the doctor talking to some of the fellow scientists. As I walked near, he noticed me and came nearer as he said...

“Ah, Sorin. Glad you could make it back safely and in one piece.” he chuckled as he said that.

“Of course I made it back, man. Just who do you think you’re talking to, eh?”

“Yes, yes. I know how good you are. You are the one who helped us the most in gather field data for our research. Without it, I don’t know how many more years it would’ve taken us to get where we are now.”

“Always here to do what I can do, Doctor.”

“Yes, well, I’m not the only one who was waiting for you. And she was a lot more impatient than I was.”

“She? Who are you talking about…..Oh no, not…” I said as I was caught off guard by a pink Pegasus with a golden yellow mane flying at me with the speed of a bullet.

“SSSSSOOOOORRRRIIIIINNNNN! Your back, I’m so happy your safe.” said the excited mare as she glomped me to the ground.

Getting up after the glomp and dusting myself off, I said…

“Ugh…Flare. Why must you keep doing that after every time I get back here?” I asked, still in a little pain.

“Because, I don’t know if you’ll be okay out there or not if I’m not there with you.” said Flare.

“You know I’ll always be alright, right? Plus, didn’t I give a transmitter as well?” I said.

Still crying a little, she replied with.

“Yeah, yeah you did.”

“So then we can always talk to each other. And besides, as long as we’re both still alive, I’ll always be right here.’ I said pointing to her heart. ‘And you’ll always be in mine.”

“Hehehe, and that’s why your my coltfriend.” Flare said with a big grin on her face.

“And you’re my marefriend, Flare.” I replied as I went into a laugh and Flare followed suit.

As we were laughing, Doctor Whooves interrupted as he said…

“Sorry to butt in on this, but it’s time, Sorin.”

The laughs turned to seriousness and silence as I replied with a nod. Flare and I followed the Doctor to the teleporter room. As we got in, the Doctor gave me a blue hooded jacket. He then asked for my cloak and to put the jacket on.

“Honestly, I don’t ever get why you where that thing, Sorin. It just looks ugly on you.” said Flare.

I guess she’s right; I do look pretty handsome as a stallion. My coat is a cobalt blue with my spikey black and silver mane and tail. Although they said my magenta eyes are from my mothers’ side of the family. And my cutie mark is a yin-yang symbol behind a cross of two swords. I always thought that it was cool, since not that many pony’s cutie mark is that detailed. When I finished putting it on, Flare said.

“Now that’s a better look for you, Sorin.”

Curious, I asked. “Um, Doctor. I have one question about this. I mean it looks nice, but what is it for?”

“Well Sorin, that jacket that you are now wearing has an anti-space transporter for your seven elemental swords that you carry. Try summoning them with your mind and they will appear.’

I did just as he asked and in a flash of light, they appeared out of nowhere on my back and sides. I was astonished and amazed at this. And as I thought of sending them back, they went away in the same light. The doctor continued with what he was saying earlier.

‘Glad to see that it's in working order.”

“It’s amazing, Doctor. One of your best inventions yet.”

“Well I thought it would be a good idea not to always slug around seven heavy swords at once. Another neat thing is you can either summon one or more at a time, or just bring them all out. But enough about that that, there is one more thing I wish to give you.’

Flare and I looked at each other and then back at the Doctor as he got a square box with a lock. As he unlocked it, he said.

“Sorin, this belonged to your mother and was a symbol of her loyalty and courage. Wear it well with pride.”

As he opened the box, it showed a necklace made of gold with a ruby stone in the middle. The stone was in the shape of a lightning bolt. As I saw it, I knew exactly what it was. Confused, Flare asked.

“What is that, Doctor Whooves? It looks like an old piece of jewelry.”

Still in shock, I asked. “Is that what I think it is, Doctor?”

“Indeed it is, Sorin. This necklace is the Element of Loyalty, one of the six lost Elements of Harmony. This Element was worn by Sorin’s mother long ago, before she was possessed and turned into one of the Elements of Insanity. And now, this Element is belongs to you, Sorin.”

“But wasn’t your mother….” asked Flare before I cut her off.

“Yeah, she was. The fastest flier in all of Equestria back in her day, and the previous wieldier of this very Element… Rainbow Dash. But… is it right for me to wear this?”

“Sorin, I wouldn’t know any other pony worthy of this element than you. Take pride in that, but don’t let it go to your head.”

I grabbed the golden necklace from its case and strapped it around my neck. Bedazzled, Flare said…

“It looks good on you, Sorin. Like you were meant to have it!”

