Lighting Up the Nightby PlagueRatOfDoomChaptersFlying LessonsThe CompetitionLost WingsDarkness FallsDreams and PlansThe MushrompFlying LessonsIt had been two weeks since the defeat of Lord Tirek. And Princess Twilight Sparkle was dangling from the edge of a cloud. She glanced at Whitetail Wood far below, and sighed. These were supposed to be flying lessons, not hang from a cloud lessons! With annoyance in her voice, she asked, “Rainbow Dash, why are you doing this?” Rainbow responded with a grin, “Because I want to see you pull off a sonic rainboom, and it’s funny.” Twilight had lost her patience at that. “I already did a sonic rainboom once! Remember, at the Summer Sun Celebration?!” The cyan Pegasus shook her head with mocking sadness. “That wasn’t a sonic rainboom.” She began to let go of Twilight’s leg, leaving her flailing through the sky until she regained her balance, flying back up to the cloud Rainbow was on. “That wasn’t funny, Rainbow Dash,” scolded Twilight. “Well, I thought it was funny,” – Rainbow fell over laughing – “Twilight, you need to have a sense of humor.” “I actually do have a sense of humor, thank you very much.” The Princess of Friendship rolled her eyes. She then gestured the pegasus to follow her, gliding over the treeline below. Twilight was surprised by a particularly large live oak tree, branches spreading over the grove it was in. Twilight looked around Whitetail Wood, the sounds of birds filling the air and butterflies flew by. Rainbow interjected, saying she was bored. As a response, she levitated Dash and shook her around to keep her quiet. “A word of advice, Rainbow. Don’t make comments like that when somepony’s relaxing.” “Point taken.” “Omigosh omigosh omigosh!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “The Best Young Flyer’s Competition is coming up in a few days!” “Why is that so exciting? You’ve won before, so why enter again?” Rarity asked. “Because I want to set a record!” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “Nopony’s ever won two times in a row. Or there’s another idea…” She looked at Twilight. “Don’t tell me…” began the princess. “Yep! You can enter! With those flying lessons, you’re sure not to mess up,” Rainbow encouraged. “Besides, we haven’t had anything big since Tirek!” “No way!” “C’mon, Twilight! Remember our adventure in the Everfree Forest to find the Elements to stop Nightmare Moon?” asked Rainbow. “Or when we went to rescue the Cutie Mark Crusaders after they were foalnapped by the changelings?” added Rarity. “What about the time we climbed that big mountain to make that sleepy dragon move so he doesn’t cover Equestria in smoke?” Pinkie pointed out. “An’ when we went to th’ moon ta save Rarity after she was taken by th’ Nightmare Forces,” finished Applejack. “If you’ve been ta a changeling hive an’ th’ moon, ya can do one competition!” “C’mon Twi, just do it for us,” Rainbow said. “Fine,” Twilight said with mock anger, ready for another adventure in the magical land of Equestria. “I guess we should get going?” “Wait!” Fluttershy called. “Shouldn’t we at least renew the seal keeping evil ponies away from the Tree of Harmony?” The other five ponies (and dragon) nodded as the seven of them left the Friendship Rainbow Castle. In the cave containing the Tree of Harmony, Twilight observed the current seal over the Tree that had been created the day after Tirek’s defeat. “The seal’s getting weaker,” she said, looking over the Tree. “Girls, get ready.” The six mares began to glow, then they activated their Rainbow Power. A rainbow circled around the Tree, renewing the seal for now. “That should do it for a month or so.” Twilight looked at the crystalline tree, the natural light of the cave entrance shining in. “I guess we should go get the town balloon,” Rarity said, changing the subject. They went to Cherry Berry’s house next. “Hey, Cherry!” Rainbow called. “We need to borrow the town balloon so we can get to Cloudsdale!” “OK, it’s in the lot where it usually is!” Cherry shouted back. They soon went over to the lot, getting into the town hot air balloon. Spike held onto Twilight as Pinkie lit the fire that allowed the balloon to float. Rainbow and Fluttershy got out, getting the wind so it heads towards Cloudsdale. The sun’s radiant light shone down as the balloon floated over Equestria, the passengers conversing during the ride as they headed towards Cloudsdale. However, they were unaware that they were being watched, as in being spied on. When a cloud blocked the view, the mysterious watcher just found another angle to look at the ponies. “So, get ready for a cloud-walking spell,” he heard. Watching the Princess of Friendship cast cloud-walking spells on Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike, he observed every last detail. Eventually, they were behind a large amount of clouds, and the watcher decided that was enough. But then he noticed something even more interesting. Two platoons of guards were respectively pulling the chariots of Princesses Celestia and Luna, while Captain Flash Sentry blew away clouds for them, keeping their route cloud-free. The watcher grinned, knowing that the main problems were all going to be at Cloudsdale. The watcher then reported back to his leader, keeping himself concealed from most. He eventually reached an expanse of ruins, where he reappeared in front of his leader. “My lord, I am unfortunate to say that the Bearers of the Elements and the Princesses are on the move towards Cloudsdale.” “You let that get in your way? You sicken me.” “I apologize, my lord. But there is a slight problem… the Bearers renewed the seal over the Tree of Harmony earlier today. Should we wait until it wears off?” “That is an idiotic decision. It could take decades with their new power supporting it. For now, we wait until they have to visit the Tree again. When they temporarily take down the seal, we will strike.” “But then again, they’ll be unprotected at the Best Young Flyer’s Competition today. Perhaps we can go for the Princesses then?” “The Bearers would overpower me in an instant. We can’t risk that.” “So what do we do?” “We wait.” “As you wish… Lord Grogar.” Author's Note Well, after The Freezing Night flopped, I thought I would try writing romance! This'll have adventure, as seen already, but it'll be better later in the story! The CompetitionAs Cloudsdale got closer, the ponies looked upon it in awe. It was completely made of clouds, as rainbow waterfalls poured down. Cloud pillars supported many buildings, and the weather factory continued to produce clouds for Equestria. On the western side of the city was the Cloudiseum, where the Best Young Flyer’s Competition would take place. Pegasi flew around the city. The hot air balloon, guided by the wind, got closer to the spectacular sight. Rainbow and Fluttershy landed on the beautiful city, waiting for the hot air balloon to get there. When it did, the ponies tried getting the hang of the clouds. “It’s been so long since we were last here, and it’s just as beautiful as ever!” Rarity exclaimed. They suddenly heard a chariot land, then another. Turning around, they saw it was the Princesses. “Hello, Twilight,” said Princess Celestia. “It’s always good to see you.” “What about that whole Smarty Pants thing?” Pinkie chirped in. Silence. “How has your kingdom been?” Luna asked. “Eh, it’s still hard trying to run a whole kingdom, but at least I have my friends.” Twilight then realized something. “Wait a minute, who’s watching the castle if both of you are here?” Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle, Discord was well… being Discord. He laughed as he messed around, causing chaos in the castle. Captain Sentry cringed at the thought of Discord wreaking havoc in the castle. “I’ll bet the castle will probably be at least a little messed up,” he commented. “Besides, after seeing how easily Tirek took down the guards, I’m not sure if Discord will be up for this.” “Says the pony who thought an opossum was a monster,” Luna deadpanned. Flash turned to Twilight, whose cheeks would have boiled water. “I’m not sure that blushing is appropriate for royalty to do in public,” he told her. “You don’t want anypony to think that you’re neglecting your royal duties. Besides, seeing how your kingdom is currently just limited to Ponyville, ” “But there’s Cadence,” Twilight responded. “That’s because she’s the Princess of Love,” Flash countered. “So try to keep a regal air for a little while, and-“ “Captain, I appreciate your concerns for Princess Twilight,” interrupted Luna. “But she has done so in Ponyville, and can do so now.” “But Ponyville’s her kingdom! This is Cloudsdale! She’s practically-“ There was a loud bell ringing. The Competition was about to begin. The Cloudiseum was packed with ponies, all waiting for the pegasi to begin their flights. “WELCOME TO THE 32ND ANNUAL BEST YOUNG FLYER’S COMPETITION!” announced Blaring Voice. “THIS WILL BE A COMPETITION TO REMEMBER, AS PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS ENTERING! FIRST UP, A QUICK SHOW FROM… THE WONDERBOLTS!” Six pegasi in flight suits flew over the Cloudiseum, flying up and converging, making an explosion like a firework. Over in the stands, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike cheered for their friend. And Rainbow cheered even louder for the Wonderbolts. “THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME AN ALICORN HAS EVER JOINED THE BEST YOUNG FLYER’S COMPETITION! NOW, PRINCESS CELESTIA SHALL BEGIN THE CEREMONY!” The Princess of the Day stepped forward. “Thank you, Blaring.” She looked around the Cloudiseum. “It’s a fine day for a competition, and I’m happy that you all came to observe. Now then… let the competition begin!” In the back room, the fifteen contestants all were waiting. Twilight was number 12, and number 1, Cappuccino, had just gone out. Out in the stands, everypony applauded whenever a contestant was done. As number 11, Rainbowshine, came back in, Twilight gulped when it approached her turn. She flew out of the back room. “PRESENTING HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” She