Rainbow is Magic S2 Finale: Corruptions of Ruin

by aceotaku

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Starswirl the Bearded, Adventure, King Sombra, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Tirek, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3396

Familiar faces return as Rainbow and her friends must ready to face their greatest challenge yet

Rainbow Dash have faced many threats together. Nightmare Moon. The Bad Apples. Grand Heist. Hang Ém High. Discord. The Shadowbolts. King Sombra. The Changelings. Captain Squirk and his pirates. THe Parasprites.

Now familiar faces from the past return to the present as the six mares (and dragon) must face the greatest challenge yet: The Corruptions of Ruin. WIll they be able to face powers made to counter their own skills and ideals?

And on the eve of the return of the greatest mage in Equestria too...

Published 2024-11-30 20:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-11-30 20:30:01 UTC

Prologue

My Little Pony

My Little Pony

Haaa ha, ha haaaa...

My Little Pony

Who cares what friendship could be?

My little pony

For it’s magic will be denied from you

Cease your ventures

No more fun

IT’S MINE ALL MINE

Gullible and weak

Oppressive pain

It’s a simple treat

As this magic spells your defeat!

Oh, My little pony

Say goodbye to all your very best friends!

Rainbow Dash poured over the book she had received from Celestia. It was among the items recovered from El Dorado and had been delivered to her as Celestia felt a student of magic like her would make use of it. She suspected there were other reasons behind the gesture but she didn’t really care, as it was an incredible thing to be given.

It was the final manuscript of Starswirl the Bearded, the greatest mage in Equestria who had invented over a thousand spells back in the day. As a student of magic, this was a great opportunity for her to learn magic from a pony she otherwise wouldn’t have ever been able to, since he was a figure from far in Equestria’s history.

The spells were extremely varied, ranging from combat spells to more useful and creative ones, even a spell for dispelling certain types of magic which she believed would be very useful in the future, but there was one spell near the end of the book that took her from surprise. It seemed to have been only half completed, the reasons for that she could only guess, but it seemed extremely complex and difficult.

Her mind, upon seeing it, became obsessed with figuring out what the spell was. For some reason Starswirl hadn’t named it, and even the wording in the spell written so far was vague, as if Starswirl didn’t want anyone able to understand it compared to the other spells. She frowned in thought at this as her eyes focused on a portion of the spell calling for The Power of Harmony as a key component.

Her mind raced, what could that mean? Of course, the first thing to come to her mind were the Elements, but that couldn’t possibly be it, and she had only one on her anyway, so how could…..?

But what if? A part of her mind whispered. The idea of potentially solving the mystery and completing the final spell of Starswirl the Bearded was too much for her to ignore.

So she got out her Element of Magic and placed it on the table, reading the spell as she focused her magic into the Element. Her eyes widened as, upon doing this, inspiration struck and she started to write down into the spell as she connected her magic to the element.

Naturally she wouldn’t know the other Elements held by her friends (each sleeping in their homes) had begun to glow as they reacted with her magic, the items becoming connected.

As she finished the spell in a trance the page began to glow, sparks of magic connecting the page, her wings and her Element together as a bright light filled her eyes.

She blinked as she found herself in some strange space, a massive void of stars stretching around her endlessly. Windows appeared around her, showing numerous moments in her life, from the foes she faced to the friends she made, and the hardships she conquered.

“what the hay is this…?”she wondered aloud to herself.

“This is your reward, my little pony.”A familiar voice spoke as the figure of Princess Celestia strode towards her from the starry space.

“Princess…? What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked, her head tilted in puzzlement. “Where even IS here…?”

The Princess smiled at her. “You solved Starswirl’s final spell. It’s proof you are worthy of the spell, and thus I am here to help you attain what it is meant for.”

“huh….? Wait...How the...How did you know I completed the spell? How COULD you even know that? Heck, how are you even here, and so quick?” her eyes narrowed. “Hold on...Are...are you even Princess Celestia? None of this makes sense unless...you’re someone else, someone who’s been spying on me! W-well!? Be truthful with me!”

Princess Celestia, or rather the figure who looked like her, frowned. “I...was hoping this would be enough for you. I suppose you aren’t as trusting and unquestioning as some ponies...it wouldn’t be right to continue to lie to you, I just...felt it was better if you believed it to be Princess Celestia who is here to help you with this…”

“What IS this?”Rainbow asked, gesturing around her. “And, AGAIN, I’d like to know who you even ARE.”

