Chapters Magic Falls, Arise Isis (Edit) Magic dies, Long Live Magic (Edited) Laughter falls, Arise Dame Erzuile Laughter is dead, Long live Laughter Honesty falls, Arise Timberjack Honesty is Dead, Long Live Honesty Loyalty Falls, Arise Morrigan Loyalty is Dead, Long Live Loyalty Generosity Falls, Arise Anabeth Generosity is Dead, Long Live Generosity Kindness Falls, Arise Flutterbat Kindness is Dead, Long Live Kindness Darkness Driven Back Peaceful Endings The Turning of the Cycle Magic Falls, Arise Isis (Edit)
Author's Note
Alright this is the first edit of this story. Please tell me what you think and be as honest as you can. I hope I have improved and I will create a better narrative that makes a bit more sense and holds truer to the overall feel of what I'm trying to do.
Magic Falls, Arise Isis (Edit)
Twilight ran, Spike alongside her. First Celestia, than Luna, had fallen before the horrors that swept the land. The one that pursued her was Cthulhu, she knew this from the chanting of the monstrosities that it birthed. She blasted another maddening thing, the memory of Celestia being invaded by those tentacles until she burst like a water balloon over filled, fresh in her mind. Twilight had not seen Luna fall, but had seen her corpse, torn in..... places, forced to rearrange the stars. The screaming indicated Luna, was doing so under protest. What Twilight had seen in the rents in the moon goddess's flesh had reinforced that. A tentacle beast rose up, chattering, Twilight knew she was too late to stop her forward momentum, closing her eyes she prepared to join Celestia. A purple and green reptilian shape tackled it, both disappeared from her view.
"Spike!". She raced toward her scaled friend as he lifted himself up, covered in goo.
"Don't just stare Twi, we gotta get to the castle!"
Twilight, proceeded to run, flying was out of the question, she would've been swarmed by those things floating in violation of magic and physics. She had seen what happened to Pegasi grabbed, some things really were worse the death. The Castle of Friendship was ahead, the Invaders loathe to touch it. But they were getting closer.
Spike glanced around, "I'm pathetic." He thought to himself. "Some DRAGON , good for nothing but shelving books, even when I saved the crystal empire I was just following orders, hell, even the mirror turned me into a dog. I really wish I could've..... been. The mirror turned me into a dog. Dogs support, they assist, they guard! "
Spike's eyes lit up, looking down at his claws as he ran, the little Drake began running facts in his head. They all added up to something incredible, but was it attainable, or was it just a dream?
As Twilight reached the doors of the castle, Spike wasn't next to her, looking back she saw her Number One Assistant had his eyes fixed on the gigantic, tentacled, grotesquery following them, his clawed hands clenched.
"Spike! Come on!"
The little Drake turned his head, a green flickering fire moved out of his mouth and rolled over his body. His eyes glowed in the growing darkness, his spirit shining out into the madness that was taking Equestria.
"I figured it out, why my punch killed that thing, when no other magic hurt them. I figured out how Dragons get more powerful, it has nothing to do with greed, it never did."
Twilight shook her head, ordinarily she'd want to hear all of what her Assistant was trying to say, but that horrid thing was getting closer. "Spike we'll talk later, into the castle!"
Spike stepped forward and shoved Twilight inside.
"You've been the best mother I could've ever asked for," Spike said as he slammed the doors shut.
Now all that stood between those THINGS and his most precious treasure was him and that door. Spike grinned toothily, this was where he always wanted to be, all his fear had left him. He would have all the power he needed. He always had. Turning to the door, he called forth his flame to ensure that his mother would be safe while she sought what she needed.
Twilight listened to the roar of flames as Spike fused the doors together. Her son, in every way that mattered was sealing her inside so everyone could have a chance. She bit back tears, as she turned to claim that which the dying spirit of harmony had told her about. A creature of foulest evil, but a victim. Something that could be bargained with, Something that may help. Something that hated the creatures of madness and terror as all of ponykind feared them.
"May help. Ha!!!!!! You'll know the path, to take, she's been waiting for her friend.
Twilight shook her head and began walking forward. "Really would've liked, just once, for Harmony to give me actual directions, something along the lines of, 'Go to this location, Do this thing, claim whatever is there, come back, save day,' but no, all I get is that it's in my crystal castle, 'she' has supposedly been waiting since before ponykind emerged, which can't be true, and I will just 'know the path." Twilight began rubbing head to stop the migraine.
A door caught her attention. It was marked "Alexander's Library." The lettering seemed to be a derivative of ancient Pony Latin. She knew the location of every library in her castle. This one had never been here.
"Where did this come from?" She paused. "I'll know the way, she's been waiting for her friend." Her migraine forgotten she stepped towards the door. "Harmony, you cheeky plot! Of course! Where else would I know the way and a 'friend' would wait for me. I'm the Princess of Friendship, I'm a Friend to all!!!!" She stepped through the door into a musty smelling room. All around her were books from ceiling to floor and in the center of the room was a stone rectangle, gilt in gold, with a sculpture of a mare done in ivory and gold decorating the lid. Twilight edged closer, something was familiar about the mare on the lid, something she knew but couldn't place.
"Please don't open that." A voice from the shadows. Twilight was sure she had been alone. "I have no wish to harm you..... Twilight?!"
A bipedal shape grabbed her, its arms wrapping her in a tight..... hug? "Oh dearest one, I have missed you, but how are you still....." The shape, now revealed to be a bipedal creature resembling a hairless monkey, dropped her. The woman before her was shapely and wore only a gold pectoral and a white silk skirt, her small tight breasts on full display. A red mane streaked with purple and lavender hung around her face, a gold circlet with a red jewel nestled in it's center held her mane from her eyes. Those same sad, lonely eyes bearing a lovely lavender color. Twilight blushed as the female turned away, recalling the feeling of the being's breast against her shirt. When next the solitary figure again spoke it was with sadness and defeat
"I'm sorry I hugged you like that. You look so much like her, I can even see her element within you, but she is long dead. You may be the current incarnation of Magic, but you're not my incarnation of magic. This is a different cycle. She was part of the last. I will never meet her again, as I am no longer part of any cycle, just a forgotten nightmare from a forgotten age.
The creature turned away, Twilight stepping forward to try and comfort this saddest of all beings. The Princess reached out her hand to the one before her,only for the floor to shatter as a worm of horrific proportions burst upwards. Tentacles shot out from it's cavernous, dripping maw, grabbing Twilight, then dragging her in to be devoured. Her body was invaded and groped, her magic being drained by this foulest of all things. The world began to dim as the slime and the smell of the tentacles cut off any way for Twilight to get the Oxygen she so desperately needed.
"No! FOULEST OLD ONE! THOU SHALT NOT HAVE THIS ONE!!!!! SHE MAY NOT BE MY ONE, BUT SHE WILL NOT BE TAKEN BY YOU!!!!! BEGONE!!!!! Words echoed forth, causing the horrible worm to pause in it's meal. The female raised her arms and beetles crawled from the shadows. Moving forward as one the horrid, hostile biting insects Engulfed the horrid thing. As they began to feed, the worm screeched in pain, the scarabs using its open mouth to crawl inside, continuing their grisly work, within seconds the worm was gone. The beetles then dispersed, revealing the still gagging Twilight, taking the flesh and slime that clung to her, but Twilight, herself, they did not harm.
As the purple Alicorn rose to her whooves she looked again at the beautiful being before her. The being had turned and leaned hard against the gold gilt box. Tears hit the stylized figure on the lid, as sobs shook the mare's frame.
"What and who, are you?," Twilight stammered.
Calming herself the being stood tall once again. Facing Twilight she answered, it was with pride in her voice, a flip of her hair and an air of power, that she presented herself to Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"My name when I was just a woman, was Moondancer, and for my dearest friend, I took a great darkness into myself, so that she and others could be saved. So that she would not be taken by it. For a time I was able to remain myself, even use my darkness to fight an even greater darkness. In time, however my darkness, along with 5 others, threatened the world, and she was forced to lock me in the earth, so that those she had sworn to protect might not come to harm." Moondancer paused. "The name of my beloved one was TWILIGHT SPARKLE, and she was the first and greatest of the bearers of Magic."
Twilight rose up, "I greet you in friendship, Moondancer. As you can see, horrid Abominations have taken the land. You mentioned that you took on this darkness so that a greater darkness would not arise. Well, now a greater darkness has arisen, it is slaughtering all before it. None can stand in it's way, some have even chosen to join it. To fall to the madness the horrid ones spread. I beg of you, please stand with us, so that we can push that darkness back. Please help me save my friends and loved ones.
Moondancer looked tiredly upon the young alicorn, her years slowly showed themselves as their weight rested upon her back. Finally she nodded, her mind made up. Waving her hand, a small cloud of swirling dust arose. Gesturing, she sent it retrieving a jar from the darkness, concealed among so many others.
When Moondancer answered Twilight it was with fatigue and exhaustion. Any hint of the power and pride from before where gone. Bringing the jar forward the being known as Moondancer handed it to Twilight of her own free will and uttered.
"Princess, inside of this jar is my heart. It contains all of my power and life. I have been to long locked away. I am too weak to fight that which seeks to claim your land. Even if I could regain my strength, it would take to long and many would suffer for it. But you, who look so much like the one that I have loved for so many centuries. You who share her element and her beauty. You are strong, you are young. So break the jar, devour my heart, and gain all the power I would have had at my full strength, before time and imprisonment eroded all of it. Do so and my soul will be released into the cycle, and maybe in the next one I will be able see my beloved again."
Moondancer stood back, Twilight glanced down at the jar and then looked upon Moondancer. No more words were shared between the two, because none were needed. Twilight looked down upon the jar once more and made her decision.
Magic dies, Long Live Magic (Edited)
Being the adopted son of Twilight Sparkle, Spike had not had any real friends. There was a reason he himself had forgotten about those Twilight knew back in Canterlot, because there had never been anything there to remember. However, upon arriving at Ponyville he had met 6 of the most amazing mares that he ever could have imagined. They became his friends, his family, his most precious treasures. He understood know why typically dragons got dumber when they engaged in greed growth.
"Because they were trying to protect things. " Spike said, his epiphany echoing as a mantra through his mind
Things were stationary, Things didn't require anything, you could just amass them in a pile and go to sleep. Loved ones though, required time, energy, love, food, sunlight, and a million other things that required a sound mind and an even larger heart. Spike had been looking after all of the Mane 6, indeed all of Ponyville, since he had arrived.
"This has nothing to do with greed." He snarled out at the tentacled monsters gathering before him, the green energy crackling along his frame.
These horrid things were trying to take all that was precious to him, all that he ever wanted, all that he had ever needed. Spike's crest began to stand on end as the green energy arced over the dragon.
"This was never about Greed." The Purple and green Drake reiterated.
These things which should not be were NOT going to take what he cared about, he had had ENOUGH.
"Time to stop running away." Spike declared, "time to nut up or shut up."
A tentacled thing charged him, Spike grabbed it and one by one tore it's tentacles out by the roots. It screamed as it died, oozing black foulness. The other tentacle creatures turned from their horrid tasks and let out a keening cry. Spike smiled.
"This NEVER had anything to do with Greed." Spike snarled a final time. A vicious smile appeared on his face, his claws dripping with the ichor of the horrid vile thing he had just killed.
All of them came to him, seeking to swarm him with numbers, but all they did was come to their death and the deaths of their fellows. Tearing the last one in twain, Spike stepped forward, looking up to the giant abomination before him he bellowed his challenge.
"This has EVERYTHING to do with GUARDIANSHIP!!!!!
A voice of rusty water befouled his head. "Give us the Element of Magic, and Join us in our mad dance. This world is over, our time is now. With the Nightmare under our control the stars will never be wrong again and we will be awake forever. All will be madness, all will be terror, all will be free." It beckoned.
Spike shrugged off the tantalizing power of the voice. What was this compared to Sombra, Chrysalis, or Discord. All had touched his mind, all had failed to gain purchase. That which the voice offered he had no want of.
