Darkest Equestria

A day had passed, and Pinkie Pie was baking bread in Sugarcube Corner. She had received a new shipment of grain from the town's ponies, and it was in need of baking. The smell of fresh bread filled the room, and Pinkie hummed as she pulled it out of the oven.

There was a knock at the door, and Pinkie's ears perked up. She set the bread to cool on the counter, and then peeked through the window.

Mayor Mare was standing on the other side, hiding her ever-smiling face behind a hoof.

Pinkie opened the door, giving her a matching smile. "What's up Mayor Mare? Can I help you?"

"Twilight." Mayor Mare cackled beneath her hoof, that unnerving smile constantly on her face. "Library. Job."

"Oh, it's time then!" Pinkie clapped her hooves together. "Let me get my things!"

It was finally time for the first expedition. She couldn't help but feel a seed of dread sprouting in her chest, but it was manageable. This is what she wanted, and she had survived the forest before alone. If she could do it alone, then she could do it with other ponies. Pinkie took a deep breath to calm herself, then fetched her saddlebags.

Now was the time. To fight for laughter in this world once more.

When Pinkie came back to the door after putting away the bread, Mayor Mare was already gone. The mare was crazy, and the finer details of her machinations were impossible to decipher. Pinkie had long ago decided not to try and understand her reasonings.

She set off for the library, a pep in her step. Even with the faint dread pooling in her stomach, she couldn't help but feel a spark of joy even now. If this expedition succeeded, then it would prove that further advancement was possible. On her way, the town seemed just a bit brighter than usual.

Pinkie came to the Golden Oak Library and knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened.

"Pinkie. Come in and sit down." Twilight was standing there. "I have everything prepared."

The room was already full of the other arrivals, it seemed that Pinkie was the last to arrive. She sat next to Baldwin. Trixie and Spearhead were glaring at each other, sitting on opposite ends of the map.

"Great! Now that everypony is here, I can discuss what your first mission is." Twilight said. "It will be a testing of the water, but it will still be of great importance."

"Get to it then." Spearhead huffed.

"Here." Twilight ignored him and jabbed at a point on the map. "This is the old road north to Canterlot. If we can find out where the road goes through the forest, and map it out, then we can spread this information. Any supplies needed will have an easier time arriving from there. Not everything can be shipped by hot air balloon."

"A scouting mission? Trixie did not come here for scouting missions; she came to collect treasure and exercise her great power!" Trixie swung her cloak around her.

"That will come later. As of now, you will scout the old road." Twilight said. "Get a feel for how the forest acts, it is unknown to us as of now. Except for Pinkie, she went in alone and saved me."

As the eyes went onto her Pinkie brightened. "Oh Twilight, it was nothing really!"

"She went in alone and survived? What does she even do?" Spearhead scoffed. "I can smell fresh bread, what is a baker going to do to help us?"

Baldwin huffed, and eyes turned to him. "Beware the crow that caws alone."

"More philosophy, absolute madness." Spearhead shook his head.

Twilight clapped her hooves on the ground. "Attention please! This is a serious matter."

They all went silent.

"I gathered what supplies I could find, Pinkie donated most of it." Twilight said. "Bring what you can carry, and then set off along the old road. I will provide you with a small map so you can draw where the road goes. Note obstructions, dangers, and if the road has changed as all. Eradicate any bandits you find and go as far as you can before a day passes. I want everypony to come back alive. If we are to survive, then we must know these twisted paths as well as we once did."

Pinkie looked at the others. Spearhead nodded, having finally shut his mouth. Trixie had her skull cradled beneath her cloak, and an arrogant expression on her face. As for Baldwin, his emotions lay forever hidden behind a layer of gold mask. His stance was easy and relaxed.

She rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. Now this was a team of heroes. As long as Spearhead and Trixie stopped getting at each other's throats.

"The supplies are in the saddlebags out front. This system will have to be changed later, but this is a start. Now go, I will be working on furthering the state of the town." Twilight said. "Remember friends, we are the dawn!"

"We are the dawn!" Pinkie jumped to her hooves, anticipation flooding through her body. That phrase, it spoke to her. The dawn was coming, and she would be its harbinger.

Spearhead was the first to leave, muttering under his breath. Trixie followed after him, her head and tail held high.

"Hey Pinkie, you be safe, okay?" Twilight said before she left. "It's dangerous out there. I will do what I can to research it, but as of now... nearly everything is still unknown."

"Aww, thanks Twilight. Don't you worry, I'll do what I can to survive!" Pinkie looked down at her stitches, they had healed over the week, and she was ready as she would ever be. "I got friends with me this time, I'll be fine."

