Embrace the darkness

"TWILIGHT YOU'RE OKAY!!!!" Twilight braced herself as the purple baby dragon raced across the room and tackled her in a massive hug. "I wanted to stay with you at the hospital, but seeing you just laying there not moving....." Spike's voice broke and he held Twilight closer. "So I decided to fix up the old room you used to stay in when you were a filly."

"Oh Spike." Twilight whispered nuzzling her baby dragon. "You've always been my number one assistant."

"Wow Spike!" Rainbow said looking around the room, "you did an amazingly awesome job with the room."

"Thanks Rainbow. I also bought yours and Twi's luggage with me, and used the blanket Rarity made you to make the bed." Twilight stood and dusted herself off before grabbing Spike in a hug nuzzling him again.

"And that's why you're always my number one assistant." Spike yawned loudly before falling limp in Twilight's embrace and snoring loudly. "Oh Spike, as always you're an amazingly hard worker." Twilight placed the sleeping reptile on the bed and with one last nuzzle went to unpack their luggage.

"So Sparkles," Rainbow said walking slowly up to her girlfriend, "want to do some studying together." Twilight looked up from her task and her wings -POMFED- open when she saw the book Rainbow wanted to study with her. "Then I wouldn't mind doing a few tests afterwards."

"Hmmm....Does Dashie want to learn something new?" Twilight said, seductively stalking towards the pegasus. Rainbow backed away as Twilight's body became language became more assertive, and her grin more mischievous. "Looks like Dashie is an egghead after all. And what does Dashie want to study from the book?"

"I was thinking we flipped to a random page and went from there." Twilight continued walking forward until she stood over her lover.

"Sounds good to me." Twilight said tracing the tip of her wing across Rainbow's body.

"Just one thing," Rainbow said wrapping her forelegs around Twilight's body before reversing their positions, "you were on top last time, my turn now." Twilight considered mutiny for a moment, after all if anyone should be doing any teaching it should be her. But that would be breaking their rules, and the promises they had made to each other.

"What does mistress Dash want?" Twilight asked. Before Rainbow could answer, hoofsteps sounded out the door and the two lovers broke apart before their five friends walked in with Princess Luna.

"You may leave us." Luna instructed.

"But..."Applejack began.

"What I have to say to Princess Twilight Sparkle, is for the ears of royalty only. If Princess Twilight Sparkle deems fit to tell you this information then you will be told. NOW LEAVE!" Luna's eyes flashed white and she stamped her hooves on the flagstones causing them to crack. All the ponies ran out of the room, expect for Rainbow Dash who stood protectively in front of Twilight. "I SAID LEAVE!!!" Luna's horn glowed and Rainbow was teleported out of the room, Luna slammed the door shut and rounded angrily on Twilight. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH. YOU WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO STUDY THE LOST RUNE AND REPORT YOUR FINDINGS TO CELESTIA. YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE DANGER YOU HAVE PUT YOURSELF AND THE WHOLE OF EQUESTRIA IN. THE LOST RUNE IS THE MOST POWERFUL AND DARKEST OF ALL MAGIC, IT CORRUPTS ITS HOST'S SOUL UNTIL THEY ARE COMPLETELY LOST TO DARKNESS!!!!!"

"Princess Luna please....."

"SILENCE!!!" A huge wave of magic rushed towards Twilight grabbing her in its power immobilizing her limbs and stealing her voice, before wrapping around her horn neutralizing her magic. "YOU DO NOT TALK UNTIL I TELL YOU TO!!" Twilight's runes began glowing absorbing Luna's magic and making her spell useless, and she sagged in relief at having use of her body back. Twilight snarled, electric dark blue energy crackling around her body, as she rose into the air without the assistance of her wings. Runes began forming in the air behind her......

"Twilight! Luna! Enough!" They both turned as Celestia walked into the room looking disappointed.

"Forgive me sister. Forgive me Twilight." Luna said bowing her head, "I did not mean to lose my temper like this." Twilight lowered herself to the ground rubbing her throbbing head as her runes stopped glowing.

"Oh hello Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. What can I help you with?"

"We just came to tell you dinner will be served shortly."

