Chapters Chapter 1: Past, Present, and ...Future?
It was late in to the twilight hours. The darkness stretched along the deep lightless night.
"She does not raise the moon. She knows we left without her blessing. General, please let us return"
Dark webbing membrane stretched over the lightweight bones of a bat winged pegasus, with abnormally long wings and bright copper eyes. The very same eyes that focused and burned into the horizon before he turned to the side.
"Sombra makes a mockery of the sisters. He takes our princess's beautiful night and uses it with fear and evil magics. He is an abomination of power and fear. You know as well as I do, our princess loves us. We are more than her guard, we are almost as her children, and I ask you, would you allow that same abomination to get within a thousand miles of the mother of night? It is our sworn duty to protect the night in the name of Princess Luna, and I cannot lay claim to my position of General, nay I cannot call myself a stallion unless I do all within the power of my soul to oppose all who would abuse her or her beautiful night."
Before him stood his ten strongest knights. One a pegasus, three unicorns, one griffon, one earth pony, and four bat winged pegasi. All wearing the old armor of Luna's knights, as tradition dictated. Only these were the knights in service to General Abyssal Dart. The one pony who fought and held the line against the chaos unleashed by Discord while the royal sisters dealt with the rampant draconequus. He had won the highest honors able to be bestowed upon a pony of Equestria. As such, Luna permitted him to take his pick of her guards and create the Knights of the Night, the most elite of the combat guards and soldiers within Equestria. At least of those who served Princess Luna. Celestia spoke against having a standing military after Discord had been dealt with, and even then, against having any pro-day or night groups seeing that their new nation would not last long under the strain of civil conflict. However, seeing Abyssal Dart's actions were close to legendary, he was gifted with the right to create such a group.
"But General...she told us not to go...we should not have come..." spoke one of the knights.
"No... Celestia told us not to come, we are Luna's knights, and I will not allow that thing to abuse her night, nor will I allow her to be forced to fight him. Sombra falls this night. He will taste the cold sting of my glaive, and the burning fires of our hearts. Now stand with me, or leave in disgrace. Luna's eyes will fall upon those who earn her favor. Die this day with bravery in your heart and your names will be known for a thousand years, sang in glory of our triumph over the abomination and abuser of her beautiful night."
With that, he stamped his hoof, and the steel glave lit up with the magic of his amulet. Gliding about his body with grace, his wings gave a solid stroke, blowing dust as the others nodded. They feared Celestia's authority. However, they respected Abyssal Dart and shared his love for their princess.
"Forget not the bravery we will show this day, the weapon of our enemy is fear. We are that which thrives in the night, and know nothing of fear. Sombra, you will fall this day!!"
The marching hooves clacked and moved through the early morning. The sun had not been risen yet, as it was still three hours before dawn. The darkened Crystal Empire lay before the two ponies.
"Sister...I do not see them."
"Be calm Luna, he is your finest soldier. I have not seen a finer stallion in all my years, not to mention he is with his ten finest knights."
Luna shook her head in worry. "I know, but he is so brash and hard headed, what if he-"
"-Did exactly what we know he probably did? Attack and challenge Sombra to an one on one noble combat?"
“Yes, that...”
Celestia then turned to a strikingly similar looking young colt just barely fitting in his new armor.
"Your Grace, this is as far as I can track my father. He has long since been through here. I believe from this point he flew directly into the heart of the city."
She nodded and turned to face the soldiers. "Today we end Sombra's tyranny, today my sister and I will end his torment and evil. Stay here and await our return. The moment you lay eyes upon any of the Knights Of The Night, take them in immediately. I am to have a word with with General Dart"
They all nodded firmly as the two princesses took to the skies. Instantly spotting the first sign that Abyssal Dart had been through this way, Luna smiled and Celestia frowned.
Unlike many who wanted only to end evi,. Abyssal Dart had a very bad habit of making a show of his strength as he ended the evil he sought after. Instead of landing in the castle, he had landed just outside the city and literally fought his way through every one of Sombra's guards, every building and every wall.
Carving straight through the city to the center castle, the duo kept flying until Luna's eyes caught something that make her go pale. Dropping quickly with a swoop, a confused Celestia followed closely until she too saw it. a struggling and badly injured shackled unicorn. His fur as black as night and his horn broken off. But what drew her to the ground was not pity. This unicorn wore the armor; he was a Knight Of The Night.
"Dark moon, milady, we failed you" the stallion confessed, with great shame.
Luna's magic flared and the shackles snapped off, and the stallion fell to the ground exhausted and badly injured.
"Knight...what happened here?"
"Sister he is injured, give him time." warned Celestia.
"Time is not something we have."
The weakened unicorn looked up in pain. "It was all going according to plan. We attacked, and fought our way to the castle. But..."
His eyes watered and he shivered. Whatever it was, it had broken this war-hardened veteran.
"We fell so quickly. The reports were true, he is to be feared. No ...more than that... he is fear. General Abyssal was the only one who stood before him. They fought for most of the night as we fell victim to his powers. He refused to budge; he did not give an inch to the power that Sombra wields."
"Then where is he?....Where is Abyssal?"
The unicorn looked down in shame and despair. “Gone. Sombra's might proved to be too much. His power is one that we did not understand, and I am all that is left. Princess, please do not risk yourself. This is not a battle we can win."
He shivered and gave in to the pain and the despair, collapsing into a heap. Celestia quickly focused. The magic gathered metal from the surroundings and encased the unicorn with a protective barrier, reinforced by her magic. Quickly she tossed the capsule back to the army. They would care for him as needed. Luna's tears hit the cold ground and the sisters feared that this would be a fight they would not return from.
Canterlot over a thousand years later.
"Ok, so what if a monster made of bubble gum sweeps over the land causing mass havoc and destruction as it rains soda and giant explosive cupcakes rain fr-"
"Pinkie...we get that you have weird dreams, but I highly doubt that any of those will come true. Well at least not while discord is ‘reformed’...peh!" Rainbow Dash let out a dissatisfied and somewhat annoyed sigh.
