Of Stars and Darknessby Harmonic_ChaosChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1He stepped out from the train cart that he had arrived in. Star Gazer was hesitant at first, not knowing how the ponies in this town were, or how helpful they could be. He hoped they would be kind enough to help him with his situation. He took out the strange medallion he found from his saddlebag and stared at it. He couldn’t help but to think of his parents, and their sudden departure from this world. Star Gazer hadn’t even had time to say goodbye to them before that tragic day. The last time he saw them, alive that is, was when they had him over for a family dinner. Since Star Gazer was always out researching at universities and colleges, he never had time to visit his family. Sure he would write them a few letters just to keep them satisfied, but eventually his parents would plead him to visit them. Even though he loved his parents, they could be very embarrassing when it came to visits. They would invite their friends over to meet their son and talk about how proud they are of him and his research. Quite often, they would invite young mares, about Gazer’s age, over to meet him. This embarrassed him the most. The mares would giggle at Gazer’s pathetic attempts to make small talk. He wasn’t a charmer, he was a researcher. Though he would like to have a significant other, most mares were too dull to understand his research. When trying to explain his work to some mares, they would just stand there with a puzzled look on their face. He wished there was a mare out there that would have the same intellect as he, but he didn’t hold his breath for such fantasies. One night, after a meal with his parents, Gazer was talking to his father about recent events, when his mother took out his old foal pictures. His mother showed a few mares the album, and they giggled away.Gazer couldn’t take it anymore, he stormed out of their house, leaving without saying goodbye. He regretted doing that. As he ventured onto the streets of Ponyville, Star Gazer couldn’t help to be nervous. He hadn’t been much of a talker, but he managed to carry on conversations for as long as necessary. Hopefully he wouldn’t run into any talkative ponies. He looked around at the buildings that lined the streets. They were cottage like buildings, most likely homes to the ponies that roamed the streets. Gazer noticed one building in particular, named “Sugarcube Corner”. He figured the owners must know someone who could help him. He stepped inside, and saw what must have been the baker’s latest creation. A large cake, about five meters in height, and two meters in diameter. The desert was covered in every delicious topping that could go on such a delicious sweet. The entire thing consisted of one color: pink. Star turned away though, he was tempted to take a slice, but he wouldn’t make a fool of himself. He spotted a light blue mare with a triple cupcake cutie mark. Her mane reminded him of frozen yogurt. “Hello there,” she greeted, “I’m Mrs. Cake, how can I help you Mr. . .?” “Gazer,” he replied, “ Star Gazer. I’m looking for someone who could help me with a problem.” “What kind of problem?” Mrs. Cake asked. “A. . . personal problem.” “Ah, well, you could ask Pinkie Pie for help, but i’m afraid she’s out being. . . Pinkie. Though, she has a friend that lives down the street from here! She’s a student of Princess Celestia herself! If she can’t help you, I doubt anyone can. She lives in the old library in the tree, you can’t miss it!” “Alright then, thank you, Mrs. Cake.” Gazer said. He stepped outside and made his way for the old library. Gazer hoped that this pony could help. He wasn’t sure if he was just being a worry-wart, or if he was nervous about meeting this pony. Hopefully, he’ll get along with the pony just fine. Gazer was close to the tree house, just about thirty meters away. He noticed how the lights were on inside, so the pony was home. As he approached the door to the house, he swallowed hard. He brought his right hoof up to the door, and gave it three solid knocks. A few seconds later, the door gently opened, and he came face to face with... . . .her. She was such a beautiful pony. Gazer never thought he’d ever see a mare like her in his life. Her lavender coat, her perfectly combed mane; she was a sight to see. The library in her home suggests that she’s an intuitive pony. She must study on a daily basis. Then again, she was Princess Celestia’s student after all. He doubted anypony could counter her intellect. “Hello there! I’m Twilight Sparkle, who are you?” She spoke with such fluency, yet she did it with ease. This intimidated Gazer. Would she make fun of him for not being as smart as she? He hoped for the best. “My name is Star Gazer.” There was a long, awkward pause between the two, until Twilight said, “Is there something I can help you with?” “Well, you see,” Gazer started, “I just recently found out about my parents untimely deaths.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Twilight said. “Well, thank you and all, but the problem isn’t the deaths themselves.” Gazer took out a clear plastic bag from his saddle bag using his magic, a midnight blue aura encircling the bag. “I found this, um… medallion on their bodies.” The medallion resembled an alicorn, holding a spear in its mouth, as if to resemble anarchy, revolution, and revolt. It was a shiny metal, but some of it was smudged with dirt and dust. The parts that weren’t mucked shone in Gazer’s magic. “I’m not sure what it is, and I don’t know why my parents would be holding this when they died.” “So, you suspect somepony planted them on your parents’ bodies?” Twilight inquired. “Maybe.” Gazer responded. “I wanted your help before I did anything else with this. Is it possible you could search your archives for anything that could give us a clue as to what it is?” “Of course!” Twilight said with a grimace. She must really enjoy her studies Gazer thought. To jump at a problem with such delight must be part of her personality. After almost 2 hours of Twilight’s intensive research, Gazer decided to give her a hoof. As he searched through the books that lined the wall, he couldn’t help but to watch her. She was so very beautiful in his eyes. He thought that she could outshine the princess herself. He loved how her mane flowed with the grace of a velvet cover, how her eyes resembled purple sapphires, and how her body was finely tuned. His eyes slowly traveled across her body, going lower and lower. Wow, Gazer thought to himself, she even has a nice fl- “I found something!” Twilight said, as she spun around to face Gazer. They stood for a moment, looking awkwardly at each other. Gazer broke the silence, blushing. “Oh! Um, thank you!” Gazer said sheepishly. He read the title on the cover: “Ancient Races and Cultures”. “What do ancient races and cultures have to do with this?” Gazer asked. “Well, read chapter six, and look for section sixteen.” Twilight replied. Gazer skittered through the pages using his magic. Once he found the page he was looking for, he read over the information. It spoke of an ancient clan, and how it overthrew its leader, paving a way for death and destruction throughout the land. Under the clan’s reign of terror, Equestria was put into a time called “The Cessation” or “The Ending”, for everypony thought that it surely was the end of