Rise of Ruinous

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: RISE OF RUINOUS

Chapter 8 - Genesis: EMPATHY

The time: A month after Discord's purification.

The Wonderbolts split the sky as they practice their routine, Pitstop and Rainbow Dash flying alongside Soarin and Spitfire.  Loops, weaves, flips, twirls, they did it all - until they collided with a BIG cotton-candy-raincloud!

R.Dash: *gasp, pant*  Maybe Discord has a point - we ARE working hard.

Soarin: *nod* I agree, we SHOULD take a break.

The pegasi pull out of the cloud and land near Sugar Cube Corner.  Virtuna sees them landing and smiles, Spitfire spotting her.

Spitfire: Hey!  You're the little pony who runs the arcade.

Virtuna: Y-yeah, Miss Spitfire.  Name's Virtuna.

Spitfire: Well, pleased to meet *Virtuna extends her artificial limb by mistake for a hoofshake* you.....

Both mares laugh, then Rainbow Dash, Pitstop and Soarin also laugh.

*INTRO SEQUENCE*

As the four Wonderbolts play, Twilight Sparkle heads into the arcade with the CMCs.

Scootaloo: What up, V?

Virtuna: Heya, Scootaloo.

The two fillies exchange a complex series of high, middle and low brohoofs that makes Twilight Sparkle chuckle.

Virtuna: How are ya?

Scootaloo: Not bad!  You?

Virtuna: I am amazingly good.  Look!

Virtuna points to the flight simulator and Scootaloo gasps, seeing the Wonderbolts!

Scootaloo: WOW!!  *She dashes to them*  You're the-!  You're the-!

Spitfire: *laugh*  Starstruck, eh?

The little pegasus filly nods, then Spitfire lets Scootaloo take a turn on the simulator.  Virtuna smiles at the scene.

T.Sparkle: This happen a lot, Virtuna?

Virtuna: Uh-huh!  That's why I LOVE video games, they bring EVERYpony together!

Twilight Sparkle chuckles, then Virtuna starts glowing!  The CMCs look at the grey filly as she gets her cutie mark, the same as the mark the rope made during Trixie's magic show!

A.Bloom: Tarnation.....

When the light fades, Virtuna shrieks in delight, jumping around the room like Twilight Sparkle did when she got her cutie mark, bringing a happy smile to the face of the purple unicorn.  The CMCs murr as they smile at Virtuna's happiness, Verdescale giving her a big hug.

Verdescale: Finally!

Virtuna: I know!

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle head to and hug Virtuna.  In Canterlot, Trixie hums as she walks by the Elements of Harmony antechamber when she notices a glowing coming from inside!

Trixie: PRINCESS!!  NIGHTMARE!!

All three alicorns rush into the room.

P.Celestia: What is it?

The sun goddess lets out a mighty gasp when she sees the glowing, Nightmare Moon using her horn to unlock the door.  One of the formerly-dormant Elements rolls out into the room, bouncing itself on the floor like a basketball.

N.Moon: Oh!  This is how Twilight and her friends absorbed their elements!

Nightmare Moon taps the bouncing rock with her right-front hoof before slamming her front hooves on the floor.  This time, the rock didn't shatter.....

P.Celestia: Guess you're not strong enough.

N.Moon: Or her spirit's not strong enough.

P.Luna: We shall have to keep an eye on that one.....

All three alicorns and Trixie nod.  Back at the arcade, Pinkie Pie is throwing a party celebrating Virtuna getting her cutie mark.  Discord chuckles as he's serving up desserts with Pinkie Pie - desserts with a hidden surprise in them!

R.Dash: Not bad!  *She checks out one of the cupcakes, a lemon with a lime center*  WOW!  Not bad!

P.Pie: *blush* Well, for once, I can't take ALL the credit.

Rainbow Dash looks up at a blushing Discord.

R.Dash: OK, OK, a little bit of chaos I can deal with.  Just don't split us apart again, K?

Discord: I promise, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash smiles, then goes back to the party as Princess Celestia lands.  Discord smiles at her as he serves her a vanilla-with-chocolate-inside cupcake.

P.Celestia: WOW!

P.Pie and Discord: Thank you.

All three laugh as Virtuna trots up, smiling.

Virtuna: Ya see what I see in Discord, Your Highness?  Life should be unpredictable, random.  It may feel safe to know everything goes according to plan all the time, but that gets boring after a while.  Life should be a highway, not a train track.  And what happened at the Wonderbolts tryout was one example.

