Prologue: Shrouding Dark Cloud
Prologue:Shrouding Dark Cloud
The first gate is open. Hurry!
The voice echoed throughout the abyss of cloudy constellations. Several lights gather to form a circular rift as a tall, dark blue alicorn with an ethereal mane set hoof into these cosmos.
Princess Luna entered through her sparkling pathway ,she was greeted by a vista of stars and descended into the cloudy night. She was in a realm housing the many dreams of Equestria’s residents as they flowed around her in the form of large spheres.
“That voice…” Princess Luna trailed off as her horn glowed with a faint blue aura. “ I’ve heard it before, I must find the source.”
While she couldn’t necessarily recognize every voice from Equestria. There was definitely something off putting about it. For starters, it was rare for another to be able to enter this domain without her assistance.
The stars separated briefly as several large panels and spheres floated into view, guided by the movements of her magic. There were many dreams to look through as she peered into each one that levitated past her. Occasionally Luna would focus on notable ones she was familiar with.
A dream of a lavender unicorn and blue one having a tearful reunion with a group of ponies at a train station. A muscular purple dragon defeating hordes of beasts in a castle throne room. Luna herself playing cards with a white alicorn with a prismatic mane..
Luna smiled briefly as she searched, her gaze would linger on the next dream. She frowned and felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She could barely make out any images in this one and the view was clouded.
“This is new,” she muttered to herself and settled on this peculiar dream for now.
Her horn glowed brighter and the surrounding spheres were instantly coated in a pink light.
The strange dream Luna focused on was shrouded in blue. It was not from Equestria , she was certain of it. She glanced around at the other dreams and could make out more blue lights present.
“I must inform Celestia.” Luna nodded to herself but first she’d have to look into the origin of that voice. If it was to do with these hidden dreams she couldn’t see through, she’d better start her investigation now.
At this moment another chill ran down her spine and a feeling of dread.It wasn’t long before the source of this revealed itself. The space Luna had occupied was enveloped in a dark mist.
She darted out of the way shaking off the remnants lingering on her hooves. Was it the Pony of shadows? Here in the dream world of all places? Luna didn’t have long to think as a large shadowy claw erupted from its depths reaching towards her.
She gasped and with a spark of her horn , blasted the claw away with a beam of blue light.
It detached from the black mist and melted away. But it wasn’t alone.
Several dark claws tore into the realm, the colours of the world were washed out with a black abyss as each one appeared. Luna took flight into the night sky as they stalked towards her.
In a flash of blue light from her horn the dream spheres scattered among the cosmos. The eternal night of Equestria’s dream world was slowly being enveloped in complete darkness.
Luna observed the situation from above with a stern look, as her horn shined brightly through the creeping darkness. She would never allow the Equestria’s dreams to fall into the clutches of these things.
Thinking fast she conjured up another spell ,her horn blazing while surveying the surroundings and the darkness converged onto her position.It was now only menacing shadows lurking towards her position.They would consume her too if she didn’t repel them. Though as the drew closer her horn dimmed.
It was calling to her and she felt drawn to its embrace. Luna’s magic weakened as did the many lights of the dream world. Her body felt heavy and her eyes drooped.
This feeling was all too familiar to her. She was tired, tired of her sister, tired of Equestria. The ungrateful ponies that never appreciated her beautiful night made her so.
Luna shook her head trying to discard these thoughts. She had not dwelled on those doubts for many many years and she couldn’t give in to them.
Her moment of weakness had cost her time. The stars were gone now and it was just her floating there in complete darkness, all alone. Her tired eyes closed and she began drifting off into the void.
“I’m sorry everyone,” She mumbled as her body faded deeper into the abyss. Memories floating into view, she could still picture those at least.The fear and pain she’d felt and caused throughout her past due to her own weaknesses.
Fear?
What was she afraid of during that time?
Facing her sister?
Becoming Nightmare Moon again?
Had she not forgiven herself for what had happened?
She was no longer the same Princess that had given into these thoughts.
Determined , she would not let fear of all things hold her back. Her eyes opened and she felt an unknown power coursing through her. Her horn glowed brightly shining with the shape of a crescent moon and illuminating the dark abyss.
