The Adventures of Zann: Zann in Equestria

Chapter 3 A Different Kind of Darkness

Written by Branden W. Vanscoy

On top of a hill not too far away lay a familiar darkness. His head was pounding from traveling through the gate. The tranquility of the rain soothed his ache as he stared directly up allowing the droplets to bounce from his face. He could feel that his shape had changed. That feeling was no stranger to the darkness, but there was another magic he could feel alongside it. He was too tired to think about it at the moment so he just pulled what were now claws behind his head and enjoyed the rain. The wind howled around him and he began to smile, “I can hear you Zann!” he began to laugh loudly.

“That must be Spike! Send in the Nightmares!” An ostentatious voice shouted from behind trees at the bottom of the small hill. The darkness was immediately annoyed, rolled his eyes and began to stand as silhouettes of what appeared to be mythical horses began to surround him. Normally he was quite fond of creatures based in shadow, but he hated annoyances with far more passion. He raised his arms to the sky and the clouds began to swirl in an elegant circle. A silhouette leapt forward and was met with a glare from the darkness and was disintegrated into a fine powder. If the other silhouettes had facial expressions he imagined they would have been worried. Another one leapt toward him and was engulfed by a wall of clouds that then began to sweep the others away as well. He yawned hoping that was the end of the annoyances when a portly pony with an image of scissors on his hind quarters burst from behind a bush. The poor pony’s face was then stricken with terror as he looked upon the darkness and screamed, ”Discord!” as he did another lanky pony with an image of a snail on his flank crashed out of the bush slamming into the first.

“What!?” yelled the second pony becoming stricken with the same fear as the first. “Y-you’re supposed to be in Canterlot!” both of the ponies began to tremble in fear at the mere sight of the darkness. “We didn’t know it was you s-sir or we would not of sent in the Nightmares to get you, I-I swear”

“What those silly silhouettes, no need to worry little ones. I sent them away with the flick of my wrist, no harm, no foul.” The darkness said trying to give a false sense of calm.

“R-really? What a relief”, the little one said with his fear going away to quickly, whoever they were mistaking the darkness for, they seemed to trust his words. He beckoned the little ponies to come closer, as well they did. He slowly put his mouth near their ears as they leaned in close to listen.

“I’m going to murder you.” Both of the ponies immediately turned white. He laughed grabbing the ponies and flying high into the sky. He could hear their screams clashing with the howling of the wind as he dragged them upwards. He stopped high up and began hovering between the clouds in his recently cleared sky laughing at the poor ponies as they held on for dear life. It reminded him of a terrified cat clawing at his arm to stay above the ground. They were both speaking so quick and apologetic that he couldn’t hear anything but mumble mumble I’m sorry mumble. He sat on the air and stared at them for a while laughing at their reactions and waiting for silence. When they finally began to quiet down he said, “I was only joking guys, no need to fear me.”

“Really”, the lanky one said.

“Nope still gonna murder you” He dropped them both giggling in joy at their surprised faces. He loved to toy with others emotions. He watched them fall, their eyes bulged and they grabbed for each other. For all they knew it was their last moment on this world. A stream of yellow liquid flew from one in a seemingly straight line upward. The two continued screaming until the yellow liquid caught up to the one that left it behind in a splash. They were so scared they hadn’t realized that he had caught them. “It seems you have made a bit of a mess on yourself, tsk tsk shame on you.” He put them down on the ground watching their knees wobble back in forth. “I find you both entertaining be thankful for that.”

“T-thank you sir?” Said the portly one immediately flinching at the prospect of him being sent into orbit out of sheer joy for the darkness.

“This Discord fellow these fools mistake me for may be a good disguise for this world; I should thank them when this is over. For now though its best I let them believe I’m who they think I am.” Discord said with a particularly proud grin.

“What?” said the portly one.

“What?” said Discord.

“What?” said the lanky one.

“How DARE you listen to my words! I will MURDER you!” Discord said lifting them both up once again.

“I AM SERIOUSLY CONFUSED RIGHT NOW!” They both screamed.

Zann had lied to the now asleep dragon named Spike. The wounds on Bolt were more severe than he had led on. A nights rest wouldn’t be enough for the young pegasus, but Zann had years of medical expertise to rely on. He tended to the bruises and cuts that a normal eye would not have seen. One of the pony’s legs were broken, he splinted it and mended the bone with accuracy not many would ever be able to see even a surgeon do. He wrapped the forearm in a sling and tied it around the pony when he woke up he would be sore, but he would be alive that’s for sure. If they hadn’t of stumbled upon him, they both might have died. The entire time the wolf Johnny watched with sorrow filled eyes as his friends were mended, not daring to fall asleep out of fear he might not see them again. Zann motioned for the wolf to come toward him. The wolf tried to stand but limped and fell. The limp wasn’t there earlier when the wolf had helped Spike stand, or perhaps he had pushed himself so that his friend would not have to. Zann walked to him instead, he looked him over and found several cuts on the wolf but nothing was wrong with him. He reached behind the wolf’s ear and scratched with his imaginary fingers. Johnny whimpered, but began to wag his tail back and forth. “Good boy…” Zann whispered. Instead of becoming calm the wolf jumped up, the limp was once again gone and he stared off toward a clearing in the clouds that wasn’t there a moment ago. “What do you hear boy?” The wolf didn’t respond to Zann. He merely stared off in the direction for a few minutes then allowed himself to sit back down. He stared back up at Zann almost begging for his ear to be petted once more. He obliged the wolf, but stared off into the same direction and felt something familiar towards it.
“A different kind of darkness looms below the clouds”, he remembered the voice of an old friend speaking to him, and Zann then knew why it had felt familiar.
“Daodrith…”