Eventide

Chapters

1.1: The Prodigy
1.2: The Tempest
1.3: The Faithful
1.4: The Predator
1.5: The Soothsayer
1.6: The Oathbound
2.1: Midnight Ponyville

1.1: The Prodigy

In eons past, there lived two sisters in the kingdom of Equestria.

The elder was radiant, blazing with the sun’s scorching rays. Her name was Celestia, and she held the sun’s power in her hooves. By dawn, she would rise, and the sun would rise with her.

The younger was dark and mysterious, wreathed in shadows, illuminated only by the moon’s wan light. Her name was Luna, and she took the night sky as her own, commanding the moon and stars at will.

For millennia, the two worked in harmony, keeping Equestria in perfect balance. Under their guiding lights, ponies prospered, and the land flourished into a mighty kingdom. But alas, as with all things, it did not last.

The darkness in the younger’s heart festered, when she noticed her sister’s growing fame. All beings could look up and appreciate the sunny skies and warming light the sun casts down, but the night? No one cared for the night. It was cold, and unwelcoming, a time when dark creatures roamed the land.

The balance was finally tipped when Celestia was offered the crown by the king himself. Oh, did the citizens cheer and clamour for her to take the throne! But Celestia wished not for such responsibility, for she was a mare of simple and humble origins - so she declined.

But Luna, she was never offered the throne. She was never worshipped and loved by the common folk like her sister was. She was incensed by such blatant disrespect from mortals to a goddess such as herself. Driven by her jealousy and burning rage, she strove to remind the mortal races of her power.

And remind she did, casting an eternal night over half of Equestria, literally suffocating the ponies in shadow before Celestia rose to defend her children. Luna’s army was small, but the creatures of the night rallied under the ideal world of forever dark, bolstering her forces to a hundred thousand strong. With foul dark witchery, she twisted her followers into creatures of horror and destruction, and they laid waste to Equestria.

But Celestia would not stand idly by, even if it meant fighting her sister. With six legendary artifacts called the Elements of Harmony, she overcame Luna’s defences and took on the dark goddess in a duel that lasted for days on end. Celestia was strong, but in accepting the darkness in her heart, Luna was strengthened tenfold, and easily dwarfed Celestia in power.

With no options left, Celestia used the artifacts to extract Luna’s soul, sealing it into the moon itself and destroying the body so that naught remained of Luna’s person. As such, Luna’s name faded into oblivion, and Celestia was forced to take the throne of Equestria. The magic that was used to fight in the war, be it good or bad, was forcefully stricken from memory and records, and disappeared.

“What? That’s it?” The young lavender mare frowned, staring at the ragged book. “It was just getting interesting…” Twilight Sparkle brushed aside her pink and purple mane and peered at the wafer-thin pages, scrutinizing them for any sort of secret.

“Invisible ink?” Her horn flashed a bright lilac. Blank. “Hiding charm?” The page glowed as her aura surrounded it. No dice. “Hidden message enchantment?” A thin beam snaked out of her horn, carefully probing the paper for a spell matrix. Nothing.

“Urgh!” Twilight growled, glaring at the yellowed pages of the old tome, but angry glower quickly turned into a look of interest. “Hmm… Elements of Harmony? I’m sure I’ve heard of those before… but where?”

“Twi, it’s three in the morning. Go back to sleep.” A sleepy sounding voice wafted down from the upper floors of Twilight’s suite. “Even Celestia isn’t up yet.” Twilight looked out of the windows, and indeed, the inky night sky framed the glowing towers of Canterlot. She smiled. Canterlot at night was truly a magnificent sight - its architecture was designed with the explicit intent of reflecting light with optimum efficiency. Polished mirrors were integrated into the walls of the tall rounded towers, bouncing moonlight and sunlight to light up the streets and buildings when necessary.

Her own suite was quite different. Instead of marble and stone, as much of Canterlot was built from, it was mostly wooden, with large bookshelves and wood flooring and other wooden furniture. It was a good insulator and kept her warm in winter, and cool in summer. Although that meant that she couldn’t practice more volatile magics in there, not after the September incident.

She still remembered the screams of the poor books.

“Twi!” A tiny purple drake poked his head over the edge fencing of the loft. “Sleep! You’ll need it!”

Twilight shot a look at Spike, her young dragon assistant. “Academia waits for nopony, Spike. You go sleep, I think I’ll pull an all-nighter.”

“It’s not good for your health, Twi…” Spike’s words drifted off into silence. Twilight smiled - Spike meant well, but some things just couldn’t be put off.

“Now… Elements, Elements…” Twilight muttered under her breath, scanning the bookshelves. “Maybe it’s under E? E… E… Ah! ‘Eldritch Legends, Tales of Ancient Magicks’. Thus ought to work. ” Grabbing the book with her magic, she scanned through the table of contents.

“‘Elements of Harmony, see… Mare in the Moon.’” Twilight said, pausing. “That could easily be interpreted as Luna, banished to the moon.”

“Twilight, you couldn’t be quiet if you tried.” Spike grumbled, clambering down from the loft. “Why are you reading about that old foal story?”

Twilight shook her head. “Every legend, no matter how far fetched, has to have a nugget of truth to base off of. Now, according to this, the Mare in the Moon was defeated by the fabled Elements of Harmony, which are embodiments of the virtues that instill peace and harmony. She was sealed away into the moon, but it is rumored that she might one day break free. According to historical records, there was a prophecy that foretold her return:

“The Dark One will return with aid from the stars, and consume the world in darkness. On the shortest night of the longest day, the dusk a thousand years away, the stars will convene in stony conviction and free the Nightmare’s prison…”

Twilight gasped. “The shortest night of the longest day is the summer equinox…”

“What, the summer sun celebration?” Spike asked, slightly lost.

“Yes! And this is the thousandth summer equinox since Celestia accepted the throne!” Twilight started pacing nervously. “Oh, this is not good, not good! We have to warn the Princess!”

“Why?”

“Because that means the Mare in the Moon will be free in less than a week!”

“Well, what did she say?” Twilight asked Spike, for the fifth time that minute. The sun barely peeked over the hills, and the sky was just a tint of purple. Daybreak. She had explained the situation to Spike and quickly scribbled out a letter for him to send to Celestia, only to realize that Celestia wouldn’t be up at three in the morning - so they waited, and read up more on the old legend until the sun began to rise.

Spike rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I don’t know, because she hasn’t replied yet.”

Twilight snorted, and tapped her hooves impatiently. A few seconds later, she turned back to Spike.

“Not. Yet.” He said, before burping loudly. A torrent of green flame rushed out of his maw, dissipating rapidly, the fumes coalescing into a paper scroll. “Urp! Here it is. Umm…

“My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely.” Spike read, and Twilight puffed out her chest in pride. “But some times legends are just legends.” Twilight blinked in disbelief. “Let sleeping dragons lie, Twilight, for some aspects of the past are better left forgotten. I apologize for being dismissive, but a pony as brilliant as yourself should not be concerned with dusty prophecies by ancient souls. Instead, I ask that you go make some friends, and live a life beyond one of academics and study.”

Twilight blanched, stuttering as she fought to process the Princess’ letter. “But- but- That’s…” Her eyes narrowed, and Spike gulped nervously as he spied a curl of hair pop out of place. “Of course. It must be proof! She wants evidence that the prophecy is being fulfilled! I need more primary sources, secondary opinions, and- and- Spike! We’re going to the Archives! To RESEARCH!”

Spike groaned, and was yanked into the air by a purple aura and deposited onto Twilight’s back. They burst through the doors of their suite, Twilight with a determined expression and Spike just rather annoyed that his sleep was interrupted, and they galloped down the halls to the Canterlot Archives.

Canterlot’s hallways in the early morning hours were eerily haunting. The lack of activity was unnerving, and Twilight’s hoof steps echoed loudly in the empty halls. Of course, the royal guards were stationed at regular intervals, but they were as lively as a stack of bricks.

As they ran, Spike took the chance to tap the top of Twilight’s head gently. “Uh, Twilight, maybe we should trust the Princess on this one? I mean, she does have the experience of thousands of years.”

“I believe this is a credible threat to Equestria, Spike. Even if the Princess is right, you can’t be too careful.” Twilight said, taking a left turn and cursing as she bumped into a priceless porcelain vase, which she quickly righted with her magic.

“But we’re talking about the Mare in the Moon. If the old story is real, then she’s Princess Celestia’s sister! She’s gotta be at least as strong as the Princess.” Spike said. “Don’t you think this might be, um, above you?”

“Sometimes risks have to be made in the name of development, Spike.” Twilight responded, cantering to a halt in front of the Archive’s entrance. The pair of guards tensed for a moment, spears crossed in front of the doors, before realizing who Twilight was and hastily allowing access. “Thank you, kind sirs.” Twilight said as she placed Spike back onto the floor. They nodded appreciatively, before resuming their stoic stance.

Pushing aside large ebony doors, the musty scent of old parchment and dust wafted into Twilight’s nostrils, tempting her to sneeze. A small burst of green flame told her Spike was similarly affected. Her horn glowed faintly, and immediately she felt the tickling sensation fade away. Spike gasped in amazement. “Woah. What did you do?”

“Miniaturized filtering ward in your nasal cavity.” Twilight said, only afterwards taking notice of Spike’s confused expression. She sighed, and clarified, “I made your nose immune to dust. It’s a less complicated variant of the water breathing charm.”

“Oh. Cool!” Spike said. “So what are we looking for?”

“Anything related to the war between Celestia and Luna, as well as anything on the legend of the Mare in the Moon, specifically her return.” Twilight replied curtly, already scanning the archive catalogue. “Oh ponyfeathers, the organization is absolutely terrible here. Uhm…”

She looked up, pointing at an undefined point in the darkness. “The Pre-Celestial wing should be over there. Be careful with your fire, Spike, there are some things down here that are worth more than the entire royal treasury.” The little drake gulped, and closed up his flame bladder just a might tighter.

“Alright, let’s see here…” Twilight’s eyes practically glowed when she rounded a corner and was confronted by seas upon seas of books. It was a narrow corridor, formed by two parallel lines of bookcases. On those bookcases were everything from jars of unidentified liquids, to ancient artefacts, to aged items of clothing, and of course, books. There was a moment of silence as she feasted upon this beautiful sight.

Spike paused, and looked up at his adopted sister who was still staring and… ew, drooling. “Uh, Twi? Work?” He snapped his claws in front of her, and she blushed, magically wiping away the little bit of dribble.

She coughed awkwardly. “Yes. Uh, You check that side, I check this side, okay?” Spike nodded, and started inspecting artifacts and strange items. Twilight took the more scholarly sections and scanned the spines of books.

“Conflicts and Wars of Old?” Twilight scanned through the book. “No, the pages are all smudged.”

“A sword dating back to the founding of Equestria.” Spike frowned. “Nothing about the Mare in the Moon, though.”

“Strange beasts of the Night… Maybe.” Twilight set the book aside.

“Oh! A plaque from the war!” Spike exclaimed, carefully plucking the plaque from the wall it was mounted on.

“What does it say?” Twilight craned her neck to look at the plaque.

“I… can’t read it. I think it’s in Old Equestrian.” Spike scratched the back of his head.

Twilight took the plaque from his claws, and stared at it intently. “I’ve studied some Old Equestrian before, I might be able to translate it! Let’s see… That’s by the name of the moon… um…” And there they sat, Twilight reading out passages at a time and Spike writing them down.

“Alright! Spike, what do we have down?” Twilight finally asked, looking up after having translated the last word.

“We sweareth by the sacred moon, six stars shall riseth in eventide, and releaseth her from her shackles. Once more the light of the moon shall drowneth the land of forever night, so sayeth our queen who dwelleth in dreams.” Spike said, holding up the piece of parchment they had used for notetaking. “That’s… weird.”

“That’s just how Old Equestrian works - the weird suffixes and spelling is just how ponies back then spelt things.” Twilight shrugged. “But what’s more fascinating is the implications of this plaque. This actually validates a lot of theories on the abilities of the Mare in the Moon, particularly her apparent ability to manipulate dreams…”

Spike tuned out, wandering off to look at more books and artifacts. There was a particular jar which contained what looked like a brain made of metal. A shriveled up frog which had a lovely pink hue. A book about the toilets of pre-Celestia Equestria. Spike giggled a little when he saw that.

There was a wicked scythe said to be able to devour souls at a touch - and also chocolates. Spike could understand that. A helmet that belonged to the legendary headless general, who kept on fighting for days even after she was decapitated. And a cloth stained with-

Spike backed away, gagging. Cloth stained with the blood of Celestia herself when she fought Luna. “Uh… Twi? You might want to see this.” Twilight blinked, snapped out of her one-pony lecture, and trotted over. When she saw what Spike was pointing at, she took a step back too, her ears flattened in shock.

“Celestia’s… blood?” Twilight whispered, staring at the cloth in a mixture of awe and fear. The gravity of the situation finally hit her - she was dealing with an entity that could hurt the Princess. Twilight didn’t stand a chance. “This is why we need to warn her, Spike. If she’s caught off guard…”

Spike gulped, still backing up until he hit a stack of books. With a yell of surprise, the tower collapsed on top of him, burying him in a veritable mountain of literature. “Twilight!” She turned at the muffled cry for help, and sighed.

“This isn’t really the time for playing around…?” Her reprimanding trailed off into a curious hum when she saw a book lodged between Spike’s spines. “What’s this?”

She plucked the book off of its perch, and read the title out loud. “Arcanomicon…?” She flipped open the book, and the world exploded into stars.

“Awaken.”

What? Where am I?

“Awaken.”

I am awake!

“Are you?”

…I’m sure I am.

“You are blind.”

No I’m not.

“You do not see.

You do not feel.

You do not live.”

What are you talking about? Of course I can see!

“No. Now you can see.”

What-

Oh. Wow. What did you do?

The trees… the ground… the sky… the air itself…

Why do they look like that?

“It is sight.

The first gift.

Now, awaken.”

No, please! I have so many questions!

“Awaken.”

Twilight blinked. What was she doing again?

Of course. Research. She looked blankly down at the book at her hooves. Memories returned to her.

“Twilight, what are you doing staring at an empty book?” Spike asked, poking the book with a claw.

Twilight frowned and gently pushed his claws away. “Don’t do that, you might damage the book. And what do you mean, empty? It’s clearly filled with text!”

“No, it’s not.” Spike said, peering at the pages. Twilight raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Uh, it is. Here, it clearly says-“ She stopped. What did the book say? She stared at it, but couldn’t read the book. “What does it say?”

Spike looked at her strangely. “Are you okay, Twi? Maybe this whole Mare in the Moon deal is getting to you.”

“No, no! I was sure there were words in that. I swear!” Twilight said, a hair popping out of place. “It makes no sense!”

Use your sight.

“…Sense.” Twilight stopped suddenly, and stopped trying to read the book.

Words filled her mind. Your sight is clear.

“I can see it.” Twilight muttered, staring blankly at the page. “I can see the words.”

“O…kay, you are starting to creep me out, Twilight.” Spike said, backing away slowly. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes. I’m alright. In fact, I’m better than I’ve ever been.” Twilight said, dreamily. Then she blinked. “Wait, what? What is going on?!”

The world faded away once again.

“Good. You’ve mastered your gift quickly.”

What is going on? Who are you?

“But it is not enough.”

Stop it! I don’t understand!

“And you will. Soon.”

No! I want answers! Who are you? Why are you doing this?

“You cannot comprehend.”

Don’t say that! How do you know if I’m not told anything?!

“You do not think.

You do not understand.

You do not learn.”

Don’t be silly, of course I learn! I study everyday!

“Now, you learn.”

The words!

They… they make sense!

“It is understanding.

The second gift.

Now, awaken.”

Please! Not yet! Who are you?!

“…A friend. Awaken.”

“Twilight… Twilight?” She felt somepony shaking her.

“Urgh… Spike?” Twilight groaned, painfully clutching at her head. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a train…”

Spike was standing over her, his eyes large with worry. “Oh man, I thought you were a goner! You just went and fell over! You scared me!”

Sighing, Twilight sat up and gave him a comforting hug. “I’m sorry… I’m fine now. Actually, I think I feel better than before. Like I’m thinking clearer.” Breaking off from the hug, she stood up and stretched luxuriously. “Ah… that hit the spot. Now, Spike, I think we have enough information to convince Princess Celestia to take action against Luna’s return. Let’s go.”

“Are you sure? Maybe we should-“

There was a flash of purple and Spike found himself in the throne room. It was, as always, grand and majestic. Stained glass windows decorated the walls, allowing sunlight to flood through and create dappled images on the marble tiled floor. A red carpet extended from the door right up to the throne, stopping just short of Celestia’s seat. The throne itself was a shining golden construct, with soft red cushions for comfort. It perched upon a raised dais, with a few steps leading up to the seat.

And on the throne sat Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. She was a great deal larger than any normal pony, with long slender legs and a svelte build that could make any mare go green with envy. Her majestic swan-like wings were folded at her sides, and on her forehead was a long spiraling horn, behind which was a golden tiara adorned with a single gleaming amethyst.

“Twilight? What are you doing here?” Spike heard the surprise in Celestia’s voice.

Twilight stood as tall as she could be, trying not to quake under the presence of the Princess. “Princess Celestia, sorry for intruding but I believe we have proof that the Mare in the Moon is returning for real.” She stopped just in front of the throne, and began levitating books and notes she took from the Archives. “Here you can see a historian’s account of the war, and in the other-”

“Where did you find that book? I thought I destroyed every copy of it!” Celestia interrupted, her voice quivering slightly. From anger, shock, or something else, Spike could not tell.

“Uh, the Arcanomicon? I just found it lying in the-” Once again, Twilight was interrupted by a very tense Celestia.

“You can read it?!” She cried, barely containing a shout bubbling up inside her. “You can read the Arcanomicon?”

Twilight was taken aback by the ferocity of Celestia’s outburst. “Um, yes, there was this voice that-“

“Twilight, of all the times you could have disobeyed me, why did it have to be this?!” Celestia leapt from her throne, her eyes alert. “If you’ve gained understanding, then they can’t be too far behind!”

“I- uh- who’s they?” Twilight asked, both curious and very alarmed. Celestia had never acted like this before. She was always calm, collected, and gentle. This Celestia was frantic and panicky, capable of exploding at a touch. “Why are you-“

“There is no time to explain - you have to go, now!” Celestia said, gesturing for Twilight to follow her. Muttering a quick command to a guard next to her, she hurried quickly to a chamber nestled into the wall behind the throne area.

Once both Twilight and Spike were safely inside the chamber, she took a breath of relief. “Twilight, I’m sure you want to know what is going on, but now is not the time. I need you to listen right now.” Twilight was about to open her mouth when Celestia shot her a look that simply demanded attention.

No words, just a single glance, and Twilight silenced herself. “There are terrible things out there. Creatures from a time before time, a world beyond worlds, secrets buried far in the past and knowledge beyond mortal understanding. I have tried to keep you safe in this castle, away from the monsters, but…”

She took a deep breath. “Oh, I didn’t think I had to do this so soon… Twilight, you-“ There was an almighty bang as the door shook. Something was trying to get in. “Oh no.” Celestia’s face somehow got even whiter as she stared at the door. “Twilight, listen to me - you are not normal. You are not a normal unicorn.“

The door shook again, this time buckling slightly. Cracks began to form in the frame and the stone around it. “Twilight, I need you to run. Run, and don’t look back. Go to a town called Ponyville, located south if you go directly through that opening.” She pointed at a small window in the side of the wall. “I’ll give you temporary wings, and-“

The door shook a final time, before exploding inwards alongside sever chunks of stone and bent steel. Through the hole stepped a figure, obscured by the dust blown up by the impact. “No, no, no!” Celestia’s horn lit up with a fierce golden aura, and Twilight felt a ticklish sensation at her sides, which when she glanced back appeared to be a pair of delicate gossamer butterfly wings. Celestia’s horn flashed again, and Spike disappeared. “I have turned him into a familiar. Call, and he will come. Remember, trust the book!” She said urgently, before whipping around to face whatever had broken down the door.

