Awoken: Fall of the Rainbow Factory

Chapter five everypony! A lot of people said they didn’t quite understand the cliffy at the end. If that’s true, then I did my job well. Don’t worry guys, it’ll get explained this chapter.

Toodldoo!

Quillin Words

Narrator POV

“Let me start out by saying this—the Spirit of Loyalty isn’t dead.”

Everypony gave her incredulous looks, but Princess Celestia simply returned with a flash of sympathy.

Fluttershy spoke up. “But, Princess Celestia…Rainbow Dash is dead.” The mare had a confused face, as did the other five. “How could you say she’s not?”

“Well, we’re talking about two different things here, Fluttershy.” Said the princess. “You are talking about Rainbow Dash, whereas I am talking about the Spirit of Loyalty.”

“Pardon me,” said Rarity, polite as ever, “but aren’t the two one and the same?”

Celestia closed her eyes, and her horn glowed once more. An image of Rainbow Dash and the necklace of Loyalty appeared beside her. “You see my little ponies, while your friend was the embodiment of Loyalty, the spirit itself is not restricted to that one pony. If it had been, the Elements of Harmony would’ve died out a long time ago. It is time you know my story.”

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed once more, and the room disappeared, leaving them in a giant star-filled abyss. The six ponies huddled together for warmth, even though the temperature didn’t change. Twilight was the only one without a look of wonder on her face, as she already knew what the princess was about to say.

Celestia cleared her throat, and began. “Many years ago, before any of you were born, there was but one alicorn and one alone: King Eclipse the Immortal.” An image of a regal alicorn with a warm smile and calculating eyes appeared behind the princess. “He was a great king, one who ruled Equestria justly and wisely with the aid of his powerful magic and understanding. King Eclipse was the original embodiment of the six elements, and he alone controlled all of their power. He soon realized, however, that the six elements within him were at risk every time he went into battle to protect his kingdom.” An image of the elements appeared, and they began to shake and shudder. “King Eclipse realized that if he died, the elements would have nopony else to pass on to, and chaos would take over the land. Thus, he chose two students out of the whole kingdom, two sisters, to be exact. One, the eldest, was a unicorn, gifted in the art of magic and all things arcane. The other was a pegasus whose flying abilities were matched by no other.” The next picture showed two ponies, one who was white as snow, and another dark as the night. The ponies looked up at Celestia in awe, and she smiled. “Yes, my little ponies, the two sisters were indeed Luna and I.” The next image that showed a burning town, and two small fillies crying. One was a white unicorn, and the other was a black pegasus. They were huddled together for comfort, until the king walked up behind them, shocked at the sight of the two sisters.

“King Eclipse had found us as fillies after a great battle in the now forgotten city of Maresoneus. Our parents had been killed in the battle, leaving us alone in the wake of war’s horrors. Whether it had been done by his side or by that of the enemy, the king didn’t know, but he felt guilty that our family had been shattered by his war. He decided then to take us in as his own children and teach us all he knew. King Eclipse saw something in us that day—the ability and will to wield the Elements of Harmony.” Princess Celestia paused for breath, and then continued. “He trained us, me in the art of magic and Luna in the art of war, until we had learned all he had to teach. We soon fought side by side with our master and father, charging into battle. Still, he knew that the only way for the elements to pass on if he died was with his will in our hearts. King Eclipse hoped that it wouldn’t happen, so that such a huge responsibility—ruling an entire kingdom—wouldn’t have to fall upon our shoulders.”

Celestia’s face darkened suddenly and she took a moment to change the image to one of a fiery crimson eye boring down on them. “That however, was changed when a new enemy arose, one who controlled a power that matched the Six Elements. It was the Dark Dragon Armageddon.” A chill filled the room as a sinister laugh flooded their ears. “Armageddon was a dragon whose heart was blacker than night, a fire drake whose mere presence could drive many a pony to lose their minds. He had powers that we call ‘The Downfalls’, which were elements opposite of Harmony.” The image changed once more to show six sickly balls of green fire. “There were six of them—the element of Cruelty, the element of Envy, the element of Betrayal, the element of Insanity, the element of Deceit, and the element of Chaos. Armageddon was amassing an army to the east, and the king knew it was just a matter of time before he attacked Equestria.”

