Web of Deceitby AliceA020ChaptersPrelude - Unbinding 1 - The White Stallion2 - The Fated One?Prelude - Unbinding Prelude - Unbinding Sombra’s chains clinked against each other as he shifted. He couldn’t move much, not with the short length of the chains, but at least he could somewhat adjust his position so that he may become more comfortable. He lifted his head toward the canopy of leaves and branches above him. Little light managed to get through the barrier, and, as such, the forest was rather dark. The ex-tyrant didn’t mind it too much, though; he enjoyed the dark. After a wisp of cool wind blew past his muzzle, making him scrunch it up a bit, his head hung low as his eyes shut. Then, he lifted his head once more with his eyes now open, only to have his pair meet with another glowing pair. The set of eyes watched him for a little while longer before disappearing into the darkness. Sombra scowled and shifted his gaze towards another pair. When this one refused to move, he bared his teeth as a threat. Even though he couldn’t do much with his powers being rendered useless, the least he could do was scare off any predator. Predator. That meant he was the prey now. He remembered when he was the predator, and wondered how he could be reduced to such a lowly status. His threat to the predator didn’t do much, but the creature eventually must’ve grown bored, for it trudged away and Sombra never saw any sign of it afterwards. His ears perked up at the sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves, and he wondered if that was his last moment before some monster from the Everfree forest ripped into his flesh. He turned his head and saw the glint of small light hitting golden armor. He squinted his eyes slightly, as if to make sure what he was seeing was no illusion. Sure enough, though, the image stayed. He prepared himself for a menacing growl, but it never escaped his lips, as he found himself silent after they approached closer. Sombra was sure that he saw another pony in the middle of the cluster of suits of armor, one that didn’t have any armor of his own. Rather, he only had a golden, jeweled crown atop his head. After they stopped before him, two of the guards parted, making a path for the crowned pony. He walked through with such a sophisticated posture, not one step out of place. His eyes were blood red, and they seemed like they lusted for the red liquid. He had a horn, sprouting out of a tuft of white hair that flowed down his neck like a raging river. For a few moments, the strange pony said nothing. He just stared at Sombra with a menacing look, one that made even the ex-tyrant want to hide away. But as much as Sombra wanted to, he didn’t move an inch. He felt paralyzed under this pony’s glare. The glare was soon replaced by a smirk, though, and the pony said, “Sombra, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” Sombra said nothing, making the pony chuckle a bit. “You have no idea who I am, do you? I, my friend, am the King of Tartarus. I’ve heard about your defeat at the Crystal Empire,” he said, putting a hoof under Sombra’s chin. “Such a shame.” Sombra wanted to scowl. He wanted to feel the blood off this pony run down his hoof as the life in his eyes faded away. But he did nothing; what could he do to a King of Tartarus? “I have come here today, Sombra, to offer you something.” Sombra remained quiet for a moment as he thought, then opened his mouth. “Make it quick.” The King of Tartarus chuckled. “My time is coming soon. And Tartarus needs another ruler. I think you might be just perfect.” Sombra’s eyes widened. Surely this must be some sort of trick? A trap? But by the look in his eyes, Sombra didn’t think so. “However,” the King continued, “you cannot become a king until you have a queen. Therefore, you cannot take upon my throne. But I believe you will be most suited for the job. So, if you agree to take my offer, you will be free from these chains. If you agree, you must find a queen before my death, and only then will you have the demons of Tartarus at your hooves. “If you don’t find a queen by the time my death has come, however, you will be forced to suffer in Tartarus for all of eternity, and my most trusted servant will become the next king instead. So, Sombra, what do you say?” There was not a sound for a while, nothing but the sounds of the forest. None of them knows how long it stayed like that, but eventually, Sombra nodded his head. He didn’t speak, as he didn’t want to accidentally say the wrong words. The King smirked, and his horn glowed. Sombra felt the shackles clamped around him begin to loosen. Once his hooves were free, he lifted them a bit. It felt so good to finally be able to move around. Just as the last chain disappeared, he looked up at the King. The second he made eye contact, though, a blinding light flashed, and Sombra was forced to close his eyes. It seemed like forever until he was able to open them once more. The first thing he saw was the night sky, with the twinkling stars and a full moon. He breathed heavily for a few moments as everything flashed through his mind once more. The deal, he reminded himself. He stood, stumbling a bit from not using his legs for a long while. Then he looked around him to try and learn where he was exactly. It didn’t take long for him to notice the small village not too far from him. Not many lights were on, but he easily recognized the place as Ponyville. With a small smirk tugging at his lips, he began to walk. 1 - The White StallionTwilight’s lungs burned and her legs ached, but she did not dare to stop. Flying? Out of the question. Her wings were sore from all the flying done before. If she attempted flight, it would surely end with a crash. Twilight wanted to look back, to see exactly what was chasing her, but that could cause a misstep, and one misstep could be fatal, so she did not look back. She didn’t see it though. She didn’t see the shifting tree root and she soon found herself on the ground. She couldn’t pick herself up. Everything ached as she panted. Even so, she found herself turning onto her back, gritting her teeth through the pain. And then she saw him. It. Twilight’s mouth worked, but her voice did not. So here she was, at the complete mercy of this monster, unable to give it the pleasure of hearing her scream. She closed her eyes, and waited for the inevitable. ❧ Twilight shot up, her trembling undeniable. Her eyes were wide as the horrid images of her nightmare flashed through her mind. She felt the some sweat roll down her cheek. Or was it tears? She couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, she wiped it away and looked around, as if to make sure she had returned safely to her room. Sure enough, she was under the warmth of her blanks in her cozy bed. Spike was curled up in his own bed, and the moon and stars still gleamed brightly outside. Twilight didn’t know how long it’d be until sunrise, but she knew it’d at least be a few hours. Not wanting to close her eyes again, she crept out from under the covers and trotted ever so carefully to the door; after all, she didn’t want to make a sound and wake the sleeping dragon. If it weren’t for the small fear still coursing through her veins, she would have given a little amused