"Well thankyou for that, I'll be sure to have the girls there in time."

"Thankyou Twilight, we'll let you get back to your unpacking." Twilight bowed as the two sisters walked out of the room and found Spike hiding underneath the bed.

"What are you doing underneath there Spike?" Twilight asked pulling him out of from the bed, "we need to start unpacking."

"Everything okay?" Rainbow asked walking into the room, with rest of her friends.

"Of course Rainbow, why wouldn't everything be okay? I'm in Canterlot with my new friends, and we're about to have dinner with Princess..... WHAT IN CELESTIA'S NAME! IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE RAINBOW DASH??!! Twilight pulled the blanket off the bed and held it in front of Rainbow's face.

"Uhh....That's the blanket Rarity made us for winter, remember."

"Why would she do something like that for?" For the first time in her life Rainbow was completely speechless. Twilight had forgotten they were special someponies.

"Twilight dear, I wanted to do something special for you and Rainbow so you could be closer during the winter."

"Awww...Rarity that is so sweet of you, I'm sure Rainbow's going to love it."

"What in the hoof is going on here." Applejack demanded, "you're acting crazier than Pinkie Pie. How could you forget you and Rainbow are special someponies?"

"Applejack! How could you say something like that? I would never forget that Dashie is my special somepony."

"Maybe we should get to dinner before...."

"Dinner?" Twilight interrupted, "I haven't even had breakfast yet. How could it be...." Twilight stopped talking when she noticed it was almost dark outside. "Huh....weird." Twilight muttered walking out the door.

"We really need to find out what's going on with my girlfriend." Rainbow said once Twilight was out of earshot.

"Maybe she's just tired," Fluttershy suggested, "she has been through a lot these past few days." '

"Ah think whatever's happening to our Twi, has something to do with those runes she carved into herself." The five friends walked after the Alicorn and found her in the hallway staring out one of the windows rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Girls I've figured it out!" Twilight said jumping in the middle of the group. "The Elements of Harmony are back in Ponyville. Now we can finally stop Discord."

"Uhh...Twilight....Discord is...reformed...remember?"

"What are you talking about Fluttershy? Of course Discord is reformed, we wouldn't be letting him run around if he wasn't. Now come on, we don't want to be late for dinner." Feeling more confused than ever the five ponies followed Twilight to the dining hall where several plates of large food were set up for them.

"Hello my little ponies." Celestia greeted. "We have a lot to discuss. But first let's eat."

"Umm...Princess Celestia?"

"Yes Rainbow Dash."

"It's just there's something weird going on with Twilight. It's like her mind's in a dozen different places at once, she even forgot we were special someponi... " Rainbow's voice broke and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"What are you talking about Dashie? I would never forget that." Just then Luna teleported into the room.

"There's a lot of things we need to tell you, it's best we get started right away." The ponies took a seat at the table and they began placing food onto their plates.

"First of all," Applejack began, "what the hay is going on with Twilight, ever since she put those runes on herself she's been acting strange."

"It's perfectly normal for this kind of magic," Celestia explained, "Twilight will experience bouts of memory loss, and sometimes she won't remember where she is or what she is doing. It is simply the effects of the runes adjusting themselves to her mind and body, I assure you the effects won't be permanent, and in a day or two she'll be completely back to normal."

"So Rainbow," Twilight said, nervously tapping her hoofs together, "I was wandering maybe...you'd...consider...going to dinner with me sometime next week?" Everypony at the table paused with a piece of food halfway to their mouths and stared at Twilight, who shrunk down in her seat until her eyes were the only thing above the table. "I realize it's a bit unusual because we're both mares, but I want to give it a shot with you Rainbow." Celestia leaned down to whisper in Rainbow's ear.

"It's best if you go along with whatever she says, it'll be easier on her." Rainbow nodded and rubbed the back of her mane nervously. This was going to be so awkward.

"I wouldn't mind going to dinner with you, but only if we catch a movie first." Twilight's ears perked up and she rose a little higher in her seat.

"Really?"

"Of course, I've actually had a bit of a crush on you for a while now. I just didn't know how to tell you." Rainbow's cheeks flamed to life and she looked away from the Alicorn.

