the garden of shadows

Slowly, five bat winged pegasi entered a dark room. At the far end of this room, opposite of the door, stood two braziers with a menacing looking throne. Atop this throne sat a unicorn as black as the shadows in the room, his eyes glowing a dark green as bluish green flames danced off his eyes. Slowly the leader of the group that had entered the room stepped forward, kneeling into a bow before the unicorn.

"Mi-lord, we have failed to apprehend the one known as Night Hawk..." Dark Wing said in a low tone. Just then a bolt of energy shoot out from the unicorn, striking Dark Wing in the chest, sending him back, sprawling to the ground. One of the others mad to check on Dark Wing but the unicorn rose a hoof, dismissing him.

"Touch him and you die as well..." the unicorn spoke in a regal voice. Causing the one to back up slowly giving a bow. The unicorn just smiled as he sat there, dead silence filled the room for seconds, then those seconds turned to minutes. And those minutes felt like hours before the unicorn spoke again.

"This news does not bother me in the slightest, in fact, I can see this working to our advantage..." The unicorn said, his eyes blinking once as he gazed at the four that remained. "You four shall go back to the Everfree forest, retrieve the pedestal and fill this chalice from the fountain that resides there. Once your task is complete, return here for further instructions, do I make thy self clear?" The unicorn said in a stern voice. the four gave a nod and a bow, back up for a few seconds before turning and walking out of the room. The door closed behind them and the room was silent once more.

"Arise corpse, arise and serve me in death." The unicorn said as he sent a beam of black magic to the dead body in the middle of the room. Slowly it began to shake, as if having a seizure, then the body grew still once more. Then the corpse stood up, its glowing eyes no longer the brownish red they were before, now looking more like the creature was blind. the unicorn smiled. "Go join the others, soon my pet, we will attack the regale sisters and the land will belong to us." The creature the turned to his left and began to trot away.

"Soon, brother dear, eternal night will come and the tyranny of the sun will end."

~~~~~~

PonyVille

Castle of friendship

3:00 am

Guest room

Were am I? I thought as I floated in a sea of darkness. Am I dead? I thought, hearing my voice echo amongst the blackness that surrounded me. soon, the darkness faded away, revealing a clearing on the edge of a cliff. I then sighed, I knew it was a dream, though I still had no control over it. and I knew what was going to happen, I was going to see her death once again.

"Why, why must you torment me so?" I spoke in a sad tone, walking up to the edge of the cliff, unable to control my own body. slowly tears rolled down my face as I tried to fight whatever force was compelling me to step forward. Though it was all in vain.

Down, at the bottom of the cliff laid a body of a Pegasus, bloody and beaten. Then, it began to move on its own, slowly rising. however, that's as far as it got this time around as the creature vanished from sight, along with the cliff and the bare clearing. soon it was replaced with a small park at night time. "what?! what happened..." I said, confused at the sudden change of area. and looking to my left I saw the last thing I ever expected to see.

"Fear not, you are safe now." A midnight blue Alicorn said, as she walked out from a tree line. instantly, my eyes grew wide and a few words slipped out of my mouth in pure shock.

"Mother of the Moon..." I said in a soft tone. The Alicorn however, tilted her head in confusion at the words I said.

"I, have never had anypony call me that before, tell me, who art thou?" The Alicorn said looking strangely at me.

"N-night hawk." I spoke out, going into a bow.

"well, Night hawk, tell me, why were those Vesperti, twilight told me about, chasing you?"

I stayed there bowing, silent. after a short time, I let out a sigh. "because... my brother has betrayed me, taking the crown of the empire I lived in that I was suppose to inherit, and, pinned murder on me after... he killed my love." the words left my mouth before I could even refuse to speak. why did I just tell her the truth? it was like something in me changed.

the alicorns face turned from confusion to shock, and then, sadness, or was it pity? "I... I am sorry Night, I didn't know anypony was capable of such an act, but your own brother, why?" she asked. there, that feeling again, I know that spell, she's tweaking my personality in my dream so I would be more open. a smirk drew upon my face as a looked up.

"Very clever princess, manipulating my personality in my dream, though, I guess you aren't the only one with dream walking skills, though I can still tell you if you wish." my tone was happy, for once, though it turned to sorrow at the end. the princess however looked surprised at me.

"You... you know how to dream walk?!" She suddenly asked, her face lighting up with both shock and happiness.

I simply nodded, lowering my head down again a moment later. "Yes, though, I'm certainly not as skilled as you, seeing as it took me so long to notice you manipulating me."

However she shook her head. "No, im quite impressed actually, I've never met somepony else who could use this skill before, here I though it was only I who could. But enough of this, back to my question, why did he do this?" She asked.

"Because he wants to resurrect nightmare moon, and bring eternal night. I tried to stop him, but I'm not strong enough, I... I failed you.... and I failed her..." At that a tear formed and rolled down my face. I had turned away, hiding the tear.

For the longest moment, she just stood there, silent as she looked at me, calm as ever. In all honesty, it was unnerving really. Suddenly she spoke up. "I'm sorry, my time grows short, and day is slowly approaching, we shall talk more tomorrow night, hopefully, face to face. Oh and night." She said looking at me with a smile. I glanced up and looked at her, confused. "Its time to wake up..."

Suddenly the world around me vanished, and slowly, I began to become aware of were I was. "oh, my head..."