Rise

A story by somedude726

RISE

Chapter 5: Meeting The Night

Ahh. How much I missed peaceful nights. It's too damn bad I won't be getting one. The weather continued to be nice, perhaps just a little bit colder, and the night sky looked amazing. Moon was out, and stars engulfed the sky all around. I'd like to just sit back and enjoy it, but, shit is happening. After getting that letter from the Princess, who I have yet to meet, Spike and I ran on down to the train station. Big Mac says he would've came too, but couldn't leave the town for the night or anything. Something about a Granny Smith. These ponies really like apples.

"Okay! We're here!" Spike exclaimed from next to me, as we did indeed reach the train station.

It was a nice, quaint little station. There was an older pony there, sitting on a chair, who would sell the tickets. He seemed like a friendly old stallion. Guy had a train for a cutie mark. Nearby where you would come in, a little gift shop lay, with a bunch of little trinkets and such. Still open, too. I guess it isn't rare to see late night town-goers here either. The entire place was made of hardwood, save for the windows and whatnot in the gift shop. Benches were all around, facing the tracks.

Spike gave the stallion some money, and bought us two tickets to Canterlot. Which is where the Princess was I guess. I made a feeble attempt to protest, but, well, I didn't have any money with me that'd work here, so I had to let him pay. Soon I'll make sure everyone stops paying for my shit. Soon.

And that brings us to now. After hanging out at the station for a while, a train came rolling down the tracks, ready to go to Canterlot. Spike and I walked in, and now we just sat on a chair occasionally looking out the window and such. We had been in the train for about an hour now I think, it was getting pretty late. And Canterlot was another three hours away, according to Twilight. Shit.

My thoughts were interrupted by a set of foot.. hoof.. hoofsteps coming to the door of our car, and it opening wide. The pony that walked in was a female, goddamn there's a lot of ladies here, but there was something odd about her. Whoever this was really damn tall, like, maybe seven feet or something. Considering how I'm around five foot six, she towered over me. She donned a midnight blue coat, and her mane actually looked like the night. Stars and constellations were made up on her mane. How you manage to do such a thing, I have no idea. Also, for some reason, she had a horn, and wings, too. Huh.

"Hello, ma'am." I greeted her as she walked in and walked to us in the aisle, seemingly wanting to talk to me or something.

"A-ah! Hello, Princess Luna!" Spike spoke nervously, attempting a bow in his window seat. Wait, oh shit, this was the princess!

"Oh god! I-I am so sorr--" I attempted to apologize, until she held up a hoof, silencing me.

"Hello, young Jason, Spike. Jason, if you may come with me for a moment, we have things to discuss," she said to me with a look of determination in her eyes. Hell, it was in her voice too. Shit's about to go down.

"Of course, Princess Lu--" I responded, well tried, but she cut me off again.

"Please. You may call me Luna." she told me as I stood up from the chair. Huh, okay.

And as she told me to do so, I followed her into the car she had came from a minute ago. This one seemed a bit more fancier, it was cleaner, had a mini-fridge, and the whole thing was, well, really blue. Also, there were a bunch of ponies in what looked like Roman armor standing around. All looking the exact same. White stallions, blue eyes, gold Roman armor. Her guards?

Luna sat in a chair and motioned for me to sit next to her. And so I did. I hadn't noticed until now but, she has a really pretty mane.

"Jason, you don't know why you appeared in Ponyville this morning, is this correct?" she asked me, with a bit of worry.

"Yeah. Hey, Luna, did anyone ever tell you your mane is pretty?" I responded. Wait--

"Fuck-- I--"

"O-Oh my. Thank you, I don't recieve many compliments on my mane." she giggled a bit nervously, and said back.

"Right. So. Yeah, today I woke up in a bed with six talking ponies around, telling me I'm in a world called Equestria or something. That doesn't happen often where I come from, to say the least." I made an actual answer this time, instead of being hypnotized by her mane. I want my hair to be like that. That would be badass shit right there.

"Yes, that is true, for the most part. You are in a world, named Earth, but in the country of Equestria, where the ponies live. There are other countries that have inhabitants of griffons, and zebras, and such too."

"Wait. Earth? This world is called Earth?"

"Yes, hence the name, 'Earth ponies' for the ponies you may have seen without a horn or wings."

"Well damn. My world is called Earth, too."

"Right..." she nodded, and looked to the window, seeming nervous.

"Everything alright, Princess?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow at this.

"Yes. I am well. Now, while I really would like to chat about Equestria, and your world, more important matters are at hand, Jason." she responded with that same look of determination from earlier. Is this where shit goes down?

"Yeah, you were saying something about that. What happened? Spike and I got worried, he was sent this letter not long ago saying something about Discord coming after you. Since the Elements were in Canterlot too, we decided to haul ass and get on a train to Canterlot and check on things," I said to her.

"Me? Oh! No, that was my sister, Princess Celestia. As Twilight Sparkle is her personal student, my sister tried to send her a letter. About you, I think. But, I walked into the throne room not long ago, and seen some paper scrunched up into a ball on the floor, which was her letter that I had sent, and Celestia was... grey. Celestia is the leader of Equestria, see, and today she thought she should be a queen instead of a Princess. And, she made that happen. She's acting like a tyrant, and overall not being the nice, motherly figure everypony looked up to her as," Luna started saying, looking down to her hooves.

