Dormitabis

Chapters

Prologue: A Boy From Another World
Chapter 1: A Nightmare Unleashed
Chapter 2: A Nightmare Devoured
Chapter 3: A Failed First Impression

Prologue: A Boy From Another World

If there was ever an image or scenario you could associate with the word: Hell, what would it be?

Would it be the interpreted vision many believe you face after you die?

Would it be the fire that greets you after your retribution and penance is served?

Or perhaps it's seeing something that you love vanish before your eyes, while everything and everyone around you strays away. You are alone... You are in nothing but a wasteland, living only to survive, not thrive.

For one, there is nothing he could associate the word with more than watching the very home he grew up in burn, as the people he walked among its ground with be slaughtered and enslaved. All around him, buildings crumble and burn while two warring factions destroy one another down in the streets.

It's maddening, seeing all of this, and feeling every ounce of pain from it, only mere hours after witnessing the death of a family.

One could say the situation is ridiculous.

A child, no older than fifteen, and barely a teenager, leading a revolution against a controlling organization that destroyed the peace and tranquility of a nation split into four districts.

And that very same child able to use everything to learn, and grow too quickly for his own health only to fight another perhaps a year or two older than him. It was preposterous...

And yet, here we are, amongst the very institution of creativity and unity that started it all.

The sound of rain beating down on concrete and glass was heavy as a raging storm passed over a smoke-spewing city of fire and brimstone. Through the storm, screams and battle cries littered the streets. Each and every block had at least one or two creatures fighting each other, using primitive and advanced techniques to draw blood and gouge their lives away.

On one side, an armada of soldiers and people enhanced with cyber-like technology and metal attempting to retain control over the land.

On the other, a band of tribesmen and crime families rising up to desperately take back their home.

And in the midst of it all, on top of that very same institution, the leaders, the two intelligent children, stood, using the same weaponry to bring this attrition to an end. Their battle held the most tension. Back and forth they went, trading blows and fighting restlessly to get the advantage. One moment ahead, and the next behind.

When they finally had the moment to catch a breath, the Controller had the Inventor held high into the air, his hand clasped around his throat.

"Your struggle is pointless... We have already won..."

The Controller's crimson eyes glared up at the blazer-clad teenager, squeezing his throat as his adversary grasped onto his wrist in vain. Adorned on the Controller was some sort of suit. Streams of metal and wire that connected together and powered some sort of generator on his back. With the Inventor, his arms had various things strapped to them, all combined to pull back and release large gusts of pressure via the pistons that would shoot forward.

Both weapons were worn and used, their chipped edges and rough damage showing that this battle had gone on well into the night.

"The vulnerable stare your nation was in now only invited an attack."

The Controller turned the Inventor towards the burning city, the two of them looking out at the glowing orange hues of the fire.

"While your focus has been on saving your home, my forces have already acted and accumulated themselves within every major governmental power on this planet. They are near to completing their assigned tasks, and once they've reported back, the combined force of all military powers will be unleashed, and the Predonum's true purpose will be fulfilled..."

He turned the Inventor back to him.

"With no one left to challenge my organization, there will be no more wars. Everything will bend to my heel, and we will all live under one major superpower. Security, and a future, over pointless freedom."

The Inventor squinted open his eyes, his hazel-blue orbs looking down at the Controller's crimson ones. Subtly bringing his arm up, he let the makeshift gauntlet on his left arm pulse forward, sending a torrent of compressed air at his face. With a short stagger, the Controller's grip was loosened, allowing the Inventor to kick himself free and slide away from the newest leader of the Predonum. Rubbing his throat, and coughing out the blood scratched out from his larynx, he repositioned his glasses.

"Your ambition won't come to pass! I won't let others suffer the same way I did!"

He grasped the homemade weapons on his arms, tightening them as he clenched his fists.

"I'm willing to risk EVERYTHING to stop you!"

The Controller's glare hardened as he took off his tailcoat, the seventeen-year old tossing it aside to reveal more of the metallic, technological suit underneath.

"Then face me! One! Last! Time!"

As this nation raged with war and violence, another within a separate plain of reality altogether was quiet. The air was brisk, just barely coming out of Winter and into Spring. The wildlife was beginning to arise from their hibernation, and the residents of this said nation were beginning to become active outside once more, cleaning up the mess of Winter and readying themselves for the warm weather once more.

This nation was one of many oddities, and different names as well. The Kingdom of Harmony is said to be the central reference to this country called Equestria.

This Kingdom was not managed by the same creatures the Controller and the Inventor were a part of. These techno-colored beings took on a more... animalistic image. Equine features graced their images, and their species is known by many as Ponies. They were not exclusive to this, as other countries outside of Equestria had species that resembled, talked, and organized like human beings, but showed reptilian, avian, and hybrid traces of mythical entities. Within the Kingdom, Ponies worked together to achieve the harmony Equestria was supposed to be known for. For hundreds of years, maybe even more, they have come together to make a diligent effort, even after the latest plague wiped out an entire sex from their history.

