The Nightbringer Saga

Chapters

Nightfall: Part 2
The Beginning of Trials
Den of Wolves
Terror of the Moon
Nightfall: Part 1

Nightfall: Part 2

Nightfall: Rise of the Fallen Prince

Twilight Sparkle stood in her study struggling to absorb and understand everything that had transpired over that past day. After a quick look around, everything seemed to be in place and normal. She looked on her desk to find that the book about the Dream Realm was gone. Was it all a dream or did she really doom Equestria by letting Nightbringer have it and the others? The events seemed to blur together and the last few moments went by so fast that it was a struggle to make out what exactly happened. A sound like thunder came from outside and Twilight hurried to the window to see dark, menacing clouds beginning to cover the sky. She rushed to the balcony for a better grasp of the situation and saw darkness claiming the land. She followed the darkness towards Canterlot to see a black spot where it all originated. Clarity and realization struck Twilight like a tremor and she slumped to the floor.

“It was all real. I really did doom Equestria. This is all my fault.” Tears rolled down her face as guilt and remorse overwhelmed the young princess.

"Twilight!”

Hearing her named called snapped Twilight out of her grief. She looked down from the balcony to see Applejack and the others running towards the library with Spike leading. A smile came to Twilight’s face. She knew she could fix all of this with her friends help. Before she could say anything, Rainbow Dash came flying in at top speed and grabbed her in a tight hug.

“We’ve been looking all over for you. I was…I mean…” the pegasus caught herself and let go of Twilight, an embarrassed look on her face. “The others were worried sick about you. But, uh, I knew you were alright the whole time.”

Rainbow put on a brave look to save face but Twilight knew that Rainbow had been just as worried as the others. This lifted her spirit all the more and she brushed away her tears before flying down with Rainbow to see the others. After a warming group hug, Twilight’s friends began their string of questions.

“Are you alright, sugar cube?”

“What’s going on here Twilight?”

“Where you abducted? Is this some magical storm? Is it going to rain chocolate milk like with Discord? I love chocolate milk!”

“What happened to you, darling?”

“This awful mess has frightened all of the animals. What are we going to do?”

“Girls please!” Twilight shouted. Her head ached from everything that was happing already and her friends’ constant questions only made things worse. “If we’re going to fix this then we need to get to Canterlot as quick as possible. I’ll explain everything on the way there.”

The pony friends ran to the train station to find that every pony had run and hid from the coming storm and were forced to operate the train themselves. They all piled into the engine as Rainbow Dash and Applejack began shoveling coal. As they made their way towards Canterlot, Twilight told her friends what had happened, everything from wandering the Dream Realm to Nightbringer regaining his power. But as she told the story she caught herself, only after the fact, changing around some parts and leaving others out entirely. She had left out that she helped free Nightbringer and had brought together all three books with his power. As for her encounter with him in her home, since Spike had witnessed some of it, she changed around the events, shortening it and saying that she escaped soon after seeing him.

Twilight thought about why she only told part of the story to her friends. Was she worried that they would view her as partially responsible? She hoped that her friends would forgive her for being tricked but she could not bring herself to tell them.

“I can’t risk it,” she said to herself.

“What was that sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“Nothing, we’re here anyway.” Twilight pushed her fears aside as she and her friends stepped out of the train. Once this is over I won’t have anything to worry about. It will all just be a bad dream.

The ponies looked at the once great royal city which was now engulfed in darkness and overrun by shadows. It was a though Twilight was looking at the Nightmare Zone again but this time an image of Canterlot stood within.

Having never seen the Nightmare Zone, all of Twilight’s friends were terrified at what they saw. Darkness was all around as shadows danced across the streets and buildings. The Canterlot citizens and Royal Guard where nowhere to be found. Only darkness and shadows were about. The palace itself was engulfed by an orb of total darkness.

Terror had overtaken each of Twilight’s friends as they looked on in horror. Fluttershy cowered and whimpered behind Rainbow Dash who was unable to hide her own fear. Applejack’s legs shook, threatening to give way as she stared in terror, mouth gaping. Rarity was frozen in fear unable to even blink much less shake. Even the ever-moving Pinkie Pie could hardly move a muscle, too frightened to even attempt a smile. Despite her friends’ fears, Twilight felt the same alluring draw that she felt when she saw the Nightmare Zone.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Twilight Sparkle and her Ponyville friends.” The familiar voiced snapped Twilight out of her trance. “I was wondering when you would show up.”

The ponies looked around to find Discord standing in the middle of them. The sight of Discord provided a pleasant distraction from the fears the others had.

“Discord!” shouted Rainbow, having all but forgotten the terror she had recently experienced. “I should have known you were behind this!”

“But Rainbow,” whispered Fluttershy, “don’t you remember that Discord is good now?”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, don’t you remember? Must we go through this with each disaster whenever I show up?” Discord echoed.

Twilight spoke up, frustrated slightly at the pegasus. “First, we turned Discord good. Second, did you forget everything that I told you on the way here?”

Despite her frustration, she understood Rainbow’s reaction. The recent events were frightening and the others could barely comprehend what was happening. Discord provided something they could understand easier and was far less frightening. Rainbow Dash fluttered to the ground, quiet and embarrassed.

“Here,” said Discord, “I’ll prove my good intentions and help you at the same time.” He pulled out a white box wrapped in a pink bow and held it out towards Twilight. “A present from me to you.”

Twilight opened the box, apprehensive about what could be inside. Worry gave way to excitement when she saw the Elements of Harmony inside. “Ta da!” exclaimed Discord.

“I can’t believe I forgot about the Elements,” Twilight said as she passed out the Elements to her friends. She hardly cared how Discord came into possession of the Elements given the circumstances. “Now we can fight this darkness.” Even as Twilight said this, she found a small part of herself that did not want to dispel the darkness.

Armed with the Elements of Harmony, Twilight regained her confidence and was ready to face Nightbringer and end this nightmare. “Let’s go girls!” Just as the pony friends charged off to the palace Discord asked a haunting question.

“Are you sure you know who the real villain is?”

Twilight stopped and pondered the strange question as her friends ran ahead. “Of course,” she replied, though with little faith in her answer. “Why would you ask a question like that?”

Discord’s response was more cryptic than his question. “Each pony in there believes that they are right and the other is wrong. It’s about perception and deception. From the right point-of-view, the truth can be hidden. With this, the true evil and the motives of said evil remain in shadow and unseen. Off you go.”

With that Discord disappeared leaving Twilight alone. She was more confused now then she had ever been before. Was she wrong about Nightbringer or was Discord just messing with her? As she pondered, Rainbow shouted back at her.

“Come on Twilight let’s go!” Twilight pushed her thoughts aside to focus on the goal at hand and hurried to catch up to her friends.

Twilight and her friends charged into the palace ready to faceoff with Nightbringer. Once inside, Twilight saw the darkness here was greater than anywhere else.

“Alright girls, let’s…”

Her voice trailed off when she looked back to see that she was alone. The darkness and moving shadows seemed to change the appearance and size of the room she was in. The constant movement made her sick, but she had to find her friends. She wandered, disoriented and halfway in a daze, calling for her friends. Despite her efforts she became lost and felt her confidence fail once again.

The large, open room she stood in seemed to grow and shrink. Twilight felt both confined and alone in a void. A voice brought some reality back.

“I’m glad you finally made it Twilight Sparkle.”

The voiced echoed all around, becoming slightly distorted, but Twilight still recognized it.

“Nightbringer,” she said with a slight hiss in her voice.

“I can hear the anger and feelings of betrayal in your voice. I understand them but who are they directed towards I wonder?” Nightbringer materialized before Twilight, walking out of a shadow on the wall.

Without hesitation, Twilight fired a beam of magic at the dark stallion. Feelings of anger, frustration, confusion, and the sense of being alone overwhelmed the young princess. But Nightbringer never flinched as the beam simply passed through him striking a display stand holding an ornate vase sending shattered pieces of wood and pottery everywhere.

“Calm down and try not to waste your energy,” Nightbringer said, now standing a few feet from Twilight.

“Calm down!?” Twilight screamed, anger building inside. “How am I supposed to stay calm when I am losing so much?” Tears welled up as sadness mixed with the anger.

“You think you know loss?” Nightbringer’s answer was quick, striking Twilight with an almost physical blow. “Allow me to explain and clarify everything.” Twilight stood, stunned and unable to respond. “Let me first clarify some things about myself.” Nightbringer began to slowly circle Twilight as he spoke.

“I’ll start by correcting some things that Celestia told you.” Twilight wanted to fight or run and find her friends, but she stood and listened, both unable and unwilling to act. “While it is true that I used to be known as Nova, I was not just some talented pony. The truth is I was an alicorn, a royal. More than that, I am Celestia’s twin brother.”

The shock of hearing this knocked Twilight onto the floor. Not only had she never heard of such a thing, let alone considered it, this was yet one more secret that Celestia had withheld from her. Nightbringer continued as Twilight sat, speechless.

“When I gathered the dark magic within the Dream Realm and created the Nightmare Zone, I was trying to keep it from corrupting all of Equestria and beyond. When I discovered that the Nightmare Zone allowed for a more focused corruption I needed to study it, to learn how to bring it under control. I knew the risks and I knew the effects that it had upon me. However, Celestia acted too hastily and instead of aiding me she banished me. She acted out of fear and even jealousy, knowing that I was gaining more magical power than her.”

Twilight struggled to take in all of this new information. Could it all be true? As more and more questions filled her mind, Nightbringer continued.