"Well, I reckon it was a good thing that Twilight was made into an alicorn princess and not Pinkie. I like to water my crops with water, not chocolate milk."
The small group laughed happily trotting through the castle.
"Oh my, I am just blown away, being asked to come to Canterlot to help plan a party! Oh, it’s just going to be the best. ‘Spikey Poo’, did you remember to bring the magenta silk?"
"Right here Rarity!" The small purple dragon who was barely able to hold all of the trunks, cases, and fabric spools that Rarity had in her shop, was on the verge of collapse. Yet he still managed to free a hand and wave about the fabric.
"So what was this whole thing about again?"
Twilight smiled happily and with her ‘matter of fact’ look, she trotted forward. "Well as we all know, we have the Summer Sun Celebration and Nightmare Night. But Nightmare Night is more of a tradition that was made in fear of Princess Luna. I simply had the idea of holding a celebration in Luna's honor to remember her for who she is... the Princess Of The Night!" Twilight happily giggled. “Luna agreed, but asked that it be held next week instead of this week for some reason. She seemed a little sad, but that just means we have more time to make this her best night ever."
The friends all smiled happily going about their merry making. Twilight stood very close to Rarity, and her all too willing yet tortured assistant, holding the book out firmly with her magic.
"You see, there were similar celebrations a thousand years ago, but they kind of ended when...well - let’s not think about that when we are trying to celebrate her."
With all her magic focused on leveling the banner that she was very carefully creating at the same time, Rarity flinched as a rogue breeze fluttered through and pushed her hair into her eyes. Giving a soft ‘foof’ the hair pushed back up and out of the way before the same breeze came in and repeated the offense against her one strand of hair. She let out a frusturated sigh and "fooffed" again. But yet again, the stream of air pushed her hair down.
“Confound you dratted wind, I am simply trying to work!"
Rarity turned about trying to find an open window to close, or a creaking door that could be the way to resolve her hair crisis, only to find a smiling Princess Celestia trying to hold back her laughter.
"OH!" Fumbling about, Rarity practically flopped over into a bow as Twilight let out a happy squeal, finally being able to see Celestia.
"What? I can’t have fun with my own friends?" She laughed happily and was soon joined by the others.
"Oh, Princess it’s so good to see you again!" beamed Twilight.
"Oh don't be so formal. You are my friends, and I am happy to see you all. Let’s forget all the royalty and such, as we have a party to plan."
Pinkie happily squealed hopping up next to Celestia "Soooo.. who’s that stallion you brought with you? Is he your royal party planner?"
"Um...stallion?"
"Yeah you know, that guy in the armor hiding up there! I think he’s trying to play hide and seek with us."
Happily and calmly pointing up high, the others looked up confused to see a very shocked pony bracing himself against the pillars above Celestia's head.
“Though personally in my opinion, he needs to work on his hiding skills” Whispered Pinkie to Celestia.
"What in Equestria? Can we help you-"
The pony dropped down, and his cloak spread. With a strong flap of his leathery wings, the stallion rocketed forwards. The armor on his hooves clicked with a strong metal sound as blades extended.
Eyes wide, Celestia took a step back as the stallion rocketed towards his target. Though as quick as he flew down on his bat wings, he was thrown to the side by a bucking and aggressive Rainbow Dash. The blades dug into the stone floors as he skid to a stop. “Stop where you are! GUARDS!"
The castle doors burst open as two pegasi from each end of the room burst in. Spreading his wings, he took off, only to get a mouth full of Rainbow's hooves, returning him to the ground.
Quickly he made a beeline for Celestia, then proceeded to get a mouth full of Applejack's famous bucking. Sending him end over end, he whipped back onto all four hooves before the combined might of two powerful magics’ purple and gold auras smashed him into the cold stone floor.
"GAH!!... YOU HAVE NOT WON TRAITOR!" The stallion’s words reeked with venomous hate.
"Traitor? What are you talking about? She’s the princess, who could she have betrayed?!"
"Princess? A PRINCESS? That fiend is no princess of ours. She is a traitor, a deceiver and a liar, a grand puppeteer."
Celestia's hoof clopped down forcefully, and just as forcefully, the magic holding him down pushed him even further into the stone making him groan in pain. "Are you delusional? What am I so hiding?"
"Your betrayal… she wanted only love… the love we offered her...before you let us die. Then you cast her out. Sealed her away just because she wanted to be loved."
Twilight looked at the deranged pony with confusion. "Celestia, is he talking about Luna?"
"DO NOT SPEAK HER NAME! You are unworthy, a puppet to this deceiver just like the thing she summoned to her side with our princess’ face."
"What are you talking about? Luna is in this very castle, everyone knows it’s her."
"Do they? Ask yourself, who knows it’s her? What ponies could see the real truth? YOU? I doubt you have lived long enough to see the truth, is it the deceiver? Who would banish her own sister simply because she wanted to know the same love that the deceiver denied her? Is it The Embodiment Of Chaos? Who would lie through his teeth just to get a kick out of you? Who?"
Celestia repeated the somewhat angry and hostile stamp, reminding him just who had who under their hoof. "Why are you so upset? Are you one of those foolish conspiracy theorists?"
He grinned wide "We don’t need Conspiracy. We have somepony who does remember, and it is his sole duty to remember, and to raise the army of the night, to destroy the traitor and hold the throne until our real princess returns."
Twilight's eyes stilled wide in wonder and shock. She was filled with confusion and fear. Her mind churned and begged her to consider what she knew. Celestia would never do something like that. She saw the past for herself, and saw Luna's banishment and the pain it brought Celestia.
