The Chronicles of Equui Lumen Noxxus

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 7

Chapter 1

A deep thunderous roar broke through the air, as dark clouds began to stir over the open, grassy fields that lay just before the Everfree forest. Just before rain began to fall, it grew quiet, save for the howl of he wind occasionally, and the rustle of the leaves of the few trees that dotted the land. Not a creature or animal could be heard or seen, as they hid in fear of the coming storm. The fields were barren of life, save for a wagon parked in the middle of one of the fields. Or at least, it was more of a miniature house on wheels. Equui Lumen Noxxus, stirred slightly in response to the warning thunder of the coming storm. However, he was fast asleep, and used to sleeping during storms such as this. After all, it's been almost two years since he last was in a warm and welcoming home. Two long years of wandering the vast country of Equestria, and even beyond. He was used to this.

Outside, the rain began to fall, pitter-pattering on the window of the wagon. What was at first a gentle shower, soon became a torrential downpour as massive black clouds blocking what was left of the darkening sunset sky. Soon, the moon could be seen beginning to rise and peak over the land...or at least, it would be seen, if the dark clouds didn't blot out the sky.

The rain came down in buckets, as lightning grew louder. Outside, lightning strikes the ground in the fields occasionally, growing closer and closer as the storm continues to roll in and pour buckets of rain. One of the strikes of lightning hit the ground not but 20 yards away from the wagon. In the spot it struck, two figures appear, watching the wagon carefully and quietly. One of them tall, about 10 feet high, while the other, only a bit shorter, both in black, hooded robes. Softly, they talk to each other in hushed secrecy:

"Is he ready?"

"He..is...but he won't accept it at first."

"I sense hesitance in your voice. He needs to be ready."

"No, he's ready...he just doesn't realize it yet."

"Very well. I would hate for this to go awry. This is the Origination Point. If this gets messed up...there's no telling what might happen to the order and chaos."

"I know. Now, don't you have your own worlds to be guarding?"

"Yes. But I came with a message. It would appear that...there is a disruption in one of the worlds."

"I see. Which one does it affect?"

"This one."

"Which world does this disruption originate from?"

"One of mine, sir."

"I see."

"Archmage, what would you have me do?"

"For now, leave the disruption be. It may be of use to me."

"Very well sir."

With that, the smaller of the hooded figures disappears, turning into a raven, and flying away, up above he clouds.

"Come Equui-nox...the time is almost nigh for you to awaken. Prepare yourself...here she comes."

Suddenly, a shadowy mist of blue and black darts through the clouds, rushing towards the wagon. It reaches the ground and begins to slowly circle the wagon, before slipping up to the window and undoing the latch. The wind picks up and pushes it open, as rain and wind begin to pour into the wagon, fluttering papers around and getting the inside wet. The shadow quickly slips inside where it seems to flow into he mind of the sleeping unicorn, disappearing into his dreams. A few moments later, a painful scream is heard as Equui-Nox falls of the bed and writhes on the floor in pain. The hooded figure simply watches, but then disappears as another lightning strike hits the spot. But not before uttering quietly,

"And so it begins."

Chapter 2

It was bright and sunny, with fields as far as the eye could see to the south, and woods filled to the brim with life and vibrant plants and trees, just to the north. Birds flew overhead, chirping little melodies as they went; nearby, the gentle babble of water could be heard of a stream running through the fields, as clouds gently floated overhead, puffy and soft-looking. A cool breeze gently caressed the land, making waves in the grass, on an otherwise pleasant day. Not too hot, but not cold either; perfect weather to be outside. And in the middle of one of the fields stood a wagon. A house on wheels, as it were, beautifully adorned with intricate decorations and vibrant colors of blues and purples. Inside, a simple and small desk, big enough to just fit some paper, a pen, and an inkwell. In one corner, a small stove, cast iron, with a small chimney poking out the roof. And finally a bed with a small chest at the foot of it, occupied by a black and white unicorn. Equui-Nox.

He shifted slightly, rolling over to face the open window by the desk, as light poured in and a gentle breeze beckoned him outside. His eyes slowly opened, as a yawn escaped his lips, before slowly slipping the covers off, and sitting upright on his bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a hoof, and stretched his legs out before reaching for the floor for his clothes. A simple getup, he wore a long-sleeved white shirt, with a very dark-brown leather vest (almost black-looking). His hat of choice, a brown top hat with a few feathers sticking out, one of which doubled as a quill. And around his neck, he hung his goggles. Crafted and customized by himself, they had small monocle magnifying glasses of varying colors on the right side that he could flip into place if he needed to read small print, or work on delicate and intricate items. Finally, his boots, tall ones that went halfway up his legs, and were steel-toed; they weren't lace-up, but rather, strapped boots.

He took a few steps toward the door out the back of his carriage, and opened the door. Bright, warm light poured into the wagon, as scents of grass, flowers, and trees wafted in. It would very soon be Summer, and tonight would be the Summer Sun Celebration; which meant ponies from all over Ponyville would be at town hall, celebrating the raising of the sun, marking the first day of Summer.

Taking a step out, he felt the soft grass beneath his front hooves slowly depress as he put his full weight down. Taking a few steps, he walked around the wagon, looking around at the land surrounding him, watching as birds flew overhead, as critters rustled through the grass, and as bears in the distance foraged for berries at the edge of the wood. He knew he was dreaming, but sometimes he marveled at just how well he could design them, as if his mind took painstaking detailed accounts of everything in the real world, and recreated them here in his dreams. As he stood there taking in he sights and smells, he looked in the direction of a small stream, which could be heard in the distance. Slowly, he made his way in the direction of it, giving himself time to think.

'Its been two years since my death...my faked death...and two years since I've seen everypony...'

he thought to himself.

'I have to be careful...if I get discovered...well...that causes bigger issues than trying to find this fallen light. I wish I hadn't discovered it...yet...I just know that what I discovered was important...I feel like there will come a time, when what I have learned will need to be used...but hopefully to help, and not harm. As much as it is a burden to carry this secret, I would rather suffer it alone, than risk it in the wrong hands, and causing pain and suffering.'