landed on a cloud, and slowly levitated two spheres of water. She then created one more, then four more. Lighting up the spheres with her magic, she merged them all into one big sphere of water. She then blasted them with a beam of magic, blowing up the colored sphere and creating a rainbow in its wake. Applause filled the stadium. “IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A WINNER!” And the crowd went wild. Everypony was either standing and cheering or flailing and cursing the refs. But one audience member had a grim expression on his face, putting on a hood. On the other side of the Cloudiseum, another pony did the same thing. It kept repeating, until one of the hooded ponies reached into his popcorn and pulls out what seems to be an exploding slip. The audience around is completely oblivious. As are the guards and Princesses. And then the pony throws the slip into the air, and it explodes, getting the crowd’s attention. One of the hooded ponies, a unicorn, proceeded to use sleeping spells on the crowd. Twilight gasped, looking around when she heard roars… looking down, she saw a horrifying sight. A flock of dragons, just larger than an average gryphon. They had sickly green scales and purple bat-like wings. But unlike most dragons, their heads were more square-shaped and had significantly smaller horns. “Stratodons,” whispered Twilight. In the lead was a teal ram with red eyes. Grogar. His horns glowed, and strange dark creatures appeared, flying towards the remaining ponies. “Twilight, that ram right there is Grogar. If he plans to attack Equestria, you need to learn how to do this,” Celestia told the lavender alicorn. Her horn then glowed as three rings of magic formed around one of the dark creatures, turning the darkness into a golden light. The creature then dissipated into specks of light, disappearing. “Grogar’s main weapon is dark magic, but his most powerful ability is his ability to corrupt ponies with his magic. However, that spell I just showed you can reverse Grogar’s corruption.” “Alright, so I- GAH!” Twilight was hit by a blast of magic, and fell right towards Grogar, who eagerly awaited the Princess of Friendship’s fall. The alicorn looked at the ground far below, gulping. Evil ram, or being squashed flat by a long fall? “GOTCHA!” Twilight looked up. It was a pale blue Pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane. “What?” “The winner of the Best Young Flyer’s Competition is rewarded with a day with the Wonderbolts.” Soarin pulled Twilight back into the Cloudiseum, where she was placed in the bleachers with her friends. “This counts in a way.” Twilight’s horn then glowed, as did Celestia and Luna’s. A huge shield spell then appeared around Cloudsdale, knocking Grogar and his forces towards the ground. The evil ram then teleported him and his forces away from the cloud city, meaning a temporary victory for the ponies. As the audience began to wake up, Celestia took the stand. “Citizens of Cloudsdale. Just now, Grogar, a wicked sorcerer, recently attacked us. Now then, I must give my thanks to the Wonderbolt Soarin, who saved Princess Twilight’s life.” Then Luna, for some reason, used a cloud-walking spell on Twilight. “Um, Princess, why did you do that?” she asked. “Because Grogar has already done his first strike,” Luna said grimly. Twilight then felt the place where Grogar struck her begin to hurt, and then she realized where he had struck, and the results. He had taken her wings. Author's Note Yeah, I know it seems a bit OP of Grogar being able to take Twilight's wings, but trust me, I'll explain it soon enough. By the way, this is the longest chapter I've ever written when writing fanfics. By the way, whenever there seems to be a plot hole, I'll always explain it later. Lost Wings“How did he take them?” Twilight asked with fear in her voice. “The answer is for you to calm down and get some rest,” Luna replied. “My sister and I shall explain Grogar, and why he is so dangerous.” “Grogar was a ram from the Ibex Empire,” Celestia began. “He eventually went into the study of dark magic, and similar to King Sombra, it corrupted him.” “My sister and I used the Elements of Harmony to imprison him in his own dark city, Tambelon,” Luna continued. “But it seems he has found a way to escape.” “So… how do we stop him?” asked Rainbow. “Back when we fought Grogar, he was searching for the Rainbow of Darkness,” Celestia explained. “So I suggest we find the Rainbow of Darkness and use the Elements of Harmony to destroy it.” “Then the six of us will-“ Rarity began. “To keep out of Grogar’s sight, only one can go,” Luna interrupted. “Too many ponies will attract his attention, and he’d go after the Rainbow. Now we should get some rest.” That night, Twilight had a strange dream. She was in a vast expanse of ruins. “Is this… Tambelon?” she asked herself. “Ah, so my dream spell has you in my grasp.” The unicorn turned around to see Grogar. “How amusing… to think the most powerful magic in all of Equestria would end up in the hooves of six mares.” Twilight glared at the ram, and he was silent. He then grinned evilly and victoriously as his eyes set their freezing gaze on the Princess of Friendship. “Oh, I must apologize, Princess,” Grogar said with sarcasm. “I don’t believe we were properly introduced during that little incident in Cloudsdale. My name is Grogar, Lord of Tambelon. Though your Princesses have already told you that…” The unicorn snarled, glaring at the ram. “Just stop this,” she said quietly. “This instant.” He then blasted Twilight with a beam, knocking her over and further wounding her barrel. “But that would be boring. Now then… I have a small favor to ask you.” “I’d never… do anything to help you,” she hissed. Grogar shot another beam at Twilight, knocking her back even more. “Oh, yes you shall,” he countered, his eyes full of malevolence. He then blasted her again. “All I need is for you to head to the tomb surrounded by standing stones in the Prancing Plains. It won’t be difficult for somepony who’s defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, the queen of the changelings, and Tirek.” “Then go there yourself,” Twilight said back at the ram, her barrel burning with dark magic. Grogar just frowned at the mare. “And attract the attention of the Princesses?” He conjured up a magical projection of a bag. “Get this bag and bring it back to me. If you tell the Princesses, I will destroy Canterlot. If you tell the Bearers, I will destroy Ponyville. If you tell your brother or parents, I will destroy the Crystal Empire. And if you do not listen to me, I will personally kill you. Do you understand, Princess Twilight?” Twilight gulped, trying to keep her wound from getting worse. “Fine… I’ll do it…” “Good girl,” Grogar said. “I’m expecting that bag.” Twilight then woke up. Soarin looked at Twilight nervously. “Thanks again,” said the Princess of Friendship. “Y-You’re welcome,” Soarin stuttered. “I-I guess I could take you to the first spot on that map.” He then picked Twilight up, and began to fly when he felt some extra weight. “SPIKE?!?” yelled Twilight. The purple dragon was holding onto the unicorn’s tail. “Um… hi, Twilight,” Spike said nervously. “So, where’s the first place on the map anyway?” Soarin asked, distracting the dragon and unicorn. “Knight’s Peak, south of the Macintosh Hills and the Forest of Leota, but north of the Changeling Kingdom,” Twilight replied. The Wonderbolt landed in the Macintosh Hills. “OK, the quickest way to Knight’s Peak is by going south through the Appaloosan Mountain Range and then on through the Forest of Leota… go around the Timberwolf Territory. There we can stay at the Royal Guard Watchtower for the night, and we’ll be there! Simple!” Twilight explained. “As in through that old mine over there?” Soarin asked. “Exactly.” Spike looked at the statues around the mine entrance. “I think this is a diamond dog mine,” he said. “I know that because I’ve been here before,” Twilight deadpanned. “Back when the Crusaders were foalnapped by the changelings.” “I wonder how long it’s been since the diamond dogs last used this mine?” Soarin asked. “From the looks of it, about 200 years or so,” the unicorn estimated. “So we’re in an abandoned mine? That’s not creepy at all,” Spike commented. The cave then rumbled. And a booming voice echoed through the mine. “PO-NAYS?” Twilight groaned. “Oh no, not him…” It was a large grayish-blue creature with moss on its shoulders and a heart tattoo on its right arm. A cave troll. “PWETAH PONAYS BACK!” “RUN!” Twilight yelled, as she put Spike on her back and Soarin glided beside her. They went through the cave, getting as far away from the troll as possible. “Well, that was interesting,” Soarin dryly commented. Before anypony could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of cracks. Twilight looked up to see a large boulder falling right towards them. “RUN AGAIN!” Spike yelled. Twilight put Spike on her back again, and pushed Soarin out of the way before teleporting away from the rock. The shockwave shook the passageway as more rocks began to fall. The whole cave was collapsing. They continued running towards the exit. Knowing they had only a little time before the whole mine collapses on them, they dodged rocks until they began to fall faster. Though most of the cave had been destroyed by the tremor, Twilight’s heart raced when she saw the light of the exit. She then galloped as fast as possible while Soarin followed in tight pursuit. The moment they reached the exterior of the abandoned mine, the trio took in the fresh air. Looking back at the ruined cave, they saw the entrance to the Forest of Leota ahead of them. As Spike and Soarin trotted into the woods, Twilight didn’t notice the malevolent figure appear just behind her. And she didn’t feel his presence until she heard his voice. “Well, well…” Grogar said smugly. “I’m impressed that you got out of that cave, even after I made it collapse.” “You what?!” she asked harshly, horn glowing. Grogar just frowned. “You listened to Princess Celestia and not me. Just like I said, I would