“Without even thinking about the consequences, Celestia threw all of Equestria out of balance.” Nightbringer’s voice was filled with anger as he made this strange statement and quickly change the subject before explaining. “Do you know why you are the one here Twilight Sparkle? Do you know why you are the one to hold the most powerful of the Elements of Harmony? Do you know why it was you who was chosen to face the various trials that you have, both the great and the small?”

Instead of answers, Twilight only had more questions and remained silent.

“Allow me to provide some examples. Consider the timing for when Nightmare Moon escaped from her banishment, when Discord was released, the attack of the Changelings, even the return of the Crystal Empire and King Sombra. Each was carefully timed so that you would be the one to face these challenges and overcome them.”

“But it took me and my friends to stop Nightmare Moon and Discord. Cadence’s and my brother’s love and combined magic ultimately stop the Changelings. As for the Crystal Empire and King Sombra, Spike was the one who returned the Crystal Heart to its rightful place.”

Twilight’s confidence in her response was dashed by Nightbringer’s response.

“The power of the Elements of Harmony is channeled through the wielder of the Element of Magic, you were the only one to see through Chrysalis’s disguise, and you were the one who led the way to restore the Crystal Empire and prevent Sombra from reclaiming it. It still comes back to you. Were it not for you, then all would have been lost.”

Twilight carefully considered everything that Nightbringer was saying. Everything made sense but there seemed to be more to it.

“You were destined for greatness,” Nightbringer continued. “But sometimes destiny needs some assistance. That is where I come in.”

“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked, confused at such a boastful statement.

Nightbringer answered her query. “I was the one who chose the time that Nightmare Moon would return and aided in her return. I released Discord from his stone prison. I organized the Changelings’ take-over of Canterlot. I returned the Crystal Empire and released King Sombra. I did all of this knowing you would face and overcome each challenge.”

Twilight dropped to the ground and covered her head. “This can’t be true!”

“I was shown a vision in the Dream Realm of a pony who would bring back the balance of magic that was lost.”

Twilight tried to block out everything Nightbringer said, refusing to believe anything.

“The day you received your Cutie Mark, I, as well as Celestia, saw the great potential in you.”

Twilight shook her head. There was no way she was that special.

“While Celestia took you on as a pupil I orchestrated each trial to draw out your full potential.”

“Enough!”

Twilight shouted and let loose a burst of magic that lit the whole room driving away the darkness and shadows. When she opened her eyes, Nightbringer was gone and she stood in front of the doors leading to the throne room. It was time to end this.

Twilight threw open the doors to the throne room only to have darkness and shadows come flooding out. The darkness enveloped the floor, walls, and ceiling while the shadows poured out, flying in all directions. With time against her, Twilight pushed her way inside against the rushing forces of the dark. Once inside, she felt as though she had passed into the heart of darkness itself. Darkness surrounded the young princess while shadows circled her like hungry vultures. A dark power weighed upon Twilight as she struggled to find Celestia and Nightbringer. The next few steps seemed to take an eternity.

As Twilight moved forward Nightbringer, Celestia, and Luna all came into view. Nightbringer and Celestia stared down one another while Luna lay on the floor to the side appearing to fight something trying to possess her. Luna turned to Twilight, tears in her eyes, revealing that half of her body had taken the form of Nightmare Moon. Twilight remembered the wall carving in the library, of Luna’s image being split between the opposing light and dark. She also recalled her vision of the two ponies facing off that she received in the Nightmare Zone. Seeing Celestia and Nightbringer facing off, Twilight knew now that they were the ponies she had seen.

“Twilight Sparkle, hurry to my side!” Celestia called never once taking her eyes off her opponent.

“Twilight, you must help me. You cannot trust her,” Nightbringer responded, his eyes fixed on Celestia.

“What’s going on here? What’s happened to Princess Luna?” Twilight cried. Confusion and fear flooded the young princess’s mind.

“Nightbringer plans to envelop all of Equestria in eternal darkness. We must stop him here and now.”

“Do not listen to her lies. I am trying to restore the balance of magic.”

Neither Celestia nor Nightbringer seemed to care for what was happening to Luna. Sadness built up inside the young princess as a she watched Celestia become like the one she faced.

“Twi…light…”

The voice was weak and full of pain. Twilight looked over to Luna who struggled to remain conscious.

“They have been at odds with one another since we were young,” Luna said, her voice a blend of her own and Nightmare Moon. “Their fight has thrown the balance of magic into chaos.” She cringed as the darkness threatened to overtake her. “They represent the forces of light and darkness.” She cringed again. “You must stop their fighting and bring them together, back to the way I once knew.” With this she faded into unconsciousness as a dark shadow engulfed her.

“LUNA!” Twilight shouted, but there was nothing she could do as the night princess vanished.

Twilight thought back to when Nightbringer said that she would restore the balance of magic. There was only one way to know if this was true and now was as good a time as any to test it. The young princess readied herself and shouted at the twins.

“This has to stop now!”

The twins turned to Twilight, shocked that she had not chosen a side.

“You two are supposed to be brother and sister so why don’t you act like it?” Twilight’s confidence was quickly shredded at the response.

“Do you even understand the situation?” Nightbringer asked. “My so-called sister betrayed me. More than that, years later she betrays our younger sister as well.”

Twilight heart began to sink as she heard this.

“You were working with forces that should have been left alone,” Celestia retorted.

“I was trying to stop the dark forces from harming Equestria and your response was to banish me instead of helping. This seemed to become common practice as you banished Sombra and even our own sister.”

Celestia took a step back as Nightbringer spoke. It was obvious who was winning the argument.

“Did you ever care for anyone but yourself?” Nightbringer continued his barrage.

Just then, Twilight noticed that his eyes had changed. They were no longer the demonic eyes that he had before but had become normal. Though they retained the crimson red color they otherwise appeared like any other pony’s eyes. There was also a look of sorrow and betrayal on his face.

“You were always stuck up and proud. You always looked down on us as though we were beneath you. Banishing me took away more than my power and royalty. I lost my family and my sisters. I lost my name, my very identity.”

Nightbringer’s barrage brought Celestia to her knees. Twilight could not believe any of this, but one look at Celestia showed it all to be true. Regret and sorrow covered the face of the once mighty princess.

Tears welled up in Twilight’s eyes. Her mentor whom she had put so much trust and faith in was defeated. Everything she thought she knew about the princess of the sun was shattered. Both Celestia and Nightbringer looked to Twilight now. On Celestia’s face was a look of defeat and pleading while Nightbringer’s eyes had return to the demonic appearance once more.

“Twilight…please,” Celestia pleaded for help from the young princess.

“Twilight, now is the time!” Nightbringer cried, seeking aid.

Twilight was now caught between the two unsure of what was true and what was lies.

“Twilight.”

“Twilight!”

Each called for her again and again until the voices blended and became distorted. The young princess dropped to the ground covering her head as the voices surrounded her, echoing in her head. Tears rolled down her cheeks as sorrow, confusion, frustration, betrayal, and anger overtook her. Time seemed to stop as Twilight searched for an answer.

Where are my friends? I don’t know what to do without them.

She struggled to find clarity and understanding but all she found was confusion. She was lost in the midst of a place she did not know. There was no way out as each option only led to more suffering. The cries by Celestia and Nightbringer, the emotions that overwhelmed her, the darkness she was in was too much to take. She let the magic within her overtake her as she let out a great cry and let loose a burst of magic. Light and darkness blended and covered everything, even sound. The magic silently overtook everything until nothing remained. When it was over, Twilight sat in a sea of nothing.

Twilight pondered the sea of grey around her as it shifted between black to white but mostly remained a relative grey.

Where am I?

She looked at her hoof wondering if it was real or not.

What happened?

The events seemed to blur and fade as though it had all been a bad dream, yet she knew it had all happened. As she floated she thought back to the last few moments when she loosed her magic. Did she stop Nightbringer or was all lost? As she stared at the blankness surrounding her, nothing seemed to matter. Success or failure, nothing mattered anymore.

Twilight.

A voice called to her within her head. She looked but saw only the blank nothing around her.

Twilight Sparkle.

The voice continued to call but still Twilight could not find its source.

Have you given up so easily? What about your friends and all of the others you care for?

“Nothing matters anymore. I must have failed so I don’t deserve my friends.”

Twilight closed her eyes wanting nothing more than to be absorbed by the sea of grey.

Are you so certain you failed? Do you know where you are?

“I don’t care! Now leave me alone!”

Tears filled the young princess’s eyes. She truly wished for her friends, to hear their caring voices, to feel their warm embrace. She wanted to hear their forgiveness for abandoning them and letting them down. As the tears fell down her face she curled into a ball and wept.

Fear not young princess, for you have not failed nor are you lost to your friends.

Twilight stopped crying for a moment, hope restored.

Your action separated Nightbringer from his power once again, scattering it across Equestria in the form of the three books. But you have also scattered the Elements of Harmony.

The first set of news lifted Twilight’s spirit while the latter sunk it once again.

You now have a choice to use the Elements of Harmony and prevent Nightbringer from regaining his power. Or you can restore his power keeping the Elements away from Celestia.

Confusion once again overtook Twilight. “Who are you and why are you giving me this choice? Wasn’t I supposed to restore the balance to magic?”

The answers you seek will soon be revealed but a choice must be made. Your journey begins soon.

Twilight began to ask more question but her words were lost as she began to fade away. The last thing she saw was a white beard.

Twilight awoke in her bed back in Ponyville. Everything seemed normal as she walked downstairs. When she arrived she found her friends gathered, waiting for her. Upon seeing her they rushed over giving her a warm group hug. Each told of their relief that Twilight was okay before releasing her.

“What happened you guys?”