“One fateful day, many ponies came running into Canterlot, weeping and crying tales of a sinister army that destroyed their homes. They fled from their land to find haven in the king’s kingdom, but King Eclipse knew not if even he could defeat Armageddon. Immortal though he was, Eclipse could still die, and he tried to explain this to us so that we would keep his will within us.” Celestia began to cry, remembering how she and Luna had simply scoffed at his desperate plea. “We originally hung onto his every word, but victory after victory turned us into arrogant foals; we believed that we could overcome any foe. With this rejection weighing down his heart, the king gathered our army and we rode off to meet the Dark Dragon.” The image faded, and suddenly the entire room filled with light. They were floating above a barren wasteland, with two armies marching towards each other. One was dressed in shining silver armor, and the other was covered in obsidian plating. The king and two princesses were at the rear of the silver army, and only Eclipse had a grim look on his face. Celestia and Luna had excited grins, as if eager to face death and laugh in its face. At a distance of about fifty feet, the two masses halted, and a tense silence ensued.

“Nopony dared make the first move.” Celestia said, remembering the gruesome day. “One minute past, then five. That was when Luna became impatient. She flew up above and soared into the enemy ranks. Her blade swung faster than light, slaying many demons.” The images moved in real-time action, showing everything that followed. “The entire enemy launched themselves at her, but Luna was near invulnerable. Not a sword touched her, not an arrow pierced her flank. Her spatha became a soaring arc of destruction. Following her example, the Silver Army let out a battle cry and charged forward. I myself remember teleporting next to Luna, and we became an unstoppable force.” The two princesses were side by side below them, Luna slashing at demons with her blade, Celestia doing both offense and defense, blasting the enemy with magic and erecting shields to prevent damage. “At first victory seemed to be at hand. Already a third of the dark army was gone. But, that was before he arrived.” A dragon flew from the heavens, wreathed in dark smoke. His scales were the color of obsidian, and his eyes crimson as blood. Celestia shivered as she remembered the dragon’s horrible aura. “His mere presence made even the two of us waver. However, being the foals we were, we simply swallowed our doubts and launched ourselves at the drake. That was when a blast of light forced us back, and King Eclipse stood in front of the dragon.”

For the first time, the images below them began to speak.

“I see you have chosen to save your little apprentices instead of sacrificing them,” cackled the dragon. “Perhaps not the wisest choice—you could’ve used the opening to attack me instead.”

King Eclipse glared Armageddon. “Who says I haven’t already?” The dragon suddenly gasped in pain, and looked down to see two blades of light piercing his feet, pinning him to the ground. Armageddon growled, letting forth black smoke from his mouth.

“Very clever, Eclipse, very clever…” Armageddon hissed. “But powerful as you are, you cannot hope to defeat me. Perhaps you have forgotten the powers that I control?” Suddenly, six ominous orbs glowed around him, filling the air with the scent of despair. The blades at his feet dissipated, the wounds healing immediately. “The Downfalls cannot be bested by the likes of you.” A sinister laugh crackled through the air.

King Eclipse whinnied and stepped back, summoning the Elements of Harmony behind him. They appeared as six heavenly tongues of flame, countering the feelings given off by the Downfalls. “We’ll just see about that, fire drake. These Elements of Harmony have yet to fail me—and today won’t be any different!” The six spun into one and flew into the alicorn’s chest, filling his body with light. Eclipse yelled, and a golden shockwave erupted from him. Everypony and every demon was blasted back, even the excited Luna and Celestia, who had grins on their faces, eager to see their master once again use the six elements. However, the Dark Dragon stayed rooted to the spot. With a simple amused look on his face, the dragon held out his hand and the six orbs were drawn to it. They formed a glass ball, which he crushed in his hand. The smoke that was released was taken into the dragon as he breathed them in, filling his eyes with green light.

