Chapters Amaterasu trotted carefully, watching her step. The cursed zone seemed to extend in every direction, and she had no desire to lose her power now. Issun sat atop her head, looking all around for some clue as to how they had come about this situation. "Ammy, this is really weird. It feels like all of my memories are gone, like somepony turned back the clock... Uh, did I just say somepony?! " Amaterasu ignored him, as she usually did. He'd keep babbling on for a while, then settle down. Right now, she had to figure out a way to dispel this curse zone, so that they could explore further.
Suddenly, as if on cue, pony-shaped imp appeared. Amaterasu tilted her head. If ponies were going to be the theme here, then she was considering just giving up now. Issun seemed to have a different idea.
"Ok Ammy, here's the deal! We need to find and take out as many of these monsters as we can! If we do, this area might be cleared of its curse!" Amaterasu sighed, and took a combat stance. The imp pulled out a flute, and began to play from beneath its paper mask. "Let's take this small fry out quickly!"
Without need for further encouragement, Amaterasu used her mirror and beat the imp into oblivion. She found a small pile of strange coins, and a few demon fangs. Issun picked them up quickly, and kept them wherever he keeps the things she found. After a moment, a burst of flowers appeared, and a small patch of land suddenly burst with bright pastel colors. Amaterasu watched as the colors spread to form a thin path to a building shaped like a pastry. Amaterasu walked to the building with a sense of apprehension.
"Looks like we're in another weird situation, Ammy! But, this is the only place we can go right now, so let's not worry about! Leap first, think later!" Sighing once more, she opened the door of the strange building. Inside were two strange statues. They were both ponies, one tall-ish and thin, the other shorter and plump. Issun hopped off of Amaterasu's head and looked at them closer. "Ammy, I'm getting a weird feeling of deja vu here. Like something similar to this has happened before. Could this have anything to do with why we're here, or why we can't seem to remember anything?"
Suddenly, the sound of a guitar coursed through the building. It appeared to come from upstairs. Issun hopped back onto Amaterasu's head, and they quickly dashed up the stairs. Ammy paused at the top though, listening for the origin of the sound. Out of nowhere, however, came the sound of two children crying. Issun began hopping frantically.
"Ammy! Those are kids crying! We can't let anything dangerous happen to them; let's go!" Amaterasu let out a snarl (which was strange, coming from a pony body) and rushed into the room where the cries seemed to originate. Busting through the door, the two watched as three imps tossed around two baby ponies, one which had a horn, and the other brandishing a pair of wings. Their cries tugged at the heart strings, and completely had the attention of the imps. Using the distraction, Ammy struck them down.
When their bodies faded away, they walked over to the two small ponies. The one with the horn was chewing on her hoof, and the other was pounding the floor frantically. Issun leaped down before them.
"Hey, hey, hey! No need to be afraid anymore. Me and my pal Ammy here have made all the bad monsters go away! So stop with the sad faces, alright?" The two babies looked at each other, then back to Issun. Suddenly they pounced on him, giving him a very awkward hug. "Hey! Lemme go, will ya? And stop laughing Ammy, this isn't funny!"
Amaterasu stopped snickering, and noticed that the room had begun to glow. Suddenly, color exploded outward, as if spreading from the happiness of the young ponies. Amaterasu shook her head, and listened as the sound of hoofsteps appeared from nowhere. At the door, two ponies appeared, frantic panic lacing their eyes.
"Get away from our children!" said the shorter female one. She bumped Ammy aside and snatched up the kids. The taller male stood glaring at Amaterasu as if she were trouble... which isn't entirely untrue, but it wasn't her fault either. Issun leaped from the kids and landed on Ammy's head, and started to mouth off at the two pony parents.
"Hey! Who do you think you're talking to? We're the ones who just saved your kids from a bunch of monsters! If anything, you should be thanking us, not attacking us!" The ponies gasped.
"You saved our children?" said the tall male. "Please, accept our apologies! We were downstairs working on pastries for an upcoming celebration, when we heard a strange noise. Then, all we could remember was waking up just now." He put his leg around the female pony and pulled her closer. "I'm Mr. Cake, this is my wife Mrs. Cake, and these are our darling children, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake."
"Well, this here is my main man Amaterasu, and I'm Issun! As you can probably tell, we're not from around here. We're trying to figure out where we are and how we got here. Then, maybe we'll be able to get back home."
"Well," Mrs. Cake started, "We can tell you where you are at least. This is Ponyville, a small town in our fair land of Equestria. Usually, the place is a lot more peaceful. We're not sure how there are monsters just roaming around now."
Ammy and Issun looked at each other. Neither had the heart to explain that whatever had brought them could have brought something else as well. They had children to worry about. "Thanks for telling us that, though it doesn't really help much. Don't worry about the monsters though! We've got it handled. With our Celestial Brush Strokes, there's nothing at all to worry about!"
Suddenly, the room grew dim. Light streamed down from above, and a night sky full of stars appeared. Several of the stars gleamed brighter than the others, and they seemed to form a giggling pony. Issun appeared more shocked than Ammy, as the formation appeared.
"Is that a constellation?! But we found all 13 Celestial Brushes! Well, a new technique is a new technique. Let's get it!" Using her tail, Amaterasu filled in the missing stars of the constellation. When it was complete, the sound of giggles surrounded them. From the constellation came bouncing a pink pony pulsating with positive energy. She hugged Ammy tightly.
"Wowie zowie! That was crazy! I was just minding my business, then there was a crazy snake-like monster, then I went like poof! Next thing I know I'm in the sky, but not the normal sky, oh no, I was in a weird sky and I was all starry! Then you came along and now we're here and are you ok?"
Amaterasu had long since stopped breathing, her lung pipes crushed by the pony's death grip. The pink pony let go, and Ammy collapsed to the ground. Pinkie gasped, then breathed inside of Ammy's mouth. Amaterasu gasped, and started breathing again normally. As the pony apologized, she was enveloped in a strange light. An orb formed, and shot into Amaterasu.
"Hey, Ammy, I think we just got a new technique! Wonder what it does though..." The pony's eyes glowed with a strange light, similar to the glow that had just enveloped her.
"Oh Amaterasu, origin of all that is good in Nippon and mother to them all. Though this is not your world, it needs your help. You will discover that your techniques are of no use here. However, there is a power in this land, which will provide you with new techniques. My power is weak, and I will not be able to speak with you much longer. Find the rest of the Elements of Harmony, and use the techniques their powers give you. From this element, the Element of Laughter, you receive the technique of Healing. Use it, and save this land, Amaterasu and Issun.
Suddenly, the light disappeared from her eyes, and the pink pony returned to normal. Issun looked at her. "Uh, are you feeling ok...?"
"I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, but everypony calls me Pinkie!" the pony said, "And I feel, just fine considering I was just possessed by an unknown deity!"
"Wait... what did you say?"
"Nothing! Now, I'm gonna help the Cakes out. If ya need anything, just come on by!" With that, Pinkie bounced away to meet up with the Cakes, and they began talking. Issun hopped off of Amaterasu's head and looked at her.
"Well, Ammy, it looks like something pretty bad is going on around here. I don't exactly know how we got dragged into this situation, but if what that pony said is true, then we're needed here! Besides, more brush techniques are always handy! So, ready to do this?" Issun looked into Amaterasu's eyes, and the answer was blatantly clear. "That's what I thought! Let's do it! Let's save Equestria!"
Teaching an Old God New Techniques
Exiting Sugarcube Corner (they had been told that was the building's name), Ammy and Issun were granted a colorful view. The area surrounding the bakery had become vibrant with color, a stark contrast compared to the rest of the town. "Wow, looks like helping out these ponies perked this place up! I bet if we help some more, even more of the town will become accessible!"
As it was, it appeared that the way back to the strange hollow tree was completely overridden by the curse. Some force had made it very clear they weren't meant to head back there yet. Though this was curious, it had to take a backseat to the other interesting thing that had occurred. A path had opened up, leading towards a large building that kind of looked like a cupcake. Slowly, Ammy walked towards it, when more imps appeared. This time they were accompanied by something she hadn't seemed before. It looked like a bird, but was too large, too misshapen, and was wearing a mask like a tengu.
"Careful, Ammy! We don't know what that thing is, or what it can do. I'm not looking to go out quite yet!" Issun hid in Amaterasu's fur, as she slowly circled the monsters. The imps rushed towards her, holding their instruments at the ready. She dodged their attack, keeping her focus on the bird monster. It flew up, higher and higher, then came crashing down. It was so fast that it nicked her tail as she moved out of the way. Taking a chance, an imp leaped and landed on her back, aiming its flute directly at her head.
At that moment, a sword flew and impaled it, knocking it clean off. From the sky appeared a pony with wings and a blue hawk headdress with a flowing cloak. The pony cut through the rest of the imps, and struck down the bird creature with ease. "Use your new technique, mon amie !" he said turning to Amaterasu.
"Oh, uh, yeah! Use that technique Ammy! Try drawing a healing smile on that monster birdie!" As Amaterasu used her tail to manipulate her mystical ink, a thought occurred to Issun. "Wait... why are we healing a monster? Ammy, wait!" But it was too late. The symbol had already been drawn, and the monster began to glow a bright pink. With an explosion of light, a small bird tweeted, and flew off into the sky. "What the?"
"Ah, you are still getting used to the ways of this world I see. Too bad you do not have the gift of foresight as I do." The pony turned to face them, and his identity became blatantly clear. Ammy's jaw dropped, and Issun was hopping mad.
"Darn it, why are you here you half-baked prophet?! And an even better question, why are we here? This had better not be your doing, or I swear, I'll-!"
"Ah, do calm yourself little one. I am here, because I need to be, the same as you. It seems that we were brought here on accident, yet can only leave when our purpose is complete. That will be a problem, seeing as your techniques have no power here."
"How do you know that?!"
"Ah," Waka looked with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "I know because I can discern through the veil of time. You'll have to gather the techniques that lay hidden in this land, if you wish to return to full strength and return home. Of course, this will be no easy task. The forces of darkness have hidden the light of the stars in sadness and pain. You'll have to bring forth the light, even it blinds you a little. And now, a prophecy for you: gems aren't the only things that shine, for beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ta-ta for now, baby!"
Waka flew off, leaping around leaving a trail of stardust. Issun clenched his hoof. "That guy.... I REALLY don't like him! And what was up with that prophecy anyways? Ah, well, let's just keep on Ammy..." Issun turned to see Amaterasu sleeping on the ground. A snot bubble gently inflated and deflated from her nose. Issun popped the bubble, and Amaterasu woke up, startled. "Listen when people are talking to ya, furball!"
Ammy looked at Issun, then tilted her head. He sighed, then leaped back onto her head, burrowing into her fur. She shook her head a bit.