chuckle. Once the door was shut behind her, she lit up her horn to provide some light, and then trotted to the bottom of the staircase. Owlicious whoed at her, and Twilight offered him a small smile. Does he get lonely at night, being all by himself? she thought. But she brushed it off and carried on with her original mission: getting a glass of water. In the kitchen, a purple aura enveloped one of the many glasses. The faucet turned on, and Twilight put the cup underneath. When she decided it was full enough, she turned the faucet off and brought the glass to her lips. The water definitely helped. It seemed to push away the remaining fears, or at least, made her feel like she could handle whatever created those fears. The glass was soon empty and so she was careful to set it in the sink slowly so it would not break. Just as she turned to start heading back up to her room, the shadows seemed to shift. Twilight raised an eyebrow as she averted her gaze over. But there was nothing. The purple unicorn shrugged it off and trotted onward. ❧ Sombra watched his newfound prey gulp down her precious water. If he knew for sure she wouldn’t be able to hear him, he would have given an amused chuckle. Giving her those nightmares had been so easy. Keeping them locked away from Princess Luna was even easier. Make her break. That was part of Sombra’s plan. Push her to her breaking point, because when she is weakest is when she will be easiest to manipulate. Sombra must’ve shifted to early, because he saw Twilight flicker her gaze over to exactly where he was. He stopped his movements and held his breath; if he were to be discovered now, the agreement with the King would’ve been for naught. He wanted to sigh in relief when she turned away and began to trot away, but he didn’t. Only when he couldn’t see her any longer did he release his breath. Sombra stepped out from the shadows. Her little owl pet seemed to notice him, and when it did, it would not stop making the annoying sounds. Only when he shot the thing a glare did the sounds stop as it flinched back and trembled slightly. He sighed angrily, but it was also slightly in relief. Hopefully it didn’t alert Twilight that there was something else in her house. Sombra closed his eyes as his lips curled back into a smirk, revealing his fangs that glistened in the moonlight. Tomorrow, his plan would begin. ❧ Twilight woke with a yawn. Her mane was clearly disheveled, but it didn’t matter; Spike was already downstairs so she could brush it before anypony saw it. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection as the brush pulled through her mane, getting rid of any tangles. For an instant, she swore she saw her eyes flash an emerald green. She blinked a few times, and when they did not return, she set her brush down, turned around, and trotted for the bottom level. “Good morning, Twi,” Spike said. He appeared to be doing some cleaning around the library. “Good morning, Spike,” Twilight said. She walked over to the door, floating over a couple saddle bags and setting them on her back. Then she slightly pushed the door open before turning back and looking at the purple dragon. “I’ll be out shopping.” “Alright, Twi,” Spike said, focusing on his cleaning. Twilight chuckled and exited her library. The sun’s light bathed her, warmed her, like a blanket in the chill of winter. Out in the streets, Twilight saw a crowd of mares. An eyebrow raised, she pushed through the group, a task easier said than done. Finally at the front, she saw what all the commotion was about: a stallion. A pure white coat, like a gentle snowfall; alluring crystal blue eyes; a black mane that flowed like a calm river; he definitely held the qualities of a prince. Evert step he took, every word he spoke, was filled with such elegance that only a prince could possess, possibly only a king. But as far as Twilight knew, this was no prince or king – just a stallion that wandered into the streets of Ponyville. It seemed that the princess – other than stallions – was the only one that didn’t fall for the stallion’s charms. Every mare watched him with eyes full of amazement. One familiar unicorn caught Twilight’s gaze, and the pony waltzed over. “Rarity? What’s going on? Who is he?” Twilight questioned. “That,” Rarity said, pointing a hoof at the stallion, “is a magician. He came into town just this morning. He’s moving here!” Her voice rose with excitement. Rarity looked back at the stallion. “Isn’t he simply amazing?” Rarity admired. “Does this stallion have a name?” Rarity looked back at Twilight. “Of course he does, but no pony knows it. He’s so mysterious.” Twilight raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the stallion, only to see he already had her eyes on her with a smirk. But the smirk was soon replaced by a smile as he lifted his hooves and made his way over to Twilight and her friend. “Why, hello,” he said. His accent told Twilight he definitely wasn’t from anywhere close. The princess casted a glance to Rarity to see she was trying to keep in her squeals of excitement by biting her lip. The stallion reached behind Rarity’s ear and produced a red rose. “For you,” he said with a flirtatious smile. Rarity could no longer keep in her squeals. She let one slip as she grasped the flower in her magic. The stallion’s smile widened. Then he pulled away and looked at the surrounding crowd. “I must now take my leave, but worry not, for we will see each other again soon.” One more quick look to Twilight, and then in a puff of smoke he was gone. But Twilight noticed something, noticed something before the smoke engulfed him and took him to Celestia knows where. He had no cutie mark. ❧ Can a full grown stallion have no cutie mark? That was the question that constantly bothered Twilight for the past hour. Twilight knew it wasn’t impossible, but the chances of him going throughout his whole life and not discovering his special talent were very unlikely. Besides, he did seem to be pretty great with his magic tricks; why didn’t’ he get a mark for that? Twilight lay sprawled out on the floor, pondering the question a few moments longer before standing with a sigh. Spike was at Rarity’s, so she had the whole library to herself. She was determined to find out this stallion’s name and learn more about him. Deep down inside of her, she had a feeling that this stallion and the nightmares were somehow connected. She didn’t want to accept it, but something in her kept kicking her until she did. Twilight knew the chances of any record of the stallion being in her library were as minimal as the chances of a stallion still not knowing their special talent when they were fully grown, but that didn’t stop her from looking. She must’ve been searching for an hour, reading the title of every book, before she finally gave up. She sighed and sat down. Spike walked through the door, the door’s creaks making Twilight’s ears perk up. She stood; an idea crossed her mind. “Spike,” Twilight said, “take a letter.” ❧ Twilight groaned. She had sent a letter to Princess Celestia, letting her know that she would be coming to study the Pony Records that were surely in the castle library. Celestia immediately replied, but denied Twilight access to the library and refused to tell why. A