In Pursuit of...

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.”