Shadow and Silence

Chapter 2: A Grayscale Start

Applejack had always been an earlier riser, it came with running a farm. Her and her brother Big Mackintosh were out in the apple fields applebucking when the sun began to rise.

"Whooee that's a pretty sunrise," she said to her brother, who glanced up at it.

Brilliant pinks and bright yellows lot up the newborn sky. It filled his soul with happiness and joy, it made him want to dance across the farm in celebration. He nodded, "Eeyype."

Applejack shook her head, "Big Brother, I love you and all, but you've really gotta work on your expressions. I mean, here's a good example. That there sky is one of the most beautiful things I ever seen in my life. And all you can say, is Eeype?"

Big Mac nodded again, "Eeype."

Applejack facehoofed, "You're doing it just to annoy me, ain't ya?"

Big Mac grinned, "Eeype."

Applejack opened her eyes to glare at him, when she saw something racing towards them, a wave of colorless gray. It sprinted over her apple trees, draining the greens and browns and reds out of them. It soared over the hills, leeching away all greens.

"What is that, " Big Mackintoh asked, his voice steady even though the sight scared him.

Applejack grabbed his hoof and pulled him into a canter away from the rapidly approaching gray. "I don't know but I reckon it ain't a good thing! Run!"

Together they ran through the apple orchard, barely keeping ahead of the wave. As they neared the house, Applejack saw Big Mac beginning to fall back. "What are you doin'?!"

"Get Applebloom and Granny Smith," He called as he slowed down. "I'll try and slow it down." He looked her straight in the eyes, "AJ, get your Element and find your friends! Stop this!"

Her heart breaking, Applejack nodded and turned away. She burst into the house, the once sun lot sky beginning to turn back to night. She didn't understand that either but that was the least of her worries. "Appleblooom," she yelled, "get Granny Smith now!". She heard a surprised yelp upstairs as her younger sister was startled out of bed, "Now, Applebloow, lickety split! And we don't have time for questions so don't even try!"

Applejack ran through the small living room and into the kitchen. She tore open a cabnet hard enough that the door ripped off. She tossed it aside in annoyance as carefully, almost gently, picked up the only item inside. It was a ball of carefully wrapped cloth, a simple container for such a powerful object. Hidden inside was the Element of Honesty, a golden necklace with a shining red apple hanging on it. An apple, she would proudly tell her sister, that was the same size and shape as her own cutie mark.

She kept it wrapped as she sprinted upstairs. Applebloom was trying to hurry Granny Smith up but the old mare was not as young as she used to be. She hobbled towards the door, Applebloom bouncing around her in panic. Applejack glanced out the window, the wave of gray was too close now even though it appeared to have slowed down quite a bit. Granny Smith would never get away in time.

Applejack wouldn't leave her grandmother here to face whatever horror that wave was alone. "Applebloom," she said steadily, "I want you to run. I want you to run as fast as you can. Get away from here."

Applebloom looked at her sister then she looked outside. Her little hooves trembled and her eyes were wide with fear but she protested, "I ain't goin' nowhere."

Applejack started to argue but she saw that her sister, even though there were tears beginning to fill up her eyes, was looking at her with a steely determination. Smiling, she put a hoof around her shoulder then put another around Granny Smith, "We'll face it together then."

The wave of gray swept over them.

Rarity had been in the fashion business for as long as she could remember. She had never had a fashion problem that she could not solve. In fact, it was those difficult ensembles, those clashing colors that gave her the greatest pleasure at solving. But as she looked through her extensive wardrobe, she was at a loss. “What goes with gray anyway?”

She examined her gown in front of the mirror; the sleeves were gray, the ruffles were gray, why even the once sparkling gemstones had lost their color! She glanced down at her shadow, still fashionable and far better dressed than she was. “Well, at least you look good darling.”

With a pout she tossed aside the ensemble. “If gray goes with nothing than I shall not insult my works of art by wearing them!” She glanced outside, at the gray of the moon above, “Speaking of, I should probably discover why everything is gray in the first place.”

She trotted out of her room, pausing to check on Sweetie Bell. Her little sister was still asleep but would most likely panic when she woke up to a colorless world. A note should explain the situation nicely. She magicked a quill and piece of parchment over to her, her normally white aura now a light shade of gray. She frowned at it then shook her head, “This is getting ridiculous.”

