Chapters Book I: Hate
Time has taken many of our friends. We've lost so much and gained nothing. As I looked around at the burned and charred landscape of the war that presided over the last twenty five years, I cried. I looked at my friends, now old and exhausted from battle. Was it even worth it? So many had died for this...
I write this story only in hope, that someday we can rise from the ashes. One day somepony can read this and appreciate all that they have, so that they all know that even when you're happy, it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye.
I guess I'll start at the beginning.
My friends and I were having a picnic, we were laughing, having fun like usual. Suddenly we all heard a whinny in the sky. We all looked up and saw Celestia and Luna coming from the sky in their carriages. As they landed the two alicorns immediatly galloped to us.
We knew it had to be important, we just had no idea.
"Princess," Twilight said jumping at her mentor, "what's going on, what happened?"
"Twilight, Equestria is under attack." She said simply.
We all looked confused, what could possibly get Princess Celestia so worked up.
"The Stallion of Time has declared war on Equestria," Luna said, "we do not believe we can stop him."
"The Stallion of Time?" Twilight said,"you mean-"
"Yes," Celestia interrupted, she looked at us gravley saying, "Parydan Nox, the one unicorn who is said to have discovered how to control Time and Space itself. He can distort reality to turn anything into whatever he pleases. And he is attacking now."
"But Princess, how can we stop him?" Twilight asked.
"The only thing he cannot change is the Elements of Harmony," Celestia began, "only the Elements can balance out the damage he does."
And that is how was began, we all set out to Canterlot Castle, to retrive our Elements of Harmony. We had no idea what lay in wait...
As we approached the battlefield we saw a large black stallion waiting for us in a burned field. He was as tall as Celestia, rather large for just a unicorn.
"Well, well, well," The black stallion began, "I've been expecting you all."
He grimaced, his crooked smile frightened me.
"C'mon Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash assured me, "we gotta take this guy down."
As soon as she said that she smiled at me, I watched in horror as a spike came hurdling at her and took her right out of the sky. She was covered in blood, we were all shocked at what just happened. The black stallion roared in laughter.
"Rainbow!" Rarity went over to see what had happened to her friend.
"HEY!" Pinkie shouted, "That's not fair! We haven't even started!"
"Well little one," the colt began, his voice was strange, it seemed to echo within itself, "who says that Parydan Nox fights fair? And on another note, what is right and wrong but what popular belief deems it..." he began laughing to himself.
"Enough!" Celestia stomped her hoof. "You've had your fun Parydan, now it's time to send you back to the hole from which you came."
"If by hole you mean home, dear Celestia I beg to tell you, my home is a dimension within all dimensions." He began his speech confused all of us, "I see all, I hear all, and all obey me. I am the paradox that exists in none, and in all. I control Time, Space, and the fabrics that wave in and out of your magic, you cannot stop me." Once more he laughed.
"There is one magic that can stop you!" Luna spoke up.
"Oh?" he said. "Your little Elements of Harmony?"
"Yes." Celestia said.
We all took our stances preparing to use our Elements, even Rainbow who was bleeding from her eye.
"But say for one," he began, "unlike my magic, if one of your little blocks was missing, they wouldn't work right?."
He smiled, we looked at each other confused. He fired magic at us, Celestia jumped in the way. It pierced through her necklace and through her chest.
Twilight rushed to her teachers aid.
"Forget about me Twilight," Celestia breathed, "finish Parydan, save Equestria."
She closed her eyes so that nopony could watch her die, we could however watch her breath.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Parydan laughed, "Your ruler will fall, and so will you!" He was floating in the air now, the air around him distorted.
We once again tried to prepare, this time rocks appeared out of the sky flew at us like a hailstorm.
"Come!" Luna said, "We must retreat to fight another day!"
We began to leave, I looked back to see one last boulder heading right at Luna, I couldn't let both leaders of Equestria fall, I unfurled my wings and jumped in front of the Princess. The others hadn't seen me, they had turned tail to run like Luna said. Luna had gasped when she saw me, she ran back to Celestia.
"Sister," Celestia said, "these are my final wishes."
Luna listened.
"Protect those mares until they can return here to Fluttershy and take down Parydan." Luna nodded and galloped off.
I turned my head to Celestia, I was low on strength, so was she. Parydan had vanished, Celestia smiled at me. I watched her horn glow a bright yellow. I felt a warmth come over me, and then everything went black. I was at peace. But what about my friends?
Before I was even fully grown I was a simple unicorn. My brother however was a pegasus, always the center of attention. Everyone payed attention to his gallant wings. My folks even missed my first levitation spell because he learned how to hover. Big deal!
I guess you could say that I was jealous, maybe... Ok, yes I was jealous. I never got any attention from anypony just because my twin brother was a freaking pegasus.
'Oh look Parydan's brother can fly.' So what I can learn a spell to do that. I was always hidden in the shadows, practicing incantations. Some would even venture to say we weren't even twins. He was athletic, agile, clean cut. I however didn't take as much care to my appearance or attributes. I wore my mane long and hardly ever went out.
There were a few differences between my brother and I, one of the most striking was our coats. I had an all black coat and mane, with piercing red eyes. His was a pure white coat, grey mane, and sparkling bright blue eyes. Some called us the angel and the demon. I guess they were right, after years of being a cast away I secluded myself to the "Dark" side of magic. And my newest spell was almost ready, all it needed was a sacrifice. A blood sacrifice, I could never kill another pony, as dark as I was, and as terrible as everypony else was, I could never bring myself to do something like that.
But I had no idea that my sacrifice would come to my very door.
It had been six years since I moved out of my parents house, I had bought this hut with all I had on the edge of Haymill. All I had were my books, no bed, not even a couch. I didn't feel I needed luxuries like that.
I heard a knock on my door, I opened it with my magic. And there in front of me was my brother.
"Equin," I said, spitting out his name at him, "what do you want?"
"Brother, we must learn to put our differences aside." He said.
Put our differences aside! This was where I exploded.
"As I recall it was you who drove me away!" I shouted.
"Parydan," he began, "if I had known what you were going through, I would have helped." He said.
I turned and faced the corner, "No..." I said. "Nopony could have helped me."
"Why do you belive that?" My brother asked, placing a hoof on my shoulder.
"BECAUSE!" I shouted, "Nopony understands me." I turned back to my corner.
"Brother, we may have differences," he said, "but belive it or not, I understand you more than you know."
I heard his words but I didn't believe them, how could anypony understand how I felt. In a world where everyone around you appears to be accepted, and you are the only social outcast. How could one feel accepted. This new spell could have helped, but I would never be able to use it. All my life I've been ridiculed and outcasted from other unicorns and even academies for my interest in Dark Magic. Nopony understood it though, it wasn't dark it was just different and misunderstood, just like me.
I could no longer stand this world, which was what my newest spell was for. It could grant me the power to jump from one dimension to another at my own will. It was the ultimate form of galactic magic, the toughest form of. But when I realized that what it required was the blood of another being of whom you trust, I had to give up.
There was nopony in the world I trusted. I still felt my brothers presence in my hut.
"What?" I snarled.
"Brother," he started, "if you even need anything, I will always be there for you."
He turned and left, once more I was alone. A single tear fell from my eye, this world could not be my own. I had to find a place where I belonged.
I ran outside to find my brother, to beg him to stay. I at least needed one pony who I could confide in. But he was gone, I walked slowly back to my small, sad shed. My life was indeed miserable. But I didn't know that it could get even worse.
