the oncoming darkness

Twilight Sparkle was returning home after doing some errands when the post pony arrived.

"Twilight Sparkle, a package for you."

Twilight turned to the post pony and took the package from her.

"thank you" said Twilight Sparkle.

the post pony nodded to twilight then continued with her deliveries.

Twilight took the package inside and opened the box, inside was a book, but it was in a strange magic field.

"hmm" Twilight thought for a moment, "I think I read about a field like that before."

She began looking through the other books until she found the book she was looking for.

flipping through the pages she found the spell that described the field that surrounded the book from the package.

"Stasis field: used on books to preserve original copies to prevent damage from age so a scribe can copy them later."

"wow, this spell hasn't been used for a very long time."

Twilight wondered who would have sent her such a book.

She double checked the box but 'to: Twilight Sparkle' was all it had on it.

"I wonder if Princess Celestia sent it to me?" Twilight shook her head "no she would have put her name on it"

Twilight though for awhile but soon gave up on who would have sent her suck a book.

she read more about the stasis field spell and soon she used her magic to break the stasis field on the book.

it was an original copy of 'history of equestria' and it was dated from the first one hundred years.

flipping the cover open some loose pages fell to the floor.

she quickly picked them up and saw these pages were not part of the book.

the first page read 'hoping this book finds you well Twilight Sparkle'.

the she began to read the pages.

the cold...

the darkness...

and nopony else was around...

that is where HE found me,

told me I'd be safe,

but HE lied.

HE is the only one I remember,

until HE showed me you Twilight Sparkle.

and around you stood five other ponies,

a pegasus the color of a sun beam,

another the color of the sky,

a unicorn white as snow and two ponies,

one pink and one orange.

Twilight stopped reading, spooked by what she had read.

was it a warning, but who was warning her and what about.

it contained her name and a some what vague description of her friends.

so she decided if it was a warning she had better read it through.

HE is part of me now.

whispering dark secrets to me

I am corrupted,

but when I return there...

to the cold and dark I am alone,

free from the corruption,

but the cold and the darkness are hard to endure.

but I must endure it, for you must know of the danger you will face.

you must know of the oncoming darkness.

HE has a plan, but the process will take a long time to complete.

then HE will be strong enough to counter your magic,

something called 'the elements of harmony'

what ever these elements are it is the only thing HE fears.

HE has shown me you and the five others have them.

and I had found a vision HE has of your destruction.

beware the dark unicorn with the blood red eyes.

A sudden bright flash outside made Twilight look up from the note.

It had come from out side towards ponyville park, and a sudden feeling of unease fell over her.

Moments ago in ponyville park Pinkie Pie was bouncing and skipping along when she saw somepony she never saw before.

the pony was a black stallion, with an orange mane, and was holding a hoof to his head.

"Hi there" she said to the unknown stallion, "I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name"

the stallion looked at Pinkie Pie with his turquoise eyes and said "I am not here to make friends"

"aw, come on everypony likes making new friends..."

Oh everypony likes new friends

yes everypony likes new friends

big or small,

you got to love them all!

everypony likes new friends.

the stallion shook his head at the impromptu song that Pinkie Pie had begun as he walked away.

"hey where you going?" ask Pinkie Pie "I'm not finished with my song yet."

"you have sang more than enough for me" replied the stallion.

"but you haven't even given me you name yet, how..."

"I can't give you my name" interrupted the stallion as he turned to face her.

"aw how can we become friends if you don't give me your name?"

"I told you I am not here to make friends"

"but making friends and making them happy makes me happy, it's the bestest thing ever."

above on a cloud Rainbow Dash had heard the song Pinkie Pie had started and looked down at the two.

the stallion had stopped and turn to face Pinkie Pie, but something was wrong with him.

'what is going on down there' she thought as she watched from her cloudy perch.

there was a bright flash of light and the stallion turned and walked away.

Pinkie Pie was standing still with a blank expression, not happy not sad, just nothing.

Rainbow Dash knew Pinkie Pie was never still like that, well maybe when she was about to surprise somepony at a party.

but never has she ever had such a blank look on her face as she did.

'that flash was magic' thought Rainbow Dash 'that stallion must have done something to Pinkie Pie!'

Rainbow Dash leapt from the cloud and stopped the stallion.

"what did you do to my friend!" she said in an accusatory tone.

"I think it would be best if you get out of my way" replied the stallion.

