//-------------------------------------------------------// In Darkness There Lies (The Filly You Want Me To Be) -by MLPOCLucC- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue Masquerade Night walked around the castle alone. His short dark galaxy hair flowed with a magic ethereal glow just like his mother's. He was born an alicorn much to Princess Luna's surprise. He was a young colt and was as mischievous as young Luna. Masquerade snuck into the throne room where his mothers and father talked. The guards did not notice the black foal that blended into the darkness. "What do we do about her Sister. Yes she is a Chaos juvenile but..." Luna trailed off as Celestia pat her sister. "Maybe Discord can teach her since they have a history and she seems to trusts him" Astin says pushing his tilting crown back into place. Celestia hums "She is strong and a good potential ally if she decides to be on our side..." Celestia thinks out loud. Astin takes notice to the bulge in the curtain and tiptoes towards it. Masquerade tenses as he senses his father's magical energy. "Runnnnn!!!" He yells attempting to run away from his father. Astin scoops up the foal laughing as he tickles the colt. Masquerade bursts out in adorable laughter. Luna watches with a smile "That will be you soon dear sister" Luna says winking as Celestia smiles blushes a bit. Masquerade ran behind his mother to escape his father's attack. "Mommy daddy's turned into the tickle monster" Masquerade yells in her flowing mane. Luna laughs "Then the tickle fun shall be doubled" She says grabbing her colt and tickling him with her magic. Masquerade gasps with laughter as he got teamed by his parents. Luna sobered up quickly teleporting to her chambers. "It is time for bed my night prince" Luna says kissing his forehead and tucking him in. "Mommy, Who were you talking about in there?" he questions in a soft childlike voice filled with curiosity. Luna shakes her head "No one important my little moon" She yawns as the sun rises. She crawls into her bed and falls into a wonderful slumber. Masquerade closes his eyes to the warm relaxing sunlight and opens his eyes in the dreamscape. His mother was off in her duties and wasn't aware of the alicorn foal peeking into all of the doors. Masquerade stumbled upon a glitching door that seemed to flash in and out of the dreamscape. It had a blurred cutie-mark that was barely visible. He debated telling his mommy but the door called to him in a way. "This must be a nightmare!" He chirped excitedly ready for his first battle as Prince of the Night. Knowing his mother was watching over the thestral but this... this was a normal everyday pony. He stepped in and instantly his body didn't feel good. His tummy was queasy and he felt cold all over making his fur stand on end. "Is... Anyone there" He called out into the darkness. There was an echo that replied "There...There...There..." He walked deeper into the dream preparing the Nightmare Repulsion spell. His tiny horn was covered in a semi-transparent black glow. "Hel- Hello..." A pained feminine voice called followed by a loud squelch and the tapping of liquid onto the ground. Masquerade flinched "H-Hi I'm Masquerade... I came to help you with your nightmare" He assured walking through the darkness. The voice chuckled "While that is assuring... You're not supposed to be here. Are you?" She asked softly. Masquerade gulped "I just saw this door a-and I-I" He stuttered letting out a small whimper "I'm scared... I want mommy" "It's alright," The voice cooed "Don't cry, Sweetheart. Do you know your way back?" She asked curiously. Masquerade sniffed wiping his tears "No... Mommy's gonna be mad at me" He sobbed. "Don't worry, She'll find you. Tell me about your mommy" She asked. "Mommy is mommy." He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The voice chuckled "Tell me more. What does your mommy look like?" She questioned. Masquerade giggled "My mommy looks like... She's blue and her coat turns violet when she gets wet. She also has wavy hair like mine and she's very nice and she likes to play video games like the Game Colt. She got me one for my birthday. She's also in a herd with my Daddy and Mama Celestia. Between you and me, I heard mommy talk about giving me a baby sister." He paused to take a breath much to the dream owner's amusement. "She sounds very nice" the voice replied. Masquerade smiled "I know right. Mommy is the nicest pony I know. I want to be just like her when I grow up and take her place on the throne. I'll fight Nightmares and Manticores" He squealed flapping his tiny wings excitedly. "MASQUERADE!" Another voice called worriedly. "IT'S MOMMY!!!" He screamed bouncing. The voice chuckled "Don't keep her waiting. She's probably worried" She