Discord: Wonderbolts?

Discord looks and spots Pitstop and Rainbow Dash.  He points between the two alternatingly a few times before the two pegasi look at each other and nod at Discord.

Discord: Both?

Virtuna, R.Dash and Pitstop: Yup!

Discord: Nice.

Virtuna: Look, I'm not asking for buffalo ballerinas or giraffe-legged bunnies to overrun Equestria.  I'm just thinking that life, even here, needs to be a chain of surprises, kinda like these yummy cupcakes.

P.Celestia: *chuckle* I agree with that!

The sun goddess looks at Discord.

Discord: If we only had *points at Virtuna* her acting as a mediator the last time I surfaced.

P.Celestia: *nod*  Maybe then we'd be able to live with each other.  Look, I know you haven't got the power to spread chaos all over Equestria like before, and you won't be that underpowered forever, so..... *sigh*  This-is-what-I-propose.

Discord: Yes?

P.Celestia: We already have Nightmare Night, where we go around getting candy to offer to Nightmare Moon - even if she IS converted.  I am willing to put a "Day of Discord" on the calendar, where ponies play pranks on each other, if you promise to fix ALL the chaos you create at the end of the day.  Capisce?

Discord: *purr* Capisce, Princess.

Everypony cheers as Princess Celestia and Discord shake on it.  In Canterlot, the Element bounces higher and higher, as if made of rubber, not stone.  Nightmare Moon then attempts to shatter it by slamming her hooves down again.  This time, it works, and the bits go sailing through the main room out the door, the Mare in the Moon in hot pursuit!  Trixie and Princess Luna were in the main room, watching the former antagonist race through.

N.Moon (as she chases the bits through the main room): FOLLOW THAT ELEMENT!!!

Trixie and Princess Luna exchanged glances before following Nightmare Moon, Luna using her own wingpower while Trixie rode in Luna's chariot.  The trio followed the pieces down to the Ponyville Town Square!

N.Moon: INCOMING!!!!!

Everypony and Discord look up as the small shards encircle Virtuna!

Verdescale: You have got to be.....

Just as when the Mane 6 NOT named Twilight Sparkle got their Elements of Harmony, the shards whipped around Virtuna in a double-orbit before combining to form a necklace with the rocker-switch with the buttons on it making up the gemstone!  Twilight Sparkle's jaw was on the ground in shock and Princess Celestia had her right-front hoof over her mouth in disbelief.  Even Discord seemed affected by this turn of events, the CMCs cheering loudly.

Virtuna: ..........Whoa.  I-mean........ You....... Me?

T.Sparkle: *nods* Uh-huh!

For the second time that day, Virtuna begins running around screaming in delight!

Virtuna: WOWOW!!!!!  I KNEW movin' here would be best for me, but I didn't think it would be THIS GOOD!

Princess Luna and Trixie land, the moon goddess huffing and puffing in exhaustion.

Trixie: WHOA!

Virtuna: Amazin', eh?!

P.Luna: I know what your spirit is, Virtuna.  Twilight wrote to us about your ability to help others understand, and your summits with Nightmare Moon and Discord cemented it, you are Empathy.

Verdescale: !!!  WOW!  I KNEW she was good at it, but I didn't think she was THAT good!

The Mane 6 minus Twilight Sparkle surround Verdescale.

Applejack: C'mere, ya'll.  Let's tell ya about how we got OUR Elements of Harmony.

As the five ponies lead the dragon to Virtuna's arcade, Nightmare Moon looks at Princess Celestia.

N.Moon: Bit for your thoughts, Princess?

P.Celestia: While I SHOULD be overjoyed that we have a 7th Element, I'm..... worried.

P.Luna: WORRIED, sister?

P.Celestia: *nod*  This is the first step to Ruinous' revival..... And it WON'T be the last.

N.Moon: Well, Twilight DID say we needed more allies.

P.Luna: And she DID say we HAVE to beat him.

P.Celestia: I know that.  I just hope we CAN beat him.....

The night ponies nod, then join the celebration.  Meanwhile, in a far-off place, a vortex of the darkest darkness one can imagine swirls viciously.  Then, in the center of the vortex, two red glowing eyes open, an evil laugh coming from the swirling mass of nothingness.....

TO BE CONTINUED