A/N: I think this story needs some adventure ~grin~ I also give up with gestation for ponies. I'm sayin' 9 months just like us humans... also, SPOILER: the only death in this story is the first Dark Magic user that is introduced, the others survive and are not hurt fatally or horribly in any way, shape, or form. And as said before in my description before it couldn't fit anymore, rating T for safety, cause you never know with me XD
Chapter 42: The Pony of Dark Magic
The next morning Lucky and Sweetie woke up to the smell of lavender mint tea. "Ooo, that smells really good.", Sweetie said. Lavender called from the kitchen, "Thank you. It's my specialty. Also, my special talent." Lucky and Sweetie went into the kitchen where Lavender was making the tea. They watched her, both on either side of her. "It's amazing how you can still do things like make tea even though you're blind.", Sweetie said. Lavender smiled. "It takes some practice to be able to do things a seeing pony can do. Though sometimes I do need Buddy's help." Lucky and Sweetie smiled. After Lavender had the tea made, she served a cup to Sweetie and Lucky. They took a sip and immediately loved it. "This is good!", they both exclaimed.
"Thank you." They had breakfast as well with their tea, Sweetie having made it. Over time she had gotten better at cooking. "This is pretty good Sweetie." Sweetie smiled and then they finished their breakfast. This morning the construction ponies and the ponies who helped them yesterday, Dashing included, will be finishing Town Hall. The whole frame is built, now the paneling and everything else has to be built. Dashing, Solar, Fencer, Lucky, Celestia, Luna, Sweetie, and Lavender arrived at the site of Town Hall. "Good morning everypony.", said the three Princesses. "Good morning Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Lucky.", everypony said. Vinyl, Octavia, Lyra, and Bonbon all went over to Lucky and the others. "Morning Princess Lucky. What's up?", Vinyl said.
"The sky.", Lucky said, chuckling. Vinyl chuckled. "Yeah yeah yeah. Really though, what's up with you? I hear you got a new marefriend.", Vinyl grinned and motioned toward Sweetie. Lucky and Sweetie blushed and Lucky nodded. "'Bout time Princess, we all saw it coming. It was only just a matter of time." Lucky raised an eyebrow. "It was that obvious?" The four nodded, even Celestia and Luna nodded in agreement with the other four. Lucky had a look of disbelief on her face. Sweetie even couldn't believe how obvious it was, though it didn't show on her face. So, as they all talked, Dashing was pulling a cart of supplies around in the air. The others started just 5 minutes ago, so of course they're not that far yet. Rainbow took a panel off of the cart as he passed by and nailed it to the frame. She just installed the insulation in between the wood of the frame.
"Thanks Dashing.", she said, as she took it. Dashing chuckled. "No problem.", he replied. So as the day went on, around 9 PM, the Town Hall was complete. The ponies cheered. The workers all wiped their brows and went 'phew!'. "I declare a ribbon cutting ceremony tomorrow morning to officially open the new Town Hall!", Lucky declared. The ponies cheered again. "For now though, let's all go home, get some dinner, and get some sleep. We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." The ponies listened to their Princess and happily went home to get supper, excited for tomorrow. Lucky headed back with the complex ponies, Dashing, and the two Princesses. Lucky and Lavender had a quiet dinner, then Lucky told Lavender she was taking a stroll outside for a little bit. Lavender told her to be careful and safe. The complex is somewhat near the Everfree and Lavender has heard of the Everfree from other ponies in Ponyville. Lucky assured her she would be safe then went out.