A few days later I was in my shed, mixing a brew that could enhance my magic. It was raining and thundering outside. I took no notice, after all the rain and thunder was somehow... comforting. At least now I knew that all the other ponies had to stay inside and, if even only for a few hours, had to endure my pain of loneliness. I suddenly felt a disturbance as one bolt of lightning came.
I didn't understand it at first, to this day I still can't explain it. But I felt a sudden feeling of danger. I glanced outside, nothing. But what I did hear was a thud, and a sickening crunch at my door. I rushed over to see what had hit my door. What I saw shocked me, my brother lying in a burned bloody mess. I picked him up and dragged him inside.
"Brother..." Was all he could mumble.
"Yes, we'll get you help don't worry Equin." I told him
"No." He said, his words froze me to the core
"What, but your wounds you must be treated imm-"
"NO!" He shouted and went into a couging fit, I went over to comfort my only brother.
"Parydan, I won't make it" he said, "A bolt of lightning burned my feather out about a mile back, I tried to fly here, *cough* I didn't see your house in the rain, ha, imagine that."
I also laughed, it was a sad choked chuckle, but a laugh nonetheless. My shack was a thrown together piece of crap, to put it lightly. Rain dripped through the cracks in the ceiling where I didn't have enough tarp. It truly was a sad sight, then again I wasn't particulaly rich from my work.
"I was closer to the hospital," he continued, at this I was shocked, "but I thought I could make it here in one piece and you'd fix my feathers but I got hit again."
He went into another coughing fit, his time was nearing.
"I didn't want my best bud to never see me again, and then find out years later that I'm dead." He smiled his toothy grin one eye burned shut, I broke into tears at my blood brothers mangled body.
"Hey don't be sad," he said, "I'll always be your brother." He comforted.
That's when it came to me, I wiped my nose, sniffled a little and walked over to my book.
"Yes, brother," I told him. "Forever we will be together."
"What?" he said. I grabbed the crooked dagger, "Brother, what's happening?"
"Listen to me, my brother," I told him, "I have developed this spell, it will allow me to find a place where I belong." I smiled at him, "Please brother, you will die soon, with this we can always stay together."
He nodded and closed his eyes. "My brother, you deserve what you ask for. For all I put you through, find the place you belong. Remember I will always be watching you." He smiled one last time.
I cried as I carved on his chest, a star.
Let it begin. I began to cast my spell, I felt the power begin immediately. A bright light erupted from the ground, a voice came to my head, dark and echoing within itself, it was strange.
"You will become the fabric of existance Parydan. You call upon the great power, you have made your offering. I grant you my power." It said.
I felt pain beyond belief, I watched as my brothers body faded into smoke. The smoke swirled around me and went into my horn. That's when I passed out.
When I awoke I felt a pounding in my head. I looked into my reflection in the window. My eyes were no longer red, but a bright sparkling blue. My coat was still black and so was my mane. I felt at ease, now my brother really could watch over me. But it wasn't over, I heard the voice once more.
'Your power is mine, therefore your body is too.' It said within my head.
"What are you talking about?" I asked out loud.
'You signed the pact with pen of steel and ink of your own brothers blood, my contract makes this body mine also' it said.
What was this thing talking about, that's when I felt my head explode with pain. I wasn't myself anymore, instead I was a soul within a shell of my own body, behind my brothers watchful eyes.
All I could do for the next few decades, was to watch this new Parydan Nox devour Equestria in a burning, unstoppable inferno.
I awoke to a humming sound in my ear, I felt as if I had been asleep for so long. It was strange because it felt like it was only a few seconds ago that I saw Princess Celestia's horn glowing and I felt that strange warmth. I opened one eye, what I saw was not Princess Celestia, but a clubbed, wooden hoof.
"Girls," I heard, the voice was familiar.
Twilight?
"Girls, she's coming to!"
What was going on, I pushed myself up from the ground, feeling pain all over my body as I got up. I raised my hoof to my head to try and ease the throbbing pain in my head. That's when I stopped and screamed, a mechanical hoof came up to my head. I stopped when I realized it was mine.
"What's going on?" I said terrified. "What's wrong with my voice?" It sounded strange it had some sort of metal like humming to it.
"Fluttershy... we have to talk." Twilight began, "And you're not going to like it..."
As I sat there listening to my friend, I couldn't help but cry out of my one non-mechanical eye. After the encounter with Parydan I was frozen in Celestia's magic. It seemed odd because I felt warm, not cold, then again I wasn't one to explain how magic worked. She had used the last of her strength to preserve me so that my friends could one day– either by magic or other means– bring me back.
Parydan had taken over Equestria with his strange powers to bend the will of spacial matter at his command. His magic had turned the laws of physics so upside down that only his magic was able to work. So that just left the "other means" part as my only chance. It had been twenty five long years.
My friends had fended off Parydan as long as they could, but most of them now close to, or at their fifties, they didn't have much fight left in them.
The Elements of Harmony were the only magic that seemed to be unaffected. Everything else, even my friends were changed by this war.
Rainbow Dash was now a cold blooded killer, Twilight explained that she lost her eye in the battle with Parydan. That's why she wore an eyepatch, she also had many scars and was even missing an ear from fights with NineVoltz, they called them. Once ponies but now cyborgs that ran on electricity. They once were ponies, but due to a factory that Parydan had built, they were now ravenous machines with only two things to consume. One being electricity, and the other one being other anything with a heart. It didn't have to beat either as long as it was flesh.
Twilight explained that it was how they were able to repair the damage to my body with scrap parts from the NineVoltz.
Rarity, her usually well kept mane was now mangled and filthy, she seemed to not even mind it. I asked where Spike was and apparently Rarity heard me, she burst into tears. I looked at Twilight, she teared also, Spike died protecting Rarity from a swarm of NineVoltz.
"All I have from him," Rarity sobbed, "is this," she held up a single purple dragon scale hanging by a thread on her neck. I began to cry, I never even got to say goodbye.
Pinkie Pie seemed to be the most miserable, her once poofy mane now lays flat. She had scars all over her body, she even sat in a corner with a switch blade making more cuts on herself. Apparently she totally lost it, the happiness compleatly drained, she felt she could never smile again and could never make anypony else smile either. Several years earlier she had severed the cutie marks on either side of her flank.
Nowadays she lies in a mess on the floor.
Applejack was in another part of the room, with a photo album. The entire Apple family had been slaughtered in front of her, Big Mac, Granny Smith, they even killed Apple Bloom and Winona. All she ever seemed to do was talk to herself and look through the album over and over again.
Twilight told me that only the two of us were left untouched by this war. Technology kept Twilight sane, only the continuous work or testing to bring me back kept her from suffering the same insane fate as our friends. It seemed that Haymill was now a refugee camp. It was the only place in all of Equestria that seemed to be untouched by Parydan's reign. Although it had been ravaged many times by NineVoltz, the residents here had done their best to fend them off. It seemed hopeless to even attempt to salvage this losing battle.
But we had to.
I may not be the pony I was twenty five years ago, at least on the outside, but I knew in my metal heart that I was still Fluttershy. I was still the Element of Kindness, and I knew the same was for all of my friends. For twenty five years I had slept, while my friends endured this terrible cataclysm. I had to rise up now, before I was small, weak, and shy. But if there was one thing I learned from facing that dragon that terrorized my friends all those years ago, is that you don't mess with my friends.
"So, what do you say Fluttershy?" Twilight said, "Can you help us?
I paused, "No." I said.
It took Twilight away.
"Fluttershy please, we've waited for twenty five years for this moment and now it's finally here."