He watched as a Raven flies overhead, and out of sight. Looking back towards the woods, he sees a lone timber-wolf looking out from the edge of he wood, before slipping back inside to presumably rejoin with his herd.

'There is just too much at stake...I had to leave Sweet Apple Acres long ago. If I didn't, someone could have come looking for me there, and could have hurt Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith...or worse...little Apple Bloom. As good of a blacksmith as I was, I had to leave. I just had to...'

He finally arrived at the small stream of water, and peering in, he watched as several fish swam by. Across the stream in front of him, he watched as a magpie poked it's head out of the tall grass, and took a sip of the water, before pulling it's head back and rustling through the grass. Equui-Nox huffed quietly and looked toward the wood. Surveying the edge, he saw the bears had finished snacking on berries, and were now retreating back into the woods. In addition, a two wolves were now playing near the edge of the wood, tumbling and tussling as they played with each other. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something dart through the tall grass. Something dark, and something that was definitely not supposed to be in his dream. He slowly walked in the direction of it's movement, watching as it weaved it's way through the grass. Suddenly it stopped, and seemed to notice that Equui-Nox was watching. Immediately, it darted towards he edge of he wood. Equui-Nox sprang into a full-out bolt after it.

Racing through he grass, he grew concerned an confused. Nothing happens in his dream without his approval...but yet...he sensed whatever this thing was, was foreign. He couldn't control it, and it seemed to have a mind of it's own. Closer and closer grew the edge of the wood, yet despite how fast he galloped, he could not catch up with whatever this thing was. In the distance, what seemed like thunder rang out, very faint and far away, but Equui-Nox didn't notice. Nor did he notice the thing he had chased stopped moving when it got to he edge of the wood. He galloped right past it, heading straight into he woods, when, about 30 yards in, he stopped, and listened. The occasional rustle of the leaves, and the creak of the trunks of the trees as they swayed was all that could be heard. The shadow was nowhere to be seen, but yet, little to his knowledge, it was right behind him. He took a few more steps forward, his ears flicking back and forth, listening for any sounds of movement. When suddenly, a cold, chilling voice could be heard behind him,

"Equui-Nox...you let your guard down."

He whipped around to come face to face with none other than Nightmare Moon, standing tall before him. He staggered backwards, barely managing to utter a word, but only a few incomprehensible utterances.

"You know what tonight brings...yes?"

He continued to scoot backwards, trying to put a little space between him and her. He thought back to his days of fillyhood, thinking about the old ponies tales. He remembered faintly the story of how Nightmare Moon became, and her foretold return after a thousand years banish- 'Wait...no...it can't be...that would mean...' he gulped and replied,

"The end of your thousand-year banishment."

"Mmm-hmm. And, it also means that I can finally cast an eternal night, and plunge Equestria into eternal darkness."

"You'll return on the night that both yours and Celestia's powers are equal..."

"My, you are one smart pony...now, tell me, being that tonight is the one night that our powers are equal before the beginning of Summer, where hers become stronger, what would that mean for a battle between us?"

"You would both be evenly matched...and she would win by causing the battle to last overnight, until the sunrise, and the dawn of the next day, where she became strong-..."

He gulped, for he knew what was coming next. He slowly began to back up, Nightmare Moon slowly following him.

"So then...I take that you didn't finish because you now know why I came here, don't you?"

Equui-Nox said nothing, but continued to back up further.

"Euui-Nox, I can make you a deal...all you have to do is-"

Equui-Nox took off in a bolt, galloping deeper into the Everfree woods. The sky was growing darker, and the wind was picking up. A drop of rain came down and landed on his nose. His mind was fighting for control of the weather. He felt the ground rumble, at the same time as a lightning strike crashed overhead. 'I'm in too deep of a sleep...if I can just hold out long enough...the world will collapse and the dream will end.' he chanced a glance backwards. At first, he saw nothing, and thought hat perhaps Nightmare Moon had disappeared, but then, he noticed movement as a shadow zig-zagged between the trees. She wasn't giving up yet. Not until he told her what he had fought to keep a secret for so long. Ahead, he saw a clearing, a path through the forest. He concentrated and formed a clone of himself beside him in his dream. As they neared the path, the clone split up and went right, while the real Equui-Nox veered left. He looked back to see the shadow veer right, following he clone. He sighed in relief and continued to gallop off down he path. If he was right, this would bring him right out to the Castle of the Twin Sisters (or Two Alicorns, depending on who you asked). Hopefully he could hide out there since at some point, Nightmare Moon would realize she was following his clone.

He passed over a rope bridge, an finally made it to the tall doors of the castle. With the glow of his horn, he flung them open, closing them behind him as he galloped in, and barring the door with a massive oak beam. He muttered a few spells as the castle was cloaked in a protective shield. He sat down, finally, out of breath as he collected his conscious. The ground rumbled once again, an indication of the destabilizing dream. Outside, the wind had picked up as rain began to pour down in a deafening roar, thunder crackling and flashes of light illuminating the stain-glass windows. Using his magic, he levitated a torch off he wall, and lit it, setting it down by his feet. The ground rumbled once more, and everything was quiet. But suddenly, he felt the air getting colder, and something getting closer, as a voice that seeme to come from everywhere said, "Equui-Nox...just tell me...and I won't hurt any of your friends or family. I promise." he doubted that, but remained silent, "I can spare you and your family...I know you care for them. Even though I was on the moon for a thousand years, I can sill see ponies dreams. You used to dream so much about the Apple family. They treated you like family...adopted you...fed you...educated you...provided for you...and all you wanted to do, was protect them when you discovered your talent. I understand that, hence why I am here to offer you a deal..."

He felt like he could feel her breaths falling gently on his ears, despite her being nowhere to be seen, as her voice whispered into them,

"...relight your forge...rekindle the smoldering embers...craft for me the strongest, and most powerful armor, such that I may defeat Celestia, and become the ruler of Equestria, harkening eternal night, and I shall spare your family, and perhaps, even make them respected as royals."