“But Doctor, where did you get this from, and where are the other Elements of Harmony?”

“We were able to collect them from the castle in Canterlot before they attacked. Luckily, our agents were able to get out with them in time. As for the other elements, they’re in the vault, safe and protected.”

“But why haven’t you given them to any other pony?’ asked Flare. ‘With the Elements of Harmony, we can fight back. They’ve helped defeat others in the past, right? Like Nightmare Moon or even Discord.”

“That may be true, but the truth of the matter is… we haven’t found anypony with the characteristics of the elements, especially like those of the previous mane six, who are now our greatest enemies. So far, only Sorin has been able to draw out the full power of this element. And everypony else is too scared to even try with the others.”

“I see.”

“But do not fret, my dear. For that is why we are here today. The time has finally come to take back our world from those monsters and bring Equestria into a bright new future.”

“Your right, doctor. Sorin, are you ready?”

“I’ve waited my life for this moment, let’s do this.”

As we walked down the narrow hallway to the teleporter room, everypony looked upon us and cheered for our victory. It felt like we really were going to change this world for the better.

“You can do it, you guys!”

“Kick some Insanity ass, Sorin!”

“We all believe in you, Sorin!”

As we got inside the teleporter room, it was circular with monitors on either side and a huge tube on the back wall. With circuits running down the walls, floor, and ceiling, it must power the teleporter. While standing in awe, one of the scientists told me to enter the tube. As I made my way inside, the doctor gave me one more thing.

“Here Sorin, one last thing.” said the Doctor as he put the watch-like device on my arm.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s a time-display tracker. It will keep track of what time you are in, as well as help guide the teleporter to that time. But not only that, it is also a two-way transmitter, so we may speak to each other. I have one as well, see?”

“As do I.” said Flare, showing it off.

‘You guys are the best. And don’t worry; I’ll make sure this time is set right.”

“As we all know you will.’ said the Doctor as he smirked. He then spun around as he yelled ‘Alright everypony, this is it! This is the moment we’ve been waiting for! Goldenlight, prime the teleporter!’

“Yes sir!” said Goldenlight.

“Raindust, set the year for 1023 of Celestia’s reign!’

“Yes sir!” said Raindust.

“Sorin, get the teleporter and prepare for launch!’

“You got it!”

As I got in, Flare came to the glass and said. “Come back safe, will ya?” As I looked her in the eyes, I said with a calm voice, “I’ll do my best.” She smiled back as I said that as she walked back.

“Alright everypony, we got one shot with this, let’s make it count!’ said the Doctor. ‘Get ready to launch in 3…2…1…”

Just then, a huge explosion occurred inside the facility. As everypony scrambles to get on their feet, Doctor Whooves asked on his intercom “Beaker, what happened out there?”

Beaker responded with “Doctor, it’s them! They’re here! The Elements of Insanity! They’ve found us! Oh sweet Celestia, noooo…” The transmission broke off there.

“Doctor, what’s wrong!? What’s going on?”

“Sorin, I’m sorry. But it’s them, they’ve found us.”

“The Elements of Insanity!” I said with a snarl.

***

Down The Rabbit Hole

While outside the facility the others are in coldness of night, a huge army of ponies are there, ready for war. Near the front, a light cyan Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail, two electrical antennae where her ears should be, and a robot gun on her right arm was speaking to a dark purple Alicorn with a purple and red mane and tail. “Brutalight, we’ve broken through the front entrance, but they’re heavily fortified. Pretty good for a bunch of eggheads if you ask me.” said the cyan Pegasus.

“Well then, Rainbine, I want you and the others to get in there and destroy everything. Everything you can find. But leave the doctor and that so called hero to me” said Brutalight Sparcake.

“Yes, ma’am, understood.” said Rainbine as she flew into the complex.

“This is going to be fun.” said a dark pink earth pony as she passed by with an evil smirk on her face.

“Indeed.” said a white unicorn with a pink striped mane and tail, wearing a pink team captain hat.

Then in silence, two other ponies follow suit. One of which was a tan earth pony with a black mane and tail; the other, a yellow Pegasus with a red mane, but pink tail and wearing a red and white striped hat. Then in the background, one more pony came up behind.

“Are you sure about this, Brutalight? We could still turn them into monsters, such as ourselves. Think about it. Ponies that may even rival us in there, we’d be unstoppable.” said the grey Pegasus with an electrical headset on her head and machinegun for an arm.

