Chaos...what is Chaos? How is it different from Harmony? There are so many questions...yet so little answers...Is it even possible for Friendship to conquer that of any evil? Even to this day, everypony understands so little. Friendship...is nothing more than an illusion..." -Shadestone
RISE OF DARKNESS
Prologue
There was once a time of great evil and darkness. It is around that time, our story begins...
A pony by the name of Shadestone was born in the year of 1950 BNM (Before Nightmare Moon). He was gifted in the powers of foreign magic. It marked him as an outcast to all ponies. He was brought to Celestia for guidance and training. As an apprentice of hers, Shadestone became a powerful individual; so powerful, that even Celestia began to fear him like everyone else... She eventually exiled him for his safety and theirs.
Then one day, it all happened...
Shadestone walked around Canterlot Castle unseen and entered the Royal Library's Restricted Section.
'I must have more! More knowledge! I will go to any length to understand the powers and capabilities of darkness!' Shadestone thought to himself.
"Halt trespasser!" A Royal Guard said.
Shadestone merely chuckled and blasted a beam of black energy turning the guard to stone. He then entered the Restricted Section while destroying the former guard now turned statue.
"They're all foals to dare think they can stand in my way now. Celestia fears me. I can sense it. That is why she refrained me from entering this place. But as they say, knowledge is power. And I crave it so."
After finding what he was looking for, Shadestone left, packed his things, and left Canterlot Castle.
MLP
Later that night...
Celestia found the Royal Library in ruins. She ordered every Guard to find Shadestone and apprehend him by any means necessary!
However, far away in the vast reaches of the Everfree Forest, darkness was at work. Shadestone began to boil ingredients into a special brew of potion. With it, he'd gain the knowledge of all Equestria! Past, present, and future.
'Heh heh heh...all my studies have brought me to this moment! Soon knowledge beyond knowledge will be mine... and mine alone! They shunned me, ridiculed, and hated me! All because of my gifting in Dark Magic! Bah! Those fools know nothing of it's capabilities. Their feeble light cannot exist without shadow. So why is it that they shun it? I must have these answers! I. Must Know. EVERYTHING!!!!'
He looked upon his Cutie Mark which he thought of as a curse, but now a gift. It was styled as a Black Crystal surging with dark energies. Simple, yet surprisingly...fitting.
The finishing touches were added to the potion when suddenly, his "home" was broken into by none other than Princess Celestia herself! She was very elegant with pure white fur, rainbow colored mane and tail, a golden tiara, and golden breastplate adorned her.
"Stop this madness Shadestone! You don't know what consequences you'll bring to this land!" Celestia shouted in a vain attempt to stop her protégé.
"And why should I Celestia? You've always claimed to know what the truth is behind Light, Friendship, and Darkness. Yet you hide it's answers and secrets away for your own selfish needs! You're just like the rest of the ponies I've met. Selfish, foalish, and pathetic beings who know NOTHING! I believe it's truly time for your reign to end and mine to begin. If you want to stop me, then come at me with everything you have!"
"YOU DARETH TO ATTACK OUR SISTER?! THY TREACHERY SHALL NOT GO UNPUNISHED!" Princess Luna shouted in the royal Canterlot Voice as she burst in to fight alongside her sister.
"And your annoying excuse for a voice merely repulses me to no end dear Loony! Enough foalish bickering. For behold! The potion is finished! Now knowledge beyond all is mine!" Shadestone shouted triumphantly.
"STOP!" Both sisters shouted. But it was too late. The potion was drunk and a burst of chaotic Dark Magic was unleashed from Shadestone's body. What was once a young grey stallion with a midnight black mane, was a pure blackish purple alicorn with black mist pouring out of every part of his body. He now had a crimson mane billowing out in the wind like maniacal flames. He also had green markings everywhere on his body as well. His Cutie Mark changed into that of a Deformed Black Crystal Crown with a Lunar Eclipse inside it. Unlike regular alicorns, his wings were bat-like and his horn was a curved sickle-shaped blade. His eyes were the purest of whites; devoid of any emotion or remorse for his actions.
"Behold my power Royal Sisters! The true power of darkness itself! I can feel practically everything beneath my hooves. I can sense the very presences of the spirits and can even see into the past! This is truly remarkable! And...what's this? I sense fear inside both of you! Ha ha ha ha! How truly pathetic. So pathetic it is laughable!"
Luna and Celestia both trembled at the power of the newly born Shadestone. They looked around them and saw all life slowly starting to decay around them and turn to ashes!