Equui-Nox looked towards the barred castle door and stared at it, thinking in his mind what to do. He knew that she could be lying...and if he did make her armor that amplified her magical abilities, what then? His purpose would be served, and he would be rewarded with imprisonment for life...there is no way she would let him live freely knowing that he knew how to overpower her, or the weaknesses to her armor. But if he didn't help her, and she still won over Celestia...that would certainly also be doom for him and for the Apple Family. But he couldn't allow her to bring eternal night...perhaps there was still time to hinder her return...weaken her somehow...but he needed to escape.

"I cannot and will not help you, it would break my promise to protect what I know." he turned around and galloped deeper into he castle; he could hear her behind him, banging at the door to the castle, "EQUUI-NOX!!" he didn't even look back, as he galloped down a hall, and ended up in the dimly-lit throne room.

Before him stood two thrones, the fabled thrones of the Alicorn Sisters, Luna and Celestia. Their beautifully adorned and decorated thrones featuring their respective cutie marks, the Moon and the Sun, emblazoned at the top of each throne. Equui-Nox slowly walked up to the thrones, and knelt before them, bowing in respect, as another vibration shook the ground, a piece if the ceiling falling down an landing behind him. He did not flinch. In or out of dreams, he had great respect for Celestia, and her rule of the land, even in absence of Princess Luna.

"Equui-Nox...rise."

A sweet and gentle voice, filled with love, and compassion...Luna's voice. It caught him off guard as he stood at attention, and looked up to see, emerging from the shadows, princess Luna herself. He took another deep bow, "Princess..." he looked up again, to see her smiling. She spoke gently, and when she did, it was almost like a lullaby, floating out and around him, "Equui-Nox, thine loyalty to the throne, even in times of peril, is something to be admired. Your courage against Nightmare Moon, even moreso."

The ground shook again, this time the foundation of the floor cracked a little, as yet another piece of stone fell from the ceiling, this time letting rain pour in through it's hole, the heavy pitter-patter of the rain hitting the floor not but a few feet away. Luna walked down the steps from the throne, growing close to Equui-Nox. He could feel his heart pounding wildly, as his body tensed, straightening his posture a little. He worked up the courage to ask, "A-Are you a incarnation of my dream...or are you actually..." she slowly walked past him, motioning him to follow, "Tell me what thy eyes see. And what does thine heart tell you?" he followed her as she began to walk towards the halls, "I see...well...you, and my heart says it's you..." she looked back at him as they began walking down the hall, smiling "Then surely you can trust it is me." but before she turned her head back forwards to pay attention, Equui-Nox thought he saw a tall pony dash down a corridor at the end of the hall. Luna then looked forward and said, "These very walls...it hath been many years since I hath been here. If it hath not been for my sister, I would still be here perhaps." Equui-Nox thought he felt a bit of resentment in her words, but she moved on once again, as they neared the end of the hall, entering into the main hall, where he had run from earlier, "Equui-Nox...Nightmare Moon seeks your aid...it is best you..."help" her." she stopped in the middle of the hall, and faced him, "Use this scroll to put an end to this. This will free me from her mind." from out of nowhere, she conjured a scroll, and levitated it towards Equui-Nox, "As soon as you read it, it will be engrained into your mind, and you shall remember it. It contains information in powerful enchantments and runes that will, when she puts the armor on, free me from her body."

Equui-Nox used his horn and levitated it toward him, and just as he was about to open it, a bright light flooded the room as a booming voice as loud as the Sun was bright, echoed through the room, "EQUUI-NOX...DO NOT READ THAT SCROLL!" the light dimmed to reveal Princess Celestia standing, in her full radiant glory, naught but a few feet away from them, "Equui-Nox, think! This cannot be the real Luna! If it were so easy as to free her from Nightmare Moon's body, would I have not done the same?" Equui-Nox immediately went to bow before the Princess, but was stopped as Luna stuck a hoof out, ushering Equui-Nox behind her, "Sister, it is I...I am truly trying to help him, can thou not see th-" Celestia paid no heed to Luna, although gave her a vicious stare, focusing her words to Equui-Nox, "This is a trick Equui-Nox, Nightmare Moon has control over dreams...she is manipulating you, and trying to force her will upon you. Most likely, that scroll will force you to mindlessly work for her." the world shook, as parts of the floor around them gave way, revealing a dark void beneath them, where bits and parts of the dream were sucked into a black hole.

The dream was collapsing quickly, assuming there were actually three ponies in this dream, Nightmare Moon, Celestia, and himself, it would not last much longer. Bits and pieces of the castle around him crumbled and fell away into the void. Luna's temper seemed to turn for the worse as her horn began to glow, preparing to launch a spell, "Sister, if thou should'st intend to never see me return, then I must sto-," Celestia yelled angrily and immediately charged up her horn, launching a powerful attack against Luna, who quickly launched up into the air to dodge it, and fire in return, "HOW DARE YOU IMPERSONATE MY SISTER!" Celestia side-stepped it and moved closer to Equui-Nox and said to him while fending off Luna's attacks, "Equui-Nox, please, you have to trust me...I don't know how much longer I can stand this...I am not used to Dream Magic like my sister or Nightmare Moon...it's taking most of my willpower to stay in this dream...a lengthy fight may mean I will disappear, and you will be on your own to fend her off. You have to believe me, this isn't Luna!" Equui-Nox stared at the scroll he was still levitating next to him, and then to Celestia and Luna. He walked over to the edge of the platform, which floated above the black hole destroying the world around them. He levitated the scroll over the edge, and hesitated...what if it really was Luna? He turned to look back at the two sisters fighting, Celestia clearly in distress as she tried to avoid most of the attacks, rather than face them, as if she really was struggling to hold herself together in this dream. He looked once more to the black hole, and let go of the scroll, before leaning over the edge and plummeting towards the end of the dream. As he fell, he could see Luna's eyes go wide, and immediately she darted down to race after him, hoping to catch him, or the scroll, or both, but not before Celestia jumped over as well, and tucked her wings to speedily make her way towards him, letting loose a bolt of magic and hitting Luna. As they fell, Equui-Nox closed his eyes and relaxed, but before long, he could feel two hooves wrap around his body, and wings wrap around him protectively shortly thereafter. Celestia spoke softly into his ear, "When you awake, you must fight her...push Nightmare Moon out of your mind, Equui-Nox. I believe in you." and with that, they hit the black hole.

