Judgment Day

Swordpoint and Rainbow flew silently. They’d still found no signs of the Coltillian civilization. The sun shone overhead… in fact, it hadn’t gone down in a long time. Rainbow found herself wondering if something had happened to Celestia.

Swordpoint kept stealing glances at Rainbow Dash. Something about her seemed to intrigue him, but he couldn’t quite understand what that was. She truly is amazing… Loyal to her friends, determined, and yet still kind. And she’s quite the athlete, as well. He admired her slim and fit figure, but he quickly turned away when she spoke up.

“Hey, Swordpoint…” she asked. “You don’t suppose that… something coulda happened to Celestia or Luna, right?” She sounded calm, but there was just a tone of worry in her voice.

Swordpoint thought for a moment. “I have not met this Princess Luna, but Celestia… she is far more powerful than Omnia. That is why Omnia has never attempted to attack Equestria. If something has happened to her… then the land is in dire peril.”

At last, buildings came into view. The houses were made of stone, with cobblestone roads between them. Several ponies could be seen around the market square in the middle of the town. Swordpoint grinned. “Ah, the town of Bridlewood,” he told Rainbow. “There is an archaeological university here. I’m certain we can find a reference map of some sort which will lead us to the ruins.”

Rainbow nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” They touched down lightly and strolled toward the village. There were several ponies walking about, but none of them seemed to pay any attention to Rainbow and Swordpoint. “Hey,” Rainbow whispered, “you’re not… wanted all OVER the place, right?”

Swordpoint shook his head. “I do not know. But this town is not in Omnia’s hand. The citizens are not royals, and they have no love for her.” He pointed toward a large stone building with a statue of a fossil in front of it. “That is it. Come, entrance is free.” He trotted calmly toward the entrance with Rainbow close behind.

Rainbow couldn’t help but admire the simplicity of the architecture. The stone buildings were very different from Ponyville and Canterlot. They weren’t made to look nice, but rather to last. This was something she could appreciate. She followed Swordpoint as he opened the wooden double doors to the university. Inside, the lobby was colorless. Numerous fossils, bones, and artifacts rested in display cases lining the walls.

Swordpoint continued toward the reception desk, which was manned by a blue earth pony. The pony glanced up from his book and gave Swordpoint a wan smile. “Welcome to the Bridlewood Archaeological University. Might I ask why you are here, sir?”

Swordpoint smiled back. “My companion and I would like to use your reference materials. We are seeking information on the ancient ruins of the Coltillians.”

The receptionist thought for a moment. “Ah, yes! I know exactly where you will find the material you seek. It is on the second floor, in section 2A.” He eyed Swordpoint with curiosity. “Might I ask why you are researching them?”

Swordpoint kept calm. “Private reasons, I am afraid. I do hope you understand.”

The receptionist grew cautious, but he still nodded and pointed them in the right direction. Swordpoint thanked him and led Rainbow down the hallway toward the stairs.

Rainbow glanced back at the receptionist to find him staring warily. She quickly turned and followed Swordpoint closely. “What’s up with that?” she whispered.

Swordpoint sighed. “Most ponies who travel to the university are either scholars or agents of Omnia. The latter are often interested in the suppression of knowledge.” Rainbow shivered at this. He led her upstairs into the library, which was decorated with even more archaeological artifacts. The library was empty except for a single earth pony browsing the shelves. Swordpoint approached him calmly. “Excuse me. Would you happen to know where I would find material on the ancient Coltillians?”

The pony didn’t turn around. “I know that voice… and you have some nerve returning.” He spun around and punched Swordpoint in the face. Swordpoint fell to the ground, and Rainbow gasped. “How dare you? Do you realize what you’ve taken from me? Or perhaps I should ask if you even remember my face… or hers?”

Swordpoint raised his hooves. “Wait! I am no longer in Omnia’s service! Whatever harm I have caused you, I knew not what I did!”

The white pony scoffed. “You speak as if I would believe you. You are scum, and I have quite the mind to kill you where you stand.” He stepped forward and withdrew a knife from his saddlebag.

Rainbow flew forward at once and slammed into the pony. He was taken by surprise, and the force of the blow knocked him to the ground. “You won’t touch him!” Rainbow growled. “If you’d open your eyes, you’d see that he’s not who he used to be!”