Yes, this planet was known to only show signs of female intelligence. The male populace of these Ponies, Dragons, Griffons, and so forth died upon a plague twelve centuries before the modern day. Despite this, they had the tools to recover. An arcane means of survival that was learned, mastered, and shared to everyone across the planet.

Magic.

Using this, the creatures were reproduced in same sex marriages, the mixture of two organisms' magical makeup producing offspring just the same as if it were the natural way. This is how they survived. All of them.

But two monarchs were unhappy, unsatisfied. They wished for the next era of Equestria to be theirs to lead. Quite frankly, they really wanted to rule the Kingdom altogether, biding their time to formulate the perfect plan, and after decades of planning, they may have just found a way.

One of them, disguised under a white coat of fur and a golden regal dress and ornament, pointed her finger at the grass before her. The horn that jutted out of the top of her forehead, a trait unique to the Unicorn race of Ponies here in Equestria, glowed an ominous golden-green. The magic ran down to the female amazon's finger and she began to trace a shape.

First a circle, then a line through the middle, and finally a letter written in the olden style of language.

The other monarch, whom cast a heavy smog with her natural shadows, illuminated her horn a ghastly, and haunting, cobalt blue. Pouring the energy into the circle, the grass around it began to glow, and the trace began to sizzle. Their plan was going smoothly thus far.

Now, all they needed to do, was wait.

The Inventor launched himself forward once again, having been knocked back by the Controller's impeccable defense. That suit he was wearing was enhancing his movement and agility while also strengthening his punches and kicks.

The Inventor cursed himself for not having picked one of these suits from the many factories he's led the revolution of tribesmen and crime families towards. Maybe, if he had one of them, and tinkered with it, he could have combined it with everything he had and knew, and defeated the Controller with ease.

But he can't dwell on that now. He was here, and he wasn't going anywhere. it's either fight or die, and the Inventor didn't see any way to analyze the Controller's fight pattern and retreat for a tactical advantage. All he had for the weapons he's already made and strapped to his forearms, and that was fine.

Pressurized punches were better than normal ones.

Throwing his left fist forward with an exerting effort, the pressurized wind flew past the Controller as he sent his own into the Inventor's back. Hitting the roof, then spinning rapidly as he bounced, the Inventor was saved from going off the edge of the skyscraper only by the small ledge that poked up from the side. Shaking his head of the daze, he sat up, glaring back at the Controller as he found him right on top of him, ready to strike again.

Widening his eyes, the Inventor dove back, letting the Controller smash out the ledge while he skidded back to safety. Jumping at each other again, the Inventor's eye glinted as he spotted a shift in the Controller's leg. Stopping himself, he quickly leaped to his right, canceling his opponent's fake-out and pressure-punching him back to the center of the roof. Seeing the Controller recuperating, the Inventor reeled up both his arms, pulling back the pistons on his arms as far as they could go. Slamming them into the roof, the flooring gave way, and the two young men fell with the debris to the level below. The pressure sent by the makeshift weapons, however, flung all the massive chunks of rock towards the Controller.

Bouncing off and kicking through the smaller pieces as he descended, the Controller was left wide open for the Inventor to tackle him in mid-air, taking them over the side of the small skyscraper and sailing towards another building.

Keeping himself on top, the Inventor reeled back his fist again and threw it down, giving the Controller that extra push to slam through several flights of the building next to the Predonum headquarters. Falling after him, he expected his enemy to be buried beneath all that he took down with him, but the knee colliding with his gut told him otherwise. Gagging out a wad of blood as he flew off the second building, the Inventor scraped his foot down the side the Predonum headquarters and bounced off to street level when he was low enough. He would admit, he felt some muscles ache and some bones rattle upon touching down, but as his dad always told him: tuck and roll. It softens the landing... sometimes.

Getting back to his feet, the Inventor looked up, seeing the Controller coming down from the building himself, landing on the other end of the block. Taking a breath, the two of them ran at each other, pouncing off the pavement when they built enough momentum. Bringing them attacks together, their fists collided, and sent a shockwave outwards. Knocked back from the blow themselves, they used what was around them to fling themselves back at each other to keep the fight going. With each pass, another wave of might shook the windows around them. One would punch or kick towards the other, resulting in that wave as they guarded or parried to repost.