"Was this how the two of got together?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah...."Rainbow sighed. "That was the best night of my life."

"Aww....Dashie that is so sweet of you say. But I always thought the first night we spent together at your house was the best night of your life."

"It came close, but our first date will always be the best night of my life. Without that night we'd never have become special someponies" Celestia’s horn glowed and their dinner disappeared to be replaced with delicious looking desserts.

“It is time now to discuss more serious matters. I’ve had reports coming in that a blizzard from the Everfree forest was destroyed by a dragon saving the town from a early winter. But now looking at you Twilight, I can surmise that you used the phoenix rune to destroy the blizzard.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably and teleported to the other side of the table so she could sit beside her lover.

“When Rainbow didn’t come back with the other weather ponies I knew she was in trouble, so I had Spike breath as much dragon fire on me as possible to charge the phoenix rune so I wouldn’t die when looking for Rainbow. I found her badly hurt half buried in the snow, I thought she was dead so I used the phoenix rune to destroy the blizzard. I must have used too much energy because I woke up in the hospital without remembering how I got there.”

“The thing that concerns us Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said pushing away her plate of untouched desert, “is the amount of extreme power you were able to use. That kind of level should have only been accessible after a few weeks, but you were able to reach it in a matter of hours. Even Star Swirl the Bearded couldn’t have done that.”

“Wait a minute, Star Swirl never mentioned any of this in his notes. He also didn’t mention the Lost Rune being dark magic, if he had I never would have placed it upon myself.” Celestia rose from her chair and walked out of the room returning with a chest held in her magical grasp.

“We only sent you the information you would need to use in order to study it. There’s a lot more you don’t know about the Rune’s power, and the only reason we’re telling you this now is because you need to know what you’re up against.”

“Ah have a question,” Applejack said, “if this rune is as dangerous as you’re making it out to be, why in hell would you let her study it in the first place. Surely you knew she would see if it actually worked

“I only gave her the instructions to study the rune, and I expected her to do only just that.”

“Uh-huh. And did you specify that she wasn’t to try and use it? Because unless you do of course she’s going to try and create it herself, that’s who she is.” Celestia held up a hoof to stop any further conversation and opened the chest. She pulled several scrolls from it, and a thin book.

“When Star Swirl the Bearded realized just how dangerous the Lost Rune was, he created a way to separate its powers from the runes carved on his body into an inanimate object, he called this process inhibiting. While he wasn’t wearing the object the Lost Rune was powerless, but the more he wore the object the harder he found it to let go. Eventually he realized he was becoming addicted to its power so he hid everything he had ever wrote in a chest away from the rest of the world.” Twilight frowned thoughtfully.

“But why did he create the rune in the first place, he was already the most powerful being in his era.” Celestia placed several scrolls back into the chest and after removing several pages from the book she placed that with the scrolls and handed the chest to Twilight.

“That Twilight, is something I cannot tell you now. The answers you seek are in that chest and can only be known by you, and you cannot tell another living soul what you are about to discover, that is an order, and one you cannot disobey. You may start your studies tonight.”

“Great.” Rainbow muttered. “Now we’ll never get to study that new book.” Twilight smiled and gave gave Rainbow a quick nuzzle before whispering in her ear.

“Don’t worry Dashie, I’ll make time for my little egghead.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, then sighed contently as Twilight began running a her hoof softly through her feathers. Rainbow opened her wings slightly so Twilight could rub her wing joints and practically drooled when her lover willing obliged. Celestia cleared her throat getting the ponies attention once more.

“Now then as I’m sure you’re all aware the Equestrian Games are coming up in a week’s time, and Ponyville has been chosen to host them.”

“WHAT!” The group of friends said simultaneously.

“But how is Ponyville going to host such a large event?” Twilight asked.

“These games are going to be slightly different than what you’re used to. At the end of every decade the Equestrian Games hosts a dangerous and deadly competition, this competition is only open to the more powerful unicorns and Alicorns. It involves going into Tartarus and finding certain artifacts. I have tried to disband this, but unfortunately it has been set in the rules when the games were created, so I cannot. But it is of utmost importance that one particular artifact is found by you Twilight. It cannot fall into the wrong hoofs, or Equestria will be in grave danger.” Twilight stopped messaging Rainbow’s wings and looked over at the princess.