“Come then, Eclipse, and let your fears be known to everypony….” Armageddon cackled, taunting the king. King Eclipse whinnied and spread his wings, and suddenly he disappeared.

Everypony looked around for him, but didn’t see him until they heard a faint whistling above them. The king was flying down in a horizontal movement, gathering speed as he went. Suddenly, a cone started to form around him, and he strained to break it. The alicorn soared down, and right before he came into contact with the dragon, he broke the cone, and a flash of light blinded everyone, followed by an enormous explosion of rainbow flames. The omnipotent attack sent out these flames in a circular fashion, and they felled every demon that surrounded them. The Silver Army was simply pushed to the ground, eyes wide in disbelief at the power of their king. Cobalt blue lightning crackled from where he stood, arching to hit the scaled foe before him. Armageddon screamed in pain, and disappeared into smoke. King Eclipse stood victorious, eyes full of relief and pride. He turned to face his army, who let out a triumphant cheer.

Luna leapt forth, a smile beaming on her face. “Master! I knew you had the power to stop the drake. Nopony is as powerful as you!”

Celestia flashed next to her sister, and joined in on the celebration. “You see, my Lord? You had nothing to fear. Everypony is fine, and you haven’t died.”

Eclipse laughed, and smiled at his apprentices. “Aye, indeed. Perhaps my fears were for naught. Let us now go—” Suddenly, the king tensed. His eyes flew wide open, and he took his battle stance once more. “Get back, ALL OF YOU!” Another flash of light, and Luna and Celestia were forced back right before Armageddon appeared out of darkness behind the king. Before Eclipse could react, a thick black smoke enveloped the king, making him disappear from view. There was a blast of darkness, a thunderous snap, the sound of armor breaking, flesh being torn, and a blood-curdling scream. The smoke cleared, and everypony was horrified by what they saw.

The king was lying on the ground, his breathing heavy. His horn had been snapped into two pieces, one of which was imbedded in his chest. His wings had been torn off, and were lying next to him. Blood leaked everywhere, and everyone was shocked to see their leader in such a broken state. The only one to be laughing was the dragon standing over him in a puddle of crimson, a sickly green aura around him.

“FOALS! You actually believed me to be vanquished so easily?” Armageddon hissed. “His attack served as the perfect diversion for me to disappear into the shadow realm and strike. Now, you are leaderless, and nopony can stop me from destroying your lands!” Everypony around them shook in fear, and dropped their weapons. Then, they fled….save two ponies.

“You…you BASTARD!” Celestia bellowed through her tears. “Our master…our father….I’ll kill you!” A golden bolt of lightning erupted from her horn, soaring towards the dragon. Such an attack would’ve incinerated any normal foe, but the Dark Dragon was anything but that. He simply laughed and held out his hand, allowing it to meet the lightning. It struck home, but was absorbed into the body of the drake. He once more just laughed, and looked away for a moment.

Luna rushed forward to take advantage of the opening, and slashed upwards at the neck of the dragon. Her blade connected, and the dragons head fell to the ground rolling. Luna smiled, thinking her foe defeated. Then she heard something that made her freeze.

“What’s a cut or two?” Armageddon’s head giggled. “Oh well…allow me to pay back the favor!” Dark blades surrounded Luna, who looked desperately for an avenue of escape, only to find there wasn’t one. They soared down, and Celestia cried out to her sister. Blood erupted from the spot, and Luna fell to the ground, cut everywhere. She was still alive, but just barely. Celestia had tears running down her face, but she knew nothing she threw at Armageddon would do any good. She’d end up just like Eclipse and Luna….dead.

Now don’t go thinking like that. A voice said in her head. Didn’t I teach you to never give in to despair?