The pony coughed. “It’s… not like the royal guardians to travel with companions… let alone mares. Perhaps your story is true… but it does not excuse what you have done to me. My wife… Violet Shade… You killed her. Do you know how that feels? To have the one thing you care so very much about taken from you?” He struggled a little but managed to stand up. “After you killed her… I spent many days trying to end my own life. Had it not been for this university… I certainly would have.”

Swordpoint rose to his hooves. “I am sorry. I understand that there—“

The stallion stamped his hoof. “YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND! WHAT IF I WERE TO KILL HER IN FRONT OF YOU?!” He pointed at Rainbow. “You seem to have some attachment to her. So imagine that she is taken from you… right before your eyes.”

Swordpoint winced. “I…” He found that he had no words.

The stallion scoffed again. “I do not have time for you. I wish a plague upon you, to suffer as I have suffered.” He hastily trotted to the staircase and was gone.

Swordpoint glanced at Rainbow, and he quickly dropped his gaze to the floor. “… Now you see the truth behind my past. My sins weigh upon me heavily.”

Rainbow trotted to where Swordpoint stood and threw her forearms around him. “Stop being so thick. You’re not the stallion you used to be, and your past isn’t going to change how I feel about you. I’ve got this thing called loyalty… kinda my whole thing, y’know?”

Swordpoint’s heart fluttered. Rainbow’s skin felt soft and warm on his, and he found himself returning her embrace. “You continue to amaze me, Rainbow. I do not know why you place so much faith in me, or why you care so deeply about me… but you give me hope and strength… and that drives out all thoughts of surrender.”

Rainbow laughed. “Well… My friends and I figured out that all friends share a special bond… even before they meet. We shared these dreams, and your entire life has been changed, so… I think this was kinda meant to be.” She chuckled nervously. “Plus… I’ve never really had a special somepony to call my own.”

Swordpoint smiled. Rainbow felt herself drifting away, getting lost in his eyes. He quickly spun around, however. “… Thank you. You couldn’t possibly understand what your kindness means to me.”

Rainbow frowned slightly, but she walked toward the shelves nonetheless. “Alright, let’s get to work.” She began pulling books from the shelves and examining them, and Swordpoint joined her.

--
Colors swirled all around two hooded ponies as they stood amongst many floating doors. They seemed to stand in the air, with nothing but a void of color swimming below them. They were focused on a glowing rift which showed Rainbow Dash and Swordpoint in the Bridlewood Archaeological University.

The taller of the two ponies turned to the other. “Well, Xevian? Do you suppose that they’ve enough time?”

Xevian hung his head. “… I do not. The main cities of Equestria stand in ruins. The last towns with any living ponies are Canterlot, Ponyville, and the Crystal Empire. I fear that even if they succeed… Equestria will share the fate of our tribe.”

The tall pony waved his hoof and the rift swirled in a multitude of color. “Show me.” The swirling colors slowly faded into a translucent window showing the streets of Manehattan... or what was left of it. The buildings were demolished, and the citizens lied dead in the streets. The cobblestone walkways were stained red with blood.

“Lazan…” Xevian called, “Please. We’ve seen this before. I’d rather not relive it.” He turned his head away from the gruesome sight.

Lazan ignored Xevian and swiped his hoof again. This time, the rift changed to show Cloudsdale. The once beautiful rainbows from the Cloudsdale Weather Factory were now pure red. Mutilated bodies floated in the rainbow vats, and the cloudy streets were the color of rust. Below the city lied the bodies of pegasi who’d been struck down in mid-flight. They were all broken, and many of them had bones protruding through their skin.

Lazan swiped his hoof once more, and the rift disappeared. “Brother… I fear that we have only one option. A sacrifice… but a difficult one. If only I could make that sacrifice for the survival of this land, I would… but without a physical form, I have nothing to give in return.”

Xevian stepped forward. “Lazan, do not speak as such. We have guided them from their homes to stand as the saviors of this world… and we did so for a reason. We must not falter now. Any assistance which we can provide, we shall.” He lifted his hoof to Lazan’s shoulder. As his cloak fell back slightly, it revealed an ethereal hoof, little more than a shimmering outline. “Don’t you understand, brother? We swore that we would stop them. Do you still remember the oath we took that day?”