A tinge of pain in her mind reminded her of just how powerful and smart Celestia was. Her mind teased her with it. Had Celestia really wanted to, she could have easily altered any vision of the past she wanted to. But she couldn’t of, not her Celestia. Looking to Celestia, she opened her mouth to speak but faltered as she looked at a wide eyed Celestia staring at something attached to the armor on the assassin's chest. It was a crest, a glaive running through a fire set before the moon.
"Princess? What is it, what’s wrong?"
As if in fear and disbelief she shook her head "No...no...this cannot be. This...this is the Abyssal family crest....WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!"
The dark pony grinned wide but remained silent.
"Twilight, take your friends out of the castle for now, I need to do some work. I am sorry for the trouble. Guards! Take him to the dungeons!"
The guards nodded, and with a rope firmly pulled over his wings and hooves, he was hauled off. Celestia stared at the stallion as he stared back. His eyes a deep show of anger and hatred as he mouthed the word ‘traitor’.
Chapter 2: Dark tidings, Dark forces.
The crest that had just moments ago been forcefully torn out of the armor of the prisoner now clanged about on the tabletop.
"Sister? We do not quite understand..."
"It’s a crest that belonged to a pony who had just made an attempt on my life."
Luna looked down at it and winced. The reminder sprang up a deep emotional pang of regret and sadness. "Tia...are you sure this came off of the assassin?"
Her heart sank at the sight of the emblem and the thought of an assassin within the same thought.
"Positive, and more than that. He was a bat winged pegasus. Also, he said something that is very disturbing."
"What more could have been done sister? This is already a terrible thing indeed."
The white alicorn breathed in, trying to settle her nerves. The assassination was nothing, it was the crest and what the would-be assassin said that was disturbing. "Lulu, He did not say it directly, but he implied that he was directed to kill me by someone old enough to know you
before your banishment. Someone who was very, very, well... let us just say attached to you."
Luna shivered and shook her head. She knew plainly what her sister was leading on about but it made no sense to her on multiple levels. "No... He is dead; he has been dead for a thousand years."
"That is what I was thinking as well sister, but there are other possibilities. I have a few ponies looking into the latest census we took of the dark island, his old home, where his descendants live. It turns out that his family is still there and as such I believe this failed assassin is from the same area as well."
Luna clamped her eyes shut and gave her head a good shake trying to wrap her mind around it all. "Tia... why would someone from Dark island want to harm you?"
"It’s not just me - at least I do not think so, as he ranted about you too. I have a theory of what is going on, but really, I have not much to go on. I was hoping to run it by you and hopefully get a little more insight."
"Yes sister, whatever it takes to put a stop to this. I am assuming that you have reason to believe that it’s not an isolated case?"
"Yes... but it’s not all that much. Right now we are in the dark and we need to get everything in order before we stop by Dark Island and figure out ourselves what exactly is going on."
Luna nodded, her mind churning and bubbling about in question of why anyone would attack the sisters in the name of the Abyssal family.
"Tia...don't you think the newest member of royalty should be brought in on this?"
"I will brief her later, for now it is not as important. This individual claims to be part of a group, and that group...is targeting us. As of now, it is solely our problem. War, assassinations, and that whole side of politics is something I would rather Twilight mature a bit more before she learns of that. There are things a leader must learn before she or he becomes strong enough to endure."
"Sister, she will get there. Please tell us of your theory on this assassin and why he has the Abyssal Crest."
Celestia nodded, giving a calming sigh. She was confident her sister could come to the same conclusion, but they did not have a great track record when it came to thinking identically. Better talk it out and get her opinion too.
"General Dart was a normal bat winged pegasus. There was nothing special about him, other than his obscenely well honed martial skill and his obnoxious habits of overreacting to every little threat. Well aside from that he was still fiercely loyal to us, specifically you, but he would die before allowing any harm to come to me as well."
Luna nodded firmly. A mix between a smile of how dutiful and dedicated he was to her and a somewhat disturbed frown at how obsessed with duty he was. Every day she literally had to order him to go to sleep, or he would stay up for weeks guarding her personally.
"Yes, and just to add to that, hiring an assassin was something he would never do. Dart valued his soldiers too much to allow them to face an enemy alone."
"Not to mention his crazed need to challenge everything to a one on one duel to the death."
"Yes, and the fact that it was his crest. He never just gave out his family name to anypony. His family was the one thing he valued more than his own honor, and you dear sister, were just barely above that. So whoever is pulling the strings is using his family or assuming his identity. And whatever it is that this pony is after he is lying through his teeth and pulling every string he can to get his way."
She sighed angrily before clearing her throat and continuing. More than likely it was a stallion within his family, but she did not want to insinuate guilt against somepony whose blood carried the linage of the bravest and most honorable stallion she had ever even laid eyes on.
"Well, let’s see, the assassin said something about having somepony who knew the ‘truth’ from even before you were banished. This must be the specific somepony that is pulling the strings, and somehow he got the Abyssal family to act on his will."
"Or her will."
"No, the assassin specifically referred to this pony as male. It’s a stallion and probably another bat winged pegasus. The inhabitants of Dark Island are not only a bit reclusive, but they do not do much trade with anything but other bat ponies or those who have been on their island for generations. So either he is a bat pony or he was born on the island."
Both sisters sat in thought for a moment. Rarely did they ever stop and visit the dreadful place. There was always high winds and lightning. The island had an infamous razor reef that would shred any boat to pieces, had it attempted to enter through the water. What the island also had was the home of a particularly nasty storm spirit who would only calm down a shade or two during the night when it slept, meaning anypony who wanted to come to or leave the island would have to do so only at night. To top it off, they would still have to be excellent flyers with excellent night vision.
Luna herself had no problems making it there, but Celestia only managed to make the trip twice in her life. Once when she allowed the Knights Of The Night to be formed over a thousand years ago, and again when Dart's charred remains were found and his old helm was returned to his wife and young children.
The island itself seemed like a desolate place no one would ever want to live, but it was here that the Bat Winged Pegasi thrived. The trees grew a nutritious and delicious almost mixture between a fig and a peach. There was an abundant natural spring; a paradise for these natural creatures of the night.