Celestia gasped and realized that the voice was that of the king. She looked down to make eye contact with her dying master. She sent her thoughts to him. Master…what am I to do? I have no power that can match his….

I have a plan…but you’ll need your sister. Go over to her and heal her.

Celestia teleported to her bloody sister grabbed her, and then teleported back. The dragon, whose head had magically reattached itself back to his body, was confused at what they were planning, but then dismissed his worries. They could do nothing with their current powers.

“Luna, lay still…I am going to heal you.” Celestia said. Her horn glowed, and Luna’s cuts closed.

“Sister…” Luna groaned as she stood up. “What are we to do? We are no match for him.”

Do as I tell you, and you will live. You will vanquish the dragon.

Luna and Celestia closed their eyes, sending their thoughts over. Master, what must we do? We have no power over the Six Elements….Then they gasped. That’s your plan? But…if you release control, and we cannot receive them, they will be lost forever! It’s too risky a chance!

The king’s voice replied back impatiently. And yet it is our only chance! But first…Celestia, Luna, I am sorry that I have brought orphan-hood upon you. Had I not attacked your village, this may not have come to you….I am sorry. But now, I ask but one last sorrow to be done to you…I need you to come over and take my crown, and smash it underneath your hooves.

The two sisters gasped. But…sire, that is blasphemy and treason!

The crown is the key to the elements. The king explained. Whoever smashes it will receive my will, along with the power to wield the six elements. However, neither of you are powerful enough to control all six, so you need to smash it at the same time, so that each of you will receive half of them.

Celestia and Luna wanted to protest, but his voice was fading; the king was dying. They had no choice but to follow his orders. First, however, they needed to drive the dragon away from King Eclipse. To do this, they combined their abilities—Celestia’s magic and Luna’s sword—and sent the blade soaring through the air. It pierced flesh, and the scream that ensued echoed for miles. The attack was weak but it did the job though, because the dragon stumbled back a few feet, grasping for the sword that was embedded in his chest. That gave Celestia and Luna enough time to teleport over and retrieve their master’s body.

Good…now take my crown….the king’s voice wheezed. Smash it…..

The two took the crown and crushed underneath them.

Everything turned black, and the images disappeared, leaving the six ponies and Princess Celestia.

“Hey! Why did the movie stop?” Pinkie cried, mouth full of popcorn she had produced from nowhere. Rarity shook her head, not believing that Equestria had such a deep history. Twilight had been taking notes of all things, and had looked up with confusion in her eyes.

“As strange as this sounds, what you just saw was a memory.” The princess explained. “After we crushed the crown, the elements descended upon us and Luna and I blacked out. We were possessed by them.”

“When we awoke, the dragon had been vanquished, and the king had disappeared.”  Celestia said. “Something had changed, however, within us. Luna and I had gained wisdom beyond measure, and the two of us had changed physically as well—we had become alicorns. That however wasn’t all, and that’s how this leads to Seed. Our cutie marks changed as well, representing the duties given to us. Whenever one inherits the elements from another, most likely their cutie mark will change to represent the spirit of their predecessor.” The six ponies began to see how most of this connected, but one thing still bothered Twilight.

“But princess, if receiving the elements changes cutie marks based on will,” Twilight said, eyebrows furrowed. “How come ours didn’t change when we got them?”

Celestia looked out her window, a look of shame on her face. “That, my student, is a question that I often don’t like to answer. But, seeing as you have already heard my past, it really wouldn’t hurt to elaborate more.”