quick glance out the window told Twilight that it was lunch time. “Spike,” Twilight said. “I’m going out for some lunch. Need anything?” Spike dismissed her with a wave of the claw. “Nah, I’m good. I ate over at Rarity’s.” Twilight shrugged. “Alright, if you say so.” Then she trotted out. The chatter of ponies immediately filled her ears. Most talked while they ate, only after they swallowed their bites of course, while others ate in silence. She sat at a table at an outdoor restaurant; it was such a beautiful day. There were only a couple clouds in the sky, although later there was a scheduled thunderstorm. But for now, ponies enjoyed the outdoors as if the storm wasn’t coming. A stallion dressed as a waiter approached her table. “May I take your order, miss?” “Just a salad and a glass of water, please,” Twilight said. The waiter jotted down what she wanted. “Your order will be here shortly.” Twilight nodded, and the waiter trotted off to put her order in. After a few moments of nothing but her thoughts, she was again approached but this time it was the same stallion from before. “Hello,” he grinned, catching Twilight’s attention. “It’s Twilight, right? Twilight Sparkle?” “How’d you know that…?” Twilight asked in a suspicious tone. “Why, I know every pony’s name in this town.” He pointed to an orange pony with a carrot for a cutie mark. “That is Carrot Top.” He pointed at a grey pegasus. “That is Derpy.” He pointed at a bouncy, pink earth mare. “That is Pinkie Pie.” He turned back to Twilight. Twilight gave him a suspicious look, and then quickly glanced at his flank. Definitely no cutie mark. “May I sit?” he asked, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. “I guess…” He smiled and sat in the chair across from hers. Then, he leaned in, and in a hushed voice he said, “You’ve been having nightmares as of late, correct?” Twilight’s eyes went wide in shock. “Yes, I can see it. I am warning you, Twilight Sparkle, be very careful. Troubled times are coming for you.” A bowl of salad was placed in front of her, and she turned to the waiter. “Here’s your order, miss,” he said. “Thank you,” she said. Then the waiter trotted off. She turned back and was greeted by an empty chair. No puff of smoke, no sign of him being there in the first place. Just an empty chair, her salad, and her thoughts. She probably wasn't going to get any sleep that night. 2 - The Fated One?Voices. No biggie, Twilight thought. She knew that, when in sleep paralysis, hallucinations were likely to occur. That’s all the voices were: hallucinations. Still, knowing that didn’t stop the fear from consuming her. All she could do was move her eyes wildly as if that would make them stop. The voices were like gibberish. No, they were gibberish. They were urgent. Twilight couldn’t understand anything, nor hear the sounds of the night. Then, a single word broke through the storm of voices, said so clearly it was as if someone leaned over and spoke directly in Twilight’s ear. “Monitio.” Then, the voices ceased. The sounds of the night returned; Twilight heard a cricket chirping and owls whoing. Twilight moved her foreleg slightly, eyes widening a little at the sudden capability of moving once again. She took the chance of finally being able to move and stretched. Spike still lay curled up in his bed, sleeping peacefully. That was enough to assure Twilight that the voices were all in her head. Monitio. She remembered the single word that broke through the haze. It repeated in her mind. She knew it was the Latin word for warning; she had studied up on Pony Latin when she was younger. But she also learned that Pony Latin was a dead language, and, though it could possibly be useful, the chances of her ever needing it were unlikely, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. Why was it brought it up? No matter. It wasn’t important, it couldn’t be. It was only a hallucination, she reminded herself. Twilight calmed herself from the once haunting voices before closing her eyes as sleep lulled her away. ❧ Another nightmare. That had been the fourth one in a row. She wondered if it had anything to do with the white stallion’s omen. She shook her head. No, that wasn’t possible. Just the curse of bad luck, that’s all it was. But even so, why hadn’t Princess Luna, the protector of dreams, come by now? Perhaps she ought to pay the ruler of the night a visit. No. Twilight shook her head again. Nightmares aren’t anything that’s worth a fuss, not in her eyes, at least. Twilight sat up, scratching the back of her head. As she stood and glanced in the mirror, one quick look was enough to tell her that it would be best to not leave the library without a thorough brushing through her mane at least. The brush that lay on a dresser glowed a purple aura as it floated over and began stroking and patting down the stray hairs that flew in crooked directions. Twilight hummed softly to herself, something that she rarely ever did. But it just felt right and needed at the moment. The song was a lullaby sung by her mother when Twilight was very young. It was like the song was a comfort for the previous night’s fears. It seemed to scare away the nightmares and voices that still haunted the back of her mind. Most of them, at least. The word Monitio still stood its ground, repeating in the same voice as it was said in last night as clear as the day outside. Twilight willed herself to think of something else, and, while that worked for a few moments, the word soon found itself back in Twilight’s train of thought and showed it had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Once her mane looked well-enough, she trotted downstairs. A note lay on her kitchen table. Dear Twilight, I went over to Rarity’s. I’ll be home by seven o’ clock tonight. -Spike Twilight sighed in relief; it’s not that she didn’t like Spike, but thinking was much easier without any pony else around. What made her write down that word she had no idea. Twilight just felt she needed to remember Monitio for some reason, and, even though it constantly repeated in her mind, she had a feeling that if she didn’t write it down it would be forgotten soon. The small piece of paper that held the word was soon folded up and tucked away in a drawer. Twilight put a few other things in the drawer so that the paper could easily remain hidden. With a smile of satisfaction, she closed the drawer. But something still felt off. It wasn’t the small piece of paper. Twilight just felt that something was off. She stood still, eyes cautiously wavering over every corner of the library. Something wasn’t off there; that’s for sure. Every book remained in its place and not one paper that held all of her research was somewhere different than it should be. She sighed, and then perked her ears. But she heard nothing. Nothing at all. That was it. Not one sound. Usually the chatter of the ponies outside could make it through the door, though it was always muffled. But she could still hear it. She didn’t hear the ticking of her clock or the slight rumble of the fridge. Everything was dead silent. She stomped softly on the ground as if to make sure she hadn’t suddenly gone deaf somehow. Nope. She heard the clop of her hoof. But once the sound finished echoing throughout the library, it was silent again. Then, she heard something. The steady plip…plip…plip of a dripping faucet. That’s funny; she was pretty sure Spike knew not to leave the little knob turned, and she certainly always triple checked to make sure not one more drop would fall. A quick trot to the sink told Twilight that yes, the faucet was indeed dripping. She sighed; she’d have to have a talk with Spike later. The knob was turned and the dripping ceased. Then, Twilight looked at her reflection in the faucet. And she saw it. A face. A pale, white face of a stallion stared back at Twilight. Only for a moment, though. It came as such a shock that she fell backwards, hitting her back on the table. She would have crashed further if it weren’t for her catching herself. All the sounds then returned at once. She heard the chatter of ponies; the ticking of the clock; the slow rumble of the fridge. Everything. Twilight cautiously took a step forward, glancing back into the faucet. No face staring back at her. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Just a hallucination. A knock at the door made her forget about the sudden disappearance of sounds and that face staring back at her. She trotted over, opening the door to see Rainbow Dash clutching a Daring Do book to her chest. “Hey, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “What are you doing here?” “I need the new Daring Do book. Now!” ❧ Rainbow Dash didn’t leave when she first got the book. Instead, the two friends decided to have some tea together. They made idle chit chat, and Twilight began to wonder whether or not she should tell Rainbow about the nightmares. Sure, Rainbow might think she’s crazy, but at least she’d finally tell somepony instead of keeping it to herself. Rainbow was currently going on and on about the last Wonderbolts show, and after finally making her decision, Twilight held up a hoof. Rainbow paused. “Rainbow… There’s… Something I need to tell you.” “Sure,” Rainbow replied, “what is it, Twi?” Twilight bit her lip and took a deep breath. Then, Twilight said, “Lately, I’ve been having a lot of nightmares. I’ve been having nightmares ever since Tuesday night.” Rainbow dismissed her with a wave of the hoof. “Every pony gets nightmares, Twi. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” “But Luna should’ve stopped them by now! She should’ve come in the first one and ended it! But she didn’t! And that’s not all. Last night, I heard voices. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying. Then, this morning, just before you came over, I saw a face in the faucet!” She questioned whether or not she should mention Monitio to her, but decided against it. “Twilight, I’m sure you’re just overreacting. The nightmares are probably just getting to you and now you’re hallucinating.” “But–” Rainbow cut her off by waving her hoof. “Twilight, seriously. It’s not that big of a deal. Nothing strange is happening at all. And even if it is, you’re the princess of friendship and magic! I’m sure you could handle it just fine.” Twilight sighed. “I guess you’re right.” “Of course I’m right!” Rainbow Dash boasted. “Anyway, I better get going. Applejack and I are having a competition! See you later, Twi!” Then, Rainbow was gone, a trail of a rainbow following behind her along with a wind that gently brushed against Twilight. The purple alicorn sighed. Was it really all in her head? Twilight had seen some pretty strange things, but something like this just didn’t seem like it’d happen. Perhaps all she had to do to end the nightmares was send a letter to Luna. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Twilight checked the clock. It was one in the afternoon, which meant she had plenty of time to figure out exactly what she should say in her letter before Spike returned. Her gaze flickered over to her many shelves of books. Maybe she could get a little reading done. Twilight hadn’t exactly been doing much of it lately, and she did still have quite a bit of time until Spike came home. She trotted over to the nonfiction section. Her hooves clopped against the hardwood floor, echoing through the library. She could still hear the murmurs from outside and the slow rumble of the fridge, and she hadn’t been as grateful to hear sounds in her life before. Once she stood in front of the history books, Twilight scanned over every title. A lot of them she had already read, but she also hadn’t even picked up a lot of them. She continuously looked them over until one caught her eye. Monitio: Diabolus Twilight’s gaze stopped on the title, and wouldn’t budge. Monitio? Surely it was all a coincidence? Either way, Twilight wouldn’t feel satisfied unless she read the book. A nagging feeling kept telling her to pick it up, and so she did. Twilight was pretty sure she also felt another slight feeling that said to throw away the book, but instead she chose to ignore the feeling. She lay on the floor, constantly shifting until she had a comfortable enough position, before open the book. Surprisingly enough, there were words on the first page. Usually the first page was left blank. Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, but brushed off her questions and began reading. And so it shall be. The Fated One shall fall and the Destined One shall rise. Never shall one perish by aging, but rather the deathly claws of him. He is one whose very name will send chills down every spine in every nation. He is one who shall strike fear into ones who have no reason to. He is the one that will create a want for there to be savior in every pony. But that savior will not come; the chills will not stop; and the fear shall course through the veins straight to the heart. Not even I could’ve seen something like this; surely fate would be more merciful? But it is so that the prophecy states the Fated One shall fall and the Destined One shall rise. It is unavoidable. I can only hope that the Fated One will not fall to the Destined One’s demise, and instead bring a new age of hope and prosperity to the people. Twilight stopped there, almost unable to turn the page. Or maybe she could. Maybe she just didn’t want to. A knock at the door snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. She closed the book and set it on the table before trotting over. She opened the wooden door, the thing creaking ever so softly. There, standing in the threshold, was the white stallion. “Twilight Sparkle,” he began, “I have an important message for you.” ❧ Princess Celestia stood on her castle balcony that overlooked the rolling hills and fields. One quick look at her would tell any pony that she was deep in thought. “Sister,” Princess Luna said as she approached, “you know it is almost time. A few months at the most.” Celestia’s head hung low. “Yes, Sister, I know that very well. I just wish it didn’t have to happen.” “No pony does,” Luna consoled. “But it must happen, and you know that.” Celestia nodded. “I just hope that she will be able to be saved.” ❧ Twilight’s pupils shrank at the white stallion’s words. How could this be possible? She slammed the door and leaned against it, sliding down. Her thoughts were a mess. No, it’s not possible. He must be lying. He is lying. There is no way that I’m the Fated One. Author's Note I really need to start making chapters much longer...
