>Oh god, what a mess you're in...
>How the hell did this happen?!
>You just need to keep running, those creatures could still be after you
>Don't worry, he's managing to keep up with you, just keep going.
>His wings are torn up and bleeding so badly
>Oh no, he really needs medical attention
>You and him are the only ones left
>The others are... They're gone...
>This forest...
>This DAMN forest!
>It got them... You couldn't save them.
>Rainbow Blitz is lucky to still be with you
>You're completely shattered inside. This was supposed to be a simple mission.
>Go in, find the Elements of Harmony, and get out to stop Lunar Eclipse
>Things didn't go exactly as planned...
>In fact, they went horribly wrong
>They all insisted on coming along with you, and now your personal mission has cost the lives of several good ponies
>What have you done?
 
"C-come on... We've... got to... gotta be nearly there..."
>His breathing his strained
>It's a wonder how he's able to run like this after losing so much blood.
>You're a horrible pony for getting him into this
>"Rainbow, I'm- I'm so sorry! I'm gonna make sure you get out of this!"
>He looks to you, and you can see that fire in his eyes still burning strong
"H-hey! Don't you worry about me! I'm invincible, remember? You just worry about finding those Elements and kicking Mr. Spooky-Moon's ass!"
>He's so strong...
>Stronger than you could ever hope to be.
>You start to slow down, it looks like those horrible creatures have given up their chase.
>As Rainbow Blitz catches his breath, you seem him point.
"Look!"
>You quickly turn to see a rickety-looking rope bridge overlooking a deep, dark chasm...
>The fog surrounding it is thick, but...
>...You can make out the castle ruins on the other side!
>This is it! The Elements are in there!
>It's time to retrieve them and end this.
>Before any more innocent ponies are lost...
>A sharp wince from behind you causes you to whip around in extreme worry
>Blitz violently shakes his head and gestures his hoof for you to not worry about him
>Reluctantly, you turn yourself around and head to the bridge.
>With the pegasus right behind you, you carefully step onto the decrepit old bridge.
>The both of you are going at snails pace, it feels like it could give at any second.
>This is ridiculous, how could you bring someone else into this mess?
>Halfway across now, nearly there...
>You're just-
>Something gives beneath you.
"SHIT! RUN!"
>It all happens so fast
>You make a mad dash to the end of the bridge...
>...But you're too late, the bridge collapses.
>Your heart is threatening to burst out of your chest as you clutch the side of the chasm, desperate to not let go...
>...But also desperate not to let go of Rainbow Blitz, who's life is literally in your hoof.
>The pegasus is too heavy, you don't know how much longer you can hold on for
>You're on the verge of tears.
>"DAMN IT! H-hang on, Blitz! I-I'll pull you up, just... Just give me-"
"Dusk..."
>Not again, this can't be happening again.
>You're not going to lose the last one.
>"Just-...!"
>You can't even think of anything.
>You can't think of any kind of self-reassuring drivel.
>"It... It wasn't supposed to happen like this!!"
"Dusk..."
>The voice below you sounds so... calm
>How can he be so collected at a moment like this?!
"I'm sorry, but... I really don't think an egghead like you could lift my weight with one arm..."
>He's right, and you find your arm hurting more and more trying to hold onto him
>NO. You CAN do it, you just need to find the strength.
>He's all you've got left, you're not going to lose your last friend!
>"Don't say that, Blitz! Just work with me here, we're gonna... We're gonna do it, okay?! We're gonna stop Lunar Eclipse! Together!"
"No... *you're* gonna stop him, Dusk..."
>You look down to him
>That fire... it's as strong as ever
>How... how could he be smiling like that...?
"Kick his ass for me, bro."
>You couldn't save him.
>Just like the others, he left you.
>His hoof slips away from yours as he gives himself to the abyss.
>You reach out...
>...
>They all died because of you.
>If you don't want their deaths to be in vain... you have to complete your mission.
>You need to get those Elements of Harmony!
>It pains you, but you manage to pull yourself up onto the ledge.
>You still can't believe he did that...
>Lunar Eclipse will pay for this.
>For ALL of their sacrifices.
>You turn around and make a run for the castle ruins.
 