“Hello, Celestia.” The alicorn’s blood turned to ice as she heard the voice, loud and grating like a knife scraping rough stone. “It’s been a long time.”

“You.” She glared at the figure in the smoke, which began to settle. As the dust cleared, the source of the voice was revealed - a unicorn, with a pitch black coat and mane that flowed and gleamed like liquid mercury. Dull, flat silver eyes stared lifelessly at her, and a cruel smile revealed two sharp fang-like incisors, which a serpentine forked tongue ran across.

“Me. You didn’t think a silly little ward like that would be able to stop me, did you?” He chuckled, a sound so terrible that it could make a dragon run merely from hearing it. As a testament to her willpower, not only did Celestia not turn tail and flee, she lowered her horn in a charging position, typical for a unicorn or alicorn preparing for battle.

With a cry of half fury and half desperation, she loosed a blast of pure sunlight at the unicorn, a molten orb of light hot enough to melt steel. The unicorn didn’t even blink - he simply caught the orb in an extended hoof and crushed it like it was made of paper. “Really, Celestia? That’s how you greet an old friend?”

“I’m not your friend, Arae.” Celestia growled, pawing at the floor nervously. “You would do well to remember that!” This time, there was no horn flash. Instead, she reared up, and slammed her entire weight down onto the floor, causing an explosion of sound as loud as a crack of thunder. The shockwave of force surged forwards, smashing into the stallion and slamming him into a wall.

“Nice!” Arae said, popping a few joints. “Thunderwave! Entirely ineffectual, but good to see you still remember how to use magic! Now let’s see how you deal with THIS!” He sneered, raising a hoof and pointing it at Celestia. Immediately, a crackling orb of lightning exploded from it, smashing into Celestia and engulfing her in a sparking blue flame. She staggered, and collapsed onto the ground.

“Your mortal form is weak, Celestia. I know I can’t really hurt you like this, but by the moon…” Arae strode up to her, and stomped onto one of her forelegs, snapping it in two. “This feels GREAT.” He stomped again, this time cracking a few ribs. “Doesn’t it?” He leaned in, close enough for Celestia to feel his breath on her face. It was freezing cold, too cold for any regular creature. It lasted for but a second, as Arae looked up and noticed Twilight shivering in the corner.

"Ah... you must be the one. Excellent! Two birds with one stone!" He started towards her.

“Twilight…”

“Hmm?” Arae blinked, tilting his head towards Celestia. “What did you say?”

“RUN!” Celestia shrieked, driving a shimmering hoof into the stallion’s gut, causing him to double over in pain. “FIND SUNNY SKIES!” Twilight obliged, spreading her newfound wings and flying out of the open window. Flapping as hard as she could, she shot off like an arrow into the fading light.

The last thing she saw before moving too far away was Arae and Celestia, both burning, one blue, one gold, falling off the side of Mount Canterlot while locked in mortal combat.

Instinctively, Twilight felt her wings starting to lose power and she descended, landing clumsily in a grassy field. In the distance, she saw what might be a town, but she didn’t care at that point.

“Spike… Spike, come out.” Twilight muttered, still clutching the Arcanomicon in her magic. Tottering slightly, she sat down on the grass before her legs gave completely.

With a small pop, the little drake appeared beside her, immediately wrapping her up in a scaly hug. “Twilight…” With some hesitation, Twilight hugged back, and for a moment they just sat there, in each others arms. “Everything will be different, won’t it?”

“Yeah.” Twilight sighed, her breath coming in ragged puffs. “Okay, here’s what I need you to do. Keep watch, and try anything to wake me up if anything comes.”

Staring into the book, words floated off the page and she lost herself in the knowledge.

“You have returned, Twilight Sparkle.”

Whoever you are,

I’m ready to learn.

Author's Note

Twilight Sparkle
Level 1 Tome Wizard • Unicorn
Signature Powers:
?
Equipment:
Arcanomicon
Skill Specialties:
Arcana, History

Hello, and thank you for reading Eventide!
I currently do not have a proper editor, only a bored friend who is not fluent in English (as am I) so please point out any mistakes I make and also ways to improve!

Cheers,
Amateur, Level 1 Human Brony

1.2: The Tempest

“So, what did the contractor want again?” Rainbow Dash asked, blowing a strand of prismatic hair out of her face. She was perched atop a tall pine tree, looking for an associate that was nowhere to be seen. Below her was undergrowth consisting of scrub, brushwood, and thick matted vegetation. There was a moment of silence as she awaited a response, and when no reply came, Rainbow sighed and picked a pine cone from a nearby branch. With cone in hoof, she took careful aim at a particularly dense patch of vines and pitched the projectile with pin-point accuracy, eliciting a shout of pain and shock as it collided with its target.

“What the hell, Dash?!” From amidst the plantlife emerged a unicorn with a greyish off-white coat and a multi-colored mane similar to Rainbow’s own mane. “That hurt!” His voice, comically muffled by leaves plastered across his muzzle, drew a snicker from Rainbow.

“Don’t be such a wimp, Blitz. It’s just a pine cone.” Dash rolled her eyes in exasperation, and dropped nimbly down to the ground, tucking into a roll at the last moment and popping back up in front of Blitz. ‘So, what’s the deal with the contract? You never drag me out for missions without briefing me.”

At this point Blitz had untangled himself from his makeshift vine hammock, and was busy shaking pine needles from his mane. “It’s big, Dash. We pull this off and we can retire for good.” He stuck a hoof into his saddlebags and fished out a contract. “The contractor’s offering us a million bits, Dash.”

It took a few seconds for Dash to recover from the shock, silently mouthing the words ‘one million bits’ over and over again. “…That… we’d be rich! More than rich! We could live like royalty for the rest of our lives, and still have bits to spare!” Dash spluttered, scarcely believing her ears. “What kind of impossible task do we have to do to earn a reward like that?!”

“Says here, all we gotta do is hunt down some backwater bandit chief.” Blitz said, scanning the back of the piece of paper. “I forgot his name… uh… somepony named Cygnus? Ring any bells, Dash?” He glanced at her questioningly.

“Nope. Anything else I gotta know before I go kick some flank and earn some bits?” Rainbow’s wings fluttered impatiently, kicking up fallen leaves and hovering a few feet above the ground.

“Patience, Dash. Cygnus is said to command a sizable bandit clan and is well acquainted with a few other influential gangs in the region. Expect heavy resistance, says the contractor. It’ll do you well to be careful.” Blitz warned her, passing her the contract and the information. “You know that cave there? That’s his hideout.” His horn flickered to life as he casted a communications spell. “I’ll be keeping in touch with you. Good luck.”

Dash flashed him one of her signature cocky grins. “Thanks, but I don’t need luck.” With that said, she rocketed off with a flap of her wings. Blitz just sighed and started following the pegasus’ rainbow trail of destruction, knowing full well that by the time he reached the cave, she’d likely have dispatched all of the bandits already.

“Blitz, I’m closing in on the cave.” Dash said, slowing her descent into a lazy hover. Taking cover amongst the dense foliage, she peeked through the leaves at the cave entrance. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she took a good look at her surroundings. “The cave is guarded by two… No, three ponies and a griffon. One unicorn, one earth pony, and one pegasus. They aren’t armed and the griffon appears to be in command.” She dropped down to ground level, creeping closer while still under the cover of the undergrowth.

“There’s significant cover in the forest, but once you leave the bushes there is no concealment whatsoever. I should be able to take out the earth pony no problem, maybe the pegasus, but the unicorn and the griffon will be a problem.” Dash skirted the edge of the woods, taking care to remain in the shadows.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Dash. Two fliers and a magic user can easily have you pinned down.” She heard Blitz say over the comm spell. Rainbow snorted. Did he think that she couldn’t handle a few bandits? She waited until the unicorn had its back turned, and burst out of the forest, wingblades crackling with lightning energy. “Celestia damn it, Dash! Why do you never listen to me?!”

“Cuz your ideas are crap, Blitz.” Rainbow smirked as her hooves smashed into the back of the unicorn’s skull with the force of a lightning bolt, sparks lighting his mane on fire and sending him sprawling into the ground. Immediately angling her wings upwards, she flew back with a quick burst of speed just as the earth pony barreled into where she was just moments ago, no doubt with the intention of tackling her. “Whoops! Too slow, Joe!” She cackled.

The earth pony skidded to a halt, shaking her head and glaring at Rainbow with bloodshot eyes. Preoccupied with the earth pony, Dash barely had enough time to roll sideways as the pegasus divebombed her position, cracking stone as his hooves hit the ground. Seeing an opportunity, Dash lashed out with her wingblades before the pegasus could recover, carving a deep cut into his flank and frying his flesh with a flash of lightning. The pegasus went down immediately, muscles spasming from the overwhelming amounts of electricity coursing through his entire body.

“Blue Cloud! I’ll kill you!” The earth pony roared in rage and charged Dash again, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. This time Dash didn’t dodge, instead tensing up and raising her blades in preparation. The moment the earth pony came into range, two bolts of lightning erupted from her wingblades, exploded against the earth pony’s chest and launched her into a cliff face with a sickening crunch. Dash was also pretty sure that the lightning had stopped the pony’s heart, even before breaking twenty of her bones.

“Alright, Griffon! You’re next!” Dash called out, taking notice that the feathery hunter was nowhere to be found. “Come out where I can pulp you!”

“I doubt it.” Dash barely registered the statement before the griffon’s fist slammed into her side… not.

Dropping down low, the attack simply sailed overhead before the offending arm was detached with a sharp wingblade strike. “My arm!” The griffon screeched in pain, the stump pumping blood all over the place and staining Dash’s coat red.

“Time to finish this.” Dash grabbed his head and twisted savagely, breaking it clean off. “Blitz, the guards are done. I’m going in.”

Blitz groaned, and she could just imagine him covering his muzzle in frustration. “I… Fine! Go ahead, just be careful, okay? It’s dangerous in there.”

“Ha! Danger is my middle name! Rainbow Danger Dash, out.”

Blitz stopped in front of the cave entrance. Next to it, the charred remains of an earth pony lay smouldering in a sickening heap. A blue pegasus lay unconscious on the ground, bleeding to death from a hideous gash in his side. A unicorn lay face flat on the ground, the back of his skull completely shattered, revealing the crushed brain matter underneath. Most disgustingly, a quartered griffon lay in a pool of blood and bile, its brutally detached head and limbs hanging from nearby branches.

Dash was a berserker. Once she was fired up, she did whatever it took to take down an enemy. This was readily apparent when Blitz lit his horn and started though the caves. Corpses littered the floor of the massive cavern system, some impaled on stalactites or stalagmites, some without limbs, some burnt to a husk, and one - to his alarm and pity - removed of his ‘assets’.

“Dash, how’s the mission?” Blitz asked, activating the comms spell. He cringed as he stepped on what seemed to be testicles. “Done yet?”

“Nope. Got a few more pinned down in a chamber, but it’s blocked up and I can’t find a way in.” Dash replied, clearly frustrated. “I’ve been chipping away at the rock for at least an hour but I’m not doing much damage.”

“Right. I’m homing in on your location, I’ll be right there.” Blitz said, as he rounded a corner and was confronted by what looked like a massacre. “By the Sun, you really don’t hold back, do you? Some of these corpses are just a mash of flesh and broken bones!” He wrinkled his muzzle in disgust, carefully picking his way around a hollow corpse with its internal organs pulled out from a cut in its belly. There were at least twenty bodies here, most of them ponies but also with a few griffons here and there.

“They got in my way. Plus, this is our big chance at success - I’m not gonna let you down by screwing up.” Dash said, with muffled bangs in the background.

“What’s with the banging?”

“Oh, I blocked up the holes and they’re suffocating.” Dash said, matter-of-factly.

“No! Don’t!” Blitz said in a panic. “None of these corpses match Cygnus’ description! You have to leave a few for me to interrogate!” He broke into a gallop, winding his way through the cave system.

“Fine.” Dash sighed. “Hurry up, I’m bored.” Blitz rolled his eyes in spite of the situation. Some things just never changed. Her impatience was a problem since they first partnered up all those years ago.

Finally, Blitz slipped through a narrow passage and came face to face with a blood drenched Dash, nicks and cuts covering her flank but with no serious injuries. “You gonna be fine?” He gestured at the wounds.

“Nah, I’m good.” Dash grinned, and gestured at an opening plugged by a massive boulder. “They’re in there. A unicorn and earth pony worked together to block it.” To prove her point, she gave the rock a firm buck, but only succeeded in causing a spike of pain in her haunches.

“Hmm.” Blitz put his ear against the stone. To his surprise, he could hear things in the chamber - the boulder must’ve been more porous than he had assumed it to be. “Hello? Ponies behind this rock?” There was no reply, but the commotion immediately ceased. “I just want information. You tell us what we want to know, and we let you go. On my honor.”

“Why should I trust you?” He heard a muffled voice say.

“You don’t have a choice, do you?” Blitz asked. “Just step outside, one at a time. Otherwise we suffocate you, or starve you, or inflict other slow and miserable deaths.”

“…Right. We’re trusting you to uphold your end of the bargain, okay?”

“On my honor.” Blitz repeated, and the boulder was surrounded by an azure aura. There was a loud grinding noise, and the boulder slowly started shifting, pushed aside by a bulky looking earth pony mare.

As the survivors slowly filed out, Dash and Blitz exchanged looks.

Do I kill them?

When I say so. And leave one alive.

['Kay.

Once the chamber was emptied, Dash readied her wingblades without attracting attention.

“Alright, ponies…” Blitz began, before grabbing all of them in a magical choke hold. Four quick slashes later, three heads and one unicorn horn fell to the ground. “We let you go. To die. Promise upheld.”

The unicorn roared but did not attack, clutching at the stump of his horn in pain. “Dash, tie him up. I’ve got rope in my saddlebag.” A minute or so later, the unicorn was securely tied up and hovered over a stalagmite by Rainbow Dash.

“Alright, then. Let’s get to business.” Blitz leaned in, close to the unicorn's bloody horn stub. “You tell me the right answers, and we kill you quickly. Tell me the wrong answers, and you die in agony.” The unicorn spat into Blitz’s face.

“Wrong answer. But I’ll let this slide, since you weren’t prepared.” Blitz paused for effect. “Who is your leader?”

“No pony.” The unicorn sneered. “No pony leads us.”

“Lower him.” Dash obliged, and the unicorn’s eyes widened as the sharp tip of the stalagmite pressed into his abdomen. “That’s because he’s not a pony, right? He’s a griffon, isn’t he?!”

“NO PONY LEADS US!” The unicorn screamed in agony, as the spike dug into his flesh. “I WILL TELL YOU NOTHING! CYGNUS WILL KILL—” His eyes widened at his slip-up.

“Break his neck.” Dash nodded, and lifted him off the stalagmite.

“Cygnus’ wrath…” The unicorn whispered, blood pouring from his wound. “It will consume you…”

“What do you mean?” Blitz knelt beside him, pressing a cloth into the puncture to slow the flow. “Consume?”

“The dark one returns…” The unicorn drew a rattling breath, coughing up a clot of blood. “With aid from the stars… And then…”

Then, to both Blitz and Dash’s surprise, the unicorn burst into an eerie green flame. When the fire ebbed away, the unicorn was replaced by a strange insectoid creature with a black carapace and featureless blue eyes. “Darkness… will… consume you…!” Dash snapped its neck.

“Dude… that shit is creepy.” She made a face. “What the hell is that thing?”

Blitz stared at the dead creature with wide eyes. “I don’t know… this is way above our heads, Dash. Prophecies? Strange creatures? We’re just mercenaries! We’re not supposed to be dealing with this!”

“Yes, we’re just mercenaries. So we should forget about this, march right back out, and find Cygnus. We kill Cygnus. We claim the reward, and maybe report this to the Church of the Sun.” Dash said. “Okay, Blitz?”

“Yeah… yeah, that’s what we’re gonna do.” Blitz nodded hesitantly. “Come on, then. Let’s go.”

“That’s the spirit!” Dash grinned, although Blitz could tell that it was slightly forced. “It’s griffon season!”

The walk back was very quiet. Both Blitz and Rainbow were unnerved by the bizarre transformation of the unicorn, as well as the strange prophecy it spouted in its dying throes.

“The dark one returns with aid from the stars, and darkness will consume you.” Blitz muttered under his breath, but in the more or less silent caverns, Rainbow heard it loud and clear. “What does it mean?”

“I dunno.” Dash shrugged. “You’re the smart one. I’m just a mare who knows how to fight.”

“And you’ll have a chance to prove that, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash suddenly found herself face to beak with a very large griffon. “I believe you slaughtered my people?” With a strike faster than Dash could follow, Cygnus’ curled up claws smashed into Rainbow’s face, launching her back with the sheer force of the attack. Cygnus whipped around, her talons extended and glinting in the setting sun. Blitz’s hastily constructed shield was shattered and he was sent sprawling. Cygnus knelt down, preparing to rip his throat out,

Before she could deal the killing blow, a crash of thunder threw Cygnus back, revealing Rainbow Dash climbing back to her feet and surrounded by a storm of crackling electricity. Cygnus smiled. “Ah, a practitioner of the tempest technique. They’re really rare nowadays, due to the crippling flaws that most pegasi display when using that technique…”

A spark leapt from Cygnus’ talons. “Little fun fact. Do you know why those flaws exist?” She asked, as small wisps of storm clouds began forming around her wrists and ankles. “It’s because the tempest technique wasn’t developed by pegasi…” Arcs of lightning encircled her outstretched wings. “It was originally developed by griffons!” She swung her claw at Dash, as though tossing something at her, and a bolt of lightning crossed the distance between them and crashed against Dash’s own storm nimbus, scattering the wisps and draining her lightning energies with a powerful discharge that knocked Dash off her hooves.

“Pegasi dared to steal our ancient art and claim it as their own… but they never did master it. They failed to extend it to any meaningful range, always confining it to melee, suppressing the elements instead of fully exploiting them…” Cygnus idly examined her talons, electricity still surrounding her body. “It’s a shame, really. You’re really good at it - for a pegasus, I mean.” She gave Dash a predatory grin. “But sadly I’ll have to kill you now.”

She was so fixated on Rainbow Dash that she nearly missed the rock hurtling towards her at breakneck speeds. Nearly. With a flick of her tail, the rock was vapourized by a bolt of pure plasma. “Dash… Run!” Blitz growled, a glowing spectral sword appearing before him. “I’ll hold her off!”

“No!” Dash grunted, standing up shakily. “I won’t leave you behind!”

Cygnus’s grin widened tauntingly. “I’d listen to your boyfriend, child. Better you live than both of you die!”

“DASH, GO!” Blitz roared, and launched himself at the griffon, just as she conjured up a sword made of electricity and swung in retaliation. Blitz was cleaved in half. Dash’s blood froze, and for a moment she felt a wave of nausea hit her stomach. It was a lost battle.

Blitz lost the battle. So that she wouldn’t have to.

“I’m sorry, Blitz!” cried Dash, gathering what nimbus energy she still had and forming a crude propulsion system. “I’M SORRY!” With a explosion of energy, Dash disappeared into the rapidly darkening sky.

Dash flew. She flew, and she flew, and she flew. Her wings were aching, her muscles were screaming, and she was about to collapse at any moment. But she still flew. For Blitz.

She veered wildly off course as a particularly strong gust buffeted her. Look at her. She was supposed to be the fastest pegasus in Equestria. She was the best fighter in the lands. She could bend entire storms to her will. And yet a breeze was tossing her around like a ragdoll.

Had she truly fallen so far? Did Cygnus really break her that badly? Dash couldn’t answer the questions pressing at the back of her mind, consuming her whole consciousness. She was too tired, her brain exhausted from grief and exertion. Why was she flying again? Was she flying straight?

Why was the ground coming up to meet her?

The last thing she remembered was a flash of white amongst the inky night. Then everything went dark.

“Wake up, child.” Mother?

“…Mom?”

“No… but I’m a friend.” Dash opened her eyes, and was greeted by pink eyes and a gentle smile. “You were very badly wounded, child. I healed you to the best of my ability… but some wounds are not in the flesh.”