Chapter 3

Pain. Indescribable, unfathomable, unending pain, was all that Equui-Nox woke up to. Wind and rain poured through his window, blowing papers everywhere, and blinding him, as he lied there in bed, writhing in pain and torture. He felt as if his body was on fire, and his head was spinning miles and miles per hour, in addition to a pain equivocal to flying head-first straight into a wall again, and again, and again. His mind was being torn apart, as if his consciousness was fighting something else attempting to take over. Suddenly, all around him he heard,

"EXQUUI-NOX, I GAVE YOU THE CHANCE TO HELP ME WILLINGLY...BUT NOW...NOW I WILL FORCEFULLY TAKE WHAT I SEEK. GIVE ME YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF MOON AND SUN-SMITHING!" He fought hard against her as he felt his mind being invaded, and his memories searched...no...ravaged for the information she desired. He pushed her back and fought as he began to recount memories. Images played in his head, starting with him leaving Ponyville, then to him sneaking into Ponyville to see his funeral as the Apple Family cried, and so did he; images of him going into the deepest part of the Everfree, and leaving a pony skeleton of about his size in there, giving it a few of his belongings, and making it look like a struggle with a creature happened; images of him packing his bags late one night, and readying his departure...all the while, as these images were coming back to him of his past, he fought back tears. Finally, an image of him hugging Applejack for what would be, unbeknownst to her, the last time. He couldn't contain himself anymore, and he screamed out in pain and agony as his heart finally ripped in two, causing him to cry and shut his mind down, stopping Nightmare Moon from getting any further memories of his, to which, she angrily lashed out, "WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU! I SHALL PUNISH YOU FOR THIS! IF I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF YOU FORCEFULLY, THEN I SHALL STEAL YOUR JOURNALS AND GET WHAT I SEEK THAT WAY!" she plunged again into his memories, this time catching him slightly off guard, as he recalled a memory of him placing the journals in a chest at the foot of his bed in the wagon. He quickly shut her out once more, and managed to stand up, fighting the pain writhing through him. His horn began to glow as he charged up his magic, but this time, not his usual blue glow. It grew darker an darker, until the aura around his horn became black. His blue eyes began to turn purple, as magic began to seep out of them, "...you...shall...leave my...body..." he managed to stutter. To which, an excruciating pain shot through his body, "YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" he lowered his head slowly, and stomped his foot, "You shall..." he struggled for a moment, and then raised his head back up, closing his eyes, "...leave...My...BODY!" he shouted as he began to cast his spell. The interior of the wagon suddenly darkened, as characters of a language uncommon to Equestria, or even this world, began to float through the air. Nightmare Moon replied, "YOUR MAGIC IS NO MATCH FOR MY POWER! FOOLISH PONY, I WILL SUCCEED!!" he slowly began to float up into the air, levitated by his magic, as his eyes suddenly shot open and he shouted, "BEGONE!" and with a thundering boom, the wagon exploded, as a shockwave of blue and black smoke left Equui-Nox. He fell out of the air, and landed on the ground, unconscious.

A few moments later, he woke up, and picked himself up off he ground. Looking around, he saw his carriage had been completely destroyed, and his belongings scattered. He went around gathering his items, and as he found his clothes, put them on. He spotted his saddle bags, and slipped them over his back. Looking around, he searched for the chest that once contained his journals, and began to panic, until he found it under some of the debris from the carriage.

Pulling the chest out, he sat down on top of it, looking around and thinking to himself, 'Now what am I gonna do...the carriage is gone...and now, it's just me and these journals...and her.' he shuddered thinking about the pain writhing through his body not but a few moments earlier that night. Thankfully, the rain seems to have stopped, now only the smell of fresh rain and wet earth remained, and the clouds rolling overhead, with he occasional clap of thunder. He sighed and got up, assembling a makeshift wagon using workable parts from he old one. He picked the chest up with his levitation magic, and set it on the wagon, strapping it down using a bit of rope from he debris. Slipping the harness on, he turned toward the forest, put his goggles on and stanced, ready to bolt. "Well...I guess the only way is forward." with that, he let loose into a full gallop, headed straight for the Everfree.

Chapter 4

his heart beat loudly in his chest as he galloped full-speed into the Everfree; his horn glowed, as he pulled a key strung on a necklace around his neck, floating over to the chest, and unlocking it. Out of it came a cloak, to which he levitated towards him. He also levitated the hat off his head, and placed it in the chest, which he quickly locked thereafter. He unfurled the cloak, and slipped it over him, clipping the neck snaps shut, and pulling the hood over his head. He muttered a few words, and the cloak shimmered for a moment before turning him invisible. He slipped the key necklace over his head and back on his neck once again, before he lit he tip of his horn up once more, casting light ahead of him onto the path. The cloak would keep him invisible, so long as the moon was out, thanks to some special threadwork, and a bit of moonstone. Something he created long ago, when he was investigating the properties of moonstone and sunstone while living at Sweet Apple Acres. He never told anyone about it, but kept it locked away with his journals, to be used only when necessary. Ordinarily, it looked like a normal black cloak, with silver fasteners to keep it secure around his neck. The inside of the cloak, however, was a navy blue color, with glimmering constellations. Literally. The individual stars glimmered and seemed to flow according to the night sky. Occasionally, a shooting star would dart across the fabric, or an outline of a constellation would appear. the cloak itself concealed sound, with the exception of if the user wished to be heard, making Equui-Nox's galloping as quiet as if he was never moving in the first place. The only thing it didn't conceal, however, was light. Thus, the glow of the tip of his horn, appeared as a blue orb floating above the ground. It would seem like an undesired effect, but in actuality, it worked out nicely for Equui-Nox. When ponies saw the orb, they got out of it's way, as most believed him to be the wandering ghost of Equestria. To Equui-Nox's knowledge, there was only one catch to the cloak: it only worked at night, or while the moon was present, at least.