Prelude - Unbinding Prelude - Unbinding Sombra’s chains clinked against each other as he shifted. He couldn’t move much, not with the short length of the chains, but at least he could somewhat adjust his position so that he may become more comfortable. He lifted his head toward the canopy of leaves and branches above him. Little light managed to get through the barrier, and, as such, the forest was rather dark. The ex-tyrant didn’t mind it too much, though; he enjoyed the dark. After a wisp of cool wind blew past his muzzle, making him scrunch it up a bit, his head hung low as his eyes shut. Then, he lifted his head once more with his eyes now open, only to have his pair meet with another glowing pair. The set of eyes watched him for a little while longer before disappearing into the darkness. Sombra scowled and shifted his gaze towards another pair. When this one refused to move, he bared his teeth as a threat. Even though he couldn’t do much with his powers being rendered useless, the least he could do was scare off any predator. Predator. That meant he was the prey now. He remembered when he was the predator, and wondered how he could be reduced to such a lowly status. His threat to the predator didn’t do much, but the creature eventually must’ve grown bored, for it trudged away and Sombra never saw any sign of it afterwards. His ears perked up at the sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves, and he wondered if that was his last moment before some monster from the Everfree forest ripped into his flesh. He turned his head and saw the glint of small light hitting golden armor. He squinted his eyes slightly, as if to make sure what he was seeing was no illusion. Sure enough, though, the image stayed. He prepared himself for a menacing growl, but it never escaped his lips, as he found himself silent after they approached closer. Sombra was sure that he saw another pony in the middle of the cluster of suits of armor, one that didn’t have any armor of his own. Rather, he only had a golden, jeweled crown atop his head. After they stopped before him, two of the guards parted, making a path for the crowned pony. He walked through with such a sophisticated posture, not one step out of place. His eyes were blood red, and they seemed like they lusted for the red liquid. He had a horn, sprouting out of a tuft of white hair that flowed down his neck like a raging river. For a few moments, the strange pony said nothing. He just stared at Sombra with a menacing look, one that made even the ex-tyrant want to hide away. But as much as Sombra wanted to, he didn’t move an inch. He felt paralyzed under this pony’s glare. The glare was soon replaced by a smirk, though, and the pony said, “Sombra, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” Sombra said nothing, making the pony chuckle a bit. “You have no idea who I am, do you? I, my friend, am the King of Tartarus. I’ve heard about your defeat at the Crystal Empire,” he said, putting a hoof under Sombra’s chin. “Such a shame.” Sombra wanted to scowl. He wanted to feel the blood off this pony run down his hoof as the life in his eyes faded away. But he did nothing; what could he do to a King of Tartarus? “I have come here today, Sombra, to offer you something.” Sombra remained quiet for a moment as he thought, then opened his mouth. “Make it quick.” The King of Tartarus chuckled. “My time is coming soon. And Tartarus needs another ruler. I think you might be just perfect.” Sombra’s eyes widened. Surely this must be some sort of trick? A trap? But by the look in his eyes, Sombra didn’t think so. “However,” the King continued, “you cannot become a king until you have a queen. Therefore, you cannot take upon my throne. But I believe you will be most suited for the job. So, if you agree to take my offer, you will be free from these chains. If you agree, you must find a queen before my death, and only then will you have the demons of Tartarus at your hooves. “If you don’t find a queen by the time my death has come, however, you will be forced to suffer in Tartarus for all of eternity, and my most trusted servant will become the next king instead. So, Sombra, what do you say?” There was not a sound for a while, nothing but the sounds of the forest. None of them knows how long it stayed like that, but eventually, Sombra nodded his head. He didn’t speak, as he didn’t want to accidentally say the wrong words. The King smirked, and his horn glowed. Sombra felt the shackles clamped around him begin to loosen. Once his hooves were free, he lifted them a bit. It felt so good to finally be able to move around. Just as the last chain disappeared, he looked up at the King. The second he made eye contact, though, a blinding light flashed, and Sombra was forced to close his eyes. It seemed like forever until he was able to open them once more. The first thing he saw was the night sky, with the twinkling stars and a full moon. He breathed heavily for a few moments as everything flashed through his mind once more. The deal, he reminded himself. He stood, stumbling a bit from not using his legs for a long while. Then he looked around him to try and learn where he was exactly. It didn’t take long for him to notice the small village not too far from him. Not many lights were on, but he easily recognized the place as Ponyville. With a small smirk tugging at his lips, he began to walk.
1 - The White StallionTwilight’s lungs burned and her legs ached, but she did not dare to stop. Flying? Out of the question. Her wings were sore from all the flying done before. If she attempted flight, it would surely end with a crash. Twilight wanted to look back, to see exactly what was chasing her, but that could cause a misstep, and one misstep could be fatal, so she did not look back. She didn’t see it though. She didn’t see the shifting tree root and she soon found herself on the ground. She couldn’t pick herself up. Everything ached as she panted. Even so, she found herself turning onto her back, gritting her teeth through the pain. And then she saw him. It. Twilight’s mouth worked, but her voice did not. So here she was, at the complete mercy of this monster, unable to give it the pleasure of hearing her scream. She closed her eyes, and waited for the inevitable. ❧ Twilight shot up, her trembling undeniable. Her eyes were wide as the horrid images of her nightmare flashed through her mind. She felt the some sweat roll down her cheek. Or was it tears? She couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, she wiped it away and looked around, as if to make sure she had returned safely to her room. Sure enough, she was under the warmth of her blanks in her cozy bed. Spike was curled up in his own bed, and the moon and stars still gleamed brightly outside. Twilight didn’t know how long it’d be until sunrise, but she knew it’d at least be a few hours. Not wanting to close her eyes again, she crept out from under the covers and trotted ever so carefully to the door; after all, she didn’t want to make a sound and wake the sleeping dragon. If it weren’t for the small fear still coursing through her veins, she would have given a little amused chuckle. Once the door was shut behind her, she