Soul's Poison: Into the Dark World

"Here you are, Twi," Pinkie said, as she served another tray of cupcakes to Twilight.

"Oh, Pinkie. I can't spend a lot right now!" Twilight objected and put the tray aside.

"No, silly Twi. It's on the house," Pinkie said, as she put the tray before Twilight.

"On the house? Fine. But if I know that it isn't..." She accented the last sentence and got one cupcake in her mouth. "Wow, it's... Meat?"

"Yeah. Finest pork from Applejack's farm," she blurted, while some of the customers in the shop bulged their eyes. "Wait? Where do you know the meat's flavor?"

"When you are roaming freely the food isn't something you would care about," Twilight replied, mentally shuddered to what she was having as a dinner. "Hey, Pinkie. Is that really pork? You could put anything in those pastries.

Pinkie put a sheet of paper on the table before Twilight. I believe I'll never take this in, Twilight thought as she read the contract. A pretty simple and a bit crooked signature of Applejack and really entangled signature of Pinkie. After reading it, she clung into cupcake, biting off a half of it.

"Pinkie, that contract says that half of the payment you receive from the selling those cupcakes is going straight to AJ," Twilight noticed. "Isn't me eating those cupcakes kind of..."

"It's on the house. On the house, Twi!" Pinkie said, while widely smiling.

When the pastries came to end, and Twilight was ready to leave, Pinkie's expression changed to confused one. "Huh? Pinkie, what's up?" Twilight asked

"What's up? What's up... If I only... Wait, just a twitchy tail," Pinkie replied.

"Twitchy tail?" Twilight asked another question and looked around. Ponies in the shop for some reason started to look up. "And, what are they doing?"

"They? They are looking for something that will fall," Pinkie said.

"Will fall? Is that making any sense?" Twilight said. Then, a realization come to her. "Wait. Did they believe that's you had foreseen..." She started to laugh, while opening the door of the Sugar Cube Corner. She screamed into the crowd before the building, "Pinkie the predictor... Can you believe it?"

She raised her face to the skies, while laughing madly. Then, something really oozy had landed right onto her muzzle.

"Ugh! What is that thing?" She said, as she got the thing on her hand, revealing a simple frog. "A frog? What the..."

"Oh, sorry, Twilight. I was just... Helping my friends. The Ponyville's pond became a little overran by these little creatures. I'm relocating them to Froggy Bottom Bog," Fluttershy said. Suddenly, Twilight began to laugh.

"This... This is i-impossible... T-there is no way... Pinkie just... Just foreseen the future," Twilight said in the gaps of laughing bursts.

"But she did, Twi," Fluttershy said. Twilight only glared at her in utter disbelief. "She was doing that from time to time as long as I remember. Her prophesies were always correct... But as I remember they weren't such a common thing."

"Yeah, they weren't," Pinkie said, as she looked at twitching forelock. When Pinkie's mane stopped twitching, she raised her hands, revealing twitching fingers. "I wonder what this means... Oh, wait somepony will got hurt."

"Out of the way!" The voice come from somewhere over their heads. That moment a cyan colored blur crushed into ground near them.

"Rainbow! Are you alright?" Twilight screams as she looked for any signs of heavy injuries.

"I'm... I'm f-fine," she grunted, as she tried to rise up from the ground. "No, I'm not fine... There is only one Twilight."

"Quickly! Get her to the hospital!.. Wait, don't do anything, guys! I'll do it myself," She shouted, as she levitated the body above. Soon, she, Pinkie and Fluttershy were at the local hospital while waiting for the doctor to say anything. The doctor come out of the door and go directly to the girls.

"Well, miss Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. I must tell you that it was very nice of you to bring Rainbow Dash into our custody. She wasn't visiting the hospital for a very long time and I believe if it wasn't for you, then she would miss the visit, even now. Still, I must admit that miss Dash have really tough head and bones. She will be fine, especially after our treatment," doctor told them.

"Oh, fine. I believe Rainbow wouldn't be angry with us because we left her here," Twilight said. "Now, I think I would like to learn more that foreseeing. Pinkie?"

