That Which Darkness Sends

Magic.

Why can't I use magic? Twilight was being bugged by this issue while she was walking to the castle. Maybe one of them can help. She suddenly stopped.

Spike ran into her, apparently somewhat annoyed. "Gee, Twilight. Warn me next time you do that-"

"Quiet Spike. I hear something." She listened intensely to somepony over another hill.

"I worry about Dash. What if she can't make it or is captured by a Stratadon?" one scared voice said.

"Hush, Fluttershy. I have utmost faith in Rainbow."

Rainbow? Fluttershy? Rarity? What are they doing here? Question after question filled Twilight's mind. "Fluttershy? Rarity?" Twilight called.

When Twilight had them in her field of vision, she saw three ponies. But they weren't here friends. Twilight backed up when they came rushing toward her.

"Twilight? Is that really you?" an Applejack-looking pony said.

"Of course it is," stated a blue earthpony with a pink mane. "She is almost a complete copy of her mother."

"I know right?" Spike giggled.

Twilight facehoofed. "Oh, shush Spike."

The shy teal pegasus stepped forward. "Oh, Spike!" She stopped, tilted her head, and frowned. "How did you become a filly?"

"Long story, Fluttershy."

Twilight just continued to look confused. "How does everypony know who everypony else is?"

"It's quite simple, darling," the blue earthpony said. "I'm Rarity, Fluttershy is the teal pegasus, and Applejack is... well... Applejack."

"So where are Pinkie and Rainbow?" Twilight still looked confused.

"Oh! Rainbow Dash went off somewhere to get help. I hope she's okay," Fluttershy worried.

"And Pinkie Pie was taken by one ah those 'Stratadon' thingies." Applejack turned to Rarity. "By the way, how'd ya know it was called a Stratadon?"

Rarity froze for a second. "I don't actually know. It just seemed like the right thing to say."

"I think I can answer that," called a voice coming toward them. Two unicorns trotted briskly as the white one with the blue and cyan mane continued talking. "My name is Typer Code and this," Typer motioned to the blue pony with the black and orange mane, "is my associate, Tesla Sparkle-"

"Sparkle?" Twilight interrupted. "Are you related to Twilight Velvet or Night Light?"

"Somewhat directly, but I'll tell you some other chapter." Tesla continued. "Anyway, we're scientists. For the past couple of weeks, we have been researching history, and what better way to view history than by a time machine, right?" She chuckled nervously.

"But time magic is only limited to only about a week in the past, and we aren't from any time period I know of." Twilight tapped her hoof against her chin in thought.

"Or so we thought," Typer explained. "We used almost no magic at all. I have a skill that harnesses a pure science essence. Combined with Tirek's magic that was leaked when he was defeated, our machine went haywire, sending the most plentiful energy supply, namely us eight, and sent us back in time much farther than we hoped for. Girls, welcome to two weeks before time! Well, at the current dating system. When we left, Tirek was defeated on 26/4/4, correct?" (The twenty-sixth week of the fourth year of the fourth age.)

"Hmm." Twilight put the last few pieces in place. "The absorption of Tirek's magic must have sent us back to the first time he came. But where's Celestia? Can't she battle Tirek?"

Tesla sighed. "Twilight, there are several thing she hasn't told you. Some things have been kept secret for the good of everypony. One of them was that four ages ago, a pegasus named Firefly brought a human named Megan to Ponyland. Megan obtained the Rainbow of Light and defeated Tirek's Rainbow of Darkness. If what we've seen is true, you six have been placed in the bodies of six very important ponies from this time. Rainbow Dash is probably in Firefly's body. If that's true, we need to be very careful, because we need to follow history exactly, otherwise the whole universe will collapse."

"So... we just have to wait for Rainbow to come back with... a human? Is that right?"

"Right. Meanwhile, let us tell you a few things about this place."

* * *

I need to fly faster! Curse this stupid body.

The pink blur of Firefly's body soared past the clouds. Rainbow Dash's mind, however, was hardly moving at the same speed. She could not figure out what was going on. All she knew was that she needed to get help. This meant she wasn't watching where she was going.

A well snuck up in front of her and pounced. Rainbow Dash fell to the bottom screaming.

"-whatever it is, it sure is heavy," a voice said as Rainbow was lifted by the bucket.

When she reached the top, she was as confused as the being that stood before her. It looks like some sort of monkey. I might have to ask Twilight later. Hopefully it's intelligent. "Hello."

"Talking pony..." the thing said, apparently shocked.

"I can fly, too! At least I could before my wings got soaked." Rainbow shook, most of the water getting on the other thing. "Sorry."

"W- who are you?" the thing stuttered.

"My name's Firefly." Firefly? What just happened? "What's your name?"

"Megan, a- and that's my pony TJ."

Rainbow looked behind Megan to a pony in a stable. Obviously not intelligent. She began walking around. How to get out of here...

"Hey!" Megan called. "Firefly, where are you going? Slow down!"

Rainbow stopped at the edge of a cliff. "Yep, yep, yep, looks high enough."

"High enough for what?"

This is insane. "Hop on!" Silence. "Uh, you- you do know how to ride, I hope?" Yep. Completely insane.

"'Course I know how to ride!"

Drat. "Great!" Megan got on Rainbow and she started running again.

"Hey, where are we going?" Megan almost fell over.

Don't know. "To help my friends, they need you!"

"Me? What can I do?"

Also don't know. "You're strong."

"No I'm not!"

"You can fight!"

"No I can't!"

Celestia, I hope this works. "And, you can fly!"

"I said I could ride, not fly!"

"My friends are just gonna love you!" Especially Twilight. Heh heh heh. Rainbow leapt of the cliff and struggled to maintain balance.

"No they won't!" Megan screamed.

"Pony feathers!" Rainbow Dash cracked a grin, thinking of a way to see if she was capable of saving Ponyland or whatever it's called. Maybe with a song I can warm up to her, and then I can find out what she is. She cleared her throat as a tune started playing in the background.

"They'll be dancing on air when they meet you..."

* * *

The cell door slammed shut in Pinkie Pie's face. Scorpan locked the door and trudged to another room.

Moondancer quietly whispered to Pinkie, "What's happening, Cotton Candy? Why are we locked inside of a giant dark castle surrounded by a most in the middle of the night?"

"Quiet, Moony," Pinkie interrupted, reaching her head through the bars as far as she could. "I'm trying to hear." Listening very carefully, she could just make out a duo of voices.

"We have captured two of the little ponies, Master." That voice was undoubtedly Scorpan's.

"Two ponies, you say?" came a more sinister voice that was somewhat familiar. "Only two?"

"Yes, Mas-ter." Scorpan's voice was loaded with mockery.

The second voice became furious. "But I need four ponies for my chariot, not two, not three, four!"

A third, younger voice entered the scene. "Yeah, yeah, but he tried to get 'em, Master, I mean honest, he really and truly tried, I-"

"SILENCE!" boomed the Master. "You will prepare another raid, Scorpan. Now!"

"As you wish, Master."

"That is precisely what I wish."

Pinkie Pie heard two of the voices leave the room, and in the silence she heard a faint heartbeat pulsing darkly.

"What'd they say, Cotton?" Moondancer asked.

"It's terrible, Moon." Pinkie shook her head. "Scorpan's master wants four ponies to pull his chariot."

"How would that work? We aren't pegasi."

"I don't know. I'll keep listening."