Judgment Day

Swordpoint opened his eyes to find himself standing in air. All around him was a sea of colors which moved and changed constantly. There were doors of various shapes, sizes, and materials floating about. Rainbow was still beside him, holding his hoof. “Rainbow… I believe we have arrived.”

She opened her eyes and looked at Swordpoint. “Where are we?” She glanced around at the odd setting, her face scrunching up with confusion.

“Please come this way,” a voice called to them. A door opposite them opened, and a hooded pony waved his hoof, beckoning them.

Rainbow stepped forward. “Hey… I know that voice. You’re the one from my dreams.” She trotted toward the door and Swordpoint followed.

“That is correct,” the hooded pony told her. “We have much to discuss. You are nearing your goal.”

Rainbow and Swordpoint stepped through the door and it closed quietly behind them. Rainbow approached the hooded stallion. “So something tells me you know a whole lot about what’s going on. Wanna share?”

The stallion nodded. “Yes. I believe it is time. Come, Xevian. We owe them some answers.” He removed his cloak to reveal an ethereal pony. His body was ghostly and translucent.

Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “… whoa,” was her only response.

A door opened behind the ghostly pony and Xevian stepped through. “You are right, Lazan. I am pleased to meet both of you at last.” He calmly walked next to Lazan and stood. Xevian was several inches shorter than Lazan, but they looked nearly identical.

Swordpoint took several steps forward. “Are you the ones responsible for the dreams which she and I have shared?”

Xevian nodded. “Yes. Allow us to explain ourselves.” He walked a short distance and waved his hoof. A swirling rift appeared as he did so. “My name is Xevian, and his is Lazan. We are brothers from a long dead tribe.”

Rainbow gasped. “Wait… you guys are Coltillians?”

Lazan nodded. “Yes, I believe that is what you call our tribe. We were destroyed thousands of years ago by the very evil which is ravaging your homeland.” He pointed to the swirling rift, which now showed a city that resembled the ruins they’d just come from. “They descended from the sky, burning and killing. The spread across the land, killing everything in sight.”

In the rift, Rainbow saw the familiar dark figures landing on the ground and tearing apart buildings and ponies alike. She hid her eyes at first, but then opened them again and forced herself to watch. She felt Swordpoint’s hoof touch her back, and she leaned on him.

“They wiped out our civilization,” Lazan continued, “and all other tribes like it. Even our great magic was nothing in the face of their might. But my brother and I made a pact that we would not rest until they were defeated. And so we refused to pass on, living here, instead.”

Swordpoint began to stroke Rainbow’s mane absentmindedly. “But where are we? I have seen this place in my dreams… but I do not understand what it is.”

Xevian smiled. “This is what is known as the nexus. It is the void of space and time… the glue that ties the world together. Through here, you will find your path into Olympus.”

Swordpoint nodded. “Olympus… You are referring to that moon which bore the reaplings?”

“Yes,” Lazan confirmed. “But first, we owe you an explanation and an apology. For thousands of years, we studied the signs. We watched this world rebuild itself after our tribe was destroyed… And we searched.” He waved his hoof and the rift changed to show Rainbow. It showed her various adventures with her friends, and all of her successes.

“We found in you two an unbreakable spirit,” Lazan continued. “Rainbow Dash, not only do you embody loyalty, but you never surrender. You are determined to do whatever is necessary to help your friends, regardless of the cost.” He waved his hoof over the rift again, and it showed Swordpoint fighting in past battles. “And you, Swordpoint, you truly are a kind-hearted good soul who has been misled. This was not the life that was meant for you… but it has made you strong. Unlike your compatriots in the royal guardians, you never killed for pleasure or enjoyed enforcing Omnia’s will. You did so because you knew nothing else. We saw these things… and we chose you. Both of you.”

Rainbow was stunned. “You… chose us?” Swordpoint continued to stroke her mane, which felt soothing to her.

Lazan nodded. “Yes, we chose you. I understand that this is selfish of us, but we could not stand by and watch as the reaplings destroyed another civilization. I am sorry.”

Swordpoint smiled. “Your apology is not necessary. You’ve given me a chance to change my life… to have more than a subservient existence. You’ve given me friends… and you’ve given me Rainbow.”

Rainbow smiled so hard that it hurt. “Yeah… and if you’d never chose me, I’d never have met him… and I’d probably have died in the invasion. So there’s really no point in apologizing, because we’re okay with this.”

Xevian smiled. “You were right, brother.” He stepped forward. “It is time for us to show you the path into Olympus. Are there any more questions you’d like answered?”