"Yeah, let's go to my lab under the library. I would like to look into it more precisely," Twilight addressed to Pinkie.

"Okie-dokie, Twi. Let's go," Pinkie cheered as she exited the hospital.

"Oh, I think my presence isn't necessary. Wouldn't you mind if I go back to my frog business?" Fluttershy asked. After Twilight's nod, she goes for exit, but turned around, "and, Twilight. Don't question Pinkie much."

"Oh, fine," Twilight goes for the exit, not even looking at Fluttershy completely consumed with her thoughts. When, Pinkie and Twilight were at Twilight's library they goes into the kitchen. There was another door that leads to the storage room. There within the spoiled and unusable books was a door. Behind it, there was a ladder that leads downstairs.

"Wow! How much of the stuff here. What these books about?" Pinkie shouted as she got the pile of books in her hands. " "The Matter of Souls" by Soul Binder. "Oblivion, or where the demons come from?" by Calm Owner. Wow! "Necronomicon" By Raven Loft," Pinkie said, as she read the book covers.

"It's Rarity's. She gave them to me since there was no way, she can sell them right now. She stashed away all of her things but some of the stuff was given to me," Twilight answered.

"Oh," She beamed, as she looked through the other things. "Wow, what's that? A skull? Why the candle is on it? Oh, is that a knife? And, the robes? Ha, nice turban," She said, as she put on the turban on her head.

"I don't know where it comes from, but I believe Book Cover had more secrets behind her. Or, maybe she didn't even know about that. Still, I find the machinery over here rather usable even if they were here for Goddess know how long. Now, please, come to me," Twilight said, as she was standing near some of the machines.

"What is that thing for?" Pinkie cheered in her common demeanor while Twilight was strapping her with ropes.

"It's supposed to look into one's aura. In the advanced way. The way, a normal pony couldn't do," Twilight told, as she looked at what the crystals were showing. The thing over the crystals drew all Pinkie's attention immediately. An amazing holographic projection. "Huh... No! How that can be?"

"What can be?" Pinkie asked.

"It says that you are completely normal... But, it isn't. It can't be so... No offence, Pinkie," Twilight said.

"None taken," Pinkie assured Twilight. "So... What you'll do?"

"I don't know. Just... Just let's go check for Rainbow..." Twilight suggested but saw that Pinkie's knees started to shake. "What is it now?"

"Shaking knees... That's... This means that someone is in real danger, like... Like facing a dragon, or something like that..." She answered, in a really panicked manner. "The thing is... My prophesies are about things that's happens somewhere near."

"Near? Like how near?" Twilight asked.

"Well... From here, They are going straight to the Everfree forest... And covers some of its territory. At least, the Swamps at the south... Including the Froggy Bottom Bog," Pinkie told.

"And, Fluttershy was heading to Froggy Bottom Bog. Didn't you mean that..." Twilight started to say, but Pinkie silenced her.

"We'd better go there and look into it, Twi," she said. Without a word, they left the basement and headed to the swamps.

***

"How? Just how you of all ponies, could leave me in such terribly, ridiculously and unbelievably boring place like Ponyville's hospital?" Rainbow shouted as she was performing the stunts near the ground.

"We left you there cuz you was like 'Out of my way' and then you crushed near us. Then, you was like 'Twilight, I'm not feeling good', and you lose consciousness," Pinkie told Rainbow, while watching at her stunts. "Me and Twilight and Flutters immediately got you to... Oh, twitchy tail. Twi?"

"Here you are," she said as the magical barrier appeared over them. Rainbow immediately looked up. There in the skies was a lonesome figure. When it got closer they saw that it was a guard. When he landed, Pinkie's tale stopped twitching.

"Twilight Sparkle. I'm here to tell you that transport to the Cloudsdale is ready," he said.

"What? Twi, what he means?" Pinkie asked.

"Oh, this morning princess Celestia send a letter about it. She said that I'm invited to Wonderbolts' performance in Cloudsdale," Twilight told them.