“So your plan is to just go to dark island to ask if they plotted to kill you? We think you will not get the answer you need.”
“Luna, you know I am not that dim witted. We will just have another census taken. We can send some of our best agents to see what is happening on Dark Island. If Dart’s descendants really are being forced to feed some sort of rebellion, we will nip it in the bud and hopefully resolve this with minimal damage to his legacy.”
Luna nodded approvingly. It had only been 45 minutes or so since the assassin was discovered and already they had a valid lead and a reasonable method of investigating it. She stood up and shook her head again trying to clear out the last of what horrible implications this even was bringing in, for one of her dearest of old friends.
However, the quiet of their meeting, even though it was already over, seemed to still have to be interrupted by a flash of golden armor as a gray stallion entered abruptly.
“Your majesty!”
Celestia looked up standing quickly “What is it? Have you new information from the prisoner?”
He shook his head in what almost looked like panic “The Crystal Empire….Princess Cadence. Assassins have attacked Princess Cadence and Shining Armor!”
Chapter 3: Out from the shadows
"Did ya see that Twi?" A flash of blue and a swing of a rainbow mane as she twirled about kicking firmly into the air, reliving the moments of heroism.
"I got that sucker right in his muzzle, twice! Bam! BAM!!" Her hooves repeated the action at each remembered strike.Overjoyed, she fell back laughing as Applejack laughed wholeheartedly, joining in on the celebration.
"Darn tootin Rainbow, not every day you get to save Princess Celestia herself."
With a flash of pink zipping up, a certain somepony joined in on the laughter as if she owned it. "Oh yeah! it was AMAZING!!!!!" High pitched and ear splitting as ever, Pinkie Pie giggled herself silly and continued.
"Fluttershy, you saw it didn't you? Rainbow was like BAM!!! Then she was like SWOOSH! Then BAM! Then AJ, BAM!!! Then princess Celestia and Twilight BAAAMMM! It was awesooooooome!"
Fluttershy was still in the corner shivering and shaking, eyes wide. Rarity surprisingly too was happily caught up in the excitement, though her tone was more negative.
"That armor was such a stain for him, those wretched wings and cloaks. I'll bet he’s never taken a bath in his life. Bleh! I shudder at the thought. And even worse... who wears black over purple? Had it been purple over black maybe, but not black over purple, goodness. Evil really has no sense of fashion."
Off in the corner, only one pony stood apart from the rest. Twilight still could not come to terms that she had just witnessed somepony trying to kill her longtime friend and teacher. A literal assassin had just attempted to kill Celestia. She could not shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something much bigger.
In the history of Equestria, rarely did anyone ever get even remotely close to achieving a goal as drastic as this without either a lot of support of overwhelming power, much like Discord or Chrysalis.
The assassin not only avoided the guard, but got in and above Celestia without anypony noticing, save for Pinkie, but no one could account for her abilities in any sense of the word. Just getting past the royal guard alone would have required either months of study on the guard’s routes and routines or an insane amount of luck. Or the most undesirable of options.
Perhaps the assassin had an insider. But even with all of that flooding her mind, she shivered at what he had said. Her practically OCD stricken mind had burned through it a dozen times. There really was no way to actually prove that Luna really was Luna, as in Celestia’s sister. The only thing she had to go on was that Celestia and Luna both claimed it and nothing as of yet even hinted otherwise.
In the end it didn’t really change anything, but it haunted her with questions. Where was Celestia when Nightmare Moon had escaped? She was not captive, she was not dead, she was not banished. She had just mysteriously vanished up until the very second the elements of harmony had been returned. Did Celestia send her to Ponyville only to meet up with predetermined ponies to reactivate her most valued weapon and act as its bearer?
She shook her head as the questions poured through her mind. Casting all kinds of doubt on her old teacher. “No! Princess Celestia is not evil! She has never hurt a fly and would never hurt anypony”. Her mind shouted at itself trying to clear away the doubts when suddenly a hoof waved itself in front of her face.
“Um…hello? You in there Twilight?“ Applejack’s orange figure stood in front of her as the others continued chatting. “You ok sugar cube? You’ve been just glaring into space since Celestia told us to go.”
She blinked and forced a smile which fooled nopony. “Y-yeah, I’m just a little shaken. What that stallion said about Celestia… its just-”
“Oh come off it egghead. He’s a bad guy, and bad guys lie all the time. I’ll bet he would have blamed Celestia for the common cold if he could have. HA!” Rainbow Dash zipped up into the air, still proudly swishing her front hooves through the air. “Nopony no matter how bad can get to Celestia with us around!”
The words no matter how unthought through, they brought her comfort. She owed so much to Celestia. A stroke of comfort and ease came in as she decided for once that she didn’t need to know. She had faith that Celestia was not evil. She had never lead them astray before and she wouldn’t start now. In this rare instance, ignorance really was bliss. She smiled happily.
“Yeah… I guess you are right Rainbow. Let’s just keep an eye out for more assassins for you and AJ to buck up.”
All together they laughed and giggled, when something odd sounded.
With a quick magical tingle, something popped loudly and Rainbow Dash ducked with lightning like reflexes, as a dart missed her by a mere inch and popped right into Pinkie Pie’s chest. She looked down and gave a goofy smile
“Whoa….I….feel…wooozyyy…hee heee heeee…Twilight…whaaaa your mane is made of frosting…he hee!”
She quickly fell backwards splat on the ground as Applejack lunged forward from where the dart had come from. Pivoting with her years of apple bucking experience she lunged ‘Bucky McGilly Goody’ and ‘Kicks McGee’ into the dark corner with all her might. The result was a shattered cabinet and a cracked stone wall behind that.
From the shelf fell what looked to be an oversized bronze chicken’s egg with a winding key in it, which released the odd twinkling magic sound that came from a unicorn's horn and a small device that looked like a piece of bamboo with a small box spring on the end.