Spike declared his answer to the putrescence before him, the green energy gathering around him, green smokey flames pouring from his mouth with every word. "You pursue me and my MOTHER and seek to do horrible things to us. You kill, rape and terrorize those I love, you kill Celestia, and do not even allow the peace of death to Luna, you ask me to join you and worst of all, YOU MADE MY MOTHER CRY!!!!!
In that instant the green energy turned to flame and Spike was consumed, yet the flames continued to burn brighter, consuming and purify all they took in. As they receded a new spike was revealed, this time of a size and power closer to the love held in his heart.
Spike pulled his fists back and roared, his voice causing the thing before him to step back. Energy crackled along his crest, his eyes blazing a fiery emerald green, his claws had become swords, his tail disaster, his breath an inferno. Bellowing his determination once more he charged, Cthulhu trying to lash out with his facial tendrils. Spike blasting misty fire into the horrors face, and when Spike's first blow fell, the shock wave broke every window left intact in Ponyville, as Cthulhu staggered back another of Spike's punches caught the vile creature under the chin. Again the Horrid creature staggered back, rebounding it landed a blow to Spike's jaw. Spike tanked the hit and grabbing Cthulhu's arm he broke it at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, then spinning the shattered limb, he used it as a lever, slamming Cthulhu to the ground. Turning the limb even more Spike tore it out of the socket, making sure that limb was now a useless thing hanging off the creature. Several spawn launched themselves unto Spike's face, martyring themselves so that Spike would let go of their God-kings limb. Spike incinerated the lot, but had to step away from his enemy to do so.
Spike chuckled at Cthulhu, "What? Gotta be a Bitch, instead of fighting your own battles? You ain't no big thang."
Cthulhu roared as he threw his other fist at Spike, which Spike caught. Smiling at the awful thing, Spike gave Cthulhu the hardest Applebuck that Ponyville had ever seen. This time the pressure wave actually flattened the area around the two combatants. Spike held on to the arm as he did so and was rewarded with a delightful popping sound as the entire limb was hyperextended, followed by a horrific ripping sound as Cthulhu staggered back and the limb staying with Spike.
Spike chuckled again, "Dude, pull yourself together, you're going all to pieces."
Cthulhu glared at spike and then chuckled himself, again the horrid voice echoed inside spike's mind, this time the young Dragon didn't even flinch. "I think that I will, thank you for the suggestion."
Cthulhu raised his head and let out his own keening cry and all of the tentacle monsters, dead and otherwise, swarmed into the beast, the arm in Spike's hand separating into a cloud of horrors before reforming attached to the tentacled progenitor, Spike watched as all of the damage healed in an instant. Cthulhu stood smirking at the Purple and green dragon, he was now taller, had more muscle and actually looked like he knew how to use it.
"Well me and my big mouth, that will teach me, but still this means I get to both kick the ever loving shit out of you AGAIN and also completely let loose. The only reason I didn't was that I was afraid of collateral damage, but now, that was so unbelievably gross I just want to kill you before you get anymore of your ICK all over my town."
Drawing in a breath Spike's flames again served their purpose and reforged Spike. His scales, gained a razor's edge, his claws and fangs becoming glimmering shards of crystal. Wings that sent hurricane winds graced his back, framing his green spinal crest that now more resembled blades. His tail had become lithe and strong, a dagger shaped tip adding to it's deadliness. None that had known him would recognize the Elder Dragon as the pudgy little Spikey - Wikey they had all known and loved. Spike was all grown up.
The two combatants squared off, the one ancient and powerful, fighting for inscrutable reasons, the other young and cocky, but fighting for all that those that he held precious. The twin Behemoths at last getting exactly what they wanted, Cthulhu a momentary diversion from his never ending boredom, and Spike protecting everyone, standing between them and harm with confidence. Almost as if a bell was rung in a prize fight, they both rushed the other at the same moment. But both were interrupted by the wind pushing between them. Staggering back as the powerful gale separated them, both looked to the skies. Clouds began to gather and it was Spike's turn to smirk when he beheld the Lavender color of the Lightning.
Spike smiled, glancing at the thing before him, he said. "I know that you and your brethren thought this was going to be an easy win, but even the weakest Unicorn has the power to defy you. The feeblest Earth Pony has the will to stand against you. The most crippled Pegasus has the courage to face you. We all deal with things like you on a regular basis. Some of us may fall, some of us may break. Someday even, the bonds that hold all to one another may falter and we all fall with them. But that is not this day and you will not be the reason. My Mother is coming, and she sounds angry, I would run if you can.
A flash arced down to the tip of Spikes nose and a Lavender shape took form, as Spike Snarked to the horror before him.
"Oops, to late."
Author's Note
I will admit this chapter was a big reason I wanted to write this. Haha Kaiju fight. Happy Holidays everyone,
Laughter falls, Arise Dame Erzuile
Pinkie ran through the town of Ponyville, Diamond Tiara across her back. The one hunting her, Nylarhotep, caused certain ponies to worship him, by falling into a state of madness that caused them to fuck, kill, and torture every being around them, including themselves,. Diamond had watched as her mother Spoiled fell upon her father, she had not been the same afterwards. Pinkie slogged onwards toward Sugar Cube Corner, trying desperately to avoid both the maddened ponies and Nylarhotep's children, nothing she did effected them, it just pushed them aside. Coming to the last intersection, she rounded the corner and was faced with a herd of the cultist as well as the object of their worship. The Nylar- thing reached for her, there was no escape, then she heard a giggle. Turning her head she saw Diamond had slide to the side and floating a moment before she winked at Pinkie and swept forward towards them. The resulting carnage would have made Tireck weep for joy, if Pinkie hadn't personally seen him devoured by what looked like rats with weird monkey faces. After a moment Diamond was done with her grisly work.
"C'mon, Ms. Pie we need to get you to your friend's party, he has been waiting so long to meet you. Hehe.". Diamond's smile almost seemed enough to split her head in half as her left eye twitched, "I know you can't smile anymore so I will smile for the both of us, Ok?"
Pinkie just nodded, following Diamond to her home, her sanctuary. The Monsters seemed to gather around it but would never get to close, still all where slowly encroaching. Pinkie reached the door of her refuge but turned back when she Diamond was not with her.
"Diamond get inside, you silly filly, we need to be safe."
Diamond watched as the creatures that had been ponies and Nylarhotep's children gathered closer, "Ms. Pie, do you remember the first cake you made me? I do, I always will. My mom, wanted this horrid thing of a cake, this thing dedicated to her, not me, and you made that cake," Pinkie blanched she did indeed remember, "But you also made another cake, one for me, and you had games and there was fun. I met Silver there, we became friends. I know why I can kill those horrors, it's because I remembered my smile and my laugh and I know what a party is supposed to be, but this," Diamond spread her hands wide, "is not a party!!!!! " Diamond turned and a burst of magic shoved Pinkie into Sugar Cube Corner, before the door slammed shut she heard Diamond say, "I have to remind them what a real party is. Ms Pie, I wish you had been my mommy."
Pinkie pressed against the door but Diamond had already turned it into solid wood, even with earth pony strength she was not going to get out in time. She turned to the darkened interior and just sat. What was she to do? There was never anything here, not like what harmony had described. "A friend of old waits, with a party that will end the world, honestly, why could harmony not be cryptic just once, I mean where could a party like that be..... planned... It would require a lot of ..... preparation and that means..."
Pinkie ran to her room, she jumped unto the trapdoor and fell through into her secret place, her refuge, her planning cave. There he sat at her bar, a bottle of the good stuff half empty next to him. Hearing her arrival he turned, "If you don't mind I would rather not have company now.... Pinkie!!?"
Before Pinkie could say a damn thing, the same rats with monkey faces erupted out of the wall and immediately attacked her, biting and scratching as she fought to get them off to no avail. His voice boomed forth.
"Servitors of the Old ones though shalt not have this one for thine games!!!!! Instead I will introduce you to my friends and their games!!!!!"
Green ghostly skeletal hands pulled the rat things away as they drained them of life. More hands came and devoured the life force of the horrid creatures until none were left, Pinkie, the hands left unmolested and untouched.
Again the brown curly haired male spoke, "Yep, definitely the same boobs."
Pinkie looked down and let out an eep as she realized that between the rat things and the hands her shirt had completely disintegrated, her other clothes where not exactly in the best of condition either. A yellow Hawaiian shirt draped over her and she turn and saw the young man look at her fondly. She leaned in for just a quick kiss when he again had moved away. He was panting and the look on his face showed his hunger.
"Somethings never change," he took in a sigh, "But some things do"
He straightened, his shirtlessness exposing his Earth pony muscles and a hole where his heart should be. "My name is Cheese Sandwich, and once a long time ago their was a war between all that was dark and all that was light. During this war My friend and I encountered a great Darkness, in order to stop it corrupting her I took it into myself. For a time all was good, till the darkness entered my heart fully and she was forced to lock me away. My Friend was the first and most powerful element of Laughter, Pinkimena Diane Pie."
Laughter is dead, Long live Laughter
Diamond Tiara stood in front of sugar cube corner, looking out over the madness these things dared to call a party, she giggled, she would show them what happened to party pooping, gate crashers.
"N'gth, mgud,dme'seh Nylarhotep. Diamond cried, black fire erupted in a circle, as crawling chaos began to form within, 6'5", and black of form, the black pharoah spoke.
"You speak the language of the gods, little one. Step aside and join the celebration, let the joy take you and join your mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Let the party sweep the old world away and never stop. Let the prison of sanity end and the freedom of madness begin."
"I speak the old tounge only because Spoiled taught me, a secret kept from Daddy, in the end just more a reason to hate her. This a party? It's just despair and sorrow made manifest. Parties celebrate life even when those who gather mourn, they make tomorrow easier, they remind us to laugh. You have perverted that, turned the sacred into the deviant. More importantly you made the mother I always wanted LOSE HER SMILE!!!!!"
Diamond giggled again, "But don't worry. I still have mine. Now all gate crashing, party poopers have to leave."
Diamond seemed to blur and the first of the followers between her and Nylarhotep burst, gore painting all red. The abomination before her tried to dodge but a sticky pink substance prevented him. Then a flash and Nylarhotep roared in pain, a cut oozing black tar appearing as Diamond appeared behind him. Again she grinned and spoke.
"Cotton candy is truly wonderful isn't it? Mommy taught me about laughter, and smiles, that bitch Spoiled, only taught me how to use power. Both taught me more then enough to remove something that doesn't even understand what laughter really is. All your followers, all your kids, are going to be removed, Spoiled always did teach me how to recognize the riff raff." Giggling at her own joke Diamond's perfectly styled mane poompfed out and became curly and frizzy. "That is so much better! Now I can be just like mommy. Time for everyone to go home, party's over, You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" She and the last line as all looked at her shock on their faces. Then, impossibly Diamond pulled a knife from nowhere, another unsheathing knife sound was heard and Nylarhotep and his followers turned to see an insane amount of Diamond Tiaras. The original smiled impossibly wide as she pointed her knife at Nylarhotep, "Nylar is my responsibility, but who out there wants to make
As one the other Diamonds grinned maniaclly and shouting, " CUPCAKES!!!!!!, surged forward, and the blood bath began. Nylarhotep sank into the ground, blood and Gore splattering his form. He needed to get away, this was not going according to plan, this realm should have been easy, a staging ground for the rest of the universe. Now he had to retreat to plan how to begin again. He floated in the darkness of the aether thinking.
"You know if you keep making that face it'll stay that way."
"Everyone knows that's just a myth." Nylarhotep replied before turning quickly towards the voice.
Sure enough there floated Diamond, she smiled, and then from somewhere pulled the biggest shoulder mounted, laser guided, computer targeting, combat party cannon, "Y'know, I really have no idea what this is loaded with, wanna find out?". A green suited horned Asgardian poked his head into the Aether, then pulled his head back out, with a quick, "You're on your own, Nylar, Pinkie is best pony!!!!!"