"Whatever, let's just go. I don't like being near this curse any more than I have to." Galloping, they made their way into the cupcake building. Inside were a group of mannequins, all without faces. An eerie vibe came from them. "Wow, those things are creepy. I know they're fake and all, but I could swear they're waiting for something! Let's just figure out what we have to do here and get going!" Ammy walked around, looking in boxes and drawers. Issun kept watch over the mannequins. Suddenly, Amaterasu ran over, holding a bag in her mouth. "Ooo, what is it furball?"
Ammy dropped the bag on Issun, who got from under it and waved his sword in anger.
"Was that supposed to be funny?! Because I'm not laughing...!" Ammy pointed to the bag, and he turned, his jaw dropping. "Is that... A BAG FULL OF TREASURE?!?" Gemstones of all shapes and colors spilled out of the bag, and Issun hopped around like a madpony. "I'm rich, I'm rich, I'm totally rich! Oh boy, wait till we get back to Nippon with this loot! The easy, life, that's what we'll have. And tons and tons of babes!"
Issun had just touched one of the gems, when suddenly the mannequins sprung to life. Amaterasu grabbed Issun in her mouth, and leaped aside as their fake hooves smashed hard into the floor. They turned their heads simultaneously, facing Amaterasu as if they had eyes in their heads. The effect was disturbing, and for a moment, Ammy was stunned.
"Hey, focus!" Issun's words broke her from her reverie. "Can't space out in a battle! Honestly, what would you do without me?" He hopped from her mouth then onto her head, and pointed to the now circling group of mannequins. "Six of them, two of us... I gotta say, I don't like their odds." While he laughed at his own joke, Ammy watched the mannequins carefully. They moved in a jerky fashion, as if their limbs weren't designed for walking, which technically, they weren't. Clearly, they weren't supposed to be this way... which meant if she weakened them, she might be able to return them to normal with her new brush technique.
At once, half of the mannequins attacked. They were easy to read, and Ammy dodged to the side with no effort. As she did so, the others rushed in. She leaped into the air with a flip, using the holy instrument on her back to strike the three pony-shaped figures. They collapsed onto the floor, dazed. Using the opening, she used her Healing technique and restored them to bright, normal figures. The other three resumed their circling.
"So, looks like these guys can only attack in teams. Makes it easy to counter when you know who's next! We should probably keep track of how the monsters in this world fight, so that we don't get caught off guard like with that bird. I don't want the half-baked prophet thinking we need him to fight our battles!" Amaterasu dodged a rapid attack by one of the mannequins, then leaped up as one tried to come from behind. The final one she struck as it tried to move in from the side, and she returned it to normal as well. Now only two of the mannequins remained moving, circling faster and tighter now.
With surprising nimbleness, one feinted towards Ammy, making her back into a tackle by the other. She growled at them, the effect somewhat more adorable coming from her pony larynx. The mannequins simply kept circling. It was time to take the offensive and finish them off. With lightning reflexes, Amaterasu pounced on one of the mannequins, knocking it off rhythm. Before the other could mount a counter attack, she hit it with her Holy Instrument and returned it to normal. The last mannequin, now alone, simply stood in place disoriented. With a flick and a swipe, it was returned to normal. Amaterasu and Issun looked around, wary for any other threats, and were pleased to see none. They did, however, see a set of stairs leading up.
Taking them two at a time, the pair was confronted by a terrifying looking cat statue. For some reason just looking at it seemed to cause pain and turmoil. Ammy moved it to the closet, and Issun nodded firmly. With the distraction gone, it was time to inspect the room. Nothing seemed out of place per se, except perhaps the overly large mirror, It seemed to nearly dominate a wall on its own. Amaterasu moved closer, and inspected herself. She hadn't had a chance to properly look herself over, and now that she did, she had to admit that she didn't look too bad. Maybe being a pony had its perks... hopefully she could still howl though.
"This isn't too bad," Issun admitted. "I gotta say, when I first found out I was turned into some miniature pony, I freaked. But it's starting to grow on me. Maybe we can stick around a little while after we're done clearing out all the bad juju. Besides, I make being a pony look good ." Suddenly, the mirror dimmed, and the vision of the two was obscured by blackness. "Dang it! I was just getting a good look too... hey! Is a constellation forming?"
Indeed, a constellation was appearing inside of the mirror. It appeared to be forming a pony with an arm across her face. Amaterasu filled in the missing stars, and from the mirror appeared a pony like a marshmallow. She swooned in place, and fell onto a sofa that Amaterasu was sure wasn't there a second ago.
"Oh my, that was the ABSOLUTE worst!" the pony cried out. "Being turned into a bunch of stars and stuck in a mirror? Oh, it was so dreadfully cold, and I looked terrible and fat. I mean really, have you ever seen a group of stars not look fat? I hope to never experience such a thing ever again!"
"Uh, wow, you're pretty cute for a pony!" Issun commented. The pony shot up, and was standing in front of Ammy.
"Why thank you! Oh, do forgive my rudeness; the situation has made me forget myself. I am Rarity, a unicorn who believes that fashion and manners should be standard for everypony. And what may I call my dashing hero?" Rarity fluttered her eyelashes.
"Well pretty pony, I'm Issun the wandering artist, and this guy here is Amaterasu. We came here somehow from Nippon, and we're trying to restore Equestria to how it was." Rarity screeched and backed away. "Something wrong?"
"A TALKING BUG! EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW!" Ammy snickered into her hoof as Issun boiled.
"HEY, I AM NOT A BUG!" Issun hopped over and landed on her nose, making her cringe. "I am a proud Poncle!"
Rarity slowly stopped panicking, and looked at him closely. "Well... my apologies then. You're just so small, and that thing on your head makes you look like a creepy-crawly. It's just so... ewwwwwww. Nevertheless, a lady is always kind to her guests!" Rarity stopped moving, and just as with Pinkie Pie, she began to glow. An orb shot forth from her, and into Ammy's chest. She began speaking in the same mysterious voice Pinkie had.
"Oh Amaterasu, origin of that is good in Nippon and mother to them all. Yet another Element of Harmony you have rescued, and so forth have you helped me regain strength. There is much you must know of if you are to succeed in your journey, though I may only hint at it. Know that your memories were not stolen, but are simply hidden in your mind. Bits and pieces of the past may come to you, but to unravel the truth, you must return where you began. That is all I can say for now. From this element, use the technique of Exchange to bring about equal happiness for us all."
The light faded, and Rarity collapsed to the ground. On inspection, it seemed that she had simply swooned too much. Ammy looked at Issun, who simply shrugged. "Well, we got a new technique and we rescued another pony. I'd say we're doing pretty well so far. Looks like it's getting dark out though... I don't know about you, but I need a break from all we've been dealing with." Amaterasu drew a sun in the sky, and daylight suddenly poured in. "Oh, ha ha furball. I don't care if you can still bring out the sun, I need a nap!"
So Amaterasu carried Rarity over to her bed and Issun tucked her in, then the two curled up for a nap on the sofa. Resting their dreary eyes, They passed the day away, unknowing of the darkness creeping deeper and deeper through the world...
Upon waking, Amaterasu and Issun were buffeted by a delicious scent. Forgetting she was now a pony, Ammy leaped up and started greedily gobbling down the food, while Issun ate from the smaller dish he had been provided calmly. Rarity peeked her head in from the doorway. "Good morning! I see you two are enjoying the breakfast I cooked. The least I can do, you saving me and all."
"Not a problem at all, babe! We're glad to help. This place is looking livelier too!" Indeed it was. Bright pinks and purples had appeared where previously there had been dull gray. It seemed they had broken the curse here as well. Rarity dipped her head back out, her hoofsteps resounding on the staircase as she made her way down. Issun stretched then looked to Ammy, who was staring out the window. He hopped over to see what had caught her attention. "What's wrong, furball?"
Outside, things had taken a turn for the worse. Though indeed more of the town had become cleansed, more monsters began to roam as well. Amaterasu sensed something else was wrong as well... something she couldn't quite put her hoof on. It was as if something was starting that would affect everything, and it made her fur stand. They had to find the next element, but where would it be?
"Hey Ammy, is that statue giving us the evil eye?" She turned to see what Issun was talking about. Her attention turned towards a large purple statue standing on a stone ball. It was facing towards them with a scowl on its face. "I think we should go investigate... besides, there's no cursed ground around it, so what's the harm?" She wanted to tell him how dumb that statement sounded. Being mute could really be a hassle sometimes, and this was one of those times.
Instead, she simply walked down the stairs, waved goodbye to Rarity, and started walking to where she believed the statue had been. As she progressed, she was forced to fight with the roaming monsters. A majority had been imps with their multitude of musical weapons, but a few were mannequins and the weird bird creatures. Though she managed to deal with them relatively easily, she wished she was able to use her old Holy Instrument, the Solar Flare... wait, what? Where had that memory come from?
Thinking about it, Ammy realized that she was having a hard time realizing what she did and didn't remember. As a matter of fact, when did she get all of her brush strokes back? Her thoughts were still focused on it when she bumped into a pedestal. She rubbed her nose. "Ammy, were you spacing out again? Seriously, this thing was right in front of you... but isn't this where that statue was? Where did it go?"
Their answer was quick. Amaterasu leaped backwards as a large stone ball crashed into the ground. Landing nimbly on it was a large purple statue of a pony, glaring at them with extreme malice. It balanced on the ball on one hoof, and looked as if it should fall over. Instead, it began to roll towards them with the intent of crushing them. Amaterasu leaped to the right, avoiding the hit by millimeters. She whipped around as the statue began to turn in place. It was a slow process compared to how fast it could move forward.
As soon as it managed though, it was rolling towards her once more. Once again, she dodged, and it had to work on turning again. Issun had an idea. "Listen up furball! This thing is unstoppable once it starts moving, but vulnerable when it stops!!! Maybe we can find some way to use that against it?" Taking a lower combat stance, Ammy dashed behind the statue and slashed. Her mirror crashed into the ball, and bounced off harmlessly. The statue smashed by Ammy, hitting her side with an ear-splitting crack. It felt like a few ribs had broken.
"Yikes!" Issun hopped down and looked at the wound. It wasn't pretty. "Ammy, how're you gonna fight like that? Our bodies aren't as tough as they used to be!" Ammy used the healing technique on herself, and was instantly refreshed. "Well... I guess that works." Ammy picked him up quickly and leaped to the side as the statue came crashing by again. "Ammy, this thing is made of stone . I don't think we'll be able to just take it. Maybe if we could deal with it another way..."
