The Darkness

Five years have passed since the death of Shining Armor and the suicide of his wife Cadence, who couldn’t handle the pressure of her husbands death, and since then The Crepuscolos have become less like the gang that Shining’s father created and more on the lines of being just another mob group in the city. There were those that objected to how the new don, Blueblood, ran things but most were not that eager to speak out of terms. The exceptions were the 6 hitmares that cleaned up any loose ends that needed to be taking care of.

Among this team was Twilight Sparkle, the true heir to the family business and leader of the group, always carried twin 44. Magnum Revolvers which were her special weapons given to her by Shining Armor when she was a teenager. Applejack, who was a muscular hitmare whose family was in deep connections with the Crepuscolos, carried on her back a Model 870 Shotgun which was a powerful gun at short range. Rarity, who was once with another mob until they left her for dead and the Crepuscolos came and took her in, carried a Model 586 Revolver with a six inch barrel. Rainbow Dash, who was the hard headed of the hitmares, once grew up on the streets and and still had connections with some of the gangs she met such as The Steel Wing Griffons and The Shadowbolts, carried a Micro Uzi. Pinkie Pie, the wild and insane hitmare, used explosives and was a demolitions expert. And the last of the group was Fluttershy, who wasn’t much of a talker, used a .243 Winchester Sniper Rifle since she had good aim.

“C’mon Twi I need to show you this!” Applejack said excitedly. Twilight was recently taken out of her bed by Applejack, and nearly choked said assailant, who wanted to show her something upstairs.

“Why is it so important that you had me dragged away from a few moments of sleep AJ?” Twilight asked irritably. The time was somewhere around eleven if she remembered right but that didn’t explain to her why Applejack took her out of her bed so early… unless, “Are the others up there by any chance AJ?” Twilight asked slyly hoping to get an answer out of Applejack.

“Uh, uh, nope!” Applejack answered a little too quickly for Twilight’s taste. Twilight knew that Applejack was a terrible liar and so she automatically knew where the others were.

“Twi’, I need you to close your eyes for a sec’.” Applejack said to her friend.

“Alright.” Twilight said as she closed her eyes. With Applejack as her guide, she walked up the stairs and up to the upper floor of her home. Twilight then heard the sound of an opening door and walked in with Applejack.

“Alright. Open your eyes.” Applejack said in a high pitched voice. As Twilight opened her eyes, she heard the yell of her friends. “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWILIGHT!” The room that she was in had been filled to the brim with party streamers and other party favors strewn along the walls. On a nearby table were several Apple Family ciders, one of The Apple Clans covers, and a cake with several candles on it.

“Congratulations egghead! You’re finally legal!” Rainbow Dash shouted above the music box that was blasting. Each of her friends had brought in separate presents that were covered mainly by brown paper.

“It was the only kind available darling but I tried to find something more fitting for you.” Rarity said with a little bit of pride in her voice. Pinkie, as usual, was bouncing up and down with excitement as she saw the look of pure happiness on her friends faces.

“This is the best party I’ve ever made for you girls!” She yelled.

“It t...took a while to get the money for some of t..these. B..but after some skull cracking, I managed t..to get enough money for your gift from me.” Fluttershy said quietly. Twilight just smiled at her friend to let her know that she appreciated the thought.

“So Twilight, cake or gifts first?” Rainbow Dash asked as she picked up a gift from her.

“It’s a Crepuscolo tradition to open presents before you eat on a birthday. So presents first.” Twilight replied. Her friends then picked up their gifts and stood in a line to give Twilight her presents. Applejack was first.

“Here ya’ go Twi. It took me a bit to find it, but I know you’ll love it.” Applejack said with a smile on her face as she passed the gift to Twilight. Twilight opened the wrapping paper and saw it was the Whetstone 12 Inch Hunting Knife she’s been searching around for.

“Applejack, where’d you get this?” Twilight asked as she observed the blade.

“I know a guy who sells good things. Luckily he had that knife and I got to it before he sold it.” Applejack explained.

“Thanks Applejack. I love it.” Twilight said with a smile. Applejack smiled back and walked over to the table with her family’s cider on it. Rarity then walked up and gave her gift to Twilight. When she opened it, Twilight’s eyes shined when she saw it was a diamond necklace.

“Wow! This is….beautiful Rarity.” Twilight exclaimed.

