Cloud Zapper and the Sacred Heart Saga

Cloud Zapper and the Gifted Crown

The rubble was strewn about the ground like rising peaks of some forgotten castle. Their charred and damaged remains wouldn’t seem out of place at the old ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree forest. But these rocks and walls were not the long-forgotten testaments of times damage on stone. They were the aftermath of battle.

It was battle that haunted Cloud Zappers dreams. The likes of Luna herself could not keep such screams silent in the dark. A darkness that called to him in familiar voices, and now, familiar screams. Indeed, Luna seemed absent from any dreams for a while. Rumour was that she hadn’t left her room much since the incident. He didn’t blame her.

Cloud Zapper had not slept fitfully for weeks, and the slow procession of weary duty and sleep deprivation had caused dark circles to be ever present around his eyes as he stood at his station.

The weeks following the funerals of Stonehoof, Melody Song, and Ebony Blitz had been trialling. They were a military, so they were expected to fill empty positions. Captain Sunride, their leader, was tasked with such a job. A job almost impossible to accomplish. Two teams had fought that day, facing the embodiment of darkness itself, the reborn Nightmare Moon. The 45th and the 38th Squadrons of the Inquisitor Royal Guards had stood side by side, fought with everything they had, and succeeded at a terrible price. The 38th had lost Ebony Blitz, their Sargent, posthumously granted the rank of Captain, and Cloud Zappers own 45th squadron had lost Private Stonehoof and Melody Song, both having been granted the posthumous rank of Corporal. Being the only leader left within two such squadrons, Captain Sunride was tasked with promoting a new leader in Ebony’s stead, to lead the 38th.

He had to find his own cousins replacement.

Cloud Zapper did not envy him the task.

The pain and difficulty of such recent burdens had caused a rift between both of them. Disinterest in both emotional and physical connection in the wake of grief had paused Cloud’s and Sunride’s relationship with no sign of it being rekindled anytime soon. This had brought on a somber mood to Cloud in recent days. The lack of Sunride’s warmth in his bed had him pining for the stallion, and, in usual Cloud behaviour, he sought to fill the gaping hole inside him with confectionary goods.

“Another muffin?” The kindly mare asked softly, giving him a sympathetic eye. Despite having just finished his fourth, Cloud Zapper nodded to another.

“He’ll come around, ya know.” The mare continued, buttering up the latest muffin and offering it over the counter. Cloud wordlessly took it in his hoof and stuffed it into his maw. She watched him and pierced her lips. Cupcake Crème had a brown mane and a cream coat, her sparkling blue eyes held a maternal affection for Cloud as he sat there, wallowing in muffin-filled sadness. “Tell ya what, what you need is a night out. How about it?”

Cloud glanced up at her and finally spoke, “with you?” He looked confused.

Cupcake giggled sweetly. “Oh no, my cousins in town. You’d like him.”

Cloud made a face. “I’m not after hooking up-”

“No, no, no. He’s straight. But he does know all the best places in Canterlot. Why not go out for a night, shake it a little, get your mind off things for a bit.”

Cloud shrugged, but as he didn’t outright refuse, Cupcake seemed to take that as an affirmative.

“Great, okay. I’ll send him round to the guard house around seven.” She pushed Cloud off the stool and onto his feet, stuffed a blueberry muffin into his mouth and swatted his flank to get him moving. “And don’t wear armour!” She called as a confused and unsure stallion padded back towards the guard tower, chewing on muffin goodness.

*

There were dead things here.

Old things.

Dead, old things that were dark.

The darkness permeated the very air and the spirit. And though she lacked a heart, Chrysalis could almost feel it’s absent beat grow louder.

There were not many things that left a queen such as her uneasy. There were not many things more powerful, or as old. There were not many things that made her afraid.

This was one such thing among that very short list.

WHO ARE YOU?

The voice wasn’t a voice. It was a permutation of the air. A vibration among the rocks. A silence that spoke words. And though not a syllable was truly uttered, the question was absolute, unmistakable, and demanded an answer.

“I am Queen Chrysalis.”

WE DO NOT RECOGNISE YOUR CROWN HERE.

Chrysalis felt a threat within those unspoken words. As though to defend her title would mean death. She wasn’t entirely sure she COULD die, but that voice made her feel the need to be cautious, lest she find out the depths her immortality could stretch to. “I am here to trade.”

AND WHAT COULD A BUG OFFER US?

She knew this was no racial slur. They did not speak of her species, but her stature. An immortal and powerful being, that with enough love could match the power of Princess Celestia herself, was being considered nothing more than a bug to such beings. Chrysalis swallowed and looked into that encompassing black.

“I offer you a mote of freedom. I offer a break in their chain. She is weakened. You must feel it. Now is the time.”

THE KEEPER OF THE DARK IS NOT THAT WEAK.

“We don’t need to focus on her. She is strong enough to oppose you directly, yes. But she cannot protect anyone else at this point. I have seen to that.”

YOU OFFER ANOTHER LINK IN THE CHAIN?

A low smirk spread across the changeling queen’s features. “I offer you Twilight Sparkle.”

*

A poke in the side made the purple mare snort loudly, the snort was quickly followed by a yelp and her eyes snapping open as she lost her balance. She fell to the floor from her chair with a thump.

“You slept at your desk again.” An unimpressed purple dragon said simply. His scales shone lightly in the noon glow, the bold purple colour was offset by the vivid green of his stomach and spines. He wasn’t a tall dragon. Just a short one. An adult by pony age and a baby by dragon years, Spike looked over his keeper as she rubbed her head tiredly.

“What time is it?” The purple alicorn fluttered her wings a little to stretch them out as she tried to shake herself awake. In answer to her question, her small dragon assistant held up a clock. He cringed when she yelled, “NOON!”

“Twilight…” The dragons attempt to grab his keeper’s attention was futile as the bookish pony dissolved into a panicked state.

“I have to finish writing out my conclusions for Sunbursts theorem on ‘Mist Mane’s Material Amity’ and how it relates to Starswirl’s work on Ancient poultice remedies-”

“-Involving Somnambular Bloom and Heart’s Desire?” The dragon interjected with his arms crossed. Twilight Sparkle looked at him, her mouth still open from being cut off half way through her sentence.

“You finished all your notes before you passed out last night.” Spike, the dragon, explained. “I used the framework for the paper you’d already set out, wrote it up using your notes and sent it off to Celestia before waking you.” He then produced a toasted daisy sandwich. “Breakfast?”

Twilight paused and leaned back against the wall with a breath of relief. “Spike, you’re the best assistant ever.”

“I know.” He said with a smile, watching her yank and wolf down the food. “But you really should go to bed at the right time, Twilight. You’re not good to anyone when you don’t get a good night’s sleep.”

“I sleep fine at the desk.” She defended stubbornly.

Spike gave her another unimpressed look at her. “If the bags under your eyes were any bigger, I could use them for trash when I take out the garbage.”

Twilight huffed grumpily before grabbing a nearby mirror and looking at herself for a moment. To her dismay, she couldn’t really argue. “Okay, maybe I do need a good night’s sleep.”

A slam of the door from downstairs had them both looking to the bedroom door. Rushing out to the balcony that overlooked the library below, they saw a hooded white mare in the middle of the room. “Zecora?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Twilight, you must come, dark things have just begun!” The Zebra mare called up to her in rhyme.

Twilight rushed down the stairs, her earlier tiredness forgotten in the moment. “What’s happening?”

Zecora shook her head, “I have glimpsed through mirror water at things unknown, and have come to warn you of what was shown. A darkness comes, it approaches fast, we must prepare or we will not last!”

“But mirror water, without Alicorn magic is indistinct. Can you really be sure of what you saw?” Twilight asked. She never wanted to second guess her friends, but mirror water was reputedly bad for fortune telling. It was only useful when combined with Alicorn magic and then drank, something Twilight had first-hoof experience with.

“Thrice I have looked, and thrice the results did not waver. Sure, I am that they portend something graver. We must act or we will be consumed by this threat; do not dismiss me, or on Equestria’s chances, I would not bet.”

Twilight looked at her sympathetically, “I’m not dismissing you. I’m sorry. What did the mirror water show you?”