She turned back to the note, “Sweetie Bell, don’t panic.” Might as well get that part out of the way early. “As soon as you are awake, find Scootaloo and Applebloom and make sure they’re okay.” If she didn’t suggest it, Sweetie would go and do it anyway. “Then come right back here and lock the door. You may bring your friends with you but you are not to leave this house for any reason. That includes every reason, Sweetie Bell so no excuses.” She looked over it again then nodded, this would do. She floated it over to her sleeping sister and laid it gently on top of her face. Sweetie muttered in her sleep making Rarity smile. “Stay safe, Sweetie.”

She left the room and started downstairs but she paused when she got to a small picture in a simple frame on the wall. It was of her parents, herself -looking marvelous as always- and Sweetie. They were sitting in a carriage on their way into Manehatten. Her head was sticking out of the carriages window, her face glowing with excitement, the bright lights of the big city shining around her, Sweety was asleep in their mothers lap while their parents were exchanging amused looks at Rarity’s expression. The picture had been taken by a passing photographer who had loved the photo so much, he had tracked down the family and let them have it. It was one of her most prized possessions, one that no amount of jewels could make her part with it. And it was why she had hidden one of her other most prized possessions behind it. She gently moved the picture aside, revealing the small cavity behind it.

Inside, sitting on a velvet pillow, was the Element of Generosity one of the six parts of the Elements of Harmony. She still felt humbled that such a power object had chosen her to represent it and every day she thanked Celestia for the friends it had brought her. Her eyes widened as she noticed that the necklace was still as golden as the day it was formed, that the colored diamond at its center was pulsating with a dark purple light. It contrasted sharply with the grayscale world around it but it gave Rarity an immense burst of hope. This, at least, still had its color.

She placed it around her neck, vaguely hoping that it would restore her color as well. But she was disappointed, her luscious white stayed dingy and gray. She sighed, “Ah well, it just a small chance anyway.” She headed out the door, careful to shut it quietly behind her.

She walked down the strangely deserted streets, passing only a few ponies who gave her a strange look. It took her a second to remember that she was wearing one of the only bright things left, her colorful necklace standing out in the gray world. A few stopped as if to ask her a question but then they all shook their heads and moved on. Rarity wasn't sure if it was because they didn't know if she knew what was going on or if they just trusted her and her friends to fix it. After all of the strange events that had happened to Ponyville ever since Twilight came to town, had created an atmosphere of apathy to danger or weirdness. Only Lyra said something as she passed.

“Go get ‘em Rarity,” the gray mare said, her once golden eyes now flat and dull but still somehow shining with hope. “If anyone can figure this out, it would be you guys.”

“Thank you Lyra,” Rarity replied kindly. “But I do hope that this doesn’t interfere with Pinkie’s party tonight though.”

Lyra nodded, “Yeah, I was so looking forward the new candies Bon Bon was going to debut tonight.” She tilted her head, “How is Pinkie? I mean, she’s probably the most color dependent pony I know?”

Rarity’s eyes widened, “Pinkie…” She galloped away, apologizing briefly to Lyra. How would Pinkie Pie, the happiest most exuberant pony in Equestria react to a world without color? She wasn’t sure but having seen some of Pinkie’s previous freak outs, it would be best if somepony was there with her when she woke up.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes sprang open. “Good moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.” She took a deep breath, “ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorning,” she sang. “It’s morning, it’s morning! Good morning tooooooooooooooooooooooo yooooooooooooooooooooooooou!”

Gummy, her toothless alligator, opened one gray eye. It blankly looked at Pinkie. With startling speed, Gummy lunged at Pinkie, toothless jaw clamping tightly on her nose.

Pinkie giggled, "Good morning to you too, Gummy!" She playfully tugged Gummys jaws apart and put him on the gray floor beside her gray bed. Then she sprang out of her gray bed and sprang over to her gray dresser. She tossed the gray doors aside and tossed gray clothes out as she searched for a particular gray item. Her gray hoof paused in its frantic motions as her brain finally caught up with her eyes. They took in the lack of greens, the lack of blues, the lack of pinks.

Her mind struggled to understand what her eyes were seeing. It came up with a solution: it's still night, it posited, that's why there is no color.

But, her eyes rebutted, there is still some color at night!

Her brain nodded gravely at this, true, true. It thought for a little longer then, Ah, I have it, her brain crowed!

