Journey to the Darkest Lands
Chapter 1: The Disappearance
Chapter 1: The Disappearance
Chapter 1: The Disappearance
It was a sunny day in Equestria. The flowers were blooming, and the birds were chirping. However, the peaceful day would be shattered by cries of a panicked guard.
“They’re gone!!!” A guard exclaimed, running through the halls. All of the other guards had heard this stallions crazy racket.
“What the buck is going on?!” The commander asked the guard.
“They’re gone!” The guard exclaimed. The commander rolled his eyes skeptically. He’d dealt with the guards playing practical jokes with him before.
“Who’s gone?” The commander questioned.
“Celestia and Luna!” The guard yelled out, finally passing out. The commander looked at two other guards, nodding. The two other guards ran to the Princesses room, finding it completely empty.
“We must tell Princess Twilight!” The commander ordered.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Princess Twilight Sparkle was enjoying a small snack with her friends at the Cakes Shop.
“This is so good, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash complimented her friend, “These Battenberg cakes are the bomb!”
“Thanks!” Pinkie Pie joyfully thanked her friend for the nice compliment. Princess Twilight Sparkle sighed, looking glumly at her tea and Shoofly pie.
“What’s wrong?” Rarity asked Princess Twilight Sparkle.
“Yeah, you’ve been like this all day, sugah...” Applejack added.
“It’s just that I-”
“Urgent news!” A messenger interrupted Twilight Sparkle.
“Urgent?” Fluttershy asked the messenger.
“Princess Celestia and Luna have disappeared!” The messenger informed the Mane Six.
“WHAT??” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping out of her chair.
“I’m afraid so...we found a note to give only to Princess Twilight Sparkle” The messenger told Princess Twilight Sparkle, handing her a well written note. Princess Twilight Sparkle took the note and began to read it.
“What does it say?” Fluttershy asked Twilight Sparkle.
“I’m dying to know!” Rarity stated.
“But we need to get these other people out of here...” Rainbow Dash noted, looking at the civilian ponies. Each one walked out, leaving the Mane Six and the Messenger.
Twilight Sparkle began to read aloud the note:
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
My sister and I have decided to learn about a place only found in the most ancient of our books. Our world is shared by many races, such as griffons and changelings. However, I have learned that there are many different worlds outside our plane of existence. You might call these worlds dimensions. A few of these worlds are paradise worlds, ones you might call “heavenly”. These are places that have been recorded as a happy form of the afterlife. However, there are also others called the Fractured Worlds. They are each like a different kind of hell, with different abominations and odd creatures lurking the lands, stalking their prey. Each of these lands have a form of magic, but a darker and more evil form of magic not familiar to this world. You could describe these places as nightmares and hells on earth. If me and my sister were to disappear in these worlds hellish, I request that Twilight Sparkle and her five friends to come and rescue us.
Best of luck,
Princess Celestia.
“That was a strange letter” Rainbow Dash stated.
“I agree” Applejack added, “It don’t take no fancy mathematician to think this is a pile of horsecrap!”
“I think it would be fun to visit a nightmare!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“Okay...” Princess Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, Pinkie Pie was strange like that.
“It sounds really scary...I...” Fluttershy cowered, her wings shaking.
“Come on guys! It’s an adventure!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“But adventure brings dirt, and dirt makes you dirty!” Rarity whined.
“Guys, we need to find the Princesses and bring them back!” Princess Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
“You’re right!” Rainbow Dash agreed, “Who’s with us?”
“I guess I’ll go...” Fluttershy nervously stated.
“I have my duties to protect the princesses!” Applejack confidently stated.
“It’ll be a fabulous adventure!” Rarity added.
“I wanna see the nightmare!” Pinkie Pie joyfully added.
“Then we shall go and find the princesses!” Princess Twilight Sparkle declared.
The next day, the Mane Six began to pack their saddles with food, water, and toiletries. They decided to take the royal train, painted bright pink with golden decorations. When they reached the castle, it was filled with guards, each saluting Princess Twilight Sparkle and the other five when they walked past them.
“We’ve been keeping the portal open for a few days now, Princess Twilight Sparkle” The Commander told Twilight Sparkle.
“We must go through the portal immediately” Princess Twilight Sparkle told the commander.
Over the next few hours, the group wrote notes to their loved ones, telling them about their new adventure and the fact that not all of them will come out alive.
“‘I’ve been thinking...” Fluttershy thought to Applejack.
“What’s wrong?” Applejack asked Fluttershy worriedly.
“What if we don’t come out of this?” Fluttershy asked Applejack, “Like, if we-”
“That’s stinkin’ thinkin’!” Applejack cut Fluttershy off, “I’m sure we’ll all come out of this alive and with the princesses!”
“Well it could happen!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“But we all have to return home!” Applejack stated, “I have my farm, you have the sweets shop, Fluttershy has her animals, Rarity has her boutique store, and Twilight Sparkle has the whole kingdom!”
“You’re right Applejack...” Fluttershy agreed half-heartedly. She knew that something bad would happen to them, but she just couldn’t put her hoof on it. Would she die? Would her friends die? She would never know until it was too late.
“Are we all ready to go?” Twilight Sparkle asked her group of friends. All five of them nodded, though some nodded somewhat doubtfully.
“All right” Twilight Sparkle said as she turned towards the commander, “We’re ready to leave”
“As you command, Princess Twilight Sparkle” The commander stated, opening the portal for the Mane Six. The portal was almost pitch black, looking as it lead to nowhere. As soon as it opened, the Mane Six walked through the dark, dank portal.
As soon as the Mane Six entered through the portal, what they saw shocked them. The world seemed desolate and empty. The skies were completely dark, filled with the occasionally winged abomination, made of the strangest things.
“I can only hope that this goes well...” Princess Twilight Sparkle thought to herself, as she began to walk through the darkness.