"Discord had gotten to her. He is what is known as a dragonequus, and is quite literally the God of Chaos. He has done many terrible things to Equestria. And now, he has corrupted Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria. I do not know what happened to the Elements. But they are missing. And you, a creature never before seen from this world, has come here today. Discord may have brought you here as a plaything for him, and he may try to corrupt you too." she continued.

"We cannot let that happen. No offense, but we know little of you humans. Very little. I do not believe there has ever been a human on this world, at least as far as I can remember. You could be a danger to Equestria, and Discord may try to make that be. So, I have decided to find you, to warn you of this. He will find you. He might know where you are right now. We must find the Elements, and help Celestia. I am truly sorry to have to make you do this, but, please, we must help Equestria before who knows what happens. I will try to protect you, as I do want to see you make a return to your family and friends. Our first course of action when we arrive in Canterlot is to search for the Elements. Using the same spell I used to find you, I can find them the same way. So now, do you accept, Jason? Do you accept to help our land of Equestria? In reward, we can try to get you back to your home, to your family. We can possibly help your world, too. Please, consider this offer." Luna had finished.

Well shit. This Discord fucker is planning on taking a shit on this place. I can't say I want that to happen, at all. I've let Ponyville grow on me in the short time I've been here, and I can't leave everyone here to die. Can I help? Probably not. I'm just some twenty year old dude who lives in a tiny apartment. What can I do? I don't know. Whatever I try, will it work? Hell no, but... maybe it's worth a try. I'm not going to deny and see this land in ruins. I need to do something. Besides, if this pony is for real, she could save Earth. She could save it. Soon enough we're gonna run out of food and supplies to give to the people, and if that happens, then we're done for. I'm not letting seven or so billion people die when I could make the choice to save them. Fuck is that dramatic.

"As much as I don't know how this'll work in the end, I'd like to say that I accept. I accept to go through whatever horrors that this, uh, quest will have, because I want to help this world. I want to help anything. That was a problem I had back on my world, I felt useless most of the time. Just a big blob of nothing. I want to be a part of something. I will do whatever it takes to make this world whole, Luna!" I declared, determined to do something for once. I will be something. I could help a friend, finally.. I never got to do that. I never got to be there for my friends. My little amount of friends, anyway. Shit would happen to them and I didn't have their back. Yet they had mine. And that's why I loved them. And that's why I need to fix this land. And that is why I need to go home.

"Then it your time to rise, Jason." Luna responded, with a smile.

***

The six elements sat in a pitch black room, unable to get out. Hooves tied to the cold, steel chairs they sat on. The emotion of fear, struck throughout each of their bodies. Rainbow Dash, the one who would have the team on her back, the one who was strong and ready for anything, was near tears. Pinkie Pie, the literal representation of the element of laughter, had her mane and tail deflated from their usual happy, bubbly selves. Each of the ponies knew, they wouldn't see the outside again, no, not for a while. They wouldn't be happy with each other again. They wouldn't be happy at all.

Why?

Because Discord had taken them there, and he did so with force.

It wasn't the Discord they were used to. This time, he didn't want just chaos.

He wanted destruction. And so, he had decided to take the Elements, and the Princess, into corruption, as they were the only things that would be able to take him down. He wanted to destroy Equestria. Not rule it, or chaos-ify a few towns here and there. Utterly destroy it. Bring it into flames. It was definitely implied to the Elements Discord wanted to burn it to the ground.

All because he was simply bored. It was part of his nature to do things like this. But would anyone ever get a real reason? Would anyone help him, so that he can be good? Will anyone save the Elements?

The only likely answer at the time, was just simply, 'no'. Hope was gone. The Elements wouldn't make it out of the room, Discord made sure of that, by making sure all six were taken away of any magic or special things they could do in a snap of his talons. They couldn't scream for help, Discord made sure of that by sewing their mouths shut, yet letting them breathe. This was it. This is their final moments.

***

"FUCK. TELEPORTING. GAAAH."

"I did warn you it'd hurt a bit."

"Yeah, what's the big deal Jas?"

"I.. I didn't know.. I'd be near death or something.. l-let's just go.."

So teleporting sucks. Like really bad. Luna and Spike had decided that instead of waiting for the rest of the three or so hours left of the train ride, that we should just teleport. I felt a little bad for the dragon dude, he paid money for those tickets and now this princess is teleporting us. But, yeah, I agreed anyway, not knowing what I was getting into. It was, well, let's just say I don't wanna teleport much more. My stomach twisted into knots, and my eyes shut closed. My bones felt on fire, and I swear to god I could feel my goddamn skull about to fall out of my head. I felt moving somewhere, which should be expected I guess, at supersonic speeds. Within just a moment of all this, I ended up puking out the one lettuce sandwich I had earlier that day. Next time someone tries to teleport me I'm gonna punch them right in their stupid face. Because ponies who teleport have stupid faces. Unlike me of course.

We ended up in Luna's bedroom or something. The lights were off, that is, if there were any lights in the room, but from what I could see it was a night theme. Moons, stars, and the night sky were all part of the wallpaper. And she had this huge bed, could fit five ponies probably. So like two humans. After Luna and Spike went outside the room as I cleaned up my puke off her floor, which was reeeaally something I wish I didn't need to do, we were off to find the Elements.