Zecora breathed for a moment before approaching a table. She pulled out a golden ornate bowl from her cloak and placed it down, before pulling out a recognisable flask with a purple liquid. She slowly poured the liquid into the bowl, and pulled out what looked to be some ground herbs. She gently sprinkled them into the water, muttering under her breath; “kioo maji, kuonyesha nini ni lazima kujulikana.” The water swirled unnaturally for a moment, and as Zecora added five seeds around the bowl close to the edge, a ripple spread from each seed that caused images in the water to form.

Twilight watched carefully as Zecora began to speak again, and as she spoke, the shapes in the water took form.

“A darkness with presence. Ancient and untold, yet bound and unknown. Kept contained with ancient magic, magic weakened by something tragic.” The darkness seemed to lash out within the bowl, the indistinct shape of an alicorn and a battle could be seen, all displayed in shadow. These shadows split and lashed out at each other, almost like they were trying to swallow the other shapes and lights as they formed. “It comes to us soon, and its true intentions I cannot view. But what is certain,” she turned to Twilight, “is that it comes for you.”

“Me?” As Twilight watched with wide eyes, the darkness formed a six-pointed star, Twilights cutiemark, only for the blackness to tear the star apart with such violence, both Twilight and Zecora jumped back as, with a loud cracking sound, the bowl of water shattered and splashed purple water to the floor.

“This did not happen when I viewed it before.” Zecora said looking shaken. “I viewed it with the protection of a chime. It must have dulled the clarity of the brine.”

“So, what does it mean when the brine breaks the bowl?” The look Zecora gave Twilight at that question sent a shiver of fear down Twilight’s spine.

“It means we have ran out of time.”

Twilight felt a tingle of awareness pass through the tip of her horn. And as though it were felt more than heard, there seemed to be a creak in reality…

…before the young alicorn princess felt the world crack open.

*

Starlight Breeze looked him over thoughtfully. “Maybe the blue.”

“You said no to the blue, an hour ago.” Cloud groaned as he looked in the mirror. He was currently sporting a red smart vest that fell down as a tailcoat over his flank.

“Yeah, but that was before I saw you in red. Besides, that was a navy blue, this one’s cerulean. Totally different.”

Cloud Zapper rolled his eyes at the light blue pony. “Blue is blue.” He mumbled.

“No, it’s really not. Colour coordination is important. Besides, it matches your mane.”

Cloud had asked Starlight Breeze to help him pick out an outfit. The stallion was known for his impeccable sense of style so Cloud had figured this would be some quick advice and then he could get ready for the ‘party’ tonight. But they’d been at this for over an hour now, trying on various outfits.

“Can’t I just wear something simple?”

His fellow Royal Guard looked at him curiously before sighing. “Fine, if you’re just gonna be grumpy about it. Here.” He picked out something nice but simple. It was a blue and white blazer and some slacks for his flank. “These should do.”

Cloud tried his best not to sigh in relief, “thank you.” He gave the other stallion an appreciative smile.

As Cloud slipped into the outfit, pulling the slacks over his hindquarters, Starlight sat on the bed in the corner.

“So,” Starlight began. Cloud’s ears perked up at the tone of voice. “You and the captain, huh?”

Cloud rolled his eyes and finished pulling up the slacks before grabbing the blazer. “Yes, well… sorta. Kinda.”

“Figured you’d settle for a mare, handsome buck like ya’ self.”

“I like both.” Cloud said, shrugging his shoulders as he slipped his hooves into the blazer sleeves.

Starlight seemed to look at him curiously for moment before he spoke again, “so you and Sunride, you both okay?”

Cloud sighed gently, “yeah, just, with everything that’s happened recently…”

“He’s put up a barrier?”

“More like a wall.”

Starlight nodded at that and slipped off the bed. “Well, do let me know if you ever get into the market again.”

Cloud turned his head to look at the stallion. He wasn’t unattractive. A cute grey mane over a light blue coat and piercing blue eyes. Not a bad catch… but the idea of being with anyone other than Sunride had his insides turning.

“Maybe.” Cloud said dismissively, not wanting to broach the subject.

“Hey.”

Cloud turned as he felt a comforting hoof lay on his shoulder. “He’ll come around.” Starlight said with a warm smile.

“So everyone keeps telling me,” Cloud replied, trying his best to smile back.

“Okay, well, I got guard rotation on 3b. Ya know, I don’t mind the increase in pay, but getting promoted to Corporal has been hell for my shifts.” He grumbled with a small smile, “I’ll see you around.”

Cloud waved at the stallion as he left and turned back to the mirror, tugging at the blazers collar. He didn’t look bad. Maybe tonight he could just forget everything and have fun.

*

Silver Breeze was a mail pony. His silver mane was medium length and was accented well in colour to his lime green coat. He had a large satchel slung around his neck and strapped to his side as he flew through the air, his wings gently caressing along the nearby clouds as he enjoyed the gentle breeze. He did love his job.

Silver Breeze closed his eyes, humming to himself as he swayed back and forth through the convection currents that swirled along the upper skies, tilting his wings to the slightest degree to catch that small updraft, only to tilt them up and gently start his decent as he approached his destination.

The feel of the wind and air pressure changed sharply, as though a large object were suddenly directly below the cloud cover. He arched up as fast as he could, but he struck it. The clouds dispersed, and a black form took shape below him, a throbbing pain lancing through his wings causing him to cry out. He backed off. “What the hell?”

He looked down. It was huge. Around the entire town of Ponyville, there was a dark sphere of what Silver could only describe as… malice. That’s what it was. Pure malice. He felt it, like a creeping under his skin, a gut wrenching feeling and a sickly taste in his throat. A feeling that described itself only, as incomparable hate.

The blackness stretched around the whole town like a dome, blocking seemingly any entrance to the inside.

“Well, there go my delivery time bonus.” Silver muttered, his eyes still roaming over the blackness in shock. The blackness throbbed before him. Seeming to pulse and beat like a heart. The sound of crackling could be heard, and something in Silver told him to get out of there. Turning to run, he felt something stop him, and with a scream he was yanked back, clawing at the very air itself in an effort to free himself from the grasp. Blackness swallowed him whole.

*

Cloud Zapper stepped outside palace grounds, tugging on the blazers collar to fold it into position.

“Hey! You must be Cloud!” A bouncing blue stallion with a bright fluorescent pink mane bounded over to him. He was wearing a neck ruffle and swanky red tailcoat vest that somehow, didn’t seem too eccentric on him. His piercing red eyes were bright and friendly.

Cloud looked a little uncomfortable, responding with, “yeah,” as the stallion wrapped a hoof around his shoulders.

“Awesome, we got a great party ahead of us. Hey crew, get over ‘ere and say ‘ello to the heart broken lad. We gotta give him a night to remember.”

“Oh, we getting’ ‘im laid?” Asked a bright green stallion with a buzz cut black mane, a wide grin spread across his features like he was eager to get started with such a task.

“Nah, got orders on this one. He’s ta get plastered, have a good time, and just forget ‘is woes. No funny business.”

“Maybe I should just go back to my dorm.” Cloud Zapper said, feeling way too uncomfortable with such eccentric stallions around him.

“Oh no you don’t,” said the blue stallion, pulling him along. “Sorry boi, but we ain’t goin’ till you’re smilin’.”

Cloud gulped as he was marched off with the stallions. The two he’d spoken to were flanked by a bright purple stallion with another pink mane, and the other one was a dark grey with a blond mane. This was going to be a long night.

The party was… loud.

That was the best description for it. Loud and heavy and it hurt his ears. Strobing lights flashed over the dance floor as stallions and mares rubbed shoulders, gyrating and dancing with all the finesse capable of drunken bodies. In the corner a stallion threw up, in another a mare and a stallion were doing everything legally allowed for two people to do in public, and looked about ready to cross that threshold, if only for the thrill of the public display. The dance floor could barely be seen for the stomping hooves and swaying bodies as the DJ pulled and scratched on his decks.

Shouting over the music was a chore, but somehow the other stallions managed to do it with gusto. They shoved drinks in front of him, and at their urging, Cloud took full gulps. He tried his best to avoid the heavy stuff, but it seemed the stallions were insistent.

