Disaster Anon #6: Disaster 1; Tirek, Part One

Disaster #1: Tirek, Part One

>Day responsible in Equestria.
>You find it hard to believe, but yesterday during that float parade the Crusaders actually added a fourth member to their club. Her name is Babs Seeds, a filly from the almost untouched city of Manehatten that came to visit Apple Bloom. Bab’s is leaving soon, and because of this, the girls decided to beg Twilight into having a sleepover at the library. Now Babs can meet ‘The Great Anonymous’ and they also get to spend the night together. It’s a win win for everyone--except you. You just don’t understand children.
>Being from Manehatten, Babs knows very little about you, and for the entire day she’s been bombarding you with questions. “How come nothing cool happens in Manehatten”, “Why do you always wear goggles”, “Why can’t we go into the basement”, “What the hay is floam?” You’re patient enough anon to answer her questions, but then the big one comes after you all finish a game of ‘What am I’. (No one could guess power generator.)
>“Hey Anon, how did you end up in Equestria?”
>Scootaloo exiting announces, “Ooh, ooh, tell the story about Tirek!”
>You don’t have a problem with it, but you’re surprised she’s so enthusiastic.
You three have heard it at least 1000 times. It would just be a boring retelling.
>The fillies excitedly yell, “Tell us, tell us”, except Babs who stands in the background looking extremely neutral.
Well, 1001 it is. Okay fillies, gather around. I’m going to tell you all about how I got here.
>Scootaloo grabs a pillow from the couch and Sweetie gets all comfy on her stomach.
>Before you all begin, you yell out to Spike who’s upstairs.
SPIKE!?
>He slowly and reluctantly walks half down the stairs and ask you,
>“What is it Anon?”
Could you make us some fruit salad while I tell the girls about my awesome adventures?
>He gives a few grumpy mumbles, but waddles to the kitchen with no argument. He’s such a good dragon.
Okay, let’s begin. No backseat storytelling by the way. I’m looking at you Apple Bloom.
>She giggles a little.
Let’s take a step back to my childhood.

>Ever since you were a child, you’ve always had a passion for science and technology. Being raised in an agricultural town with an agricultural family though, you’re aspirations always seemed distant to you. Despite this, you still pursued your goals. After busting your tail for eight years in college, you managed to graduate with a master’s degree in ‘Ambiguous Science’; an unspecific field that taught you a combination of physics, biology, and robotics. Unfortunately Ambiguous Science is too vague for its own good, and finding a job with your degree seemed near impossible. It only got worse from there.
>While your mother paid and supported your education, your father thought you were a fool for leaving the farm, and expected you to end up crawling back home by the end of college. Without a job, you couldn’t afford to live on your own, but you’d sooner jam a blade through your own stomach then let your Dad know he was right. Luckily, there was someone who you knew would help.
>Growing up, there was an older girl named Molly that lived not too far from you. She was sweet and very attractive, and despite being several years older than you she always had this slight flirtatious side when you were around. Despite all of this you avoided her like the plague, because she was really, really weird.
>All the time she’d talk about her made up adventures as if they were real. She’d blather about this place called ‘Dream Valley’, and how her sister Megan would sometimes take her through magical adventures with unicorns and rainbows. Despite this, Molly was still reliable even after leaving for college, and if anyone would give you a roof to sleep under it’s her.
>After telling your story, she talked things over Megan and her brother Daniel and they decided to let you stay, provided you do an honest day’s work on their ranch.
>All of those years and you were right back to where you started.
>You worked on that ranch for around three months having to hear day after day about Molly’s “wondrous adventures” that she’s kept over the years. She’s so into her made up stories that it’s almost like she had no real life on Earth. It almost made you want to pity her. How you saw her was destined to change though.
>It was an almost blindingly dark night. You hear a loud thud followed my tumbling outside. Curious, you look through the window of your room and find that there is a strange pink figure with blue hair rising from the family’s flower patch. It sort of looks like a horse. It must’ve wondered from a nearby ranch.
>You’ve never something so pink before. Maybe it’s just been dyed by its owner. Either way, a horse is a horse. You grab your lasso and though you’re still in pajamas head out to guide it home.
>Once you walk out, you see it indulging on the flowers and ruining the patch. As you get closer, you soon realize this thing possesses a twin lightning branding on its flank…after noticing the unsettling pair of wings. O-kay, you’re going to need to be extra cautious.
>You try to sound as docile and soothing as possible.
Little horse. I’m not here to hurt you. Are you lost?
>As you come only inches away from putting the rope around its neck, it raises its face to look at you. Its head is gigantic, and its eyes are as big as dinner plates. Jesus Christ, how horrifying!
>A smile comes and it confusingly asks, “Megan?”
>To top it all off, this thing talks.