“Blitz…” Dash’s eyes watered. For the first time in many years, she wept. It was unbecoming to cry. It was weak. And Dash needed to be strong, to be a fighter, to be a warrior. She needed to…

“It’s okay, child.” Dash’s breathing hitched as the white pegasus wrapped her in a warm embrace. “Let it out.” But, there were times when even the strong showed weakness. Dash melted into the forelegs of the strange pegasus that for some reason seemed so familiar.

“He’s gone…” Dash mumbled into the shoulder of the pegasus, “Blitz… he’s gone, because I’m too weak…”

The pegasus stiffened slightly. Almost imperceptibly, but Dash’s mind was on overdrive. “Child, it was not your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

“But… But he’s dead!” Dash wailed, looking manically into the pegasus’ pink eyes, “Because of my weakness.”

“Then ensure that it would never happen again.” The pegasus drew back, and Rainbow shivered, suddenly feeling very cold. “Become strong, so nopony else will die because you couldn’t prevent it.”

Rainbow looked up at the taller pegasus. “But… I’ve killed so many already…”

“It’s never too late to change, child.” Ever so gently, the pegasus stroked Rainbow’s mane like a loving mother would to a foal.

“Really? You think so?” Dash asked, still trying to contain her sniffling.

“Of course.” The pegasus smiled. “Now, you need to wake up.”

“Wha-?” Dash jerked awake. The pegasus wasn’t there - was she just a figment of Dash's dreams? “What just happened?”

She was breathing heavily, and covered in leaves - but her wings no longer ached and her wounds didn’t sting as much anymore. Looking herself over, Dash found that the more serious wounds she had sustained were less pronounced, and a few of the bruises and scrapes were already gone.

“A lot faster than my usual healing… Maybe the dream…?” Dash laughed and shook her head. “Nah. A dream is just a dream.” A note fell out of her mane.

“What the… what is this?” She unfolded the note and began reading. “The nearest town is Ponyville. These are the directions. Your friend, Sunny Skies.” Was that the pegasus' name?

“Ponyville, huh.” Dash said. She stood up, working out the cricks in her limbs and neck. Once she was done, she looked up to the sky and squinted at the sun. For some reason, the sight brought a smile to her face.

“Alright, then. Ponyville it is.”

Author's Note

Rainbow Dash
Level 1 Tempest Fighter • Pegasus
Signature Powers:
Dual Strike, Reaping Bolt, Wind Funnel Fury, Tempest Dance, Thundering Assault
Equipment:
Tempest Wing-blades, Cloudscale Bracers
Skill Specialties:
Athletics, Acrobatics

Hello, readers!
Thanks for sticking with me so far! Again, please comment and thumbs up/down as you see fit. I'm putting out some pre-written stuff but once I've burnt through them it'll be a while between each chapter.
Cheers,
Amateur, level 1 Human Brony

1.3: The Faithful

Applejack had always found service to be rather lackluster. Whether she was the preacher or if she was being preached to, she always found it quite dull.

“Remember the lessons that Princess Celestia has taught us, Children of the Sun.” The preacher said, finally reaching the end of his sermon. “And let the holy light cleanse us.”

“Let the holy light cleanse us.” The crowd returned, dispersing away from the town square and returning to whatever nook or cranny the common rabble came from nowadays. The town was doing poorly in recent times, its citizens underfed, its buildings old and decrepit, the barely maintained order ready to collapse at a moments notice. Applejack sighed, shifting uneasily in her platemail.

“Ah, Sister Applejack. What a pleasant surprise!” The cleric on the small circular podium beamed at her, stepping down onto the cobbled ground and trotting towards her. “On your regular patrol, I presume?”

“That’d be right, Brother Feather.” Applejack said, in her signature southern drawl. “Nice sermon, by th’ way.”

“Thank you.” Feather’s smile dimmed as he recalled the crowd that he had preached to. “…Those poor souls need as much encouragement as they can get.” Applejack nodded in sad agreement.

“Ah’ll be on mah way, then.” Feather waved her off and trotted back towards the Church, and Applejack started off into the winding labyrinth that was the residence district. If residency could even be used to describe the disgusting living conditions that ponies had to stew in in this rathole of a town.

She sighed as she strode past a broken signpost, the sign for ‘Residences’ now pointing straight down at the muddy floor. The streets were a mess: garbage littered the ground, as the last street cleaner was mugged and sent packing a week after being hired; Trash cans and crates were overturned and discarded haphazardly all over the roads, becoming festering dens for all sorts of vermin; the road itself was riddled with potholes and cracks, so that any carriages passing though would almost instantly be broken. And mugged. The security was terrible in Dune Hill.

There were no guards - they’ve all fled when the thieves stole their precious equipment and they found out that the town couldn’t afford new gear. That meant that the safety of the general populace fell to the Church. To her, the first paladin in Dune Hill since literally forever, and a scant few other clerics who somehow managed to keep the heat to a bare simmer.

The town was falling apart under its own weight, and the Church of the Sun was just barely holding it together. Half of its population were ruthless cutthroats, thieves, brutes, and plain criminals. The other half were too hard-pressed in their own concerns to even start trying to help the community. Applejack didn’t claim to be the smartest of ponies, but she knew that the situation was delicately balanced, with the odds amassing against them with each passing day.

“Well looky here.” Applejack snapped from her thoughts to find two filthy looking pegasi glaring at her. They were absolutely coated in muck and their wings were so clogged in filth that she doubted they could fly. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their teeth were yellowed. These were the average citizens of Dune Hill. “We ‘ave ourselves a priest, eh?”

“A priest of ‘er Majesty Celestia, yeah.” The other pegasus spat at the mention of the Princess. “Praise the sun n’ all that.”

“Where is she now, priest?” The first said, stepping forward threateningly. “Where is the high an’ mighty Alicorn?”

“Bathin’ in ‘er gold while we roll in shit, yeah?” The second followed in her step.

“Enjoyin’ th’ high life while we live like rats, yeah?” They were getting uncomfortably close, now. “Watchin’ us die every day, yeah?!”

“Ah… Ah don’t…” Applejack took a step back, sensing something afoot.

“This is our city, priest!” The first pointed a threatening hoof at her. “It may be a stinking shithole, but it is our stinking shithole! Spread your lies somewhere else!”

Lies? Celestia’s word were not lies! They were holy word! Could a goddess lie? Applejack was not prepared to tangle with angry townsfolk. She had heard the stories from wandering merchants, of overzealous mobs tearing priests limb by limb.

“Yeah, you run away. Run away from th’ real truth, eh? Hide in your pretty little lies!” The first pegasus cackled, and the second joined in in a mocking chorus of laughs. “Yeah, lies! You liars!”

Applejack backed away, blasphemous thoughts forming in her head for the first time in years of service.

As Applejack slowly trotted through the ruined streets, the thoughts only grew stronger. They were traitorous, sacrilegious, and utterly heinous thoughts. But they were absolutely logical thoughts. And she hated them.

If there was indeed a goddess watching over them, why would she allow her ponies to be subjected to such pain and suffering? Was she not a benevolent goddess? Applejack could only think of two possible answers. One, Celestia did not care about the ponies, or two, Celestia could not help the ponies.

Both were incredibly disturbing thoughts. A heartless goddess, or a powerless goddess…

“Sister, you seem disturbed.” Applejack looked up, and saw a hooded priestess walk up to her. “Perhaps I may be of assistance.” She had a white coat, and with the snowy priest robes on, she looked like a phantom in motion. The sunbeam-like patterning on the hem of her robes marked her as a high priestess, potential leaders of their own temple.

“High priestess, Ah wouldn’t want to be imposin’ mah problems on you…” Applejack began, only to be hushed by the priestess who made a ‘shush’ motion with her hoof.

“Now now, sister, we’re all friends here. We’re supposed to alleviate suffering, yes? And you are obviously suffering from something, so please. Do tell.” The priestess smiled at her, and Applejack felt her nerves ease slightly. If a high priestess herself asked, she had no business rejected her kind offer…

“Well, Ah ran into a few, erm, ruffians on mah patrols, and they had some interestin’ ideas that they wanted ta share…”

The priestess raised an eyebrow curiously. “‘Interesting ideas’? Like what?”

“Well,” Applejack took a deep breath, “they had some doubts ‘bout the Princess and the Church, is all.”

“Doubts?”

“Ah mean… If Princess Celestia’s really watchin’ over us and keepin’ us safe, why is this town the way that it is? Why do monsters walk around in broad daylight? Why is life so… so… so miserable?” Applejack glanced at the priestess, who tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“The monster part is easy.” The priestess said, a small smile on her face. “You learnt that in training, being a paladin. Monsters are a direct opposite of what the Princess embodies. They’re chaotic and hateful, whereas the Princess tries to spread friendship and harmony. That’s why Princess Celestia can’t just stamp them out or convert them into allies.”

Applejack blushed. “Ah’m not all that good at book learnin’, priestess… Ah payed more attention in fightin’ trainin'.”

The priestess laughed politely at that statement. “It’s fine. It only means that you’re better at protecting the innocent from harm.” Then her eyes grew serious and she sighed. “As for the other questions… those are harder to answer. Come, sister.”

They had been so engrossed in conversation that Applejack didn’t notice when they had arrived at the temple. They strode through the tall front doors, and approached the statue of Celestia at the center of the entrance hall.

“Princess Celestia is a very complex being, Applejack. She may be an immortal goddess, but that doesn’t mean she can do everything.” The priestess sat down in front of the statue, and beckoned for Applejack to follow suit. “She is the warmth in our hearts, the Sun in the sky, and what seems like a permanent fixture in our great nation, but for each thing that she is, there is another thing that she isn't.”

Applejack sat, and sighed. “Ah know, it’s jus’ that… Ah feel so powerless when Ah look at the ponies living in this town. Ah try to help, but sometimes it feels like Ah’m doin’ more harm than good!”

“I understand.” The priestess looked up at the Princess’ statue, taking note of the gentle expression it had. “Here’s a little secret, Applejack, from me to you. The Princess is actually a lot like regular ponies. She has wants and needs and emotions too, and whenever she looks upon the land… She hurts. It hurts for her, because she is the Sun. She can’t go and solve every problem in Equestria, because anything that gets too close… gets burnt. She can provide light for ponies to work and live in, but she can’t go and live among her subjects. Sometimes, that happens to us, too. Even though we mean well, we inadvertently cause harm to others.”

“Then what do we do? What can we do?” Applejack asked, thoughts racing through her head. She was a farmpony turned priest, for crying out loud. Not a philosopher. Not a scholar. Not trained to think about such deep and complex questions. “Why do priests exist, if we can't help ponies?”

“Those are big questions, Applejack.” The priestess said, smiling sadly. “Ones that you will unfortunately have to find your own answers to.” Applejack groaned inwardly. More cryptic answers. She was beginning to wonder if it was a requirement for high priests to give cryptic responses.

The priestess moved to stand up, and Applejack did as well. “High priestess, Ah'm mighty thankful for helpin' ta answer mah questions.”

“Nonsense, it's my pleasure to help, Applejack.” And she was gone, leaving Applejack no less confused but feeling slightly better.

Applejack sighed, and turned to look at the statue. Did Celestia feel the same confusion that she felt? It was so difficult to imagine Celestia as anything less than a goddess amongst mortals, a paragon of goodness. Was there a time when the Princess herself was divided by conflict? Applejack shivered at the thought of the Princess abandoning her task for her own sake. It was more than fair if the undoubtedly overworked alicorn decided to abdicate her throne and duty, but still...

The bells started to toll.

“APPLEJACK! GNOLL RAID!”

She ran.

Gnolls were utterly despicable creatures. They were bloodthirsty barbarians made with the explicit intent of pure slaughter and chaos. It didn’t help that, since they were mutated from diamond dogs, that they had near-pony intelligence and far superior strength.

And being so close to the border meant that Dune Hill was constantly under the threat of invasion from these creatures. It was a wonder that the little town had escaped the notice of the various gnoll warbands patrolling the lands beyond the ash plains. Perhaps they had deemed the town worthless. But whatever the reason was, clearly wasn’t strong enough because the moment Applejack stepped out of the temple, she saw that the town was in absolute anarchy.

Ponies were running and screaming, most of them flocking towards the temple, but a significant portion of them were simply flailing about and panicking. Already, Applejack saw what few clerics they had guiding the townsfolk, and she started off towards the nearest pegasus priest.

“Applejack! You have to get to the outskirts, the gnolls will be here any minute now!” The priest was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, her eyes looking wildly to and fro, barely managing to keep the crowd under control.

“Calm down, sister. Ah need you to fly to the closest settlement an’ find help.” Applejack said, firmly. “Tell ‘em everything that has happened, an’ be quick about it.” The pegasus gave a small nod before taking off, flying as fast as her wings could take her.

Just as the pegasus left, a massive roar shook the town. Or rather, many roars shook the town. Applejack steeled her nerves and ran straight towards the source. To her death, perhaps. But at least her death would be worth something.

The most obvious sign was the destruction. The closer to the border she got, the more chaos she saw - upturned carts, smashed buildings, broken property, and - to her horror - corpses. But still no gnolls. The town was practically torn apart at the edges by the razor sharp claws of the gnolls. Applejack, confronted by this view, felt rage fill her.

This town was under her protection. And the gnolls were intruding.

With a horrific warcry, the flimsy wooden buildings exploded into flinders as gnolls poured from just about every hiding place possible - the rooftops, behind walls, inside containers and, courtesy of their diamond dog ancestry, from underground. Each gnoll was different: some wearing crude hide armor, some robed in cloth, some completely naked, some armed to the teeth, and some simply flexing their claws. But each and every one of them were terrifying forces of chaos.

There was no warning, nothing to prepare Applejack for the assault. One moment, the streets were clear - and next, it was lousy with gnolls. The cowpony paladin dropped down into a familiar defensive stance, and braced herself as the first gnoll charged.

This one wielded a spiky mace made from wood and bone, extremely flimsy looking but still probably deadly. It pounced, ready to bring the mace down, and Applejack slammed her full weight into its form just before it swung. She heard ribs crack and spun on the spot to deliver a powerful buck to the head of another. This one was helmeted, but it was earth-forged steel against leather - the skull crumpled like paper.

“Back down now, an’ Ah might just let ya leave alive!” Applejack shouted, but her claim fell on deaf ears as more gnolls surged forward. She gritted her teeth and charged in turn, using her armor and weight as an advantage, and forced her way through three or four more gnolls before being forced to stop and fight.

Her hooves, iron-shod and hardened by years of use, lashed out by instinct and caught another gnoll on the full. Applejack would have smiled if it weren’t for the gravity of the situation. These gnolls were strong, but not nearly smart enough to outmanoeuvre a pony. They just charged and hoped to hit something. As long as she kept her wits about her, they were not a significant threat.

“By Celestia’s light,” Applejack suddenly dropped to the ground, throwing a few gnolls off balance with a well placed leg-sweep. “YER BLINDED!” She slammed her hooves into the cobble road, and the world exploded in a burst of golden light. As the light faded, Applejack was no longer surrounded by gnolls. Instead, she was already half a street away, with a trail of snapped bones and spilt blood in her wake. “How’d ya like THEM apples?!”

Slamming her hooves into the ground again, the cracks began glowing a soft gold, and radiant flames engulfed Applejack’s limbs so that they blazed with a fierce golden light. Charging back into the fray, Applejack whipped her hooves around at unnatural speeds, downing gnolls left and right. With each hit, the energies of the sun itself seemed to fill her, and she felt fatigue melt away in the heat of battle.

This was where she was supposed to be. Not in a church, giving out sermons. She was a fighter, utilizing divine power to spread the truth of Celestia’s light.

With a quick glance, she saw that a few of the gnolls were making their escape. Not anymore. Calling upon divine sanction, all who dared insult a holy battlefield with cowardice were punished by a searing bolt of radiant light that engulfed their whole being, burning them to ash.

“Cowards an’ bullies, tha’s what ya varmints are.” Applejack growled, as she slammed a glowing hoof into an attacking gnoll. “Ain’t nothin’ but trash. It’s monsters like you that make the world such a terrible place ta live in.” She didn’t even flinch as an axe came down on her neck, as a flash of radiant energy burned the weapon away before it could touch her.

Princess Celestia couldn’t protect her subjects in fear of harming them. But she could. She would. She would protect everypony and anypony incapable to defending themselves, the oppressed and forgotten, the downtrodden and helpless.

“Ah am Celestia’s cleansing light, her instrument of justice on this land.” She muttered to herself, taking a solid mace strike in stride. The weapon shattered on impact, leaving her unharmed. She raised a hoof, and it shimmered with a blazing aura. With a wild swing, a whip of holy fire lashed at all six gnolls in front of her, immolating them in deadly flame. "Foul beasts, Ah'd suggest that ya scram if ya don't wanna die!"

“Puny little pony.” A deep and guttural voice pierced through the rage of battle, and a silence descended upon the battlefield. “So far from her little goddess…”

A truly gargantuan gnoll stepped onto the battlefield, a massive blood stained battleax in its paws. “You may channel her will, pony, but this is something beyond the pony princess!” It took a step forward, swinging the axe menacingly. “Oh yes, Lupus’ rage will consume the sun, so the dark one may return...”

Applejack glared at it, unimpressed. Seeing this, the gnoll’s lips curled up into a toothy sneer. “You have spirit, pony.” It suddenly broke into a charge. “But the darkness will consume you!” Applejack braced herself, her vision filled by a storm of golden flame.

“DIE!” They both screamed simultaneously, and hurled themselves at each other with deadly intent.

The townsfolk watched in horror as the slummy town was slowly consumed by flames. The fire had started in the outskirts, but had rapidly spread until it has nearly reached the residence area. Compounded by the fact that golden pillars of light and flame started erupting where the gnolls were first spotted, and it was easy for the citizens to panic.

“My house!” “My bits!” “My savings!” “My-“

“Shut up!” A stallion finally shouted, standing up and pointing a hoof at the ponies who had spoken. “Are ya seriously so blind tha’ ya don’t see how bad this is?!” The stallion started pacing around, his breathing heavy. “As I’m understandin’ it, AJ’s the only one down there fightin’ those… things!”

He glared at the ponies again. “This ain’t about bits anymore! If AJ doesn’t beat ‘em, we can kiss our asses goodbye! This is life n’ death here!”

Now the ponies started to panic.

“We’re stuck!” “It’s a trap!” “We’re all gonna die!”

“Nope, y’all ain’t dyin’ today.” The doors to the temple burst open, and a heavily armored mare appeared, silhouetted against the setting sun. ‘They’re dead. All of ‘em.” She threw something at the crowd, and the ponies shrunk back, staying a safe distance from the thing the mare had thrown.

It was a head. The decapitated head of a truly massive gnoll, in fact, its cheek branded with the mark of the sun.

Applejack snorted and strode into the hall, a small squadron of war-priests right behind her. “You asked me where Princess Celestia was. Where she was when y’all starved to death in this shithole of a town.”

She stamped her right hoof, armor crashing against stone and causing golden flame to engulf the hoof, which she lifted up victoriously. “Ah don’t claim ta know much about prayin’, or preachin’, but when Ah was out there, fightin’ those filthy varmints, Ah realized where she was.”

She slammed the hoof down with as much force as she could muster, creating a deep crater in the stone tiles. “Here’s yer goddess.” The radiant flame exploded from the crater, shrouding Applejack in a cloak of fire. “Celestia is here, as long as we are here.” The flame surged forward, wrapping around everypony but causing no harm. Instead, it filled them with warmth rarely felt in such dark times.

“Let us help you, ‘cause it’s what the Princess asked us to do.” Applejack called off the flames. “We are tryin’ ta help, but if ya don’t let us… honestly, we can’t do much ta help y’all.”

There was silence. Applejack gulped nervously. Divine warrior she was, but preacher she was not. But her worries were quickly dispelled when the whole room erupted into cheering and stomping, ponies thanking her and the church, and apologizing for their disrespect to the princess.

Applejack gave a sigh of relief. “Oh thank Celestia…” She muttered under her breath.