“So you want me to enter into this competition, go into Tartarus where Equestria’s most evil dark creatures live, and find this artifact, my I ask what this artifact is?” This time it was Luna who spoke.

“It is a jewel that can be used to open portals to different worlds and dimensions, with it a pony can bring creatures from other worlds into Equestria.” For some reason Twilight felt dissatisfied with their answer. They were asking her to put so much on the line by entering the Dark Realm, when they were just as capable of entering it themselves and collecting the Dimension Gem.

“We would do it ourselves,” Celestia said as though reading her mind. “But the rules prohibit the judges from participating in the games, and the artifacts can only be collected during the Equestrian Games.”

“And why are you just telling me this now? A week is barely enough time for me to prepare for such a task!”

“We have faith in you Twilight.” Once more Twilight was dissatisfied by their answers. It was all well and good to have faith in her, but faith wasn’t enough to make her succeed. She needed time to learn proper combat spells, not to mention proper defence spells, and the princesses had only given her a week. Trying to keep her annoyance from surfacing, Twilight calmly stood up picking the chest up in her magical grasp, before pulling Rainbow from her chair.

“Twilight what are you doing? I haven’t even finished my dessert.” In response Twilight enveloped the pegasus in her magic and pulled her close, before smashing her lips on Rainbow’s and shoving her tongue in her mouth. Twilight’s wings shot up in a loud POMF and she grasped the back of Rainbow’s head pulling her closer so she could kiss her more deeply. She ignored the collective gasps from the other ponies in the room and kissed her lover a few more seconds before pulling back and running her hoof through Rainbow’s mane.

“Don’t worry Dashie you’ve got all night to have me for dessert.” Twilight turned to the ponies at the table. “I would appreciate it if I wasn’t disturbed until tomorrow morning, as I will be too busy being bucked.” Leaving her friends and the princesses with their jaws still on the floor Twilight turned away and led Rainbow back to their room.

“What the hay was that back there?” Rainbow asked once Twilight had closed the door to their room. “You’ve never Spoken like that, or kissed me in public before!” Twilight sighed and made her way over to the bed straightening the sheets with her magic.

“I was frustrated and angry, and wanted to scream at the princesses for doing this to me. I mean come on, only giving me one week’s notice to prepare for going into the most dangerous place know to pony kind, where the most ancient and evil creatures are imprisoned from the rest of the world.” Rainbow sighed and pulled Twilight into a soft but sincere hug.

“I’ve learned long ago that there’s no stopping you from doing something once you’ve put your mind to it, so even though I really want to tell you not to do this I know you will anyway. So just promise me you’ll come back to me alive and well.”

“I promise Dashie.” Rainbow smiled and ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane.

“I do believe you promised me some dessert. I think creamed egghead will suffice.” Twilight’s horn glowed and she levitated a thick leather belt to herself.

“I was thinking we tried something a little more different, and definitely more exciting this time.” As Twilight spoke she placed the belt  over her back and cinched snugly over her wings so they couldn’t open. Next she opened the balcony doors and stepped outside. “I trust you Dashie. I trust you with my life.” Before Rainbow could even blink Twilight flung herself over the railing and into the long drop below. Rainbow hesitated a heartbeat that seemed to take an eternity, she couldn’t believe what she had just seen. Twilight had immobilized her wings and thrown herself over a seventy foot drop balcony with no means of rescuing herself, the Alicorn was crazy! When Rainbow’s mind recovered from her shock, she realized she was falling after Twilight beating her wings faster and faster with everything she had short of a sonic rainboom. Rainbow caught her lover, and Twilight tightly against her body, before shooting back into the air and landing on the first cloud she found.

“Are you crazy! You could gotten yourself killed, what if I couldn’t have caught yo.....MMPH!” The pegasus was cut off as Twilight kissed her, and she moaned when Twilight traced a hoof down her back stopping just beneath her tail.