"Wow, Wonderbolts? Back when I was a child I wished to become a Wonderbolt. I even go to the summer flight camp... Twi, you know, can I go with you, please," Rainbow pleaded.

"Actually, miss Rainbow Dash. Your presence is also required," the guard said.

"Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked. Then, Spike ran to them with a scroll in hands. When she read it, she sighed. "Well, Rainbow. You are in luck, since all of the girls invited. Now, could you get the girls here?"

"Not a prob," She shouted, as she already take off into the skies. Soon, all the ponies were there.

"What princess Celestia wishes us to do right now?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, Ah wish to know the same," Applejack said.

"Well, girls. Everyone of you is invited to Wonderbolts' performance in Cloudsdale," Twilight told them.

"What? Cloudsdale? But we are not pegasi. The city is made out of clouds, so we will just fall from them and crush." Applejack said.

"Don't worry. We have already covered it. Just proceed to our sky vessel," guard told them and they followed him. When they got to the ship, the unicorn guard walks to them.

"So, since you are here, you will go to the Cloudsdale. Here, this will help in the city," he said, while passing them the necklaces. "We have unicorns all over the city, and they could put the spell of cloudwalking on you, but these things and our pegasi is more faithful than that."

"Yeah, now take sits, everypony. We are about to leave," one of the guards screamed. Girls, Spike and the unicorn guard entered the ship, and in the same moment the ship took off in to the air.

"Wow, that view out of this window," Pinkie said, as she looked into the porthole. "This thing is cool."

"Nebula is way cooler than this rubbish, Pinkie," Twilight noted.

"Nebula? What is that?" Pinkie asked, as she looked at the blades of the ship's rotor.

"The most magnificent airship that's ever existed. When, I've seen it when I was child. Since then, I wished to be the captain of it," Twilight said.

"You? A captain?" Rainbow laughed. "I imagine that... Wait, Nebula?"

"Yes, Rainbow," she grunted.

"The name's familiar... Oh. Back then, when I was a sky pirate, one of the raids screwed up in the beginning because of the ship called Nebula... Wait. Is your Nebula big and purple?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes, it is. It's also so gracious and beautiful. Still it isn't the biggest or most powerful. Star Conqueror and Iron Warrior are bigger and they have more weapons. But when I look at them, I feel so disgusted," Twilight said.

No one finds what to speak about after that, so the rest of their way was done in complete silence. Pinkie continued to watch the view from the porthole. Applejack wasn't listening to them since she was already snoring. Rainbow Dash at first was feeling nostalgia, but then she just go into sleep like Applejack. Rarity and Twilight were thinking about matters of their own. Fluttershy in the same time was nervously walking from one side to another. The guards were silently watching everyone of them.

The cabin they were in, actually was a bit small. It takes only some seconds for Fluttershy to go from the door at their backs to the door in front of them. The front door leads to the captain's cabin, and the one at the back leads to the engine room.

Soon, they were at Cloudsdale. Everypony put their necklaces on and exited the machine. The sight that opens behind the door was breathtaking.

"Wow! These are clouds. They really feels like clouds. Oh, my Goodness," Pinkie exclaimed while burrowing into the clouds.

"Pinkie, be more careful. You may fall after that," Rainbow warned Pinkie, but she wasn't successful, since Pinkie was swim in the white mass of the clouds. "Argh... Wait, is that?.. Whoa... Hey, Twi. That's Nebula, isn't it?"

"Where?" Twilight asked, while watching in the direction that Rainbow was showing. When she saw a magnificence of a ship, she murmured in excitement, "Oh, it's it... It's Nebula. What a splendor!"

"Splendor? Where?" Rarity asked, while throwing a glance at a ship in the distant docs. "Wow! That's Nebula?.. What a marvelous masterpiece... I think, I began to understand you, Twilight. I myself wouldn't mind serving on a such wonderful thing."