“What in tarnation?”
As the words escaped her lips, a shadow from the opposite side of the room shot out closing the distance in a mere instant. It was heading straight for Twilight Sparkle. However, a “mere instant” was all Rainbow Dash needed. With a heavy smash she plowed the figure into the same corner they came from.
“HA! Thought you could out Dash the next Wonderbolt huh?”
The figure was similar to the last. Smaller and more slender though. A hood covered the top of the pony’s face. The shadowed figure was uncomfortably pinned under Rainbow Dash’s hooves, until that is the invader opened wide and bit down on her blue leg.
Eyes going wide as dinner plates, Rainbow Dash quickly yanked her hooves away from the biting pony. The mere motion brought her face closer to the mystery pony who then tilted its head up and let out an ear piercing scream directly into Rainbow’s ear.
The Shriek was clearly female and had a slightly younger tone to it, showing that she was likely their same age instead of the adult stallion who attacked Celestia. The shriek was quickly followed with a hoof right to Rainbow’s jaw, knocking her clean out. Whipping up onto her hooves, the mystery mare skid a short distance and ducked quickly and rolled away from a pair of orange swinging hooves.
“Hold still you yellowbelly little-“ She was cut off as a metallic click sounded with the swish of the mare’s hooves, drawing back and forth before leaping back. Small trails of red trickled down from Applejack’s chest and neck as her pupils dilated.
“Heh…Surprised me at first, but this is as easy as stealing candy from a foal!” The voice rang out with similar confidence and “in your face” sort of bravado that Rainbow Dash spoke with.
“I…sssseeee… apples. Why…is the room …spinning? Twilight?” Applejack’s mumbling cut short with her plopping on the ground.
The Assassin grinned, taking a step towards Twilight with the utmost confidence as Rarity dashed in, a coat rack magically suspended over her head she charged with her eyes clenched shut.
“Die! You crime against fashion!”
The cloaked pony simply side stepped, and drew the twin blades affixed to either side of her hooves across Rarity’s passing flank. Without even breaking her stride, the pony continued along as Twilight frantically looked back and forth taking a step back.
Rarity was fumbling about and mumbling something about feeling numb before flopping on the ground. Fluttershy was seemingly already out. It appeared as though she was actually the first victim to this method of silencing a foe.
“Don’t worry, nopony but the traitor and her pawns are on the list. At worst they will just need some stitches but you, oh, you won’t get the chance.”
Only a sly grin over a gray muzzle could be seen under the drawn hood of the assassin. Twilight’s eyes leveled at the pony, the fear and shock dulled as news that her friends were not dying reached her. Now she had to fight for her life.
This pony was blindingly fast, but all her friends had been defeated by either surprise, stealth, or just not really all that up to par on combat. There was no horn sticking out from the cloak and nothing to show that she was hiding one. This meant that Twilight had one very clear advantage.
“You seem really confident that you can match the power of an alicorn princess, not the smartest thing to have confidence in.” She grinned, and her horn lit up brightly as her teeth grit. Gripping the very tiles beneath the assassin’s feet Twilight literally threw the floor to the ceiling. But quickly the tiles blew out in four separate areas.
Only one however, did the assassin dart out from. Plummeting downwards, headfirst. From her cloak, bat wings spread in a gray blur and she swooped at a 90 degree angle and shot out forward with her bladed hooves out in front ready to find their target.
Quickly, Twilight leveled her horn and sprouted a rapid fire series of magical blasts scattering about and making the Bat Pony dodge for her life. She twirled, ducked, dodged, and rolled, weaving through the magical onslaught with amazing agility.
She got as far as a yard from Twilight before she let out a solid shockwave of magical energies, knocking the Bat Pony back and then again knocking her down into the ground where she stayed unmoving.
Out of breath and cautious, she moved closer watching carefully for any signs of the Bat Pony playing her for a fool. Taking a careful step forward, she peeked up and flinched as another of the bronze wind up egg objects rolled from under her cloak to Twilight’s hooves. But there was not so much as a single twitch from the assassin.
“Well, it looks like somepony fa-“
The bronze egg suddenly let out an ear piercing blasting screech, leaving nothing more than a dull ring in Twilight’s ears as she flinched and instinctively covered her ears with both hooves. That was the point where she felt the prick. Opening her eyes, the Bat Pony stood on three hooves with one extended front leg as a light trickle of blood spilled down Twilight’s neck.
Almost instantly, a numbing feeling shot through her body as her vision blurred and noises dulled. It looked as if everything was melting around her.
“Candy from a foal. Now that you have plenty of my special poison in you, I can finish up business. But don’t you worry your pretty princess head… I will give you a nice and quick death. I promise you won’t feel a thing.”
She raised her hoof higher as Twilight’s legs gave way letting her fall to the ground. The cloak stripped back as Twilight’s eyes fluttered and closed.
Abnormally long wings spread out wide and a pair of pristine copper eyes glared down at the downed alicorn as the blades arced down at her neck. However, yet again, something stood in her way. Or rather opposed her.
A heavy pink magical blast impacted the Bat Pony square in the chest, sending her tumbling backwards. A figure stepped out, a bandage firmly over his left eye over his white fur. "Step away from my sister!”
Shining Armor stood with one eye leveled at the young bat pony. “Dark Moon! Why is it I am halted every step I take? Oh well, one more pony won't be much of a problem.”
She grinned and took another step forward, brushing away the cloak to reveal an old-fashioned set of Luna’s personal soldier’s armor. A scorch mark plastered over it but the pony’s fur was untouched.
Her long wings flexed as she readied for another round of combat. But to her confusion, Shining Armor’s eyes just grew more confident and a smile spread over his face as behind him two figures stepped into the room.
“Dark moon! Why does the night not favor me?” Luna and Celestia both stared at the young mare. Though, Luna’s eyes widened as she took in the details. The bat pony was the spitting image of Abyssal Dart. The eyes and the wings along were a dead give away.