If she wasn't afraid she'd crush him, Amaterasu would have kissed Issun right there. She carefully crouched to the ground, watching the statue turn to face her. It bore down on them, and Ammy dodged easily. As it stopped however, she used her Celestial Brush to circle the rock it was balancing on and then circle some dirt. The rock and dirt switched places, and the statue now stood on an orb of dirt. It couldn't sustain it's weight, and it came crashing down hard. A shiny black gem appeared on the bottom of the hoof it had been standing on.
"Quick Ammy! Go hit that shiny part!" Amaterasu trotted over, and let loose a barrage of strikes. The surface of the black substance cracked, and a bit of black mist seeped out before the statue leaped onto all fours. Amaterasu backed away, watching this new development.
The statue stamped its foot, and the boulder it had used soared from the ground. Leaping up, it landed on the stone, once again covering its weak point. The expression on its face seemed to grow darker, despite being unable to move. It started to roll at Ammy once again, somehow moving even faster than before. She was glanced on the side again, but didn't feel anything break. When the statue stopped, she prepared to remove the boulder again, when it leaped and turned, facing her once more.
"Uh-oh! I think it learned its lesson!" This was one of of Issun's less useful observations. Amaterasu facehoofed herself. The statue started rolling again. Amaterasu dodged, and looked for some way to stop its continuous roll, when she saw the pedestal it had previously stood on. Issun looked at it as well. "Ammy... if we can't get rid of its ball, then maybe we can make it slip up instead..."
Making a square around the pedestal and one on the ground, Ammy made a slick patch in between herself and the statue's destructive rampage. It rolled at her at high speed, wither not noticing the new ground or not caring. As soon as the stone came into contact with the polished stone, it slipped from under the statue, making it land on its back once more. The weak spot was revealed, the darkness still spilling out. Amaterasu dashed forward, and with a powerful smash, broke the black crystal-like protrusion. Black mist poured out, flowing towards the sky. Slowly,the statue came to a stop. As she watched, an explosion of color came out from the statue, and soon a chunk of the city was restored to its original vibrant style. Cursed land was blasted away, and a familiar black mist made its way north unseen.
"Alright! We did it Ammy! Now, let's see if you can still manage your famous victory howls!" Obliging, Amaterasu crouched low, and lifted her head high. A mighty howl escaped her throat, one which would make even the mightiest of timberwolves whimper in defeat. "That's the ticket! Now, let's go find the rest of those Elements and save Equestria so we can get back home!"
As the town began once more to come abuzz with vibrant pony life, a new path opened up for Amaterasu and Issun. It appeared to head into the countryside. "Ammy, I get the feeling that we're about to deal with something overly complicated for no properly explainable reason," Issun muttered. Ammy could only nod. Typically, these kinds of things happened. Especially when things were going pretty well. "Well, nothing to it but to do it!"
Amaterasu chose instead of dashing to leisurely stroll through the countryside path. The air was fresher, and the effects of the curse wasn't as strong. In fact, there were large swathes of land unaffected. It was a much needed break from all the difficulties the pair had experienced so far. In fact, it was so relaxing that they nearly missed the barrier. Ammy paused for a moment, sniffing the air.
"What is it, furball?"
Amaterasu looked around. There, just a little further down. What looked like an empty orchid was in fact coursing with dark magic. A faint outline a barrier could be seen. Ammy pointed with her hoof, and Issun hopped off to investigate.
"Whoa! Nice catch, Ammy! This is a really strong barrier! It has to be protecting something important! But I can't think of a way to get through it..."
Amaterasu was experiencing the same issue. The barrier was making her nose itch. She scratched at it with her hoof, then noticed a small construct in a nearby tree. She started to move towards it, leaving Issun to investigate the barrier. The construct was only about twenty meters away from the edge of the barrier, but the stench of evil was completely washed by the smell of happiness and friendship. Ammy felt herself smile at the peace.
That smile lasted about ten seconds.
"I'm talking to the magic earth pony! That weird pegasus gave the gift to me!" said a squeaky voice.
"Nuh-uh! He asked me!" said a deeper voice, with a southern lilt to it.
"You're both acting completely uncool! He so asked me !" said a voice that reminded Ammy of a chicken for some reason.
Figuring that something very bad was about to happen, Amaterasu turned to run away when she heard a three way gasp behind her. She slowly turned, dreading what would be waiting for her. Because of this dread, she was quite caught off-guard to see three small fillies looking up at her with admiration in their oversized eyes.
"Y'all must be the magic earth pony that pegasus went on about!" said the red maned filly with the bow. She was the owner of the southern voice.
"Yeah! He totally wanted to give you something, but he was all like, 'I can't see this pony again quite yet, I need to work on making my next prophecy sound cool ma cheries ." said the purple maned filly with wings. She was the one who reminded Ammy of a chicken, and the goddess felt the sudden urge to take a nibble. She held it in though. Mostly.
"He was so sparkly too! And he told us to give it to you if you'd play a game with us!" said the filly with the horn who looked an awful lot like Rarity. She was the one who had the squeaky voice, although it wasn't unpleasant. Almost sing-song.
Amaterasu blankly looked at them, until Issun luckily came over and spoke. "Hey there little ponies! Ammy here doesn't talk, but I'm sure if he could, he'd be glad to take your offer! We could use all the help we can get!" Amaterasu prepared to shake her head in a fierce no when the three fillies cheered.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS GAME MASTERS!" they cried in unison, and ran off towards the apple orchard.
"Those are some spirited kids, huh Ammy?" Issun said with a smile. Meanwhile, Amaterasu was burning with an intense feeling of annoyance. Issun noticed quickly. "Uh... Ammy? You ok? You look really, REALLY mad... I know I didn't ask if you wanted to play, but I figured since you always say yes..." Before he could finish, she lowered him to the ground, and promptly sat on him until the anger ebbed away. He was surprisingly comfy.
Once she was satisfied, she got off the Poncle and proceeded on her merry way after the fillies. After all, she was interested in what they had to give her. Besides, playing a game with three younglings couldn't be that bad, could it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!" Issun screamed, and Amaterasu couldn't help but agree. The game they had to play was making their way through and obstacle course... a timed obstacle course. A booby-trapped obstacle course. "Where did they even learn how to do this crap?!"
At the moment, they were trying to not fall off an apple tree into a pit filled with wolves made out of wood. Amaterasu leaped into the next tree, careful to make sure her hooves touched down on a branch. One of them snapped and fell into the pit, and seemed to make one of the wolves grow larger. Giving them wood=bad , she noted, her heart pumping. She leaped across several more trees, before landing on a crudely painted target. Ammy tried breathing, but was startled by a megaphone in her ear.
"ONLY TEN MORE LAPS!" Scootaloo screamed.
"TRY TAH GO FASTER!" Applebloom shouted next.
"I REALLY LIKE YOUR TAIL!" Sweetie Bell said in a loud voice, to the confusion of the others. "What? It's pretty."
Amaterasu breathed heavily, and began the circuit again. It was a tiring ordeal, but she somehow managed. She collapsed onto her stomach and took a nap, while Issun leaped to talk to the fillies. "Ok, we played your stupid game. Now where is this object you promised us?!"
"Ah, we was just doing what we were told!" Applebloom said, though she did look a little sad. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell looked sad too. In fact, they seemed on the verge of tears.
"Oh man," Issun said, "I can't bear to see a kid cry. Look, I'm sorry, ok? But me and Ammy here, we really have something important to do. That means we can't just spend all day playing around with you three." Applebloom's eyes widened.
"That's right! Mah family and the farm are missing!" She turned to the others, distress in her eyes. "I forgot all about em when that pegasus came! Oh, what'll we do girls?"
"Maybe if we give them the thing, they can help?" Sweetie Bell guessed, and Issun bounced up and down his approval.
"That's it exactly! It's probably behind that barrier we saw!!! Give us this item quick, so we can break through it!"
The three fillies convened, seemingly discussing something, before they all joined back up in front of Ammy and Issun. Working together, they lifted up... a rock. They held it before themselves like it was a sacred object. "A ROCK?!" Issun raged. As he went off though, Ammy noticed a strange scent from the rock. She raises her hoof to touch it, when it falls apart and begins to glow. Everypony takes notice of this new development.
The glowing pieces of stone slowly rise, and begin to spin around Amaterasu quickly. The glow begins to burn like the sun, a fiery orange that Ammy can't help but feel resonate within her. Slowly the inferno of light comes closer, and comes into contact with her flesh. For a moment, the goddess' vision is blanked out. Just as quickly, it returns to how it was, though she noticed the fillies were looking at her in awe.
"Wow! That looks just like an Element of Harmony!" they cried in unison. Even Issun was stunned. Ammy looked down and noticed that she was now wearing a breastplate of the purest gold, with a red sun symbolically glistening on its front. Energy flowed through her, and she knew now that whatever this object was, it was tied to her and her alone. It was as if it represented and boosted an aspect of herself.
"Furball... I think we just found the answer to our prayers. Get it? Prayers!"
Amaterasu, Issun, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell stood before the barrier. Issun looked to Ammy, and her to him. "Well, let's see if that fancy new gear of yours is all that. Try taking down this barrier, furball." Amaterasu rolled her eyes, then placed her hoof out towards the barrier. The sun on her breastplate began to glow like the sun in the sky, and Ammy could feel power running through her. Her hoof was burning red, and drawing back, she punched it into the barrier with all she had. For a moment, nothing happened. Issun prepared to chastise her, when a crack formed. It spread all along the barrier, a light forming beneath it. With an explosion as bright as the sun, the barrier shattered, revealing a broken down barn and house. Applebloom gasped in dismay.
"The farm!" she cried, running towards the house. The other two fillies followed, though Ammy and Issun were more interested in seeing the barn. Dark magic was coming from beneath the door. Something evil was in there, and it was much stronger than the statue had been. Issun stood on Ammy's nose and drew his blade. His body seemed tense.
"Furball, we're still at a disadvantage. You don't have many new brush techniques, and we could barely handle that piece of rock with the ones you do have. If we're going to fight this next demon, we're going to have to sharpen our minds and prepare our bodies. I know that I may be sounding kinda sappy, and it more than likely has something to do with this place, but I gotta let you know something... you're my best friend, Ammy." Issun turned to the sleeping face of Amaterasu. She had fallen asleep sometime near the beginning, because it had sounded like it'd be a really boring speech. An anger mark appeared on Issun's head as he began to shout. "Wake up ya jerk! That was heartfelt and really hard to say!"
Ammy woke with a start, then let out a yawn. She looked Issun in the eye with a bored expression that seemed to say, 'Mind repeating that? And maybe not so boring this time? ' The Poncle let out a huff and turned.
"If you don't care what I have to say, then let's just go and fight this thing already. And don't come complaining to me if you lose! I don't care."