"Twilight, I wish I could help everypony," I told her begining to cry, "but look at them. Parydan has broken them, he's just too strong. There's just no way we can beat him."
"There is Fluttershy," I looked at her, confused, "you, you have to show our friends the kindness they haven't seen in twenty five years of existing in this desolate future. Luna has even gone into hiding, she hasn't been able to take over the sun and moon, Parydan won't let her, he'll kill her too."
Equestria had apparently been stuck in an eternal day, even though the sky was blocked out by giant cloud of smoke. I nodded, I would do my best, for my friends.
As time passed by, I watched as my friends pulled on with their routines. I had to find out how I could help them. Every day (or what I would consider to be a day, there really was no way for me to tell) Rainbow Dash would perk up her head, never say anything, and bolt out the door. I tried to follow her a few times but I wasn't fast enough to keep up. Pinkie only sat in the corner, cutting her body and licking the wounds until they stopped bleeding.
Rarity was always on the lookout for food, although we had a small garden we still needed other things for when food ran scarce. Rarity wouldn't talk to me. She would only turn up her nose and walk away, I didn't blame her, I had left them to this.
Applejack wouldn't even respond to anypony, Twilight had said she tried many times but never gotten an answer that made sense.
I sat down next to the orange mare, "AJ?" I said.
"Oh, hey there sugar cube," she said, "come to try some Zap Apple Jam." She held out an empty hoof.
I decided to play along, "Oh, yes I'd love some." I pretended to take the jar from her.
"Um... AJ" I said to her.
"Watcha need partner?" she said cheerfully, she looked insane.
I put on my best Apple Bloom impression, "Ah miss ya sis." I said tearfully.
I didn't like impersonating Apple Bloom, I felt like I was lying to her but I didn't know any other way.
"AB..." She began to tear up and grew to a normal size.
Twilight's mouth dropped in astonishment.
"Ya ain't gotta cry no more lil' sis, big ol' Applejack is here for ya." Apple Jack put her hooves around my shoulders and stroked my mane.
"Ah know sis, I don't blame you fer anythin'. Neither does Big Mac or Granny Smith." I continued in my best friends sisters voice.
There were more tears. "Everythin' 'll be better in the mornin' lil' sis. Ah promise..."
As she drifted off to sleep I heard her mumble "It'll always git better"
As she began to snore I sang my lullaby.
Hush now quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head
"Ah know this one" AJ said in her sleep, she sang along.
Hush now quiet now, it's time to go to bed.
I hummed along as she fell into a deep sleep, Twilight watched as she slept for several hours. When she awoke her eyes futtered open.
"Mmmmm" she groaned, "Wuh happened?" Apple Jack said, "Is everythin' all right Twi, ya look a little down."
Twilight's eyes filled with tears as she threw her arms around her friend.
The next day I decided the next best thing was to talk to somepony who was still at least a little sane. Rarity was once again in the small garden, pulling weeds and other vegetables that had spoiled. I walked over cautiously, there was no telling how she would react, Twilight had informed me that some days she was her usual self from twenty five years prior, other days she was as insane as Pinkie. Either way I approached slowly.
"Rarity?" I asked.
"Hello Fluttershy." She said nonchalantly.
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
Rarity stopped and looked at the ground, she looked to me, she had a gnarly scar over one eye. Her coat now sagged with age, she had let herself fall over this time. But even with this reatched appearance, I saw behind her cold blue eyes to see the primp proper friend I once knew. Who at one point wouldn't garden bare-hoofed. I saw a tear well up in one eye.
"I let him die," she started already sniffling, "all he ever wanted was my love, and I pushed him away like a rag doll. Now my little Spikey-Wikey will never know how I really feel."
She began her story.
It had been thirteen years since Parydan's takeover. But Spike still believed that we could revive Fluttershy, that we could acctually win. I spent ten years with the same faithful hope before I lost it. He was ranting on about how after they got through this that we could get married. I couldn't take this anymore, he had grown into a fine adolescent dragon, but in this empire their was no more romance anymore.
"Spike would you please shut your mouth for just a minute! We have to look for food." I snapped, he was taken aback, hurt by my words.
"But... Rarity..."
"Spike listen to me," I told him, "in this time there is absolutely no time for romance and on top of that, your a dragon for Luna's sake!"
"I..." spike began but choked back his tears.
I began to feel bad for him, he looked down and began to cry.
"Spike," I said trying to comfort him, "I'm sorry Spike."
He got up wiped his eyes and glared at me.
"All I ever wanted was for you to love me the way I love you Rarity." Sparks literally flew from his fangs as he spat the words out at her. "And all you've ever done was shoot me down like it's Dragon Hunting Season all year round. I'm tired of this!"
He turned around and began to leave.
"Spike wait." I called.
He stopped and waited for me to speak.
"What about the food?" I said.
I knew it was a mistake as soon as it came from my muzzle. He unfurled his massive wings and took to the skies.
I watched him leave. I put my head down and began to cry also. My sorrow was short lived. I heard a ZAP ! and everything went black. When I awoke I was surrounded by NineVoltz, I tried to back into a corner but was stopped by a wall. I wimpered as the monsters inched closer enjoying the chance to play with their food.
That's when I heard a roar that echoed through the sky. I looked up, as did the NineVoltz. I blast of fire came crashing into them, knocking several of them back. NineVoltz were unfortunately very hard to destroy. Spike smashed down in the ground in front of me and roared loudly at the machines. He glanced back and winked at me, I smiled. NineVoltz jumped on him. He shook them off, grabbed my hoof and took me into his arms. I gazed into his bright emerald eyes.
I had never seen him so brave before.
"Spike..." I began, but he put a claw to my lips, he covered me as he charged through the crowd of NineVoltz.
His pace slowed with every step. He barely reached the end and threw me out of the crowd. I grabbed his hand. He looked into my eyes, he had tears in his, he said nothing. He only removed a scale from over his heart, then placed it in my hoof. The NineVoltz dragged him into the darkness.
He uttered only one thing before he let go, "I love your Rarity. Run!" He let go and was swallowed by the darkness, as I ran back to Haymill with only the sound of his screams in my ears. I felt blood run down my face as I sat in the hut we were currently residing in.
I could only think one thing, 'I'm sorry Spike,' the words he could never hear, 'I love you too'
As she finished her story her coat seemed to regain a little color.
"I never told anypony else what happened." She told me, she looked at me with her bright blue eyes.
"He already knew, Rarity." I told her, she smiled and hugged me gently, but still tight and warm.
I had to show all of my friends the kindness I had not been able to show them for twenty five years. It was the only way to reawaken them. Rarity smiled at me as she realized it too. It was up to me to make sure we were all still together my the end of this. Nopony else could.
Sorry this chapter was so short, I wanted it to go quick to get to the good part. Rainbow Dash's story is gunna give you whiplash....[color]
Rainbow Dash was out on another one of her daily takeoffs. I still had yet to find out where she had gone, Pinkie Pie was once again in her corner slicing away at her flesh and licking it to help stop the bleeding. She seemed to be singing to herself as she did, I sat closer to her watching her flat mane, faded and grey with age. I listened as she sang the song she wrote for when she makes cupcakes, though it wasn't nearly the pitch she used when she created it. Her voice cracked at the high notes and she sounded tired, as if she needed something to drink.
All you have to do is take a cup of flour,
add it to the mix.
Now just take a little something sweet not sour,
a bit of salt, just a pinch.
Baking these treats is such a sinch,
a teaspoon of vanilla,
Add a little more and ya count to four,
and you never get your fill of.
Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty.
Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty.