“What is this madness? You!...You are of the Abyssal family. Why are you here? What is going on?”
The assassin’s face changed when she saw Luna more clearly. It was one of confusion, anger and pain. Her wings flashed forwards then wrapped about her protectively. It took almost a full second for Shining Armor to realize she had thrown something.
“HIT THE DECK!!” He dove, and covered himself and Twilight with his magic as the princesses instinctively flinched.
Their instincts proved almost fast enough as a loud blast and blinding flash pounded the area. Just as quick as she had reacted, the bat pony unraveled her wings from her body and blasted from her spot out the window at blinding speeds.
“Gah!” Celestia squinted rubbing her eyes painfully from the bright flash. “Guards!!! After her!”
The Pegasus whom of which just entered the room following the Princesses as fast as their hooves and wings could carry them, quickly darted out the window. But not nearly as fast as one, still dizzy but not fully out for the count, blue Pegasus.
The loud blast had reversed what a jaw full of hoof had done. She was the ONLY of the group that was not blinded by the flash and was not poisoned. “Fly all you want you jerk, but you can't out fly me, the first filly ever to pull off,” she paused with a grin at the high altitude that the bat pony had decided to level off at and start a dive down away from Canterlot for a quick escape. “The sonic rainboom!”
With a blast of blue and a rainbow trail, Rainbow Dash picked up speed at a frightening rate of acceleration catching up quickly to the bat pony who took one look back and flashed a similar grin blasting forward almost matching Rainbow’s speed. However, something happened. With a sudden burst of energy, the bat pony’s extra long wings reached forward, just as Rainbow Dash had almost come within reach.
The bat pony looked back and over the blaring wind and beginning of the formation of the mach cone over the front of her hooves, Rainbow Dash could almost make out her voice saying one thing. “Sonic Borealis.”
In an instant, her wings blasted into a backwards motion and the mach cone over her front hooves shattered. An explosion of green, blue and deep purple hues shot out everywhere.
The bat pony rocketed away in the resulting explosion, which also as a side effect blasted Rainbow Dash in the opposite direction.
End over end, she tumbled through the air. Her vision blurred and her nose now bleeding from the shock wave, she shuttered trying hard to regain control as the last of her sight failed her, slipping into unconsciousness in the skies far above Canterlot.
Chapter 4: pieces
“Twily!...wake up please…”
“Give her some room shining armor…shes fine” Celestia lay a single hoof on his shoulder. “The attempt failed…that is two assassinations you prevented today…really you should not even be up and walking right now…”
She gestured to the burns on his forelegs and the bandage over his eye. He was singed and bruised every here and there but overall intact.
“First they come after Cadence…then my sister…they must be trying to either taunt me or topple the empire” Celestia coughed letting him remember that the first target was her.
“Oh …yeah….the empire thing…” He turned back to his sister who was obviously still alive. Thankfully the doctors had just arrived on scene just about at the same time that one of the dark gray Pegasus rolled in
“Your majesty… Rainbow Dash is awake and refusing medical treatment.” Celestia looked from Twilight to Shining armor and back to the royal guard.
“if she is awake and able to come without further injuring herself then let her come….”
The guard nodded and left as the doctor inspected all the downed ponies. He waved over his assistant who trotted over and opened a bag. Quickly taking up some smelling salts, he waved it under Pinkie Pie’s nose. Near instantly she shot up with wide eyes. Her pupils still dilating she just smiled with a confused grin, pointed at Celestia’s mane, and drooled before passing out again.
“That is some powerful stuff that was on that blade…but don’t worry…give them plenty of water and it will wear away before morning…” The doctor stood and stepped to the doorway just in case he was needed again. He had already inspected all the wounds and only needed to stitch rarity’s flank with three small stitches.
Some quick and frantic flapping was heard as Rainbow Dash entered. One of her legs was tightly splinted. “Thank goodness… Rainbow Dash…what happened out there?...how did the assassin get away?”
Rainbow Dash grimaced. She was angry sad and in a great deal of pain. “Well princess… I was catching up to her. I was so close to running her down, just seconds away from a sonic rainboom and I would have her but….she did this thing…it well… I think it was a sonic rainboom…but it wasn’t a rainbow…it looked like the northern lights… and well…it was the last thing I saw before I woke up smashing into one of your royal guards. He spotted me and caught me out of the air… Princess…you have got to let me go after them I can do it… She just got the drop on me that’s all I can take her.”
Celestia firmly shook her head. “No….Rainbow Dash…not only are you one of equestria’s finest flyers but you are a part of Princess Twilight’s friendship council. To put it plainly you are too valuable to just throw into a mission. Not to mention you are injured. You are not to go ANYWHERE until you are recovered at least enough to walk.”
Rainbow dash suppressed the urge to brood about angrily or talk back. Even though this was Celestia telling her what to do she had a hard time accepting that she could not go after the pony who hurt her friends, beat her up, and plagiarized her moves.
“Ug…why does everything want to kill me at once…. My…head…my belly…what in the hay was that filly thinking?...” Applejack stumbled about and quickly the doctor came to her side checking her over.
“Well it pays off to be in excessively good health I must say…What is the last thing you remember?” He flashed light into her eyes with his magic and checked her pupils, which were still going crazy with the side effects of the drugs. Before she had a chance to answer he plopped a bucket in front of her in case the earth pony’s stomach did not prove as strong as her constitution.
“I remember trying to kick that stupid assassin…then I saw her throw a hoof my way and everything went dark….well… it exploded with color first and I started seein stuff.”
The doctor nodded and turned to Celestia. “Such a poison would be very easy to make, especially in the areas around Dark Island. In fact there are two species of plants I can recall that alone would give anypony who got it in their bloodstream these exact same results…The good news however is everypony will be fine none of those toxins are long lasting, nor are they actually damaging.”