“I had no doubt in my mind you wouldn’t have caught me Dashie. Just as I have no doubt in my mind you won’t let me go.” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck before stepping off of the cloud taking both of them into the nothingness below. Rainbow’s wings flared and she began gliding through the night air holding Twilight’s body as tight as she could, not willing to take the chance of her lover falling again. Twilight gave Rainbow a small smile before kissing her pegasus, and running a hoof delicately down Rainbow's stomach to the fun spot under her tail which she began messaging with delicate care. Rainbow gasped in both surprise and pleasure and her mind went completely blank as her entire body and soul was filled with electric tingles.

“Rainbow my love?” Twilight whispered, softly nuzzling her cheek.

“Y-yeah babe?” Twilight began drawing little circles around Rainbow’s nose with her own occasionally licking bits of frosting from the corner of Rainbow’s mouth.

“You might want to concentrate on flapping your wings.” Rainbow’s eyes shot open as she realized her wings were in fact not flapping and they were falling faster and faster to the ground. Rainbow once more flared her wings and shot upwards into the air. Twilight placed her lips on Rainbow's and slipped her tongue into her lover's mouth, moaning as she tasted the sweetness of what Rainbow had for dessert. "I love you Dashie." Twilight murmured between breaths.

"I love you too Sparkles." Twilight nuzzled Rainbow's cheek, and began moving her hoof in faster circular motions, causing the pegasus to moan louder. "Might want to ease up babe.....Uhhhhh!......Can't.....Guhhhh!.....Can't....Ahhhhh!....concentrate...don't stop!....on.......flying."

"Don't worry Dashie, you just flap your wings, I'll take care of the rest." Twilight' rune of pleasure starting glowing with dark blue light, and she felt its power tingling through her body towards her hoof and into Rainbow's marehood. They both gasped loudly as they felt each other's pleasure as their own, and Twilight began rubbing Rainbow faster clamping her lips on Rainbow's to muffle their moans. Rainbow's juices began flowing over her hoof and she bought it up to her mouth to lick it clean. "You taste delicious Dashie. See?" Twilight run her hoof across her lover's mouth, smearing cum across Rainbow's lips causing her to blush deeply. "You look so cute when you blush." Twilight whispered kissing Rainbow once more. This time Rainbow slipped her tongue into Twilight's mouth to get as much of her flavor as possible.

"Heh...You were right Sparkles, I do taste pretty good. But not as good as you." Rainbow released her grip on Twilight long enough to reverse her position so Twilight was now hanging upside down, her wet marehood glistening only centimeters from her mouth.

"Rainbow! Bring me back up right n....Uhhhh!" Twilight was cut of with her moan as Rainbow ran her tongue over her sensitive spot, before slipping it deeply into her marehood. The two lovers both moaned loudly as they both felt Rainbow's tongue in their marehoods flicking back and forth.Twilight’s horn glowed and in a violet flash they were lying on a cloud in the sixty nine position. Rainbow didn't seem to bothered with this and continued eating her out, flicking her tail to one side and spreading her back legs so Twilight could return the favor. An idea formed in Twilight's mind, and the Alicorn grinned mischievously as her horn glowed forming a large ball of egg shaped magic. Twilight levitated the magical egg to Rainbow's pleasure and she made it vibrate, before delicately pushing it into her marehood. Twilight gasped as she felt the same sensation of the egg vibrating violently inside her, and had to stuff her whole tongue into Rainbow’s marehood to stop herself from screaming. But even with their tongues in each other's plots, Twilight was sure they were going to wake up the entire city of Canterlot. Her rune of pleasure began glowing brighter, and the magical egg vibrated faster and faster causing Twilight to scream louder than she ever had before, and it was only a matter of seconds before she began cumming so hard she squirted streams of her juice into Rainbow’s face, completely soaking the Pegasus. Without anything occupying her now empty mouth Rainbow's moans were becoming louder and louder, so Twilight’s horn glowed forming a ball gag out of magic which she cinched snugly in Rainbow’s mouth, so her lover could only make tiny whimpering sounds. A few more seconds later and Rainbow’s moans became louder as she flooded Twilight’s mouth with her juices, and try as she might Twilight couldn’t swallow it all and she felt her entire face and chest become saturated with her lover’s juices. They both laid down completely exhausted their muscles occasionally twitching with the aftershock. “Enjoy your dessert Dashie?”

