Chapter One
Peace....
Peace was all Midnight could desire as he looked down on upon the once beautiful city of Canterlot as it was engulfed in flames. The once proud and intelligent unicorn could only feel pity and sorrow as he stroked his beard. He never imagined that one mistake could lead to all of this destruction.
Equestria was nothing more than a barren wasteland and with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna missing, they couldn't have seen what would happen next.
So many lives had perished in the war. He's closest friends were either enslaved or dead as demons from hell itself had broken loose and consumed his home. Twilight Sparkle, Techorse, and King Sombra stood by his side throughout this war.
They have avoided capture for five years, but Midnight has a feeling that there would be no hiding once his plan has taken effect. He final trump card to end this madness once and for all.
"Why wasn't I strong enough to stop this?" He asked.
"You couldn't have known this would happen Midnight." Midnight turned towards the former tyrant, King Sombra who approached him with a look of grief. "We may not have been there to stop their invasion, but you managed to save every citizen in Canterlot, before they could attack."
I could have prevented all of this with just one spell.
"Midnight....we can't stay here or he'll find us," King Sombra said as he turned away from Canterlot an made his way to the Everfree Forest. Midnight could only nod to master as he began to follow after him, taking one final glance at the very palace where he proposed to the mare he loved.
It wasn't long until they arrived at the Castle of the Two Sisters, which was heavily fortified with archers and crossbows, which were enchanted with devastating magic spells. Two guards stood at the front entrance, holding their spears close to their sides as they stepped aside, allowing Midnight and Sombra entry.
Many ponies had taken refuge within the old castle, praying that they could return to the lives they once had before the war. Midnight could only feel sorrow as a pit in his stomach made him feel responsible for this disaster.
He was soon approached by an icy blue unicorn known as Flash Freeze, an old friend of his before the war began. "Welcome back Midnight and King Sombra, you made it back just in time to here Techorse's plan to turn this war around."
"Thanks, but we have urgent news and it can't wait," Midnight said with a grim expression. Flash Freeze could only nod, afraid to find out.
King Sombra stood atop of his throne as everypony gathered together to here his announcement.
"Hello my little ponies. My apprentice and I have returned with grave news!" He announced as everypony in the room looked on with fear. "Canterlot has fallen to our enemies and have claimed our fair city.
The ponies could only gasp or cry in despair after hearing this news. Midnight didn't know why, but it felt like the gods were punishing him with this guilt as he watched these ponies suffer.
"We will do everything in our power to end this war and bring peace to our homeland," King Sombra said. Most of the ponies that resided there had their doubts, but didn't argue. "For now it is best that you all rest for the evening."
After the meeting Midnight headed towards his study to work on improving his spell. The only other pony who knew about it was Techorse, and we're successful, but there was only one problem. The only downside to his plan was that it required the powers of an alicorn and only one was present currently.
"I need to fix this...." He whispered to himself.
"Midnight you made it back," Twilight said as she trotted over to fiance.
"Twilight...." he said, with a small grin.
Ever since he proposed to the alicorn princess, he couldn't be happier when she said yes. But with the war going on and a child on the way and all he could think about was ending this for the sake of his child.
"I heard about what happened in Canterlot. What happened?" She asked, worryingly.
"I don't want to talk about it Twi! I just can't...." Midnight said, defensively. He didn't want to yell, but the stress may have finally caught up with him.
"Midnight please? Let me help you?" She begged.
"It's not easy for me to say this, Twilight," Midnight said, as he looked down with sadness. "When I was in Canterlot I saw him."
"W-who?" She asked.
"I saw....him...I saw him kill so many innocent ponies," Midnight stuttered, as he slammed his hoof against the wall, causing it to crack. Twilight looked frightened as his mood changed from sadness to pure anger.
"Twilight, you wouldn't believe what he has done! He's the one responsible of the destruction of Canterlot!"
"Midnight....please calm down," Twilight said, gently placing her wing on his back, embracing him.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I can't believe it," Midnight said.
"Tell me everything that has happened, Midnight and maybe I can help," she said with a gentle smile.
"Okay, I suppose I should start at the beginning,"
Six hours earlier.
Dark clouds hungover Canterlot as everypony begins to evacuate. Midnight and King Sombra, both begin rallying the guards for another fight against there insidious foes.
"We need all guards to be ready when the enemy arrives. We will push them back or die trying!" Midnight shouted, as the guards lined up at the gates in front of Canterlot's castle.
"Sir, yes Sir!" The guards saluted.
"Midnight! We need to talk!" Midnight soon turned towards his mentor Sombra, who stood a few feet behind him.
"Oh! Of course master," Midnight said, bowing.
