Chapter 6: Reflecting On The Past

        “Ah don’t know sugarcube, the last thing Ah wanna do right now is mess with Spike and Twilight.

Pinkie: I know! One prank might send them over the edge!

They’re in a bad place with the dark magic stuff.

All: Ya think!

And as much as Ah’m sure they’re aware of this, they know better than anypony that all sorts of magic will be needed to deal with them Gryphons.”

Doctor: Preferably not magic that makes you a perfect inmate for a padded cell.

Applejack rubbed her head as she leaned back in her seat.

        “Well I for one don’t care for that kind of magic. Just look at what their presense is doing to my mane. It’s going black!”

All: (Gasps)

Ditzy: I think I might faint.

Rarity shoved a lock of her mane in the farm pony’s face. Applejack just shoved her away.

        “Look. Would y’all rather have a black mane or be killed by them gryphons out there?

Ditzy: (Rolls eyes) Sure of course, the ends justify the means.

Doctor: You act like those are the only two options.

Pinkie: (Rarity) That answer should be obvious! Black manes are so unfashionable!

We all know them better than anypony. When the time comes for us to stop them, we’ll know it,

All: They’re already past that point!

and Ah for one don’t think that time has come yet.”

Doctor: If you ignore the killing for sadistic fun thing.

the others muttered their agreements, not entirely sure about Applejack’s judgement.

Ditzy: (Fluttershy) Well, um, if they use it nicely and responsibly it won’t be so bad.

        “Look, AJ… I know that I’m the Element of Loyalty, and I know I should be loyal to my friends, but my loyalty to Equestria comes first.

Pinkie: (Rainbow) I would totally let you die if meant saving Equestria. Not even a second thought!

Ditzy: Yeah, that sounds like Rainbow.

Of course sometimes that is the wrong decision,

Ditzy: Sometimes?

so I should be loyal to what I believe is right. And I don’t think that helping Twilight push herself further into darkness is what I should devote myself to.”

Pinkie: (Rainbow) And the last thing I want is for my mane to go black too!

Rainbow said, walking up to the orange pony.

        “Ah’m tellin’ ya. There’s nothing to worry about when it comes to those two.

Pinkie: Great! Now I’m even more worried!

Doctor: Things to not to say when trying to reassure someone.

Ditzy: Don’t worry. I’m sure that hungry crocodile won’t bite your hoof off if you try and pet it!

They’re just doing all they can to stay together. Wouldn’t you do the same for Gilda and Scootaloo, Dash?” Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash went silent, unable to argue the point.

        “But surely she wouldn’t endanger them just to protect them through dark magic, Applejack.” Rarity spoke up.

        “So you’re saying that if Sweetie belle was in danger and the only way to save her was to use dark magic, you wouldn’t do it, Rarity?” AJ challenged.

Doctor: No, I would find another way.

Pinkie: He’s stubborn like that.

Rarity held Sweetie belle closely, perishing the thought of abandoning the mare simply because she wouldn’t use dark magic.

Doctor: Grr. It’s not the only option here! Really!

Pinkie: Nopony seems to think that evil might be addictive! Tie one helpless maiden to a traintrack. and soon you can’t stop!

Doctor: And what about after the war? What is going to control you then?

        “Ah didn’t think so.” AJ grumbled.

        “But sis, what if they become a danger to us? The Elements of Harmony couldn’t stop them since Twilight is one of them.”

Pinkie: (Rarity) Don’t worry about it! We’ll just get a new unicorn to replace her! I’ve heard Trixie is back in town!

        “Ah won’t let them near us, Applebloom.” Applejack replied, rubbing her head.

Ditzy: Concerning what Spike did to Baltimore, they probably won’t need to.

        “If that knock on the shoulder you gave me the night we escaped that grumpy mob is any indication of your strength, I doubt you’d be able to stop us. Fortunately, we’ll never find out.” Spike emerged from the shadows of the hallway with Twilight beside him.

Pinkie: That’s a cool trick! Do it from the ceiling now!

She seemed happier, though her features were much darker than before.

Pinkie: Soon she’ll be just a black smudge!