Luna no longer feared the darkness. That was in the past.
The half-moon took on another shape, a handle with a crescent blade on the end. As Luna herself pulsated with a brilliant blue light.
The darkness feared her!
It was a cool and quiet night in ponyville , the residents had used the following day to wind down from the most recent town party. While most ponies would be asleep at this time a certain purple alicorn was busy getting organized tonight.
“Twilight are you still up?” A smol purple dragon entered the throne room yawning and walked over to the mare he was addressing.
“Of course Spike.” Twilight Sparkle waved a hoof dismissively while seated at her crystallized throne adorned with her cutie mark. “I just need to take care of this real quick.” She had several scrolls and documents floating above her with her magic.
“So was it the punch or are you still worried about Starlight?” He climbed up onto the crystal platform between the thrones and folded his arms.
Twilight rolled her eyes before sighing. “Ok maybe a little bit of both,” She yawned and her horn sparked briefly causing several items to vanish in a flash of light.
“It’s only been a day. I’m sure she’ll be ok.” Spike shrugged and stretched his arms upwards. “We should hit the-”
BANG BANG
There were several loud knocks on the front door and the two looked at each other briefly.
“Are we expecting anyone at this hour?” Twilight asked before getting up and her horn flashed once more causing herself and Spike to vanish just like the documents had before.
They reappeared at the front door which Twilight promptly opened without a second thought. Spike peered outside beside her.
A blond maned and orange earth pony mare was waiting outside for them. She tipped her brown stetson while she waited outside.
“Hey Twi, Ah think you should see this,”
“Applejack? What’s going on?” Twilight asked, blinking at her friend and expecting the worse.
A pink earth pony with a bushy mane was hopping around excitedly and even jumped over a white unicorn with a curly purple mane who was watching the sky as well.
“Oh Pinkie, would you stop bouncing for a moment?” The white unicorn watched her briefly before returning her gaze to whatever was in the sky.
“How can anyone sit still after seeing this Rarity? It’s exciting!” Pinkie stopped briefly before waving to Twilight and Spike.
A yellow pegasus with a pink mane was also present just hovering into view but at the door along with Applejack. Fluttershy too, Twilight thought and walked out to see what was going.
Applejack gestured towards the sky. “I think this might be the biggest star shower we’ve ever seen. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash dropped by the barn when it happened.”
Twilight finally noticed what was going on in the night sky. It was adorned with streaking lights as there were dozens of shooting stars! But she was unprepared; she needed to document this! They weren’t expecting another event such as this for another century or so.
“I think we’re a pony short,” Spike chimed in and snapped Twilight out of her brief trance and she glanced around and then to the quiet pegasus who seemed to be shaking worriedly.
“Fluttershy where’s Rainbow?”
“S-she said she saw something suspicious on the way here and would be right back. I couldn’t keep up with her,” Fluttershy sighed.
“Ooh! Ooh! There she is right now!” Pinkie pie cried out excitedly bouncing and pointing to the sky.
Everyone looked up as a rainbow streak rocketed towards their position revealing a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane.
“Everypony get inside now!” She yelled out to them as the starry sky began to take a different turn.
The wind sped up as darker and sinister looking clouds swirled in the sky above them.Twilight felt her hooves leave the ground as an unknown force was pulling them into the air.
“What in tarnation!?” Applejack began floating as Fluttershy grabbed hold of her by the tail trying to pull her down. Pinkie was already holding onto a tree branch due to bouncing too high and Rarity held onto the base of the tree.
“I take it back! This is crazy!” Pinkie yelled.
Spike seemed to be the only one unaffected as he was still ground bound and trying in vain to pull Twilight back down.
As Rainbow Dash closed in her movements became slower as if being pulled back by a large magnet. The rainbow trail vanished as her momentum halted.
Twilight horn glowed. She needed a spell, any spell would do! But a sudden wave of fatigue rushed through her, her magic faded instantly and the storm grew as if feeding off it.
“I have to…” Her eyelids began to slowly close as the sound of her friends' cries began to drown out. The vision of a determined yet struggling dragon holding her hoof slowly fading away.
Fading away into darkness.
