Trailside Banquet

One Year Ago - Within the Aetherial Anomalous Zone. Ponyville, Equestria

Pinkie is suddenly awakened by a scream outside her tent. The scream is an all-too familiar sound from her drama queen of a friend, Rarity. In any other situation, it would be a mild annoyance. But here, it sent a chill down the pink pony’s spine. She scrambled out of her sleeping bag and unzipped her tent. When she stuck her head out, she realized why Rarity screamed.

Where are we?

It was clear that the place they woke up to was not the place they settled down in.The clearing, once surrounded with nothing but burnt-out trees, was now in the middle of a fairground. But unlike the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Nightmare Night or Hearth’s Warming, the fairground was in complete disrepair. Metal support beams creaked in a wind not felt by her fur. Rotten banners with the Emblem of Equestria listlessly flapped in the air. Ash floated away from them like dying leaves. The ground, which looked relatively normal last night, was now bleached and brittle. The grass around her tent was charred, as though the victim of a recent wildfire. The air itself was freezing, and an audible, staticy, clicking noise permeated throughout.

As Pinkie rubbed her eyes to get a better view, a heavy fog loomed into the area. It was here where the metallic taste, once just a slight aftertaste in her mouth, seemed to take over whatever morning breath she had. It tasted like she chewed on iron - bitter, cold, and sharp. As she looked into the fog, making a mental note of each of her friend’s tents, she could see that they seemed to shimmer in the fog, like heat waves in a desert.

But heat waves only happen when it's hot, Pinkie Pie. It feels like the middle of winter out here.

She downed some water in vain hope to wash out the metal taste, and approached Twilight, who looked at her map, checking and double-checking to make sure they made no mistakes in her directions. She then cantered toward Starlight, who was already up and furiously jotting down notes about a strange rusted artifact, half buried into the earth. It resembled a twisted, metal cube with flickering magic sigils branded throughout. A small, broken screen was visible from one side, which Pinkie concluded was “off” as she and Starlight’s reflections were visible. She paused her research as the pink mare approached her, and looked at her own map at Pinkie’s request. A cursory glance confirmed to Pinkie Pie that they indeed went on the marked path, and also confirmed Pinkie’s other suspicion - they were no longer in the same clearing.

Pinkie then approached Rarity - her unintentional alarm clock. She looked at the structure that gave her marshmallow friend a scare: a seemingly ordinary carousel. The longer Pinkie looked at it, however, the more unnerved she became. Discordant carousel music was barely audible, like being played from a gramophone on its last legs. What little paint was visible on the carousel was washed out and pale. As Pinkie looked closer at the ride, her eyes, trained from years of party planning to pick out colors of streamers and balloons, noticed that the aura of the ride was a sickly green.

Cracked, glassy-eyed ponies were frozen mid-gallop on the carousel, but not in the usual gallop a pony would make. As she observed one of the fiberglass ponies - a unicorn - its mouth agape and eyes fixated to look behind them, Pinkie could only come to one conclusion.

It’s running away from something.

She found herself following the pony statue’s eyes to the direction it would be “running” from - one of the stalls. To Pinkie, it was one of the biggest stalls in the area. From where she stood, she could see a mural, obscured by the fog. She walked closer to the muraled stall in complete autopilot.

As the mural became more visible, Pinkie realized that it resembled the same symbol as seen in the Cutie Map - a black dot surrounded by three, sickle shaped triangles twisting outward in a chaotic spiral. But unlike the map’s symbol, the mural’s arms were uneven and distorted. Pinkie sat in front of the symbol and stared at it, her eyes following the symbol’s arms.

Each arm of the spiral was composed of cutie marks - their cutie marks - painted in vivid, bleeding colors that heavily contrasted against the faded gray wood of the stall. The marks were arranged in a circular pattern and were warped and blotchy. Twilight and Fluttershy’s took up one “arm”, the unicorn’s starburst appeared jagged and cracked, and its arms were being dragged by Fluttershy’s three butterflies. The insects’ wings were painted with frayed, torn wings, and tiny specks of ash dotted the marks. They were “flying” toward the central black dot.

