Blackest Night: Equestria

Part Two: Rise

The Black Lanterns lunged at the princesses, exposed jaws snapping and grey spittle flying from their mouths. With a flick of her horn, Celestia threw up a magical barrier and repelled them, causing the Lanterns to sprawl back on the floor in a heap. Sensing an opening, Luna hit them with several bursts of her own magic, scorching the deceased flesh right off their bones. When the Black Lanterns finally got back up, it was not as a unified force, but as a dispersed and off-balance group. The Lanterns shook their heads dizzyingly as they rose back to their hooves, shaking off the effects of the magical attack.

The guard pushed past Celestia and Luna, his legs shaking as he placed himself between them and the Lanterns. “Get to safety, your highnesses! I will hold them here for as long as I can!”

Silver Shield sneered. “One weak little soldier against twenty of Canterlot’s best? We’ll rip you apart!”

“It doesn’t matter. I will do what I must,” the guard replied, swallowing heavily. “For my kingdom.”

Fear.

Silver Shield suddenly lunged at the unsuspecting guard, knocking him off balance and sinking his teeth deep into the guard’s skin. The guard howled in pain and struggled in the grip of the Black Lantern, a sickly yellow ichor spilling out of the wound. Celestia raised her horn and blasted Silver Shield out of the way, but the damage had already been done. By the time she had rushed over to the guard’s prone form, he was nothing more than an emaciated, shriveled husk of a pony, all the life drained out of him by the Black Lantern.

“Monster,” Celestia whispered, glaring fiercely at Silver Shield. “How could you do this? How?”

Silver Shield slowly licked the last few globs of yellow from his lips. “My apologies, Princess, but I couldn’t resist! His fear called out to me, sang *to me from within his veins! And it tasted so sweet…I wonder if yours will taste any better?”*

Celestia growled in fury, sending an enormous beam of magic straight at the grinning Black Lantern. The beam hit him full in the face, shearing off his head and shoulders as well as part of his front legs. Rather than collapse in a heap, however, his body remained upright, with the scorched remnants of his flesh morphing and growing back together until Silver Shield was whole once again.

“Is that it?” he laughed. “My, my, looks like this will be easier than expected.”

Celestia nearly reared back in shock. That blast had been unleashed in a moment of lost self-control, creating an explosion of pure, unrestrained solar power. The attack should’ve atomized him, reducing his entire body to little more than dust – and he’d shrugged it off as though she’d merely slapped him.

“Fall back, Luna!” Celestia cried out, wheeling around in an effort to locate her sister. “These creatures are immune to our strongest magic! We must regroup!”

Luna nodded her agreement, repeatedly blasting the oncoming group of Black Lanterns with magic and gritting her teeth each time they reformed. “Aye, retreat is best!”

The sisters met each other’s eyes across the battlefield, and nodded once. Two simultaneous flashes of light erupted within the throne room, temporarily blinding the unprepared Black Lanterns. When their vision had cleared, the princesses were nowhere to be found.

Silver Shield threw back his head and laughed. “Run away, have you? How amusing. Go on then, princesses, flee – there are only so many places to hide!”

His ring pulsed. “Power levels 0.05%.”

With a flash of light, Celestia and Luna reappeared in Celestia’s private chambers. The two of them took a moment to get their bearings before barring all the windows and shoving dressers and chairs in front of all the doors with their telekinesis. Within less than a minute, the room was completely blocked off from the outside world.

Satisfied that her task was done, Celestia allowed herself to collapse against the side of the bed, the exertion of the intense battle finally catching up to her. Luna wobbled slightly but did not fall, moving over to look out the windows.

Columns of grey smoke billowed from various towers of the castle, providing a slight contrast against the solid black skies. All over the grounds, Black Lanterns were chasing down terrified ponies and pouncing on them, sinking their fangs beneath the flesh and draining their victims dry. The Royal Guards were attempting to be everywhere at once, unsuccessfully trying to drive back the monsters with their spears. Many of them were bitten and drained themselves for their troubles. A few pegasus guards swooped about here and there, providing assistance where they could.

“That guard, the one who tried to protect us…I can’t even remember his name. He just died for us and I don’t know his name,” Celestia murmured, raising her head and looking at Luna. “How is it outside?”

“As horrible as it is here, if not worse,” Luna replied, turning back to regard her sister. “We must do something, Celestia.”

“But what can we do?” Celestia asked. “If even our magic does nothing against these creatures, what on Equestria can stop them?”

“The Elements,” Luna said firmly. “They are the strongest weapon we have; I know this better than anypony. Regardless of whether or not it proves effective, we owe it to our kingdom to at least try.” Her eyes fell on the writing desk in the corner. “And I know what we must do to activate them.”

Twilight was dimly aware of a voice speaking to her, but that thought was currently filed away in a mental box labeled “not important”, along with everything else that wasn’t a solution to her current problem. She sighed audibly, rolling over on her bed. Try as she might to put her fears to rest, Twilight couldn’t quite put her cutie mark-related worries out of her mind. Rainbow Dash’s words of advice had helped calm her down somewhat, admittedly, but she still had so many unanswered questions about mark functionality and purpose – most of which, if she was being honest, were about her own mark.

Her musings were shattered when a pillow hit her straight in the face.

“Spike!” she exclaimed, spitting feathers and sticking her tongue out in revulsion.

Twilight’s dragon assistant was standing at the head of the stairs with a red quill tucked under his arm, tapping a foot impatiently. “C’mon, Twilight. You’ve been moping around the house all day! Don’t you have a report to send or something?”

“I’ll get to it later,” Twilight replied tiredly, resting her head on her pillow. “I don’t really feel up to it right now.”

Spike opened his mouth to protest further, but a loud belch and a swirl of green flame came out instead, dropping a small scroll onto the floor. Twilight was off her bed and at Spike’s side in an instant, staring down at the tightly wrapped parchment and its tiny golden seal.

“A letter from the Princess!” Twilight exclaimed joyfully, her previous depression forgotten as she set about opening the scroll with her magic.

Spike peered over her shoulder as she finished unwrapping. “Wow. That looks a lot sloppier than the Princess’ other letters.”

“Sloppy” was an understatement. The paper looked jagged and torn at both ends, as though somepony had just yanked the parchment from its scroll without bothering to make a clean tear. Blots of ink dotted the entire paper, covering the message in spots big enough to obscure entire words. The writing itself was in a shaking, haphazard script that was almost unreadable, moving up and down the page with no real consistency or pattern. It was, in short, a total mess.

Twilight frowned, turning over the paper with her magic to inspect the seal. “This can’t possibly be from the Princess. There must be some mistake.”

“Read it! Read it!” Spike urged. “Maybe there’s an explanation.”

Twilight turned the paper back over and began reading out loud.