The Princess frowned. “I...suppose that would be a place to start, yes.” She closed her eyes and she began to transform, becoming a tall, shadowy, bipedal figure clad in a flowing robe or cape with a crown atop its head, large white eyes the only colour on its black, indistinct, shadowy form.

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she inched back from the entity. “Who...WHAT...are you?”

The shadowy figure stood over her, sighing softly. “Noone important. Just an Old King trying to make up for a lifetime of mistakes…. Now I watch over you little ponies and the other races of your world, and do my best to protect. It is why I created the Elements of Harmony.”

“wait...you mean...the Old King from the Hearthswarming story?” Rainbow raised her brow sceptically.

He nodded slowly. “yes...I would have preferred to have been forgotten entirely, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped that they’d remember me…”

“what...what are you doing HERE? Where ARE we? Why are you talking to me?”

The Old King closed his eyes. “This is...your reward. Remember that spell you were finishing? This was its purpose...of course, simply completing it wouldn’t do much, despite what it’s creator believed. I took advantage of it to bring you before me so I could give you what it was made for.”

Rainbow raised a brow. “What was that spell supposed to do?”

The Old King seemed hesitant before he spoke. “I...do not wish to...ruin your feelings on someone you may have looked up to, but….you see...the spell’s purpose was to give the caster the same form as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

Rainbow dash blinked, taken aback. “W-what…? What are you saying…?”

“I...beleived you were worthy of being given this chance, so I used the spell to bring you before me, one who normally stands outside from you little ponies and your lives….” He reached out a shadowy hand towards her. “I...believe you should take on the same gift as Celestia and Luna, and become a ‘Princess’, as it were.”

“I...why would I…?” Rainbow stammered, mind swimming at the suddenness of it all.

“Apart from casting the spell meant to do such a thing? You are a wonderful pony, your friendships have blossomed wonderfully and you’ve fought hard both for your friends and for Equestria, you are intelligent, driven and determined. I see no reason why you shouldn’t be given this honour.”

“But there has to be more it, you wouldn’t just give me such a….I dunno what to call it, but...why do we need another Princess, let alone have it be ME!?”

The Old King sighed, turning his gaze aside. “...There is...a great evil rising. Of course, many are, but this one eclipses them all, an evil ancient and powerful…. I am hoping I am wrong, and that I can stop it...but...in the event the worst happens...Equestria, the WORLD needs the power of the Princesses AND the Elements...even just a little bit more should even the odds...or at least give everyone a chance.”

“a...great evil?” she tilted her head, a little puzzled. “Mind...elaborating?”

The Old King thought for a moment. “I….cannot. Knowing too much may empower him, make his appearance more certain. But...you have seen his influence throughout your adventures, pieces of him that continue to exert his will over Equestria. The Parasprites, Sombra, Hang ‘Em High...Nightmare Moon. All these things a result of this great evil

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Nightmare Moon…? This...evil thing was what turned Princess Luna into...her?”

“Yes, and that was merely a PIECE of him, which had been greatly weakened. Were the Pieces be gathered together….” He fell silent. “Hence, we may need a new Princess….”

Rainbow looked around thought, windows showing moments from her life floating around them, reminding her of what she’s been through till now. She closed her eyes, and gave her answer.

“Sorry, I have to refuse.”

The Old King looked down at her sadly, but not with any surprise. “May I ask why?”

“I didn’t learn magic to become a Princess, I wouldn’t know the first thing to do. Besides we have plenty of royals ruling over Equestria, I’d just be superfluous. Besides...it may make things different between me and my friends, and I couldn’t afford to cause any friction between us by becoming a Princess.” She gave him a smile. “I’m sure we can handle anything that comes our way, I don’t think an extra Princess would be the big decider in anything.”

“Perhaps you are right….” The Old King closed his eyes. “Well, now that you’ve made your decision, our time together will come to an end. I am sorry I cannot offer much more, there are...rules. I cannot interfere too much...I SHOULD not.”

Rainbow frowned in thought, nodding slowly. “Alright. You sure you can’t tell me more about this great evil thing? Like...a name or anything?”

“No. He...IT feeds on your fear, your despair, your hatred. Telling you more may only strengthen it. But...there is a pressing matter I should alert you to, other than my old enemy.”

Rainbow tilted her head. “what is it?”

“Tell me...what sort of person, er, pony, would create a spell with the intention of giving them the powers of a Princess?”