The Inventor was the next to strike, but instead of blocking, the Controller ducked to the side, fixing to retaliate while the Inventor was surprised. This turned out to be a moot maneuver, as the Inventor put up his other arm and backpedaled with the hit he took. Keeping his arm up, he awaited the Controller to approach, then punched him into the ground, head-first. Raising up his boot, he hit nothing but dirt as his opponent jumped to the side, then came back to kick him in the jaw. Spinning with the momentum, the Inventor pressure-punched the Controller back once more, and as they were about to collide again, both attacks missed their marks, and accidentally squared them in the face equally.

Flying past each other and crashing either onto a car or into a light post, they were slow to get back up, one of them even fall off the car and onto the ground. Shaking and quivering from the damage taken, the Controller's suit began to spark and fidget with its power on the back while the Inventor had to take off one of the weapons tied to his wrist. Left crippled on both sides, only the Controller had a way to recover from his new disability in the suit.

Opening up a panel on the front, he pressed three buttons on the inside, sending a signal back to the headquarters he ran. Looking up as the last satellite attached to the side lit up with a bright red beacon, power began to transfer like battery life from the building into the Controller's damaged suit, jumpstarting several systems while the Inventor struggled to get onto his feet.

Left on a knee, and unable to continue, he hissed out more blood, dripping it from his lip, as he stared up at the man who ruined his home, his family, and his livelihood. With all that power going into his suit, he knew he couldn't salvage this fight, not now. He had nothing to regenerate his own wounds from, or help him walk and run like the Controller did. He was much more advanced, and that always had the Inventor at the mark of defeat.

Only one in ten different scenarios saw him coming out on top, and when he rolled the dice, it was clear he didn't make the gamble turn to his favor.

With a burst of energy coming from the battery on the back of the suit, the Inventor smacked up against the car behind him, groaning as more red liquid bled from his head.

Slinging himself off the hood, his arm hung over it as he wearily blinked at the Controller, who was now walking towards him with a glowing red mechanical suit encasing his body. The metal had to have been hot. There's no way it wasn't, and yet, it didn't faze his adversary, especially after sustaining all those wounds during the fight they had.

The Controller strode towards him, taking one step at a time slowly as to not push himself. Behind him was his army, the members that blindly followed his ideal of false unity under an iron influence. As he drew near to his last obstacle to the new world, he uttered out with the slightest strain in his voice.

"You never stood a chance to begin with... Not now, nor when you first opposed me."

He ushered around him, once again ushering to the destruction caused by this feud.

"All of your attempts to escape my grasp have failed, just as your attempts to stop me have failed... And now..."

He gently grasped his enemy's shirt, lifting him up into the air.

"You will be buried along with this pathetic revolution."

*SHING-!!!*

A sharp blade shot out from the wrist of the suit that overlapped his knuckle. Tossing the Inventor into the air, the Controller aimed for his head, then struck like a viper.

*SPLETCH-!!!*

The blade dove straight into the Inventor's cranium, carving up his left cheek and barely missing his eye before the steel dug deeper into his skull, just barely grazing his brain by mere millimetres. Despite the shock and trauma... the Inventor lived, and was horrified to, as when he was thrown over the Controller and onto the ground, he couldn't move a muscle, nor even blink correctly. He only watched as they brought forth the leader of the tribe he recruited, restraining her by her arms as the snapped spear she wielded was thrown down beside the Inventor.

The Controller looked her over before chuckling, his laughter rising into hysteria as he zipped to her and gashed the wristblade right through her jugular. Sawing in and out violently as he laughed, the sprinkles of red splashed onto the Inventor's face, his fingers twitching as he tried to do something, anything...!

But it was no use. His body couldn't move. His joints wouldn't respond. He could only lay there, helpless to fend for himself or save anyone else. The tribal woman was yanked free from the blade and slammed onto the ground, her corpse sliding up next to the freedom fighter as the Controller stood victorious over the two of them.

"Ah... I can't think of a more fitting end for you, my adversary. You, who has watched his whole family receive humiliating and painful deaths, follow them to Oblivion. It's funny, really... After all..."

The Controller kicked over the tribal woman's body.

"Is there anything more painful than seeing those you love die?"

The Inventor's eye twitched as the brimming grief and swelling hatred pumped a single ounce of adreniline back into his body. Utilizing his chance, he used his newfound strength to struggle up onto his knees. Grabbing the part of the spear with the bladed tip, the Inventor turned to the Controller, who was walking away with his army in front of him. Seeing the battery on his back, he knew only one way to end this now. If he was going out...

*GASH-!!!*

He was taking the Controller with him.

The army spun around as they heard the creaking of metal and sparking of live and loose wires. High voltage surged from the battery pack on the suit as the bladed tip came out of the Controller's chest. The Inventor couldn't hear much due to the trauma he sustained, but he could swear he heard the sound of the Controller's screams just seconds before his suit exploded, and all that power erupted outwards, eviscerating the army before him, and blasting the Inventor backwards.

KRRRAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-!!!!!!!!!

"Yes..."