Twilight smiled, and her gaze slowly went to the door. "Do you think you can do me a favor?"

"Sure! What is it?"

"Figure out how Trixie is using her magic. It almost feels like dark magic, but it's not quite. I don't know how else to describe it." Twilight's eyes lit up. "I wish I could study it more closely, but I doubt she would let me."

"You can count on me!" Pinkie Pie grinned. "I love a good mystery."

"Stay safe." Twilight patted her on the back, then looked back to her books. She sighed, then immediately went back to her desk and started working away.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Pinkie stepped out the door. Outside, she noticed a bunch of packed saddlebags. How she had missed them before she didn't know, maybe it was the rush of excitement at finally being able to strike back against her tormentor.

"Looks like the cotton candy ball decided to join us." Spearhead was shuffling through the saddlebags.

"Cotton candy ball? Where?" Pinkie glanced around.

"It's you nitwit." Spearhead growled.

Pinkie chuckled beneath her breath. She knew, of course. "Me? Nitwit?"

"Yeah, you." Spearhead grabbed a saddlebag and slung it across his back. "I don't care what Twilight says, you're dead the first day in that forest with an attitude like that."

"I sure hope not!" Pinkie said. "After all the time I waited for others to show up, I wouldn't want the expedition to fall dead in the water like that!"

Spearhead just stared, shook his head, and started marching towards the forest.

Pinkie wasn't sure what to do. She didn't expect him to suddenly lash out at her like that. Best to brush it under the rug for now and pretend like she didn't understand. Anything to keep the group together. It couldn't fall apart before they even started.

"A wise hunter need not chase prey that runs itself to death." Baldwin said.

Pinkie looked up towards him and gave him a smile. At least he was on her side. Then, she grabbed a saddlebag and threw it across her back.

They all brought their items in a circle and started sorting through them. Inside the packs was a scattering of dried rations such as hay and oats. Simple but nourishing food. There were a few rolls of bandages, as well as a pouch of green herbs. A fair amount of lantern oil was stashed inside, slipped into glass bottles.

"This is all we have?" Spearhead asked. "This is pathetic. What are these weeds even doing in here?"

"The great and powerful Trixie agrees with you for once." Trixie huffed.

"Well, that's why we are opening up the supply roads, silly!" Pinkie beamed. "We are only going to be out for a day anyways. I'm sure that this is enough."

Spearhead narrowed his eyes, and angrily stuffed everything back into his pack. "Let's just get this over with. The faster we move, the faster I can get back to the tavern. At least there is someplace worth visiting in this town."

"Who is going to handle the map? Of course, Trixie is clever enough to mark where the road goes, but she does not wish to hold it." Trixie said.

Baldwin took the map, and carefully rolled it up. Then, he put it into his saddlebags.

"I knew I liked you!" Pinkie Pie said. At least somepony seemed to want to do this for a reason other than some gold.

They marched towards the forest's edge. She could see it soon enough, the old road, winding and disappearing through the close woven branches of the Everfree like a snake. It was a shadowy and haunting sight, with branches like claws reaching towards that old path.

"So, this is the Everfree forest." Spearhead clutched his spear tight. "Doesn't look like much."

"Trixie is not scared of such a place. Are you, Spearhead?" Trixie asked. "You seem tense, perhaps a visit to the spa is in order?"

Spearhead growled, and marched forwards into the forest without another word.

Pinkie winced. She didn't have a good feel about this. The tension between them could prove... destructive. "Why don't we all take a moment and calm down? It could be dangerous if we are at each other's-"

"Calm down? The great and powerful Trixie lives to excite!" Trixie threw her cloak up in the air. "She is not scared of this forest."

Trixie marched forward as well and stopped just before it. She paused, locked in place. She glanced back with a nervous smile, "You two are coming in behind me, right?"

Baldwin glanced at Pinkie, and she met his gaze. With a silent nod to her, he forged onward into the Everfree.

Pinkie scrambled to get her gear on, she wasn't expecting them to all barge into the forest like that. She slipped on the dark red and black jester's clothes, then put on her mask. She strapped her hoof-blades on and stuck her lute to her back with what tentative magic she had left. Then, she raced after them into the woods.

She froze at that terrible threshold, her heart pounding in her chest. How many lives had been lost inside its twisting depths? How many horrors lurked beyond its caged branches and lengthening shadows? This was not the time to turn back though, not now. With a silent prayer for protection to whatever would hear her, Pinkie dashed inside after them.

Pinkie ran in complete darkness and chased the sound of voices and a small light. It came from a lantern that Spearhead was holding in between his teeth. The rest of the group was already gathered around them, and Pinkie joined them with a breath of relief. There was something about the darkness that unnerved her when in this forest. The light was a promise of safety, a warm blanket of purpose.