Swordpoint cleared his throat. “Have you foreseen the future? Can you say with any degree of certainty whether or not we shall succeed?”

Lazan chuckled. “No, I haven’t seen the future… but I have seen you. I have complete faith in both of you.” He turned and opened a door behind where he’d been standing.

Through the door, Swordpoint could see a floor swirling with green and black. He glanced at Rainbow, and she gazed back at him. “Are you ready, Rainbow?”

Rainbow nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this, Swordpoint.” She took his hoof off of her back and trotted to the door. She held her breath and stepped through it. For a moment, she felt disoriented and surreal, as if the world were melting away in front of her… but the feeling passed quickly. She watched as Swordpoint stepped through the door behind her.

Swordpoint experienced the same feeling, and it passed just as rapidly. He turned around to see the door slowly closing. Lazan waved his hoof idly. Swordpoint nodded and faced Rainbow as the door closed with a quiet thunk. The pair examined their surroundings to find themselves in a strange, cave-like room. There were tunnels, but no doors. “This is it… their home. We must destroy it somehow, although I know not how we could do so.”

Rainbow smirked. “Well… there’s gotta be something keeping them alive up here… After all, you know how thin the air gets when you fly really high. Unless they don’t breathe, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen them breathing.” She shook her head. “But the point I’m trying to make is that they’ve gotta have some kind of magic making it possible for them to even be here.”

Swordpoint nodded. “Yes, you are correct. Perhaps we can subvert this magic with some of our own.” Swordpoint extended his wings and began to glow gold again. “Hm… I cannot detect anything.” Perhaps we must travel deeper. Stay close to me, and keep your ears and eyes open.”

Rainbow nodded in agreement and followed Swordpoint as he began to trot down one of the tunnels. She noticed that their hoofsteps were not making any sound. In addition, the ground beneath her felt like glass, but it was as solid as rock. She decided not to pay any mind to it and continued to follow Swordpoint.

Swordpoint treaded cautiously. He was in the home of the most dangerous enemies he’d ever known, and he had Rainbow to worry about, too. If any harm came to her, he could never forgive himself. Please… whatever higher power is watching me now… watch over her. If I am to die, then I shall embrace it. But she does not deserve it.

Rainbow didn’t dare go very far from Swordpoint. “Who would’ve thought that this place even existed? This is one hay of a big moon!”

The tunnel ahead seemed to open up, although it was too dark to judge effectively. Swordpoint stepped through into the open space and examined his surroundings. He stood in a large room with the same swirling black and green walls and floor, except that there was a large shaft in the middle of the room which led straight down. Wires and pieces of metal could be seen running through the shaft.

Swordpoint pondered the peculiar cords which jutted from the shaft. “These… they must be some sort of magic.”

Rainbow had to stifle a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?! Those are wires! They carry power to stuff!”

Swordpoint cocked an eyebrow. “Power? Magic flows through them?”

Rainbow couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. “Wow, guess Ponynesia’s pretty behind the times! It’s called electricity, Swordpoint!” She pointed to the cables, some of which were sparking slightly. “You see those sparks? That’s pure electricity! If you touch it, you get shocked!”

“Then they carry lightning?” Swordpoint asked, cocking one eyebrow. “And they use that lightning to… power things?”

Rainbow nodded, still giggling. “Pretty much!” Rainbow suddenly stopped laughing and stared at Swordpoint. “Wait… if there’s wires… they’ve gotta be powering something! Swordpoint! Let’s follow them!”

Swordpoint eyed the sparking wires. “Is it safe to do so?” He glanced at Rainbow.

Rainbow smirked. “Probably not,” she said with a chuckle. “But then again, look where we are.”

Swordpoint shook his head. “No. I will not endanger you. We will find a—“

Rainbow punched him in the head, and Swordoint recoiled. “Shut up! I’m not a filly, you know! I’m Rainbow Dash! The Element of Loyalty? Fastest flier in Equestria? The only pegasus in known history to pull off a sonic rainboom?!” She was puffing, now. “Stop trying to baby me! In case you forgot, they chose us, not you!”

Swordpoint was taken aback. He tried to respond, but he couldn’t find the right words. At last, he hung his head. “I suppose you are correct. We shall follow the wires.”

Rainbow smirked again. “Good! Just try to keep up!” She dove into the shaft immediately, spreading her wings and gliding gracefully downward.

Swordpoint bit his lip and followed after her. “Let us pray that this does not lead us into a trap…”