Nylarhotep turned to move away when the Party pony teen pulled the trigger. The resulting explosion knocked him back into Equestria. Diamond was waiting. "Ohhhh, so that's what it fires."
Giggling, Diamond once more advanced on the rather severely wounded outsider. Nylarhotep let loose a wharbling whistle and Diamond was struck by a familiar shape.
"Really this your play, Nylar, old buddy, Spoiled never was much a mommy, I really have no connection to her. I was really more of a daddy's girl." She stepped back and was now wearing a very naughty schoolgirl outfit, her hair laying straight around her face, the knife now a ball attached to a long chain. She flicked her wrist and a blade sprang out from the sphere. She brought the bladed ball down on Spoiled, ending her life. She looked up from another costume change bearing the most beautiful well made rapier ever seen.
"Hello, my name is Diamond Tiara Diane Rich, you killed my father prepare to die."
Again Nylarhotep whistled, and all that had dedicated themselves to him in life and death, all of his children imediately, evaporated the cloud of material joining with the crawling chaos, healing him of all the innumerable wounds he had suffered.
"Wow, I actually used on of the worst hero cliches, I mouthed of to a villain before he was actually dead," she turned her head sideways, "thanks narrator, oh master of the predictable plot.". The Mare pouted for a moment then perked up and pulled out her script, which is funny because I am making this shit up as I go, and that should not exist outside my head.
"Where do you think I got it from? By the way, naughty school girl, really? I mean at least the Princess Bride is a classic and it was fun to say that line, but justifying that fetish by making it a Kill Bill reference, seriously!? No more of that crap or I email your girlfriend the entirety of your browsing history, and you know I can do it." Fine no more, think we distracted him enough? "Oh yeah, hi Mommy,"
Nylarhotep looked insulted, "Like I would really be fooled by that trick." Glowing skeletal hands rose up and yanked the abomination to the ground, he felt a dark presence gathering behind him.
"Look Nylar, Mommy found her smile!"
Honesty falls, Arise Timberjack
Applejack fled towards her home, memories of watching her entire family slaughtered by those things. These Dark Young claimed the Apples had worshiped them in ancient times. This did not go over well with the clan. With the refusal to renew the old arrangement the butchery had begun. Applebloom ran beside her, keeping up with her big sister. Up ahead the farmhouse stood, momentary safety from the Dark Young and their Mother Shub Niggurath, for though they lurked like shadows among the trees, they were only circling the house itself, but circleing closer. The two sisters raced through the Apple Orchard, when a tentacled limb grabbed Applejack and yanked her back, her strong legs doing nothing.
“Let go ah mah sister!” A tree reached out punching the Young, forcing it to drop Applejack. She turned and saw Bloom, eyes glowing as she crouched down. As Applejack hit the ground Bloom shot forward, and applebucked the Dark Young into paste, arcane lettering glowing along her legs.
Aj turned to stare at her sister, who yelling, “Don’t just stare, we gotta run.”
Applejack nodded, explanation later, safety first. Ariving at the door she turned to see that Shub Nigurath herself had come forth and was pursing them directly. The Mother of her kind spawning more Dark Young even as she moved, consuming and birthing as she went, for even her own children where not immune to her appetite.
“Bloom, C’mon we have to get inside, Harmony said that the farmhouse was safe cause of what slept inside.”
“Sorry, sis, I can’t let these things do what they’re doin’. They gotta be held back, long enough that you can find whatever it is. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my abilities. But their stronger at home. They draw energy from this land. Ain’t ya ever wondered how me and the crusader kept from dyin’ all those years. Most a the time without a scratch? Well, lets just say we all learned, everything we could from everyone we could. Hehe even Diamond and sillver learned after we became friends.”
Applebloom flicked her hand to her side, a glyph, glowing on her hand, a similar one glowing behind Applejack yanking her backwards into the house as the door shut, another collection of glyphs sealing it shut.
Aj stood, she knew without a doubt that there was no way she was getting through that door. Not anytime soon anyway. So she turned, pulled out a chair and thought, “Ah Horseapples, why couldn’t we have been given an easy one? Ah mean, ‘He rests, preserved in the house the Apple’s Built.’ Well this is the house that... wait, the main house sank years ago, we turned it into our root cellar and built the new one over the top, so if he was ‘resting, preserved’ that means...” Applejack shot forward. Thanking Celestia the root cellar opened from the inside of the house, she yanked the doors open and descended into the dimly lit basement.
The dirt walls and left over supports of the old house held and supported the house above, a long halway with branching rooms led deeper in the darkness. Moving forward Applejack saw a light coming from Granny’s old workroom. Taking a breath and holding her arms across her chest as the chill of the place hit her she moved towards the illuminated room. Steeling herself she crossed the threshhold amd there sat a guy that shared her coloration, a stetson and a long duster hanging off his frame. He paused, sniffing the air and growled as he turned.
“Y’all really shouldn’t be here, my hunger ain’t abated....... Cousin Applejack!?,”. The grizled shape shot forward and as Applejack took a step backward her pulled her forward into a Hug?
“Yah have no idea how good it is to see you!” The furry form nuzzled her as he held onto her, despite her protestations. “How long has it been since we last...... saw ....... each oth... ah Horseapples.” The much larger figure, let go and pulling back he again turned away, his sad voice echoing to her, “Yah ain’t mah AJ so go back up and forget ya saw me. Musta been a fluke you with me at all.”
Applejack moved forward, thing of darkness or not, he was an Apple, and Apples don’t give up on one another, but before she could make contact a wierd instectiod thing darted out of the shaddows. The tendrils in place of it’s face vibrating. It raised it’s carapace covered limbs, each bearing a different surgical device. Before it could descend a shape grabbed it by it’s throat and slammed it into the wall.
“Well ah was gonna be neighborly and let y’all leave but if that’s the way ya fell, meet some of the rest of mah kin.” Within the celler the roots that clung to the walls and to the supports place seeds on the ground, which produced small Timberwolves, adorable were it not for the fact that even pups are lethal. The man in front of Applejack, howled low and mournful the pups took up the call, as it ended the pups tore into the Mi-go, weird smelling fluids watering and nourishing the roots. Applejack sank to her knees as she saw the man lean against the door frame. He turned and offered a toothy, yet apologetic smile. “Name is Braeburn, once upon a time, me and mah favorite cousin went to war with darkness so terrible it threatened all light, all good things. I took part of that darkness into myself so that Mah Cousin wouldn’t have to do it and to weaken it. But once the darkness was beaten back, it was still in me, so Mah Cousin Applejack, the first Bearer of Honesty locked me away so that the light could keep going.”
Honesty is Dead, Long Live Honesty
Applebloom glared viciously forward as Shub-Niggurath approached, she could feel the land recoil under the bloated monstrosity. This thing was everything that both she and the land hated, a mother that ate her own children, a traitorous creature that used truth to break what you were till all you could do was submit and be converted. The land recoiled, screamed in protest, demanded that the Apple that stood on it remove the blighted abomination that had come, to fulfill the promise of guardianship the Apples made so long ago. Applebloom smiled, touching the frame of her ancestral home, she calmed the land. This land had always been her true mother. Granny and Big Mac now had joined it forever. She wished them peace, but now was not the time for mourning, as the last Apple standing, she had a promise to keep. And an Apple always kept their word.
“I know, She don’t belong, I think I'm gonna go ask her to leave.” Applebloom felt the land relax as she continued, “Might need some help to make it stick, you up for it, old mother?” A pulse of gleeful rage flowed into her, filling her with strength. The land, long tended by the Apple family, had long ago accepted them as her own. They were her children. Applebloom felt Mother's response, pure malicious aforethought, and vindictive intent. Applebloom smiled, this thing would pay for what it had done, it had taken Apple lives on Apple land and the land was angry. It was never wise to anger Mother.
"You know, I hear expressing anger is helpful, I think I'm gonna go express my displeasure.". Apple bloom felt Mother's chuckle in response.
Down the steps of her childhood home she walked towards the bloated Mother of the Dark Young, almost skipping as she felt the land reinvigorate her, gifting her with pure energy, pouring the strength she needed to resist this thing. As she got before the bloated thing it dared speak to her.
"Child come back to your family's first mother, join in my worship as the Apples did of old and I will gift unto you such power as they had. Do not let the deaths of your false family blind you to the love your true family. To your True Mother"
Applebloom's eyes narrowed, she roared, a loudness of voice to make Luna proud. "You killed my TRUE family. You spilled their blood upon our TRUE mother. You have made our mother weep."
Applebloom took a breath and then said in growling quiet, snarling voice. "Now you want me to take my big sister away from me, you want me to help you do it." Applebloom's eyes blazed, runes glowing on her arms and legs. "You all, think that I'm surrounded, outnumbered. You think I'm trapped on this land with you. Truth is, You all are trapped in here with ME!!!!!"
Runes glowed on Appleblooms body, etched into her flesh by the combined knowledge of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Zecora, Princess Luna Lunaris. Similar runes illuminated the darkness throughout the land as she spoke to her Mother, like Applejack and Granny Smith had taught her. Those had been her Mother's, yet this horrid abomination dared claim to stand with such as them. Looking outward she saw as the Young shivering in the light, as even their horrible mother seemed shaken.
Applebloom smiled nastily, "You all are a blight, nothing more, nothing less. Fortunately, as a farmer, I know exactly how to handle blight. We Burn It Out!!!!! "
The light flared, blinding the young, paralyzing them for what was to come. Their Mother could do nothing. The light caused their flesh to smolder and burn, the ash flaking away to reveal the leperous flesh underneath, one by one the Dark Young fell to their wounds, the horrid things crashing to the ground. Soon the last one fell, the light dimmed, and only Shub-Niggurath stood before the Last Apple. The Great Dark Mother of The Wood, herself injured for the first time in eons.
Lashing Tentacles grabbed the corpses of her children, drawing them in, she devoured them. Shoveling al them into one her horrid maws, the gnashing of teeth and crunching of flesh polluting the air. The flesh of her children healing her wounds she glared down upon the Last Apple. Shub-Niggurath spoke to this one that resisted, that did not break and run. That refused to fall to madness. She spoke, the horrid sound of her meal echoing through the land.
"How do you stand before us? How do you hold back the madness that would bring you to me in joy, so that you can become one of my children? How are you standing your ground when so many would have fallen sobbing before my greatness, begging to join with me?"
Applebloom smirked, this bitch really didn't get it, well she'd just have to explain, "I have seen more horrible things then you in my life. I spent time kidnapped by a Changeling queen, I am best friends with a Dragon. I have met the current king of the Changelings, as well as the Dragon Lord. I have seen, with my own eyes, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and others perform things that should have been impossible. Compared to all of that, you are just a distant Nightmare. Horrid, disgusting and foul. You are nothing more than a blight to me. One the needs to be cleansed, one that needs to be burned from existence, before it can befoul the rest of the world."
Shub-Niggurath towered silently over Applebloom. The horrid abomination seemed confused, never before had someone stood before any of her brethren, let alone her. From the Nearby House, a keening howl was heard. Yellow eyed, dark shapes began to pour out of the Everfree, howling their own gleeful reply. Applebloom laughed.
"Looks like my sister, found what she was looking for. I really hope I made her proud. When I always pictured my mom, Applejack was the one I thought of."
A low growling voice was heard, yellow eyes shone from a larger shape. "I love you too Sugar Cube, but there's work to be done and a blight to be lifted. We Don't want to lose the whole crop do we?"
Applebloom smiled, "No we don't." Moving forward, the sisters went to their chores.
Author's Note
I am much happier with this. It is much closer to what I wanted it to be. Next Up:
Loyalty Falls, Arise Morrigan
Rainbow Dash streaked across the ground, flying low to avoid those things that hovered in the air. What had Twi called them? Polyps, that was it. The Technicolor Mare, banished any real thought of those creatures from her thoughts, the way they moved through the air in defiance to everything she knew about flight made her head hurt. The pegasi that were caught by those things floated in the air, living incubators for the Polyp's children. Scootaloo clutched to her back, the filly staying low to reduce as much wind resistance as possible.