"Pinkie," I inturupted the ending of her song, she was bleeding but she didn't seem to mind. Her scars were all over, some overlapping, some parallel. I wondered what went on in this fillies head, well I always did, but now more than ever. Back then it seemed so simple, she was always the random one, now all I thought was worry for her.
"I know why your here." Pinkie told me solemnly.
"Oh," I said " well that's great then you can help us-"
"YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!" She shouted getting to her feet.
"What?"
"Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, I saved them you can't take them away." She said defiantly, she motioned at two knives on the floor.
"Pinkie what are you..." I stopped it was just like Apple Jack, she'd been like this, delusional. "Well what about your cuts?" I asked her.
"Ya, they play a little rough, you know how it is they're getting older now so..." She laughed as she trailed off, she didn't seem to have the same enthusiasm as her younger self. Though she still smiled, it was a little creepy.
"Pinkie." I began again, "What happened?"
"When the Cakes were all eated up by those meanie pants NineVoltz, they told me to save the babies. So that's what Pinkie did." She finnished her speech.
"Wanna hear how I did it?" She asked sounding like she was boasting like Rainbow, well younger Rainbow the one from here didn't seem to talk much. I sat down preparing for another grousome story about a NineVoltz attack.
"Everypony said that I went crazy first but they're the ones who are crazy!" One of her eyes twitched, but I kept a straight expression.
Parydan had just taken over, it had been three months since Fluttershy was frozen. We were still in Ponyville, even without Fluttershy we had to go on the counteroffensive. I didn't like fighting, I'd rather just tell a few jokes make friends and be happy ever after. But it seemed that Parydan was in no mood to joke, it was like he sucked out their happiness too.
Nopony smiled during the meeting, I felt sad no being able to make them smile with me. Instead they were all sad, my poofy mane deflated, it only happened when I was really, really, really sad. I left before the meeting was over, I didn't want to be there. I felt like an outcast, I felt a really bad vibe in there. I went to the only place that always made sense, the only place where happiness always was in motion.
As I entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cake they greeted me quietly. Even they lost a little happiness, but they were still a little happy. Pound and Pumpkin smiled every time they saw me. I smiled back seeing their happy little faces. My mane poofed back up a little. I started to take them to their room to play, Mr. Cake stopped me.
"Um, Pinkie." He said, I looked at him, "You know things have been tough around here in Ponyville, seeing as a lot of funding has to go to the war effort..." He looked sad, I saw tears welling in his eyes as he prepared his next words, "We really can't afford to pay for a babysitter anymore."
I simply smiled, I nuzzled his chin to comfort him, "It's ok Mr. Cake, you don't have to worry about paying me until Ponyville get's back on track" I told him in my normal chipper tone, "for now Pinkie's on volunteer time."
He smiled about to cry, so was Mrs. Cake.
"Pinkie," she said, "how can we ever repay you for your kindness."
"I just told you silly," I laughed, "you don't have to anymore, all I want to see is my friends smile again."
She squeezed me, I hugged her back. It felt good to feel that love.
As I took the foals up to their room I heard a crash outside, I shrugged it off. A lot of things were being torn down here nowadays." I preped the little darlings for bed and tucked them in.
I kissed them each on their head.
"Nite nite antie Binkie" Pumpkin said. They had become more capable of words now.
"Good night little ones." I said as I turned off the lights and exited the room.
That's when I heard the sickening CRUNCH of the door being bashed in. I galloped down the stairs as fast as I could, I was too late. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were in a corner surrounded by NineVoltz.
One looked at me and hissed.
"Pinkie!" Mr. Cake said holding his wife, his gaze was stone cold in fear. "Save the kids!" he called.
I turned and ran up the stairs I saw out of the corner of my eyes a NineVolt jump at the Cakes. Tears burned my eyes as I galloped back up the stairs. I went into the room and again I was mortified. NineVoltz all over the crib, their bloddy muzzles shoved in the twins' crib, gorging themselves.
Tears came to my eyes.
Pinkie was crying as she finished.
"And that's how I saved the babies!" She said with a smile the tears still pouring down her face.
"But..." I began, tears also in my eyes.
"I know," she said, "I didn't really save them" she chocked out, "I thought if I covered it up I wouldn't think about it."
I could see it now as she sobbed, she had burried herself in self mutilation as her own punishment for not saving the little foals she cared so deeply for.
"You tried your best Pinkie," I told her putting a hoof over her shoulders.
"NO!" She shouted, she picked up the knife and pinned me to the wall, she put the knife up to me throat.
"I didn't try hard enough" She said through clenched teeth.
"Maybe not," I said, she pressed the knife harder, "but you tried your best." her grip loosened.
"There was nothing you could do." I told her. A tear from her eye made her let me go.
"I know that the Cakes don't blame you."
She broke into an all out bawling, I sat down, put my hoof on her head and let out my tears also. We cried together for what seemed like hours. Her tears were all dried up but she continued to wail out. She often said things like 'I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE, SHY!' or 'I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE ANYMORE!' but it just ment she was coping. Eventually it seemed she cried herself to sleep. I laid down and curled up next to her and fell asleep too.
I was awoken by somepony tapping my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw Pinkie, scars and all looking at me and (believe it or not) smiling. It was a sincere smile, not a fake, sadistic attempt to hide her feelings. I smiled back and her mane poofed up immediately.
Pinkie was back, I laughed and so did she.
Rainbow was on another of her trips. I had to find out where she was going, it was the only way I could help her. The next day I got up early, I flew as high up into the sky as I could. It was rather difficult with so much metal, even though Twilight tried to save most of my body a lot was still missing, she had engineered some aparatuses to supprt my flying. Even with all her valient efforts it was still a pain to get airborne. But as I rode the thermal wind I hovered waiting for Dash to make her leave. Finally I watched as the rainbow colored mane –faded as it was– peer from the shack.
ZOOM! she took off.
I followed her now, it was easier to keep sight of her from an airial vantage point. I watched as she suddenly stopped near the mouth of a hole in the ground.The hole wasn't big, maybe two feet around. But she climbed in and dissapeared. I soared down, landed and stared ot the cave, I heard the echoes as she went further into the tunnel. I gulped, now or never. I climbed in after her. It was dark and wet and slimy. But I had to do this, for my friend, for Equestria. I saw a small light as I turned one corner, I saw Rainbow staring at a wall of photos. OUR photos, pictures of happier times.
She was crying as she looked over them.
I smiled as I realized she still loved us, even if she was too proud to say it. I was about to step forward when something made my blood run cold.
"They aren't the same." My smile faded as I heard the echo within the voice of itself.
"I know." Rainbow said, "That's why we have to eliminate the rest of them." She said to the black stallion. Anger in her eyes.
"Yes feel the hatered of betrayal, they never cared for you Dash." Parydan's voice was angry also, why?
"Yes master Parydan, they betrayed me just as your brother betrayed you." Rainbow said.
"Good, and what do we do with traitors?" Parydan's lips curled into a wicked smile.
"We crush them." Rainbow said with contempt in her voice.
I had to speak up now.
"What news of the traitors do we have?" Parydan said, I stayed where I was.
"They have released Fluttershy," Rainbow reported, "apparently, she's spreading hope among them."
"But you won't let her get to you will you?" Parydan asked.
"No sir, she's the biggest traitor of all." Rainbow said, I almost cried when she said that.
Had she really thought I had left her on purpose.
I left I had to go back, I turned around. That's when I heard it:
"Remeber Rainbow, in two days time at sunrise, we kill them." I flew as fast as I could back to the shack.