MMPH!” Twilight looked over at Rainbow who was glaring at her and pointing to the magical ball gag in her mouth. Twilight smirked and began licking Rainbow’s face collecting her juices, which had an odd floral taste not unlike Dashie’s. “MMPH!”

“Be patient Dashie, we can’t have you walking around with my cum all over your face. Now can we?”

“MMPH!” Twilight ignored Rainbow’s insistent begging to have the ball gag removed and continued cleaning her juices off Rainbow's face, occasionally licking Rainbow's mouth to collect the salvia dripping onto her chin. Several minutes later Twilight sat back and observed a job well done, giving Rainbow a pat on the head.

"There, all done Dashie. That wasn't so bad was it?"

“MMPH!” Once again the Pegasus pointed to the ball gag in her mouth. Twilight's horn glowed as she released Rainbow from the magic ball gag, and Rainbow began rubbing her jaw.

"Bout time, seriously Twi, those things are really uncomfortable." Twilight laid down on her back before pulling Rainbow on top of her.

"Well you can stretch out your mouth by cleaning me up."

"One creamed egghead for dessert coming up!" Rainbow said before running her tongue over Twilight's chest making her way to the egghead's face. Twilight sighed contently finding Dashie's licking oddly relaxing, especially when the pegasus began on her face. Rainbow finished off with a soft kiss on Twilight's lips, and the Alicorn draped a wing over Rainbow as small flakes of snow began falling signaling the first day of winter.

"We should probably head back tot he castle." Twilight murmured shifting uncomfortably as the snow began falling faster. Rainbow gave Twilight a comforting nuzzle, before giving her ear a soft nibble.

"What's the matter babe? You used to love watching snow fall with me." Twilight closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of Rainbow nibbling her ear.

"That was before I almost lost you to the snow. I just don't want that to happen again."

"Don't worry babe. Canterlot weather is strictly controlled so no freak weather accidents can harm any of its citizens. It was just bad luck and poor planning that led to the blizzard coming in from the Everfree forest." Twilight pulled Rainbow closer with her wing and snuggled into her marefriends warmth.

"I know Dashie, I just have this irrational fear of losing you. Every time I close my eyes see you laying so still and pale....not moving or breathing. I just don't want that to happen again. I can't lose you Dashie. You're my everything!" A tear ran down Twilight's cheek and she held her lover more tightly than she ever had before. Rainbow wiped Twilight's cheek before giving her a soft kiss.

"Don't worry Sparkles, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Twilight returned the kiss.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Twilight smiled and she felt a bit more relaxed. However the feeling was short lived as a massive explosion broke the night's calm silence, and the night was turned bright as day as a massive ring of electric blue flames flashed across the sky and a spiraling vortex of the same blue flames began forming over the Everfree forest. "What the hay is that?" Rainbow asked standing up, and pointing to the sunlike vortex of flames.

"I don't know. But it can't be good, we need to warn Celestia and Luna and get the Elements of Harmony." Twilight flew off the cloud and began flying as fast as she could towards the castle. "I'm going to warn the Princesses, you get the girls and I'll meet you with the Elements." Rainbow saluted and flew towards their friends rooms. Twilight changed direction and flew straight into Luna's personal quarters, only to find it unoccupied. Celestia's room next door was the same. Twilight's horn glowed and she appeared in the dining room where the two princesses were busy talking about the kingdom's affairs, they stopped at Twilight's sudden appearance. "Something's wrong. I think Equestria is under attack."

"What are you talking about Twilight?" Celestia asked. Twilight's horn glowed and she opened the curtains revealing the flaming vortex outside. "Darklight! Quickly Luna, we must prepare at once. Twilight get the Elements of Harmony you must use them to stop this!" Twilight nodded and her runes began glowing as she teleported back to her library in Ponyville. She was briefly surprised she wasn't even tired from teleporting such a long distance, but put such thoughts away for later study. Twilight walked over to the glass case containing the Elements of Harmony and opened it pulling the Elements out before teleporting back to Canterlot where the Princesses and her friends were waiting back in the dining hall.