“I’m surer about this than anything else, Derpigun. These ponies have defied us for the last time. It’s time we put this so-called war to an end.” said Brutalight as she and Derpigun made their way inside.

***

As some of the smoke clears, the ponies rise back up in a groggy-like state. Its then that Doctor Whooves asks “is everypony alright?!’ The others nod slowly as a confirmation. ‘What the hell just happened out there?”

“Doctor, Brutalight’s forces have made their way inside the front gate and is making their way inward.” said Raindust.

“Where is their target trajectory?”

“According to the radar… here, sir.”

“Damn it… and we were so close…”

Some of the other ponies were bickering about why this had to happen and what they should do now. It was understandable, they were all scared. But the only ones who still had a level head were me, the Doctor, and Flare. But I could tell she was still scared. That’s when I couldn’t take it anymore.

“DOCTOR, SEND ME NOW!!!” I yelled, startling everypony.

“Wait...WHAT!?” said the Doctor.

“You can’t be serious, Sorin!” said Flare.

“Like you said, Doctor, this is our only chance. We have to do this now or never.”

“But Sorin, the time-space lock has been messed with. If we do this now, we don’t know where or when it’ll send you. You could be sent back to the time before the two princesses came into existence!”

“I know, but if they capture all of us, then this would have all been for nothing. Plus… it’s you and me they want. After you send me back, all of you can escape through the back panels and get to the TARDIS. It’s the only way, and you know it.”

Struggling for a minute, the Doctor yelled…

“Re-prime the teleporter! Get everything ready for transport!”

“But sir, you said it yourself, there’s no reading at all where Sorin might end up.” said Midnight, another scientist.

“Your right, but just as Sorin said, this is our one shot, so let’s make it count!”

“Whatever you say, sir.”

As the other ponies started re-priming the teleporter, Flare asked…

“Are you sure ‘bout this? You may never come back, and we don’t know where you’ll end up.”

“Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. For as long as we’re together, nothing can stop us.’ I said, point to our hearts. ‘And Doctor… thanks.”

“No problem, Sorin. Right then, are we all set to go.”

“All light are green and we’re ready to go!”

“Besides the obvious, there are no problems with the system.”

“Right then, take 2. Prepare for launch in 3…2…1…ALLONS-Y!”

“Fire!!!”

The wires began glowing blue and the machine hummed louder than ever as Flare and the rest of the room began dissolving like water on a window. It looked like a tunnel of water, but I was able to breathe. It was deep blue with different streams and colors of light all around me. And what seemed like forever, there was light coming into view. A bright light getting bigger and bigger, coming toward me. As I was coming near the light, I started feeling drowsy and my eyes started getting heavy. But I knew what was happening. And in those last moments, in my mind, I yelled...Equerstria, HERE I COME!!!

***

Beginning of The End

As I woke up from my unconsciousness brought upon by the trip, I stumble to my hooves. As I look around, there are many storage buildings, like if it was an industrial area. As I check my watch to see where I am, it says I’m still on the outskirts of Manehattan. But everything else looks so different than before. It’s still night out, but the base isn’t here. It’s raining as well, harder than I’ve ever seen it. Although, it rarely ever rains back where I come from. Not enough Pegasi to control the clouds and make it rain. But with everything that going on, that just means one thing. I have made back into the past. But the question on my mind is, when am I? Just then, I started hearing a muffled voice.

“Orin…S...rin!?! Can...…come in?”

The voice came from the watch. As I fixed the frequency, the image of the Doctor came into focus. “Doctor, is that you?”

“Ah, Sorin. Finally, we got the two way interface to work. If it weren’t for that attack on the base, this wouldn’t have happened either. But enough about us how are you. Are you in one piece?”

“Yes I am, more or less. The watch says I’m still in Manehattan, but looks nothing like it back home. Can you get a fix on what year I’m in?”

“Oh course, give us a second.”

As the doctor left, another pony came onto the screen. It was Golden Flare. “Sorin, is that you? I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Glad to see you too, Flare. Are you and the others alright?”

“Yeah, we were able to get to the TARDIS in time. Currently, were in Equestria’s orbit so the Elements of Insanity don’t find us.”

“…Smart plan.”

Just then, Doctor Whooves come in with some documents. “Sorin, as you know, you were supposed to arrive in the year of 1023. But because of the attack by the Elements of Insanity, we lost our time lock and didn’t know where you would end up. Luckily, you weren’t sent that far off of where we wanted to send you.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Well you see; you went a little further than what we hoped for.’

“How long?!”

‘…Four years.’