At first I was about to tell Twilight, but then I thought, Rainbow had kept Parydan from killing us this entire time. Why now? Did she somehow want me to stop her, shake her out of it, was the real Rainbow Dash somehow still in some sort of control? So many questions, and there was only one pony who knew the answers.
She came back several hours later. As always she was silent. Dinner came, not a word. Night fell, or at least we all got tired. She curled up in her corner far away from all of us. I walked over and sat down behind her. I was silent for a few minutes, I knew she knew I was there. I wanted her to feel my presence before I spoke, maybe she'd innitiate conversation with me. It didn't work.
I finally spoke.
"Dash?" I said
Nothing.
"We're your friends Dash.
Not a word.
I decided to was time for the trump card, it was all or nothing here.
"I saw you today."
Her ear pricked up. Good, at least a reaction.
"I haven't told anypony."
Her one ear flicked in interest.
"I won't if you don't want me to, but I just want you to know something."
Still no reaction.
"No matter what happens after this is all over, I'll still be your friend." I began to walk away, I heard a rustle.
"Fluttershy?" Dash said, I looked over my shoulder into her wrinkled rose eyes.
"Yes?" I said softly.
"I'm going to kill you first." She said, and turned back around.
I lowered my head and walked away, I'd failed. This was the end of Equestria as I knew it. I was the only hope and now the world was going to Parydan.
The next day when we all got up Rainbow was already gone.
"Fluttershy have you seen Rainbow?" she asked me.
"No." I lied.
I had heard her get up that morning and leave. I didn't know where she went but it was most likely to plan for Parydans final attack. I still hadn't told anypony, they all went on with their days. Except for me, I pondered my terrible burden of knowing that my once good friend was going to kill us all. I didn't want us to go out with nothing, but I still wasn't going to let Rainbow's secret go. I was running out of time, my friends didn't know about the impending doom that awaited us at what could be assumed as sunrise, but we only had a few more hours I knew.
"Girls?" I called as they all prepared for bed, they all looked at me curious to what I would say, "we don't know how much longer we may last through this, or even if we will survive against Parydan whenever we face him." I began, Twilight came over to me seeing the tears in my eye. She put a hoof on my shoulder, "Let's have some fun before we go out, huh?" I suggested.
"A slumber party then?" Rarity offered we all nodded.
The rest of the night we played games, even laughed like old times.
I kept looking out the door in case Rainbow was watching us, she wasn't, but I still felt somehow she knew we were having fun. Even if by tomorrow we were all dead, at least this one last moment could exist right before. We were friends again, playing laughing, but most of all... talking. They were quiet or silent for so long. The unspoken talk saved from twenty five years of dispair crumbled away into the night. I don't remember falling asleep but we did. All of us curled into one ball of happy friends, minus one.
We all awoke to a soul crushing explosion, all around us there was dust. A wild whirlwind wisped it away we saw Rainbow zooming around us clearing the debris.
"Rainbow what's going on?" Twilight screamed over the whistling of the gust.
Rainbow stopped on a dime and hovered. Next to her appered Parydan, everyponies mouth dropped, except mine. I stepped forward to Rainbow facing her from the distance.
"Well Rainbow I kept my promise," I said, they looked at me, "I didn't tell them that you were going to attack." If their mouths could drop further, they would have. I glared at Rainbow, "So it's time you kept your end up, you kill me first!"
Rainbow Dash looked at me for a minute, then she looked uncertain. She looked to Parydan, he nodded. She lunged at me, the rest of the gang prepared for impact. A blast came from Parydan's horn, it knocked my friends back.
A force field formed around Rainbow and I, "Nopony intervenes in the battle!" Parydan shouted.
He watched in glee as Raibow sucessfull made her impact. The jolt shoved me into the edge of the forcefield, I felt my ribs crack. I didn't know if they were broken, but the pain was intense. I held my side Rainbow turned to glare at me, she was breathing hard. Her age was not helpful to her stamina. Her rainbow colored mane which she had not cut since Parydan's takeover apparently hung to the floor.
"So," Rainbow huffed, "you gunna fight back or am I gunna kill you now."
"I am not going to fight back Rainbow," I told her, she was taken aback, "I left you." I said I looked back to my friends who could do nothing but watch. "I left you all."
I looked back to her, her face had changed from a look of confusion to that of sadness.
"I deserve what I get." I told her, the pain in my ribs was unbearable I collapsed to the ground. Rainbow walked over to me and put a hoof in my back.
"Yes, Rainbow. It is the moment you have been waiting for REVENGE!" Parydan shouted, he began lauging maniacally.
Cackling at his own sick, evil, and twisted sense of humor.
Rainbow stood there with her hoof in my back, there was no pressure like if she was trying to hurt me. I looked up she was watching Parydan her face looked angry. Parydan took no notice, he was too busy laughing. Rainbows hoof slid across my back and over to under my arm. She wrapped me in a hug and pulled me to my feet, all the while watching Parydan.
"Ready?" she asked me with a smile.
I looked at her, was she planning what I think she was? I smiled and nodded.
She flew to the other side and faced me.
"Fight like your life depends on it Shy, GIVE ME A CHALLANGE!" She roared.
We charged, she lifted a hoof and landed it square in my muzzle, it hurt, it had to.
I flew up and double kicked her in the back. She screamed in pain as a cut opened up in her back. One wing damaged now she flapped with a little lag in her right wing.
She smiled at me.
"Nice shot!" She chraged at me full speed, whirling me into a frenzy, the speed was so intense I couldn't move. Suddenly we were zooming downwards.... BOOOM !!!
A cloud of dust filled the air around us.
Rainbow was on top of me, I was hurting, but I had to. Parydan was cheering as if he was watching the Wonderbolts, had they still been alive. My nose bled, and I was sure I had broken bones, but it would all be worth it.
Rainbow glared at me I watched her eyes, watching her back.
Parydan let down the force field and walked towards us.
None if my other friends had dared to step up.
"It's time to finish this, Dash." Parydan said watching me with a sadistic smile on his face.
"Yes," Rainbow said, looking back to me, "yes it is." She smiled. "NOW!" she shouted.
The sudden outburst shocked Parydan.
"What ?!"
Rainbow looked up at Twilight who called the necklaces and crown to us, each one latching to it's counterpart. We turned to face Parydan now it complete shock.
The Elements shot the rainbow colored power at Parydan.
"BUT HOW DID YOU PLAN THAT UNDER MY MUZZLE?!" Parydan shouted as his final words.
"It's easy!" Twilight said.
"When your friends for as long as us." Apple Jack chimed in.
"Sometimes you don't need to say much." Rainbow said looking at me.
"The words that mean the most." I added.
"Are words that don't need to be said at all" Rarity finished
A light split the stallion into two, not in half, but two seperate ponies. One pure black and the other was pure whit with a gray mane. When the light dissipated, the two looked at each other. They looked like twins, they both smiled and hugged each other.
"I have not seen you in a very long time my brother." The white one said.
"It's good to see you again." The black one, who looked like Parydan but was somehow... different. His eyes were red, the white ones were blue, like Parydan's.
The two looked at us.
"I expect you want an explination." The white stallion said.
They both took turns telling how Parydan had took a turn to Dark unicorn magic, and how an Entite manifestation known as Hate, had taken them over. It fused the powers of both brothers into one body. The thing Parydan didn't know was that the spell was not giving him power, instead it called upon one of the three great Entites: Hate, Sin, and Demise. The power of the Elements broke the seal that was harbored in Parydans heart. His brother Equin was the medium needed to channel the manifestation from Parydans heart into a body to posess, but instead of one host, the entite took both.