“’Ello there!” The blue stallion called out, whistling happily at the sight of some rather attractive mares dancing on the dance floor. Cloud’s host turned to him and wriggled his brow as he stood up. Despite the pink mane, Cobalt Flourish was a surprisingly masculine stallion. He had an air of confidence about him that made others gravitate to his personality. The stallion padded over to the mares and without much of a word, he began to dance with them, gently inching closer. One of the mares glanced over, looking him up and down before smirking. Cloud couldn’t deny he was handsome, so he wasn’t too surprised when Cobalt managed to grind his way over the mare’s flank, whooping happily over the music.

“Wanna go over to see if they want a piece o’ you too?” The other pink maned stallion asked to Cloud’s left. This stallions coat was a bright purple, giving his colours a stark feminine feel despite his square jawline. Burgundy Flourish was Cobalt’s brother, he preferred to be called Burg.

“Nah, too soon.” Cloud answered with a shrug, smiling at the stallion to thank him for his offer before taking another gulp of beer.

“So, Cloud, tell me what it’s like in the guard.”

Cloud shrugged at the question. “Probably like most jobs. Get up early, get your gear on and go do what you’re told to do.”

Burg smirked, “is it true you boys all screw in the showers?”

Cloud’s cheeks flushed a little. He cleared his throat and took another large gulp of alcohol. “Well, not all of us… but, it’s not unheard of.”

“So… is it like an orgy thing? A tradition thing? Or like a relief thing?”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Okay, it’s more like a relief thing, lack of mares ya know. The tradition around it is less about doing it… and more about ignoring it if others are doing it.”

“Why ain’t there no mares?”

Cloud bit his lip and tried to think of a way to say this without coming off like an asshole. “Well… it’s kinda backwards. And it’ll probably be overturned and changed in the next few years but… mares don’t really join the guard. Well, not the Aerial or Militia anyway. There are mares in the Mystic Guard though.”

“Which one you in?” Burg asked, draining the last dregs of beer from his own cup.

“I’m an Inquisitor, we’re sorta like the detectives.”

Burg drunkenly nodded and pointed at Cloud feverishly. “I know that one! Ain’t there mares in that one?”

Cloud shrugged at the question, “not many.” He replied. “We’re made up of the best members of all the areas, Mystic Guard included. Sometimes we get a mare, sometimes we don’t. The ratio’s way off though, like one mare for ten stallions.”

“I can see why ya go for the dick then. With those odd’s ya might as well.” The pink maned stallion cackled.

Cobalt Flourish padded back over, his hooves around the shoulders of two mares who were looking a little tipsy. “We’re heading back to the hotel room. Ya comin’?”

Cloud nodded, wanting to get out of the noise. The alcohol was already giving him a headache and the base of the music wasn’t helping.

The outside cold air helped his brain to relax, but he quickly found out how drunk he was when he almost stumbled off the curve and into another stallion. Mumbling apologies, he followed the other stallions and mares. The third bright green stallion had barely spoken all night, but he was watching the swaying flanks of the mares as they walked. Reaching the hotel room, they stumbled in. Cloud headed right for the bathroom. Pouring himself a large glass of water from the tap, he gulped it down, hoping to clear his head a bit. He stumbled back into the room and fell down on the bed. He glanced lazily to his right and watched Cobalt pin a mare down as he mounted her, his mottled brown length slipping deep into the mare’s entrance until their hips slapped together, both letting out loud moans. Their moans became the accompaniment to squeaking bed springs with each thrust, the wet sound of slapping hips joining the other sounds in the room. On the other bed nearby, the green stallion was doing the same to the other mare, his thrusts a little more insistent and rough on the mare. Not that she seemed to mind.

Cloud sighed and rolled over to ignore them, closing his eyes. One positive thing had come out of this loud night… he hadn’t actually thought about Sunride once. He fell asleep to the sound of squeaking bed springs.

*

“Ow! Stop hittin’ me!”

Cloud awakened to a thwapping sound. He looked over at the doorway. Cobalt was getting swatted round the head by a rolled-up newspaper held in an azure aura. Cupcake hit him again for good measure.

“Leave me alone!”

“I told you to give him a good night out!” The baker yelled, “not grab the nearest harlot!”

“He did have a good night! I swear!” Cobalt defended, ducking under another swing at his head from the newspaper. Glancing to the side showed a still sleeping Burgundy and two mares. One of which was awake and looking sheepish.

Cupcake Crème glanced over at Cloud and saw that he was awake. “Oh darling.” She pouted and padded over. “How are you feeling?”

Cloud rubbed his forehead. “A little hungover… okay, a lot hungover.” He smiled, his vision a little blurry from the throbbing headache. It felt like his head was in a vice. “I just need some water.”

“I’ll get him some.” Cobalt grumbled, heading over to the small fridge and throwing him a bottle. “I’ll pay the hotel for it.” He sighed.

Cloud took a deep drink of the bottle only to almost jump out of his skin. The door burst inwards with a loud bang. Three Royal Guard stallions rushed in. The first to the front was Starlight Breeze, his light blue coat accented by the bright orange of Trickshot’s.

“Cloud, we have to go now!” Starlight yelled, pushing past the bewilded Cupcake and her cousin. Somehow Burgundy just snorted at the yelling as he slept through it.

“Yo, Cloud.” Trickshot said, his usual grin spread over his face. He looked from Cloud to the two mares and the sight made his usual grin spread wider. “You get lucky?”

“No, I-” His breath caught when Sunride stepped between them. His red coat was unmistakable, neither were his deep blue eyes. Eyes that now looked from Cloud to the mares. “It’s not what it looks like-”

“Get your gear. There’s an emergency.” Sunride’s voice held no warmth or understanding. It was cold. Cold enough to send ice through Cloud’s heart as he watched the stallion he loved turn around and walk out of the room.

Cloud stared at them and gulped. “I… I didn’t…” He was almost speaking to himself.

“Cloud.” Starlight said carefully. “There’s an emergency, we can sort this out when we get back.”

Cloud Zapper nodded, taking a gulp but finding it almost impossible. It felt like there was a stone in his throat. “What’s the emergency?” He asked in a croaky voice, trying his best not to break into tears.

“Somethings taken over Ponyville. The entire place has been wrapped in some kind of darkness.”

‘Twilight Falls,

The land grows dark…’

The first line of that prophesy came to his mind unbidden. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck and he spoke in a soft whisper, “it’s happening.”

*

Sunride hadn’t spoken to him the entire time.

Cloud sat among the others, a large regiment cart pulled by members of the Aerial Guard carried them on their way to Ponyville. The back was cramped and dusty, and while the seats were uncomfortable, it sure beat flying the whole way.

Cloud looked at each of his comrades. Sergeant Moonshine, Corporal Starlight Breeze, Private Trickshot, and Private Autumn Leaf, and at the front was Captain Sunride Blitz who stared at the floor between his hooves. Whether he was contemplating life or the mission or even what kind of jam went best on toast, Cloud didn’t know.

Trying to pull his mind away from the stallion, he thought about the mission, about the report. After getting their gear on they’d flew as fast as they could to the Royal Courtroom. The princesses looked stressed, Celestia retained her usual regal façade, but every few moments Cloud noticed she’d shift her weight between her hooves. And her voice had the smallest hard edge on certain syllables. She also closed her eyes more, collecting herself for brief seconds before continuing. She was worried. Twilight Sparkle had long been her student in magic, practically living at the palace for most of her academic life. There was a motherly bond that couldn’t be broken in that, and Cloud saw it was taking everything the princess had not to run to her students aid herself. But she couldn’t. The princess could not face all the dangers of Equestria. Not even most of them. If she were defeated, or worse… killed… who would run the kingdom? How would Equestria fair if it’s ruler ran from her duties at a moment’s notice to go into battle?

And it wasn’t like they were all powerful. Cloud had spoken to friends in the Mystic Guard before with a curiosity about history and subjects of magic. He knew the general story. The Elements of Harmony. They were once wielded by the Princesses. But their power was only partial, and they had to both wield them to unleash their true potential. This was why when Nightmare Moon had first risen, Celestia could not rid her of the corruption like the new bearers could. It was why Princess Luna had to be imprisoned in the moon for a thousand years. The Elements no longer considered the Princesses wielders. When two bearers faced off against each other, they could no longer be the wielders of Harmony. As they themselves were not in harmony.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had taken up that mantle. Their strength together was far greater than Celestia could ever hope to be, and despite her fears and desire to protect the filly that she had helped raise as much as the filly’s parents had… it was for the best that such dangers be faced by those more capable.