        “Sorry ya’ll. We’ve got ourselves an insurrection brewin’.” AJ said. Twilight looked at her friends’ guilty faces. She just smiled at them and stepped before them all.

Doctor: (Twilight) Kill everypony that dares defy us!

        “I understand that you all are afraid of my reliance on the dark magics just to survive this war,

Doctor: Everyone shifted uneasily and starting an intense concentration on parts of the walls.

but I want to assure you that I will not use it to bring harm to any of you.” she said.

Pinkie: But you could snap and become a supervillain!

        “But how can we know that you haven’t been corrupted by the dark magic, I mean look at yourselves. Twilight, you’ve got more greys than Granny Smith, and Spike… there’s nothing about you that reminds me of the baby dragon we played with.” Sweetie Belle said, walking up to Twilight. Twilight smiled sweetly at the young mare and patted her head.

Pinkie: (Twilight) I like you. I’m going to kill you last!

        “I can’t speak for Spike, but I know I won’t let the darkness corrupt me,

Doctor: That is what they all say in the beginning.

Pinkie: I am sure it fine for me to use the dark side of the force just this once!

because I’ve got something the others didn’t have.” the other ponies waited for her to continue. “I’ve got something to come back to. I love all of you and you’re all what’s keeping me fighting against total corruption.

Pinkie: That totally worked out for Anakin

Not to mention that unlike the others, I fear the darkness. I don’t want it, but I need it and I’m always cautious of its presence.”

Doctor: Again, said before.

Ditzy: Right, it could never happen to me!

Pinkie: (Twilight) Don’t let the fact that I sometimes think about killing you all bother you. I have it totally under control!

        The others considered what she had said. While it sounded kind of sappy, they couldn’t deny that unlike King Sombra, Twilight had her friends waiting for her to return to them, and unlike Nightmare Moon, Twilight knew it.

Doctor: (Sighs) You really believe that don’t you?! It’s just that easy to shake the addictive and corrupting influence of dark magic.

        “As for me, it’s too late. When I was reawakened, your nightmares tainted me and turned me into the monster I am today.” Spike added.

Pinkie: (Spike) Do you like the new tentacles? And my chest opens up into a second mouth now!

The other ponies, somewhat relaxed by what Twilight had said, became quickly agitated by Spike’s words.

Ditzy: He does that.

Doctor: It is a good thing he isn’t the grief counseling business.

        “You mean you’ll always be evil?” Applebloom asked.

Pinkie: (Apple Bloom) Should I get my superhero outfit?

Spike chuckled.

        “I was never evil, Applebloom.

Ditzy: (Coughs)

Pinkie: (Spike) That death ray I was making was just a hobby!

But the possibility of darkness overtaking me and turning me into a wild animal will always be present. I will always be who I am now.”

Doctor: Okay, fine. Just don’t pee on the rug.

Pinkie: Would you like a doggy treat?

The dragon sat down on the ground and crossed his legs, his arms resting on his knees.

        “I wish you were like the Spike before. He was badass.” Scootaloo said. Spike chuckled again.

Ditzy: (Nods) He saved the Crystal Empire!

Pinkie: Or how about the time he saves Applejack from that Timberwolf!

        “That was a part of me that had been tainted by darkness for years, Scoots. I’ve just recently been tainted again. Don’t worry, I’ll be an ass soon enough.” the three girls laughed at him.

Pinkie: I don’t get it. Donkey’s have nothing to do with anything!

        The Gryphon king sat on his throne. It was very different from Celestia and Luna’s. Crafted from the bones of his enemies,

Pinkie: Which unfortunately made it pretty comfortable to sit it!

Doctor: What, do griffons have a bone throne industry?

the king watched as only a few from the battalion returned from the war. Commander Reave was among them. The one-eyed Gryphon bowed before his King.

        “Report, Commander.” the king ordered.

        “My lord, our battalion was wiped out after securing the bay.” Reave began.

        “After securing it?

Pinkie: (King) You had like a thousand troops!

I’d have understood before or while you were securing it, but after?” the king seemed more interested in the possibility of such a defeat than the actual defeat itself.

Ditzy: (King) Pfft. We have plenty of soldiers. Who cares about heavy causalities?