“After that battle, Luna and I were crowned as the rulers of Equestria. In honor of King Eclipse, we declared that we would simply be called “princesses”, so that no other ruler would have such an honor as our mentor.” Celestia said. “However, when we took control and created night and day, Luna’s heart began to be corrupted, and she began to turn into the dreaded Mare in the Moon—Nightmare Moon.” A shiver ran down the spines of all in the room, and they almost thought they heard a faint laughter in the distance. “In order to stop my sister’s betrayal, I was forced to seize the other three elements of harmony from her and use them against her. However, the only one to ever be powerful enough to wield all six was King Eclipse, so after using the Elements to trap Luna in the moon, I lost the ability to control all of them and they disappeared from the world—until you six discovered them, and somehow they accepted you. The reason why your cutie marks didn’t change is anypony’s guess. However, I do have a theory.” Princess Celestia’s horn glowed once more, showing an image of the Elements of Harmony. “During that lost period, the elements became neutral, thus having no will attached. Because they had no will attached, your cutie marks didn't change. When you received them, your will became theirs, and that is why the symbols for each changed to that of your cutie marks.” The princess’s eyes turned to Seed. “That is when Seed’s chapter of the story of the Elements begins.”

Seed took a deep breath, and said, “So, how does this all connect? How did I inherit the Element of Loyalty?”

Celestia frowned. “Didn’t I explain clearly in my story? In order to inherit one of the elements, you must first have the will of the previous wielder instilled within you. You said yourself in your tale that you and Rainbow Dash often talked privately about personal matters. Eventually, you began to feel as she did, and that was when her will was planted in your heart. When she died, the Element of Loyalty fell to you, her chosen heir. You have a mission, a goal that she set for you: to end the monstrosity of the Rainbow Factory. That is what her spirit tells you, isn’t it, Seed?”

Seed took a minute and closed his eyes, searching for the spirit of the deceased mare within him. When he found her, a fiery passion filled his heart, and he opened his eyes. “Yes. That is my mission, and my purpose right now. But….” He turned back to his new companions, the five ponies who had been friends with Rainbow Dash. “That’s not all. She wants me to stay with you guys, and as hard as I find it to believe, I don’t think I can leave you. You took me in as one of you in such a hard time, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Applejack coughed. “Well, most of us did, anyway. I’m mighty sorry for how I acted towards you, Seed. Can you ever forgive me?” She took her hat off and hid behind it, afraid of the silver pony’s answer. All she felt was a warm hug, and a strangely familiar voice speaking.

“Of course.” It was Seed’s mouth moving, but Rainbow Dash’s voice rang out. “You are my best friend, after all.”

Applejack looked out from behind her hat to see Seed hugging her, and the faint image of her rainbow friend behind him, smiling slightly. Applejack’s heart melted and peace filled her mind. “Gosh, Seed….it really does seem like Rainbow’s spirit is part of you now.”

“Huh? All I said was, ‘It’s alright, I would’ve acted the same.’”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

The six broke into laughter, and nothing could stop them—not even the thought of fateful occasion a few days away: the day of the funeral.

The five laughed, and the spirit of a certain cyan pony seemed to spread her wings over the six new friends. The pony smiled, and was glad that she left her friends in such good hooves. Seed would fit in perfectly. She just wished that she could still be with them, but it was her time to pass on. She would still reside in him, but that was all she could do. She smiled sadly before leaving the six hugging ponies. She soared out the window, and looked back at her friends one last time. Her eyes gave a wistful gaze, before she smiled again. They were healing. It was time for her to go. She flew off into the blue yonder, her rainbow mane swimming in the afternoon breeze.

She smiled and said to herself, “All that’s left now is the final goodbye.”

So there we go. That was a very important chapter, as it explains how Seed’s cutie mark changed, and not to mention the whole history of the Elements of Harmony. The next chapter will be the funeral chapter, and then after that it’ll probably be the invasion of the Rainbow Factory. Stay with me guys, I beg of you. It may seem like it’s going slow, but I had to put all of this in here. It’s important to the story itself.

Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you keep on doing so!

Toodldoo!

Quillin Words

P.S. This is the link for a picture of a dragon that I imagined Armageddon to look like.

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/griffins-and-dragons/images/31702494/title/dark-dragons-photo

It’s the first one on the slide.