"Sister." Luna said. "We must stop this creature from setting foot into Canterlot- no...into all of Equestria!"
"I know dear Luna. I believe now's the time to use the Elements of Harmony." Celestia replied back to Luna.
"Feeble minded foals! You cannot and will not stop me! Not when there's so much to learn about the very essence of the universe! Do you dare deny me my right?! If so...SUFFER!" Shadestone summoned a massive cleaver made of pure Dark Magic and attacked.
Luna and Celestia gathered as much energy as possible and attacked as well. Luna merely got hit by the Dark Sword while Celestia swiftly and nimbly dodged every blow. As Luna fired a beam of concentrated energy at Shadestone, Celestia bucked Shadestone in the sides, eliciting a gasp from the powerful foe. They fought and fought until they were all at their very last breaths.
"You cannot defeat me Princesses! I am ETERNAL!" Shadestone proclaimed then fired a beam darkness at Celestia and Luna, while they used the last bits of energy inside them to fire a beam of light using The Elements of Harmony.
The beams both struck their marks. Finally a huge explosion engulfed nearly half of the Everfree Forest and what was revealed was quite a sight!
While both Princesses were hurt and nearly close to Death's Door, Shadestone had seemingly vanished into thin air. That however was not the case. During the battle, when The Elements of Harmony were fired at Shadestone, they opened up the Gates of Tartarus where Shadestone now resides...no longer a threat. The Princesses were then found by The Royal Guard and taken to recuperation. The sisters eventually recovered, but the mental strain never left them. In what is now the Everfree of today, a powerful Dark Curse lies within. For it is the one thing Shadestone left behind in this world. Whoever dare entered would slowly lose their minds to the horrors and evil that is the Everfree. And as for the ruins left behind where Shadestone once resided? Destroyed for all eternity...never to be seen again.....
In Tartarus...
Deep down in the vast abyss of Tartarus, Shadestone lies in anger and hate. His power may be weak and his body nearly destroyed, but his spiritual form and energy still are at it's highest.
'Ha! They believed they've stopped me? I told them already, I'm eternity itself! Unlike some miserable foal who gave into darkness, I embraced it! One day my dear Loony and Celly...all will bow at my feet. And not even your little trinkets known as The Elements of Harmony will stop me again! I've made certain of that! For with the power to see the future, I will be back by creating a series of events that will lead to my freedom and you to your inevitable demise. For now, I shall simply watch and wait while these events take place. You have not seen the last of me. I shall forever haunt your very nightmares! In fact, I know just the puppet to start my little paradox! Oh my sweet little Luna...heh heh heh...'
MLP
And so it was then that the rising of King Sombra and Nightmare Moon eventually began with Shadestone's dark influence. And each time the Elements of Harmony were used, Shadestone grew stronger and Celestia slowly giving in to the sudden nightmares that plagued her to no end...
To Be Continued...!
Celestia immediately awoke from another night of nightmares. How long has it been since she and Luna banished the monster of a pony Shadestone into the vast depths of Tartarus? How many times must she suffer the same nightmare over and over?! She began to reminisce over her latest nightmare...
Celestia's Nightmare...
The sky was black. Lightning and thunder raged while the flames of Tartarus burned all that lay before them. The lakes were filled with pollution and the very ground decayed and aged. As if that weren't enough, Canterlot Castle was in disarray and out of it came a Kingdom of Darkness! Ponies of all kinds were trapped in Dark Crystals and the only things that moved were the Demons of Tartarus. The Elements of Harmony destroyed, Celestia faced the one responsible for all the darkness and destruction: Shadestone.
"Shadestone! How could you do this to all of my beloved ponies?! What have they ever done to you?" Celestia screamed in fury.
"Ha! You still don't understand do you Celestia? Those aligned to the Light have no place in a world of Darkness. Now it is they who understand what it is like to be ridiculed, shunned, and rejected. Just as I once was!" A dark voice replied back.
Celestia still tried her best to convince Shadestone to stop, "That was in the past Shadestone! These ponies are different! If you only gave them a chance! I beg of you! Stop this madness! You were a good pony too once were you not?!"
"Bah! What do you know Princess of the Sun? The Shadestone you once knew is gone! Lost into oblivion. Only the mighty Lord of Shadows lives! I am now Darkness incarnate! I am Oblivios! Fear my name little pony. For it is the last you will ever hear. For behold, I shall show you a brief glimpse of your future!" Shadestone now known as Oblivios said.