"I guess it's time to set this land straight." Equin said.
"Yes brother, let us right the wrongs we have released into the world."
Equin flew into the sky, Parydan levitated himself.
"Fluttershy is it?" He looked to me, I looked up to him "Be sure this doesn't happen again." He smiled.
I nodded.
There was a glowing light around the brothers, then a blinding flash.
We were all in the park on our picnic. Everyone young again, I watched as me friends played and laughed like old times. Only now, it was old times, not just a memory. I sat under the tree scribbling in the notebook I had.
"Watcha got Fluttershy." Pinkie said, giggling as she bounced over to look at the page.
"Just a story ment for just one pony." I said and smiled as I looked past the park to a small shack nopony would have given a second glance. I watched as two stallions one black and one white talked. They went inside.
"Or two." I corrected and smiled at my confused looking friend.
The End
The History of the Entites
Book II: Demise in Equestria
Entites are powerful creatures capable of altering reality. More powerful still than the Draconequis', they have the ability at points to be able to corrupt the Elements of Harmony themselves. But an Entite does not begin as a being of such great mass on its own. There are three known forms of the creatures known to be able to become these Gods of power. They are called Wyspers, they begin as an unseen, weightless matter of power.
They take no form, and no shape. Which is why they are so hard to stop. When a Whysper absorbs enough power can become a Myst, they take the form of a gassious smoke-like substance. They can shapeshift into other creatures they've taken power from. The next step up is obviously the great Entite. A massive ball of energy these great behemoths can take possession of entire armies and render them under it's own control.
But there are only three known with the ability to do this, one is known as Hate. Hate feeds on, as you've guessed, the hatered fuled between argument and conflict. Demise, it feeds on the sadness and sorrow of a creature. And Sin, is known to have the most plentiful food source. He is known to feed off of bountiful supplies of a creatures own temptation. With these elements in his possession he is known to be nearly invincible. When the two great Gods, Galactica and Univera (the very creators of the universe) came to put a stop to the destructive rampage of this beast all they could do was imprison them.
The only known key to releasing this behemoth was for his two lesser brothers to be destroyed. Thus the Entites were all sealed away, depleating the chance of the Entites coming back to wreak havoc in our world.
I closed the book about the Entites. They did seem very powerful indeed, not even the creators of the universe were able to stop Sin. This book was the only known record of the Entites I could find even the Canterlot vaults held no record of them.
I became interested in the subject because we'd recently had a run into a similar creature. Nopony else remembered it it seemed except for myself and Fluttershy. We were living in a dystopian empire run by Parydan Nox, who had enslaved a race of cyborg ponies that we named NineVolts. They killed eveypony we once knew. I think if it wasn't for trying to scrap parts to bring Fluttershy back from the brink of death I would have went insane just like all of my friends as well.
Parydan turned out to be two brothers, Parydan and Equin Nox. Parydan the black stallion, had become obsessed with dark magic. When his brother came to his door dying he apparently used his body as a sacrifice to gain the power to leave into a different world to find acceptance. Unfortunately in doing so he opened a portal into the Dark World releasing a Whysper known as Hate. Hate fed quickly on the twins' differences and quickly evolved into an Entite and consumed the bodies of both Parydan and Equin. He killed Princess Celestia, and ran Luna into hiding.
Finally after twenty five years we had regenerated Fluttershy and she snapped our friends back into reality. After an intense battle with Rainbow Dash, we defeated Hate and returned the two brothers to themselves. They used their own bond to forge magic powerful enough to send Hate away and return us all back to our original times.
And that's where this story began. I was suspicious of the strange things that were happening in Equestria lately. Some of the residents seemed down, as if the happiness had drained out of them. I didn't want to rush to any conclusions, but after reading this book my suspicion was about as good as confirmed.
Demise was in Equestria, and he was getting stronger.
...
I am the runt of my two brothers, I know that, they know it too. I was never powerful, but I hated these equines more than either of them. These filthy uptight creatures belived they were better than me. I am the Whysper of Demise, I bring sadness to this land. For the past few days since my release I scoured the land and wraught on my wretched disease to the world. Cursing those who crossed my path, I was in an awkward stage though. I seemed to be caught between a Whysper and a Myst. I had been able to change form by will alone, something I had not been able to do in the past.
I hate these creatures more than my two brothers, probably because of my experiences. I remember it well, about six thousand years ago. Idiotic creatures.
I was then as I am a runt now, I couldn't feed as often as I would like because these creatures seem to not be unhappy very often. I scrounge around getting anything I can. At the time the land was barren, a wasteland. My two brothers had ravanged it. Nopony to feed on. The gods had warned us all, though they have not heeded. I'm starving now, on my stomach crawling. Suddenly a hoof stomps the ground in front of me, I look up to see the Goddess of Creation, Univera. I latch on to her ankle trying to feed anything I can, nothing.
She shakes me off easily.
"You leeches will pay for your insolence!" She shouts at me, I cower before her powerful loud voice.
"We have warned you to leave this land and yet your petty attempt to destroy it continue!"
"Please..." I beg her, "I only mean to exist, it is not I that ravenge this land. I hunger for just meager sustenance!"
"And yet if given the chance you too would pillage my creations out of greed," I have no time to protest, "NAY! I say to you be gone knave!"
I am suddenly thrust into a world where I am just immobilized, nothing. I have nothing.
I do hate these creatures, which is why upon second arrival I notice the land has flourished. It seemed the more powerful brother Sin is still captive, Hate on the other hand I feel his presence no more. This world is mine, it has nothing to guard it but a mere princess. HA! I Demise will rule this land and ruthlessly gut it for everything I can, and when I am done the God and Goddes of creation will kneel before my power.
Demise to this land of Equestria.
My next meal was closer than I thought, a little happy pink mare. Delicious. I moved in for the kill, so to speak, she was greeting everypony she came across. I could tell she was friends with all of them by the way she geeted them all, it sickened me! I went to her ear to whisper my curse. I didn't feed like my other brothers, I planted seeds of potential energy to be consumed at my vantage.
Suddenly a zoom came by, I looked to see a rainbow streak across the sky.
"Oh, look at Rainbow Dash go!" The pink one proclaimed.
Rainbow Dash huh, I would have to keep that one in mind as well.
I laid my curse.
A strange little mare,
your friends all gawk and stare.
Let us see how you fare,
when nopony wants to be there.
I faded off to watch the events unfold.
Pinkie stood there she thought she heard somepony rhyming in her ear.
She thought it might be Zecora, but it couldn't be she didn't sound like that. Besides there was nopony beside her... except Rainbow up in the sky. She just left it to her imagination playing tricks on her, after all everypony told her she had an overactive imagination.
"Cheerilee, guess what just happened!?" She shouted seeing the school teacher.
"Please Pinkie I'm very busy right now." She replied uninterested.
It was strange, Cheerilee was always happy to hear what she had to say.
"But-" Pinkie began
"PINKIE!" She said exploding at me. "Uh... listen I have a lot to do right now Pinkie I don't have time for your games, ok?" She said.
"Um... ok..." Pinkie replied, ears down.
It seemed strange but she continued on, maybe foalsitting would cheer her up.
I laughed to myself. Behind the brushes I could feel my power growing. It was good, I knew it wasn't over yet, I followed her.
She made it to the Cakes' house and knocked on the door, she heard crying behind the door, nothing Pinkie Pie couldn't handle. Mr. Cake answered the door totally covered in flour. She giggled at him, he didn't return her chortle. He kinda looked mad.