lit up her horn to provide some light, and then trotted to the bottom of the staircase. Owlicious whoed at her, and Twilight offered him a small smile. Does he get lonely at night, being all by himself? she thought. But she brushed it off and carried on with her original mission: getting a glass of water. In the kitchen, a purple aura enveloped one of the many glasses. The faucet turned on, and Twilight put the cup underneath. When she decided it was full enough, she turned the faucet off and brought the glass to her lips. The water definitely helped. It seemed to push away the remaining fears, or at least, made her feel like she could handle whatever created those fears. The glass was soon empty and so she was careful to set it in the sink slowly so it would not break. Just as she turned to start heading back up to her room, the shadows seemed to shift. Twilight raised an eyebrow as she averted her gaze over. But there was nothing. The purple unicorn shrugged it off and trotted onward. ❧ Sombra watched his newfound prey gulp down her precious water. If he knew for sure she wouldn’t be able to hear him, he would have given an amused chuckle. Giving her those nightmares had been so easy. Keeping them locked away from Princess Luna was even easier. Make her break. That was part of Sombra’s plan. Push her to her breaking point, because when she is weakest is when she will be easiest to manipulate. Sombra must’ve shifted to early, because he saw Twilight flicker her gaze over to exactly where he was. He stopped his movements and held his breath; if he were to be discovered now, the agreement with the King would’ve been for naught. He wanted to sigh in relief when she turned away and began to trot away, but he didn’t. Only when he couldn’t see her any longer did he release his breath. Sombra stepped out from the shadows. Her little owl pet seemed to notice him, and when it did, it would not stop making the annoying sounds. Only when he shot the thing a glare did the sounds stop as it flinched back and trembled slightly. He sighed angrily, but it was also slightly in relief. Hopefully it didn’t alert Twilight that there was something else in her house. Sombra closed his eyes as his lips curled back into a smirk, revealing his fangs that glistened in the moonlight. Tomorrow, his plan would begin. ❧ Twilight woke with a yawn. Her mane was clearly disheveled, but it didn’t matter; Spike was already downstairs so she could brush it before anypony saw it. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection as the brush pulled through her mane, getting rid of any tangles. For an instant, she swore she saw her eyes flash an emerald green. She blinked a few times, and when they did not return, she set her brush down, turned around, and trotted for the bottom level. “Good morning, Twi,” Spike said. He appeared to be doing some cleaning around the library. “Good morning, Spike,” Twilight said. She walked over to the door, floating over a couple saddle bags and setting them on her back. Then she slightly pushed the door open before turning back and looking at the purple dragon. “I’ll be out shopping.” “Alright, Twi,” Spike said, focusing on his cleaning. Twilight chuckled and exited her library. The sun’s light bathed her, warmed her, like a blanket in the chill of winter. Out in the streets, Twilight saw a crowd of mares. An eyebrow raised, she pushed through the group, a task easier said than done. Finally at the front, she saw what all the commotion was about: a stallion. A pure white coat, like a gentle snowfall; alluring crystal blue eyes; a black mane that flowed like a calm river; he definitely held the qualities of a prince. Evert step he took, every word he spoke, was filled with such elegance that only a prince could possess, possibly only a king. But as far as Twilight knew, this was no prince or king – just a stallion that wandered into the streets of Ponyville. It seemed that the princess – other than stallions – was the only one that didn’t fall for the stallion’s charms. Every mare watched him with eyes full of amazement. One familiar unicorn caught Twilight’s gaze, and the pony waltzed over. “Rarity? What’s going on? Who is he?” Twilight questioned. “That,” Rarity said, pointing a hoof at the stallion, “is a magician. He came into town just this morning. He’s moving here!” Her voice rose with excitement. Rarity looked back at the stallion. “Isn’t he simply amazing?” Rarity admired. “Does this stallion have a name?” Rarity looked back at Twilight. “Of course he does, but no pony knows it. He’s so mysterious.” Twilight raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the stallion, only to see he already had her eyes on her with a smirk. But the smirk was soon replaced by a smile as he lifted his hooves and made his way over to Twilight and her friend. “Why, hello,” he said. His accent told Twilight he definitely wasn’t from anywhere close. The princess casted a glance to Rarity to see she was trying to keep in her squeals of excitement by biting her lip. The stallion reached behind Rarity’s ear and produced a red rose. “For you,” he said with a flirtatious smile. Rarity could no longer keep in her squeals. She let one slip as she grasped the flower in her magic. The stallion’s smile widened. Then he pulled away and looked at the surrounding crowd. “I must now take my leave, but worry not, for we will see each other again soon.” One more quick look to Twilight, and then in a puff of smoke he was gone. But Twilight noticed something, noticed something before the smoke engulfed him and took him to Celestia knows where. He had no cutie mark. ❧ Can a full grown stallion have no cutie mark? That was the question that constantly bothered Twilight for the past hour. Twilight knew it wasn’t impossible, but the chances of him going throughout his whole life and not discovering his special talent were very unlikely. Besides, he did seem to be pretty great with his magic tricks; why didn’t’ he get a mark for that? Twilight lay sprawled out on the floor, pondering the question a few moments longer before standing with a sigh. Spike was at Rarity’s, so she had the whole library to herself. She was determined to find out this stallion’s name and learn more about him. Deep down inside of her, she had a feeling that this stallion and the nightmares were somehow connected. She didn’t want to accept it, but something in her kept kicking her until she did. Twilight knew the chances of any record of the stallion being in her library were as minimal as the chances of a stallion still not knowing their special talent when they were fully grown, but that didn’t stop her from looking. She must’ve been searching for an hour, reading the title of every book, before she finally gave up. She sighed and sat down. Spike walked through the door, the door’s creaks making Twilight’s ears perk up. She stood; an idea crossed her mind. “Spike,” Twilight said, “take a letter.” ❧ Twilight groaned. She had sent a letter to Princess Celestia, letting her know that she would be coming to study the Pony Records that were surely in the castle library. Celestia immediately replied, but denied Twilight access to the library and refused to tell why. A quick glance out the window told Twilight