Ammy sighed, and slowly made her way to the barn. The red wooden building seemed to be holding its breath, waiting to reveal what was inside. Ammy's hoof rose slowly, and at the faintest touch, the doors burst open. A roar burst from the barn, and tendrils of darkness shot out. Amaterasu leaped backwards to a safe distance and watched in horror as a face appeared in the darkness of the barn. It grinned and let out a cackle.
"Ah... so the little goddess wishes to defeat me once more. But do you know, Amaterasu, that I have been given a new form? A greater power? With it, I shall redeem myself from my previous failures! From the barn stomps a clawed foot... then appears seven more. A body raises itself out, and its identity is revealed.
"Is that the Spider Queen?!" Issun and Amaterasu both looked at the massive figure of darkness before them. Indeed, it was the Spider Queen, though she barely resembled her old self. Her white legs had become bloated and black; her abdomen had bloated as well, and was fully opened revealing blood red petals and her multitude of eyes; the biggest change however was her face. Somehow, it had grown even uglier. "Ammy, this isn't going to be pretty.... Good Luck!" With that, Issun leaped into her fur.
Ammy took a moment to pick her jaw up from off the ground before striking a low battle pose. She'd defeated the Spider Queen before, and she could do it now. All she had to do was open her abdomen... but how could she do that? She no longer had Power Slash or Vine. She was in a bind, and her momentary lapse gave Spider Queen the perfect opportunity to strike. The giant spider woman leaped into the air, appearing as a speck before the sun, before crashing down onto the spot where Amaterasu had been but a second before. Though Ammy had avoided the majority of the blow, a rock flew out and hit her above the eye. Golden ichor poured out and forced her to close it.
"I can taste your pain... it is like a drug to me. I will enjoy feasting on you thoroughly! " The Spider Queen turned around, aiming her abdomen. Globules of webbing shot out, which the goddess was easily able to avoid. However, she noticed too late that the Spider Queen hadn't been aiming at her. She'd been aiming at the ground around her. Ammy moved to dodge another shot when her hooves became glued to the ground. She struggled to lift her hooves when the Spider Queen walked over and swiped her away. Her back hit the edge of the barn and she collapsed to the ground.
"Furball!" Issun cried out as he hopped from her fur. "Use that Healing technique on yourself, quick! I can't lose you now, not after all we've been through!" Ammy grinned, and the sight brought forth light in Issun's heart. Forcing herself up, Ammy drew the healing smile on herself, and felt it's power take effect. No longer did her body hurt from being smacked around, and no longer did she feel the cut above her eye. "Listen Ammy, I know I said I wouldn't help ya, but you're going to get us killed as is. Now, I can remember that we have to get her abdomen open if we want to beat her..."
Amaterasu gave him the 'Duh, ' look.
"...don't look at me like that, mutt. I can't tell what you know since we both have this weird amnesia. Anyways, we have to get her abdomen open. But since our old techniques don't work, we'll have to get creative. Now, I noticed that her webbing is really strong and stretchy... Maybe we could use that against her?" Ammy's eyes brightened like the sun. Snagging Issun in her mouth, she ran before the Spider Queen.
"Oh, so you wish to perish sooner? I shall comply! " the arachnid taunted, before positioning herself to spray out more webbing. Ammy immediately started dashing left, arcing her way around the Spider Queen. Blobs of webbing landed all behind her, slowly forming a ring. When she made her way back, the Spider Queen had stopped shooting in frustration. "Annoying little bug! "
"You're the bug!" Issun said as Ammy confidently grinned from the ground. "And it looks like you just fell for our trap." Using Exchange, Amaterasu brought the webbing up to connect to the hooks on her abdomen ("Get a new body and keep the same old weaknesses? WEAK!"), wrenching it open. Four eyes on stalks looked at her with an intense hatred.
From above, a sword crashed into the ground before Ammy. It was a beautiful blade, pink and encrusted with gems. A familiar voice came with it. "A little elemental gift, ma cherie." Ammy knew what to do with it; she could practically smell the holy power coming from the weapon. Gripping it in her mouth, she dashed forward with an amazing spring in her step. She leaped high like the rising sun, and with a decisive blow, sliced through all four stalks at once. The glaive seemed to give her more strength, almost as if it had generously passed the energy from the dying Spider Queen to her.
"Aaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhh!!! " the Spider Queen shrieked her death squalls. Darkness peeled off of her in layers, her body shrinking until she was as she once was. "My body... my power... I am sorry, Lord Orochi. I have failed you.... " With those last words, the monster faded into a little flower that blew on the wind.
"All right! We won, furball! Now, let's hear one of those famous victory howls of yours!" Ammy crouched down low, and unleashed a mighty howl. Her elemental plate glowed brightly, and color exploded outward, washing the land in cheerfulness and joy! Soon, the barn and the house were vivid again, and a cheerful shriek came from the house. It seemed that something good had happened. Before Ammy could go to investigate, she felt the urge to inspect the barn, which still seemed strangely dark....
Walking in, Amaterasu and Issun saw another constellation above. Knowing what to do, Ammy filled in the missing stars, and was filled with a feeling of trust. It was as if nothing could lie to her ever again. "Yeeeeee hawwwwwww!" came a southern voice from all around them. Galloping from the stars with a lasso spinning came a country pony with an awesome hat. "Boy, howdy! That was some rodeo, rustling up all them star critters! Did you know there's animals o' all kinds just a racing all o'er the place! Was sure fun while it lasted!"
"Wow, you're pretty spunky!" Issun hopped over. "What's your name?"
"Applejack's the name, and it sure is nice to meet ya! Thanks for rescuin me an all." Applejack held her hoof up to the Poncle, who awkwardly shook it. Applejack then held her hoof up to Ammy. "May I ask who you two are?"
"I'm the wandering artist, Issun the Poncle, and that is my companion, Amaterasu. I prefer the name Ammy though."
Amaterasu nodded her head, and shook Applejack's hoof. As their hooves connected though, the same light came over AJ as it had the other ponies. An orb of light shot forth into Ammy, and the mysterious voice appeared:
"Oh, Amaterasu, origin of all that is good in Nippon and mother to them all. You have rescued another Element of Harmony, and my power has grown even stronger. Soon, I will be able to answer all your questions. For now, all I can tell you is that you and I are of the same nature. Our bond is one that can not be broken, despite our lack of seeing one another since my long, long slumber. Know, that when we meet, our power shall fix what has been broken. Now, from this element, take the technique of the Power Buck, and defeat evil with your might. "
As the light faded, a memory nagged at the back of Ammy's head. It was as if some ancient connection was being reestablished, one she hadn't known for quite some time. Issun obviously didn't feel the same, because he was hopping with excitement. "Another brush technique, another brush technique! This is great! I'll be the greatest artist in every land there is! Come on, furball, we've still got work to do!"
After Applejack was back to normal, she forced Ammy and Issun to follow her back to the house. As soon as the door opened, though, Applejack was knocked over by a hug from little Applebloom. "Big sis! I missed ya so much!" Tears of joy poured from Applebloom's eyes, and Applejack patted her back lovingly.
"Ah missed you too, Applebloom. Sure is lucky these to fella's came along and helped get me down, huh?" She tugged them over, and Applebloom gave them a hug too. It was about five minutes later that she realized Ammy had stopped breathing and was hanging limply in her arms.
"Oh no!" she cried, as she let go and Ammy fell to the ground, sprawled out. Suddenly, she started breathing again, her eyes bugging out. Beside her, Issun laughed hysterically.
"Ah, serves ya right, furball!" he managed to say through his own tears. "Oh boy, that was a riot!"
Amaterasu, once she regained her breath, sat down on top of Issun. 'Sometimes it is better to laugh on the inside, Issun,' Ammy thinks with a smile. She gives Issun a good couple of minutes before getting up. He gasps for air.
"Too... much... pony butt," he breathes out. Applejack and Applebloom laugh at the remark.
"You two outta meet Rainbow Dash!" Applejack says once her laughter subsides. "She lives on up in Cloudsdale, but I'm sure you can find a way to reach her. Yah seem capable of doing quite a bit for being some Earth Pony." Neither Ammy nor Issun felt the urge to correct this thought. However, Issun did think to ask an important question.
"Would this Rainbow Dash happen to be an Element of Harmony?" AJ nodded. "Then she's who we'll be going to next! Ammy, looks like we're heading to Cloudsdale!"
Amaterasu waited about three minutes before the Poncle realized the apparent problem.
"Um...Applejack? Where is Cloudsdale exactly?" Issun asked with a blush that was unseeable to the others. Applejack gave a hardy laugh at the question, as if the answer were blatantly obvious. When she looked at them and saw they were really clueless, she stopped.
"Cloudsdale is up in the sky," she said. "Ya'll never heard of it? City of pegasi?" Issun and Ammy look up. In the not too far distance, they see a large cloud, that looks very, very dark. Two and two come together.
"We're going to need wings to get up there... and I can only think of one person, er, pony , that can do it." Issun slowly rubs his temples, preparing himself to say the horribly painful inevitability. "Ammy, I think we're gonna need to get the fake prophet to help us."
A gust of wind blew past all the ponies present. When it settled, Waka appears standing with Pillow Talk pointed at the sky, his face in a goofy smile signifying he was about to do something overly complicated. "Ah, mon amie , we meet in such a scenario once more. So, you wish to hang in the clouds? I can dig it. I shall assist here, for your journey isn't meant to end by something so simple as an inability to reach into the heavens." With a flourish, he slices down with Pillow Talk, splitting a hole in the very air itself! Slowly, the cut formed into a strange hole, which slowly formed into a doorway. When it finished, Waka put away Pillow Talk and waved at the doorway. "Consider this my gift to you, ma cherie . A door to take you to the clouds. Of course, there is a fee..."
Issun started hopping up and down angrily. "A fee?! You're charging us you two-bit sideshow?!"
"Yes, for this is a lot of help, and it's pretty close to crossing the border of deus ex machina." Waka looks at them all sternly, then reverts to his normal state. "My fee for this help is simple: bring me a rock named Tom." Amaterasu and Issun look each other in the eye, then look back at Waka. It takes a moment before anypony can say anything.
"You want us... to bring you... a ROCK?!" The question exploded out of Issun, who began to glow red with anger. "Of all the stupid, useless, annoying, idiotic, impractical things I have ever heard spill from your mouth, asking us to find a ROCK is the worst!"
"A rock named Tom."
"I DON'T CARE IF ITS NAME IS YAMCHA, IT'S A STUPID PRICE!" Before more words could be exchanged, AJ stepped forward.
"Now hold on just ah second... when y'all says a rock named Tom, do ya mean that big ole stone Rarity carried around back when Discord went and made our noggins all messed up?" Waka nodded, and AJ smiled. "Well, if that's all y'all want, then I can help you two get it. I know where she chucked it when everything settled down." Issun stops with his raging, and simply leaps into Ammy's fur, which wakes her up from her sleep.