“You told us a bunch of stuff about a dark pony and dream places after all this dark stuff started happening,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“After we got to Canterlot we met Discord, got the Elements of Harmony, and went to stop it all but then, nothing,” Applejack continued.

“We found ourselves back here and you were unconscious,” Fluttershy finished.

“Sorry to make you guys worry. I’ll tell you what happened later but right now I have a lot to think about.” Twilight needed time and space to think and make her decision and her friends, though comforting, were a distraction.

“Well tell us if you need anything, darling.” Rarity pushed the others out to give Twilight her space.

Once her friends were gone Twilight contemplated everything that had happened. She needed to decide what to do but still needed some more time and information.

The Beginning of Trials

The Beginning of Trials

Rain soaked Ponyville as a lone pony walked the damp streets. He wore a simple brown jacket with a white scarf and an old brown hat adorned with two gears. His jet black mane was plastered to his dull brown body while his tail slung water as it whipped about. Though soaked to the bone, he cared little as he pulled his cart which held a large chest wrapped in chains. Two young ponies ran across the wet street splashing in every puddle they came to. They immediately stopped when they came to the new pony, starring in a mix of fear and curiosity. The pony paid them no mind as he walked on. Lightning flashed overhead causing the young ponies to jump and run to a nearby home. The rain soaked pony on the other hand never flinched as he continued his trek.

Twilight Sparkle paced nervously around the main floor of her Ponyville home. Her mind raced with everything regarding Nightbringer and Celestia, the Dream Realm and the Nightmare Zone, and so much more. In an attempt to understand as much as possible, she had searched through every book she could in her library home, the Canterlot library, even the library of the Crystal Empire. But no matter where she looked or what she looked through, there was nothing about the Dream Realm, Nightbringer, or even Nova. It was as though none of it existed.

For a moment she considered the possibility that some pony had erased everything regarding Nova and the Dream Realm. Given that Celestia had told lies and kept secrets, it was possible that she had erased the information. Shame for her actions would provide a logical motive plus she would have been capable of doing so given her power and position. Twilight shook her head to dispel this notion, not wanting to think any less of her former teacher than she already did. Why would any pony, even Celestia, erase all of that information anyways even out of shame?

She changed her thoughts towards the journey to recover the Elements of Harmony and the books holding Nightbringer’s power. Her biggest concern was the decision to stop Nightbringer or help him. He was evil and needed to be stopped but all the secrets that Celestia had kept as well the things Nightbringer had told Twilight collided and made the choice difficult.

“I don’t even know what’s right and what’s not anymore,” she said in her worry.

Spike looked down from a bookshelf at his friend. He wanted to help but found no words of comfort or support and kept silent. The little dragon had, more or less, always been left out or stayed away from these epic battles against ancient enemies, which suited him fine. But this time the battle had had such an impact on Twilight that she was spiraling down into a place he could not understand nor go. He decided to try something and began climbing down to comfort his friend in any way possible, even if it only lifted her spirit a little. Before he reached the bottom of the ladder, he saw Twilight freeze as a blank stare came over her.

Twilight looked around at the darkness that surrounded her. Shadows glided overhead and swirled slowly around the young princess. The dark power that surrounded her reminded her of when she met Nightbringer the first time in the Nightmare Zone. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the dark stallion himself.

“You!” she cried with anger in her voice.

Nightbringer ignored her as though she were not there. He simply stared ahead with rage filled eyes.

“I knew you were foolish Celestia, but never did I think you would betray me like this.”

Twilight stood confused at this statement. What was going on? Did he believe that Celestia had sent Twilight here or that Celestia herself was here?

The dark stallion continued. “You may have sealed me here for now my dear sister but your magic will not hold forever. My power has been scattered to ensure that I can still execute my plan. I can wait dear sister. One day you will have to answer to me, Nightbringer!”

A second later, Twilight felt as though she was being pulled away from the scene. Everything stretched as she flew backwards clambering to stay and see more. She wanted to know what this scene was and why she was seeing it.

“Twilight!”

Hearing Spike calling out snapped Twilight back to reality. She looked around to see that she was back in the library with Spike standing in front of her waving a claw in front of her face.

“Twilight, are you okay?” the little dragon asked. “You spaced out for a bit there.”

Twilight shook her head to dispel the vision for a moment. “I’m alright. I’m going to lie down for a bit and try and rest.”

As she headed up for her bed, Spike tried to say something, give some words of encouragement, but again failed to conjure such thoughts. He had no idea what the young princess was going through and was forced to sit on the sidelines as his friend went through this horrible ordeal alone.

It took Twilight nearly half an hour to fall asleep. The thoughts of everything that had had happened, was happening, and the hundreds of questions left unanswered left her tossing and turning until the sheer mental exhaustion took its toll.

Twilight.

The voice called from inside the young princess’s head. It was distant but something about it was strangely familiar. She looked around to see a sea of grey nothing.

Twilight.

The voice called again as Twilight searched for the one calling her. She began to remember the event right after her last encounter with Nightbringer. This was the sea of nothing that she ended up in after the tragic event.

“Who are you? What do you want? What is going on here?” Confusion and frustration filled the young princess as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Fret not young alicorn princess. All things happen at a set time for a specific reason. The time will come to know who I am but that time is not yet right.

“I need to know something, anything,” Twilight said as tears began to build in her eyes. “There is so much that is happening and so much that I don’t understand. I am lost and confused. I need help.”

The tears welling in her eyes overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. Her mind was a storm of confusion which she could only ride hoping that it would not destroy her. Whoever was talking to her had to be able to tell her something to bring some semblance of sanity back.

You have been drawn into a battle between dark and light. A battle that has been raging for a long time. You are to be the one to end this struggle.

Twilight recalled Nightbringer telling her that she would bring balance back to magic. Hearing this now, she felt the weight of responsibility for ending a potentially endless battle.

“Why me? Why am I the one to do this?”

It is your connection to magic. You have been gifted with a connection to magic that no other pony before has had. Nightbringer had mentioned her potential for greatness, but she had denied it. But now she truly wondered what her role in all of this was supposed to be. All of this was still confusing and she needed some direct answers.

“I had a vision earlier of Nightbringer. What was that?”

With the imbalance and lack of harmony of magic, the Dream Realm, and consequently the Nightmare Zone, are leaking. What you saw was a glimpse into the past. Your connection to magic and the Dream Realm allowed you to access this vision and it is that same connection that allows you to speak to me now.

Twilight considered the vision realizing that it was a vision of the moment right after Nova was banished by Celestia.

As you journey, you will continue to see visions. These will answer some of the questions that you have.

“Journey?” she said absentmindedly.

You must go and retrieve the Elements of Harmony and the books containing Nightbringer’s dark powers. But remember you must choose what path you will take once you have recovered each.

“Where do I start and how will I know what the right path is?”

Time is short and you must go.

The sea of grey began to swirl giving Twilight the same feeling of being pulled away that she had when she saw the vision of Nightbringer. She struggled to stay, desperate for more answers.

“Wait! Don’t go! Please!”

Farewell young princess. You will find your answers along the way. We shall meet again.

Twilight continued to struggle until she found herself on the floor of her bedroom. She looked around seeing that all was in place and real. Light peered into the room from the window. Twilight wondered how long she had slept as she made her way back to the main floor. Once in the main hall, her spirit was lifted at the sight of her friends. She rushed to them welcoming their presence.

“I’m glad to see you all.”

“Are you doin’ alright sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“Spike told us you were feeling just awful and we came to help in any way we can,” said Rarity.

Twilight smiled at her friends’ compassion. “Do you remember all that dark stuff that happened?”

“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, “what about it?”

“It’s time you knew what we are up against.”

Twilight told them about the events in Canterlot after they got separated. She went on to explain how the Elements of Harmony and Nightbringer’s power were now scattered and the need to retrieve them.

“All of Equestria is at stake here. I need your help to do this.”

“No problem,” Rainbow exclaimed. “Anything you need, we are there for you sister.”

“Thanks you guys,” Twilight said as tears of joy filled her eyes.

Knowing that her friends were there to help made fulfilling her destiny that much easier. But with so many unanswered questions, there was no way of knowing what the journey would be like and where it would lead. Twilight’s biggest fear was that her friends may not be able to provide the answer on what path to take once she retrieved the Elements and the books. She had to hope that she would make the right choice when the time came. One thing was sure, she needed her friends now more than ever. She knew that they would never betray or abandon her.

As Twilight and her friends made final preparations for their journey, Twilight tried to figure out where they should start. Without any idea where any of the Elements of Harmony or the books were, she needed to find some lead to help her find a starting location. With everything set and ready, the six friends headed off.

“So where do ya suppose we start looking?” asked Applejack.

“I figure we should head to Canterlot and talk to Princess Celestia,” Twilight answered. “She should be able to help us figure out where each element and book is. After that we’ll just head towards whichever one is closer.”

“Alrighty then, let’s go!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Twilight turned to Spike. “You should stay here Spike.”

“But why? If you’re going then I’m going too,” the little dragon protested.

“I’m sorry but this one is going to be far too dangerous. It would be best if you stayed.”

“But-”

“Spike. You can keep an eye on Ponyville while we’re gone can’t you?”

Spike thought for a moment then relented. “Fine. But make sure you stay safe.”

“I will.” Twilight patted her friend on the head before she and the others headed for the train station.

The six ponies were not halfway to the station before they saw a new pony looking around for something or some pony. He was dull brown with jet black hair. On his flank was the mark of two white, six-sided dice. He looked over at the ponies and started making his way towards them.

“Excuse me,” he asked, “I am trying to find…”

He stopped short when he looked at Twilight. A look of rage and loathing came over his face as he stared at the young princess. Despise seethed from his eyes.