“No, thank you, Applejack,” She looked up, to find the high priestess from before. ‘For saving the town and earning their trust. And for that…” She leaned in closer to Applejack’s ear. “I’m giving you a promotion.”

With some difficulty, the priestess climbed up onto a crate. “Attention, attention!” It took a while, but eventually the room quieted down. “By the power vested in my position as high priestess, I commend Applejack for her valorous actions in defending this town, and hereby promote her from Knight-Captain to Knight-Commander , thus granting her the right and responsibility of establishing and leading her own temple, as well as accepting new initiates into the church and bestowing upon them the power of Celestia’s light.”

There was another bout of cheering, and Applejack blushed uncharacteristically. “Aw shucks, Ah just did what was right is all, high priestess… uhm, mighty sorry, but Ah don’t think Ah actually caught yer name, ma’am.”

“Just call me Sunny Skies, Applejack. Now that you’re a grandmaster, we’re close enough to being equals.” Sunny Skies smiled. “By the way, if you want to make headway on spreading Lady Celestia’s word, there’s a quaint little town a bit south of here called Ponyville which, while aware of my Lady’s light, has yet to house an official temple. Just a passing note.”

“‘Lady’ Celestia?” Applejack tilted her head. “Ah thought she was a princess?”

“From experience, she likes Lady more.” Sunny Skies gave a sad smile. “But that isn't the point." She raised her voice. “So! Ponyville. Might you want a map or some such, Dame Applejack?” Applejack flushed at the mention of her new title.

“Eh… It seems as though Dune Hill is in good hooves…” Applejack hummed as she thought. “Ah suppose it is about time to expand mah horizons… and something the gnoll said was kinda interesting. Ah want ta look into it a bit more.”

“In that case, you should get some rest after that awful fight before going anywhere. Channelling that much divine magic isn’t exactly the norm.”

Applejack coincidentally yawned the moment she said that. “Yer right, Ah guess. Ah’ll hunker down in a bit. It’s been a pleasure, Sister Skies.”

“Likewise.” And like before, she simply dissolved into the crowd, leaving Applejack with a scroll that she recognized to be a detailed map of the area. Inked into the margin, connected to an arrow pointing to a dot, was a name.

“Ponyville, huh…”

Author's Note

Applejack
Level 1 Sun Paladin • Earth Pony
Signature Powers:
Ardent Strike, Holy Strike, Divine Pursuit, Earth’s Endurance
Equipment:
Earth-forged Platemail, Holy Symbol of Celestia
Skill Specialties:
Insight, Endurance, Heal

Hey, all!
Or at least, the few people reading this... I've reached the end of my pre-written material. From here, I'm hoping to stick to a weekly release, so you can expect a chapter of round about this length every week. Again, like, fave, and comment anything you think I could improve on, anything you like, or just blab about things you think I could incorporate into the story.
A good DM always takes player comments into consideration.
Next up, a truly wild spirit will be introduced...
~Amateur, Level 1 Human Brony

1.4: The Predator

“Come! Come!”

Fluttershy smiled as she followed along with her little friends down the forest track. She really did like spring - it was just so lively and free, all the little animals living far away from where anything could hurt them. Well, unnaturally. There was an order to nature which must be observed, and that was fine. Even though the thought of her furry friends being eaten sickened her slightly.

“Follow!” A wolf pup yipped, bouncing along the trail. It was so difficult to find a safe haven nowadays, but her druidic hollows always provided home and a resting place for her fellow natural denizens in case of emergencies or settling in for good. This litter of grey wolf pups were born in early spring, and with summer closing in fast, it was high time for the pups to start learning essential life skills such as hunting and proper social etiquette.

Speaking of, Fluttershy’s well-honed hearing picked up scrabbling at the edges of the hollow, heralding the return of the pup’s parents. This particular family has been living in the area for generations, and although Fluttershy only recently inherited the hollow from her mentor, she had lived there since the grown up wolves themselves were pups.

A loud bark from the entrance attracted the attention of the pups, and two sleek creatures appeared on the outcropping next to the entrance, surveying the area before bounding down the slope along the edge of the hollow. Since it was created in a small natural basin, the hollow was well defended from the harsh weather sometimes known to be created in the wake of the hoof-made weather in large towns. Water pooled in a large lake at the center of the hollow, surrounded by rich forests and rolling plains for grazing. Almost perfect for habitation.

Fluttershy took a small step forward, and greeted the two grown wolves. Utilizing her powers of transformation, she altered her vocal chords to match that of a wolf, allowing her to make a deep throaty bark as a greeting.

“Greet, pony.” The Alpha of the pack bounded down to where Fluttershy was, sniffing the air briefly to confirm Fluttershy’s identity.

“Greetings, Alpha.” Fluttershy replied, as was common courtesy.

“Pony, favor.” Alpha growled, its ears twitching slightly. Unlike ponies, most animals had a movement-based language, and it was Fluttershy’s special talent to understand these body languages. “Pups, young. Pony, teach. Hunt.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Teach your pups to hunt?” It was an immense honor to teach an alpha’s pups - Fluttershy wasn’t sure if she was capable of doing a good job. What if she messed up and the pups ended up not being able to hunt properly?!

“Pony, teach.” Alpha did the wolf equivalent of a nod. “Pony, trust.”

“Thank you, Alpha. It is an honor.” Fluttershy smiled, bowing respectfully. It was good to know that Alpha had such faith in her - all she did was provide them with a place to live in. with a wing-powered leap, transformed into a large, butter-hued wolf. Disappearing into the undergrowth, she loped off to find the pups.

“Children, come over here!” She gave a loud bark into the forest, settling into a forest clearing. Soon, three pups blundered into view, tumbling over each other in a playful scuffle. “Now now, children, don’t pick on your brother.” The smallest pup yipped appreciatively as the two other pups lifted their weights off its back.

“Today, I’ll teach you three how to hunt!” Fluttershy said, circling the pups. They pranced about excitedly at the prospect of finally hunting, only to be swatted gently by Fluttershy’s tail. “If you continue to act like that you’ll never get your little paws on anything. Come on, follow me.” The butter wolf took off at a leisurely pace, with three little pups padding along behind her.

“Now, hunting is really all about position. Where you are is the most important part of the process.” Fluttershy said, leaving the forest and emerging near a patch of scrubland. Picking a spot where she was upwind to a watering hole, Fluttershy settled into the brush in wait. “Us wolves hunt in very special ways. We’re not like lions, we’re not strong. We’re not numerous, like hyenas or wild dogs. But we are tough. We can run, and run, and run. So that’s what we do when hunting - we run, until our prey tires out.” Her ears pricked up as she detected a rustle in the direction of the water.

“Hush, children.” She whispered, edging closer to the source of the disturbance. Peering out of the greenery, Fluttershy spied a small doe approaching the watering hole. “Um, watch this.”

Tapping into her druidic power, she drew upon the primal instincts of a grey wolf, temporarily becoming a wolf, both in flesh and spirit. Her eyes, usually a soft crystal blue, shifted into a brilliant amber gleam, and she involuntarily gave a low predatory growl.

She stepped into the light, her pale coat blending her into the yellowed vegetation. Her paws were weightless, ghostly, noiselessly gliding across the ground.

She was silent. Deadly. A prime predator.

She was mere feet away from the deer now, her graceful stalking bringing her close - but this was where stealth ended, and power began.

She exploded forwards, powerful hind legs launching her towards her prey like a torpedo, muscles tensing in anticipation of sinking her canines into-

And Fluttershy was back, smashing into the doe, knocking it into the pool. She followed a moment later, falling head over tail into the water. The deer thrashed for a moment before righting itself, making a mad dash into the more protective forest. Fluttershy surfaced, spitting out a jet of water and shaking more of the stuff out of her eyes. She was also trembling but that was probably from the cold water.

“Pony! Pony!” The little pups bounded over, each of them incredibly confused by Fluttershy’s display. “No kill?”

“Um, you three have to kill.” Fluttershy explained, hoping that she hadn’t misguided the pups into thinking that they didn’t have to kill. “Here, I’ll show you how, dears.” She said, fighting a chill that ran up her spine. She had nearly lost it, there. Nearly killed an innocent life. Her control was slipping - ever since her mentor…

No. She wouldn’t give in. The calling had to be fought.

“Thee dees teeth ere?” She bared her teeth at the pups, showing them her large canines. “These are the teeth you use to bite into prey.” Using druidic magic, she briefly morphed into a deer, which caused the pups to instinctively rise in agitation. “Hush, children… um, it’s just me…”

Once the pups recognized Fluttershy’s scent they calmed down, although Fluttershy, chillingly, recognized the increase in salivating in the pups. “You should bite here,” she indicated at her windpipe, “and twist to, um, kill as quickly and painlessly as possible.”

“Now you try.” She said, nervously. She knew that her mystically strengthened body couldn’t be harmed by the inexperienced and immature pups, but the prospect of being attacked by three very enthusiastic wolves didn’t appeal much to her.

Still, Alpha had trusted her, so-

The largest pup flung itself at her, narrowly missing the windpipe and bumping its muzzle into a hard tendon. “Close, but you have to open your mouth sooner - otherwise you wouldn’t be able to close your jaws around the target.” Her lesson was rewarded with a perfect pounce followed by an exact bite to the windpipe, executed by the second largest pup. A few more attempts later, all three had more or less mastered throat-bites, at least in practice.

“Okay, children, you know how to deal the… the killing blow, but what if you don’t manage to surprise the prey, and it flees? What will you do then?” Fluttershy asked.

The three pups frowned in concentration, their little brains trying to remember her lessons. She nearly giggled at their adorable expressions, muzzles scrunched up and eyes crossed. Then the little one gasped. “Run!” The others yipped and joined in. “Run!” “Run!” “Run!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, children, you must run! Follow the prey, and tire it out. Nothing can outrun a wolf. Now, why don’t we try practicing?” It was a simple lesson - she would run at a pace manageable for the pups, and they would hound her until she decided that they had dealt enough ‘damage’.

“Ready… go!” She set off at a brisk trot, the pups tailing her closely. At first she had worried that the pups would be at a loss as to what to do, but it seemed that their instincts were honed well through play and practice - they leapt at her with stubby claws outstretched, only to be buffed back by thickened hide. They snapped at her with dull fangs, sometimes even managing to pierce her hide, but causing no lasting harm.

Suddenly, something shifted in the woods. The hollow’s magic… dimmed, somehow. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what made it do that - in all of her time studying as a druid, it only happened once, and that was when…

No. She skidded to a halt, causing the pups to topple out of control into a pile of fur at her hooves, Shifting into a wolf, she growled at the pups. “Run. Back to your parents!”

The pups, confused at the sudden change of events, were reluctant to move. “Pony? Why?”

“Please, children, just listen to me, run back to your parents and tell them to leave the hollow!” Fluttershy pleaded, all the while trying to ignore the familiar, yet unwelcome surge of primal energy flowing through her. “Go!”

Finally heeding the edge of desperation in her voice, the pups sped off, disappearing into the trees. Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief, before seizing up as she felt the hollow’s energies fail. All of the power she and her mentor invested in it backfired, rushing at her in an uncontrollable torrent of spirit magic.

She was literally knocked off her feet, smashing into a tree as power coursed through her veins, her ears roaring, bright lights flashing in her eyes, the piercing bellow of some ancient beast echoing in her mind…

And then it was gone, her wolf form battered and bruised from the ordeal. But it wasn’t over yet - something had managed to disable the hollow’s defences, and that took a considerable amount of skill and power. She wanted to run - Fluttershy was only barely out of training herself, never even establishing her own hollow - but she was duty-bound to confront whatever caused the disruption, for the sake of all of the inhabitants of the hollow.

With apprehension heavy in her heart, Fluttershy set off at a sprint to the point where her power was broken.

The Ancient One felt it. A ripple in nature’s pond, like something had tossed in a pebble to disturb the peace.

Nay, not a pebble. A stone. A stone heavier than all of the pebbles in the pool combined.

In Its slumber, It could do nothing to halt the ripple’s spread. Eventually, the little ripple would turn into a massive wave, and consume nature and all of its children.

It remembered, there was once a time when Its power was respected, and nature was untouched. But now Its name was forgotten, even by Itself. It slept on, rolling fitfully in one painful dream after another - It dreamt of nature’s desecration, a world of darkness, and a long lost adversary. They were agonizing nightmares, ones that the Ancient One, for all Its might, could not fight.

But It dreamt of good, too. It dreamt of a young child of nature, one with the potential to right all that was wronged. Perhaps she could succeed where It had failed.

Then, a worrying sense washed over the sleeping titan. Something was coming, threatening to remove the child before she could fulfill her potential. Painfully, the Ancient One could only watch. And hope.

Things started falling apart. Literally.

Fluttershy screamed internally as she watched the forest collapse upon itself, in truth only mustering a weak whimper.

“No…” She held out a hoof, as though to halt the descent of the ancient sycamore. But it was in vain, as inky tendrils burst forth from the ground and gripped the trunk tightly, before retreating back into the earth, the massive tree with it. As it finally fell with a thunderous boom, Fluttershy was jolted back into action.

She didn’t even notice that she had reverted back to pony form. She was too distracted by a familiar scent that assaulted her actual psyche like a mental attack unto itself.

Him.

“Sweet, kind Fluttershy.”

Him.

“Far away from home, too soft to kill, too savage to heal…” The voice was soft and silky, yet harsh and mocking. It was deceptively kind, obscuring a heart of pure darkness.

“What… what are you doing here?” Fluttershy was impressed at her ability to even speak in his presence. “You… you aren’t welcome-“

A stripped hoof here, a spike of hair there - despite being silhouetted against the sun, it was all too clear who stood before her. It was the voice, of course. He had taken many guises over the years, but no matter what appearance he took, he always sounded the same.

“You use my hollow, take over my territory, use my skills, and have the gall to claim that I am not welcome?” The zebra snorted, his voice resonating with a certain lyrical nature. It was always the rhythm that caught ponies off guard. He spoke in such a way that was disarmingly charming, enough to provide a moment’s weakness. Fluttershy, fortunately, was used to his way of speaking. “Shame on you, Fluttershy.”

“You abandoned the hollow!” Fluttershy said - amazed at her volume even when faced against someone who far out-classed her. “I only saved it from destruction that you wrought!”

“I did what was right!” He roared, allowing a rare moment of anger to seep through. A blink, and it was gone, his voice once again calm and soothing. “But I don’t expect you to understand, wild-soul.”

Fluttershy froze. “Don’t… don’t call me that!” Her heart rate skyrocketed, faster than what she knew was the healthy limit.

“Why not?” The zebra sneered, leaping off the cliff. His form, as always, was perfect, and he landed with all the grace of a hunting leopard. He stood, close enough for Fluttershy to see the slight shifting in his skin. “It’s unhealthy to deny who you are.”

“S-stay away!” Fluttershy stammered, backing up clumsily. “You monster!”

“Me?” The zebra arched an eyebrow mockingly, in overly exaggerated surprise. He stepped closer still, and Fluttershy could clearly see the crescent moon shaped cataracts clouding his eyes. “I’m the monster?”

Finally, inevitably, he reached out with a hoof and gently, almost lovingly, stroked Fluttershy’s cheek. She shuddered, repulsed by his haunting, ever shifting touch. It was like being caressed by a squirming maggot, the surface dry yet seemingly coated in slime. “No, my dear. You’re the monster.”

“Now, you run.” To her eternal shame, as a testament to how weak her will was - Fluttershy obliged. She ran, and she ran, disgust in herself and in the one she once loved like family boiling in her gut.

Behind her, she heard a low rasping laugh, starting only as a chuckle and slowly growing in volume and resonance until it sounded like a million ponies laughing at once, a horrific mirthful chortle that chilled her to the bone.

“Yes, run, Fluttershy, run!” The zebra shouted, still laughing cruelly amongst the ruins of the once idyllic forest. It was still picturesque, but now it was a smouldering image of Tartarus itself. “Tell the world - the lord of the wild has returned, and soon the dark one shall as well!”

“LEO REIGNS ONCE MORE!”

Fluttershy felt the forest. She had always been able to feel the forest’s ebb and flow, the wills of the woodland creatures, the rustle of a summer breeze, the cool of winter’s touch.

Now, all she felt was terror. Pure, unbridled terror, stemming from the spirit of the forest itself. The entire wood was in a state of panic, as it felt the usual natural order slip away, in favour of a new tyranny it had not felt in many years.

“Bad air! Bad air! Bad air!” The screeches of birds, grounded by shadows as thick as oil, filled Fluttershy’s ears.

“Dead trees! Dead trees!” Apes and other tree-dwellers could only watch as their homes were torn down by tendrils of darkness, consumed in the never-ending flood of the vile dark sludge.

“Nowhere is safe!” The more intelligent creatures realized this, and screamed in hopeless terror - “All is doomed!”

Secretly, Fluttershy agreed, but she had to be strong for her forest kin. “This way! Leave the hollow! Here to the exit!” She shouted, trying to project her voice above the din of the chaotic situation.

“No escape! No escape!”

Nearly weeping at her ineptitude, Fluttershy leaned over a family of rabbits attemping to make their way to the entrance of the hollow. “Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit, have you seen the wolf pack?”

The rabbit shook his head, and so did most other animals when she asked them. After organizing a few of the more clear-headed forest denizens to corral the animals, she set off back into the inky blackness to rescue the wolves.

Or retrieve what was left of them. She tried not to think about that.

“Alpha!” She shouted into the rolling waves of shadow. “Alpha, where are you?”

“Pony!” She heard a keening wail in the distance. “Save pups! Save pups!”

Fluttershy’s heart nearly stopped at the mention of the pups. Gritting her teeth in determination, her wings snapped open and she took off as quickly as her wings could allow her.

“PUPS! PUPS!” As the howling grew closer, she began to see the outlines of the powerful alpha wolf, valiantly but futilely fighting off several vaguely quadrupedal blobs of shadow. Once he caught sight of her, he lashed out with renewed effort, chomping into the throat of one of the blobs, dispersing it - no doubt only temporarily.

“I’ll… I’ll save the pups. Don’t worry!” Fluttershy said, tears in her eyes as her lifelong friend was slowly overwhelmed by the unearthly creatures. Swooping up the three pups in her hooves, she burst free of the canopy and skimmed the treetops, just as she heard Alpha be cut off mid-howl. She bowed her head, tears coming freely now, at the loss of an old friend, and what she had come to see as home for the past decade.

“You are weak, girl! You cannot save anything!” Echoing through the forest and the sunset sky, accented by the pained screaming of the animals below, was a cruel and haunting laugh.

The worst thing was, she knew he was right. Fluttershy may seem to be at ease and confident in her forest home, but she knew that the crippling weakness would never go away.

But before she could lament further, a mournful keening filled the air around her and she felt a cold, deathly claw graze her shoulder. The limb immediately went numb, and Fluttershy knew she could not afford to be hit again, not while she was in the air, where a paralyzed wing could mean certain death.

She flipped in midair, the normally difficult manoeuvre made easy by tapping into her animal soul. As she returned to her regular orientation, she was no longer a pegasus. Instead, a scaly reptile took her place, large bat-like wings rippling with power and sharp talons ready to tear enemies apart.

The form of the wyvern.

All around her, dark facsimiles of crows surged angrily, attempting to bring her down with numbing beaks and claws. With a swipe of her storm-enhanced tail, she dispersed at least a dozen of the hell-birds, shattering them into bits of midnight plumage and shadowy sludge. Before she could make another strike, at least twenty dark raven swarmed her, causing her wings to lock up and forcing her into a stiff glide, all the while clawed at by the hellish creatures.

As she dropped to the ground, the ravens clumped together to form a hideous mockery of a pair of rage drakes, circling around her threateningly. The thought of the forms of such noble creatures being exploited by her wretched master filled her with a burning rage. Her anger exploded out of her body in the form of tough plumage, her hooves twisting into claws and her muzzle elongating into a curved beak.

The form of the owlbear.