"No need for the formalities Midnight, but the armies of Demon King are approaching sooner than expected," He said, sighing. "It will only be a matter of time before they arrive."
"What?! But we still have to get these ponies out of Canterlot!" Midnight yelled, as he started to panic.
"Midnight! That's why I need you to get all of these civilians out of here! I will lead the counter attack against these mindless beasts!" Sombra sternly said, as his horn glowed brightly as his body was engulfed in a bright light, blinding Midnight.
As the light simmered down, Sombra was wearing silver armor with strange ruin marks painted orange, with a blade to match on his shoulder.
"Before Celestia had disappeared, She gave me this armor that was enchanted with powers of the sun for protection. Now, Midnight remember to get everypony can out of the city and when you are done you are to join the battle at the entrance immediately," Sombra said. Midnight was curious about what was different with this battle. He had usually lead the troops since Shining Armor was protecting the Crystal Empire, but Sombra knew something he didn't.
"Is there something you aren't telling me, master?" Midnight asked. Sombra of course was hesitant, but with a deep sigh he faced his apprentice with stern look.
"The New Demon King will be here and I don't know how powerful he really is...but with your help we will have a chance to end this madness," Sombra answered and Midnight's eyes widened in shock after hearing this news.
Midnight nodded in agreement, and was determined to give everything he has into ending this fight.
"I'll do everything I can to get everypony to safety," He said, as he gallop through the city.
"I hope you are ready, Midnight? For what is about to happen will be your grey challenge yet." Sombra whispered to himself.
It didn't take long for Midnight to begin leading the civilians out through the gardens. Where a secret underground door was hidden that would lead them out of the city.
"Alright everypony, just head down this doorway and continue walking through the tunnels," Midnight said as the ponies entered. Every last one of them rushed in without second thoughts and it didn't take long until there was no pony left.
I hope that's everyone? We can't afford anymore losses.
"Excuse me? Sir?" A young mare with brown fur and white mane called out to him. "Please can you help me find my daughter? I don't know where she is?"
Midnight saw how the mare was worried as tears streamed down her face and he knew what he had to do. "I'll look for you're daughter, but please head down with the others? I'll send a guard down with your daughter when we find her."
"Thank you...." she said, as she continued crying.
Without a second thought, Midnight ran through the city searching for the lost child, but before he could find child the ground began to shake as the dark clouds in the sky began to tear open.
Hordes of demons came through and Midnight knew he was running out of time.
"Damn it!!!" He said as ran as fast as he could in hopes of finding the little filly soon. He soon heard loud screams near an old building as balls of fires bombarded multiple buildings.
Midnight immediately teleported inside and began his search.
Almost everything inside remained intact with the exception of a few broken picture frames, but still no sign of the filly. "Hello!"
He called out, but received no reply.
The ground began to shake once again with more force than before, as Midnight tried to maintain his balance as he climbed the stair case. He began to feel the presence of multiple dark beings approaching not to far from where he was.
Gotta hurry before they get here!
"Is anypony here?" He called out again as he entered a small bedroom that was filled with stuffed animals and painted pink flowers all over the walls. "I'm here to help."
The sounds of sobbing began to fill the air as Midnight listened closely to where it was coming from. He also noticed a puddle of blood near the closet and it felt as if he was in horror movie as he slowly approached the closet and slowly twisted the knob.
When he opened it he saw a little brown filly with white hair and a cut on her arm, holding on tightly to a stuffed bear. Her cheeks were stained with tears as she crawled towards the small corner of the closet with fear.
"Hey it's okay," Midnight said as he reached out with his hoof. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"M-Monster," She uttered.
"I'm not a monster," Midnight said with a brow raised.
"No! M-Monster!" By the time Midnight figured out what she meant, he was hurled towards the wall.
"Now, now you'll have to wait your turn young colt, I was here first and you know what they say? 'First comes, first serves," A tall slender unicorn who was dressed as a jester.
Midnight could only glare at this mysterious stallion as he picked himself up.
"Stay away from her!!" He shouted as he began to charge up his magic.
"Oh I wouldn't do that. Most of the ponies that challenged me didn't really have as much fun as I did," The stranger said as his eyes began to glow underneath his mask.
"Who are you?!" Midnight demanded.
"How rude of me....I'm Alastor, one of the four generals of Tartarus and the most powerful jester alive," He said with a chuckle. "So who are you?"
"I'm Midnight Blaze!" He said as he blasted Alastor with his magic.
Midnight soon turned towards the filly picked her up with his magic.
"Let's get you out of here," Right as they were about to teleport a massive black claw grabbed Midnight's leg and it's pulled them outside through the broken wall.