“You!” he said with a hiss. “Why are you here?”

From the moment they saw him, Twilight had a strange feeling she had seen him somewhere before yet she could not remember where or when. His rage and anger towards her only made things more difficult in figuring out why he seemed so familiar.

“Now what’s the big idea goin’ off on our friend like that?” Applejack demanded, determined to defend her friend.

“Yeah. What’s your problem?” Rainbow Dash jumped in.

The pony ignored the two, continuing to stare in wrath at Twilight. Despite the rage that fumed from him, Twilight could tell that there were other emotions at work. The emotions of jealousy and betrayal seeped out as he gritted his teeth.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Why am I not surprised that you forgot me?” The anger seething from him was so raw that it was practically visible. “All your special talents, your special training, and now royal duties. But I have never forgotten you, not for one minute.”

“Twilight, dear, who is this ruffian?” Rarity asked.

Still unable to remember, Twilight moved on instead of answering. “Why are you here?”

“I was sent to help a pony out on an important mission. I never thought that pony would turn out to be you.”

Guilt overcame the young princess as she struggled to remember the pony. But she continued her questions. “Was it Princess Celestia that sent you?”

“She asked for my help, but she was not the one who sent me.”

Curiosity crept into Twilight’s mind. If Celestia was not the one to send him, then who? There was no pony else that she could think of that would send some pony to help. She teased the possibility that Discord had sent him, but that made little sense.

“Who sent you and why?” she asked.

“I was sent to help you find some magical items,” the pony explained, ignoring Twilight’s question of who sent him. “Magical items such as the Elements of Harmony.”

“How do you know about the Elements of Harmony?” There was no way that this pony knew about the Elements unless the one who sent him told him about them. Who was he and who sent him? “Who exactly are you?”

The pony let out a sigh as a look of sorrow and regret came over him for a mere second before his anger returned and he answered. “You can call me Gambler. Every pony else does.”

The name didn’t help Twilight any in recalling who he was and how she could possibly know him. Despite that, she could still see the look of betrayal in his eyes. She could even see loneliness that he must have gone through in his life. Loneliness that she knew all too well as of late.

“Why do we need your help anyways, huh?” Rainbow demanded, igniting more anger in Gambler.

“Because, I am the only pony that can track magical items. I know how to find your Elements of Harmony. Do you?” Gambler said causing Rainbow to back down. “I am only here to help you find the items you need and then I am leaving.”

The friends thought for a moment, unsure if they could tolerate him for too long before agreeing to his terms. Despite the truce, Twilight was unsure how well her and her friends’ friendship would hold while Gambler was with them. The mystery surrounding him made her wonder if he could be trusted. She needed to remember who he was and make amends. With their new member, the friends allowed Gambler to gather some things for the journey before setting off. Twilight’s mission to restore balance to Equestria had just become much harder.

Den of Wolves

Den of Wolves

Twilight Sparkle and her friends waited near the edge of Ponyville where Gambler had said to meet him. When he arrived he was wearing a simple brown jacket and a white scarf. He had a single pack strapped to his back as opposed to the saddle bags that the other ponies wore. The brown pony looked at the others, as though examining their worthiness until some confetti popped out of one of Pinkie Pie’s bags.

“Oopsies,” she said with a smile making Gambler sigh out of disappointment and frustration.

“So where are we off to first mister?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Gambler shot the pegasus an angry glare and answered. “Why don’t you just follow me and find out.”

The pony friends reluctantly followed, trying to tolerate their new companion for Twilight’s sake. It was not long before they arrived at the edge of the Everfree Forest. A dark air floated around the forest which went unnoticed by Twilight’s friends.

“It has ta be the Everfree Forest. We seem ta be dealing with this place a lot,” said Applejack standing ready despite the repetitiveness of entering the dark forest.

“Well we’ve been here before, let’s go somewhere else for our adventure like a nice meadow,” Fluttershy said in her own frightened way.

“But one of the Elements of Harmony is in there. You wouldn’t want to let your friend down by not going now would you?” Gambler asked, goading and terrifying the yellow pegasus.

“No,” Fluttershy whispered, now full of guilt as well as fear of Gambler.

The other friends looked at the brown pony with contempt holding their retorts when they saw Twilight simply staring at the forest. The last time the young princess had seen the Everfree Forest was when she was in the Dream Realm and met Nightbringer. The memories of those events and those following sent chills up her spine. Gambler grinned with pride, enjoying the torment that Twilight was going through.

The group made their way through the dark forest, wary of the numerous creatures and other dangers that lurked about. As they wandered, a strange and slightly familiar sensation came over Twilight. She looked around to see herself still in the Everfree Forest but now she was once again alone. Taking a closer look at her surroundings, the young princess recognized the familiar surroundings. She looked ahead to see the Tree of Harmony as well as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna staring at the tree.

Twilight’s thrill at seeing the princesses was muted as she noticed something different about them. Celestia’s mane and tail were a soft, unmoving pink while Luna had a short mane of blue and a blue tail. Along with the difference in their hair, the two princesses seemed younger somehow. Another strange thing was that Luna hardly looked at her sister. Scorn and resentment covered the younger sister’s face.

“I’m very sorry for what happened my sister,” Celestia said at last, hardly getting a reaction from Luna. “I wish I could fix everything-”

“Then let him out and help him!” Luna interrupted as tears began to build.

“You know I cannot do that. Anyways, we need to put the Elements of Harmony back where they belong. This is the only way to maintain the balance of magic without…Nova…”

Luna dropped two stone orbs with the symbols of the elements onto the ground in front of Celestia and stormed off. Sadness, rather than anger, filled her very being as she left the cavern. Celestia used her magic to place the two orbs along with four others into their place in the Tree of Harmony. Each orb changed into a gem as it moved into place. When the act was done Twilight felt the same pulling sensation she had felt during her last visions as this new vision ended.

“Hey! Equestria to Twilight are you there?” Hearing Gambler shouting snapped Twilight back to reality as she reeled from her vision.

“Are you alright darling?” asked Rarity pushing Gambler out of the way to help inciting anger to him.

“You spaced out for like five minutes,” said Rainbow.

“I’m okay, really. I’ll be fine don’t worry,” the young princess answered, unable to convince herself.

Though her friends seemed satisfied with her answer they kept close in a blatant effort to show their support for their friend. Gambler cared little and kept back. As he looked at the young princess, however, he noticed that she was simply putting on a brave face to avoid worrying her friends. The brown pony was able to see the worry and confusion that betrayed her bravery. Gambler knew these feelings himself all too well.

The group continued on until they came to the entrance to a large cavern. A foul smell emanated from the dark and dank place. Fluttershy once again gave into fear but was held back by Pinkie Pie.

“Ladies,” Gambler said with a devious smile, “welcome to the home of the most fearsome creatures in the Everfree Forest. The Den of the Timber Wolves.”

As the ponies made their way into the den, the foul smell hit them with a near physical blow. They forced themselves to continue on though only Gambler seemed unaffected by the pungent fumes. They moved farther through the expansive cavern as the noxious fumes created a disorienting smog. They struggled to stay together to avoid getting separated and lost in the smog. The entrance to the cavern was now no longer visible and all was dark save for Twilight’s light from her magic.

After wandering for several minutes, Gambler held out a hoof to halt the group. “Hold up,” he whispered.

“What is it?” Twilight asked. “We need to keep moving before any Timber Wolves show up.”

“That’s the problem,” the brown pony explained, “their already here.”

The friends looked around as several red-eyed Timber Wolves moved in, surrounding the ponies and blocking any escape. In a split second, all of the wolves attacked at once scattering the ponies. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity screamed as they desperately sought an escape while Rainbow Dash and Applejack struggled to fight them. Twilight ran and flew all over to escape but only ran into more wolves and got pushed deeper into the cavern. In the midst of the conflict Gambler was lost from sight.

While Twilight was being pushed farther in, her friends were being pushed back to the entrance. The friends ran out and ducked behind trees and rocks for cover. When they looked back for their pursuers they found the Timber Wolves simply standing guard at the entrance.

“Now why do ya suppose they stopped chasing us?” Applejack questioned.

“And what’s the deal with those freaky red eyes? I’ve never known those guys to have red eyes before,” Rainbow said.

“Something very strange is going on here,” Rarity said after composing herself.

Back in the cavern, Twilight ducked behind a rock to hide and catch her breath. She managed to lose the wolves pursuing her but now was deeper in the cavern than before, and alone. Gambler had quickly vanished during the commotion and her friends had run off leaving the young princess to fend for herself. Why would her friends leave her like that, and where did Gambler go? One thing she did notice was the dark power that seemed to be emanating from the wolves. It was different from the normal magic that flowed through them. Were they being controlled?

Twilight pushed the thought aside for now to focus on finding her friends, or Gambler for that matter. She would need some help if she was going to find the Element of Harmony that was here. Twilight continued her search and it was not long after that she heard the snarling of more Timber Wolves. She looked around to find those crimson red eyes staring at her from all directions. She charged off as several wolves leapt at her giving off a deafening roar. They quickly began to close in on the young princess.

In the haste of her escape Twilight’s hoof caught a rock and she stumbled. She struggled to right herself before she fell by using her wings but to no avail. She hit the ground and rolled slamming into a wall. She looked up at the pursuing wolves assured of her fate.

Instead of the wolves tearing her apart, she saw a flash of red as the lead wolf exploded into forest debris. The others halted their attack to focus on the new target. Twilight squinted to try and get a better look at her savior to see Gambler charging across the cavern. Believing she had hit her head harder than she thought, she watched as the wolves exploded in bright red flashes. Once the wolves had be shattered into little more than sticks and moss, Gambler stopped in front of Twilight. A red aura surrounded Gambler and the surrounding area before dissipating. Believing it to be the residual magic from the wolves, Twilight ignored it.