times. But the most recognizable thing on the page was the same exact medallion that Gazer had found on his parents’ bodies. He could only imagine what this could mean. There’s no way his parents’ deaths were connected to some old cult. “So, are you saying some kind of ancient, evil clan killed my parents?” Gazer asked. “I’m not sure, but there is definitely a connection between the two.” Twilight said. “Well, do you have any books on “The Cessation” or whatever?” Twilight smiled. “You may not know this about me yet, Star, but I have books on almost every subject known to ponykind.” Gazer blushed a bit. She called him by his first name, when usually everypony called him by his last name. It was different, but it felt good. A special kind of good. Twilight began to search through her books again. Gazer gave out a small sigh, knowing that this would probably take as long as the previous search. He took notice of the time, it was getting very late, and he was starting to feel sleepy. Oh no you don’t Gazer. Not in the presence of a lady! He thought to himself. He couldn’t help but notice how his leg was beginning to ache, which only pressed him towards falling asleep. He looked for a chair or something to sit on. He eyed a particularly comfortable looking sofa nearby. No, no, no! Not while she is trying to help you! You lazy bum! Wake up! What would mother say to you if you did such a thing?! he mentally shouted at himself. But he couldn’t help it. A rested mind meant a better mind. But what pony didn’t like to sleep? Gazer slowly moved to the sofa, and sat down. Eyes beginning to close, he slowly dozed off into a deep sleep. Gazer awoke, but not on the comfy sofa he fell asleep on, but on a hard stone floor. He shot up, looking around, trying to find out where in the world he was. He suddenly caught a glimpse of a strange figure. It was dark, so the figure was almost impossible to make out, but he decided to call out to it. “Hello? Where am I? Who are you?” The figure replied. “Your destiny awaits, Star Gazer.” Gazer couldn’t help but be even more puzzled as to what was going on. “Um, what are you talking about? And how do you know my name? Answer me!” The figure stood motionless. “The time will come when you will rise to the challenge, and defeat the darkness that threatens us all.” Gazer was starting to become irritated. The figure was not answering his questions and was instead rambling on about ‘destiny’ and ‘darkness’. Even though Gazer was normally a patient colt, he was in a cold, mysterious place, which was not where he wanted to be. “Look, I just want out of here.” Gazer told the figure. The figure remained still. “Be strong, young hero, and you will overcome death itself.” The figure slowly faded away. Gazer panicked and trotted towards the figure in order to catch it. “No! Come back!” He was suddenly cast down a hole, barreling towards nothing but darkness. Gazer slowly regained his consciousness. He opened his eyes to meet Twilight’s. Gazer jumped up from his position and tried to regain his bearings, while slightly blushing about the fact that Twilight was staring at him. “Am I… am I back?” He asked. “Um, I suppose so.” Twilight replied. “But, it’s not like you really went anywhere, you were just asleep.” “I had some kind of… vision or dream. A dark, shadowy figure told me that I was to, ‘Rise to the challenge and defeat the darkness’.” Twilight looked perplexed. “Have you been drinking some of Pinkie Pie’s special brew at all?” Twilight asked. Gazer glared at her. “Haha, very funny, Twilight,” Gazer retorted with a witty remark. “I’m being serious though, I was there! I was standing in front of it the whole time!” Twilight had a look of pity on her face. “Maybe you haven’t had much sleep. If you want, you can stay here for the night. That way we can continue our research bright and early tomorrow!” Twilight smiled. Gazer became frustrated. Great she doesn’t believe me, He gave a mental sigh. Maybe I am just imagining things. Gazer thought about what the figure said. ‘Hero’. What did that mean? And what were all those cryptic messages about? He decided to shake it off and go back to sleep. A restless sleep. Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I really wanted it to be proofread and fleshed out before I posted it. Hopefully you guys found this interesting! Chapter 2Gazer slowly opened his eyes. The sun shone through the windows of the old tree house. he looked around the room, and didn’t see anypony else. He decided that since nopony else appeared to be awake, he would stay lying down for a bit. But he was suddenly startled by a loud crashing sound. He quickly looked around the room for the source of the disturbance. He saw that a pile of books had fallen onto the floor, but, there was something moving beneath it. A few seconds later, a small, purple dragon popped out from the mess. Gazer could only guess that this was Twilight’s assistant. “Ugh! Twilight! How many books do you have to read at once?” the dragon groaned. Not long after, Twilight came down from the flight of stairs that lead to her bedroom. “Spike, you know I find it easier to read them all at once than to read them one at a time.” Twilight said. Twilight turned her attention to Gazer. “Oh, good morning Gazer!” Twilight greeted Gazer. Gazer yawned, “Good morning Twilight.” “Sorry if Spike woke you up, he can be a bit clumsy.” Twilight said with an embarrassed look on her face. “It’s fine,” Gazer said reassuringly. “I was just waking up.” Gazer gave another loud yawn when his stomach growled. Twilight giggled at the noise. “Pardon me,” Gazer said. “but do you know where I can get something for breakfast?” Twilight nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make us a salad.” Twilight walked into the kitchen with Gazer following. Her magic engulfed a few bowls from the shelves at which the dishes were placed. As they gently floated onto the table, a bag of flowers came after. With the bag being held in the air, Twilight gently tipped it downwards. Flowers fell out of the bag and into the bowls. Ready to begin eating, Gazer nearly brought his mouth to the flowers, when he noticed Twilight hadn’t sat down to eat yet. Wanting to make a good impression, Gazer waited for Twilight to join him. Once she began to eat, he did as well. After breakfast, Gazer decided it was time to start researching some more. “So Twilight, are you ready to do some reading?” Gazer asked. Twilight smiled. “Always!” She said happily. After cleaning up the dishes, Gazer and Twilight trotted out of the kitchen and into the library. Gazer picked out one of the books from the massive collection, and sat down on the couch to read. Twilight, looking for a book in another section of the library, glanced towards Gazer. Such a gentlecolt. She thought. Twilight had already found a few books of the right sort, and sat down to start her studying. Most of the information she had found helped Gazer put together pieces of info he had already accumulated. They found some interesting facts about the cult. They were called the “Malevolents”. They practiced witchcraft, sorcery, and other kinds of black magic. They worshipped a mythical alicorn, which they called the “Patriarch”. They believed that the Patriarch would bring them good fortune, only if they destroyed those who opposed them, in the name of their idol. The Malevolents weren’t merciful to any of their enemies. They destroyed entire cities, burned forests, and tortured the ones they captured. This brought shivers down Gazer’s spine. How could anypony be this evil? He thought. He took the medallion out of his bag, which lay on the floor next to the couch. He used his magic to levitate the medallion in front of him. What is your significance? He pondered at the medallion. Gazer began to feel sick. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t felt well ever since this all happened. Ever since he saw his parents that day, where they lay broken and lifeless, he felt something change inside him, and not for the better. He thought he could handle a problem such as this, but who was he kidding? He could do a simple problem with mathematics and such, but on scale of murder investigation, that was a different story. Perhaps that’s why he sought out somepony like Twilight, somepony that was used to solving problems like this. Gazer felt an abnormal expression form on his face. An expression of worry. Twilight stopped searching through the collection of books, and looked to Gazer. She noticed the expression on his face, and couldn’t help but to think that the studying was starting to bother him, and decided to stop. “Even though I love reading, I think we should take a break for now.” she said. Twilight couldn’t help but to be worried about Gazer. His parents just died, She thought. Now he’s trying his best to find out what caused it. I wish I could comfort him in some way. Twilight trotted close to Gazer. He was still reading through a book. Twilight wanted to get his attention somehow, but she didn’t want to be rude about it. So she sat down next to Gazer on the couch. Gazer paid no attention to her, as he was deep into his studies. I have to say something. Twilight thought. “So, Gazer…” Twilight said sheepishly Gazer took his eyes off the book and looked to Twilight. “Yeah?” Gazer asked. Twilight was nervous. She always talked to her friends and helped them with their problems, but this was different. Gazer was new, she hadn’t know him as long as she knew her friends. Besides, he was… a colt, she hardly ever talked to any ponies of the opposite gender. “How’s the research going?” Twilight asked. “So far so good. I’m getting some good information on this cult of the, “Malevolents”, quite the gruesome group I’d say.” Gazer answered. “Can I… talk to you about something?” Twilight asked. “Sure, go ahead.” Gazer said. “Well,…” I don’t know how to say this without being intrusive. Twilight thought. “Can we talk about your parents?” Twilight said apprehensively. Gazer thought for a moment. Then said, “Of course.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she thought. “I was just wondering how you were holding up about the whole situation.” “Well, it’s kind of a lot to take in, you know? First, my parents die, then there’s a chance their deaths are linked to a cult? Not something you’d expect.” “I know what you mean,” Twilight said, carrying on the conversation. “When the princess told me I was supposed to leave Canterlot and make friends, I didn’t think I could do it.” Twilight looked him in the eyes reassuringly. “Everything turned out okay though, I learned that I could overcome any large problem, with the help of my friends of course.” Gazer looked down for a second. Twilight became concerned. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Gazer looked at her deeply. “So, you think everything is going to be okay?” They stared at each other for several seconds. “Yes.” Twilight replied. Twilight felt her heart pound. What was this feeling she had? She felt warm, like she was bathing in warm honey. She couldn’t help but to notice how handsome Gazer was. His black mane was sleek and shiny, his coat was a beautiful midnight blue, and his eyes just seemed to hypnotize Twilight. She just stared at him, just thinking about him. Nothing else in the world mattered right now, she just wanted to keep staring at him. Then suddenly, her stupor was interrupted by a noise. “Eh-hem!” Spike said loudly. Twilight snapped into attention. “Oh! What is it Spike?” “We’re supposed to be shopping for writing supplies, remember?” Spike said. Twilight facehoofed. “I completely forgot! So sorry Spike!” She jumped to her hooves. “Sorry Gazer, we’ll be back later.” Twilight apologized. She trotted out the door, with Spike following. After the door shut behind them, Gazer sat there, wondering what had just happened between him and Twilight. “Real smooth Gazer, just stare at her...” Gazer said out loud to himself. He hadn’t noticed what he was doing until Spike came into the room. He was more embarrassed now that Twilight and he shared what he thought of as a, “moment”. They had stared at each other for an extensive amount of time, not saying anything at all. Gazer didn’t know if Twilight was thinking the same thing about what had happened. Does she think I’m creepy for staring at her? He thought. He wanted her to feel the same way as he did when he first met her, how his heart pounded and how he got nervous when she got close to him. How when he looked at her, he couldn’t help but to notice how beautiful she was. He wanted her… to love him. Chapter 3Twilight thought about it. She thought long and hard, but she couldn’t figure out what happened between her and Star just a few minutes ago. Of course, she knew that they had been frozen in place, and that they stared at each other for quite some time. What Twilight couldn’t figure out though, was why? Why had that moment happened? Why did she feel the way she did? How could such a smart pony as herself not know the answer to these questions? Perhaps there was a book that could help her with this in her library. Then again, if there was such a book, Twilight would know about it. After all, she took it upon herself to organize her books almost every week, so she would have seen it. Twilight trotted alongside Spike, down the long road towards the store that sold writing supplies. Since Spike was always eager to go shopping, Twilight didn’t want to keep him waiting. She usually just sends Spike out on his own, but she wanted to escape the awkward situation. Ponies of all kinds trotted down the cobbled path, some going in the same direction as Twilight, some going the opposite. The market was always busy at this time of day, for most vendors have just restocked their goods. Twilight tried her best not to bump into the crowds of ponies that were starting to form as they got closer to the center of the market. Twilight scanned for the particular store that sold quills. Once she spotted it, she motioned for Spike to follow her. Suddenly, she was bumped into by a cloaked figure. “Oh, excuse me,” said Twilight. The figure turned its head, and looked at Twilight. Its face wasn’t visible, but its eyes shone a dark red. A black horn protruded from under the hood. Before Twilight could examine the pony any further, it darted off, disappearing into the crowd. What a strange pony. Twilight thought to herself. “Eh, don’t worry about it Twilight,” Spike said. “Some ponies are just plain rude. Come on, we’re almost there.” They approached the store that sold quills, which was called “Quills and Sofas”. Twilight went to the counter and greeted the clerk, Davenport. He was a tan coated stallion, with green eyes and a brown, combed back mane. “I would like 