That Which Darkness Sends

Twilight, oddly enough, did not feel dead. She felt normal, laying down just like she normally would. She opened her eyes, and sure enough, she was not dead. She was laying on a green field of grass, and there appeared to be a creek running down in front of her. Next to her, she saw an odd-looking lavender filly who looked just as puzzled as Twilight.

"Aww, I blew up the house, didn't I, Spike?"

"Yes, you did. But it was really cool though!"

The same thing happened just like last time. Another Stratadon attack, Rainbow goes to get Megan, and the ponies wait for them. Unfortunately, something was already wrong on Earth.

* * *

Rainbow Dash flew through the air, wondering how the thick cloud layer was a portal between worlds. But it didn't matter, as she saw the right clouds that sent her to Earth. She tucked into a ball, preparing to land in the well like the other two times. This time, however, she glanced down and saw Megan already running toward her. This was really strange, because the other times, Megan always ran to her after she crashed into the well. Rainbow would have spent more time thinking about this, except the well snuck up on her again - but this time, she collided with the wall.

"Rainbow Dash!" Megan cried. "Are you okay?"

Rainbow just sat there, dazed from the 50 mile-per-hour collision. "Hello. I can fly too! Sorry. Firefly!" She shook her head. "Oh, hi Megan. I hit my head and... Megan! You remember me!"

"Yeah, I guess I do. Is that what it feels like to die? Because suddenly coming to my senses standing up on earth after spending four months in Ponyland is very startling, and I just wondered if I died."

"Almost. You just got sent back to the time that we always start at. Now quickly hop on! Twilight might know why you remember!"

* * *

"I don't know why she remembers," Twilight confessed.

"Ooh, ooh! I think I know," Pinkie Pie said with her hoof in the air. "Your smarty smartyness look burned the memories into her forever or she can use magic and she can teleport or the Element powers backlashed and she's just like us or Discord is here and-"

Twilight held up a hoof. "Wait. Say that again."

"Discord is here."

"No, before that."

"She has magic."

"After that."

"Discord is here."

Twilight facehoofed. "In between those two."

"The Elements' powers backlashed and caused Megan to keep her memories."

"Of course! It makes sense now! The Harmony Rainbow must have linked to Megan, who was already connected to the Light Rainbow, and she now is just like us! Do you know what this means?"

"I can live forever?" Megan guessed.

"Yes, but it also means that Harmony works! I think I have an idea."

* * *

The group, now dubbed the 'Lights' (Pinkie's idea for some reason because Light versus Dark yes get on with it) gathered together. Twilight was confident that the whole group together now could defeat Tirek using Harmony.

"-always has more than one ray. You need a magic, Tirek. The magic of harmony and friendship!" The giant glowing rainbow laser of death arced over Twilight toward the Rainbow of Darkness. The shockwave from the meeting of Light and Dark could be heard from back at the Dream Castle.

The dust cleared away, revealing a cackling Tirek. "I don't need your friendship, little ponies. The Rainbow of Darkness is enough to end life as you know it. The Rainbow of Darkness, against the Rainbow of Light, now begins the reign of the Never-Ending Night!"

* * *

Twilight, oddly enough, did not feel dead. She felt normal, laying down just like she normally would. She opened her eyes, and sure enough, she was not dead and dangit I really need a new opener each time this happens.

I really thought that would work, Twilight thought. "Come on, Spike. Let's hide in the creek again."

They waited for the Stratadons to come. They waited... and waited... and waited. Finally, Applejack came and brought Twilight to the rest of the Lights. Typer and Tesla once again looked like they were on the edge of insanity.

"No... That was only the third time! It's too early to be happening! Oh noohnoohno. Why is it happening so early?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I assume the Stratadons not coming isn't supposed to happen?"

Typer continued to pace in circles. Tesla tried to snap him out of it, with no success. She explained his nervousness for him. "Just having multiple loops should change the outcome just a little bit, but it is too soon for it to happen. Something must have happened last time to cause this."

"Megan got her memories," stated Applejack.

"Rainbow Dash hit her head really hard," Fluttershy stuttered, still concerned.

"Insert idea here," Pinkie offered.

"We lost to Tirek... again," Rarity flatly said.

"You know how we shot Megan with the Rainbow, and then did that to Tirek?" Twilight figured. "I think the same thing happened to her also happened to him, maybe to Spike and Scorpan too."

"Great," Rainbow summed up. "We, eight immortal ponies from the future, one immortal ex-dragon, and an immortal human, are up against an immortal centaur with an army of dragon beasts."

A loud thud was heard as the last being they expected to see landed. Scorpan set Spike on the ground. "Don't forget about us."

Twilight felt relieved. "Thank you, Scorpan. We need all the help we can get."

* * *

The Lights with its new members set out again to get the Rainbow of Light, but something was amiss. It struck Typer like a hammer to a bell. He pulled Tesla back behind everyone else, and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and replied. Typer trotted ahead again, and Tesla motioned to Twilight that they needed to talk. Twilight and Tesla slowed to a stop. The rest of the group kept going, oblivious to the fact that two of its members were gone.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"Twilight, I'm worried about you," Tesla said. "You aren't afraid of anything that has happened. You don't even seem the slightest bit pessimistic. What's more, you seem way too cheery, just taking everything in stride."

Twilight cast a frightful glance at the group and did a quick calculation of their distance. Satisfied, her foreleg shot up to Tesla's neck faster than Rainbow Dash could fly and pinned her against a tree.

"The last time I experienced time travel like this," she began, ignoring Tesla's squirms, "I so dearly hoped it would be the last time. I lived for years, alone in isolation. I thought I couldn't handle it again." Tesla caught the tiniest glimpse of a crazed grin coming from the pink unicorn. "But look where I am now. I still can't process it yet, that it happened again. I would never wish it on my worst enemy, yet it happened to my best friends. I cannot - no, will not - ever keep my friends from going insane like I did."

Twilight's hoof recoiled, letting Tesla drop to the ground, gasping for life-giving oxygen. Twilight turned and sulked back to the Lights

* * *

When she rejoined the rest of the Lights, Twilight explained the goings on, as well as explaining what they could do now.

"First, you tried to use the Rainbow of Light," said Scorpan as he tried to understand. "Then you tried to use the Rainbow of Harmony not one, but two times." He shook his head. "The future is filled with idiots. Have you ever tried to use more than one power?"

The Lights exchanged nervous glances. It was apparent what must be done. They once again for the fourth time arrived at the Mushromp. The Moochick was less than happy to see them.

"Scorpan! Ponies, do you know what he has done? Why is he following you?"

Megan tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, Mr. Moochick. He is going to help us defeat Tirek with the the Rainbow of Light."

The familiar crack of thunder by the Rainbow of Darkness was heard as the moon was blotted out in an instant.

"No! See, that's what happens when you bring Tirek's assistant here! There is no hope for you now. I must go." The Moochick vanished into thin air, leaving behind a familiar heart shaped locket. Megan picked it up, but she was frightened by a sinister voice behind her.

"Go ahead, it won't help," Tirek cackled. The dark fog came until it hit the Mushromp. At the edge, it stopped advancing. "I have decided that killing you isn't good enough. You will be forced to live through torture, until you break. Then you will be my slaves."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash rebelled. "How will you make us do that?"

The fog slowly started to envelop the Mushromp. Tirek laughed, casting the endgame spell. "The Rainbow of Darkness, without Light or Harmony, will make you will spend the rest of your days serving me!"