"I shall be here when you return. See you soon, Amaterasu."
~~~~~~~~~~
"So, this is Tom. This giant freaking rock, is Tom. How exactly are we supposed to get it down?" Issun stated the problem on everypony's mind. Apparently (and this story was based off of Applejack's recounting of the events after the Discord event), Rarity had been so angered by her foolishness that she chucked Tom as far as she could. This apparently lead to it getting lodged in a crevice. Good news: it was a straight shot to Waka. Bad news: they couldn't get it out. "This is why I hate that useless prophet. Even when he's useful, he's useless!"
Amaterasu thought about it carefully. Despite their past disputes, Waka had always proven helpful... in one way or another. 'Wait a moment, ' she thought. 'Past disputes? What past disputes? ' It appeared more of her missing memories were appearing. But why did it seem like they were appearing in patches, as if only the barest pieces of somewhat relevant information appeared? She shook away the thoughts.
"Well, we could try using magic... course, none of us is unicorns or such. Well, this is quite a pickle." Applejack tried bucking Tom again, to no avail. Applebloom went over and bucked alongside her sister, but their power still wasn't enough to dislodge it. Ammy decided to help as well, yet it still seemed they were too weak. "This is useless! We need something stronger!" Her words sparked a thought in Issun's head.
"Ammy! That new technique of yours... the Power Buck, right? Well, maybe it's strong enough to dislodge this thing?" Despite coming from Issun's mouth, it made sense to Ammy. "Try drawing two hooves and let loose some havoc!"
Drawing a sideways eight (which is totally two hooves beside each other), Amaterasu let loose the Power Buck. The technique sent the boulder flying. "Well I'll be a fish outta water..." Applejack said, slack-jawed. Applebloom stared at Amaterasu in awe.
"Whoa, Nelly!" she exclaimed in glee. "You gots to show me how to do that! It'd be so cool! I could be a Cutie Mark Magical Filly!"
"But you didn't make a wish with Kyuubi..." Issun interrupted.
"Technicalities." Applebloom rebutted.
"The hay you two going on about?" Applejack asked, horribly confused by the exchange and still at awe over the brush technique. Ammy, tired of this listening to the two, runs down after Tom. She was pretty far behind, but was close enough to watch it roll to Waka...
...and smash him against a tree. Both Ammy's and Issun's jaws dropped. "Whoa... didn't see that coming, huh, ya half-baked prophet?" Though he joked, there was a sad tone to his voice. It was just apparent enough for Ammy to not want to eat him. Whatever her mysterious connection to the strange prophet was, she felt it deeply enough that she didn't want him to die getting crushed by a... rock. He didn't deserve to go out like that. He deserved better.
"Oh? Such kind thoughts... your amnesia this time is much more pleasant than your last, mon amie~"
Appearing on top of Tom, completely unharmed, was a smiling Waka. "You... you... raaaaargh!" Issun couldn't (or wouldn't) form proper words to express the emotions he was feeling. Waka chuckled, then pointed at the gate he had formed for them.
"It is about time for you to get a move on... but first, I must provide a prophecy." Waka assumed a pose on top of Tom. "In the land of clouds, where the sun shines the brightest, a shadow is cast. Where rainbows are made, rainbows are freed, but who knows what is found in the Rainbow Factory?" He let out a small laugh, then picking up Tom with ease, he bound away to who knows where. An eerie chill seemed to blow through Amaterasu and Issun though.
"Ammy..." Issun began, "Something about that half-baked prophet's words is giving me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies."
Amaterasu understood the feeling. She turned her head towards Cloudsdale. What would they find there? What was this shadow, and what did it have to do with a Rainbow Factory? There was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, she waited for Issun to burrow back into her fur, then walked through the doorway to meet their next challenge.
Cloudsdale... a city high in the heavens of Equestria, where the sun shines the brightest, weather is managed, and many pegasi consider home. Now, it had been reduced to something much less beautiful. Where once there were fluffy white clouds, now they were gray and rumbled, as if preparing to storm. The once vivid rainbows now looked sickly and dark, as if they were formed from a thick syrup. The entire place reeked of ozone, and everywhere she looked, there were pegasi in stone. Amaterasu took a tentative step forward, and suddenly felt herself falling through the cloud. For a moment, her long, long life flashed before her eyes... then she felt as if she were on solid ground again.
"Whoa, Ammy, that was terrifying! Dark atmosphere, pony statues, that weird prophecy, now us almost dying as soon as we get here?! Man, I think my heart almost gave way!" When the poncle calmed down enough, he notices her breastplate glowing. "Hey, I think that thing you got is what's keeping us up here! Pretty nifty."
'Nifty' wasn't the first word Ammy would use, but at least they weren't about to crash to the ground below. Ammy takes a few more tentative steps, before she was comfortable enough to walk out fully onto the cloud. They were firm, yet had a bit bounce to them.
"Well, we better get looking for the factory that half-baked prophet was talking about. But... what's a factory?" Neither of them knew exactly what that meant, but it sounded a bit like a building. Looking around, some of the clouds did in fact look like buildings. Ammy pointed this out with her hoof. "You think one of these clouds could be that Rainbow Factory thing that the prophet was talking about?
It seemed like the most likely possibility, considering everything was clouds. The problem was that there was no way to actually discern any one cloud building from another that well. They just looked like... well... a bunch of clouds! Figuring things might make more sense if they actually got a look around, Ammy and Issun began their investigation. As they traveled through the cloudy pathways, they ran into more than a few imps, as well as some new foes: cloudy beasts that took to hiding in the cloud-ground and springing up, and seemed to enjoy shooting lightning bolts. Luckily, they weren't much trouble, since they had the weird tendency to laugh before attacking.
For hours, the two searched for this supposed "Rainbow Factory," with little fortune. The sun slowly ebbed down in the sky, and Ammy felt herself getting drowsy. She was ready for a nap. "Yo, furball, I think we should call it a day. I can't keep my eyes open any longer." Issun collapses in her fur, and tiny snores are soon heard. Ammy, too, soon falls to the fluffy ground, and begins to dream....
~~~~~~~~~~
"It is good to see you, Amaterasu." whispered a voice, so familiar, yet such a distant memory. It was the voice she had heard so frequently as of late, the voice which seemed to possess the Elements of Harmony and gave her new brush techniques. "So, you still do not know who I am? ...I will admit, I am disheartened, but I understand. Just as your memories of your recent adventures were sealed when you came to this place, so too, were your memories of the old times sealed... your memories of us, sealed. Even your voice, your sweet, soothing voice, was sealed so long ago. But, soon, all will be revealed."
Amaterasu looked around desperately in the darkness that was her dream for the source of the voice. A faint light glowed in the distance, and she began to run to it, tears streaming down her face. Why did she feel so close to this voice? Why did it feel like her heart was breaking, listening to it? She had to find out. She needed to find out. Finally, she found the source. It was a faint image of a crescent moon, blue light shimmering around it. The feeling of warmth grew within her, as did the sadness of not knowing who this symbol represented.
"Oh, dear Amaterasu... know, that once the Elements are restored, so too, shall I be free to help you. But... so too, shall he be free. He, who you know as I, but whom sadly is not as close. He, like we, was brought here. He too, has replaced another, and shall consume the world if not dealt with. Sadly... he, too, is locked away by the seal on the elements. This message I bring to you now, so that you know that to save this world, you must bring into it an evil far greater than what you've faced as of late. An evil from your distant past...."
As the words left it, Amaterasu felt herself being pulled away, pulled back into consciousness. She struggled, wanting to know more that this strange one knew, this strange one she loved, who she couldn't remember. It was as if waking was tearing her in half. Tears ran down her face as she reached for the symbol, trying to make sense of it all. Before she woke, she heard three final words:
"I love you..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Ammy awoke to Issun frantically hopping on her nose. "Ammy! Look, look!" He pointed, and as Ammy blinked open her drowsy, tear-riddled eyes, she saw what had excited him so. Somehow, while they both slept, they had changed positions. They now sat before a large building. It was quite unlike the others, the clouds making up its structure stone-like in appearance. Amaterasu walked towards it, knocking on it, and indeed it felt as if it were made of stone as the ground was. "This HAS to be the Rainbow Factory! This is where that pony we're looking for is at!"
Not far from their position was a door, made strangely enough, from metal. It seemed weird, metal on a cloud. Still, in this land of ponies, such a thing wasn't too unbelievable. As she approached, Amaterasu felt a sense of dread deep within her being. This place... it radiated evil. Whatever was inside, it wouldn't be pleasant. Still, they needed to do this. She had to protect this place, even if it wasn't the home she knew. After all, it seemed that it was the evil she DID know, that has caused it such pain. With those thoughts in mind, she threw caution to the wind, and burst through the doors to the awaiting darkness that filled the Rainbow Factory...
The inside of the factory was dark, quite dark. As she walked in, the door that Amaterasu had opened slammed shut, sealing them within the darkness. "Ammy... this is seriously freaking me out!" Issun chirped up, indeed shaking on her snout hard enough to nearly make her sneeze. Slowly, her breastplate glowed, igniting with a gold and red light. When the room was revealed, both Amaterasu, and ancient goddess, and Issun, a traveler of the world, both of whom had seen many tragedies, nearly emptied their stomachs at the scene which was no longer concealed by shadows.
It was a scene of death.
Corpses were strewn left and right, the cloud-stone painted a deep, dark red. The bodies had been mutilated beyond recognition, looking drained of blood and... strangely enough, of color. So many cuts lined them, their faces the most damaged, as well as the area around their hearts. Their backs also appeared to have suffered... It may have been easier to bear, if it were only adults... but no, there were children too. Amaterasu forced herself to slowly walk forward, the vileness in her stomach rising as her stomach rose to her throat. She looked down at the young pony, no more than eight at the most, and she realized exactly why the backs of these ponies were messed up as well. Something had torn off their wings. It must have done so violently, for there was still some pieces of torn muscle and bone forming little stumps. Discovering that anything could do something so cruel, and to so many, Ammy did indeed empty her stomach, the vomit black.
"Whoa... Ammy... we have to fix this. This... it just isn't right. This place is seriously messed up!" Issun hopped backwards on her head and hid in her ear, trying to stay as far from the scene as possible. Ammy, closing her eyes, turns away form the child's corpse, and begins to walk deeper into the factory, her hooves becoming sticky and red from the blood she was forced to tread through. She tried not to think too much about it. As they traversed the corridors, more and more scenes of gore and bloodshed revealed themselves, as well as scenes of torture. Bodies hung against walls like trophies, decapitated corpses, wings mounted, and so much more. It was as if they had entered the lair of some twisted beast that wished to inspire as much fear as it could before striking from the dark. Eventually, Ammy had to pause, to get her wits about her. Walking through so much was no easy feat, and it was wearing away at her mentally and emotionally. Issun tried getting her spirits up by recounting some past experiences he had been remembering, but it did little good.