"Um, is everything all right, Mr. Cake?" She asked.
"No!" He replied.
Now she was surprised.
"In fact ever since your last visit-" he ducked as bad of flour that was magically tossed at his head. "Ever since your last visit all the twins have done is throw flour around!" He finished.
"Oh," I said, "but I thought we had gotten past that stage." She explained.
"Apparently not, Pinkie." Mrs. Cake said chiming in.
She was busy trying to keep the two from using all of her flour stock.
"In fact until they stop this I don't think your foalsitting services will be necessary anymore!" Mr. Cake said.
He slammed the door in her face.
She welled up with tears thinking that she wouldn't see Pound and Pumpkin anymore. Her mane deflated, she shuffled her hooves and slowly walked back home. She tried greeting her friends like usual to cheer herself up but it seemed like everypony was in a sour mood.
"Muahahaha, discouraged you may be, it will only get better for me." I rhymed, "Don't fret, it isn't over yet. I've only just begun, although with you I've already won." I laughed as I went on to scout my next target.
I think I'd find the little rainbow colored one the pink mare was talking about, what was her name? Ah, yes, Rainbow Dash. My stomach growled in anticipation. I couldn't wait to get more power, maybe I would even use my new shapeshifting ability too.
As Twilight aproached Pinkies house it seemed strange. Usually she was throwing a party for some sort of occasion. But the house seemed quiet, almost dead silent. Strange indeed.
She knocked on the door.
"GO AWAY!" She heard the familiar high picthed squeal.
"Pinkie it's me, Twilight is everything all right?" I questioned.
The door cracked open slightly, "Twilight?" She squeeked, she sounded more like Fluttershy, "It really is you."
"Ya." I told her, "Why, were you expecting somepony else?" I asked her.
"Well..." she began, "no not lately." she opened the door.
I saw immediately that her usually fluffly mane now lay flat, that only ment that something had really upset her.
"Is everything all right Pinkie?" I asked her sincerely.
"No." She said simply, I waited for an update.
"Care to tell me?" I asked prying the subject a little.
"Well," she said, "at first I thought I heard a voice say something in my ear, than I tried to tell Cheerilee about it but she yelled at me." She told me.
Her story seemed strange, a whisper in her ear and suddenly she was being blown off by her friends.
"And then I went to go foalsit for the Cakes, and even they didn't want to talk to me, they said I couldn't foalsit for them anymore."
This was strange, very strange.
"Pinkie!" I said trying to excite her attention, it didn't work. "Do you remember what the voice said?" I asked her.
"Uh," she thought for a second, "Something about my friends all gawking and staring... and then nopony being there... I don't remember too well it was really quiet."
"Ok, just stay safe Pinkie you hear?" I told her, she only sighed and nodded.
I had to find out what was going on here. I just hoped I could figure out what it was before it was too late. I just hoped against hope it wasn't anything like Parydan Nox. But just in case I would pay a visit to Fluttershy's cottage to see if she noticed anything wrong, or I guess in this case hears, anything suspicious. I galloped off to set this back up plan in motion. I had no idea what was going on, but I sure as hay had to put a stop to it before it got out of hoof.
I knew I had to keep Demise from getting as much power as I could, the only thing that would stop him was the Elements of Harmony. Right now it seemed he had already started trying to corrupt Pinkie Pie and just like Discord I knew what would happen if we weren't united. This was our stand to save Equestria.
As Rainbow Dash zoomed through the sky the wind whipped through her mane. It was one of the reasons she wore it short, long hair just gets caught in your eyes. Being the fastest flyer in Equestria can make flying pretty dangerous. She learned that the hard way, although she probably wouldn't have changed it for the world. After all if she hadn't she would have never discovered the Daring Doo books. Flying was the only thing she could rely on to relieve stress. To leave the ground and watch it speed away below her, it was like all her problems were whooshed away. She knew she was the best and there was nothing that could prove that wrong.
...
I whisped through following that rainbow trail, I saw the little cyan mare. Ha, she had no idea what she was in for. I noticed she was fast, and I mean really fast. But compared to my newfound abilities to alter reality I could change that. I never had this power when my brothers ruled, now that I was on my own I could have the same powers they once had when they ravenged and pillaged this wretched land of judgmental creatures. Soon though they would know the true power of Demise. Suddenly the mare swooped down from the sky and stopped to speak with a pale yellow one.
"Hey Shy, where ya goin'?" She asked Fluttershy.
"Oh, hi Dash, I'm just going to the market to get some medicine for Angel, he's really sick right now." She replied.
"Oh really?" She said genuinly concerned. "Well I hope he get's better soon, that way he can see me tryout for the Wonderbolts in the open auditions this coming month." I told her with pride.
"Oh I heard about that," she told me, "I hope you do well."
"Hope?" She said smugly. "Ha, trust me Shy all I gotta do is show 'em my new on command Sonic Rainboom and I'm a shoe in."
"That'll surely get you in." She smiled.
Rainbow let her on her way, she had a lot of animals to take care of so she was always busy with something.
This was perfect, one feeding just led to the other here. Rainbow Dash with her story for the Wonderbolts. All I had to do was break her spirit, as for the yellow one, well, my work was cut out for me. The one called Angel had fallen ill. All it would take was a little 'push' and down goes the tears and my power will rise again. I quickly change my form and prepared to put my plan into motion.
Just as I'm preparing to take off something stops me, a whisper in my ear.
Your victories give you your pride,
you belive you've already won.
Let's put your skills to the test,
and see if you really are the best.
"What the hay is that supposed to mean?" She shouted spinning around, nothing.
What was that?
Rainbow turned around and found herself looking onto the red glowing eyes of an all black stallion with a white bolt of lightning on his flank.
"Who are you supposed to be?" She asked.
"I am the one and only Blitz Bolts, my dear." He said, he really talked funny but Dash payed no mind.
"And you are?" She laughed, he payed no attention to my disinterest.
"Haha, my dear I hear you are trying out for the Wonderbolts?" He said.
"Ya? What of it?" Dash replied, one eyebrow raised, it sounded like he was dissing her idols.
"Well," he said walking past her and glancing back with a creepy looking red eye, "it is just that they have been begging me to join them for years." He said.
Now she was mad.
"What? You are telling me that the Wonderbolts asked you-"
"Begged," he corrected, "is more a proper term dearie."
"You don't look like much" She shot at him looking at his small wings.
"You would be surprised," he unfurled his wings to reveal a nearly five foot wingspan, "first glances can only mean underestimating your opponent." He shot back.
"So what do you say?" He asked.
"Wha-what?" Dash stammered still stunned by his display.
"Let's race," he said, "to see who is best, if you win I'll tell the Wonderbolts about you."
"Your on buddy!" She accepted his challenge. "Wait what do you get if you win?"
He smiled, his teeth almost looked filed and sharp. "Oh I'll get whatever I need when I win." He was really creeping me out, but I had to do this race.
Both took their places at the imaginary start line.
"Ready?" Dash asked, flexing her wings.
"Set." Blitz replied, bending down to get into a better starting pose.
"GO!"
Dash zoomed off and looked back to see him still at the start.
She laughed to herself, that is until he took off and almost immediately caught up to her.
They were now side by side, her wings beat furiously as she pushed forward she could feel the sound barrier holding her back. She was almost there all she had to do was break through, a Sonic Rainboom would surly put him in his place.
She heard a thundering BOOOM !, but it wasn't her. A black streak of nothingness zoomed past her. The force of it sent her spiraling off course as she went crashing to the ground.
