The Future Sucks

Expert from “Observations on the Far North of the Equestrian Continent” by Scotus Falcon, OGK (Order of the Griffin Kingdoms)

Long before the tyranny of King Sombra the monastic city state calling itself the Crystal Empire was a major power in the north of Equestria. Its forces patrolled the north taming the wilds left by the great migration of the three other pony tribes to the south. They held this power due to a legendary weapon; the Crystal Lance, an artifact designed to make the holder and his army invincible in combat. Sources tell me that traditionally when an emperor died his sons would duel for their throne in a grand tournament. And so it was with the death of Emperor Adamas his son Nova ascended to the throne. However the great General Dilithius protested advocating all major figures be given a chance to compete and, not just the Imperial Family. When he was denied he stole the lance and raised his banner in revolt. There was a great war in the north but with the power of the lance the general was unstoppable and was soon in the throne room, the emperor impaled on the lance. But through his berserk rage he heard the cry of a babe and saw a pink filly Pegasus nuzzling her dead mother at the back of the room. Then he heard the heard the screams and the sound of burning and was overcome with grief. And in his sorrow he smashed the lance into three and called an immediate cease to the violence. He swore to rule as regent for the young princess and marked a new age of peace by scattering the three pieces of the lance (the staff, the handle and the blade)to the corners of Equestria. Of course this absolute pacifism is what led to its fall to King Sombra and its disappearance. But rumors still persist about the lance that if the pieces were united the user would become an unstoppable warrior. Or at least according to local legend.

This book lay open on the desk in the study of the zeppelin where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy now lived with said explorer. The pages flipped over to observations on northern flora as the cyan Pegasus sped from one side of the room to the other. It had been five years and they still hadn’t come any closer to finding the pieces of the lance. She’d searched very relevant book in the study and could find nothing. Still that didn’t stop her from still purging the shelves for any lead that would stop the Wonderbolts getting their hooves on it. It wasn’t much but it was the least she could’ve done seeing as how Scotus had dragged her and Fluttershy across half the world from the grasslands of the far south to the volcanic islands where the dragons made their home all to compose another book. And as if that wasn’t enough when he’d finally decided to return to Equestria he’d insisted on circumnavigating the globe before realizing the earth was flat after they nearly fell off. Then finally they started to head Equestriaward but not before he’d stopped in Gryphon City again to deliver a speech admitting his folly.

Given all this time had passed Rainbow had virtually memorized every book in the study as well as writing the next few Daring Do books based on her adventures. Those expeditions hadn’t been fruitless. She had gotten some treasures of her own such as the Wyrmstone, a protective artifact which she’d stolen from the Lord of the Dragon Isles. But if derailing a mission against her mission to do bogus favors for a fellow adventurer was the cost, She wasn’t sure she wanted in, even if Daring was out of commission.

She was still musing on these thoughts when Fluttershy came into the room.

“Uh Rainbow.”

Rainbow spun round, exasperated “What!?  Oh sorry Fluttershy. What is it?”

“Um, I just wanted to tell you that supper’s nearly ready.”

“Ok, sorry about that. I was just frustrated that I still have no idea of where the pieces of the lance are.”

“It’s OK Rainbow. We’ll find them soon enough.”

“Its been five years and most of it was spent being dragged around by that pompous, senile birdbrain all to write field journals.”

“If Daring could help us she would. But she can’t and Scotus is an old friend from that Griffins Goblet exploit.”

“And while we’re nearly getting killed by volcanoes and falling off the world the Wonderbolts could’ve found a piece by now.”

“Just be grateful we’re heading to Equestria right now, the Crystal Empire no less.”

Dash sighed “Yeah I suppose you’re right. I just wish Daring Do was still alive.”

*

Soon the three of them were sitting in the dining room which also doubled as the kitchen because the study took up the whole front of the pod eating salad and mushroom stew.

“Excellent nosh, as always Fluttershy, old gal” said Scotus tucking into his stew”I’ll be sad to see you go.” Rainbow hadn’t been exaggerating when she called him pompous and senile. The griffin explorer did cut the image of high society stuffiness with his impressive mustache, brass monocle and bell-buttoned, frilled jacket.

“Speaking of which” put in Rainbow Dash “when are we gonna arrive at the Crystal Empire?”

“About a few days. Have to circle round the mountains and come down from the north, don’t you know. If you two are fugitives you can’t be seen in Equestrian airspace wot.”

“Yeah I suppose you’re right” Rainbow said.

“I’ve always meant  to go back to the north as well. Brings back such memories about the last time I was here. Daring convinced me, ya know.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanged a look. They had arrived at Daring Do again. Writer, archaeologist, hero extinguished in her prime by an unexpected foe. Her mind drifted to that day as Scotus rambled on about something she could find in his book anyway.

*

It had been just another day in Ponyville or as normal as it could be in the dusk before these dark times. Granny Smith had just had an argument with her new business partners the Flim Flam Brothers and had collapsed and she and the others had gone to be with Applejack at the hospital. The nurse had just declared visiting time over and they wandered out. She was already feeling sad for her friend but a fleeting glance into a nearby ward chilled her to the bone. There was a tan Pegasus lying on a hospital bed wearing bandages and casts. Her hero the legendary Daring Do or rather the author A.K Yearling, broken and defeated. Without thinking she’d walked into the ward, shaking with every step. The staff had  moved to intercept her but her hero had beckoned her to her side.

“S’OK. She’s not just a fan” she’d grunted.

“Miss D-Yearling, what happened? Who did this?”

“Journal will explain everything…Elixir of Life…too late… wrong hooves…”

“Auhuitzotl? Where is he? What d’you want me to do?”

“He’s dead…But…wasn’t him…trying to stop them…gave himself to save me…”

“Who’s them? Why did they…?”

But her questioning was answered by the sound of necks being snapped and hooves on the tiled floor. Rainbows head turned round slowly. The Wonderbolts were standing in the doorway, the bodies of the staff on the floor and Soarin closing the door.

“Oh, how unlucky” Spitfire had said “I was hoping for no interruptions. But you’ve seen how it is. You’re friends are your weakness. They hold you back. This is what you’ve always wanted. Join us in this endeavor and fulfill your dreams. Fulfill your duty.”

Ok maybe she hadn’t said it as on the nose as that but that was the basic gist as she held out a Wonderbolts badge. But her answer still rang in her ears as she took it, recent events crashing over her like a typhoon.

“Not on your life”

With a flick over hoof she’d thrown the badge like a throwing star right at Spitfires face. Had her aim been better it would’ve pierced her brain and killed her, but as it was it just glanced off. But this gave her enough of a distraction to grab Daring Do’s journal from her bedside table and sped towards the door knocking them down like bowling pins. She’d had to go into hiding since then, in the cave on the mountain where her pal Fluttershy had confronted her fear of dragons. She heard news in her hideout. The Apples losing the farm. Blueblood’s revolution. And of course, the Wonderbolts coup.  Soon she knew that she had to leave Equestria. So she  flew back to Ponyville finding only Fluttershy as the last pony on the Council of Friendship still alive and loyal and together they’d escaped to the Griffin Kingdoms where these five years of fools errands had started.

“Oh goodness, is that the time?” Scotus’ voice broke through her flashback “You two had best get to bed quick-sharp. I’ll take first shift at the wheel.”

“Scotus Falcon may reek of pomp and circumstance” Rainbow thought as she and Fluttershy went to the shared sleeping quarters “but he was still well-mannered.”