“I’m glad you love it darling. I found a jeweler downtown who gave that to me for a good price.” Rarity said back. Rarity then backed away and Fluttershy slowly walked up to Twilight.

“H..here you go Twilight.” She stuttered as she passed Twilight her gift. When Twilight opened it, she gasped to see that inside were two 44. Magnum Revolvers that were hers but their colors were changed to purple and silver.

“So that’s where my guns went! You took them for this?” Twilight asked as she observed her weapon.

“Sorry if it makes you mad T...Twilight. B..but I thought I’d do something nice for you so I took your gun and found somepony who’d paint it your colors.” Fluttershy said as she took a step back. Twilight gave off a giggle.

“It’s fine Fluttershy. I actually love it.” Twilight said making Fluttershy smile.

Twiiiiliiiight.

Twilight’s ears perked up at the voice calling her name. She looked around and saw nopony except her friends. Pinkie then bounced towards her and gave her gift to Twilight. When she opened it, Twilight saw that Pinkie, being an explosives lover, bought her a pack of C4.

“Thanks Pinkie. I’ve been needing more C4.” Twilight said as she placed the explosives down slowly.

“Your welcome!” Pinkie said as she bounced away.

Ohhhh Twiiiilliiiiight.

Twilight’s ears perked up again making her look around again.

“Twilight, are you okay?” Rainbow asked her friend.

“I’m...fine. I just thought I heard something.” She replied. Rainbow Dash then passed Twilight her gift and when Twilight opened, she saw it was a book. But it was never one she read. It was titled The Darkness: A Guide to the Shadows.

“Rainbow, where’d you get this?” Twilight asked as she observed the book. Rainbow remained silent for a bit.

I found it after I pried it from a dead pigs hands. Ssshe didn’t want to let go for some reason. The words came from Rainbow Dash’s mouth but it wasn’t her voice. The voice that came from her was more ancient, malevolent, and it was the exact same voice that Twilight heard not to long ago in her own head.

“R-Rainbow that’s not funny!” Twilight said to her friend, whose eyes suddenly became yellow as did the others in the room, and they started marching towards her mouths agape as if they were trying to say something. “WHAT ARE YOU?!” Twilight shouted and then she heard it. That same laughter from five years ago after she was told of her brothers passing and then finding Cadence hanging from a ceiling fan. The laughter was followed by the sound of her friends breaking their bones and then seemingly melting in front of her before they formed an armored creature that stood menacingly in front of her. The face of the creature peeled back to reveal… her own face underneath.

I’m you Twiiiiiiiliiiiiiight! The demonic creature said to her, laughing as it came closer.

“N-NO YOU-YOU CAN’T BE M-ME!” Twilight screams as she covers her face. Then creature’s mouth then grows several bloody fangs and lunges towards Twilight with a primal screech making her scream in horror.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Rainbow yelled as she shook Twilight’s shoulder trying to break her hallucination. Twilight then opens her eyes and sees her friends with a worried look on her faces.

“Twi’ what the hell happened to ya’?” Applejack asked with a worried tone. Twilight then saw she was in the corner of the room and on her butt. She then looked at the book Rainbow gave her and saw it was a Daring Do book that she’s been wanting for a while.

.

“Twi’, tell me. What’s wrong?” Applejack asked as she placed a hand on her friends shoulder.

Nothiiiing isssss wrong with you Twiiiiliiiiight.

Twilight quickly covers her ears and lets out a short scream in fear as she quivers.

Twiiiiliiiight! Embrace the Darknesssssss!

“Twi? Are you-” Applejack started. But then a sniper rifle bullet came through the window and went through Applejack’s head sending blood and her brains everywhere in the room. The girls screamed in fear as Applejack’s body fell to the floor and gunfire started to tear through the place.

“Oh shit! Ambush!” Rainbow yelled as she grabbed her gun.

Twiiiiliiight! Usssse the power of the Darknesssss or DIIIE!

“TWILIGHT YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!” Rarity shouted but no sooner had she said this then a bullet went through her heart silencing her forever.

“RARITY!” Fluttershy yelled, her eyes suddenly going from sad to anger in mere moments. She picked up her Sniper Rifle and started picking off some of their attackers one by one. Rainbow ran over to Twilight and helped her up.

“COME ON TWILIGHT I KNOW A SHORTCUT OUT OF HERE!” She yelled. Rainbow and Twilight were just about to exit the bullet ridden room when they heard Pinkie Pie scream. Both of them turned to see her clutching Fluttershy in her hands, a bullet through the timid pegasus’s head, and crying into her dead friends head.