personally kill you.” “You destroyed that whole cave!” she shrieked. “And almost killed me, Spike, and Soarin! You’re crazy!” “Crazy?” the ram scoffed. “Please, I’m only ambitious. I do whatever it takes to get what I want. And I want the Rainbow of Darkness!” He was practically yelling now. “I don’t care who gets in my way! I’ll get the Rainbow of Darkness! Your deaths wouldn’t affect me in any way! But if you wish to see your friends again, do as I say!” Twilight was so furious that she fired a beam at Grogar, who teleported behind the unicorn and blasted her with a beam of his own. Before Twilight could get out of the dirt, Grogar slammed his hoof into her back with such force that the unicorn coughed out blood. Teleporting out of his hold, Twilight fired yet another beam at Grogar, but he just blocked it. “You didn’t listen to me at all, did you, Princess?” Grogar snarled hatefully. “For your little temper tantrum, that was your punishment. Now go get the Rainbow of Darkness. Goodbye, Princess Twilight…” Grogar’s laugh echoed across the field as he disappeared. Twilight was absolutely livid now. She angrily galloped into the Forest of Leota. She wouldn’t let Grogar conquer Equestria. Author's Note It took me three hours to finish this chapter. Darkness FallsTwilight and Soarin were exhausted. They hadn’t gotten any sleep at the watchtower, and Twilight’s wound was still recovering. But they were at Knight’s Peak. So close to the Rainbow of Darkness. But by the time they had gotten to the mountain, night had already fallen. The crescent moon’s light glow shone on the peak, as the stars twinkled above. “So, that’s the Tomb of Darkness?” asked Soarin, pointing at a labyrinth surrounded by standing stones. “Yep,” replied Twilight. “Think you could fly me and Spike there?” “Sure thing!” The Wonderbolt then picked Twilight up and glided over to the labyrinth. “It’s said that those stones are Pre-Equestrian,” the unicorn said. “If only we could study them!” “We don’t have time for that!” Spike yelled. But none of them knew they were being followed. The Tomb of Darkness was scary, to say the least. It was one of those places that could strike fear into the hearts of fully-grown stallions, and terror into the hearts of anypony who entered its hellish depths. Searching every dusty nook and cranny for the Rainbow of Darkness would take forever, so Twilight resorted to looking at the scripts on the tomb’s walls. “It’s old Equish, but I think I can translate it.” Twilight got to work on translating it. “’The Heart of Darkness is over the abyss.’” “Well, that Heart of Darkness is obviously the Rainbow of Darkness,” Soarin said matter-of-factly. “So let’s look for this abyss.” The three then forged onto the next area of the tomb. Queen Chrysalis and her changelings had watched the ponies and dragon. Most changelings didn’t know old Equish, but Chrysalis did. So when Twilight and her friends left the room, she went up to observe the manuscript. “’The Heart of Darkness is over the abyss…’” she deciphered the writing aloud for her changelings and thought for a moment. Thinking of the history that she had learned from her mother, Queen Lepidoptera, she knew of only one object called the “Heart of Darkness”: the Rainbow of Darkness. Placed here by the Princesses long ago, Chrysalis knew that if the Rainbow of Darkness was unleashed, the amount of love in the world would diminish, and she and her changelings would starve. But why would Twilight Sparkle and a Wonderbolt be searching for such a dangerous object? The changeling queen wanted answers. “Follow them!” she commanded to her subjects. “Those ponies must not get deeper into the tomb!” “Why?” asked a changeling. Chrysalis turned to look at the bug-ponies, fury in her eyes. “Because they are after the Rainbow of Darkness.” Every changeling gasped. “Why would they?” asked a shocked changeling. “We’ll know when you listen to me!” As Twilight, Spike, and Soarin soon discovered, the “abyss” meant a long chasm with a pillar in the middle. They slowly crossed the bridge to the column, unaware of the changelings spying on them. Twilight got closer to the center of the pillar, where there was a brown bag. Her heart leapt in joy. It was the Rainbow of Darkness. However, before she could pick it up, a green beam came flying towards her. “Stop now!” Chrysalis yelled, coming out of the shadows with her changelings. Twilight gasped. “Queen Chrysalis?! How did you get here?” she asked incredulously as many changelings surrounded her. Chrysalis approached Twilight, her eyes filled with anger. “The real question is why are you here?!” she said angrily. “Do you have any idea of what that thing is?” she said, pointing at the Rainbow of Darkness. Twilight took a deep breath. “The Rainbow of Darkness,” she said. “And it’s needed in Canterlot.” “WHY?” the changeling queen’s eyes narrowed. “That thing is filled with dark magic. My changelings would starve if its power is unleashed!” Twilight’s horn glowed. “Soarin, Spike, grab onto me!” she yelled. “STOP THEM!” Chrysalis shrieked, absolutely livid. “DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!” The Wonderbolt and dragon grabbed onto Twilight, and she teleported. Reappearing in Canterlot, the Princess of Friendship felt a brutal blow to the back of her head. When Twilight woke up, she seemed to be in the Everfree Forest. “Thank you, Princess,” Grogar said as he teleported in. The ram’s horns glowed as he levitated the Rainbow of Darkness in front of him, then opened it up, blasting the seal on the Tree of Harmony’s cave. Twilight then felt as if she was being levitated, then chained to the cave wall. Waking up, she saw that Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were also chained. Before she could say anything, Grogar’s cold laugh echoed through the cavern. “The Elements of Harmony…” he said wickedly. “Are now mine.” He laughed louder as he shot the power of the Rainbow of Darkness at the Tree of Harmony. As the dark power of the Rainbow impacted against the Tree, the light began to fade. And the Tree of Harmony was no more. The six gems floated out of the remains of the Tree, circling around Grogar. “Laughter… Generosity… Loyalty… Honesty… Kindness… Magic… The six Elements of Harmony are resonating with their Bearers!” All six mares screamed as they felt an agonizing pain in their body, as it felt like the essences of the Elements themselves were being ripped out. The essences went into the gems, and Grogar absorbed them. “At last… The Elements of Harmony and the Rainbow of Darkness… I am now the most powerful being in the world!” Laughing wildly, the ram unleashed the power of the Rainbow of Darkness. Paying the Mane 6 no mind, Grogar left the cave and floated above the Everfree Forest, looking over his new domain. All across Equestria, the sky turned dark and thunder boomed. From the nobles of Canterlot to the poor of Manehatten, all knew that Equestria was in danger, and nothing could save it. Author's Note Ugh, sorry if this chapter seems rushed. I was in a hurry today, so I didn't have that much time to work on this. Sorry again. I PROMISE the next chapter will be better. Dreams and Plans“Twilight Sparkle…” A voice called out to Twilight as she had yet another dream. “Heed these words, Princess of Friendship… Equestria now weeps under a mantle of shadows… The Rainbow of Darkness is in you… But there is still a way to defeat Grogar… Let love light the way… Come to Dream Valley, where the seed that formed the Tree of Harmony was kept before it was buried… there I shall aid you and let you find the being who defeated Grogar before…” With each word, the Princess of Friendship felt more conscious. The sound of thunder, mingled with distant fearful shouts and other assorted sounds of chaos resonated around Twilight Sparkle. Her stomach churning in fear, Twilight opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. The remains of the Tree of Harmony were lying around the cave, and the sky was pitch black. Winds raged violently across the Everfree Forest, and there were constant tremors. “Twilight!” A shocked voice called out from above as Captain Sentry and Princess Celestia descended. “Princess Celestia…” Twilight sighed in relief, glad to see the Princess. Celestia put her hoof on the unicorn. “Twilight, we have to leave the forest quickly. Ponyville has already fallen under Grogar’s control. Luckily, the captain here evacuated the town before he took over. Canterlot’s still safe, so everypony is going either there or to nearby towns. But we have to go. I am not sure if Grogar plans further harm on you.” Twilight took a deep breath. “OK,” she said slowly. She looked at the other five mares beginning to wake up. “Girls, we need to get to Canterlot.” The eight ponies all left the Everfree Forest, where an astonishing sight awaited. Ponyville was completely abandoned, being evacuated right before Grogar gained the Elements. But it was here that the ram’s powers of darkness could be clearly seen. Just about every building had been reduced to piles of wood or rubble, a few of them still on fire. The shopping district and town square were all gone, replaced by an enormous crater. Sweet Apple Acres was alit, the barn a smoldering pile of wood. The only building that remained of the town was the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, untouched by Grogar for some unknown reason. “Oh, no… Ponyville…” whispered Rarity. “It’s all gone,” Applejack said. “Mah farm… the trees… everything’s gone.” Pinkie’s mane immediately deflated as she looked at the ruins, and burst into tears. “Pinkie, don’t cry,” Rainbow said sadly. “DON’T CRY?!” the pink mare shrieked. “PONYVILLE’S BEEN DESTROYED! GROGAR WON! ALL MY THINGS- GONE! WHY THE HAY WOULD I NOT WANT TO CRY?!?” Twilight tried to calm Pinkie down, but it was no use. The cheerful Pinkie Pie was heartbroken. “We should get going towards Canterlot,” Rainbow looked at the devastation around everypony. “Let’s not let Pinkie flood the place with her tears.” The great city of Canterlot was unusually quiet. Most of the aristocrats