that it was lunch time. “Spike,” Twilight said. “I’m going out for some lunch. Need anything?” Spike dismissed her with a wave of the claw. “Nah, I’m good. I ate over at Rarity’s.” Twilight shrugged. “Alright, if you say so.” Then she trotted out. The chatter of ponies immediately filled her ears. Most talked while they ate, only after they swallowed their bites of course, while others ate in silence. She sat at a table at an outdoor restaurant; it was such a beautiful day. There were only a couple clouds in the sky, although later there was a scheduled thunderstorm. But for now, ponies enjoyed the outdoors as if the storm wasn’t coming. A stallion dressed as a waiter approached her table. “May I take your order, miss?” “Just a salad and a glass of water, please,” Twilight said. The waiter jotted down what she wanted. “Your order will be here shortly.” Twilight nodded, and the waiter trotted off to put her order in. After a few moments of nothing but her thoughts, she was again approached but this time it was the same stallion from before. “Hello,” he grinned, catching Twilight’s attention. “It’s Twilight, right? Twilight Sparkle?” “How’d you know that…?” Twilight asked in a suspicious tone. “Why, I know every pony’s name in this town.” He pointed to an orange pony with a carrot for a cutie mark. “That is Carrot Top.” He pointed at a grey pegasus. “That is Derpy.” He pointed at a bouncy, pink earth mare. “That is Pinkie Pie.” He turned back to Twilight. Twilight gave him a suspicious look, and then quickly glanced at his flank. Definitely no cutie mark. “May I sit?” he asked, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. “I guess…” He smiled and sat in the chair across from hers. Then, he leaned in, and in a hushed voice he said, “You’ve been having nightmares as of late, correct?” Twilight’s eyes went wide in shock. “Yes, I can see it. I am warning you, Twilight Sparkle, be very careful. Troubled times are coming for you.” A bowl of salad was placed in front of her, and she turned to the waiter. “Here’s your order, miss,” he said. “Thank you,” she said. Then the waiter trotted off. She turned back and was greeted by an empty chair. No puff of smoke, no sign of him being there in the first place. Just an empty chair, her salad, and her thoughts. She probably wasn't going to get any sleep that night.
2 - The Fated One?Voices. No biggie, Twilight thought. She knew that, when in sleep paralysis, hallucinations were likely to occur. That’s all the voices were: hallucinations. Still, knowing that didn’t stop the fear from consuming her. All she could do was move her eyes wildly as if that would make them stop. The voices were like gibberish. No, they were gibberish. They were urgent. Twilight couldn’t understand anything, nor hear the sounds of the night. Then, a single word broke through the storm of voices, said so clearly it was as if someone leaned over and spoke directly in Twilight’s ear. “Monitio.” Then, the voices ceased. The sounds of the night returned; Twilight heard a cricket chirping and owls whoing. Twilight moved her foreleg slightly, eyes widening a little at the sudden capability of moving once again. She took the chance of finally being able to move and stretched. Spike still lay curled up in his bed, sleeping peacefully. That was enough to assure Twilight that the voices were all in her head. Monitio. She remembered the single word that broke through the haze. It repeated in her mind. She knew it was the Latin word for warning; she had studied up on Pony Latin when she was younger. But she also learned that Pony Latin was a dead language, and, though it could possibly be useful, the chances of her ever needing it were unlikely, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. Why was it brought it up? No matter. It wasn’t important, it couldn’t be. It was only a hallucination, she reminded herself. Twilight calmed herself from the once haunting voices before closing her eyes as sleep lulled her away. ❧ Another nightmare. That had been the fourth one in a row. She wondered if it had anything to do with the white stallion’s omen. She shook her head. No, that wasn’t possible. Just the curse of bad luck, that’s all it was. But even so, why hadn’t Princess Luna, the protector of dreams, come by now? Perhaps she ought to pay the ruler of the night a visit. No. Twilight shook her head again. Nightmares aren’t anything that’s worth a fuss, not in her eyes, at least. Twilight sat up, scratching the back of her head. As she stood and glanced in the mirror, one quick look was enough to tell her that it would be best to not leave the library without a thorough brushing through her mane at least. The brush that lay on a dresser glowed a purple aura as it floated over and began stroking and patting down the stray hairs that flew in crooked directions. Twilight hummed softly to herself, something that she rarely ever did. But it just felt right and needed at the moment. The song was a lullaby sung by her mother when Twilight was very young. It was like the song was a comfort for the previous night’s fears. It seemed to scare away the nightmares and voices that still haunted the back of her mind. Most of them, at least. The word Monitio still stood its ground, repeating in the same voice as it was said in last night as clear as the day outside. Twilight willed herself to think of something else, and, while that worked for a few moments, the word soon found itself back in Twilight’s train of thought and showed it had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Once her mane looked well-enough, she trotted downstairs. A note lay on her kitchen table. Dear Twilight, I went over to Rarity’s. I’ll be home by seven o’ clock tonight. -Spike Twilight sighed in relief; it’s not that she didn’t like Spike, but thinking was much easier without any pony else around. What made her write down that word she had no idea. Twilight just felt she needed to remember Monitio for some reason, and, even though it constantly repeated in her mind, she had a feeling that if she didn’t write it down it would be forgotten soon. The small piece of paper that held the word was soon folded up and tucked away in a drawer. Twilight put a few other things in the drawer so that the paper could easily remain hidden. With a smile of satisfaction, she closed the drawer. But something still felt off. It wasn’t the small piece of paper. Twilight just felt that something was off. She stood still, eyes cautiously wavering over every corner of the library. Something wasn’t off there; that’s for sure. Every book remained in its place and not one paper that held all of her research was somewhere different than it should be. She sighed, and then perked her ears. But she heard nothing. Nothing at all. That was it. Not one sound. Usually the chatter of the ponies outside could make it through the door, though it was always muffled. But she could still hear it. She didn’t hear the ticking of her clock or the slight rumble of the fridge. Everything was dead silent. She stomped softly on the ground as if to make sure she hadn’t suddenly gone deaf somehow. Nope. She heard the clop of her hoof. But once the sound finished echoing throughout the library, it was silent again. Then, she heard something. The steady plip…plip…plip of a dripping faucet. That’s funny; she was pretty sure Spike knew not to leave the little knob turned, and she certainly always triple checked to make sure not one more drop would fall. A quick trot to the sink told Twilight that yes, the faucet was indeed dripping. She sighed; she’d have to have a talk with Spike later. The knob was turned and the dripping ceased. Then, Twilight looked at her reflection in the faucet. And she saw it. A face. A pale, white face of a stallion stared back at Twilight. Only for a moment, though. It came as such a shock that she fell backwards, hitting her back on the table. She would have crashed further if it weren’t for her catching herself. All the sounds then returned at once. She heard the chatter of ponies; the ticking of the clock; the slow rumble of the fridge. Everything. Twilight cautiously took a step forward, glancing back into the faucet. No face staring back at her. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Just a hallucination. A knock at the door made her forget about the sudden disappearance of sounds and that face staring back at her. She trotted over, opening the door to see Rainbow Dash clutching a Daring Do book to her chest. “Hey, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “What are you doing here?” “I need the new Daring Do book. Now!” ❧ Rainbow Dash didn’t leave when she first got the book. Instead, the two friends decided to have some tea together. They made idle chit chat, and Twilight began to wonder whether or not she should tell Rainbow about the nightmares. Sure, Rainbow might think she’s crazy, but at least she’d finally tell somepony instead of keeping it to herself. Rainbow was currently going on and on about the last Wonderbolts show, and after finally making her decision, Twilight held up a hoof. Rainbow paused. “Rainbow… There’s… Something I need to tell you.” “Sure,” Rainbow replied, “what is it, Twi?” Twilight bit her lip and took a deep breath. Then, Twilight said, “Lately, I’ve been having a lot of nightmares. I’ve been having nightmares ever since Tuesday night.” Rainbow dismissed her with a wave of the hoof. “Every pony gets nightmares, Twi. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” “But Luna should’ve stopped them by now! She should’ve come in the first one and ended it! But she didn’t! And that’s not all. Last night, I heard voices. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying. Then, this morning, just before you came over, I saw a face in the faucet!” She questioned whether or not she should mention Monitio to her, but decided against it. “Twilight, I’m sure you’re just overreacting. The nightmares are probably just getting to you and now you’re hallucinating.” “But–” Rainbow cut her off by waving her hoof. “Twilight, seriously. It’s not that big of a deal. Nothing strange is happening at all. And even if it is, you’re the princess of friendship and magic! I’m sure you could handle it just fine.” Twilight sighed. “I guess you’re right.” “Of course I’m right!” Rainbow Dash boasted. “Anyway, I better get going. Applejack and I are having a competition! See you later, Twi!” Then, Rainbow was gone, a trail of a rainbow following behind her along with a wind that gently brushed against Twilight. The purple alicorn sighed. Was it really all in her head? Twilight had seen some pretty strange things, but something like this just didn’t seem like it’d happen. Perhaps all she had to do to end the nightmares was send a letter to Luna. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Twilight checked the clock. It was one in the afternoon, which meant she had plenty of time to figure out exactly what she should say in her letter before Spike returned. Her gaze flickered over to her many shelves of books. Maybe she could get a little reading done. Twilight hadn’t exactly been doing much of it lately, and she did still have quite a bit of time until Spike came home. She trotted over to the nonfiction section. Her hooves clopped against the hardwood floor, echoing through the library. She could still hear the murmurs from outside and the slow rumble of the fridge, and she hadn’t been as grateful to hear sounds in her life before. Once she stood in front of the history books, Twilight scanned over every title. A lot of them she had already read, but she also hadn’t even picked up a lot of them. She continuously looked them over until one caught her eye. Monitio: Diabolus Twilight’s gaze stopped on the title, and wouldn’t budge. Monitio? Surely it was all a coincidence? Either way, Twilight wouldn’t feel satisfied unless she read the book. A nagging feeling kept telling her to pick it up, and so she did. Twilight was pretty sure she also felt another slight feeling that said to throw away the book, but instead she chose to ignore the feeling. She lay on the floor, constantly shifting until she had a comfortable enough position, before open the book. Surprisingly enough, there were words on the first page. Usually the first page was left blank. Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, but brushed off her questions and began reading. And so it shall be. The Fated One shall fall and the Destined One shall rise. Never shall one perish by aging, but rather the deathly claws of him. He is one whose very name will send chills down every spine in every nation. He is one who shall strike fear into ones who have no reason to. He is the one that will create a want for there to be savior in every pony. But that savior will not come; the chills will not stop; and the fear shall course through the veins straight to the heart. Not even I could’ve seen something like this; surely fate would be more merciful? But it is so that the prophecy states the Fated One shall fall and the Destined One shall rise. It is unavoidable. I can only hope that the Fated One will not fall to the Destined One’s demise, and instead bring a new age of hope and prosperity to the people. Twilight stopped there, almost unable to turn the page. Or maybe she could. Maybe she just didn’t want to. A knock at the door snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. She closed the book and set it on the table before trotting over. She opened the wooden door, the thing creaking ever so softly. There, standing in the threshold, was the white stallion. “Twilight Sparkle,” he began, “I have an important message for you.” ❧ Princess Celestia stood on her castle balcony that overlooked the rolling hills and fields. One quick look at her would tell any pony that she was deep in thought. “Sister,” Princess Luna said as she approached, “you know it is almost time. A few months at the most.” Celestia’s head hung low. “Yes, Sister, I know that very well. I just wish it didn’t have to happen.” “No pony does,” Luna consoled. “But it must happen, and you know that.” Celestia nodded. “I just hope that she will be able to be saved.” ❧ Twilight’s pupils shrank at the white stallion’s words. How could this be possible? She slammed the door and leaned against it, sliding down. Her thoughts were a mess. No, it’s not possible. He must be lying. He is lying. There is no way that I’m the Fated One. Author's Note I really need to start making chapters much longer...