The white amazon felt it. A surge of energy that writhed with a certain level of negativity. An entity, a morsel, that embraced the darkness that they have as well. His feats were impressive... No, they were more than impressive.

They were perfect.

The amazon shrouded in shadows lifted up her hand, feeling that negative air and sensing the accomplishments of their selected target. A cunning soul that has made something from nothing, and was able to band together even the most hardcore of rivaling families. To top that off...

He also won a war, at such a young age.

Both monarchs glanced at each other and grinned. They had found their catalyst. With their wills set on the symbol etched into the grass, they stepped back as the magic they've culminated reached through space, nabbing the soul of this individual, and pulling him here, to their world. The white monarch mad absolutely sure, double and triple checking, that the ritual would work as intended. In order for the utmost minimum resistance, they had to ensure that he remembered nothing from his past. They would forge a story for his origins later, but for now, they had to focus on simply getting him here.

As the ritual was nearly complete, the symbol began to glow more and more brightly. So much so that the entity of shadows had to retreat, and the one covered in white fur put a hand up to block the light.

The aftershock of a devastating explosion came with the creature that they summoned. Such a powerful force of combustion sent even them backwards. Setting up a small barrier, the white amazonian monarch awaited the blast to pass before lowering it and returning her attention to the spot she and her companion cast the forbidden summoning spell.

As per to her instruction, the magic had been cast, and reeled in the subject they so desired.

"How marvelous... The ritual worked...!"

The shadowy mare returned, eyeing the younger, collapsed figure with curious, glowing green eyes.

"Interesting... This creature is quite ancient in the scriptures of Equestria. I remember seeing something like him in the Crystal Empire Archives back when I was still on the throne. I believe they call this thing a... human"

The white mare rose an eyebrow at this, but shook it off as the "human" before her was injured, and bleeding out by the second. Kneeling down in front of it, she lifted up his head, grimacing at a nasty head wound that only the sharpest and finest of blades could cleave. The fact that SHE winced at it was a testimony to how grave and precise the cut was.

"The human is injured. I doubt he will make it back before he withers his life force away."

She summoned a screen in front of her, which aimed at the human's chest and showed his heartbeat. As the minutes went by, the heartbeat slowed with his breathing. The other monarch, watching with curious eyes, had an idea pop in her head.

"We have seen this human's wavelengths, and how much negativity is stored within his mind, his soul, and his heart."

"Yes. And?"

The mist around the mare flowed like a stream towards the human's slack jaw, seeping into his mouth and down his throat. As it sank into his inners and reached his chest, his heart began to glow a bright purple.

"If I can tweak it just right, and give this little morsel the right push,I can turn all that negative emotion into physical magic. His body will heal naturally, and he will be spared of dea-"

*C-CRICK-!!!*

The human's body flinched inward as his body convulsed, his eyes opening and arms pulsating as he began to writhe in place. The white mare, backing away, glared at her companion.

"You fool! What did you do?!"

"W-What is this?! This is not magic! It can't be!"

"My fellow Queen! What have you done?!"

The two backed up again as the prowess the shadow pony unleashed burst from the human's body as a light show of purple and black. Bolts of electrical magic arced from the human as he began to flail and flop around more wildly, his cries of pain turning to gurgling, vibrating howls of growling, like a distorted Timberwolf backed into a corner with a broken leg.

As the human flipped onto his back, his howling turned to a full-blown roar of anger and hatred as the magic the monarch unveiled poked and prodded at his chest. In one swift moment, that power exploded from his chest, sending flesh and some sort of black ooze everywhere.

Not wanting to get it on them, the two royals retreated once again, watching as it all seemed to slither and attach to the young human's body. The said human continued to flip and freak out, gnashing his jaws and slapping the ground with every turn as the ooze covered his body. The more it did, the more it seemed to change. The liquid became some sort of amorphous goo, taking shape around the human as if it were a template. Rows upon rows of teeth, some of which protruding from areas that weren't even inside the human's mouth, made themselves present as the body grew bulkier, and taller. Way, WAY taller.

The white amazon grew slightly fearful and worried as the folly of her companion had not only unlocked, but amplified a series of grief and hate so powerful that it rivaled her own. It showed, because the bigger and stronger those emotions are, the same traits apply to the magic within.

And this thing stood ten feet tall, at least.

"You halfwit! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

She backed up as the sludge had two misshaped eyes open at the head of the now-humongous abomination.

"Curse you! DAMN you! Because of your mistake, we have to retreat!"

"Retreat? I hardly think so. We can still-"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!"

The two turned back to the newly-formed beast as it ripped open a mouth onto its face, showing where the rest of the teeth that sank into the ooze went. A long, snake-like tongue lashed out as the creature's body tensed, tendrils spewing from every angle of its upper body.