She reared up, a piercing shriek escaping her throat, challenging the unnatural drakes to strike at her. They complied, and she smashed one of them in the face, claws digging into its skull easily, causing it to burst into a cloud of shadow. Behind her, the other drake pounced, which she grabbed deftly and hurled into a nearby rock, actually breaking through the stone and turning to smoke.

There was a moment of silence as she paused to catch her breath, before a massive claw came crashing down on her, smashing her into the ground with a sickening crunch. A dark dragon towered above her, teeth bared and eyes burning with green pestilence.

Why go through so much just to tempt her into succumbing to the calling?

“I won’t…”

The claw pressed down.

“I…”

Her bones threatened to snap.

“I don’t have a choice…”

Don’t give up, child.

Fluttershy opened her eyes. The dragon’s claw, much to her surprise, was gone - completely severed, in fact, the stump smouldering with a foul, acrid smoke that stung her nose. Still, it was much more preferable to being crushed alive.

You always have a choice.

In front of her stood a bear the size of a house, its ethereal skin glowing with patterns like the night sky. No - its skin was the night sky, a perfect mirror of a clear, starry night. Stars glinted on its hide, and a constellation blinked especially brightly - its namesake, the Ursa Minor, lesser bear of the stars.

Fluttershy stared in awe of the giant bear. As a child, she was raised on stories of the great Star Bear. It was the guardian of all things natural, the undisputed king of the wild. Raised on druidic traditions, the Ursae were creatures akin to gods in her discipline. And to see one in the flesh…

Granted, an Ursa Minor was only a young Ursa, but the creature was majestic nonetheless. The guardian roared in challenge, claws outstretched, arms locked around the smokey dragon. It stood a good story shorter than the dragon, but it was clear that the Ursa was much, much stronger than the scaly fiend. Already, the dragon was pushed back, until it finally succumbed to the pressure and disappeared into smoke. Fluttershy dared to take a deep breath of relief, trusting even the infernal creatures to fear a mighty Ursa.

You have to consult the Elder, child.

The Elder of the Everfree.

Fluttershy blinked. “The Elder of the Everfree… The old legend? He’s real?” There was no reply. Whatever mystical force she was in contact with had left her. The Ursa placed a paw beside her, beckoning for her to get on. “Oh - I’m honored!” She clambered on, and the bear lifted her up.

Very, very high up. Too high up, in fact. Far beyond the treetops, nearly touching the clouds themselves. She had forgotten the height a star bear could achieve when standing.

“Um…” Fluttershy whimpered. Once the high of battle wore off, fear struck her at full force. “Eep…”

The bear, to her disbelief, chuckled, the noise so deep and loud that it sounded like distant thunder. Then, with a nod, it directed Fluttershy’s gaze to a distant cluster of lights. Briefly switching forms to gain the vision of an eagle, she spied a town far to the east.

“Um, O’ Great Ursa…” Fluttershy said respectfully. “Is that where the spirits wish I go?” The Ursa nodded. “And, I mean no disrespect, Great One, but… why don’t you speak? I can understand most spirits of nature…”

The Ursa actually blushed, its face glowing a faint blue. Fluttershy giggled inside - is that how Ursae blushed? By glowing? Then it cupped its paws protectively around Fluttershy, like a great starry cradle, and then-

“I DID NOT WANT TO STARTLE YOU.”

The sentence hit her like a hurricane, tossing her mane back and physically knocking her over. The Ursa smiled sheepishly, and slowly placed her back onto the forest floor.

“THE DEMONS HAVE GONE, FOR NOW.” The Ursa said, looking around. “YOU MUST MAKE HASTE. PONYVILLE IS A FEW DAYS OF TRAVEL AWAY. THE EVERFREE ELDER LIVES NEAR THE TOWN… INFORM HIM OF THIS TRAGEDY.”

Fluttershy nodded as soon as she recovered from the typhoon breath.

“I will, Great Spirit.” She said, with as much confidence as she could muster. “Your faith will not be misplaced.”

“MY TIME RUNS SHORT.” The Ursa rumbled, his astral form suddenly flickering. “THE CREATURES… SOON EVEN I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTAIN THEM.”

“TO PONYVILLE, MY CHILD...”

Fluttershy nodded slowly. “To ponyville.” She changed into an owl and disappeared into the night sky.

Author's Note

Fluttershy
Level 1 Wild Druid • Pegasus
Signature Powers:
Savage Rend, Fire Hawk, Summon Pack Wolf, Call Forth the Spirit Pack
Equipment:
Gaea’s Defense, Wolf Spirit Totem
Skill Specialties:
Nature, Perception

Hey! Remember about the release schedule?
I lied. Anyway, here's a new chapter, featuring our favourite butter pegasus!
10 points to whoever figures out what Fluttershy's race is.
Cheers,
Amateur, Level 1 Human Brony

1.5: The Soothsayer

The tavern was in uproar, drinks dished out left and right, ponies flooding the line, and all of the seats filled with eager patrons.

It was the cusp of midnight, when the real festivities began and the true tavern spirit emerged. The Silvershine Tavern, renowned in Stalliongrad as the most lively and homely establishment to drink and be rowdy in. Like its namesake, its door was a beautiful silver sheen, polished to mirror-like perfection every day. And past those doors…

Was heaven. Pure, unadulterated, alcoholic heaven. The tables and chairs shifted from day to day as patrons decided to join tables, or to split, or to abandon tables entirely for a hearty drunken jig in the center of the tavern, but when they were sat on, they were good tough wood, but soft to a degree and quite spongy. Very comfy. The wooden floor was worn by years and years of hooves, paws, and claws walking too and fro across it, but was still a delicious ebony hue.

But the most wonderful was the lights. The Silvershine needed no lamp or lantern, its owner was a delightful unicorn lady who dabbled in all sorts of minor studies in pursuit of better brews and cooking. Home Brew, her name was. But anyway, Home Brew considered herself something of a Do-it-Yourself alchemist and tried her hoof at making sparkling mead, a drink pioneered by mad drinkers of past who thought that booze that would make the drinker glow a bright dazzling glow. Maybe for drunkards who didn’t want to be run over by carriages when they passed out on the way home.

So Home Brew went and tried to make some of that sparkling mead, but added too much eye of newt and not enough toadwort essence which made it way too thick to drink - and glow prematurely for long durations. So it would be this thick gummy stuff that glowed in your mouth if you were stupid enough to put it in there, and goes right through you with all the other stuff along for the ride, making for a right terrible mess when it comes out.

Seeing this, Home Brew called it Quicksilver. It’s silver and gets around quickly. The enterprising mare that she is, she put a dollop of the stuff in a crystal orb and it glowed whatever color the orb was since quicksilver glowed white light itself. So she could have red orbs with quicksilver that glowed red, blue orbs that glowed blue, so on so forth. She then rigged up a mirror sphere that would reflect and scatter light, and placed red, green, and blue orbs into the sphere, thus making some sort of strobe light that would flash different colors all over the place. It was so strange, so chaotic, so discordantly, that she called it a disco.

And in this disco place, was where the night life of Stalliongrad was at. Parties, music, recitals, meetings, beautiful vixen barmaids, all of it could be found in the largest tavern in Stalliongrad, and likely all of Equestria.

But that is neither here nor there, because it was only the background for the exciting characters of Stalliongrad’s night streets. Faceless Jack, the shameless swindler; Carbine, the dart throwing queen; Elvis Parsley, the king.

Or, and perhaps the most infamous, The Soothsayer.

Oh yes, the Pink Menace, The Pink Prankster, She Who Must (And Can) Not Be Named, The Pretty Pony Princess (She was really drunk that night)… No matter the name used, the being invoked was still the same pink bubbly pony whose trade was people.

No not slavery, that’s barbaric and wrong.

She went into pony’s heads, delving their secrets, discovering sides of them that themselves did not know existed.

She was the master of minds, scion of psychology, heroine of hypnosis-

Perhaps that’s enough of the alliteration.

The door to the Silvershine opened, and all patrons paused in their merrymaking to stare at the newcomer. There was a moment of silence where nopony, nogriffin, no nothing moved.

“Hi everypony!” A cheerful voice broke the awkward moment.

“PINKIE!” The bar erupted into cheer.

Pinkie Pie grinned, and sauntered over to the barkeep. “Heya Home Brew, gimme your best shot.”

“My best shot, eh?” Home Brew appreciated a challenge. Smirking at the pink pony, she nodded, and ducked behind the counter. A moment later she came back up, a pitch black bottle in her grasp. “New addition. About as old as it can be without the flavour going off. Baltimare import.”

“Ooooo, Baltimare, you say?” Pinkie literally bounced in her seat. “Let me at ‘em!”

Smiling knowingly, Home Brew poured a cupful of the drink and passed it over. “They call it Dragonbrand. You’ll figure out why in a moment.”

Pinkie drank and figured it out. “Wooooaaaaaaahhh.” Her eyes dilated. “Oh woooooooooow. This,” she hiccuped. “Is the bestest, spiciest drink EVER.”

“Figured.” Home Brew said smugly, readying for the inevitable-

“Another!” The patrons clinked their glasses at Pinkie’s heroics.

“Ahem!” Pinkie said, glass in hoof, her face slightly red from the strong drink. “My fellow drunkards, ponies, griffons, or otherwise - A song and homage to our favorite thing: Booze!

"With a chug and a drink and a sip of ale, my day lights up without fail,
And a swill and a quaff and guzzle of gin is when the good times begin!
All together in the Silvershine Tavern I dunk more booze into this bottomless cavern
Cause I never get enough of this wondrous stuff
The wondrous stuff that is BOOZE!”

Enthusiastic cheering and whistling filled the tavern as Pinkie bowed and bowed again, reveling in the merry atmosphere of the establishment. Home Brew cracked a smile as several more glasses left the counter, and more bits went into the till. “Well Pinkie, what’s the deal this time?”

“What, can’t I just be here and enjoy a good night of drink with such good friends?” Pinkie smiled, settling into her seat and taking a small sip.

“The last time you said that half of my patrons had their wallets cut.” Home Brew deadpanned. “The time before that you started a bar fight. And the time before the time before you said that you swindled Doris for every bit that she had.”

“Uh…” Pinkie smiled again, this time slightly forced. “Coincidence?”

“You’re The Soothsayer, Pinkie. Nothing is ever a coincidence with you.”

A cloaked mare sat down next to the pink pony. “The plan is in motion, Pinks.”

Home Brew raised an eyebrow. “Eheheheh… you caught me there, Brew.” Pinkie chuckled awkwardly. “…Yeah we’re trying to pull something here. Not harmful to your business, of course. Just a convenient venue. So don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” The barkeep snorted disbelievingly, but kept on cleaning mugs.

Their conversation was broken off by an interruption up at the stage. A mint unicorn sat gracefully on a chair, a lyre grasped in a golden aura. Next to her, a grey earth pony with a tidy black mane, a large stringed instrument at her side. And finally, behind both of them, a snowy white unicorn with a tangle of electric blue hair and purple goggles that obscured her eyes.

“My band - Lyra’s the mint one, Octavia’s the earth pony, and Vinyl’s the white one.” Pinkie grinned.

“Your band?” Home Brew asked. “So, the wild pink typhoon is finally settling down for a musician’s life?”

“Not musician.” The pink mare said, bouncing over to the four ponies. “Magician.”

She stepped onto the stage, and the band began playing a merry tune. It was lighthearted and chipper, fitting for a rowdy tavern as the Silvershine. Vinyl pulled out a tuning crystal, and focused her magic into it. Immediately, it hummed almost imperceptibly.

Unseen by the patrons, Pinkie covered her muzzle and muttered under her breath. “Dance.”

Almost immediately, one of the drunkards jerked upwards like a puppet, and began dancing mechanically on a table. It was a horribly butchered Russian jig, the drunk flailing his limbs about wildly in an attempt to maintain balance.

Pinkie glared at Lyra, who shrugged innocently. “Come on, Lyra, give it your best shot!” She whispered, and the mint unicorn sighed and nodded.

She strummed at her lyre in a slow calming rhythm, and the drunk suddenly began smoothly waltzing with a mare he just grabbed out of the crowd. Suddenly, Lyra attacked the strings of her lyre with an excited vigor, turning out what one might confuse for a powerful riff from an enhanced lute. Twist, turn, pivot - the poor fool switched into a fervent tango, spinning on the spot and flourishing as the confused mare leaned into his forelegs.

At this point Home Brew had caught on to their little dance act and gave them a deadpan stare. Pinkie grinned apologetically, and muttered “Stop.” The drunk dropped like a rock, flattening himself against the floor, and the mare hastily fled the circle that had formed around the dancing pair.

“Now, after that refreshing performance - good show, Stone Hammer - our resident bard Pinkie will sing us an old, sad song from a long time ago.” There was polite cheering as the crowd slowly settled back into their regular drunken stupor.

“I sat at midnight in my lonely world,
My eyes fixed on my little nightingale.
And here I stay, trapped in my hidden vale
of tears, as my broken emotions whirled.
Watching as my nightingale’s wings unfurled
in a silenced melody, in its jail
of forced silence, above this forlorn dale.
I lay saddened as these lonely smokes curled."

The door creaked open and a strange figure stepped into the tavern. It was a bipedal creature, but not a diamond dog or even the rare dragon whelp. Its feet, or rather, hooves, clopped loudly against the wooden floor. A rough and patchy cloak covered its body, swept aside to occasionally reveal shaggy hindquarters, covered in rough coarse white fur. The fur only reached up to its hip - above that was a strange ape-like torso, with a lean but well-muscled figure and coppery tanned skin. However, it was completely bare, no fur beyond its legs, displaying its smooth skin. Its face was like an ape’s but with a more pronounced nose, sharper features, and ram horns that curved back over its rounded ears. It paused at the doors, before sitting down at the counters and continuing the song.

“Sing, my dear nightingale, please sing for me,
They may mute you, but your voice is still sweet;
Fly, my dear nightingale, fly away free,
They may cage you, but your wings remain fleet;
My little nightingale, soaring with glee,
Away from this prison, from these chained feet.”

The creature, decidedly male from the sound of his voice, smiled toothily. “The song of the nightingale. A classic, if I do say so myself. Written more than a thousand years ago, it spoke of the frustration and anger that the Children of the Night felt when they were oppressed and dismissed.” He snapped his fingers, a behavior very rarely seen in pony society - mostly due to the lack of fingers - and called for Home Brew’s attention. “Barkeep. Brandy, if you have any. Whiskey will do, too.”

Home Brew nodded and poured him a glass of fine whiskey. “My thanks, fair lady.” He tossed her a small pouch filled with bits. “Keep the glass filled.”

Pinkie sat down next to him. “So - you know about the old song?”

“It was quite common in my time. I learned it from my parents during the long nights.” The creature said, sipping delicately from the glass. “Not nearly as popular nowadays.” He sighed in disappointment.

“Hey, you’re new in town, aren’t you?” Pinkie grinned. “I know everypony in Stalliongrad, but I’ve never seen you before!”

“Yes, I’m a… traveler, of sorts.” The creature said, taking another drink. “I have been to many places, cities more extravagant than Canterlot, and wildernesses more untamable than the Everfree. Oh, the stories I could tell!”

“Oh, oh! What’s your name?” Pinkie asked, excitedly. “And can you tell me one of your stories? Please?”

“Sure, sure. It is not a problem.” The creature said, leisurely. “You can call me Aries, the satyr. Now, what do you want to learn about? Maybe when the Badlands were still lush and full of life? Or the legendary dragon conquest?”

“Could you tell something about yourself, Aries?”

“Well, I suppose I could.” Aries said, kicking back his hooves. “This is a funny story from my adventures. This was a long time ago, when I was still a young strapping buck of a satyr…”

Aries trudged up a mountain. This was the fifth mountain this week, and he was getting rather sick of the rugged terrain. Half goat he may be, limitless immortal he was not.

As he danced nimbly from one outcropping to the next, he looked back to his companions, who were dragging themselves after him. Cygnus, an unusually large griffon with a fearsome attitude to match her fearsome build, tiredly flapped her wings to propel her leap to another rock. Leo, a sinewy zebra, seemed much less bothered than the griffon, and deftly scaled a cliff face to sit next to Aries.

“You stupid…” Cygnus gasped. “Spider horse…”

“Jealous, big bird?” Leo grinned, hanging upside down to leer at her. “Zebras are naturally hardy and tough - not my fault griffons aren’t.”

“We’re tough!” Cygnus growled, scrabbling up a steep slope up to where the two were resting. “Just… not as tough as you guys, I guess. Give me a blizzard anytime, but please just not another-“

She peered over the rock she was leaning on, and saw mountain after mountain after mountain.

“Oh, pluck.”

Pinkie sniggered, desperately trying to hold in a laugh. “Oh, hehehe… Cygnus sounds like a great griffon! Will you bring them over sometime?”

Aries’ face darkened. “No. If I did… let’s just say that you wouldn’t like her much.”

“Why? I wanna be everypony’s friend!” Pinkie said, oblivious to Aries’ change in attitude,

“Probably not Cygnus.” Aries said, taking a long draught from the glass. “Refill, please.” Home Brew obliged, and he drained the cup, his eyes suddenly brooding.

“What about Leo? He sounds like a funny pony to be friends with.”

Aries balled up his fists, his knuckles turning white with force. “Leo… even less so. Trust me in this, Soothsayer. My friends… are not as friendly as you expect. Neither am I as good as you might think.”

"Well, we're all friends here, so even if you're not so good, we'll gladly accept you!"

“You have my thanks, Pinkie. It is rare to see such kindness in these dark times." He took a calming sip of his drink.

"By the way, your little friend there,” He gestured at Vinyl, “Might want to leave soon. There are some folks out there hunting her kind, and they’re coming this way.”

“Oh, I know. We’re moving out in a few hours.”

“No, you have an hour, tops.” Aries said, swirling his glass around. “Tick tock, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie grabbed her band. “Girls, we’re leaving town!”

“Good choice.” Aries nodded. “Now, go. I don’t want to see good folk like you get hurt because of the idiocy of others.”

“Oh, oh! What about you? Do you want to come with? It can be like a camp out! We’ll sing songs, have barbecues, it’ll be fun!”

Aries tilted his head slightly. “Perhaps. It has been a long time since I indulged myself in such behavior. I suppose I could. Anyway, I have not seen action in a while, and I could safeguard you from threats of the wild. Wolves are particularly dire these days.”

“Yay!” Pinkie beamed. “Hear that, folks? The Pinkie Band is going out on a trip for a while!” The tavern groaned in disappointment. “It’s just gonna be a bit - Aunty Pinkie and co will be back in a jiffy!”

Home Brew nodded a goodbye, passing along a bottle of liquor as a parting gift. “Stay safe, eh?”

“I’ll keep them safe, lady.” Aries rumbled, standing up. It was at this point that Pinkie saw that he was almost twice as tall as Pinkie was when on all fours, so he towered above her. “Let’s go.”

Pinkie followed suit. For some reason, she trusted this strange creature who just appeared in the tavern. He was a kindred spirit of sorts.

“Why are we moving, Pinks?” Lyra asked, as they loaded their supplies into a caravan. “And why is that tall dark and mysterious there helping us pack?” She gestured at Aries, who was singlehandedly lifting a crate full of preserved food into the cart.

“I enjoy the company.” Aries said, sliding the crate into place. “And the wilderness is hardly a place where three mares should be roaming. You could be accosted by brigands! Or worse, devilish creatures such as kobolds, or goblins. Foul knaves of the forgotten lands. It is my duty to protect fair ladies like you.”

“Flatterer, you.” Octavia said, smiling to herself.

“Nonsense.” Aries chuckled. “I speak but the honest truth.” He hefted another heavy crate.

“We need to hire more guys like you.” Vinyl said, nodding appreciatively. “The height advantage makes lifting a lot easier.”

“But of course, strength is not an issue for you.” Aries said, offhandedly. Vinyl froze in her tracks, before slowly turning to face him. “What with your gift and whatnot.”

“I… uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She laughed, in a glaringly obvious lie.

“You cover up your gift?” Aries raised an eyebrow. “You spurn what the night has graciously blessed upon you?” He sounded rather incredulous, and there was even a hint of outrage in his voice.