It was this understanding that stayed Celestia’s hooves in the courtroom. And held her voice strong despite its slight tremble. It was this understanding that allowed the Princess to do her duty.

And here they were, being sent in the Princesses stead. Flying in a carriage to Ponyville.

Everything was happening so fast. The dangers of Chrysalis, the reveal of who she was, the threat of the Titan’s if she succeeded, the attack on Princess Luna, and now Twilight Sparkle.

Cloud was frayed at the nerves, and he knew he wasn’t the only one. Looking around him he could see the strain on each of their faces. Trickshot’s smile was a little too wide, and his hooves seemed to be held tight against him as he sat there. Moonshine, usually perfectly well kept in appearance, had missed straggling hairs in his mane. It was a small detail, but the pony was practically OCD about his appearance, so this oversight was likely telling of his emotions. Starlight looked his usual self, if a little tired. Which Cloud was honestly thankful for, they needed someone on their game. Though Cloud knew he wasn’t taking the rank of ‘Corperal’ very well. He got promoted after the Nightmare Moon incident, and since then had often complained about the increase in his guard rotation hours. Autumn Leaf was the same. Tired, and worried. He was visibly wired. While not the newest or the most inexperienced, Autumn was always a worrier and wore his heart on his fetlock, and it showed. The stallion could wield a lance like nobody’s business, but before a battle he always had this air of being coiled like a spring. And there at the front was Sunride. Still just staring at the ground. What Cloud wouldn’t give for one of Melody Song’s bad jokes right now.

“Incoming!” Yelled one of the Aerial Guard’s from the front. The cart shifted and tilted violently. Cloud yelped as he was thrown against the bulk of the carts interior, rolling out of the way as the tilt sent a spear flying at him, sticking into the side near his head.

“Zapper!” Sunride yelled, for a moment Cloud was hopeful it was a call of concern until his captain continued. “Get out there and see what’s happening!”

“Yes sir!” He yelled as he launched himself out the back of their enclosed cart. He freefell for a second before extending his wings, catching an updraft and soaring into a spin. He came up alongside the cart and barely dodged as a strange tendril of blackness rushed by him. “WHAT THE FUCK?!” He aileron rolled out the way of another tendril and tilted his wings so the roll became a barrel, swinging him under the cart and to the other side. “Seen anything like this before?” He called out to the Pegasus up front above the rush of the wind.

His yell could barely be heard over the noise as the sky cracked and split open with lightning and rain. Before them, a swirling vortex of clouds spun in a dangerous hurricane around what Cloud could only describe as a massive black dome. The dome itself seemed to swirl in his vision, and the encompassing dark was both reflective, and also seemed to swallow light completely. It was as though looking into the deepest well with a mote of water at the bottom.

“Corporal,” one of the Pegasus started, “we ain’t seen fuck all like this before.” There was a strange ripple that travelled through the dome before another tendril ruptured out and seemed to make a grab for them. The Pegasus barely dodged, the side of the cart getting struck and torn open. Their occupants yelled and the entire cart began to list to the side. A yell from inside caused Cloud to stretch his wings out, catching the draft in front and launching himself backwards behind the cart. He arrived just in time as Moonshine fell from the open back. Cloud caught the Unicorn as he fell into his hooves. One of the thick cords holding the cart into the reins of the Pegasus was damaged, it began to creak as the metal frayed. “We’re going down!” The Pegasus yelled. The three Aerial Guard angled and headed for a rocky plateau nearby.

The landing was rough.

The cart smashed into the rocks, one of the Pegasus called out in pain as he landed badly, a sharp crack following a bent wing as he skidded along the floor. The cart fell to its side, tearing itself up more before skidding to a halt.

Cloud landed with Moonshine, letting the stallion touch solid ground, obviously panicked from the ordeal. “That was not fun.” He said, looking to Cloud, “thanks.”

Cloud nodded respectfully before moving to the cart as the others climbed out. Apart from a few bumps and scrapes, it looked like everyone was okay.

“Corporal Zapper, what happened?” Sunride asked, stroking his bruised temple.

“Sir, that happened.” Cloud answered, pointing to the sphere of blackness around Ponyville.

Captain Sunride slowly approached the edge of the plateau. “What in Celestia’s name is that?”

“No idea.” Cloud said, stepping up beside him. “But it was firing weird tendrils at us. But, if I had to guess… that’s Ponyville.”

They stared in silence for a moment, drinking in the sight as the heavy wind blustered around them, their coats and manes soon sodden and heavy from the rain as it cascaded around them. The wind had a bite to it, and it travelled fast and hard. Cloud kept his wings tight to his side. The gusts of wings pulled at his secondary’s and primary coverts, almost yanking the feathers from their root in a manner that stung if he turned his side to the bite of the wind. If he spread his wings in this, he’d surely be pulled away into that swirling vortex.

Cloud turned to Sunride, watching his face as his commanding officer looked over their obstacle. The princess had specifically told them to go there, see the issues and help solve it if they could. But no one had information. There were some vague reports, but anypony that got too close disappeared and no word was sent back. They’d flew in blind.

“What’s our orders?”

Sunride bit the inside of his cheek visibly as he mulled the question over in his mind. “Your orders… are to find me a way in.” He turned to Starlight. “Corporal Starlight, I need you to assess the situation.”

The smaller stallion nodded but looked concerned. “I need to get closer-” he looked down at the sphere, “-a lot closer.”

“On my back, lighten the load.” Cloud Zapper said, lowering himself down. “I’m going to need your help with the wind.”

Starlight Breeze padded over and mounted vertically, laying his weight along Cloud’s back. His horn began to glow and a soft light encompassed his whole body, making his weight suddenly seem a fraction of what it was. This way Cloud’s flying wouldn’t be much impeded by carrying him.
Cloud padded to the edge and spread his wings, jumping off towards the Sphere.

The initial gust of wind almost snapped Cloud’s left wing as he tried to push himself forward, but with a second glow of Starlight’s horn, a field rippled around them both. A shield to hide them from most of the gusts. It was specially designed to work with Pegasus, it didn’t block all the gusts of wind, just most of them. After all, if it blocked them all, a Pegasus could hardly take flight at all, but at least this meant they weren’t going to be dashed against rocks from the force of the hurricane.

They unsteadily sank down towards the ground. Cloud could hear Starlight chuckling at something as they flew.

“Ya know,” Starlight called over the loud wind with a mirthful grin on his muzzle, “this isn’t really the way I’ve been hoping to mount you.” Cloud rolled his eyes as they finally landed on solid ground. Starlight slipped from his back and gave Cloud another grin. “Was it good for you?” The Unicorn jested with a wiggle of his brow.

“Just get started.” Cloud said, trying his best not to snigger. Though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate the humour, crude as it was. He needed a little mirth after recent events. Starlight chuckled at the Pegasus and stepped forward. He was about ten metres from the base of the dome. The wind was strong here so the Unicorn was having to use the wind protection spell on himself just to stay grounded, while Cloud Zapper dug his hooves into the dirt in an effort to do the same.

Starlight’s horn began to glow brighter, an overglow slowly sliding over its length as he braced himself against the wind. His magic shot out in an arc of blue light, hitting the sphere.

Clouds waited for almost a full minute before speaking, “well?”

His question was barely heard above the roaring of the wind, but Starlight looked pained and confused about something. “I… I don’t know... it’s strange… it’s like…” The spot where his magic connected with the sphere began to glow red. His blue magic was suddenly rushed back at him, it’s edges glowing red as it sent Starlight flying back to the ground, a yell of pain joining the blustering sounds of the storm.

Cloud rushed to his side quickly, looking for any sign of damage. “Starlight, are you okay?” He asked, noticing that the unicorns horn was smoking and glowing red at the tip like it was hot.

Starlight groaned a little, but didn’t wake up. There was a strange rumbling that was less a sound, and more a feeling that passed through the air. His coat and the feathers of Cloud’s wings stood on end and with less than a second to spare, he dived to the side, carrying Starlight as he rolled. A tentacle of blackness crashed into the ground where he’d been standing, displacing rock and dirt with the force. A second tentacle erupted out and he dived again, one of his legs was struck though. Cloud watched as the blackness engulfing his leg. Starlight flew from his grip and he struggled to pull away. But somehow, the blackness wasn’t just gripping him, it felt like it was swallowing him. It began crawling up his leg, inch by inch. Cloud spread his wings, capturing himself in the powerful gust and gale of the wind, hoping that it’d help him pull free. But even as he pulled, even as the swirling wind tugged at him, even as he clawed at the earth… he felt himself slipping back.