Rainbow Dash rushed over to her Pinkie Pie and waved a hoof in front of her eyes but nothing.

Pinkie Pie remained still and expressionless.

Rainbow Dash zipped back to the stallion, "you did that to her" she said, "now undo it!"

The stallion narrowed his eyes then asked "and how did I do that?"

"uh... well..." Rainbow Dash stammered, "you just did is all!"

"do I look like a magic wielding unicorn to you young pegasus?" the stallion continued.

looking at the stallion and noting the lack of a unicorn horn made her accusation seem hollow.

the noise, or perhaps it was the flash, had brought several other ponies to the area.

this included Twilight Sparkle.

seeing Rainbow Dash yelling Twilight galloped over to see what was going on.

"what's goin on here?" asked Twilight, "oh my gosh what's wrong with Pinkie Pie?"

Rainbow Dash turned away from the stallion and towards Twilight, then pointed at the stallion.

"ask him HE did it!" she said.

HE! the word from the note echoed through Twilights mind.

Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, "what did you say?"

"huh?" Rainbow Dash blinked a few times then continued "I said it was him."

Twilight looked where Rainbow Dash was pointing but nopony was there.

"no you said..." began Twilight.

Rainbow Dash looked around but the stallion was gone.

"hey where did HE go?"

"The oncoming darkness?"

"the what now?"

"Oh my gosh we need to get Pinkie Pie to a doctor right away"

"right"

Twilight recalled the last thing she had read before the flash had made her leave the library and go to Ponyville park.

'beware the dark unicorn with blood red eyes.'

if this was the oncoming darkness she and the others would need the elements of harmony, but how could they use them without Pinkie Pie.

once Pinkie Pie was in the Ponyville clinic Twilight rushed home to read more of the note she had received.

the others arrived at Ponyville clinic but could not see Pinkie Pie until she had been checked over.

they questioned Rainbow Dash about what had happened and she tried to explain as best she could, but how an earth pony could do magic and stun Pinkie Pie she could not explain.

"wait a minute y'all, where is Twilight?" asked Applejack.

"hey yeah where did she go? she helped bring Pinkie Pie here" said Rainbow Dash.

"It's not like Twilight to abandon one of her friends" said Rarity.

"Abandon! no way! that was magic I know it was but I just don't know how he did it." said Rainbow Dash.

"I bet she knows of a spell or something and is researching it right now" she added.

one of the nurse ponies told the others Pinkie Pie was not well enough for visitors and they should come back tomorrow.

"well lets go find Twilight" said Rainbow Dash, then added "If she doesn't know what's going on we can at least ask her why she ran off."

with that the group walked to the library to find Twilight.

once there they found her reading a book.

"what'ch reading there Twilight?" asked Applejack.

Twilight put down the book, then turned to her friends, then said "I think we are in serious trouble here girls."

"We are going to need the elements of harmony"

"but how will we ever use them without Pinkie Pie?" asked Rarity.

"I don't know, but we must prepare for the oncoming darkness" said Twilight.

"we need to get the elements of harmony"

"then lets contact Princess Celestia" said Applejack

the stallion stood looking at his reflection in one of the ponyville lakes, when his eyes turned blood red.

"what have you been up to?" HE asked.

"hmm a concealment spell hiding your horn"

countering the spell his horn appears on his head.

"it is almost time" HE looked around then adds "and it looks like you have been so kind as to bring us to Ponyville"

"now to find Twilight Sparkle and her friends"

Princess Celestia arrived soon after Twilight had contacted her.

she had brought the elements of harmony with her as requested.

soon they all had their element pendants on, other than Pinkie Pie on account of her being absent.

when they were approached by a black unicorn with blood read eyes and an orange mane.

"well well well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle and friends." said the black Stallion.

he counted her friends, "one, two, three, four..."

"missing one it appears, but what do we have here? Princess Celestia this is some what unexpected." HE continued.

"who are you!" demanded Princess Celestia.

with a quick spell HE imprisoned Princess Celestia in a cage of dark energy.

Twilight gasped and said "beware the dark unicorn with blood red eyes."

"well I guess I never did introduce myself to you back then Princess."

"What is this!" demanded Princess Celestia.

"the dark energy tends to sting those with pure hearts" HE replied.

"It's been over a thousand years now since I last saw you Princess, back when a gave your sister a little taste of my darkness."

"you didn't really think it was all your sister did you."

"you mean..." said Twilight.