“Are you alright?” Gambler asked with little concern.

“Yes, thanks for that,” Twilight said relieved to see some pony.

“Good. Now let’s move before these guys get up or more show up.”

“Wait, have you seen the others?”

“No,” he snapped, “now let’s hurry and find this element and get out of here.”

The two left the pile of wolf remains heading deeper into the cavern. Now able to gather her thoughts, Twilight wondered why Gambler had saved her back there. It was more than obvious that he did not like her and he showed little concern when he made sure she was okay. So why did he help her instead of saving himself?

“Why did you help me back there?” she asked, determined to figure this out.

Gambler was quite for a moment as thought asking himself the same question before he answered. “I don’t know. I just reacted. Those things were after you and there was no time to think.”

It was obvious he hardly believed himself but Twilight could tell something was different. She tried to be grateful for his help, seeing as how her journey would be far shorter if he had not have jumped in and saved her. But she still found it hard to deal with his attitude. He openly despised her but, given his recent actions, was more than capable of acting selflessly. This mysterious brown pony was now more of an enigma than before. As they ventured deeper, red-eyed Timber Wolves watched from the shadows.

As Twilight and Gambler wandered deeper into the cavern, the young princess once again smelled the horrid stench of the den. The recent excitement had fueled her with adrenaline, helping her ignore the foul smell. Despite the foul odor that wafted through the air, only getting worse as they went deeper, Gambler still managed to ignore it. Aside from his apparent lack of smell, Twilight could not help but notice the lack of seething anger towards her from her companion. Ever since the rescue, the brown pony’s attitude towards the young princess has been one of neutrality.

Hoping that he had a change of heart Twilight decided to talk to him. “Thanks again for saving me from those Timber Wolves.”

“Whatever,” he responded, going back to his previous negative attitude, “that wasn’t the last of them.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Twilight demanded as she came to a stop. “Since we met in Ponyville you have been nothing but mean to me and my friends! I am sorry if I can’t remember who you are, but that is no reason to treat me or my friends the way you have!”

Gambler stopped. He readied a response but backed down before speaking. Sadness and pain flooded him as he struggled to cover them with more anger. “I don’t want to talk about it. It brings up too many bad memories.”

Seeing the pain that came with the memories of his past, Twilight backed down sorry for bringing up something so troubling. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been like that.”

The young princess realized that her anger was partly due to her worry for her friends. They have been wandering so far and still had not seen any sign of them. Her spirit lifted and sank at the same time when she noticed that they had reached the end of the den. The wide open space was littered with sticks and foliage which formed bedding for the wolves. Twilight looked over at Gambler who was rather shocked and disappointed.

“Nothing,” he said as frustration built inside of him. “There’s nothing here. Every time! I do so much, try so hard and always get nothing!”

The brown pony slammed his hoof against the ground breaking a stick in two. Tears of anger and frustration built up in his eyes as he fumed. Twilight wondered even more about what he had gone through in his life. She tried to comfort him somehow.

“It’s okay-”

“OKAY?!” he yelled cutting her off. “Do you see your Element of Harmony anywhere?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. We will find it. Maybe it’s buried around here or something.”

“Every single time, I try so hard only to get nothing,” he continued his rant, now speaking to himself. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair!”

Twilight could not help but hate seeing Gambler in this condition. Despite the way he had acted, no pony deserved to feel this way. He was feeling like nothing and she had to help him. She walked over to him and placed a hoof around him, despite his disapproval.

“You tried your best. You saved me from those Timber Wolves back there and made it this far. That is the most I could have asked for from any pony else. You don’t have to be perfect.”

Gambler was silent for a moment. He had been so mean to Twilight and yet she was still being kind towards him. He stood for a moment almost trying to keep hating her, frustrated at himself. Finally, he sighed, releasing whatever anger he tried to muster.

“Thanks,” he said even though frustration still ate away at him.

A second later a bright light appeared in front of the two ponies. They each covered their eyes until it dissipated, revealing the Element of Kindness floating between them. Excitement overwhelmed Twilight while Gambler was able to push aside his frustration at himself. Twilight grabbed the element while Gambler reached into his pack and withdrew a simple box.

“You can put it in here for safe keeping,” the brown pony said.

Curiosity and distrust arose in Twilight. “In there?”

“It may not look like much but it is designed to hold magical items.”

Twilight placed the element in the box wary of this new development. “So why do you get to hold it.”

Gambler’s dislike of Twilight began to come back as he responded. “One, it’s my box. Two, you can keep it safer if I hold it. No pony will think that I would be carrying it. And three, we don’t have time to argue this right now.”

He pointed to the cavern walls which were now covered in snarling, red-eyed Timber Wolves. The two ponies ran off as the wolves attacked, roaring and snapping. It seemed to take a fraction of the time to reach the exit than it did to reach the center. The pursuing wolves provided more than enough motivation to move faster. When they finally reached the cave entrance, Twilight saw her friends and charged faster to meet them. The two stopped once they reached the others and looked back for their pursuers only to see the cave entrance with no sign of any Timber Wolves.

“What happened to you?!” Twilight and her friends said in a near perfect chorus.

“You guys left me back there!” Twilight began her complaining.

“We got chased all the way to the entrance and couldn’t get back in on account of some Timber Wolves blocking the entrance,” said Applejack, intent on justifying her and the others’ absence.

“What happened to you?” Rainbow Dash demanded of Gambler.

“He helped me and we managed to find one of the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said in Gambler’s defense before he responded with more anger.

The brown pony’s earlier foul attitude had returned and he ignored the group of friends. Although he still did not get along with the others, Twilight realized that it was part due to him trying to maintain the image he had built in the beginning, intentional or not. But Gambler was starting to lose the layers of hate towards Twilight. She still hoped she could understand why he had such an attitude towards her in the first place.

As for her friends, Twilight would forgive them for abandoning her seeing as how the Timber Wolves had seemed to deliberately separate them from her. With one Element of Harmony in their possession, the group started off to find the rest as well as the books containing Nightbringer’s power.

As they headed off, a single red-eyed Timber Wolf watched from the shadows. When the ponies had gotten out of sight, a shadow moved from the wolf and off into the forest. The wolf’s eyes returned to the eerie green typical of the Timber Wolves and it wandered back into the den.

Terror of the Moon

Terror of the Moon

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had been wandering through the Everfree Forest now for several hours. Gambler was supposed to be able to track the Elements of Harmony but, at the moment, they only seemed to be going in circles. The brown pony seemed confused and was becoming increasingly irritated as were Twilight’s friends.

“Alright mister, that’s it. We’ve been going in circles for too long. Do you even know where you’re going?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Look, if you think you can find your precious elements without me then I’ll leave and you can find them on your own,” Gambler said.

Applejack interjected to try and avoid a fight. “Look here ya’ll. This is no time to be fightin’ as much as I might agree with Rainbow. We need to find a way out of this forest.”

“This dreadful place is ruining-” Rarity began before being interrupted by Gambler.

“If you mention your hooves, hair, or anything else like that one more time, I swear-”

“Enough!” Twilight shouted, cutting off Gambler. “Are you able to find the next element? We have been going in circles a while and I’m worried.”

Gambler ignored her concern and went back to his searching. “I know the direction to go to find the next element but something else is nearby that keeps throwing me off. Another powerful magical item.”

“Well, let’s just find this other item so we can get back on track,” Twilight said as she walked over to try and comfort the brown pony who simple brushed her off.

The group continued their trek until they made their way to the old castle of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Twilight’s heart sank when she saw the darkness and shadows that now covered the ruins. Fortunately, the shadows simply hung over the ruins while leaving the ponies to make their way to the courtyard. The presence of such darkness suggested to Twilight that one of Nova’s books might be here. Once in the courtyard, Twilight froze as another vision overcame her.

The young princess looked around to see that it was now daytime and she was still at the old castle, except that now the castle stood tall as though it was recently built. In front of her stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, though Luna kept her distance from her elder sister.

“Why do we have to live here?” Luna asked with anger in her voice.

“From here we can keep watch over the Tree of Harmony and have ready access to the Elements of Harmony should something occur,” Celestia answered. “We may need them given the growing chaos.”

Luna turned and began to storm off, only stopping long enough to say one last thing. “We wouldn’t have to worry about this if Nova was here.”

With that the princess of the moon stormed off, tears filling her eyes as sadness and anger poured out. Celestia watched her younger sister leave, unable to stop her. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she hung her head in regret.

“I only wish for this to be a new start for you my sister.”

Twilight once again felt the same pulling sensation as the vision ended. She returned to reality with her friends around her calling her name and wanting to know if she was okay. Twilight assured her friends she was fine and looked over to see Gambler. Her friends were obviously blocking him to show their support, though the brown pony seemed to show little care. Yet Twilight could see a hint of longing in his eyes which he pushed away with anger.

In a split second, one of the numerous shadows hovering around darted and flew around the ponies for a second before flying into the castle. Twilight had felt the dark magic surrounding it as it passed by and knew it was the dark power that Nightbringer possessed. Twilight’s friends voiced their curiosity and worry while Gambler simply stared at the main door where the shadow had gone.

“That was Nightbringer, or at least a part of him.”

The ponies turned in shock to the origin of the voice to see Princess Luna flying down. The ponies went to bow in respect to the princess but she held up a hoof to stop them. Gambler simply stood, staring at the princess of the moon with a look of neutrality.

“Nightbringer’s power flows through this place. I know not if it means he is here or if it is the influence of his power. I shall aid you in your search here for what you seek. Then, I will return him to the way he once was.”