>Bab breaks your tale.
>“Wait, are the ponies where you live stupid or something?”
Very. As I was saying,

>Violence is not your thing, but from pure reflex, you deck the taste out of this abomination’s mouth.
>It tries reasoning with you, but your hands are moving on their own.
>After the seventh or eighth punch, the horse rams into you using its wings to propel it. You begin tumbling through the dirt, but recover, jump in and grapple its torso. It then opens its wings and takes to the air, with you still holding on.
Oh god, what!?
>By the time it reaches twenty feet, your grip loosens and land head first to the ground.

Do I even have to say that I lost consciousness?

>When you finally come to, the sky’s completely sunny and you’re being carried through the air by the creature. You have no idea what’s going on, but on the upside you still have your lasso.
H-how long have I been out?
>“About five minutes. You okay? You took a nasty fall earlier.”
>From the voice, you quickly pick up that it’s a girl.
Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for beating your face in.
>“It’s cool, it’s cool. What happened though? I know you saw me as a filly, but you were acting like we never met before.”
We never have.
>“What are you talking about Megan? It’s me! Firefly II? You were at the hospital when-”
Wait, wait, wait…I’m not Megan. I’m Anonymous.
>“Pff, that’s not even a name.”
>Wait, if she thought you were Megan, does that mean…
Firefly, where are we going?
>“Duh, to Dream Valley.”
>The moment she says ‘Dream Valley’ those constant stories that Molly told you finally kick in. Your face is indescribable.
Dream Valley is a real place?
>“As real as when I left. What’s up with you? You’re acting like you have…Ohhh, I get it.”
>You give an irritated groan.
Get what?
>“You have amnesia. It must’ve been from the fall.”
I’m not Megan!
>“Don’t worry Megan, I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.”
No! T-That’s okay. I know more than enough about this place. So, why are you bringing me?
>“To help my friends, they need you! Tirek’s managed to return to Dreamland, and we need you to help stop him.”
>Tirek. You remember that name. He was some crazy centaur Molly mentioned when you were a kid. Apparently he was defeated by the power of rainbow or something.
You want me to stop Tirek? What can I do?
>“You're strong.”
 No I'm not.
>“You can fight!”
No I can't! I’m a scientist, not a fighter.
>“That’s not what my face says.”
>You two begin arguing back and forth until you notice that the sky has become casted by dark clouds. Soon everything becomes basked in shadow.
>“Looks like we’re approaching Dream Valley.”
>You look down and see a small town on the horizon. Even under darkness, it’s so colorful and girlish looking it’s like testosterone never existed. It very much fit’s the setting you were told. The difference though, is that it lacks the liveliness you’d expect. It seems deserted, and even from the distance you can see some clear damage. As you eye the streets, you see a giant flying lizard comes out and fly in the direction of you two.
Firefly, what is that?
>“It’s a Stratadon!”
>Firefly tries to evade it, but it turns and begins charging you two. Worst of all, if she gets hit, you’re going to fall at least fifty feet.
“Firefly, get me down! GET ME DOWN!”
>“Don’t worry, my mother taught me a technique that can save us. It’s called the double inside-”
>Firefly is slammed into her side by the creature and you begin free falling. Not even twenty minutes in this place and already you hate everything. Knowing you’re about to die, Firefly dives down to save you. She’s moving so desperately fast, that for a brief moment, her tail seems to be a streak of blue lightning. This is also the first time you stop to take a good look at her. She isn’t nearly as horrifying as you had originally thought.
>At the last moment she catches you and practically chucks you into the street. A pink unicorn mare with a purple mane and flowers on her butt helps you up.
>“Are you okay Megan?”
“The name’s Anon, and I’m fine.”
>You look up to the sky and see Firefly still trying to avoid the stratadon. You need to find a way to save her. As you ponder, the unicorn asks if there’s some way she can help. Eventually an idea hits you.
“Get me a horseshoe?”
>She gallops of and quickly returns with one somehow floating beside her. You have no time to question that though. With your lasso you promptly attach it to both ends of the horseshoe and call out to Firefly,
“Yo Firefly! Get over here!”
>From the sky she hears your holler, and dives towards you. Sure enough, the stratadon begins chasing after her, and you begin whirling your newly improvised flail in anticipation. Firefly realizes your plan and swerves past you, but once the monster enters your range, you swing at its face with all of your might. The combined velocities lead to a strike of iron that easily grounds it. The stratadon begins gripping at its face, wailing in agony before the unicorn silences it with a hoof to the back of the head.

Don’t worry fillies; it didn’t die, but I did break its snout and several of its teeth.