“CLOUD!” Red hooves gripped his. Cloud’s eyes looked up into the blue eyes of Captain Sunride, the other guards fast approaching as they flew or galloped in the gale to reach him. Sunride pulled so hard Cloud felt like his hooves would be yanked from their sockets. Multiple tentacles suddenly rushed forward, one wrapping around Clouds midsection, another wrapping around Sunride’s neck. Cloud screamed as it spread up over Sunride’s face, suffocating him as it dragged them both back towards the sphere. Cloud could see them, his comrades, his friends and family in arms. They watched, screamed and gave chase, unable to help as the blackness drew both him and Sunride in. And their terrified faces were the last thing he saw, before the world went dark.

*

Cloud woke with a groan. The world seemed fuzzy and dark and rubbing them didn’t seem to do any better. At first, he thought he might have sustained some damage to his eyes, but he quickly realised that no, he hadn’t. The place he was in was just darker than he’d expected. The area around him seemed to have a weird blood red and purple hint to it that reminded him of assorted grapes and fruits mashed together. The floor was cobbled stone and shapes somewhere in the distance looked like buildings. So, he was still outside… or inside… looking up to the sky made a pit form in the Pegasus’s stomach. The sky was a swirling vortex of black’s, purples and dark hues that seemed to pulse and almost breath. He was inside the dome.

“Cloud?” A groan sounded behind him. Cloud Zapper turned and saw Captain Sunride Blitz a few metres from him, cradling his head in discomfort, likely feeling the same as Cloud did. A burning migraine was throbbing at his temples.

“Captain.” Cloud padded over and helped him up. “Are you alright, sir?” He asked, keeping it professional. Though he was really worried about him. Those tentacles hadn’t been very gentle.

Sunride nodded. “I’m alright.” He answered, looking up and around him. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t think they were pulled in.” Cloud looked around to confirm that theory, but they did indeed seem alone.

“Maybe they were smarter than us and kept their distance.”

“Then why wasn’t Starlight pulled in too?” Cloud mumbled as he looked around them. “What is happening in here?”

The dome ceiling above them swirled and a shot of lightning cracked from above, lighting the interior of the dome brilliantly for a second. The sharp towers of the buildings silhouetted against the flash and the town, for all its colour, seemed dark and foreboding in the instant.

“Come on.” Sunride said, walking past Cloud Zapper as he pulled on ahead. “We need to find Princess Twilight Sparkle. She’ll be in a better position to deal with this than we are.”

Cloud agreed with that logic and followed his captain. The entire town had been trapped, and yet, as they walked into the town, not a soul greeted their eyes. The place seemed vacant. Dead. A movement to his right made Cloud jump a little as paranoia began to creep up his spine. “I really don’t like it here.”

“Quiet.” Sunride shushed him, crouching low behind an abandoned cart as the sound of giggling could be heard from nearby.

“What is that?”

“Shh,” Sunride hissed as he stepped out from behind the cart that barely concealed them. He moved around a building and a figure seemed to stand there in the darkness. A mare, judging by her figure and the pram she had beside her. She seemed to be giggling at something. “Ma’am, are you alright?” Captain Sunride approached her slowly. “I’m Captain Sunride, Captain of the 45th Inquisit-OOOhHOLY SHIT!” He yelped back, his body coiled in a tight stance, his wings flared and angled behind him as though he were ready to take off at any moment.

Cloud Zapper rushed to his side and leaned down, grabbing the pommel of his sword into his mouth, he swung it out and held it at the ready.

The mare just stood there, giggling. She turned her face to them, and a chill ran down Cloud’s spine. The mare was missing her jaw. Blood dripped to the floor, and her teeth were jagged blades that looked ready to tear through flesh. Her eyes were pinpoints and maddening to behold. The very sight had Cloud’s stomach twisted up in knots. She reached into the crib and pulled out a foal, a screaming bloody foal with the umbilical cord still attached to its stomach. The mare held the boy up aloft and before Cloud could react, the mare shoved the babe down her own throat, her neck engorging and distended with the shape of the screaming babe as it slipped down into her gullet. A long slippery tongue extended and licked over her bloody shark-like teeth as she descended into another fit of laughter. Clouds gut wrenched and his hooves reacted. Suddenly he was in front of her, the blade singing as it sliced through the air. His blade met flesh and- nothing. The air was cut, and silence fell as he looked at the empty space where the monstrous mare had been. Silence stood in her place instead.

“What the fuck was that…?” Captain Sunride stared at where the mare had been, looking like he might be physically sick from the ordeal.

“I… I dunno… but she disappeared so, maybe it wasn’t real…” Clouds words were full of hope. Though he didn’t really believe them.

The air felt stale around them as they walked through the town. The air had a light chill to it that had Cloud shivering as he walked. Things slithered in the darkness, the alleyways seemed darker than they were. The rubbish and refuse of piled up garbage hung a heavy stench in the air as they walked past alleys that had long since been abandoned as places to dump all manner of crap. The place looked disgusting. Rats seemed to slither about the place and signs above shops seemed old and frail, many of them barely hanging on by a single chain.

None of it seemed right. This wasn’t the Ponyville he’d heard about. He’d been here in his youth; the place had seemed beautiful and quaint. But this place was filthy, and things crawled in the dark vestiges of shadows and rotten smells putrefied the air. Each breath seemed to threaten to choke him. Slowly they crossed the square, the long road to the castle stood before them. The road was cracked with dead reeds lining the path, and the castle before them hadn’t fared well either. It’s shining crystal form seemed cracked and shattered in places. Even its reflective beauty could not be helped but be marred by its state of disrepair.

“Why is everywhere like this? I heard Ponyville was nice.”

Sunride just grunted in reply as he approached the large double doors of the castle. He raised a hoof, took hold of the door knocked and knocked thrice. The loud knocked seemed to vibrate the surface of the crystal door, cracks formed and with a creaking crash, the knocked itself fell from the door to crack on the crystal steps below.

They waited in silence.

A susurrus began. It slowly grew from the edge of hearing to something that could almost be precepted as a whisper. A creek from inside, a rustle from behind them, a movement in the darkness; all these things served to send creeping fingers up both stallions spines.

The door before them lurched open with a loud echoing bang that made them both jump in fright.

“What do you want?” The mares voice sounded annoyed. Looking through the crack in the open door, Princess Twilight Sparkle stood there with half lidded eyes and a gruff manner. She looked like she hadn’t showered, her mane was a mess and if Cloud was entirely honest, she looked either drunk or pissed off.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle?” Cloud Zapper asked curiously. He’d seen pictures of her, her purple coat and mane, the horn and wings he could barely see from this angle all said it was her. But she was not as he had expected. She was shorter for one...

“That’s who’s house this is… wha’d’ya want?” She repeated, narrowing her eyes at them.

“Princess,” Sunride stepped forward, “may we speak to you?”

The princess looked between them both glumly before she shrugged and turned away from the door, leaving it open. They stepped inside and closed the door. The place had a dusty smell that lingered on the nose. The feint aroma of moist books and mouldy pages assaulted the senses and the floor seemed sticky to the touch of their hooves as though it had neither been washed or swept in months. As they followed her into the crystalline halls their reflections tinted off the walls around them, highlighting the grime and smudges that marred their surface.

Twilight turned into one of the rooms, the entrance a yawning archway beset into the wall unceremoniously, as though the crystals that made the surface of the walls had grown in such a fashion as to accommodate the entrance to the other room. Cloud wondered absently if the entire castle had been grown rather than built. He could see no sign of polished workmanship, yet the floor, stairs and walls were shiny, smooth and without flaw. The room they entered was filled wall to wall with books. The tomes arched grandly to the highest ceiling Cloud Zapper had ever seen. The room was circular, and levels and walkways were numerous above them, approachable only by ladders; but many of the shelves looked unkept. Books had fallen to the floor, three mountains piled up high were located at each corner of the room. Twilight herself walked over fallen books as though forgetting they were there, and made her way to what seemed to have been a makeshift bed made out of a couple of chairs, some bedding, and a pillow. She laid herself down on them, ignoring the Cloud and Sunride as they looked around.