"...nbows... Must ma.... bows..."
Ammy's head shoots up at the sound. Was that a voice just now? She could barely hear it, but she was sure that she'd heard the voice of a pony. Standing quickly, she begins to gallop in the direction she thought the voice came from. "Ammy, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?!" Issun says as he struggles to cling on.
"Must make... re rainbows..."
That time, she knew she had definitely heard a voice. It sounded female to her, but something was... off. She couldn't place it, but it was of little concern at the moment. She needed to see some life. After a few twists and turns, Amaterasu finds herself standing before a large, intricately carved door. Looking at the bottom, it seemed there was more blood than anywhere else she had seen so far. It was a problematic situation, but she needed to see if indeed, somepony was alive. She opens the door slowly, weary of what may lay behind it...
~~~~~~~~~~
"Rainbow, rainbows, must, make, more rainbows~"
As Amaterasu and Issun entered the room, an intense evil barrier formed behind them, locking them in. Before them, was a room filled with metal devices, each one containing a blade that was caked in old, coagulated blood. In fact, everything was covered in blood. This was not a place of peace, nor happiness. This was a place of madness, pain, insanity.
"Oh? Is that another pony I hear? Come, come, give me your colors~ We need more rainbows!"
Ammy turned to the voice, and saw a pony. It was a mare, covered in blood spatters and looking very, very pale. Her mane and tail, though caked with blood, appeared to be like a rainbow itself. In her hoof was a sword that brought about a memory. "Ammy..." Issun started. "That sword. It's... like I can remember something like it.... Isn't that weird? Have we ever fought a sword before?" Before Amaterasu could react, though, the room began to darken. She looked down at her breastplate. Something seemed to be weakening it's strength. She looked back up in time to see the mare just in front of her, flying just above the ground and ready to slice her head off. Rolling to the side, Amaterasu growls.
"You're not a pony..." the mare said. "But I know who you are." The mare faced her again, and Amaterasu was able to notice two things: one was the black necklace around her neck, which reeked of both light and dark magic (more-so of the latter), and two, that her eyes were empty, as if she weren't even really there. Her mouth curved slowly into a smile. "You don't know me, Amaterasu, but I most certainly have a grudge against you. You struck down my brother-in-arms long ago. Blight, born of the sword Goldnail."
"Ammy! If what she's saying is true, then she's been possessed like the Emperor was!" Ammy took heed of this information.
"Indeed, I have possessed this pony, one of the Elements of Harmony which stands in the way of our leader, Orochi's, conquest of this world. Noriaki, the demon blade, screams for vengeance! Come, so that I, the vile Pestilence, may make dark rainbows from your essence!" With a flash, Pestilence zoomed forward, Noriaki held forward in a thrust. Amaterasu dodges right, but is buffeted by the wind formed and knocked into the wall. For a moment, she is stunned, while Pestilence flies up into the center of the room, hidden in darkness.
"Ammy, there's no way you can take this guy while he's flying! You'll have to get him on the ground!" This was easier said than done, Ammy thought to herself with a grimace. After all, this enemy was faster than her, and had the element of darkness while she was a glowing target. If only she were able to shed some light, she'd be better able to combat this foe. Wait... that's it! she thought, turning towards where she figured the ceiling was. She had a plan. Before she could test it, though, Pestilence begins to laugh. The sound seemed to come from every direction, and before she could react, Pestilence bomb-rushed her from the side. It hurt quite a bit, but her breastplate prevented her from taking too much damage. Pestilence flies back into the darkness, waiting to strike again; however, Amaterasu enacts her plan.
Looking to the ceiling, she uses the Celestial Brush to form the Power Buck. As she suspected, the strong blow knocks away the solidified cloud, letting in a bit of sunshine. The room brightens, and Pestilence screams in pain, falling to the ground. It seemed he thrived in darkness, and the introduction of light had weakened his power. Noriaki slides from his grip, and Amaterasu rushes to it, attacking it with her glaive. As she does, a small crack forms, and the cursed blade glows a blood red. Leaping back, she avoids the oncoming explosion, as the sword returns to Pestilence, who stands up and glowers at her with the captive mare's empty eyes. "Your pain shall grow tenfold!"
Suddenly, the machines in the room begin to whirl to life. From the way they're positioned, they form a sort of ring around the room, blades stabbing towards her if Amaterasu tries to draw near. Pestilence takes the momentary pause to fly up to the ceiling, and bucks the clouds into a seal, putting the room back into near blackness, except for what Ammy's breastplate can illuminate. Looking up, she sees a ring of blood red swords form.
"Prepare to be eviscerated!" Pestilence shrieks as the blades turn and shot towards her. Using another Power Buck, she manages to knock most of them out of the air, but a few still hit. She was beginning to feel the darkness coming on. She drew on a healing smile, and was suddenly refreshed. I can't heal her possession until I break the sword's grip on her... Amaterasu pauses to think, as another barrage of swords comes towards her. She knocks them down as well, and once again, blasts a hole in the ceiling. Again, Pestilence falls and drops Noriaki, and again, Amaterasu attacks the blade. The crack thickens, the blade becoming a bit chipped, before it suddenly releases another explosion without warn. Amaterasu takes the full brunt of the blast, and is knocked into one of the machines, which immediately (and painfully) stabs her back into the center of the pseudo-arena. "I see now how Blight was defeated by you... but now, prepare to see the full power I possess with this body!"
Despite the hole in the ceiling, the room seems to darken as the necklace around Pestilence's neck crackles with energy. A very feminine scream emanates from the body, and Pestilence flies forward with such speed, a sonic boom erupts, a dark tinted rainbow accompanying it. Amaterasu ducks, escaping the attack by a hairsbreadth, and is nearly torn away back into the attacking ring by the accompanying wind. Issun hung onto her ear for dear life, screaming prayers to not die when he was still so young and beautiful.
"Do you see my power?!" Pestilence boasts, laughing for a few minutes. Ammy looked up. The hole in the ceiling was still there, light was still coming through... yet, Pestilence no longer seemed to be suffering from it. Was the light not strong enough anymore? The laughter stopped, and another scream filled the room.
"Furball... I think that move is killing that pony! We need to end this, quickly!" She couldn't agree more. Turning to face Pestilence, Amaterasu dodged once more, bracing for the wind, and let the demon boast some more about how powerful it was. How would she be able to strengthen the light in the room? What was the secret? It suddenly became quite obvious. Rushing under the hole in the ceiling, she looks up and draws a sun. Suddenly, the room is filled with an intense light as the celestial body changes positions and distance. As the room is filled, Pestilence screams and once again drops Noriaki, which Ammy wastes no time attacking. After a few blows, a scream rips through the clouds, and the blade splits clean in half. The machines falter, and Amaterasu quickly draws a healing smile on the mare. The darkness pulsates quickly into the necklace, before dispersing. "Whoa! We did it! Lets hear a victory howl, buddy!"
Crouching low, Amaterasu unleashes a fierce howl of victory, the sunny sky turning to a star filled night. A constellation blinks it's way into existence. Filling in the missing stars, a gust of wind buffets her, as a spectral pony appears flying in circles around her. She pauses, still flapping her wings in front of Ammy, then gives the goddess a noogie. "Yo! Thanks for freeing me from those crazy stars! It was weird flying around up there! Name's Rainbow Dash by the way. Might give you an autograph for that performance, though, it could have been a bit cooler. Maybe, like, twenty percent? Also, thanks for not messing up my body, either. That dang demon went and pushed me out, then took over!" She dives back into her body, and as she stands, her colors blossom to full vibrancy. The world shimmered slightly, and suddenly, all the darkness was blasted away as things were restored to normal. The blood vanished, the machines turning to fountains of rainbows, the dark gray clouds becoming white and calming.
Suddenly, Rainbow's body glowed just as the other's had, and an orb of light shoots out into Ammy. As her eyes glow, she speaks in the hauntingly familiar voice:
"Oh Amaterasu, origin of all that is good in Nippon and mother to them all. Yet another element you have freed, and closer to both peace and chaos you bring this world. My power has grown much stronger, and only two more elements must be freed before we are once again united. Heed these words, dear Amaterasu. Do not allow emotions to cloud your judgement of what must be done. The enemy you bring to this world will bring both joy and hate. Neither of these, must you combat him with. He is chaos, and chaos cannot be destroyed. It can only be kept in check. But my time to speak with you is growing less, and less, so that is all the advice I may give. From this Element, the Element of Loyalty, you have gained the of technique of Blitz. With this power, blow away the darkness in your trail, Amaterasu and Issun. "
The presence fades, and Amaterasu is left a bit shaken. Those words... they had stirred up a memory. Her and two others. She didn't know why, but she felt closer to those two than any others. AS she was lost in her memories, she heard pony voices. Leaving the room with Rainbow, she is greeted with a very, very happy sight. All the ponies, every last one of them, was alive and well. All traces of the darkness she had seen, the place of death and sadness was erased along with the demon Pestilence. They seemed to have no recollection of the events, and Issun didn't want to mention it anymore than Amatersu (even if she COULD speak). Happy that everything was a bit more peaceful, Amaterasu collapses into unconsciousness.
Once Fluttered, Twice Shy, Thrice Confused
"....p."
Amaterasu looks around. There was nothing here... but at the same time, she could feel a presence. What is this... warmth? she wonders to herself. She spins, and is suddenly faced with a mirror. She sees herself. White pony, no mane, markings all along her body to show her holy nature... wait. Her markings weren't right. Rather than red, her markings appeared to be blue. She moved closer to the strange reflection, and it did the same. When she reached her hoof out, it did the same. Something in her memory slowly tried to click into place, a key component, something vital about herself. She knew this image meant something to her. Why does this make me feel sad... and happy? She touched the glass, and her hoof felt warm. She blinked, confused. Her reflection, however, smiled.
"Rather sad, that you still don't remember me," it said to her tauntingly. "Then again, amnesia seems to be a habit of yours... as does hiding." Amaterasu growled unconsciously, though it wasn't from anger so much as annoyance, like this was an old taunt. The reflection chuckled. "It seems my power has somewhat escalated here... though, I still am unable to use it fully. I suppose it is because I am still locked away, as is he, and as is your memories. Memories you locked away yourself, and must reopen if you are to return to your beloved Nippon."
Amaterasu's annoyance turned to shock, as it began to come to her just who this was. The pieces were starting to clock together.
"Wa... p...!"
