That Which Darkness Sends

"...so all of you have to use you bodies' names. Got it?" Typer got finished explaining some rules about time travel when he was interrupted by Rarity.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed. "Girls, I see Rainbow up there in the clouds! And she seems to be carrying something."

"Bowtie, I just got finished explaining not to say our names," Typer scolded.

Everypony else got the hint and continued to shout "Firefly, Firefly!" and whatnot.

Rainbow Dash landed and Megan dismounted. "This is Megan, everypony," she said. "She's here to help us!"

The cheered again. Megan and Rainbow walked over to Twilight's group. While Applejack and Rarity were asking what Megan was, Twilight just stood speechless.

"She... she's a human," Twilight said. The ponies turned confusedly to Twilight. "The magic mirror incident with Sunset Shimmer about a year ago. The other end of the portal led to her world."

"So you mean that-" Rarity was cut off by thunder and dark clouds. "Oh, no, not again. Run, everypony, run!"

Stratadons flew down from the sky, maneuvering to capture anyone within reach. Megan, unfortunately, was. One of the large dragon creatures nabbed Megan by the arms.

"Somepony do something!" a unicorn yelled.

"The Double Inside-Out Loop!" Fluttershy shouted.

Rainbow Dash took off for the Stratadon holding Megan. "It's the only way!"

Before we continue, I must explain something. The Double Inside-Out Loop was an aerial maneuver created by Firefly as one of those insane stunts that pegasi always blindly strive for. Back then it might have seemed very complex, but it's really not. Rainbow knew what it was instinctively, or maybe it was the fact that she was in Firefly's body. Now let us continue this exciting adventure.

Rainbow didn't even break a sweat as she performed... well... the Double Inside-Out Loop. The Stratadon became irate at the flying pest and dropped Megan. Scorpan saw the whole thing and caught Megan, setting her on the grass safely.

"Leave this land," he boomed. "This battle is not yours!" The hoard started to fly away, the storm following like a dark mist.

Megan jumped up and screamed. "What are you doing, you... you... you beast! You're a monster, do you hear me? A monster!"

Rainbow, exhausted from Firefly's lesser-fit body, landed next to Megan. "See? Whew! You are strong!"

"Am not," Megan pouted. "He just got me mad, that's all. Now come on. We'll save our friends, somehow."

Everypony... err, everyone slowly trudged back to the Dream Castle, lost in the sentimental moment. Tesla, not being one for sentimentality, suddenly noticed two were gone from their group of nine. Spinning around, she saw Twilight quietly sobbing to herself by the creek she first appeared by.

"Twilight, is something wrong?" she asked walking toward her.

Twilight barely even moved. "They took Spike. The beasts, they took him and some other mare. Even in his filly form, he's still too young to do anything."

"C'mon, Twilight. Hopefully this place has a library. Maybe we can find someone to help us, even send us home. Would you like that?"

Twilight stood up and wiped a tear away with a hoof. "Yeah, I think I would." She gave a small smile. "A little research always helps anyway."

The two caught up with the group, now of eight, unaware of what was happening at the Midnight Castle.

* * *

The four captured ponies begged for the Master of Midnight Castle shrouded in darkness to let them go.

"SILENCE!" He ordered. The ponies were instantly quiet. "That's better. Guards remove the small one." Spike was dragged a little ways away.

"You won't hurt Ember?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"She's too small to pull my Chariot of Midnight, as you should have known, Scorpan. But you three will do for now..." The figure stepped into the light.

Pinkie gasped in horror, for the Master of Midnight Castle was none other than Tirek, master of dark magic and all around not a really nice guy. The black centaur just last week tried to steal all the magic from all four races of ponies. Well, to Pinkie it was last week. To everypony else, it was four ages in the future.

Tirek stood up, revealing a pulsating black bag around his neck. "Behold, the power of darkness!" He opened the bag, and a dark wind poured out and engulfed the three ponies. Instantly, Pinkie Pie was filled with uncontrollable rage as she was transformed into a monstrous dragon-esque creature, more ferocious than a Stratadon.

Pinkie felt hatred. Hatred toward her friends who betrayed her. They let her get captured. The only one she trusted was Tirek. He was the only one who could help her. No, she didn't want help. She owed everything to him, and she would not let him down. She would follow him to the ends of the world if she had to.

"What's happened to my friends?" Spike cried.

"They belong to me now." Tirek turned to Scorpan. "And Scorpan, if by midnight I do not have a fourth pony, a head will roll." He pointed at a purple baby dragon being held by a guard. "His!"

Spike and... well, Spike were taken by the guards to another cell, waiting for midnight to come.

* * *

The group of eight set off through the forest. Twilight had studied for a couple hours, and she had found all she needed.

"The Moochick has magical powers. He'll help us!" Twilight exclaimed as they crossed over a simple rope bridge.

Rarity nodded. "He lives in the Mushromp over there." She had been the one to read where the Moochick lived.

Applejack noticed a large wooden slat missing, showing her the deep chasm below. "This bridge doesn't feel very safe..."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's safe."

Applejack kept over the gap, just barely grasping onto the other side. Unfortunately, hooves weren't good for holding, and she fell backwards into the rushing water below.

"I'll save her!" Megan jumped blindly into the depths. Both of them disappeared.

"Applejack! Megan!" Twilight rushed over to where they were. "They... they're gone. How are we supposed to defeat Tirek now?"

"Wait." Typer stopped. "What's that noise? It sounds like... No! Singing!"

"You're right," Fluttershy said. "I hear it too. I'm surprised that the Magic of Music existed this far back."

"But it's coming from below us," Twilight observed.

"D'oh!" Typer facehoofed. "It's the seaponies. I forgot about them. They live around here."

"You mean those carnivorous beasts are here too?" Twilight gasped. "They eat your flesh while you're drowning, those finned monsters. It's a good thing we cast them out of Equestria. But I guess Applejack and Megan really are gone..."

"N- no, Twilight." Tesla put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "The seaponies only became wild sometime later in history. They're just another race of pony in this time."

They heard a splash far downstream. Rainbow Dash was the first to see them.

"It's Megan and Applejack!" she called.

Twilight was very relieved. "They're alright!"

"The Seaponies saved us!" Megan exclaimed.

Applejack nodded. "It was great!"

"If you need us again," a seapony shouted. "Just call!" She tossed a shell at Megan. The other seaponies began 'shoo-be-dooing' again as they dove back to the deep.

Megan caught it and waved to them. "Thanks, seaponies!"

Most of the group continued on like nothing happened. Twilight still stood awestruck.

"Was I the only one that just saw vicious, carnivorous fish/pony hybrids sing and dance?"

Tesla chuckled. "I'll lend you some first-age history books when we get home. Now come on. We have a Moochick to find."