Cloud approached one of the cases to his right, and curiously, reached out for a book and took it down. He opened the page and saw the scrawling’s of the writer’s mouth. Mouth-written words spread across the page accompanied by complex geometric diagrams describing the intricacies of what Cloud could only assume was advanced magics. But as he watched, the words seemed to shift under his gaze, and slowly, the ink began to run, spreading and smudging across the page as though the book were freshly printed and being run with water.

Cloud snapped the book closed and put it back, glancing back at Twilight as she lay snug in her place. The loud snoring that followed told him she was asleep.

Captain Sunride rolled his eyes and poked her. “Princess?” He asked, his voice stoic and professional.

“Uh… WHAT?!” She yelled, the Alicorn’s grimace at him for disturbing her sleep felt a little smouldering. Cloud was acutely aware that while he didn’t understand much of what was going on, this was still an Alicorn Princess, and upsetting her might not be the best move.

“What is happening in this town?”

Twilight glared at the captain for a moment before turning over and slipping back to sleep.

As Captain Sunride seethed, Cloud Zapper moved over to a nearby table. Books had been scattered over the surface absently as though thrown on without care, much like the other surfaces in the room. But as Cloud’s eyes scanned the table, he noticed something. He moved two of the tomes out of the way, a ‘Magical Mystery Maladies’ by ‘Marble Minerva’ and ‘The Complete Compendium of Curses, Cursive, and Coughing Cures’ by ‘Commutative Greg’. Beneath them lay a single book that seemed to have actually been placed there on purpose, as it laid in decent placement on the table. The book was open, and while the right page was blank, the left page had half a page of lines written in rapid, but relatively neat scrawls (relative to Cloud’s own ability to write. He wasn’t very neat).

‘-comeing from the mountains. Not above them, but beneath them. There was something in one of my books on the subject, ‘Earthly Enemies, Amorphous Adversaries, and Ears of Corn’ by ‘Agatha Antique’ that said; ‘Beings of this age cannot exist in a world of strong magics, as they are opposed to it. While encompassing the concept of magic itself, they are anti-magic, and ethereal in nature, as though a second side of the coin. They can only be contained within a resisting vessel.’ The rest of the book delved into the geometrical components and sociological impact of ears of corn through ancient history, which does not help my current situation at all. It is my review that Agatha Antique had an obsession with corn and an inability to focus on a single subject. Besides, her pros were weak and much of her sentence structure is shoddy at best. But about this thing, it’s old, from before Equestria was founded and it’s changing things. Thing’s aren’t real and I can’t change it to make it not real. I’ve tried to send word to Celestia but my magic isn’t working, this thing, it feeds on-’

‘Thing’s aren’t real and I can’t change it to make it not real.’ Cloud reread that line repeatedly. It still made no sense. “Captain.” He called over, grabbing the book and bringing it over to the red stallion. Captain Sunride, grateful for the distraction away from the infuriating Princess, looked at the book and read the text.

“I think it starts on this page.” Cloud turned the page and looked down, only to see the ink starting to run and smudge. “Read quickly.” Cloud warned cautiously as his eyes ran over the text as fast as his brain could absorb the words.

‘If Zecora’s predictions are true, then something is coming that threatens everything. It started with the impact of something in town, but it didn’t fall. It cracked through, literally CRACKED through the world. It’s in the centre of town, the mayors place, and it began spreading. Everything’s changing. I can’t seem to analyse it, but my equipment in my lab was able to detect something like a sound-’

“A sound coming from under the mountains?” Cloud asked curiously, not understanding what that could mean.

“Look here,” Sunride pointed to a paragraph that was just starting to run, the ink slowly smudging with the rest as the page became an illegible mess. “It’s in the centre of town. We need to go stop this.”

Cloud nodded and with Sunride they headed out of the room. “Wait,” said Cloud quickly, turning back to the slumbering Twilight. “What about the Princess?”

Captain Sunride glanced from Cloud to the princess and shook his head, “leave her, she can’t help us.”

Cloud reluctantly nodded and followed his captain.

They exited the castle back into the air outside. It wasn’t cold, the atmosphere seemed set on a comfortable temperature that was neither too hot or cool. But something in the air still had Cloud Zapper shivering.

“What do you think is going on here? What was up with that mare and the baby? Or the princess? What trapped us in here?”

“Do I look like I have those answers?!” Sunride yelled, rounding on Cloud angrily.

Cloud instinctively shrank back submissively. “I’m sorry.”

Sunride’s expression softened and he let out a tired sigh. “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that.”

Cloud gave him a small smile, “it’s alright. I guess I’m not handling this well.”

“Me neither.”

They both stood in silence, words that were left unsaid seemed to be hovering in the air between them. Cloud almost snatched one when Sunride turned away.

“We should get moving.”

Without saying a word in reply, Cloud nodded and followed his captain.

*

The town was just as he remembered before going into the castle. The domed sky seemed to pulse with a darkness that was both distinct, and vague simultaneously; and all manner of destitute around them seemed ever more prominent in the gloom. Wood beams and framings of doorways that might, in the light of day, seem charming, now seemed gnarled. Each knot in the wood, each chip and crack seeming vivid and garish and almost offal in nature. A tree nearby had overgrown roots that seemed to have cracked the concrete below it, and in the dark light Cloud’s mind cast images of intestines and organs of the tree strewn upon the road like some obscene horror of disembowelment committed by some fiend. Intellectually, he knew they were just roots, he knew the wooden beams were just chipped, he knew the frame of the door was just cracked… but his imagination twisted them till his stomach could barely stand their sight. Instead, Cloud Zapper opted to stare at the ground as he walked, that or look at the armoured flank of Sunride… which wasn’t an altogether unpleasant option, but probably not appropriate for the mission.

They reached the main square swiftly. In the centre was the town hall, and an array of abandoned shops and stalls around it. Cloud looked up at the building in the centre. The building was cracked in half, and seeping from the cracks were tendrils of an ethereal nature. They seemed to shift and pulse as Cloud looked at them, unable to focus on one specific detail or factor of their shape. The large double doors to the building were broken off, one of them hanging by only a hinge. Their surface seemed to be adorned with veins of purple pulsing that was almost analogous to the colourless darkness of the dome above them.

The inside of that doorway was dark.

But it was a different kind of dark. It wasn’t the pulsing dark, it wasn’t the ‘foreboding’ dark, and it wasn’t the ‘threatening’ dark. It was a ‘nothing’ dark. An ‘empty’ dark.

“We’re going in there aren’t we?” Cloud said, fearing he knew the answer before he’d finished asking the question.

Captain Sunride took a deep breath and nodded, “yup.”

For a moment they looked at each other, knowing that whatever happened in there, it may be something they wouldn’t be able to walk out of. Together, they looked back into that darkness, and moved forward.

*

The inside was dark. Go figure. Coming in from a dark and foreboding outside, to a darker and more foreboding inside. Cloud was starting to drastically dislike the situation he was in, not that he had found it fun at any point. ‘Mare-eating-baby’ has been where the adventure turned from ‘standard-but-kind-of-weird’ to ‘all-kinds-of-no’.

The walls were papered with deep reds and the carpets a plush pink that seemed both inviting, and vomit inducing. Though Cloud wasn’t sure if the nausea was caused because of the colours, or the sickly smell in the air. It smelt of dust and water rot.

Both stallions braved the darkness slowly, one hoof in front of the other as the corridors stretched out in front of them. They made their way down a hall to the end, and turned left at a T-Junction. Following that route, they came to another long corridor. Halfway down a turning right was open to them, curiously, they both took it, only to find another long hallway.

“This doesn’t add up.” Sunride mumbled to himself. He launched forward. Cloud ran to catch up, both of them galloping down the hall, turning left, and then right, and then another right. The place was just long corridors… no rooms.