Shocked by what the Doctor said, he continued with…

‘That’s right. Four years have passed since Rarifruit and Pinkis Cupcake came into the world.”

Then a realization occurred. “Wait, what’s the date?”

“By our data, the date is…May 14, 1027”

Just then, Golden Flare came onto the screen with the Doctor asking why the date is so important. “Don’t you get it, Flare!?! May 14th…May 14th is the day Twilight became Brutalight!”

As silence fell, the Doctor said. “Sorin, do not fret yet. We still have a chance here.”

“But how? If she becomes one of them, it’ll be just like before. Nothing would have changed.”

“True, but you still have a chance to prevent this from happening. I’ll send you a map to where the event took place. Fly there and stop the ceremony. With Twilight’s help, it should make a difference.”

As the doctor sent the files of the area, I said…

“Data received, I’m off.”

Flare jumps in and says with a worried look on her face. “Just…be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to change this and we’ll meet again.”

As she nodded and the Doctor wishing me luck, the transmission broke off. I then dashed into the air, and headed to the area. “Why couldn’t the structure be in the same area I was in, and not the other side of town!?’

Flying straight ahead, I was wishing I could go faster. “Faster…faster…FASTER!!! I HAVE TO GO EVEN FASTER!!!!”

Just then, the wind currents around me began to hiss as some kind of air cone appeared in front of me. I was truly pushing my limits, going faster than I ever had before. And for some reason, it felt amazing. I felt I could do anything. And that’s it happened, the technique my mother and Twilight only ever did. A Sonic Rainboom! But it was different; the rainbow circle appeared, but not the streak. Instead it was a Black a silver color, much like my mane and tail. It looked like a bolt of lightning flying throughout the sky. So it hit me, that I’d call it, Flash of Lightning. As I raced through the sky above, I thought to myself. “Here I come! I just hope I’m not too late.”

As I arrived to the abandoned warehouse on the other side of town, it looked like nopony have been here in ages. It was still raining out, making the area around it all the creepier. As I flew up, I found some broken windows in the rooftop. As I made my way in, I found I was in some sort of attic space, so I made my way down. While walking, I was hearing voices echoing in the background. As I made it closer, some of the voices where becoming clearer. One of which was that of the princess, Twilight. But the others, I knew them too well. It was the rest of Elements of Insainty! As I made it closer to the door, a bright light started to appear, like if somepony was casting a spell. But, it didn’t feel right, not at all. It felt, for a lack of a better word, evil and unnatural. As I made it inside, I found I was on a catwalk, looking down the entire room. There, in that room, I saw them, the Elements of Insainty. They were looking over Twilight, who was being held in the air by her fore and back legs in some kind kind of ice spell. When I saw this, I knew. This was the ceremony I had to prevent. As I was about to jump down and save Twilight, Rarifruit then said “…And now, you will be Twilight Sparkle NO MORE!!!”

After that, there a blood-curdling scream, followed by a magic explosion that shook the very foundation of the building. In the mist of it, I yelled out “STOP IT!!!” but then got pushed back into the wall, knocking me out. When I came to, the light had faded and the smoke cleared. When I looked back down, I couldn’t believe it. I was too late, Brutalight Sparcake stood before the other elements. Hearing what was going on; parts of Twilight were still there, fighting back the darkness. But, she was overtaken by the two spirits, and the alicorn standing there was no longer Twilight. They were about to leave by Brutalight’s teleportation, but I wasn’t going to let them escape. Not this time. “Let’s go.” said Burtalight to the others in a pissed off mood.

“ENOUGH!!! I DON’T THINK SO!” I yelled as I flew off the catwalk on the ground below.

Startled, Pinkis Cupcake asked “And just who the hell are you!?!”

With a smirk, I replied “Me? I’m no one. I’m just the pony who’s going to take you down!”

After thinking of my swords, I drew two of my elemental blades. The Sword of Fire, Firestarter, and the Sword of Water, Frozen Lake. Noticing they were about to escape, I said to myself that they weren’t going to escape. Just then, my eyes turned blue for a second and their magic faded, also causing me to get a headache. Shaking it off, I then dashed into the air and lunged straight towards them like a bullet from a gun. Spinning, I created fire around me from Firestarter from which the Elements of Insanity dodged before it could hit. Rebounding, I fly straight for Brutalight, knowing she’s the strongest among them. She then materializes two swords of her own through her magic to block the attack. The shockwaves shake the structure once more with each clash. Just then, Pinkis Cupcake comes from behind to smack me away from Burtalight, but block the attack with Frozen Lake, freezing her hoof slightly. As Pinkis backs down; Rainbine, Rarifruit, and Derpigun try to shoot me down with their magic and lasers, but by knocking Brutalight away, I was able to dodge them, as well as counterattack by reflecting some their shots right back at them. Just then, Fluttershout released a high-pitched wail, knocking me back against the wall and dropping my swords. Thinking back, I’ve forgotten how strong that voice of hers is now. Picking myself back up, I recalled the blades and sheathed them for a moment and called upon Earthshaker, the Sword of Earth. “TAKE THIS!” I said while slamming the sword to the ground, causing the ground itself to shake as if it were an earthquake.