The dream began to flicker all around her. The blue-marked reflection looked around with a somber expression. "It seems that once again, our time is cut short by fate. I shall see you soon, Amaterasu. It shall be the last time before we truly meet." The reflection gives a small smile, as the mirror begins to crack. "Just know... I love you."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Wake up!" Issun shouts for the millionth time. He'd been screaming in Ammy's ear for some time now, but it was lik screaming at a rock. Tiring, and making him question his purpose in life. "Sheesh, Ammy, you're killing me! You've been out for three days now, and still you don't want to wake up! What could be that important?" He nearly had a heart attack, though, when Amaterasu shot up, fully conscious and taking in her surroundings.
Ammy was lying on a couch made of clouds. She had a blanket on top of her, rainbow colored. Looking around, she noticed she was in another building made from the strange cloud-stones. Memories of what she had seen flooded her mind, and she shook herself to rid the stormy thoughts. She knew death, and she knew pain. She understood darkness... and she was determined to prevent these innocent creatures from understanding it as she had. She was the light, and she would wash away this dark cloud which had arisen.
"Glad to see you're finally up, Mr. Amatersu," says a cyan pony coming down a set of stairs. "Dunno if you remember or not, but I'm Rainbow Dash. Totally rad daredevil pony... and the one you kinda saved." She scratches her rainbow mane embarrassed. "Uh, thanks for that, by the way. While I want to say that I totally could've handled it on my own... but, well, I couldn't." She hangs her head down dejectedly. "While you were asleep, I got a look around Ponyville. I've been hearing how you've been clearing things up. Gotta admit, you're pretty cool, even if you are some weird non-talking earth pony." Ammy shook her head. It felt a bit unusual, getting praised by this pony. She could sense it wasn't something done lightly. She could feel herself blushing under her fur. Issun nudged against her ear, grinning a tiny grin.
"Taking a liking, eh furball?" he jests. "Can't say I'm not interested myself. She's got a certain... attraction to her. Like electricity between us." Ammy opts to ignore this, and gets off of the sofa, shaking herself to get rid of some of the sleep still lingering in her. The thought of sleep made her think back to her dream, but it was already fading away into the mists of her mind. But still, it rang important. Very important. She wasn't allowed more time to think on it though, as Issun began to speak up again. "So, Ammy, I explained some of the situation to our blue friend here, and when she was going around, she managed to dig some more info up for us. Looks like that barrier around the tree we woke up in is weaker, but we still can't get through; however, it seems that we can head towards that creepy forest to save another Element."
"Yeah," Rainbow speaks up. "My friend Fluttershy. If what that little bug-"
"NOT A BUG," Issun says through grit teeth.
"-whatever. If what he said is true, then Fluttershy is in trouble too. Twi may be in trouble, but she's a lot more capable at handling herself. Fluttershy is... well, I hate to say it, but she's kind of a wimp. Love her to pieces, but that mare couldn't put up a fight unless an animal was in trouble."
Amaterasu nodded her thanks. It made sense that she go for the Element in the most danger, as well as in the easier to access location. Without another word, she dashes out. Looking around, everything was much brighter and more vivid. Rainbows sprouted all over, and happily chattering ponies with wings went to and fro with their lives. This was the reason that Amaterasu had the strength to fight against the odds. They were her light to fight the darkness. Their happiness was her happiness, and seeing so much of it added a little more pep to her step. It took her a while to find the door Waka made for her, but when she went through, she was back by the farm, and there was Waka, sitting down on a stump. He turned to her with a twinkle in his closed eyes, something that more than slightly confused her.
"Ah, ma cherie , I see you have succeeded once more in your quest. I am impressed; even here, your power is still mighty. I am glad that you still have such strength in your heart, even if you are not home." He reaches behind his back, then tosses her a rosary. She catches it around her neck, then nearly collapses from the weight. After a moment, she adjusts to it, and examines it. With beads in the shapes of apples, and colored like a Rainbow, she can certainly regard it as the most unusual rosary she'd ever acquired. "That rosary, it's name is Honest Loyalty. Like your glaive, Generous Laughter, it is born from the elements you have saved. That particular one is made from monsieur Tom."
"So... you asked us to get you a rock... so you could make furball here a new weapon?" Issun whistles, impressed. "I guess I pegged you wrong."
"It seems the Poncle is not quite as stupid as he always seems to appear," Waka says in a bored tone.
"Ok, I redact my statement. You're still an annoying jerk!"
"Either way, I still have a prophecy for you both." Waka takes a moment to clear his throat. "A heart of light, now cold and black. Where is the Fluttershyness? I don't see it there, but it surely is. It can be hard to tell friend from foe. You should probably count the shadows." Waka finishes with a pose. "Not bad, no?"
"...you still suck at prophecies." Issun snickers while Waka glares daggers at him.
"Amaterasu! Surely you do not agree with this...." He stops when he notices Amaterasu is happily snoozing away. He bonks her on the head. "Stay awake mon amie ! You are so rude sometimes!"
Amaterasu wakes with a jolt, knocking Waka into the tree where his head tilts around. Ammy scoots away, then starts galloping towards where she was told Fluttershy resided.
~~~~~~~~~~
Fluttershy's cottage was empty. Empty in the sense that nopony stayed in it. Amaterasu looked around, confused. There appeared to be signs of life: a bowl with a spoon in it, a chair left out, an oven left open as if something were going in or out; but it was so... devoid of everything. It nearly spooked her to death when something tapped her flank. She spun around, and saw that it was simply a bunny... but it looked rather sad.
"Yo, little bunny dude," Issun says from Ammy's ear. "What do you want?" The bunny starts to point back to the town, and makes a shooing motion. Issun grumbles. "Want us to leave? Well, sorry, but that ain't exactly the most possible thing at the moment. We kinda have an important mission. Saving the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, is top priority right now."
At Fluttershy's name, the bunny's eyes widen. He shakes his head and arms. Something freaked him out, a lot. He tried to hop off, but Ammy placed her hoof on its tail and held it in place.
"So, Ammy, you noticed that our little friend here is acting suspicious too? Surprised you didn't fall asleep." Issun hops off of the goddess and onto the Bunny, right on his nose. "Now listen, and you listen good. We wanna know what you know about this Fluttershy pony, and we wanna know now. We're trying to help her and this entire country, and you're standing in the way of that."
The bunny blinks, then hangs his head down. He hops back towards the cottage, but rather than go in, he starts to sweep around it. He waves his arm, gesturing them to follow. The duo take no time to follow along. Following the white rabbit, they notice how things look rather... bleak. What may have once been a well-maintained area looked claimed by nature now. Tendrils of black roots ruled over the back yard, and the nearby forest, which appeared to be their destination, looked rather terrifying. By all rights, they probably should have stopped heading towards it by now.
"Uh... furball?" Issun says, making both Amaterasu and the bunny look to him. "Not you, silly rabbit. Anyways, this place is giving me some major bad vibes. It isn't just dark magic in there, it's ancient nature magic. Really messed up ancient nature magic. It's seriously messing with me." Amaterasu shared his sentiments. This forest wasn't simply a forest. No, there lurked something in it... something old, barely contained. She knew that once she entered, it wouldn't be her alone who controlled her fate. No, this forest would judge her as well. It may have existed in this world of ponies, but it didn't belong to it, and the presence of her world had only made it stronger. The bunny hopped to the entrance, and stood perfectly still... aside from the shivering.
Amaterasu came to a pause behind him, and looked around. Why was he standing still? 'This bothers me... ' she thought to herself.
"I see you found my bunny, Angel. Thank you for that."
Ammy nearly leaped out of her markings. She turned and was faced with an adorable yellow mare with wings, and a fluffy pink mane. She gave Amaterasu a smile, then walked around her to Angel, and picks him up. Angel does his best not to scream silently. He struggled to break free, but the pony only hugged tighter. He finally gave in, and she ceased hugging so tightly. Her attention turned back to Amaterasu.
"I thank you again for finding him. My name is Fluttershy. May I ask your name?" Amaterasu blinks. This pony was Fluttershy? THE Fluttershy? The Element they needed to save, and who Rainbow Dash called a "wimp?" This pony seemed completely at ease in front of this creepy forest, and had apparently had no issues at all with creeping up on her. There was also the fact that, though she said Angel belonged to her, he looked like he was scared half to death. Even Issun was burying himself in her fur to be a little further from Fluttershy.
"T-T-This is Amaterasu," Issun manages to stutter out. "A-A-And I'm Issun. W-We're her to save you." Fluttershy laughs at his comment, her mane flowing wildly as she tosses her head back.
"That is quite kind of you, but as you notice, I don't exactly need saving. I'm feeling fine. But, so you don't feel like your efforts are wasted, how's about you join me for some tea?" She points into the forest. "I've been staying in some more... 'interesting' accommodations as of late."
She walks off, and for a moment, Amaterasu could swear her tail seemed... weird.
"Ammy, I've got a really bad feeling about this place...."
It was good to hear she wasn't the only one who found this place to be terrifying. Fluttershy (or the pony who called herself Fluttershy, which Amatersu was seriously doubting) led them through the forest with ease. The dark trees seemed to howl at the group, eyes glared from the underbrush, and on several occasions, Amaterasu could swear she had seen an inanimate object slink off in the shadows. The light of the sun didn't seem to penetrate very deeply through the dense canopy of the forest, and mist creeped and curled around her every step.
It was like she was walking into the belly of a beast, and the last time she did that, it wasn't very pleasant.
That thought bothered her. Why had she been in a stomach? Actually, she'd been in two. Which was yet another weird memory to experience. All these thoughts, these memories hidden away and waiting for the slightest hint to be reawakened... it was strange then, that she couldn't recall who this mysterious figure was who so wanted her to free them, and whom she desperately wished to free. It was as if their fates had been connected, but something had broken them apart, some event that was buried deeper than what would typically be buried. So lost in her thoughts was she, that she had failed to notice that Issun had still been speaking to her. She listened in to his troubled ramblings.
"Something about this place just isn't right. Every step we take, it feels more and more like something evil is lurking. I can feel it deep inside of me. It's almost like it's trying to strangle me, use me like mulch! It kinda reminds me of that old tale... a tale about you actually, Ammy." Her ears perk up in sudden interest. "Oh, so NOW you care? Fine, whatever. It doesn't look like we'll be getting wherever this pony is taking us any time soon, so I might as well tell you about it. Dunno how I remember it, but here's how it goes...."
~~~~~~~~~~
Long ago, Amaterasu (that's YOU, furball) lived with two other gods, who bore a close resemblance to her. I dunno why it said you were a girl, but whatever. Anyways, apparently the three of you ruled over the aspects of the world. One of the gods had dominion over the night, and ruled the moon. He was strong, yet graceful, elegance incarnate. Apparently, he was the weakest as well, but had the kindest heart, preferring diplomacy over violence. He wore the Yasakani no Magatama as his weapon and symbol.