In another arm, Rainbow Dash’s lightning bolt was painted in broken streaks of chaotic cyan and crimson. Overlayed on top of the lightning bolt were three apples - Applejack’s cutie mark - bruised, split, and slightly rotten. The lightning ”struck” the central black dot, the paint fading away.

Rarity’s diamonds were painted on the third arm of the spiral - cracked, misshapen and uneven. They seemed to shimmer in unnatural sunlight, covered in a glitter-like substance. The diamonds, like the other marks, pointed to the central black dot.

It was after observing each arm that Pinkie’s eyes followed the marks to the dot. Upon closer observation, the dot was not completely “black”, but a deep emerald color. Three symbols overlayed over the dot: Starlight’s cutie mark, a green flame, and Pinkie’s cutie mark.

Starlight’s cutie mark was skewed and blurred at the edges, as though the darkness of the mural were swallowing it whole. The colors, like the carousel, were muted. The green flame next to Starlight’s cutie mark appeared vivid and ghostly. Its flames twisted outward like serpentine arms, clawing at Starlight’ star - it, too, consumed the cutie mark.

Just below the two symbols was Pinkie’s cutie mark. The overall arrangement of the three balloons were similar to an octopus. The orbs appeared sagged and wilted. One balloon was deflated and torn. The strings tangled and twisted downward, appearing sharp like barbed wire tentacles. The symbols of joy - corrupted and broken.

Pinkie followed her cutie mark’s “strings” to a phrase painted beneath the spiral. In streaks of smeared red and black paint were the words

Goodbye Harmony, I’m Dying Over You

hastily scrawled, as if whoever created the macabre mural was desperate to convey the message. The words bled and ran, like tears streaming down the surface of the wall. The “H” of the word “Harmony” was half-erased. Disintegrated.

Pinkie’s eyes were pin pricks the longer she observed the mural. Her stomach dropped to her knees, her heart jackhammered against her ribcage, and her body screamed one word to her:

Run.

It was then that another scream rang out in the air - Spike’s. Pinkie whipped her head to the direction of the campsite, and galloped as fast as she could. Then she saw it. A swirling black orb floated in the middle of their camp. The vortex that surrounded the orb glowed that same sickly green, which did not help to illuminate the tenebrous tendrils that tried to pull everything - their campsite, the artifacts around them, the carnival - into it. Starlight’s magic was clinging onto Spike, caught in one of the threadlike coils of darkness. It was clear she was exhausting as much magic as she could to hold onto the dragon.

“Keep calm, Spike! I got you!” shouted Starlight. Twilight and her other friends scrambled to stand behind her as she engaged in the desperate tug of war. Pinkie approached them.

“PINKIE! THE ELEMENTS!” shouted Twilight, the clicking noise of the air becoming louder, muffling any other noise around them. Already having them on from the previous night, the Elements glowed their familiar colors as the group planted their hooves firmly against the ground, and pointed their bodies in the direction of the orb. A rainbow shot out from the Equestrian jewelry, and for a moment, it seemed like there might be some solace. But the rainbow, rather than being absorbed by the swirling motion, deflected from the orb. Rejected by the orb. The vortex’s spinning motion allowed the Elements’ magic to mix with both Starlight’s magic beam and the Zone’s ambient magic.

It was Pinkie’s eyes who first caught what happened next - a visage that would haunt her forever.

Starlight began to glow. Her eyes shot open as the Zone-tainted magic reversed into her horn and invaded her body. Her pale eyes turned bloodshot. Her mane and fur fell away in clumps throughout her body as the burst of arcane corruption coursed through her bloodstream. What skin was visible was covered in blisters. Steam rose from all of her open orifices as she cooked from the inside out. Her screams were soon cut short, and she collapsed to the ground, her boiled eyes wide with shock and horror as what little life she had faded from them.

Spike, losing his tether to the world around him, succumbed to the void’s pull. In a desperate last act, he threw Starlight’s notes in a flurry and blew a green fireball, the items disappearing in a puff of flames and ash. His body stretched unnaturally as it got closer to the gaping hole of reality, his scales shimmered and twisted, and soon he was surrounded by the absence of light. His screams were muffled by the swirling murkiness that would be his tomb.