As Luna spoke the last sentence, her voice went soft. Worry filled the princess’s face which only Twilight and Gambler noticed. The pony friends voiced their thanks for Luna’s help while Twilight and Gambler remained silent. As the group made its way into the main door they were surrounded by blackness. Twilight felt as though she was falling into an infinite hole of absolutely nothing. Silence seemed to ring in her ears before she felt herself fade out.

Twilight once again found herself within the Nightmare Zone with Nightbringer in front of her. He was staring at a swirling shadow which had an image of the moon within it. On the moon was the image of the Mare-in-the-Moon. As Twilight wondered what the vision would hold, Nightbringer spoke.

“After one thousand years, everything has fallen into place. Now you shall be released. You have been corrupted by this dark power but no more. Soon you shall be free from this horrid curse.”

After this the familiar pulling sensation took hold of Twilight as reality returned. The young princess found herself back in the castle surrounded by darkness. She used her magic to dispel the dark only to find that she was once again alone. Sadness began to take hold as she began to wander the darkened ruins in search of any of the other ponies, or maybe the magic item being held within.

As Twilight wandered the halls, everything seemed to be different since the last time she had been here. The constant darkness and moving shadows disoriented her making navigation difficult, even in a straight hall. The dark magic that enveloped the whole castle seemed to rearrange the layout with doorways leading to halls or rooms on opposites sides of the castle. All of this caused Twilight to wander in circles hoping to find something or some pony.

After wandering for some time, Twilight found herself in the throne room of the castle. She looked around at the crumbling walls, shattered ceiling, and broken balcony. She was reminded of being shown the events of Luna changing into Nightmare Moon and the sorrow Celestia displayed as she fought her sister. She considered for a moment her recent vision of Nightbringer. She looked up at the moon in the night sky. Was there a connection between the presence of Nightbringer’s dark powers and the initial Nightmare Moon incident?

As Twilight pondered, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned and saw darkness pour out from the wall as shadows leapt at her. The young princess turned to run but found herself surrounded by the dark. She began to fire beams of magic in a futile attempt to fend of the invading shadows. But as she vanquished the shadows, more quickly took their place. As the darkness closed in around the young princess, she could feel anger, frustration, jealousy, and sadness begin to overwhelm her. She was unsure if these emotions were her own or if they were the emotions of the royal siblings being made manifest by the dark power. She continued her desperate struggle against the dark but was quickly overpowered.

With the darkness surrounding her, Twilight felt her magic begin to be drained and her willpower fade. Sadness and loneliness filled the young princess as light faded into the infinite blackness. Just as all seemed lost, a light began to shine and a soft voice called to Twilight. Hope rose in the young princess and she clambered to escape the dark. As light filled her view she found herself back in the throne room with Princess Luna and Gambler standing above her.

Twilight’s spirit began to soar seeing the princess and Gambler, but once again sinks as she sees that her friends are nowhere to be seen. Worry overtakes the young princess, fearing that they had abandoned her or been lost to the dark magic. She looks to Luna nearly to tears.

“Where are my friends?”

“I am afraid I do not know.”

Twilight looked at Gambler who turned his head in anger. “How should I know?”

“I’m afraid we have little time to find your friends Twilight Sparkle. We must hurry and find the source of the dark power that surrounds this place,” Luna said.

Twilight hung her head. Once again, she was without her friends’ comfort and aid and forced to work with Gambler who still hated her. She did feel a little better knowing that Princess Luna was here. Her brown pony companion seemed to keep himself under more control with her around.

Twilight thought for a moment and considered that the source of the dark power could be the magical item that Gambler had mentioned earlier. She looked over at the brown pony to ask about its whereabouts. She held her question as Gambler appeared to be in deep thought. After a moment, he opened his eyes and spoke.

“There is a magical item nearby that is imbued with dark magic. The surrounding dark magic, however, is making it difficult to determine its precise location though.”

“It shall do for now,” Luna said. “Please lead the way.”

As the three headed off, a dark shadow flowed out of the cracks in one of the walls. It moved to the center of the room before shifting into the form of a pony. The shadow let out a low laugh and shifted back into a shapeless shadow and followed behind the three ponies.

As Twilight, Gambler, and Luna continue to search the castle, the ever present darkness grew and shadows hounded them. Some shadows circled above like vultures while others stayed close behind like predators stalking their prey. As the darkness began to close in, Twilight began to hear a voice in her head.

Once again you are sent to defeat a foe that Celestia had defeated in the past.

The voice sounded like Nightbringer which made Twilight wonder if he was around. She looked and only saw the shadows and darkness surrounding her as well as Luna and Gambler. The other two ponies, however, seemed to be reacting to something. It was as though they were hearing the voice as well.

Each time you must correct her mistakes, fix her flaws, and do something that she could not.

Twilight struggled to ignore the voice and continue her search. But the voice persisted and the darkness grew closer, as though drawing her in.

And now you must correct her greatest mistake ever. But you doubt her now don’t you. She kept so many secrets, told so many lies.

Twilight looked at Luna and Gambler. Each seemed to struggle as she did to ignore the voice and continue. Soon they came to the room which once held the Elements of Harmony. With the darkness all around, the crumbling structure appeared like a decaying corpse. Again the voice spoke.

You doubt your teacher. You’ve lost faith in her. The great and mighty Celestia, Princess of the Sun, has fallen.

“Please brother! Stop this at once. Go back to the way you once were. Go back to the kind and loving brother I know.”

Twilight looked over at Luna who was pleading with a shadow in front of her. Tears streamed down her face as she begged. When Twilight looked at Gambler, he was silent. Rage filled his face and he gritted his teeth and snorted.

Now you are lost. Your friends are gone and you have nothing left.

“Enough. Stop!” Twilight begged as tears began to flow.

The young princess looked to Gambler and Luna for support but each was locked into their own battle. Everything the voice said was true. Twilight looked to Luna once again hoping for some aid. The princess of the moon now stood firm, resolve in her eyes.

“I will stop this. I will save you from yourself.”

Luna went to Twilight and placed a wing around her. Twilight could feel the warmth of the embrace and cherished the comfort. The voiced ceased its taunting and the darkness began to fade. Twilight looked to Gambler once more, but the brown pony was still locked in a battle with the darkness. Anger, frustration, rage, jealousy, all fumed from him as the darkness began to surround him.

Twilight hurried over to try to bring him out of the dark but the shadows blocked her. A red aura began to form around Gambler as his rage grew. The darkness amplified the brown pony’s emotions allowing Twilight to feel what he was feeling.

Along with the emotions of anger, she could feel a deep loneliness. Up until recently, Twilight had never felt such aloneness as this. The feelings of betrayal and abandonment quickly joined as Twilight became flooded with the many emotions her companion felt. Was all of this connected to a series of events in his life or just one?

“ENOUGH!!!” Gambler shouted.

The red light exploded, dispelling the darkness and shadows. When the light dissipated, the room was back to normal. Twilight looked up at Gambler to see the red aura still surrounding him. She thought back to the Timber Wolves den when he had saved her. The aura appeared to steam off of his body as he fumed.

Finally, Gambler began to calm down as the aura faded. He looked at Twilight with the same disgust in his eyes as he had when he first met her. He swiftly turned away, refusing to say anything. Twilight only felt sorrow for him and slowly turned away.

As she turned she looked at the pedestal that once held the Elements of Harmony to see a book lying on top. She walked over to take a closer look to find that it was one of the books which held Nightbringer’s power, the book on the Nightmare Zone. This was the source of the dark power that had enveloped the castle ruins.

The sound of voices and galloping hooves began to echo from the doorway. Twilight turned to see her friends rushing in and hurried to meet them. As she past Gambler he simply sidestepped and kept away. The pony friends each voice their thrill at finally finding Twilight as they gave her a group hug.

“We were searching for you everywhere, darling,” said Rarity.

“What happened here?” asked Fluttershy.

“It’s difficult to explain,” said Twilight more wanting to forget what happened than anything else, “but we did find the source of the dark magic.”

She walked over to the book and started to place it in her bag before Gambler looked at her. The anger from his eyes cut deep.

“I should hold this one,” Twilight told him as she placed it in one of her saddle bags.

“Fine,” he said and turned away once again.

Luna walked over to Twilight. “Now that the darkness here has been stopped, you must continue on your journey.”

“What about you?” Twilight asked. “Can’t you help us?”

“I am afraid I cannot. I must attend to another important task.”

With that the princess flew off through the broken roof and into the night. Twilight looked at Gambler again who still seethed with anger. She and her friends headed for the exit, waiting only a moment for Gambler to join them. As Twilight passed by, she noticed tears dropping from his face as the anger mixed with sorrow. The young princess was determined now to find out more about him.

Nightfall: Part 1

Prologue

Princess Celestia wandered through the Canterlot Garden taking in the smell of the flowers and the sound of the birds. The mid-day sun cast a bright, warm glow that lit up the garden and increased its beauty. But as she wandered, a soft voice called out to her.

“Celestia.”

The odd voice sounded distant, yet it began to echo around her.

“Celestia.”
The voice called again echoing eerily from all directions. The princess began walking in an attempt to discover the source of the strange voice.

The voice continued to call out growing slightly louder as she followed it. Before long she found herself entering the palace, though things were now very strange. The light of the sun had begun to dim, not as it did when it set but as though the sun was beginning to fade away. Silence weighed on Celestia as she wandered. The lack of palace guards or any other pony worried her. The only sound that could be heard was the calling voice.