“Eh… I don’t…”

“But surely your companions know?” Aries pressed, his eyes concerned. “Since Pinkie does?”

“I’ve got my Pinkie Sense.” Pinkie said, bouncing over. “The others don’t know about her yet.”

Vinyl shrunk back. “I’ll tell them when… when it’s necessary.”

The satyr snorted. “Then you will have to soon.” He said, ominously. “A tragic fate, but appropriate for a denizen of the night.” He loaded the last box onto the carriage. “So, who will pull the cart?”

“No one.” Lyra said, her horn glowing. The wheels flashed a soft gold, and began slowly pushing forwards. “Magic.” The ponies began trotting after the moving caravan. Aries simply nodded and walked alongside the ponies in silence.

“So where’re you from?” Pinkie asked, bouncing closely to Aries.

“…Do you know geography beyond Equestria?”

“Not really, no!”

“Then only imagine a vast mountain range, with uneven terrain for hundreds of miles on end.” Aries said. “Think Equestria, but all mountain.”

“Ooooo. Okay, next question.” Pinkie said, and Aries smiled in amusement. The curiosity of the mare was refreshing, compared to the silent caution other ponies subject him to. “Why is your name like that?”

“Aries…” He said hesitantly. “Aries is - was - a constellation, a collection of stars that form an image of something. The first of a list of constellations called the Zodiac. Aries was the image of a ram.”

“Oh, I see. It’s because of your horns, right?” Aries nodded. “So - third question! Why haven’t I seen more people like you?”

Aries' hoof hit the ground. Hard. The packed dirt cracked and shattered into loose earth.

“Woah, chill, big guy.” Vinyl quipped from the back of the line.

“My people… are an ancient race. They were proud and strong… perhaps too proud.” Aries stared solemnly ahead, gazing at some undefined point in the distance. A home lost. A people gone. “It proved to be their undoing.”

Pinkie’s eyes widened.

“I am the last satyr, child.” Aries said sadly, with a hint of… resentment? “But it is a thing of the past. I live as I wish, without boundaries and limitations. I am free to frolic under the night sky, and enjoy the stars as they are meant to be.”

“You like the night, then?” Pinkie said, bouncing along. “Are you a astronomonomoner?”

“An astronomer?” Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Nothing of the sort, I’m afraid.” Aries chuckled. “Just a traveler who thinks the subtle grace of the moon is preferable to the harsh truth of the sun.”

“Cool! It’s hard to find anypony who likes the night more than the day.” Lyra said. “Except Vinyl here. She lives for the night life.”

“Indeed.” Aries hid a knowing smile, and Vinyl glowered at him. He looked up unexpectedly, suddenly wary. “Pinkie, would I be correct in saying that we should expect company?”

Pinkie bounced along thoughtfully, and her body went through a series of spasms and shivers. Her tail, her ears, her hooves - then she nodded. “Yupperoni! Lyra, Tavi, Vinyl, in the cart, please!”

Aries raised an eyebrow in surprise. “And you?”

“Oh, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves.” Pinkie smiled slyly. “Oh wait, I don’t have sleeves. Um, hooves? Mane?” As she rambled away, the other ponies piled themselves into the carriage, trusting Pinkie’s instincts.

“Miss Scratch, whatever you do, don’t come out.” Aries said.

“Yeah, we got this!” Pinkie seemed happier than she should be in the circumstances they were in.

“Incoming, in three…” Aries said, suddenly perking up.

“Two…” Pinkie continued, cheerily.

“One!” They said together, as cloaked figures burst out of the woods and onto the path, surrounding the carriage and its two defenders. They formed into a circle of about six.

Aries snorted dismissively. “Only six? I can take you singlehandedly.”

“Leave me some, Ary!” Pinkie grinned, extending her forehooves. It was then Aries noticed the crystals embedded in bracelets around her hooves. “It’s been a while.”

The figures shifted, and one of them pulled off their hood. It was a stallion, with a stony grey coat and a wicked scar down one side of his muzzle. A pony with tales to tell, no doubt. “Hand it over.”

“What?” Pinkie responded innocently. Her bracelets hummed faintly.

“I have no idea what they are talking about, Pinkie Pie.” Aries said. “Do you?”

“Drop the act - I know you are harbouring one of them. Surrender it to us, and we will spare you.” The pony under the cloak said. Aries noted that he had lost the cocky edge he had just a moment ago.

“Hey, what about this - you back off, and we don’t beat the cake out of you?” Pinkie smiled, sweetly.

The cloaked ponies unsheathed a host of different weapons - daggers, swords, maces, even spears. “You leave us no choice.”

Aries sighed as one of the ponies leapt at him. “Are you so eager to cause harm that you would give up your life?” He grabbed the pony’s neck, and began squeezing. Within moments there was a snapping sound and he let go, the corpse collapsing like a broken doll.

Pinkie, on the other hand, took the offensive road, jumping up and pinwheeled midair. Her bracelets flashed, and a loud burst of music shook the forest. Music unlike anything ever heard, loud and scratchy, painful to the ear yet invigorating to the mind. It was deep, powerful, and violent, a wild burst of sounds strung together like the thundering birdsong of a legendary roc. “Anypony up for an encore?” She grinned, and her bracelet flashed yet again.

The effect was immediate - the ponies scattered as a wave of sound as loud and powerful as thunder smashed into them, clutching at their heads in agony. For Aries, however, it was an opening. The satyr came charging in, the lifeless forms of two ponies in each hand. Tossing them aside like they were no more than mere trash, he lashed out with his cloven leg, the sharp edge of the hoof connecting with one of the downed pony’s head. It snapped sideways, before hanging limply by nothing but the skin of the pony’s neck, the muscles and bone completely torn.

From out of nowhere, the uncloaked pony launched himself at Aries, two wicked daggers outstretched. Caught offguard, he could only wince as the daggers plunged into his flesh. “Got you now, freak!”

Aries groaned in disappointment. “You wished for death, so death you shall receive.” He grabbed the midsection of the stallion with one hand, and muzzle with another. “Rest in peace.” Aries tensed, and tore the pony in half. Discarding the pieces of pony, he brushed off his hands in the dirt.

Even Pinkie was surprised, her eyes dilated at the sight of the torn pony. “I… um… wasn’t expecting that.”

“Indeed.” Aries said, looking away from her. “It would seem that I have overstayed my welcome. I should leave.” He grasped the daggers with his hands, and yanked them out of his body. The deep puncture wounds healed in a matter of moments.

“No, wait!” Pinkie said, shuddering slightly as she stepped in a patch of innards. “Aries, you don’t have to go…”

“I don’t have to - but I wish to.” Aries pointed at the torn corpse on the ground. “I do not belong here, Pinkie Pie. I do not belong in this plane. I am the dying embers of a once raging fire, the last remnant of a race lost in time.”

His eyes flashed pure gold, and the corpses suddenly dissolved into ash. "Even death itself despises me, child. You still have a part to play in the world’s tale. But my part has long since been done.”

Pinkie sighed in defeat. “Alright… I guess… But I’ll see you again, right?”

“Yes.”

A breath of relief escaped her. “Where? I… I can’t tell.”

Aries rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It would violate a few physical laws to predict that, Soothsayer. However, I suggest you head to Ponyville. There, you will begin a journey like none other.” He turned away, and stepped into the dark woods.

“See you soon?” Pinkie asked weakly.

Aries hesitated.

“Soon. I promise.”

Author's Note

Pinkie Pie
Level 1 Prescient Bard • Earth Pony
Signature Powers:
Staggering Note, Shout of Triumph, Stirring Shout, Majestic Word
Equipment:
Soulsong Bracelet, Reinforced Gypsy Outfit
Skill Specialties:
Diplomacy, Perception, Arcana

Best pone.
Cheers,
Amateur, Level 1 Human Brony

1.6: The Oathbound

Rarity was a pale ghost in the Canterlot streets. She was shapeless, formless, the stuff of pure silence.

She stepped in a puddle. “Eeeegh.” The alabaster mare shuddered, shaking mud off of her hoof. “Icky… disgusting… muck.”

“What’s wrong?” A voice sounded in her head. Her handler and partner in crime, Anonymous. “You being a priss again?”

Rarity gasped indignantly. “I am not a priss! Priss isn’t even a word!”

“It serves its purpose.” Anon said. “Now back on task, Elusive.” Elusive was, of course, her codename. It was risky to use her real name in her line of work. But mostly it was because Anon knew she hated that name with a burning passion.

Rarity humphed. “You don’t have to remind me. It is my job, after all.” She paused. “And don’t call me that, please.

“Of course.” Anonymous said, with no small amount of sarcasm. “I respect your decision.”

Gritting her teeth, Rarity trudged on, sticking to the shadows cast by the tall elaborate buildings. Simple was not a word used often in Canterlot. Its nobles were some of the most extravagant and decadent in the land, specializing in wasteful indulgence and excessive debauchery.

She envied their life. She envied their ignorance. She envied their belief that they were on top, that they were in control, when all they held was Canterlot’s facade. Behind that, was the rotted, decrepit woodwork that just barely kept the grand city above the water.

It was a messy patchwork of good and evil, black and white, the stench of gold and the gleam of honor. It was everything, it was nothing, it was a shining palace and a filthy rathole. It was the Canterlot Underground, and it was Rarity’s home.

In the Canterlot Underground, one could find anypony and everypony. All would go through the Underground eventually: corrupt nobles, valorous knights, tired veterans, dirty beggars, the Princess, and yes - thieves like herself.

It was through the Underground that she had elevated herself from puny street thief, to a mildly respected member of the Shrouded Hoof, a prestigious thieves guild with a great deal of influence in Canterlot and beyond.

And through the guild, she was here. Breaking and entering into a secure compound based on the rumor of an ancient artifact being contained within. She sighed as she assessed the front gates. Padlocked, and probably barred from within. Drat.

“Anonymous, be a dear and check if the backdoor is available.” Rarity murmured, skirting around the building and flattening herself against the wall of the safe house. “Well?”

“Hold your ass, lady, I’m trying.” Anonymous replied. His words were mangled by occasional crunching and swallowing.

“Are you eating on the job?” Rarity asked. “That sound… nachos?”

“Totally.” Anon crunched a bit more. “Okay, I got the deets. Few guards, you wanna avoid those. They look pretty nasty. Two positioned immediately behind the door, but records say they switch every hour. A patrolling guard going up and down a hallway about 30 feet long. There’s a sharpshooter somewhere, I can’t be sure - they’ve got that locked down good.”

“Thank you, Anonymous.”

“Stay safe.” Rarity almost smiled. Anon was rude and crass, but he meant well.

Waiting outside of the door was dull, but necessary. “Okay, the guards are on the move. Go!” Once she received Anon’s message, she went to work picking the lock. Her pick slipped easily into the keyhole, and she wiggled it about for a moment, feeling for the pins. Click. Rarity’s natural attention to detail managed to pick up the miniscule sound. Click. Rarity sighed. This was supposed to be a challenge. Click.

The door creaked open. “Bingo, señorita. The way is clear… for now.” Rarity rolled her eyes and crept carefully into the safehouse. Right through the door was a square room, with a raised platform and some crates piled haphazardly around. Likely a delivery area, or a temporary storage. She briefly scanned the crates for anything worthwhile. Some bits, a bar of silver, a few rings and other assorted jewellery. She pocketed the bar and a particularly well cut amethyst ring.

“Idea~” She smiled. There were things that could be done with a decent quality gem. Enchanting, trading, perhaps even indulging in her interests in fashion. When she could afford it.

“Hey, Sugar-Cheeks, guard round the corner! Work your magic, lady.” Anon sniggered. Rarity sniffed, but quickly slipped into the proper stance when the guard came into range.

“Oh, kind sir!” She cried dramatically, sidling up to the guard. “I was just trying to find somepony I knew, but I got lost!”

The guard looked rather flustered by the admittedly beautiful mare pressing up against him. “Ma’am, I’m afraid this is private property-“ He fell over.

Rarity sighed, a dagger floating in her magic, coated in halfway blood and halfway poison. “Then nopony will miss you.” Fast acting paralysis agents were her preferred method of sabotage.

“Man, you get all the cool one liners.” Anon complained. “I’m stuck with the trashy lines. Oh, and the blueprints are really outdated, so expect no help from here.”

“Alright. I’ll report if I find something.” She sneaked on, of course after patting down the guard. It was a blur of wallways and chambers, and quite a few more guards. She seduced a few, sneaked past a few, and knock-out gassed a few groups. Rarity preferred stealth and subterfuge over direct confrontation. There were many stallions with stabbed backs as she made her way through the compound.

“Anonymous?”

“Yeah?” He yawned tiredly. “What’s up?”

“Do you know what this compound is meant for?” Rarity asked. “So far I’ve seen nothing but meaningless debris and guards. There is nothing to indicate purpose of any kind.”

Anon hummed a silly little tune. Rarity imagined that he would be checking the records. “Huh. Well, either these folks have a safe house full of nothing, or they are crazy good at hiding.”

“Meaning?”

“Nothing in the records say anything about the safe house being used for a particular purpose. It’s been under the same management for decades now, but there is fuck all about what they use it for.” Anon said. “Find out if you can, Rares. The boss would appreciate that.”

“Understood.”

The place was eerily quiet. Besides the occasional guard, everything was completely silent. And it was massive - far larger than what it looked like from the outside. The closest thing she could compare it to was the Labyrinth Warrens extending far into Mt. Canterlot. Except this was eerily abandoned - at least the Warrens were chock-full of subterranean species. This was just… dead.

Rarity sneaked about for another hour or so. At this point her loot sack was almost filled to the brim. She had traded out all of the gold for gems, and those for enchanted baubles. “Anonymous.”

“Sup.”

“I think something is wrong. This place seems to… grow.”

“Grow?” Anon sounded curious. “What do you mean?”

Rarity paused, making some mental calculations. “This is just a rough estimate, of course, but I believe I’ve walked at least the length of Cobbler Street while exploring the compound. It’s the only plausible explanation - even extension charms don’t allow for this much expansion.”

“Jeez, seriously?” She heard Anon gasp. “Okay, I’ll look into it. Meanwhile, you should focus on finding the Scepter. If that place is growing, I want you to get the fuck out as soon as possible.”

“Why, Anonymous, was that care in your voice just now?”

“Sure. Care in my pay check.” Anon said. “It’s my job to keep your ass clear and letting you get lost in a living maze will dent my rep in the guild.”

“Charming.” Rarity said. “Well I’ll have you know that I don’t need some voice in my head to keep me safe.”

“Whatever you say, lady.” Crunch crunch crunch, and the rustle of a new nacho packet. Rarity rolled her eyes. That was when she noticed the change in architecture. What was once grey concrete wall, was a dark midnight blue, studded with platinum beads that glinted in the weak lighting. “Your vitals went crazy. What’s up?”

“The building, it changed. I was in a room and the decor just shifted entirely.” Rarity shuddered. “It feels… unnatural.”

“No shit.” Anon said, snorting. “But if it’s starting to look like the night sky, then the Twilight Scepter must be nearby. Keep looking.”

“Rude.” Rarity grumbled, trotting carefully through the now gleaming blue corridors. It was eerily quiet, and for some reason a cold breeze just barely limped through the passages.

“Little pony.” Rarity stopped, a chill settling around her. “Stuck within the grooves of a path of despair.”

“Who’s there?” There was a moment of silence as Rarity’s quaky challenge echoed around the suddenly massive chamber. The room had been no larger than perhaps 6 feet in both directions. Now it was larger than even Princess Celestia’s throne room. It was so large, the sides disappeared into the distant shadows. For all intents and purposes, it was infinitely large.

In fact, given the almost magically organic nature of the compound, Rarity supposed that the chamber could be practically infinite.

“Struggling forward, yet broken beyond repair…” The voice said, tauntingly. It was vaguely female, but sounded as though many ponies were speaking at once. The voice was cold, with no hint of mercy or compassion that Rarity could glean.

“What is this place?” Rarity asked again, this time with slightly more bravery. She was a professional thief with plenty of combat training. She could hold her own in a fight.

“A lair in the dark, far from home.” The voice whispered. Rarity barely withheld a scream when a pair of gleaming eyes appeared in the darkness, crackling like an ominous green fire. From that, lines of green light snaked out in intricate patterns and shapes, until finally forming the outline of…

Rarity screamed.

A gargantuan centipede, as tall as the tallest Canterlotian tower. From what the fire had outlined, it was a creature constructed of massive bones, far larger than any skeleton Rarity had seen. As if that was not horrifying enough, the centipede had what seemed to be a unicorn skull the size of a house for a head, with two flaming pincers protruding from where the cheeks would be. The orbs of fire were nestled in the skull’s eye sockets, with a darker center which flickered about like pupils. A rage of green flame swirled in its interior, displaying the insane serpentine bundle of interlocking bones that formed its body. Somehow, the fire cast no light save for the area it occupied, a skeleton of pure darkness.

“A test,” The centipede said, inching forwards until the abomination was within an arm’s reach. Rarity’s screaming ceased, instead falling into frenzied shivering. “An oath, perhaps, as a test of spirit.”

“Rarity?” The unicorn whipped around by instinct alone, recognizing the voice. She felt terror fill her soul as her eyes fell upon the small form of her sister.

“S…Sweetie Belle?” Rarity had no words, her mouth working silently.

“Duty to family, a bond most strong,” The centipede whispered, its voice but a cool breeze, drifting past Rarity’s ears. “An oath to blood, the tenacity of family.”

“Can you protect her?” It was a challenge, daring her to respond. Rarity, however, could not answer. Her breath was caught in her throat, as she stared at the small filly before her. “Can you protect me?” The voice twisted midway, the trembling tone of the centipede replaced by a voice most sweet and soothing. A voice Rarity recognised with dread.

“Why… Why is she here?” Panic threatened to consume her as she stared into the ghostly apparition. Sweetie Belle flickered slightly as she frowned, tilting her head. Her mane bounced in exactly the same way it had done for as long as Rarity could remember.

“Don’t you want me here, Rarity?” The question pierced her heart. “Maybe I’ll come back later…”

“No, don’t! Please, Sweetie, don’t go!” Rarity spluttered, as her sister faded into the darkness. She fell to her knees, as tears of despair fell onto the ground.

The centipede clicked its mandibles in disappointment. “Your blood is spilt. An oath violated. Your will is broken.”

“How is it possible? Why is she here?” Rarity shook her head as though in a daze, and sluggishly pushed herself to her hooves. The silence was deafening, her voice seemingly lost into the shadows.

“The end of all roads, all journeys, all paths.” The creature breathed, skeletal legs clicking loudly against the ground. The words came from its mouth, yet Rarity heard them clear in her mind. “The youngling had passed through some time ago, along with her parents. A place of rest for all who travel and all who do not, those who stand in the face of death and those who fear its arrival.”

“You are not worthy of passage.” The centipede decided. “Should the fateweaver call for you, tell her that the Path of Bones bars your way.”

“What… what do you mean?” Rarity asked, her voice shaken and weak. “What do you mean, passage? Where does this lead?”

“They pass, or they do not. Those who do find their travels’ end. Those who do not will find their efforts wasted. Such is the nature of all journeys.” The centipede said with a hint of pity. “A shame, traveler. Your journey’s end could well have been where the youngling went.”

“And knowing so, you still deny my passing?” Rarity said, standing as she felt rage fill her limbs. “I will go where my sister goes.”

The centipede paused. “Perhaps there is fire yet in her heart. A few dying embers, to be fed and grown into an inferno. You walk the path of the lost, but live the life of fire. A shade by heart, but a spirit by soul. Something new and unexpected.”

“Perhaps you did not hear me clearly, beast.” Rarity growled. “I will go to my sister, and you will not stop me!”

“You are not worthy of what lies beyond the Path of Bones.” The centipede said. “But you have proven worthy of redemption.”

“Redemption?”