The other god aside from you supposedly ruled storms, seas, and chaos. He wasn't exactly a nice guy, always causing mischief and havoc. A crazy god, he just did whatever he wanted, be it drinking or messing with the lives of others. He sometimes did some heroic things, like defeat Orochi once, but I hear it was only because Orochi had gotten in the way of something he wanted. He was apparently the strongest one of the three. He carried around the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi , which was called Kusunagi, as his weapon and symbol. Did some crazy things with it.
Finally, Ammy, there was you. goddess of the sun. You were in the middle power-wise. You were apparently some kind of hottie back then, because you were called the most beautiful goddess (hey, don't snip at me!). You had a whole bunch of servants and wherever you went, life sprung up. You were also apparently moody as hell, because you locked yourself up at some point? I dunno, these old legends don't make a lot of sense, because you apparently came out to watch some naked goddess dance. If it was a sexy naked goddess, I might understand.... Anyways, your symbol back then was a mirror known as Yata no Kagami.
So, apparently you and the stormy one were constantly at each other's throats, while you and the moon one were really, really close.... Maybe you were in love, maybe not, I dunno. Anyways, there was some kind of misunderstanding between the two of you, and you became really, really distant. Though it didn't get too bad, it was bad enough that stormy started to misbehave a lot. It apparently got so bad that you two compromised, and using your powers, sealed him away. Somehow, the moon god got sealed as well. Then their powers got sealed inside ya, and I dunno, something happened in the vacuum of power. Darkness formed or something.
~~~~~~~~~~
That story.... It made Amaterasu's insides hurt. There was a fierce burning in her chest and mind. Something wanted to surge out of her. Something wanted to be recognized, but there was a barrier, some kind of barrier, keeping it just below the surface. The pain was exasperating. She honestly wanted to smash her head in, give herself to the land, do anything to make it stop. She didn't even realize she had gotten into fetal position, and was rocking back and forth, tears streaming from her eyes. Issun looked at Amaterasu with pure shock. "Ammy?! What's wrong? Come on, speak to me! Well, maybe not speak ,but do something! You can't be breaking down on me now, not after all we've been through!" He hopped on her head, trying desperately to break her from her stupor. Fluttershy turned, noticing the pair was no longer behind her.
"Oh look," she said as she came trotting back. "You don't look so good. Hm... I wonder if I'd be able to take care of you.... No, here isn't the place." Reaching beneath the fallen goddess, she lifts her onto her back, opening her wings to secure her. "I'll just carry you the rest of the way. Once we get you to my place, we'll see about taking care of the problem." Issun silently prays, while Angel, no longer the focus of "Fluttershy's" attention, silently hops along from behind, his eyes flitting back and forth, though focusing on Amaterasu. He knew something wasn't quite right about the pony, and he'd have to rely on that feeling.
~~~~~~~~~~
Amaterasu awakened on a pellet, on a hard floor. She blinked herself awake, then groaned as she moved her stiff body. It seemed that the pressure in her head and chest, as well as the memories trying to burst free, had settled down. She looked around absently, trying to figure out what's going on, when Issun popped out of her ear. "AMMY!" he says. "You had me seriously freaking out! That pony took us to this weird castle in the woods! It's coursing with major bad mojo." Even just waking, Amaterasu could sense the evil of this place. It wasn't meant to be like this. She couldn't tell what its original state was, but something told her that it wasn't meant to be quite this complete. No, the stone underneath her hooves was old, very old, but some of the stones of the walls looked relatively fresh...
That wasn't what was important at the moment, though. No, what was important now was getting to Fluttershy and figuring out what was wrong. She hadn't reacted to Amaterasu's presence as any of the other Elements had, and something about her personality still rang as off-key to her. It was like she was an entirely different pony... but she didn't have the same feeling of possession that Rainbow Dash had had. No, she seemed to be fully aware, which meant something else was going on. Perhaps it was brainwashing? Perhaps some dark spell? Either way, she would cleanse her of it.
Ammy snagged Issun in her mouth, then threw him onto her head, before taking off in search of the yellow pegasus. Turning corner after corner, she soon realized that she had absolutely no idea where she was. "Um, Ammy, not to seem like a drag or anything, but this isn't exactly helping." Issun shuts up at her growling ,but both their ears perk up when they hear laughter. The laughter was coming from Fluttershy... or at least the pony formerly known as Fluttershy.
"I am glad to see you're awake. Amaterasu. Ah, it has been far too long since we last met. But, oh dear, I'm sure you don't recognize me in this dreadful form. Too weak for my tastes, but I must admit, I do enjoy having wings though." Fluttershy looks at Amaterasu, and she feels a deep, dark dread in her core. This was not Fluttershy. No, she knew who this truly was. She knew just how bad this situation was.
"Ammy... I think we may have a problem." Issun says. If she weren't so scared, she'd have sat on him.
"How right you are," says Fakershy. "And, just like my associates, I am much stronger than you remember.This will be the end, Amaterasu." With a gasp, Fakershy begins to transform; her teeth elongate, and shift into fangs; her body begins to grow and ripple with muscles; her wings expand, and seem to darken; and her fur begins to take on a darker pallor. But the most notable change of all, is how her tail, which Amaterasu had remembered seeming strange, split into nine. Amaterasu looked upon the beast, and gulped. This was not going to be an easy battle. No, she was going to have to be very careful.
Author's Note
Sorry for the delay. A lot has been happening. Anyways, battle chapter next, move onto saving Twilight, that battle chapter, final reveal, then a pause until the rest of the story is finished along with the 666 Satan Pony first chapter.
Prologue: Twilight's Blunder
Twilight carefully finished placing the last of the books on the floor. She looked around at the collection of knowledge, which she had personally read over several times. Though she usually just reordered them, this time she looked at each of the shelves closely. When she found the hidden book of legends (thanks to Pinkie's shenanigans), she had had a new book to add to the list. If one book had been hidden, then what was to keep more from being hidden as well? She couldn't allow herself to not know what each piece of literature was, and where it was located.
"Ok... so we've found how many new books, Spike?" she asked the purple dragon, who was busy taking log of all the books.
"According to last inspection, we have found three new books hidden in the library, including the legend book." Spike looked over the books once more, to verify that he was correct. Satisfied, he nodded at Twilight.
"Great! Now, there's only one section left to look over, and we can get back to reorganizing!" Spike groaned, and Twilight shook her head. "You know, as soon as we're done, I could get a certain dragon I know a nice shiny emerald..." Spike immediately perked up.
"Ooh! can it be starburst emerald?!"
"Of course, as soon as we finish up here."
With renewed vigor, Spike finished listing all the books, and began to organize them on the shelves Twilight had already looked over. Twilight started looking over the last shelf, and found a small indent. Placing her hoof against it, she found that it moved away and revealed a small hole. Her hoof couldn't exactly fit, and it was too dark to risk asking Spike to put his hand in. An idea came to her. Casting as simple Light Orb spell, she looked around inside the hole. At the bottom was a simple scroll, quite long by the looks of it.
"Huh, I wonder why this scroll was hidden?" Twilight tried to pick it up with her magic, but was instead given a painful shock. "OW! What the hay?" Twilight tried again, only to feel the same shock. This time however, a message appeared before her. The words looked as if they had been painted by a brush.
Oh Ye What Dares Read This Scroll,
Bear Witness, Then Decide Thy Fate: Within This Scroll Is That Which Should Never Be Read. Ancient Magic Taketh Root In Its Ink, And A Curse Shall Fall On All. If Thou Believeth That Light Shall Prevail, Then Set Forth In Thy Foolish Endeavor. But Heed That Tempting The Dark Is Not The Wisest OF Decisions. Take Now What Thee Seeks, And May The Stars Forever Give Thee Strength.
"Well," Twilight said as the writing vanished, "That was interesting. Now, I've got to see what's in that scroll! Magic powerful enough to last this long should be studied intensely and thoroughly!" Twilight tried once more to pick up the scroll with her magic, and this time succeeded. She carefully pulled it out, and placed it on a table. "Spike, I'm about to study this scroll I've found. Need any help finishing up?"
"N'aww, I got it Twi!" Spike was nearly halfway done already. Twilight smiled, and turned back to the scroll. She'd have to get him an extra large emerald when she was done. She carefully took off the string that held the scroll wrapped, and heard a strange hissing sound. She looked left and right, then back to the scroll. It was rather unsettling. She shook away the thought, and started to unroll the scroll. As she did, her sense of dread grew. Something wasn't right.
The scroll was finally unrolled enough for her to see the first image, and she let out a gasp. The picture had moved. The picture had just moved. It was a picture of a large eight -headed serpent, and it had turned all its heads to face her. Slowly, she watched as it began to peel off of the paper. One of the growing heads moved close to her, and it spoke with a cold voice directly into her mind.
"Thank you for releasssing me, little one, " it hissed. "Now, it isss time, for me to rule once more! "
Twilight prepared to close the scroll, when the serpent breathed a noxious breath on her. Her head began to spin. "Ugh, wha-?" Twilight heard Spike say something, and heard him collapse. As she fell into unconsciousness, she heard one final sentence.
"What a wonderful land... and none with the power to oppose me. Not even a god. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoa, what happened Ammy?"
Amaterasu looked up. Where was she? And why was she in a male body again? She slowly got up and looked herself over.
...
She was a pony. SHE WAS A MALE PONY. Before she could properly panic, Amaterasu's attention was captured by her companion, Issun. The tiny creature leaped onto her head.
"Yo, Ammy! What is going on? I'm a pony now, and so are you! This is really freaking me out... how can I create masterpieces with hooves? HOW CAN I HIT ON THE LADIES?!" Amaterasu let out a sigh. This was what she was going to have to deal with again. She tried to move around, and found her body moved similarly in this form. But why was she a pony in the first place? And why couldn't she change her form back to that of a wolf?
After the initial shock wore off, the duo looked around. This wasn't her cozy little spot on the hillside. She doubted she was even in Nippon any longer. It looked like she was in a weird tree. Amaterasu spotted a door, and walked over to it. After some tough negotiating, she managed to get it open. This form was going to take some serious getting used to. When she managed to get out, her jaw dropped.
"Uh, Ammy? I think something bad is going on." Issun was wording this worse than Waka's predictions. Things were bad . The entire area appeared to be cursed. Black clouds spread like a plague over the land, and large (slightly outrageous) buildings appeared depressed. "Man, Ammy, this is weird. Weren't we just in Nippon? Why are we here all of a sudden, and why is Orochi's curse all over the place? We're going to need some answers, and quick!"
They set off, looking for answers in the strange world they now found themselves in.
Author's Note
Amaterasu is female, but in a male body. Therefore, I will use female pronouns, despite everypony using male ones. Because I can. Because I'm insane.