The entire atmosphere warped and changed before Celestia's eyes and in the deepest dark fog, she saw a horrible sight! The Elements were shattered into pieces... Her beloved students turned to stone... and Luna... Luna was surrounded by dark flames which ripped apart her very soul and all that was left was none other than Nightmare Moon! Three more figures then slowly walked out of the depths of the eerie flames and were villains of the past. Chrysalis...Discord...and Sombra!
"Now do you understand Celly? These 4 were the very ones that began the inevitable paradox to my freedom! They will once more rise and take place in my kingdom! Here is where they will be free from your pathetic excuse of an influence. Do you now understand? My return is inevitable. My loyal followers known as The Covenant will be sure of that! And no matter how many times you stop me, I will always find another path to take! Your days...are numbered!"
The scene then shifted to 13 mysterious hooded ponies that Oblivios had called The Covenant. each wore a ragged dark cloak that hid their identities and each had crimson red eyes that seemed to pierce even the mightiest of souls. Among The Covenant's ranks were Nightmare Moon, Sombra, Discord (who was under the influence of darkness), and Queen Chrysalis. Each of them wore a cloak of their own; finally their leader emerged out of the smoke and was the face of a draconic being! With crimson horns atop it's head like a regal crown, white eyes devoid of emotion, and blackish purple scaly skin, this was Oblivios in his Spiritual Form! The last sight Celestia saw was Oblivios roaring as the entire world of Equestria was engulfed in the flames of Hell...
End of Celestia's Dream...
Celestia still felt the shivers of that horrid dream. She got up, brushed her mane, and put on her royal garments for the day. But not before getting a big glass of water.
She passed by many of her loyal subjects and began to ponder in her throne room. How in the hay would she be able to find out more about this "Covenant"? And will her dreams fully come to pass?
Celestia decided to take a quick breather outside and gaze at the magnificence of her sun...
MLP
Meanwhile...
As Celestia watched the sun and pondered over her nightmare, Princess Luna had retired to her quarters for the night...
'I wonder what has 'Tia so worried? Hopefully it is nothing, but sister...be safe!' Luna thought to herself.
She then took a bath and combed her mane, but then sensed she was not alone.
"Who is there?!" Luna asked.
"Relax Your Highness...I'm only the Messenger. I bring this message from your future king: Oblivios."
"HOW DARETH YOU! WHAT RIGHT DOTH YOUR "KING" HAVE WITH 'TIA?!" Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The Messenger didn't even flinch at the volume.
"In order for this message to be heard, our King commands you to be silent!" Wisps of smoke covered Luna's mouth preventing her from talking while the Messenger continued. "In three days time, the Gates of Tartarus will be weakened. Our King will rise on the fourth day and with him shall bring an army of darkness! Not even you will be able to prevent this; it takes place during the Crimson Moon. Now that the message has been delivered, an example must be made of those who dare defy Our Lord and Master." The hooded messenger brought out a knife, moved with insane speed to Luna's position, and was about to slice Luna's wing off, before her Nightguards arrived!
"Your Royal Highness! Is everything alright?!" One of the guards asked.
The muzzle immediately disappeared and with it the mysterious Messenger...
Luna immediately ordered all patrols to search the castle for anything suspicious. When Celestia heard the news on the attempted assassination on Luna's life, she immediately rushed to her side.
"Sister! Please tell me you're unharmed?!" Celestia said. When she looked at Luna, Luna immediately sobbed into Celestia's wing and told her what the Messenger proclaimed what would happen.
"It was horrible Sister! For that was one of the many times I actually felt...fear!"
MLP
At Tartarus...
Thirteen cloaked ponies resided on their respective thrones in their Lord's throneroom.
The messenger from earlier arrived and told them the news of what transpired at Canterlot Castle.
"I see...so the message was delivered successfully then?" One of them said.
"Who cares about the bucking message?! What I wanna know is if the "Example" was made clear!"
All of the other members murmured in agreement with the second voice The Messenger said, "I'm afraid on that part I failed my Liege. However, I believe we may have already sent example enough by setting fear and doubt into their puny hearts."
Before anypony could protest, a dark voice rumbled throughout all of Tartarus, "It matters not my friends...the message was delivered and that is all I care about. Eventually the night of the Crimson Moon will draw near and no pony will stop us from claiming our rightful prize! Of that, I can promise you. Believe and put all your trust into me and I will DELIVER!"
Everypony shouted in praise and glory while the spirit of Oblivios smiled a cunning smirk...
To Be Continued...!