"So, you're a literal clown." Spearhead shook his head as he saw what Pinkie was wearing. "This is just great."

Pinkie narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Her feelings weren't worth the integrity of the party. She was really starting to want to comment on his ridiculous mane though...

The group walked in silence for a bit, listening to the haunting howls of Timberwolves. Rotted leaves and mud squished under hoof, constantly sticking and squelching. The smell of rot and sickness choked the senses, drowning out any other scent. The hum of insects filled the air.

There was a grayish tan tinge in the air, like festering rot. Massive mushrooms grew from rotted trees, releasing spores that filled the air. They sighed as they did, clouds of the stuff filling the air. Unlike the last time Pinkie was here, the air was warm, stifling even. The spores sticking to her coat and mane didn't help the uncomfortable feeling either. The sickly greens and tans reminded her of Zecora's cauldron. She always wondered what had happened to the Zebra, if Pinkie had a guess, she was the cause of this. Evil enchantress and all that.

"This is not what Trixie was expecting. It looked less... rotten, from the air."

"Getting cold hooves?" Spearhead asked.

"In maybe a thousand years. The great and powerful Trixie does not get cold hooves."

"Can you tell me what makes you so great and powerful?" Pinkie chimed in. This could be her chance to learn something. "I bet it's really cool!"

Trixie puffed up at that. "That is not the word Trixie would use, but she understands your admiration. Unfortunately, the depths of Trixie's power cannot be understood by non-unicorns."

"Can't be understood by unicorns either." Spearhead scoffed.

"Yes, only Trixie can understand such powerful magic." Trixie grinned.

Spearhead growled. "That is not what I was saying..."

Pinkie kept careful watch on the encroaching shadows as they marched onward. There was no telling what could come crawling out from beneath the foliage. Next to her, Baldwin was carefully marking their progress with a quill. Based on what Pinkie could see, they still had a way to go.

"How are you tracking our progress?" Pinkie asked. "I mean, there is no way to tell where we are on the map."

Baldwin gestured to a particularly mangled tree. "Paths are not described by distance, but by what lies upon them."

"You don't actually know where we are, do you?" Pinkie asked.

"Indeed." Baldwin marked another point on the map.

Pinkie resisted the urge to nibble on her hooves. This whole expedition was pulling on her nerves. The tension between the group, the lack of knowledge on each other's abilities, a lack of clear direction, it didn't pose well. She had to do something. So, she would start where she always did. With a little fun!

"So, what are all of your hobbies?" Pinkie asked. "Pin the tail on the pony? Baking?"

"Getting paid." Spearhead growled. "And being silent."

"Oh, I enjoy some silence every once in a while, as well!" Pinkie resisted the urge to kick mud at him.

"Then let's make it happen." Spearhead said.

Pinkie saw Trixie glare at the stallion. At least somepony was on her side. As for Baldwin, well, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking behind that mask.

They marched forward in a single file line. Without the distraction of conversation, Pinkie now felt the forest's presence all the more clearly.

It was an abomination of what it once was, that was what Pinkie realized. These paths… these paths which she had grown up on, had walked down thousands of times, they were now unknown to her. Malformed by twisted forces, they were now the veins of evil, the arteries of the unspeakable. The disfiguration of a place she once knew was enough to fill Pinkie with seething rage, as well as a renewed vigor. It had to be restored.

A faint red glow appeared on the road ahead. Against the backdrop of darkness, it stood out like a dark star.

"Halt." Spearhead raised a hoof.

"What is it?" Trixie asked. "Does your hoof hurt?"

"Can you not see the red light?" Spearhead asked. "Or are you blind as well as arrogant?"

The red light pulsed.

"Trixie is not afraid of such trifling matters." She walked forward, then stopped. "She is also willing to let some other pony go first."

The party looked between each other. Pinkie didn't like the look of that light. It wasn't natural. Unfortunately, it was the way that they had to go. Unless braving the uncharted forest could be considered a better option.

Baldwin stepped forward, heavy hooves crushing through scattered underbrush. He walked towards the light; head held high. Pinkie followed right behind him, glad to see that he wasn't letting the forest control him. There was a powerful scent of rot ahead, one that made her glad for the mask over her face.

"Wait for Trixie!" She fell into line behind them.

Spearhead followed soon after, shaking his head. His grip on the spear he held was tight, and he watched the edge of the lantern light.