>This is it.
>The Elements of Harmony should be in this room.
>...And there they are...
>...You think.
>Six stone spheres appear to be lying together in a circle.
>Those must be the Elements.
>But how are these supposed to be used to defeat Lunar Eclipse?
>Perhaps you need to take a closer look.
>You trot over to the stones.
>As you get close, something happens.
>The six stones begin to glow
>They're getting so bright...
>You have to look away or risk hurting your eyes
>You're engulfed completely in a bright light.
 
>The light dissipates.
>You open your eyes to find...
>That you're... in your room in Canterlot?
>What? How...
>Wait, that's-
>"Prince Solaris!"
>You don't believe it!
>Is this where he's been?!
>What about Lunar Eclipse?
>Did he know this was going to happen all along?
>Prince Solaris glances over to you, and replaces a book he was reading back onto your bookshelf.
>You rush over to him, so happy to see him
"Dusk Shine, my faithful student..."
>He wraps his neck around yours in an embrace
>You're overjoyed that he's here now
>You were so worried...
>Before you can open your mouth to ask a single question, Solaris releases from the embrace and puts a hoof onto your shoulder.
>He glances over to the door of your room, and then back to you.
"Dusk Shine, I am counting on you. I have the utmost faith in you, my little pony."
>You look over to the door
>What is he talking about?
>What does he want you to do?
>You look back up to him with a confused look
>His only answer is an encouraging smile
>You swallow.
>Nervously, you break away from his hoof on your shoulder and make your way over to the door.
>This... doesn't feel right.
>You look back to Solaris, but he's still looking at you with that proud look in his eyes.
>Eyes forward, you keep going to the door.
>You pause right in front of it.
>Slowly, you lean back on your haunches, and place both hooves on the double doors leading out of your room.
>Terrified of what lies on the other side, you take a slow, deep breath.
>Finally, you summon all of your courage.
>You give a firm push.
 
>This doesn't seem right...
>You're pretty sure you don't have a balcony emblazoned with your cutie mark right outside your door...
>You freeze.
>There he is, with his back to you, at the end of the balcony looking off into the horizon.
>You don't know what to do...
>Prince Solaris has entrusted you with defeating Lunar Eclipse.
>With no other idea in mind, you simply let your hooves walk you over next to him
>Woah
>What a vista...
>You can pretty much see all of Equestria from up here!
>It's so high up...
>It's breathtaking, really.
"Look at it... Before, this was a kingdom pretending to be a blissful utopia by sweeping any and all crime under the rug. But now... I've fixed that. I've made the decisions Solaris was too weak-willed to follow through with! I've strengthened our military, researched, developed, and armed our mares and stallions in uniform with the finest weapons and training that exists. No other nation would dare attack us..."
>You... don't want to hear this...
>He's supposed to be the bad guy.
>You're supposed to defeat him so Solaris, the good guy, can take charge again...
"...And if any kingdom *were* foolish enough... I personally would lead the battle to protect my ponies. To protect my kingdom."
>You wince, squeeze your eyes shut
>This isn't right.
"I've failed this kingdom once... I will not fail it again."
>How did this happen?
>Why are you being sent to do this?
>Aren't you the good guy?
>Isn't Solaris?
"Dusk Shine..."
>You gasp, snapping out of your thoughts
>You turn, Lunar Eclipse has both hooves on your shoulder
"Thank you... Thank you so much for being by my side..."
>Suddenly, he leans forward
>He places a tender kiss on your forehead
>If you could see them, your pupils would be shrunk to the size of pinpricks
>You're frozen in his embrace
>You can't believe that this is happening
>You can't UNDERSTAND what is happening
>He breaks the kiss
>You look up to him
>He's... giving you that look...
>That look you see lovers give
>A look of yearning, longing.
>Mouth agape, you don't understand
>You were meant to stop Lunar Eclipse!
~*"My... Formally faithful student... I am so disappointed that you have chosen this path..."*~
>"Prince Solaris?!"
>You whip around, but find only the closed door behind you.
>You swear you heard his voice come from behind you
>You look to your left
>Lunar Eclipse has vanished
>What the hell-?
~*"You picked the wrong side, Dusk! You're a traitor to Equestria!"*~
>"Rainbow Blitz?!"
>Again, you're frantically spinning around, trying to locate the source of these voices
>Your heart is pounding like crazy
>You're so confused!
~*"My own brother... How?! How could you do this?!"*~
>Panic sets in as you suddenly feel a rumble under your hooves
>It starts out subtle, but gradual becomes a mighty shake
>You crouch down to the balcony's floor, afraid of what's about to happen.
>Suddenly, you see it
>Fractures starting to form spiderwebs on the balcony
>This isn't good
>This can't be happening
~*"When I first returned, you were the only one who knew who I was. Only you."*~
>Before you have time to react, the balcony begins crumbling, falling apart
>You desperately shuffle away from the falling sections, praying that at least part of it will hold...
>More and more it's breaking apart...
>Finally, all of it
>The entire platform shatters beneath your hooves, and you are sent plummeting
~*"I SAID STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"*~
>You're screaming at the top of your lungs
>Falling towards Equestria from the heavens at terminal speed
>You seriously wish you had a pair of wings right about now...
>All you can do is flail helplessly as the ground below you becomes larger and larger...
>Your heart is exploding in your chest
>Everything you've ever known, gone.
>It's nearly over...
>Even closer now...
~*"I... always thought I was the good guy..."*~
>Your breath is caught in your throat
>You can't scream anymore
>IT'S-
 