“Twilight Sparkle,

We bring you grave tidings. Canterlot is under siege by creatures known as Black Lanterns, which claim to be the reanimated forms of previously dead ponies. They are attacking the capital and feeding on the populace, and there is no magical attack that seems capable of stopping them. Not even the full power of both my sister and myself can harm them. The only hope we have left is the Elements of Harmony. Please, gather your friends and come to Canterlot immediately. Time is of the essence. We have never needed you more than we do at this moment.

Yours,

Princess Luna.”

Spike gasped. “Oh no! Twilight, we gotta do something!”

Twilight nodded, her eyes widening with panic as the enormity of the situation abruptly hit her. In all her communications with the Princesses, she had always trusted in their wisdom and foresight, as they always seemed to know what to do or say even in times of great crisis. Never before had they sounded so utterly scared and helpless, especially the imposing and powerful Princess Luna. Now both Princesses had admitted that they were completely helpless in this situation, and they were relying on her to resolve it. Twilight gulped, suddenly feeling very faint.

It’s all up to me now. It’s all...up to…No, no, I can’t break down now! The Princesses need me! EQUESTRIA needs me!

Shaking off the dizzy feeling, Twilight made a small gesture with her magic. A book flew out of a nearby shelf and stopped in front of her, the pages flipping until they reached a certain point.

“Here it is,” Twilight announced after a moment’s glance at the page. “The next train for Canterlot leaves in half an hour. That gives us just enough time to gather the others and meet at the train station. We’ll get the tickets first; securing transportation is our top priority right now.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Spike exclaimed. “Let’s go!”

The dragon and pony turned and raced down the stairs together, making it to the front door in record time.

“Owloysius, close up shop! We won’t be back for awhile!” yelled Spike as the two of them rushed out the door.

The owl hooted in response, ruffling his feathers as he started flying around and extinguishing the candles one by one.

A crackle of black energy marked Black Hoof’s sudden appearance, manifesting with a swirl of wind in the bushes outside the library. He smiled as he caught sight of Twilight and Spike, rushing outside and heading for the train station as fast as their legs could move.

“Yes, there is the tether. I can feel her all the way from here,” he crooned, leering at the pony’s retreating figure. “You pitiful, foalish little pony. So worried about your precious Princesses when you should be worried about yourself – and all your little friends.”

“Power levels 12.34%.”

The black clouds reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, casting a long, dark shadow over the small cottage on its outskirts. Inside the house, woodland animals of every shape and size chittered and chattered with fear, hurriedly seeking refuge from the storm in any enclave they could find. The constant booms of thunder only scared them further, sending periodic waves of squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks running back and forth across the floor in a mindless stampede.

Fluttershy flapped anxiously over from one spot to the next and back again, attempting to calm down the startled hordes of animals.

“Um, you should probably all relax and take some deep breaths…” she suggested, a few sparrows nearly clipping her wing as they flew past. “It’s only a little storm; you don’t need to get so upset.”

The animals suddenly froze in their tracks, staring at Fluttershy with wide, frightened eyes. All of them immediately scrambled to get as far away from the yellow pegasus as they could, huddling together against one of the far walls of the cottage.

“…Well, that’s a bit better, I suppose,” said Fluttershy, frowning. “But why are you so scared? Did I say something wrong?”

“Fluttershy…”

Hearing the raspy, alien-sounding voice right behind her set Fluttershy’s fur on end, her haunches automatically locking up in fright. Slowly, painstakingly, she turned around.

A large group of forest creatures were assembled in the doorway, containing squirrels, rabbits, foxes, birds, mice, and even a few insects among their numbers. Every single one of them looked grey, diseased, and rotting, with bones sticking out in odd locations and their eyes white and sunken. A Black Lantern symbol was visible on each of their chests.

“Why didn’t you save us, Fluttershy?” one of the rabbits asked, his innocent-sounding tone at odds with his open, drooling jaws. “Why did you let us die? We counted on you to save us, we needed you to survive! And yet you let us down…You let us all down.”

Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves. “I don’t understand. Wh-who are you?” she managed.

“We are every single animal that you weren’t able to save,” the rabbit replied harshly. “We were poisoned, infected, drowned, suffocated, crushed, and starved, and you couldn’t do anything to save us. We DIED, Fluttershy. We died because of you, and Nekron let us come back just so we could tell you how much of a failure you are,” the bunny informed her.

“You died…but now you’re here, and you’re talking,” Fluttershy said, struggling to keep up. “But…no, that can’t be right! Nothing can come back from death!”

“But we are *here. How does it feel, Element of Kindness?”* the rabbit taunted. “How does the great nature lover feel, knowing that she let so much life slip away? How does it feel to be reminded of all your failures?” He spread his arms to indicate the large group of creatures behind him.

“No…no, please no,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Dead, dead, dead,” the bunny continued. “Will it ever end, Fluttershy? How many more will die in your care? Two? Ten? A hundred?”

“Stop! Please, please stop!” Fluttershy begged, eyes brimming with tears. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I tried to help you; I didn’t mean to let you die! I didn’t want any of you to die!”

Compassion. Love.

“Too little, too late,” the rabbit replied, beginning to advance forward with the rest of the Black Lantern animals. “It’s time you tasted death for yourself.”

BONK!

A small brown acorn hit the rabbit square on the nose, causing it to wince in pain.

“Argh! Who threw that?!” the rabbit roared.

An angry-looking Angel emerged from behind one of the cabinets, stalking over to place himself in between Fluttershy and the Black Lantern wildlife. He shook a small white paw angrily at the Black Lanterns and hopped up in down in place, adopting a boxer’s stance and jabbing furiously in their direction.

“Angel!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Get away from them, it’s not safe!”

Angel quickly glanced at her and shook his head, extending his arms in a show of protection against the Black Lanterns.

Will.

“Ooh, this one’s feisty!” the rabbit laughed, changing course and moving towards Angel. “I wonder how you will taste?”

Something snapped in Fluttershy’s mind.

“Don’t hurt him.”

“What?” asked the rabbit, cupping a paw around his ear in mock confusion. “I can’t hear you!”

“I. Said,” Fluttershy stated, her jaw clenching. “DON’T. HURT. HIM!”

The sheer force of her yell surprised even Fluttershy, with the sound being loud enough to shake the walls and rock the windows of her tiny cottage. The Black Lanterns shrank back away from her, momentarily stunned by her outburst. Sensing an opening, Fluttershy plowed on, flapping up until her head brushed the ceiling and fixing them with her sternest glare.

“You have no right to hurt poor little Angel! How dare you even think of doing such a thing! Your problem is with me, not him, so leave Angel out of this! Shame on all of you, threatening innocent little bunnies like that! SHAME ON YOU!”

Fluttershy’s second yell was even louder than the first, causing the light fixtures to rattle furiously and making several picture frames fall off the wall. The Black Lanterns were looking distinctly cowed by this point, with the bunny at the front seemingly unable to move or speak.