“You are no longer, but perhaps it is for the best. The Shadowfell fills your being, but your heart beats with a ferocity and tenacity no shade deserves to possess. You are beholden to fate, but not indebted to death. A mortal soul housed in immortal flesh, a being borne of the shadows yet born with a radiant fate. Reborn, for all intents and purposes. Revenant, an escapee of the mortal coils into another never ending cycle.”

It was only after the whispers faded that the pain hit Rarity full force. She fell, clawing at her horn as it slowly began to flake and crack. Agony consumed her mind, suffering of such intensity that she did not notice her very being changing at the most basic of levels. She no longer had a coat, her flesh exposed to the chilling wind. Then they too were gone, bubbling away until all that remained was bone and spirit. With no nerves to feel pain and no brain to think, Rarity was suddenly assaulted by an eerie peace.

The peace lasted but a moment, as darkness rushed in to create tissue where muscle once flexed, knitting together flesh and organs, and filling the new body with blood of liquid shadow. Her eyes flew open as her consciousness returned, drawing breath with her new lungs. She was suddenly painfully aware of a few things that definitely did not belong to a pony.

She lifted her hooves tentatively. They were rough and jagged, covered by patches of scales reminiscent of a bird’s legs. She did not need to turn to know that her hindlegs were similar in appearance. Her wan coat sickly and pallid, painfully like the clammy discolored skin of a corpse. Thankfully, her mane was unchanged, the same rippling purple waves that gleamed even in the mysterious weak glow that permeated the yawning space.

“The Path of Bones awaits your return, but only when you have earned your passage. You shall return to where you came, and complete the task required of you. Be warned, revenant, for although the fateweaver cannot hold you with ease, you are not immune to the call of the Shadowfell. And if you are sent here once again, and you have yet to prove yourself, you will become lost.”

Rarity moaned, her head ringing from some undeterminable source. She opened her eyes and nearly screamed as light flooded her vision, causing a burning pain in her mind.

“Ow… please turn down the light…” Rarity groaned, taking a breath in relief when the glaring light faded away. “Thank you…” As soon as her eyes stopped stinging, she opened them again, taking in her surroundings.

Now it was obvious that the light that had stung her was from her own horn, because there were no obvious signs of he was in some kind of large tent, lying atop a pile of blankets. The tent was rather plain, a simple purple cloth with no bottom, so grass covered the ground. A few bags and pouches were scattered about, alongside a few books and some alchemical reagents. Next to her was some sort of staff, a rod of solid silver inlaid with sapphires.

“The twilight scepter… wait, how do I know that?” Rarity blinked. Her memories were fragmented, and unclear. Bits and pieces floated about - her name, skills, contacts, certain locations and feats she had performed…

Sweetie Belle. That woke her up, wisps of some long-forgotten power swirling about her. Sweetie Belle, to whom she had sworn an oath of protection. Sweetie Belle, her only true family. Sweetie Belle… the sister that she had failed.

No more. Rarity’s eyes glinted as she found purpose once more - to prove herself worthy to go to where Sweetie Belle was.

“Oh.” She turned her head to the entrance of the tent. A lavender unicorn trotted in, bulging saddlebags at her sides, a heavy looking tome in her magical grasp. When she noticed that Rarity was up, she dropped the book quite suddenly. “Oh! You’re awake!”

“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Rarity asked.

The other unicorn blinked. “You don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

“You were locked in combat with an owlbear, half mauled to death and trying to protect that rod.” She said, gesturing at the twilight scepter. “I stepped in, sent off the animal, and brought you here. Although you were bleeding quite heavily when we got here…”

Rarity glanced down at the bedding, which was caked in dark dried blood. “I see. Well, in that case, I must thank you for your assistance and hospitality. My name is Rarity, and you are…?”

“Twilight Sparkle, scholar and wizard. Good to meet you, although I would have preferred better circumstances.” Twilight said, setting up a cooking stand with practiced ease.

“What do you mean? I think your tent is plenty nice. Very homely.” Rarity nodded appreciatively. “Good color, too.”

“Color?” Twilight gasped, incredulously. “We are at a critical juncture in Equestria’s history, and you like my tent’s color?!”

“I… what?” Rarity tilted her head. “I have been… out of the loop, as it were.”

Twilight balked. “Out of the loop? How can you be out of this?” She pointed out of the tent opening.

“It’s night time, Twilight. I hardly see what the-“

“It’s three in the afternoon.” Twilight said. Rarity’s mouth fell open. “…You seriously didn’t know?”

“Um, Twilight, what is the date today?” Twilight told her, and Rarity blanched. “Oh. Oh dear.”

“What?”

Rarity blinked, and shook her head. “Um, nevermind, I was just being silly. But I’ve been… sheltered, as it were, and didn’t have the chance to observe the skies recently.” A week had passed since… since… what was she doing before again? It did not matter - it had been a week since she had last been conscious.

“I… see. Well, I suppose you deserve a recap of recent events. Basically, an ancient prophecy has come to pass, legends come back to life, and… night time reigns supreme. At least, it’s what I believe,” Twilight sighed. “I suspect the Mare in the Moon has returned to reclaim her throne as Equestria’s true princess… Canterlot has fallen, the guard is barely holding, and Celestia is… indisposed.” She took a shuddering breath. “She left a message for me, because I study under her… to go to Ponyville and find a mare called Sunny Skies.”

Rarity flinched. “Sunny Skies?” Memories streamed into her mind.

“You know her?”

“Know would be an understatement.” Rarity coughed. “But that’s all in the past. So you are headed for Ponyville now?”

“Yes, but it’s far too dangerous to travel for long periods. The longer you’re out there, the easier it is for monsters to find you.” Twilight said, levitating the thick book she was carrying. Flipping it open, she indicated at some byzantine graphs and scribbles. “Somehow these lunar monstrosities detect minute amounts of lunar radiation that accumulate on living entities when exposed to moonlight, and they follow signatures that are moving which is their preferred method of tracking.”

“They sense moonlight?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, basically, yes.”

“Than nowhere is safe…” Rarity whispered, before her eyes widened in realization. “Wait, that’s it!”

“What?”

Rarity shot to her hooves, her sapphire eyes gleaming with a determined light. “This is my proof, my quest!”

“My DESTINY!” The pile of bedding collapsed.

Author's Note

Rarity
Level 1 Gloom Pact Hexblade • Revenant (Unicorn)
Signature Powers:
Flesh Rend, Spirit Flay, Eldritch Bolt, Ashen Scourge
Equipment:
The Twilight Scepter, Enchanted Cloak, Heartless
Skill Specialties:
Bluff, Streetwise, Thievery

Well, this is it. The introductions are out of the way, and the stage has been set. The one-week buffer is spent, and now the night is eternal.
Time for the story to begin.
Yours truly,
Amateur, level 2 Human Brony

2.1: Midnight Ponyville

To an outsider, Ponyville may have seemed like an utterly unremarkable town. The architecture, while certainly delightful and cheery, was the same for each and every building along the crooked cobble streets, all wooden frame and pastel paint jobs. The roofs were invariably thatched, the yellow straw browned with age and wear. Ugly dark splotches were splattered across the walls of anything within reach of splashed mud, like bruises inflicted on the buildings.

To the residents of Ponyville, however, it was an entirely different story. Ponyville was entirely defenceless - it had no walls, no battlements, no stationary guard force, with only a weak volunteer-based civilian militia to draw upon. Its people were ragged, long since weary of the dangers of the wilderness. And compounded with the fact that it was immediately adjacent to the legendary Everfree Forest, meant that the town was under constant threat of annhilation, barely surviving through the phenomenal willpower of its tired but determined townfolk.

Which, perhaps, was why Twilight Sparkle and Rarity found themselves leg-deep in a border skirmish between the town guards and a large pack of timberwolves from the Everfree, raging across several apple orchards and crop fields.

“Ugh, Rarity, where are you?” Twilight cried out into the darkness, as the screams and shouts of guards as well as the baying and growling of wolves rang out all around them. Her eyes narrowed as she heard a rustle behind her. Whipping around, she flipped open the Arcanomicon and a blast of pure energy exploded from one of the pages, catching the attacking wolf on the full and scattering its remains.

As the bits of kindling fell to the ground, she gave a sigh of relief and glanced at the page of the Arcanomicon, which had the words ‘Magic Missile’ clearly inked into the top of the page, with several blocks of notes underneath. The edges of the page was ever so slightly singed from the blast.

There was a brief crackle of power to her left, and Twilight spun around to see a ghostly unicorn gliding through the shrubbery as though it was nothing, a scepter glowing in her magical grasp. Rarity smiled thinly, her deathly appearance giving way to a more mortal coloration, even as three wolves hurled themselves at her from out of the brush.

Her tail, usually purple and curled, was suddenly a writhing mass of bone and chitin forming into a massive scorpion’s tail. “Do not think for a moment that you mutts can surprise me!” Rarity bared her teeth, suddenly sharp like a predator’s, and her eyes briefly flashed a bloody crimson. A burst of fire and ash erupted from the stinger, immolating the three wolves in a swirl of demonic flame. The creatures dropped to the ground, no more than mere firewood.

She smiled at Twilight, stretching leisurely. “Good to see that you’re alright, dear.” As she stretched, her tail returned to normal, the chitin cracking and shattering into glittering nothingness. “The fight is still going on, and I do believe the good guards of Ponyville need our help.” She turned, pausing before the piles of burning twigs. Her eyes flashed once, and she turned ethereal once more, a spirit disappearing into the darkness.

Twilight sighed. Even though they had spent entire days just talking and knowing each other, she still didn’t quite understand her enigmatic companion. They were both unicorns, but clearly neither used unicorn magic in their fighting. Twilight, of course, relied on the Arcanomicon’s teachings and those ancient magics in a combat capacity, but Rarity… Rarity’s magic felt wrong. It was powerful, no doubt, and effective. But it felt unnatural, and whenever Rarity used it, she would take on a few… monstrous qualities.

“Rarity, wait for me!” Twilight grumbled, her horn glowing brightly as she prepared to teleport after Rarity. Perhaps it was just her, but teleporting always seemed natural to her. Easy. Instinctual, even. Most other unicorns would take months, even years, mastering a teleportation of but a few feet. She could do ten, twenty, even thirty feet without breaking a sweat. Anothing thing that was strange about her, to add to the list.

“So, Twilight.” Spike said, his voice sounding loudly in her ears.

Twilight jumped, teleporting a few feet off her mark. “Agh! Spike, don’t scare me like that!” Her mane was curled at the ends, scorched by magical residue. “Especially when using magic like teleportation!”

“Oh yeah, sorry about that.” Spike appeared as a glowing dragon sitting a few paces in front of her. He had a smug grin on his face, like surprising her was his plan all along. “So, Rarity, huh? What do you think about her?”

“She’s interesting, I suppose.” Twilight mused, as a beam of ice exploded from the Arcanomicon, encasing a wolf in frost. It promptly exploded from the extreme cold. “I’m still not sure. She has the sophistication of Canterlotian high society, yet acts with a boldness rarely seen amongst nobles. She’s intelligent and world-wise, but doesn’t seem to be highly knowledgable. And she’s… dark. Like she’s seen things before. Had experiences that haunted her.”

“No, not like that.” Spike snorted. Clearly his adopted sister still has no idea how social interaction worked. “Okay, let’s start easy. Do you like her personality?”

“Well… personality, like… how?”

“Seriously, Twi?” Spike groaned. “Never mind. I figured a pony as beautiful and graceful as Rarity would have an equally charming personality…” He sighed, and Twilight rolled her eyes as his image flickered away.

“Twilight, dear, I need some help here!” Rarity’s call wafted from deep in the grove. She whipped her scorpion tail around, smashing through a throng of wolves, but for each wolf that she demolished, two would rise from the forest debris. Her eyes flashed, and the tail stabbed straight through a particularly large wolf.

“Rend your flesh…” She muttered, as the wolf dissolved into ash. “Snap your bones…” Her hooves slammed into the side of another, ignoring the pain that shot up her legs. She smiled grimly as she heard bark shatter. “Crush your body…”

Rarity’s eyes, narrowed before, suddenly snapped open, and a wave of necrotic energy surged outwards, engulfing the wolves around her. “BREAK YOUR SOUL!” The wolves fell, wooden paws scrabbling at the ground as her magic pained their very spirits. “Twilight, now!”

Twilight nodded, and flipped the Arcanomicon open. “Sealed Arcana,” She murmured, as a magical circle appeared around her. Arcane runes circled around her, glowing bright golden, lighting up the orchard. “First seal…”

Twilight winced as she felt mana drain away from her, the massive amounts of energy coalescing into the form of a massive fountain of pure fire. Flames licked the skies as heat filled the orchard, exploding in a roar that rivaled Celestia’s sun itself. “Gate of Flame!” Twilight’s eyes were brimming with crackling flame as she sensed the Arcanomicon draw power from her, focusing her raw emotions into barely contained arcane rage.

The tightly-held fountain collapsed, a blazing inferno surging outwards in a ring of pure destruction, obliterating everything in its path. It consumed trees and wolves alike, yet left friendly ponies untounched. Twilight roared into the burning night, as all around her was devoured by the hungry flames. For over ten minutes, the flames of war raged in a wide circle, destroying anything that strode inside the zone of pure death. Twilight strained every drop of mana she had in containing the fire, but fortunately it seemed that the Arcanomicon provided a means to control the wild blaze.

Finally, when the guards had corralled the last of the wolves into her burning trap, she dispelled the circle of flame, collapsing onto the ground. Rarity trotted over, kneeling next to Twilight with concern clear on her face. Spike, too, conjured his corporeal body to tend to her.

“Twilight, darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked, helping the exhausted Twilight to her feet. “Are you hurt?”

“No, she’s just magically drained.” Spike said, closing his eyes to channel what little mana he had into Twilight’s body. “I’ve seen this before. When a unicorn spends way to much mana doing magic, they go into some kinda extra-long nap time to replenish their energy.” He tapped Twilight’s skull lightly, prompting a weak groan from the unicorn. “Yeah, she just needs some rest is all.”

Twilight mumbled something unintelligible, and drifted off to sleep.

While Twilight slumbered away atop a cart, Rarity was busy with the town guards who had immediately began thanking them for saving their hides, as they all made the slow walk back to town.

“No, really, gentlecolts, it is of no trouble at all.” Rarity said, laughing daintily and waving her hoof casually.

“But you saved us!” A guard, an earth pony stallion called Steel Shovel, insisted. “If you weren’t there, we would’ve definitely been overrun by the wolves, and the town would be in ruin! Please, name a reward, and I will ensure that you get it.”

Rarity paused. “Any reward? Well, in that case, I think my friend and I will require a place for the night and probably a good deal after that.” Steel Shovel beckoned for a nearby scout to approach, a young charcoal grey pegasus fresh out of colthood. “I would, of course, prefer it to have beds and all the standard fare, as well as bathing facilities if you could manage.”

Shovel nodded. “Anything else? We can’t begin to explain how grateful we are.”

“And…” Rarity paused, thinking about what she and Twilight have talked about in the past few days. “My friend has travelled here to look for a certain mare called ‘Sunny Skies’. Perhaps you would be able to provide directions to where we may locate her?”

The scout finished scratching the instructions down on a small tablet. “Will that be all, miss?”

“That’s it. Thank you, kind sir.” Rarity smiled warmly, and the scout blushed brightly. He bolted off, galloping towards town.

“Ah, Flint. Good lad, he is.” Steel Shovel said, grinning. “Strong will, if a bit rash.”

“Yes.” Rarity fell silent for a moment. “So, how is the town like?”

Steel looked back at her. “Ponyville, you mean? Well, it depends. As you have seen first hand, it is not the safest place. It borders the Everfree, see, so beasties are a common problem here. And with the crazy stuff with the eternal night, monsters just seem to get braver and braver. Oddly enough our food is still growing, so that’s one thing that’s good.”

“Ponyville’s home to good honest folk, not much crime, a great deal of community spirit. Mostly farmers, some crafters, but there are also a couple of griffon traders who have the town as home base. They carry the more rare items like foreign fruits and whatnot. It’s a good place to live, I guess, if a little risky. The Everfree’s natural magic means our food grows better than most, so except for the monsters, it’s a great place to live in.”

“I see. And the people are happy?”

“Oh, absolutely. Perhaps not so much nowadays, but if the sun hadn’t come out in days, you’d be a bit grumpy too.” Steel joked, smiling. Rarity also smiled politely, but her mind was already whirring in activity. Princess Celestia asked Twilight to come here, to meet a mare called Sunny Skies. The connection to Celestia was obvious, with the sun and all. But why Ponyville? What was so special about Ponyville?

“A bit for your thoughts?”

“What?” Rarity blinked. “Oh, nothing, just thinking about how good it would be to finally have proper lodgings. We’ve been traveling a while and heaven knows we need a bath.”

The assorted guards laughed, and a few of the mares nodded in agreement. “Aye. But at least the day is as cold as night, now, and sweat doesn’t come easy.” One of them said, causing the mares to laugh again.

“Oh, look.” Steel stopped as they neared the edge of the large apple orchard. “This is the outskirts of the town. Well, miss, welcome to Ponyville. I believe Flint should be waiting for you at the main gates. Have fun in our town. I’ll be leading the troops back to the barracks.” They bid each other goodbye, and Rarity, along with a very tired Twilight propped up by Spike, followed the young Flint to an inn.

“The streets are rather dreary, are they not?” Rarity commented as she looked at the well trodden cobbles and abandoned stalls arrayed at the edges of the street, at the puddles which lingered in potholes in the ground, and the muddy bricks that were strewn around from broken down structures.

“It’s not the best, I’ll admit.” Flint shrugged. “But it’s home.”

“Have you ever thought of living anywhere else?” Rarity asked. “I’ve heard that Antler Basin is quiet and idylic. And it’s not too far away, too.”

“Nah.” Flint shook his head. “I’m Ponyville born and I’m not gonna abandon my home town. Plus, what’ll I do if I don’t live here? Here the guard appreciates my skills, I’ve got a spot to fill. It’s nice living here.”

“I see.” Rarity had entertained ideas of leaving Canterlot when she stilled lived there. True, it was home, but she always felt that she could do much better elsewhere, since there were so many thieves in the Canterlot Underground already. She hoped that perhaps one day she could be like Flint, settling down somewhere where she would be appreciated and needed.

“Speaking of home, we’re here!” Flint said, stopping in front of a relatively large wooden structure.

Rarity stared up at the sign of the inn. “Golden Oak Inn.” She read. “Is it good?”

“As good as it gets, in this little towny.” Flint shrugged again. “My uncle owns this place, so I convinced him to let you ladies stay for a bit, cost-free.”

“Thank you, dear.” Rarity smiled. “I believe we can take it from here.”

“Stay safe.” Flint said, trotting off. Rarity pushed through the door, with Twilight staggering behind her. Fortunately the innkeeper had been expecting them and they were quickly rushed off to bed without another word. Twilight practically fell into a bed and descended into slumbers. Rarity, still with a bit of life in her, indulged herself with a small bath before following suit.

The thing about night time eternal, was that nopony had any idea when to wake. Their biological clocks were completely thrown off by the absence of sunlight, and most, if not all ponies relied on the town bell tower. Unicorns who knew clock and watch spells were marginally more well off, but only in the loosest of definitions. But it was clear that life would be completely different for everypony.

Speaking of unicorns, Ponyville’s newest visitors were slumbering away in the eternal darkness. Having travelled in pitch black and camping on the road for days, they were very much spent and appreciative of a soft bed. Even Spike, who usually preferred his passive form, indulged in the pleasures of a flesh and blood body and dozed off in a pile of pillows.

Suddenly, Twilight flailed about with her limbs, tumbling off a bed and landing in a pile on the floor, her horn buzzing loudly in her mind. A wake-up call, of sorts. She winced, calling off the spell, and clambered up to her feet.

“Twilight, dear… why are you up at this hour?” Rarity mumbled, awoken by the commotion. “It’s still dark out…”

Spike, who was used to Twilight’s night-long study sessions and early morning activities, was already up and about, gathering everything the two mares needed for their morning preparations. “It’s always dark, milady.” He quipped.

Twilight flicked an ear at the dragon. “There’s no time to lose. I’ve been tasked to reach Sunny Skies by Princess Celestia and I’m not going to fail her.”