"It was so easy to push her to become Nightmare Moon, but then you had to go and imprison her in the moon for a thousand years." laughed the stallion.

"you monster!" said Applejack.

"why thank you."

"that weren't no compliment!"

"It really doesn't mater if it was or not, the fact is you are missing one of your friends, meanning you can not use the elements of harmony against me."

"I guess I'll just have to find your pink friend and destroy her later."

"what are you talking about?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"to pay you back for destroying the darkness that I gave Nightmare Moon!"

"with that power I could have already blanketed Equestria in darkness."

HE turned away from the group and continued.

"not that it maters now, I have absorbed more then enough magic from this pony to exceed the power I would have gotten."

HE turned back to face the ponies again.

"and more then enough magic to exceed the power of your elements of harmony."

the stallions eye suddenly flashed turquoise for a moment then returned to blood red.

HE shook his head and said to himself "what do you plan to accomplish by fighting?"

"we plan to defeat you!" said Twilight.

HE looked up at Twilight, then his eyes flashed turquoise again.

"Stop it! you can not win you are too weak!" HE said once his eye returned to their red color.

"and with out your elements of harmony you are too weak as well!

"Oh yeah!" challenged Rainbow Dash

"wait who was he talking to before?" asked Rarity.

"I was going to ask that as well" said Fluttershy.

Suddenly his eyes flashed turquoise and there was a bright flash of light.

Rainbow Dash found herself in a cold dark place.

A pair of turquoise eyes stared at her from the darkness.

"YOU!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

The eyes glanced to the right, Rainbow Dash found herself looking in the direction the eyes had been looking.

there sleeping in the cold darkness was Pinkie Pie.

"I have kept her safely hidden here, but you must take her mind back to her body" said the stallion.

But the voice was different, it lacked the evil from before.

"Wait? I thought..." Rainbow Dash paused as she looked around then added, "where are we anyway?"

"you are in my safe place, inside my mind.  The place where I can hide from the darkness."

Rainbow Dash looked around again then said "I don't know how to tell you this but the darkness is kinda every where here."

"I don't have time to explain to you!  I have learned HE is going to consume all my magic and when that happens my body will shatter and HE will be free!"

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt a great weight on her mind that burned her brain"

Pinkie Pie had been thrust in to her mind and the pain of it was very unpleasant.

"you only need touch her with your head but you must act quickly or your mind will burn."

The flash ended leaving the ponies blinking to adjust their eyes.

once they could all see again they saw Rainbow Dash racing away at top speed.

"Oh look at that you are being abandoned by another friend." said the stallion.

"What did you do to her?" asked Twilight.

"I guess I frightened her too much." laugh the stallion.

"That flash was like the one earlier." said Twilight.

"Earlier?" asked the stallion confused.

Twilight looked at the stallion and began to smile.

"What!" demanded the stallion.

Twilight began to laugh.

"Whats so funny!" demanded the stallion.

"yeah Twilight, what is it?" asked Applejack.

"HE is the darkness" said Twilight.

the other ponies looked at her not understanding, but soon Princess Celestia understood.

she nodded to Twilight.

"but the flash was so bright, and not darkness at all." added Twilight.

Twilight looked at the stallion and said "You have been helping us."

"Me? help you?" asked the stallion.

"yes" said Twilight, "you may be the darkness but the light that is still inside is helping us."

The stallion closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Ah, I see. very clever of you hiding where I never look, but what have you been hiding from me." said the stallion to himself.

"a note? to warn them about oncoming darkness?"

The stallion opened his eyes.

"the warning does not mater it comes too late."

suddenly a crack in the stallions right front leg appeared from hoof to half way up his leg.

"I have found you and soon all your power will be mine!"

a crack in the stallions left front leg appeared from hoof to half way up his leg.

"and then I will remake Equestria in darkness!"

"not if we stop you!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash who returned and with her was Pinkie Pie.

The Stallion turn to see the two ponies arrive.

"alright girls lets show him the power of the elements of harmony." said Twilight.

she tossed balloon shaped pendent to Pinkie Pie. and they focused their power.

but Pinkie Pie couldn't activate her element.

"I can't do it" sobbed Pinkie Pie, "I just can't"

witnessing the life of the stallion had drained all of her joy.

"HA HA!" laughed the stallion, "even now that your together you still can't use the elements!"

his eye flashed turquoise  again, then there was another flash.

"Pinkie Pie"

Pinkie Pie looked around it was like the place she was lost in before, but suddenly there was light and warmth.