Quickly shuffling away back into his corner the doctor was confident he would not have to even check the others, but he would be here so long as his princess requested it.
“Shining Armor… how is Cadence?...I need to know how much I can rely on all of Equestria’s sources.”
He eagerly perked up feeling over his bandaged eye with his hoof. “She is alive. Her wings are burned and one is broken, but she was not poisoned and her head is uninjured, she is at full mental capacity. But I would still recommend not demanding much from her. Surely you understand the effect of someone trying to kill you…I mean even I almost didn’t stop our assassin flash bangs, blades, and tricks…” He shuddered remembering all the gadgets they used. He could see them here too. The small bronze wind up egg released either a prerecorded sound or a powerful blast of sound. Nopony, even he could tell whether it was going to be a distraction to draw their attentions away or a weaponized burst of sound.
Twilight stirred in her sleep, groaning and whimpering she stood up pouting holding a hoof to her head. “I…don’t feel so…good….oh goodness” A hoof came to her mouth and the doctor rushed up pushing the bucket in front of her just in time to catch the purge. Just as quickly she looked about to see Pinkie Pie waking up only slightly woozy. Her eyes soon caught Shining Armor, though still blurry and dull she could plainly see the bandage. “AH! Shiny your eye…are you ok? What happened?”
He puffed out his chest trying to give her the reassuring brotherly tough guy act. “Oh twily I am ok…its just a scratch not even any real damage to my eye…Im just glad that you are ok.” He smiled warmly hugging her up but stopping with sudden caution as her eyes went wide and she doubled over the bucket again.
It did not take long before everyone was up and though most were sick Pinkie Pie was almost completely untouched, Rarity fainted every time she woke up to discover that her beautiful flank had stitches on it. Most attention however was on Rainbow Dash’s explanation of the Sonic Borealis, and Twilight’s safety.
“So…its like a sonic rainboom but its not a rainbow?...spooky…” A still very annoying Pinkie kept up her excessive optimism as others groaned and complained. Fluttershy apparently had only felt a light prick on her rump and passed out.
“Princess Celestia?! What are we going to do now? I mean surely we have a pla-“
“WHAAAAA! STITCHES?...ON MY BEAUTIFUL FLANK…OH WHY HAVE I BEEN FORSAKEN? WHY CRUEL WORLD WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY?” Still in a bit of a hurry to hear back from Celestia she quickly muted her overly emotional friend with a silence spell that prevented any sound from leaving a 4 foot radius around her.
“What do we do next?...what can we do to help this…that is two assassination attempts in a single day Princess, what is our next move…”
Celestia held up a single hoof as a show for a call for silence. “Calm down YOU and your friends will stay right here with a surplus of guards… I am mobilizing the army and the Wonderbolts. We cannot afford to just go and try to calmly figure this out. This was a very deliberate attempt on all the leaders of Equestria. We will have to answer with a show of force.”
Twilight flinched a little. She knew very well that her teacher could be firm and direct but it did not mean she enjoyed seeing it happen. She was ordering an actual act of military aggression against somepony who had just attempted the same. Depending how big this whole deal was, they could be witnessing the beginning of a war. “Princess… is there no other way? I mean I have done so much already, let me help we can find a way to settle this peacefully.”
“Twilight… don’t take this the wrong way… but we NEVER intended you to fight anyone. From Nightmare moon to Tirek… I only wanted you to stay safe and passively go through what you had to. You are a princess now, and as such, you are upon equal grounds with Luna, Cadence, and even me. However, you are still young, you are vulnerable and what little experience with such grave threats you have had have all been won on bare chance and use of harmony. We do not want you to be hurt in this. Just stay safe with the guards. The military will take on this new threat and we will be safe.”
Luna nodded firmly as she and Celestia turned about to leave. The entire royal guard had already been rudely awakened and messages sent to all the required locations to gather the army and summon the Wonderbolts. Friendship could not solve this problem. It was a rare thing but not something, that never happened. Celestia would force the problems to stop, just like they had with Sombra in the past and just like they would with anypony else who threatened their land.
The wonderbolts stood safe on the far side of the island. Off the coast over ten miles away, The boat still kicked and rocked like a rodeo. "I know that Celestia ordered this but why get us mobilized if shes just going to have her own military raid the island?.. I mean really Soarin... look at all this. She even got unicorns to give us magical night vision...they arm us... psych us up with this grand mission and then leave us on the boat... seriously... what a slap in the face."
Soarin sighed, he knew what she was talking about but honestly he was not too into fighting assassins and terrorists. "Just let it go Spitfire I am sure Princess Celestia knows what she is doing...and the very moment that they find ANYTHING... good or bad the infiltration team will send us a note or a signal... you will get your action... though you really should not be disappointed that there is no trouble...I mean its quiet... its even a beautiful night... and just playing around with this spell is awesome... we can see perfectly at night...I wonder if this is what bat ponies can see like..."
It was Spitfire's turn to sigh. "You aren't even a little annoyed to be called into service, expected to be made use of and just have nothing happen?.....we are the wonderbolts...the most prestigious piece of the military...We are not called upon unless something is utterly dire... and even when it is usually somepony else fixes it like princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash..."
Soarin smiled at the mention of the young mare. "Speaking of which... why are you still putting off t-"
Spitfire's hoof pushed against Soarin's lips as she rasped a quick "shhhh". She gestured out at the other boats. Even with their amazing magically enhanced vision the not so distant boats were going dark. "What in the hay?... seriously?... the spell is failing..."
Soarin nodded in agreement and turned to the only other pony in the smaller boat with them, hoping to ask him to take them to the unicorns to figure out the problem and continue the mission with a quick fix. But as he looked over darkness smoothed across his view here as well. It was only at this range he could tell that the spell was not fading. It was not darkness as in no natural light. It was literally darkness being forced into the space. Something was very wrong. Taking one step forward he opened his mouth to speak when their guide's eyes shot wide. Soarin watched as a blade arced up through the darkness from behind the guide stabbing through him and out his chest. Instinct kicked in and he spoke one single phrase that all the wonderbolts knew very well. "472!"