To be quite honest, such hatred and anger could even scare the two monarchs standing before it.

The two monarchs, without even thinking nor hesitating, turned tail and either seeped through the shadows, or flashed away in a quick blink of a light. They dared not try to capture the human, nor lure him away into their clutches now. The shadow mare's mistake had cost them the chance to renew the long-lost male demographic of their dominion, and thus, they have pull back and rethink their plan.

As for the creature, its gurgling and growls continued as it fell over onto its claws and knees, panting hoarsely as its own body leaked onto the forest floor. For a moment, the human had his mind intact. It felt as if he was still in control, and his body was only covered by a physical representation of his resentment and vexation. When he first saw those claws in front of him... he didn't know what to think.

Then came a sharp pain, like an alarm. Not so much a growl, but a pang, as if you have a headache in your stomach. It was... It was hunger, but not the typical hunger that required food to satiate. This... This required something else.

His mind felt as if it warped, and his attention was drawn to the noises coming from the northern ends of this forest. His mind raced as to the possibilities. Noise equals civilization; civilization means people, and people... people...

"Huuuuuunnnggeeeerrrrr..."

People meant food. The Inventor stood up, struggling slightly with the new weight that has been put into his body as a consequence for the larger mass and muscle. Each step he took forward sounded like a curb stomp someone had to put their all into, and his vision sometimes blurred as he neared the delicious scents of other animals. They smelled... They smelled like horses, but... but they were delectable nonetheless.

His warped mind would enjoy acquiring his food. His tongue snaked out of his horrific maw as he reached the edge of the forest. Staring into the town, he spotted several figures wandering about towards the center of town. What were they? Their figures don't match other humans? They have cute little muzzles, and some were... flying? He even saw horns sticking outta their foreheads.

What the hell was going-

"Huuuunngeeerrrr..."

He felt the pang in his stomach again, this time worse than before, as his misshaped eyes glared forward, his tongue lapping across his teeth as his more sinful urges clouded his vision, and warped his mind further. Taking his first step out of the foliage...

"Feeeeeeeeed..."

He made his way towards the town.

Chapter 1: A Nightmare Unleashed

The night before the Summer Sun Celebration was a time to behold. For everypony around Equestria, it was a time to prepare and start early celebrations for the longest day of the year, and the point in time when the Mare in the Moon was sealed away in... well, the moon.

Ponyville was the finest example of these kinds of festivities. A town known for partying with the added bonus of the party pony herself. Fit with DJs, a party animal, and several free spirits, the Town Hall was stuffed full of mares who were ready to light things up. This year was special to them, as it was the first time in history that the Princess of the Day: Princess Celestia, rose the sun ceremoniously in Ponyville.

They had to make sure this was perfect, not only for themselves, but for the height of royalty.

As Ponies wandered the dark night, a lone mare turned off onto her baron block, going down to refill her bucket full of carrots at her home. As she wandered, she could feel a bit of... uneasiness in the air, as if she weren't the only one at this part of Ponyville. Her expression became more and more unnerved as she approached her home.

*clink...!*

The pale-goldenrod mare jumped when a can of vegetables fell from the alley beside her house, the canister rolling out and tapping her foot. Eyeing it suspiciously, she turned back to the dark shadows of the passageway and tried to find anypony inside. It was strange, seeing it so dark. None of the other alleyways were pitch black like this, so why was the one beside her house so dark.

"Hhhhhhhrrrrrr... Hhhhhhhrrrrrr..."

That was the moment she realized she was staring down a dark alley, but instead staring at the stomach of a creature twice her size. Seeing a white light at the top of her vision, she followed it up to find the oddly-shaped eyes of a horrifying monster staring back at her. Its body oozed and drizzled with some sort of black substance, and its teeth and writhing tendrils did NOT spell friendly. Dropping her empty bucket, she backed away from the monster, gulping down a lump in her throat as the thing hissed at her.

"U-Uh... P-Please, I-"

*LASH-!*

The mare didn't have any time to speak, nor react, as four tendrils shot from the darkness, snatching her up and swiftly pulling her into the alleyway. Her screams were short, turned to muffled cries as the creature absorbed her into its chest, bringing her into the suit worn around the human and violently sapping her of sustenance. Her magical nutrients were devoured quickly, and upon being spat out, she flopped onto the dirt, now looking anorexic and more pale than she did before.

The morbid beast that was the human stepped out, looming over the mare before stepping over her. She was a nice first course appetizer, but he was still hungry. The pang remained in his stomach as he attempted to sniff out more of these... anthropomorphics. Jogging down the dirt street, the human pushed himself into the air, going higher than he'd expected with just a simple leap. With the air he took upon jumping, he easily arced over several blocks of this town. Slamming down on top of a house, the monster shook the shingles off as he walked to the edge. Grasping the side of the roof, his eyes blinked and reshaped as he surveyed the land for more food.