The source of the red was revealed as the light of the lantern illuminated it. The sight of it made Pinkie gag in disgust and turn her head. She closed her eyes, visions of that day in Ponyville flitting through her mind. Burning buildings, bodies on the ground, blood, so much blood. She remembered Nurse Redheart's techniques and banished them from her mind by thinking of happy things. Like balloons, and cake. It helped a little.

"We... should head back." Spearhead said.

"Trixie is undaunted by this oppressive atmosphere."

Pinkie took a deep breath to calm herself, which only succeeded in clogging her lungs with spore and stench. She forced her eyes open again, hardening her heart. She told herself that it wasn't the same situation. If she couldn't handle a sight like this, then she couldn't handle what was to come. She had seen and shed blood before, what was so different about this? With that in mind, she forced herself to comprehend what she was seeing.

A small effigy was the source of the low red light. It was a simple thing, a bit of wood stuck into the muddy earth. The sticks formed the frame of a net of sorts. In the center of this strange wooden circle, almost like half of a crown, was the skull of a pony held up by stretched fiber. The sockets of the polished bone glowed a sinister red.

At the foot of the effigy was the thing that made Pinkie's stomach curl. It was the corpse of a pony. Scattered cloth told her it was a bandit, much to her relief, but it was still a gruesome sight. Blood soaked the mud, and lacerations covered the corpse. Its chest was ripped open, organs spilling out like party streamers. From the cavity, tannish and pale flesh-colored mushrooms bloomed. The eyes of the pony were completely gone, leaving nothing more than sockets that stared ahead aimlessly. A tortured, yet almost joyful expression was on the corpse's face, as if it had just heard a joke to die for.

The thought was enough to make Pinkie let out the lightest snicker. She wondered just what kind of joke that would have been, to laugh through getting disemboweled. Then she resisted the urge to throw up.

"Are you laughing right now?" Spearhead had a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. "There is a disemboweled corpse and you're laughing."

"You have to laugh in a situation like this." Pinkie turned away, her stomach still churning. "What else are you supposed to do?"

"You're insane." Spearhead said.

"Trixie wants to investigate this effigy. She does not wish to dirty her hooves on the blood though." Trixie was pointedly not looking at the corpse, her head turned away sharply.

"Tread not where the shrike stores." Baldwin said.

"YOU'RE ALL INSANE!" Spearhead yelled, his breathing rapid.

The voice echoed through the forest. For a moment, all of the insects went quiet, the howls of distant Timberwolves stopped. The air grew tense, and they all held their breath. Then, the lull in the forest ended, and the noises gradually returned.

"Trixie demands you keep your voice down. She does not wish to attract anything unsavory." Trixie stepped around the blood and towards the effigy.

Spearhead glanced at the shadows around him, lantern held tight.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to touch that Trixie." Pinkie said. "It could hurt you!"

"Trixie knows how to deal with such eldritch artifacts." Trixie said.

"She does? How?" Pinkie asked.

"Trixie does not wish to tell you, and so she won't."

Trixie leaned closer to the effigy, looking at its glowing red eyes. She extended a hoof, looking over its construction as she did so.

Pinkie took a step back. "Be careful, we don't know what that is and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Trixie has heard your concerns and appreciates them." Trixie's hoof paused just before touching the effigy. "However, she has great knowledge of this matter. There are secrets to be understood from things such as this."

"Secrets?"

"This effigy reminds Trixie of one she has interacted with in the past. If it is similar, then she will be granted great power." Trixie said.

"And if it's not?" Pinkie asked.

Trixie touched the effigy. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the red glow in the eyes went out like the snuffing of twin embers. A stifling presence in the air Pinkie hadn't realized was there vanished, and she could breathe easier.

"Are you okay?' Pinkie asked.

Trixie was standing in front of the effigy, as if frozen. She shook her coat and head, then stepped away. "Trixie feels... nothing."

"You're all insane." Spearhead growled.

"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked. "You feel nothing, or nothing has changed?"

"Nothing changed." Trixie looked disappointed. "Trixie thought for sure that it was similar. However, she has successfully dispelled the effigy nonetheless. It will do no harm now."

"Similar to what?" Pinkie asked.

"Trixie already told you she does not wish to speak of it."

Pinkie frowned. It was impossible to get her to talk about how she could use magic. Still, she was just glad the effigy didn't do anything weird.

"Looks like we have to keep going then!" Pinkie said. "Who wants to take the lead this time?"

Spearhead didn't jump to the front this time. He was too busy watching the shadows and clutching his spear.

Baldwin walked to the front this time and started marching down the path.

"Onward!" Pinkie marched after him.

They forged onward down the old road, leaving the effigy behind like a spent torch. Whatever dark power had infested it seemed to have disappeared at Trixie's touch.

Or was it merely a trick of the light?