"Watching Celestia's personal ship, girls?" The voice come from behind. The voice that for some reason reminds of Canterlot. When they turned around, they saw a pegasus in his middle ages. Everything in him spoke that a true pegasus stood before them. Everything, except the eyes. They were filled with superiority and greatness. The glances they were throwing were arrogant, and everything in such glances was reduced to the mere dirt. "Well, if I guess from your looks, I may say that you don't know me. If so, then it's such a pity. Well, let me introduce myself. I'm Wind Rider, the one and only. After my name, there is countless achievements."

"Wow! Cool... Wait, Wind Rider? Oh, back in the classes everypony were talking only about you. They wished to be like you someday," Rainbow said.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Actually, I'm not here just for pointless talking. You see, I have extra ticket so I would highly appreciate if anyone of you would like to go with me," he said.

"Actually, we have tickets of our own," Twilight replied.

"That's even better," he said. After some moments of awkward silence, Wind Rider spoke again, "Well, if no one of you don't wish to go on the Wonderbolts' performance with me, then I'll choose by myself. You!"

"Me?" Rarity shouted. "Why me?"

"Yeah, why her?!" Spike shouted after Rarity.

"Hah, how hilarious. Well, I'll be waiting for you at the stadium," He said and went away. Before he disappeared from their sights, he threw the glance that expressed rather clearly that it would be better for Rarity to present herself.

"Wow, what a jerk," Rainbow said, while everyone of them were watching at Wind Rider's back.

"Hey, you are kinda familiar," another voice came from somewhere above. "Yeah, definitely familiar."

"Who is... Spitfire?!" Rainbow already looked up and put her hand on the revolver in the holster but stopped when she saw who was above.

"The one and only," she proudly pronounced. "You are the one and only too. Rainbow Dash, if I remember correctly?"

"Yeah," Rainbow answered. "But, why of all ponies you are the one to notice us?"

"Huh, why?.. Well, I would be damned if I wouldn't meet with the fastest flyer in the whole Equestria. You were almost a legend, between the Wonderbolts ranks. A filly, who managed to perform that incredible... Uh, magical boom back then. Where did you go after that?"

"Me?.. Uh, I've been lost in that forest down there..." Rainbow answered.

"Huh, really?.. Well, no matter. I wish to know more if you would be participating in our performance?" She asked.

"What? In your performance?! I-I... Of course I will," Rainbow said.

"Oh, but I would like to see that exploding thing. I'm not saying that you must to do it, but everyone will be so delighted," Spitfire said, while turning around. "The show will be in two hours. Don't be late."

"We wouldn't. I assure you, we wouldn't," Rainbow confidently stated. After two hours, on the stadium she immediately lost all of her confidence. "I wish, we would..."

"Don't be afraid, sugarcube," Applejack said. The Wonderbolts' performance will be in minutes.

"What if I fail? What if I..." Rainbow wailed, but stopped after Applejack slammed her in her cheek.

"Ya'd better go there and show those feathered brains what ya made from," Applejack said. Rainbow swallowed but exited the preparing room. Both of them go in the stadium's or rather Cloudeseum's hallways. Not for too long, since the first crossroad divided them. Applejack after sometime of wandering find their balcony. "Hey, Twi. Where's Rars?"

"She is right below us, AJ" Twilight replied. She looked at the participators, searching the rainbow mane. "Don't try to look for her. It's impossible, I checked."

After Celestia announced the start of the event, the Wonderbolts immediately flied up and started to make air stunts. Even Applejack was watching with open mouth.

The time come for the non-Wonderbolts to perform what they have prepared. At first, there was a varicolored crowd, but Rainbow wasn't there. But soon, the cyan colored pegasus flied out of the crowd and goes straight to the higher point.

This moment, Rarity was looking from the bottom of the lowest stage. Wind Rider left some time ago, leaving her alone. Then, a brief burst of air come from behind, "Wind Rider? Is that you... AAAAA!"

She fell through the cloud. Someone from behind cut the necklace and without a spell on the necklace, the clouds didn't keep her in the sky.