50 quills please,” Twilight asked politely. “Sure thing,” said Davenport. He pulled out the correct amount of quills and inkwells from under the counter to in front of Twilight. “That’ll be 40 bits,” he said. Jeez, getting a little expensive, are we? Twilight thought to herself. She didn’t mind though, as long as she got her supplies, all was fine and dandy. She levitated the sufficient amount of bits onto the counter, then levitated the quills into her saddlebag. “Have a good day sir,” Twilight said. “You too ma’am,” replied Davenport, who was smiling at the bits he had swindled from her. As Twilight and Spike headed back home, Twilight could see Applejack and Applebloom off in the distance. Applebloom was, as Applejack called it, “rustling up” some customers. “Try our magnificent apples! They’re delicious and nutritious!” Applebloom shouted with glee, as ponies passed by her without glancing at her. One unlucky colt managed to walk a little too close to her. Applebloom took the opportunity and jumped right in front of him. “BUY SOME APPLES!” Applebloom shouted. The poor colt backed up in fear. He turned around, and ran for his life. “That tears it!” Applejack shouted. “That’s the third pony you’ve scared off today! No wonder why I’m didn’t let you help last time!” Applebloom looked down in shame. “I’m sorry sis.” Applejack sighed and shook her head softly. “Head on home. I’ll come when I’m done here.” “Another chance at a cutie mark, down the drain,” Applebloom muttered. Applejack noticed Twilight walking towards her, and went to greet her. “Well, howdy Twi!” Applejack greeted with glee. “What brings you out here?” “Oh, just getting some supplies is all,” Twilight replied. Applejack looked her over a few times. “Mhm, say, where’s that coltfriend of yours? I wanted to see if he’s as cute as I heard.” Twilight blushed. “Who? Star? He’s not my coltfriend, I’m just helping him with some research.” Twilight thought for a moment. “Wait, how do you know about him?” Applejack chuckled. “Rainbow Dash was flying over when she saw him knocking on your door.” Twilight blushed more. “Well, he’s not my coltfriend, just a... friend.” Applejack looked at her with disbelief. She leaned in close to Twilight. “Say, if you can tell he likes you, don’t be afraid to make the first move.” Twilight blushed even more. “Applejack, cut it out! You’re embarrassing me!” Applejack let out a laugh. “Boy howdy! You sure are fun to mess with Twi!” Twilight smiled and laughed as well, realizing that Applejack was just being friendly. “Well, I should head home. Star is probably waiting for me.” As Twilight walked away, Applejack shouted, “Go get ‘em!” Suddenly, Twilight could feel something... strange. As if someone, or something, was watching her. She looked around to see if she could pinpoint where this feeling was coming from. After finding nothing, Twilight shrugged it off and kept walking home with Spike. ______________________________________________________________________________ In a dark alley, just within eyeshot of Twilight, the same dark, cloaked figure watched her. So, this is the one the Keeper wants? he thought to himself. If she’s anything like Star Gazer, she shall be easily manipulated. He contemplated on whether he should strike out at her or not. It would be unwise for him to do so, since it was broad daylight and numerous ponies roaming the streets. He already made the mistake of revealing himself to her once, he didn’t want that to happen again. Too much attention would make everypony suspicious. “Soon,” he said to himself. “very soon.’ ______________________________________________________________________________ As Star waited for Twilight to return, he thought about the little “scene” they had earlier. Does she like me? he thought to himself. She has to, after all, she DID stare at me with those big... beautiful... eyes... Star thought about how deeply he had looked into Twilight. The smoothness of her velvet eyes made it seem as if Star had stared into space itself. There was one thing that bothered him though; was it love? Or was it lust? He didn’t want it to be lust, he wanted it to be genuine love. It could be lust. After all, he hardly knew her, and yet he finds himself looking at her with prying eyes. Shouldn’t ponies get to know each other first? Shouldn’t they learn more about each other before they “get together”? “Let’s just let things develop on their own,” Star said, “and try not to force anything to happen.” Just then, Twilight walked through the front door with Spike following. Star smiled and walked over to her. “Hey there!” Star greeted. “How came the shopping?” “Great! I got enough to last us for another month,” Twilight answered. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then looked away as an awkward silence began to occur. The unusual tension was almost tangible. Star decided to break the silence. “So, anything interesting happen?” Star asked. “Well, I saw my friend Applejack at the market. She was working at her apple stand with her little sister, Applebloom. We chatted for a little bit.” Twilight blushed. “In fact, she mentioned how one of my other friends, Rainbow Dash, saw you while she was flying overhead.” “Oh really?” Star said with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve only been in Ponyville for a couple of days, and I’m already popular,” He said with a slight sarcastic tone. Twilight giggled. “Well, don’t get ahead of yourself mister.” Twilight poked him in the chest playfully. “There are plenty more ponies out there than just my friends. In fact, I should show you around sometime. Maybe you’ll like it here!” Star nodded. “Sounds like a good idea to me. I’d like to meet those friends of yours.” Twilight smiled. “I’m sure they’d like to meet you as well!” She thought for a moment. “Hmm, there was also an odd pony, a unicorn, that bumped into me before I got my supplies.” “What did he look like?” Star asked. “Well...,” Twilight said with hesitation. Suddenly, she was struck with a massive pain. “Ouch!” she cried. Twilight’s head throbbed. It felt as if a migraine had struck her without warning. It wasn’t a pain you would get from a cut, or punch to the gut, this was a pain that words couldn’t describe. One that came from deep inside her head, deep down where no matter of medication could cure. “Twilight! What’s wrong?” Spike asked urgently. Twilight struggled to respond. “I... don’t... know...” Then, as fast as it came, the pain was gone. The throbbing had subsided and she could think clearly now. “Are... you okay Twilight? Star asked. “Yeah, I am now,” Twilight said.”But... I... can’t... remember...” Spike and Star looked at each other with a confused look. “Remember... what exactly?” asked Star. “The... odd pony,” Twilight said. “I don’t remember what he... or she... looked like.” Something is very wrong here. Star thought to himself. What could possibly be making her lo- His thoughts were cut off by a loud knocking at the door. Dumbstruck, the three looked at each other, then at the door. Who in the world could that be? Star thought. Star went over to the door, and opened it. There stood two royal guard ponies. “Are you Star Gazer?” One of the guard ponies asked in a low voice. Star became nervous. “Umm... yes, I am.” The two royal guard ponies looked at each other, nodded, then looked back at Star. “By the order of the Royal Guard, you’re under arrest,” they said in unison.