Lucky went to the Everfree, staying on the path, which was safest, until she got further in. This Unicorn, by the name of Midnight Ranger (no relation to Midnight Walker, the Unicorn colt in Celestia's school XD) was making his way through the forest when he had went past Lucky. Then he stopped, just as she. "Unicorn, what are you doing here?", Lucky asked in a tone meaning business. He chuckled, none too nicely either. "I could ask you the same missy. I would have thought you would be safe at home sleeping by now.", his voice was a very deep bass. Lucky turned around. "Where are you from may I ask?" He turned around as well. "A big city in the other direction of the Everfree Forest... your Highness.", he said 'your Highness' in a mocking voice as he just realized she was a Princess. "What business do you have in the forest, or even Ponyville?" He raised an eyebrow, "What are you insinuating my Princess?" Lucky stood her ground. "I'm not insinuating anything Unicorn. I'm just... curious." He was getting annoyed.
"I have a name you know. Midnight Ranger." Lucky grinned, "Well then, Midnight Ranger, why are you heading to Ponyville? Heard of my peaceful town and wanted some peace yourself?" He smirked, "Oh, I'll get some 'piece' alright. A piece of you!" He then charged, Lucky saw it coming, she dodged his attack. "What are you, mad?!" He laughed, "Why yes, I am quite mad Princess.", he said Princess in a mocking tone. Lucky growled, "It is not in my nature to injure, or severely injure to the point where you'll never move on your own again, but if it must be so, then so be it. I will defend my town and my townsponies in it. You'll never make it to Ponyville with me as their Princess." Then Lucky charged, he couldn't see it coming, but he heard her hoofsteps as she drew nearer. He dodged, but at the same time, attacked her with a knife. Lucky cried out in pain, and then skidded to a stop, panting. She had a pretty good gash in her leg.
"What's the matter Princess? Did I hurt you?", now his voice was all mocking. Lucky gritted her teeth, then she flew toward him. He heard her flap her wings once, and he knew she was trying an aerial attack. He dodged again and then tried to attack. Lucky felt him on her left side and flew up. Lucky looked around to find something to defend herself with, then grinned. She went away a little bit, then came back in the darkest shadows. Then she jumped on a storm cloud that had strayed from the weather factory. It's starting to rain and thunder a tiny bit in Ponyville. It shocked him, but it was barely anything. He chuckled. "That didn't hurt much Princess. I barely even felt it." He then bucked it and got Lucky again with his knife. The first time he got her in the left foreleg. This time he got her in the right foreleg, which was a good gash like the other, but not as deep. "Ah!", she yelped out. "Gotta be faster than that Princess! I thought you were the great defender of your town, as you so called yourself?" Lucky looked up, pissed. "Ah am mah town's defender, 'n Ah'll prove it to ya!" He quirked an eyebrow, "Oh, gone country on me now have ya? Heh, ain't gonna change a thing." They both then sped towards each other, Lucky on hoof this time.
Lucky prepared a spell, as Midnight charged at her, with his knife. She aimed her spell at him as he struck her with the knife, which got her in the chest. She had a spell ready that would hurt him, she has read of offensive spells in the 8 years it's been since she met Terra. She had a great gash right across her chest. He had dove under her, so he got her from the left side to the right. Midnight winced in pain. He looked at Lucky with cold hatred. "Oh now you've done it Princess." He closed his eyes and prepared a magical spell of his own. He murmured odd words as his horn started glowing. Lucky, bleeding heavily, couldn't move. She was hurt badly and needed treatment ASAP, but what was about to happen next, would put her life in complete jeopardy. He aimed his horn at the fallen Princess, and she screamed. It felt like her soul was being ripped out of her, which, it was.
Midnight was a dark Unicorn, with Dark Magic. 5 are known, and they are deadly. This one, is one of them. Midnight laughed maniacally as his spell was ripping her soul out of her bleeding body, and as she was screaming. In her hut, sleeping, was Zecora. She woke though by Lucky's screams. She spoke in her native language of surprise. She got up and tried to go to Lucky's aide, but Midnight stopped her, "Zebra, do not interfere, or you'll get it too!" Zecora stopped in her tracks as she looked at Lucky, horrified. She's risen up in the air, as her soul was being ripped out. When it was over, Lucky's body fell to the forest floor, still bleeding. Midnight, still injured by Lucky's spell, got even worse off. In order to use that certain spell he used, he had to use himself as a sacrifice, so after he finished, he had to sacrifice himself. Lucky's soul zipped off in the opposite direction of Ponyville. Zecora, deeming it safe, went off to warn the ponies of Ponyville. She spoke in her native language, yelling. It definitely woke up the complex ponies.