Rainbow blinked. “Uhhh...someone who wants to help Equestria?”

The Old King turned from her, sighing to himself. “Perhaps, that’s how Starswirl may see it. But, sometimes...these things aren’t so….cut and dry. Starswirl, as great as he was, never tried to understand one thing….”

“What do you mean by that?” Rainbow asked before she disappeared suddenly, leaving the Old King alone as he closed his eyes, his expression filled with sadness and regret and guilt.

Luna was walking through the halls of Canterlot Castle during the night. She didn’t HAVE to be awake during this time, but she was having trouble sleeping for reasons she couldn’t remember, but everytime she tried to sleep she was filled with an inexplicable feeling of dread, so she used this time to explore the castle and calm herself.

She had decided to use this time to inspect the magical items gained from the fall of that resort. The debacle had deepened the cracks in the people’s trust in Celestia, at least in Canterlot, and Luna would be lying if she didn’t understand. But she still loved Celestia and still wanted to believe she was a better choice for ruler than herself. She hoped these items may help her repair her sister’s reputation, and also wanted to see what uses they could have. Perhaps she may even think of uses for the items Celestia wouldn’t.

Why she decided to do this without her sister’s knowledge is a question even she isn’t willing to answer.

As she approached the door to the room holding the items she heard a loud shattering noise. Her eyes widening she opened the door and rushed inside, looking around for the source of the noise, only to gasp as she saw a mare standing among a pile of shattered crystal shards among the various confiscated items.

The mare gazed towards Luna, sporting a grey coat, a long white mane and, strangely, a matching beard growing under her chin, a blue wizard hat atop her head decorated with bells.

Luna stared, wide eyed. “Starswirl…?”

A group of various people sat around a small desk in a dark room. A black scaled dragon with a mohawk of black hair. A purple octopus-like monster wearing a pirate’s hat. A changeling with a scarred face and large butterfly wings and claws instead of forehooves. A pink filly with curled hair wearing a black cowboy hat atop her head. And sitting in front of them all was a figure whose body was covered in a brown cloak.

The changeling, Tyrant Monarch, tapped her claw impatiently at the table, eyes narrowed. “How LONG am I supposed to just wait here with these DISGUSTING freaks?”

“You aren’t looking that common yourself, lady.” Sombra the dragon retorted with a smirk. “Such a NASTY scar you have there, incidentally.”

Squirk the pirate octopus chuckled, gesturing towards his own scarred body. “Hey, Scars are cool. They help give someone a fearsome appearance.”

A pair of twin changelings flew from behind Tyrant Monarch, buzzing angrily as they leaned into Squirk’s face. “Our beautiful queen does not need to hear anything from YOU, MONSTER!”

A beautiful mare stepped out from behind Squirk, snarling at the twins. “And YOU TWO will do well to not get in my captain’s face!”

Sombra growled. “The hangers on are quite loud. I was under the impression those three were not meant to be part of this alliance.”

Tyrant Monarch huffed. “Flitter and Cloudchaser are my most loyal changelings, I wouldn’t dare be a part of this without ensuring their assistance.”

“Angle Glow is me only remaining crewmate!” Squirk added. “I wouldn’t join unless Tirek helped me get him back!”

Angle Glow huffed, stepping back. “But did I have to be brougth back like THIS? I was a powerful sea monster! Now I’m just a weird pony!”

The filly spun a revolver in her hoof as she spoke up suddenly. “Way I gather, you are lucky to even be alive. Our benefactor here had to use a lot of magic to give you a new form.”

“it is also more useful for our purposes. A giant sea monster, especially one unable to be out of the water like Squirk, is not something that could help us here.”the cloaked figure, Tirek, spoke up at last. “worry not, everything’s moving in place, we can FINALLY act.”

Sombra’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you serious?”

Tirek nodded, eyes glowing a bright yellow under the darkness of their hood. “Indeed. We have six to counter the elements of harmony, the disparate pieces of my plan are gathered together at last.”

The filly looked around. “really? I thought we needed six of us. Unless Angle Glow or Flitter or Cloudchaser are filling a spot after all.”

“No.” Tirek answered simply. “The final among our number is off performing her own task for us, unlike us she is able to prepare for us without any impediment or arousing suspicion.”

Tyrant Monarch sneered. “Some alliance we have then, when we don’t even know who one of us even is.”