and nobles were probably inside, and the refugees from Ponyville were at a refuge on Bridle Street. But inside Canterlot Castle, Twilight and Celestia were sitting in the Princess of the Day’s personal study. “Did everypony get out?” “I believe so,” Celestia answered, all the while casting a healing spell on Twilight’s wounds. “And if anypony did not, you saw the ruins.” Twilight nodded. “And the animals? Fluttershy would be horrified if the animals were dead.” “Fluttershy’s cottage wasn’t destroyed, as it isn’t in Ponyville proper. So I believe she may have brought her animal friends to the cottage, and if not, they either entered the forest near Winsome Falls, Froggy Bottom Bog, or Whitetail Wood.” Twilight took in a deep breath. All of Ponyville’s citizens may have survived, but all the memories of the town were hard to think of. “Alright. What about Manehatten? Appleloosa? Fillydelphia? The Crystal Empire?” she asked. “Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have created a joint barrier around the Crystal Empire, to protect the Crystal Heart and the empire’s civilians. And as for the rest of Equestria… I haven’t heard any news of destruction, but there have been reports of windigos. No doubt attracted by Grogar’s feelings of hatred towards us.” A chill went down the purple unicorn’s spine, but that changed to happiness when she realized something. “So I guess I’m going to have to listen to that dream and head to Dream Valley,” she declared. “To find where the seed that formed the Tree of Harmony was kept, and whoever defeated Grogar at first.” Celestia’s eyes widened. “The Rainbow of Light... and what? Twilight, that’s impossible.” “What is?” The Princess of the Day sighed. “Nopony knows what happened to the rainbow that Megan left on.” “The dream said ‘love will light the way.’” Celestia then thought for a moment, and then went into another room, where she saw an indigo pegasus stallion with yellow eyes and a black mane in a ponytail. “Lieutenant Edge Wing, go and get the Wonderbolt, Soarin. He and Princess Twilight have to go on a quest together.” “Why them?” Edge responded. “Because of certain reasons.” The Lunar Guard glided off into Canterlot, when Celestia felt Luna’s presence. “’Tia, why did you send Edge Wing off on an errand?” she asked. “Because I believe Soarin has a crush on Princess Twilight.” A white unicorn stallion with a brown mane that was also wearing a hat levitated his food up and took a bite out of it. There was a knock at the door. “Welcome to Soft Light’s place,” he said, opening the door. It was Soarin. “Hi, Soft, mind if I crash here for the night?” he asked. Another knock. This time, it was Edge. “Princess Celestia has requested an audience with you,” he said. Soarin groaned. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” “No, it’s urgent,” Edge replied. Another groan. After being told the whole story, Soarin looked shocked. “So we should go to Dream Valley?” Twilight nodded. “I think we should. Whoever this pony is, they want to help. And we should leave now.” “Sure,” Soarin said. “What’s the rush all about?” Twilight sighed, looking away from the Wonderbolt. “If Grogar finds us, he’ll obviously try to kill us.” Soarin laughed. “Eh, it’s the fate of Equestria. And most of all, I won’t let Grogar get even a hoof on your cute face,” he flirted. The Princess of Friendship’s face fell. “Are you flirting with me?” The Wonderbolt looked away. “Because it’s working.” The MushrompGrogar was assured of his victory. After all, he had laid out his plan perfectly. He had taken every detail into account and had backup plans in case something went wrong. He studied lore and the dark arts from front to back. And now, he had the prize he had sought after for so long: The Rainbow of Darkness. With its full strength at his command, the dark sorcerer was unstoppable. To show his new power, Grogar had laid waste to the rural town of Ponyville, and left his dark spirits to inhabit the remains of the town. The only building Grogar had left remaining was Princess Twilight’s castle, where he would soon make his throne once his conquest of Equestria was over. But Grogar was in no rush; he wanted to savor the destruction of the kingdom that he had been driven out of twice. But even so, the land of Equestria was already his. Nopony could hope to stand against his awesome power, not even the Princesses. But even in all his power and strength, Grogar wasn’t satisfied. After all, there were more places in the world than just Equestria. So as of now, he was going through the Border Forest, which separates Equestria from Cervidas, land of the deer. Every tree was alit, and he was perfectly fine. As he entered the forests of Cervidas, leaving the burning Border Forest behind, he was being watched by three elk, their antlers glowing with spells charged up. A dark smirk formed on Grogar’s face. “Ah, the Elemental Council. Now that I have the Rainbow of Darkness in my hooves, I shall henceforth be referred to as the King of Darkness. Come out, cowards, and hear my demands!” he shouted. Slowly, a trio of elk emerged from the trees. “O Dark Sorcerer…” the first elk, Sirius, said ominously. “Though you have the Rainbow of Darkness, you are blind and overconfident. You believe that none will stand in your way and that you will destroy Equestria and this land under your dark rule, but the Princesses have already made a contingency plan…” Grogar lifted his head and laughed evilly. “Please,” he scoffed. “How can two alicorns hope to stop me? I am a god compared to them! Curse them!” “You are bold, Dark Sorcerer…” Carina said grimly. “To curse alicorns, the very two ones who decided to bury the Rainbow of Light and conceal the Rainbow of Darkness… Their plan is to send two ponies to stop you…” “No mortal could ever hope to stand against me and live…” Grogar said with confidence. “Who are these fools that the Princesses are sending to kill me, who care little about their own lives?” His horns glowed, ready to use the Rainbow of Darkness on the elk. Arcturus, the third elk, lowered his head. “We cannot tell you. The Princesses forbade us.” Grogar glared daggers at them. “Fine… Then tell me their identities. Not that I fear them…” “The Princess of Friendship and a Wonderbolt will soon come for you,” Carina said darkly. Grogar’s scowl changed to a cruel grin. “Oh… interesting…” In Canterlot, Princess Luna stood in front of Twilight and Soarin. “Grogar has a legion of dark spirits at his command, and the ruins of Ponyville are filled with them,” she explained. “So, Princess Twilight... to ensure that you will be able to fly, I’ll use a flight spell on you.” Her horn began to glow as magic surrounded Twilight. When the magic faded, the Princess of Friendship had glimmer wings, similar to the spell she had used on Rarity. “As for Soarin, I bestow upon you this magic gem, which will allow a non-unicorn to use magic.” Luna levitated a clear gem over to the Wonderbolt, and it became a necklace. Soarin looked at it, and then looked back at Luna. “So, how does it work?” “You must concentrate on the spell you wish to use.” Soarin then did a quick bow. “Thank you, Princess.” “Now go,” Luna said. “Equestria needs the two of you.” The Princess of the Night’s horn started to glow, and she teleported the duo to a location near where they needed to go. Reappearing in a valley filled with mushrooms, they looked around. Thanks to the darkness covering the sky, it was harder to see. Upon arriving in the area known as the Mushromp, Twilight and Soarin stood and glanced around the valley for a minute or two. “So, what are we looking for?” Soarin asked Twilight as she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of nature. “The Moochik,” Twilight replied. “But whoever he is, he’s in this valley.” She pointed to a small house built into a mushroom. “I’m sensing a large amount of magic activity in that house… It almost feels like the magic is calling us…” Soarin nodded, deciding to trust the princess. And so, they headed towards the house in silence. “Hello? Is anypony here?” Twilight asked as she trotted into the house, followed by Soarin. “Welcome, Princess Twilight!” Suddenly, a dwarf poofed in, examining the mare with curiosity in his eyes. “I’m glad you got my dream message. I am the Moochik.” “We need to find a way to defeat Grogar,” Soarin demanded. “Oh, yes. Grogar. Well, to know how to defeat him, you must first learn the origin of the Tree of Harmony.” The Moochik then created a vision in the air for the duo to watch. “You see, the Rainbow of Light was destroyed when the Primordials, the beings who created the world, ended the Age of Parties.” The vision became one of strange beings eliminating a mass of pink, then restarting from scratch. “During the chaos, the Rainbow shattered into seven colors. And the Princesses witnessed the end. As Star Catcher and Lily Lightly.” A pegasus and a unicorn suddenly changed into the Princesses. “The Princesses used to be Primordials, but they gave up their power to create to live with ponykind. But as for the Rainbow of Light… six colors were still there. These six were buried in a cavern, and the Tree of Harmony grew from there.” “So the Tree of Harmony and the Rainbow of Light are one and the same?” Soarin asked. “Exactly!” the Moochik replied. “However, the seventh color was lost to all except those who still remember. Like me. Anyway, the seventh color was indigo, and it was lost in another world. The world of the Megan. However, I may be able to get you there.” Twilight gasped. “Really?” The Moochik nodded. “Yes, but sadly, I am old, and will most likely die if I use this forbidden spacial rift spell. But Grogar has destroyed the Tree, and the seventh color is the only thing that can restore it.” The dwarf then created two spheres of energy, and said something in a strange language. “Med all min magi, jeg kaller en plass rift a sende disse to til malet sitt!” He then turned to the two. “I leave the rest in your hooves.” A rip in the fabric of space appeared, and the Moochik disappeared into light. Author's Note Lore and G1 references. Also, sorry that writer's block kicked in.