After a few moments of gliding through the Everfree, he reached the abandoned, yet beautiful Castle of The Two Sisters. It used to be home to Celestia and Luna before...the incident. Now, it sits here amidst the forest, abandoned and in disrepair. He turned left, along a split in the path, heading for the bridge crossing a small chasm. Right would have led him towards the castle, and as much as he wanted to visit, he had to get back to Sweet Apple Acres. Crossing the bridge, he slowed down, being a bit more careful. It wasn't exactly the strongest looking bridge in all of Equestria, and he couldn't afford causing it to collapse. As soon as he got to the other side, he stopped, and stood there. He got the feeling something, or somepony was watching him. He turned around and looked at the other side of the bridge, only seeing fog and mist. He heard a rustle in the bushes ahead of him, and looked, but saw nothing. He drew the cloak closer to him, and resumed his gallop, heading for the edge of the Everfree. As he galloped on, he could have sworn he had seen a few shadows dart behind him, as if following him, but perhaps it was just his nervous mind playing tricks on him. He was getting closer to Ponyville, which would soon mean ponies all around him. Though, hopefully, most or all of them would be occupied at the town hall for the Summer Solstice event. About halfway through the forest, he came upon a rather dark section of the forest, populated by large pointy trees. He almost could make out faces on them, as they appeared vicious and angry. He chuckled, and galloped on, almost nearing the edge of the forest. Just before he reached the edge, however, he spotted he silhouette of a manticore. He was reminded of the nasty things that thrived in he depths of the Everfree, and then wondered if perhaps. The silhouette that seemed to follow him, was in fact one of the dreaded Timberwolves that also inhabited he forest. He shrugged it off as he finally reached the edge. There, just beyond he edge of the forest lay an all-too-familiar cottage. It had been two years, but he knew just who lived inside. She was perhaps the kindest soul in all of Ponyville, with the voice of an angel, and the care and compassion to follow. A yellow pegasus, with beautiful, flowing pink hair, he knew her all too well. Fluttershy. He grew up with her from as early as he could remember. She always loved and cared for the animals and critters around Ponyville, and helped everypony find a pet if they so desired one. He trotted towards the cottage, down the path that exited the Everfree; it's lights were out, and it appeared as if nopony were home. He carefully trotted by nonetheless, to avoid arousing suspicion. He turned down the path, leading back into Ponyville, and carefully kept an eye out for ponies out and about. Although he presumed that most ponies would be at the festival, he knew there would be a possibility that some were not. Especially little fillies who took this time to be able to hang out with each other after dark, as mischievous as they might be. Nevertheless, as he finally crossed crossed the bridge going over the river that curved around the town, he found everything strangely quiet, and town hall almost empty, save for the ponies preparing for the event later tonight. Not a soul was around, not even a bird chirping away. The only thing that could be heard was the breeze rustling through the leaves in the trees and bushes. The sky was clear as can be, it would seem that the pegasi had cleared the skies here. Equui-Nox looked behind him and saw that the storm was subsiding and clearing up, but stopped almost abruptly at the edge of the Everfree. He chuckled Nd thanked the Ponyville Pegasi Weather Team, knowing they had their work cut out for them to reroute that storm through the Everfree. He picked up pace and galloped onwards through the town, passing the library which was...unusually busy? Were they having a party in the library?!? He furrowed his brow, and then chuckled, thinking to himself, 'Oh Pinkie Pie...you are such a riot.' Pinkie Pie was the only pony he could think of that would throw a party in the town's library. He remembered his last birthday part while he was 'alive,' as it were, was thrown by Pinkie Pie, and it was one heck of a party. It went on for a whole day and night until everyone basically fell over in exhaustion, and satisfaction. And too much cake. She knew how to PAR-TAY. He shook his head of the memory, chuckling once more, and went back to concentrating on his path, and turned left, heading towards Sweet Apple Acres. This was it. The final stretch to where he called home. But there would be no homecoming party...not this time.

Chapter 5

Apple Bloom stood at the door to their home, looking at Applejack, who was preparing to head out to Pinkie Pie's party, and later, to attend the Summer Sun Celebration at the town hall.

"But why can't I go with? Ah wanna see Princess Celestia raise the Sun too!" Apple Bloom said.

"Ya can't, sugar. You got school tomorrow, and ah'm sure Miss Cherilee wouldn't appreciate ya fallin' asleep in class. The party and the Celebration run pretty late." Applejack replied as she walked towards the door.

"But it's not fair! Diamond Tiara gets to go."

"And that's her parent's decision to let her go. But ah'm not letting you. You need to get some shuteye, Apple Bloom."

"Awwww..."

"Now, you march on upstairs and get ready for bed. I told Granny you could stay up fer a bit and read before ya go to bed, if ya wanted to." Applejack gently hugged little Apple Bloom before slipping out the door.

Granny Smith plodded up behind her and said, "Don't worry Apple Bloom, yer big sister used't be in the same horseshoes as you when she was yer age. Now how's about you get upstairs like she said and get ready fer bed, and I'll be up in a few to tuck ya in." Granny Smith turned around and walked towards the kitchen, as Apple Bloom turned and walked towards the stairs.

As she went up, she mumbled to herself, "It's no fair they get to stay up and see the Summer Sun celebration, and 'ah don't." she huffed as she reached he top of the stairs. The hallway had seven doors in it, three on either side, and one at the end, that led to the bathroom. From the left, there was a room for her, her sister's room next to it, an at the end of the hall, her big brother, Big Macintosh's room. On the right, there was Granny Smith's room, a closet, and a room that had always been locked, but contained a cutie mark resembling a hammer and tongs, surrounded by two hemi-circles representing the sun and the moon on the door.

She had never been in the room before, and whenever she asked what was inside, she was told not to worry about it, and the conversation would be immediately changed. No one has ever gone into the room, and it stays locked all day, every day. She looked up at the door, noticing a glowing emblem on it. She shrugged it off, and headed to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she was out of the bathroom, and reading in her bed, when Granny Smith walked in, and said, "Aaaalright Apple Bloom, it's time to go't bed." Apple Bloom closed the book she was reading and slipped under the covers, as Granny Smith walked over to the window, opening it, and letting a cool breeze through. She walked over to the bed and pulled the covers up a bit for Apple Bloom, before patting her on the head, and saying, "Goodnight, Apple Bloom." to which she replied, "Goodnight, Granny." Granny Smith put the lamp out, and closed the door, going back downstairs to probably sit in her rocking chair and relax until Applejack got home. Apple Bloom sighed and shut her eyes, relaxing in her bed as a gentle breeze blew through the window, rustling the curtains softly.