On the left wall of the hallways was a painting in a frame. Captain Sunride padded over to it, narrowed his eyes and slammed his hoof into the glass covering the work of art. The glass cracked viciously down the centre, other cracks spider-webbing out in a pattern that distorted the painting inside. With that, Sunride and Cloud headed down the corridor again. They turned left, and then another right, only to take the next two lefts. This was another long hallway, and a familiar cracked painting greeted them. With a narrowed glare, Captain Sunride galloped forward. Cloud struggled to keep up with his comrade, running as best he could to follow the twists and turns the captain weaved through hallway after hallway. And always, they came to the same cracked picture.

“We’re going around in circles!” He took the picture off the wall and smashed it against the adjacent wall in anger. Cloud looked down at the pieces of glass, thinking about them. They caught the glint of the dull light in the hallway, a light that didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere. The picture was partially exposed from its frame, and underneath it was a cloth backing. Cloud’s mind ran back to what Princess Twilight had written. “It’s not real…” He mumbled to himself. “We’re not going in circles!” He said loudly suddenly.

“Yes, we are, I smashed that painting and it’s the fifth time we’ve passed it.”

“No, it’s not. Trust me.” He knocked the frame over and pulled out it’s cloth backing. Using his teeth, he tore it into two pieces and as Sunride protested, he wrapped it around his eyes, blindfolding him. Tying off the back, he slipped the other rag of cloth around his own eyes.

“Any reason why you’ve blindfolded us both?” Sunride asked, not sounding too happy about it. “The last time you tried blindfolds it didn’t go well if you remember.”

The small jibe actually made Cloud feel better about their relationship, even as his cheeks flushed and his sheath twitched under him at the erotic memory. “No, nothing like that. Twilight wrote in her book that nothing was real, I think this thing’s messing with our minds, making us always come back to the same point. But it can’t change what we see, if we aren’t seeing anything.” Cloud Zapper reached and pulled on Sunride’s hoof, leading him. He enjoyed the feeling of his lover’s hoof in his, it made him want to say how he felt about him. But he knew now was not the time, and the rift between them wouldn’t be fixed with a few kind words.

With his free hoof, he gently brushed it periodically along the right wall, following it to the edge slowly, turning the corner and following it down. They took another turn before his hoof brushed against something like a frame. He stroked along it, and his hoof soon found a door, and then the handle. He grabbed it, turned, opened it and pulled Sunride in with him.

*

They sat in silence.

The room they’d entered had been a bedroom. Obviously, the mayor had used the main hall as her own personal home as well. It made sense, if she was needed a lot of the time, why not make her home the base of operations in the town. Certainly solved the issue of commuting to work.

The bedroom had lush shag carpeting, posters of a few old bands that the mayor had obviously liked, a large bed, a vanity table of pictures of her winning several awards in her younger days, a clothes dresser, and a room to a base on suit lavatory and shower room.

Somehow, this room seemed unaffected by anything going on outside. At least… mostly. A few books were stashed on a few bedside shelves, and opening any of them made their ink begin to flow down the page immediately. But much like the Princess’s Castle, everything else seemed relatively okay. At least nothing horrific was going on.

Both stallions had chosen this moment to relax, to take a respite from the adventure they were on.

“Any theories on what’s going on?” Cloud asked, trying to find some form of conversation. He was sat on the bed, watching his captain as he searched through drawers of the mayor’s personal items, likely looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. Thus far, his search had yielded no results. Unless quills were counted, and though the great adages said that the quill was mightier than the sword, Cloud would very much prefer a sword at this point (especially as words written by quills seemed to be temporary at best currently).

The red stallion could only shrug at the question. “We’ve been in this town for nearly two hours, and no sign of the others. No sign of anyone here that isn’t twisted. This labyrinth of hallways was all in our heads, so what if out there is as well?”

Cloud nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I suppose it could be. You handling it okay?” He asked, sounding concerned as he looked to his captain.

The red stallion paused. He was facing away from cloud and just staring into a draw full of clothing, but not really seeing it. “I’ll be fine.” He said, sounding a little cold.

“Sunride-”

“Just don’t.” The stallion snapped. Cloud whimpered a little and turned away. Sunride’s expression softened at the whimper and he bit his lip. “This… isn’t really the time to talk.”

Cloud nodded and a silence passed between them. The grey Pegasus tried his best to just push away his thoughts. But he couldn’t. His teeth grit together. “Why not?”

Sunride glanced to him. “What?”

“Why can’t we talk now?”

“Cloud-”

“No, don’t give me bullshit. This room seems to be relatively safe, we’ve got time to take a moment, why can’t we use it to talk about us?” Cloud had slipped from the bed and stared at the red stallion now. His eyes almost pleading for an answer. None came. The silence between them was almost deafening to Cloud. “She asked me to take care of you.”

“DON’T BRING HER UP!” Sunride yelled, rounding on Cloud angrily. “Don’t you DARE bring her up!”

Cloud just looked at the stallion sadly. He could see the other Pegasus trying to hide the tears in his eyes. Cloud padded closer and wrapped his hooves around him, pulling his captain close. The familiar press of his form was marred by the armour he wore, but it was enough. And the scent of his crimson mane had Cloud closing his eyes and drinking it in. “She wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself. Please…” He pulled away slightly and stroked Sunride’s cheek gently. “…I miss you.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before the gap was bridged and their lips met heatedly. Explosions flashed through Cloud’s mind as he tasted those lips again. It was a familiar taste, a familiar motion, but one so new after so long. His hooves slipped up and pulled the helmet from Sunride’s head, removing his own as well. The shiny gold glinted in the dull light of the room as they both clattered to the floor below the stallions. They were kicked to the side as Cloud was backed up and pushed down onto the bed. The grey Pegasus knew they didn’t really have time for this, but he didn’t care. They would make time. He had no idea what would happen, or how they’d get out of this place. But for this moment, he didn’t want to be anywhere else but in Sunride’s hooves.

Their erect members pressed together, mottled grey with deep red, pressing close as their tips throbbed and their lengths twitched with the pleasure of the caress. Their hooves roamed, grey hooves ran over red fur, and red hooves stroked down grey sides as both stallions kissed and enjoyed the moment.

Obviously not wanting to waste time, Cloud found his hind legs lifted and Sunride position himself. With a single thrust, Cloud felt himself spread open. That length slid inside, and with every inch, nerve endings fired and sent the grey stallion into mewling moans of pleasure. There was no foreplay or being gentle. This was need. Cloud looked into the eyes of his lover and knew that this was a moment needed for both of them, and it needed to be carnal.

The first withdraw and subsequent thrust pressed their hips flush together and a loud moan sounding from Clouds muzzle. The soft slap of hips and skin filled the air as Cloud’s lips once again found Sunride’s muzzle. They moved together, lifted together, thrust together. The pleasure rising to a crescendo and the moans growing in volume by the second. The thickness of that length was felt, the tip flared inside him, and with the first hard thrust of Sunride’s climax, Cloud squealed marishly in pleasure. The mottled length between them flared and erupted, splashing both of their bellies with hot seed with enough force that a copious amount also splashed under Cloud’s chin.

When his length finally gave up and left itself twitching and slowly began losing its girth between them, Cloud settled back, panting and shuddering. The comforting weight of Sunride on top of him made the stallion smile, his hooves wrapping around him and pulling him close. “I love you.” He said gently, meaning those words more than ever.

Sunride didn’t repeat the words, but he nuzzled gently into Cloud’s neck. The words had not been said often between them, their relationship had grown from a sexual friendship with mutual respect, to a deep romance that neither could deny. But those words were still very rarely said, and Cloud missed the sound of them.

With a light mewl, Sunride withdrew entirely and slipped off the bed. Grabbing some nearby wipes from the side of the table, they both began to clean themselves up into a more respectful state. Once their armour was retightened, their manes brushed with a brush from the vanity table, and their helmets replaced back onto their heads, they both looked to the door.

Cloud couldn’t help but smile, he felt closer to Sunride. The gap was there, but a bridge was being built. He felt a good portion of it had finally been constructed, and he hoped to bridge it entirely before too long.

“So, what’s the plan, captain?” The question was official, but it was accompanied by a light nuzzle under the chin.

Sunride was trying not to smile as well. They were in a hellish dome and not an hour and a half ago, they’d seen a mare eat a baby. So, they should probably take this seriously. But for the moment, they were both feeling pretty good, and it was nice to be able to have a moment like that, among all this darkness.

“We find whatever it is in this building that’s making the dome. And then we either break it, or kill it.”

Cloud nodded. It was a good plan.