Celestia and Luna came out as well as the other ponies. Zecora, in rhyming, said she was glad to see the Princesses, and that they needed to go with her to the forest, right away. So they followed her, and what they saw, was horrifying. "Princess Lucky!", they both exclaimed, and galloped to her. Her body laid under the moonlight, one of the very few patches of moonlight in that forest. "What happened?!", Celestia asked. Zecora told them everything that she saw. Then she pointed at Midnight's body. Luna gasped and Celestia's hoof went to her mouth in surprise. "That's Midnight Ranger. One of the 5 deadly ponies of Dark Magic.", Celestia said. "Oh, for Lucky to have run into him... she won't make it." Midnight, who was still alive, but just barely said, "You have... one week... to find... her soul... if you want... to save her... but... you'll never... find it..." Celestia and Luna both went to him, and they're mad. "What do you mean we'll never find it?", Luna asked. "Hehe... it went... in the other... direction... of the Everfree... away from... Ponyville...", he said, before losing his last breath, and died. Luna shook with fury. Celestia, not too happy herself, put a hoof on Luna's shoulder.
"Let's go back to town. Thank you Zecora for telling us about this." Zecora nodded, afraid of her own life now. With 5 known deadly Dark Magic users, now 4, one having shown up here, who knows if there'll be another one? Celestia picked Lucky up in her magic and led Luna into town. Zecora followed the Princesses. Celestia rose her voice to her Princess Voice. "CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE, I AM REGRETFUL TO WAKE YOU OF YOUR SLUMBER, BUT YOUR PRINCESS, LUCKY FIRE, IS DYING. YOU ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHY. COME OUT OF YOUR HOMES, AND I WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING." In 5 minutes, the town was full of Cloudsdale ponies as well as Ponyville ponies. They were all murmuring, not believing their Princess was dying. Celestia explained everything. Applejack and Rainbow galloped to Lucky's body. "No... no... th-this can't... can't be...", Rainbow's voice was cracking and her eyes getting teary. Applejack's eyes widened upon seeing her daughter, usually so bright and energetic, now lifeless with her soul gone and bleeding badly.
"Wh... why?" Applejack was also teary eyed. Sweetie Belle then arrived at where Lucky is. "Lucky?! Oh no!" Sweetie knelt down at her marefriend's side, with AJ and RD. Celestia had set her down when she got to the middle of town. Nurse Redheart and all the ER doctors were at Lucky's side too, waiting for the three ponies to move before trying to staunch the bleeding. Celestia, who was trying to hold back tears of her own now, looked down and away. Twilight had arrived a second after Sweetie with Pinkie, Thunder, Lightning, AB, Scoot, and Babs. Lavender arrived now with Buddy. "... Sh-she told me she was going to be safe and careful... she wasn't safe or careful..." Lavender sat down crying now. Buddy whined and nuzzled her. Pinkie was wailing against Twilight. Luna was comforting Celestia as she finally broke down. Luna too was crying a little. When Celestia got herself together and was able to speak again, "Twilight, you Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie will go in search of Lucky's soul." The 4 nodded.