“You don’t have any right to lecture me, either!” Fluttershy continued, her voice rising. “I did my best to save all of you, anypony can see that! I always do everything I can to save a life! Sometimes my best isn’t good enough, and I am sorry that all of you died – but there’s nothing I can do to change that, so stop trying to make me feel guilty about it! I won’t let you hurt me or any of my friends, so go take your mean words and leave my house!”

Fluttershy punctuated her last statement by turning on the Stare, glaring at the Black Lanterns with everything she had.

Kindness.

The Black Lantern animals screamed in pain, recoiling away from the Stare as though it was burning their skin. The crowd of Lanterns quickly dissipated, with the zombified animals fleeing through the nearest doors, windows and loose floorboards and into the forest outside.

Fluttershy collapsed to the ground, her legs quivering as she breathed a sigh of relief. The other animals in the room slowly gathered around the exhausted pegasus, gently rubbing up against her and petting at her fur. Angel hopped directly into her field of vision, offering an encouraging thumbs-up and a smile.

“Thank you, all of you,” Fluttershy said tiredly, closing her eyes.

Those were the scariest animals I’ve ever seen, she thought to herself. Dragons are one thing, but nothing in the world is supposed to look that…dead. Good thing I managed to drive them back to the forest where…they…came…

Her eyes shot open. “The forest!” she exclaimed, startling several of the animals close to her.  “More of them might still be in there! I have to go warn Twilight and the others!”

Fluttershy shot out the door and headed down the long road that led to Ponyville, her wings beating fast.

“Power levels 25.46%.”

Rarity hummed to herself, feeding a roll of light blue fabric into her sewing machine. Cutting tools and other supplies magically hovered in midair above her, only occasionally dipping down to provide a snip here or a fastening there. The work went on in silence, with Rarity constantly adjusting and altering the dress as her fancy took her.

A loud crash came from downstairs, causing her to jump and lose her place. The stitching on the fabric veered off sharply to one side, creating an unsightly jagged line in the middle of her pattern. Rarity sighed, telekinetically pulling open the drawer that held the seam ripper and grabbing the tool for herself.

“Is that you, Sweetie Belle?” she called out absently, already getting re-absorbed in her work.

“Wrong, little pony,” a screechy voice behind her replied.

Rarity spun around. Standing in her room were the three Diamond Dogs that had kidnapped her, their physical bodies decomposing and their vests bearing the mark of a Black Lantern. All three of them hissed in unison, advancing on her with black drool spilling out of their mouths.

Rarity let out a most unladylike shriek and dived behind a wardrobe, peering out to look at the intruders. “YOU AGAIN?!? What is the meaning of this? I thought we had an agreement that we were to stay away from each other!”

“Yes we did, yes we did, pony,” the shortest Diamond Dog said. “And then we died.”

“W-What?” Rarity cried out. “But…but…how is that even possible? Surely my friends and I didn’t wound you that badly?”

“You hurt us in a different way, pony,” the big, brutish-looking Diamond Dog replied. “We were hungry, so, so hungry for gems! Starving, dying of hunger, yes! And you wouldn’t help us find any!”

“What? You didn’t need me to help you get gems!” Rarity fired back, indignation creeping into her voice. “Those caverns were teeming with precious stones! You hardly needed an expert guide to find gems there!”

“But we did, pony, oh yes, we did!” the tallest Diamond Dog cut in. “We were stupid, dumb dogs! None of us could find any gems anywhere, yes, no gems! We all starved to death!”

“You could’ve saved us, pony,” the big Diamond Dog added, his expression pitiful. “All we needed were enough gems to make it through the cold seasons, but no, no, we couldn’t have that! No gems ever, just because we hurt your feelings! Not very generous of you, pony.”

Rarity gulped, frozen in place by the accusatory glares of the dogs. “I…you…I didn’t…” she stammered. “I…I didn’t know you would starve! I would’ve helped you if I knew your situation was that serious! What happened to you wasn’t my fault, I swear!”

Fear. Compassion.

“You can still help us, pony,” said that tallest Diamond Dog, his jaws widening as he stepped forward. “We are still so, so hungry.”

Rarity shrank back, noting with growing alarm that the Dogs were between her and any possible exit out of the room. The three of them continued their relentless advance, coming closer and closer until she could practically smell their fetid breath on her face-

A door slammed downstairs. “I’M HOME!” a high-pitched voice called out.

“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity whispered, her eyes growing wide.

The smallest Diamond Dog trained his eyes on the floor. “Ooh, what is this?” he cackled. “Another precious little pony full of hope and love – mmm, I can see her aura from all the way up here! Such pretty blues and pinks, oh, yes! She’ll make a tasty little morsel, yes she will!”

“BLOOD FOR LORD NEKRON!” the other two Diamond Dogs chorused, joining their compatriot as the three of them moved back towards the stairs.

Rarity let out a little gasp. As bad as her current predicament was, it would be immeasurably worse if Sweetie Belle got involved. Sweetie hadn’t been told about the first incident with the Diamond Dogs – that particular day contained more than a few moments Rarity wasn’t proud of – and would therefore be completely unprepared if three of them suddenly appeared in her kitchen, much less in their terrifying new state. There was only one thing that Rarity could do.

Giving herself no time to think about it, Rarity leaped out from behind the wardrobe and stood tall.

“Excuse me?” she demanded. “Are you actually suggesting that you would hurt my poor, defenseless little sister? Have you no morals?”

The Diamond Dogs slowly shifted back to face her, identical grins on all three of them. “What’s the matter, pony? Feeling left out?” the tallest Diamond Dog sniggered. “We’ll get to you soon, just you wait! You, and that delicious filly downstairs, yes!”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity shouted, stomping a hoof for emphasis. “You will not touch myself or my sister, and you certainly will not do it in my own house!”

A chest in the corner suddenly glowed with magic, its top flipping open and the gems inside it lifting into the air. One by one, Rarity telekinetically hurled the gems at the dogs, who flinched and covered their faces in defense.

“And if you needed my gems that urgently, all you had to do was ASK!” Rarity exclaimed in between flinging gems. “Have as many as you like, I don’t really need them anyway!”

Generosity.

The three Diamond Dogs whimpered in pain and scampered off, jumping through a window and out of sight. A loud thump came from outside, followed by a shriek from downstairs.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity exclaimed, dashing down the stairs two at a time and looking around anxiously for her sister. Spotting the shaken filly huddled over in a corner, shivering and looking traumatized, Rarity ran over and swept her up in a hug.

“R-Rarity, I just saw a bunch of monsters outside,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice wavering. “Th-they were really scary ‘cause they had sharp teeth and weird skin and I think they looked at me but I’m not sure and they jumped out your window and-”

“Shh…there, there, it’s alright, it’s alright,” Rarity soothed, stroking Sweetie Belle’s mane with a hoof. “They’re gone now, Sweetie. They won’t be hurting anypony else.”