What is it, her eyes begged, please tell me what I'm seeing!
Her brain, rather smug about the fact, paused dramatically and, just when the eyes were contemplating coming up there to see what was taking so long, it explained. You're seeing a completely gray world, devoid of all color and light for no immediently explainable reason. You are in fact seeing a world without rainbows, without bright sunsets and without pink at all. If I were to speculate further, i would guess that something catastrophic has happened, meaning that the party we were planning for this evening will have to be canceled due to lack of color.

Pinkies eyes blinked the nodded, ah, yes, that's it. There was a long, silent pause then the eyes asked the brain, should I widen in shock or just roll back in a faint?

Better go for the fainting, the brain replied, we're going to need some time to deal with this.

Right oh, her eyes replied with an inexplicable accent, initiating fainting procedures #FFC0CB.

Pinkie Pie dropped to the floor, her hoof still grasping the edge of her once bright Gala dress.

Fluttershy bolted awake when a bucket of cold water was poured over her head. “Wha?!”

Angel Bunny was standing on the bed beside her holding the now empty bucket, impatiently tapping a long foot.

“What is it Angel,” Fluttershy asked, concerned for her little friend. “Has something happened?”

Rolling his eyes, Angel pointed at the roof of her room.

Fluttershy looked up and gasped, “Oh! Oh, no!” She jumped out of her bed and looked around, “What happened?”

Angel hopped over to the window, tossing it open and revealing a dark and colorless world.

Fluttershy took one look at the bright moon above the should-be-day sky and slammed the window shut. “Nightmare Moon’s back,” she squeaked. “She’s covered the world in eternal darkness!” She raced across the room and dived under her bed, “Oh no, oh no!”

Angel Bunny sighed and hopped over to a small potted plant in the corner of the room. He pulled up the fake plant and pulled out a small pink box. He hopped back across the room to Fluttershy’s bed where two oversized eyes were poked out from under it, staring at him while trembling slightly. He put the box down in front of her and pointed to it.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, “What?”

Angel opened the box, a golden light spilled out of it. Inside the Element of Kindness sparkled, its soft pink butterfly pendant glowing softly.

“My Element?”

Angel tapped it then pointed to the window.

“You want me to use my Element to defeat Nightmare Moon? Which would require me going outside into the scary gray world and face Princess Luna’s insane personality?”

Angel nodded.

“No!” Fluttershy’s eyes disappeared and, along with the sound of a slamming door, the bed skirt was quickly shut tight.

Angel sighed again, rubbing a small paw down his face. He hopped down the stairs to refill the bucket.

Rainbow Dash was in a panic, not only had her awesome mane lost its brightness but all other color was gone too! Her rainbow pools and waterfalls had gone gray, her bright blue cloud home had lost all of its blue shades. “What is going on,” she asked the empty air.

“Rainbow Dash,” somepony called from outside her home. “Rainbow!” Rainbow dashed outside and saw Applejack and her family minus Big Machintosh gathered outside. Applejack was standing on the ground below her floating house, her trademark hat gone and her eyes narrowed. The Element of Honest sat around her neck, it’s bright apple glowing orange.

“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash flew down, riding the gusts of wind to the ground. She then realized that her friend had not only lost her hat, but her orange coat and yellow mane. She was gray too. “Applejack, what’s happening?! I mean, everything’s all gray and weird. Is Nightmare Moon back?” She grabbed Applejack, “Is Discord back?! Please tell me Discord isn’t back!”

“Rainbow, calm down,” Applejack said loudly, forcing Rainbow Dash to silence. “Rainbow, something’s up but I don’ know what. Go grab your Element and head ta’ Twilight’s. I’ve gotta go get Fluttershy but I’ll meet ya’ll there.” She galloped off, long gray tail flying behind her.

Rainbow Dash waited until she was gone from sight before leaping into the air and flying to a nearby cloud. She rummaged around inside for a few seconds, pulling out half eaten apples, an assortment of trick accessories and finally a small box. She sat on the cloud, putting the box in her lap. She opened the lid and ruffled through the pile of pictures. Her friends smiled up at her, the precious memories of the past year frozen forever on their glossy surfaces, and she felt her heart clench. Her friends were in danger and they needed her help. Her hoof finally found the object she was looking for. She pulled out the Element of Loyalty, its lightning bolt sparkling brightly. She clasped it around her neck and took to the skies, forgetting to close the box in her rush. Pictures fluttered in the wind in the wake of her rainbow colored trail.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia blew through libraries front door. “Twilight!”

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight asked, looking up from a oversized book sitting on a table. She seemed surprised to see her mentor. “Can I help you?”