"I know! It's so sad, isn't it?"

He perked up and turned to the left, watching as two younger "Ponies" walked down the street beside the house. One was of a light pink coat with a tiara on her head. The other was a dull grey with sky blue glasses on her muzzle.

"It totally is! Those Blank Flanks actually thought they could get their Cutie Marks by doing that!"

"What a bunch of losers!"

The human tilted his head at the terminology they used.

'Blank Flanks? Cutie Marks?'

He hissed as his stomach demanded more nutrients. Not caring that they were children, he leaped from the house and slammed down behind them. Both spun around, but only one was able to scream and run while the other, the pink one, was swallowed up into the behemoth's ooze. With his front gurgling and bubbling, he fed off of the little one's essence before tossing her aside, moving on to chase down the next target. Jumping to the side of a house, he clawed his way up, leaving behind marks and broken windows as he reached the top. The greatest scent of food was coming from further into town. Looking off in the said direction, he could see a tall structure in the center of this large village of neighborhoods.

All of the tasty, defenseless snacks were gathering there.

"Huuuuuunnnngeeeerrrr..."

Twilight Sparkle made her way into Town Hall the first moment her Dragon Assistant: Spark notified her of the oncoming sunrise. Having stayed up all night thanks to the rowdy behavior of her crazy neighbors, Twilight was ready to get this over with and go back to a long-awaited sleep.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, crossing her arms under her bosom, she awaited for the ceremony to start in peace.

Or she would, if it weren't for a familiar hyperactive pink Pony speeding up to her size.

"Isn't this exciting?! Are you excited because I'm excited! I've never been more excited!"

She bounced in place as Twilight watched with her a blank expression, not sure yet how to react to this mare. Seriously, does she snort the good shit when nopony's looking? What is WRONG with this sugar-loaded party element?

She took a step back as the mare, who earlier in the night introduced herself as Pinkie Pie, froze.

"Well... Actually, the one other time I saw you walking into town and I was like-"

*GAAAAASP*

"-but who can really top that?"

Twilight had her head craned away in surprise with a look that said: holy crap, what are you on? Turning away from the crazy Pony as the ceremony began, the purple bookworm looked up towards the balcony where her mentor and teacher: Princess Celestia. With the bird singing in harmony with the trumpets, the mayor of Ponyville stepped out onto the stage below the balcony, addressing everypony in the room with an excited smile.

"Fillies and Mares! As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

The crowd cheered around Twilight as the paranoid Unicorn looked up towards the skylight. Her fears and worries about a certain Mare in the Moon had been itching her thoughts for the last few hours, and the more she stared at the moon, the more she felt like it was staring back. The stars seemed to drift towards it as well, four in particular approaching from all directions. Pursing her lips, she turned back to the ceremony as Mayor Mare cast her hand up to the balcony above her.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!"

One last glance at the moon made Twilight double at it. The Mare in the Moon, the emblem etched into it. It... It was gone! And so were the stars!

'Oh no...'

She turned back to the balcony as a sense of dread emanated from behind it.

"And now, it is my great honor to introduce the ruler of our land, the very Pony that gives us the Sun and the Moon each and every day: Princess Celestia!"

Twilight turned up to the balcony as another mare she met and introduced herself to, a fashionista named Rarity, tugged the rope for the curtain down, and cast them aside. As the spotlights cast next to her, she, along with everypony else, was confused.

Princess Celestia wasn't there, and with her absence, Twilight's fears only grew. Mayor Mare blinked at this predicament herself, turning back to the crowd as they were getting antsy by the second.

"Remain calm, everypony. There must be a delay or something of the sort. I'll head back and-"

*hhhhhhhhh...*

A chilling breeze passed through the room as a band of abnormal smoke rolled in after it. Working its way inward, the oddly-blue haze swirled around the location of where Celestia was supposed to stand, and created a small cyclone to mask the entrance of a new, darker royal.

Materializing before the mares of Ponyville, a tall, voluptuous figure stood before them. A mare that was on equal height with the Princess of the Day, but with fur blacker than tar. On her arms and legs were gauntlets and high-heels forged with the same metal that constructed the armor for the Canterlot Royal Guard, and her generous chest and head were adorned with a chestplate and helmet of the same kind. her mane was but the same hazing, starry smoke that swept throughout the room, and her cobalt blue eyes were slitted at the irises, giving a predatory stare to her gaze.

Two wings, ones not native to Equine Pegasi, flared out. They resembled bat-like protrusions, but with feathers on the interior of their leathery makeup. A single, long Unicorn horn poked through the helmet, sticking up at the same length as Celestia's. With both this, and the wings, it was of little doubt that this Pony was a part of the race that proved to be the most powerful amongst the Pony species.