explained. Masquerade nodded and ran through the newly formed door and went through it but not before waving at his new friend "See you again, Sometime!" He called back before closing the door. Masquerade followed Luna's frantic cries and jumped into the hooves of the blue alicorn "Mommy! Mommy!" He yelled. He explained his adventure snuggling into her. Suddenly, her body shook with sobs "I was so worried..." She whispered in a shaky voice "Don't ever do that again!" Masquerade shrunk down "I-I sworry mommy" He said looking down. Luna pulled him to her chest "I could've lost you in the dreamscape, My little moon" She whispered in his ear. Masquerade looked up at his mommy "Don't worry mommy... I know you love me too much to lose me" He said cheekily. Luna bopped him on the nose "You can bet your flank on that" She said giving him a kiss on the cheek. Masquerade blushed "Mommyyyyy, I'm a big colt. I don't need kisses" He whined. Luna scoffed "No colt outgrows my kisses. Just for that, you earned another one" She cooed kissing his cheek again. "And another" Kiss. "And maybe another" Kiss. Masquerade struggled to get away from his over affectionate mother "MY MOON MOMMY!" He cried giggling. Luna rolled her eyes with an affection nuzzle "Come we shall have breakfast" She said mischievously "Or you could stay here and I'll enjoy your pancakes" Luna giggled running away like a filly. "MOM! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY PANCAKES!!!" He screamed running after her //-------------------------------------------------------// When It Began //-------------------------------------------------------// When It Began It began on a day unlike any other. My sister was born and soon after the world began to merge with another. Allow me to explain.... My father is from a different world where hairless ape like creatures walk on their hind legs and wear clothes. When he came to this world... he became the balance. Then suddenly.... "Masquerade. The Elements of Harmony. Begin reading" I sighed "The Elements of Harmony are the fruit bared by the Tree of Harmony and harness the power of friendship within their barers to reform and destroy evil. Can we stop now?" Twilight stared at me "We need to go over this lesson sometime..." I huffed looking at the picture of the mare in the moon "I don't want to hear about it anymore. You know what they call me" Twilight's eyes soften sympathetically but she said nothing in return. I rose to my hooves and slowly walked towards the window looking up at Mama 'Lestia's sun. "Do you think that anyone will forgive and forget..." Twilight sighed "Unfortunately there aren't that many forgiving ponies in this world" I rolled my eyes fighting the scowl from my face. That's when I saw it.... It came just for me. A huge bright light. I fell into a water-like substance. My body felt numb and tingly before all of a sudden I was in darkness "Devil's Gambit..." "Astin?" I woke in the darkness dumbstruck by the unfamiliar surroundings. It was a room but everything was strange. It wasn't a room I had ever seen in the castle. I shakily got to my hooves and instantly fell face first onto my face. It was then that I caught a glimpse of the weird appendages on the end of my wrists. 5 finger and a soft palm just like dad's. I turned to see my large black wings sprawled across the ground and I lightly touched the rim of my horn that extended past my forehead. I attempted to use my magic and slowly levitated a photo frame towards my face. My eyes focused on it completely trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It was a picture of me? It had... No... the wings are white. "Is this Dad?" Suddenly, my vision changed to a crystal clear river where a boy sat. He threw stones and watched the skip and prance across the water before finally dropping in. He slowly turned with a blank look on his face as he held a mysterious pony in his arms. "Stay away!" He yelled. I gulped as his face splattered with blood from an unknown source. Quickly, i was pushed away by a powerful magic and I screamed out as my wing let out a sickening snap. My vision faded in and out with black spots spreading to take up my eyesight. But before I fell into darkness, I saw Mom with a little blue curls being held by Momma 'Lestia. I woke up with a start in my room looking at the painted stars on my wall. "Perdonar..." a voice whispered from the darkness. "MOM!" I wailed running from my room to see the boy from earlier screaming while bigger humans dragged him away. I turned to the left and quickly turned awak seeing the brutally deformed body of a mare. Brown mane. Tan coat. And wide golden eyes that stared blankly at the ceiling. I felt myself losing it. What was this? Why! Perdonar? What does that mean!?