“H-how do you know?” Sweetie Belle questioned, looking up at her sister. “They just appeared and then ran off. They could be anywhere by now.”

That stopped Rarity short. Amid the chaos of the last few minutes and the adrenaline rush of trying to keep herself and her sister safe, she hadn’t actually considered what was going to happen to the Diamond Dogs after she chased them off. Sweetie Belle was right – they could be headed anywhere in Ponyville.

Rarity disentangled herself from her hug and looked Sweetie Belle straight in the eye. “I’m going to go warn the others about them. You stay here where it’s safe, okay?”

Sweetie Belle nodded.

Rarity embraced her sister one last time, then galloped out of Carousel Boutique. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!” she called over her shoulder.

“Power levels 37.78%.”

Up in the skies over Ponyville, hordes of pegasi swarmed across the masses of black clouds, desperately trying to move them away from their position right over the town. The pegasi were pushing, kicking, pulling, and straining at the clouds, even calling up small tornados here and there in fits of desperation. Nothing worked. The clouds remained stubbornly in place.

Rainbow Dash pressed her back against one of the clouds, her forelegs pushing while her wings flapped furiously.

“What is with these crazy clouds?” she huffed, her face red from exertion. “Where the hay did they even come from, anyway?”

“Nopony knows,” Cloud Kicker commented, wrestling with another cloud a short distance away. “They’re not on any schedule as far as I’ve heard, and they don’t act like normal clouds.”

“Yeah, no kidding!” said Dash, brushing her sweaty mane out of her eyes. “Since when were thunderclouds this heavy?”

KRAKA-KOOM!

The sudden booming rumble startled both pegasi, as well as a good chunk of the others in the nearby vicinity. Several ponies looked distinctly unsettled, eyeing the clouds that were now being lit from within by brief white flashes.

“Great, just great,” Dash grumbled. “Now they’re spewing lightning, too. We might as well just give up and go home.”

“And get chewed out by Mayor Mare about it later?” Cloud Kicker countered. “No thanks. I’d rather have a staring contest with a hydra.”

Dash chuckled before turning her attentions back to the clouds, placing her hooves against the billowy mass and shoving as hard as she could. As before, the clouds didn’t move. She tried again, her muscles straining with effort.  Still nothing. Dash was making up her mind to give up on this cloud and see if any other pegasi were making progress when she felt something give under her hooves.

To her credit, Dash resisted the urge to do a happy little dance in the middle of the sky. Instead, she redoubled her efforts and pushed hard, smiling as the cloud began to move in the right direction. As the mass of the cloud shifted and changed, however, it began to move even faster, making Dash flap harder to keep up. Eventually the cloud started going faster than she was, and Dash’s hooves fell away from the side of the cloud.

Dash frowned, cocking her head at the strange sight in front of her. The cloud was moving, yes, but much faster than it should have been – her last push wasn’t anywhere near that strong. Moreover, only part of the cloud seemed to be moving, with the rest staying perfectly in place.

It’s not moving, Dash realized. It’s opening up! This thing is hollow!

The unexpected movement of the cloud attracted the attention of all the other ponies nearby, who stopped their work and stared as the cloud unfolded before them.

Finally, the cloud swung open completely, and four pegasi flew out.

All of them were clad in skintight black jumpsuits adorned with silver lightning bolts, their eyes covered by shiny silver goggles. Aside from their uniforms, nothing else about them was the same, with all of them having different fur colors and mane-styles in various states of decomposition. Each of them had a Black Lantern symbol on both sides of their jumpsuit.

Rainbow reared back in shock. Shadowbolts? Here? No, wait, their colors are different…who are these ponies?

“Tiny little Rainbow Crash,” one of the pegasi sneered. “Can’t fly, can’t work, can’t do anything right. What’s it like to be such a loser?”

Dash’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. She knew that voice. She remembered that voice. She’d listened to that voice as much as she could as a filly, attending air show after air show just to hear him speak.

“…Blue Blazes?” she finally squeaked out. “Blue Blazes, the Wonderbolt captain?”

Several pegasi gasped.

“Oh, so you’re not blind, then,” the pegasus said contemptuously. “Too bad you can’t see well enough to fly straight.”

Dash flapped back away from him, a sudden wave of nausea passing over her. Her childhood idol had just returned from the dead from inside a strange black cloud, and was now saying things she never thought the playful, free-spirited pegasus would say, mocking and belittling her as though he was just another schoolyard bully back in Cloudsdale. If she wasn’t feeling so sick, the sheer absurdity of her situation would’ve made her giggle.

Am I dreaming? she thought faintly. Is this a dream? Things like this just don’t happen!

“Nothing to say?” Blue Blazes mocked. “You won’t even try to defend yourself after I insult you to your face? Goddesses, you’re even more pathetic than I thought.”

Barely even listening, Dash glanced at the other pegasi grouped around him.

“Thunderhowl…Tailspin…Hoverfly,” she murmured in a daze. “Dead Wonderbolts. You’re all dead Wonderbolts! But…no! That makes no sense!”

“In Lord Nekron, all things are possible,” Thunderhowl rasped. “He wills that we must live, and he wills that everything must die. Starting with you.”

“It’s better this way, isn’t it?” Tailspin said quietly, averting her eyes. “You know you’d never make it as one of us. You’re nothing but a failure who covers up her mistakes with bragging and posturing.”

The cutting insults directed at her snapped Dash out of her shock. “That’s not true!” she said hotly. “That’s not true at all! I’m the best flier in Ponyville! I’ve mastered all the exercises, all the moves, and I even pulled off the Sonic Rainboom!”

“Empty tricks and lucky breaks, pup,” Hoverfly said dismissively, her lilting Bridleland accent in sharp contrast with her rough, dead-sounding voice. “You can’t deny it. You don’t have the right stuff to make the cut.”

“The hay I don’t!” Dash cried out incredulously. “I can do anything! I’m Rainbow Dash!”

“Then prove it,” Blue Blazes taunted. “Outfly all four of us, right here, right now. Show us that you’re the best.”

Dash paused. “Uh-”

“Hesitation can mean death and disaster up in the skies. A true Wonderbolt does not falter in the face of danger, they act,” a new voice said sternly. “You, obviously, do no such thing. You have no instincts, no discipline, no commitment to anything other than yourself. You are no Wonderbolt.”

Dash growled. “Oh yeah? Says who? How do you know I couldn’t be a Wonderbolt if I tried?”

A high-pitched humming filled the air, and a flash of dark blue passed by Dash’s eyes. When it had stopped, a fifth jumpsuited pegasus was hovering in front of her, this one taller and more broad-shouldered than the rest. Dash stared at him for a moment, trying and failing to process what she had just witnessed. This pegasus’ speed was greater than any flier she had ever met – she had barely even seen him coming.