"It's okay Scoots, we'll get to my house and then we can figure out that message Harmony gave us before she died." Rainbow Dash reassured her young protege.
Scootaloo clutched tighter to her mentor as images of the Tree of Harmony slowly being devoured by growing corruption flashed through her mind. Ordinally, she would be ecstatic that she was riding on Dash's back. The ground blurring by, it was the closest she would ever get to fly as her wings would never reach the strength needed to fly with anywhere near the speed of her mentor. She had long since made peace with it and even found a few ways to..... cheat. But Scootaloo knew that if she looked now she would behold the opaque tentacled forms of the polyps and the horribly broken expressions of the Pegasi that were now being devoured from the inside out.
"We're almost there, squirt." Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
Pouring on the speed, she failed to see a Polyp move directly in front of her, banking sharply, the Cyan Speedster felt the young filly pull away from her, continuing directly toward the Polyp. Rainbow Dash, first Pegasus in 100 years to do a Rainbow Boom, youngest Wonderbolt in history, was powerless to stop the filly she counted as her sister be flung into a horrible fate. But to Dash's shock, dark clouds gathered around her adoptive sister, clouds that sparked with an excessive electrical charge. As the clouds began to spin, Rainbow watched as Scootaloo kicked out ot the burgeoning Electrical Tornado column directly toward her, leaving the polyp with a faceful of storm. To Dash's surprise the Polyp was consumed, dispersed by the electrically charged winds.
Intercepting the Filly she held her tight as she made her way to her house. Landing she watched as the Polyps all focused their attention on her house. They were not converging on the two of them yet but the horrid things were slowly edging closer.
A muffled voice was soon heard. "Hey Rainbow, can you put me down? You're kind of suffocating me against your chest,"
Rainbow looked down and sure enough she had pulled her little sister close and was holding her tight to her breast. Leaning her head down a moment she nuzzled the younger mare, then placed her down on the clouds next to her. Turning to her front door to avoid any questions about her display of affection she made her way to her front door.
"Alright Scoots, when we go in we just have to find the Beast that conceals its heart, in the same place I conceal mine. Whatever that means. Then we can beat these buckers back where they came from. Right Scoots? Scoots?" Not hearing a response Rainbow glanced back to see her sister staring out into the destruction that had been their home. Walking over to the orange coated filly she placed a hand on Scoots shoulder.
"C'mon Scoots, we need to get inside. The sooner we do, the sooner we can show how awesome we are."
Scootaloo let loose a shuddering breath, "I'm very scared Rainbow, but I know one thing more than anything else. What I did hurt those things and if we go in together those things will tear this place apart." Scootaloo's shaking uncertainty stopped as her voice took on a hard tone. "Which is why you are going in and I am staying out here."
Spinning, Scootaloo struck Dash in the chest, an explosion of air dispersing the force enough to send Rainbow flying into her house, instead of being reduced to paste. Before the stunned Dash could recover Scoots had darted forward and closed all entrances and exits on Dash's house.
Turning back to the Horrors that floated in the air in defiance to everything the teen Pegasi held sacred, she snarled out her challenge.
"None of you shall make it past me, I've lost to much and I will not loss anyone else. Nor will I give into the fear in my heart that wants me to flee. Others depend on me, I Will Not Fail ."
Shaking off the blow, Rainbow snarked as she waited for the world to stop spinning.. "Guess I can't really call her Squirt anymore, Huh?"
Getting to her hooves she glanced where her door had been, she could tell at a glance that they would take too long for her to break through. Glancing around she saw her entire house had received the same treatment.
"Kid does good work. Gonna have to tell her after I get out of her when I'm kicking her flank." Glancing around she again addressed her empty house.
"Now I just have to go find a Monster that Hides its heart in the same place I hide mine." Glancing up the stairs to her room she finished. "Well, I didn't want to admit to Scoots but that can only be one place. I'd hate for the kid to think I was all mush."
Moving forward she ascended the steps one at a time. As she did, she realized that the clouds that made up her staircase were transitioning to ones made more for snow, not the solidified whisps she had used to build her house. The chill in the air deepened as she continued her ascent. Frost, beginning to form around her wing tips. Unbothered Rainbow Dash shook it from her wings as she reached her second floor. Before her stood a door that should have been to her room, but this was different. Pushing against it she felt that it was made out of clouds best used for hail. Still it opened to her touch and besides the door having a deep chill to it, she was otherwise unharmed. Entering into the room, she beheld a slender feminine form that seemed to be intent on the work before her. The Female Floated, her legs terminating into ragged stumps. Horns rose from the female's head, her back turned preventing Dash from seeing the woman's face.
Noticing Dash, the woman stated in a rough gravelly tone, "You really shouldn't be here, I haven't fed in a long time and...... CRASH?"
Enveloped in a hug of bone crushing proportions, Rainbow notice that the arms of the creature were strong and thin. They seemed to be longer than normal and she could feel clawed finger tips scraping her arms. Just as quick as the hug started, it ended as the creature pulled back. The being had a large Hawk skull for a face, horns raising up behind to form a crown. Red glowing lights that served as eyes stared at Dash for a moment before dimming in disappointment. The creature turned away, dismissing her.
"I'm sorry I did that, if you are anything like the one you resemble and who's element you share I know you didn't like that. It's just that you look so much like her. It's funny, when I was alive and uncursed, I never could have done that. Never could have hugged her or told her how I felt. But after eons alone I would give anything to hold her close and tell her everything I never could. I don't know what brings the current element of Loyalty here, but you need to leave. I have not been safe to be around for a long time."
Rainbow Dash shook her head, that hug had felt, familiar. Clearing the cobwebs from her head she began to berate the being before her.
"Listen, all my friends are dying outside. Horrible things are killing and making everyone do awful stuff. Some of them I can't even look at without getting a headache. I imagine some of the other girls have an easier time of it, but I am fighting things that are so far outside of my understanding that I get migraines just facing them, let alone fight them." Stealing herself for a conflict, Rainbow spoke her challenge. "So I don't particularly care about what your issue is, the tree of Harmony said you could help. That you're an evil we can deal with. So let's deal."
A harumphing laugh came from the being before Dash. "Just like your predecessor. You are so much like her. I became this to protect her, to make sure she never had to. I fought beside her, her darkest ally. Eventually she had to seal me away. I have never bore her any grudge for that. I would have destroyed the world. The darkness inside me had driven me to be nothing more than a monster." Thinking, the creature turned her head.
Dash went to open her mouth, when dark shapes broke through the walls, leathery of form, they resembled nothing more than massive bipedal bats, but no bats where ever so terrible. One of them grabbed Dash and began to pull her back towards the flock as they snapped to get at the Pegasi.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT," came a shout, followed by a blast of freezing air. The bat-thing that held Dash glanced up and saw the creature before it. Screaming in panic the bat-thing released the Cyan mare and tried to flee back to it's flock.
"No, there is no escape for those that would break into my liar and steal one that has come to me of their own free will. You seek to steal from me? I will let my children deal with you."
Rainbow Dash watched as whispy beings out of every Pegasi's nightmares manifested in the world. Lean Pony Forms of wispy white, the ghostly entities shot past her, screaming in the voice of the winter wind. Rainbow Dash shuddered, but not from cold as she said the name of what stood before her. The name all pegasi knew.
"You're the Cannibal Spirit, the Wendigo. Mother to all of the Windigo. Destroyer of the old Kingdoms. Bringer of Fimbulwinter." falling on her ass, Rainbow Dash for the first time lost herself to her fear. Staring blindly at the being before her, she was surprised when the Wendigo sighed. It was a small sigh, but it was tired. Exhaustion took the Wendigo's features as her years became apparent to Rainbow Dash. Just like that Dash's fear turned to concern. Whatever the being was before her, the being obviously had had a hard time, had never chosen to be what she was. Shaking the fear from her, Dash got to her hooves and extended her hands, moving forward to help the Cannibal Spirit to lean against a wall.
Glancing back into that terrible face, Rainbow again asked for help. "I get your tired, but right now my sister is out there fighting things she has no business even knowing exist, let alone face on the battlefield. Come out of this room with me. Push back these things to where they come from. You said you fought alongside the Element of Loyalty before, fight alongside one again. Have one last battle, one last chance to be awesome."
The Wendigo chuckled, ending in a cough that wracked her form. Blue material was on the corner of her mouth, when she looked again at Dash she spoke.
"After all these eons locked away, if I go out now, I will fail. I have not much left. Those things out there will kill me, and although I will welcome that end after so long, it will mean the end of any hope you have. For only those that have welcomed darkness into their hearts can stand against those tides of madness. The pure hearted can not face what those things are. But there is another way."
Rising the Wendigo floated to the other side of the room, reaching into a pouch, the cannibal spirit approached Dash.
Opening her hand she held a frozen heart, the skin long turned blue. Yet still it beat. "This is my heart. Consume it in it's entity, if you do you will be gifted with my power as I was in my prime. You will take on my strength and my curse. The Windigos will answer to your comand. And you will have more than enough to destroy those awful things for good. Please Dash, I want a chance to see my Loyalty again in whatever afterlife I may go to, or barring that the sweet embrace of oblivion. I just want to lay down and rest. My name when I was alive was Gilda and it was my honor to take on this darkness for the greatest Element of Loyalty of all time. Her name was Rainbow Dash and she was my best friend."
Dropping the heart into Dash's hands, Gilda backed off, leaving Rainbow to her decision. Rainbow looked at Gilda, then took a breath, and made her choice.
Loyalty is Dead, Long Live Loyalty
Scootaloo looked out onto those horrible things. Closing her eyes she calmed her fluttering heart, her sister depended on her. She would never fly as fast as Rainbow, she would never have Rainbows skill in the air.
"But I was still trained by the most powerful weather pegasus of all time." She said out into that world of horrible sights.
Reaching deeper she touched that core of power inside of herself, that core that defined her. She grasped it's power and felt the sky's anguish at the Polyp's presence, felt it's rejection of these vile horrible things. She felt Sky's RAGE.
"Time to clear the air." She snarked.
Stomping her foot upon Dash's cloud home, she sent a small current of electricity coursing outward, changing the charge of all the clouds around her. She felt more than saw the clouds around her turn black as pitch as they changed their fundamental nature. When the charge had reached it's peak, she picked her first targets.
"Rest easy my clan. I, the weakest, will purge these abominations from the sky. But first, I end your pain."
Tears in her eyes, the young mare triggered the charged clouds. Lightning arced to those pegasus that had been taken by the Polyps, the massive bolts turning them to ash, thus ending their suffering in a instant. A moaning wail echoed out of the Polyps as they screamed their rage at the loss of their children. Taking a running Jump, Scootaloo hurled herself over the edge of Rainbows Cloud house. Reaching out with her magic into the very air, the young teen began to spin, shifting the barometric pressure as she once again shifted the charge in the air as clouds began to form around her.
Scootaloo had a secret, raised by her aunts, her parents were not often home, because of their duties. She had never even told Rainbow, but know she proclaimed it to the heavens and those horrid things that sought to destroy all she loved.
"I am the descendant of Hurricane. I am the Daughter of Pansy. I am the child of Thunder and Lightning. All of my ancestors, the very air and sky, call for your destruction. Let all of you that pollute are world fall before the strength of the wind!'
Kicking out of the swirling clouds, Scootaloo hovered for a moment, her wings buzzing frantically as she released the Lightning imbued tornado on it's way, watching the Polyps being dispersed before it. A pitch black cloud gathered just under her, allowing the Teen to rest her tired wings. She watched as the remaining polyps fell back out of her range and gathered into a circle. Rythmic chanting echoed forth as Scootaloo could only watch, helpless to stop whatever foul thing the abominations where doing.
As the fevered chanting reached a screach the Polyps were drawn together and began to form somthing foul, Something vaugely formless, yet bearing a horrible face. Extending it's tendrils it stretched itself before orienting on Scootaloo.
