The Nightbringer Saga

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.