Chapter Six: The Change
Upon waking that sunless morning, six of us had set out west from Dream Castle. Now our party consisted of nine ponies, and we turned east at an hour as uncertain as we felt.
Twilight led the way, seeking the Moochick's magic with her own. Though I walked with her and strained to see the resemblance between this land and my home, I remained, if you will pardon the unfortunate phrase, in the dark. I concluded that centuries must lie between this dismal parody of Ponyland and my own time. The mysterious history might have been fascinating had I been safe at home. Here in the wilds, however, it was just another frustration.
All in shadow, we nine ponies crossed valley, hill, stream, and fields with paths at their periphery.
"Such pleasant walks we once had." Bowtie sighed.
"And flights," Firefly said.
At length we came to a rickety wooden bridge. I first thought the weathered planks had been laid over some abyss with stars twinkling purple and blue in its depths. Then I realized these were waters.
"It used to be a small river," Twilight said. "But the dark rain ate its banks. Be careful, everyone. If you fall in, being swept away is the least of your worries."
"I sense some sort of power from it," Galaxy said from behind us.
"Those who fall in this water change," Twilight said. A shudder passed through her and Bowtie at the word. For a wonder, even the bold Firefly gave an uncomfortable twitch.
"What do you mean by 'change'?" I asked as we crossed.
"I will tell you on the other side," Twilight said. In the light of her horn, I saw sweat shining on her face and flanks. "Crossing this bridge can't be done with half your attention."
I suppose the question was rather inconsiderate given their challenge from which my wings exempted me. Nonetheless, it was with considerable impatience that I waited for them on the other side, reining in my curiosity. It hardly helped to realize that should something go awry on that rickety bridge, there was little I could do to rescue my friends.
They crossed in single-file in this order: Twilight, Shady, Fizzy, Bowtie, Galaxy, Firefly, Gusty, and Sweet Stuff. The going was slow because, in addition to the warped and possibly rotted state of some of the planks, there were no few gaps between the boards, large gaps for that matter. A pony unfortunate enough to tumble into such a one would surely fall to her unknown fate in the river.
All that day, clouds had hung overhead, ponderous, as though they watched our doings and disapproved. During that fateful crossing, they thickened. The heavy air did likewise. Lightning sparked from the clouds' undersides.
"Look out!" I called.
It seemed an age before Twilight reached the opposite side. Shady followed. "Come on!" she urged the others. At her call, or perhaps it was the challenge of the thunder, Bowtie hunched down, then leaped from her position like an unleashed spring. Her landing forced her to gallop some distance down the hill.
"Mushrooms ahead! The Moochick's place is near!" Bowtie called.
"They'll never make it!" Twilight moaned, her eyes haunted.
"Can't you wink across?" I shouted to Fizzy, Galaxy, and Gusty.
"It's too far to wink!" Fizzy shouted back.
"Bubbles, then?" I yelled.
Fizzy shook her head. "The change!"
I swallowed. If even our oft-times bubblehead had an intuition about the still-undisclosed magic, it must be powerful indeed.
"Run ahead," I urged Twilight, Shady, and Bowtie. "I will fly as high as I dare and lead them to where you are."
"There is little choice," Twilight said in a resigned, grim voice as Galaxy stepped from the bridge to the withered grass on the other side.
Firefly followed close behind, unintimidated by heights, despite the loss of her wing. "These clouds hide no dragons," Firefly said. "Trust me. I have flown through enough of them. It is only the dark rain that threatens us today. It may be the lesser of two evils, but it still enough."
"What does the rain do?" Galaxy voiced my very question. "I have sensed its evil since we arrived."
"There is no time! Follow me!" And Twilight tore off toward the Mushromp.
Lightning flashed more frequently as I hovered, painfully aware of what a prime target I made. At last Gusty and Sweet Stuff stepped off that wooden death trap. Three lights shone faint in the distance. I cursed that we had not sent Gusty ahead to illumine our way. Then we began our frantic sprint for the Mushromp. When I reached the outskirts, the lights went out. I guessed their owners were huddling frantically under the house-sized mushrooms that grew there. The Moochick's home was nowhere to be seen.
Against the wind's mad strength, we three fought for every inch forward into deepening darkness. No trace of light remained to guide us to the bottom of the hill. How I wished Gusty could hear me over that battle-din of a wind and its thunder drummers; I would have called for her to wrap me in her light. I made a clumsy landing, cursing that I could not choose where for the turbulence. I longed to search for Gusty and Sweet Stuff and bring them to safety with me under the mushroom, but I could already hear the rain in the leaves.
"Help! Help!" came the faint voices.
It was Gusty and Sweet Stuff! I screamed their names, and as I did, the skies opened. I wept then, cowering from the rain, from my terror. I could no more attempt to help them than willingly walk through fire.
Meanwhile, a black wave swept over Gusty and Sweet Stuff. Blue electricity leaped about the periphery, and red flame raged at the center. In mid-scream, Gusty and Sweet Stuff's voices changed from frightened pony voices helpless against this monstrous, overpowering storm, to ground-shuddering roars. Steam rose now from the site; from it, two creatures emerged from it, dragons both. Their muscles gleamed, rain-wet, in the nightmarish lightning. I longed to shut my eyes to the sight, yet found I could not tear my gaze away. Their serpentine necks, muscles upon muscles, fangs fully twice my height, cruel claws, scales in purple and midnight blue – their horrific transformation burned into my brain.
The violet dragon called to the midnight blue. I tried to remember which had been Shady and which Gusty and found that I couldn't. They flew away into the rain, I assumed to join the other dragons and…Tirek.