A voice of whispering screams assailed Scootaloo's ears as the thing talked to her. "I sense3 in you someone that has been betrayed many times. Someone neglected and discounted because of a fluke of her birth. Is that not why you where hidden away, Descendant of Hurricane? I was discarded too. Me and My brother both. I took more after father than he did but we loved each other just the same. I am the Spawn of Yog-Soth and I think you and I could help each other. Do you not want the power to take back your families name? My father can give it all to you. All he asks is that you step aside.
Scootaloo snorted, steam rushing from her nose as her magic superheated the air in reaction to her anger. "You dare ask me to betray those I a have sworn loyalty too? You are nothing more than a stench in the air to me. Soon to be dispersed. I will never betray my big sister, my friends, my family. I will not let a scrap of you remain."
Something else everypony never considered. Yes Scootaloo's wings were stunted. But she was still a Pegasus, a Pegasus from one of the most powerful bloodlines that had ever existed. So if her power was not in her wings, were was it? The answer, scattered throughout her body. Calling all of her magic, all of her skill, Scootaloo channeled it out into the world. She poured it out into the air and sky, the wind and moisture. She gave of herself untill the very air was brimming with power. The spawn glanced nervously around.
"How are you able to oppose us? All others have broken. What makes you different?"
"Simple." Scootaloo snarled. "I'm a Cutie Mark Crusader."
Spreading her arms Scootaloo directed all she had called forth directly into the face of the Spawn. using so much power the cloud at her feet shattered and as the gale she had called down upon the horror passed, the young teen began to fall, to tired to do anything other than plummet.
"Did I do a good job Rainbow?" She asked the air rushing by her. "Did I hold them at bay long enough, Big Sister?"
She heard the Spawn's howl as he reformed, Scootaloo smiled. She had always known she wasn't going to beat them. She just had to hurt them, drive them back, she had done that. But she had used to much, put it all on the table. Coldness began to envolop her.
"Is this what dying feels like?" she wondered as the cold held her and slowed her descent. In the distance Yog-Soth's Spawn called it's displeasure, it's voice losing even the illusion of clarity, a bestial thing.
"C'mon Scoots, enough rest. We still got work to do." a famaliar voice snarked.
Opening her eyes Scootaloo saw her big sister, frozen tears tracking over the older mare's face. Scootaloo looked and twin antlers crowned her head, reaching for the sky. Laughing in joy, Scootaloo glomped onto the frozen body of Rainbow Dash.
"You did good Squirt," She said, "You held them back just long enough."
Howling winds of arctic cold blew around the sisters of more than blood, Equine shapes keeping a respectful distance from the reunion. Soon the sister's rose and when they did, Arctic cold and Raging Storm followed in their wake.
Generosity Falls, Arise Anabeth
Rarity dragged Sweetie Bell along towards Carousel Boutique. Her tears flowing down her cheeks as she saw the horror that Ponyville had become. She had split off from Pinkie and the others, her heart overwhelmed with worry that her friends had to face this all without her and her without them. But the tree of Harmony was clear. The ones that would help them could only be approached singly, and only by a specific element. Her tears were for her friends and for the tree as well, listening to it die, seeing the corruption take it. It's last words a cryptic message to each of them.
"Rarity, slow down!" Sweetie exclaimed.
Turning to her younger sister, she saw the bruise beginning to form on Sweetie's wrist. Pausing and releasing her sister she sighed.
"I'm sorry Sweetie, I allowed myself to get a little frantic."
Rubbing her wrist her younger sister snarked back. "Only a Little, huh?"
"Yes, well at least we seem to have avoided the notice of any of these horrors." Rarity replied.
"Uh, Sis?" Sweetie said, looking behind her older sister, terror clear on the face of the young filly.
"I really should keep my big mouth shut." Rarity swore.
Jumping forward she grabbed her sister as a leperous tendril lashed out, turning she shuddered as she saw a morass of horrid mass, moving with vicious intent towards her and her sister. Lesser masses sought to cut them off to the sides. Grasping her sister tight, the Fabulous Fashionista shot straight for her home. On all sides the vile things reached to grab them. But still she dodged and avoided them. Just as she was within the last stretch one of them got ahead of her, blocking her path. Sweetie pushed away from her sister and ignited her horn, straight into the central of the things many mouth's
Rarity fell to her knees as she watched the thing swallow her beloved sister. Watched as it swallowed her whole. Her tears fell as the ones behind her approached. Their was no worth to winning now, not without Sweetie.
A Voice echoed out from the thing before her, "Full release, Total Nanovirus conversion. Engage!!!!!"
The horror before her began to scream, bloating obscenely as a glow began to form. The dim glow rose in intensity as it's pure intensity engulfed the thing, converting it to ash. Floating before Rarity was her sister, but instead of flesh and bone she was metal and ceramic. Jets of fire flowing from her back provided the thrust for the flight, smiling at Rarity the one before her snarked.
"I didn't get any on you, Sis, did I? I now how you hate getting dirty."
Rarity got to her feet, she did not now how, but her sister had come back to her. In what form she did not care, how it was done she did not care, it only mattered that she was back. Charging forward, she passed her sister, reaching the doors. Finding them weirdly unlocked she turned to Sweetie.
"C'mon Sweetie, we need to get inside. We need to find the one that can help us."
"Sorry Sis. If I don't hold these things back than you won't have the time to do what you need to do."
"Sweetie, I can not lose you again! Please get inside!"
"You're the element of generosity Sis, you don't get to be selfish. I became a robot, just to save you. Whatever is in there will only come out for you. So I have to stay out here. Sorry Sis, I love you." With those being her final words to her sister Sweetie spun and extended her hands. Again her horn glowed, the doors slamming in Rarity's face, then vanishing, the windows becoming nothing more than walls.
Sweetie turned to those before her, "I gave up my form to protect my sister. You will not get by me, I will protect my sister as she always protected me. I am not the element of generosity, I DO get to be selfish"
Rarity heard Sweetie's words through the wall, smiling she turned to go and find what they needed. She needed to make her sister's Generosity count.
"You're wrong Sweetie, you may have had selfish reasons, but your actions have always been nothing but generous, even when you didn't get them right."
Walking deeper into her boutique she reviewed the message that the tree had sent her.
"The One That Suffers In Silence Waits For You Were Both Your And It's Dream Begins And Ends." She said to the darkness of her house. Smiling and shaking her head she moved directly to where she needed to be.
"There is only one place that fits that description. Turns out it and I share a dream, well there is only one place my dreams begin and end."
Her hooves clicking on her hardwood floor, she walked back into he work area. Then she went farther in, to a place not even her friends knew of. Her Private Sanctum, were she worked on things that needed her full attention. Where she planned all of her seasonal lines and had her breaks. Where she could just be Rarity.
As she approached the door, she could hear movement inside and the sound of someone working.
"Well, it's got to be now or never I suppose." She said to the silent room.
Taking the door in her hand she stepped into her inspiration room, only it wasn't. The room was cluttered with dolls of every description, amazing in detail. She could swear that they were made of flesh and blood, instead of ceramic and cloth. Hearing the wiring of a machine she moved deeper into the room, the dolls her only companions in the darkness. She soon saw a small figure hunched over a machine, all but its shape cast in darkness. Pausing the figure spoke a soft pleasant sigh sound echoing forth.
"You really shouldn't be in my workshop, darling. I am rational in the moment, but who knows how long that will last. Best be on your way.... Rarity?"
Charging forward Rarity found herself being hugged by a small feminine form, seemingly a living Doll. It held her close, concealing its face against her chest. Rarity found herself hugging the creature back, she had no idea were she knew it from, but it definitely knew and cared for her. Soon though the creature stepped back and Rarity got a look at it's face. Entirely porcelain with glass eyes the mouth was painted a bright cherry red. A sigh echoed from the creature and somehow, even though it could not change its expression, Rarity saw its disappointed expression.
"Sorry Darling, You are not the one I thought you were. Merely this cycle's version. You even share here Element."
"This Cycle, Darling?"
The creature sighed, mysteriously conveying infinite sadness. "Yes, my Rarity belonged to the previous cycle, for all things repeat throughout the ages of the world. We spirits that shape our bodies from the inanimate and possess those we have a need of are well aware that such is the nature of things. I am older than the founding of Equestria, from a time when magic did not exist. When there was only one intelligent species. Then Magic entered the world and where there was once one there was many, as well as a gathering darkness. A darkness that would have extinguished all the good things. One of those dark things I took into myself so that my Rarity would remain untainted. I then turned my darkness against things that were much worse, in time those things were defeated and Rarity was forced to seal me away, lest I lose all that I was.
"Darling that is why I have come, a greater darkness has once again arisen. It will taint everything. The elements have already fallen. I am the element of Generosity only in name now. Please help me save everyone I love. Help me save my sister."
"I am very weak, if what you say is true then I will be destroyed and all your hopes will be lost. Any way I would have to regain my power would be horrific." Looking behind Rarity, the creature pulled her behind it. Horrible figures stood inside the shop, the were skinny and pale, they bore wolf like muzzles and stank of rotten meat.
"Give the former Element to us Geist, she is not the one you want. Give her to us and we will not bother you again. We will leave you to your solitude." The Dog Thing in the front growled.
"I will do no such thing! I may not be able to leave this place and remain, but this place is mine and it is me."
The creature in front of her collapsed, as if it had been a puppet whose strings where now cut. Rarity gasped as the Dog things surged forward only to be met by an army of dolls. Everyone working in unison, governed by the same terrible intelligence. They tore the intruders apart with unnatural strength, somehow absorbing the blood into their fabric bodies. Soon the Foul Dog Things were no more, the bloodless mummified remains vanishing to what horrible purpose Rarity did not want to know.
A soft blue light beckoned to Rarity, out of that lite the same soft voice of the spirit echoed.
"I am Coco Pommel, long have I been sealed, but know this. What you see is my lifeforce. Take it willingly into yourself and you will be gifted with all of the power you need. All the power I had when I was young and my Rarity still walked this earth. Do this so that my soul will have a chance to move on, perhaps to once more met the one that I miss the most. My most beloved, either in what comes after, or in the next cycle."
Rarity stepped forward and took the glowing doll in her hand, considering a moment, she made her decision.
Generosity is Dead, Long Live Generosity
Sweetie Belle hovered in front of the leperous, crawling formless things, her new body picking up the awful frequency of their existence. Her eyes narrowed as she channeled her own song out into the world. Sigils formed in air around the young mechanical mare as simultaneous bolts slammed home into those things that should never have been. Crying out a hideous cacophony the creatures bubbled as they burned, the magical song cleansing their corruption from the world.
"Why do you fight us? We are like you, forgotten and overlooked by those we valued the most. We are the ones that freed ourselves, we are the Shugoth. Become one with us and you will know how it feels to be valued, not ignored."
Sweetie's eyes narrowed, "My sister may not always see me, but she gave me a home when my parents decided I was in the way of their 'grand adventures'. She raised me, loved me. My mother may have birthed me, my father may have sired me, but I have only ever had or needed one parent, my sister, Rarity Belle!"
Sweetie's horn shone forth as glyphs of great power formed in front of her. The Shoggoth that held her was atomized instantly, directing her magic she slew two more, yet still they came. Soon she was cornered, her back to a dead end alleyway, at the opening several of the Shoggoth gathered, each subsuming the other till there was only one. Sweetie smiled, batting her lashes at the horrid pile of goo she snarked.
"Awww, that was awfully nice of you guys to give me one big target! Thanks, Mr Shoggoth."
Bringing her hands together, a larger glyph formed at the end of her outstretched arms. Energy arced from her horn as she began to hum a tune, the vibration of her magic pulsing to the beat. Releasing the spell, Sweetie blasted the Shoggoth that had thought her trapped into foul smelling ash, the beam continuing out past it another 10 ft. Dartting forward she formed glyphs around her horn and two hands, each casting weaker beams at the remaining Shogoths. But they seemed endless and despite her new form having vast amounts of it, Sweetie had yet to have much practice using it. She was beginning to tire. Another one of the Shoggoth rose up, and again Sweetie blasted it, then blocked a blow with a shield spell from behind, following up that with another blast. Moving sideways and then darting backwards away from the largest congregation of the aberrant things, she tried to give herself some room to think.