Lazan nodded. “I do. We stood in the tower with our armor and weapons at the ready. I looked into your eyes and said ‘Xevian. If we die this day, we must not allow this tragedy to repeat itself. Even if we must spend thousands of years in wait… I vow that I will not rest until they are no more.’ Do you remember what you said to me?”

Xevian took his hoof off of Lazan’s shoulder. “Yes, brother. I said to you ‘You are noble, Lazan. And I will wait with you. I vow to stay by your side until this plague is defeated.’ And you only smiled as they smashed through the wall of the tower and sent us plunging to our deaths below.”

Lazan nodded again. “Yes. And I believe with all of my heart that the end of the reaplings is near. Swordpoint and Rainbow Dash will fight for this world, and they will succeed. We’ve spent thousands of years studying the signs and calculating this carefully… I am confident in our choice.”

Xevian’s ghostly face smiled. “I believe you. Soon, we will meet them. And then… we can explain ourselves. I wonder if they will resent us for what we’ve done… After all, we gave them no say in the matter.”

Lazan shook his head. “No. They will not.” He waved his hoof dismissively. “Come, brother. We must prepare.” Xevian nodded and followed Lazan to a small wooden door which led seemingly nowhere. Lazan opened it, revealing another room of swirling colors. He motioned for Xevian to follow and stepped through.

--
Swordpoint and Rainbow had been browsing for about thirty minutes when Swordpoint found the book he needed. The title read The Coltillian Ruins: Searching for the Beginnings. “Rainbow! I have found what we seek.”

Rainbow dropped the book she was holding and galloped to where Swordpoint stood. “Let’s see it! Does it have reference maps?” She stood next to Swordpoint, leaning on him slightly.

Swordpoint opened the book and skimmed through it until he found what they needed. “Here we are. ‘The Coltillian Ruins of Ponynesia are a magnificent monument to the magic of the ancients…’ Skipping a tad, here… Ah, yes. ‘The ruins are located twenty miles west of Equistopolis.’”

Rainbow glanced at Swordpoint. “Where’s Equistopolis?”

Swordpoint sighed. “At the center of Ponynesia. It is the seat of Omnia’s power… and the source of this land’s corruption. If we stray too near to it… we will likely be found and killed.”

Rainbow nodded. She had come to understand that Ponynesia was entirely different from Equestria, and that careless mistakes could come at the cost of her life.

Swordpoint examined Rainbow’s stance. She was shaking slightly. “Rainbow... your fear is well-based.”

Rainbow’s eyes darted back and forth. “Wh-what?! I’m not scared!” Her voice broke slightly.

Swordpoint gave her a warm smile. “Rainbow, you need not be ashamed. I have known fear, as well. In the Crystal Empire, when Speartail paralyzed us all… I was terrified. I thought for certain that you were going to die.”

Rainbow gazed into Swordoint’s eyes. “Y-you were afraid?” She was shaking a little more.

Swordpoint nodded. “Yes. You are the only friend that I have in this world… I do not wish to be alone again. And so I felt pure terror. I felt so helpless and weak.”

Rainbow took a step forward and wrapped a hoof around Swordpoint. “As long as we’re together, we can do this. I’m ready for it, and I know you are, too.” She smiled at him. “And… I feel crazy right now, I really do… but you’re important to me. I’ve known you for like, two or three days, but we’ve been through a whole buckload of stuff together… and I wouldn’t have things any other way.”

Swordpoint smiled. “As would I. Come, let us leave. We must make haste for the ruins.” He used his magic to materialize a piece of parchment and then cast another spell to copy the map to the paper. He replaced the book with haste and trotted toward the stairs.

Rainbow and Swordpoint descended the stairs to find a pony in black armor standing by the receptionist. Swordpoint grabbed Rainbow’s foreleg and pulled her into a nearby corridor. “Dammit!” he whispered. “She is watching us… We must not draw attention to ourselves.”

Rainbow eyed Swordpoint nervously. “Well… can’t you, like… teleport us out or something?!” Her voice quivered.

Swordpoint shook his head. “No. That was Frostbite, a skilled mage. He will sense the magic. I am afraid we must escape by hoof.”

Swordpoint pointed down the corridor. “Let us make haste.” He quickly trotted down the hallway with Rainbow close behind. They turned the corner to find many doors, but no exit. Swordpoint could hear hoofsteps in the hallway behind them. He hastily threw open the nearest door and pulled Rainbow inside. He closed the door as quietly as he could and waited in the dark with bated breath.