Flying LessonsIt had been two weeks since the defeat of Lord Tirek. And Princess Twilight Sparkle was dangling from the edge of a cloud. She glanced at Whitetail Wood far below, and sighed. These were supposed to be flying lessons, not hang from a cloud lessons! With annoyance in her voice, she asked, “Rainbow Dash, why are you doing this?” Rainbow responded with a grin, “Because I want to see you pull off a sonic rainboom, and it’s funny.” Twilight had lost her patience at that. “I already did a sonic rainboom once! Remember, at the Summer Sun Celebration?!” The cyan Pegasus shook her head with mocking sadness. “That wasn’t a sonic rainboom.” She began to let go of Twilight’s leg, leaving her flailing through the sky until she regained her balance, flying back up to the cloud Rainbow was on. “That wasn’t funny, Rainbow Dash,” scolded Twilight. “Well, I thought it was funny,” – Rainbow fell over laughing – “Twilight, you need to have a sense of humor.” “I actually do have a sense of humor, thank you very much.” The Princess of Friendship rolled her eyes. She then gestured the pegasus to follow her, gliding over the treeline below. Twilight was surprised by a particularly large live oak tree, branches spreading over the grove it was in. Twilight looked around Whitetail Wood, the sounds of birds filling the air and butterflies flew by. Rainbow interjected, saying she was bored. As a response, she levitated Dash and shook her around to keep her quiet. “A word of advice, Rainbow. Don’t make comments like that when somepony’s relaxing.” “Point taken.” “Omigosh omigosh omigosh!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “The Best Young Flyer’s Competition is coming up in a few days!” “Why is that so exciting? You’ve won before, so why enter again?” Rarity asked. “Because I want to set a record!” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “Nopony’s ever won two times in a row. Or there’s another idea…” She looked at Twilight. “Don’t tell me…” began the princess. “Yep! You can enter! With those flying lessons, you’re sure not to mess up,” Rainbow encouraged. “Besides, we haven’t had anything big since Tirek!” “No way!” “C’mon, Twilight! Remember our adventure in the Everfree Forest to find the Elements to stop Nightmare Moon?” asked Rainbow. “Or when we went to rescue the Cutie Mark Crusaders after they were foalnapped by the changelings?” added Rarity. “What about the time we climbed that big mountain to make that sleepy dragon move so he doesn’t cover Equestria in smoke?” Pinkie pointed out. “An’ when we went to th’ moon ta save Rarity after she was taken by th’ Nightmare Forces,” finished Applejack. “If you’ve been ta a changeling hive an’ th’ moon, ya can do one competition!” “C’mon Twi, just do it for us,” Rainbow said. “Fine,” Twilight said with mock anger, ready for another adventure in the magical land of Equestria. “I guess we should get going?” “Wait!” Fluttershy called. “Shouldn’t we at least renew the seal keeping evil ponies away from the Tree of Harmony?” The other five ponies (and dragon) nodded as the seven of them left the Friendship Rainbow Castle. In the cave containing the Tree of Harmony, Twilight observed the current seal over the Tree that had been created the day after Tirek’s defeat. “The seal’s getting weaker,” she said, looking over the Tree. “Girls, get ready.” The six mares began to glow, then they activated their Rainbow Power. A rainbow circled around the Tree, renewing the seal for now. “That should do it for a month or so.” Twilight looked at the crystalline tree, the natural light of the cave entrance shining in. “I guess we should go get the town balloon,” Rarity said, changing the subject. They went to Cherry Berry’s house next. “Hey, Cherry!” Rainbow called. “We need to borrow the town balloon so we can get to Cloudsdale!” “OK, it’s in the lot where it usually is!” Cherry shouted back. They soon went over to the lot, getting into the town hot air balloon. Spike held onto Twilight as Pinkie lit the fire that allowed the balloon to float. Rainbow and Fluttershy got out, getting the wind so it heads towards Cloudsdale. The sun’s radiant light shone down as the balloon floated over Equestria, the passengers conversing during the ride as they headed towards Cloudsdale. However, they were unaware that they were being watched, as in being spied on. When a cloud blocked the view, the mysterious watcher just found another angle to look at the ponies. “So, get ready for a cloud-walking spell,” he heard. Watching the Princess of Friendship cast cloud-walking spells on Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike, he observed every last detail. Eventually, they were behind a large amount of clouds, and the watcher decided that was enough. But then he noticed something even more interesting. Two platoons of guards were respectively pulling the chariots of Princesses Celestia and Luna, while Captain Flash Sentry blew away clouds for them, keeping their route cloud-free. The watcher grinned, knowing that the main problems were all going to be at Cloudsdale. The watcher then reported back to his leader, keeping himself concealed from most. He eventually reached an expanse of ruins, where he reappeared in front of his leader. “My lord, I am unfortunate to say that the Bearers of the Elements and the Princesses are on the move towards Cloudsdale.” “You let that get in your way? You sicken me.” “I apologize, my lord. But there is a slight problem… the Bearers renewed the seal over the Tree of Harmony earlier today. Should we wait until it wears off?” “That is an idiotic decision. It could take decades with their new power supporting it. For now, we wait until they have to visit the Tree again. When they temporarily take down the seal, we will strike.” “But then again, they’ll be unprotected at the Best Young Flyer’s Competition today. Perhaps we can go for the Princesses then?” “The Bearers would overpower me in an instant. We can’t risk that.” “So what do we do?” “We wait.” “As you wish… Lord Grogar.” Author's Note Well, after The Freezing Night flopped, I thought I would try writing romance! This'll have adventure, as seen already, but it'll be better later in the story!
The CompetitionAs Cloudsdale got closer, the ponies looked upon it in awe. It was completely made of clouds, as rainbow waterfalls poured down. Cloud pillars supported many buildings, and the weather factory continued to produce clouds for Equestria. On the western side of the city was the Cloudiseum, where the Best Young Flyer’s Competition would take place. Pegasi flew around the city. The hot air balloon, guided by the wind, got closer to the spectacular sight. Rainbow and Fluttershy landed on the beautiful city, waiting for the hot air balloon to get there. When it did, the ponies tried getting the hang of the clouds. “It’s been so long since we were last here, and it’s just as beautiful as ever!” Rarity exclaimed. They suddenly heard a chariot land, then another. Turning around, they saw it was the Princesses. “Hello, Twilight,” said Princess Celestia. “It’s always good to see you.” “What about that whole Smarty Pants thing?” Pinkie chirped in. Silence. “How has your kingdom been?” Luna asked. “Eh, it’s still hard trying to run a whole kingdom, but at least I have my friends.” Twilight then realized something. “Wait a minute, who’s watching the castle if both of you are here?” Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle, Discord was well… being Discord. He laughed as he messed around, causing chaos in the castle. Captain Sentry cringed at the thought of Discord wreaking havoc in the castle. “I’ll bet the castle will probably be at least a little messed up,” he commented. “Besides, after seeing how easily Tirek took down the guards, I’m not sure if Discord will be up for this.” “Says the pony who thought an opossum was a monster,” Luna deadpanned. Flash turned to Twilight, whose cheeks would have boiled water. “I’m not sure that blushing is appropriate for royalty to do in public,” he told her. “You don’t want anypony to think that you’re neglecting your royal duties. Besides, seeing how your kingdom is currently just limited to Ponyville, ” “But there’s Cadence,” Twilight responded. “That’s because she’s the Princess of Love,” Flash countered. “So try to keep a regal air for a little while, and-“ “Captain, I appreciate your concerns for Princess Twilight,” interrupted Luna. “But she has done so in Ponyville, and can do so now.” “But Ponyville’s her kingdom! This is Cloudsdale! She’s practically-“ There was a loud bell ringing. The Competition was about to begin. The Cloudiseum was packed with ponies, all waiting for the pegasi to begin their flights. “WELCOME TO THE 32ND ANNUAL BEST YOUNG FLYER’S COMPETITION!” announced Blaring Voice. “THIS WILL BE A COMPETITION TO REMEMBER, AS PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS ENTERING! FIRST UP, A QUICK SHOW FROM… THE WONDERBOLTS!” Six pegasi in flight suits flew over the Cloudiseum, flying up and converging, making an explosion like a firework. Over in the stands, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike cheered for their friend. And Rainbow cheered even louder for the Wonderbolts. “THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME AN ALICORN HAS EVER JOINED THE BEST YOUNG FLYER’S COMPETITION! NOW, PRINCESS CELESTIA SHALL BEGIN THE CEREMONY!” The Princess of the Day stepped forward. “Thank you, Blaring.” She looked around the Cloudiseum. “It’s a fine day for a competition, and I’m happy that you all came to observe. Now then… let the competition begin!” In the back room, the fifteen contestants all were waiting. Twilight was number 12, and number 1, Cappuccino, had just gone out. Out in the stands, everypony applauded whenever a contestant was done. As number 11, Rainbowshine, came back in, Twilight gulped when it approached her turn. She flew out of the back room. “PRESENTING HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” She landed on a cloud, and slowly levitated two spheres of