RISE: Truth in Lies

by Mythos-Of-Creation

Rating: mature
Tags: Violence, Profanity, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Drama, Original Character, Mystery
Length: 2447

Dark Storm is just your everyday average young colt, playing pretend with his imaginary friend. There's no harm in that...right?

My name is Dark Storm, and this is the story of my beginning of the rest of my life.

Before I begin, I have just one question for you.

What would you do if you believed in something that no one else could see or hear?
That not even the strongest of magics or sciences could detect. Leaving the only other rational explanation for others, to be that you were just making it all up?

Would you fight to try and fail to prove that you are right? Or would you give in and lie to yourself and others that you were indeed pretending? Or would you choose something else?

My life has been guided by that one choice that I made. Setting me on a path that will only lead to disaster and possibly my own death.

Welcome to RISE. Short for, "Spoilers".
Attempting once again to write and publish one of my recurring story ideas.
I will apologize right here and now for any grammatical or story structuring problems that most definitely will occur. It has been quite a while since I did any real story writing.

Please enjoy!

Published 2022-02-12 17:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-02-12 17:30:00 UTC

Prologue

‘Didn’t think I’d be back here ever again’ I thought to myself as I overlooked the town of Ponyville. It hadn’t changed much in 13 years, though my memory of the layout of the town probably wasn’t the best.

It had just turned morning, and the first rays of sunlight began to sprawl out over the hills when I felt a strong breeze blow past me. I looked to the sky and noticed a group of pegasi moving clusters of dark clouds over the town.

‘Must be the local weather team’ I mused as I watched them with mild fascination.

I had always wondered how it would feel to be flying through the sky, feeling the breeze brush past my face. Nothing would be able to hold me down, letting only the winds of fate guide me and push me through the world.

It was an old, and quite frankly childish dream of mine when I was a foal. Looking back at it, I find it…embarrassing, to say the least. I was born a Unicorn into a family of pegasi. Causing my second blemish upon my family’s history.

You see, I’m the youngest of three and share only half of my blood with my siblings. My mother is responsible for that.

Before my birth, my mother’s husband, Swift Storm, was a royal guard up in Canterlot. I was never told specifically what he did, but it was quite important from what I could gather. He would be gone from days to weeks at a time. Off on some assignment from the princess. Leaving my mother home with their children.

He was never gone for more than a few weeks and always sent my mother messages during his trips. However, on the day that he would return home, a group of guards showed up escorting Princess Celestia. They had come to inform my mother that her husband had gone missing in an expedition to the frozen tundra to the north. After a week of searching with no signs, they had concluded that he had perished on the tundra.

Months had gone by, and my mother had attempted to move on but found it hard to do so at home. It was then that my mother decided to go on a vacation.
She left my siblings in the care of a family relative who lived in Ponyville and left for Manehattan.

Sometime during her vacation, she met my father, and one thing led to another, and eventually my conception. I never learned anything about my real father, just vague references from my mother. Of which she spoke highly of him and would tell me from time to time that I reminded me of him, which always made her smile.

She eventually came back home pregnant with me. She was planning on surprising my siblings with me, but unbeknownst to her, there was a bigger surprise awaiting her. When she arrived home, she was met by Princess Celestia and her husband.

It turned out that he had gotten lost during the storm and had nearly died. Thankfully he was found and was given shelter by the Thestral empire. However, he was unable to return to Equestria due to the severe storm across the northern tundra. They had to wait for months on end for the storm to lessen enough for them to cross back into Equestria.

My mother felt both extremely happy, and guilty. She had conceived me under the impression that her husband was dead, and now she would have to break this news to him. From what I can tell, he was not happy one bit, but he still loved her and wanted to be back together.

Then, 8 months later I was born. Born a unicorn. My stepfather was already irked about my very existence and when he saw that I wasn’t even a pegasus, it solidified into disgust. Though he never showed it around my mother.