*

The dark hallway greeted the two stallions as they finally left the safety of the bedroom. Despite the sex and the good feelings that followed, both stallions felt their anxiety rising from the situation. The hallway seemed clear, but something in the air had an uneasy feeling about it. Together they padded down the length of the corridor, and turned right. Thankfully, they were not met with one of the repetitive hallways from earlier. Instead there was an archway in one of the walls, and a glowing light blazing from the depths. Approaching the archway, both royal guards poked their heads round and looked into the room.

The centre of the room blazed with a sort of black light, it flowed and pulsed in the darkness. The darkness was almost tangible, swirling and pulsing and moving like liquid around what Cloud could only describe as an ‘egg’. It was egg shaped at least. This room was the main one in the building, a desk sat in the corner where the Mayor might do her work, and along the sides of the room were a collection of organised drawers for files and things of the like. The floor was a dark wood that reflected none of the light cast upon it, despite being lit by it at the same time. The visual effect was one that Cloud’s brain fought against. A headache began to grow and he pulled his eyes from the weird non-reflective floor and looked back to the egg. It sat still on a crudely erected pedestal made from cracked rock. The surface of the egg itself also seemed to be stone, a long crack led from the side up to the vaulted tip where it seemed to be open and pulsing with a low indigo hue, lined with blood red along the edges of the crack.

But this was not made both stallions blood run cold. Then edges of the room wriggled and seemed to scream silently. Ponies were fused to the wall. Everyone from the town seemed fused and part of the wall, wriggling and screaming silently to be free.

“I think we found the towns people…”

“What do you think it is?” Captain Sunride asked curiously.

Cloud shrugged, looking back to the egg that Sunride was referencing, “dunno, but I bet it’s the source of everything.”

“I’ll second that bet.” Sunride said, his eyes narrowing. The red stallion stepped forward, expecting something to attack him. But nothing came. Slowly he approached the egg and waited… but nothing was stopping him. What kind of creature or being would allow someone to get close enough to attack them.

Well, it was certainly a mistake on this things part!

Captain Sunride glared, turned and bucked out with his back legs. His hooves struck the egg.

The egg rocked, but didn’t fall, and Sunride screamed.

In the instant, his hooves touched the eggs surface, it was as though the world stopped entirely. He was frozen in time... conscious… and he saw things.

A world engulfed in green fire. A mare screaming as she was pinned, a blade tearing up between her legs, through her marehood and tearing through her stomach, blood and viscera painting the ground and her fur. Her screams became gurgles as she choked on her own blood. The scene shifted to a cackling, to a clash in a battle. Spears and swords, wings and horns, blood and bone… they hacked, the tore… and then they were crushed. A huge claw striking the ground, tearing apart both armies as claws rent gashes into the dirt like scars upon the planet.

You are not strong enough!

A low hungry growl was heard among those words. Hearing them felt like they were being carved into his soul… and there in the darkness that was engulfed in the red glow of evil eyes, Sunride saw Cloud. He saw Cloud’s fur burning away. He saw Clouds skin melting. His muscles tearing from his bones and somehow, despite long being dead. He could hear Clouds scream.

That scream evolved into his own as he fell to the ground, back in the room with the egg, his brain seeming to burn and the visions in his head tearing screams from his throat with such intensity he tasted blood.

Hooves held him close and rocked him, stroking his head, whispering soft words of concern and as he felt his sanity return, he could feel the wetness of tears on his shoulders. Tears that joined his own. He turned to Cloud and gulped.

“Are you okay?” The grey Pegasus asked, he looked at Sunride with worry and pain in his eyes.

“I’m… I’m alright.” He said, his throat gravely and hoarse. “It… I could see… and feel…” He gulped, tasting more blood.

Cloud tried to help Sunride to his hooves; they barely took the weight. “Come on, we need to go, we can find help. Maybe Twilight has a way of taking this thing out.”

“No.” Sunride said, looking back to the Egg. “I could… I don’t know… I felt something. Like it was pulling at me.” He’d felt many things when he’d touched the egg. The pain, the heat of the burning, the fear… but something else. Something had creeped inside him. “Try to fly.” The order was met with a confused expression, “just do it.”

Cloud followed the order and jumped, his wings spread. Suddenly he dropped to the floor with a yelp. “What the-”

“I think this thing eats magic. I could feel it pulling something… it was inside my wings. And my body… and my head.”

“It was in your head?”

“Yeah, I think… I think I fought it.”

His memory seemed fragmented. Time in the egg had seemed to only last a moment, yet at the same time it had been infinite. He’d felt the darkness, heard whispers in his mind, and his screams and pain in his own head... he’d tried to fight it, and he’d managed. It’s how he’d pulled back out.

“A vessel.” Cloud seemed confused. “The book,” Sunride continued, “Twilight wrote that the book she read said it could be contained within a resisting vessel. It was pouring into me, I was able to resist it.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about?” Cloud didn’t like where this was going.

“This thing shows nightmares, it shows darkness and it feeds on magic. I have to stop it.” Sunride turned to Cloud.

Cloud’s eyes filled with tears as he realised just what was being said. “Wait, no, no you can’t, I just got you back! That thing could kill you!” Cloud felt like he was hyperventilating, his eyes wide in abject terror. This wasn’t real, it wasn’t real. That thing, it shows your worst fear, and this absolutely HAD to be his worst fear.

“I’m sorry.” Captain Sunride pulled off his helmet and smiled warmly to Cloud. “If I can contain this thing, you have to get out of here and explain everything to Princess Luna. Listen, I saw things when I touched it. Green flame, Changelings, and something rising from the earth.” Sunride seemed to gulp. “I saw you die, Cloud.”

“It’s not real!” Cloud protested, “none of it’s real.”

“But it will be.” Sunride protested, “I could feel it. It shows nightmares, but not always lies. It showed the truth because it was harder to see and more terrifying than any lie it could have told. I felt it, Cloud. The world is in danger. The world needs Princess Twilight, the world needs you.”

Before Cloud could argue anymore, soft warm lips met his, and he found himself in a kiss. Tears ran down his cheeks at its sweetness, all while his heart felt like the heaviest burden he’d ever carried.

Sunride pulled away and reached for Cloud’s helmet. He pulled it from his head and slipped his own on. “I promote you to Acting-Captain if I am unable to take the role.” Sunride was trying to be brave, but his voice wavered, “Cloud Zapper… I love you.”

Those words felt like knives. Cloud lunged, trying to grab Sunride, but he was too slow. The red stallion managed to duck out of the way, turn and dive at the Egg.

The light was blinding, the scream was deafening, and among that bright darkness, Cloud felt his world crack open.

*

The cerulean blue sky was marred by fluffy silver clouds, each one tinted with the bright yellow glow of Celestia’s sun.

Yet as Cloud looked upon such a beautiful day, it somehow felt darker than any night he’d experienced.

The golden helm in his hooves was marred and scuffed, the three notches on the side indicated the rank. A rank he now claimed, and never wanted. His hooves ran over it with the cloth. The intent was to polish it, but rather than doing it properly, he used the cloth as an excuse to just caress the shape of the helm.

The dome had collapsed that day, and Cloud had been found sobbing over the body of Sunride. The Captain was alive, but unconscious. Cloud had been found and met by Princess Luna. Despite the presence of her regality, he did not bow, or even acknowledge her. He stared down at the seemingly sleeping form of Sunride. He’d have cried more, except his sobbing by that point was dry, he had no more tears left to shed.

The princess had said something. Something about knowing what this creature was. Something that she protected the darkness from, the dreams from, and the world from each night. Something she’d locked away and kept locked away a thousand years ago. Something that could not have been freed without aid.

But Cloud didn’t care.

The words were water. They washed over him as he barely listened, thinking only of the gaping chasm in his chest that Sunride had once filled.

Twilight had been admitted to psychiatric care. The darkness she’d faced had dulled her mind and damaged her psyche. With Luna still weak after her Nightmare Moon incident, that left two of four Alicorn’s in the world damaged and hurting. Cloud knew Equestria was vulnerable and he’d have to be the one to save it.

But as he held the helmet, as he looked down into the soft golden reflections of the glinting metal, he stared into his own eyes and realised something that scared him.

He was supposed to help save the world.

But this world had taken Sunride from him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to save it.