water. She then created one more, then four more. Lighting up the spheres with her magic, she merged them all into one big sphere of water. She then blasted them with a beam of magic, blowing up the colored sphere and creating a rainbow in its wake. Applause filled the stadium. “IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A WINNER!” And the crowd went wild. Everypony was either standing and cheering or flailing and cursing the refs. But one audience member had a grim expression on his face, putting on a hood. On the other side of the Cloudiseum, another pony did the same thing. It kept repeating, until one of the hooded ponies reached into his popcorn and pulls out what seems to be an exploding slip. The audience around is completely oblivious. As are the guards and Princesses. And then the pony throws the slip into the air, and it explodes, getting the crowd’s attention. One of the hooded ponies, a unicorn, proceeded to use sleeping spells on the crowd. Twilight gasped, looking around when she heard roars… looking down, she saw a horrifying sight. A flock of dragons, just larger than an average gryphon. They had sickly green scales and purple bat-like wings. But unlike most dragons, their heads were more square-shaped and had significantly smaller horns. “Stratodons,” whispered Twilight. In the lead was a teal ram with red eyes. Grogar. His horns glowed, and strange dark creatures appeared, flying towards the remaining ponies. “Twilight, that ram right there is Grogar. If he plans to attack Equestria, you need to learn how to do this,” Celestia told the lavender alicorn. Her horn then glowed as three rings of magic formed around one of the dark creatures, turning the darkness into a golden light. The creature then dissipated into specks of light, disappearing. “Grogar’s main weapon is dark magic, but his most powerful ability is his ability to corrupt ponies with his magic. However, that spell I just showed you can reverse Grogar’s corruption.” “Alright, so I- GAH!” Twilight was hit by a blast of magic, and fell right towards Grogar, who eagerly awaited the Princess of Friendship’s fall. The alicorn looked at the ground far below, gulping. Evil ram, or being squashed flat by a long fall? “GOTCHA!” Twilight looked up. It was a pale blue Pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane. “What?” “The winner of the Best Young Flyer’s Competition is rewarded with a day with the Wonderbolts.” Soarin pulled Twilight back into the Cloudiseum, where she was placed in the bleachers with her friends. “This counts in a way.” Twilight’s horn then glowed, as did Celestia and Luna’s. A huge shield spell then appeared around Cloudsdale, knocking Grogar and his forces towards the ground. The evil ram then teleported him and his forces away from the cloud city, meaning a temporary victory for the ponies. As the audience began to wake up, Celestia took the stand. “Citizens of Cloudsdale. Just now, Grogar, a wicked sorcerer, recently attacked us. Now then, I must give my thanks to the Wonderbolt Soarin, who saved Princess Twilight’s life.” Then Luna, for some reason, used a cloud-walking spell on Twilight. “Um, Princess, why did you do that?” she asked. “Because Grogar has already done his first strike,” Luna said grimly. Twilight then felt the place where Grogar struck her begin to hurt, and then she realized where he had struck, and the results. He had taken her wings. Author's Note Yeah, I know it seems a bit OP of Grogar being able to take Twilight's wings, but trust me, I'll explain it soon enough. By the way, this is the longest chapter I've ever written when writing fanfics. By the way, whenever there seems to be a plot hole, I'll always explain it later.
Lost Wings“How did he take them?” Twilight asked with fear in her voice. “The answer is for you to calm down and get some rest,” Luna replied. “My sister and I shall explain Grogar, and why he is so dangerous.” “Grogar was a ram from the Ibex Empire,” Celestia began. “He eventually went into the study of dark magic, and similar to King Sombra, it corrupted him.” “My sister and I used the Elements of Harmony to imprison him in his own dark city, Tambelon,” Luna continued. “But it seems he has found a way to escape.” “So… how do we stop him?” asked Rainbow. “Back when we fought Grogar, he was searching for the Rainbow of Darkness,” Celestia explained. “So I suggest we find the Rainbow of Darkness and use the Elements of Harmony to destroy it.” “Then the six of us will-“ Rarity began. “To keep out of Grogar’s sight, only one can go,” Luna interrupted. “Too many ponies will attract his attention, and he’d go after the Rainbow. Now we should get some rest.” That night, Twilight had a strange dream. She was in a vast expanse of ruins. “Is this… Tambelon?” she asked herself. “Ah, so my dream spell has you in my grasp.” The unicorn turned around to see Grogar. “How amusing… to think the most powerful magic in all of Equestria would end up in the hooves of six mares.” Twilight glared at the ram, and he was silent. He then grinned evilly and victoriously as his eyes set their freezing gaze on the Princess of Friendship. “Oh, I must apologize, Princess,” Grogar said with sarcasm. “I don’t believe we were properly introduced during that little incident in Cloudsdale. My name is Grogar, Lord of Tambelon. Though your Princesses have already told you that…” The unicorn snarled, glaring at the ram. “Just stop this,” she said quietly. “This instant.” He then blasted Twilight with a beam, knocking her over and further wounding her barrel. “But that would be boring. Now then… I have a small favor to ask you.” “I’d never… do anything to help you,” she hissed. Grogar shot another beam at Twilight, knocking her back even more. “Oh, yes you shall,” he countered, his eyes full of malevolence. He then blasted her again. “All I need is for you to head to the tomb surrounded by standing stones in the Prancing Plains. It won’t be difficult for somepony who’s defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, the queen of the changelings, and Tirek.” “Then go there yourself,” Twilight said back at the ram, her barrel burning with dark magic. Grogar just frowned at the mare. “And attract the attention of the Princesses?” He conjured up a magical projection of a bag. “Get this bag and bring it back to me. If you tell the Princesses, I will destroy Canterlot. If you tell the Bearers, I will destroy Ponyville. If you tell your brother or parents, I will destroy the Crystal Empire. And if you do not listen to me, I will personally kill you. Do you understand, Princess Twilight?” Twilight gulped, trying to keep her wound from getting worse. “Fine… I’ll do it…” “Good girl,” Grogar said. “I’m expecting that bag.” Twilight then woke up. Soarin looked at Twilight nervously. “Thanks again,” said the Princess of Friendship. “Y-You’re welcome,” Soarin stuttered. “I-I guess I could take you to the first spot on that map.” He then picked Twilight up, and began to fly when he felt some extra weight. “SPIKE?!?” yelled Twilight. The purple dragon was holding onto the unicorn’s tail. “Um… hi, Twilight,” Spike said nervously. “So, where’s the first place on the map anyway?” Soarin asked, distracting the dragon and unicorn. “Knight’s Peak, south of the Macintosh Hills and the Forest of Leota, but north of the Changeling Kingdom,” Twilight replied. The Wonderbolt landed in the Macintosh Hills. “OK, the quickest way to Knight’s Peak is by going south through the Appaloosan Mountain Range and then on through the Forest of Leota… go around the Timberwolf Territory. There we can stay at the Royal Guard Watchtower for the night, and we’ll be there! Simple!” Twilight explained. “As in through that old mine over there?” Soarin asked. “Exactly.” Spike looked at the statues around the mine entrance. “I think this is a diamond dog mine,” he said. “I know that because I’ve been here before,” Twilight deadpanned. “Back when the Crusaders were foalnapped by the changelings.” “I wonder how long it’s been since the diamond dogs last used this mine?” Soarin asked. “From the looks of it, about 200 years or so,” the unicorn estimated. “So we’re in an abandoned mine? That’s not creepy at all,” Spike commented. The cave then rumbled. And a booming voice echoed through the mine. “PO-NAYS?” Twilight groaned. “Oh no, not him…” It was a large grayish-blue creature with moss on its shoulders and a heart tattoo on its right arm. A cave troll. “PWETAH PONAYS BACK!” “RUN!” Twilight yelled, as she put Spike on her back and Soarin glided beside her. They went through the cave, getting as far away from the troll as possible. “Well, that was interesting,” Soarin dryly commented. Before anypony could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of cracks. Twilight looked up to see a large boulder falling right towards them. “RUN AGAIN!” Spike yelled. Twilight put Spike on her back again, and pushed Soarin out of the way before teleporting away from the rock. The shockwave shook the passageway as more rocks began to fall. The whole cave was collapsing. They continued running towards the exit. Knowing they had only a little time before the whole mine collapses on them, they dodged rocks until they began to fall faster. Though most of the cave had been destroyed by the tremor, Twilight’s heart raced when she saw the light of the exit. She then galloped as fast as possible while Soarin followed in tight pursuit. The moment they reached the exterior of the abandoned mine, the trio took in the fresh air. Looking back at the ruined cave, they saw the entrance to the Forest of Leota ahead of them. As Spike and Soarin trotted into the woods, Twilight didn’t notice the malevolent figure appear just behind her. And she didn’t feel his presence until she heard his voice. “Well, well…” Grogar said smugly. “I’m impressed that you got out of that cave, even after I made it collapse.” “You what?!” she asked harshly, horn glowing. Grogar just frowned. “You listened to Princess Celestia and not me. Just like I said, I would personally kill you.” “You destroyed that whole cave!” she shrieked. “And almost killed me, Spike, and Soarin! You’re crazy!” “Crazy?” the ram scoffed. “Please, I’m only ambitious. I do whatever it takes to get what I want. And I want the Rainbow of Darkness!” He was practically yelling now. “I don’t care who gets in my way! I’ll get the Rainbow of Darkness! Your deaths wouldn’t affect me in any way! But if you wish to see your friends again, do as I say!” Twilight was so furious that she fired a beam at Grogar, who teleported behind the unicorn and blasted her with a beam of his own. Before Twilight could get out of the dirt, Grogar slammed his hoof into her back with such force that the unicorn coughed out blood. Teleporting out of his hold, Twilight fired yet another beam at Grogar, but he just blocked it. “You didn’t listen to me at all, did you, Princess?” Grogar snarled hatefully. “For your little temper tantrum, that was your punishment. Now go get the Rainbow of Darkness. Goodbye, Princess Twilight…” Grogar’s laugh echoed across the field as he disappeared. Twilight was absolutely livid now. She angrily galloped into the Forest of Leota. She wouldn’t let Grogar conquer Equestria. Author's Note It took me three hours to finish this chapter.