So that’s the basics of my pre-beginning. Not the nicest or most heartwarming of events, but it is my own.

I stood for a while and watched the weather progress into a full-blown thunderstorm before I decided it was a good time to head into town. By a good time, I mean when the roads had been completely flooded and turned into mud.

“This is what I get for being lost in thought” I cursed as my voice was muffled beneath the loud wind. Leaves and rain were beating against my black raincoat. With some leaves even sticking onto me because of the mud.

I had to focus my magic to hold my hood over my head. Which was quite difficult as it’s quite hard to focus on magic and walk through the proverbial Tartarus that was once a nice farm road.

I wasn’t too far away from the town center when I noticed a few pegasi flying around and chasing each other above the rooftops when one stopped and noticed me. They quickly flew down and hovered next to me.

“Hey, you!” The mare that I could see now, had a light blue coat and a rainbow-colored mane.
“Didn’t you get the memo!?” She shouted out as the sky lit up a bright yellow before a deafening boom was heard.

“What?” I shouted back at her. I squinted my eyes as the rain had switched directions and was now pelting my face.

“Severe!...Storm!....Today!” She yelled one word at a time. “Get…Inside!” She flew pointed over to the closest house.

“Okay!” I responded and I gestured ahead. “Just heading home!” In which she nodded her head and flew back up to the other pegasi above. I tucked my head back down and started moving again. I darted between the overhanging rooftops, trying to stay out of the worst of it.

Finally, I reached the house I was looking for. A medium one-story, blue house with a yellow straw roof. I sighed as I took the sight in, it felt like forever since I saw this place last.

I found myself staring at the seemingly shrunken door that I had once been so acquainted with. Its green paint was thin and dulled, and in a few places was peeling off. The once shiny silver doorknob had rusted a small amount, as the door knocker.

‘Well, I came this far’ I thought to myself. ‘Home sweet home’

I raised my hoof to the door when the flash of lightning illuminated myself and I could see my shadow out of the corner of my eye. I stared at it until it faded away once more.

“I’ve got this,” I said confidently and looked back at the door.

I knock on the door twice, before I hear the loud screech of a chair inside and a table being bumped. Followed by quickened footsteps, and before I had time to properly react the door was flung open and I was nearly tackled into an embrace.

I was shocked for a second before I let a small smile creep onto my face as I nuzzled my head into my assailant’s. I recognized her instantly by her blue-green coat and her yellow and dark blue mane.

“It’s nice to see you too, sister” I speak happily

I could feel tears begin to pour onto the side of my neck and I could faintly hear her muffled sobs. She had grown quite a lot since last I saw her. While we were roughly the same size, she was still my older sister.

I pressed my head against hers once more and she pulled back slowly. She looked up at me with tears in her reddened eyes. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she wore a large smile despite all that. I looked back at her with sympathy.

“Dark” She stumbled for words. “I’m so happy that you’re here. I’m so happy that you’re alright!”

Before I could respond, I heard the sound of another chair being pushed back against the floor inside and I directed my eyes to the dining room table. There I could see my stepfather moving around and picking up a group of plates and silverware.

He looked much older and tired from when I last saw him. But I knew it was him instantly due to the look he gave me as he locked eyes with my own. His face tightened up and his eye twitched slightly before he broke contact and moved away into the kitchen.

My sister noticed this and lightly bumped into me to get my attention.

“Try not to mind Dad,” She whispered. “He’s been in rough shape ever since mom…” She trailed off and the corners of her eyes teared up. I returned the bump and she let out a giggle as I had almost knocked her over.

“I won’t try anything as long as he doesn’t” I joked and shook my head in contempt.

“Hehe, fair enough. You’ve gotten quite strong since I last saw you” She eyed me up and down. I had a coat on as it was raining outside, and most of my body was covered up. “Nearly knocked me over there” She giggled letting a tear roll down her cheek. “Let’s get you inside and dried up”

I nodded and she moved past the helm of the door and closed it behind me.