For every step that Celestia took, the voice grew louder reverberating all around, even in her head. The darkness continued to grow, swallowing everything like a ravishing creature. Now in the throne room, she could not only hear the voice but she could feel it as well. The now booming voice shook the very foundations of the palace. The light was almost completely eaten away as a swirling mist fell upon the room clouding everything still visible. Celestia became dizzy and disoriented by the smothering mist and the booming voice. Nausea overtook her, her ears rang, and all of her strength was drained. She struggled to stay composed until everything stopped. A dim red light began to shine through the darkness from the throne. In an instant, two bright red eyes flashed towards her from the throne as the voice shouted one last time.

“CELESTIA!”

Celestia found herself waking suddenly to two royal guards calling her. “Princess, are you okay?” one of them asked. “You fell asleep and seemed to have a terrible nightmare. We’ve been trying to wake you for some time now.”

The princess got to her feet, her legs wobbly and barely able to support her. She was shaking and breathing heavily. She looked around to see that everything was normal.

Was it just a dream?

“I’m alright. I’ll be fine,” she told the guards once she finally calmed herself down.

“Thank goodness,” the second guard said.

Relieved that the princess was okay, the two guards returned to their post. Nevertheless, Ceslestia could not stop thinking about the dream and the voice she heard. There was something familiar about it yet she could not quite place it. Finally, it dawned on her. The shock of the realization nearly caused her to fall over.

“No,” she said aloud. “It can’t be. Not now. Not this. All of Equestria may be doomed.”

Nightfall: Return of a Nightmare

Twilight Sparkle stared at the wall of trees that surrounded her. She could make out that she was in the Everfree Forest, that much was obvious. As for how she got here or anything beyond where she was, she was at a loss. She looked around and found an opening in the trees and started to make her way out.

“This is weird,” she said aloud. “How did I get here and why am I alone?”

She wandered for what felt like hours but only seemed to go in circles. The scene around her was unchanging and the silence was deafening. The young princess continued on but was getting nowhere. After some time she saw a hint of light in the distance. Twilight darted towards the light desperate for escape but the light only seemed to get farther away. She galloped faster, tried flying, but despite all her efforts she was no closer to escape. Frustrated, she snorted and charged once more at top speed closing her eyes a as she ran. This, however, resulted in her running into a tree. When she opened her eyes she found herself back where she had started and gave a cry of frustration and anger.

It was not long after that a sound came from deep in the forest. It was difficult to identify due the distance and the fact that the thick forest nearly swallowed all sounds. Twilight listened carefully and was finally able to make out that it was a voice. She opened her wings and flew off to find out who else might be trapped here. Perhaps she could get some answers to what was going on. As she closed in on the voice, it sounded as though the one crying out was in trouble. Twilight hurried faster to help.

As the young princess flew she grew exhausted like she had been flying forever and set down to continue on hoof. Nearing the edge of the forest things began to strange, even frightening. Twilight came to the opening expecting to see light but beyond the forest was only shadows and darkness. The sky was black and shadows roamed everywhere. Twilight looked back but the forest had now vanished and an expanse of darkness had taken its place. She looked ahead to see a black void where all of this seemed to originate.

As she stared, Twilight fell into a bizarre daze as she walked towards the void drawn by a strange allurement that drew her closer and closer. She had now all but forgotten why she was here in the first place. After walking several feet, fire shot up mere inches away halting her progress. The young princess leapt back, dropping to the ground, to avoid being consumed then shook her head as she came to her senses.

“I’m sorry about that, but if you had taken one more step you would have become trapped here.” Twilight looked up, searching for the pony talking to her, but saw nothing but the shadows.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

“Don’t worry,” came the voice again, “I won’t hurt you.” The calm, deep toned voice belonged to a stallion, yet Twilight saw nothing but darkness.

Twilight looked once again towards the spot where the flame had sprung up and now saw a shadowed silhouette of a pony standing there. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m afraid we don’t have time for introductions,” said the pony. “We have to get out of here, you especially.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight, confused at what he meant.

The other pony responded, “Just look at yourself.” Twilight did and noticed that her bright purple coloring had become dull and dark.

“What’s happening to me?” she cried.

“I’ll explain everything later but first things first, you have to get me out of here.”

“Why you first?” demanded Twilight.

“Because I’m the only one that can get you home.”

“Fine, but how do I help you?”

“There is a barrier surrounding this area keeping me trapped here,” the other explained. “You need to use your magic to weaken a small portion of it to let me pass through. Once I am out then I can get both of us out of this place.”

Twilight tested the barrier with her magic. “I don’t know if I can do this. This barrier is really strong.”

“I believe that you can do this.”

“How do I know you’ll help me once you are free?” she demanded, skeptical of the shadow pony’s motives.

“You will have to trust me,” the other said. Twilight thought for a moment then readied herself.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

Twilight took a stance and began charging her magic. “Remember,” the other pony said, “it only has to be weak enough for me to pass through.”

“Alright,” Twilight acknowledged. She concentrated hard and built up more magic but nothing was happening.

“It’s not working! I can’t do it!”

“Relax,” the other said, “Imagine that the barrier is a bubble dissolving away.” Twilight relaxed and did so. The barrier lit up, glowing a bright yellow, as the purple glow of Twilight’s magic surrounded it.

“That’s it. You’ve got it. Almost there,” the other pony encouraged. Now totally relaxed, Twilight felt her magic build and grow stronger than ever before. The barrier flashed and gave in, vanishing instantly.

With the barrier gone, the shadows of the void burst forth, swarming everywhere. Frightening images flashed all around and in Twilight’s mind. Within these she saw shadows of two ponies engaged in a struggle but there was no way of telling who they were. After what felt like several minutes of this, a shadow leapt towards her. She dropped down covering her head in a vain attempt to protect herself. She looked up to see that the other pony was standing over her, guarding her from the darkness and menacing shadows. The blackness kept Twilight from being able to see exactly what he looked like. He looked towards the black void as a red glow flashed. All of the shadows, at once, ceased their violent movement and remained motionless. A second later they instantly rushed towards the void as a new red colored barrier surrounded the area. Twilight looked up again to try and get a clearer look at the other pony but a bright red light flashed and everything went black.

Twilight opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the study of her Ponyville home. She looked around but nothing seemed out of place or different. She thought back to that dark place and everything that had happened there.

“What exactly happened? Was that all a dream? It seemed so real,” she thought aloud. As she got to her feet she noticed an old, dusty book on the desk. It was opened near to the beginning and spoke about something called the Dream Realm.

As Twilight struggled to recall all that had happened, still confused on what, if anything, was real and what was not, she heard Spike yell from the other room.

“TWILIGHT!”

He sounded terrified, as though something horrible had happened. Spike barged in slamming the door behind him and held the door, desperately trying to keep something out. There was a look of sheer terror on his pale face. The little dragon gasped for air.

“Twi…light…” he panted.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be.

There was a knock at the door that caused Spike to jump almost two feet. The little dragon darted towards Twilight and coward behind her.

“It’s him,” he whispered still terrified.

As Twilight wondered who Spike could be talking about, a red glow of magic surrounded the door. As the door opened, a large stallion entered. He was at least as tall as Princess Celestia if not taller and needed to duck to clear the doorway. His body was the darkest shade black that Twilight had ever seen, next to the void that she had seen in the shadow world from her dream. There where glowing, orange cracks across the stallion’s body, like the cracks of a volcano. His mane and tail were not only the color of fire but were actually made of roaring flames. There were also small flames that surrounded each of his hooves. He had a sharp, black unicorn horn that curved forward slightly while on his back were large demonic wings. Silver coloring outlined the bone structure of the wings. His eyes were crimson red with a purple, circular design surrounding the iris, covering the rest of each eye.

The stallion walked forward, each step slow and deliberate. For each step he took forward, Twilight took two backwards. She had only taken a few steps when she bumped into Spike who had bumped into the desk. The two froze as the stallion continued to advance. Spike tugged on Twilight’s tail as his fear grew. When the stallion was within inches of Twilight, he stopped. He stood towering over her, silent, with a menacing smile on his face.

After a moment, the stallion looked behind Twilight at Spike and said just one word.

“Boo.”

Spike jumped and yelled tearing out of the room at top speed, closing the door behind him. “Spike! Come back!” Twilight shouted and tried to follow, but the stallion stood in her way keeping her cornered.

“Relax,” he said in a calm voice, “your friend is fine. I was just having a little fun.”

“A little fun?!” yelled Twilight, almost surprised at her confidence despite the terror she had just faced. “You scared poor Spike half to death!”

“I am sorry but I was hoping we could talk in private and I could not have him interrupting,” the stallion replied.

“And so you decided to scare him off?!”

“As I said, it was only a little fun. Now, I believe you have many questions that need answers.” The stallion walked towards the middle of the room.

“How did you know?” asked Twilight curious about who this new pony could be.

The stallion turned to her. “Given what you have been through and what is happening now, there is no doubt that your mind is flooded with questions that demand answers. Such questions can only be answered by me.”

“How did you know I had questions? Who are you? What’s going on here? What hap-” Twilight began here string of hundreds of questions, but the stallion put up a hoof to silence her.

“Patience my dear, one thing at a time. First things first.” He nodded his head is a simple bow. “My name is Nightbringer. I am the pony you met in that shadow land in your dream.”

Twilight was taken aback at this. Was that all real then? “How did you know about that?”

“Because,” Nighbringer replied, “that was not a dream but a real place. It is called the Dream Realm.”

Twilight recalled the name from the old book on the desk. “What is the Dream Realm exactly?”

Nightbringer began to pace in the room as he explained. “The Dream Realm is the place where all magic originates.”

Twilight stood silent, stunned that she was never told about this. “I thought magic came from within and from all over.”