She was an Alicorn, and a much darker one than Celestia.

Her eyes scanned the Ponies before her, a cold glare making everypony shiver.

"How... interesting... It seems my time away has not shown much progress in terms of advancements to our culture. Here I thought a thousand years would bring much more change."

She pursed her lips before giving a low chuckle, which slowly turned into a maniacal cackle.

"Oh, my beloved subjects.~ It has been, oh, so long since I've bore witness to your sun-loving faces.~"

Rainbow Dash, a speedster Twilight also had the pleasure to meet, attempted to rush the Alicorn, only to be pulled back by the orange farm mare: Applejack.

"What did you do with our Princess!?"

"Simmer down, Rainbow! Don't go rushin' in willy nilly!!"

The dark mare rose an eyebrow at the rainbow-maned Pegasus.

"Oh? Your Princess, you say? You do not remember me? Is my crown not good enough for you?"

She sailed off the balcony, gliding over the Ponies in the Town Hall.

"Does my crown no longer count due to my absence? I suppose your memories would be short, considering you do not live eternally, but I have been imprisoned for a thousand years! Waiting, watching, and planning for my return."

She landed on the stage next to Mayor Mare, her mane swirling around the elder's neck and forcing her to look up into the terrifying Alicorn's eyes.

"Did you not recall the legend? Did you not SEE the signs?"

"I did!"

The mare's ear perked up as she turned to Twilight Sparkle, the prodigy student growing enough courage to glare back at her.

"I knew about you ever since I first read about your legend, and I know who you really are. You are the Mare in the Moon: Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon, again, rose an eyebrow as the room watched from the sidelines, the dark royal licking her lips as she smirked.

"Well, well, well. Somepony remembers me, after all, and I'm assuming you know WHY I'm here, yes?"

"I... You're going to..."

Nightmare Moon saw the look on Twilight's face and only widen her smile.

"Hmhmhmhm...~ Remember this day, little Ponies, for it will be your last. From this moment forward, the night shall last FOREV-"

*CRASH-!!!*

Nightmare Moon blinked as she heard the sound of the walls being broken down. A cart that was positioned outside for the Summer Sun Festival was thrown through the window, taking part of the wall with it and running down a few Ponies. She watched it come to a halt, then turned back to the hole as... something landed in front of it.

"HHHWWWWWWWUUUUAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

A beast of ten feet roared into the Town Hall, its hungry eyes glazing over everypony. Its body was made out of some sort magical sludge and teeth. To the Ponies, this creature was unknown to them, but to Nightmare Moon, she'd recognize that kind of ooze anywhere.

After all, it's the same color that coats and corrupts her own body.

The demon charged in after the mares, snatching one up into its enlarged hand by the head. Holding her in the air, it drooled a pool of grayed-out saliva. Four tendrils snaked from its chest, ready to snatch the poor victim up.

"Who dares interrupt my evil monologue?!"

The monster halted itself, keeping his grasp on the mare as he reeled to the side, glaring over his shoulder. Nightmare Moon stared back, unflinching and unwavering. The morphed human threw the mare away, slamming her into three more and knocking them all out cold.

"Huuuuuuunnnnngeeerrrrr... Feeeeeeed..."

Nightmare Moon took a step back to ready herself as the monstrous being of hate and anger lunged at her with surprising speed for one of its size. Phasing to the side, she made herself physical again and turned back to the creature. She gasped as it was on her again, smashing its fist into the side of her face and throwing her to the wall in an instant. The integrity of the wall Nightmare Moon collided with was cratered, cracking all around her sides as her helmet was shattered. With her mane flowing free, she hissed at the monster.

Disappearing into the floor as the beast tried to crush her with a ground pound from above, she swam up out of the shadows cast by her subjects as the monster inverted, turning itself around with its amorphous body. Coming at her again, Nightmare tucked her arms up, creating a magic shield on her right as this thing's giant fist came crashing down. With the barrier withering almost immediately, she noticed that the force of the punch caused a part of the floor on her left to blast away like leaves taken by a gust of wind. His hits were powerful, and if she knew this slime by any means, he was difficult to retaliate against, as every cut would just regenerate and fold together with ease.

Bending herself backwards to the right, she brought up her arm again, letting the venomous incarnation's other fist slide past her. Her eyes cast upwards when feeling danger come from its back. Two tendrils attempted to swipe her from below, making her limbo back and come forward, reinforcing her own strike with a collection of magic.

The beast reeled back upon feeling Nightmare's fist collide with his face, but the intellect and reflexes of the human within worked to his advantage. With his eyes glinting, he shot his head forward, headbutting Nightmare Moon onto her rump. He clasped both hands together and smashed the ground, the dark Pony once again avoiding his attacks by disappearing into the shadows and reappearing elsewhere. Finding her to be a little ways from the stage, he used his tendrils to boost him through the air and swing with both his right arm and three large, and sharp, tentacles.