The black stallion landed firmly in front of her.
"You see now," he said to me, she was still lying on the ground both her pride and body was hurt, "your Sonic Rainboom has nothing on my Cosmic Rift." He said.
"I can fly fast enough to temporarily rip a hole in reality. Your actually lucky, had you been sucked in you would have never been heard from again. Face it Rainbow Crash, to me you'll always just be second best."
He flapped his wings and took off.
...
I took off and disipated, I watched the little pegasus and laughed. She was so concerned with being number one she acctually felt sad about being beaten. After I was done with this land she'd have more to worry about than those Wonderbolts. I took off to find that yellow mare, she was going to be the next target of mine.
I came up to Fluttershy's cottage but she wasn't there. I let myself in, Angel was in a bed with a bowl of soup beside him. He looked sick, and grumpy as usual.
"Hello Angel." I said.
He only turned his nose up at me in response.
"Have you seen Fluttershy?" I knew I wasn't going to get a speech for a response but at least a notion of some sort is what I expected.
He refused to tell me.
"Ok, well if you see her can you point her to my library? I'd really like to talk to her." He simply shrugged.
"Thanks Angel." I said as I left.
I had to warn somepony maybe I would try to see if I could find Rainbow. Something was definately up and I had to find out just what it was. I just felt like I was always one step behind...
I was flying around looking to feed on the pale yellow one that they call Fluttershy. During my flight I spot the lavender colored mare, Twilight talking to a purple-manned mare.
"Hello Rarity." She began.
"Oh, hello Twilight."
"What are you doing in the market area, shouldn't you be working?" She asked her.
Seems like an interesting enough opportunity. I listened in.
"Oh yes, well I have to do a little work for Sweetie Belle. You know I promised her that I would spend more time with her after the Sister Hooves Social. So I'm here looking for some new ribbon to make uniforms for the little fillies." The white one went on, she annoyed me with her constant babbling.
I would have loved to sew her mouth shut with her own precious ribbon, although I saw potential for a meal.She and her sibling seemed to be having trouble, it was my favorite kind of trouble. Siblings always fought and when they did Demise was there to crack them like eggs.
Demise shall spread throughout the land like wildfire. I left, not hearing the rest. I spotted the little mare at a medical stand getting a prescription. I zoomed over, unseen, to listen and see why she was there.
"Yes, I need it for my little bunny friend. He's very sick you see."
Perfect.
I swooped down to her ear to whisper my curse.
Your friend has come down,
with a frightning ailment.
In sorrow you'll drown,
When it is too late to lament.
Fluttershy heard a whisper in her ear but when she turned around, nothing was there. It was strange, she thought to herself. She thought it must just be the receiving end of somepony else's conversation who was just out of earshot so she ignored it. She continued on her way, still she had a nagging fear it was something else. She spotted Twilight and Rarity talking nearby and went over to say hello.
"Oh hey, Fluttershy." Twilight greeted as Fluttershy approached.
"Hello girls, I don't have much time to talk I have to get Angel his medicine. He's really sick." Fluttershy told them.
"Oh, don't worry about that Fluttershy I saw him when I was looking for you, he's fine." Twilight responded. "But I did need to talk to you girls about something..."
She told them about Pinkie's strange behavior and how she had seemed so sad all of a sudden.
"Oh my that is strange." Rarity said, "well I will keep my eye out, right now I must make my leave of you girls I must finish this ensemble for my sister."
Rarity trotted off leaving just Twilight and Fluttershy.
"You don't think its another one of those creatures that possessed Parydan, do you?" Twilight asked her friend.
"I don't know." Fluttershy said, she hadn't said anything since Twilight explained what had happened to Pinkie Pie.
"Fluttershy is everything alright?" Twilight asked.
"Well..." Fluttershy started, "it's just you said Pinkie said she heard a whispering in her ear right?" She finished.
"Yes?" Twilight said a little worried now, that's when suddenly it clicked...sort of. "Fluttershy, did you hear something?" Twilight asked.
She nodded.
"Well?" Twilight asked eagerly. "What did it say?"
"Um..." She started trying to remember, "It said something about my friend being sick I think, and then I'm going to be really sad because it's too late. I think that's what it said except it rhymed it's words?"
Rhymed it's words? She had read somewhere in another book that rhyms were sometimes used as incantations of Dark Magicks. Dark Magicks were different than regualr unicorn magic, it had properties that didn't follow rules. Twilight thought about what Fluttershy had told her, a sick friend, too late. Oh no!
"Fluttershy." Twilight said looking up. "We have to get to Angel NOW!" She told her friend with urgancy in her voice.
She saw it too and she realized that it was a more serious situation than she had once put it off to be.
I watched as the two mares galloped off, the puple one was on my tail, but I lauged. She was always two steps behind. I moved on to my next target, soon I would be powerful enough to take on my Entite form. I could feel my body pulsating with my collected powers. It was strange though, the last feedings I had were different, as if a small bit of extra magic was being absorbed into me.
I put it off to focus on my next target. On to the one called Rarity.
We burst through the doors of Fluttershy's cottage to see Angel underneath a cover breathing heavily. Fluttershy rushed over and grabbed her up into her forehooves and cradled him. His limbs hung limply as she swayed and rocked him back and forth.
"Are you ok Angel Bunny?" She asked.
Twilight opened the jar of medicine and poured it into a spoon, she levitated it over and poured it into the little critters' mouth, his breathing seemed to slow down.
"Is he ok now?" Twilight asked.
"No!" Fluttershy said, panic rising in her voice.
"But...his breathing?" I asked.
"Yes, but his tempurature is skyrocketing." She said, "He's sevearly dehydrated, get me some water."
Twilight rushed to the kitchen and quickly poured a glass of water from her pitcher on the counter. She ran it back to Fluttershy who grabbed it and poured it into Angels mouth.
"Oh no..." She whimpered.
Angel's eyes were begining to close, his breathing was now almost nonexistent. The water dribbled off the sides of his cheeks.
"What, what's happening?" Twilight asked her.
"He's going to die Twilight, there's nothing I can do." She said crying erratically.
Twilight sat there trying to comfort her friend. If this was something like Hate, she was going to make him pay for this. She couldn't let anypony else die.
As I made my way to the boutique following that white mare I felt my power grow even more. I laughed, even not being there I could absorb the little fools misery. It was almost time, just a little more. And here at the doors of this dress shop was my next feast.
I laughed as I watched the foolish little foals in the park. Thay had just defeated my brother who had only made it to be a Whysper. Hate.
I laughed louder as I took in the situation. One chain that had bound my massive wrists evaporated as the last of his spirit was banished from existence.
"One down and one to go, after that Sin will reign Equestria."
My other brother Demise was already planning his strike. The two knew not of eithers existance, nor of mine. I was the most powerful after all. Although I was interested in how the runt Demise was going to fare, after all he hated these Equine scum more than us. I lauged as I watched the starving pathetic Myst wandering aimlessly.
Ha, he still presided over his Myst state. Then I thought to myself for a bit, the Myst does have one advantage, he can not be touched by the Elements until he evolves. And with Demises ability, maybe he could take advantage of the situation. I sent my gaze back to the six little ponies in the field. I let out my maniacle laughter, the foals had no idea what lay ahead. Out of the six ony two retained the memory of Parydan and Equin.
Fluttershy and Twilight, the others were completely oblivious to the events, a paradox had indeed insued, but my brother was still defeated.
"It is time for the Demise of the Land to begin"
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ok, now it's The End
Stay tuned for the dramatic sequel to the Esper series in Demise in Equestria!