        “Th-the primary target, Spike, he showed up and took out all my soldiers. He sank the galleon and then vanished.” Reave argued.

Pinkie: Which was really inconsiderate of Spike.

        “So you lost a whole fleet and a battleship to one dragon?” he asked. The king’s calm tone was more frightening than his usually enraged one.

Pinkie: (Reave) Yeperoonies. Funny world huh?

        “I’m truly sorry, your majesty. Please forgive me.” the gryphon begged. The king looked at one of the other survivors and pointed a talon at him.

Doctor: (King) You have failed me for the last time. You are in command now.

Ditzy: (Griffon) I’m just the janitor sir.

Doctor: (King) You’re point?

        “You there, come here, I need an example.” the gryphon complied with his king’s order.

        “An example of what, Si–?” the king grabbed his subject by the throat

Ditzy: Why do villains always do this? Couldn't you just give him a warning first?

Doctor: It’s like he wants to breed disloyalty and eventual betrayal into this men.

Pinkie: Evil ponies, er, Griffons are always so silly.

and snapped it in an instant.

Doctor: (King) How inconsiderate, he got drool over the talons.

He then threw the corpse to Reave who looked in horror at his fallen comrade.

Pinkie: (Reave) He could have at least died in a tidier uniform!

        “You see that sailor? That’s you if you ever fail me again, Commander. 

Pinkie: (Reave) No Sir, I’m me. That’s Frank. How can I become Frank if I fail?

I’ve been lenient with you since your daughter decided to join the ponies, you even got to keep your rank. But one more disappointment from you or your family and you will be no better off than him.”

Ditzy: (King) I never liked him anyway. He always smelled of mouthwash.

Reave swallowed and bowed again to his king.

Ditzy: I would like to know what the King thinks they should have done differently.

        “I will not fail you again, your majesty.”

Doctor: Like actually coming up with a plan maybe?

        Celestia stood on the front lines of the battlefield, wearing her royal battle armour.

Pinkie: It was actually the one she used for LARPing, but the soldiers pretended not to notice.

It had been centuries since she had worn them.

Ditzy: And it sure smelled like it!

Her crown was bigger and sharper. Her chest plating covered her neck and shoulders. Her horse shoes were spiked and she donned a large claymore on her back. Luna’s armour was identical to her sister’s, only the armour took on her own colours, a silvery blue.

Pinkie: There was a sale at the armor shop.

        “Cadence says Twilight has Shining Armour in suspended animation. He’s on the verge of death, but the animation should freeze him as he was.” Luna said, reading her niece’s latest report. “She’s also expressed her concern about Twilight using dark magic.” she added.

        Celestia sighed sadly.

Doctor: (Celestia) They’re goes another student to evil.

“I trust in Twilight’s judgement. She wouldn’t use dark magic unless it was necessary. We’ll pay them a visit when we’re done here.” she said, her horn glowing as bright as the sun. Luna followed suit, glowing like the moon as she dropped the letter. A large blue barrier appeared around the ponies they fought alongside, while Celestia’s magic focused on giant falling stars and fireballs from the sky. The attack landed on a Gryphon fleet of thousands,

Ditzy: Seriously though. What is the population of the Griffon Kingdom? 10 billion?

Doctor: Apparently, the author thinks Griffons are like orcs.

burning small groups to cinders.

Pinkie: I thought magic didn’t work on them.

Ditzy: It’s only the elite ones.

Pinkie: Oh, how can you tell?

Ditzy: (Shrugs)

        A dark cave within the Everfree forest

Doctor: Of course! Why can’t anything nice come from that darn forest!

Pinkie: It’s like 90 percent of our problems come from there!

echoed with the hisses of seemingly serpentine creatures, further in, there was a bright green glow pulsating with life. A maze of tunnels intricately worked their way to a centre where the queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis sat perched upon her own throne.

Doctor: Like a parrot.

She seemed disturbed, troubled by the war on the surface.

Ditzy: It was so darn noisy. How is anyling suppose to get any sleep around here?

        “It must be so troubling for your kind during times of war. All the pain and suffering… love becomes scarce in such heartbreaking times. I can only imagine how starved you must be Chrysalis.” a voice rang through the darkness.