Simultaneously Soarin and Spitfire blasted upwards with a trail of lightning filled clouds. Breaking the stormy cover that hovered eerily over Dark Island constantly they leveled out. 472 was emergency panic, and unknown threat which would end them if they did not react instantly. Sitting over the clouds looking down Spitfire's eyes were wide and her nerves were on the fritz. This code was used a grand total of twice since the wonderbolts were even founded, it was not something they used often and never one they used as a joke.
"...What?...what was it?... Soarin... whats the 47...2.... oh... crap..."
She needed only to look at Soarin and follow his eyes to see what it was. Darkness surrounded them even now. Only this time they were not alone. Dozens of bat ponies hovered in the air above them. Though one stood out from the others. Obviously larger than normal, his wings were extra long. His face was covered by a heavy mask. The armor he wore looked very similar to the night guards armor. Though the center of his chest piece there was a cat's eye gemstone that radiated with thick power that seemed to be imbued throughout every last inch of the stallion's body. Over his shoulder behind the long dark leathery beating wings was a long masterwork glaive. More specifically, THE Lunar Glaive. A weapon that was spoken of in legend. One of two gifted to those who guarded the royal sisters. It was a legendary weapon thought lost to the ages. Though utterly outnumbered and clearly outclassed Spitfire's pride gave her confidence that the Bat winged pegasus did not expect. As the dark one shifted and the Lunar Glaive moved forward, following the beck and call of the dark magic infused within the gem at the center of the chest piece, Spitfire blasted forward at break neck speeds. One hoof out she was going to smack that mask clean off this pony and more. No pony EVER could out due her at her best, with one small possible exception. She grinned swinging full force into the dark stallion.
Suddenly there was only darkness, her hoof was sticky and wet. It had that familiar dull ringing in it like she had just stuck something and it gave way. Her eyes focused in the darkness. she could see for miles but it was only empty dark skies, save for one thing. The blood coating her hoof. She shivered, something was very wrong. Her wings felt heavy, she needed desperately to land. Fluttering and coming to a short stop on what she thought was clouds but seemed to be hard stone floors. Looking into the new oddity she saw only blood. Something screamed at her inside. This blood it was important. It was not hers, nor her enemy's and it brought dread. Despair and pain. She blinked feeling something in her eyes. Blood was here too, she blinked more and saw it. Fleetfoot, Lightning Streak, Misty Fly, even Soarin. All of they lay dead at her hooves. Not just dead but dismembered. Her stomach sank and pained as she sank back her stomach purged as she struggled to straighten her vision. It was all wrong. Something was happening. She looked and saw the blood spattered across her own uniform.
"Darkness.... pain.... despair..."
She shivered hearing a voice, powerful and menacing. Whatever it was, it was clearly a thing of nightmares. "For nearly a thousand years... we fought it... but its so simple... the darkness... is the truth... the night is forever.... eternity..."
Fighting hard against the savage fear and pain Spitfire shook terribly gasping for air. There was more here. The stone was now red stained clouds. She saw her parents just the same as the other wonderbolts. The bloodstains over the walls, over her. It all pained an obvious picture. She did this. Somehow, she did it all.
"Pain... you know nothing of it... you know nothing...."
Images of her own legs striking out tearing them all to pieces. The voices of them all begging for her to stop. She knew it was not true but something inside her forced her to believe it. Their screams filled her ears and refused to die out.
"It is unwise to tempt the wrath of those you cannot possibly comprehend child..... we learned this.... shall you as well?..."
All her senses exploded with experiences of her killing maiming and destroying everything and everypony she even met or knew. Just as her eyes began to witness her own flesh begin to rot as unbearable pain shot through her body. Their screams met hers and the very foundations of Tartarus shifted in a new meaning of pain and torment as it all shifted and began again.
- - -
Soarin stood shivering, flinching at Spitfire's every scream. He had been grabbed the moment she fell from the skies. She had charged so fast, with so much power. But the stallion seemed to just appear behind her. He only touched her once and her eyes glazed over with a dark purple and green bubbling magic. Her face went pale and her wings had just stopped flapping and she just plummeted. They grabbed him almost instantly. Flying down to the ground where she lay on the dented cold metal of the larger boat. Dead ponies lay all about them. The entire support team was quickly and effectively killed before even the two wonderbolts could do anything about it. Spitfire lay in a mess of her own twisted limbs. Bent and broken, her legs and wings showed the brutality of a crash landing. But what terrified him so much was her constant screaming. He had seen her break a leg before and sprain her wing twice. She could handle almost any injury. He figured she would be yelping and hollering off her plot for days for this. But her screams. It was like she was being flayed alive while some unknown cruel force was keeping her from dying.
Soarin's attention was ripped from Spitfire's screaming pained form prone on the ground as the Lunar Glaive drew up his cheek cutting into his flesh with a cold harsh sting of pain. The motionless stallion glared at him through the mask.
"...we see you... we see all of what you are child....and we know that you believe you will die...Thou hast no knowledge of the pains we will inflict....but know that it is not I who inflicts these pains...."
The masked pony inched closer with a perfect fluid like motion. "You... hath knowledge.... knowledge that we seek..." A sleek young mare stood obediently behind the dark stallion. She too had abnormally long wings, and she had stunning copper eyes.
"...yes... you shall tell us that which we must know...and you will shall do so with much haste...as we are sure you can hear her..." His hoof came to Soarin's face and forced him to look in the screaming Spitfire's direction. "This is NOTHING compared to what we shall thrust upon you... listen to her screams.... She faces the darkness..."
The same hoof moved up and touched the mask pulling it down to reveal deep copper eyes cloaked by the same dark magic that flooded Spitfires eyes. "How long, we wonder.... Will you last?"
