A Grim Grimoire
By: Mordy

Prologue: Light

Black, and white. Thirteen pacts. The vessels' forms waver as they cross time and space.

“Oh bother. One moment, please…”

“You okay?”

That was a redundant question. It should have been obvious to any simpleton that I was not okay.

“Fine! Just fine! …All right, no I’m not.”

I guess even my pride has its limits.

“Wei…”

Oh no…

“It seems some headstrong idiot has… push me… limits.”

My memory is…

“I should have… job… cookbook… had the chance.”

“… I’m sorry, I…”

…fading. That isn’t good. Not at all.

“Only joking. …I hate cookbooks.”

“But…”

I must hold onto what little I have left. His name, it was… oh dear… I can’t even remember that.

“Let’s go out of the way! I have one final task to fulfill.”

I did? What was it again? Memory loss is such an inconvenience. Though I suppose losing one’s memory is never a convenience.

“Where… going?”

“Why, to stop him…”

Stop who? Bah, why must I remember only fragments? Causes such horrendous grammar!

“Huh?!”

“But after that, it’s up to you.”

Who was he though? I can’t even recall a face…

“Only you can… battle to… conclusion. I wish… luck… my friend.”

Yes, that’s right! He was a friend, but what was his name? What did he look like?

“…You can’t. I swore to fight by your side!”

He was loyal and stubborn. I think he might have been a fool and a bit oafish too. I think. It’s all getting hazy…

“Bah! You… exceedingly stubborn… You… that, don’t you? Perhaps… enjoyed out time together.”

It’s becoming more broken. I fear soon, I’ll no longer remember any of this.

“But I fear this is where our journey ends.”

“Weiss!”

“Oh, and remember what I told you about using my full name?”

“Ugh…”

“Well forget it, I’ve grown quite…”

Grown what? I don’t recall ever growing anything. Wait… or did we grow something together? Or was I not even talking about crops? No, I don’t think that’s what I was getting at. Bah, it’s becoming worse!

“…Wei…ss… I knew… you’d… come… arou…nd.”

“Don’t let… it… go to... your… head… now…”

I think I remember a bright light and then…

“Aaaaaaaaaargh!”

…and terrible pain. This is where amnesia would have been preferable. Oh… oh my… I suddenly feel… tired. I don’t suppose… I could just… rest… for a little while. Maybe… I’ll remember something… when I…

Deep in a dark, dense forest laid a castle. One, which was now in ruins and had been ravaged by the sands of time. It had sat that way for well over a millennia, mostly forgotten. Events from long ago had left nothing, but painful memories within its halls. Add onto that fact how inhospitable the forest surrounding it had become in the following years it was then quickly abandoned with little regret except for what had to be done that fateful night so long ago.

This night though, or rather this morning, was different. The sun was supposed to be up and it was getting closer to noon, yet it was still dark outside. The reason was that the mistake made so long ago had returned with a vengeance. For the queen of the night, Nightmare Moon, had returned to send the world into an eternal night so that she may forever reign. It seemed like she would succeed to.

However, on this blackest of nights, hope came in the form of six colorful mares. Through trials and tribulations, they bonded together and with their newly founded friendship, they were able to defeat Nightmare Moon and have her relinquish the sun and its goddess.

With the return of Princess Celestia, goddess of the sun, her warm rays shined over the land once more. Better yet her sister, Princess Luna, was freed of her envy and hate that had turned her into Nightmare Moon.

With Equestria’s rulers freed and restored, they and the six mares, dubbed the Elements of Harmony, began to make their way out of the forsaken castle to return once again to Ponyville to continue the Summer Sun Celebration. However, on their leave one lavender mare trailed behind them, distracted by the old designs and structure of the castle. Always a studious and curious mare, the unicorn Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help, but gush over the ancient history that his place held. The only way it could get better was if she could find the ancient library that was tucked away someplace within these hallowed halls.

It was then a glimmer had caught her big doe eyes. A bright white light that flashed for only a moment, but that was all it took to catch her attention. With nothing except the sound of her hooves clip clopping against the stone floors, she made her way around the rubble to where she believed she had seen the flash.

Her short journey did not disappoint. She practically gasped and her eyes shone with an excited glint as she galloped over to a book that was lying on the ground. Twilight skidded to a halt just before the tome as dust kicked up.

Her horn glowed with a pink aura and the book as lifted up as the same color enveloped it. She brought it up to her face to examine it and then cringed a little at the sight of it. Nearly white silver seemed to encase the tome, carved eloquently all around in great painstaking detail. In between these carvings was what looked like a dark brown material to help bind it, but the matter used was foreign and unfamiliar to Twilight. None of this was what made her feel the need to back away. It was what had been carved directly on the cover; a face.

This was no ordinary face, at least not to a pony. It was a very flat face without a muzzle. A very unfamiliar sight to any of the common races that were scattered across the world. What was a bit more disturbing was how the face had been carved with dead looking eyes and a frown. It seemed to almost be scowling at her.

Regardless of those features, Twilight still couldn’t stop her curiosity. There was no title on the cover so she was eager to see what was inside this odd book. She reached out to touch the cover with her lavender hoof when there was another bright flash from her contact with it and slight pain jolted through her. She immediately retracted when it happens with hiss escaping her lips.

Twilight shook her hoof a few times before she looked back at the book again. Once again she reached out, albeit more cautiously, to touch the cover again. This time when nothing happened she immediately concluded it as naught more than a strong static shock.

She was about to sit down and start reading the tome right then and there when a voice called out to her, “Twilight? Are you coming?” It had been one of her new friends, Rainbow Dash she believed, and her ears perked up at the sound of her voice. She looked back tentatively at the book.

“Well, I suppose I can read you later and a little souvenir wouldn’t hurt,” she reasoned as she brought the strange book with her. She called out ahead to her friends, “I’m coming!” The mare then cantered off to the entrance with the book in tow, floating behind her in her magical grasp.

That day, everypony was so busy paying attention to their princesses that they never noticed Twilight’s newly acquired grimoire…

Author's Note

I've had this idea in my head for awhile now and I've yet to see such a cross over before. Twilight with Grimoire Weiss? It's a beautiful train wreck of a mash up! So, of course there will be spoilers form Nier and it's history. Like the opening bit was from the final boss of Nier. So, if you haven't played through Nier you might want to steer clear. Also, in good Cavia fashion with Nier and Drakengard I'll be trying to paint a darker world. I'm good with dark, but not quite grim dark so this will be a good test of my abilities.

EDIT 12/6/2013: Added an extra line at the start. Nothing more. You might recognize the quote.