Pinkie: (Voice) I brought you a Combo 1 from Wacky Hut!

        “What do you want?” she demanded. The voice growled low as it moved around.

        “I want to help you, but it comes at a price, as most things do.

Pinkie: 15 bits plus tax!

I believe you know Shining Armour, the Captain of the Royal Guard?”

Pinkie: (Voice) He sat behind you in Algebra class right?

the voice asked. Chrysalis shuddered. How could she forget the singular most humiliating defeat of her reign. She had Equestria, but the very thing she fed on was the very thing that destroyed her victory.

Doctor: But the weather was nice, so she couldn’t complain that much.

        “He’s… in a bad way at the moment. He should have died on the battlefield, but Twilight Sparkle and her dragon are keeping him alive. I need you to kill him. I’d do it myself, only my presence might set off alarm bells.” the voice said.

Ditzy: The castle has a bad OC villain alarm.

“You can do that for me can’t you?” a grey hoof emerged from the shadows behind her and rested on her shoulder. Chrysalis went stiff.

        “And what will you do for me if I agree to help you?” she asked. The grey pony emerged fully from the darkness into the green glow on her hive. He faced the changeling with his sharp golden draconic eyes

Doctor: Again with the special eyes thing.

Ditzy: It’s a common trait of bad OCs.

and kissed her on the spot.

Pinkie: (Author) I ship Chrysty with my OC!

She suddenly felt herself being fed pure love through her mouth.

Doctor: It tasted of mustard for some reason.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the feeling of love flowing through her made her salivate with delight. All too soon for her liking, the grey Stallion broke their kiss.

        “In exchange, I’ll feed you and your hive for the duration of the war.” Chrysalis’ eyes went wide as the answer revealed itself. “Do we have a deal?” the stallion held his hoof out to her.

Ditzy: (Chrysalis) Fine, but no tongue next time please.

Pinkie: (Chrysalis)  And no onions or garlic!

Doctor: (Chrysalis) And don’t forget to speak in bold!

Ditzy: Hey a shadowy new villain. Things are looking up!

Doctor: I am not surprised. I doubt Nutso the Griffon could support this story on his own.

Pinkie: Do you think he can make other things come from his mouth?

Ditzy: Like cats maybe?

Doctor: Or how about lemon meringue pies?

Pinkie: Or how about shooting swords?

Doctor: Sounds like a good way to hurt yourself.

Ditzy: Hm, it would be a unique way to fight. I doubt anypony would see that coming.

Doctor: And you would always have a sword handy.

Pinkie: It would be terrible if he got a cold though.

Doctor: Come on. Let’s get outta here.

Pinkie: Okay!

Doctor: At least we didn’t end on a bad note this time.

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The trio walked out of the theater.  The Doctor froze. He got the feeling that he was being watched. He was been having this feeling for some time now. Of course he knew that there were cameras all over, but he couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. He frowned. The others noticed his expression. They looked at him inquisitively.

“What’s wrong?” Pinky asked.

“What? Oh, nothing.” The Doctor replied. Ditzy frowned. She knew what he meant when he said something like that. The Doctor noticed Pinkie also had that expression. He would try to tell them later.

“Okay, now how about that race?” Ditzy suggested.

“Awwww, I wanted to have dinner first!” Pinkie complained.

“Sorry, Pinky.” Ditzy chided. “But everypony knows that racing is better on an empty stomach.”

“But, I’m hungry now!” Pinkie whined.

“We don’t have to have it right away.” The Doctor pointed out. “I’m famished also. You must be too after all that exercise.”

“Alright.” Ditzy rolled her eyes. “You win. I’ll make us some daisy sandwiches.”

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered. The Doctor and Pinkie followed Ditzy into the kitchen. The Doctor couldn’t stop the feeling that something was amiss.

“Soon Doctor. Very soon.” A voice said beyond their hearing. “Suspect all you want. In the end, it will mean nothing. Your greatest foe will have you!”

“Yes, but that’s okay. I woke up to something I needed.” she replied, pushing against his pelvis with hungry intent.

Next Chapter: Episode 19 - The Spread of Darkness - Chapter 07 Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 7 Minutes