He cocked an eyebrow at her above his goggles. “I know you couldn’t be a Wonderbolt,” he said delicately. “because I created *the Wonderbolts. And I never would have picked you for my team.”*

Dash’s mouth went dry. She’d never heard this pegasus speak before, but she definitely knew his face.

“S-S-Skybolt.”

“Correct,” the pegasus said brusquely. “Now, if you would kindly land on the ground and quit delaying the inevitable. It’s so much harder to try and drain a pony of life in midair.”

“Don’t we know it,” Blue Blazes muttered.

Dash inhaled a tiny bit, trying not to let the fear show on her face. As intimidating and scary-looking as these dead Wonderbolts had been, they’d mostly been sticking to harmless taunts and petty jibes. Hearing one of them casually mention that he was going to bite and drain her until she died sent a chill down her spine, especially considering just how much Skybolt outclassed her as a flier. If she tried to get away, her escape would be cut short before it even started.

She risked a glance at the group of still-living pegasi to her right. All of them looked terrified, with Cloud Kicker attempting to edge away from her inch by inch.

Probably not getting help from any of them, Dash thought grimly, locking eyes with Skybolt. Looks like it’s all on me.

“Not happening, pal,” Dash declared out loud, putting on a brave face and swooping back out of his reach. “Wonderbolt or not, there’s no way you’re laying a single hoof on me!”

Skybolt tsked. “You’re doing nothing but waste our time. The dead are everywhere, Rainbow Dash; there’s no point in running away. You’re only making it harder on yourself by resisting.”

“Death is better for everyone,” Thunderhowl rumbled. “Death erases. Death protects. Death redeems.”

“Your life won’t ever get any better from here, Dash,” Tailspin pleaded. “You have to let go; there’s nothing here worth holding onto. Everyone you care about is probably already dead.”

“WHAT?” Dash exclaimed. “What d’you mean, already dead?”

“We told you we were everywhere,” Blue Blazes reminded her nastily. “Black Lanterns have spread all throughout Equestria by now; I can sense them all down below. If I had to guess, I’d say your friends all joined us in death less than an hour ago.”

Dash ground her teeth together, getting increasingly agitated. “No. No. NO! That’s IT! I don’t care who you are or how fast you can fly, nopony touches MY FRIENDS!”

She took off like a shot toward Skybolt, going from zero to sixty in less than five seconds as she flew towards him.

Loyalty.

Skybolt immediately dodged to the side in a blur of motion, leaving Blue Blazes to take the full impact of Dash’s charge. He shrieked in pain, recoiling away from Dash and flapping gingerly back over to rejoin his comrades.

“She’s more powerful than we anticipated,” Skybolt noted with a frown. “Wonderbolts! Retreat!”

“That stupid filly hurt me!” Blue Blazes snapped. “I need to feed first so that I don’t bucking fade!”

Before Rainbow Dash had time to react, Blue Blazes was several feet away and had his teeth embedded in Cloud Kicker’s neck. The pegasus screamed and struggled to get loose, but the reanimated Wonderbolt wouldn’t let go, driving his fangs deeper and drinking greedily. Dash could only watch in horror as Cloud Kicker withered and crumpled in on herself before her eyes.

Once he had finished with her, Blue Blazes tossed Cloud Kicker away from him, letting her corpse tumble down to the ground below. Smears of blue and yellow dotted his muzzle, clashing with the grey-black of his fur.

“Huh. She didn’t look like much of a meal, but she sure had a lot in her,” he commented indifferently. “All that fear and hope…guess she thought you’d save her, Dash! Looks like she was wrong!”

“You MONSTER!” Dash yelled, trembling with rage. “I’m gonna make you pay! They’ll have to bury you in a JAR when I’m though with you!”

“I’ve already been buried once, you know,” Blue Blazes sniggered, falling in line behind Skybolt. “We’ll see if you can back that little remark up next time. Later, Rainbow Crash!”

The Black Lantern Wonderbolts turned and flew back towards the dark clouds, passing through them as though they were merely a light mist.

Dash sped after them, but smacked into the suddenly-very-solid outer layer of the clouds. Screaming in frustration, she senselessly beat her forelegs against the unyielding clouds, trying fruitlessly to break down the barrier that separated her from the Black Lanterns.

Eventually, Dash ceased banging on the cloud wall and drifted away, abruptly feeling exhausted. Glancing wearily around, she saw that all of the other pegasi had vanished, having flown away in panic and fear.

They killed her. They killed Cloud Kicker, Dash thought distantly. I’ll never see her smile again or go flying with her or share a few daisies or give her my work shifts when I don’t feel like coming in-

Dash shook her head, clearing her thoughts. No. Gotta focus. I need to stop those things before they kill anypony else. I have to find Twilight. She’ll have a plan.

Spreading her wings to their fullest extent, Dash dove down, down, down towards Ponyville.

“Power levels 52.52%.”

“Mac!” Applejack shouted over the roar of the wind. “Take the last of the full bushels and then get inside! Storm’s gonna hit any minute now!”

Big Macintosh gave her a terse nod, snatching up a stuffed-to-capacity apple bushel and galloping off. The storm was in full swing by now, gusts of wind howling over the landscape and the clouds booming with thunder every few seconds. The trees of Sweet Apple Acres were rocked and buffeted by the high gusts of wind, shaking from side to side and dropping apples on the ground.

Applejack squinted against the blinding wind, carefully looking over the orchards as best she could from her vantage point. A disconcerting amount of trees were still heavy with fruit and begging to be picked, but the imminent threat of raging thunder and lightning was enough to convince her to finish the harvest another day.

And we were movin’ ahead a’ schedule this year, too, Applejack mused grumpily. Lousy storm. Where’s those weather pegasi when you need ‘em?

Just as she was about to head back inside, She caught sight of two ponies off in the distance, emerging from the edge of the Everfree Forest and headed straight for the farm.

“Hey! HEY!” Applejack called out, breaking into a run towards them. “What are you doing, y’all shouldn’t be outside right now! If ya need shelter, you can come back with me to the farm where…it’s…safe…”

Applejack trailed off, her mouth dropping open in shock as she stood face-to-face with the two ponies.

The first one she noticed was the stallion, a tall pony with a mid-length mane and a toothpick wedged in between his teeth. The other one was a stockier, middle-aged mare, her mane done up in a loose braid with a tattered, threadbare bow. Both ponies had black fur, grey manes, and a half-rotted appearance, with Black Lantern symbols superimposed over the apple cutie marks on their flanks.

“Hey there, sugarcube,” the stallion grinned. “Fine weather we’ve been having, don’t ya think?”

Applejack couldn’t think or speak, staring dumbly at the stallion as a million possible responses died in her throat.

“Now, now, Cortland, give her a minute,” the mare gently chided. “Applejack never was the fastest thinker in our family, now was she?”