Chapter 1He stepped out from the train cart that he had arrived in. Star Gazer was hesitant at first, not knowing how the ponies in this town were, or how helpful they could be. He hoped they would be kind enough to help him with his situation. He took out the strange medallion he found from his saddlebag and stared at it. He couldn’t help but to think of his parents, and their sudden departure from this world. Star Gazer hadn’t even had time to say goodbye to them before that tragic day. The last time he saw them, alive that is, was when they had him over for a family dinner. Since Star Gazer was always out researching at universities and colleges, he never had time to visit his family. Sure he would write them a few letters just to keep them satisfied, but eventually his parents would plead him to visit them. Even though he loved his parents, they could be very embarrassing when it came to visits. They would invite their friends over to meet their son and talk about how proud they are of him and his research. Quite often, they would invite young mares, about Gazer’s age, over to meet him. This embarrassed him the most. The mares would giggle at Gazer’s pathetic attempts to make small talk. He wasn’t a charmer, he was a researcher. Though he would like to have a significant other, most mares were too dull to understand his research. When trying to explain his work to some mares, they would just stand there with a puzzled look on their face. He wished there was a mare out there that would have the same intellect as he, but he didn’t hold his breath for such fantasies. One night, after a meal with his parents, Gazer was talking to his father about recent events, when his mother took out his old foal pictures. His mother showed a few mares the album, and they giggled away.Gazer couldn’t take it anymore, he stormed out of their house, leaving without saying goodbye. He regretted doing that. As he ventured onto the streets of Ponyville, Star Gazer couldn’t help to be nervous. He hadn’t been much of a talker, but he managed to carry on conversations for as long as necessary. Hopefully he wouldn’t run into any talkative ponies. He looked around at the buildings that lined the streets. They were cottage like buildings, most likely homes to the ponies that roamed the streets. Gazer noticed one building in particular, named “Sugarcube Corner”. He figured the owners must know someone who could help him. He stepped inside, and saw what must have been the baker’s latest creation. A large cake, about five meters in height, and two meters in diameter. The desert was covered in every delicious topping that could go on such a delicious sweet. The entire thing consisted of one color: pink. Star turned away though, he was tempted to take a slice, but he wouldn’t make a fool of himself. He spotted a light blue mare with a triple cupcake cutie mark. Her mane reminded him of frozen yogurt. “Hello there,” she greeted, “I’m Mrs. Cake, how can I help you Mr. . .?” “Gazer,” he replied, “ Star Gazer. I’m looking for someone who could help me with a problem.” “What kind of problem?” Mrs. Cake asked. “A. . . personal problem.” “Ah, well, you could ask Pinkie Pie for help, but i’m afraid she’s out being. . . Pinkie. Though, she has a friend that lives down the street from here! She’s a student of Princess Celestia herself! If she can’t help you, I doubt anyone can. She lives in the old library in the tree, you can’t miss it!” “Alright then, thank you, Mrs. Cake.” Gazer said. He stepped outside and made his way for the old library. Gazer hoped that this pony could help. He wasn’t sure if he was just being a worry-wart, or if he was nervous about meeting this pony. Hopefully, he’ll get along with the pony just fine. Gazer was close to the tree house, just about thirty meters away. He noticed how the lights were on inside, so the pony was home. As he approached the door to the house, he swallowed hard. He brought his right hoof up to the door, and gave it three solid knocks. A few seconds later, the door gently opened, and he came face to face with... . . .her. She was such a beautiful pony. Gazer never thought he’d ever see a mare like her in his life. Her lavender coat, her perfectly combed mane; she was a sight to see. The library in her home suggests that she’s an intuitive pony. She must study on a daily basis. Then again, she was Princess Celestia’s student after all. He doubted anypony could counter her intellect. “Hello there! I’m Twilight Sparkle, who are you?” She spoke with such fluency, yet she did it with ease. This intimidated Gazer. Would she make fun of him for not being as smart as she? He hoped for the best. “My name is Star Gazer.” There was a long, awkward pause between the two, until Twilight said, “Is there something I can help you with?” “Well, you see,” Gazer started, “I just recently found out about my parents untimely deaths.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Twilight said. “Well, thank you and all, but the problem isn’t the deaths themselves.” Gazer took out a clear plastic bag from his saddle bag using his magic, a midnight blue aura encircling the bag. “I found this, um… medallion on their bodies.” The medallion resembled an alicorn, holding a spear in its mouth, as if to resemble anarchy, revolution, and revolt. It was a shiny metal, but some of it was smudged with dirt and dust. The parts that weren’t mucked shone in Gazer’s magic. “I’m not sure what it is, and I don’t know why my parents would be holding this when they died.” “So, you suspect somepony planted them on your parents’ bodies?” Twilight inquired. “Maybe.” Gazer responded. “I wanted your help before I did anything else with this. Is it possible you could search your archives for anything that could give us a clue as to what it is?” “Of course!” Twilight said with a grimace. She must really enjoy her studies Gazer thought. To jump at a problem with such delight must be part of her personality. After almost 2 hours of Twilight’s intensive research, Gazer decided to give her a hoof. As he searched through the books that lined the wall, he couldn’t help but to watch her. She was so very beautiful in his eyes. He thought that she could outshine the princess herself. He loved how her mane flowed with the grace of a velvet cover, how her eyes resembled purple sapphires, and how her body was finely tuned. His eyes slowly traveled across her body, going lower and lower. Wow, Gazer thought to himself, she even has a nice fl- “I found something!” Twilight said, as she spun around to face Gazer. They stood for a moment, looking awkwardly at each other. Gazer broke the silence, blushing. “Oh! Um, thank you!” Gazer said sheepishly. He read the title on the cover: “Ancient Races and Cultures”. “What do ancient races and cultures have to do with this?” Gazer asked. “Well, read chapter six, and look for section sixteen.” Twilight replied. Gazer skittered through the pages using his magic. Once he found the page he was looking for, he read over the information. It spoke of an ancient clan, and how it overthrew its leader, paving a way for death and destruction throughout the land. Under the clan’s reign of terror, Equestria was put into a time called “The Cessation” or “The Ending”, for everypony thought that it surely was the end of times. But the most recognizable thing on the