Midnight immediately put up a protective barrier around the child and imbraced for impact as he crashed next to Alastor."Now that was rude."
Without a second thought Midnight quickly shot a bolt of magic at the Alastor and teleported next to the filly. He took a stance as he charged his magic.
"It seems you are more skillful in magic than I thought. LET'S KICK THIS UP A NOTCH!!!" Alastor shouted, with laughter as his horn released a black aura and summoned a red and black baton with a short blade on the tip.
Midnight raised a brow, expecting something else but he did not let down his guard as he turned towards the filly. He knew this was going to be difficult with the filly in the way and the longer he stayed the sooner Alastor's fellow demons would arrive soon. "Listen...uh what's your name?"
"Cocoa," She answered.
"Alright Cocoa when this creep attacks, I'm going to cast an illusion spell and when I do....I want you to run," He whispered, not taking his eyes off of Alastor as he began to twirl his baton.
"O-okay," She whispered back.
"Hahahaha-it's show time!" With all said and done Alastor shot beams of dark magic from his baton in all directions. Midnight countered his attack with a magic barrier and a smoke spell.
Alastor waved his baton with all the strength he could muster and created a gust of wind, clearing the dust only to notice both Midnight and the filly had vanished. He slowly began to trot around the area, searching for his prey.
"Come out, Come out, wherever you are?"
Midnight cast a smoky puff of energy from his horn at the ground to his left. A visually identical copy of himself galloped out from the smoke and continued on. Alastor began to fire beams of dark magic that struck the copy, which vaporized in a magical blast of energy. After figuring out that he was tricked Midnight teleported behind him and blasted him with a massive orb of magic. Sending Alastor soaring into Canterlots' bank.
"This ends now demon!!" Midnight said, as he began to create a crescent shaped energy wave from his horn and fired at the bank, obliterating it to a pile of rubble and ash.
I better go catch up with Cocoa and make sure she gets to that tunnel before any other demons show up....
Turning away from the decimated bank was a mistake Midnight would regret as he received a powerful punch towards his torso and was blasted with a black ray of magic, sending him skidding across the floor. Alastor stood a few feet away from him with his mask cracked, and his attire was damaged and seared with a missing his left arm.
"Hehehe....now you've made me mad! I'll tear you to shreds, Midnight Blaze!"
"Don't....think...I'm finished..yet," Midnight said, as he struggled to stand on his hooves.
Alastor's magic was in an entirely different class than his.
Midnight was a beta-class unicorn, capable of powerful magic and yet Alastor magic somehow surpasses his in power, but perhaps he could out smart the jester.
"Why do you continue to resist? Surrender and maybe I'll make your death quick," He asked.
I might be able to get around him if I can conjure up enough mana as a diversion and then I can end this.
"Are you tired already? Oh well it seems I can fix she this and move on," He said.
Midnight soon witnessed Alastor's missing limb regenerate for some unknown reason. It was uncommon and with knowledge of his ability he would have to plan a different attack.
"How did your arm regenerate?!" He asked as his magic spiked to it's maximum power.
"I'm one of the four Generals of Tartarus, only we have the true capabilities to heal any and all organs from our body. Now you know you don't stand a chance against me," Alastor said, with a chuckle.
"NOW DIE!!!"
But before he could unleash his attack he was blast by a red beam of magic, straight into a building. Midnight turned to see Sombra, standing a few feet from him as the magic from his horn dissipated.
"Stand down, Midnight I will take it from here," Sombra ordered as he pulled his sword out.
"Urgh- Sombra? What are you doing here?" Alastor asked.
"That is none of your concern, demon!"
"Oh well it doesn't matter if you're here or not. Everypony is going to die!" Alastor was about to unleash another powerful spell, but stopped to see something in the sky.
"Alastor it would be wise for you to return to Tartarus immediately. I shall deal with them," A massive Pegasus with dark red fur and sickly purple mane and tail.
He wore black armor and had a devious smirk plastered on his face.
"Of course my Lord," Alastor obeyed and teleported away, leaving Sombra and Midnight alone with the stranger. Midnight could feel the magic coming from this demon and it was three times stronger than Alastor's.
"Well it's certainly been awhile Midnight and Sombra. It's good to see you after our last encounter." He said. "I'm the Demon King Naga, but I was once known as Flare Blitz."
When he mentioned his name, Midnight froze as fear took hold of him. "Your...suppose to be dead."
"I can assure you that I'm very alive, but as for you...." His mane began to blaze in flames as smoke seeped out of his maw as mana surging through him. "You won't see the light day AGAIN!"
A massive fire ball fired at them and both Sombra and Midnight embraced for impact.
This can't be happening!