Hearing the sweet, warm tone that had lulled her to sleep on so many nights – rough and scratchy tone regardless – brought Applejack out of her trance.

“M-Mama? Pappy? Is that really you?” she asked, her voice breaking.

Cortland and Honey Apple smiled in unison.

“Aww, would you look at that! She remembers us!” Honey cooed. “You were always so good with faces. It was one of the few things you could do well as a filly.”

Applejack took a step backwards. “No. No, no, no. This ain’t happening. You’re dead. You’re both dead! I saw you both die!”

“And now we’re back from the dead. Ain’t life funny like that?” Cortland replied, shrugging. “Besides, I couldn’t just stand by and watch you run my farm into the ground, could I?”

“Back from the - run into the – what’re you talkin’ about?” Applejack questioned, her brow furrowed.

“Oh, sweetie, you know what we mean!” Honey said patronizingly. “The farm just hasn’t been the same since we passed on. You, Macintosh, and poor little Apple Bloom are all out working the fields every day, sunup to sundown, and for what? Smaller harvests, poorer yields, lower income – Sweet Apple Acres is practically dying underneath your hooves!”

“What on Equestria were you thinking, passing yourself off as a real farmpony?” Cortland said reproachfully. “For shame, filly! Wearing my hat, takin’ over the apple stand, bucking at trees like you’d done it all your life – who were you tryin’ to fool, Applejack? You were more comfortable playin’ dress-up and tea time with my brother and his missus out in Manehattan. Why didn’t you just stay there and save yourself a whole heap o’ trouble?”

Applejack inhaled sharply, her chest suddenly constricting. “H-how d’you know about that? That – that happened right after you died!”

“Lord Nekron told us lots ‘a things when he brought us back, darlin’,” said Honey. “You, your friends, the farm – we know everything that’s happened to you since we’ve been gone.”

“Which is why you need to listen to us,” Cortland cut in sharply. “You always were as stubborn as a manticore, Applejack – never giving up on anythin’ til’ you were at your wits’ end. But if you keep doin’ what you’re doin’, you’re only gonna make things worse for yourself. You need to put away your pride and give it up.”

“Give what up?” Applejack questioned.

“The farm,” Cortland enunciated. “Give it up and stop pretending to be somepony you’re not. It’s for your own good.”

“…Am I hearin’ this right? You want me to stop bein’ a farmer just ’cause you think I can’t handle it?” Applejack repeated slowly. “…No. No. No, I won’t do it. I can’t do it!”

“Listen to your father, Applejack,” Honey said reproachfully. “We only want what’s best for you.”

“You want me to throw away years of hard work and dedication, all the time I’ve spent workin’ this farm, sellin’ our apples, and making things as good as I can for me and mine- and you think I’ll give it up just like that? You don’t know me at all!” Applejack yelled. “I AM a farmpony, and I’m a dang good one, too! I don’t know where you got this crazy idea that I’m not good at this, but you’re wrong! I ain’t leavin’ the farm, no matter what you say!”

“Watch yourself, missy,” Cortland snarled, baring his teeth at her. “Don’t you go takin’ that tone with us.”

“We have other ways of making you stop, Applejack,” Honey added, her fangs also on display. “And we’re more than willing to use ‘em.”

The two of them started stalking towards Applejack, growling under their breath in a bestial manner.

Applejack slowly backed away from them, her eyes wide with fear. “Mama? Pappy? What’re you doing?”

Neither pony answered, continuing their relentless march towards their daughter as their jaws opened wide.

Applejack’s unsteady backwards-trot turned into a full canter. “Stop it! Stop it, please, I’m scared!”

Fear.

Cortland and Honey were just about to lunge at her when an aged, reedy voice stopped them in their tracks.

“Applejack? Doggone it, girl, what’re you still doing all the way out here? Git on inside, there’s a storm coming!”

Granny Smith slowly trotted up next to Applejack, a stern and disapproving look on her face. She glanced at Cortland and Honey, and immediately froze in place.

Cortland threw back his head and laughed. “Well, well, well! Ain’t this a surprise! Dear old Mama, still alive and kicking after all these years! It’s a regular little family reunion out here!”

Granny Smith pursed her lips and stared at him. “You look like my son,” she finally managed, “but you’re different. Very…different.”

“There’s something wrong with them, Granny!” Applejack called over to her. “They’ve been sayin’ all these weird things and actin’ all funny…I…I don’t know what to do!”

“You don’t have to DO anything, sweetie,” Honey answered. “Just be quiet, sit down, and close your eyes. We’ll make it quick, we promise. It’ll all be over soon.”

“An’ just what do you mean by that?” Granny Smith demanded, whipping her head around to glare at Honey. “What’s gonna be all over soon?”

“Life is ending in Equestria, Ma!” said Cortland, gesturing outwards with his front legs. “In case you haven’t noticed, the dead have started risin’ from their graves! Once Lord Nekron regains his power, there ain’t nothin’ in the world that can stop him, not even the Princesses! Death is inevitable – killin’ you now would be a mercy!”

“Alright, you can shut yer yap right about there,” Granny Smith snapped. “You’re not Cortland. I don’t know who you are or what you’re tryin’ to pull here, but we ain’t listening to another word you have to say. I know my boy, I raised him right, and he’d never say such things, much less to his mama and his own daughter. My Cort wouldn’t talk down to his own kin. He was better than that. He never put anything before the farm and his family. And he never, ever gave up on anything! So you know what? You can take your doom-and-gloom prophecies and whatnot and get the hay off our land!”

“She’s right!” Applejack shouted, startling Cortland, Honey, and Granny Smith. “You’re not my parents, and I don’t know why I ever thought you were! I know my parents, and I know they’d be proud of me for what I’ve done with this farm! Sure, it hasn’t always been easy, and we’ve had our share of hard times, but we shoulder through, just as we always have! I’ve worked hard, built a business, and kept the family name strong, and if that’s not enough then I don’t know what is! Get on out of here, you no-good face-stealin’ monsters! You got no idea what it really means to be a member of this family!”

Honesty.

Honey and Cortland roared in agony, pressing a hoof to their foreheads as they turned tail and fled back into the Everfree Forest.

Applejack went to chase after them, but was stopped by Granny Smith grabbing her tail in her mouth.

“Let ‘em go, honey,” Granny Smith said through a mouthful of blond tail. “You need to know when to pick your battles.”

Applejack scowled but stopped moving, prompting Granny Smith to release her tail.  “So what were those things?” Applejack asked.

Granny Smith shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that in all my years. The dead coming back to life…it ain’t natural, not by any law of Equestria I know.”

“Do you think we should go after them?”

“Go into the Everfree Forest, with low visibility, in this weather?” Granny Smith snorted. “You’d get lost before you went five feet.”

“So what do we do?”

“You go round up those friends of yours, maybe even send a letter to the Princess,” Granny Smith directed. “Tell ‘er there’s something new in town, something that wears the faces of dead ponies. I’ll go get Apple Bloom and Macintosh to safety.”