"What in tarnation is goin' on here Twilight!"

"No time to explain Applejack, right now we need to hurry." Twilight placed the crown on her head and gave each of her friends their respective element.

"Good luck my little ponies. Sadly we I cannot join you as Luna and I must remain in Canterlot and strengthen its defenses. But I have no doubt you can do this."

"Thankyou Princess." Twilight said before her horn glowed and she teleported herself and her friends back to Ponyville just outside the Everfree forest.

"I don't think I can do this?" Fluttershy said her legs shaking from fear as she watched the vortex. Rarity placed a comforting hoof on the timid pony's back.

"Don't worry darling, we won't let anything happen to you."

"But if we want to keep Equestria safe we need you with us." Rainbow said. Pinkie Pie bounced happily up to Fluttershy.

"Do you want me to sing a song about not being scared of big scary evil looking vortexes?"

"We don't have time for that." Twilight said and began walking into the forest. Fluttershy gulped and went to stand up, only to fall back down and hide behind her wings as a blood curdling scream echoed through the forest.

"You just go on ahead I'll catch up with you later." Rainbow sighed and laid down next to Fluttershy draping a protective wing over her friend like she had so many times when they had been in flight school, and she needed a safe place to cry after being bullied over her lack of flight skills.

"Want to know a secret?" Rainbow whispered only loud enough for Fluttershy to hear. Fluttershy nodded, and Rainbow took a deep breath. "I'm scared too."

"R-really?" Rainbow nodded.

"Of course, I don't know what's going on here, I don't know what we're facing, but I do know we need to face it together. So that means we need you to help us use the Elements with us, without you we can't use them. So I'm asking you to please be brave and come with us." Fluttershy gulped once more and rose on shaky legs. "There you go Fluttershy. Now you just need to place one hoof in front of the other, and remember I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"Umm....C-could...I...stay under your....wing?" Rainbow smiled and gave her friend a comforting nuzzle.

"Of course Flutters."

"Ready?" Twilight asked once they stood up.

"All good Sparkles. Let's go." Twilight gave Rainbow a thoughtful look before turning and walking into the Everfree forest. Another blood curdling scream pierced the night causing Fluttershy to scream and hug Rainbow tightly, scrunching her eyes closed. "I've got you, Flutters. Nothing's going to hurt you." Fluttershy whimpered and slowly released her grip on Rainbow until she was back on her legs. A violet wing joined the cyan one in comforting Fluttershy.

"Rainbow's right Fluttershy, we're not going to let anything happen to you no matter what." Fluttershy looked at both their faces and saw their earnest sincerity in what they were saying. Taking a few deep breaths Fluttershy began walking forward once more. A few more screams caused the timid pegasus to whimper and shrink back into her friends' protective cacoon of feathers, but she continued on determinedly without cowering on the ground.

"Want a cupcake?" Pinkie asked appearing out of nowhere in front of them and holding out the said treat to Fluttershy. "I always find eating cupcakes helps with everything." So saying Pinkie shoved the cupcake in Fluttershy's mouth, and disappeared as randomly as she had appeared.

"Pinkie was right. Eating cupcakes does help. Are you okay Twilight?" Fluttershy asked noticing how bad the Alicorn was shivering.

"I'm fine, just feeling cold."

"Really?" Rainbow asked. "Because it's actually not that cold yet." Twilight shivered once more, the air becoming more and more cold with each step she took.

"Here you go Darling." Rarity said placing her cloak over the cold Alicorn. Twilight smiled her thanks unable to talk due to her teeth chattering uncontrollably. She briefly wandered how the others couldn't feel the extreme cold that seemed to seep into her very body and soul. She knew it had something to do with the vortex, because with each step towards it everything became more and more colder, until they reached the bridge that led to the sisters' old castle, and Twilight collapsed into a shivering curled up ball.

"Twilight!" Rainbow called out rushing to her lover. "What happened are you okay?" Twilight talked between shivers.