Celestia blinked, “Well...I suppose...I suppose I just wanted to make sure that you were all right?”

Twilight tilted her head, “All right?” Her eyes widened, “Has something happened? It’s not Discord is it?”
Celestia had to think for a second before she came to a conclusion. She walked a few steps into the Library. “Twilight, have you been up all night studying?”

Twilight slumped slightly, looking bashful, “Um, yes... It’s just that I just received this tome on the Thermoluminescence of Rainbows and I wanted to see if the properties of Rainbow’s Sonic Rainboom was consistent with the current theories.” She stood straight, her eyes brightening, “Imagine if it wasn’t! It could open up a whole new field in the Thermal Sciences!”

“Look around you Twilight.”

“Your Majesty?”

Celestia gestured around them with her hoof, “Look around you.”

Twilight shrugged and turned her head. Her wide eyes grew even wider. “Princess...”

“Yes Twilight, the world is starting to lose its color. I believe that I know who is behind this and...”

Twilight’s gaze locked on Celestia, “It isn’t Discord, is it? This doesn’t seem like his Modus Operandi. No...” She walked over to the bookcase, prodding it with her hoof, “The physical properties of the universe don’t seem have changed. There is still mass, gravity.” She started rambling off the different tests she wanted to run to back up this theory when Spike ran down the stairs.

“Twilight, Twilight!” He saw Celestia standing in the room and Twilight speaking to nopony while using huge words. He shrugged, “Well, looks like everything’s under control if you two are on it!” He turned and started marching back up the stairs, “I’m going back to bed before buffalo start dancing in tutus again.”

It was a few minutes before Celestia felt able to interrupt her studious student without being rude, “Twilight, please?”

Twilight jumped, as if surprised that there was somepony else in the room, “Princess! Oh, I am so sorry! I just got caught up in thinking about it.” Her eyes sparkled, “This is going to be an amazing occurance to study! I can’t imagine all of the tresties and papers that will be written because of this!” She started hopping in place, “Months of new material!”

Celestia spoke up again before Twilight could start on another rant, “Twilight, please we don’t have very much time.”

Twilight blushed, abashed, “I’m sorry Princess. Please, continue.”

Celestia opened her mouth when she was tackled by a bright blue blur. “Twilight, we’ve got a problem!”

Twilight’s purple magical aura enveloped Rainbow Dash, “Rainbow!” She threw her friend off of her mentor, “You just tackled the Princess!”

Rainbow quickly recovered, “Oops, sorry.” She hovered in the air while Twilight helped the alicorn to her feet, “But it’s great that she’s here! Everythings gone gray!”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, we’ve noticed,” Twilight said dryly.

Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s been awhile since somepony has attacked me. It reminds me why I should remain vigilant.”

“You were saying, Princess,” Twilight said.

Celestia shook her head, “We might as well wait on the rest of your friends, Twilight. They should be here shortly and we would save time if we talked on the journey instead of trying to explain it all here.”

Sure enough, within seconds, Applejacks had arrived, dragging a whimpering Fluttershy behind her and Rarity had walked in with a comatose Pinkie Pie on her back. Each of the five ponies were wearing their Element, all of them shining brightly in the strangely gray world.

“Thank you for coming so promptly Ladies,” Celestia said. She turned to Twilight, “Twilight, would you kindly get your Element?”

Twilight nodded and walked to the horse head statue in the center of the room. She whispered seven words and the head moved aside. She deftly solved the complex puzzle hiding underneath it and entered the combination on the lock. A bell rang and Twilight sprang across the room tapping four books in quick succession. A small hole opened up in the wall beside the bookcase and Twilight pulled out a simple book titled ‘A Fillies Guide to Friendship’. She pulled the cover aside and pulled the Element of Magic out of it. “Got it Princess,” she said, settling it on her head. The six pointed star sparkled a bright magenta.

Rarity gasped, “Twilight Sparkle, I simply cannot believe that you would hollow out a book like that!”

Twilight blushed, mumbling, “I didn’t think that I needed it anymore.”

Rarity’s face softened and she hugged her friend.

Celestia waited until a wave of comforting and reassuring hugs had gone around the room before speaking, “My little ponies, I must apologize for my brief briefing but we must go. We have a long journey and I fear that our opponent is far ahead of us.”

The five conscious ponies nodded. Fluttershy spoke up, “Um, Princess, if you don’t mind me asking, where are we going?”

Celestia raised her head regally, wings opening, “Tartarous.”