The Night That Changed Equestria Forever...
The Night That Changed Equestria Forever...
1005 Years Ago...
A dark night loomed over Everfree Castle. Its denizens, save for a select few unlucky guardsponies, had all long since retired for the night. At least, that's how it would appear on the surface. For unknown to the many, there was activity in the catacombs beneath the castle. A pony in a cloak walked cautiously to one of the entry points, a small indentation in a stray rock in the castle courtyard. The pony's amber eyes shone in the moonlight as he put his hoof in the indent and twisted it in a very complex series of twists. When he withdrew his hoof, his ears perked in response to a near-inaudible click. Pushing firmly on the rock surrounding the depression, a small doorway parted in the rock, just barely big enough for the stallion to squeeze through. Entering it, and shutting the door behind him, the pony entered a narrow corridor, too dark to see clearly. Having been down here countless other nights, however, the stallion proceeded into the darkness without a thought. His wings brushed against the sides of the tunnel, irritating them, but little more through the cloak. He'd have to preen them later, without a doubt, as he always had to. After several minutes of walking through the corridor, it had twisted and turned so much that not even he was sure where the path truly lead. At long last, the tunnel showed a light. As it started to widen, a single torch on the wall preceded a doorway, carved into the stone. Beside it stood another Pegasus in the armor of the Night Guard, with a red moon emblem attached to the chest plate. Upon seeing the pony, the guard saluted.
"Captain Blackest Night, sir!" he announced, receiving a nod from his captain. "Her majesty awaits you in the chamber with the council." Blackest Night pulled back his hood, revealing his grey coat and light purple mane, matching the guard detail for detail. After all, the enchantment on the guard's armor was modeled after him.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." He replied. "At ease." The guard fell back into his post, relaxing slightly but obviously still alert. Night passed by, and ducked into the doorway. What awaited him inside was in stark contrast to the bare rock tunnels leading him here. A large, domed room stood before him, with a ring-shaped table at its center and a clear view of the shining full moon through a small hole in the ceiling. The ceiling was supported by a ring of pillars around the edge of the room, rising at a slanted angle to meet in a ring surrounding the hole. Seated around the table were four unicorns and her majesty herself, Princess Luna. Each, save for Luna, wore dark robes with the Red Moon symbol sewed into the chest area. The princess was without her regalia, instead sporting a cloak much like Night's own. The room was all but silent as Night took his seat nearest the doorway. Luna looked to her captain with an enthusiastic grin.
"You join us at last, dear Captain!" She exclaimed. "This is most perfect timing, as well, as my moon will crest in the sky in a few minutes." She rose, and each of the unicorns did, in turn. "Councilmare Silvermoon, if you please." The mare closest to Luna nodded, a sleek unicorn with stark white fur and a mane matching her name. Her sparkling golden eyes lit upon Luna selecting her, and she cleared her throat before speaking.
"As you'll all recall, we've been making preparations for the Nocturne Army for months now, to secure our beloved princess' right to her throne." Murmurs of acknowledgement circled the table, and Silvermoon grinned. "We are finally nearing the final phase of the operation. Her majesty has finished the spell required to achieve our goal, and our inaugural use shall be tonight." She swept her gaze around the table at her colleagues. "Has everypony reviewed the spell?" Several agreements arose from the assembled unicorns. "And so every piece is ready." She then turned to Blackest Night, her expression hardening into a somber state. "And Captain-" she continued, her voice faltering ever so slightly. "-are you ready to do what must be done?" Night nodded firmly.
"I'll do whatever it takes, for my princess." he replied.
"Very good." Silver continued, before beckoning to the space inside the table's perimeter. "Then, please, if you would assume your position at the center, we shall begin-" she steals a glance at Luna. "-with your blessing, of course, your majesty." Luna smiled wryly.
"You need not ask. We all know what we must do." Luna said. With a nod from Night, he threw his cloak aside and carefully flew to the central ring, where chalk lines had been drawn in complex patterns. "Councilponies, initiate the ritual." Luna commanded, and immediately, their horns lit, red, purple, gold, and silver, before magic arced from each into the circle around Night's hooves. The chalk on the floor lit with a brilliant white flash, before everypony could feel the energy begin to permeate the room. At that moment, the moon wholly filled the hole in the ceiling, casting its light onto Night in its entirety. It was then that Luna's horn lit, and a dark blue stream of energy shot out and struck Night in the chest. The stallion cried out in pain, but stood firm. The beam then widened to engulf Night, obscuring him from the sight of the casters. All that could be heard above the roar of magical energy was Night's screams. After a minute or so of sustained casting, the moon shifted out of alignment with the room, and the spell cut off, save for Luna, whose eyes had become a solid white glow, and her magic had gone all but white around the edges. She finally relented, snapping from her trance, as the remaining energy circled her captain before dissipating with a crack. The stallion had apparently been lifted from the ground, because he fell to the floor with a thud. One pony gasped, pointing with a crimson forehoof at Night. At the stallion's sides lay a pair of ebon wings, leathery like those of a bat. The pony rose, moving to the fallen captain's side, before inspecting him more thoroughly. The red magic of the unicorn lifted his lips slightly, revealing a sharp fang where there wasn't before, and checking his eyes revealed slitted pupils. Though he was unconscious, the stallion's already powerful frame had grown ever so slightly more defined, and he was otherwise unharmed.