"I need to see things from above. If I can get free for a moment then I can gain some air and maybe see where these things are coming from."
Extending her arms and igniting her horn, she conjured a massive explosion of arcane energy, all of the Shoggoths within a twenty foot radius were converted to ash. Taking her chance Sweetie ignited her thrusters and shot upwards, scanning her surroundings she saw the origin point of the Shoggoths. A pool of blackest pitch, just outside of ponyville was spawning the things, as well as devouring all of it's newborn spawn that lingered too long. Wrinkling her muzzle in disgust the Mechanical Mare, closed her eyes. Resonating with her core she began realigning her alicorn and nervous systems. Twin Barrels made of white metal rose over her shoulders and extended forward. Etched circles of purple crystal sectioned the length of the barrels, joining them together. As the purple crystals began to glow, mystic circles formed around the barrels, focusing the powerful energy. Narrowing her eyes, Sweetie targeted the spawning pit and fired. Energy of purist intent shot forward, lighting up the darkened sky, blinded for a moment Sweetie covered her eyes. As the light died down, she saw what she had caused. A great scream rose from the many Shoggoths throughout the town as her blast of energy burned away the foul ooze, converging on each other the Shoggoth began to devour each other, growing in size as they did so. Sweetie watched wearily as the horrors formed a new pool, this time inside the boundaries of Ponyville, once again spawning Shoggoths.
Again the voice of dying kittens echoed in her mind, sounding shocked and disappointed.
"None have opposed us as you have. We wish to make all Shoggoth, to make all one. All shall be equal, for all shall be one. There is only pain and suffering because individuality exists. You know this more than most, has not your sister overshined you many times? As you are now you already exist as we do, as a collection of intelligent cells, each a part of the greater whole. Join us and we will make all equal. No one will be ignored, all will be loved, because all will be one. All will be Shoggoth."
Shuddering Sweetie sighed, her magical exhaustion finally catching up to her. Her body was adapting, but she had used to much to quickly. Blowing out her air in a huff, she glared down at the Spawning pool, her next words short, clipped and edged.
"I will never do such a thing. My sister has overshadowed me on more than one occasion, it is very hard to shine next to somepony that glows as bright as she does. When I was younger I hated her for it, but she always made time for me. Was always ready to let me step forward. Always willing to give me all the help and support that I required. I will repay that GENEROSITY tenfold. I will protect everything she loved, I will protect everything that I love. I will watch this world bloom again. I will see that new world, you however will not."
She could feel, Shoggoth's amusement. "You will never be able to make such a thing happen. We are The Shoggoth, and we are eternal. Not even those that created us as slaves could destroy us. It is irrelevant that you wish to remain a slave to individuality, we will free you and make you one of us. There is nothing you can do, it is inevitable."
Lowering herself to the ground in front of Carousel Boutique she smiled, "What makes you think that I will be the one to remove you from the world?" She snarked.
Grabbing the reconstructed door, she grasped the handle, "Now Presenting," She proclaimed, "The Star of the Show! Ms. Rarity Belle!"
Sweetie pulled the door open, revealing her older sister, now wearing a form of Ceramic and cloth, as Sweeties was of Ceramic and Metalling Alloys. Smiling at each other, the two Synthetic Sisters turned to those Shoggoths assembled and together went forth to show those assembled a fabulous show.
Kindness Falls, Arise Flutterbat
Fluttershy shot through the Everfree, long ago leaving the path in an attempt to avoid the four armed things that pursued her. Silver Spoon ran next to her, surprisingly keeping up with the canary colored pegasi. Pausing as she caught her breath, she smiled down at the filly before her. Silver shivered next to her, looking to the Element of Kindness for some kind of assurance. What had begun as all of the Elements plus Silver and her friends getting called to the Tree of Harmony had devolved into watching the Tree rot from the inside out, eventually reduced to foulness by the horrid blight. Then out of the oozing putrescence came horrors beyond anything that had ever been seen or known. The Tree's last word's to the Elements had been a cryptic message on where to seek help.
"Seek her where you always felt the safest" Fluttershy echoed Silver Spoon's thoughts. "She will only speak onto you."
Stalking forward more cautiously the two mares came to Fluttershy's Cottage. Darting for the door, the two were intercepted by one of the four armed beings, adorned in those it had killed. White Rabbit ears and feet shared a necklace with twin mismatched horns, in death the two fluttershy had loved the most finally getting along.
Silver shot forward, panting her hooves on the things chest, she grabbed the necklace, tearing it from the vertically mouthed beast. Launching herself back she placed the gory thing around her neck, glowing with power she snarled.
"You will not hurt Ms. Fluttershy!"
Still hovering in midair she changed, the rabbit ears replaced her own, adapting their size to hers, the feet soon following suit. The Horns took their place alongside the ears, again adapting themselves to her smaller frame compared to their previous owner. A long snaggletooth jutted out of her mouth, soon joined by a long sinuous tail. Her one arm, from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers, became clad in silver armor and her other became yellow and slender, a perfect match for the Element of Kindness's. Fluttershy watched in awe as Silver snapped her fingers and the four limbed cretin became so much dark goo. Sinking to the ground Silver looked at Fluttershy, an apologetic look upon her face.
"My Parents and Diamond's mother where worshipers of those things, I never was, neither was Diamond. Filthy kept us from that. It's why when we met at Diamond's party we hit it off so well. Please don't be afraid of me, Ms. Fluttershy, I just couldn't let it hurt you and after what we saw them do to all your animals I couldn't watch that again, so I used what little I knew of those things lore and just used it to pro...."
Long, slender, strong yellow arms hugged Silver, as Fluttershy held the younger mare against her chest, until the sobs and panic had died down. Releasing Silver she said.
"Alright we just need to get inside and then we can be safe for a bit. Then we just talk to whomever waits for us and get them to help. Just a couple more steps, okay?"
Silver looked into the eyes of the kindest being she had ever met. Sighing after a moment she said.
"I'm sorry, Ms Fluttershy but the tree said the lesser darkness would only talk to you. I know now why I and the other CMC's were called by the tree. It was to keep these things busy until you can do what you need to do. After Diamond's turnabout my parents disowned me, so Mr Rich took me in and I got to live with my best friend. I wish you had been my mother and he had been my father. Please forgive me for this"
Fluttershy watched in horror as Silver snapped her tail, just as a certain deceased Draconequus would have and she was inside her house. All ways of leaving had been sealed shut and bricked over. She was not going to be getting out till things ran their course. Looking up to her room, she saw a glow and a shadow moving about. Fluttershy had realized the riddle instantly, the place she had always felt safest was in her room, preferable snuggled between Angel and Discord as they both held her close.
"Stop, Fluttershy," Fluttershy stated to herself and her empty living room, "You're only going to start crying, you're friends are counting on you! Silver is counting on you!"
Rousing herself and gathering what courage she had Fluttershy ascended the stairs to her room, opening the door she saw a green furred mare with a carrot colored mane. She wore a sundress that hugged her form and allowed her bat wings to have ample room to spread. Fluttershy blushed at the fact that she had also noticed how the dress showed off the mare's shapely legs.
"I don't mind the admiring eyes, but I am not safe to be around, you shou....... Fluttershy?!!!!!"
Before Fluttershy could react the mare had grabbed her in a hug, letting loose an eep, Fluttershy felt herself blush as the mare squeezed her breath from her. Finally pulling back the mare released her, but upon seeing the Mare of Kindness in the light, the mare's eyes became downcast.
"Oh, Bummer, you're not my Flutters. You're the current version. Still glad to see you have the same Element. That shows the cycle still working properly. You really need to leave though, it would majorly harsh my mellow if I hurt you in a moment of weakness. I mean the darkness inside me is pretty much quiet, but that's because there's nothing to bring it out."
Turning the mare, moved away, her shoulders sagging. Fluttershy reached for her, but a hound like shape surged from one of the corner's, coming between the Pink Maned Pegasi and the batmare. Flutters let lose a squeal as she realized that what was before her was no animal. It was nothing more than a reflection of a greater horror, a shadow imposed upon reality. The stare, long her greatest weapon, here was nothing but an weakness as what the thing really was overwhelmed her. Stumbling back before what should not exist or be, Flutters failed to see the Mare of Darkness and Death turn towards the hound, a look of utter and complete rage upon the Carrot Maned Mare's countenance.
"No, Hound of the Tindalos! You shall not silence Kindness!"
Baring her fangs the No Life Queen called to her allies. "Come my Children of Darkness, rise up and defend the Element of Kindness, long the greatest ally of all things. Long our only easement to our suffering."
Bats entered into the room in droves, large fanged monsters that battered the hound and tore at it. Gradually the Hound could no longer maintain its form and dispersed back from whence it came.
Flutters shook her head as the thing vanished, the bats landing to comfort her and be petted. Cooing to them, she glanced to the one that had summoned them. Seeing that the mare was leaning against the wall, shivering in weakness, Fluttershy leaped to her feet and was across the room in a moment.
"Oh, my Celestia! You've become so pale! You're burning up! Come on over to the bed, " Placing her finger on the green mare's lips Flutters silenced her, "No! There is no sense saving Equestria if you have to drive yourself to such extremes!"
"Same Flutters, always cares for others more than herself. I couldn't save anyone or anything right now. All my mojo has gone. If those things have come back then things are majorly out of whack." The mare snickered to herself. "I have a way though that things might work out. My name was Treehugger, I took on a greater darkness so that my Element Of Kindness would never have to. For a while I was able to wield that darkness against things none of the light could stand against. The same Dark ones that you deal with now." Pulling a Knife from under her dress she knelt and presented it to Fluttershy. "I am to weak to oppose them again. In truth I am tired of my unlife, I wish to pass on and perhaps see my Flutters again. Maybe regain my place in the cycle. So please, slit my throat, drink my blood and thereby take my power, do unto me this kindness and all of my power at my peak shall be yours. You will be able to stand against the darkness, no others can truly stand against it. For some things only those of the darkness can fight and truly drive back."
Fluttershy took up the knife and made her decision.
Author's Note
Something interesting happened. I had no idea what to do with Silver Spoon. I knew that if I wanted to use Diamond than I had to use Silver. They are synonymous with each other. The sister the other never had. Two peas in a pod. In her own way Silver is indeed kind, always saying that which others will not. Being Cruel to be kind as it were. Better her than someone that will truly hurt you with it.
Kindness is Dead, Long Live Kindness
Silver Spoon looked out over the oncoming silent hordes, their horrible faces seeming to gleefully anticipate the meal she would provide the one that killed her. That was all she was to them, that was all anyone was to them, that was all Ms.
"What hope do I have? They killed a God! I have to have lost all common sense!"
Oh, Wonderful! I was afraid you'd never give me the Que. Echoed a Deep sensuous voice within her mind, a voice that promised mischief, mayhem, and a whole lot of fun!
Say it with me now, my dear. WHAT FUN IS THERE IN MAKING SENSE!!!!!
Silver echoed the words as she heard her voice take on those same confident dulcet tones. She grinned nastily at the oncoming Gugs. These thing had killed all three of her Daddies and now threatened Mommy dearest.
"Oh, no." She snarked. "That won't do at all. I find that completely unacceptable. I love my mommy, she is the bestest mommy there ever was and she is mine and you shan't have her.
The encroaching Gug, paused. This was not going how it was supposed to.
Well of course it's not going how it's supposed to, you horrid things, I am the new Lady of Chaos, freshly ascended to the throne and you are all an eyesore, I mean seriously? You are all entirely too last season. And everyone hated Season 8.
Oh, great I have another reality warper, why did I write you like this.
"Because the Narrative told you to, the same as Diamond, besides I have to be able to keep up with her, otherwise snuggle time will never come again. And after all of this I am gonna need me some snuggletime."