"S-so....c-c-cold....S-s-so....S-s-so...C-c-cold! I-I....C-c-can't....F-f-feel....A-a-anything...D-d-dashie!" Tears rolled down Twilight's cheeks leaving a icy trail on her face. "H-h-hold....M-m-me...P-p-please?"

"I've got you love." Rainbow whispered pulling Twilight's freezing body into her warm embrace. "How is this even possible? It's not even that cold."

"I think it has something to do with the vortex." Rarity said shivering slightly herself. "I feel cold too."

"Then what about the rest of us, why aren't we cold?"

"Maybe because they're both magical." Applejack suggested, "Twilight's got it worse because she's got more magic."

"F-f-friendship....n-n-need.....T-t-to....U-u-u-use.........F-f-f-friend-s-s-ship's...........F-f-f-f-f-i-i-i-r-r-r......" Twilight's body went limp and she was still expect for the occasional shiver.

"What do ya think she meant." Applejack asked. Rainbow held Twilight's body closer to her.

"I'm not sure, maybe we need to use the Elements of Harmony. Everypony group up." The five friends stood in a tight circle around Twilight and joined hoofs. Rainbow wasn't exactly sure how this was going to work, she just hoped something happened soon. Warmth began spread spreading through her body like a fire as her Element's power began linking up with the other Elements. Multicolored streams of light began flowing through the air connecting to each Element, and the group of friends began rising in the air as it swirled faster and between them forming a continuous loop. Steams of light burst from each Element and met in the center of the circle, and a stream of magic shot down into Twilight's body. Twilight screamed throwing her cloak off before and rose into the air without the use of her wings. The runes on her body began glowing with dark blue electric light, and blue energy began crackling over her body, before Twilight thrust both her front hoofs forward sending a massive stream of blue lightning towards the vortex. The lightning hit the vortex with a massive explosion of energy which burst across the sky in a fiery blue ring and the vortex began closing in on itself. But before it closed all the way a dark shape fell out of the hole, leaving a trail of crimson liquid in its wake.

                             -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darklight knew he only had a limited amount of time before Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to try and close the portal which lead from his world into Equestria, he just hoped he could get though in time. Pulling two handguns equipped with silencers and silver bullets Darklight stepped into the portal which closed behind him and opened up some distance away in front of him. Darklight began running as fast as he could towards it, hoping to get as close as possible before any unsavory creatures noticed his presence in their realm. A loud blood curdling scream told him he was already spotted and a dark shape rose up in front of him. Its body was was tall and apelike in shape with thick black fur, long razor sharp claws, and saber tooth fangs dripping with venom. Darklight raised his guns and began firing bullet after bullet into the creature's face, and jumped over its body, ducking as a bat like creature swooped for him. The creature hissed its displeasure and dove once more. Alex swerved to the side grabbing its neck as it flew by, before sticking his gun in its mouth and blowing its head off. Blood and brains burst in his face, and he only paused long enough to wipe his eyes clean. Another blood curdling scream told him more of the ape creatures were coming, and two more of them stepped out of the shadows in front of him. Cursing Darklight used the rest of his ammunition to kill the first one, and he threw his empty guns away pulling a black ring from his pocket which he slid onto his right middle finger. Cold dark power flowed through his veins like a raging river, and the shadows began writhing with a life of their own. Darklight made a slashing motion towards the creature, and a large scythe of shadows cleaved its body neatly in two. He leaped over the two halves of the creature, just as another stepped in front of him. Shadows curled around Darklight's hand and he clung to the creatures chest smashing his fist through its heart, before a slashing a knife formed of shadows across its throat. A flash of multicolored light on the other side of the portal told him his time was running out, and he ran faster black oil like liquid pouring out of the pores in his hands forming a long black sword, samurai in design. More bearlike creatures blocked his way to the other side of the portal and he ran through them slashing their arteries and tendons. He was only a few meters away from the portal now and a stream of blue lightning hit it causing it to close faster and faster. Darklight leaped forward and another black creature stepped in front of him stabbing its talons through his chest. Darklight screamed in pain and slashed his sword across its throat, before pulling himself free of its talons and jumping through the portal just before it closed. Darkness claimed his mind and the only sensation he felt was falling through cold air.