Rainbow saw the falling body, though. Without hesitation, she dropped like a rock, while quickly flapping with her wings. The speed was rising at the incredible rate, but Rainbow didn't feel it. She also didn't feel how the air before her started to tense up and form the circle. Soon, the circle blown up. Everyone hold their breathes.

"She... She has done it!" Spike shouted. Everyone happily screamed after that. Rainbow soon flied up to her friends with Rarity in her grasp. "Rainbow! You've saved Rarity."

"Well, I'm Rainbow Dash. I must do cool things," Rainbow replied.

"And, Rarity. How are you?" He asked.

"I'm... I'm fine. It was really unexpected," Rarity answered. "Still, I must admit that this whole thing will be unforgettable."

"But who had done this?" Spike asked, as the guard with a spare necklace in his hands already entered their stage. He passed it to Rarity and exited the room. Then, in a flash of light, Celestia appeared before them.

"Greetings Twilight. Greetings Twilight's friends. I hope, you hadn't much trouble staying in Cloudsdale?" She asked, while everyone looked at her dumbfoundedly. "Well... No matter. Miss Rarity, we apologize for the life-threatening incident that you was put under. We promise you that the one who was responsible for that will be found and will be punished."

"It's nothing, princess Celestia," Rarity said. "I believe, that we should go to home..."

"No. I need to bask in the glory of my victory," Rainbow objected.

"Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash, for reminding me. I believe, no one would be against me, for proclaiming you the best non-Wonderbolt flier. I bestow you this trophy for... How you call that thing you had performed?" Celestia said.

"Sonic Rainboom," Rainbow proudly said.

"Well, I bestow you this trophy for your Sonic Rainboom," she give her the golden trophy. With it in her hands, she flied out of stage and in the mid-air, she raised the cup. Everypony's cheers and applauses come from everywhere.

***

"Rarity, are you alright?" Spike asked.

"Of course I am. Like the previous dozen times, you asked that," She replied in a slightly annoyed manner. After the incident in Cloudsdale, Spike started to spend a lot of time around her. Nor Twilight, nor Rarity didn't mind it, but as the week passed Rarity started to regret it.

"Yeah, Spike. You are caring about my sister like she isn't pony but rather a gem. Why is that so, Spike?" Sweetie Belle, that was walking beside them, asked.

"That doesn't matter, Sweetie," Spike refused to answer.

"Well, I believe I know, but I'll tell when you're older," Rarity teased her sister even though the love isn't forbidden theme to talk around fillies. Maybe the intercourse that's love leads to is a forbidden theme, but definitely not the love. "Hmm, I believe Fluttershy got everything's ready by now. It would be rude to be late."

After sometime of walking, they've come to Fluttershy's place. There was not only Fluttershy, but also Applejack and Rainbow Dash. When Rarity and others come closer, everyone greeted them. They've take sits and began the little tea party, on which everyone was invited by Fluttershy.

"Where's Pinkie and Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Pinkie's working in Sugar Cube Corner. Today, is rather busy day for her. There was a lot of customers," Rainbow said what's about Pinkie.

"And Twilight is in Everfree. She is exploring the forest," Spike said what's about Twilight.

"Everfree? I hope, she didn't got hurt there," Rarity said.

"I asked her about it, but she assured me that she got things covered," Fluttershy said.

"Hey, sister. I'm bored," Sweetie Belle said, as she stood to her side, since there wasn't chair for her.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle. It's you," the voice of Applebloom come from Fluttershy's house. Turning her head in that direction, she saw her friends. "Since, we are all together we can do some Cutie-mark crusading."

After a group yay of three of them, they went in a random direction. The friendship of three of them became stronger recently. Strong enough to create so called "Cutie-mark Crusaders". Cutie-mark Crusaders not only played together but also did the cutie-mark crusading. It means that they accomplish different deeds to see if it's their destination in life.

"Ah, and here I thought, that I will be solving her troubles," Rarity sighed in relief. "Hey, Fluttershy, would you mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not. Ask away," Fluttershy replied.