"It is as you predicted, your majesty," The councilstallion reported. "He has obtained features of a bat, and might well have grown in strength as well." The councilor bowed his head. "I had my doubts, your majesty, but it seems you may get your soldiers yet." Luna smiled as a mother would upon Night's unconscious form.
"Then it appears the first Noctral has been born."
Author's Note
This one came off a whim, and isn't quite done yet! It's also my first try at a truly third-person story, so let me know how I did in the comments! I'll also be taking questions about stuff that won't be explained later. 'Till next time! 
...the Night After...
Night awakened late the next day, under careful supervision of Lunar medics. Once he roused, he was subjected to several tests which strained his new body to its limits. His speed, reflexes, power, and his situational clarity had increased significantly, meeting or breaking all of Luna's expectations. Though much of Night's success in Luna's trials was credited to his exemplary skills beforehand, he had no doubt become the greatest soldier many had ever seen. It was then decreed that several more willing pegasi of the lunar guard be changed into Noctrals by midnight ritual. Before long, Luna had to move their operation to the distant Great Mountain to keep their plot under wraps. It was there, deep in the crystal caves beneath that Luna's army grew. By seeking out recruits in their dreams, Luna had found the most willing and devoted of the pegasi, and soon her army of Noctrals numbered nearly a thousand. It was then that urgent news came from the north.
Celestia and Luna stood, side to side, seeing the carnage swept across the barren tundra. Crystal Pony warriors locked spears and swords with the ponies of the guard, urged by some dark force to fight their distant kin. Sombra himself seemed to be omnipresent, yet nonexistent, his mocking laughter and sneering distracting the guardsponies and terrifying his own with threats of punishment should they disobey. It was at this point that Celestia had had enough. Not since Discord's defeat decades ago had Luna seen Celestia in such a rage. Her mane was ragged, flowing almost like flames, as her eyes radiated the most pure hatred the princess had ever seen on her sister. In a brilliant blaze of golden light, the battlefield was stripped of its shadows, and Sombra lay exposed at the heart of the melee. The Crystal Legion froze, turning to regard their King with looks of sheer horror. It was in this pause that Celestia spoke, her voice ringing loudly across the tundra.
"That is enough, Sombra! You are nothing but a slave driver! A true monarch of any good standing holds their subjects first, as you clearly do not. Such disregard of common decency to our fellow pony cannot be allowed, Sombra... but I will not kill for the likes of you. I won't become what you are." The light from Celestia's horn intensified, and Sombra's body began to dissolve into shadow. As his form began to sink into the ice, Sombra merely began laughing.
"You think imprisoning me will save these pitiful insects? You fail to understand my connection to them, I see." He smirked, his body beginning to vanish. "Very well, Princess, but I'll return more powerful than ever. Along with my slaves." His horn let loose an eerie green light as it began to dissolve, with each crystal pony flickering from sight, one after the other, until the whole crystalline city behind them flickered out of existence.
It was that day that Luna realized the true scope of her sister's power. Mere armies could not defeat her. Not even she, in her own right, could have hoped to conquer Sombra as Celestia had. It was with a heavy heart that Luna returned to her soldiers.
"My beloved children, I bring ill tidings. I have learned today that our strategy is invalid. I knew not the scope of Celestia's might, nor shall I underestimate her again." She announced, hushing the crowd with a hoof. "You- once common pegasi- have become the soldiers of my nocturne army, and you have done me proud! Rest assured, your sacrifices have not been in vain, for it led me to discover something beautiful! A realm, of pure unadulterated shadow." With these words, Blackest Night stepped up beside the princess, his eyes flashing as a rift materialized before him. Luna's horn lit, projecting an image of the interior across the room, cloaking it in darkness. All around, streams of shadow coursed across like rivers, with the ground growing dark and the skies gaining a million flickering points of light. Trees grew from the dark soil, bearing fruit ranging from deep purples to the deepest black, while all the while, the stars above constantly flickered in a cosmic dance. Every pony in the room was amazed at the sight, and as the spell faded, some seemed to try to grasp for the fleeting image. "In the interim during the next phase of planning, we seek our refuge here. You, my children, can live happily in your own world of beautiful night while I prepare this one for us all. If I have need of you, I will summon you. You need not fear it, for I will always be here for you all. Now go: Equestria is not yet ready for you, but when it is, I will welcome you back with open hooves. Cast aside all of your fears, and fly, my Noctrals, and let you find sanctuary in the shadows."
In the interspersing centuries, many tales arose, of Vamponies, to Boogiemares, to all sorts of horror stories. However, we know now that from the shadows themselves, the Noctrals, and their descendants, kept us safe from such monsters. Foraying occasionally into Equestria, some found links with Light Ponies, and families and friendships were tentatively forged in secret. It was not until Luna's return that we returned fully to the light, but to this day, we are misunderstood. We will serve our princess, as we owe her what we have been given.
As the hologem shut off, held in a midnight blue hoof, a voice called through the blackness of the Shadow Plane.
"And you see, Starfire, that is the story of my people." A mare's voice said.
Author's Note
Chapter 2! I'm on fire!
This was pretty much a mashup of ideas that would have been too short to be chapters in their own rights, or just not worth the effort to expand as much as I'd like to. I don't want to bore you guys with droning details! On the flipside, though, I'm sorry if it's a little rushed. It most certainly was written in a hurry. That said, I hope you liked it, and I'll be putting out the final chapter sometime really soon.
If you have any criticisms or questions, or hey, just want to chat, leave a comment! I love those things!