Nighbringer stopped at one of the many bookshelves. “True, but it is all originates from the Dream Realm.”

“It’s such a dark place,” Twilight said, thinking about all the darkness and shadows.

“That dark place where you and I met is called the Nightmare Zone.” Nightbringer continued his pacing while he explained. “The Nightmare Zone is area within the Dream Realm that serves as both the source and holding place for all dark magic. Those who use dark magic access the Nightmare Zone and draw from it.”

As Nightbringer answered each question, Twilight’s head fill with more questions. “What about you? What are you?”

Nightbringer stopped again and look towards her. “The Nightmare Zone corrupts all who enter it, come close to it, or draw power from it. I was within and was changed to what you see before you. You were only close to it.” He walked towards the window to look out. “Since I was within, and exposed longer than you, I was fully transformed.”

“But how can I trust you if you are corrupted?” Twilight asked, still wary of the dark pony’s true intentions.

“The Nightmare Zone will corrupt either mind or body, but it is capable of corrupting both. The will of the one exposed to its influence helps avoid mind corruption. You and I where corrupted in body.”

“So why am I normal but you are not?”

“The length of exposure plays a role. I was exposed for so long that my corruption is permanent.”

This worried Twilight. “How long where you trapped there?” she asked.

Nightbringer answered simply which did not fully answer her question. “Long enough to feel like an eternity.”

Twilight continued her questions, her mind still overflowing with the unanswered. “How do you know so much about all of this?”

A somber look came over Nightbringer as he walked over to the desk. “Aside from personal experience, I used to know the author of this book.”

Twilight looked at the book then at Nightbringer. “One last question. This has been bothering me for a bit now.” The dark pony looked at her, intrigued by this haunting question. “How did I get to the Dream Realm?” This was one question that had to be answered. “This book doesn’t have a spell to get there.”

Nightbringer smiled as he answered. “It is because of your strong connection with magic. I know you have many more questions but for now if you want more answers you should seek out the other two books that go with this one.”

Twilight thought for a minute, wondering if she could still trust him. “Where do I find them?”

When Twilight arrived at Canterlot, she decided to walk to the library instead of fly. She had come alone thinking it was best not to involve her friends, or any pony else for that matter, at least for now. Her mind was spinning with all that had happened and she needed time to sort through it all. The idea that the Dream Realm was where magic originated conflicted with what Twilight had been taught by Celestia plus everything she had read. Nightbringer as well was the biggest mystery. How did he get trapped in that Nightmare Zone? How was he able to control it once he was out? Could he be trusted?

When Twilight arrived at the Canterlot library, she began her search for the other two books about the Dream Realm. Nightbringer had decided it was best to remain back at Twilight’s home and she had agreed. As such, she only had his instructions to follow. It was not long before she came to a wall carving of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watching over the day and night respectively.

“They’re right through here,” Twilight said aloud.

She began casting the spell that Nighbringer had told her hoping that no pony would walk by and see. As the spell took effect, the carving began to change. A third alicorn appeared next to Luna opposite Celestia. The image changed showing light on the side with Celestia and dark on the side with the new pony. Luna was in the middle as though giving balance. But then a door crack appeared, splitting the wall in half. It divided the light and dark side but also divided Luna.

Twilight thought about the image a moment, thinking back to the image she had seen in the Nightmare Zone of the two ponies facing off. Was this image related or was it just coincidence? When the door was fully opened, Twilight entered the dark tunnel that lay ahead. She used her magic to light the way and followed further and further. The tunnel seemed to go on forever with twists and turns everywhere. Finally, she reached a dead end. In the space was a pedestal with two books on top each one old and dusty like the other she had.

As Twilight opened the first book she quickly became enthralled by what was written. It was a study of the Nightmare Zone and confirmed everything that Nightbringer had said about the place as being true. Twilight quickly read through it and moved on to the next one. This one was a journal of the author’s journey to learn about, and even control, the Dream Realm and Nightmare Zone. Strangely, the entries ended abruptly with no indication as to why. According to the last entry, the author had more to learn and was intent to learn more. Yet all of the pages after were simply blank. When Twilight had finished reading each book, she searched for the name of the author but found none.

Was the author’s name left out or was it possibly erased?

Having read both books, Twilight carefully placed both in her bag with the last from her home, which she had brought as a reference. After she made her way out of the tunnel she saw that night had already fallen.

“I must have been down there longer than I thought.”

The young princess was relieved to see that no other pony had discovered the tunnel despite her extended stay. Twilight closed the door and the wall carving reverted to its original form depicting Celestia and Luna. She left for home but as she turned the corner she saw Princess Celestia standing before her.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

As Celestia spoke, Twilight felt her heart begin to race. She worried that Celestia would find out about the tunnel, the books, and Nightbringer.

“I have been searching for you everywhere,” Celestia continued, sounding relieved.

“What do you need Princess?” Twilight asked, her voice hoarse from nervousness.

“A great evil has befallen Equestria and I need your help.”

Twilight struggled to compose herself. “What evil is this?”

Celestia beckoned Twilight to follow as she explained. “It is an evil from long before Nightmare Moon, King Sombra, and even Discord. It is Equestria’s first great evil.” Twilight nearly fell over hearing this and her nervousness only made things worse. Fear exasperated her worry as Twilight noticed how frightened Celestia seemed as she spoke of this.

“I will tell you the story so you may know what you will face,” said Celestia with a somber tone in her voice. “Long ago, there was an ambitious pony named Nova. His level of magical ability and desire for knowledge surpassed any pony I have ever meet before or since. He studied many things and became very powerful. One thing he studied more intently than anything else was a realm of pure magic called the Dream Realm.”

Twilight was taken aback when Celestia mentioned the Dream Realm. She knew all along but why did she never say anything about it? Why did she hide this from me until now? As Twilight thought, confusion and anger built inside.

Celestia continued her story. “In those days, the Dream Realm was infested with dark magic that leaked out and caused chaos. Nova attempted to control this by gathering all of the dark magic into one place within the Dream Realm. Thus, the Nightmare Zone was created.”

As Celestia spoke, Twilight compared this to what she had read in the books. So far, everything was true although the books never mentioned any pony named Nova. This meant that he must have been the author of the books.

Celestia continued, “By gathering the dark magic into one place, Nova had controlled its influence on Equestria. But, the combined darkness had a terrible influence on anyone near it. As Nova explored the Dream Realm he became vulnerable to this influence.” This coincided with what the books and Nightbringer had said meaning that everything Celestia was saying was true.

“The Nightmare Zone’s influence corrupted Nova increasing his desire for power. He took on the likeness of the darkness and chose a new name for himself.” This was new to Twilight. Though Nightbringer was evidence of the corruption of the Nightmare Zone and the books had told about it, Twilight had not heard of Nova’s fall.

This must be why the journal entries had stopped.

“I feared that Nova and this dark influence would corrupt all of Equestria and was forced to banish him to the Nightmare Zone and seal it away.” As Celestia finished her story, Twilight became more fearful now beginning to connect some of the many dots.

“What was the name Nova took?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

“Nightbringer.” Twilight froze when she heard the name. “It was 1,500 years ago that I banished him but now I fear he has escaped,” Celestia said unaware of Twilight’s fearful state.

The young princess realized that she was responsible for releasing the greatest evil of all Equestria. She who had saved Equestria more than once would now be responsible for its destruction.

As Twilight pondered her guilt, Celestia spoke again. “Just before I banished Nightbringer, he split his power and sealed it into three books. These books contain his studies on the Dream Realm and the Nightmare Zone written before his transformation. After sealing his power he scattered the books across the land. I have found two of them but the third has eluded me.”

Twilight thought to her bag which held all three. The keys to Nightbringer’s power sat together in one place in her possession. She could not stand it anymore. The knowledge that she had not only released Nightbringer but had brought together the keys to reviving his lost power was too heavy a burden. She had to tell Celestia everything.

“Princess…” Twilight began her confession, but before she could say any more, a voice interrupted.

“Hello Celestia, long time no see.” Twilight and Celestia both turned towards the source of the voice and saw Nightbringer walk out from behind a bookshelf.

“Nightbringer,” said Celestia with malice in her voice and a fierce look on her face.

“My, my Celestia. This is not how the princess should behave,” Nightbringer mocked. “Especially with so much fear in your eyes.”

“How did you escape?” Celestia demanded.

“I’m afraid I don’t have time for question and answer right now,” the dark stallion replied, “I must re-take what is mine.”

The three old books floated out from behind Nightbringer then held above him. Twilight looked in fear inside her bag to see that they truly were gone. The books glowed with magic which enveloped the dark stallion. His flaming mane roared and the orange cracks across his body glowed more intensely. His wings folded in then the left extended alone, twice as long as before. After this, the books vanished.

“Now Celestia,” Nightbringer said as he readied a powerful spell, “your rule comes to an end.”

With that, he blasted Celestia who made a comparatively feeble attempt to counter. Nightbringer’s spell easily overpowered the princess and hurled her to the ground where she lay unconscious. The dark stallion looked at Twilight with a smile that was menacing yet somehow kind. There was a bright red flash and Twilight found herself back in her home in Ponyville.

Back in Canterlot, dark clouds covered the sky and blocked out all possible light. Black lightning flashed violently across the sky as thunder rocked the very foundations of Canterlot. As darkness overtook the royal city, ponies fell into unconsciousness where they stood before being absorbed by the shadows. Nightbringer stood on the overlook balcony of the palace watchtower. With a careless kick, he sent Celestia’s telescope tumbling to the ground where it shattered to pieces. He looked over Canterlot then off into the distance at the rest of Equestria and smiled at his work.

“Now Equestria shall know true fear.”