page was the same exact medallion that Gazer had found on his parents’ bodies. He could only imagine what this could mean. There’s no way his parents’ deaths were connected to some old cult. “So, are you saying some kind of ancient, evil clan killed my parents?” Gazer asked. “I’m not sure, but there is definitely a connection between the two.” Twilight said. “Well, do you have any books on “The Cessation” or whatever?” Twilight smiled. “You may not know this about me yet, Star, but I have books on almost every subject known to ponykind.” Gazer blushed a bit. She called him by his first name, when usually everypony called him by his last name. It was different, but it felt good. A special kind of good. Twilight began to search through her books again. Gazer gave out a small sigh, knowing that this would probably take as long as the previous search. He took notice of the time, it was getting very late, and he was starting to feel sleepy. Oh no you don’t Gazer. Not in the presence of a lady! He thought to himself. He couldn’t help but notice how his leg was beginning to ache, which only pressed him towards falling asleep. He looked for a chair or something to sit on. He eyed a particularly comfortable looking sofa nearby. No, no, no! Not while she is trying to help you! You lazy bum! Wake up! What would mother say to you if you did such a thing?! he mentally shouted at himself. But he couldn’t help it. A rested mind meant a better mind. But what pony didn’t like to sleep? Gazer slowly moved to the sofa, and sat down. Eyes beginning to close, he slowly dozed off into a deep sleep. Gazer awoke, but not on the comfy sofa he fell asleep on, but on a hard stone floor. He shot up, looking around, trying to find out where in the world he was. He suddenly caught a glimpse of a strange figure. It was dark, so the figure was almost impossible to make out, but he decided to call out to it. “Hello? Where am I? Who are you?” The figure replied. “Your destiny awaits, Star Gazer.” Gazer couldn’t help but be even more puzzled as to what was going on. “Um, what are you talking about? And how do you know my name? Answer me!” The figure stood motionless. “The time will come when you will rise to the challenge, and defeat the darkness that threatens us all.” Gazer was starting to become irritated. The figure was not answering his questions and was instead rambling on about ‘destiny’ and ‘darkness’. Even though Gazer was normally a patient colt, he was in a cold, mysterious place, which was not where he wanted to be. “Look, I just want out of here.” Gazer told the figure. The figure remained still. “Be strong, young hero, and you will overcome death itself.” The figure slowly faded away. Gazer panicked and trotted towards the figure in order to catch it. “No! Come back!” He was suddenly cast down a hole, barreling towards nothing but darkness. Gazer slowly regained his consciousness. He opened his eyes to meet Twilight’s. Gazer jumped up from his position and tried to regain his bearings, while slightly blushing about the fact that Twilight was staring at him. “Am I… am I back?” He asked. “Um, I suppose so.” Twilight replied. “But, it’s not like you really went anywhere, you were just asleep.” “I had some kind of… vision or dream. A dark, shadowy figure told me that I was to, ‘Rise to the challenge and defeat the darkness’.” Twilight looked perplexed. “Have you been drinking some of Pinkie Pie’s special brew at all?” Twilight asked. Gazer glared at her. “Haha, very funny, Twilight,” Gazer retorted with a witty remark. “I’m being serious though, I was there! I was standing in front of it the whole time!” Twilight had a look of pity on her face. “Maybe you haven’t had much sleep. If you want, you can stay here for the night. That way we can continue our research bright and early tomorrow!” Twilight smiled. Gazer became frustrated. Great she doesn’t believe me, He gave a mental sigh. Maybe I am just imagining things. Gazer thought about what the figure said. ‘Hero’. What did that mean? And what were all those cryptic messages about? He decided to shake it off and go back to sleep. A restless sleep. Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I really wanted it to be proofread and fleshed out before I posted it. Hopefully you guys found this interesting!
Chapter 2Gazer slowly opened his eyes. The sun shone through the windows of the old tree house. he looked around the room, and didn’t see anypony else. He decided that since nopony else appeared to be awake, he would stay lying down for a bit. But he was suddenly startled by a loud crashing sound. He quickly looked around the room for the source of the disturbance. He saw that a pile of books had fallen onto the floor, but, there was something moving beneath it. A few seconds later, a small, purple dragon popped out from the mess. Gazer could only guess that this was Twilight’s assistant. “Ugh! Twilight! How many books do you have to read at once?” the dragon groaned. Not long after, Twilight came down from the flight of stairs that lead to her bedroom. “Spike, you know I find it easier to read them all at once than to read them one at a time.” Twilight said. Twilight turned her attention to Gazer. “Oh, good morning Gazer!” Twilight greeted Gazer. Gazer yawned, “Good morning Twilight.” “Sorry if Spike woke you up, he can be a bit clumsy.” Twilight said with an embarrassed look on her face. “It’s fine,” Gazer said reassuringly. “I was just waking up.” Gazer gave another loud yawn when his stomach growled. Twilight giggled at the noise. “Pardon me,” Gazer said. “but do you know where I can get something for breakfast?” Twilight nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make us a salad.” Twilight walked into the kitchen with Gazer following. Her magic engulfed a few bowls from the shelves at which the dishes were placed. As they gently floated onto the table, a bag of flowers came after. With the bag being held in the air, Twilight gently tipped it downwards. Flowers fell out of the bag and into the bowls. Ready to begin eating, Gazer nearly brought his mouth to the flowers, when he noticed Twilight hadn’t sat down to eat yet. Wanting to make a good impression, Gazer waited for Twilight to join him. Once she began to eat, he did as well. After breakfast, Gazer decided it was time to start researching some more. “So Twilight, are you ready to do some reading?” Gazer asked. Twilight smiled. “Always!” She said happily. After cleaning up the dishes, Gazer and Twilight trotted out of the kitchen and into the library. Gazer picked out one of the books from the massive collection, and sat down on the couch to read. Twilight, looking for a book in another section of the library, glanced towards Gazer. Such a gentlecolt. She thought. Twilight had already found a few books of the right sort, and sat down to start her studying. Most of the information she had found helped Gazer put together pieces of info he had already accumulated. They found some interesting facts about the cult. They were called the “Malevolents”. They practiced witchcraft, sorcery, and other kinds of black magic. They worshipped a mythical alicorn, which they called the “Patriarch”. They believed that the Patriarch would bring them good fortune, only if they destroyed those who opposed them, in the name of their idol. The Malevolents weren’t merciful to any of their enemies. They destroyed entire cities, burned forests, and tortured the ones they captured. This brought shivers down Gazer’s spine. How could anypony be this evil? He thought. He took the medallion out of his bag, which lay on the floor next to the couch. He used his magic to levitate the medallion in front of him. What is your significance? He pondered at the medallion. Gazer began to feel sick. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t felt well ever since this all happened. Ever since he saw his parents that day, where they lay broken and lifeless, he felt something change inside him, and not for the better. He thought he could handle a problem such as this, but who was he kidding? He could do a simple problem with mathematics and such, but on scale of murder investigation, that was a different story. Perhaps that’s why he sought out somepony like Twilight, somepony that was used to solving problems like this. Gazer felt an abnormal expression form on his face. An expression of worry. Twilight stopped searching through the collection of books, and looked to Gazer. She noticed the expression on his face, and couldn’t help but to think that the studying was starting to bother him, and decided to stop. “Even though I love reading, I think we should take a break for now.” she said. Twilight couldn’t help but to be worried about Gazer. His parents just died, She thought. Now he’s trying his best to find out what caused it. I wish I could comfort him in some way. Twilight trotted close to Gazer. He was still reading through a book. Twilight wanted to get his attention somehow, but she didn’t want to be rude about it. So she sat down next to Gazer on the couch. Gazer paid no attention to her, as he was deep into his studies. I have to say something. Twilight thought. “So, Gazer…” Twilight said sheepishly Gazer took his eyes off the book and looked to Twilight. “Yeah?” Gazer asked. Twilight was nervous. She always talked to her friends and helped them with their problems, but this was different. Gazer was new, she hadn’t know him as long as she knew her friends. Besides, he was… a colt, she hardly ever talked to any ponies of the opposite gender. “How’s the research going?” Twilight asked. “So far so good. I’m getting some good information on this cult of the, “Malevolents”, quite the gruesome group I’d say.” Gazer answered. “Can I… talk to you about something?” Twilight asked. “Sure, go ahead.” Gazer said. “Well,…” I don’t know how to say this without being intrusive. Twilight thought. “Can we talk about your parents?” Twilight said apprehensively. Gazer thought for a moment. Then said, “Of course.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she thought. “I was just wondering how you were holding up about the whole situation.” “Well, it’s kind of a lot to take in, you know? First, my parents die, then there’s a chance their deaths are linked to a cult? Not something you’d expect.” “I know what you mean,” Twilight said, carrying on the conversation. “When the princess told me I was supposed to leave Canterlot and make friends, I didn’t think I could do it.” Twilight looked him in the eyes reassuringly. “Everything turned out okay though, I learned that I could overcome any large problem, with the help of my friends of course.” Gazer looked down for a second. Twilight became concerned. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Gazer looked at her deeply. “So, you think everything is going to be okay?” They stared at each other for several seconds. “Yes.” Twilight replied. Twilight felt her heart pound. What was this feeling she had? She felt warm, like she was bathing in warm honey. She couldn’t help but to notice how handsome Gazer was. His black mane was sleek and shiny, his coat was a beautiful midnight blue, and his eyes just seemed to hypnotize Twilight. She just stared at him, just thinking about him. Nothing else in the world mattered right now, she just wanted to keep staring at him. Then suddenly, her stupor was interrupted by a noise. “Eh-hem!” Spike said loudly. Twilight snapped into attention. “Oh! What is it Spike?” “We’re supposed to be shopping for writing supplies, remember?” Spike said. Twilight facehoofed. “I completely forgot! So sorry Spike!” She jumped to her hooves. “Sorry Gazer, we’ll be back later.” Twilight apologized. She trotted out the door, with Spike following. After the door shut behind them, Gazer sat there, wondering what had just happened between him and Twilight. “Real smooth Gazer, just stare at her...” Gazer said out loud to himself. He hadn’t noticed what he was doing until Spike came into the room. He was more embarrassed now that Twilight and he shared what he thought of as a, “moment”. They had stared at each other for an extensive amount of time, not saying anything at all. Gazer didn’t know if Twilight was thinking the same thing about what had happened. Does she think I’m creepy for staring at her? He thought. He wanted her to feel the same way as he did when he first met her, how his heart pounded and how he got nervous when she got close to him. How when he looked at her, he couldn’t help but to notice how beautiful she was. He wanted her… to love him.
Chapter 3Twilight thought about it. She thought long and hard, but she couldn’t figure out what happened between her and Star just a few minutes ago. Of course, she knew that they had been frozen in place, and that they stared at each other for quite some time. What Twilight couldn’t figure out though, was why? Why had that moment happened? Why did she feel the way she did? How could such a smart pony as herself not know the answer to these questions? Perhaps there was a book that could help her with this in her library. Then again, if there was such a book, Twilight would know about it. After all, she took it upon herself to organize her books almost every week, so she would have seen it. Twilight trotted alongside Spike, down the long road towards the store that sold writing supplies. Since Spike was always eager to go shopping, Twilight didn’t want to keep him waiting. She usually just sends Spike out on his own, but she wanted to escape the awkward situation. Ponies of all kinds trotted down the cobbled path, some going in the same direction as Twilight, some going the opposite. The market was always busy at this time of day, for most vendors have just restocked their goods. Twilight tried her best not to bump into the crowds of ponies that were starting to form as they got closer to the center of the market. Twilight scanned for the particular store that sold quills. Once she spotted it, she motioned for Spike to follow her. Suddenly, she was bumped into by a cloaked figure. “Oh, excuse me,” said Twilight. The figure turned its head, and looked at Twilight. Its face wasn’t visible, but its eyes shone a dark red. A black horn protruded from under the hood. Before Twilight could examine the pony any further, it darted off, disappearing into the crowd. What a strange pony. Twilight thought to herself. “Eh, don’t worry about it Twilight,” Spike said. “Some ponies are just plain rude. Come on, we’re almost there.” They approached the store that sold quills, which was called “Quills and Sofas”. Twilight went to the counter and greeted the clerk, Davenport. He was a tan coated stallion, with green eyes and a brown, combed back mane. “I would like 50 quills please,” Twilight asked