Darkness FallsTwilight and Soarin were exhausted. They hadn’t gotten any sleep at the watchtower, and Twilight’s wound was still recovering. But they were at Knight’s Peak. So close to the Rainbow of Darkness. But by the time they had gotten to the mountain, night had already fallen. The crescent moon’s light glow shone on the peak, as the stars twinkled above. “So, that’s the Tomb of Darkness?” asked Soarin, pointing at a labyrinth surrounded by standing stones. “Yep,” replied Twilight. “Think you could fly me and Spike there?” “Sure thing!” The Wonderbolt then picked Twilight up and glided over to the labyrinth. “It’s said that those stones are Pre-Equestrian,” the unicorn said. “If only we could study them!” “We don’t have time for that!” Spike yelled. But none of them knew they were being followed. The Tomb of Darkness was scary, to say the least. It was one of those places that could strike fear into the hearts of fully-grown stallions, and terror into the hearts of anypony who entered its hellish depths. Searching every dusty nook and cranny for the Rainbow of Darkness would take forever, so Twilight resorted to looking at the scripts on the tomb’s walls. “It’s old Equish, but I think I can translate it.” Twilight got to work on translating it. “’The Heart of Darkness is over the abyss.’” “Well, that Heart of Darkness is obviously the Rainbow of Darkness,” Soarin said matter-of-factly. “So let’s look for this abyss.” The three then forged onto the next area of the tomb. Queen Chrysalis and her changelings had watched the ponies and dragon. Most changelings didn’t know old Equish, but Chrysalis did. So when Twilight and her friends left the room, she went up to observe the manuscript. “’The Heart of Darkness is over the abyss…’” she deciphered the writing aloud for her changelings and thought for a moment. Thinking of the history that she had learned from her mother, Queen Lepidoptera, she knew of only one object called the “Heart of Darkness”: the Rainbow of Darkness. Placed here by the Princesses long ago, Chrysalis knew that if the Rainbow of Darkness was unleashed, the amount of love in the world would diminish, and she and her changelings would starve. But why would Twilight Sparkle and a Wonderbolt be searching for such a dangerous object? The changeling queen wanted answers. “Follow them!” she commanded to her subjects. “Those ponies must not get deeper into the tomb!” “Why?” asked a changeling. Chrysalis turned to look at the bug-ponies, fury in her eyes. “Because they are after the Rainbow of Darkness.” Every changeling gasped. “Why would they?” asked a shocked changeling. “We’ll know when you listen to me!” As Twilight, Spike, and Soarin soon discovered, the “abyss” meant a long chasm with a pillar in the middle. They slowly crossed the bridge to the column, unaware of the changelings spying on them. Twilight got closer to the center of the pillar, where there was a brown bag. Her heart leapt in joy. It was the Rainbow of Darkness. However, before she could pick it up, a green beam came flying towards her. “Stop now!” Chrysalis yelled, coming out of the shadows with her changelings. Twilight gasped. “Queen Chrysalis?! How did you get here?” she asked incredulously as many changelings surrounded her. Chrysalis approached Twilight, her eyes filled with anger. “The real question is why are you here?!” she said angrily. “Do you have any idea of what that thing is?” she said, pointing at the Rainbow of Darkness. Twilight took a deep breath. “The Rainbow of Darkness,” she said. “And it’s needed in Canterlot.” “WHY?” the changeling queen’s eyes narrowed. “That thing is filled with dark magic. My changelings would starve if its power is unleashed!” Twilight’s horn glowed. “Soarin, Spike, grab onto me!” she yelled. “STOP THEM!” Chrysalis shrieked, absolutely livid. “DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!” The Wonderbolt and dragon grabbed onto Twilight, and she teleported. Reappearing in Canterlot, the Princess of Friendship felt a brutal blow to the back of her head. When Twilight woke up, she seemed to be in the Everfree Forest. “Thank you, Princess,” Grogar said as he teleported in. The ram’s horns glowed as he levitated the Rainbow of Darkness in front of him, then opened it up, blasting the seal on the Tree of Harmony’s cave. Twilight then felt as if she was being levitated, then chained to the cave wall. Waking up, she saw that Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were also chained. Before she could say anything, Grogar’s cold laugh echoed through the cavern. “The Elements of Harmony…” he said wickedly. “Are now mine.” He laughed louder as he shot the power of the Rainbow of Darkness at the Tree of Harmony. As the dark power of the Rainbow impacted against the Tree, the light began to fade. And the Tree of Harmony was no more. The six gems floated out of the remains of the Tree, circling around Grogar. “Laughter… Generosity… Loyalty… Honesty… Kindness… Magic… The six Elements of Harmony are resonating with their Bearers!” All six mares screamed as they felt an agonizing pain in their body, as it felt like the essences of the Elements themselves were being ripped out. The essences went into the gems, and Grogar absorbed them. “At last… The Elements of Harmony and the Rainbow of Darkness… I am now the most powerful being in the world!” Laughing wildly, the ram unleashed the power of the Rainbow of Darkness. Paying the Mane 6 no mind, Grogar left the cave and floated above the Everfree Forest, looking over his new domain. All across Equestria, the sky turned dark and thunder boomed. From the nobles of Canterlot to the poor of Manehatten, all knew that Equestria was in danger, and nothing could save it. Author's Note Ugh, sorry if this chapter seems rushed. I was in a hurry today, so I didn't have that much time to work on this. Sorry again. I PROMISE the next chapter will be better.
Dreams and Plans“Twilight Sparkle…” A voice called out to Twilight as she had yet another dream. “Heed these words, Princess of Friendship… Equestria now weeps under a mantle of shadows… The Rainbow of Darkness is in you… But there is still a way to defeat Grogar… Let love light the way… Come to Dream Valley, where the seed that formed the Tree of Harmony was kept before it was buried… there I shall aid you and let you find the being who defeated Grogar before…” With each word, the Princess of Friendship felt more conscious. The sound of thunder, mingled with distant fearful shouts and other assorted sounds of chaos resonated around Twilight Sparkle. Her stomach churning in fear, Twilight opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. The remains of the Tree of Harmony were lying around the cave, and the sky was pitch black. Winds raged violently across the Everfree Forest, and there were constant tremors. “Twilight!” A shocked voice called out from above as Captain Sentry and Princess Celestia descended. “Princess Celestia…” Twilight sighed in relief, glad to see the Princess. Celestia put her hoof on the unicorn. “Twilight, we have to leave the forest quickly. Ponyville has already fallen under Grogar’s control. Luckily, the captain here evacuated the town before he took over. Canterlot’s still safe, so everypony is going either there or to nearby towns. But we have to go. I am not sure if Grogar plans further harm on you.” Twilight took a deep breath. “OK,” she said slowly. She looked at the other five mares beginning to wake up. “Girls, we need to get to Canterlot.” The eight ponies all left the Everfree Forest, where an astonishing sight awaited. Ponyville was completely abandoned, being evacuated right before Grogar gained the Elements. But it was here that the ram’s powers of darkness could be clearly seen. Just about every building had been reduced to piles of wood or rubble, a few of them still on fire. The shopping district and town square were all gone, replaced by an enormous crater. Sweet Apple Acres was alit, the barn a smoldering pile of wood. The only building that remained of the town was the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, untouched by Grogar for some unknown reason. “Oh, no… Ponyville…” whispered Rarity. “It’s all gone,” Applejack said. “Mah farm… the trees… everything’s gone.” Pinkie’s mane immediately deflated as she looked at the ruins, and burst into tears. “Pinkie, don’t cry,” Rainbow said sadly. “DON’T CRY?!” the pink mare shrieked. “PONYVILLE’S BEEN DESTROYED! GROGAR WON! ALL MY THINGS- GONE! WHY THE HAY WOULD I NOT WANT TO CRY?!?” Twilight tried to calm Pinkie down, but it was no use. The cheerful Pinkie Pie was heartbroken. “We should get going towards Canterlot,” Rainbow looked at the devastation around everypony. “Let’s not let Pinkie flood the place with her tears.” The great city of Canterlot was unusually quiet. Most of the aristocrats and nobles were probably inside, and the refugees from Ponyville