>Grateful, Firefly dashes over and gives you a massive hug.
>“See, I told you you can fight! We better get out of here though; I bet this guy has friends nearby. Speaking of friends let me show you mine. They’re at Super Sundae’s Ice Cream Parlor.”
>You two begin walking through the streets allowing you to truly take in the area. Houses are broken in, and some even collapsed.
>From the look on your face, Firefly can tell you’re worried.
>“It’s okay Anon. Most everypony’s trapped in Tirek’s castle. They’ll be okay.”
I hope so.
>You two arrive at the parlor and see a pair of ponies drinking ice cream floats served by a caramel colt with a brown mane.
>One is a yellow unicorn mare with a blond and orange mane, blue eyes, a sunrise branding, and a pink heart imprinted above her left hoof.
>The other is a pink mare with a purple mane, lavender eyes, and white star brand.
>“Girls, I found Megan. She has amnesia, but it’s okay.”
The purple one puts down her cup, slowly walks over, and begins to speak,
>“Wait…that’s not Megan. I knew Megan when I was a filly.”
Oh, thank goodness.
>“Megan doesn’t wear goggles. There’s no way that’s the same person.”
>No words, only groaning.
>Firefly embarrassingly asks, “wait, you really ARE’NT Megan?”
Megan’s my landlord.
>“Well why didn’t you tell me in the first place!?”
>You take a deep breath trying to stay calm with her.
Look, since you’re after Megan, can you take me home or what?
>“That depends, does Megan still do adventures?”
She’s has a child now.
>“You’re the new Megan.”
>A sigh comes out, because you know you’re not going home now.
>Purple mare finally introduces herself.
>“Miss New Megan, I’m Ember and I’m sure you’ll be just as good a hero as Miss Old Megan.”
Please call me Anonymous.
>“Sorry Mr. Anonymous.”
>Yellow unicorn begins walking around you, eying your every detail.
>“Anon? Hehe, that’s a weird name.”
>She takes her right hoof and extends it to you.
>“The name’s Brights Brightly.”
I bet your parents put a lot of thought into that.
>She gives a sarcastic laugh as you shake her hoof.
So Firefly, could you give me a brief rundown on this Tirek guy and how he came back?
>“Sure. Tirek’s a spoooky centaur that created an evil artifact known as ‘The Rainbow of Darkness’. With his power, he was going to create an endless night dystopia for his army and slowly take all of Dream Valley under his hoof. Luckily, my mom and her friends fought him using their own artifact, ‘The Rainbow of Light’, and his body was horribly destroyed in an explosion of color.”
“That’s…pretty dark.”
>“Even though Tirek died, his artifact wouldn’t break. We tried everything, but it was a tough nut to crack, so the ponies of Dream Valley decided to encase it in crystal and put in a museum. A centaur stole it last week. Maybe we shouldn’t have kept it in a known location. We’re not sure what happened after that, but we’re guessing the thief is now one with The Rainbow of Darkness. A couple days after it was stolen, an army of monsters came in and started capturing ponies. One of them also captured my mom, and she was the holder of the Rainbow of Light. It’s okay though, because we’ve got you, and once you take the element of darkness from him, he’ll lose his power and everypony will be happy again.”
I’m not going to lie. Everything about that sounds awful. Could you maybe switch me out with Molly? She’s way more into this stuff than me.
>“Nnnope. I believe in you Anon, and I’m sure if Anypony can save us, it’s you.”
>That was actually kind of touching.
>“I hope everypony’s ready for a trip to Centaurus, because that’s where Tirek’s castle is this time. All we need now is a plan.”
>You sit down in a tiny stool, and begin to ponder with the others. You’re going to have to enter a castle with who knows how many guards and monsters, and by some miracle get an artifact off of a centaur demon. You’re few in number and chances are you’ll all get thrown in a cell, and that’s if this Tirek guy’s in a good mood. Actually, maybe being alive in a cell wouldn’t be too bad of a start.
>An idea finally strikes.
Hey Firefly, do you know anyone with power equipment.
>Brights interjects.
>“I saw the construction ponies down south get captured yesterday, there’s a ton of equipment at the site just sitting there now.”
“Awesome; I work best with tools. This is all very iffy, but I may have a plan that just might save everyone.”


>Your story is once again interrupted as Spike finally walks in with a large silver tray that has the fruit salads you told him to make.
>“Well, I’m done.”
“Awesome. Okay everyone, let’s take a short break for lunch and we’ll pick things up afterwards.”
>You take a good look at your bowl, ready to dig in, but a look of disgust is all that follows.
“Spike, where’s my strawberry syrup?”