Outside, the moon was still making it's ascent into the sky, not yet having reached it's apex. Her body began to feel heavy as sleep slowly began to overcome her, but just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard unfamiliar hoofsteps making it's way up the stairs. Softly, but slowly, with the occasional creak of the floorboard, did the steps grow closer. She rolled over in her bed to face the door, and watched as a light-blueish light slowly grew brighter from the gap under her door. The hoofsteps stopped at her door, and an aura glowed blue around the handle, as it slowly turned.

She immediately shut her eyes, just enough to make it seem like she was asleep, but cracked open just enough to see. As the door opened, a hooded figure peered into the room, looking around, and then to Apple Bloom's bed. She couldn't make out who it was, but watched as he slowly partially closed the door, and proceeded down the hall.

She slipped quietly out of the bed, and followed, slowly opening the door just enough to peak around corner, and see the figure make his way to the last door on the right. He levitated a key that had been hidden on the trim above the door, and unlocked the door, stepping inside. She slowly made her way down the hall, avoiding all the boards she knew were creaky. She walked close to the wall, and peered through the open door. Inside, the hooded figure had his back to her and was looking around the room. He unclipped the robe, and let it fall to the floor, revealing his black and white coat, and a cutie mark that Apple Bloom was familiar with, all too well.

Chapter 6

Equui-Nox stood at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, looking on to the farmhouse atop the hill, and remembering all of his memories of being here. As a newborn, the Apple family adopted him after finding him on their doorstep one Summer morning. There was no note, just a card with three words on it: Equui Lumen Noxxus. His name. It was quickly shortened to Equui-Nox, though sometimes, his full name was used, followed by a long talking-to for getting in trouble. It rarely happened, but usually it was for leaving his forge lit overnight, or making ruckus early in the morning when everyone was asleep. Or the time he attempted to harness the power of lightning to craft a pair of steel boots that made pegasi fly faster, and consequently lit the roof of the forge on fire. Or the time he almost caught the entirety of the forge on fire attempting to quench an extremely hot breastplate in oil, which practically exploded. Or...well...a few other instances.

He began walking up the hill, looking around for anypony who might still be here. These were dangerous grounds to be on, and he had to be sure to tread lightly. If he was discovered by Applejack, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, or Big Mac, it would be game over. Not from the talking-to he would receive, but that the fact he was still alive would spread like wildfire through the town, and across Equestria. He was fairly well-known, being that he used to be the sole pony responsible for the maintainence of the train that traveled all across Equestria: The Friendship Train. He was offered a job once to become the Engineer of it as well, but he declined, feeling that he should stay in Ponyville. So, they compromised and named him the Chief Mechanic of the Royal Equestrian Railway. It was a part-time job, as he was only needed when it needed major repairs, or if the Princess was going to ride (it was customary that a Chief Mechanic was on board during such times, in case of a breakdown or mishap, they would have someone immediately available to fix the problem). For the most part, however, he stayed in Ponyville, and ran his blacksmith shop; helping ponies fix their wagons, or crafting new plow blades, or other useful tools for the town. Occasionally he would get the stray traveler from Canterlot or Manehattan that requested he fix or make something for them. But that was all in the past, and he intended to keep it that way, for the safety of not only his family, but for the ponies of Equestria.

He rounded the back of the barn, and parked his wagon. He needed to slip quietly inside to get a few items from his room, before he made his way to the forge. Just after his faked death, Applejack had put his unfinished armor set, his blacksmith apron, and his most prized possession, his hammer, all in a chest at the foot of his bed, and locked it away.

This was before Apple Bloom could even remember, as she was just starting to walk at that age. His room was locked, but he knew Applejack kept a key above the frame of the door, atop the trim. But while finding the key was easy, sneaking into the house would not be. He unhitched from the wagon, an made his way over to the living room window, peering in, he saw Granny Smith in her rocking chair, snoring and fast asleep. Presumably, Apple Bloom would be in bed, fast asleep, as he was doubtful that Applejack would let her stay out late. He pulled his hood close, and quietly made his way to the back door that led into the kitchen. He slowly opened the door, taking a step in; he was greeted warmly with the smells of apples and of the home he so missed and desired to be back in. He carefully stepped inside, and made himself visible, feeling safe, since Granny slept harder than a rock. He would only have to tiptoe past Apple Bloom's room, at best, to avoid detection. He made his way past Granny Smith, and went up the stairs slowly, cursing at the creakiness of the floorboards. He made his way upstairs and stopped at Apple Bloom's door, 'Perhaps just a quick peek to see how much she's grown...' he thought to himself. He quietly slipped open the door, and peered inside. Her room hadn't changed much, save for the fact that the guard rails on her bed were gone. He saw her laying there, sure enough fast asleep, and as cute as ever. He recounted the many times he had played with her, when she was younger. Racing with her on his back around the orchard, playing in the water with her at the swimming hole, and tucking her into bed at night, reading bedtime stories until she fell asleep. He chuckled in his head, and then closed the door halfway. He continued quietly walking down the hallway, making his way to the final door on the right. His room.

It's been two years since he last entered this very room. Levitating the key off the top of the trim, he slowly lowered it down and slid it into the lock. *Click* With a turn, it unlocked, and the door swung in. Peering in, there was only darkness. The curtains were drawn in the window, covering up the only source of light in the room. But he knew his room well, despite being gone for 2 years. He walked forward, past his bed in the dark, and then towards the window. His horn glowed for a moment, and the curtains flung open, pouring moonlight into the dark room, and illuminating the furniture in the room.

His bed stood against the wall to the left of the door; it was crafted out of Applewood, and stained a dark brown color. It had four posts, which supported a curtain around the bed, which helped to block out light when he slept during the daytime occasionally.