The hoofsteps drew closer, and Swordpoint began to hear the sounds of heavy breathing. He turned to Rainbow, but she shook her head. A silhouette appeared through the glass of the door, and both Rainbow and Swordpoint held their breath. They were sweating heavily, and Rainbow began to whimper very softly. The knob began to turn, but the door did not open. The sound of a muffled voice came from the hallway.

“… went upstairs, sir… not this way.” the voice called. The knob returned to its resting position and the silhouette disappeared. As the hoofsteps faded, Rainbow and Swordpoint let out a collective sigh of relief. They stood, opened the door, and stepped back into the hallway. Swordpoint motioned to Rainbow and galloped down the hall.

Swordpoint rounded the corner to find an exit at last. He tossed it open and allowed Rainbow to go through. He then exited himself and the two flapped their wings and resumed their low-altitude flight. Behind them, a dark silhouette watched from a window.

Rainbow growled. “Dammit, Swordpoint! How many of these guys are there?!”

“Before I left, there were a total of twenty five,” Swordpoint responded. “With my departure and the deaths of Speartail, Flayer, and Slasher, they now have twenty one. And I pray that we do not cross paths with another.” He produced the map and referenced their position. “If we continue our pace, we will reach the ruins by nightfall… if night will come.”

“Well… lead the way,” Rainbow said with a slight shiver. The wind which rushed through her mane was not the same as in Equestria. Instead, it was foul, cold, and reeked of death. She shuddered and followed close behind Swordpoint.

--
Frostbite’s horn glowed a bright blue as he cast his spell. An ethereal window appeared, through which he could see Omnia. “Your Highness… I bring news.”

Omnia licked her lips. “Delightful! What have you found? Out with it!”

“They seek the Coltillian ruins,” he answered quickly. “I know not their purpose. What are your orders?”

Omnia smiled darkly. “Follow them. But let us see what they are planning. Perhaps they may lead us to a valuable treasure…”

Frostbite bowed. “Yes, Your Highness. I will report when I have learned more.” He cast another spell and the window disappeared. He descended the stairs to the first floor and eyed the receptionist. The earth pony was shaking and pretending not to notice him. Frostbite lit his horn and conjured a large ice spike, which he swiftly shot into the pony, impaling him and pinning him to the wall. Large streams of red slowly flowed down the wall from his limp body. Frostbite scoffed and left through the entrance. He conjured a pair of ghostly wings and took flight after Swordpoint and Rainbow.

--
Rainbow and Swordpoint flew for hours on end, and each of them couldn’t help but worry. For Swordpoint, his greatest fear was losing Rainbow. He knew she wasn’t a fighter, and she’d never be able to stand up to the royal guardians in combat. Rainbow feared for her friends back in Equestria, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were dying while she pushed onward. She knew that she had no choice, however. If she were to turn back, Swordpoint would follow her. And then there would be no one to stop the reaplings from purging the world again.

“There!” Swordpoint cried. “Those stone buildings… I have seen them before!”

Rainbow gasped. “Yeah… me too. In a dream.” She touched down lightly near a familiar obelisk… the same one she saw in her dreams.

Swordpoint landed behind her. “This is it. I have seen what I must do.” He closed his eyes and slowly gathered energy to power the obelisk.

Rainbow looked around the ruined city. It looked very similar to the ruins they’d found in Equestria, although this city was much larger. It appeared to be at least two miles in length. The buildings were designed the same as those of the other ruins, but Rainbow noticed that many of these had intricate markings and symbols.

Swordpoint was glowing a brilliant gold. He directed his energy at the obelisk, and it poured into the stone structure quickly. Just as in their dream, the obelisk lit up with blue symbols. The top opened up, and the blue orb came up from inside it.

Rainbow could only watch as the events of her dream unfolded in reality. “It’s… the same…” she whispered.

The orb gathered its magic and created the blue circle on the ground. Rainbow recognized the glow this time; it was the same as the teleporters in the Crystal Empire. Rainbow faced Swordpoint and held out her hoof. “Together?” she asked.

Swordpoint smiled warmly. “Together,” he agreed. He took her hoof, and together they stepped into the teleporter.