Pinkie Pie looked into the turquoise eyes of the black stallion standing before her.

Gone was the pain and sadness in his eyes replaced with warmth and kindness, and then she saw the cracks in the stallions legs begin to grow.

"I can not keep you here long." he said, "but your friendship has warmed my heart."

"and with the strength you give me I can fight back against the darkness."

"You must use the elements to cleanse this dark corruption from me."

"please! as my friend. will you do this for me?"

the flash subsided and Pinkie Pie felt the power of laughter return to her.

"YES!" yelled Pinkie Pie, "let's do this."

and with that she and the others release the full power of the elements of harmony.

the power of the elements raced towards the stallion but HE released a wave of dark energy that pushed back the power of the elements.

"I told you you lacked the power to defeat me."

the power of darkness pushed back the power of the elements a little.

"you are foolish to waste your energy like this!"

the power of darkness pushed back the power of the elements a little more.

suddenly the cracks in the stallions legs glowed white and the power of darkness began to wane.

"what! No! Impossible!" yelled the stallion.

The power of the elements began to push back the power of darkness"

a burst of dark energy was sent out by the stallion but its effect on the power of the elements did not last long.

the power of the elements were becoming to powerful to hold at bay.

realizing that HE was no longer draining power, but that the flow of magic had somehow been reversed.

HE laughed.

"congratulations ponies you have beaten me, but you have doomed yourselves!" HE yelled.

"It took so many years to drain all this power, now watch as it returns to its owner all at once!"

and with that HE stopped the flow of dark energy and was consumed by the power of the elements of harmony.

the dark cage around Princess Celestia disappeared once HE was gone.

with the darkness banished by the elements the influence it had on him was gone as well.

the stallion was gone, in his place a young colt lay on the ground.

"oh no!" exclaimed the colt, "I am still damaged and I can not contain all this power."

the energy that had taken years to drain was too much for the colt to contain and it began to leak from the cracks that remained in his legs"

"Ow, it burns!"said the young colt, and the energy ignite flames on his legs.

"we have to help him" cried Pinkie Pie.

the colt was engulfed in flames when a phoenix flew over the colt.

it landing on Princess Celestias hoof that she extended to the bird.

"what are you doing here Philomeena?" asked Princess Celestia.

"oh that's not Philomeena princess that's Peewee Spikes phoenix" said Twilight.

"A phoenix!" exclamed the colt, "of coarse!"

the fire began to burn hotter and higher as the colt began to glow white.

the others had stepped away from the flames and looked on in awe.

"what are you doing?" asked Princess Celestia.

"what I must, I will not allow ponyville to be damaged by this release of magical energy."

then turning to Pinkie Pie "you were my first friend but I am sorry."

"sorry for what?" asked Pinkie Pie.

he shook his head as the heat and flames increased, but it looked as if they were controlled by the colt.

"I have a name for you now, remember you asked but I didn't have one before, but now I do."

"what is it?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Ajay"

"say what now?" asked Applejack.

"Ajay it means Unconquered.  because the darkness that tried to conquer me has failed, thanks to you Pinkie Pie."

"with the power of friendship even the darkest of days can be made bright!"

"but now I will burn like a phoenix to save my new found friends from this magical overcharge, so goodbye Pinkie Pie, my friend"

"NO!" yelled Pinkie Pie, but it was too late.

The flames flared high and hot, causing them to step farther back.

then the powers released collapsed in upon itself putting out the flame so suddenly it caused a shock wave.

the shock wave cleared the clouds from the area causing a napping Derpy to fall from the sky landing on Rainbow Dash.

with the abrupt arrival of Derpy all the ponies were focused on her as she got off Rainbow Dash.

"sorry about that Rainbow Dash" she said, then added "wow that sure is a big hole."

they then turned back to see a large hole with ash in and around where Ajay had been.

when they look down into the hole they saw Ajay with his mane and tail on fire and on his flank was a phoenix.

"are you alright Ajay?" asked Princess Celestia.

Peewee flew from her hoof down in to the hole landing on Ajays horn.

he slowly got to his hooves and coughed, causing Peewee to take flight and send some ash falling from his coat.

once on his hooves he saw that his front legs now had a flame pattern where the cracks had been and his mane and tail were now made of fire.

as he tried to walk up out of the hole, but all the energy he had used became apparent as he was gripped by a wave of exhaustion.

falling over his mane and tail winked out and he began to sleep.