>You shoot upward in a sharp gasp.
>You can hardly breathe, your chest feels so constricted
>Slow deep breaths... come on...
>God, you're absolutely covered in sweat.
>It's alright
>You're alright now...
>After a few more deep breaths, you can somewhat feel your heartbeat slow down some.
>You bury your muzzle in your hooves
>After massaging your temples, and giving a small sigh, you look over to Philomena.
>She's still asleep, her head nestled into her wing
>Her chest subtly puffs in and out with her breathing.
>You... you need a drink
>Or something.
>You just need to get out of bed for now.
>Careful not to awaken Philomena, you ease yourself out from under the covers and make your way to the door.
>Avoiding creaks in the floor, you exit your room and enter the halls.
 
>It's the dead of night
>The halls are pretty much empty
>On your way to the royal kitchens, the only ponies you see are the Lunar Guards and Royal Night Guards on their patrols.
>They pay you little mind as you continue on your way.
>That dream...
>That was so intense.
>Perhaps you needs something a little stronger than just a glass of water to get back to sleep.
>Maybe the kitchen has a bottle of extra-drowsy cough medicine or something.
>As you approach the kitchens, you don't notice the lights already on
>You're about to walk inside when you quickly and quietly scamper around the corner.
>You peek your head inside
>It's Lunar Eclipse!
>What's he doing here?!
>WHY must he be here?!
>...And to reiterate your first question, what is he doing...?
>Luckily, the onyx-coloured king has his back to you
>He appears to be looking at something on the kitchen counter?
>And it sounds like he's... mumbling something?
>He can't be sleepwalking, could he?
>No, that's stupid, he's AWAKE during the night.
>You have an internal debate
>If you walk in right now, what are the chances he's going to strangle you to death for some reason?
>You have to admit, that's kinda far-fetched.
>Even for Lunar Eclipse.
>You decide, fuck it.
>You're just here to grab a drink.
>...But still, probably best not to sneak up on him...
>You better announce your presence...
>Walking around the corner into the kitchen, you give a small cough
>With cat-like reflexes, Eclipse spins around, nearly dropping whatever he was doing
>That look on his face is something you thought you would never see from him
>Is that... fear?
>His horn is still glowing
>Is he hiding something behind him?
"Dusk Shine! H-how dare thee sneak up on thy ruler!"
>He looks angry
>"Er, uh, I-I'm sorry, Your Highness, I just came here looking for a drink... I sort of had a... bad dream."
>Eclipse scoffs and rolls his eyes
"Oh? And We suppose thou blames US for delivering such unpleasant dreams upon thou?"
>You hadn't thought about that, but now that he mentions it...
>You awkwardly rub the back of your neck
>"Well, uh... it *is* your domain, isn't it?"
>There's an silence
>And it's not very comfortable.
"Well, YES, but that does not mean WE are responsible. We do not *create* the dreams, we may only guide them once they are set forth. Even so, We do not do so *all* of the time."
>His horn is still glowing
>What is he hiding?
>"Um, if you don't mind me asking... What are you doing in here?"
>Eclipse's frown deepens
"We are the ruler of this kingdom now! We may go wherever we wish!"
>"But, ah... this is the kitchen... and you're in here all by yourself. Don't you have cooks to make you meals if you're hungry...?"
>For a second, you swear you could see his face flicker to an expression of panic.
"Ah- We- We hav- We are preparing something that requires a personal, royal touch! We do not trust the palace cooks to tamper with which they have no experience with!"
>You raise an eyebrow and take a step forward
>You try to get a glance at what is behind him, but Eclipse takes a step to block your view.
>"The palace cooks are trained to prepare a HUGE variety of food! What could you possibly have that they've never worked with before?"
>Again, you try to get a view
>But he continuously blocks you
"I-It is none of thy business! Go away! O-or We will forcibly remove thou!"
>If there was ever a time that Lunar Eclipse was full of shit, this was probably it.
>With a sly look in your eyes, you fake left
>You fake right
>Aha!
>You manage to get a view of a plate sitting on the counter behind him.
>You grab the plate with your magic, and attempt to pull it closer
>Eclipse immediately seizes the plate from your magic with his own
>...And inadvertently drops what he was holding behind his back.
>Acting fast, you grab the two red bottles before they hit the ground.
>"HA!"
>Victorious, you bring the bottles closer and inspect their labels.
 