Then in one final gasp, the orb and its coils imploded on itself, collapsing inward in a whirl of blue-tinged light as bright as Celestia’s sun. The afterimage seared into the Mane Six’s retinas as they closed their eyes from the brightness. Once they opened their eyes, they could see that all that remained was Starlight’s body in a circular patch of scorched earth. She laid in front of the group, smoking and steaming from the aftermath. Her eyes stared at the group, her mouth agape - like the ponies of the carousel.

The group felt dizzy and nauseous. Their limbs shook uncontrollably. A prickling sensation spread throughout their coats, like being prodded by tiny, invisible needles. Their faces felt red-hot and sunburnt. Fluttershy ran off and expelled the contents of her stomach into a nearby bush, not able to hold it in any longer. Rainbow Dash flew toward her, her energy wavering as each wing flap felt heavier and heavier. Rarity nearly passed out where she stood, a nosebleed starkly contrasting against her white fur.

Pinkie stood frozen in place, her mind unable to process what had happened. Her ears rang. She unconsciously held a hoof to her stomach, her body barely able to muster standing up.

“No…! No, this isn’t right!” shouted Twilight, her voice trembling as tears broke her facade as she stood over Starlight’s charred corpse. She fought the sickness she felt with all her might. Emotions overtook the purple pony. She had lost her surrogate younger brother and her student in a matter of minutes. All she could repeat in heaving sobs were “I lost them! I lost them!”

Applejack tried to remain strong as she set a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight. We need to get out of here. We need to report this to Celestia. She’s bound to wonder what happened.”

The next few hours were a blur. Pinkie couldn’t recall how, but they got out of the Zone, and ended up in Canterlot. Starlight Glimmer was given impromptu funeral rites and a burial in the Canterlot cemetery with only the Mane Six, Celestia and Luna present. It would be days before the public version of her and Spike’s deaths spread across Equestrian newspapers. Celestia vowed to not let what actually happened to her out, and had taken the records of today’s events - along with what Spike sent in his final act - to be filed in a heavily restricted wing of the royal library.

The Mane Six sat in a semi-circle in Celestia’s throne room after the funeral. The atmosphere was heavy with grief and exhaustion. The mares were still covered in dirt, grime, and skin-deep burns from the expedition. Pinkie quietly flipped through Starlight’s journal - her only memento of her former friend, now six feet under. The metallic tang of the Zone’s air clung to her throat.

Celestia was the first to speak, as was custom, but this was not a usual debrief or royal meeting, so her regal voice dropped to a soft demeanor, yet it carried the weight of her Crown’s authority. “Thank you all for your bravery. You brought her home.”

Twilight repeated what she said back in the Zone, “This isn’t right! This wasn’t in the plan--”

Applejack, too tired from today’s events to lie in silence, cut her off with a hard, honest edge to her voice. “Plans don’t mean a darn thing when you’re up against somethin’ like that Zone. We were in too deep, Twi. An’ now look what’s happened.”

Rainbow Dash, anger boiling over from the loss of two loyal companions, shouted. “We shouldn’t have hesitated! We waited too long, and that’s what got them killed.”

Twilight responded to them firmly, looking at them with vitriol. “Be respectful. We’re in front of Celestia! Besides, we were facing something we didn’t understand. Something we couldn’t fight head-on--”

Rainbow Dash responded, raising her voice, “Tell that to Spike and Starlight, Twilight! Maybe if we were braver, they’d still be here!”

Rarity, wiping her eyes, replied to Rainbow’s shouting with her own dose of anger. “Bravery had nothing to do with it, Rainbow Dash! We were all brave! Bravery does not stop whatever magic is in that Zone! We were outmatched the moment we stepped into that wretched place.”

Fluttershy, usually quiet and non-confrontational, spoke in a quiet but firm tone. “We couldn’t just rush in, Rainbow Dash! W-we should have known better. We lost them because we were out of our league.”