At the foot of the bed sat a cushioned chest, large enough for a filly to lay in comfortably, and made of Oak and Wrought Iron fittings. It was locked by not one, but two locks, that had two different keys. Both, of which, he had hanging around his neck.

To the right of the window, which was centered on the wall opposite to the door, sat a large armoire, that housed some of his old clothes, as well as his dress clothes for official business. To the right of his bed sat a small nightstand, with a lone lamp that lit the room at night, and a drawer on the stand that contained, or used to contain, his personal journal.

To the left of his bed, on the same wall as the door, sat his desk. It was quite large, and still littered with blueprints, designs, and letters, just as he left it. Everything, save for his desk and his bed, in his room were covered in white sheets that kept the dust off the furniture.

Dropping his cloak, He walked over to the chest, and yanked the dust cloth off, revealing the intricately carved panels. Emblazoned on it, were the symbols for the sun and the moon, surrounded by apple trees. On the left panel, there was an image of an anvil, and on the right panel, a pair of hammer and tongs. The cushion on the top of the lid was a brilliant blue color, that seemed to shimmer almost. As he approached the chest, the outline of the sun and the moon began to glow, as did his keys. He levitated them off his neck, and placed them in position in the center of the sun and the moon, where the locks were hidden. He pushed in, and the key slipped into the lock with a click. Turning the left key to the right 90 degrees, and the right key to the right 180 degrees; the light stopped glowing, and the lid clicked open. He pulled his keys out, and put them back around his neck; slowly lifting the lid open, his horn glows, and four heavy silver and gold-looking boots are lifted out, as well as a heavy silver and gold body armor piece.

These pieces were intricately detailed, and seemed to almost glow slightly. Each boot was silver-looking, with gold-like accents, and little gold-engraved french curves and patterns around the hoof. They appeared to have no straps or laces to keep them on, but were split in half, save for the sole, which was padded. Equui-Nox set them upright, and one by one stepped into them. Instantly each half snapped together securing the boot in place for a comfortable, but snug fit.

His body armor was similar to his boots, but was engraved with unknown symbols around the neck, in addition to a singular blue crystal that adorned the front of the collar of the armor. He levitated the piece over him, and placed it on him. It's two halves clicked into place, and the crystal began to glow.

He muttered a few words quietly, and instantly, the runes around his neck began to glow, as a small whirlwind around him began to stir. He felt his magic amplifying, growing stronger. The light began to trace around the outlines of his armor, and the spiral of his horn as well. The wind subsided, as did the light, finally, and he closed his eyes. Magic levitated his cloak back on him, and pulled his blacksmith hammer from his chest. The lid was closed and the cover put back on, as the key to his room went outside and back on the trim, the door shut and locked, and the drapes closed.

In a flash of bright light, he disappeared without a trace, teleporting outside to his wagon.

Chapter 8

Equui-Nox plodded his way deep into the orchards with his wagon, until the came to a rusty wrought-iron and stone wall that surrounded two acres of land in the west apple orchard, with a tall gate that was chained and padlocked. Just beyond tall gate lie the forgotten and abandoned blacksmith forge. It was a large three-story building that looked more like a warehouse, with a large chimney out the side of it. It's floor plan was rectangular, with large, two-story windows. It's roof slanted upwards on either side, and would have come to a peak, but the middle was pushed up a floor to allot for a set of windows along the length of it up top, to improve ventilation, as well as allow for a massive gear shaft at the top to power heavy machinery inside. To the right of it was a large turntable, and several tracks that went off to join the Royal Equestrian Railway system, but these tracks have since been long-forgotten, and have weeds and saplings growing between ties and rails. On the right side as well, stood two large barn doors, to which tracks led into. Equui-Nox examined the padlock, something he never put on the gate. Turning around, he gave it one solid kick with his boot, and it broke, allowing him to enter.

The gates creaked, as if stretching from a long nap. He pulled his wagon inside, and came to the double doors that marked the entrance to his forge. He used his magic to open them, and reluctantly, they creaked open to reveal the large interior. Down the middle was a clear pathway to the back of the room, where a second set of doors lay, dividing the massive magic-powered engine that lie in the back from the main workroom. To his immediate left, sat a small office area where he stored all his tools and drill bits and other assorted tools, as well as an area to fill out forms for customer orders and look through mail or redraft plans for things. To his immediate right, were a set of iron spiral stairs hat led up to a catwalk, which ran overhead, and provided access to the trap door which led to the gear shaft in the floor above. Down the left and the right sides of he forge sat many heavy tools and machines, all hooked up, via belt, to the massive overhead gear shaft. Lathes, drill presses, hammering machines, bellows for the forge...any tool necessary to smith metals and shape them, was here.

In addition to the machines, were oil-fed lamps that lit up the room, save for the fact they were all put out. Equui-Nox's horn glowed as he turned a small valve next to him, which fed oil into the resivours under the lamps. He then used his magic to spark each lamp, finally allowing them to light the place up. He pulled his wagon further inside, got out of the harness, and closed the doors, bolting them shut. He walked towards the back of the building, towards the far set of doors that separated this room from what he referred to, as "Thunder". His massive two-story steam-powered machine, that was fed steam from a magic boiler with a flame that never went out. He grabbed an oil can on the way, and flung open the doors to the room. It was dark, save for the moonlight that poured into the room. To his right, stood Thunder, in all it's glory. Massive steel gears, that were turned by pistons bigger than he was, which were fed by steam from massive pipes that came from the boiler to his left. And speaking of boilers, sure enough, there under the boiler, was a magical flame, still burning. It wasn't as big as it used to be, now reduced to the equivalent of a match-sized fire, but it was still burning, even after all these years. He checked he water level in the tank, and smiled. 3/4ths full. Enough water to start with. If the boiler didn't have enough water, he would have to manually pump it, and he didn't have that kind of time tonight. He use a bit of his magic, and slowly beckoned the fire to grow. Soon it escalated from a weak flame, to a bonfire; but he needed more. A much bigger flame. Equui-Nox took a few steps back, and began charging up his horn, pulling power from deep within him. The runes on his armor began to glow, and quickly, a large ball of magic grew at the tip of his horn, until finally, he released it in a concentrated beam at the fire, which consequently ROARED into an inferno. He brushed a bit of dust off of his shoulder, and turned to Thunder. 'Time for part two...' he thought to himself.