>Ketchup.
>Catsup.
 
>You remain stone-still for a moment
>You don't even notice as Eclipse rips the bottles from your magical grasp and reclaims them
>You can feel the implications of this discovery beginning to rip your sides apart
>Your face scrunches up
>Finally, you can hold it no longer
>"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
>Eclipse is not laughing.
>He's doing the opposite of laughing
>He's being very angry
>Maybe you should stop laughing now
>"AHA... HaHAaa.. Ha..."
>Okay, NOW.
>He's still frowning very hard at you.
>Better break the silence.
>"Heh... Seriously?"
>Eclipse blinks before flaring up defensively
"Very well! Laugh if thou must, but what incompetent, fool of a food manufacturer creates TWO identical sauces, and places them in different containers with differing names?! It... It is buffoonery that is beyond words!"
>You feel a little bad for laughing at him, actually.
>It's easy to forget that he's not from this time.
>...And it's pretty hard to forget that image of you as a young colt, standing in the middle of the aisle of the grocery store, holding those exact same bottles...
>...and bursting into tears when you couldn't figure out what made them different...
>Yeah, best not to mention that...
>You walk in closer and take a look a what's on his plate behind him, he doesn't block you this time.
>It's...
>It's just a sandwich.
>Hardly a meal fit for a king...
>But...
>"Uhh... What... What exactly is that on your sandwich?"
>It looks like slices of something... Something pale?
>It doesn't smell entirely pleasant.
>In fact, it's kind of setting off some alarms in your head.
"Oh this? It is sliced turkey. We had to specially order it from the Gryphons, as no one in this kingdom sells meat products. We have been looking forward to this meal all week."
>Your stomach drops as this information sinks in.
>"T-Turkey... You mean, like... T-the bird?"
>Eclipse smiles grimly
"Why yes, it is quite delicious, especially with bread. Wouldst thou care to sample a taste?"
>He says this with a predatory grin, likely knowing what your answer will be.
>You have to work to suppress your gag reflex
>Luckily, your stomach currently has no contents to eject
>"Ah... You know what? I uh, I think I'm good, thanks..."
>Eclipse shrugs.
"Very well, We disdain having to share our meals, regardless."
>The king closes his sandwich with the top layer of bread, and takes a bite
>Again, you're thankful you have nothing to vomit up.
>Eclipse looks utterly blissful as the taste of that bloody carnage hits his palette.
>You can only stare with a blank look on your face.
>You scream internally.
>Unaware of your inner destruction, Lunar Eclipse takes hold of his plate with a magical aura, and heads for the door.
>Not looking back, he steps into the halls and leaves
>You hear him call out.
"Until the morrow, dear Dusk Shine."
 
 
>You're left standing there for a solid five minutes.
>After giving a glance to the refrigerator, you opt to head back to your room, instead.
>You decide that you don't want that drink, after all...