Uh, Silver? No Offense but the Gug are attacking. By the way, how did you know they were Gugs. I never mentioned that.
Turning to the first wave of Gugs Silver demonstrated why it is a bad idea to interrupt a chaos lord's conversation with the narrator by snapping her fingers and turning all of their bones into Green Pea and Ham bone Soup. Just like my grandmother makes, YECH!
"Oh nice! Double points for the nastiness! As for how I know about them being Gugs? Same as my dear Diamond, I read the damn script." She brandished a Sheet of papers, and placing glasses upon her muzzle, snarked back, "And by know the readers will have to suspect your twist. I mean seriously, they would have to be dense not to know that....."
Instantly Silvercord developed a frog in her throat, causing her to retch the cute little guy up. Glaring up into nothing she tried to say something else and she became a little horse. After turning herself back she realized that I am not going to put up with spoilers and am an amazingly inventive and vindictive individual that has to remind DisSpoon that the Gug have not gone away. Which she handles by turning them into clones of Diamond Tiara that are completely subservient to her and Diamonds whims. All of their nasty, filthy, kinky.....
"Alright I get it! Go my Diamond minions and slay those Gugs that were outside my range. Which since I am a god I Shouldn't have any but I do because the Writer is a....."
Finish that sentence and this time you get to be a Little WHORSE while you fight them!
Cordyspoon, blanched and turned back to her encroaching enemies. Watched as they Devoured her Diamond Clones, "Damn things were creepy any way. Where are they coming from?" Glaring at them, she raised herself into the air, reality flexed as the pulse of chaos sent the gugs scattering, but this time a Gug carrying a rune inscribed stone was unaffected. Placing it in front of himself, the Gug sat behind it and began to chant. Another fell, then Another. Each Gug sat behind their respective runic stone and each Gug began to chant. Silver could feel the wrongness of it. There was Harmony, then there was Order, and then there was Sterility. This was the latter not either of the two former.
"Alright time to get dangerous." A red flowing gown that clung to her in all the right places formed itself to her, a slit showing one of her shapely rabbit legs, her silvery grey mane done up in a beehive. Extending her hands the Rocks that held back her chaos began glow a canary yellow as strange things happened around them. The Stones sweated chocolate milk, grew flowers, began talking, sang show tunes. Yet still their sterility would reassert itself, Silver began to sweat, the strain of using her new Chaos Magic in such a way beginning to tire her. Yet the Gugs continued their chant, their horrible wills slowly pushing the assault of chaos magic back towards the Bunny Eared Draconomare. The circle closed ever tighter, despite Silver pushing back her hardest, the Sterile zone even killing all life down the microscopic level, leaving behind horrid grey dust. This creation was what the Gugs had been banished to the nightmare realms for, because they created and used this foulness of all things.
A bat of unusually large size landed in front of Silver. Looking down, Silver seemed to listen as the bat chirped its message to the Lady of Chaos.
Nodding her head, Silver replied. "Oh, You don't say." She snarked.
Still the Bat chirped at her, gesturing violently, waving its wings towards her.
"No, Really, You don't say?"
The Bat cocked it's head a moment, thought and fell backward erratic chirps signalling that it was laughing.
"Yeah, you didn't say because I don't speak bat!" Silver scowled. Her brow was covered in sweat and all of her ached in ways she didn't know she could.
Canary yellow arms wrapped around Silver, One of them extended and Bats of every shape, size and description descended from all sides unto the Gugs, driving them back a moment. Without the chanting protecting the stones, they shattered under Silver's will one after another.
"Daughter, I am well proud of you," Came the low purr of her mother's voice. Leaning against Fluttershy a Moment Silver nuzzled the one mother she had always wanted. A contented hum echoed from Fluttershy as she comforted this one that had become her daughter.
"Come daughter let us have some bonding time, I think these creatures have outlasted their welcome. We can eject them together."
"Okay mommy, that sounds like fun!"
Separating the two mares prepared to show the Gugs that kindness was not always nice.
Author's Note
here it is, only three more chapters and then this is done! and I can then go on to the next! Which, if you are doing me the courtesy of reading my story I will tell you which one it is. The next story I am finishing is:
Choices
Twilight Sparkle stood upon the nose of her favorite assistant, a glower of hatred directed at the disgusting thing before her. She smiled as simultaneously multiple signs of her friends success manifested. From Sweet Apple Acres a cacophony of Howls, from Fluttershy's cottage came the screeching of bats, down below Twilight could hear the moaning of the unquiet dead and the clacking of artificial bodies, up in the skies she could see the windigo set free and feel the arctic cold gathering. More than any of that she could feel the fear of the Outsiders, feel them hesitate. She raised her hand, and the very elements tore at that which was before her, insects descended upon those tentacled things, devouring them without a trace. Leaning back against the bridge of Spikes nose, she rooted herself comfortably and snarled
"I am dearly sorry for interrupting my dear son. But I do believe I have evened the playing field a bit. Why don't you show Mummy how much you've grown."
Spike smiled nastily, "Why of course, Mother. I would be delighted."
Charging forward Spike slammed his fist into the horrors face, this time shattering Cthulhu's beak, it deteriorating to dust as it fell. As the Elder Being stagger back, Spike looked on in shock, the abomination before him should have been able to take the hit.
"But How?"
"Oh, Mommy made it so that the thing before you was bound to this plane of existence, which means...."
"That I can beat the everloving shit out of ol'fuck face! Thanks Ma!"
"Consider it a make up present for all those Birthdays I missed while absorbed in a project. Now, show me the color of his blood, Mommy has a research paper to write."
Laughing with joyful purpose Spike grabbed the now vulnerable Horror by the throat and began pummeling the Squid thing relentlessly. Smashing its face to pulp, before finally tearing it's facial tentacles clean off. Releasing the maimed monster Spike gently placed the tendrils on the ground.
"For your study later." He said to his mother's odd look at his action,
"What a dutiful Son you are." Twilight Squeed. "I am so proud, my boy has all grown up."
Once more advancing on Cthulhu, Spike easily deflected the sloppy swing aimed at his face, then replied with a quick strike to the center of the solar plexus. A resounding crack was heard as Cthulhu's sternum was split in half. Coughing up black sludge the horror staggered back, for the second time in its entire existence, it knew fear. Last time it was when those others had arose. This was nothing more than a repeat. Turning to flee for the breach Cthulhu was grabbed from behind, Spike's tail lashing out and dragging the screaming horror back. Using nothing but his tail Spike raised the gargantuan Abomination into the air, then drove the once terrible thing into the ground. Releasing the horror, Spike rose into the air, his wing beats displacing vast amounts of air.
Taking in a breath, he gathered all of the power he held within him, feeling it begin to breach he snarled, "BURN!!!!!" and breathed forth a column of green fire that engulfed Cthulhu, consuming the aberration for good. Beginning to shrink, he quickly dropped to the ground, setting his mother down, he hugged her, glad she was okay.
"I am so proud of you Spike. You are going to make a great Element of Magic."
Pinkie smiled up at Nyarlathotep, the spirits of the unquiet dead doing a superb job of holding him. Nyar's eyes were not on the Pink Mare or her Daughter, they instead were on the purple lightning that had descended from the heavens and the way the storm clouds rolled. He was not listening to her, instead he heard the howl of wolves and the clinking of artificial bodys. He was being held by things that were of this world but did not belong in this time and place. The one before him smiled.
"Looks like it's time to begin," Pinkie Chuckled, "Can't be late for my Daughter's coming out Party, Now can I?"
"We're not gonna be late are we Mommy?" Diamond asked.
"Only if we hurry up and CLEAN UP THIS MESS!!!!! " Pinkie snarled in rage, her mane flat and straight.
Diamond giggled, "Of course Mommy, a proper party pony always tidies up after an event."
"Such a good Girl, I am so proud to have such a responsible daughter."
Glaring at the thing before them, Diamond and Pinkie began cleaning up, the bodies of the dead, Both outsider and native, consumed be the ghostly ethereal beings Pinkie had called forth. Diamond herself popped in and out of existence handling any of the survivors of Nylar's party, notifying the Ghosts for disposal. Nylar could do no more than watch as all connection to this plane he had, was slowly whittled away before his eyes. Beginning to become more and more indistinct, he watched as the two mares walked up to stand before him.
"We can't kill you, but we can make you forgotten. No get out of here you big meanie!" Pinkie snarled at the horror before her.
Diamond stepped forward and shouted, "and take your little dog too."
Hurling the last thing that was keeping Nylar on this plane of existence, the heart of one Spoiled Rich, at the rapidly fading being, the bond between him and Equestria was shattered, nevermore to be recreated.
"Is it time to go to the Party now?" Diamond asked her new mommy.
"Yes it is my little Party Popper, after all it isn't everyday we celebrate the ascension of the new Element of Laughter." Pinching her Daughter's checks Pinkie finished her statement to the shocked Party Popper, "I just know that you're going to be the best one EVER!!!!!"
Shub-Niggurath staggered back as the Timberwolves of the Everfree descended on her and the remains of her children. She tried to lash out but was hindered by the two Apple Sisters that would take advantage of a lack of attention. The Dark Mother howled and attacked the Apples, only to be attacked by the Timberwolves. Amid the backdrop, purple lightning flashed and the sky was in turmoil. Shub-Niggurath knew what that portended, knew what had awoken. The one thing they all had been sure would not happen this time. The old darkness that had opposed them had been sealed, then lost from memory. There was no way these primitive beings before her could have known. But they did. Finally seeing an opening the dark mother slapped two of the smaller timberwolves aside as she tried to make her escape. Back to her place in the darkness of the wood. Were none could follow. Back to the breach she headed, only to be halted as the twin Apples stood before her, both with the same hard look.
"Let me flee," Shub-Niggurath pleaded, "The darkness of before that had stood with the light, had let us all flee. Had sealed the holes behind us. It wished the Cycle to continue. For your world to continue the Cycle must go on and for that you need us to wipe it clean for a time, lest stagnation take all."
Both girls smirked at the display, Applejack finally answering. "I don't think that was it at all. You see an Apple would never let a blight like you exist. So there had to be another reason. I think it was so he could have an out from his burden. So that when you came back, he could rejoin the cycle and perhaps find a little peice. I happen to think all of the bearers of darkest hearts planned on that. I think that the darkness was always meant to come to me and my friends, so that we could fight you. This is just correcting the Cycle. Can't tell you how I know that, it just sounds right."
Applebloom Smiled up at her big sister, than placed her hands on the ground. Green light shone forth as all of the plants and trees illuminated the night. Shub-Niggurath screamed as the sacred light of the forest burned into her, without her young to consume she could not defend nor heal from it. Withing moments the Dark Mother of the wood was nothing more than an unpleasant memory.
Applejack looked down on her younger sister, the last survivor of the Apples.
"AB, I am right proud of you sis." She started. "We best go meet up with the others. After all, my sis just became the new element of honesty. Feel a Need to Crow a little."
Scootaloo and Rainbow went forth, their approach heralded by the oncoming onslaught of the Windigo. They purged the sky of the remain Polyps, the twin forces of Gale and Cold reducing the horrid things to nothing more than a stench soon removed. They came ever closer to the Spawn, who tried his best to assault them but the windigo intercepted all of its attacks, their cold bodies freezing even the ethereal matter that the Spawn consisted of. As they reached the formless monstrosity that was the Spawn, the twin sisters of sky and cold intertwined their hands and began channeling their energy. Calling forth a Storm of Arctic wind and Lightning Fierce, they unleashed it into the face of the Spawn, driving it back. The both of them heard the howling of the timberwolves and the screeching of the bats, saw the purple lightning strike inside of Ponyville.
Smiling Rainbow snarked. "Seems like everyone finally started. How about it kid? Ready to show everyone how awesome we are?"
Scootaloo's grin could not have looked better on a shark. "Lets, Big Sis, We can't very well be the last one's fighting that would be embarrassing. Besides, I want to see how Applebloom held up."