“Got it, Granny,” Applejack replied, nodding. “I’ll be home quick, I promise!”

The earth pony set off at a gallop, running parallel to the edge of the Everfree Forest as she headed straight for the main road. She had rounded the bend, taken a shortcut across a field, and was less than a few paces away from the path when Fluttershy burst out of the bushes beside her, looking shaken and panting heavily.

Applejack reared back several paces, placing a hoof over her heart. “Gah! Consarnit, Fluttershy, you scared the hay outta me!”

“Oh, Applejack, I’m so glad I found you!” The pegasus wouldn’t stop trembling, her knees knocking in a jarring, off-kilter rhythm. “There’s something horrible out there in the woods! A group of wild, vicious creatures are roaming around, and they almost got me and Angel! We have to warn the others!”

Applejack regarded her critically. “Forest critters, huh? They happen to look all creepy an’ dead-like?”

“Yes!” Fluttershy gasped. “How did you know?”

“I just ran into a few of ‘em myself,” Applejack replied tersely. “An’ it’s not just animals. Whatever this is, it’s affectin’ ponies, too.”

“Oh, no! We have to go warn everyone, right now!” Fluttershy cried out. “These things could be anywhere!”

“Way ahead of you,” Applejack replied, already sprinting back towards the path. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, then followed her at a slightly slower pace.

Above them, the thunder crashed and boomed.

“Power levels 78.32%.”

Pinkie Pie bounced around the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, happily oblivious to the storm pounding away outside. She grabbed hold of a heap of baking pans, rolling pins, and stirring spoons, quickly balanced them all on her head in one quick motion, then resumed her cheery little bounce without missing a beat. Pinkie went on to secure flour, baking soda, eggs and other ingredients from the shelves before turning and letting all her supplies spill onto the kitchen counter, creating a disorganized but neat little pile. Her hoof started tapping as she began measuring out servings, the beginnings of a song bubbling inside of her.

“Wellllllllllllllllll~ this is real exciting ‘cause I’m just starting to bake

And right now I’ve got no idea of what I’m going to make!

But I never have to worry when I use my bag of tricks,

Just take a little pinch, grab a little bit, that’s the Pinkie Mix!

Ooooh the Pinkie Mix, the Pinkie Mix, there’s nothing better than the Pinkie Mix!

Throw some flour in a bowl and stir it up,

Beat some eggs and measure it in cups,

Toss it in the air-”

Pinkie broke off in the middle of her song, inhaling in shock as both her front legs started to twitch and spasm. The tingly feelings in her legs were quickly accompanied by a crawling sensation rippling across her fur, trickling down her spine like a cold liquid.

“Whoa! I’ve never had that Pinkie Sense before!” Pinkie remarked thoughtfully. “Wonder what it means…”

“Pinkie.”

The voice in the shadows made her jump and lose her train of thought, spilling several cups of flour and sugar all over the countertop.

Pinkie pouted. “Aw, nuts! Just when I was getting into my groove, too!”

A female earth pony stepped towards her, light flashing across her face. The pony’s previously orange coat had faded to a dull gray, with bits and pieces of skin missing across her body. Her mane was curly and reached just past her shoulders, though its whitened, ragged appearance indicated that it had seen better days. Her cutie mark, a jar with a picture of fruit on its label, had a Black Lantern symbol superimposed over it.

“Hey,” she said. “Remember me?”

“Pearl Jelly!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Wow, it’s been AGES! We have so much to talk about! How are you? What’s going on? How’s everything back at the rock farm? How’s your brother? Is he still in that band? Why do you look like that? Why’s your skin all funny? Are you wearing a costume? Silly filly, Nightmare Night’s still four months away – or is it eight months late? I dunno, I always forget!”

Pearl chuckled. “Same old Pinkie. You still don’t know when to shut up.”

The harsh sting of her last two words took Pinkie aback. “Pearlie? Are…are you mad at me?”

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Pearl broke into a round of high, mocking laughter. “You only moved here without telling any of us and made a bunch of newer, better friends while leaving me to die.”

“Die?! Wh…What are you talking about?” Pinkie’s ears folded back. “I know I kinda just up and left without explaining myself, but it was complicated, Pearlie! After I saw that Rainboom…I had to leave and come here! I couldn’t tell you why even if I wanted to; this really wasn’t something that I could put into words! And what do you mean, left you to die? You were just fine when I left!”

“Yes, I was perfectly fine the day you up and vanished,” Pearl sneered, “but I wasn’t so fine two weeks later when a cave-in in one of the rock mines buried me alive. I spent the last few minutes of my life thinking that if only my best friend Pinkie were here, she’d come save me, or at the very least call for help – but no, you were too busy up here making sweets. You forgot about me, Pinkie, and I died as a result of it. It’s only by the grace of Lord Nekron that I’m here at all.”

A sick feeling crawled up the back of her throat as Pinkie fully took in her friend’s changed appearance for the first time. Her grey, sagging skin that barely hung onto her frame, her soulless, milky white eyes, her too-large, too-sharp set of teeth, the strange design over her cutie mark…she looked exactly like a-

“Zombie pony,” Pinkie whispered. “Something made you into a zombie, didn’t it?”

“We prefer the term ‘Black Lantern’, but yes,” said Pearl, smiling unpleasantly. “Lord Nekron’s grace is good. He brought me back just long enough for me to kill you myself. Don’t worry, it won’t take very long.”

“Pearl, please,” Pinkie pleaded. “I’m sorry for whatever’s happened to you, we can fix this-”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Pearl crowed. “Feel bad for me. Pity me. Tell me it’s going to be alright! Oh, how sweet this will feel! Go on, do it!”

Pinkie didn’t react at all to Pearl’s taunts, merely offering up a small, sad smile to her former best friend. Pearl narrowed her eyes. “What? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“You really haven’t changed at all, Pearl,” said Pinkie. “Even as a zombie pony, you’re really terrible at keeping secrets.”

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

Compassion - Emotional tether failed.

Pearl blinked. “Pinkie! Where are you? Where did you go?”

“I’m right here, silly!” Pinkie replied, quietly stepping several paces to the right. “Can’t you see me?”

Pearl growled in anger, stumbling forward and spinning in circles as she swiped blindly at the air. “Get back here, you miserable excuse of a pony! Where are you?” Pearl continued to attack the empty space in front of her, growing steadily more frustrated as none of her blows connected. “You lazy good-for-nothing – worthless – scared – annoying little twerp! It’s a wonder anypony can STAND you!”

Pinkie’s eyes flashed, but she didn’t move or speak. Her deep, rhythmic breathing continued.

Rage – Emotional tether failed.

“How are you doing this?!” Pearl yelled in frustration, whipping around only to find herself grabbing at nothing yet again. “Why can’t I see you? How are – oof!”