were at a refuge on Bridle Street. But inside Canterlot Castle, Twilight and Celestia were sitting in the Princess of the Day’s personal study. “Did everypony get out?” “I believe so,” Celestia answered, all the while casting a healing spell on Twilight’s wounds. “And if anypony did not, you saw the ruins.” Twilight nodded. “And the animals? Fluttershy would be horrified if the animals were dead.” “Fluttershy’s cottage wasn’t destroyed, as it isn’t in Ponyville proper. So I believe she may have brought her animal friends to the cottage, and if not, they either entered the forest near Winsome Falls, Froggy Bottom Bog, or Whitetail Wood.” Twilight took in a deep breath. All of Ponyville’s citizens may have survived, but all the memories of the town were hard to think of. “Alright. What about Manehatten? Appleloosa? Fillydelphia? The Crystal Empire?” she asked. “Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have created a joint barrier around the Crystal Empire, to protect the Crystal Heart and the empire’s civilians. And as for the rest of Equestria… I haven’t heard any news of destruction, but there have been reports of windigos. No doubt attracted by Grogar’s feelings of hatred towards us.” A chill went down the purple unicorn’s spine, but that changed to happiness when she realized something. “So I guess I’m going to have to listen to that dream and head to Dream Valley,” she declared. “To find where the seed that formed the Tree of Harmony was kept, and whoever defeated Grogar at first.” Celestia’s eyes widened. “The Rainbow of Light... and what? Twilight, that’s impossible.” “What is?” The Princess of the Day sighed. “Nopony knows what happened to the rainbow that Megan left on.” “The dream said ‘love will light the way.’” Celestia then thought for a moment, and then went into another room, where she saw an indigo pegasus stallion with yellow eyes and a black mane in a ponytail. “Lieutenant Edge Wing, go and get the Wonderbolt, Soarin. He and Princess Twilight have to go on a quest together.” “Why them?” Edge responded. “Because of certain reasons.” The Lunar Guard glided off into Canterlot, when Celestia felt Luna’s presence. “’Tia, why did you send Edge Wing off on an errand?” she asked. “Because I believe Soarin has a crush on Princess Twilight.” A white unicorn stallion with a brown mane that was also wearing a hat levitated his food up and took a bite out of it. There was a knock at the door. “Welcome to Soft Light’s place,” he said, opening the door. It was Soarin. “Hi, Soft, mind if I crash here for the night?” he asked. Another knock. This time, it was Edge. “Princess Celestia has requested an audience with you,” he said. Soarin groaned. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” “No, it’s urgent,” Edge replied. Another groan. After being told the whole story, Soarin looked shocked. “So we should go to Dream Valley?” Twilight nodded. “I think we should. Whoever this pony is, they want to help. And we should leave now.” “Sure,” Soarin said. “What’s the rush all about?” Twilight sighed, looking away from the Wonderbolt. “If Grogar finds us, he’ll obviously try to kill us.” Soarin laughed. “Eh, it’s the fate of Equestria. And most of all, I won’t let Grogar get even a hoof on your cute face,” he flirted. The Princess of Friendship’s face fell. “Are you flirting with me?” The Wonderbolt looked away. “Because it’s working.”
The MushrompGrogar was assured of his victory. After all, he had laid out his plan perfectly. He had taken every detail into account and had backup plans in case something went wrong. He studied lore and the dark arts from front to back. And now, he had the prize he had sought after for so long: The Rainbow of Darkness. With its full strength at his command, the dark sorcerer was unstoppable. To show his new power, Grogar had laid waste to the rural town of Ponyville, and left his dark spirits to inhabit the remains of the town. The only building Grogar had left remaining was Princess Twilight’s castle, where he would soon make his throne once his conquest of Equestria was over. But Grogar was in no rush; he wanted to savor the destruction of the kingdom that he had been driven out of twice. But even so, the land of Equestria was already his. Nopony could hope to stand against his awesome power, not even the Princesses. But even in all his power and strength, Grogar wasn’t satisfied. After all, there were more places in the world than just Equestria. So as of now, he was going through the Border Forest, which separates Equestria from Cervidas, land of the deer. Every tree was alit, and he was perfectly fine. As he entered the forests of Cervidas, leaving the burning Border Forest behind, he was being watched by three elk, their antlers glowing with spells charged up. A dark smirk formed on Grogar’s face. “Ah, the Elemental Council. Now that I have the Rainbow of Darkness in my hooves, I shall henceforth be referred to as the King of Darkness. Come out, cowards, and hear my demands!” he shouted. Slowly, a trio of elk emerged from the trees. “O Dark Sorcerer…” the first elk, Sirius, said ominously. “Though you have the Rainbow of Darkness, you are blind and overconfident. You believe that none will stand in your way and that you will destroy Equestria and this land under your dark rule, but the Princesses have already made a contingency plan…” Grogar lifted his head and laughed evilly. “Please,” he scoffed. “How can two alicorns hope to stop me? I am a god compared to them! Curse them!” “You are bold, Dark Sorcerer…” Carina said grimly. “To curse alicorns, the very two ones who decided to bury the Rainbow of Light and conceal the Rainbow of Darkness… Their plan is to send two ponies to stop you…” “No mortal could ever hope to stand against me and live…” Grogar said with confidence. “Who are these fools that the Princesses are sending to kill me, who care little about their own lives?” His horns glowed, ready to use the Rainbow of Darkness on the elk. Arcturus, the third elk, lowered his head. “We cannot tell you. The Princesses forbade us.” Grogar glared daggers at them. “Fine… Then tell me their identities. Not that I fear them…” “The Princess of Friendship and a Wonderbolt will soon come for you,” Carina said darkly. Grogar’s scowl changed to a cruel grin. “Oh… interesting…” In Canterlot, Princess Luna stood in front of Twilight and Soarin. “Grogar has a legion of dark spirits at his command, and the ruins of Ponyville are filled with them,” she explained. “So, Princess Twilight... to ensure that you will be able to fly, I’ll use a flight spell on you.” Her horn began to glow as magic surrounded Twilight. When the magic faded, the Princess of Friendship had glimmer wings, similar to the spell she had used on Rarity. “As for Soarin, I bestow upon you this magic gem, which will allow a non-unicorn to use magic.” Luna levitated a clear gem over to the Wonderbolt, and it became a necklace. Soarin looked at it, and then looked back at Luna. “So, how does it work?” “You must concentrate on the spell you wish to use.” Soarin then did a quick bow. “Thank you, Princess.” “Now go,” Luna said. “Equestria needs the two of you.” The Princess of the Night’s horn started to glow, and she teleported the duo to a location near where they needed to go. Reappearing in a valley filled with mushrooms, they looked around. Thanks to the darkness covering the sky, it was harder to see. Upon arriving in the area known as the Mushromp, Twilight and Soarin stood and glanced around the valley for a minute or two. “So, what are we looking for?” Soarin asked Twilight as she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of nature. “The Moochik,” Twilight replied. “But whoever he is, he’s in this valley.” She pointed to a small house built into a mushroom. “I’m sensing a large amount of magic activity in that house… It almost feels like the magic is calling us…” Soarin nodded, deciding to trust the princess. And so, they headed towards the house in silence. “Hello? Is anypony here?” Twilight asked as she trotted into the house, followed by Soarin. “Welcome, Princess Twilight!” Suddenly, a dwarf poofed in, examining the mare with curiosity in his eyes. “I’m glad you got my dream message. I am the Moochik.” “We need to find a way to defeat Grogar,” Soarin demanded. “Oh, yes. Grogar. Well, to know how to defeat him, you must first learn the origin of the Tree of Harmony.” The Moochik then created a vision in the air for the duo to watch. “You see, the Rainbow of Light was destroyed when the Primordials, the beings who created the world, ended the Age of Parties.” The vision became one of strange beings eliminating a mass of pink, then restarting from scratch. “During the chaos, the Rainbow shattered into seven colors. And the Princesses witnessed the end. As Star Catcher and Lily Lightly.” A pegasus and a unicorn suddenly changed into the Princesses. “The Princesses used to be Primordials, but they gave up their power to create to live with ponykind. But as for the Rainbow of Light… six colors were still there. These six were buried in a cavern, and the Tree of Harmony grew from there.” “So the Tree of Harmony and the Rainbow of Light are one and the same?” Soarin asked. “Exactly!” the Moochik replied. “However, the seventh color was lost to all except those who still remember. Like me. Anyway, the seventh color was indigo, and it was lost in another world. The world of the Megan. However, I may be able to get you there.” Twilight gasped. “Really?” The Moochik nodded. “Yes, but sadly, I am old, and will most likely die if I use this forbidden spacial rift spell. But Grogar has destroyed the Tree, and the seventh color is the only thing that can restore it.” The dwarf then created two spheres of energy, and said something in a strange language. “Med all min magi, jeg kaller en plass rift a sende disse to til malet sitt!” He then turned to the two. “I leave the rest in your hooves.” A rip in the fabric of space appeared, and the Moochik disappeared into light. Author's Note Lore and G1 references. Also, sorry that writer's block kicked in.
