In crystalline caverns, she paced, walls of crystal shimmering as shadows danced off them. The dark flocked around her, too, as she drew ancient symbols upon the ground. She paused, looking down at her work. A circle etched in place, surrounded by softly glowing arcane symbols. With a gesture of her hoof and a few muttered words, the glow intensified. It quickly grew until it all but blinded her, the darkness quickly fleeing from its oppression.
She took a hurried step back, shielding herself from the onslaught of light. She needed only wait a few moments, for as abruptly as it came, it was gone. Darkness returned, stronger than before. Where once there was illumination, nothing remained, those symbols that once brightened the cavern gone. The light they once gave off replaced by a slimy blackness.
The shadows returned; eager to choke out what little light remained. Finding nothing remained, they writhed. Slowly, they came ever closer to the new pool, an otherworldly darkness of inconceivable depth. Once close, it snapped at them, and they recoiled, fleeing back to their mistress.
She laughed, the soft sound nevertheless echoing throughout the caverns. "Play nicely. Fighting here would be... unwise."
She approached it, unfazed as it surged forward. It crashed into her, only for the darkness to harmlessly slide off her. Puddling onto the ground, she watched on as it gathered itself up. As it prepared itself to strike again, she interrupted.
"You're far too weak to harm me," she said. It paused. Waiting for a moment,it flattened itself against the ground, drawing itself back ever so slightly. "Good. Now, listen well, I have a proposition for you."
She brought forth a shadow, caressing it with a wing as it took tangible form. "As you can see, we share a common... friend," she gently pushed the shadow away as it purred under her ministrations. "Unfortunately, there is something that could stop me."
It stayed still, watching her as she continued. "There are those who oppose me. They have six gems, known as the 'Elements of Harmony,' that could ruin my work. This is where you shall assist. Destroy them, and you shall be rewarded."
A low, gurgling sound came as it retched, a gap appearing within it. From that, a raspy voice began to speak. "And what... shall you give... us."
"The light of this world, my sister," her lip curled, and she sneered. "She was pathetically easy to subdue. Destroy the elements, and you shall have her."
"Acceptable." its maw closed. It began to move, slowly dragging its way across the ground, leaving a trail of slimy black in its wake.
"Stop!" she yelled, her thunderous voice reverberating throughout the caves. "You cannot leave yet, you foolish creature. You must wait, you are not fully... here."
"You must stay here for now. But do not worry," she began to move, circling around the cavern as it watched her. "These caverns, they are very old, and dangerous."
She rubbed a hoof across the crystalline wall, smiling as shadows danced over it. "Not so dangerous anymore, perhaps. But he was cunning, forgetting about this place may have been wise." she turned back to it, looking on as it shifted. It's tiny, constant movements a testament to its anxiety.
"Stories would pop up from time to time; stories of ponies going mad searching for the crystals. Such interesting times," she paused, and shuddered. "But that does not matter, not anymore."
It settled, and she smiled at it, curved teeth showing as her smile went to her eyes. "You shall stay here... and soon, I shall return to complete the ritual. Then, you shall hunt, and those ponies shall tremble under my night!"
She cackled, shadows flying about as she diffused, a black cloud left in her place. Without pause, the cloud flew out, trailed by her intangible followers.
And her companion waited. It waited diligently, unmoving as it anticipated the return of the one who called it. But in the darkness, none came for it. Eventually, it could wait no longer. It began to move, seeking to complete its side.
A small distance covered, and it felt pain coursing through its body. It screeched, but weakly continued its journey. The pain unrelenting, it found it could go no further. With haste, it returned to its circle. Then the pain stopped.
And it waited.
He sat on his throne and rested, looking out upon all that he had created. He had been productive, and the land was once again as it had been. Flying clouds made of rock created thunderstorms of cheese, and ponies rushed about as they were chased by ravenous rabbits.
Those he faced long ago had fled, leaving him with fresh toys. From afar, he watched them. Already corrupted, he laughed as the last one struggled. He had given her hope, and he would laugh again when he proved it false.
But for now, he waited.
Then, he felt something; a tug from a place he had made long ago. A twisted smile crawled onto his face. With a snap of his claw, he was there. He surveyed his old haunt. Ragged crystals from the walls, shining tantalizingly. Some scratches remained on some of them, where those he had tempted tried to in vain to free the crystals.
He had seen many waste away in here, long ago. But he found it... lacking; the place was rather empty after so long. Another snap, and a golden orb appeared, illuminating the cave. It reflected on the crystals perfectly, but that was not what interested him.
In the center of his cave, darkness remained, unhindered by the light. It absorbed it all into a pit of unending black. He approached it, creeping closer to the anomaly of nature. Once again snapping his claw, he found nothing had changed.
"You're not meant to do things like that unless I make you!" he fumed, thrusting a claw into its void. He watched as it was consumed by the darkness, before he pulled it out to find it unchanged. He tried again, spearing it and raging as it stayed unaffected. Again and again, he poured magic into it, until eventually, he stopped.
"Fine, you win this round. But I'll be back, and then we'll finish this!" he shouted, his claw thrust forward as yelled. Then, a snapping, and he was gone.