"Um, you see... I will highly appreciate it, if you take Sweetie Belle under your wing... At least, for now?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, of course I will. Why do you think, Applebloom and Scootaloo are here in the first place?" Fluttershy said.

"Oh, I understand... Well, let's not focus on that matter, and instead have our little tea party," Rarity suggested. With everyone's agreement, they started.

As the morning slowly turned to noon and tea party come to an end, everyone left Fluttershy's place. Fluttershy had a little trouble with three fillies. She just look if they started to do a thing fillies mustn't do, and in that case, stop them.

Now, they decided to go to Zecora. Applebloom suggested, if they can find their cutie-mark in the Everfree forest. After hearing this, Fluttershy proclaimed that they wouldn't make a step in the forest's boundary without her watch.

When they were half the way to Zecora's place, they heard muffled sounds to their side. "Hey, miss Fluttershy. What's that sound?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "It's better to ignore it,"

"Maybe, it's somepony that we doesn't know, and she or he is in need," Sweetie suggested.

"It's not our problem," Fluttershy tried to be stubborn, but when she looked at them, the puppy eyes they made changed her decision. "With only one eye."

They started to walk slowly. When, Fluttershy cleared the view by pushing the bush's branches to left and right, she saw the scene not too admiring.

There was Twilight... With a creature, she had no clue about. It had the serpentine's body and for some reason it had the chicken's head. There were also dragonlike wings.

Right now, it had circled Twilight's body. It was looking directly in her eyes and it was hitting her with a beak if she closed her eyes. After that, Fluttershy also saw that Twilight's legs were slowly covering with a stone.

"Hey, what are you?.. And, what are you doing here?" She shouted. Then, the creature turned its head and looked in her eyes. Then, she felt a pain in her chest as if her heart missed a beat. Looking down, she saw that halves of her legs were covered in stone, and the stone was covering her quickly. "What is... Argh, you are doing? Stop this!"

"Why I must? You are my prey... I'm predator... Argh" He grunted, as the grey wolf clasped its teeth onto the creature neck.

"Because, my friends will help me," She said, while the wolf pressed her teeth deeper. Some of the blood flowed out from the little wound.

"It's my friend, Flutter," Twilight said, as she come closer to them, with her eyes closed. "Also, this creature is a cockatrice. Don't look in his eyes. He can turn to stone with his glance."

"I understood it. Now, mister... Could you turn my legs back to normal?.. Please," she said. At first, cockatrice bickered, but wolf pressed the teeth even harder, so the little blood droplets become the red trail, that flows out of the wound. The stone started to disappear. When there was no stone, the wolf released him.

"Here you are... Hope, your death will be followed by pain and suffers," he said, while slipping in the nearest bushes.

"So... I've never heard of those cockatrices before... And what with 'my friend' thing?" Fluttershy asked.

"They are able to turn anycreature into stone with their eyes. In the book, it said that they lived in the Everfree, but I had no clue that I'll met the one," Twilight answered. "If speaking about my friend, then... Well, Fluttershy, you see it's Valour. Valour, it's Fluttershy."

"Huh, I've seen how slow he was turning you to stone. How?.. Wait, Valour?" Fluttershy asked. The wolf in the same time get closer to Twilight.

"There is a spell. I haven't mastered it, so I wasn't able to kill him on my own... Oh, yes, Valour. My familiar," she answered, as she rubbed behind the wolf ears. "Aren't you a good girl?"

"Oh, a familiar? But, it's wolf..." Fluttershy said.

"Well, yeah. Actually, any animal can become a familiar. Some animals are made familiars rarely because of their usual lifestyle or behavior. Some animals are beginning to live not as the mage needed to. The others starts to overuse the learned spells, whenever some of the animals aren't using spells at all, or they at least tries to," Twilight told her.

"Oh, I... Understand. Well, would you like to accompany me... Us, to Zecora's?" She asked.

"Wouldn't mind it... Wait, us?" Twilight answered and asked a question on her own.

"You'll see," Fluttershy answered.

After that, they picked up the fillies which were still sitting in the bushes and continued their way to Zecora's hut.