“G-go I’ll h-hold them o-off.” Pinkie sobbed a little as Rainbow and Twilight nodded and headed out the door. But as the two left the room, a powerful explosion went off sending the two of their hooves and onto their stomachs. Rainbow turned her head and saw the arm of the pink pony laying the rubble of the room.

“PINKIE!” Rainbow screamed angrily as tears fell from her eyes. Twilight had to pull her friend away to stop her from shifting through the rubble.

“SHE’S DEAD RAINBOW COME ON! IF WE DIE HERE THEN PINKIE AND THE OTHERS DIED FOR NOTHING!”

I cooould heeeellllp Twiiiiiiliiiiiiight! The demonic voice repeated.

“I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!” Twilight shouted into the darkness. Rainbow had little time to ask who Twilight was shouting at when she felt what could be described as a hot spike go through her leg. Rainbow yelled in agony as she clutched the leg the bullet went through. Twilight turned around and was about to help her friend up so that she could use her wings but Rainbow knocked her away.

“But Rainbow-”

“N-no Twi. You and I both know that I’m probably not gonna live through this. So go.” Rainbow ordered as she held her leg.

“Rainbow-” Twilight started as tears flowed from her eyes.

“GO! GO TWILIGHT!” Rainbow roared. Twilight did as she ordered and began to run. Twilight ran through the now wrecked building at her top speed, every now and then she teleported, but the one thought that plagued her through this whole thing was this. She had failed her friends the very idea of this statement was enough to dissolve her into tears. It was this, perhaps, that made her unable to see the hole that was dead ahead of her as she fell in. As she closed her eyes to accept the inevitable, she heard an old clock ringing.

Helllo Twiiiiliiiight. I’vvvveeee waaaaittttteeeeeddddd sssso long to mmmmmeetttttt you young one. The voice said but more clearly this time. Twilight noticed that she was actually floating over the pit that she fell into. But what truly caught her attention was the smoke. She then saw a shadow. But this wasn’t any normal shadow she’s seen. It was whole and in the shape of her. It’s eyes were a bright yellow and it’s mouth...well it had no mouth.

“Who or what the hell are you?” Twilight asked the shadow.

IIIIII’m theeeeee deeeeemon that liveeeeeesssss withiiiiiin your ssssssoul. IIIIIIIIII’ve beeeeeen waiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiing to meeeeeeet you for tweeeenty one yeeeeeearssssssss. The shadow replied as it walked towards Twilight. The unicorn merely stared back at the shadow as it started to circle her.

“Why?” Twilight asked the demon who laughed that same sickening laughter.

Yyyyouuuuuu aaaareeee my vesssssel on thisssss world. Mmmmy preeevioussss hosssts were but mere farm animalssss to mmmmmeeeee. It spoke. Twilight continued to stare before she suddenly remembered something.

“Wait. Are you here to help me or try to kill me?” Twilight asked.

Eassssy and sssssimpleeeeeee. I want to heeeeelp you kill theeeeesssssseeeee bassssstarrrrrdssssss. Alllllll you neeeeeed to do, is makeeeeee a deeeeallllll with meeeee. The shadow replied.

“What kind of deal?” Twilight asked.

Asssss you can seeeeee, I’m a sssshadooooow. But through yooooouuuuu, IIIIII am boooorrrrn. IIIIII’m in coooooontrollllll. And youuuu arrrre nothing mmmmoooorrrreeeee than my puppet. Buuuut iiiif you heeelp meeeee, I willll ressssurreeeect your friiiiends. Twilight’s eyes widened at what the shadow said. Should I take the shadow’s offer? I don’t want my friends to die. So what do I do? she thought to herself. It took a minute but she gave the shadow an answer.

“I...accept the offer.” Twilight said to the shadow. The shadow laughed as it started swirling around Twilight, who started to fall once more. As she fell she felt her skin rip open as the armor that she saw on the demon from her vision earlier started to appear on her body. Covering the mare’s entire body was an armor that was black as shadows and it was rigid and spined. On some spots of the armor it was blood red. Her head was then covered by a metal helmet that ripped through her skin as well. The last thing she felt before the demon took over was the feeling as though wings busted through her back and the demons own voice mingled with her own shouting to the heavens “AT LAST! I FEEEEEDDDDDD!”.