The maddened Black Lantern accidentally trod on a pile on spilt flour and slipped, hooves flying as she hit the ground with an undignified crash. She slowly picked herself up, her mane ruffled and a dab of flour on the edge of her snout.

Pinkie couldn’t contain herself any longer, bursting into gales of laughter and clutching her sides. “Hee hee hee hee hee hee! Wow, Pearlie, you’re a real mess! Hee hee hee!”

Laughter.

Pearl clutched her ears with her hooves, grimacing. “Stop that! Stop laughing *at me! Stop it!”*

Pinkie only laughed harder, tears running down her cheeks as she laughed and laughed and laughed.

Unable to take any more, Pearl galloped out of the kitchen and through the halls of Sugarcube Corner, racing out of the building without looking back. The door banged shut behind her.

Pinkie stopped laughing, looking at the space where Pearl had left and exhaling loudly. A few strands of her mane detached themselves from her mass of curls and lay flat against her head. Pinkie pretended that she didn’t notice.

Rarity abruptly burst through the door, skidding to a halt inside the kitchen. “Pinkie! There’s a-”

“Ponyville is under attack. Something or somepony called ‘Lord Nekron’ is bringing dead ponies back to life and sending them after the living,” Pinkie recited flatly. “They look like ponies we know, but they’re not – they’re trying to fool us. They want us to provoke us into strong displays of emotion for some reason, and if we close down our emotions and become calm they can’t see us. Is that it?”

Rarity looked flabbergasted, her mouth hanging wide open. “Um…yes, well, I believe that about covers it. But, did you say ponies were coming back from the dead…?” She tilted her head quizzically at Pinkie. “I thought it was only the Diamond Dogs.”

Pinkie’s jaw set. “It’s worse than I thought. We have to tell Twilight about this, now!”

Rarity nodded, gesturing for Pinkie to follow her out the door. After giving one last look to the point where Pearl had disappeared, Pinkie turned and followed her outside.

“If Twilight’s not at home, we need to split up and find her as soon as possible!” Pinkie directed as they ran. “If we find her fast, we can contain this before anypony gets seriously hurt!”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Pinkie!” Rarity shouted, struggling to keep up with the earth pony. “How can we possibly contain them? We barely even understand what they are!”

“We know their weakness, Rarity!” said Pinkie urgently. “They’re vulnerable against the Elements of Harmony!”

“Power levels 92.19%.”

“What do you mean, there aren’t any trains running?” Twilight slammed her hooves down on the counter of the ticket booth. “We have to get to Canterlot right now! It’s an emergency!”

The ticket pony inside the booth shrank back away from her. “I-I’m sorry, miss, but Canterlot has been quarantined by order of the Royal Guard. No trains are going in or out.”

Twilight turned on her hoof and stalked away, muttering profanities under her breath. Her jog over to the train station had been more than a little taxing on her, especially considering how little regular exercise she got cooped up in a library all day. Putting in all that effort and exertion for nothing made her feel much more peeved than she wanted to admit.

Spike jogged over to catch up with her. “Well? Did you get the tickets?”

“They’re not letting anypony into Canterlot,” Twilight said grumpily. “I know that it makes sense considering the circumstances, and it’s what I’d do in a crisis situation, but still – ugggh! I feel so helpless just sitting here!”

“Maybe we should head back to the library and do some research,” Spike suggested, “If we learn anything about these Black Lanterns, we can send a letter to Princess Celestia and let her know.”

Twilight lit up. “Spike, that’s a great idea! C’mon, we’d better hurry!”

“Here we go again,” Spike sighed, preparing for another round of strenuous jogging across Ponyville.

Twilight was off like a shot, running across the pavilion with Spike scurrying to catch up behind her. Just as they were about to turn onto one of the side streets, though, a light blue blur dive-bombed into the ground in front of them, sending up clouds of dirt and dust into the air. As soon as the debris had settled, Rainbow Dash burst through the haze, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders and shaking her madly.

“Twilight, I need your help! There are these creepy pegasi who look and sound like dead Wonderbolts flying around and they’re attacking people and I don’t know what to do-”

Dash was talking a mile a minute, babbling on and on to the point where Twilight could barely follow what she was saying. To make matters worse, Applejack and Fluttershy took this time to suddenly appear out of nowhere and also start shouting for help at her, nearly crashing into Rarity and Pinkie Pie who were running from the opposite direction. All five mares started yelling in unison, their voices blending into a cacophony of confused and scared noise.

“-and they kept saying all these awful, terrible things and they don’t look like any animals I’ve ever seen, oh, and they’re still out in the forest somewhere and any poor, unsuspecting creature could be hurt by them-”

“-even said they would hurt Sweetie Belle, of all the horrible things! We must find them and stop them, Twilight, these are vicious creatures and they are capable of positively anything-”

“-they got Cloud Kicker! Just sank their fangs in and killed her and I couldn’t even do anything about it! You have to have something, Twilight, some spell or potion or plan that’ll stop them, please-”

“-I’ve checked with Rarity and they’re weakened whenever we display our individual Elements, so if we got them all together that might be enough to stop them-”

“-so if you see any creepy-lookin’ pony wanderin’ around and sayin’ they’re your dead friends or family, don’t believe ‘em, it’s a trick, they’re just tryin’ to lure you in to do Celestia knows what-”

“Girls, GIRLS!” Twilight exclaimed at the top of her lungs. “PLEASE stop talking; I need to think!”

The five of them immediately shut up, staring at her expectantly. Twilight started pacing around in a small circle, eyes fixed on the ground and whispering to herself intensely. Her friends and Spike followed her with their eyes as she walked, afraid to say or do anything that might break her valuable concentration.

“Okay,” she said at last. “This is what we know so far. These Black Lanterns are all over Ponyville, taking various sizes, shapes, and forms as they attempt to emotionally manipulate us. They’re very fast and powerful, and their preferred attack involves biting ponies and sucking something out of them that kills them. The six of us appear to be their primary targets, as the dead ponies and animals they bring back all have ties to us in some way or another.” She paused. “…Except for me.”

THOOM.

A black stallion landed in front of them, the ground shaking under the force of his impact. He appeared to be tall, massively so, standing almost two heads above the assembled mares - though none of them could tell if his height was physical or an optical illusion generated by the streams of pure magic coursing around him. The stallion was adorned in a large hat and a long, raggedy cloak with a Black Lantern symbol on the front, with cracked, warped bells hanging off of both pieces of clothing. He inclined his head and stared down at Twilight, his stern expression visible even through his thick beard.

“So,” Star Swirl the Bearded rumbled, “This is how the state of magic has deteriorated in my absence.”

Twilight swallowed.

“The pieces are in place,” Black Hoof announced, speaking into his lantern. “It is time. Advance on the true targets, my Lanterns.”

His ring buzzed. “Power levels 100%. DEVOUR HARMONY.”