Twilight, overcome with grief, looked at her friends and spoke, her voice cracking. “I’m so sorry. I should have known. If I had just been smarter, or figured out the Zone’s magic sooner - none of this would have happened.”

Rainbow Dash, feeling alone after being shut down by her friends, stood up suddenly and pointed an accusatory hoof. “But you were the one leading us, Twilight! You made the call to use the Elements! If you’re going to take charge, you have to live with the consequences.”

This broke Twilight, and the tears fell. “You think I don’t know that?! That I have to live with this?! I failed Spike! I failed Starlight! I failed all of you.” She paused to wipe her tears, and looked down on the throne room floor. “I failed…myself…”

Rarity would speak this time, her voice a mixture of despair and frustration. “Then what are we supposed to do? Just give up? Leave the Zone to rot and spread across Equestria while we sit here and do nothing?”

Rainbow Dash, who had given up maintaining any sense of decorum, huffed at the very idea of sitting idly by. “Screw that. If you all are not gonna fight harder, then what’s the point? I’m not sticking around if we’re just going to sit here and lick our wounds.” She got up and turned toward the throne room door, not bowing, not looking at her friends as she continued, “Somepony’s gotta take the fight to that Zone, and if it’s not us, I’ll find ponies who will.”

Twilight, sensing her friend - the Element of Loyalty - leaving them in their time of grief, pleaded to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, please. I can’t lose anypony else.”

Rainbow turned toward her friend - the Element of Magic - and responded with a statement as sharp as any kitchen knife. “Then stop holding me back.”. She then flew out of the throne room, her departure reverberating through the marble floors.

Fluttershy couldn’t hold in her tears anymore, and spoke up, her voice too cracking under the emotional pressure. “I…I can’t do this anymore…” and ran out of the throne room as well. Before she left, the jackrabbit’s head popped up from her saddlebag, staring at the group before the throne room door slammed behind the yellow mare.

Applejack sighed, and looked at Twilight with a stern expression. “I hate to say this, Twi, but Rainbow’s got a point. We can’t do this if we don’t even know what we’re fightin’ against.” The Element of Honesty walked out and opened the throne room door, looking at her remaining friends and the Princess somberly before speaking once more, “Y’all know where to find me when you’ve figured things out.” She, too, walked out.

Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and looked at her friend with a resigned expression. “Darling…don’t take their outbursts to heart. They simply need some time to process today’s events. And you do as well.” She gets up, and continues. “And so do I…we’ve lost so much in so little time…” With a sorrowful final glance, the Element of Generosity left the throne room as well.

Twilight is left standing before Princess Celestia, the events of today crushing both of them. Celestia, for the first time since her reign, was at a loss for words. The two Princesses stare at each other - mentor and student, ruler and subject - trying to find words to say, but neither are able to speak. Finally, Twilight collapses into Celestia’s chest, and Celestia instinctively wraps her wings around her Faithful Student, who was beside herself.

Through her sobs, Twilight spoke into Celestia’s chest. “I don’t…don’t know what to do anyone, Princess. I don’t know how to…to fix this…”

Celestia stroked the mare with her wing, and assured her that she was also in the same boat. “Neither do I, my faithful student…”

Suddenly, a voice spoke from where the former friends sat. “I do.”

It was then that the two Princesses realized that Pinkie Pie was still there. She remained silent throughout the arguing. Her mane was limp and dull, almost flat. She barely moved, save for flipping through the journal. Tears were clearly streaming down the party mare’s cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. Her gaze drifted to the stained glass windows of the throne room, the sun's rays muted as they shone on the three. She had replayed those last moments over-and-over again in her head. The image of Starlight’s charred corpse. The implosion. The screams. The clicking of the air. The carousel. The mural. Goodbye Harmony.

She turned to the two Princesses, clutching the journal against her chest. Her expression was dark, muted, and determined. She then spoke again, to the Princesses. Her voice was bitter and cold, absent of emotion. “I know what to do. To make sure this never happens to anypony again. Twilight, we need to head back to your castle.” Twilight could only muster the energy to nod. A carriage was already set to return the pair back to Ponyville.

The ride back was silent as Pinkie continued reading the journal.