“Yes, yes… but perhaps it might not hurt to get to know some of the locals, maybe find some allies first?” Rarity asked. “In dark times like these, friends can be invaluable assets.”

“I don’t have time to make more friends, Rarity.” Twilight said, washing up with a pan of water which Spike had brought in. “I can’t betray Princess Celestia’s trust. I’ve put off my task for long enough.”

“I dunno, Twilight… I mean, more companions would be cool. The more the merrier, right?” Spike suggested, tentatively.

“We don’t need to be merry, Spike!” Twilight finally snapped, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “We need to solve this problem, and we need to solve this problem quickly!” Spike backed away, claws held up placatingly.

“Alright! Okay, sure. Speed. Right…” The sentence trailed off when Spike realized that Twilight’s infamous temper was no longer directed at him. Instead, she was glaring at a certain young guard who had knocked on the door, after she flung it open with a burst of magic.

“What?” She demanded, irritation clear on her face.

“Uh… breakfast?” Flint tried to smile and gestured at a cart behind him.

Twilight’s scowl deepened, and the intensity of her glare increased to such a degree that Flint was forced back by the pure ferocity of the look, taking several steps back until he was combletely backed up against a wall. “We don’t have time for that, sir. Instead, have you found out where Miss Sunny Skies lives?” She asked, although to be fair she had managed to contain much of the frustrated anger that had caused the outburst in the first place.

“Now now, Twilight, you’ll be no use to anypony if you starve yourself.” Rarity said, firmly. “You have to eat, to keep up your strength. Anyway, would Sunny Skies be up at this hour?”

“But I…” Twilight hung her head in defeat, conceding to the logic in her words. “Alright, Rarity. You have a point.” She looked over at Flint apologetically. “Sorry, I got a bit frustrated by the situation.”

“S’alright.” Flint nodded understandingly. “We all got those mornings, miss.”

Twilight sighed, her posture sagging slightly. “Yeah. The events of past days are… um… tiring, I guess. So, what’s on the menu?”

“Oh, the standard. Hay-stuff, fruit, greens…” He rattled off a long list of foods, tapping a hoof everytime he named something new. “Hell, why don’t you come and see, miss?” He pushed the cart forward, and Twilight saw that the cart was loaded with food, square compartments dividing up different types of food, each covered by a clear glass lid.

Twilight peered into each compartment, and indeed, she saw a plethora of different foods. Hay-fries, lettuce, tomatoes, a variety of different fruits such as apples and oranges, and even some manner of dark red berries that Twilight did not recognise.

Flint noticed Twilight’s gaze lingering on the berries. “Blood berries, miss.” He clarified, before hastily continuing when he saw Twilight’s dismayed expression. “Only in name, of course. These berries carry magical effects, such as enhancing the senses and, when brewed into a potion, makes healing easier. Soldiers often dry them and carry them as rations before battle, which is where the name comes from, what with the spilling blood and all. Well, that and its crimson coloring.”

“Healing properties, then? Maybe it’s a variant of snowberries with an internal spell matrix to stimulate bodily functions…” Twilight hummed curiously. “I’ll have a simple salad, and could I also take a few berries for testing?”

“Testing?” Flint blinked, then nodded when he understood. “Oh, you’re one of those scholar types. Well, help yourself, miss. You’re a guest in this inn.”

Rarity trotted up to the cart. “Hello again, dear. I think I’ll take a daisy sandwich and some strawberries, if I may.”

“Of course, of course!” Flint beamed. “Take whatever you need, Miss Rarity.” Rarity smiled graciously, but chuckled inwardly at the colt’s eagerness to impress her. “If that’s all, I’ll be taking my leave. You ladies enjoy your meal now.”

They did. Not to insult Spike’s cooking, but one could only embellish camp rations to a degree. To taste real cooking from a professional chef was refreshing. After dusting off a few crumbs from the table at which they were dining, Rarity returned to tidying herself and the refreshed Twilight Sparkle leapt to her hooves with a confident smile. “Well, now that we’re all rested up, we can go find Sunny Skies, yes?”

Rarity nodded. “I see no reason why not. Flint should be downstairs, we can ask him if he could help with anything. It would also be prudent to ask around with the locals, I’ve found that sometimes important information can be gathered that way.”

Twilight shrugged. “Well, if you want to. Spike, do you want to come with, for hide for a bit?”

“Hey, yeah!” Spike grinned. “I can help with the talking. I’m a smooth talker, you know.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Nothing, Spike. Are you ready, Rarity?” Twilight glanced over at the other unicorn, who was still brushing her mane. “Uh, Rarity? You’ve been at it for at least an hour now.” Twilight, like any self-respecting mare, cared for her appearance plenty, and had her share of morning rituals to tidy herself up. But all of her procedures seemed insignificant to Rarity’s meticulous styling.

“Please, Twilight. I’ve been on the road for a fair while and I need time to properly groom myself. You go ahead, darling, I’ll be right down.” Rarity said, levitating several combs which treated her hair and tail with rapid speed. “Eech. Summoning Heartless just completely tangles up my tail. Remember, Twilight, be subtle. Don’t let more figure out what we’re doing than is absolutely necessary.”

Twilight rolled her eyes again. She thought that Rarity was rather paranoid about the situation. “If we find out anything important and you’re not down yet, we’ll give you a call, okay? Spike, let’s go.” She strode out of the room, the Arcanomicon tucked close to her side in a specially made holster, the young dragon trailing behind her.

“Hey, Miss Twilight! Over here!” The bar section of the inn was already roudy in the early morning, being the only place that served decent drink and food combos in the town. Patrons milled about, sipping at rousing drinks and breakfast, eager to catch some entertainment before the working hours. Flint sat near a circle of happily drinking ponies in construction gear and waved at her.

Twilight trotted over, ducking as a tray was flung across the room like a frisbee. “Ah, good morning, Flint.” She sat herself down at a seat that Flint had dragged over from another table. “The breakfast was nice.”

“Thank you.” Flint grinned, and one of the construction ponies snorted in disbelief. “See, Mud? I told you she’d like my cooking.”

“You cooked that?” Twilight asked in surprise. Then, noticing how rude that must’ve been, she shrunk back with an embarrased smile. “Sorry, I just… you didn’t seem like the cooking type, Flint. It was really good.”

“Aw, you flatter me.” Flint grinned. “Say, did Miss Rarity say anything about the cooking?”

“Um.” Twilight paused. Did Rarity say anything about the cooking? Twilight didn’t remember, herself too occupied by the meal. “…Yes?”

Flint raised an eyebrow. “And…?” He waved a hood for her to continue.

“Um… she liked it?”

Flint beamed, his face lit up like a miniature sun. “She did?” He turned to the construction ponies who stared at Twilight incredulously. “Hear that, lads? Fine cooking does get you mares!”

“Well…” Spike spoke up, propping himself beside his partner. “The bread is kinda soggy, the lettuce isn’t quite crisp, the cheese is chunky, but other than that it’s okay.” Flint frowned slightly.

“Spike, don’t be so rude…” Twilight began, before she was cut off by Flint.

“Nah, Miss, it’s fine. It helps to point out what I did wrong.” Flint grinned. “Thanks, little dragon. That’ll help me cook even better breakfasts.”

“Ah, speaking of…” Flint said, recalling something Rarity had asked of him. “Here - the address of Sunny Skies.” His horn flared, and from a small sack on the ground floated a sheet of paper. Twilight plucked it out of his grasp and examined it. “Yeah, it’s a map of Ponyville. You just gotta take a bend at the town square, down Buck Street and turn the corner at the end of the street. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you very much, Flint, you have no idea how important this is.” Twilight smiled, tucking the map into her saddlebags. “Well then, I think it’s about time we fetch Rarity-“

“Hey, mister.” Flint glanced at the green-and-purple dragon familiar standing beside Twilight.

“Yeah, little dragon?”

Spike held two fingers to his eyes then to him. I’m watching you. Flint narrowed his eyes. The two males’s glares met, and sparks flew between them.

“Spike, we’re going. You mind going passive for a moment?”

Spike shot one last look at the stallion before winking out of existence. Flint chuckled. Perhaps getting a mare was going to be a little more interesting than simply cooking a good breakfast.

Flint waved Twilight goodbye, then turned back to his friends who were finishing up their meal. But out of the corner of his eye, mere moments after Twilight left the inn, he noticed a hooded figure slip into the shadows.

Just as Twilight stepped out of the Inn, Rarity dropped down from the second floor, her mane done up perfectly and her cloak, now repaired and complete with golden trim and arcane runes, rippling in the wind. Landing with the barest hint of a tap, she straightened up and gave Twilight a winning smile.

“So, darling, what have you found out?” She asked, dusting herself off daintily. “I, for one, have learned much from the maid service.” Her eyes shone briefly. “Did you know that the maids here have somehow adopted Old Celestial maid costumes? Those are coming back in, I can just feel it!”

“Ahem. Focus.” Twilight coughed, breaking off Rarity’s tangent. “Anything about Sunny Skies and restoring the sun-mph!” Her voice was suddenly muffled by Rarity clamping a hoof onto her muzzle.

“Hush, Twilight! Don’t be so loud - Midnight Cultists could be everywhere.” Rarity’s eyes looked around carefully, scanning her surroundings.

“Midnight Cultists?” Twilight echoed, confused at the unfamiliar term.

“Yes, Twilight. These… Cultists apparently believe that the eternal night is some sort of blessing from the heavens.” Rarity whispered, leaning close to Twilight. “As I’ve said, darling, I’ve gleaned a lot of tid-bits from the maids in the inn. Sometimes it helps to be… social.” And wealthy, Rarity thought bitterly, mourning the loss of the scant few bits she had in the first place, used to buy the silence of the gossip-heavy maids.

“What? Are they insane?” Twilight growled, pacing angrily. “Ponies are dying in this Celestia-damned night, and they think that it’s a blessing?”

“Twilight! They may be slightly… misguided, but you mustn’t judge them so rashly!” Rarity said, sternly. “Now, as far as anypony knows, they don’t have much in terms of organization, but they do have a high priest based in Murky Deeps. Some consider the Cult the Church’s evil twin.”

Twilight, at the mention of Celestia’s church unfolded her map and studied it again. “Speaking of, it says here that Sunny Skies lives in an abandoned chapel.” She pointed at the chapel shaped block with a small scribbled note saying ‘Skies residence’. “According to the annotations, it’s been broken down for decades now. Why would she live in a derelict house?”

“Decades?” Rarity frowned. “Why, I’ve heard that the chapel was under renovation by orders of the Church itself! Work started last week, apparently. In fact, it’s making some of the resident Cult-sympathizers uneasy. They think it’s a deliberate move on the Church’s part to remove the Cult from Ponyville, and it’s got them riled up.”

She leaned in close. “One of the maids told me that the Cultists are planning to strike preemptively against the Church.” Twilight’s eyes widened, and she was about to speak when Rarity bumped shoulders with her and giggled. “Now, darling, why don’t we go and get some tea, hmm?”

Twilight glanced questioningly at her, but Rarity just shot her a look to hold off her question. “Later.” She mouthed. They picked up the pace and trotted briskly away.

Once they were clear out of earshot of the inn, Rarity gave a sigh of relief and turned to look at Twilight. “That was too close.” She smiled weakly. “I’ve gotten a bit rusty, sorry about that little unplanned exercise, darling. There was someone eavesdropping and I don’t trust the tense situation in Ponyville right now. There are about six factions wrestling for control of the streets, each of them with different agendas and two pairs of which are definitely close to blows.” She started off again at a slow pace, heading towards the town center.

“Six factions?” Twilight tilted her head curiously, following close behind the white mare.

“Well, there’s the Cult and the Church, likely close to violence though both are only minor players. The guard is directly opposed to the raiders who have gained an incredible presence in Ponyville, the Natural Advocates, who think that the day will return in time, and the Commons, the town council.”

Twilight gave a deep sigh. “And I thought that Canterlotian politics were bad. At least then Princess Celestia was there to keep things under control…”

On the rooftops, a figure cloaked in deep blue watched the two mares as they walked past, cutting out of the backalley and joining the throng of ponies milling about the main street. Her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, the figure leapt smoothly onto another rooftop. In the eternal night, her cloak rendered her practically invisible, her wings propelling her every leap and muffling her every landing. If a pony happened to look up, they’d sooner think a phantom was on the loose.

“Sunny Skies…” A raspy but feminine voice came from under the cloak. “What do those two want with her?”

“Better question: who the buck are you?” A light crunch told the mare that someone - another pegasus - had landed behind her. She whipped around, her cloak billowing in the wind, and fixed the newcomer with a cautious look. “Take your hood off!” Flint commanded, the young guard bristling suspiciously.

“…Sure.” With deliberate slowness, the mare shed her cloak. Even in the dim moonlight, her rainbow mane was clear to see, and the glinting silver wingblades and vambraces, both scratched and aged but still in fighting condition, were proof enough of her combat prowess. Her rosy eyes glared at Flint with almost as much hostility as he was regarding her, and the two pegasi eyed each other as though sizing up their prey.

“Back off, kid. You don’t know what you’re dealing with here.” Rainbow warned, flashing her wingblades intimidatingly. “You’ve been serving for… two? Three years at best?”

“Four.” Flint spat, stamping his hooves and causing the blades hidden in his bracers to pop out. “And I don’t care if I’m outta my depth. What are you planning to do with the two of them?”

“Nothing, if they don’t get in my way.” Rainbow said, glancing back to the street. She could still see Twilight and Rarity, caught in the crowd. “If they do… I’ll make sure they don’t.”

Flint growled, crouching down slightly. “I won’t let you.”

Dash stared at him, surprised at his resolve. She briefly entertained cutting him down where he stood, but she recalled her dream with Sunny Skies - she wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore. Not unless she could help it. “I’d like to see you try.” She finally settled with a simple retort, then spreading her wings and surrounding herself with nimbus energy, decreasing air resistance and smoothing her passage. Then she took off, a rainbow contrail behind her.

“Why you-!” Flint shouted, his own wings churning as he took off in a flash, barely keeping up with the speeding pegasus mare. “Get back here!”

Rainbow snorted, and rocketed forward with a flap of her nimbus-enhanced wings.

Ignorant of the highspeed chase overhead, Rarity and Twilight slowly wove their way through Ponyville’s streets. “So…” Twilight started, trying to keep up with Rarity’s rather brisk pace. “These midnight cultists… why do they think this is a blessing? Can’t they see the chaos erupting all around them?”

Rarity paused, her tail briefly flickering into Heartless form, too quickly to be caught by anyone other than Twilight. “The night isn’t all bad.” She said, finally, glancing up at the night sky. In the eternal night, the glimmering stars and the pale moon seemed more radiant than ever, brilliant constellations filling the night sky, the faint purple glow of distant nebulae adding color to the vast darkness. “There is a beauty to it, no? The mystery, the unknown allure of the great beyond…”

Twilight, contrary to Rarity’s comments, scowled angrily. “Well it’s causing problems! Ponies can’t live in this darkness, and as Princess Celestia’s pupil I have a duty to help Equestria. How could you like all of this? Monsters are out and about, ponies are panicking, and Nightmare Moon is coming back!”

Rarity, in an almost panicked manner, pressed a hoof against Twilight’s muzzle to quiet her. “Shh! Darling, you do realize most ponies don’t know the situation about Nightmare Moon and Celestia?” Twilight was silent for a moment, before her eyes widened in a look of sudden realization. Rarity resisted the urge to facehoof at the other mare’s utter obliviousness. “As far as they know, the Princess is simply not raising the sun - not missing entirely, and the longer they can believe that, the better.”

“But don’t they deserve to know what is going on? Knowledge is power, after all. If we told them-“ Twilight began, but Rarity quickly cut her off.

“Twilight, dear, if you told them a mysterious stallion appeared and assaulted the Princess, there would be widespread panic.” Rarity sighed. “You’re a smart mare, Twilight, but you need to be a little more sensitive when dealing with the simple folk.”

Twilight looked to protest, but eventually she bowed to Rarity’s wisdom and dropped her head in defeat. Rarity smiled and patted her on the back. “Your heart is in the right place, though. If Equestria’s commonfolk weren’t as easily spooked, telling them about Nightmare Moon’s return would be a decent idea… just perhaps not now.”

Suddenly, Rarity perked up, her ear twitching. “Odd. I thought I heard a shout… did I imagine that?”

Twilight looked up. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Rarity frowned, but after a few moments shrugged and the pair continued on their way.

“Just give up already!” Rainbow shouted, as she banked to the left and rolled smoothly across a rooftop, just in time to avoid Flint slicing through the air where she was only moments ago, his bladed bracers narrowly missing her tail.

Whipping around, Rainbow flared out her wings and brought her wingblades up in a single fluid motion, parrying a heavy strike from Flint’s bracers and opening up an opportunity for her to elbow the stallion in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. In a flurry of action, Rainbow spun in midair and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to Flint’s right cheek, an attack that snapped Flint’s head to the left and sent him reeling, blood leaking from a corner of his mouth.

“I warned you, kid! Don’t make me do this!” Rainbow growled, her body beginning to visibly crackle with nimbus energy, manifesting as blue lightning that run up and down her legs and wings, lighting up the rooftop the two stood upon. “Just back off, and nobody gets more hurt!”

“What, and let you endanger Miss Rarity and Sparkle? Not a chance!” Flint shouted, putting on a surprising burst of speed and barrelling towards Dash, his hooves outstretched. Surprised by his ferocity and courage, Dash was momentarily taken aback, giving him the chance to close in with his blade braces and strike at her. But the moment he entered melee range, Rainbow’s instincts kicked in, and her wingblades flashed a brilliant cerulean blue as she swung downwards towards Flint, the supercharged blades humming full of energy.

The moment the wingblades met Flint’s bracers, an explosion of sound and light erupted from the contact point of the two blades, and Flint barely had enough time to even blink before the shockwave blasted him clean into the air, sent flying by a full-fledged thunderclap just inches from where his head was.

The explosion of blue light was probably visible from a mile away. Dash swore loudly, and took off, knowing full well that more enemies were on the way. But she barely moved ten feet before a grey blur crashed into her, sending both Rainbow and Flint crashing down onto a thatched roof, the material somehow holding underneath the impact - though just barely, the interwoven hay giving dangerously under them.

Dash, the less protected of the two, was hit harder by the impact. By the time she regained her bearings, Flint had wound up a hoof and clocked her in the side of her head, before bearing down on her with his blades. Dash growled as she desperately blinked spots out of her eyes, just in time to avoid a powerful swing from Flint’s bracers. “You fucker! You trying to get yourself killed?” Dash shouted, slamming aside a hoof with her wingblades and charging up her hooves with nimbus energy.

“That lightning trick won’t work again, you criminal scum! I’ve got you trapped!” Flint roared, lunging at Dash with both blades extended.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, focused nimbus energy into her left foreleg, and swung it forward just as Flint came within range.

The subsequent thunderclap, more powerful than the last, sent Flint hurtling backwards even quicker than he had came, his smoking form sailing through the air and crashing through a window of a stone building. Dash took off after him, just to make sure he was put out of commission in the near future.

“Is this it?” Twilight stared up at the chapel structure. It was significantly smaller than she’d expected - barely large enough to hold two families, and the unicorn, accustomed to the sprawling cathedrals in Canterlot, was understandably confused at the small, dirty building. “This is where Sunny Skies lives?”

Rarity nods slowly, looking down at the map. “It says so on the map, at least. Do you want to knock, or should I?”

Before either one of them could even touch the door, however, the heavy oak slabs were slammed open, in fact almost blown off their hinges, by a wave of gold and blue energy. The clashing of steel and scraping of metal on stone rang out loudly from inside the chapel, and even though the sky was still dark as ever, it was bright as day inside, owing to the brilliant shimmering auras emanating from two of the ponies inside.

Twilight and Rarity shared one look, and immediately galloped inside.

Author's Note

I STRONGLY encourage picking my story apart for errors, as I don't have a decent editor to read through for me.
Also, feedback plox.