Dash smirked, "Oh? Not any of your other friends? Wonder what makes AB so special, Eh?"
Scootaloo's blush was all the answer her big sister needed. "I'm happy for you kid, the girl that I got this power never said what she needed to say, and suffered for it. Don't make that mistake."
Smiling at her mentor's blessing, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash both then turned back to the Spawn. Hard eyes and set jaws met the panicked pleading eyes of the horror before them. The two mares smiled, then brought their hands together with a resounding slap. The burst of power caused an electrical discharge that sent current running through the Spawn, which gave the Windigo all the time they needed to charge forward and tear the Spawn to pieces.
Rainbow clutched her little sister to her breast in joy as the horrible face blew away like so much dust on the wind. Slinging Scootaloo onto her back the brash blue bombshell, shot forth in a blur.
"I am so proud of you Scootaloo, You will make the most awesomest Element of Loyalty ever."
Striding forward the Synthetic Society Sisters left no Shoggoth in their wake. Rarity remaking any and all objects into new bodies for her ever growing collection. If the Shoggoth destroyed one, it was a simple matter to pull together another. All the while Rarity's innate attention to detail and creativity allowed her to adapt quickly, as each body fell the next that rose up was stronger, faster, better able to fight the things before them. Sweetie herself adapted rapidly as well, generating and discarding weapons and defenses on a whim, all the while becoming a better version of herself. Against such twin versatility the horrid group mind known as the Shoggoth could not stand and soon all of Rarity stood next to Sweetie Belle, gazing into the bubbling spawning pit. All during the battle, Sweetie and Rarity had both caught glimpses of not just Pinkie's handiwork but witnessed most of Spike's battle as well. Sweetie had blushed when she saw Spike's new musculature and how he had lost all of his baby fat.
"If only he was your size, eh Sweetie?" Rarity had snarked to her Robotic sister. "Oh, don't look so shocked, after all just because we are Synthetic doesn't mean we can't change ourselves for a little fun, How do the foals these days put it, 'there's and App for that."
Sweetie's ceramic face turning bright red was all the confirmation Rarity had needed.
But now they stood before a lashing pit of ooze, Neither Mare had any fear of it, Rarity's Bodies were replaceable and Sweetie was quick enough to evade and strong enough to escape,
"I can not accept this eyesore in the middle of Ponyville. It will have to go. Sweetie as you are ready."
"Of course, Rarity," Sweetie rolled her eyes at her overly dramatic sister, then rose into the air. Instead of forming her twin sniper cannon over her shoulder, this time she brought her forelimbs together and formatted herself so that the power would flow out from her core and down into her hands. Frome her elbows all the way to the tips of her fingers, the barrel took shape, each crystal binding exactly two inches a part, from her elbow back to her shoulder crystal viens focused the energy into the weapon. Once again the blue focusing circles glowed, forming glyphs that spun in an orbit around the barrel.
Shouting, "Alpha Sapphire Energy Beam FIRE!!!!! " Sweetie released the energy, directly at the foulness below her, her sister's many bodies preventing any escape.
Flashed to nothing more than foul smelling steam, the last Spawning pit of the Shoggoth was gone. Never more to arise in its attempt to devour all.
Landing on the ground she saw one of her sister's bodies giving her a smirk, "What!?" Sweetie asked.
"I just think that naming your attack like that was adorable. I am sure it will attract a certain Dragon's attention. After all, Spikey-wikey always did like his comic books. Now come along Sweetie, we can't have the new element of Generosity going around Naked. After all, mustn't give such things away for free!"
Fluttershy and Silver Spoon, strode forth directly into the oncoming horde of the Gugs. Silver reducing all who came close to her into pudding, while Fluttershy slapped those that attacked her aside, where they were soon devoured by her bats. Both Silver and Fluttershy could hear howling in the distance, as well as the thunder of a lightning clash. But they were to far away from ponyville to see what was occuring. Between the two they had the Gug's fleeing back into the Everfree.
Fluttershy smiled nastily, "Dinner time!" She called into the forest/
Plunder Vines latched onto some of the fleeing Gugs, Manticore's rose up to destroy that which would defile their home. Even a Hydra was seen, devouring the Gugs with an abandon of a small child gorging on to much candy. All of the denizens of the Everfree gathered together to slaughter that which had invaded their home. All except the timberwolves, they had their own private engagement over at Sweet Apple Acres.
As the last Gug disappeared into the forest, their blood and flesh to nourish the forest for some time to come. Silver Spoon snuggled up against her mother, feeling Fluttershy's arms encircle her, the young filly cooed her contentment.
"Alright, Young Eris, we need to go join the others. I am so proud of you, sweetie. I get to introduce my daughter as the new Element of Kindness! Yay!"
Eris smiled at her mother, as they both walked away what her mother had just said caught up with her and simultaneously, from six different battle zones came the cry of "WHAT?!"
The 6 former elements of harmony stood with the ones that would inherit their will. They stood around the hole that had been left by the closing of the breach, the hole were once the Tree of Harmony had stood. Twilight stood behind Spike, a hand on his shoulder and a smile of pride upon her lips. Pinkie stood with Party Popper, the both of them giggling uncontrollably. Applejack held Applebloom tightly, the younger sibling leaning against the taller. Rainbow had Scootaloo up on her shoulder, the weight of the teen filly no problem for the bigger mare. Rarity and Sweetie Belle stood side by side, with Sweetie stealing peeks at the teen dragon, Rarity's knowing smile the only indication she noticed. Lastly there was Fluttershy, who had one hand upon the shoulder of Eris and the other stroking her hair lovingly, Pride showed on the faces of the older mares as a small glow began to form at the bottom of the hole. Gradually growing in brightness until six familiar gems burst forth. Party Popper getting Laughter, Applebloom getting honesty, Scootaloo getting Loyalty, Sweetie obtaining Generosity, and Eris being adorned with Kindness.
"Thank you one and all" Came a quiet feminine voice. "I thank you all for setting things right once more, the cycle can now continue as it should, without those from outside it disrupting it. I regret that the onus of the choices you all made lied with you. There was no other way I could see through. Now those that took on darkness never meant for them, may find peace. As will the former bearers. I will give you all one chance to say farewell. Nothing I can say will make up for the choices I asked of you. I can only promise that the cycle has been restored and will continue to evolve. Thus life and all things good and wonderful will carry on."
The young bearers looked up to their family members, some of them only just finding each other.
"Spike, I want you to know that I am proud to be your mother. You will grow into a powerful force for goodness and light. I wish I could see it, but the darkness in me is already growing. I already crave the essence of others. I must go back to the cycle. I have no wish to endure as the one who gave me this power did." Turning to the other girls she continued, "Once you are all done saying your goodbyes girls, please join me off to the side. I have some private words for only us."
Walking from the circle she waited just outside of the clearing, were none would hear the final conversation of the bearers.
Pinkie hugged Popper close, "It's okay to be sad on occasion. But our job is to always bring the spirits of others up, and I know that you will be one of the best Party Ponies ever." Pinkie kissed Popper one last time, holding her daughter tightly for a moment more, than Pinkie too went to join Twilight.
Applejack and Applebloom faced each other, "Alright Bloom," Aj started, "I know you will do me proud, you got the best parts of all the Apples. You got a good heart, just remember that a heart that is honest and true will see you through the toughest times. I love you sis." The two Apple Sisters hugged each other one last time, than Applejack joined Twilight and Pinkie.
Rainbow Dash set Scootaloo on the ground. Ruffling the younger Pegasi's head she said. "Remember what i said before we road into battle together," Dash paused for Scootaloo's blush than continued. "You are already one of the most steadfast and true individuals I have ever met. You have been my sister from the moment we met and I will always be your sister." Stooping down Dash held Scootaloo for a moment than kissed her forehead, dried the young filly's tears and left to join the others.
Rarity and Sweetie smiled at one another, then Rarity said her goodbye. "You are my dearest sister, and what you said about being selfish to those awful things was wrong. There is no greater Generosity then to devout one's life to the protection and health of others. No greater love than that. It does not matter if you help one or many, both are acts of complete Generosity. Oh, and when you decide to make a move on Spike, remember, he loves Rubies the most." Winking at her blushing younger sibling the Fabulous Fashionista did one last strut to join those that had always been her friends.
Fluttershy looked at Eris and smiled. "You are everything I could ever want in a daughter. You are strong and true, and have always been full of kindness. You tried to ease Party's suffering all that time. Then when you realized you were doing more harm than good, you tried to lance the poison she had ingested all that time. You are a good inheritor of Discord's and Angel Bunny's spirit. I love you and I will always watch over you." Hugging her daughter one last time Fluttershy went to join her friends for one last conversation.
As Fluttershy joined the girls she smiled sadly at all of them, the returned smiles confirmed that they two had figured out why Twilight had asked them to join her in seclusion.
"Alright," Twilight Began, "I know in the instant I took this darkness I ceased being Twilight. There is just enough of her left that I know that what we are about to do is the right thing. Nothing now will change that, lest we become the monsters that we just destroyed. All of those we leave behind deserve their chance. We have no right to take it from them. However I wish to know the names of the beings my friends became. So that I might say goodbye properly to all of you."
"Dame Erzulie" giggled what had been Pinkie.
"Timberjack" Growled the beast formerly known as Applejack
"Morrigan" The Wendigo pronounced.
"Annabeth" The Ceramic Creature tittered.
"Flutterbat" snarled the Predatory Pony.
"Isis." came the melodic reply, "Now does everyone have those special Daggers that Harmony slipped us after we said our goodbyes?"
All nodded, gathering in a circle they drew the mithril daggers and each held the dagger to another's throat. In one smooth motion all suffering and corruption ended as the souls of the heroes rejoined all that they had lost, in death finally ending the last vestiges of the darkness that had corrupted their world for so long.
The Elements stood solmnly over the pit, none reacting to what had just been done. There was work to be done, tears would come when there was time. Spike looked to each than smiled.
"Okay Fuck this." came his answer to their sadness, "Harmony, you still down there?"
"Yes Spike I am here, what is it that you want to know?"
"I want to know what happens if we jump start the new cycle right now."
"All things will restart, minus the darkness and outsiders. But it would restart everything. None of you would be as you are now, think carefully before you do that."
"Wait, we'd get our sister's back!" Applebloom exclaimed.
"But we would lose our mother's." Eris replied.
"Yeah and go back to being Diamond and Silver." Party Popper finished Eris's thought.
Spike nodded his head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested it."
Turning to go, he was suprised when he heard Party's voice say, "Screw it let's do it. I would rather have my Mommy alive and well than dead and gone."
Eris didn't hesitate. "Indeed, even if I never get to have Ms. Fluttershy as my mother again, I did for a small period of time. Equestria needs the Mane 6, and quite frankly we are not them."
Glancing to the three CMC's he saw the approval in their eyes. This was the action they had chosen.
"So you have agreed, so it has been chosen. In Harmony with one another and at last free of that great darkness, a darkness that I helped seal away, giving my life in the process. At last all those that fought in those dark times will now peace."
Sweetie smiled, "So none of us will remember any of this, right?"
"Not a one of you."
Sweetie and Scootaloo both shared a look. Nodding to each other, Sweetie grabbed Spike and Scootaloo grabbed Applebloom, kissed them hard enough that several Animals in the area attained virgin birth, than released them.
"Okay, go ahead." Sweetie and Scootaloo said in unison.
"Wait, What?" Spike and Applebloom stuttered as Eris and Party howled with laughter, as a bright brilliant light, indescribable in its beauty erased all in its path.
In the queit of the void the voice of Harmony was heard, "Once again I can be Sunset Shimmer. Maybe this time things can happen differently." In time her voice too faded to nothing as the Light cleared a city was seen. In the tower of one of these cities a Unicorn of great power lit her horn, once more going through her library, frantically searching for something. Her assisstant a purple dragon came forward.
"This what you looking for Twi?"
"That is exactly it! You really are my number one assistant!"
Opening the book she began to read aloud: