In Pursuit of...

Chapters

Chapter 1: Flyby Fantasy
Chapter 2: Wonderbolt 1
Chapter 3: Investigations and Revelations
Chapter 4: Research
Chapter 5: Mecha
Chapter 6: The Bargain
Chapter 7: The Finer Points of Sailing
Chapter 8: Family Reunion
Chapter 9: Welcome Home
Chapter 11: The Price of Duty
Chapter 12: Return to Darkness
Chapter 13: Igniting the Fire: Part I
Chapter 14: Igniting the Fire: Part II
Chapter 15: Seeing is Believing
Chapter 16: Skywatch
Chapter 17: Underground
Chapter 18: At the Gala... Again
Chapter 19: Free Equestria
Chapter 20: Second Chances
Chapter 10: Catching Up

Chapter 1: Flyby Fantasy

*In Pursuit of Perfection

A My Little Pony Tale*

Chapter 1: Flyby Fantasy

The warm sun rose over the fields and mountains of Equestria, casting its soft glow like a blanket over the land. Inside her home, Rainbow Dash was sleeping restlessly. Today was the day of the Grand Galloping Gala, and as always, her personal heroes, the Wonderbolts, were scheduled to perform.

She turned over and yawned, exhausted. The previous night, she’d been practicing her tricks, in the hopes of finally getting an audition with the famous flying team. She’d practiced her high-speed passes, her flips, and one move she was particularly fond of, the “Sonic Rainboom.” As she yawned, a sudden “whoosh” ripped through the air above the rented house in Canterlot of her friend, Twilight Sparkle, where she was now staying, and Rainbow Dash started awake, gasping. Almost instinctively, and still half-asleep, she rushed to her window and looked out, recognizing the distinct formation of the Wonderbolts flying by overhead. She whinnied with joy and ran outside. Above, they banked left and circled around for another pass. Rainbow Dash’s wings began to flap with excitement when she saw them. They were coming back! Slowly they leveled out, at rooftop level, and screamed by again over her house.

“Yeeha!” she yelled as they flew over.

“What’s up, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash turned around and fell down. Twilight Sparkle, bleary-eyed and obviously still waking up, was standing behind her.

“Oh, hi Twilight!” she grinned, not realizing that her excited wing flapping had lifted her off the ground. She raised a wing to wave, and crashed to the ground in a heap.

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight Sparkle said, running to the scene of the accident, “are you okay?” She nudged the unmoving Rainbow Dash with her hoof, trying to illicit a response. She got nothing.

“Am I okay?!” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly, perking her head up and startling Twilight Sparkle into falling over herself, “I’m more than okay! I’m splendid! I’m walking on the clouds! I’m peachy keen! I-“

“Whoa, slow down,” Twilight Sparkle said, standing up and dusting herself off, “what’s got you so excited?”

“The Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash said, pressing her face right up into Twilight’s.

“Oh, right,” Twilight said, “I should’ve known.”

“Yes you should have,” Rainbow Dash said, galloping circles around her friend, “but since you forgot, I’ll remind you.”

Twilight tried to force a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. As soon as her friend’s back was turned, she rolled her eyes. She had to listen to this speech at least once every year, on the morning of the Grand Galloping Gala. Every year, it seemed, was the same.

“Just like every year, the Wonderbolts are going to perform at the Grand Galloping Gala, and after their show, I’m going to ask them for an audition. With my flying skills, they’re sure to say ‘yes,’ and when they see me fly, they’ll ask me to join their team on the spot. Any questions?”

Dash was once again hovering in the air, and extremely excited. Twilight’s mouth hung open at an angle, and her right eye was twitching. When she was worked up about something, Rainbow’s excitement could have that effect on people.

“Hee hee hee! You look funny!” Rainbow Dash looked over just in time to see Pinkie Pie approaching from up the road. She’d seen the expression on Twilight’s face, and was currently overcome with an unconquerable fit of giggles. The bouncing, pink pony stopped right in front of Twilight, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Huh?” Twilight asked, still shell-shocked from Rainbow’s yearly speech.

“I said you look funny!”

Twilight realized that she was making an extremely strange face, and instantly recovered, grinning.

“Oh yeah, thanks.”

“So what’s all this hoopla about?” Pinkie asked the two ponies.

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked!” Rainbow Dash said, swooping down and landing right in front of Pinkie, “you see, today, the Wonderbolts are-“

“Yes, yes, yes,” Twilight said, “I’m pretty sure she knows.”

“Not really,” Pinkie said, “go on, Dash.”

Twilight groaned as she realized she was about to experience “The Speech” again.

“You know what, guys?” she said, “I’ve got a little more studying to do on a… special recipe, yeah… that I’m bringing to the Gala.”

“Well okay, then!” Pinkie said, “I’ll just stay here. Have fun!”

Twilight smiled and waved, walking back towards her house. She loved Rainbow Dash as much as everyone else, but she knew how quickly her friend could get swept up into her own little worlds. Now, it was probably best to leave her alone.

…

“Sunshine, this is Nimbus. The sky is clear. No unauthorized ponies in the airspace.”

An orange pony with a black mane and tail soared through the air, high above the stadium where the Wonderbolts demonstration was to take place later on. He was wearing a silver helmet with a clear, yellow visor, and his cutie mark was that of a feather.

“Roger, Nimbus. Thank you for your sweep.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” Nimbus said into his built-in microphone, “Nimbus out.”

Nimbus began a slow bank over the stadium. Today was going to be a fun day for everyone here, which meant his job was going to be made much more difficult. Large gatherings and aerial demonstrations were the bane of the Equestrain Air Force, or EAF for short. There were simply too many things that could go wrong. Security had doubled as of late due to reports of dark magic that had apparently been detected along Equestria’s borders, and such things were not taken lightly by the EAF. As a result, Nimbus and a detail of two other ponies, had been sent here to ensure security.

As he looked down at the stadium, he felt a pang of longing. Before he’d joined the EAF, he’d been just like every pony down there. He hated to reminisce, but sometimes it felt good to remember the easier times.

He snapped back to his task at hand. He had a Gala to protect, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Suddenly, a shrill alarm sounded in his helmet, and a small blip appeared on his helmet’s heads-up display on a map.

“Sunshine, this is Nimbus,” the pony said, activating his com and rolling and diving towards the ground, “we have an intruder in the airspace. I say again- we have an intruder!”

…

Rainbow Dash leaped off the ground, headed for the sky. A little practice certainly couldn’t hurt, she reasoned, so why not fly around the stadium before the Gala?

As she soared skyward, she turned around and lined up with the stadium seats, ready for her first move: the high-speed, low-altitude pass. She tucked her wings in for speed and headed for her destination, picking up speed as she went. As she went faster, rainbows began to stream from her coat, hence her name, until she appeared as a colorful streak in the sky. She was just about to buzz the stands when something from above collided roughly with her.

…

“Target sighted,” Nimbus stated, spotting the intruder streaking across the stadium, “engaging with manual force.”

He positioned himself for his attack, tucking in his wings, and folding his legs up, tucking into a ball for speed. Just before the collision, he extended his legs and wrapped them around the target. The pony had no idea what hit her.

…

“Ow!” Rainbow Dash said, smacking solidly into the ground. She hit the soft grass and tumbled, rolling end-over-end until she stopped, confused. What had hit her?

She looked up. Nothing was in sight. Then something hit the ground in front of her with a thud, raising a cloud of dust. Rainbow Dash coughed and blinked. Whatever this was could sure make an entrance. As the dust cleared, she saw the silhouette of another pony- a male Pegasus about her age, standing in front of her. Slowly she could make out his orange coat and black mane and tail.

“What in Equestria did you do that for?” she asked angrily, standing up.

The pony didn’t answer. Instead, he asked his own question.

“What’s your name?”

Rainbow Dash stood tall. “I’m Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in Equestria!”

The orange pony smirked. “Right. Somehow I doubt that.”

“Believe what you want,” Rainbow Dash growled, kicking up dust, “but it’s the truth.”

“I’m Nimbus, a flyer in the EAF,” the pony said, ignoring her. Then he fixed his gaze upon her, glaring with his deep brown eyes. “Rainbow Dash, you have violated restricted airspace under the temporary control of the EAF. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Rainbow Dash gulped, then glared back. If this pony wanted to be tough, she’d show him right back just how tough she could be.

Chapter 2: Wonderbolt 1

Chapter 2: Wonderbolt 1

“And who do you think you are to talk to me like that?” Rainbow Dash snorted at Nimbus, “you’re no older than I am.”

“Well, uh, yeah-“ Nimbus stammered, “but I went to the Equestrian Defence Academy! So there! Now do as I say and stay out of the skies!”

“Sheesh,” Rainbow Dash said, pawing the ground, “all you had to do was ask.”

“Well this is a matter of security,” Nimbus said none too confidently, “and it’s my job as an EAF flyer and as a Pegasus to protect the ponies of Equestria during this important ceremonial event!” He puffed out his chest as he finished his sentence and stood tall.

“Uh huh,” said Rainbow, not buying into his show of force and confidence, “well if you’re a Pegasus like me, then how come I’ve never seen you around Cloudsdale?”

“I thought I just told you,” Nimbus said irritably, “I’ve been at the Equestrian Air Force Academy.”

“Oh, right,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “I’m still pretty sure that doesn’t make you a better flyer than me.”

Nimbus’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“You know exactly what I said,” Rainbow Dash spoke, smirking.

Nimbus nodded, then burst out laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s no way you could hope to outfly me! EAF flyers are the best in the land!”

“Oh really?” Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly adopting a challenging tone, “then why don’t we find out just how true that is.”

“Alright,” said Nimbus, gazing skyward, “but only for a moment. I have a job to do. We’ll play chase, and my job is to catch you.”

“Fine,” Rainbow Dash said. “3, 2, 1, go!”

Rainbow Dash sprung into the air as fast, it seemed, as lightning.

“Oh no you don’t,” said Nimbus, giving chase. He started following the blue Pegasus through the air, matching her every move but not coming any closer. For an ordinary pony, he thought, she sure was fast! He saw his chance when Rainbow Dash went into a bank turn. Flaring his wings, he slowed and turned inside of her, and was about to strike when his helmet com sputtered to life.

“Nimbus, you there?”

Nimbus disengaged, cursing himself for having been distracted. He saw Rainbow Dash turn around and fly back towards him.

“I’m here, Sunshine. What’s up?”

“Did you find the intruder?”

Nimbus took another look back at Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, I found her. She’s got a warning. Just a Pegasus Pony.”

“Alright,” Sunshine responded, “resume your patrol. The Wonderbolts will be here soon.”

“Roger,” Nimbus said, “Nimbus out.”

He flew over to Rainbow Dash, glaring. “You see what you’ve done?” he asked, angrily.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked, completely confused.

“You sabotaged my mission! You distracted me! Get out of here now so I can do my job!”

Rainbow Dash was crushed by Nimbus’s words. She had just been having fun, and it seemed he had been, too. Now she was blinking back tears. This pony could’ve been a good friend.

“Fine,” she said, and turned around, flying for the stadium grounds, “I never wanted to hang out with you anyway.”

Nimbus tried shrugging off her words, but inside, they stung him, too. He didn’t have time for a friend in his life right now,

though, he reasoned.

But if that was true, then why did he want desperately for Rainbow Dash to come back?

…

Rainbow Dash rocketed through the sky back towards her friends, her anger forcing her to go faster. She was traveling so quickly, she ended up creating a sonic rainboom on the way, startling several ponies walking to the stadium. Finally, Rainbow spotted her friends walking as a group, and touched down, skidding towards them and stopping right in front of Pinkie Pie.

“Well hi, Dash!” Pinkie said.

“Hi,” Rainbow Dash responded, hanging her head and walking to the back of the group. Pinkie Pie just watched with a slack jaw. Rainbow Dash almost never acted like this.

“I saw you up over the stadium earlier,” Rarity said, trying to be helpful.

“Yeah,” Fluttershy said, then added, “it looks like you’ve found a friend!”

“A friend?” Twilight Sparkle said, “that’s great! You’ll have to introduce us.”

“Friend?” Rainbow Dash snorted, “ha. More like a stuck-up wonderhooves.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Apple Jack said, coming to her friend’s side, “but cheer up a bit. I’m sure you’ll love watching the Wonderbolts perform.”

“Oh yeah!” Rainbow Dash said, suddenly perking up again. “I can’t wait!”

“Then let’s get going!” Pinkie Pie said, leading the way. Rainbow Dash followed happily, putting the new Pegasus out of her mind for the moment. Today, she’d get her chance once again to prove herself to the Wonderbolts. She only hoped that nothing out of the ordinary would interrupt her this time.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

…

Nimbus took his seat up in Princess Celestia’s and Princess Luna’s private box along with the rest of his security detail. He was eager to see the show. The Thunderbolts had flown over during his graduation from the Equestrian Air Force Academy, and now rumor had it that he and his group were about to meet them in person. He could barely contain his excitement.

“I’m glad the EAF could spare ponies like you,” Celestia said to Sunshine, a gold Pegasus and the leader of the detail.

“Verily,” Princess Luna agreed, “mine nerves hath been calmed by thine presence here.”

“Especially with the dark magic reports from the borders,” Celestia agreed.

“Well, your Highness,” Sunshine said, “it’s our job, and frankly, we enjoy being here. It was quite generous of you to allow us to enjoy this show.”

“Oh, think nothing of it,” Celestia said, “as I said before, I’m glad you’re here.”

Nimbus suddenly heard the sound of approaching hooves. As he swiveled to see who was approaching, his jaw dropped. The Wonderbolts themselves were heading his way!

“Greetings,” the lead Wonderbolt said, approaching Sunshine. Sunshine dipped his head in acknowledgement. Nimbus was practically falling out of his seat. He knew two of them by name: Spitfire and Fleetfoot. The lead pony was unfamiliar, however. Perhaps, he reasoned, he was new. In any case, a new face in the Wonderbolts would be interesting. Any recruit who could make it to the lead position in such a short time would have to be extremely talented.

“Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m glad you could take the time to meet me and the rest of my detail," said Sunshine, shaking the Wonderbolt's hoof.

“Always time for the defenders of our homeland,” the Thunderbolt responded. “I’m Wonderbolt One, and behind me are two and three. We’ll be flying today.”

Wonderbolt One suddenly turned to look at Nimbus. “And it seems we have quite the acrobat over here.”

“Me?” Nimbus asked, “but I don’t-“

“Oh come now, we saw you doing a few tricks over the field. Very impressive.”

Nimbus blushed. “Was that me? I, uh…” he glanced over at Sunshine who was looking at him quizzically, “yeah, I guess it was.”

“Well keep up the practice,” said Wonderbolt One, “you never know- we might need a new team member someday.”

Nimbus wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, the pony’s words seemed ominous. He dismissed the thought, however. He was probably just getting over his senior pony finding out about his stadium antics with that Rainbow Dash girl.

“Thanks, sir!” he said, “I can’t wait to see you guys perform.”

“Oh yes, this performance is definitely going to be one of our best. The finale is unmatched in its majesty. You might even say it’ll be… explosive.”

Wonderbolt One turned and walked away with the rest of his team, but just before he walked out of sight, he turned around and winked at Nimbus. Nimbus wasn’t sure what to make of the gesture. It seemed friendly enough, perhaps even cool, but something about it unnerved him. He didn’t have much time to dwell on it, however. Sunshine scooted over to his side.

“So, Nimbus, what’s this about aerobatics?”

“Sir, it’s nothing, really,” Nimbus responded, “I was just, uh, meeting a newcomer and having a bit of fun. It won’t happen again, sir.”

Sunshine’s eyes narrowed, then suddenly became friendly as he smiled and patted Nimbus on the back.

“I was wondering when you’d lose that businesslike demeanor! And now you’ve gone and found a friend to boot! It’s about time you let some fun into your life!”

Nimbus was utterly shocked. He’d been expecting a harsh rebuke, not this.

“Sir?”

“Ever since you left that Academy, all you’ve thought about is work, work, work, which isn’t a bad thing, I guess. The trouble is, I’ve never seen you with any friends. Ever. Now you’ve got one!”

Nimbus was confused, now. “But sir, what about my job? I left my patrol!”

“Well, I must agree with you on that, but I trust you’ll do better next time. Making friends is much better for you in the long run.”

“I guess,” Nimbus said, thinking about Rainbow Dash. Sunshine was wrong. She wasn’t a friend. She was an annoyance, someone who’d upset his world and proven herself capable of being as good a flyer as himself. He would never befriend her.

...

“Fillies and Gentlecolts!”

An enthusiastic voice sounded over the loudspeaker, and Rainbow Dash nearly fell from her seat. A few moments ago, Pinkie Pie had excused herself, supposedly for refreshments. It was her voice which was now echoing over the stadium, though! Rainbow turned to her friends, and all of them were equally amazed. She’d managed to keep the whole thing a secret. Slowly, they began to clap, and the rest of the audience joined in.

“Aw, thanks!” Pinkie said, having obviously discovered the source of the clapping. She cleared her throat and continued.

“Ahem- please give a warm welcome to Equestria’s best and brightest flyers: the Wonderbolts!”

On the announcement of their name, the Thunderbolts zoomed over the stands from behind, surprising everyone and bringing about more clapping. When they reached the middle of the stadium, they pulled up, with the ponies on the sides splitting to the left and right in a giant fan formation.

Rainbow Dash was positively glued to the scene. “Go Wonderbolts!” she yelled through a mouthful of popcorn.

The Wonderbolts came in again, making several low, tight passes, barely missing each other. It was their most daring act yet, and more was to come. They, swooped, swung, spun, and dove upon the crowd, stirring everyone into a frenzy. Their show was one of the best around.

Finally, it was time for the final act: the formation pass. The ponies formed up in a triangle shape and sped towards the field. Suddenly, halfway through the maneuver, Wonderbolt One pulled up and out of formation, hovering as his teammates whizzed by with perplexed expressions.

“What in Equestria-?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She’d never seen them do that before. Nonetheless, it was bold, and she began to clap along with everyone else. The other Wonderbolts formed up alongside Wonderbolt One as they accepted the audience’s praise. Suddenly, a deep boom sounded, and the sky darkened. From out of the clouds shot blue bolts of light, which converged upon Wonderbolt One, surrounding him in glowing energy. Slowly, a transformation began to take place. The pony which had once been Wonderbolt One, was now changing into something else; some kind of nightmarish creature. The bolts of light suddenly retreated, leaving a large, dark shape hovering in the middle of the Wonderbolts. Suddenly, the shape moved, and a head, black as night with glowing blue eyes snapped up and stared straight at Princess Luna’s royalty box. At first glance, Rainbow Dash could swear that the being in front of them was none other than Nightmare Moon, but something was different. This pony was stockier, and looked stronger.

“Greetings, Ponies of Equestria,” the newcomer said in a sinister, male voice. This was most definitely not Nightmare Moon. This was someone else entirely. He fixed his gaze entirely upon Luna.

“And greetings to you… sister.”

…

“I’m engaging!” said Sunshine, headed straight for the dark pony. The creature barely shrugged, and a massive flash of blue appeared. When the light died down, all that was in Sunshine’s place was a frog bearing his cutie mark: the sun.

“What?” Nimbus breathed, “impossible!”

“No one does that to my senior pony!” Nimbus’s second partner, Cloudburst, said.

“No, Cloudburst, wait!” Nimbus said, but it was too late. Cloudburst rushed at the strange figure and met the same fate.

The nightmarish pony chuckled. “Two down. Anyone else want to try?”

“What dost thou want, fiend?!” Princess Luna boldly asked. The pony smiled.

“Why, you of course, and your kingdom. You’ve been away for a long time, Luna. Or should I say, ‘Nightmare Moon’?”

He turned to the rest of the ponies in the audience.

“My name is Eclipse,” he said. “Doubtless many of you have forgotten about me. I understand, it’s been quite a while. I am willing to forgive that, of course. I just demand one small thing from you: your princess.”

“Never!” shouted a voice from the audience. Nimbus looked to the source. It was one of Rainbow Dash’s friends: a purple Unicorn.

Eclipse chuckled darkly. “Very well, there are certainly alternatives. Mind you, I get what I want, no matter the cost others might pay.”

“Stop!” Princess Luna’s voice sounded from the stands. The valiant Princess stood bravely. “If it will protect my ponies, I shalt travel with thee.”

“Good,” Eclipse said, smiling. Suddenly a tendril of blue light shot out of his hoof and wrapped itself around Luna, pulling her to his side.

“Don’t try to follow me,” Eclipse growled, and took off into the sky.

“No!” Nimbus shouted, and took to the sky after Eclipse. The black pony saw his pursuer and laughed.

“Foolish boy, but you have spirit. I will let you fight another day.” A second tendril of blue light hit Nimbus and knocked him out of control. He began to spin wildly, heading for the ground.

…

Rainbow Dash saw the accident, and despite her loathing towards Nimbus, decided upon the one noble course of action she could take. She launched herself into the air, trying to find the right angle to intercept Nimbus. The pony was dropping quickly, and it would only be a matter of seconds before he hit the ground. Rainbow mustered all the strength she could and flew straight for Nimbus, catching him just a few hands above the ground. The crowd cheered.

“You saved me,” Nimbus croaked.

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” Rainbow Dash growled, unceremoniously dumping Nimbus onto the stadium field and walking back to her friends. Nimbus watched her go, realizing that she probably was still upset from what he’d said earlier. He wanted badly to apologize, but when he turned his head in the direction that Eclipse had gone, he knew he couldn’t. Not yet. In the distance, darkness was gathering. He didn’t know what Eclipse wanted with Princess Luna, but he knew it wouldn’t be good. Suddenly, his mission was clear. He turned around to see Rainbow Dash still walking away. Something like this would call for backup, and his team, having been recently transformed into amphibians, wasn’t going to be much help. He needed some new muscle.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash! Wait up!” He called, swallowing his pride.

Chapter 3: Investigations and Revelations

Rainbow Dash smirked when she heard who was calling her name. It seemed the EDF colt was suddenly in need of some assistance. How ironic.

She turned around and acknowledged Nimbus.

“Well, well. Look what the Manticore dragged in.”

Nimbus growled under his breath. He reminded himself he was only doing this for the good of Equestria, and because his team was now officially compromised. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again.

“What’s the matter? Want to say something? Apologize, perhaps?” Rainbow Dash pressed.

“No,” Nimbus said, gritting his teeth, “I just need… your help.”

Rainbow simply stared at him for a few moments, then broke down, guffawing wildly.

“And you expect to get that without an apology?” she laughed. Nimbus felt the sarcasm in the air was so thick he could cut it with a knife. Rainbow suddenly stopped laughing and stared straight at Nimbus.

“Apology first.”

“What?” Nimbus asked, “the safety of Equestria may be at stake and you want an apology?”

“Yes she does,” said Applejack, stepping up to Rainbow Dash’s side, “and if you’re not gonna give it, none of us is going to help you.”

Nimbus gulped. He wasn’t expecting to work with everyone, and so far he wasn’t off to a good start. He felt there would be a lot of pride-swallowing in this group. He grated his teeth and mumbled.

“I apologize.”

“What was that?” Rainbow Dash asked teasingly, with a hint of a smile.

“I’m sorry,” Nimbus said aloud, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you earlier.”

“Goody!” Pinkie Pie said, showing up with the rest of her friends. She appeared a little shaken; the announcer’s booth had been right up next to the action. Otherwise, though, she seemed fine. After her little exclamation she looked around and noticed what was going on. “I mean, not ‘goody’ really, because Princess Luna just got taken, but ‘goody’ because it looks like we’ve got a new friend!”

Nimbus’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “Uh, well I’m not- you see, I- um…”

“Welcome to the club!” Pinkie said, wrapping her arms around Nimbus and practically squeezing the life out of him in a massive hug, popping his helmet off.

“Why thank you,” Nimbus said hoarsely. “It seems like a lot of… fun.”

Pinkie relaxed her hold and Nimbus dropped to the ground like a sack of feed.

“How about some introductions?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure,” Nimbus croaked, “why not?”

Pinkie introduced the ponies one-by-one. “This is Twilight Sparkle,” she said, indicating a purple unicorn, “she’s really smart, and helpful.”

Twilight dipped her head, and Nimbus saw her purple horn glow. “Cool,” he thought to himself.

“This is Applejack,” Pinkie continued, pointing to a golden-yellow Earth Pony.

“Howdy!” the pony said. Nimbus recognized her as the one who’d demanded an apology from him. She seemed nice enough.

“Rarity and Fluttershy,” Pinkie said, standing next to a white Earth Pony and a pink and yellow Pegasus, “and of course, you’ve already met Rainbow Dash,” she said.

“And I’m Pinkie Pie!” she finished, suddenly bouncing forward and planting herself right in front of Nimbus’s face. “So who are you?”

“Nimbus,” the orange pony said.

“Welcome to the group, Nimbus!” said Twilight. “I hate to cut things short, but we’ve got some work to do.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nimbus said. He liked Twilight immediately. She seemed to have an almost militaristic sense of duty. She obviously liked to get things done. “Do you know anything about this… Eclipse fellow?”

“I’m afraid not,” said Twilight. “In all of my books about the history of Equestria, I’ve never come across that name before. He looked a lot like Nightmare Moon, though.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” said Fluttershy, quietly.

“Do you think there might be any connection?” Nimbus pressed.

“I don’t know,” said Twilight, “but let’s see if we can find something about it in the library.”

“Your library?” Applejack asked. “No offense to you, Twilight, you’ve got a mighty purty collection of books, but you’ve been through almost all of them. If you haven’t heard of Eclipse before, you probably won’t find anything.”

“Not my library,” Twilight said, grinning determinedly, “the royal library.”

Nimbus picked up his helmet and attached it to his side. It was time to get some work done.

…

As the group of ponies, plus their latest member, walked into town, the sky was starting to clear already. Eclipse had darkened the skies here, but evidently was now too far away for his power to reach the kingdom. Canterlot was safe, for now. Passing the many bakeries and food markets which had prepared for the Gala, the ponies’ noses were assaulted by the most wonderful scents. Rarity’s stomach growled.

“Whew,” she said, “I know we’re kind of in the middle of possibly saving all of Equestria again, but can we get a snack?”

Twilight’s stomach growled as well, “yeah, I think you’re right. I could use something to eat before I study.”

“Where to?” Nimbus asked, sounding a little less grumpy than earlier, “I’ve never really been around here before.”

“Definitely the High Flight café,” Rainbow Dash said before anyone else could say anything.

“What’s that?”

“It’s where the Wonderbolts stay while they’re in town,” Rainbow responded, “and the food’s positively super!”

“Well, it’s okay,” Fluttershy said, “but I’d like to go.”

“Okay!” Rainbow said, jumping up into the air and taking off down the street. She made it about halfway down the street when she realized her friends were still walking, and scooted back.

“Eager much?” Nimbus said, unable to resist a jibe.

“The jealousy here is so obvious,” said Rainbow Dash with a grin. “Too bad you can’t hope to be that fast.”

“I don’t have to be,” Nimbus snapped, taking Rainbow’s words a bit seriously, “my technique makes up for everything.”

“Chill out,” Rainbow said, “I was just joking.”

Nimbus was still sore from his forced apology earlier. His ego had taken a serious bruising, and he still wasn’t sure he could forgive Rainbow for it. Perhaps someday later, but now was too soon.

“We’re here!” said Rainbow excitedly, walking into a bright blue two-story building. As Nimbus stepped inside, a rush of cool air hit him in the face, and he realized just how hot it had been outside. Coming in here felt good. The ponies took their seats at a booth, and Nimbus pulled up a stool and joined them. Shortly, a waitress came over and took their orders. As Nimbus was in the process of ordering a “Bolt from the Blue Burger,” a loud thump sounded from upstairs.

“Excuse me,” he asked the waitress, “what’s that noise?”

The waitress looked up at the ceiling as the thump sounded again. “Oh, that? Probably the Wonderbolts. They’ve been struggling with something up there all morning.”

“The Wonderbolts need help?” Rainbow asked, concerned. “Count me in!” She shot up out of her seat and raced for the stairs. The others followed. Nimbus was the first to reach the top, alongside Rainbow Dash. At the top, they turned down a hallway and saw Spitfire and Fleetfoot, Wonderbolts two and three. They seemed to be struggling with a door.

“Hey!” Rainbow said, “you guys need anything?”

“Thank goodness,” Spitfire said, looking at the approaching ponies, “more help. I’m afraid simply having more hooves on the job won’t do too much, though.” She recognized Rainbow Dash approaching.

“Rainbow Dash,” she said, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Same to you,” Rainbow said. “What’s the trouble?”

“We left some of our equipment in our lead’s room,” Spitfire said, “but he locked it. We can’t get in.”

“I think I can help,” said Twilight, “If you’ll allow me.”

“By all means,” said Fleetfoot, stepping aside, “if you know how to open this door, I’m not stopping you.”

Twilight looked closely at the door lock, squinting and murmuring to herself. Finally, she turned to the Wonderbolts.

“This is a Safecloud lock,” she said, “made by a small group of Pegasi in Cloudsdale. They’re impossible to open, unless…” her voice trailed off, looking around.

“What is she up to?” Nimbus whispered to Applejack.

“To be honest, ah have no idea,” the pony said, “but ya get used to it.”

Nimbus shrugged and went back to watching Twilight go about her business. She stuck her face under a nearby dresser and let out a cheerful “aha!” She lifted a single, whitish-blue feather out from under the dresser with her horn’s powers.

“A feather?” Spitfire asked, “but how does that-?”

“Watch,” Twilight said, inserting the feather into the lock. The structure suddenly began to emit a blue glow, and then a click sounded. The door creaked open.

“And we’re in,” said Twilight. “I studied these locks for a while,” she explained, “they won’t open unless they come into contact with a feather from the owner.”

“Twilight,” said Pinkie, “you rock!”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

“Thank you so much,” Spitfire said, “now we can get our equipment.”

Twilight suddenly had an idea. “Excuse me,” she said to the two Wonderbolts, “but why did you have a new lead flyer today?”

“It’s funny you should mention that,” Spitfire said, standing in the doorway, “Soarin’ actually came with us to Canterlot, but yesterday he was gone. He left us a note saying that he was sick, and that he’d send for a replacement. Sure enough, the new pony showed up just yesterday afternoon. He never told us his real name, just had us refer to him as ‘one.’ We had our suspicions about him from the start. After today’s events, it seems we were right to be suspicious.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, and that reminds me- did any of you know about this ‘Eclipse’ before today?”

“Nope,” said Fleetfoot as Spitfire shook her head, “never heard of him. He looked an awful lot like Nightmare Moon, though. Maybe they’re related.”

“Wait!” said Nimbus, “Eclipse called Princess Luna ‘sister.’ You might be right!”

“But how can that be?” Rarity asked, “the only known relative of the princess is Princess Celestia.”

“Right,” Twilight said, “the only known relative, perhaps, but who’s to say Eclipse wasn’t related to her at some point?”

Rainbow Dash could barely contain herself. Princess Luna had just been snatched by an evil, probably mythical pony and all anyone was doing was standing around and talking. She desperately wanted some action, but forcibly restrained herself.

“Do you know anything else about the pony that replaced Soarin’?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’m afraid not,” answered Spitfire, “and we have to get back to report this to Soarin’.”

“We can help you carry the gear out if you want,” Pinkie offered.

“Could you?” asked Fleetfoot with a smile, “that would be great!”

The two Wonderbolts led the way into the room, and the other ponies followed. Everything in the room appeared to be in pristine condition. Not even a speck of dust was present. This unnerved Nimbus, who checked to the left, right, and behind upon entering. Something definitely didn’t feel right here.

As they were gathering up uniforms and other belongings, a loud thump sounded from the closet. Nimbus’s head quickly snapped around.

“Anypony in here, please tell me that was you,” he said, slowly. Nobody answered him. In fact, no one was even close to the closet. Nimbus approached the door warily.

“Guys, I think there’s someone in here,” he said.

Spitfire came to his side. “You might be right. Here,” she said, nudging Nimbus aside, “allow me.”

She attempted pushing the door open, but it didn’t budge. “Ehm, Twilight-“ she said, glancing back at the purple Unicorn, “you wouldn’t happen to have that feather handy, would you?”

“Well of course,” said Twilight, placing the feather in the lock. Nothing happened.

“This won’t work,” she concluded, a tad unnecessarily, “this is the wrong kind of lock.”

“We don’t have time to look for a lock,” said Fleetfoot, “so what’ll we do now?”

“Manual entry,” said Nimbus, stepping to the door and raising his back hoof. “Stand back, guys.”

Nimbus pulled his hoof back, and, like a spring, released it, crashing right into the door. The lock popped off of the door, and it swung open, hitting something on the other side. Whatever the door had hit uttered a groan.

“Oops,” said Nimbus.

Spitfire came closer and peered into the dark, waiting for her eyes to adjust. When they finally did, her gaze rested upon something bundled up on the floor.

“Oh no,” she breathed, “this is not good. Not good at all.”

Chapter 4: Research

Chapter 4: Research

Spitfire found herself looking down at the original Wonderbolt 1: Soarin’, completely wrapped up in a sheet with his mouth gagged.

“Soarin’!” she cried, taking off his gag. Soarin’ gasped.

“He’s not a Wonderbolt! Eclipse! Beware Eclipse!” he panted. Then slowly, his breathing slowed down as a dreadful realization hit him.

“It’s already happened, hasn’t it? Eclipse… Did he take Princess Luna?”

“I’m afraid so,” said Rainbow Dash, stepping forward. “Do you know anything about Eclipse?”

Soarin’ shuddered. “I wish I did. He never revealed much to me, other than his plans for today. If I were to harbor a guess, I would say he’s an Alicorn, corrupted like Nightmare Moon.”

“But no legend ever told of him,” Nimbus said, “so what is he?”

Standing shakily, Soarin’ shrugged. “I have no idea. Pure evil is all I can say.”

“We’re going to the Royal Library,” said Twilight, “to try to see what we can dig up on Eclipse.”

“You’re taking this on yourselves?” asked Soarin’, aghast.

“We most certainly are,” said Rainbow Dash, determined.

“Uh, actually,” said Nimbus, “you guys just reminded me- I need to report to Princess Celestia about the day’s events. Normally, my commander, Sunshine, would do it, but he’s kind of…” he took a quick look at the two frogs who had stowed away in his helmet “occupied at the moment.”

“Perfect,” said Soarin’, “we need to do the same.”

“Then let’s move!” said Applejack, “we ain’t got time to waste!”

…

As always, the Royal Palace was an impressive sight. Its tall spires jutted into the sky, its trim shining in the sun- one could almost forget about the tragedy that had befallen Equestria earlier that day. Almost. The group stopped at the foot of the bridge.

“We part ways here for now,” said Nimbus, “let me know what you find out later.”

“Hang on just a sec,” Rainbow Dash interjected, “I was in the middle of that attack at the stadium, too. I’m coming with the Wonderbolts.”

Nimbus looked to Rainbow Dash, then back to Twilight.

“You okay with this?”

Twilight shrugged. “Sure. I just need some time with the books.”

“Then Rainbow and I will come meet you in the library when we’re done.”

“That’s Rainbow Dash to you, Smarty,” Rainbow snapped at Nimbus. “I have a full name, and we are not on a nickname basis, so I expect you to use it!”

Nimbus backed off, deciding to let this battle lie. “Fine, fair enough, whatever you say. Let’s just get in and get out.”

“See you later,” Twilight said, leading her friends towards the library.

“Bye!” Rainbow called. Soarin’ stepped up to the massive, gold-trimmed gates and knocked once. Slowly they opened, and the group walked through, stepping between rows of Royal Guards on either side. The ponies all walked at stiff attention, rendering the proper courtesies. As they stepped in front of the throne, all of them knelt. Nimbus took a quick look at Princess Celestia. She seemed tired, and more weary than she had ever looked before. Nimbus understood. To lose a family member after they’d just become so close must be difficult.

After Princess Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgement, the group stood back at attention.

“Detail,” said Soarin’ using his military command voice, “present arms!”

The five ponies saluted, and the Princess returned the gesture.

“Order arms!” said Soarin’, and the ponies dropped their hooves. Princess Celestia smiled faintly.

“Relax,” she said, then recalling her military courtesies said, “stand at ease.”

The ponies unlocked themselves from their rigid attention. “Now,” said Celestia, “what brings you here?”

“Ma’am, we wish to make a report,” said Spitfire.

“Very well,” said Celestia, “you may proceed.”

“None of us were able to apprehend the villain now known as Eclipse,” said Fleetfoot, “and as you know, he has taken Princess Luna.”

“Yes,” Celestia said solemnly, dipping her head.

“However,” Soarin’ interjected, “well, I’d better let Nimbus handle this.”

Nimbus stepped forward, snapping again to attention and saluting. “1st Lieutenant Nimbus, 20th Air Defense Squadron, Equestrian Defense Force Reports!”

“Please,” said Celestia, shaking her hoof, “no formalities. You are at rest here.”

Hesitantly, Nimbus relaxed. “Ma’am, I have joined a…” he searched for the proper phrase, “-task force which has assembled in the hope of finding Princess Luna and stopping Eclipse.”

“You have?” asked Celestia, “please tell me who is involved.”

“Six ponies who were with me at the stadium today: Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. The last one saved my life, in fact.” He looked back at Rainbow Dash with a smile. The blue Pegasus just glared back.

“I know them,” said Celestia, “and I know they are capable of helping us in these difficult times. Where are they now?”

“Doing research, ma’am,” Nimbus replied, “trying to find out what they can about Eclipse.”

Celestia frowned. “Sadly, I attempted to do the same, but I could find no book explaining his existence. But perhaps Twilight Sparkle…” she let her sentence trail off. “Nimbus, I would like you to bring your group to me later, and I will tell you all what I know of this threat. If you wish to undertake this task, then I approve. I may have someone who can back you up as well…”

“Who?” Nimbus asked.

“I’d rather not say until you all are assembled. Good luck in the Library.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Nimbus stepped back to the Wonderbolts, saluted with them, then turned smartly on his hooves and walked out. At the gate, he spoke to the Wonderbolts.

“Best of luck to all of you. I hope your journey back to Cloudsdale is safe.”

“Thank you, Nimbus,” said Spitfire. “Sounds like we might be on alert for a while now. I hope you are successful in your journey.

“Thank you,” Nimbus replied, “I’ll do my best.”

With Nimbus’s final words, the Wonderbolts launched themselves into the air in a graceful formation. Nimbus watched them fly away, then stretched his wings and took off, heading for the Library. Perhaps his new teammates had found something.

…

The magical shroud of darkness which had been placed over Luna’s vision for most of the flight was finally lifted. The young princess found herself in a cave. The air was musty, and water dripped from the ceiling. She turned her head from side to side, finally adjusting to the darkness. No one was near.

“Ah, I see you have come to your senses, sister,” a snakelike voice crept through the cave.

“Where art thee, villain?” Luna said, furious, “show thyself!”

“In time, perhaps, I will,” said the voice. “But perhaps you’d rather know your purpose here.”

“My purpose is to watch over Equestria with my sister,” Luna countered. The voice simply chuckled darkly.

“Of course,” it said, “Equestria. The place you came so close to ruling. Does it dishearten you, knowing that you never had the chance to rule such a place by yourself?”

“Nay,” Luna spat, “and I will never betray my sister again!”

“So you say,” the voice whispered, “yet I wonder…”

In front of Luna, the dark, Alicorn stallion from earlier today materialized, grinning evilly.

“Eclipse,” said Luna, “though art not my sibling.”

Eclipse laughed. “Perhaps not a sibling by your definition,” he said, “but my dear princess, we are very much related. Closer, in fact, then most sibings.”

He began to pace. “Perhaps you know me better like this.” He suddenly shifted, changing his features until he resembled a tall, female Alicorn with a dark coat and a glowing, blue mane. Luna’s eyes widened.

“Nightmare Moon,” she whispered, “I believed thee to be gone forever.”

“Not gone,” the Alicorn snarled, changing back into Eclipse, “just dormant, trapped for many years. When those base ponies used the Elements of Harmony to free you, they only separated me from you. I represent the… better side of you: ambition, power, a hunger to rule. These are the qualities I represent. Nightmare Moon was a combination of me and you, and until the day she was defeated, I was always a part of you, hiding in the back of your mind. Since you were freed of me, I… developed. I know the secrets Equestria holds, I know how to defeat you, and I know very well how to overthrow the current rule of Celestia.”

“Thou cannot,” Luna countered.

“Oh, I beg to differ,” said Eclipse, slowly sidling up next to her, “you see, I am the darkness now, I am the bringer of Eternal Night. Nightmare Moon tried and failed. I am different. Without your little traces of good clouding my judgement, I can act unrestrained. Equestria will fall to me.”

“Never,” said Luna, “not as long as ponies exist with the will to resist.”

As he faded back into the darkness, Eclipse couldn’t resist one last parting blow. “The will of a community is like a tree. Strong, yes, but given enough force, it will break. And when a tree falls, it falls harder than almost anything in the world.”

Eclipse began to laugh maniacally, and Luna glared at where he had been.

“We will see who falls the hardest, knave.”

…

“Nothing, not here, nope, not that one either, wait… nah, that won’t do-“

Twilight was frantically speed-reading through several of the Royal Library’s books when Nimbus showed up with Rainbow Dash.

“Find anything yet?” Rainbow asked.

“No,” said Twilight, frustrated, “seems like no one knows where Eclipse came from.”

“Hey, this is cool!” Pinkie Pie’s voice sounded from above, as she bounced down from the top of a nearby bookshelf, landing right in front of Fluttershy.

“Aah!” Fluttershy squealed in surprise. Pinkie took no notice and began to bounce around the room- vertically, horizontally, diagonally- pretty much defying the laws of the universe as everypony knows it.

“What’s cool?” Nimbus asked, halting Pinkie.

“Check this out!” Pinkie said in response, cracking open a new, shiny, black book. Nimbus looked at what was on the page. It was a triangular symbol, and in each of the corners was a hoof, a horn, and a feather. Nimbus’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Pinkie had already bounced the book over to Twilight, and had shoved over an entire stack of priceless volumes to show her the discovery.

Twilight looked at the book. “Huh,” she mused, “Precursor to the Elements, by Retired Royal Scout Corporal Mecha. I never knew Mecha wrote books!”

“Mecha?” Nimbus asked, “who’s that?”

“An old friend of ours,” said Twilight, “now shush.” Twilight began reading slowly, poring over the book’s contents. “Interesting,” she mumbled, “he’s proposed a theory that an extremely powerful magical artifact exists that predated the elements of harmony.” She looked up at Pinkie. “Why did you choose this book?”

Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno, but it just seemed important!” She turned and winked at no one in particular.

“Why did you just do that?” Nimbus asked, noticing the gesture.

“Just acknowledging the audience,” Pinkie replied.

“The who? Wha-? Never mind,” said Nimbus.

“She does that from time to time,” said Applejack, “never really understood why.”

“Hey,” said Twilight, “this is interesting.” The ponies gathered around. Twilight was pointing to the picture Pinkie Pie had shown Nimbus earlier. “Mecha’s been doing a bit of research, and he’s come to the conclusion that this supposed artifact looks something like this.” She pointed to the different parts of the image. Now Nimbus could see that the symbols were displayed upon what appeared to be a large, hexagonally-cut gemstone. “There’s a hoof, a horn, and a feather, which Mecha believes to symbolize the three races of ponies in Equestria, not including Alicorns. Apparently, this image has been depicted in places all over Equestria, and they predate the Elements of Harmony by centuries. Some propose that this thing is a source of power, and others claim it serves as a ‘unifier’ for the Elements, something to bring them together, and others say that this thing actually created the Elements.”

“Wow,” said Rarity, “it’s beautiful.”

“And spooky,” Fluttershy added, “maybe we should leave this book alone.”

“Well, Pinkie seems to think it’s important,” said Applejack. She turned to Nimbus, who was standing next to her. “Nimbus, what do-“ she stopped. Nimbus was frozen to the spot, staring at the image with his mouth agape. “You okay?” Applejack asked.

Nimbus shook himself out of his daze. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve seen this symbol before.”

“You have?” said Twilight, putting the book down, “where?”

“My family has a very old stone, polished smooth and passed down each generation. It’s got that symbol on it.”

“Hmm,” said Twilight, “perhaps there’s a link. Wait!” she said, “here’s something else in another section. It says: ‘the Elements of Harmony, assuming that this Unifier exists, are not perfect. Without the Unifier, the source they draw their power from is gone, and there is a distinct possibility that if used, the Elements may not display their true potential, rendering certain spells incomplete.’ I wonder… What if Nightmare Moon…” she trailed off. “Not important right now. The point is, I think this book has something to do with Eclipse’s appearance. We need to take our findings to Celestia.”

“Great,” said Rainbow Dash, “it’s about time some action got underway!”

…

The seven ponies approached Celestia, two of them for the second time that day. Celestia recognized them.

“Welcome, ponies,” she said, then, turning to Nimbus and Rainbow Dash added: “I see you have brought your friends. Excellent.”

“Princess Celestia,” said Twilight, “I think I have a lead on why Eclipse is here.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I believe it has something to do with an artifact- one that existed long before the Elements of Harmony. Do you know of any such thing?”

Celestia was thoughtful for a moment. “I have heard rumors. Nothing more.” She paused. “But there is somepony who might. His name is Mecha.”

“We know him,” said Twilight, then noticed Nimbus looking confused. “Well, most of us know him, anyway.”

“Good. Seek out his help on your journey. He was always very loyal to my sister. Perhaps he can help you.” Celestia settled back. “I wish you all the best of luck. It’s not often somepony comes in here and volunteers for such a dangerous task. I trust you will all make Equestria proud.”

“We will,” said Twilight, “we most definitely will.”

As the ponies left the palace, Nimbus began to wonder: just what sort of pony was Mecha? What would such a pony be like? He was clearly affiliated with the military, or at least was. All sorts of questions swarmed around inside Nimbus like a bunch of angry bees. Through it all, he only hoped for one thing: that this “Mecha” pony would be willing to help.

Credit for "Mecha" goes to Itchy, an author on this site. Thanks for letting me use him!

Chapter 5: Mecha

For the second time that day, the ponies found themselves out in the crowded, bustling town square of Canterlot.

“So this Mecha pony-“ Nimbus said, “he’s around here somewhere, right?”

“Oh yes,” said Pinkie, bouncing again, “he owns a blacksmithing shop right around here!” She looked around every which way. “At least, it’s somewhere around here.” She scratched her head and shrugged. “Oh well! We’ll find him eventually!”

“Eventually?” said Nimbus, “but Equestria’s in danger! We need to find him now!”

“Put a horseshoe in it, alarmist!” Rainbow Dash said, plugging Nimbus’s mouth with her hoof, “do you want everyone to know?!”

Nimbus spat out the hoof. “Hey! What’s the big idea?” He stepped backwards, and, not looking where he was going, ran into a fruit stand, which collapsed. Nimbus cringed as the wreckage settled into a cloud of dust.

“Whoops,” he said. He turned to the others. “You go on ahead to Mecha’s. I’m sure I can find some directions later. Right now, I need to help clean this up.”

“Well, okay then,” said Twilight.

“Serves you right, flypony!” Rainbow Dash said, sticking out her tongue and blowing a raspberry his way.

Nimbus shook his head and turned around to speak with the owner. Just then, another voice sounded from behind.

“Looks like trouble. Need any help?”

Nimbus turned to the source. Standing amidst the rubble was a black, male pony with a dark red mane. His cutie mark was that of a toolbox.

“Well sir, yes- that is, if it isn’t any trouble.”

The pony smiled. “No trouble at all. I was just on my way out of town, but if you need some assistance, I’d be more than happy to lend a hoof.” The pony stepped forward and examined the fallen planks of wood.

“Hmm,” he said, “in all honesty, this isn’t the best constructed stand I’ve seen. You’re using wooden pegs to hold it together? Embrace the future,” he said, looking at the stand’s owner. “I could fix this now, but if you give me about a week, I could rebuild it. It’d be stronger, sturdier, and it’d probably look cooler, too.”

The owner shrugged. “Sure thing!”

“Great,” the black pony said, “I’ll just get this wreckage out of the way. You might wanna stand back.”

Nimbus heard a whirring sound, and looked down. It was then that he noticed the pony’s left leg, or rather his absence of one. In its place was a shiny, mechanical counterpart. A hatch on the leg opened, and the pony took out what appeared to be a small bag with a fuse leading out of it.

“Ground Hydra Scales,” the pony said, carefully placing the bag under the wreckage, “unconventional? Maybe. Unorthodox? Definitely, but they do get the job done.”

He grabbed a nearby torch and lit the fuse. “Everyone get down!” he yelled with a grin.

Nimbus took cover behind a nearby wagon. This was going to be interesting.

“Fire in the hole!” the black pony yelled. Suddenly, there was a tremendous, earth-shaking explosion, and the remnants of the fruit stand were thrown into the air and vaporized. The black pony stood up, laughing.

“Now that’s what I call speedy removal!” he quipped, approaching Nimbus. “Don’t worry about this stand, I’ve got it covered. Just be a little more careful next time, okay?”

“Sure!” Nimbus said. Then he remembered something. “Sir!” he called as the pony began to walk away. He turned his head back to acknowledge Nimbus. “Sir, do you happen to know where the home of somepony called ‘Mecha’ is?”

The pony looked thoughtful, then grinned slightly. “Why yes I do,” he said slowly, “and I can take you there, if you want.”

“You can?” Nimbus said, “great!”

“Right this way,” said the pony, turning and heading down a side street, “follow me!”

Nimbus tagged along, following the pony closely. Upon closer examination, he could see the pony had a muscular physique, almost a military build. “Do you know Mecha?” he asked.

“Well, actually I do. We go way back,” the pony said.

“I heard he was a Corporal in the Scouting Division. Is that true?”

The pony smiled. “Yes it is. He did his duty and got out when he could.”

Nimbus raised an eyebrow. For some reason, it seemed like this pony was hiding something from him. He dismissed the thought and continued on. The pony looked back at Nimbus and spoke.

“Looks like you’ve had your share of military time, too.”

Nimbus nearly puffed up with pride. “Yes sir, I’m a flyer in the Equestrian Defense Force.”

“Ah,” said the pony, “and that would explain the lightning cutie mark.”

“Yep, I got that when I was commissioned.”

“Let me see,” said the pony, hanging a left onto another, less-busy street, “so that would make you… probably a 1st Lieutenant now, right?”

“Yes sir,” said Nimbus.

“Well you must be really proud to serve your country,” the pony said. “I know Mecha was when he was in.”

They continued on in silence for a little while until Nimbus finally spoke again. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get the- the-“

“The leg?” the pony said, chuckling. “Don’t be afraid to call it what it is. I won’t be offended. I got it in… a Manticore attack a few years ago.”

Nimbus’s virtual liar alarms were going nuts in his head right now. This pony was definitely lying to him. He decided to play along, however.

“Okay, I see,” he said. The pony suddenly stopped.

“Well, this is it,” he said, “Mecha’s place.”

“I don’t see anypony around, though,” Nimbus said, “are you sure he’s in?”

“Well, I know he is, actually- more or less. I mean, he’s standing right in front of you.”

It took a moment for Nimbus to comprehend what the pony was saying. Then it hit him.

“Wait a moment- you’re Corporal Mecha?”

“The one and only,” said Mecha, “now let’s get inside. I don’t have a lot of time, but I can listen if you have a problem.”

“I have a problem, alright,” said Nimbus.

“How big?” Mecha asked.

“On a scale of one to ten… try 20% worse than ten.”

Mecha frowned. “You’d better come in, then.”

…

Mecha opened the door to his shop slowly. Nimbus couldn’t help but notice how flawlessly it moved. There was no trace of any metallic squeaks, and the metal itself was polished to perfection. Had Mecha done this himself?

“Twenty percent,” Mecha chuckled, “you’ve been hanging out with Rainbow Dash, haven’t you?”

“Well, yeah,” Nimbus said, “I have, but how does-“

“Don’t worry about it,” said Mecha. “Hang around that pony for long enough and you’ll understand.”

“Well, okay,” said Nimbus, “now can we get down to business?”

The impatience in his tone was unmistakable, and Mecha picked up on it. “Well sure,” he said. “Have a seat.”

Nimbus walked over to a seat in Mecha’s kitchen, but he didn’t sit down. Things had to be done.

“Sir, I really need you to help me,” said Nimbus, “it’s a pretty serious problem.’

“Oh yeah?” said Mecha, looking through his pantry, “more serious than what I’m doing?”

Nimbus was confused. “Uh, looking through a pantry?”

“No,” said Mecha, starting to get annoyed by this flyer, “the little problem I’m currently trying to follow up on.” He looked at Nimbus by the seat. “Didn’t they teach you any courtesy at that academy of yours?”

“Hey,” Nimbus said, suddenly losing his formalities, “you can’t insult the Academy.”

“Actually, I can,” said Mecha, “I’m retired.”

“Retired already?” Nimbus mumbled under his breath, “typical Army type.”

“What did you just say?” Mecha roared, lunging and pinning Nimbus to the wall.

“Er, nothing…”

“That’s what I thought. I’ve been through a lot- more than you will ever know. Now we have two options here: the first is that you can sit down, shut up, and we’ll talk. The second-“ he raised his mechanical leg, “is me devising a really quick and painful way of sending you out of here.”

Nimbus looked at the leg, then back at Mecha’s face. The pony wasn’t kidding.

“I’ll go with option number one,” he said, “no offense meant to you,” he quickly added.

“None taken,” said Mecha, “just have a seat and calm down.”

This time, Nimbus sat as Mecha rummaged through the pantry. He looked around at the table. It was well-crafted, and made of solid metal. There were a few poker chips scattered across its surface, and one or two empty bottles present as well.

“You play poker?” he asked.

“Sure do,” Mecha responded, “you should swing by sometime.”

“Yeah,” said Nimbus, “I’ll see what my work schedule’s like.”

“Fair enough,” said Mecha, “but you really shouldn’t let your work dominate your life. Take it from a pony who’s been there.” He suddenly did a double take.

“What the hay? My chocolate’s gone!” He began to pace the room, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling. “Alright, Pinkie Pie, show yourself!”

Inexplicably, Pinkie Pie dropped down from the ceiling behind Mecha, chowing down on a chocolate bar. “Hi, Mecha!” she said between bites, then “come out, gals!”

Slowly, the other ponies began to reveal themselves, stepping out of closets, from under desks, and even from the refrigerator, in Rarity’s case. Mecha’s jaw dropped.

“Well, I do believe I’ve been ambushed,” he said with a grin. “What are you all doing here?”

“We’re with Nimbus,” Twilight said, “and we’re on a mission we’d like your help with.”

“You know I’d love to help you,” Mecha said, “but I’m right in the middle of my own mission right now, as I was just explaining to your friend.”

“Acquaintance,” Rainbow Dash growled. Mecha stared at her.

“Oookay, then. Anyway, I’m afraid I probably can’t assist you. You see, I’m trying to find out the whereabouts of-“

“Princess Luna?” Rarity asked, “so are we.”

“Well,” said Mecha, “that changes things, then. All of you’d better sit down.”

The ponies took seats near Nimbus at the poker table as Mecha explained the situation.

“When Luna was stolen by Eclipse, I naturally decided to act. Unfortunately, I’ve found out nothing that explains him. Have any of you got a lead?”

“Well, as a matter of fact,” Twilight said, “we have, and it’s because of you.”

“Me?” Mecha asked, surprised, “what did I do?”

“You wrote a book,” Applejack said, “a book about something older than the Elements of Harmony.

“Well yes, I did, but-“

“And that’s where I think we can find the answer,” Twilight finished. “You see, in your book, you proposed that the Elements of Harmony, without the presence of a sort of ‘Unifier’, might be imperfect, and therefore, any spell cast by them might be rendered incomplete.”

“Yes,” Mecha said, intrigued, “go on.”

“Well, what if the spell used to finally separate Luna from Nightmare Moon was also incomplete?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Mecha asked.

“First, the resemblance between Nightmare Moon and Eclipse is unmistakable,” said Twilight, “and Eclipse actually called Luna his sister, but Luna’s only known sibling is Celestia, so there must be another explanation. I believe that-“

“That Eclipse is a part of Nightmare Moon, somehow separated by the spell that freed Luna,” Mecha finished for her. “I see.” He paused for a moment, and Twilight was convinced he thought she was crazy. Then Mecha lifted a hoof and cried out in triumph.

“Of course! It all makes sense! Twilight, you are a genius!”

“Well, thanks!” Twilight said as Mecha hugged her, practically squeezing the air out of her lungs.

“There’s something else, too,” Nimbus said, “and I don’t know exactly what it means yet, but the image on the Unifier is identical to one my family’s passed down for generations. If I had to guess, Eclipse is probably very interested in something that powerful, and he’s either looking for the Unifier or already has it. In any case, my family may know where we should start looking.”

“Good,” said Mecha, “then let’s hit the road. We have no time to waste.”

Mecha stood and exited the room, with the other ponies following, Pinkie Pie still finishing her chocolate. As they walked outside, they could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon. None of them knew exactly what was to come, but from the looks of things, Eclipse was getting ready to make his next move. Time was running out, and the ponies knew that if they didn’t act fast, things could get a lot worse.

In fact, they already were.

Once again, thank you very much to Itchy for letting me use his OC, Mecha.

Chapter 6: The Bargain

Chapter 6: The Bargain

Princess Luna mustered all the magic she could into her horn for the fifth time that day, making one last attempt to create light. Despite her efforts, only a small spark formed along the horn, which went out almost immediately. The cave she was in remained as dark as ever.

“Ha,” Eclipse’s voice said, chuckling, “it seems you’ve been out of touch with the night for too long, my dear.”

“Vile creature, unhand me at once!” Luna demanded.

“Hmm,” the voice said, “interesting idea. Would you like to be free of this cave?”

Luna’s eyes widened, surprised. Of course, she suspected a trap, but Eclipse’s words sounded surprisingly sincere.

“What dost thou mean, villain?”

As before, Eclipse materialized inches from her face, smiling. “I mean what I say, dear princess. Perhaps you’d care for a walk with me?”

“Thou speakest lies,” Luna said, turning her head away. Eclipse vaporized in front of her and reappeared in her field of vision.

“I do not lie, Luna. Not to family.” He offered her his hoof. “Come with me, and I’ll… explain myself. Not everything is as it seems.”

Hesitantly, Luna took the hoof, and turned to Eclipse. “If thou meanest to trick me, thou shalt regret it.”

Eclipse merely smirked. “Hold on,” he said. In a flash of blue, the cave swam before Luna’s eyes, and shifted into a new image. Now she was standing on top of some kind of tower, looking out over the land. The sun was setting, and for a moment, she could almost pretend she was home.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Eclipse said, “what do you think?”

Luna looked around. The tower appeared to be quite tall, and it was attached to a castle, built of stone as black as night itself. She looked over the rim of the tower and nearly fainted in surprise. The ground was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the castle seemed to fade into the clouds below.

“Were art we?” she gasped.

“Skywatch Tower,” Eclipse said, “an old Alicorn stronghold, as it were, and the stuff of legends. It floats in the sky on a field of magic, which makes it impossible for most ponies to discover.” He turned to Luna. “The magic here is strong, to have held for so long, do you not agree?”

Despite her lingering distrust, Luna was impressed. The Alicorns of the past had obviously been very powerful and skilled.

“Verily,” she said, “but thou must have some purpose for bringing me out here. Let us not waste time. What dost thou want with me?”

Eclipse turned to her. “In time, you will know. There is more to see first.”

He took Luna and led her down the tower’s twisting spiral staircase, and into a large room, a throne room, perhaps, Luna observed.

“When I returned to this world, I sought out this place, seeking refuge from those who had harmed me,” Eclipse said, walking past an elaborately carved dining table and up to a tall throne. “I rested here, regaining my strength-“ he looked at Luna, “you must not realize how hard it is… being only half of someone, I mean. Breaking free of the bonds created by the Elements of Harmony was hard.” He stopped and looked sideways at Luna. “Then again, perhaps you do know how hard it is to be a half of someone. After all, you’re in that very same predicament now.”

“What dost thou mean?” Luna asked, turning away from the exquisitely-crafted silver chandelier she was looking at.

“Well, perhaps I should give you a little background,” Eclipse said, stepping down from the throne.

“Spare me,” said Luna, “thou already explained thine story.”

“Then you must understand why neither of us is complete, then,” said Eclipse. “As long as the other exists as a separate entity, neither of us will be whole.”

“Dost thou mean that we are both mere shadows of ourselves?” Luna asked, suddenly worried.

“Yes,” Eclipse said, nodding, “and that is why I’ve brought you here.”

“To join us together,” Luna confirmed.

“Yes.”

“Well, I shalt have no part of this plan!” Luna said.

Eclipse walked her towards a nearby door and opened it. “Of course you won’t, knowing me as I am right now, but give me some time before you truly decide.”

Luna couldn’t tell, but Eclipse’s horn was glowing faintly, just faintly enough to indicate that he was mustering some magic. She didn’t know yet, but her failure to realize this would be her most costly mistake yet.

…

“Right,” said Rainbow Dash, as she, her friends, Nimbus, and Mecha walked out of the Canterlot location of “Mecha’s Metalworks,” “now we need to split up if we want to get going. I’ll go with the rest of the mares,” she said.

“Okay,” said Nimbus, “and I’ll stop by my rented room. I have a few things I need to pick up.”

“We’ll meet back at the gates to the palace in an hour,” Twilight said, “and let’s try to hurry. We can’t afford to waste much time.”

“Okay,” said Nimbus, “see you in an hour, then.” He and Mecha walked down the road, Nimbus leading this time.

“Hey,” Nimbus said, turning to Mecha, “sorry about how I acted back there.”

Mecha shrugged, brushing it off. “It’s no big deal, really. You just need to think about what you say before you say it. Ponies who’ve just joined the military tend to be a bit highly strung,” he said, the quickly added, “not that it’s a bad thing, but you’ll learn to calm down and relax now and then. Trust me when I say you’ll be better off learning early.” He glanced down at the helmet still dangling at Nimbus’s side.

“Why are you carrying that?” he asked.

“Believe me,” Nimbus said, “I would have put it down a long time ago, but-“ he picked up the helmet by the strap and showed Mecha his amphibious hitchhikers, “I’ve kind of got company.”

“Frogs?” Mecha inquired, “with cutie marks?”

“Not exactly,” said Nimbus, “they’re the rest of my security detail. Eclipse did this to them.”

“Hm,” said Mecha, “I don’t know any way to cure them for now, but I do know a way to keep them safe while we’re gone.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Mecha said, “let’s stop by the school on the way out of town.”

“Fair enough,” said Nimbus, turning and walking up the steps to a small Bed and Breakfast. “Here we are.” He opened the door for Mecha, and the two walked in. Nimbus headed upstairs with Mecha following, and unlocked a door at the top. Inside was his room, which contained a perfectly-made bed, as well as a few military journals and a chest.

Mecha looked at the bed with a raised eyebrow. “Not half bad,” he said, “those hospital corners are excellent!”

“Thanks,” said Nimbus, “I’ve been doing that since I left the Academy. It seems like the polite thing to do. One less task for the room cleaners.”

Mecha nodded, “well, that’s certainly commendable.” He looked over at Nimbus, who had just opened the chest and was now digging through its contents. “Watcha got in there?”

“Oh, not much,” Nimbus confided, “just my gear, mostly- there we go!” He pulled about what appeared to be two streamlined sheathes with two leather straps on each, and began fastening them to his front legs. Mecha was intrigued.

“What exactly are those?” he asked. “I’m kind of amazed to say I’ve never seen anything like them before.”

“Well, I can show you,” said Nimbus, “but I’d ask that you stand back.”

Mecha complied, stepping to the corner of the room. Nimbus nodded, then reared up on his back legs, raising his front ones in the air. He flexed them inwards slightly, and before Mecha could so much as blink, a shiny, sharp blade slid out of each sheath, making a sort of “shing” noise.

“Impressive,” Mecha said, as Nimbus pressed the blades back into the sheathes by setting his hooves back on the ground, “do you mind if I give it a look?”

“Sure,” said Nimbus, handing him a sheath. Mecha took it, studied it for a moment, found the pressure point, and pressed it, extending the blade again.

“An effective air-to-air weapon,” he mused, “concealed and streamlined, but sharp and light enough to cause damage in flight.” He looked to Nimbus. “I do see one flaw, though.”

“What’s that?” Nimbus asked. Mecha motioned for him to come closer and examine the blade. When Nimbus was close enough, Mecha indicated a few small pockmarks on the blade’s tip.

“These,” he said, “are from your sheathing methods. There’s no way to retract the blades.”

“Can that be helped?” Nimbus asked.

“Actually,” said Mecha, “it can. If you’d let me tinker with one of these on the road, I could probably improve it.”

“Well, thanks!” said Nimbus, “I’ll pay you for it, too.”

Mecha shook his head. “Not necessary. If it’s for the military, I’ll do it for free.”

“Well… thanks again,” Nimbus said, in awe.

“Is that all you need?” Mecha asked, throwing the sheath into a bag.

“Yep, that about takes care of it,” said Nimbus.

“Great, then let’s get moving.”

On the way out, Nimbus threw down a few more bits to cover the room’s payment for the next few nights. He had a feeling that he’d be gone for quite a while.

…

“Come on, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around Twilight’s room, “it’s time to go on an adventure!”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Twilight Sparkle responded, packing a select few necessities into her bag, “I just have to finish packing!” She reached into the wardrobe containing her belongings and pulled out a jeweled box. “Whoa,” she thought, “how did I forget that?”

“Spike!” she called. Her dragon companion waddled out of the bathroom. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Spike, I need you to keep the Elements of Harmony safe while I’m gone!” Twilight said, shoving the box into Spike’s hands.

“Okay,” Spike said, “but-“

“Also,” she said, dumping a handful of bits on top of the box, “I need you to pay for this room for a few more nights.” She thought for a moment, then added a few more bits. “These are for you. Go have some fun in Canterlot while I’m away.”

“Really?” Spike asked, looking at Twilight with delight, “thanks!”

“Don’t mention it,” Twilight countered, going back to her packing.

“How long are you going to be-“

“I don’t know, Spike,” Twilight said, cutting the dragon off. “I just know that those Elements need to be really safe for the next couple of days.”

“Alright, so when-“

“No time! Bye Spike!” Twilight said, patting the little dragon on the head and walking out the door. Pinkie Pie bounced out after her, leaving Spike utterly confused.

At the building’s entrance, the rest of Twilight’s friends were waiting.

“Ready?” Rainbow Dash asked, flapping her wings and lifting off the ground.

“Ready as I’ll ever-“ Twilight froze, looking at Rarity. The pony was wearing a large, shiny, gold necklace.

“You’re bringing that?” she asked, disbelieving.

“But of course, darling,” Rarity crowed, “isn’t it simply marvelous?”

“Not for this!” Twilight said. “Suppose we have to hide. You’ll give us away! Remember what happened when you wore that festive dress when we were watching the Great Dragon Migration?”

Rarity blushed. “Oh, well I suppose-“

“Just put it inside with my things for now,” Twilight said.

Rarity walked in, and inside, Twilight could hear crashing noises, followed by mumbled swears. Finally, Rarity trotted back out, bruised and battered, but satisfied. “Done,” she beamed. Twilight was about to ask where she’d stored the necklace, but thought better of it.

“Well,” she said, “if that’s everything, then let’s get on over to the palace.”

…

Nimbus and Mecha stopped in front of the Canterlot schoolhouse.

“My daughter’s class is on a field trip here,” Mecha explained. “They all got tickets to the Gala for their service to the Ponyville community. Too bad the darn thing got canceled because of Eclipse.”

“Yeah,” Nimbus said.

“Come on,” said Mecha, “let’s go find my daughter.”

He led Nimbus into the little one-room schoolhouse and was instantly engulfed in a sea of little fillies and colts. The place was certainly packed. Cherilee, the teacher, was up on the blackboard, writing something about the Grand Galloping Gala’s history when Mecha and Nimbus walked in.

“Mecha!” she said, “so pleased to see you! How’s my favorite cripple?” she teased.

Mecha grinned. “Just fine,” he said. “Can I see my daughter for a second?”

“Of course,” Cherilee said, “Sugary Spice?”

A little orange pony stood up and ran over to Mecha. “Hey, dad!” she practically squealed with delight.

“Hey there, Sugary Spice!” Mecha said, giving her mane a friendly rub, “I’d like to talk to you, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, Dad!” Sugary Spice said, leading Mecha and Nimbus out.

“Now Sugary,” Mecha said, after the schoolroom door was closed, “how’d you like to take care of a few…” he looked to Nimbus for a word.

“Pets,” Nimbus mouthed.

“Er, take care of a few pets while I’m gone for a couple of days?”

“Pets?” Sugary Spice asked in excitement. In response, Nimbus held his helmet out in front of her so she could see the frogs inside.

“Wow, cool! Frogs!”

Nimbus winced on the word “frogs.” He still knew them as his comrades, and referring to them as pets was just plain weird.

“That’s right,” said Mecha. He pointed to Nimbus. “This is Nimbus, a friend of mine, and these are his frogs. I want you to take good care of them, and don’t let them near the explosives!”

“We’re gonna be staying in the Canterlot shop for a little while longer, then?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Mecha, “but we’ll get back to Ponyville when I return.”

“Cool!” said Sugary Spice.

“By the way,” Mecha added, “where’s Wolfgang? I thought you were taking him to class today.”

“He’s around here somewhere,” Sugary Spice said. Suddenly, Nimbus was thrown to the ground by an unseen force. Pinned on his back, he whipped out the sheath he’d kept and extended the blade… then stopped. On top of him was a young Timberwolf cub.

“And there’s Wolfgang,” Mecha said to Nimbus, “it seems he likes you.”

The wolf licked Nimbus’s face, causing the Pegasus to laugh. “That’s fine by me,” he said, “you’ve got a great pet here!”

The dog’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and he slunk off of Nimbus.

“What?” the pony asked, “was it something I said?”

“By Fenrir’s grizzled chin, of course it was something you said!” the dog spoke.

Nimbus froze. “Did you just-“

“Yes, I just talked. How many ponies do I have to explain this to?”

“Take it easy,” Nimbus said, retracting his blade, “I meant no insult.”

“Wolfgang,” Mecha said, and the wolf turned to acknowledge him, “watch over Sugary Spice and the shop, will you? I’ll be gone for a little while.”

The wolf nodded. “It’s as good as done!” He then took off in the direction of the shop. Mecha chuckled.

“Alright then, Sugary Spice, let’s get you back to class.”

He opened the door and escorted the little Earth Pony back to her seat. He then proceeded to Cherilee at the front of the classroom.

“Hey, Cherilee,” he said, “I’m going to be gone for a few days. Think you can help out Sugary Spice if she ever needs somepony?”

“I sure will,” said Cherilee, giving Mecha a quick kiss on the cheek and eliciting an “aww” from the class.

“Thanks,” Mecha said, walking out, “you’re the best.” Nimbus started following him when the purplish-pink pony spoke.

“Oh, and Mecha-“

The black pony turned around, as did Nimbus.

“I didn’t know you had a friend in the EDF. Perhaps you both can come to class next week in Ponyville to tell everyone how your respective branches work together!”

“That’d be great!” Mecha said.

“Er…” was all Nimbus could say.

“Next Thursday should do,” said Mecha.

“Alright, see you then!” said Cherilee, as Mecha dragged a very shell-shocked Nimbus out the door.

…

It wasn’t long before Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy spotted Nimbus and Mecha walking up the road to the palace gate.

“You ready?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Sure am,” Nimbus replied.

“Good,” said Twilight. “I understand we’re going to your family’s home first,” she said to Nimbus.

“Correct,” Nimbus said, “but we can’t go by conventional means: no flying, walking, or magic.”

“Then how are we supposed ta get there?” asked Applejack.

Nimbus grinned, almost wickedly. “By boat.”

…

Eclipse led Luna into a dimly-lit corridor. At the end of it was something huge and green, catching whatever light was in the room. Luna squinted at it. It appeared to be some kind of gem.

“This,” said Eclipse, taking Luna into the corridor, “is why I returned.”

“What is that strange object?” Luna inquired.

“That, my dear princess, is the answer to all of Equestria’s problems. It is an artifact, older than the Elements of Harmony. It is… a kind of focus for the Elements, taking their power and purifying it, so to speak. When I was dormant, trapped by the Elements, I gained knowledge of this wonder. It wasn’t hard. As a tree trunk has rings, which can allow one to see its history, so too could I see the history of the Elements of Harmony I knew something much more powerful had created them. It took much searching, but I finally found the creator here, locked away in this castle. It stands before you now. If one could tap into this power, Equestria could be freed of all evil, forever. You see, Luna, I’ve changed. I’ve strove to become more like you, like the personality I was always jealous of. There is only one thing which prevents me from using this power. You see, I cannot wield it in this form, incomplete as I am. I am too weak. I need you to join your spirit with mine once more, and we can save Equestria.”

Luna didn’t say anything. Instead, she moved closer to the gem. It was, in fact, green, with a hexagonal shape, and gold trim bordering it. There were also three symbols on the gem: a horn, a feather, and a hoof. Three gold handles also protruded from its side. Luna exhaled, seeing her breath in the cold air. Her friend, Mecha, had theorized about this artifact’s existence, and now she was standing right in front of it!

She turned around, and Eclipse was standing right behind her, eyes and horn glowing. Immediately, she felt at peace. Eclipse, it now seemed was her friend beyond any doubt.

“Now, my darling sister, what is your answer? Will you allow yourself to be joined into my being so that I may be made whole and able to wield this powerful artifact?”

“Of course, brother,” Luna said, her eyes now glowing a bright blue, like Eclipse’s. “I would do anything for you.”

Eclipse smirked. Mind controlling someone like Luna was difficult, but not impossible. She had a strong will, but given even a sliver of doubt, even the strongest mental defenses couldn’t stand an expert mind-controller’s influence.

“Then let the ritual begin,” he said, laughing.

Once again, more characters from Itchy. I thank him again for Sugary Spice and Wolfgang, two members of Mecha's little family. Please comment if you wish!

Chapter 7: The Finer Points of Sailing

Chapter 7: The Finer Points of Sailing

The Canterlot docks were alive with the smell of fresh water and fish, and the sounds of the Great Equestrian River’s flow, boats coming in and out, and of course, swearing sailor ponies were everywhere. On top of it all, Pinkie Pie was bouncing along excitedly.

“Oh, goody! Boats!” she cried, bouncing over to a party barge festooned with bright ribbons, a lounge, and balloons. “Can we take this one?”

“No, Pinkie,” said Twilight, “that’s not our boat.”

“Aww,” Pinkie said, hanging her head. Her misery was short-lived, however.

“Well… what about this one?” She had now bounced right over to a yacht. On deck was a small tennis court. Twilight smacked herself in the head with her hoof. Ignoring Pinkie, she turned to Fluttershy. The yellow and pink Pegasus was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

“What’s wrong, Fluttershy?” she asked.

“T-t-too much noise!” she whispered.

“Oh, I see.”

“Aw, take it like a Pegasus,” Rainbow Dash said, swooping down next to her and landing gracefully on the dock.

“Rainbow,” Twilight hissed.

“Sorry,” said Rainbow Dash, “I just don’t think there’s really any reason to be scared here.”

“Well, Fluttershy might think differently,” Twilight said, “right, Flutter-?”

She stopped. Fluttershy was no longer next to her. She turned around and saw the Pegasus staring at something, petrified, shaking uncontrollably, and biting her hooves.

“Fluttershy?” she asked, “what is it?” Then she followed Fluttershy’s gaze. She was staring at a pony who’d just caught a large fish off the dock. When she turned back to her friend, Fluttershy had a certain glint in her eye; a glint Twilight knew all too well.

“Oh no,” she breathed. Fluttershy drew in a big intake of breath and suddenly just about exploded at the fisherpony.

“What in Equestria is the matter with you? Did that fish ever do anything to you? Put it back where it came from right *now!*”

Startled, the pony complied, dropping the fish back in the water.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered. Nimbus just stared back at the commotion, openmouthed. He’d been talking with the dock attendant, arranging a boat rental. When Fluttershy exploded, Nimbus doubted even something as legendary as a sonic rainboom could have gotten his attention faster. He finished signing the release papers for his boat and walked back with Mecha to the rest of the ponies.

“What was that all about?” he asked no one in particular.

“Just a little fishing trouble, is all,” Applejack said, “it’s all taken care of.”

“Well alright then,” said Nimbus, not entirely convinced. “Anyway, I just got a boat. Let’s go check it out. It’s at dock D-4.”

“Great!” said Twilight.

“I hope it’s fast,” Rainbow Dash added. Nimbus simply shrugged.

“I don’t know what it’s going to be like. I just got the best one for the money.”

“Good call,” said Mecha.

“I just hope it won’t be too… unsightly,” Rarity said, “no offense, Nimbus.”

“None taken,” Nimbus replied, finding the dock. Tied to it was… not what anypony was expecting, to be sure.

“We’re going in this?” Rarity said, obviously appaled, “this doesn’t blend with my style in the least!”

“That doesn’t look fast at all!” Rainbow Dash said.

“And it’s got holes in it,” Applejack exclaimed.

“Couldn’t be helped,” Nimbus said, “that’s all the money I’ve got right now.”

Tied to the dock was what had obviously once been a proud sailboat. Its paint was flaking everywhere, and the hull- whatever parts of it weren’t composed of rotting wood- was rusting quite miserably. There was still a sail- or at least part of one. A stump about as tall as Nimbus stood from the center of the deck. Gingerly, Twilight placed a hoof inside the very-nearly derelict vessel.

“Well,” she said, stepping in all the way, “at least it’s seaworthy.”

The others stepped in, following her example.

“Are those… tooth-marks?” Fluttershy asked, indicating a row of perfectly-spaced indentations in the roof of the boat’s small, enclosed navigation room.

“Could be,” Mecha said, “in fact, it looks almost like those of a-“

“Don’t tell me,” Fluttershy said, “I’d rather not know.” Mecha shrugged and took a seat as Nimbus untied the boat’s line.

“So where to?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking the wheel without really asking if anyone else wanted it.

“Upriver,” Nimbus responded. Rainbow looked at him like he was crazy.

“What?” Nimbus asked.

“You did say upriver, right?”

Nimbus nodded.

“And you do realize that this boat couldn’t even do that when it had a sail, right?”

Nimbus was in shock, trying to understand his blunder. Finally, he facehoofed himself. “You’re right,” he said, kicking the boat’s side. “I’ll just get off and-“ he stopped as he realized that the boat was now drifting downriver. They still had the tie-down rope, but the dock was too far away.

“Dang,” was all Nimbus could say.

“Good job, smarty-hooves,” Rainbow Dash said. Nimbus couldn’t help notice that her tone was more playful than sarcastic this time, however. Perhaps she was starting to get used to his presence.

“Well,” said Twilight slowly, “I have a plan that might work…”

…

“You know this is ridiculous, right?” Rainbow Dash asked as Twilight tied the tie-down rope around her midsection.

“That it may be, but this is the only plan we’ve got that works. None of us can pull and swim, but you can pull and fly. Besides, we’ll swap you out with Nimbus and Fluttershy during the trip.”

“Brilliant,” Rainbow Dash moaned.

The boat had run aground about thirty feet from the dock, and Mecha had volunteered to run back to the dock’s small restaurant and pick up sandwiches for dinner. Now he was returning.

“So this is your plan,” he said to Twilight, pointing to Rainbow Dash, “I like it!”

“Well, we’ll see how it works,” Twilight said as Mecha got back into the boat, “have you seen Pinkie?”

Mecha shook his head.

“Here I am!” Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping into the boat from the shore and nearly flipping it.

“Okay, that’s everypony,” Twilight said. “Ready, Rainbow?”

“Ready,” Rainbow Dash confirmed, pawing the deck.

“Okay, then. Three, two, one, go!”

Rainbow Dash took off like a streak of lightning. Twilight braced herself for sudden acceleration. Instead, what she got was a sickening “crack” as Rainbow’s takeoff ripped the rest of the mast clear of the boat. When Rainbow realized she was no longer pulling anything, she turned around and came back.

“Perhaps a slower start next time,” Twilight said, looking forlornly at the hole where the mast used to be.

…

“Yes,” Eclipse murmured, “yes. This is what I’ve waited for so long to finally achieve.”

He was kneeling over the still figure of Luna, encircling her with his wings. Slowly, a green light was pulsing out of her horn and into Eclipse’s wings; her consciousness. In a manner of moments, the Alicorn in front of Eclipse would be nothing more than a shell. Every second the energy pulsed through his system, Eclipse felt better- more complete.

“So this is what it’s like to be whole,” he thought, “I haven’t felt like this since-“

He stopped. He dared not mention the name of Nightmare Moon. That… thing had been primarily Luna’s creation, born of jealousy. He supposed he had Nightmare Moon to thank for his existence, but that was the extent of his admiration. He was something new; the child of Nightmare Moon’s hatred and ambition; a being becoming more powerful every second. If Nightmare Moon had been able to make Equestria bow before her, what could he, unrestrained by any sliver of compassion do? He chuckled to himself. Luna had been so susceptible…

He gazed up at the great, green gem above him. Soon, he would be able to wield its power- whatever its power was, and when he could, no force in Equestria, not even the Elements of Harmony, would be able to resist him.

He looked back down at the Princess of the Night below him. She was pale, not breathing. One could easily believe she was dead, but a true master of magic would know instantly that her consciousness had simply been absorbed. He brushed the matter aside, however. No one would be able to reach Skywatch Tower, and even if somepony did, he’d be powerful enough to deal with the threat himself. Only a little longer to go…

…

“Alright,” said Twilight Sparkle to Rainbow Dash, “so what did we learn?”

“Not… to just take off like it’s a race,” Rainbow responded, somewhat halfheartedly.

“That’s right,” Twilight said, refastening the rope to both Rainbow Dash and the boat’s bow, “now let’s try this again, shall we?”

By now, the sun was going down. It had been a long day, with a lot of work crammed into a short time. Hopefully, they could all relax on the boat tonight. Slowly, Rainbow Dash started hovering above the deck. When she felt she was high enough, she began to move forward slowly, pulling the boat with her. Cheers erupted from the docks.

“I was unaware we had spectators,” Nimbus mused.

Mecha nodded. “Yeah, well finally launching this boat is quite an accomplishment.”

As they began to pull out under Pegasus power, Nimbus suddenly heard the roaring of a motor. He looked behind the boat and saw a sleek yacht approaching. Its decks were packed with ponies, and they appeared to be following the boat.

“Can anypony tell me what they’re doing here?” Nimbus asked, pointing with a hoof towards the yacht.

Pinkie Pie took a glance back excitedly. “Oh boy! They’re here!”

“Who’s here?” Applejack asked, confused.

“The documentary crew!” Pinkie replied, jumping up and down and rocking the boat.

“The who?” Mecha asked.

“Not who, documentary crew!” Pinkie replied.

“A documentary? We’re being filmed?” Rarity almost shrieked, “but I barely combed my mane this morning, and my hooves- I’m so underdressed.”

Apparently Rainbow Dash had caught word of the crew as well, because she’d picked up speed, showing off for the cameras. The crew practically ate the performance up. Twilight, meanwhile, had to wrap herself around the rope and mast-stump to keep both from falling apart.

“Pinkie!” Nimbus called over the waves now spraying over the deck, “can’t you make them go away!”

“Oh, well of course!” Pinkie replied. Signaling Rainbow to stop, she hopped up onto the back of the boat.

“Hey guys,” she called to the camera crew, “it’s too late to film now. See you tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?” Nimbus thought, now thoroughly losing control.

“How was that?” Pinkie asked, hopping back into the boat. Nimbus simply collapsed.

Chapter 8: Family Reunion

Chapter 8: Family Reunion

In all honesty, Nimbus couldn't think of a worse way to wake up. Granted, opening one's eyes three feet below the surface of the Great Equestrian River probably wasn't exactly anyone's idea of a good wakeup, but still…

Nimbus opened his eyes and was promptly greeted by a fish.

"Odd," he thought, not fully realizing that he was drowning, "why is there-?" Then he sucked in a mouthful of water. Now he was fully aware of where he was, and was, needless to say, a bit displeased. He scooted for the surface, using his wings as extra propulsion. Only moments ago, it seemed, he'd been in the boat. What was going on? He was about to reach the surface of the water, when something grabbed him by the midsection and lifted him bodily out of the water, flinging him onto the deck of his boat. Nimbus coughed and gasped as his vision returned to normal he soon noticed that the sun was apparently up again. Perhaps he'd slept.

"Well, at least he's still breathing," he heard a familiar voice say. "Mecha," he realized.

As he looked around the boat, he could see the group of ponies staring at him. Near the navigation room, Twilight Sparkle was grilling Rainbow Dash.

"-and that's exactly why you need to watch your speed!" Twilight practically yelled.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Nimbus looks okay to me."

"He might be," said Twilight, "but the boat isn't!"

Nimbus stood groggily out, spitting out a good deal of river water.

"What happened?" he asked.

Twilight turned to him. "Our dear friend Rainbow Dash decided to showboat a little bit," she said, then added "no pun intended. Long story short, she went too fast and stuck us on this rock."

Twilight indicated a large rock which was currently poking through the bottom of the vessel.

"Mecha's trying to figure out how to fix the leak right now," Twilight added, "but anyway, the impact knocked you out of the boat."

"Was I asleep?" Nimbus asked.

"Yes you were," Rainbow Dash said, alighting next to him, "all night, in fact. Way to pay attention."

"Now Rainbow Dash," said Rarity, "everyone needs their beauty sleep, right Nimbus?"

Nimbus turned around and very nearly lost last night's dinner over the side of the boat before turning back to Rarity.

"Sure," he said.

"I swear," said Applejack, "If we could fix boats with the way all y'all are carryin' on, we'd be sailin' right now!"

"I'm sorry," said Nimbus, "you're right." He turned to Mecha. "Anything you need?"

Mecha squinted at the damage for a moment, then turned to Nimbus. "As a matter of fact, yes. I need you and another Pegasus to fly out of here and go collect some wood."

"Done," Nimbus said, looking at both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, "now who do I take with me?"

Rainbow crossed her arms and turned away. Nimbus looked at Fluttershy.

"P- p- please, I'd rather not go out there," she said, shaking and pointing out of the boat. Nimbus looked. Trees were growing on both sides of the river, and the forest was deep and dark. He could definitely see Fluttershy's cause for concern.

"Alright," he said, turning to Rainbow Dash, "what about you?"

"Fine," she sighed, "but you can't be a slowpoke."

Nimbus groaned. "Whatever. I wasn't planning on flying over the trees, anyway."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Then how are you-?'

"We're going through them," Nimbus said with a wink.

Rainbow Dash gulped. For someone who felt she could master the skies, the task at hand suddenly seemed rather daunting.

"Okay, let's go!" Nimbus shouted, propelling himself off the deck. Rainbow Dash followed. Nimbus rocketed into the trees at the riverside, and began to weave in and out of the trees, rolling, banking, and practically hugging the ground. He had just entered a clearing when Rainbow Dash overtook him, rocking Nimbus with displaced air.

"Hey, wait!" Nimbus called, "watch out for that-!"

Rainbow Dash impacted a rather large Zapapple tree, and Nimbus couldn't help but wince at the hit. Rainbow Dash hit with enough force for the tree to deliver maximum shocking power. Rainbow never stood a chance. She was catapulted through the air, and landed at Nimbus's feet as he stopped.

"That… was not supposed to happen," Rainbow said as her eyes began to stop spinning.

Nimbus sighed, "out here, flying low like this, it's not all about speed."

"Oh yeah? And what made you such an expert, huh?"

Nimbus shrugged, "that's the way I always practiced. See, the land where I grew up is a lot like this. I had a lot of time to practice flying low-level. Avoiding obstacles is one of the first things I learned. That's how I got my first cutie mark, in fact," Nimbus explained, showing off the feather on his flank. "The lightning bolt came after I joined the EDF."

"Uh huh," Rainbow Dash said, "but you're still pretty darn slow."

Nimbus put a hoof to his chin, deep in thought. "You know, perhaps we could strike a deal here."

Rainbow's eyebrow went up. "What kind of deal?"

"Simple," said Nimbus, trotting in a circle around Rainbow Dash, "you teach me to fly fast, and I'll teach you how to maneuver."

Rainbow Dash smiled involuntarily- then caught herself. Best not to show any excitement yet. "Hmm," she said, "perhaps…" She crossed her arms. Nimbus waited, staring her straight in the eyes. "Okay, fine!"

"Then we have a deal," said Nimbus, "so which do we learn first?"

"Speed, without a doubt," said Rainbow Dash, "or our friends are going to sink before we get there."

…

"Why?" Eclipse groaned, "why won't you work?!"

He threw the large green gem down in frustration. He'd long since absorbed Luna's essence, but he'd had no success in learning how to use the Unifier. He felt more alive than he ever had, perhaps even more than when he'd been Nightmare Moon. It seemed Luna's power had increased since then- perhaps this new concept of friendship. He growled. He'd have to get rid of that particular idea as soon as possible.

Using his magic, he picked up the Unifier once more. Touching it with his magic seemed to do something. He felt more powerful when he had contact with it. It took him a moment before he realized what was happening.

"I'm absorbing its energy," he realized aloud, "as long as I have contact with it." He looked around, then grinned as he looked back at the hole in the wall where the Unifier had once stood proudly.

"So that's what this is for," he said, removing a gold chain from the socket. The chain had a link on it, which appeared to attach to the Unifier. "At last," he whispered, "I have the key to power. I will bide my time as I grow stronger, but as long as this is near me, I shall always gain from it." He fastened the Unifier to the chain, then placed it around his neck. He moved up to the throne room and glanced out the massive window in the direction of Canterlot. Soon, the regal kingdom would fall, and with it, Equestria. Adding Luna's power to his own had made him strong- stronger, he believed, than Princess Celestia herself. Still, best not to take chances. He'd attack when he knew he'd have the upper hoof.

A single, solitary spark traveled up the chain, and disappeared into his mane, sending a shiver down his spine. It wouldn't be long, now. Soon, he'd be powerful enough to make his move, and when that happened, nopony would be able to stop him.

…

Nimbus landed back on the boat a few seconds after Rainbow Dash touched down. He was completely exhausted. As he dropped his load, he took one look at Rainbow Dash, smiled, and collapsed to the deck.

"Yeah, your speed's not bad. I suppose you learn pretty quick, but you still need some work."

She turned to Mecha, "this enough wood?' Mecha glanced at the pile of lumber in front of him.

"Eeyup," he said, "that'll do. I'll get to work right away. Twilight-"

The purple Unicorn looked up.

"Do you think you can lift this boat in the air for a few seconds?"

"I'll give it a try," Twilight answered, her horn glowing and encircling the boat with a reddish-purple light. Slowly, the craft rose off the rock and into the air. Mecha immediately went to work, and within seconds, patched the hole. Nimbus was impressed. He'd never seen anypony work so fast before. When the boat settled, it was as good as new. Perhaps better, Nimbus realized, remembering the condition in which he'd received it.

He turned to Rainbow Dash. "Want a break?" he asked. "I could pull for a while."

Rainbow Dash was about to object, when Twilight cut in. "I think you'd better. You've been at this since we started."

Rainbow Dash grumbled, took two steps, then collapsed to the deck, asleep.

"Well, I told her," Twilight said, heading back to the navigation room. Nimbus took the rope and fastened it to himself.

"Hey," he called to Twilight, who was now at the wheel, "I think we're close now. I'll let you know when we get there."

"Great!" Twilight said. The others settled back, and Nimbus was off, pulling the boat along. Something troubled him, however- he knew there was something that stood between him and his home, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what it was. He hoped to Celestia that it wasn't something dangerous.

…

The sun was already going down when Nimbus finally saw the first indicator of home.

"Private Property," he said, reading the sign with ominous red wording on it by the riverside, "yep, we're close now."

Twilight stuck her head out of the navigation room. "Private Property?" she asked Nimbus, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it," said Nimbus, "we're not far."

Twilight shook her head and went back to steering. Nimbus turned back to the river and continued on. Suddenly, something shook the boat below. Fluttershy's eyes went wide, and she fell over, fainting.

"What in Equestria was that?" Applejack asked.

"It's probably just a log," Nimbus explained, though he wasn't convinced. They traveled farther, when the bump happened again.

"Really, Nimbus," Rarity said, peering over the boat's side, "do try to be more careful."

"But I am being careful," Nimbus said, "I've been-"

He was interrupted by a sudden scream from Rarity.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, poking her head out again.

"There's something down there!" Rarity said, biting her hooves. Mecha looked where Rarity had indicated.

"I don't see anything," he said.

"But there was an eye!" Rarity insisted, " a huge eye!"

Mecha looked up suddenly. "An eye, you say?"

"Yes."

"Luna preserve us," he whispered, "then it fits."

"What fits?" Applejack asked, stepping over the sleeping Rainbow Dash and unconscious Fluttershy to get to Mecha.

"Well, this is the same stalking pattern used by most River Serpents," Mecha explained.

"Ooh, what's a River Serpent?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Think of a Sea Serpent," Mecha said, "but meaner, and more dangerous."

"Oh, goody!" Pinkie said, then realized what Mecha had just told her. "Oh, wait- that's not good at all."

"Right you are," said Mecha. " The best thing we can do is keep away from the sides of the boat."

"No need to twist my leg to get me to do that," said Applejack, getting as far away from the sides as she could. From above, Nimbus suddenly turned around. "See that bend in the river ahead?" he called out, "my family lives right around it! We're almost there!"

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. A tad premature, it seemed, because at that instant, the water in front of the boat exploded upwards. Nimbus was almost hit by a large, muscular, serpentine body that sprang up from the river's depths. When the water finally settled, he saw what was really in front of him. He was, in fact, staring down a massive River Serpent.

"So that's what I forgot about," he said, trying not to look too scared.

"What is that?" Twilight asked.

"It's our protection," he said," from intruders."

"So your family keeps a River Serpent practically in their front yard?" Rarity asked, somewhat appalled.

"I need to look into that," Mecha mumbled.

"In answer to your question," Nimbus said to Rarity, "yes." He looked back at the Serpent, who was still glaring at him, "and I think I've forgotten the password."

"Well, this is just great," said Pinkie, glaring up at the beast, "doesn't he remember you?"

"Well yeah," said Nimbus, "but for all he knows, I could be a Changeling."

"Good point," said Pinkie. At that moment, Rainbow Dash woke up.

"Hey," she said groggily, "what's all the commotion about?" Then she saw the Serpent.

"Hang on, guys!" she said, launching herself at the creature, "I've got this!"

"Wait!" Nimbus said, "that's not a good-" Rainbow Dash smacked the creature in the face, "-idea."

The Serpent glared, then went back underwater.

"See?" said Rainbow Dash, "he wouldn't dare mess with me."

"I don't think that's it," said Mec ha. "I hope you guys can swim."

"Why would you ask that?" Twilight said, coming on deck, then she came to the same conclusion that Mecha had come to.

"Oh."

She barely got the word out when the boat splintered as the Serpent broke through the deck, scattering ponies everywhere. Nimbus looked down at the devastation. Fluttershy was amazingly still out cold, safe on a piece of driftwood, but everyone else was trying to stay afloat. He racked his brain, trying to remember what to say to the Serpent, but the words wouldn't come to him. The Serpent rose up from the water again, jaws wide. This wasn't going to be a simple scare attack this time. Now the creature was going for the kill. Nimbus was about to say something, anything, when Fluttershy came to.

"Oh my," she said, seeing the Serpent about to make a meal out of Nimbus, "excuse me, Mr. River Serpent," she whispered. The creature turned from Nimbus to her, and fixated his large, yellow eyes on her.

"Why are you hurting my friends?" she asked, appalled, "you should really know better."

"But this is my job!" the Serpent said, hissing, "I have to defend my keepers!"

"But that orange Pegasus is one of your keepers!" Fluttershy said. The Serpent looked bac k at Nimbus, then back to Fluttershy.

"Then why doesn't he know the passphrase?"

"I've been away for a while," Nimbus explained. The Serpent glared at him.

"It's the truth," Fluttershy said. The Serpent settled down to Fluttershy's eye level and spoke again.

"Very well, you may pass, but I'll have my eyes on you."

"Pass?" Rainbow Dash asked, dragging herself onto the river bank, evidently awake now, "well how are we supposed to do that without a boat?"

"You won't have to," a voice said behind her. Rainbow Dash whipped around. Emerging from the trees were two Pegasi. Their cutie marks were those of a storm cloud and a tornado, each with a lightning bolt through them.

"I trust it is us you seek?" The first of the Pegasi spoke. He was blue, with a black mane, and he bore the tornado cutie mark.

"Well yes," said Twilight, "are you Nimbus's-"

"Nimbus!" the other pony, yellow, with a black mane said, "you're home!"

Nimbus settled on the ground in front of the ponies. "Sure am," he said. "Hi mom, hi dad."

Chapter 9: Welcome Home

As the others made it to shore, Nimbus introduced the ponies to his parents. They were both very polite, but Nimbus could tell they seemed uneasy about having visitors. Finally, Nimbus’s suspicions were confirmed when his father walked up to him.

“So what brings you and your friends here?” he asked.

“Well, Dad, did you hear about what happened in Canterlot yesterday?”

The blue pony nodded. “I did, yes. Terrible.”

“Well, I was involved,” said Nimbus. “I was a part of the security detail at the Wonderbolts’ performance when Eclipse kidnapped Luna.”

His father raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“I joined up with the rest of the ponies here and tried to find out who Eclipse was and why he took Luna. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that Eclipse is actually a manifestation of the evil side of Nightmare Moon, separated when Luna was freed by the Elements of Harmony. He’s either found or is looking for an old artifact called “The Unifier,” which purifies the Elements. He can’t use it while he only remains as a half of someone else, though, so he’d need Luna’s consciousness to become whole again.”

“So why are you here, then?” his father asked, still confused.

“I wanted to ask you guys or Grandpa if there’s any information about the Unifier’s whereabouts around here.”

Nimbus’s father scratched his chin for a moment. “There is information…” he said slowly, “but it’s only accessible through a very… special manner- a very dangerous manner. The information is on an old scroll we’ve kept over the centuries, but it’s hidden, and no one but this family is to know the whereabouts. Therefore-“ he glanced around at the other ponies, chatting with Nimbus’s mother, “I have to insist that you go alone, with your grandfather.”

Nimbus was about to say something, then stopped. His father was right- the scroll’s safety couldn’t be compromised.

“I understand,” he said.

“Good,” said his father, “then let’s get you and your friends into the house for a bite to eat. You must be starving!”

Nimbus licked his lips in anticipation. He’d been hungry all morning. A meal now would be just the thing to get him going again.

…

Celestia was out on her balcony; she’d been there all day, in fact. Her sister’s disappearance had left her feeling empty, and alone again. The previous night, she’d taken it upon herself to bring forth the night, as she’d done so many years ago. She was tired, and it showed. Celestia let out a sigh.

“My dear sister,” she said, whispering and gazing off into the distance, “you were only here for a short while, and now I’ve lost you again. I know you can’t hear me, but I have a message for you all the same- be strong, little sister. Whatever this ‘Eclipse’ does, stay true to-“

“A personal letter for you, Your Highness.”

Celestia turned around to see one of her Royal Guards with a parchment case attached to his flank. She nodded, and the guard reached into the case and pulled out a scroll. Celestia dismissed him and proceeded to use her magic to unravel the parchment.

“A letter?” she said, “from Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight must have had urgent news if she’d decided to send this letter regardless of Spike’s absence. Teleportation spells were tricky, and often tiring at long distance. She proceeded to read the note aloud, intrigued.

Dear Princess Celestia, it began. The princess smiled, sinking into the letter’s familiar format.

My friends and I have started our journey. I don’t know exactly where we’re headed, or for how long we’ll be gone, but I just wanted to tell you about something I’ve noticed recently.

Our newcomer-Nimbus- I don’t quite know what it is about him, but whenever I’m near him I feel at peace, which is kind of a big deal for stressed-out me. I don’t want to say anything yet, but I’m beginning to think I like him, and not just as a friend. I tried to talk to Rainbow Dash about it, since she’s the one who’s known Nimbus longer than the rest of us, but she just shrugged me off. I think something’s bothering her, too, and I almost wonder if Nimbus is on her mind as well, though if she does like them, she has a very odd way of showing it. Seems the two are constantly competing, although I believe Nimbus is honestly trying to change his ways. Perhaps he’ll learn about humility on this journey, and if he does, perhaps he’ll write to you about it. When this is all over, do you suppose I could talk to you about Nimbus and how I feel about him?

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia was smiling by the end of the letter. It seemed Twilight had finally begun her quest for a significant other. She had known this day would come for a long time, and she was happy to see that today, it had finally arrived. She was just about to pick up a quill and parchment to respond to Twilight’s letter, when the guard appeared again.

“Another letter Your Highness,” he said, handing her a rolled-up piece of parchment tied with a velvet black bow. Celestia was curious- she’d never seen a ribbon like it before.

“Guard,” she inquired, “who sent this?”

The guard shrugged. “I have no idea. It was dropped almost right into my hooves by a big, black bird.

Celestia frowned. Every shred of common sense in her body told her not to open the note, but her curiosity took over. She took the note, thanked the guard again, and walked back into her throne room. As she opened the note, she was surprised. Only a single sentence stood on the paper. Peering closer, she read it.

Surprised to see me again?

Celestia’s heart skipped a beat. If the letter meant what she thought it meant-

“Guards!” she called. No one answered. Instead, the massive throne room doors shut. Celestia leaped off the throne and ran to them, summoning her magic in an attempt to open them, but the massive doors never budged. Then, every light in the throne room went out. Slowly, Celestia turned around to face her throne, with a bad feeling about what was coming next.

“Hello, my dear Princess Celestia, well met, I'm sure.”

From behind the throne, two glowing blue eyes appeared. Celestia knew immediately who it was.

“Eclipse,” she said, summoning her magic, “I was not expecting a visit from you today.”

Eclipse chuckled. “No, I would imagine you didn’t. Still, here I am.” The eyes blinked once, and an eerie green light illuminated the room, emanating from what appeared to be a jewel attached to a gold chain around Eclipse’s neck. Celestia felt she’d seen it before, but she couldn’t place where. The dark stallion walked up to her, unafraid.

“You know I hold the power to defeat you,” Celestia said, “it was foolish to come here alone.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” said Eclipse, staring at the Unifier. “Do you know what this is?”

“A trinket,” said Celestia, lying, “nothing more.”

“Oh no,” Eclipse said, “this is no mere trinket. This is a strong artifact, the key to unlimited power, and don’t try to deny that you know of its existence. Luna was aware of it, and she knew you were, as well.”

Celestia was confused. She really hadn't know what Eclipse was talking about until today, and she was positive that Luna hadn't known. The only explanation would have to be a memory-erasing spell, but she had no way of knowing if she'd been affected by one. “How do you know this?” Celestia demanded.

“Simple. Your beloved sister is a part of me now.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “My sister..."

“And with that in mind, I have a proposition for you.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes, tensing her back legs and lowering her head slightly. “And what might that be?”

Eclipse’s eyes seemed to flash with a sudden blue fire. “I want Equestria. I was destined to rule it, but the form of Nightmare Moon was too weak to achieve the objective. I’m here to finish what I started, but I forget myself. Here is my offer: you surrender-“

Celestia sprung forward, horn bared, ready to do battle with Eclipse. The stallion simply blinked again, and Celestia was sent sailing into a nearby bookshelf, impacting hard.

“Ready to listen now?” Eclipse asked. Celestia simply growled in response.

“Good. Turn Equestria over to me, and I shall create a Utopia for its citizens. I’ll bring about no harm, I will create contentment- everything you and your weak sister could never fully do.”

“And what if I refuse?”

Eclipse shrugged. “Nothing really changes. Using the power of the Unifier, as Luna called it, I still get the throne, but the casualties go up.” He moved up to the throne and sat. “Face it, Celestia- I’m too powerful for you. Make this easier on the citizens of Equestria and give me your authority.”

Standing up slowly, looking defeated, Celestia walked over to where Eclipse was gleefully sitting.

“If it prevents bloodshed,” she whispered, dipping her head and letting her crown fall to the ground, “then I relinquish my role as ruler.”

Eclipse’s mouth turned up in a sneer. “Good. Then my first command is that you are henceforth imprisoned!” A blue dome formed over Celestia, and she sank with it below the throne room floor. She didn’t try to struggle in the least.

“Guards!” Eclipse called. The throne room doors snapped open, and the Royal Guards ran in, weapons bared. Eclipse had but to fix them with his intense blue gaze, and they dropped their arms, however.

“My subjects,” said Eclipse when the guards were all gathered and brainwashed, “I have a task for you. Spread the word that Equestria has a new leader. Celestia is dead- the grief of her lost sister was too much for her, and she simply fell asleep, never to wake up again. I am her successor. Tonight, I will announce a gathering. Every pony in Equestria must be there. It is to be held tomorrow, in the Canterlot town square, and I will personally address them all as their new leader.”

One of the guards, presumably the leader, knelt down. “It shall be done, Your Highness.”

“Good,” said Eclipse, settling back onto the throne, “just the sort of dedication I’ll be expecting.”

…

When the ponies were led inside Nimbus’s family’s house- a large, old, white-painted manor covered in vines, they were immediately treated to a delectable lunch by Nimbus’s parents. Tarts, pies, and sandwiches of all sorts littered the table. Pinkie Pie was positively bursting with excitement at the variety!

“It’s just like a party!” she yelled, then clapped her hands over her mouth, remembering that she was in the company of Nimbus’s family, and that she wanted to make a good impression. Nimbus’s mother simply smiled at her antics. She then motioned for Nimbus to follow her out of the dining room. Nimbus complied, and followed his mother down a long hallway.

“He’s in there,” his mother said, stopping at a room and pointing through the open door. Slowly, Nimbus walked in. Inside, a small fire was blazing, and a bed stood, neatly made. Bookshelves covered almost every wall, and on the fireplace’s mantle… the stone! Nimbus walked over to it. The stone was exactly as he remembered it- shiny, smooth, and a deep green in color. He reached out to touch it…

And was instantly knocked to the floor.

“Nimbus! You’re back!” Nimbus stood as he saw his assailant. He was another Pegasus, but he was a dark grey with a white mane. His cutie mark was the same as the mark on the stone Nimbus had nearly touched: the symbol of the Unifier.

“Grandpa!” Nimbus said, dusting himself off. “Seems you’ve still got the touch.”

The old Pegasus chuckled to himself. “Well, yes, I suppose I do. What brings you here?”

“I want to know about the Unifier.”

The pony froze. “How do you know about that?”

“I read about it,” said Nimbus, turning back to the stone and observing it, “but now there’s somepony out there with the potential to do a lot of damage to Equestria if he gets it.”

“Eclipse,” Nimbus’s grandfather said, “yes, I heard about him. Still, this is a very closely-guarded secret.”

“I know it is,” said Nimbus, “but you can trust me. I’m not a little colt anymore.”

The grey Pegasus chuckled. “I know, but this is a very serious undertaking. I want to make sure you can commit.”

“I will,” said Nimbus.

“Good. Then let’s begin.”

Nimbus’s grandfather crossed the room and pulled a lever hidden behind a book. At once, the fireplace split in two, sliding inwards and to the sides to reveal a set of stone stairs, leading into a dark abyss.

“No one’s been down there in centuries,” the old Pegasus said, “in fact, I’ve only been down once- long ago, in my youth. I’d ask that you remain on guard at all times.”

Nimbus checked his single remaining extendable blade. He suddenly realized that he should have asked Mecha for his other one back, but it was a bit late for that now.

“Why hasn’t anyone been down here?” Nimbus asked.

“Well, as you know, we keep a very old scroll down there- a scroll which, until now, contained writing which spoke of something you never knew about: the Unifier.”

Nimbus nodded, starting down the stairs next to his grandfather.

“When Discord was defeated by the Elements of Harmony the first time, a select few ponies, one from each race, to be exact, helped Celestia and Luna in their battle. In fact, I represented the Pegasi in that particular engagement. While the royal sisters wielded the Elements, we wielded the Unifier. I remember the day well. We had Discord trapped in a magical field, cornered atop a mountain. We were naïve then, and assumed he was defenseless as well. When the Elements were used, we tried to use the Unifier to bolster their strength. Things did not, unfortunately, go as planned. Discord struck out, and every one of us was sent flying off the mountain. By this time, Celestia and Luna were deep within the Elements’ influence, and could do nothing to help. I tried to catch the others as they fell, but I couldn’t reach them in time.”

He hung his head and continued.

“I finally brought the Unifier back to the sisters after the battle. We knew its power couldn’t fall into the wrong hands, so the sisters took me to a place they knew of. I can’t recall the name, but it was a castle, built with stone as black as night, which rested on a mountain which floated high above Equestria. As it turned out, it was a stronghold, built by the Alicorns of old. They’d put a protective spell around the structure, which shielded it from the eyes of most ponies, making it the perfect hiding place. The sisters placed the Unifier inside the castle, and made one final, difficult choice: they erased the event from their memory, leaving me with the scroll detailing the Unifier’s location. Our family is the Unifier’s guardians. That’s why so many of us have taken up arms in Equestria’s defense. We simply don’t want to see that power in the wrong hands. The Unifier was never used, and it shouldn’t need to be used.”

Nimbus nodded. “Unfortunately, if we can’t stop Eclipse soon, it will be used.”

His grandfather looked him straight in the eyes as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Then it seems we’ve got some work to do.”

Chapter 11: The Price of Duty

Chapter 11: The Price of Duty

Nimbus groaned underwater. Amazingly, he was still alive. A movement next to him told him that his grandfather was as well. That didn’t improve his situation, however.

Nimbus was currently pressed up against an old, wooden door, which was being forced shut by the water rushing into the hallway. Unfortunately the door opened inwards, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t get it to budge. He realized that he had about twenty seconds left before he’d have to take a breath. When that happened, drowning would soon follow.

He looked at his grandfather. The old Pegasus seemed to be frantically pointing at him. Nimbus didn’t understand. Then he followed his grandfather’s gaze, which rested on his front leg, most specifically, his blade. Of course!

Thinking quickly, Nimbus extended the blade, and shoved it into the door , parting the old wood with ease. A sharp

cracking and groaning came from the wood, but nothing else happened. He looked to his grandfather, who was nodding frantically, telling him to try again. Nimbus squinted his eyes and shoved the blade with all of his strength. This time, the door completely disintegrated, collapsing from the force of the water and the stress which Nimbus’s blade had caused it.

Nimbus and his grandfather fell out onto the next room’s floor gasping for breath.

“That- was not- supposed to happen,” his grandfather choked.

“No, I totally thought you’d intentionally put spiders in here,” Nimbus groaned, sarcastically.

The two were silent for a moment, as they caught their breath, then Nimbus’s grandfather began to laugh. Nimbus joined in. The feeling of being alive was amazing. Finally, when they stopped, Nimbus rolled to his feet and had a look around. The room they were in now was large, and dome-shaped. The water which had accompanied them was flowing into a grate in the center. All over the wall’s surface was a massive mural, decorated in colored tiles. Behind the grate, also in the center of the room, was a pedestal, with a silver metal dome resting on top of it, covering something. Nimbus stepped closer.

“Wait,” his grandfather said, also standing up, “we don’t know what that does. I vaguely recall this room, but I don’t know how to pass it.”

He took his place by Nimbus and looked at the silver dome. “Yes, this is definitely the key to going on, but I don’t remember-“

“Then I guess we just have to take our chances,” Nimbus said. His grandfather sighed.

“I suppose you’re right. Lift off the dome.”

Nimbus did as he was told, and removed the dome. Below it was an inscription in the pedestal:

“The key to success lies in the clutch of betrayal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nimbus asked, confused.

Suddenly, the dome’s ceiling split into segments, and a faint, rhythmic “whooshing” noise sounded.

“What in Equestria is that?” Nimbus asked. His grandfather didn’t answer, just stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, the door, or rather hole, they’d entered through was sealed off with a massive slab of stone. Finally, his grandfather spoke.

“Pendulums…” he said.

“Pendulums?” Nimbus asked, confused.

“Yes. Sharpened pendulums. They descend slowly from the cracks in the ceiling. We don’t have much time.” He looked around at the tiled murals. “Nimbus, go find the exit. Tell me if it requires a key.”

Nimbus flew over to the opposite end of the room. Under a massive depiction of Celestia was a small, circular door. Its surface was seamless, save for one feature: a square-shaped indent about the size of the tiles used in the murals.

“I think we need to find a tile!” Nimbus called.

“Good, that’s right! Now if only I could remember which one…”

“Well,” Nimbus said, “that phrase we saw mentioned the ‘clutch of betrayal.’ It must be a puzzle.”

“Of course,” said his grandfather, “now we just need to find out which tile is in betrayal’s clutch.”

Nimbus looked around at the displays. There were figures and scenes everywhere, some of which he’d seen earlier in the labyrinth tunnels. The dome’s murals told the story of Equestria’s history, it seemed.

“Betrayal,” he thought, eyes locking on a picture of Discord. Surely Discord embodied betrayal? He flew over to the picture and plucked a tile out of the center of Discord’s right hand.

“I think I’ve got it!” he said, returning to the circular door.

“Good, then hurry! We can’t waste time!”

Nimbus’s grandfather was right. Nimbus could clearly see the pendulums’ sharp blades swinging down from the ceiling. Quickly, he put the tile in the depression and gave it a sharp turn. The door didn’t budge. Instead, the pendulums began to descend faster.

“Wrong tile!” Nimbus’s grandfather called, “what did you pick?”

Exasperated and stressed, Nimbus called back “I picked one out of the center of Discord’s claw!”

“Discord?! He has nothing to do with betrayal!”

“Well I’m sorry,” said Nimbus, “I was kind of stressed out, what with these giant death pendulums falling on us from above!”

His grandfather shook his head. “There isn’t much time. Try something else.”

“Right,” Nimbus said, nodding. “Betrayal,” he thought, “let’s see…”

His eyes wandered over the scenery, viewing ancient battles, Equestria’s foundation, the day when Nightmare Moon turned on Celestia-

“That’s it!” he said aloud. Nightmare Moon’s betrayal had to be the answer. He flew over to her depiction, grabbing a tile from her bent front leg, which seemed to clutch it. He had to duck to avoid the slicing blades now. Quickly, he grabbed the tile in his mouth and flew back to the door, inserting it and twisting the “key.” Suddenly, the blades stopped, straightened, and retracted back into the ceiling.

“And that’s that,” Nimbus said with a proud grin.

“Right,” said his grandfather, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder, “but you almost got us killed.”

“Er, yes, well… let’s just continue on, shall we?”

The two stepped through the door and out onto a ledge over a deep chasm. The subterranean drop-off seemed to extend downwards forever. They couldn’t see the bottom.

“Wow,” said Nimbus, “that’s a big hole.”

“Yes it is,” his grandfather agreed, “and that’s how we’re going to cross it.”

He pointed to a very thin stone bridge spanning the gap, only big enough to walk in single file upon.

“Why would we do that?” Nimbus asked, opening his wings, “when we could just fly?”

“Nimbus, don’t!”

Unfortunately, it was too late. Nimbus took to the air, and instantaneously, green bolts of energy shot down from the ceiling and hit him, knocking him back onto the ledge.

“Magic,” Nimbus snorted, “I hate magic.”

The sparks weren’t done, however. They hit the walls and traveled up them, back to the ceiling- more specifically, to a large object shaped like a pinecone… “or a hive!” Nimbus suddenly realized. When the sparks hit the object, it began to glow, and shake, making a low buzzing sound. As Nimbus watched, a swarm of small, insect-like creatures poured out. He squinted, trying to make out what they were. They looked almost like Parasprites, but there was something different about these…

“Come on,” Nimbus’s grandfather said, “and no sudden movements.”

“What are those things?” Nimbus asked, following his grandfather onto the bridge and indicating the buzzing creatures.

“I don’t recall the exact name, but they’re related to Parasprites. Their kind died out on the surface a long time ago, but they still exist down here. The difference between them and their kin is that these eat meat.”

Nimbus gulped. No sudden movements, right. He’d make sure to enforce that.

The bridge seemed to stretch on forever. They were barely halfway across when Nimbus made his error of the day. It was a harmless accident, really- something beyond his control. For whatever reason, though, he slipped on a pebble while crossing. Instinctively, he stretched his wings out. Then several things happened at once.

The green bolt of magic impacted the bridge right below him. Nimbus barely had time to move out of the way. At the same time, the swarm began to gravitate towards the two Pegasi on the bridge.

Nimbus looked at his grandfather with a sheepish grin on his face. He received an unamused glare in response.

“Okay, leave this one to me!” Nimbus said. “I’m sick of playing by the rules!”

He leaped off the bridge, immediately drawing the attention of the carnivorous insects, as well as the green magic bolts away from his grandfather.

“Go!” he yelled, “get to the door!”

Nimbus swooped under the bridge, dragging the cloud of insects behind him. He heard the telltale “zap!” of magic, and jinked right, avoiding the powerful pulse. He could see his grandfather walking as quickly as he could, trying to get to the other side.

“A little faster, please!” Nimbus called, only half-jokingly.

“Patience is a virtue,” his grandfather snapped back.

Nimbus groaned and pulled a high-g stop, spreading his wings and forcing the insects to overshoot, though one managed to bite his shoulder. The magic charged and fired, impacting the group of bugs, which were now occupying the space Nimbus had just filled. Insects scattered everywhere, and Nimbus saw his chance. His grandfather had reached the other side and was beckoning him to the door. Nimbus rolled and dived, heading for the exit, followed by a magical blast and several peeved bugs. He barely made it, tucking and rolling onto the ground just as his grandfather closed the door. Instantly, there was a massive “thud!” then silence as everything went back to normal. Nimbus stood up, brushing the dust off of himself, and got a good look at their current room. It was simply-designed: two flights of stairs curving up towards another pedestal. On the pedestal was an iron stand, fashioned to look like a Griffon’s claw, and resting in the stand was the scroll.

“This is it!” Nimbus said, “we made it!”

“Yes we did,” his grandfather chuckled, “and I, for one, am positive that there are no tricks in this room.”

“Then let’s go,” said Nimbus. The two ascended the stairs, and stopped at the scroll. Nimbus stood aside as his grandfather closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to the scroll. Nimbus could swear he saw a thin, white wisp of magic transfer itself from himself to the scroll.

“What are you doing?” Nimbus asked, but quickly quieted himself. This wasn’t the time for talking. Gingerly, Nimbus’s grandfather removed the scroll.

“Time to go home,” he said simply. “Nimbus, what I just did was very important, and I’ve given it centuries of thought. You see, when I was tasked with-“

He was cut off as the floor sharply rose up. They were standing on a massive pillar, positively rocketing towards the surface. Nimbus couldn’t see anything now. The walls’ fire didn’t extend to here. He could only hope they’d exit somewhere safe.

…

The last thing Rarity expected was for the giant diamond sculpture in the yard to split in half, revealing a large, unsightly, dirty pillar with two just as dirty ponies on it. She shrieked in alarm, eliciting a smile from Nimbus. He turned to his grandfather.

“This is it! Equestria can be saved now! I have to get back to the others now, there’s no time to lose!”

“Wait,” his grandfather said as Nimbus bolted off towards the ponies, most of which were still gathered at the crystal table, “there’s still something I have to-“

He stopped suddenly, and keeled over, breathing sharply. Nimbus didn’t notice however. He was completely occupied by the scroll, as were the rest of the ponies around him. Finally, Applejack happened to glance over in Nimbus’s grandfather’s direction. She gasped.

“Nimbus, come quick! Something’s wrong with your grandpa!”

Nimbus looked up from the scroll, and back at his grandfather. Dropping the scroll, he flew towards him as fast as he could. Things weren’t looking good. His grandfather was pale, and his breathing had become shallow.

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, fly out and get my parents!” Nimbus ordered. Neither of the two questioned him, not even Rainbow Dash. Some things one simply couldn’t bring an outside quarrel into. Nimbus looked into his grandfather’s eyes, as they strained to stay open.

“Come on,” he said, “fight it!”

Slowly, with rattling speech, his grandfather spoke. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. You see, I am no longer the guardian of the Unifier.”

“What does that mean?” Nimbus asked.

“It means that what should have happened to me centuries ago is happening now: I’m dying.”

“But who’s the new guardian of the Unifier?”

His grandfather smiled. “That will be revealed… in time.”

“But I- we didn’t even get the chance to-“

“It’s alright, Nimbus. Just remember: your friends are your most valuable assets you will ever have. Hold on to them.”

His breathing petered off, and his eyes closed for the last time. Nimbus was left, holding him. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t cry; he wasn’t capable of mourning. This entire situation had just been a massive shock to him. Slowly, finally, a single tear dropped down from his face, and splashed against his grandfather’s side. Slowly, Nimbus turned his head to the sky, teeth clenched, rage in his eyes.

“Noooo!” he yelled, launching himself from the ground at a speed he’d never achieved before. Up, up, higher he went, passing clouds with acceleration that would have shamed a Wonderbolt. Finally, as the air became thin, he stopped, and looked back; back at the ground below. His friends were down there, and what was left of his family was as well. So was the rest of Equestria. He had to come back. Slowly, he descended, back down to earth. This was all his fault, he reasoned. If he hadn't been so distracted by that scroll... that Celestia-forsaken scroll... he hung his head as his house came into view. By now, his parents had discovered what happened. Nimbus settled onto the ground, took one look at them, and walked away, retreating from the confusing nightmare that his life had suddenly become.

Chapter 12: Return to Darkness

Chapter 12: Return to Darkness.

Rainbow Dash peered around the corner, and out at the balcony. Currently, she was on the top floor of Nimbus’s house. Nimbus was still there, at the balcony’s edge, looking out over the dark landscape. Since the impromptu funeral they’d held for his grandfather, Nimbus had been here, for hours it seemed. Rainbow Dash sighed. Before long, the sun would rise. Nimbus hadn’t slept a wink. Something had to be done, and she was sure she knew what it was, but she couldn’t work up the courage to do it.

“Hey,” said Twilight Sparkle, walking up behind Rainbow Dash, “is he still…?”

Rainbow nodded.

“Poor guy,” Twilight said.

“Yeah.”

The two stared each other down awkwardly for a moment, each sizing the other up, each with their own suspicions that the other had some sort of interest in Nimbus. Finally, Twilight Sparkle broke the silence.

“Do you mind if I-?” she didn’t finish her sentence, instead gesturing towards the balcony.

“Oh, not at all,” said Rainbow Dash. “By all means, go for it.”

Twilight nodded with a sad smile, and walked out onto the balcony with Nimbus. Rainbow Dash watched them talk for a moment, then slipped away, heading downstairs. Everyone else was gathered in Nimbus’s family room, sitting quietly. They all noted Rainbow Dash’s arrival.

“Did you talk to him?” Mecha asked. Rainbow shook her head.

“Why ever not?” Applejack asked, “it would really have helped him.”

“I don’t know,” said Rainbow Dash, “it’s just that-“

“It doesn’t have anything to do with your little grudge, does it?” Rarity snarled, “because if it does, then you need to get a grip!”

“No, no,” said Rainbow Dash, reclining on a couch, “it’s just that I don’t know what to say to him. I’ve just never found myself in a situation like this before.”

Mecha walked over to her. “Come on, Rainbow Dash, let’s take a walk. I think I know what’s troubling you.”

“You do?”

Mecha nodded. “Absolutely. Now let’s go. The fresh air will do you good.”

Rainbow Dash stood, joining Mecha as he walked out the front door. The late night air (or early morning, as Rainbow Dash realized) was cool, and a crisp breeze was blowing. Rainbow Dash looked back towards the house and saw Nimbus still on the balcony with Twilight Sparkle. She hung her head.

“So,” said Mecha, breaking the ice, “you turned away from Nimbus instead of offering comfort. Why?”

Rainbow Dash sniffed, trying to blink back a tear. “I- I don’t know. I thought you knew.”

Mecha chuckled. “I might, but I need to know something first. Tell me- are you really angry with Nimbus?”

Rainbow Dash was confused. Of course she was mad… wasn’t she? Then again, was she just trying to cover something up?

“I have no idea,” she said finally, “I think so.”

“I don’t think you are,” Mecha said. “If you were, you wouldn’t have tried to go upstairs a few minutes ago.”

Rainbow nodded. Mecha had a point. “Okay, but what are you saying?”

“Do you think about Nimbus a lot?”

This was the second question in quick succession to catch Rainbow Dash off-guard. “Um… I guess.”

“More than your other friends?” Mecha asked as they walked under a massive stone arch on Nimbus’s property.

“Come to think of it, yeah.”

Mecha nodded. “That’s what I thought. Then has it ever occurred to you that you might be in love?”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash yelled, “no way! I’d never-“

She continued on for a while, then finally when the rant was over, Mecha spoke again.

“I see. Seems like you’ve just completely avoided my question by going on a verbal rampage. Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll ask again: do you have feelings for Nimbus?”

Rainbow Dash snorted and pawed the ground. “What good does knowing the answer do to you?” she snarled.

“Nothing,” Mecha admitted, “but it does you a whole lot of good. Let’s face it: the rest of us have all seen the signs. You two would be the perfect couple.”

“This is ridiculous!” Rainbow Dash said, “Why am I even talking to you?”

Mecha shrugged. “You agreed to it.”

Rainbow snorted again. “Whatever.”

“All I ask,” said Mecha, “is that you work up the courage to go up there and try again. It’s going to take a lot of pride-swallowing, but if you really feel the way I and everyone else think you feel about Nimbus, then it’s the right thing to do. Heck, it’s the right thing to do anyway!”

“But what should I say?”

Mecha smiled. “Say the first thing that comes to mind. Don’t try to plan this out. He needs you right now, maybe more than anyone else. Just think of this as another challenge. Go on up there and conquer it.”

“Alright,” said Rainbow Dash, turning back towards the house, “when you put it that way, how can I resist?”

Mecha nodded, smiling as he recalled how he first met Cherilee. That, he decided, was a tale for another time.

…

“Anyway, that’s all I really wanted to say,” said Twilight Sparkle to Nimbus. “Just remember- if you ever need me, I’m always available to talk. Something like this is hard to get through.”

“Thanks,” Nimbus said, sniffing, “I feel a bit better now.”

“I’m really sorry for what happened today,” Twilight said.

Nimbus nodded. “So am I.” Twilight turned and walked back into the house, almost colliding with Rainbow Dash on the way in.

“Whoa,” she said, stumbling.

“Sorry, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight was amazed. An apology this early was quite unlike Rainbow Dash. She accepted the apology and walked away, wondering just what her friend was up to.

Nimbus heard the scuffle behind him.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash,” he said dryly, without turning around, “come to gloat? Knock me down a few pegs, perhaps?”

“What?” Rainbow asked from behind, “are you really so-“ she stopped. Nimbus was having a hard time right now. This wasn’t the right approach. “No,” she said, “no I’m not. I just wanted to ask you…”

Nimbus’s ears perked up. Rainbow Dash wanted to ask him something? This could be interesting.

“Yes?” he said.

“Uh… how are you feeling?”

Nimbus’s shoulders drooped. It seemed as if this conversation would be pretty much what he’d been hearing all day.

“Not good,” he said.

Rainbow Dash took another two steps forward. “I know stuff’s really bad right now… with your grandfather and all… but I was just wondering if-“ she bit her lip. This would be the tricky part. “-if there’s anything I can do for you.” She kicked herself internally. That wasn't what she'd wanted to say at all- too cliche.

Nimbus shook his head. “No,” he said, “but thanks for asking.” The sun was beginning to rise in the east now. Rainbow Dash could see in the dim light that Nimbus had been crying.

“Alright then,” she said, slinking away, “the I’ll just leave you alone.”

Nimbus flinched at the words. There was no ill intent in them, but the message they carried stung him. He’d just blown off one of his friends.

“Wait,” he said, turning to face Rainbow Dash as the blue Pegasus turned around.

“Would- would you like to go for a flight with me? I just need someone to talk to… up there,” he said, pointing to the sky.

Rainbow Dash followed his gesture. “Well, I guess I could,” she said, walking to Nimbus’s side. “You lead.”

Nimbus nodded in confirmation, and jumped off the balcony, taking to the air with Rainbow Dash right beside him. They climbed, high into the clouds, leaving the earth behind. Now they were truly alone, and Nimbus knew that he’d have no better time to explain what he’d been feeling. He only hoped he'd be able to do it.

…

Below, Mecha watched the two leave, then grabbed Nimbus’s blades, which the Pegasus had let him borrow again after the labyrinth. He’d talked to Nimbus’s parents, and they’d showed him a forge in the back of the house. If he worked fast, and his design plan worked, perhaps he could brighten up Nimbus’s day just a little more.

…

Nimbus skimmed over the soft, white surface of a cloud, weaving gently from side to side. Rainbow Dash simply hovered over him as he did so.

“I love it up here,” Nimbus said, “it’s my favorite place to be in Equestria. Everything’s so quiet, and you can just get lost in all these clouds.” He turned to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t you agree?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, “I spend a lot of time up here myself- but what did you want to talk to me about?”

Nimbus sighed, flying ahead again. “Me,” he said. “I’m a complete failure of a son. This whole ‘save Equestria’ thing is consuming me. I ignored my own grandfather dying!”

“Well you can’t blame yourself for that,” Rainbow said, “you were-“

“Did you know that back underground, he tried to tell me something several times, but I just kept cutting him off! He wanted to tell me that he was going to die, but I never let him!” In frustration, Nimbus completed a very tight loop around a cloud. Rainbow Dash was impressed. The pony could fly.

“Still,” she said, “I don’t blame you at all for what you did. It happened, and it’s in the past now. All you can really do now is try to live like your grandfather would have wanted you to.”

“How do I do that?” Nimbus asked, diving in a hard bank turn and straightening out again.

“Simple. Finish the task at hoof. We still have a country to save- perhaps even a world. If Eclipse gets his hooves on that Unifier, none of us will live to tell about it. Carrying on your grandfather’s mission would make him proud.”

Nimbus thought about this for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He was silent for a moment, lazily dragging his hoof through a large, puffy cloud before he continued. “There’s something else he said to me- his last words, in fact.”

“And what was that?”

“That my friends were the most valuable things I could ever have,” Nimbus said. He leveled off and turned to Rainbow Dash. “Can I count you as a friend now?”

Rainbow Dash was impressed. Certainly, Nimbus had just earned her respect many times over. Still, there was something else she wanted him to say- something she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Nimbus felt the same. Rainbow Dash just tried to quell the thought.

“Yeah,” she said, “yeah, you can. Pegasus friends forever!” She offered him a hoof. Nimbus looked at it for a moment, then raised his own, smacking his hoof into hers- a gesture of friendship.

“Now let’s get back home,” Nimbus said, “we’ve still got lots of work to do.”

…

Eclipse looked down from his podium in the Canterlot square, peering out from the hooded robes he was wearing. The city was packed with ponies- all of Equestria summoned here within a day. He’d forgotten what real power felt like, and it was a truly wonderful sensation. Now, they were all here, anxiously awaiting a speech. What he was about to do would require all of his energy, but with the Unifier, such things could be easily accomplished. When a guard came up to him and informed him that all ponies were accounted for, he smiled. It was time for the festivities to begin. He had to hurry. Many of the ponies seemed suspicious that neither Celestia nor Luna was present, and his “long-lost cousin” spiel wasn’t going to hold for long.

“Ponies of Equestria,” he said, humbly dipping his head, “I come to you today to bring you sad news. I am Eclipse-“ he threw off his robes, revealing himself to the public, many of whom new him from his abduction of Luna, “-and I regret to inform you that your Princesses- Celestia and Luna- are unable to be here at the moment.”

“What have you done?” an elderly, squeaking voice called from the crowd. Eclipse looked down in amusement. Approaching him was an old, hunched-over green pony.

“And who are you to challenge me?” Eclipse said, eyes glowing blue. When the crowd met his eyes, their eyes began to glow with the eerie blue light as well.

“You all serve me now,” he said, “your precious Princesses will never return. Equestria belongs to Eclipse, as it was always meant to be.”

He stretched his wings out, addressing the crowd, the Unifier glowing intensely. “From this day forth, I shall bring Equestria to glorious, unending night! What my base sibling, Nightmare Moon could not do, I shall do and more! Equestria is mine, now!” He looked away, in the direction of Skywatch Tower, knowingly, and grinned.

“And nopony will stand in my way.”

Chapter 13: Igniting the Fire: Part I

Chapter 13: Igniting the Fire

“Slam!”

Mecha toiled over the forge with Nimbus’s new weapons, sweat beading on his face. Beside him was one of Nimbus’s old blades, split open in an attempt to reverse-engineer it, and make adjustments.

“Slam!”

He worked with a passion, pouring all his expertise into his craft, shaping the metal as if it were some delicate ornament, shaped in the hooves of a carpenter, or perhaps an elegant vase, crafted by a master potter.

“Slam!”

He did this for a brother soldier, one who he felt he could now call a friend, and he would not let up until the task was finished.

“Slam!”

Hammer-beat after hammer-beat he kept up the work. The shape was already coming together nicely. Soon, it would be complete, and then-

“Click!”

“What the?” Mecha exclaimed, looking at his hammer. The last time he’d checked, his hammer most certainly did not go “click.”

“Click!”

Mecha reeled back, temporarily blinded by a sudden flash. This was definitely not his hammer’s doing. As his eyes adjusted, he made out a group of ponies standing in front of him, cameras and mics aimed in his direction. It took him a while before he realized what was going on.

“Pinkie’s documentary crew,” he thought to himself, “I almost forgot about them. They must have caught up.”

He groaned, smacking himself in the face with his hoof. There was no way he’d be able to concentrate with all of this going on.

“… Mecha is understandably a hard pony to track down,” a blue pony said, talking into a camera, “but we’ve managed to catch a glimpse of him here, hard at work in the forge. A little-known fact: Mecha was once voted Miss Equestria due to his forced entry into a beauty conte-“

“Okay, that’s enough!” Mecha roared, twirling the forge hammer. “I’m giving all of you lowlifes twenty seconds to pack up your stuff and hit the road! There’s no place for you here!”

The blue pony who’d been speaking to the camera gulped. The look in Mecha’s eyes told it all- he wasn’t joking.

“I think we can wait a bit,” he said to the others. “Come on, let’s go film some… trees. Yeah, trees.”

…

Nimbus and Rainbow Dash touched down next to the forge. They’d followed the smoke trail there, and both were surprised to see what appeared to be an entire documentary crew filing out. Like Mecha, it took a while for both to register what was happening. Then, for the first time in a while, Nimbus laughed.

“The documentary crew-“ he said, “-the ones hired by Pinkie. That must be them!”

“I wonder how Mecha got them to clear out so fast,” Rainbow Dash asked, hearing the sound of Mecha’s hammer.

“Beats me,” said Nimbus, “but it seems like they’re definitely in a hurry.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, flexing her wings and tossing her mane for a bold cameraman, who raised his camera in her direction. He nodded in appreciation, and seconds later narrowly dodged a hot coal flying in his direction. Shortly afterwards, Mecha stepped out from the forge.

“I can’t stand those ponies,” he growled, “way too distracting.” He looked to Nimbus. “Would you mind following me in here?” he asked, “I’ve got something for you.”

Nimbus nodded, then turned to Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash,” he said, “I can’t thank you enough for going up there with me today.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “Always glad to help. I’ll be back with the rest of the girls. We should probably head out soon.”

“Right,” said Nimbus, giving his head a quick shake, “we need to be on the move.”

“Bye then,” Rainbow Dash said, walking away.

“I’ll see you later,” Nimbus called, following Mecha into the forge.

“So how’d the flight go?” Mecha asked, opening the forge’s door and beckoning Nimbus in.

“It was good for me,” Nimbus admitted. “I got a lot of things off my chest. I’m ready to go on now.”

“Well that’s great, if not entirely true,” said Mecha, bending down behind a workbench to grab something.

“Not entirely true?” Nimbus asked, “what do you mean?”

“I mean,” Mecha said, smiling and bringing up something covered in a silver cloth, “you can’t go anywhere without these.”

He whipped off the cloth’s cover, and Nimbus almost broke down then and there. In front of him was the most generous gift he’d ever received. On the cloth were two gleaming, silver sheathes, much like his old ones, but shinier. These, however, featured form-fitting contours- much more aerodynamic- and shiny, black straps instead of his old, fading brown ones. The icing on the cake was still to come, however. Looking closer, Nimbus saw something etched faintly into the metal near the hoof: the symbol of the Unifier- his family crest.

“Wow,” said Nimbus, “these are incredible! Mecha, you really shouldn’t have-”

“Put a horseshoe in it,” Mecha laughed, “like I said back in Canterlot, anything to help a fellow soldier. Try ‘em on!”

Nimbus slipped the gauntlet/sheathes on. These were much lighter than his old ones too, it seemed. He started hovering, kicking up dust in the forge. Mecha blinked, and spat the stuff out of his mouth. He wasn’t exactly having the time of his life experiencing the full wingwash of a hovering Pegasus, but seeing his friend’s glee more than made up for it.

“How do I open them?” Nimbus asked, looking at the blades in confusion.

“It’s different now,” Mecha explained. “There’s a switch on each sheath. Just slide it forward with your opposite hoof to extend the blade, and slide it back to retract it.

Nimbus did so, and a shiny, sharp blade snapped out, faster than he could blink. It was fast enough, in fact, that it startled Nimbus, almost forcing him to fall out of the air. He slid the switch back, and the blades retracted just as quickly. With a grin on his face, he landed.

“So,” said Mecha, “what do you think?”

The smile immediately left Nimbus’s face. “Meh, it’s not exactly standard-issue-“

Mecha hung his head. No one had ever been dissatisfied with his-

“It’s better than that!” Nimbus cried out, slapping Mecha on the back. “Thank you so much!”

Mecha smiled, relieved. “No problem. Now that you have the blades, though, there’s something I think we need to do.”

“Oh?” Nimbus asked, raising an eyebrow, “what’s that?”

“Well, I was talking to your parents last night, and they agree with me- you and I might be ready for combat, but I want to make sure the others are, as well.”

“Ah, I see. Are you suggesting sparring?”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” said Mecha, “with these!”

He pulled up a bag of weapons, which included several swords of varying lengths, daggers, battleaxes, and two pairs of sheathes like Nimbus’s.

“Who are the other extendable blades for?” Nimbus asked.

“Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, of course,” Mecha said.

“So we’re sparring with real weapons?” Nimbus asked, “isn’t that… you know… dangerous?”

“Nah,” said Mecha, “I do it all the time.”

“All the time? How?”

“Come with me,” Mecha said, leading Nimbus out of the forge, “you’ll find out soon enough. It’s best we get on our way now.”

Nimbus agreed. As Mecha led him around the corner of the house, he saw his parents standing with the rest of the ponies.

“Nimbus,” his father said, “your mother and I know what you have to do. Just promise us you’ll stay safe.”

“I will,” said Nimbus, embracing each of his parents in turn, “this is what I’ve trained for all of my life.”

He turned to his friends. “Mecha’s brought something to my attention. If we’re going up against somepony as powerful as Eclipse, you’re going to need to learn to fight, and not just with hooves-“ Mecha opened up the bag of weapons beside him, “-with these.”

Fluttershy nearly fainted then and there. Nimbus turned to his parents

“You used to talk about a place where you went to train when you were young- any chance it still exists?”

“Yes,” his mother said. “In fact, it’s just north of here. Look for a deep ravine.”

“Deep ravine- got it.”

“And be careful,” his father added. “You’re the only son we have.”

“Trust me,” said Nimbus, “I’ll come out of this alive.”

“Then may Celestia bless your trip,” his parents said. Nimbus nodded, embraced them both again, and turned around.

“You heard my parents,” he said, “we’re going north.”

And with his words, the group set out once more, into the unknown.

…

They walked on for a long time. “North,” it seemed, involved going through trees. Lots of trees.

“Remind me why we’re doing this instead of looking at the scroll,” Twilight Sparkle said, untangling herself from a low-lying vine.

“So we’re prepared for whatever Eclipse throws our way,” said Nimbus. “Sometimes nonlethal stuff just won’t cut it.”

Twilight nodded. “Still, we’re wasting an awful lot of time here. Is this ravine close?”

Nimbus shrugged. “From here, I have no clue.” He turned to Rainbow Dash. “Can you fly up and have a look?”

“Back in a jiff,” Rainbow Dash responded, rocketing out of the trees. Nimbus watched her scan the area around them for a moment.

“You guys aren’t going to believe this,” Rainbow Dash called, “but it looks like we’ve been traveling along the ravine for the past twenty minutes.”

Rarity groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“How are we supposed to train with all of these trees around?” Applejack asked.

“I have no idea,” Nimbus replied. “I guess almost all of my parents’ training was done in the air. We really need a big, flat field for a swordfight.”

“A field, you say?” Mecha asked, holding up a red bag with a skull and crossbones very clearly marked on it, “I just may have one handy.”

Nimbus eyeballed the dangerous-looking bag with distrust. “What do you expect to do with that?”

Mecha winked. “Get about a quarter of a mile away, and I’ll show you.”

Nimbus looked at the others, including Rainbow Dash, who had just landed.

“I say we do it!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Right,” said Applejack, “I’m with Pinkie on this one. If this is another one of Mecha’s plans, then I think it’s best if we all hightail it out of here lickety-split.” She took off running.

“Right behind you,” said Twilight. The others left as well, leaving Nimbus standing alone. He took another look at Mecha, who was spreading some sort of glowing green powder on the ground. He then shifted the components of his mechanical leg to create what looked like a striker. He bent down towards the green powder, then took another look at Nimbus.

“I’d move soon if I were you.”

“I’m curious,” said Nimbus. “I’ll stay for as long as you do.”

“Suit yourself,” said Mecha. “I guess I’d better explain what I’m doing, then. This powder is molten Hydra scale. The interesting thing about it is that in its molten form, Hydra scale forms beads, covered by a protective layer which doesn’t conduct heat. That’s why it looks like a powder. It’s really quite grainy. Here’s the kicker, though- the stuff is volatile, and I mean really volatile in its molten state. Remember the fruit stand back in Canterlot?”

Nimbus nodded.

“That was powdered Hydra scale. Much more stable. If you want something gone fast, though, this is what you want.”

He bent down again, and clicked the striker once, emitting a spark. Immediately, the Hydra scale ignited.

“Oh yeah,” said Mecha, “I forgot to ask- I normally hate flying, but can I get a lift?”

“What?” Nimbus asked, “you pick now of all times to ask me that?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Mecha asked, “I’d really rather not be around when this stuff goes up.”

“Which is when?”

“10, 9, 8-“

Nimbus grabbed his friend’s forelegs and took off, racing through the trees.

“You’re insane!” he yelled.

“Thanks, I get that a lot.”

Nimbus finally stopped when he ran into the others, and turned around, just in time to witness just how volatile molten Hydra scale could be. There was a bright flash, followed by a deafening rumble and a massive rush of hot air. Nimbus dug into the ground to keep from getting blown away. To his left, Pinkie Pie was adjusting a massive pair of sunglasses, seemingly not affected at all. Nimbus sighed. Some ponies just had it lucky.

When the light finally died down, Nimbus squinted ahead. There was no way what he was seeing was real. Ten feet ahead was forest. Anything behind it was completely barren and smoking.

“Cutting it a bit close there, aren’t we?” Rainbow Dash asked, shaking.

Mecha grinned. “And that’s how you make a clearing!”

Chapter 14: Igniting the Fire: Part II

Chapter 14: Igniting the Fire: Part II

Mecha dropped his bag of weapons on the ground, spilling blades of all sorts everywhere.

“Right,” he said to the ponies gathered around him, “I want all of you to pick a weapon you feel suits yourself, while Nimbus and I demonstrate how this is going to work.”

The ponies began picking through the bag’s contents. “Do I have to do this?” Fluttershy asked meekly, “I’d rather just sit out.”

Nimbus shook his head. “Not unless you want to end up defenseless against Eclipse.”

“Oh dear,” said Fluttershy, hovering down to the bag.

“Now then,” said Mecha, “Twilight, come forward please.”

Twilight stepped forward, horn glowing.

“Good,” said Mecha, “I see you’re ready to go.” He turned back to the smoking field. “Now if you’d kindly cast the ‘arena’ spell…”

Twilight sent a beam of magic out from her horn, which enveloped the field and surrounded everyone with their own magical field. Within seconds, the glowing magic was gone.

“What just happened?” Nimbus asked.

“Twilight has created an illusion,” Mecha explained. “Inside this illusion, we can engage in combat, and practice our skills without actually getting hurt.” He turned to the ponies. “Allow Nimbus and I to demonstrate, now, how to properly fight with bladed weapons.”

“Wait, what?” Nimbus asked. Mecha didn’t answer. Instead, the end of his mechanical foreleg turned into a sword, and he swung for Nimbus. The Pegasus barely had time to lift off the ground, extend his blades, and block the hit.

“And now the fun begins,” said Mecha.

He swung again, and once more, Nimbus blocked the hit, feeling the full force of the impact. Mecha had a good swing. Back and forth they traded blows, each blocking the other. Finally, Nimbus realized he had an advantage. He boosted himself over and behind Mecha with his wings, bringing in a hit with both blades. Mecha blocked one, but Nimbus’s left blade glanced off of his shoulder, drawing blood.

“Oh, it’s on now,” Mecha grinned, shoving Nimbus away. Nimbus lost balance and fell onto his back. Seeing his chance, Mecha leaped into the air with his sword pointed down at Nimbus. Nimbus saw him coming and rolled out of the way just as Mecha’s sword dug into the ground right where his head had been. Nimbus breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was the chance Mecha was looking for. He drew his blade out of the ground and sliced across Nimbus’s back left leg. Nimbus groaned, and stepped back, hovering once more, and panting.

“It seems we are at a draw,” said Mecha. He turned back to everyone else. “Right, you saw what we just did. Now split up into groups. We’re going to start with warm-ups, so all Pegasi go with Nimbus. I’ll take everyone who’s a ground fighter.

Nimbus was about to berate Mecha for wounding him when he realized that the cut on his leg was gone. He did a double-take, then realized what had happened.

“It’s an illusion, of course,” he mumbled to himself.

He walked over to the bag and grabbed the extra sheathes, throwing them to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“Put these on,” he said, "and hit the switches on the sides to extend the blades.”

Slowly, the two strapped the sheathes onto their forelegs. Nimbus had to give Fluttershy a little extra coaching, and as soon as she was secure, she began to shake uncontrollably.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash, “this is gonna be fun! We get to beat the hay out of Nimbus here.”

“Oh,” said Fluttershy, “but I really don’t want to. I’m not that kind of-“

“Okay, looks like you’re both good to go,” said Nimbus. “Here’s what we’re going to do. That ravine-“ he said, pointing to the crack in the earth nearby, “is where we’ll conduct this exercise. The name of this exercise is ‘two on one evasion.’ Essentially, two ponies are the aggressors, and the other is the evader. It’s the evader’s job to do whatever he or she can to avoid getting taken down by the aggressors. Sound simple enough?”

The two nodded.

“Good, then team up, because I’m the first evader.”

Nimbus shot up into the sky.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash shouted, rocketing after him. Fluttershy slowly hovered off the ground, following the others.

“Wait, I’m coming too,” she mumbled.

Nimbus was climbing at his top speed, but he could see Rainbow Dash was catching up easily. He broke through cloud cover, then peeled off to the right, diving for the ground. Rainbow Dash emerged from the clouds shortly afterwards, barely catching sight of Nimbus as he disappeared through the same clouds. She extended her blades and dove after him. Nimbus saw her, and laughed. Speed was not going to win this for her. He dove into the ravine and began to fly low, “hugging the ground” and banking left and right smoothly, throwing in a roll every now and then. Rainbow Dash was forced to slow down to stay on his tail. Suddenly, Nimbus dove down farther, skimming over the surface of a river at the ravine’s bottom, kicking up a fantail of water in Rainbow Dash’s face. She flinched, squinting to try to see her opponent, and that was when Nimbus played his trump card. He pulled up sharply, extending his wings and braking at the same time. Rainbow Dash had no time to react, only able to watch as she shot under Nimbus, putting him on her tail. The balance of power had shifted. Now she was being pursued.

Seeing his chance, Nimbus immediately attempted a burst of speed, but his actions were in vain. Rainbow Dash shot up and out of the canyon, leaving him far behind. Obviously, getting behind her and catching up was not going to work. Nimbus sighed. He glanced back at the ravine’s edge. Fluttershy was there, hovering and watching the action. When she saw Nimbus looking at her, she attempted to look like she was participating, extending her left blade. Unfortunately, the blade surprised her, and she fell back, letting out an “eep.”

Nimbus smacked himself in the face. It seemed his plans for an organized two on one match were pretty much toast. “Fine,” he thought , “if it’s a dogfight Rainbow Dash wants, then it’s a dogfight she’ll get.”

…

Mecha watched the Pegasi take to the air, then turned to his “students.”

“Okay,” he said, “first thing’s first- I’d like you all to show me your weapons.”

Applejack was the first to step forward, sporting a large knife, which she showed to Mecha.

“Hm,” said Mecha, “a Bowie knife… not bad at all. In fact, it kind of suits you. Next.”

Rarity stepped forward, holding two gleaming, thin daggers. She twirled them around once using her magic. “Aren’t they the most gorgeous things?” she asked.

Mecha groaned. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I made them, but… okay. I can see you wielding stilettos. Who’s next?”

Twilight Sparkle was the next to step forward, horn glowing.

“What, no weapon?” Mecha asked.

“Wrong,” said Twilight, unleashing a massive blast of magic from her horn and vaporizing a tree just outside the clearing.

“Okay, then,” said Mecha, quite impressed, “battle magic works. Pinkie Pie, what about you?”

Just like Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie had no weapon. Mecha frowned.

“Am I to assume that you don’t have a weapon either?”

“Nope, I do!” Pinkie replied, cheerfully whipping a cannon from out of nowhere. Mecha was somewhat amazed by this feat.

“So what do you plan on doing with that?”

“This!” Pinkie squealed, nailing Mecha with a powerful blast of confetti. Mecha was hurled about twenty feet skyward and landed on his back.

“Ow,” he groaned, “yeah, that’ll do.”

He got up onto his hind legs and brushed himself off, standing tall now. “Alright then, I want each of you in turn to try to attack me. Applejack’s first!”

Applejack stepped forward, brandishing her knife. She feinted left, then ducked right and swung at Mecha. Mecha, however, was too fast for her, and moved out of the way, countering with a downward strike. Applejack was ready, parrying his stroke, but the force knocked her back. Mecha drove forward relentlessly, forcing Applejack backwards until she lost her footing and tripped. Mecha swung his sword leg down, stopping less than an inch away from her throat.

“Not bad, but watch your footing next time,” he said. “You seem to have a good feel for that knife.”

Applejack nodded and got to her feet, shaking. Rarity was the next one to step up. Nimbus nodded, and she lunged at him, twirling the stilettos everywhere. She was agile, dodging Mecha’s sword strokes with ease. In fact, she very nearly landed a hit on him. Unfortunately for her, Mecha landed a blow on one of the stilettos that sent it flying out of reach. He then grazed her side with the sword, and Rarity stepped back.

“Rarity, you’re doing well, but make sure you always have a hold of your weapons. You lose your weapons, you lose your life.”

Rarity nodded as her wound healed back up, and was replaced by Twilight Sparkle.

“Magic,” said Mecha, “now this should be interesting.”

Twilight fired a beam of magic at Mecha, but it stopped right in front of him.

“Huh?” Twilight said, confused.

“You forget, Twilight Sparkle,” said Mecha, grinning as magic, black as his coat surrounded his body, turning his eyes a deep black, “I have magic of my own.”

“Son of a Manticore,” Twilight swore, as Mecha released a wave of energy. When the dust cleared, a dazed Twilight found herself in a rut up to her neck, with a furrow at least fifty feet long in front of her.

“What happened?” she moaned.

“Always expect a counterattack,” Mecha replied. Finally, it was Pinkie’s turn.

“No mercy for you,” said Mecha, “I’ve seen what you can-“

“Pow!” Pinkie nailed Mecha in the face with a blast of confetti from a party whistle. Mecha coughed, spitting out little shreds of colorful paper. By the time his vision was clear, Mecha found himself staring down the barrel of the party cannon again. He frowned and sighed.

“Not aga-“

He had no time to finish his statement, though, because he was once again launched into the air by the confetti blast.

“Right,” he said, picking himself up and shaking off the colorful confetti, “I am not falling for that again. I think it’s time we started this thing.”

“Started? What do you mean?” Rarity asked, “haven’t we started already?”

“Oh no,” said Mecha, pulling another sword out of the bag and strapping it to his back, while standing up on his back legs- his normal fighting stance, “we’ve only started. Now it gets serious.”

“Hold on a sec,” said Twilight, “why do you suddenly get two swords? Is that really fair?”

Mecha shrugged. “It’s how I fight. If you’ve got a problem with it, conjure up one for yourself out of thin air!”

Twilight snorted.

“And now,” said Mecha, taking out a small spherical object from the weapons bag and tossing it in the air, “let the games begin! It’s everypony for himself… or herself… whatever, just fight!”

The sphere exploded, creating a bright flash and a loud noise. Nopony could have missed it; not even the Pegasi.

…

Nimbus was trying to get a good approach angle on Rainbow Dash, and was only becoming confused when the explosion went off. He looked towards the ground and saw the ponies below rushing at each other. Clearly, this had become a free-for-all. Nimbus angled himself for the dive… and narrowly missed being skewered by a determined Rainbow Dash.

“Dang!” Nimbus exclaimed, following Rainbow Dash back down to the fight. Rainbow was heading for an unsuspecting Rarity, but Nimbus decided to give the fashion-obsessed pony a chance. He sprinted ahead, and sharply turned in front of Rainbow Dash, cutting her off and forcing her to correct her flight path.

“You’ll pay for that!” Rainbow Dash spat.

“Come and get me, then!” Nimbus taunted, rolling and pulling skyward. Rainbow Dash streaked after him, blades out. There would be blood in the air, she decided, and it wouldn’t be hers.

Below, Mecha saw the two coming. Too high to hit, but perhaps… He ducked as Applejack took a swing at him, and jumped back, balancing nimbly on his back legs. Perfect. As Rainbow Dash and Nimbus flew over, the wingwash surprised a few of the ponies, and Mecha was instantly back in the fight, spinning and lashing out like a devil with his two swords. Twilight fired a blast of magic his way, and he dodged, the magic impacting Pinkie Pie instead, who was preparing to nail him with an oversized party popper.

“Ha!” Mecha shouted as Pinkie stood up, confused, “serves you right for that cannon trick!”

He ducked, hearing the swishing of a blade behind him, and stabbed upwards, narrowly missing Rarity. Applejack had gone after Pinkie, but Twilight had stayed behind. It seemed she and Rarity had organized a temporary truce to take Mecha down. Mecha smiled grimly. He wasn’t going down today- not here.

Nimbus tried rolling left and right, diving in and out of clouds, but nothing worked. Rainbow Dash had locked herself onto his tail a few minutes ago, and she was still there, and gaining. Nimbus couldn’t think of anything else to do- he’d just about run out of options. He swerved right hard, turning inside Rainbow Dash’s larger turning circle. “Good,” he thought, “that’ll give me some space!”

He looked back. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. He’d lost her.

Or so he thought.

Without warning, she came from above, using the sun to disguise her position. Nimbus reacted, pulling a “Split S” towards the ground- a maneuver which involved rolling onto his back and pulling back in a half-loop towards the ground. Rainbow Dash overshot him again, and he regained his position as aggressor. He had to admit- she’d be a lot easier to track if he was wearing his issued helmet. The thing was incredible- it could estimate a most probable flight pattern and plot intercept points- but he’d have to do without, and that was fine with him. The old-fashioned way was good enough. He saw her wings begin to dip left, and anticipated her next maneuver, banking left. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash turned left, and Nimbus saw his chance. It was just a scratch, really, but he managed to get a blade across her left front leg. Rainbow Dash gasped in surprise. Now Nimbus knew how to beat her. She viciously streaked skyward, leaving Nimbus behind. Nimbus lost sight of her, but knew exactly what was coming next. Waiting for the telltale sound of wingwash, he began to climb, remembering not to look directly towards the sun. When he heard the sound of Rainbow Dash’s approach, he knew exactly what to do. He picked up his speed instantly, rocketing straight up, blades out. Though he couldn’t see her, he knew Rainbow Dash was doing the same. He also knew she was using the same attack pattern as before: coming from out of the sun. He was ready this time. She appeared suddenly, and Nimbus reacted within a split second. He pulled up slightly, and braked, throwing himself into a tight backflip at the same time, raking both his blades down Rainbow Dash’s side, from her neck to her flank, severing an important nerve ending and locking her wings up from shock. Rainbow Dash went rigid and plummeted straight for the ground, the surprise of a defeated foe evident on her face. Nimbus gave a quick salute.

“See you on the other side, sister flyer… or in about five minutes, I guess.”

He then dove for the ground, eager for a piece of the action to be had on the surface.

…

As far as surface action was concerned, things were really starting to heat up. Applejack was desperately trying to land a hit on Pinkie Pie, but every time she got close enough, she took confetti to the face and was blown backwards. Mecha, on the other hand, was still fighting Twilight and Rarity. They proved a formidable duo, Twilight using magic in attempt to distract Mecha while Rarity leaped in for the kill. Mecha’d suffered a few scratches, and he was thoroughly fed-up by now. He lashed out at Twilight, using his sword leg to distract her while he stabbed with his other sword. Twilight avoided the hit- but barely. Mecha didn’t relent, however, kicking Rarity back as she came closer and making a final move at Twilight, thrusting his first sword into the ground, kicking her, and finishing with a quick stroke to her chest. Twilight went down instantly. Mecha turned to face Rarity- and got the surprise of his life.

The white mare was approaching, flipping her stilettos (by Luna, she loved those things!) and grinning like a maniac. She raised one of the knives, preparing to strike, when she was hit by what Mecha could only describe at the time as a veritable bolt from the blue. Rainbow Dash, bleeding down the length of her body landed in a heap on top of Rarity, practically crushing her. Rarity let out a short “oof” and went limp, obviously unconscious.

Rainbow Dash groaned, struggling to keep her eyes open. “Does that count as mine?”

Mecha went over to Rarity and had a good look. She was definitely out, and not going anywhere for a while.

“I’d say it does,” he said finally, “good job.”

Rainbow Dash smiled weakly. “I’m bleeding out, aren’t I?”

Mecha nodded. “Eeyup.”

“Dang it,” she said.

“Yeah,” Mecha said, “looks like Nimbus really did a number on you.”

“Shut up,” Rainbow Dash half growled- half croaked as she passed out.

“Well that was interesting,” Mecha said, turning to where the rest of the fight was. He’d pretty much given up on Fluttershy, and it seemed Nimbus had as well. Still, he had a score to settle with Pinkie, and Applejack was making absolutely no progress against her. Mecha bolted towards the action, jumping right into the fray. Pinkie instinctively turned the cannon towards him, but Mecha was ready. Right before the cannon went off, he kicked it, rotating the barrel right towards Pinkie Pie.

“Oops!” Pinkie Pie giggled, as the cannon went off in her face, sending her flying. Mecha jumped up onto the canyon, using it to propel himself high into the sky and down onto Pinkie, putting his sword straight into her chest.

“Aw,” she said, not showing any pain. “I guess you got me. Oh well, fair’s fair!” She grinned, then passed out in the blink of an eye.

“No fair,” said Applejack, brandishing her knife at Mecha, “she was mine.”

Mecha shrugged. “I had a score to settle. Do you know how annoying it is to get hit in the face with that cannon?”

Applejack frowned. “You have no idea. Now let’s get this over with. I’ve got some flank to kick!”

“Right,” Mecha snorted. “So sure?”

Applejack was caught off-guard by Mecha’s statement. One would normally have dismissed it as banter, but he seemed genuine for some reason…

Suddenly an orange streak plowed into the ground, skidding through the dirt right in front of Applejack and stopping a few feet away. Applejack looked down incredulously at the perfectly straight cut across her neck.

“Haystacks,” she swore right before collapsing, unconscious.

Nimbus wiped his blades off on the grass and faced Mecha.

"You fight standing up?"

"Yeah," Mecha said, "so?"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!"

"Well then explain how I'm supposed to use two swords on all fours! I can't fly, you know!"

Nimbus was silent.

"That's what I thought," said Mecha.

“Who’s left?”

Mecha furrowed his brow, thinking.

“Let’s see- you, me, and Fluttershy.”

“Well, between you and I, I think we already know how it’s going to end.”

Mecha nodded, “with swords through each other’s chests at exactly the same time?”

“Right,” said Nimbus. “The thing is- I just can’t go after Fluttershy.”

“Why not?” Mecha asked, “this is all just an illusion!”

“I know,” said Nimbus, scuffing the ground with his hoof, “but she’s… she’s Fluttershy! Come on, let’s just make it a no-contact, nonlethal takedown.”

Mecha rolled his eyes. “Fine. I think I’ve got an idea anyway.”

…

Fluttershy was shaking at the edge of the ravine- where she’d been the entire time. Her eyes darted around wildly, trying to spot trouble before it appeared. As it turned out, her actions didn’t help in the slightest. A cold, metal point tapped her on the back of her shoulder. She squeaked in surprise and turned around. Behind her was Nimbus, hovering with his blades out, and Mecha, standing tall with his twin swords.

“Boo,” said Mecha.

Fluttershy’s eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground in a heap, completely unconscious.

“See?” said Nimbus, “no violence and the treat is neutralized.”

“Chalk another one up for me, then,” said Mecha.

“Hold on!” Nimbus said, “I tapped her on the shoulder!”

“Well I said ‘boo’!”

Nimbus groaned. Forget it. Let’s just call that a self-KO. Maybe that’ll get Fluttershy a few points, even if it was herself she took out.

They turned back to the field, watching everyone else slowly standing, wounds healing magically. Mecha turned to Nimbus.

“Think they’re ready?”

Nimbus smiled and narrowed his eyes determinedly.

“Oh yes,” he said. “I think we’ve got enough spirit and skill here to send Eclipse packing. He’ll wish he’d never set hoof in Equestria. Now let’s get that scroll and figure out where we’re headed. From here on out, it’s war.”

Note: Credit for the "Arena" spell goes to Itchy (again) who used the spell primarily in his story, "Returning Survivor."

Chapter 15: Seeing is Believing

Chapter 15: Seeing is Believing

Twilight shakily disengaged the arena spell and trotted over to Mecha and Nimbus, glaring at the former.

“What?” Mecha said, trying to look innocent.

“Next time,” she whispered, “next time I’ll get you.”

“We’ll see,” said Mecha, “now let’s finally have a look at that scroll, shall we?”

Twilight used her magic to open the saddlebag and pull out the scroll, unrolling it gently and turning it towards Nimbus.

“Okay,” said Nimbus, “let’s see what we’ve got here.”

On the scroll was a simple depiction of a dark castle, which appeared to be floating in the sky, as well as one phrase, inscribed at the bottom. Nimbus read it aloud.

“Only through the eyes of the first will the truth be revealed.” He looked up. “That’s weird. What’s that supposed to-“

Suddenly, Nimbus’s vision went white. He closed his eyes to escape the blinding light, but still it persisted, burning into his very eyes behind the lids. No one else had observed anything, however. To them, it seemed as if Nimbus had just undergone a nervous breakdown. Immediately, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were at his side.

“Nimbus!” Twilight said, “can you hear me? What just happened?”

“Snap out of it!” Rainbow Dash yelled, “stop being a weirdo!”

Nimbus’s eyes opened suddenly. When his vision returned to focus, he immediately noticed something odd- he could see an aura of sorts around everyone, the same color as their coats. It took him a moment before he realized he was seeing magical fields.

“Whoa,” he said, “this is awesome!”

“What’s awesome?” Applejack asked, still nursing her neck where Nimbus had slashed her earlier.

“You mean you guys can’t see this, too?” Nimbus asked.

“See what?” Mecha asked. “Nimbus, why don’t you tell us what just happened.”

“Okay,” said Nimbus, calming down. “When I finished reading the words, the scroll let off a flash of light. I tried to close my eyes, but it didn’t seem to help. After the light was gone, I opened my eyes again, and now all of a sudden, I’m seeing these weird auras around everyone- I think they’re magical fields.”

Mecha and Twilight Sparkle, the group’s experts on magic, looked at each other, confused. Was it possible Nimbus had just been given magical sight? If that was the case, then locating the Unifier would require his eyes alone.

“I think you’re right, Nimbus,” Twilight said, “and here’s my theory as to why: the Unifier must be hidden somewhere only initially visible through this vision you have, which sounds like an advanced stage of what Rarity, Mecha, and myself have. That means you will be our eyes for this journey.” She turned to the scroll. “Apparently we’re looking for a large castle in the sky. That shouldn’t be hard to find. The question is where to start looking.”

Nimbus peered at the map as others gathered around. He noticed a very large waterfall set right below the castle.

“Can anypony make sense of that?” he asked, pointing to it.

Rarity stepped forward, beaming. “Of course!” she squealed, “that’s Neighagra Falls!”

“Neighagra Falls?” Rainbow Dash asked, “you’ve been there?”

“Well of course I have!” said Rarity, “the banks of the river below it are positively littered with polished stones and gems!”

“I should have known,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh goody!” said Pinkie Pie, bouncing around again, “so we’re going to Neighagra Falls?”

“It looks that way,” said Nimbus, “but I don’t know how we’re going to get all of you non-flyers over there. It’s a long walk, and I don’t want to waste too much time.”

“Hmm,” Mecha said, eyeing Nimbus, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, “I have an idea, but our Pegasi friends aren’t going to like it much.”

“What did you have in mind?” Nimbus asked warily. Mecha turned to Twilight.

“Do you still remember your conjuration spells?” he asked.

“Of course I do!” Twilight said, kicking at a clump of grass absently, “what do you need?”

Mecha grinned somewhat wickedly. “A chariot. Can you do that?” Now it was Twilight Sparkle’s turn to grin.

“I do believe I can. Stand back.”

…

Moments later, a large, ornately-decorated chariot was sitting in front of everyone. Rainbow Dash just looked at it in horror.

“We’re supposed to pull that? Do I look like a workhorse to you? No! I’m a free spirit! I’m the soul of the sky! I’m-“

“Voluntold,” Nimbus finished. “Let’s just get hooked up and do this.” He took a second look at the chariot. “Although really, Twilight- you couldn’t have done something a little more… inconspicuous?”

Twilight Sparkle shrugged, climbing in. “It’s the best I could do!”

Nimbus groaned and hooked himself up to the lead position. He knew this wouldn’t go well with Rainbow Dash, but as he was apparently the only one who could see the castle, she’d have to live with it.

“We ready?” he called back as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash strapped in on his sides.

“Ready!” Rarity called, “just follow my directions!”

“Right,” Nimbus mumbled, “that’s comforting.”

He looked to Rainbow Dash, then to Fluttershy. Both nodded, signaling that they were ready. Nimbus took off at a trot, stretching his wings to warm up for takeoff. Slowly, he began cantering, then galloping. They were picking up speed now.

“I’d suggest you hold on!” Nimbus called back to those behind him, “we’re doing an emergency military departure from here!”

He heard a muffled “oh no,” from behind. Though he wasn’t sure, it kind of sounded like Mecha. Nimbus grinned. Time to show Mecha what the Air Force could do.

At top speed, Nimbus pulled up sharply, pushing an almost vertical climb angle, and accelerating rapidly. The speed at which they were climbing was pulling his cheeks back, and he noticed that Dash and Fluttershy were having the same experience. Slowly, he rolled right, completing a barrel roll and leveling off. He looked back, to make sure everyone was alright. Twilight had cast a restraining spell, so no one had fallen out. Still, there was at least one very disgruntled passenger. Mecha popped his head up over the side of the chariot and glared at Nimbus.

“I hate flying!” he yelled, “I hate being in the air, I hate your Luna-forsaken ‘military takeoffs’, I hate barrel rolls, and I hate you!”

A sudden rush of turbulence bumped the chariot, and Mecha lost his balance, falling to the floor. Nimbus and Rainbow Dash shared a chuckle, though Fluttershy seemed more concerned than anything. Now it was Rarity’s turn to take her place at the front of the chariot.

“Nimbus!” she called, “start going north! You’ll run into some train tracks soon that will lead you right past Neighagra Falls!”

“Okay, sounds good!” Nimbus replied, banking north. By himself, a trip like this would only last perhaps an hour, but he’d have to double that time at least, considering the load he was carrying. That meant a long flight… and plenty of time for showboating. He looked back at Rainbow Dash.

“You feel like showing those ponies back there what a Pegasi feels like?”

Rainbow Dash’s face lit up. “Oh yeah!” Now Nimbus was speaking her language.

Nimbus turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, just… hang on.”

Fluttershy let out an “eep,” and closed her eyes.

“Ready?” Nimbus yelled out.

“Ready!” Rainbow Dash responded. Rarity turned her head back to the Pegasi pulling them.

“Ready for what, exactly?”

Nimbus didn’t answer, though he did hear another “oh no,” from Mecha. He angled himself downward, into a dive.

“Let’s pick up a little speed, eh Rainbow Dash?”

“Now you’re talkin’!” Rainbow Dash said, putting all of her wingpower into the dive. They pushed downwards, flying faster. The ground was rushing up quickly to meet them, but still they continued on, unphased.

“That’s low enough, don’t you think?” Rarity called from behind.

“No way!” said Rainbow Dash, pushing on. Just before impact, they pulled up, barely skimming over the ground, and diving and climbing to match the contours of the earth.

“Yeehaw!” Nimbus yelled, pulling the chariot into another roll, then leveling off again. Next, he started to climb back to the sky, using the speed from the dive to keep climbing beyond the altitude where they’d leveled off before. Looking out of the chariot, Twilight was amazed. From here, she could see the land’s curvature. She’d seen pictures in books before, of course, but to actually see it in front of her was something else entirely.

“You done yet, showboats?” Mecha gasped wearily, pulling himself up to glare at Nimbus. Nimbus noticed that his friend seemed a bit greener than black, and took pity.

“Oh, fine,” he said, beginning a slow dive back to their original altitude. Pinkie Pie was ecstatic.

“That was awesome!” she called from the chariot, “I like the part where you were diving, and whooshing across the sky, and rolling, and- oh my gosh, it just makes me want to yell Chimicherrychanga! Actually, I think I will! Chimicherrychanga! Chimicherrychanga! Chimi-“

“Oh no,” said Rarity, eyes going wild, “not that again! Anything but that!”

Nimbus smirked, picking up speed and allowing the wind in his ears to block out the sound of Pinkie Pie’s bliss. Before long, Rarity called out again. It seemed she had an edge of insanity to her voice, but Nimbus couldn’t tell. At least Pinkie Pie was quiet now.

“Nimbus, dive below the clouds! You should be able to see the train tracks by now!”

Complying, Nimbus led the chariot down through the clouds. Sure enough, there was a train track below him. He recognized it as the North Equestrian Line- one of Equestria’s busiest tracks. Something struck him as odd, however, and it wasn’t until Applejack spoke up that he realized what it was.

“Hey,” Applejack said, “where’s the train?”

“Probably not scheduled right now,” said Mecha.

“Applejack’s right,” said Twilight to Mecha, “I’d believe your statement, except that there’s almost always a train on this line. Something’s not right.”

“We can’t focus on that now,” said Nimbus, equally disturbed by the missing train, “we have to find the Unifier before Eclipse does!” He didn’t dare say that it was possible Eclipse already had found it.

“Right,” said Rarity, obviously starting to regain sanity, “Neighagra Falls are right behind those mountains,” she pointed to a group of mountains surrounded by large, dark storm clouds. Nimbus couldn’t see anything above the mountains, as the clouds were too thick, but he knew their destination rested in those clouds.

“We’ll have to go through the storm!” Nimbus yelled back, raising his voice to compensate for the wind, which was picking up and howling.

“Are you crazy?” Rarity yelled back.

Nimbus didn’t answer. Instead, he charged straight ahead, aiming right for the center of the cloud. He squinted as rain began to beat down on him, obscuring his vision. Still he plowed on, through the clouds which were beginning to darken now. They were almost there. High winds rocked and buffeted the chariot. Rarity screamed, Mecha looked sicker than ever, and Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie clung together for their lives. Nimbus had ceased to hear anything now. The wind screamed, and attempted to throw him back the way he’d come, but he refused to yield. Up ahead, he saw a glint of green. The magical aura was dead ahead! Giving his all, Nimbus surged through the clouds ahead. There was a flash of green, then abruptly everything stopped. The wind was gone, the skies were clear, and the rain had disappeared. They were inside the field now, and everyone could see the sights around them, unrestrained by the field’s power. Nimbus felt a strange tingling sensation near his eyes, as the strange vision he’d been given earlier disappeared. “Probably only good for one task,” he realized. As his sight returned to its original state, he looked up at the sight in front of him. Looming dead ahead was a massive, dark castle, hovering like the one on the scroll. This was where the Unifier was. It had to be. Nopony spoke for several seconds. Finally, it was Mecha who broke the silence.

“Let’s get in there,” he said, “and find that Unifier. I hope we aren’t too late.”

“So do I,” said Nimbus, banking right, climbing, and landing on one of the castle’s towers. As he unhitched himself, however, he felt something odd that made his mane hair seem to stand on end. perhaps it was just a feeling, but this structure seemed to echo nothing but despair and disappointment. Whatever happened, they’d need to get in and out of here quickly. He only hoped what they found inside would be what they were looking for.

Chapter 16: Skywatch

Chapter 16: Skywatch

Slowly, they entered the castle, taking care to be as quiet as possible. Mecha took the lead, and Rainbow Dash was about to object, but Mecha quickly silenced her.

“No one knows dark places like I do. I know you want to go out there and kick tail, but we need to put caution over aggression this time. Got it?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, falling back into line. “Why, exactly, do you know places like this so well?” Nimbus asked Mecha.

“Simple,” Mecha answered, “I spent a pretty great deal of time in Hell.”

“Come on,” said Nimbus, “what’s the real reason?”

“That’s it,” said Mecha. “If you want to know more, I’ll tell you sometime.”

“Dang,” Nimbus mumbled, falling back to Twilight.

“There’s a lot of stuff about Mecha that you don’t know,” Twilight said, “it’s all rather complicated, but you learn to live with it.”

“So that talk about being in Hell- he’s actually been there?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, lowering her voice and glancing up at an old suit of armor they passed. “It was a few years ago. Mecha and his unit were called out to investigate some pony disappearances, which they’d attributed to Diamond Dogs. What they found instead was a pair of gates, which they managed to open, in the middle of nowhere. Those turned out to be the gates of… well, you know. Once inside, almost everyone in Mecha’s unit was slaughtered. Mecha spent over two years down there, according to him. How long that really is up here, we don’t know. All we do know is that he became a different pony down there- a force to be reckoned with.”

“Wow,” Nimbus whispered, eyes wide. “I couldn’t hope for a combat record like that!”

“And you shouldn’t,” Mecha said, falling back to Nimbus, “trust me. Nopony should have to experience that.”

Nimbus nodded as Mecha took the lead once again. He was so amazed by what he’d heard that he collided with a small table in the dark, knocking it and several priceless dishes and goblets to the floor, most of which shattered. Everyone froze.

“Er… my bad?” Nimbus said, sidestepping the debris, and hoping Rarity wouldn’t notice. Unfortunately, today was not his lucky day.

“Eek!” Rarity shrieked, looking at the jumbled mess of broken tableware, then glaring at Nimbus. Nimbus grinned sheepishly, shrugged, then continued on, following Mecha, who had just discovered what appeared to be a spiral staircase.

“Well,” Mecha reasoned aloud, “nowhere to go but up.”

Nimbus looked up the staircase. At the top was a faint glow. Mecha was right. They needed to go up. He stepped behind Applejack as they began to ascend.

“Hey, look!”

Nimbus cringed at the sound of Pinkie Pie’s voice. Up until now, she’d been silent. Unfortunately, she’d just completely broken said silence.

“What is it, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash hissed.

“Look! I found a lever!” Pinkie Pie raised her hoof to a black lever sticking out of the wall.

“What did she say?” Mecha asked from the front of the line.

“Apparently she found a lever,” Applejack answered.

“Oh no!” Mecha said, “not good! Not good at all! Don’t let her pull it!”

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash called out, “don’t-“

It was too late. Pinkie Pie pulled the lever, and instantaneously, every single step in the staircase slid into the walls, disappearing. Every pony who’d been on the stairs collapsed in a heap back on the floor.

“Great,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “now what?”

As if in answer to her question, the walls began to shake, and a rumbling sound came from underneath them. Before anyone could react, the floor began to rise.

“See?” said Pinkie, “who needs stairs?”

The floor stopped moving at what had been the top of the staircase. As soon as all the ponies stepped off, it shot back down to the ground, and the stairs moved into place. Nimbus turned to get his bearings. They were standing in a massive room, with large windows all around and what looked like a throne at the far end.

“This has to be the throne room,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“Wow!” said Pinkie Pie, “just imagine the party you could have in here!”

“I’m imagining,” said Mecha, “but we’re not here for parties. Where’s the Unifier?” His eyes wandered around the room until they came to rest on a corridor leading away from the room, right next to the throne. “That’s got to be our best bet,” he said.

“How right you are,” said a voice, smooth but tainted with malice behind them. The ponies whirled around. Standing right behind them was Eclipse, and around his neck was a large, green gem attached by a chain.

“The Unifier!” Nimbus said.

Eclipse laughed. “Right again. Unfortunately, you shall never possess it. Besides- you still haven’t found Luna.”

“What have you done with her, you- you-?” Mecha strained forward, held back by Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“I suppose that’s for you to find out,” Eclipse said, flexing his wings.

“Rainbow Dash, on me!” Nimbus shouted, taking off straight for Eclipse. The Alicorn, however, was fast, flying out a passage to an outside tower.

Seeing Nimbus and Rainbow Dash otherwise occupied, Mecha spoke to the others.

“Come on! We need to find Princess Luna!” The others nodded and followed him as he raced towards the passage, hoping as strongly as he could that his Princess was alright.

…

Outside, both Nimbus and Rainbow Dash were struggling trying to keep on Eclipse’s tail. Both had their sheathes from the day’s sparring, and were prepared to use them, extending them for battle. Nimbus followed Eclipse into a tight turn over the top of the castle, narrowly avoiding a tall spire. As Eclipse dove down, trying to get under the castle, Nimbus saw Rainbow Dash race ahead, trying to force Eclipse to correct his flight path. Eclipse simply rolled out of the way and fired a blast of magic down into the magical field surrounding the castle. The field began to flicker and spark. Nimbus paid the phenomenon no heed, however, choosing to devote everything he had to following Eclipse. They had cleared the underside of the castle again, and were climbing. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen.

Outside of the field, the clouds were clearing away, and Nimbus could see the setting sun breaking through. “Sun,” he thought, “wait a moment-“

Anticipating what was to come next, he rolled away from Eclipse. The Alicorn looked back assuming Nimbus to be

disengaging.

“Too easy,” he said. “you would never pass for a Wonderbolt. I should know. I was one of them for a while.”

“Yeah, a fake one!”

Eclipse looked ahead, trying to see who had just spoken, but was blinded by the sun’s light. Without warning, Rainbow Dash plowed into him, coming out of the sun as she’d done during sparring and separating the Unifier’s chain. Nimbus saw the Unifier fall, and dove for it. It was so close. He reached out to grab it- just as it was snatched away by a blue tendril of magic. Apparently Eclipse had recovered.

“You foal!” Eclipse snarled, “did you really think I’d be that easy to finish? Think again!”

Nimbus gritted his teeth, resuming the chase. Rainbow Dash did the same. As they began their deadly dance again, Nimbus wondered if Mecha was faring any better.

…

Mecha raced through the corridor, looking for any sign of Luna. It was pitch-black in the passage, but Mecha had an uncanny sense of direction. Finally, he found what he was looking for- an offshoot. He turned, whispering for the others to follow, then stopped in his tracks.

He was standing in front of an arch, carved in the shape of a dragon. Beneath the arch was a single, long passageway, with large pillars on either side. It was the sight at the end of the passage, however, which captivated Mecha most. On the wall opposite him, Mecha saw a massive shape etched into the stone: a hoof, feather, and horn, all connected by lines leading to a central point- a hexagonal-shaped hole in the wall.

“I think I’ve figured out where they kept the Unifier,” Mecha whispered.

“Whoa,” Twilight breathed, seeing the depiction on the wall.

“Well this is as good a place to start looking as any,” Applejack suggested.

“Yes,” Rarity agreed, “let’s split up and search.”

They ponies began to move off in different directions, searching the room for any sign of Luna. Mecha headed towards the front of the room with Fluttershy. Everyone else moved to the sides, looking for their Princess. Mecha reached the front of the room and placed his front hooves on the wall, looking at the space where the Unifier once stood.

“I was right all along,” he thought, “it does exist. The question is- where’s Luna?”

“Mecha! Come quick! Oh dear, oh dear…”

Mecha instantly recognized Fluttershy’s voice and galloped to her as fast as he could. When he saw what she had found, he stopped short.

“No,” he whispered, looking down at the unmoving body of Princess Luna, “no! We were too late… She’s gone.”

He knelt by the princess’s side, a tear forming in his eye- something which rarely ever happened.

“Wait,” said Fluttershy, feeling Luna’s neck, “there’s no pulse, true, but I don’t think we’ve lost her yet.”

“What do you mean?” Mecha asked. By this time, the commotion had drawn everyone else around. Mecha could hear their whispers of concern.

“I mean that she’s still warm. By now, she should feel cold, but that’s not the case.”

“Twilight,” Mecha said, “what do you think?”

Twilight closed her eyes and touched her horn to Luna’s, causing the tips of both to glow. After a moment, she moved away and turned to Mecha.

“Her body is still here,” she said, “but her consciousness is gone. Not dead, just gone.”

“Eclipse,” Mecha growled, “he used her to become whole again so he could wield the Unifier. We need to get that Unifier back to separate them and save Luna.”

“Then what’re we waitin’ for?” Applejack asked, lifting Luna up onto her back, “let’s hightail it out of here!”

“Not without Nimbus and Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie’s right,” said Mecha, “let’s get back out there and see if there’s anything we can do to help.”

…

Nimbus was panting. This was turning out to be his hardest “dogfight” ever. Every trick he knew, Eclipse knew how to counter. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to have any luck either. Eclipse had learned quickly from her earlier tricks. Now they were weaving around, trying to get into a good position for an attack. Eclipse was simply toying with them. Meanwhile, Nimbus also noticed that the magical field’s flickering was becoming more intense and frequent. He didn’t know what it meant, but he had to assume that if Eclipse had caused it, it wasn’t good.

“Nimbus, Rainbow Dash!”

Nimbus looked down towards the voice which had hailed him. Standing on one of the castle’s towers was Mecha, as well as the other ponies.

“We have Luna!”

“That’s great,” Nimbus called back, “but so far the Unifier’s a no-go.”

It was at that moment that Mecha saw the flickering field of magic.

“Oh no,” he said, “we have to get out of here. Now!”

“Nimbus!” he called, stop chasing Eclipse! It’s a trap!”

“Are you insane?” Nimbus responded, “he’s got the Unifier!”

“It’s inconsequential at this point!” Mecha countered. “The magical field’s collapsing, and when it’s done, nothing inside here’s gonna survive!”

Nimbus saw Eclipse stop suddenly, presenting the perfect target. He dove down, disregarding Mecha’s warnings. Just before he reached the Alicorn, Eclipse snickered.

“You should have listened to your friend.”

Then he vanished in a flash of green light.

“No!” Nimbus said, realizing that Mecha had been right all along. Quickly he reversed directions and landed on the tower, where Rainbow Dash had already settled.

“How much time do we have?” Nimbus asked.

“By my calculations,” Twilight answered, “about a minute. Then we’re pretty much toast.”

“No time to lose, then,” Nimbus said, “come on!”

He ran back into the castle, with the others behind, scrambling down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he raced down the corridor leading outside, making it to the chariot at the same time as Rainbow Dash. The two hooked up, and were ready to go as soon as everyone else emerged. As they began to load Luna in, massive sparks began to fly off of the field, striking the castle and crumbling off large sections. Nimbus did a quick check when a piece of stone landed only a few feet away. Everyone was in, he was ready to go, all that was left was-

“Fluttershy!” he yelled to the yellow Pegasus, trying to attach herself to the chariot, “hurry up!’

“I know,” she said, “I’m trying!” Nimbus disconnected himself from his harness and helped Fluttershy with hers. Quickly, he fastened her in, then ran back to his own harness and prepared to take off.

“Not much time,” he called back, “military takeoff!”

He heard Mecha groan again as he surged forward, climbing vertically in a race to escape the collapsing magic field. As the back of the chariot cleared the field, the green magical orb suddenly collapsed inwards, crushing the castle, then exploded violently, throwing the chariot through the sky. The Pegasi lost control completely as the chariot began a slow spiral towards the ground. Nimbus tried adjusting his wings, but it wasn’t enough. Rainbow Dash saw him and joined in, but Nimbus knew that one other element was needed for stability: Fluttershy. He turned to the yellow Pegasus.

“Fluttershy! I need you to help us now!”

Fluttershy was shaking and covering her eyes. At the sound of Nimbus’s voice, she looked up.

“If you can’t help us straighten this chariot out, we’re all gonna crash!”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, changing her scared look to one of determination, “I’ll try.”

She opened her wings and joined Nimbus and Rainbow Dash in trying to regain control. Below, the ground was swirling up quickly. Finally, Rainbow Dash caught a draft of air, stopping the spin. Nimbus saw the chance and dove, picking up speed and stabilizing the chariot. Behind, he could hear cheers. They were safe. Nimbus pulled up back into the sky and leveled off, horror dawning in his eyes at the sight he was seeing.

“Guys,” he whispered, “please tell me you can see that.”

Everyone looked ahead to where Nimbus was now pointing. The sun was setting at an unnaturally fast pace, and darkness was rapidly falling over the land.

“Eclipse,” Twilight said. “So it’s started, then- Night Eternal.”

“Yes,” said Nimbus, turning towards Canterlot, “and it’s up to us now to stop him. Let’s go!”

The chariot sped through the sky, on towards Canterlot- the center, it seemed, of the spreading darkness. None of the ponies knew exactly what to expect, but most had no idea of just how bad things really were in Equestria’s capital.

Chapter 17: Underground

Chapter 17: Underground

Approaching Canterlot’s airspace, Nimbus immediately knew something was wrong. By now, he should have been approached by at least two armed Pegasi escorts. There were none. Instead, there was only silence.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Nimbus nodded. “Same here. I think we need to try to be as stealthy as possible from here on out. I really don’t like this.”

He adjusted his altitude to just above the treeline, coming to a stop at the falls, near the great city’s gate. As he unhitched, Mecha walked up to him.

“From the looks of things, Eclipse has control of Canterlot now. I don’t know how he managed to do it so quickly, but I’d guess it’s because he has the Unifier. For now, we have to assume that every pony here, and possibly in all of Equestria, is under his influence.”

“Right,” Nimbus nodded. Rainbow Dash walked up next to him.

“I just checked out the gate, and I saw the weirdest thing!”

“Well,” said Rarity, climbing out of the chariot gingerly, “please share your observations with the rest of us!”

“No guards,” Dash said simply. “I didn’t see any guards anywhere! This is Equestria’s capital, and the gates are wide open. If that’s not weird, than I don’t know what is.”

“You’re right,” said Twilight, “but that might just help us get inside.”

“Absolutely,” Applejack agreed. “Just try to keep a low profile, and hopefully, nopony will know we’re here.”

The ponies crouched low, slinking through some bushes and small trees until they saw the gates of Canterlot.

“Okay,” Twilight Sparkle whispered, “when we walk out there, we’ll go in single file. Act like nothing’s out of the ordinary and follow me. I know a place where we might be safe.”

Mecha nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Okay,” Twilight said, “then let’s go.”

Slowly they exited the safety of the foliage and walked towards the gate. As they turned the corner and entered the city, they couldn’t have been more surprised. Nopony was out. All of Canterlot’s windows were dark, and the streets were empty. Everything seemed lifeless… except the palace!

“Hey, everypony- check this out,” Applejack said, taking a piece of paper off of the inside of the gate. On it was a picture of Canterlot Palace.

“What’s it say?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack cleared her throat. “It says: “citizens of Equestria, the Grand Galloping Gala has officially returned in honor of the demise of those who would…” She looked up from the paper, eyes wide, “threaten its existence. That’s us!” She bent down and continued reading. “The Gala will be held tonight in the Canterlot Palace. No charge at the gates, just be there!”

“To hear him talk, you’d think the ponies of Equestria actually liked the guy!” Nimbus said.

“Well, I have to wonder…” Twilight said, looking at the dark houses and shops.

“Wonder about what?” Rarity asked.

“Well, I can’t imagine a nation of ponies would all just give in to Eclipse willingly. I wonder if perhaps-“ she stopped. “Never mind. I’ll figure this out later.”

“So what’ll we do, then?” Fluttershy asked. “We can’t possibly get close to Eclipse; he’s up in the castle surrounded by guards and ponies, and- oh, I just don’t see what we can do!”

“I think I do,” said Rarity.

“Huh?” the ponies said, looking straight at Rarity in surprise.

“I just need a room, some fabric, and a sewing machine.”

Mecha smiled. “I think I can provide that. Everyone meet me back at my Canterlot shop in an hour. Grab all your things from your apartments. I think I know what Rarity’s getting at here.”

Everyone agreed, splitting off in different directions. Rarity stayed behind with Mecha, who turned to her.

“I’ve got the machine you need in my shop,” he explained, “and probably enough fabric to get you started. How fast can you work?”

Rarity grinned from ear to ear. “Did you see me with the stilettos?”

Mecha winced, recalling how hard she’d been to defeat. “Yes I do.”

“Double that,” Rarity said, “and you’ll have some idea of how quickly I can work.”

Mecha whistled, impressed. “Now what about integrating weapons...?”

“Let’s get to your store,” Rarity answered, “there I’ll see what I can do.”

…

Twilight Sparkle was the first to discover just how amiss everything in Canterlot was. She and the rest of the mares, with the exception of Rarity, walked up to their rented home. As before, it seemed all lights were off except for one: Twilight’s room.

“Oh good,” Twilight said, “it looks like Spike’s home!”

She walked up the porch steps, taking the house key out of her saddlebag and unlocking the door.

“I’m back, Spike!” she called, brushing her hooves off on the welcome mat. She went upstairs and turned left, heading for her room. The light was indeed on, but the door was closed. Confused, Twilight nudged the door open. Inside, her room was a complete mess, with books and other objects scattered everywhere. In fact, it looked exactly as she’d left it when she had entrusted the room’s care to Spike. The sound of footsteps in the hall caused her to turn around suddenly, expecting to see one of her friends, perhaps. Instead, she saw nothing. Twilight’s eye twitched once, and she returned to her room, looking for anything she might need, including the Elements of Harmony. She slid a small blue box out from underneath her bed. This, she knew, was where Spike had kept the Elements while she was gone. She opened the box and froze. Nothing was inside.

She turned around, about to ask her friends if they’d touched the Elements at all, and came face-to-face with Spike!

Twilight gasped in surprise and fell down, staring in horror at Spike’s face. He looked fine, but his eyes were glowing with an eerie blue light.

“S- Spike?” Twilight stammered. The little dragon did nothing, only staring at her.

“Where are the Elements?” Twilight asked. Spike simply shook his head.

“Spike!” Twilight said, “snap out of it!” Still, Spike didn’t respond. Twilight groaned. “Girls! Come up here for a second!”

The sound of hooves trotting ensured Twilight that her friends were on the way. In the meantime, she gazed deep into Spike’s eyes, trying to get a reaction. Spike, however, was as still as a statue. Finally, the other ponies burst into the room.

“Spike!” Pinkie Pie said, “why so-“ she attempted to imitate Spike’s blank stare and almost fell over, laughing.

“Looks like he’s been brainwashed to me,” Applejack confided.

“Yeah,” said Twilight, “do you think this is what’s happened to everypony else?”

“Could be,” said Rainbow Dash, “and if that’s the case, then Eclipse can order them to do whatever he wants.”

“He must have told Spike to hide the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said. “I can’t find them anywhere.”

“Well fire up that magic of yours and let’s see if we can bring Spike back,” said Applejack.

Twilight closed her eyes and began to concentrate, magic flowing to the tip of her horn. When she was ready, she touched her horn to Spike’s forehead. Almost instantly, the blue light in his eyes faded, and he collapsed to the floor.

“Alright!” Pinkie squealed, “we did it!”

“Huh?” Spike said, sitting up and shaking his head.

“Spike, are you okay?” Twilight asked, holding up a hoof. “How many fingers?”

“Fingers?” Spike said, “you’ve got hooves!”

“He’s good to go,” Twilight said to the others. “Now Spike,” she said, “what happened here? Can you remember?”

Spike looked thoughtful. “Well, I went to some town meeting, and there was a pony there claiming to be the rightful ruler of Equestria or something like that. I was about to leave, but something happened. I don’t know what it was, but everything up until now feels like a dream. I can’t remember much…”

“The Elements,” Twilight said, looking up at a clock on the wall. An hour had almost passed, “do you know what you did with the Elements of Harmony?”

“I- maybe. I don’t know. I need time to think.”

“Spike, we don’t have time!” Twilight said. Then she looked to Rainbow Dash. “Get Rarity’s fabric from downstairs and head over to Mecha’s. Whatever plan he’s got going on, the rest of us will have to sit out. Just let him know why we won’t be there.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and flew downstairs, picking up Rarity’s heavy fabric bag. On her way out, she glanced at the wall. She had two minutes.

“Alright,” she said, “let’s see how fast I can go!”

…

Nimbus, meanwhile, was rummaging through his belongings. So far nothing seemed necessary. He was about to pack up and go, when, as he was closing his drawer, he noticed something- a small, locked case in his military items bag. It was a case he’d carried along for almost all of his life. He’d even taken it with him to the Equestrian Air Force Academy. He’d just never been able to open it before. Slowly, he took it out. The keyhole was a vertical slit, and didn’t seem to fit any kind of lock. He was about to put it away when he remembered how Twilight had broken into Soarin’s room a few days ago.

“This is a Safecloud lock,” she’d said, “they won’t open unless they come into contact with a feather from the owner.”

“I wonder…” Nimbus said, inserting one of his wing feathers into the lock. The lock popped open, and the case opened up.

Nimbus peered inside. There were two objects inside the case: a note, and a smooth, orange stone, polished by a river long ago. Nimbus took out the rock, setting it on his bed without a second glance, and read the note.

Dear Nimbus,

Someday you will come to find that things are not exactly as they seem, and that not everything your parents and I taught you is true. In case you have not found out already, I’m not really your grandfather. I’m simply a Pegasus from a long time ago, appointed as the Unifier’s guardian. The Unifier is a device of great power. What it actually is, and what it does, I cannot tell you, but I promise that you will find out in time. When I was chosen for the position of guardian, I was told that before my death, I would have to appoint a successor. That successor, I’ve decided after centuries of observation, is you. The stone you’ve been given is your birth sign, given to you at birth and safeguarded until you were old enough to receive it. It holds no magic, and it can’t, Celestia forbid, travel through time, but it does hold a sort of power in itself. When you look at it, I want you to remember who you are, and why you’re here. And know this- no matter how steep the odds, or how hard the journey, know that you can always count on your friends for support.

Now, I’d best let you go. Celestia willing, you’re not reading this in the middle of some national crisis, but if you are, get out there and make me proud!

Love,

Your Guardian, Thunderbolt

At the end of the note, Nimbus could feel tears streaming down his cheeks. He picked up the stone again and turned it over. On the other side was the family crest, etched into the smooth surface. It was just like the one his family owned! He grabbed his saddlebag and placed the stone inside. Somehow, he felt things wouldn’t be the same without it, now.

Nimbus slung the bag over his flank and closed his drawer. Slowly, he walked downstairs and out the door. It was time to see what Mecha and Rarity were up to.

…

Mecha turned when he heard a knock at his door.

“Just in time,” he said to Rarity, who had essentially set up a sewing shop in his workroom. Mecha went to the door and opened it. On the porch were Rainbow Dash and Nimbus.

“Come on in,” said Mecha, “Rarity’s ready to go.”

“What exactly are we doing?” Nimbus asked, just as Rarity grabbed him and began taking measurements with a measuring tape and notebook.

“I’d like to wait for Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, if that’s alright.”

“They’re not coming,” said Applejack.

“Not coming?” said Mecha, “why?”

“A little trouble with a formerly brainwashed dragon,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Brainwashed?” Nimbus asked, getting spun around by the magically-wielded tape measure, “do you think that’s what Eclipse has done to everypony?”

“More than likely,” said Mecha. “So far, that theory makes the most sense.”

Nimbus nodded. “Well that’s great to know. Now I want to know why you’re putting me through this.” He shot a quick glare at Rarity, who had just finished up his measurements and was moving on to Rainbow Dash.

“Let’s put it this way- ever crashed a gala before?”

Nimbus smiled. “Come to think of it, I can’t say I have, but you know what they say-“

“And what’s that?”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

Chapter 18: At the Gala... Again

Chapter 18: At the Gala… Again

After about half an hour of listening to Mecha’s plan, Nimbus, Mecha, and Rainbow Dash were called over to the sewing machine by Rarity.

“I have your outfits,” she said, pleased with herself. Nimbus cocked an eyebrow and looked at Mecha again.

“So, just to refresh here, the plan is to infiltrate this ball and find a way to get Eclipse alone?”

“Eeyup,” Mecha nodded.

“Nimbus threw his front hooves up in the air. “How do you make this thing sound so simple? We are going to be facing certain death at the hooves of either Eclipse or his brainwashed citizens, and you just act like it’s a normal day!”

“That's 'cause it is a normal day,” Mecha said, staring at Nimbus.

Nimbus sighed. “Disregard that outburst. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m just a tad stressed, that’s all.” He twitched nervously, knocking over a nearby table with smithing tools on it. Nimbus cringed as the heavy objects fell to the floor, creating a loud clatter. Mecha simply smiled.

“I’ll just pick that up,” he said, realizing that this was probably the first time Nimbus would be facing death in his career.

“Honestly, how am I supposed to get anything done if you keep distracting everyone!” Rarity said, to both Mecha and Nimbus. “Come over here! We don’t have all night!”

“Well actually, we do,” Nimbus quipped. “See, Eclipse pretty much just set in motion Night Eternal, so…”

Rarity growled in response.

“Okay, I’m coming! Sheesh!” Nimbus said.

As he approached, Rarity held up a black blazer, with embroidered silver accents on the cuffs. “This is yours.”

Nimbus’s jaw went slack. He’d never seen anything like the suit before. It was amazing. He didn’t think it was possible to be more amazed, until Rarity carefully rolled up the cuffs to show him what was inside. Mecha had apparently managed to craft a small set of sheathes, which Rarity had sewn into the blazer’s internal lining.

“Try it on!” Rarity said.

“Th- thanks!” Nimbus stammered, “this is awesome!” He galloped off into another room to try on the masterpiece as Rainbow Dash stepped forward.

“I hope it’s not something overly… you know… flowery,” Rainbow Dash said to Rarity. Rarity simply smiled in response, pulling out a dress Mecha could only describe as a tangible rainbow. From every angle, the dress caught and reflected light in different colors, creating a vibrant display. At the bottom of the dress, the edges were made up of overlapping flaps, meant to symbolize feathers. Inside the sleeves, like Nimbus’s suit, were sheathes, ready to be deployed. Rainbow Dash was awestruck. So, in fact, was Nimbus when he entered the room with his new attire.

“Whoa!” Nimbus said, almost walking right into an anvil as he admired Rarity’s handiwork.

Rainbow Dash turned around. “It’s awesome, isn’t it?” she said. Then she saw Nimbus in his outfit and froze. He looked extremely sharp, and Rainbow Dash once again got the feeling that there was definitely something more about him that she had yet to find out.

“Yours is pretty okay, too!” she said finally. Nimbus smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Oh good grief,” Mecha said, trotting over to Rarity, “let’s see what you’ve got for me before this turns romantic.”

Nimbus and Rainbow Dash looked at each other with a look of complete disgust.

“What? No way!” Rainbow Dash said. “That’s never gonna happen.”

Mecha chuckled. “Well, that’s what you say now…” He turned to Rarity, who pulled out a velvety, black cloak, with a thin strip of maroon lining the bottom. Mecha was impressed.

“Very nice work, Rarity,” he said, taking the cloak and looking at the inside. There was a built-in sheath for a short sword inside.

“Wait, I don’t get my usual sword?”

“Not unless you want it to look like there’s a sword growing out of your back when you’re wearing that,” Rarity said, lifting her dress up and looking at it- a red and gold gown and a large, matching headdress covered in frills. Framing the ornate hat was a thin, sharp strip of metal.

“Interesting,” said Mecha, looking at the dress, “where’s your weapon?”

Without speaking, Rarity removed the metal strip, which immediately snapped into a straight, thin sword.

“Ah, one of my rapiers-“ Mecha said, “flexible but deadly. Very clever.”

“Thank you,” said Rarity. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow it for a little while.”

Mecha shrugged. “Certainly not. Whatever it takes.”

Rarity slid the rapier back into place. “Now, then- I believe we have a date at Canterlot palace.”

“We do indeed,” Mecha agreed, “and we wouldn’t want to keep Eclipse waiting.”

…

Eclipse stood over the “festivities” below. All of Canterlot’s residents- including those who had been staying in Canterlot for the Gala days ago- were there, all standing around and staring blankly. Eclipse frowned.

“This Gala needs something else- some socialization, I think.” He blinked once, and slowly, the ponies below began speaking to one another in monotone, still staring off into space.

“Perfect,” Eclipse said, gleeful. He made sure everything was fine, then disappeared in a blue flash, reappearing in the caves below Canterlot. He checked his surroundings, then moved forward, entering a dark tunnel. Ahead, a faint blue light pulsed gently. As Eclipse neared, the light took shape. It was a dome, and inside was Princess Celestia. The regal Alicorn looked up as Eclipse approached.

“You have no idea what you’re bringing upon yourself,” Celestia growled. “The bearers of the Elements of Harmony will stop you.”

Eclipse laughed, a cold, hissing sound. “Most amusing, Princess, but a tad melodramatic- and untimely. You see, the bearers are dead.”

“Dead?” Celestia gasped, “you’re lying!”

“Now why would I lie to royalty?” Eclipse said, conjuring up a glowing, blue portal. Inside, an image took shape. It was Skywatch Tower.

“Your ponies thought they could find the Unifier here,” Eclipse said, “but fate was not on their side.”

In the image, the magical field collapsed, crushing everything contained in it. Celestia’s eyes widened in horror.

“No,” she whispered. “You monster-“

“On the contrary,” Eclipse said, “their deaths were necessary. Look at your citizens- there is no discontent, no violence, no sorrow- they are finally free.”

“That may be, but they also cannot love, you’ve removed the idea of friendship of their minds, and they will never respect you.”

“But they will obey me,” Eclipse said, “they will do whatever I ask of them with unswerving loyalty. That is all I need.”

“This condition you’ve created is not loyalty,” Celestia countered. “You’ve made everypony unable to think for him or herself.”

Eclipse snorted. “Well, I’d love to stay and talk about friendship, dear Princess, but I have a ball to attend. Goodbye.”

Eclipse turned and walked away, leaving Celestia alone again with her thoughts. The six bearers of the Elements of Harmony- dead? Along with the EAF flyer and Mecha? She didn’t know what to think. She closed her eyes, shutting out the world around her, then stopped. She couldn’t give in. Eclipse had to be lying. Twilight Sparkle, for example, was much too smart to fall into a trap like a collapsing magical field. Celestia sat up, determined now. She would see this through, and she alone would continue hoping for the return of her loyal subjects.

…

“You sure the Elements are in here?” Applejack asked Spike as the group stood at the entrance to a gaping, dark cave.

“This is it,” Spike said, “but… it didn’t look quite so scary last time.”

“These are the Canterlot Caves,” said Twilight, “I’ve been here before. Follow me!”

“Are you kidding?” Applejack countered, “there’s no way that can be safe!”

Twilight looked her friend in the eyes. “Trust me, Applejack. We need to go this way.”

Applejack sighed and looked back at the cave. “Well, alright then. Still, if anything jumps me in there-“

“You’ll be fine,” Twilight promised, now turning to Spike. “Spike, can you show us the rest of the way?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, walking into the cave. “Let’s get this over with.”

Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie followed Spike into the cave. Twilight provided light with her horn, but the darkness was still unnerving. At this point, no one knew exactly what to expect around each turn. Pinkie, to her credit, was at least keeping quiet. Even she understood the gravity of the situation at hand. The Elements of Harmony had to be recovered. What fate should befall Equestria if they weren’t found, no one cared to think of. With this in mind, they pressed on through the darkness, wondering how well their cohorts were doing on the surface.

…

Nimbus and the gang, in all honesty, had done rather well so far. No guards had been posted outside the palace, and they’d found their way into the ballroom quite easily. When they’d managed to slip inside, Nimbus decided to ask Mecha why the “Gala” was displaying such a lack of security.

“What does Eclipse have to fear now?” Mecha answered, “for all he knows, we’re dead.”

Nimbus shrugged. “Good point. Still, let’s try to keep a low profile in here.”

“So what’s our game plan?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Simple,” Mecha answered, “the four of us will split up and try to get close enough to Eclipse to see if it’s possible to get that Unifier away from him. Think of it as an intelligence-gathering mission.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “If that’s what you’d like to call it, then so be it. I prefer to think of it as a noble undertaking, with the intent of saving Equestria once and for all.”

Mecha, Nimbus, and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances. “Okay then,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “call it what you will. Let’s just get out there.”

“Remember,” Mecha said, “blend. If you’re not doing what everypony else is doing, you’ll stick out like a sore hoof.”

“Right,” Nimbus said, “we’ll meet back at the palace entrance in an hour. Good luck.”

Nimbus split off, walking through the crowd. For the moment, everyone was simply standing and moving slowly from place to place. He tried imitating the blank, brainwashed stares of those around him, as well as their jerky, slow gait. He made his way over to the refreshment table, checking for any sign of Eclipse. Strangely, the Alicorn was nowhere in sight. Nimbus grabbed a glass of punch and downed it quickly. How were they supposed to find out about Eclipse if the guy wasn’t even there? He groaned and pushed farther into the crowd, spotting Mecha a few feet away. The pony appeared to be smiling. Nimbus smacked himself in the face with his hoof as stealthily as possible. Mecha would be the only one to enjoy this. He had to wonder what drove that pony. Ex- scout, defender of Ponyville, blacksmith, tinkerer- what was his secret? Nimbus shook his head, going about his work. Maybe he’d never know. All he knew for now was that distractions were the last thing he needed. He merged into the crowd- just another face in the mind-controlled mass.

…

“Hold up!” Twilight whispered, lifting a hoof as a signal for everyone to be silent. Ahead, she could hear hoofsteps approaching. Quickly, the group ducked behind a boulder. Twilight peered out slowly, trying to determine the identity of the intruder. The hoofsteps became louder and louder, until finally it seemed they were right on top of the hidden ponies and dragon. Then they stopped. Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, accidentally knocking a few loose stones free. The noise seemed painfully loud, and Twilight winced. Suddenly, the cavern ahead lit up with an eerie blue light, as a very familiar face came around the corner: Eclipse.

Fluttershy gasped, and Applejack hauled her back and covered her mouth just as Eclipse turned towards the sound. He approached slowly, taking his time.

“Come on,” Twilight thought, “just leave!” As if sensing her thoughts, Eclipse turned away, finally. With a flash of blue, he disappeared.

“He’s gone,” Twilight said, “that was a teleportation spell. I’d recognize it anywhere.”

“Well couldn’t we just teleport to the Elements?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I wish it was that simple,” Twilight answered, “but I don’t know the layout of these caves well- I mean, I’ve only been here once. The risks outweigh the benefits. The last thing we want is to teleport into solid dirt.”

Spike shuddered. “You’re definitely right about that. Come on, I think we’re almost there.” He led them towards the corner Eclipse had turned. After the corner was a long, dark, straight tunnel, and at the end of it-

“Oh no,” Twilight gasped, “please don’t tell me that’s what I think it is!”

Sitting at the tunnel’s end was a blue dome, with what appeared to be somepony trapped inside. Twilight wasn’t certain who it was, but she had a bad feeling.

“Come on, girls!” she said, taking off at a gallop. The others followed, worried by Twilight’s sudden, frantic behavior. As they drew closer to the dome, however, they understood why she was acting the way she was. As the figure finally came into view, Twilight stopped sharply, almost tripping everyone behind her. She said nothing. Instead, she simply stared.

“Equestria preserve me,” Applejack whispered, looking at the once majestic pony inside the dome, “it’s Princess Celestia!”

…

Aboveground, Eclipse teleported back into the ballroom, taking his normal place at the head of the room. Nothing seemed amiss, but one could never be too careful. Deciding he wanted a change in scenery, Eclipse made an announcement.

“Ponies, it is now time to commence tonight’s dance. Maestro?”

He looked over to a white pony with a blue mane sitting at a speaker system. Without a word, the pony slipped a record onto the turntable, and the sounds of classical strings filled the hall. Awkwardly, the crowd began dancing. Eclipse smiled. Everything was so much simpler this way, even if Celestia couldn’t see it. He finally took a seat on a velvet couch nearby, surrounded by two guards. What better way to celebrate his victory than a little relaxation? His opposition was gone, Equestria was his, and so was the Unifier. What could possibly go wrong now?

Nimbus heard Eclipse’s orders, and promptly began to mimic the ponies around him. He had to admit- he’d never been much for dancing, but tonight that particular skill was of value. Nimbus swirled through the throngs of mindless ponies, making his way to the balconies on the side of the room while trying to look inconspicuous. If he could get to the balcony, he would be out of Eclipse’s sight, and could take a quick break. The journey was slow, but Nimbus managed to hide behind a couple, who danced over to the balcony closest to the ballroom’s entrance. Nimbus used them for cover for as long as he could, then dashed outside, leaning up against the balcony’s edge and applauding his evasion skills internally. Some ponies like Mecha were more cut out for this than others, it seemed. Turning his head, Nimbus caught a glimpse of blue on the balcony beside his. It seemed Rainbow Dash had had the same idea as he did.

He saw Rainbow Dash looking out over Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria with a look of longing. Nimbus knew how she felt. Dash was a free spirit, longing for adventure, fun, and excitement. Seeing Canterlot, and indeed Equestria, devoid of all the liveliness it once possessed would have to be hard on such a pony. Suddenly, Nimbus had the urge to walk up to her and ask for a dance. He didn’t know why, but it just seemed like the natural thing to do. He was on the verge of acting, when he decided against it. Not tonight. He turned around, and hung his head in shame at what he could only call his own cowardice, and walked back inside, merging back into the crowd.

Inside, Rarity was attempting to engage in small talk with a brainwashed Photo Finish, realizing that this would more than likely be the only chance she’d get to do so in her lifetime, when she saw… them.

“I will destroy Pinkie Pie,” she muttered, seeing the ball’s new visitors. Cruising through the crowd, like Timberwolves on the hunt, was Pinkie Pie’s documentary crew. Rarity ducked, trying to make herself invisible, but being discovered by the camera-happy ponies was now the very least of her concerns, because Eclipse was naturally curious as to why several decidedly not brainwashed ponies had shown up at his gala of their own free will toting cameras and recording equipment.

Then the horse apples really hit the fan.

Things happened quickly. Eclipse called out for a halt to all dancing just as four of the ballroom’s glass skylights shattered and four fillies swung in on ropes, landing right in the center of the room. Rarity almost fainted then and there when she saw who they were. The ponies were a tad dirty, true, and they’d all apparently painted war lines under their eyes, and they wore headbands of different sizes and colors, but there was no mistaking them. They were Ponyville’s Cutie Mark Crusaders, as well as Mecha’s adopted daughter: Sugary Spice.

For a moment, the room was dead silent. Then Eclipse spoke.

“Who are you?” he asked menacingly.

“We’re the Cutie Mark Resistance,” a pony Rarity recognized as her sister, Sweetie Belle, said, “and we’re here to earn our Cutie Marks by kicking your tail out of Equestria!”

Chapter 19: Free Equestria

Chapter 19: Free Equestria

Twilight Sparkle looked down at Celestia, who appeared to be asleep in the magical dome.

“Princess!” she whispered, “wake up!”

Celestia’s eyelids fluttered once, and she cracked open her eyes, gasping.

“Girls, you’re alive! But I saw-“

“We don’t have time to explain,” said Pinkie Pie frantically, “we’re looking for the Elements of Harmony, and now we’re going to free you.”

“That will be easy,” Celestia said. “The Elements are buried in these walls. They’re creating this field around me. If you remove them, you free me.”

Twilight smiled at her Princess. “Then let’s get to this. It’s time to save Equestria!”

…

Eclipse looked down in disbelief at the four fillies in front of him, then at the shattered skylights, then to the documentary crew in the crowd, and finally back to the fillies again. Slowly, he began to chuckle at the ridiculous sight before him.

“Who in Equestria are you?!” he asked, practically rolling on the floor. Sweetie Belle did not seem amused at all.

“I just told you who we are. We’re the Cutie Mark Resistance.”

“Right,” Eclipse gasped, “and your plan is to earn your Cutie Marks by fighting me? This is rich!”

“Now!” Sweetie Belle whispered to an orange Pegasus next to her- Scootaloo. Scootaloo nodded and launched herself into the air, flinging a nearby dinner plate at Eclipse. The black Alicorn stepped to the side and hit the plate with a blast of magic, vaporizing it. Suddenly, he’d become quite serious.

“How did you avoid my control?” he hissed.

“Simple,” a little yellow filly- Applebloom- said, “we didn’t come because we were all stuck in a tree at the time. Looks like it’s a good thing we were, too.”

Eclipse growled. “I see. Well, as I cannot have any… dissenters, then I must act.” His horn began to glow as he looked straight at Sweetie Belle. “Say goodnight, little filly, and see just how little your resistance changes things.”

“Sweetie Belle, move!”

Eclipse looked towards the source of the voice. Until now, he’d thought the fillies and the documentary crew were the only non- brainwashed ponies here. It seemed he was mistaken. Scanning the crowd, he picked out the voice’s owner- a white Unicorn with a purple mane. He lowered his horn as his magic dissipated.

“You,” he said, looking right at Rarity, “it can’t be. I saw you and your friends at Skywatch tower when the magical field collapsed. How did you escape?”

Rarity was petrified. Her cover had been completely blown, and to make matters worse, the documentary crew had their full attention fixed on her now. She could do nothing but stare.

“Never mind,” Eclipse said, his horn glowing again, “it seems I have a new target.”

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle screamed, running for her sister.

“Everypony back!” From out of nowhere, three other ponies joined Rarity- a black earth pony, and two Pegasi. Eclipse recognized them all.

“You foals,” he whispered, “dare to show your faces here? You dare defy me?! I am more powerful than Celestia herself! You cannot hope to defeat me!”

“Too much talking!” Rainbow Dash said, streaking straight for Eclipse. Eclipse swatted her out of the way with a magical tendril, diverting his attention from Rarity for just a moment. It was all she needed.

“Come on, everypony!” Rarity yelled, “out!” No one listened, however. The all simply stood, oblivious to everything going on.

“Yes,” Eclipse said, playing off Rarity’s desperate plea, “everypony out. I want to deal with these ponies myself!”

The ponies began to congregate towards the doors. Mecha ran to the exits to ensure all of them made it out safely, while Nimbus took to the sky and joined Rainbow Dash in distracting Eclipse. By now, they’d all removed their outfits and were prepared for battle. Rarity, rapier clutched in her mouth, ran over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Sweetie Belle!” she said, “you and your friends need to get out of here!”

“Not without you!” Sweetie Belle countered. Rarity groaned.

“Then we go together! We have to find Twilight Sparkle and the others!”

“You got it!” Scootaloo said, leading the way towards the doors. Nobody saw Sugary Spice stumble and become lost in the crowd.

Nimbus and Rainbow Dash had proved successful at aggravating Eclipse. They zoomed around him, making tight turns and complicated maneuvers in an attempt to confuse him. Nimbus noticed the crowds leaving and made a decision.

“Rainbow Dash,” he called, “we need to get out of here. We can’t take Eclipse on without the Elements of Harmony!”

“We can’t just give up!” Rainbow Dash yelled back, dodging a blast of magic.

“We don’t have a choice!” Nimbus said, turning away, “let’s go!” Eclipse watched them go, opening his wings in

preparation to give chase, but a blast of magic stopped him. There was one pony left. Eclipse turned and saw Mecha standing by the ballroom doors. He sneered.

“You wish to fight me?”

“That’s the plan,” Mecha growled.

“I would prefer to avoid such trifling activities,” Eclipse said smugly. He then turned to the last of the fleeing ponies and spoke, his voice layered with magic.

“I need one of you to stay here. You know which one.”

A movement caught Mecha’s eye, and a very familiar pony stepped back out of the crowd- Cheerilee.

“No,” Mecha whispered, “no!”

“And now the fun begins,” Eclipse thought, channeling all of his mental energy into controlling Cheerilee.

The pony’s eyes were flashing from Eclipse’s mind-controlled blue to their original colors rapidly, and Cheerilee appeared to be strained.

“Mecha!” she said, “help me! I can… fight it!”

Mecha rushed to Cheerilee’s side. “I know you can, just concentrate!”

“Ms. Cheerilee!”

Mecha turned to see Sugary Spice approaching. “Sugary Spice, get out of here!”

“No way! I have to help Ms. Cheerilee!”

Mecha turned back to the schoolteacher. “Cheerilee, it’s me! Try to focus on me. You’re my marefriend. Remember…”

Cheerilee put her hooves to her forehead in what appeared to be a gesture of pain. “I’m trying, but it’s so hard- he’s too strong-“

Suddenly, her eyes flashed back to solid, glowing blue and stayed there.

“No!” Mecha yelled, “Cheerilee!”

A force hit Mecha in the side, lifting him off his hooves and smashing him into a wall, winding him. Eclipse was approaching, retracting the tendril of blue magic that did his bidding.

“I’m honestly amazed that you fell for that,” he said, “it seems like your love is strong for dear Cheerilee here.”

Mecha tried to move, but it only brought pain to his chest. “Stay away from her!” he yelled.

“Well, I’d love to respect your opinion, but-“ Eclipse turned to Cheerilee, “she only does my bidding now.” He looked at Sugary Spice. “My, my, it seems we have the whole gang here today. Cheerilee-“

Cheerilee snapped her head towards Eclipse.

“-restrain this annoying filly,” he said, pointing towards Sugary Spice. Cheerilee approached, emotionless, forcing Sugary Spice to back up until she tripped over her tail.

“Ms. Cheerilee!” Sugary Spice said, “wake up! It’s me!”

Cheerilee, however, heard nothing. Instead, she grabbed Sugary Spice’s tail in her teeth and dragged her to the head of the room, tying her against a column.

Mecha noticed Eclipse watching intently and saw his chance. He jumped straight at Eclipse, transforming his sword leg for attack. Eclipse turned and smugly swatted him away again, but this time Mecha was ready, landing on his back legs and jumping back into the fight, trying to find the right spot to strike. As he approached, he channeled magic into his eyes, charging his sword. An enemy like this would be much more predictable if he could actually see where Eclipse was channeling his magic to. Mecha jumped out of the way as a bolt hit the ground right where he’d stood, rolling and slicing upwards at Eclipse’s wing. Eclipse moved out of the way in time, and kicked at Mecha. The black pony took the hit and stepped back, readying his sword to block. Eclipse sent another bolt his way, but Mecha managed to block the shot this time, sending it into a chandelier and bringing it down. Now Eclipse was forcing Mecha back towards the head of the room, underneath the massive, glass observatory dome. Mecha looked back at Cheerilee and Sugary Spice, and received a magical blow to the shoulder for his troubles. The hit sent him spinning, and he collapsed to the floor in a haze, staring up at the glass ceiling.

Eclipse smirked, pressing a hoof on Mecha’s chest and forcing him to gasp for air.

“I could have finished you a long time ago,” he confessed, “but I just wanted to have a little… fun first. You see, I must confess that it gets awfully boring ruling without competition. But now my fun is over, and I’m afraid it’s time for you to be done here. Any last requests?”

“Yeah,” Mecha coughed, “I can think of a few, some of which I don’t plan on saying in front of my daughter here.”

“Just one request,” Eclipse snarled, “and make it quick. I’m reasonable, but not foolish.”

“Alright,” Mecha said, gritting his teeth, “then I have a question for you.”

Eclipse nodded, not noticing as Mecha glanced up through the glass dome above.

“Why is it that the cavalry always comes in at the last possible second?”

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean? I give you a last request and you say something as mindless as that? Say farewell to your sweet Equestria, it’s time to-“

“Really?” Mecha said, now apparently talking to himself, “he had to choose the most expensive window in Equestria to break? I’m totally gonna get stuck with repairing that thing, I just know it.”

Now Eclipse was completely confused, but his confusion didn’t last long. The dome overhead shattered, and before Eclipse could react, an orange blur streaked towards him. There was a small, slicing sound, and suddenly Eclipse felt as if something was missing. He looked down. The Unifier was gone! Somepony had sliced through the chain. Eclipse turned to where the orange blur had landed, in a rage. Nimbus stood there, holding the Unifier.

“Give that back, colt!” he snarled. Nimbus shook his head.

“Absolutely not. I’m just here to reclaim what’s mine.”

Eclipse threw back his head and laughed, lifting his hoof off Mecha and walking towards Nimbus.

“And what makes you think you can control that? You have no way of harnessing its power, as I do. You’re just as defenseless as you were before.”

“That might be,” said Mecha standing up again, “but so are you. Already your connection with the ponies of Equestria is waning.”

Eclipse looked back just in time to see Cheerilee, her eyes now normal, in the process of untying Sugary Spice.

“No! I command you to stop!”

“Not on your life, pal!” Mecha said, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere. “This is for Cheerilee!” He landed a punch across Eclipse’s face, sending him reeling. “This is for Luna!” he followed up with a second punch. “And this is for making me endure those ridiculous Pegasis’ idea of a fun time!” he brought his back legs in, then bucked Eclipse square in the chest, throwing him backwards. Nimbus saw the opportunity and jumped into the air, coming down right on top of Eclipse and forcing him to the ground.

“Please,” Eclipse moaned pitifully, as Mecha approached and stood next to Nimbus, staring down at him, “please stop. I’ll give you Luna back, I’ll do anything!”

Nimbus hesitated for a moment.

“Don’t listen to him,” Mecha said, “he’s got to be lying.”

“Oh, so observant!”

A sudden wave of blue magic flung both Mecha and Nimbus into the air. Nimbus tried catching Mecha, but grabbing hold of him upset his stability, and the two crashed to the floor. At the head of the room, Eclipse was positively glowing with energy. Mecha saw Cheerilee and Sugary Spice duck out a side door.

“Good,” he thought, “they’re safe.”

Eclipse approached slowly, magic crackling in blue sparks off every inch of his body. “You foals- I don’t need the Unifier to defeat you. Now that Luna and I are one again, I have all of her power. There is no magic or power in all of Equestria that can match me.”

“Well actually,” Mecha said, “I could argue that point.”

“You wha-? That’s it! I am tired of your incessant banter,” Eclipse said, pointing his horn at Mecha, “prepare yourself for death!”

“Actually, he’s right,” Nimbus said, sparing a short glance out the ballroom doors, “there is something greater in power and magic than you out there.”

“Oh?” Eclipse growled, “and what, pray tell, is that?”

“Friendship,” Nimbus grinned, ducking just in time as the wall behind him and Mecha practically exploded inwards.

“What?” Eclipse gasped, looking at the intruders, “it can’t be!”

Standing amidst the rubble were Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, all of whom were bearing the Elements of Harmony.

“Better think twice before you say that!” Twilight said, “ready?”

The Elements began to glow, and the ponies lifted into the air. Mecha looked at Eclipse, smiling and narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, you’re in for a treat,” he said, “looks like they’re pulling out the Rainbow of Death!”

“That’s not what it’s called!” Pinkie Pie shouted down, as white light began to envelope the ponies. Mecha shook his head.

“I’ll call it what I will, thank you very much!”

The light became more intense, until a rainbow shot up from it, arcing down and smashing into Eclipse, surrounding him in a multicolored force field.

“Nimbus, we need that Unifier!” Mecha called out. “The magic’s not going to be strong enough!”

“I’m working on it!” Nimbus yelled back, examining the Unifier from every angle. Above, the rainbow field began flickering.

“I’m not sure how long they can keep this up!” Mecha pressed, “hurry!”

Nimbus flew over to his discarded Gala suit and rummaged through its pockets, hoping to find something, anything that might help. All he found was the smooth stone with the Unifier’s symbol etched on it. Nimbus groaned in frustration. He had nothing- no way to activate the Unifier and no way of saving his friends if they failed. In desperation, he struck the Unifier with his stone- and then everything happened at once.

The stone began to glow, merging into the Unifier. Nimbus drew his hoof away initially, but found it attracted to the now glowing Unifier. He extended his wings, hovering and placing both hooves on the Unifier for support. He pointed the object at Eclipse and concentrated, thinking only one thought: “free.”

Nimbus’s eyes and wings lit up with the same white light that was surrounding his friends, and he could feel magic coursing through his body. This time, he spoke his thoughts aloud.

“Free Luna!” he yelled, as a beam of pure white light shot out of the Unifier and directly into the rainbow force field. Upon contact, the swirling field turned into a glowing ball of energy completely encircling Eclipse. As they watched, the light inside the sphere grew into an intense white. Suddenly, streams of rainbow-colored energy blasted out of the glowing sphere and arced towards the Unifier. If he’d still had control of his body, Nimbus would have no doubt flinched, but he could do nothing. Instead, he just watched as the beams impacted the Unifier with a roar. Then, as suddenly as the whole event began, all of the lights and magic subsided. The ponies all hovered back down to the ground gently.

“It’s done,” Nimbus said quietly.

“What about Luna?” Mecha asked, “where is she now?”

“In here, I think,” Nimbus replied, looking down at the Unifier. “We need her body to put her back in control.”

There was a great rush of air as a figure flew by overhead, landing amongst the gathered ponies. It was Princess Celestia herself, with Spike and Luna’s body on her back.

“I went back to the carriage with Spike,” Celestia said to Twilight Sparkle, “thank you for telling me where to look.”

“Quick!” Spike said, dragging Luna towards Nimbus, “let’s bring her back!”

“Okay,” Nimbus said, pointing the Unifier at Luna again, “let’s see what we can do.”

He channeled his thoughts into a single goal: “release.” At once, the Unifier began to glow, and a soft stream of white energy traveled into Luna through her horn. The Unifier pulsed and hummed gently, and Nimbus could feel its power again. Then, as it had before, the light faded, and the humming ceased. Now all they could do was wait. No one dared to breathe. Finally, as if awakening from a deep slumber, Luna opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her.

“What in Equestria-?” she said, then got her bearings, standing and looking at all the faces around her.

“Thou hast… saved us,” she said finally. “How can we repay you?”

Nimbus shook his head. “Princess Luna,” he said, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that having you back is all the payment we need.”

The others nodded in consent as Luna turned to her sister.

“Celestia- is it over? Is Eclipse defeated?”

“Yes,” Celestia said, “but his essence is not gone. I believe the Unifier placed his essence deep inside your mind. You’ve become complete again, but your role is reversed. Instead of Eclipse being in charge, you now hold what remains of him captive within your mind. I wouldn’t trust any other pony with that responsibility as I would trust you.”

“Thank you,” Luna said. “And thank you,” she added, turning to face the ponies once again. “If it hadn’t been for you, we would still be lost. Thou art brave indeed.”

Luna stretched her wings and hovered, addressing those below her. “Now, if thou wilt excuse us, we have a kingdom to watch over. Night, it seems, has fallen.”

“So Eternal Night-“ Spike said to Celestia, “it’s over, right?”

Celestia looked at him with a very serious expression. “Well, that depends. I could choose not to raise the sun tomorrow morning, if that’s what you’d prefer…”

“Oh no,” Spike said hurriedly, “I’m just fine with the way everything is now, but, er, thanks for the offer!”

Celestia laughed softly, turning to the hole in the ballroom and raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll, uh, fix that for you, Princess,” Mecha said quickly. “It’d be no trouble at all.”

“That would be very kind of you,” Celestia said, “after all, I’m not really sure this is what I had in mind when I said I wanted some remodeling done here.”

Chapter 20: Second Chances

Chapter 20: Second Chances

The following week went by quickly. Nimbus and his friends volunteered to help Mecha rebuild the wall of the Canterlot Palace ballroom, and the work was done quickly, despite several setbacks involving a series of explosions accidentally caused by Mecha. When they were finished, Celestia and Luna approached them and announced that, in honor of their efforts to save Equestria, they would bring the Grand Galloping Gala back. In all, everything was slowly returning to normal. The ponies returned briefly to Ponyville, to their homes. The place fascinated Nimbus. It was the ideal cozy town. He set up residence in Applejack’s barn, helping the family out with a few chores while deciding where to go next. Sugary Spice woke up one morning to find- not frogs sitting in her terrarium- but two rather disheveled and slimy Equestrian Air Force Pegasi. After the initial shock, she informed Nimbus, and he was happily reunited with his detail.

Finally, the night had arrived. The Gala was on again. The Wonderbolts had been called back to perform, now with Soarin’ in the team as well. Nimbus and Rainbow Dash nearly died when they heard the news. When Twilight had informed them that the Wonderbolts had also requested their appearance in a national pride formation, they completely lost it, zipping around her library like maniacs. When they’d finally settled down, Twilight also told Nimbus that Equestria’s Princesses had requested a private audience with him before the Gala began. Nimbus passed out instantly upon receipt of the news.

Now, Nimbus found himself outside the Princesses’ guest room, in his Equestrian Air Force Service Dress with sweat positively dripping down his face. He straightened his tie, gritting his teeth, and knocked.

“Enter!” a cheerful voice called from within.

Nimbus entered the room slowly, pushing the door open with a gentle touch. Celestia and Luna were both inside. Celestia was reclining on a couch, while Luna was at a small food bar, preparing some hot water. Nimbus instantly snapped to attention.

“Ma’am, 2nd Lieutenant Nimbus reports as ordered!”

“Oh good grief!” Celestia said, rolling her eyes, “didn’t I already tell you not to use those formalities around me? Sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

Hesitantly, Nimbus walked forward and sat on the couch opposite Celestia, trying desperately to look relaxed. A twinkle in Celestia’s eye informed him that she understood.

“Would you care for tea?” she asked.

“Hm?” Nimbus said, snapping out of a sudden daze.

“Wouldst thou care for tea?” Luna repeated from the food bar. Nimbus was about to respond with a “yes,” when he decided to make his first informal decision of the night.

“No thanks,” he said, “do you have coffee?”

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! He’s a coffee drinker like us!” She turned to Nimbus. “Normally we drink coffee, too, but it’s royal protocol for me to offer tea first. I’m sure you know the feeling.”

Nimbus nodded. He certainly did. Within a few moments, Luna trotted over, setting three coffee mugs down on the table. She then took a seat next to Celestia. The three sipped their coffee for a while before Celestia finally spoke.

“Nimbus, I’d like to thank you again for all you’ve done for Equestria, and for Luna as well. It’s very rare that somepony like you takes the initiative to take up arms in Equestria’s defense.”

Nimbus smiled outwardly, preparing himself for yet another “congratulations” speech. It wasn’t that he had anything against the princesses- it was just that hearing the same speech (sometimes verbatim) over and over again tended to get on one’s nerves.

“But that’s not why we summoned thou here,” Luna finished for her sister.

Nimbus’s ears perked up. “Come again?” he said.

“That’s right,” Celestia said with a grin, “my sister and I decided that you were probably sick and tired of hearing ‘congratulations speeches’ from everypony, so we decided to discuss something else: friendship.”

“Friendship?” Nimbus asked, confused.

“Specifically what thou learned about the subject,” Luna added.

Nimbus thought about his experiences over the last few days for a moment. Everything he’d done- everything he’d learned- he couldn’t have done without his friends. He thought back to what his grandfather had told him.

“Remember: your friends are your most valuable assets you will ever have. Hold on to them.”

Smiling, he turned to Celestia. “Actually, I learned a lot.” He took another sip of coffee and continued. “I learned that no matter what challenge I might face next, facing it with friends is so much better than going it alone. I also learned that even though my duty is important, I need to take some time away from it and relax with friends.”

Celestia and Luna smiled. “That’s excellent,” Celestia said.

“I do have one regret, though,” Nimbus said, “you see, there’s something I left unfinished.”

“It wasn’t the ballroom wall, was it? Celestia asked. Nimbus laughed.

“Definitely not. And don’t concern yourself over it. It’s something I need to handle on my own.”

“Mayhaps we can still help?” Luna asked.

“Well, I don’t know,” said Nimbus. “See, I’m sort of looking for advice.”

“Excellent!” Celestia said, throwing her wings up into the air, “you’ve come to the right Princesses!”

“It’s pretty complicated,” Nimbus said, “but if you insist…”

…

Nimbus didn’t emerge from the room for another hour. When he did, however, he had a new sort of determination about him. He had a mission, and with the advice he had just received from none other than the royal sisters, he felt he had the right tools for the job.

He walked down the curved stairway into the ballroom, marveling at how clean and different everything appeared. Everypony had done a good job getting the place to look as it always had. Nimbus moved through the crowd, almost running headlong into Mecha and Cheerilee.

“Hey,” Mecha said, “what’s up?”

Nimbus shrugged, “not much. Yourself?”

Mecha smiled. “Just happy to have my marefriend back.” He looked Cheerilee in the eyes, and both smiled. Then Cheerilee turned to Nimbus.

“Don’t forget- you’ve got a lesson to teach at the Ponyville school this Thursday with Mecha.”

Nimbus’s jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!” He looked over at Mecha. “I’ll be there,” he said.

“Alright!” Mecha said, “the last thing I’d want to do would be to go into a class full of crazy little colts and fillies without backup.”

Nimbus grinned. “Touche, Mecha. Have a good night!”

Mecha raised a hoof and waved as Nimbus left. Nimbus looked over the entire ballroom, trying to find his goal. He thought he saw a flash of blue heading for the side of the room, and pursued, but he was stopped by the arrival of Sunshine and Cloudburst, his security detail.

“Hey guys!” Nimbus said.

“Howdy,” Sunshine said, “you busy right now?”

Nimbus looked towards the side of the room. If he’d seen the pony he was looking for, she was gone now.

“Not really,” he said.

“Great,” Sunshine said. “First off, then, I want to thank you for turning us over to Sugary Spice. That filly’s one of the best frog caretakers in town.”

Nimbus smiled. “Glad you enjoyed it.”

“Well, it’s not exactly an experience I’d like to repeat any time soon,” Cloudburst confessed.

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Sunshine said. “Seems you don’t have your official duty assignment yet. You were attached to our detail right out of the Academy, correct?”

Nimbus nodded. “That’s right.”

“Well, given your current performance, the Chief Pegasus of the Air Force has seen fit to promote you to the rank of Captain-“

“Woohoo!” Nimbus yelled.

“-and has also decided that it’s up to you where you’d like to be stationed.”

Nimbus thought about Sunshine’s second statement as the golden Pegasus removed his old ranks and placed Captain’s bars on his epaulets. Finally, he’d made his decision.

“Ponyville,” he said, “that’s where I want to go.”

“Ponyville?” Cloudburst said in disbelief, “are you sure? I hear Manehatten’s the best!”

“Naw,” Nimbus said, “I’ve got friends in Ponyville. It’s where I need to be.”

“It’s your choice,” Sunshine said. “In that case, best of luck to you. If I remember correctly, Ponyville doesn’t actually have an official EAF squadron attached to it, so… you’d be the first!”

“Nice!” Nimbus said. “And my reporting procedures?”

“Just a letter each month,” Sunshine said, “and that’s more to keep in touch with me than anything else. Just go out there and enjoy your life. There’s a lot to do.”

“I will,” said Nimbus, shaking the hoof of his EAF buddies.

“Take care now,” Cloudburst said, patting him on the back. Nimbus winced with the force, but smiled anyway.

“Thanks so much! Have a good night!”

He turned back to the task at hand. The pony he was looking for was nowhere in sight. Nimbus decided to take a break and head for the balcony. He walked outside and rested on its edge- just as he’d done during Eclipse’s “Gala.” He looked to his left and almost fell off in surprise. Rainbow Dash, the pony he’d been looking for, was on the balcony next to him. Recalling his failure to act the first time he was presented with such an opportunity, Nimbus decided to squash his fears once and for all. Confidently, he spread his wings and flew over to the balcony and alighted next to Rainbow Dash. He had a dance to inquire about.

…

When the night’s events were over, Nimbus smiled. Not only had Rainbow Dash agreed to a dance- she’d also asked him to come flying with her the next day. Nimbus had been ecstatic. He wasn’t sure if he should necessarily count the next day’s outing as a “date,” but it was a start at least. Celestia and Luna had helped him realize that he had feelings for Rainbow Dash, and Nimbus wasn’t about to let those feelings go to waste. When he and Rainbow Dash took to the sky with the Wonderbolts for the formation flight, Nimbus felt the night was truly magical. As he performed a bank formation turn over the Gala’s attendees, he reflected on his experiences. He’d come a long way since meeting Rainbow Dash and her friends, he knew, and he felt much better as a result.

As he boarded the train with his friends back to Ponyville, Nimbus took one last glance back at Canterlot- the place where this whole situation had begun. He’d been through a lot, and made it through several adverse situations, many of which would have broken down a lesser pony, and he owed it all to his friends. He smiled, watching Twilight positively destroying Rarity at some sort of word game as the train began to roll. Now, he could finally go home. Everything was over now.

He reached into his saddlebag and touched his hoof to something. He lifted the Unifier out of his bag, looking closely at it.

“Well,” he thought, “perhaps the excitement’s not all over yet.”

Epilogue

“Alright,” Mecha said, “open your eyes!”

Nimbus removed his hooves from his eyes and looked at the sight in front of him.

“Beauty, isn’t she?” Mecha said, “one of the best houses in Ponyville. It’s got a great location on the city’s outskirts, and it’s cheap!”

Nimbus stared at the house. Several chunks of wall were missing, areas were scorched, and most of the roof was crumbling. It had obviously once been a great house, but it had clearly seen some aging since then.

Mecha grinned sheepishly. “Okay, well it’s a bit of a fixer-upper. Plus, I may have used it as an explosives testing shed a while back, but that’s all in the past now. Trust me- I’m about 92 percent confident that all the air in there is a-okay to breathe.”

“Aw, what the heck,” Nimbus said, patting his friend on the back, “it’s great. Give me a few weeks, and it’ll be great.”

“You can hang out at my place until you’ve fixed up the house,” Mecha offered. “It gets a bit rowdy at times, but I’m always there. Unless there’s a price on my head, that is. And there usually is. If that’s the case, you might want to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice.”

Nimbus smiled. “You know what? That sounds great. I’m looking forward to my time in Ponyville.”

“That’s the way to put it,” Mecha said, “now let’s head on down to the shop and I’ll see if I can find you a starter kit for this house. I’m sure I’ve got the tools.”

“Awesome,” Nimbus said, “just promise me you’ll stay away from the molten Hydra scale.”

“I think I can arrange that,” Mecha said, as the two disappeared over a hill into town, walking towards the setting sun. When they were fully gone from sight, an explosion suddenly went off, followed by silence.

“So that’s where I put my reserve Hydra scale!” Mecha said triumphantly.

The only sound from Nimbus was a muffled groan, followed by “let’s just get back before we trigger a war.”

Laughter echoed over the hills. Nimbus, at last, had truly settled down. What he’d been in pursuit of for so long, it seemed, was finally all around him: friends, good memories, and a place he could truly call home.

Chapter 10: Catching Up

Chapter 10: Catching Up

Nimbus watched as his grandfather pulled a small, orange flower from one of the dark passageway’s walls. He struck the flower on a wall, and the blossom burst into flame. Quickly, his grandfather dropped the flower into a trough running down the side of the wall. Instantly, the trough lit up with fire, dimly illuminating Nimbus’s surroundings. Nimbus could see the fire spreading down the length of the trough, and disappearing behind a corner.

“What is this place?” he asked his grandfather.

“A labyrinth, designed to keep out those who would seek the Unifier for personal gain.”

Nimbus gazed at the walls. At the labyrinth’s entrance was a vast mural. One wall depicted Discord’s defeat, while the other depicted the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon. He was about to say something when a chilling rattle echoed down the corridor.

“What was that?” he whispered.

His grandfather turned to him. “I’m going to be honest with you, Nimbus. There are dangers down here, protectors of the scroll. This is not going to be an easy task for either of us.”

Nimbus nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

They walked on, to the corridor’s end, and came upon another corridor’s intersection. Both left and right seemed clear.

“Which way?” Nimbus asked.

His grandfather frowned. “I don’t know, it’s been a while. Let’s go right.”

They turned right, walking down the hall. The architecture was old, easily by centuries. The walls were all ornately painted, depicting various pony legends. Nimbus didn’t have time to enjoy things, however. Right now, he was scared from head to hooves. The rattling sound came every few minutes, and it wasn’t helping him stay calm at all. They rounded another corner, coming face to face with a dead end. They were in a circular room, with a small fountain and pool in the center.

“Well, I guess we go back,” said Nimbus.

“No,” his grandfather said, “wait a moment.”

Slowly, he walked over to the fountain. When he reached it, he motioned for Nimbus to come forward. Nimbus looked into the fountain’s base. Below the water was the Unifier’s symbol again.

“The first test,” the old Pegasus explained.

“What is it?” Nimbus asked.

“This fountain will accept only the blood of the guardian. When an offering is made, the guardian shall pass.”

Nimbus’s eyebrows rose. “So what does that mean?”

“It means,” his grandfather said, steadily, “that I must request the service of your blade.”

“What do you-“ before Nimbus could finish his statement, his grandfather grabbed his front leg, the one with the blade attached, and held it over the fountain. His grandfather then ran his own front leg across the blade’s edge, drawing a drop of blood into the water. Nimbus sheathed the blade and looked into the water. It began to swirl around, turning the bottom of the fountain into a whirlpool. Then the room began to shake. The wall in front of him rotated, exposing a door and cutting off their entrance.

“Well I guess we’re committed now,” Nimbus said, shrugging.

“Right,” said his grandfather, “now let’s continue on, shall we?”

They walked on into the darkness, following the flames on either side of them. Every so often, the rattling sound would come up again, but Nimbus was used to it, now. They walked for what seemed like an eternity, twisting around turns and going up and down stairs, and through narrow corridors. Nimbus was starting to wonder if they were lost. He didn’t want to show weakness, however, so he decided to calm his nerves with some family talk.

“So… everything you’ve told me- it’s a lot to take in. I’ve got a lot of questions now.”

His grandfather smiled. “Ask away!”

“Well first of all, how have you been around for so long, if you don’t mind me asking? I mean, Discord was defeated centuries ago, and you were there.”

The old Pegasus chuckled. “The Unifier is a funny thing. You see, it granted me an extremely long life before I hid it. I assume it’s because I’m its guardian.”

“Well yeah, but so are all the others who came before me,” said Nimbus. “Wait a minute- if there were others, then why aren’t you my great-great-great-grandpa, then?”

Nimbus’s grandfather winced. He was hoping to avoid this. “Well, that’s a bit complicated…”

Nimbus said nothing, prompting his grandfather to continue.

“Only about fifty years ago, I met your parents. They were alone, abandoned on top of a mountain peak and freezing to death. I took them in and raised them in this house, and eventually they came to serve Equestria in the Defense Force. They served their country and protected the Unifier scroll without knowing it. Finally, when they retired before you were born, I told them about the scroll. They agreed to stay here with me, and raise you.”

Nimbus had stopped walking and simply stared “What? So… you’re not even related to me?”

“Well, not exac-“

He was cut off by the sharp rattling noise from before, but this time it was closer.

“Hey!” said Nimbus, “I demand an explana-“

“Shh!”

Nimbus was about to object when he heard the rattling as well. “We’re not done talking about this,” he said, somewhat miffed. His grandfather nodded his head and motioned for Nimbus to follow him. Slowly, the two rounded another corner- and dropped straight into a dimly-lit cavern. Nimbus hit the ground with a thud, unable to open his wings in time, and his grandfather did the same. Slowly, he got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. All around him was a massive tangle of spider webs. The walls were crumbling, and Nimbus could see sections of the labyrinth exposed, corridors leading into blackness.

“Uh, Grandpa?” Nimbus asked slowly, “was this room always like this?”

“No,” his grandfather whispered, “there must have been a cave-in.”

Nimbus walked into the center of the room. Hanging down from the ceiling was a silky, white bag, attached by a string of the same material. He touched the bag slightly, pushing it curiously. It swung back once, then on the return swing burst open, scattering bones out onto the floor. Nimbus gasped.

"Nimbus," his grandfather said, "you really need to keep quiet. I don't know what we're dealing with here!"

Nimbus nodded, putting a hoof over his mouth and turning back to the bones. They were those of a Unicorn, and with them were the tattered remains of a large knapsack and a dagger.

"Must've been a thief," he said to himself, quietly. He looked closer at the bones, and was shocked. Some of them appeared... gnawed.

The rattling sounded again, from above. Nimbus looked up, afraid of what he’d see, and rightfully so. Perched above him was a massive spider, venom dripping from its fangs, beady eyes glaring down at them.

“You got a plan for this?” Nimbus asked.

“Yeah, run!”

The spider descended as soon as it sensed the movement of the two ponies bolting for one of the exposed labyrinth passages. Nimbus heard it hit the ground, and jumped into the air, switching control of his forward movement to his wings. He extended his blade as his grandfather took to the air next to him.

“You go ahead of me,” Nimbus said, as they entered the passageway, “I’ve got our backs in case that thing attacks.”

Nimbus’s grandfather nodded, and sped ahead. In the somewhat brighter light of the passageway, Nimbus saw the spider in full detail. It was large, and maroon with black and orange accents. He wasn’t as interested in the color, however, as he was by the pony-sized fangs. Amazingly, the beast fit into the passageway. Nimbus ducked back and swiped at its face with his blade, causing the spider to back off. Nimbus used the chance to bolt ahead and catch up with his grandfather.

“So, you were saying?”

His grandfather sighed. “Is now the best time?”

“Do you have anything better to do?” Nimbus asked, banking around a corner.

“Fine. Yes, you are not related to me. Your known bloodline starts at your parents.”

“So why didn’t you tell me?” Nimbus asked, suddenly ducking back again to take another whack at the spider.

“I didn’t think it was important,” said his grandfather, swerving left down another passage.

“I still can’t believe you’d keep something like this from me,” said Nimbus.

“Well, there’s something else as well…”

Nimbus didn’t hear his grandfather, however. The wall next to them exploded outwards, and two more spiders joined the chase. Now things really became hard. Beams stuck out from the walls, forcing Nimbus and his grandfather to duck under them and weave between the obstructions. Fortunately, the spiders had a harder time getting through. They had to go around the obstacles on foot. Even so, they were fast. Nimbus followed his grandfather down a flight of stairs, still flying. From there, they continued their flight down the passages, until they came to an abnormally long hallway. They’d gained a fair amount of distance, so Nimbus’s grandfather stopped.

“What’s up?” Nimbus asked.

“This hallway- I know it. We need to tread carefully.”

“Care to tell me why?” Nimbus asked, shuffling a hoof forward impatiently.

“Well,” the old Pegasus said, rubbing a hoof against one of the walls, “this is one of the more dangerous hallways. As we come closer to the scroll, the peril increases.”

Nimbus rolled his eyes. “Great. So what do we do?”

His grandfather didn’t answer. Instead, he moved forward, stepping into the passage. The floor was covered in marble tiles. Nimbus marveled at their beauty, deciding that these tiles were the work of a master craftsman. Get them wet, and this room would become one of the slipperiest surfaces in Equestria. Fortunately, he realized, he was a Pegasus, and could simply fly over such things. He tried to open his wings, but found them stuck to his sides.

“Hey,” he asked his grandfather, “what’s up?”

“It’s a spell, to challenge all ponies equally. It restricts your flight, as well as Unicorn magic.”

Giving up on his wings, Nimbus started walking. He followed his grandfather, who appeared to be stepping on certain tiles. Nimbus squinted at the tiles in question. On their surface, barely visible, was engraved the Unifier’s symbol.

“So that’s the trick,” he thought, “the safe tiles are marked. The others must be booby-trapped.”

A rumbling sound echoed out of the passage behind the two, followed by the rattling again.

“They’re coming,” said Nimbus, “those freaky spiders.”

“Then we’d better hurry it up.”

The two ponies began stepping faster over the tiles, but the hallway was long, and the noises were coming closer. Nimbus took the tiles one at a time, watching his step and hurrying. He could just see the end of the passage. Closer, closer still…

The spiders burst into the room, and instantly crawled over all of the tiles.

“Not good,” Nimbus’s grandfather said.

“What is it?” Nimbus asked, as the walls began to shake, “what’s the trap?”

“No time for an explanation, just run!”

Nimbus did as he was told, running with all of his might. Behind him, water began gushing out of the walls. The trap tiles had apparently triggered a flood. The spiders tried to hold on, but were quickly washed away. Nimbus could see the water spreading towards him.

“Come on!” he yelled, “let’s go!”

The water was gaining fast, but the passageway was almost done. At the end was a door. They were so close now, Nimbus felt he could reach out and touch it.

When the water hit, Nimbus felt that no force in the world could have been as powerful.

…

Back on the surface, Mecha and the others were touring the grounds outside of Nimbus’s family home. That is, if the word “grounds” actually applied in this case. In all reality, the land around the place was thoroughly covered in vegetation. They tried circling the house, but instead settled for staying on the front lawn, which was covered in ancient, crumbling sculptures and ivy. Rarity had managed to locate a crystal table in the middle of a small grove of ferns, and all of the ponies were now seated around it.

“What do you suppose is taking Nimbus so long?” Fluttershy asked, eyeing a butterfly as it fluttered overhead.

“Beats me,” said Rainbow Dash, “maybe he’s lost somewhere.”

“Now Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “we must have some faith in our new friend.”

“New friend?” Rainbow asked, “have you all forgotten what he was like before he met us?”

“Well, he did apologize to you,” said Twilight, “maybe you should give him a break.”

Rainbow Dash jumped up, hovering. She tended to do this when she was agitated. “No way. I’m not cutting Mr. Hotshot any slack until I think he’s earned it. Who's side are you on, anyway?” She settled back down.

"I wasn't even aware there were sides here!" Twilight said, angrily. "We need to all show Nimbus some friendship. That's what kept us together in troubled times, and that's what's going to keep us together now. Snap out of it, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash just hunched over and turned away.

“I almost wonder if I should have left him with his other blade,” Mecha said absently, rubbing the second blade-device’s smooth, aerodynamic surface. He’d taken it out of Twilight’s bag a while ago, and was puzzling over it, trying to decide how to improve it.

“I’m sure everything’s going to be okay,” Twilight said.

Mecha smiled, but internally, he couldn’t help but feel some apprehension. What exactly was Nimbus doing now? He dismissed the thought. Nimbus could take care of himself, and when his task was complete, they could continue on their journey. Luna would be free again, and Eclipse would be defeated. He leaned back and stretched. Nothing to do now but sit back and wait.