“Place hasn’t changed much in 13 years now, has it?” I said as I looked around. Nothing seemed to be too out of place.

“No, not really, though we...” She paused as she held out her wing towards me. “Coat?” She asked.

“Oh, here” I levitated my coat off of me and placed it on her outstretched wing. “Thank you”

“You are welcome!” She replied as she carried it over and placed it on the coat rack.

Just then I heard the floorboards creak and my stepfather walked from around the corner. He had his blue coat on and stopped to look at me. My sister had also turned back around too and waited with bated breath.

“So, you finally learned some manners huh?” He spoke cruelly and tiredly before he walked by me and towards the door. I could smell the heavy scent of liquor oozing off of him, and the way he stumbled as he reached for the doorknob, I knew he was drunk.

“Some. Not all” I replied. He just gave a loud snort at that and pulled open the door. The rain was pouring heavier outside now, and the wind was blowing inside.

“I’m going out” Was all he said to my sister before he walked out and closed the door behind him. With that, the awkward silence was left with us as we both lost ourselves to thought.
She opened her mouth and looked like she was going to say something but stopped herself.

“Bar?” I asked her as I gestured towards the door. She mouthed the word “yup” before breathing in deeply and exhaling.

“He’s been going there every night for the past week” She spoke quietly as she walked over to the large window and pushed open the curtains. I nodded behind her and walked over to the hallway that led to my old room.

“He doesn’t work nights anymore?” He used to work the night shift when I was younger, and I would hardly ever see him during the day. Not that it was a bad thing now that I look back on it.

“He doesn’t work at all anymore, and I…I don’t know” She shook her head and walked towards me. “Your room is still down there on the left and hasn’t been touched” She paused and cocked her head. “Except for the usual cleaning I give it ever so often”

Every word she spoke sounded like she would break into tears. Her voice was broken and gravely at times, and I felt increasing distress for her.

“Thanks,” I said as I began to walk down the short hallway and soon reached my childhood door. I pressed on it slowly and the door creaked open. Sure enough. It was the same as I left it.

My bed was made, the comforter with a starry night sky was fitted neatly over the bed, and my old toys were piled in the back corner. I looked over to the light that was on the nightstand and used my telekinesis to turn it on. The lightbulb flickered a few times before it properly turned on.

“Dad wanted to turn it into a workroom when you first left, but mom wouldn’t let him.” She teared up a bit. “She said that she wanted it to be the same for when you came home” She had quickly broken down into sobbing greatly and I pulled her in close to comfort her.

“Hey. It’s okay Dawn” I spoke calmly. “Let it all out,”

Her sobbing turned into wailing as she sat down on the floor, and I followed suit. I could tell that she has been holding this in for quite a while. ‘You were always the more emotional one out of all of us’

“It’s just…I just…” She spoke trying to form her words through her sobs. “I just miss her so much! Dad just drinks away the pain, and Rapid won’t even talk about it!” She cried out.
“I’ve just been so alone!”

“I know…” I put my head down. The guilt I felt for her had increased more and more and had finally broken me. “I’m so sorry Dawn. I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with this on your own.” The corners of my eyes began to ache, and I felt my throat tighten up, but I wouldn’t cry. It wouldn’t help her right now. Gulping down the saliva that formed in my mouth I continued.
“I’m here for you now”

Her sobs dulled to a sniffling, and she looked up at me with hope in her eyes. “Thank you” She smiled. “I’ve missed you so much, Dark.”

Author's Note

*That's a wrap!*

Thank you for reading!
This will officially be my first story, and I should point out that I have not seen much of MLP, so a lot of my knowledge about the world and story is limited. So I apologize for anything that doesn't quite add up in terms of the show. But this isn't supposed follow the show, as it is an AU.

I know that it isn't the best, but I hope it isn't terrible. I'm open to all criticism as I know I still have lots of room for improvement.

Thank you again and have a great day and or night!