The boiler was relatively easy to start up, but Equui-Nox knew, that if he was going to forge what he needed to protect himself against Nightmare Moon, he would need his forge to be extra hot. Magic fire provided good heat, but not at the core of flame. He discovered, however, that by injecting air into it, it burned a lot hotter at the core. Thus, he would need his bellows working, which required his machine to work. Thunder was beautifully crafted. It took up two whole floors, and was a series of six pistons, two large, four small, that turned the massive crankshaft, which turned the gear shaft, which turned the belts and powered his machinery. Thunder was no easy task to get working, however. It required oiling up, and priming it using the mini-steam-engine, all in all, about an hour of work if he was quick.

Oiling was the easier part. Equui-Nox began quickly trotting around the machine, adding a bit of oil to it's bearings, and the gears, as well as injecting oil into the pistons, and topping off the resivour. He also oiled the mini-steam-engine, and, flipping a lever, he then began feeding steam to the smaller engine. He waited until it got up to steam, before pushing the gear against the massive flywheel that fed the gear shaft. If he was lucky, all that he would need, would be one revolution of the flywheel, to get Thunder going. If he was lucky. As the massive gear slowly turned, he clambered up a ladder to the second level of the machine, and to a platform that had valves and levers on a sort of console. He opened the steam valve and the exhaust valve, allowing steam to enter the chambers, and exit. Carefully he waited, watching the pressures, and the flywheel speeds, until finally, he heard the sound he was hoping for. *THOOOOM...THOOOM...THOOM...HISS...THOOM, THOOM, THOOM, HISS*

The machine finally came to life, occasionally groaning and creaking. He quickly clambered down, and turned off the smaller engine, removing the gear that turned the flywheel. His machine continued to hiss and puff as steam entered and exited the chambers. He clambered back up to the platform, and pulled a few levers, feeding more steam to the machine, as well as to a pump that continuously pumped enough water in the boiler to match the demand of steam. He Checked the gauges before clambering down once more, and racing through the doors to the workspace. He listened carefully, as the engine picked up pace. It would only be a matter of time before...

*CHINK...CLICK...CLICK...CLICK, CLICK, CLICK..."

...the gear shaft finally started turning. He walked over to the bellows and flipped a lever. They instantly sprang to life, and began pumping air into the massive fire pit. Equui-Nox took aim and fired another massive shot of magic into the pit, causing the small flame of magical fire to erupt into a blistering inferno, slightly bigger than the boiler fire. His armor deflected most of the heat, but even just standing there, he began to sweat. The heat was almost like standing on the sun, but was perfect for what he was about to do. He turned around, facing the three anvils that laid before him. In the middle. A large black iron anvil sat, beaten and worn with the signs of wear and tear, but now sat covered in dust and cobweb from sitting so long. To the left, a second anvil, this one only a little smaller than the iron one. It was black like the iron one, but had carvings of runes on it's side, as well as a stone set within it, that glowed a brilliant orange and yellow. To the right, sat a silver-looking anvil, with runes and symbols depicting phases of the moon, as well as beautiful blue and white crystal that seemed to radiate an aura of sorts. He dusted each of them off with a scrap cloth laying nearby. Picking up his hammer he collected earlier from the room, he set it on top of the silver anvil and walked towards a wall to the right of the forge containing various types of metals. Examining carefully, he pulled a few glowing silver and gold ingots from the shelf and placed them in two large, thick, stone pots, about the size of a 5 gallon buckets, that hung from a swinging arm on the edge of the massive firepit. Covering the pots, he swung the arm into the fire, engulfing the pots in the inferno. He then walked over to the left of the bellows, and pulled out a rather large disc-shaped object covered by a cloth. He levitated it up towards the ceiling where a window could be seen, with an apparatus that would hold the disc in place. Pulling the cloth up, revealed it to be like a large magnifying glass. He floated it into position, and locked it tight in the apparatus. As soon as it was locked in place, he opened the window, letting moonlight pour in. It was concentrated in the glass, and shone down in a beam at the floor in front of him. He tilted the glass until the beam shone around the silver anvil, whereupon the runes began to glow, and a faint hum could be heard.

Quickly, he ran to the office, searching for something. He rummaged through drawers and shelfs, until finally, he opened a cabinet, revealing a large assortment of metal boxes. Each one tagged with a label, that contained a number. He ran to his desk and rummaged through blueprints and designs, until he came across one that featured what appeared to be a...

Chapter 7

"Granny, come quick, come quick!" Apple Bloom whispered in exclamation. Granny stirred and finally awoke, "Wa-? Who-? Apple Bloom, deary, what are you doing out of bed?" she immediately replied, hushing her granny, "Shhh...There's someone in the last room on the right, Granny."

A confused look came over Granny Smith's face, "Preposterous, that there room is locked! Maybe you were just dreaming deary, you ought to go back to bed." Apple Bloom huffed, "Granny, I'm sure of it! Please, come look!" Granny got up from her chair reluctantly, and said, "Alright, alright, I'll come have a look.

Apple Bloom quietly led Granny up the stairs and to the room; to her astonishment, the door was closed, the symbol gone, and locked as she tried the handle, "But...I..." Apple Bloom was really confused. Was she actually dreaming at the time? "...I was just here...I just saw someone!" Granny Smith chuckled and said, "Don't worry little Apple Bloom. Ya might have been sleep-walkin' like I do, and were dreamin' that ya saw something. My great-aunt used'ta do that. Now...how about we get ya back into bed, hm?" Apple Bloom hung her head down, defeated. She really thought she saw someone, but maybe she was dreamin'. "Alright Granny..." she plodded back into her room and got in bed, and as Granny tucked her in, she asked, "...Granny...who did that room belong to?"

Granny simply replied, "Now don't you worry yer little head off about that."

"But Granny, when will ya'll ever tell me?"

"Perhaps some other time, sweetie, But for now, you need to sleep."

And with that, Granny finished tucking her into bed. Little did Apple Bloom know, however, that that wouldn't be the last time she saw the stranger, and that her question would be soon answered.