Spring Flower, Black Rose, Sunflower Seed, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Babs, Sweetie, Fencer, Thunder, Lightning, Citrus, Vinyl, Lyra, Derpy, Spitfire, Ice Frost, Luna, Dashing, Flitter, Comet, who had moved to Cloudsdale with Cherry Blossom, Featherweight, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara all stepped forward. "I'll go too! More ponies means better chance of finding her soul.", they all said. Celestia stepped forward too. "I suppose I could go with you all as well.", she said. The others smiled. "Should Cadance be notified?", Twilight asked. "Yes, tell her at once. Go to the Crystal Empire. Conductor, make an emergency run for the Crystal Empire for Twilight." The conductor of the train saluted and he and Twilight went off to the station. "Twilight should be back in at most 5 hours. Soarin, Blaze, go with the alien to his home and keep an eye on him for Luna and I, we have to go to Canterlot to notify Rarity and Fluttershy." Soarin and Blaze nodded. Then Celestia and Luna teleported to Canterlot. By the time the Princesses came back, the doctors finally got Lucky's wounds to stop bleeding and got her patched up.
Celestia and Luna had gathered Fluttershy and Rarity, and Broad Sword, who was on duty when the Princesses had galloped by him heard because he asked what their hurry was, came along with Golden Quill and Terra. They went to Lucky's body and couldn't believe their eyes either. They started to cry. Applejack, Sweetie, and Rainbow had Lucky's blood on them. They never noticed. "Zecora, can I trust you to look after these ponies with the Mayor?", Celestia asked. Zecora nodded. "Thank you. With tonight's events, the Mayor might be a bit shook up and need help." Zecora told Celestia in rhyme that she could count on her. Celestia smiled a warm smile. In 4 hours, Twilight arrived with Cadance, who was packed. Cadance galloped to Lucky. "Oh no... Lucky...", Cadance said, then looked down getting tears in her eyes. Twilight put a foreleg around Cadance's shoulders. "How horrible... little Lucky Fire, so sweet and innocent and always full of energy and very helpful... dying like this? It just isn't right.", Cadance said. Everypony nodded in agreement.
Celestia does a quick count of everypony, as Lucky's family and friends wanted to get going ASAP. "Well, it seems we have more flying ponies than non. Do some of you have the strength to carry somepony on your back to this town that Lucky's soul went to on the other side of the Everfree?" The Pegasi, and Luna and Cadance all gave an affirmative. "I too am strong enough to carry a pony. Ok non flying ponies, pair up with a pony who can." Applejack went to Rainbow, Rarity went to Fluttershy, who got stronger for Rarity to be able to ride on her back on occasion, Sunflower went to Black Rose, Sweetie went to Spring Flower, Citrus went to Thunder, not wanting his wife to have anymore stress put on her, for this flight will be hard enough on her, Apple Bloom went to Scootaloo, Vinyl went over to Spitfire, Twilight went to Celestia, Pinkie went over to Luna, Fencer went to Ice Frost, Babs went to Comet, Lyra went to Flitter, Silver Spoon went to Cadance, and Diamond Tiara went to Dashing, though tentatively. Tiara didn't think Featherweight could carry her. She heard of Lightning's pregnancy so she's being careful of Lightning. Derpy, well... Derpy is Derpy.
"Ok, Pegasi, kneel for your riders.", Celestia said, then knelt down for Twilight. The riders all mounted the Pegasi and Alicorns. The Pegasi and Alicorns stood back up. "Ready?", Cadance said. The Pegasi and Alicorns all unfolded their wings. "Set?", Celestia said. The Pegasi and Alicorns bent down. "Fly!", Luna said. The Pegasi and Alicorns took off to the cheering of the ponies, and good luck calls. Bonbon, Cherry Blossom, the rest of the flight camp Pegasi who went to Flight camp with Lucky, and the others all knelt down at Lucky's body. Some cried, some comforted the criers, and some prayed for the safe return of Lucky's soul.
A/N: what a chapter huh? Hopefully this was delightfully thrilling. I just felt like throwing an adventure in there, unfortunately at the expense of Lucky :( buuut, I wanted a thrilling chapter in my story somewhere. It felt like the right time in this chapter. And hey, luck is good and bad. Lucky had bad luck for the second time in her life.