As the ground beneath us shook, the Elements of Insanity, with the exception of Rainbrine, came together underneath the catwalk. This was my chance. As I sheathed Earthsharker, it disappeared in a ray of light. Then redrawing Frozen Lake, I created an ice barrier around them, making sure they don’t go anywhere. “Now it’s just you and me now, Rainbrine!” I said in a cocky tone.

Furious, Rainbrine yelled back “As if, now let my friends go, right now!”

“Not gonna happen.”

As I re-sheathed Frozen Lake, it and Firestarter disappeared in the same light Earthshaker did. I then focused on one sword in particular, the sword that would help me free them of these accursed spirits. Just then, a ray of light appeared on my back and then out of it came a long broad sword embraced in gold. It was Soaring Hope, a sword of divine power and magic. As I unsheathed the sword, you could feel a strong force coming from it. I tried to gather my focus when Rainbrine started shooting at me, but I was unfazed. Then, I then began to speak the chant for my attack. “Goddess of the Sun, Goddess of the Moon, lend me your strength to protect those in need…and strike down upon the wicked!”

As I said those words, my body began to glow gold and then my vision went dark. But I could see them, the two souls in front of me. The souls of my mother, Rainbow Dash, and that of the one that has fused with and controlling her, Scombine. Then once more, I could see and I dashed with Soaring Hope in my hand, glowing brighter than ever. “TAKE THIS…CESLESTIAL SLASH!!!!” I yelled as the sword slashed through Rainbine’s body. But this sword other ability is that I chose who or what it cuts, so as it slashes through Rainbine, the only one who get afflicted is Scombine, as his soul is exiled and Rainbow’s body and soul is purified. With Scombine’s soul at the tip of my sword, I then summon one more; only this one doesn’t arrive in light, but in shadow. The Sword of Darkness, Nyx’s Void, as I unsheathe it, I throw it into the air. As it spins, I yell out its signature attack “Void Prison!”

It stops in place and a large black hole appears in the middle of the air. I then throw Soar Hope into the void, along with Scombine’s soul. As the sword goes through and out of the hole, Scombine’s spirit gets trapped in the darkness. I then fly up and grab Nyx’s Void and finish the attack with “Void Seal” by slashing through the hole with Nyx’s Void, sealing the prison. After sheathing both swords, I looked back down and dashed to see if Rainbow Dash is alright. As I get a closer look, I say to myself “It doesn’t look like anything is broken, but she is unconscious. And these electronics are still on her. Let’s get these things off.”

As I did so, I crushed them with my hoof, making them unrepairable. Putting her down, I said “Rest now, mother. I’ll take it from here.”

Moving closer to the ice dome that held the other elements, I said “Alright, ladies. Your turn.”

It was then that the ice started shaking and glowing as the two unicorns were using their magic to break through the ice. And then, that awful wail occurred again, shattering the ice. As they got loose, Applepills thanked Fluttershout for breaking their icy prison. Then Brutalight stepped forward and said “How Dare You Kill One of Our Friends! For That, WE WILL PAY YOU BACK 10 FOLD!”

With my smug attitude returning, I said “She ain’t dead, Sparcake.’

The others were shocked when I said that. ‘But…she’s also no longer a freak like the rest of you. So why don’t you all do the right thing and let me help you? Let me return you to who you were all meant to be.”

“Interesting proposal, but how about mine? We kill you and return our friend back to the way she was.” said Brutalight, materializing two swords once more.

“This isn’t good.’ I thought. ‘I can’t fight them all while also protecting mother. And at this rate, I may just die as well.”

So in reponse, I summoned the Sword of Light, Heaven’s light, and with using Solar Burst, I illuminated the area, blinding them so we could make our escape. I picked up Rainbow dash with one leg and hung her over my back as we flew out of there. With the rain still falling, it felt like a shallow victory. But from where I stand, a victory is still a victory.

***