“We will all gather once the time comes. But there is one more thing we have gotten our hands on that is needed for our plans.” Tirek hold up a red clawed hand out from under their cloak, placing a fist sized , slightly rounded object on the table, a small brown bag covering whatever it is. Every once in a while it pulsed, like a heart beating.

Sombra’s eyes widened. “Is THAT…!?”

Tirek chuckled. “Ah, I see you are familiar with it, Sombra.”

“He’s not the only the one!” Tyrant Monarch said, slamming her claws on the table as she too stared at the object. “Any mage worth their salt has at least SOME knowledge of the Rainbow of Darkness!”

“Is that what they call it now?” Tirek muttered under their breath before speaking up. “yes, this is key to our plan. After all, this will give us something to counter the Elements of Harmony.”

Squirk grinned excitedly. “Really!? You’re gonna give us this treasure!?”

Tirek chuckled, placing a hand on the bag firmly. “No, but we will use it to create our weapons. With this we will become something that counters the Element of Harmony: The Corruptions of Ruin! While they may not have wrong us all directly, we all have reasons to want to defeat them. Sombra, were it not for the Elements you would still have your rule over the Crystal Empire and not taste bitter betrayal at the claws of one of your own, and perhaps were it not for their influence he might’ve seen your perspective.”

Sombra’s eyes narrowed in rage, snorting smoke from his nostrils.

Tirek continued. “Squirk’s greatest treasure was robbed from him thanks to two of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. Thanks to them he lost most of his crew and his chance to become the greatest pirate on the seas. He also has futher incentive to join us, as it was my magic that gave him his current life.”

Squirk grinned. “While I may not be all into that mushy stuff, I don’t really think of you as a parent, some revenge IS worth pursuin’.”

The pink filly nodded, smirking. “Feelings I can actually relate to.” she looked at her gun, rolling the chamber idly”, smirking at Tirek. “one of those Elements ruined things for me, and I’m not letting that go. Besides, I owe you for breaking me out.”

Tirek then gestured towards Tyrant Monarch. “And then there’s you. While the Elements haven’t done anything to challenge you, they are an obstacle in your goals. They are the greatest weapon of the crown, and will thwart you should you try to invade Canterlot again. More than that, they’ll protect the Princesses. One of the Elements is even the student of Cadence, one of the pair that marred your beautiful face.”

Tyrant Monarch ran a claw over her scar, snarling in a cold anger.

“currently indisposed final member also has her own grudge towards the Elements she wishes to have fulfilled, and her own reasons to see our goals accomplished.” Tirek chuckled.

“And what of your own reasons?” SOmbra asked. “You went to all this trouble to get all of us together. What grudge or goal do YOU have?”

Tirek was silent for a moment. “Much like some of you, I seek control and power. The Elements stand in the way of my desire for power, and they have proven to be too dangerous to be left alone without a plan. And that plan needs multiple people to work together. If the ‘power of friendship’ is the source of their power, we shall utilise it for ourselves. But rather than harmony, we shall bring RUIN!”

Tirek held the small bag up and opened it a little, trails of black energy flowing out from the opening and flowing towards the five gathered around the table.

“With this, this ‘Rainbow of Darkness’, we shall have Corruptions that will overpower their Elements! Together we’ll stand, victorious! Now, I bestow upon you, OUR….CORRUPTIONS...of RUIN!”

The black energy flowed around, wrapping around Sombra’s neck, Squirk’s eyepatch, the filly’s foreleg and Tyant Monarch’s face. The energy formed into black objects: a black ring choker with a cape attached for Sombra, a false eye with a white pupil for Squirk, a watch for the filly and a domino mask for Tyrant Monarch.

“With these Corruptions of Ruin, we DESTROY Equestria’s heroes and make it OURS!” Tirek bellowed, placing a photo of the six Element Bearers on the table. “Now, do we have an accord?”

Sombra, Squirk, Tyrant Monarch and the filly all looked at the person who gathered together and each one grabbed a knife, stabbing the face of each pony in the photo.

Tirek smiled under their cloak, lifting their own knife to stab into the face of Rainbow Dash’s in the photo. “My friends, the time has come. No more waiting, no more scheming. Now, we will DESTROY.”

Author's Note

I was going to wait a bit more, maybe try and finish more of the stories and make a few more fics before this one, but given how long its been taking I felt it was prudent to finally just do this and finish the season off if I am able to.

This has been a long time coming and I hope you’ve all been patient and will enjoy this one. I will do my best to meet your expectations.