politely. “Sure thing,” said Davenport. He pulled out the correct amount of quills and inkwells from under the counter to in front of Twilight. “That’ll be 40 bits,” he said. Jeez, getting a little expensive, are we? Twilight thought to herself. She didn’t mind though, as long as she got her supplies, all was fine and dandy. She levitated the sufficient amount of bits onto the counter, then levitated the quills into her saddlebag. “Have a good day sir,” Twilight said. “You too ma’am,” replied Davenport, who was smiling at the bits he had swindled from her. As Twilight and Spike headed back home, Twilight could see Applejack and Applebloom off in the distance. Applebloom was, as Applejack called it, “rustling up” some customers. “Try our magnificent apples! They’re delicious and nutritious!” Applebloom shouted with glee, as ponies passed by her without glancing at her. One unlucky colt managed to walk a little too close to her. Applebloom took the opportunity and jumped right in front of him. “BUY SOME APPLES!” Applebloom shouted. The poor colt backed up in fear. He turned around, and ran for his life. “That tears it!” Applejack shouted. “That’s the third pony you’ve scared off today! No wonder why I’m didn’t let you help last time!” Applebloom looked down in shame. “I’m sorry sis.” Applejack sighed and shook her head softly. “Head on home. I’ll come when I’m done here.” “Another chance at a cutie mark, down the drain,” Applebloom muttered. Applejack noticed Twilight walking towards her, and went to greet her. “Well, howdy Twi!” Applejack greeted with glee. “What brings you out here?” “Oh, just getting some supplies is all,” Twilight replied. Applejack looked her over a few times. “Mhm, say, where’s that coltfriend of yours? I wanted to see if he’s as cute as I heard.” Twilight blushed. “Who? Star? He’s not my coltfriend, I’m just helping him with some research.” Twilight thought for a moment. “Wait, how do you know about him?” Applejack chuckled. “Rainbow Dash was flying over when she saw him knocking on your door.” Twilight blushed more. “Well, he’s not my coltfriend, just a... friend.” Applejack looked at her with disbelief. She leaned in close to Twilight. “Say, if you can tell he likes you, don’t be afraid to make the first move.” Twilight blushed even more. “Applejack, cut it out! You’re embarrassing me!” Applejack let out a laugh. “Boy howdy! You sure are fun to mess with Twi!” Twilight smiled and laughed as well, realizing that Applejack was just being friendly. “Well, I should head home. Star is probably waiting for me.” As Twilight walked away, Applejack shouted, “Go get ‘em!” Suddenly, Twilight could feel something... strange. As if someone, or something, was watching her. She looked around to see if she could pinpoint where this feeling was coming from. After finding nothing, Twilight shrugged it off and kept walking home with Spike. ______________________________________________________________________________ In a dark alley, just within eyeshot of Twilight, the same dark, cloaked figure watched her. So, this is the one the Keeper wants? he thought to himself. If she’s anything like Star Gazer, she shall be easily manipulated. He contemplated on whether he should strike out at her or not. It would be unwise for him to do so, since it was broad daylight and numerous ponies roaming the streets. He already made the mistake of revealing himself to her once, he didn’t want that to happen again. Too much attention would make everypony suspicious. “Soon,” he said to himself. “very soon.’ ______________________________________________________________________________ As Star waited for Twilight to return, he thought about the little “scene” they had earlier. Does she like me? he thought to himself. She has to, after all, she DID stare at me with those big... beautiful... eyes... Star thought about how deeply he had looked into Twilight. The smoothness of her velvet eyes made it seem as if Star had stared into space itself. There was one thing that bothered him though; was it love? Or was it lust? He didn’t want it to be lust, he wanted it to be genuine love. It could be lust. After all, he hardly knew her, and yet he finds himself looking at her with prying eyes. Shouldn’t ponies get to know each other first? Shouldn’t they learn more about each other before they “get together”? “Let’s just let things develop on their own,” Star said, “and try not to force anything to happen.” Just then, Twilight walked through the front door with Spike following. Star smiled and walked over to her. “Hey there!” Star greeted. “How came the shopping?” “Great! I got enough to last us for another month,” Twilight answered. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then looked away as an awkward silence began to occur. The unusual tension was almost tangible. Star decided to break the silence. “So, anything interesting happen?” Star asked. “Well, I saw my friend Applejack at the market. She was working at her apple stand with her little sister, Applebloom. We chatted for a little bit.” Twilight blushed. “In fact, she mentioned how one of my other friends, Rainbow Dash, saw you while she was flying overhead.” “Oh really?” Star said with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve only been in Ponyville for a couple of days, and I’m already popular,” He said with a slight sarcastic tone. Twilight giggled. “Well, don’t get ahead of yourself mister.” Twilight poked him in the chest playfully. “There are plenty more ponies out there than just my friends. In fact, I should show you around sometime. Maybe you’ll like it here!” Star nodded. “Sounds like a good idea to me. I’d like to meet those friends of yours.” Twilight smiled. “I’m sure they’d like to meet you as well!” She thought for a moment. “Hmm, there was also an odd pony, a unicorn, that bumped into me before I got my supplies.” “What did he look like?” Star asked. “Well...,” Twilight said with hesitation. Suddenly, she was struck with a massive pain. “Ouch!” she cried. Twilight’s head throbbed. It felt as if a migraine had struck her without warning. It wasn’t a pain you would get from a cut, or punch to the gut, this was a pain that words couldn’t describe. One that came from deep inside her head, deep down where no matter of medication could cure. “Twilight! What’s wrong?” Spike asked urgently. Twilight struggled to respond. “I... don’t... know...” Then, as fast as it came, the pain was gone. The throbbing had subsided and she could think clearly now. “Are... you okay Twilight? Star asked. “Yeah, I am now,” Twilight said.”But... I... can’t... remember...” Spike and Star looked at each other with a confused look. “Remember... what exactly?” asked Star. “The... odd pony,” Twilight said. “I don’t remember what he... or she... looked like.” Something is very wrong here. Star thought to himself. What could possibly be making her lo- His thoughts were cut off by a loud knocking at the door. Dumbstruck, the three looked at each other, then at the door. Who in the world could that be? Star thought. Star went over to the door, and opened it. There stood two royal guard ponies. “Are you Star Gazer?” One of the guard ponies asked in a low voice. Star became nervous. “Umm... yes, I am.” The two royal guard ponies looked at each other, nodded, then looked back at Star. “By the order of the Royal Guard, you’re under arrest,” they said in unison.