Nightmare Moon ducked again, this time pivoting herself and kicking the monstrosity off-balance. Rolling away, she lifted herself off the ground with a flap of her wings and dropkicked the oozing abomination halfway across the main room of Town Hall. As he was driven through the floor, Ponies quickly diverted from his path, getting out of the way as to not be hit. One of which was Twilight herself, as she stepped back from the spot the monster skidded to a halt to and bounced back from.

She was confused, bewildered, and honestly really scared. She knew of Nightmare Moon, prepped her mind and soul for the fears and horrors SHE could bring, but what was with this other thing. This monster that dripped its own skin and flesh, and stood twice as tall as her, and perhaps a third more than Celestia herself. Such a terrifying thing with scary eyes and rows of sharp teeth and claws. She was only grateful that Nightmare Moon was in its sights and not her.

Though, one thing did perplex her. Its voice didn't sound feminine. True, some spells alter voices to disguise them, but in every which way, they always had that tone that identified them as such.

This creature did not.

*SLAM*

Twilight turned back to the fight as the giant predicted and acted upon Nightmare Moon's evasion tactics, actually LEARNING as they fought and grasping her by her leg when she came out of the shadows. Spinning around, he threw her through the tables topped with snacks and beverages, getting down on all-fours and sending to tentacles from his back at her.

Nightmare Moon's collision with the tables was instant, and before she could even recuperate, her opponent had her by the legs. Dragging her back to him, he hung her up in the air before him, punching her to the side and cracking open a window with her body. Grimacing at the pain, she yipped as he ensnared her by the arms, whirling her around and throwing her back into the same window. This time, she fell out of it, hitting the dirt with a loud *thump*. Pushing herself up, she knew she couldn't beat this thing, not here and now. She underestimated it, and got cocky with her own abilities too early. Transferring her essence back into her hazing smoke, she sailed out towards her prior objective area: the Everfree Forest.

The contorted human lunged out of Town Hall after her, slamming down on the path he threw her towards. Looking around when she wasn't there, he caught sight of her mane fleeing into the forest he awoke in. Growling as his meal got away, he turned back to the Ponies in Town Hall. He had to feed, NOW, because that fight not only damaged him, but made him even more hungry.

The closest Ponies he could get to were instantly swallowed up, forced into his body and fed on vigorously. Spitting them back out as drained husks, the human's stomach was half-full, and right now, that was enough to live off of when chasing after the dark Pony. He didn't know why he wanted her so badly. Something about her was... different. So alluring, so... inviting. Whatever magical power or essence she held, he wanted it, and he was willing to kill her for it.

Twilight rushed out of Town Hall as the monster fled the scene, giving chase after Nightmare Moon. She watched it as it leaped over several houses with a single jump, disappearing and escaping before she could even get a better look at it after the fight. Her interest in it was peaked the moment she saw it skid up to her in the fight, but now she deemed it as every bit of a threat as Nightmare Moon was.

Her evidence was as clear as day in the two mares that lay before her, one a mint green Unicorn and another being that candy store owner. Rainbow Dash flew past her, screaming for both the monster and Nightmare Moon to come back, but as expected, she was ignored by them.

Spark trotted up beside her elder sister figure, giving her a worried glance before following after her. Twilight, now running back towards her library, looked down at Spark as they neared the oak tree.

"Spark, I need you to find any and everything on that creature! Look in every shelf, top to bottom, even if the subject doesn't match it!"

Spark saluted her as they slammed open the door to Twilight's temporary living quarters, the two rummaging through the shelves frantically.

"Meanwhile, I need to find the Elements. Even a scripture from an old book would help...!"

Twilight let out a grunt of frustration as she tossed another book away.

"How am I supposed to defeat Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony...?"

"And what exactly ARE the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight spun around, looking back at her wide-open front door. Rainbow Dash hovered there, glaring at Twilight while the other four mares she met was behind her.

"And how exactly do YOU know so much about this? Something you ain't telling us, Twilight?"

Applejack thumped Rainbow on the side of her head as she fanned herself with her stetson hat.

"Cool yer jets, Rainbow. She ain't no spy."

She placed her hat back on her head as she eyed her newly-made friend.

"But y'all seem to know a lot about what's goin' on, don't you, sugarcube...?"

Twilight glanced at them all before sighing, ushering her female Dragon assistant to keep searching while she explained herself to the group.

"I read all about the predictions on Nightmare Moon. I knew when she'd appear, what she looked like, how she acted, but I never fully understood the means of which to defeat her."

Twilight cast a projection spell, showing six stones that floated before the six mares.

"Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are said to be the only things that can stop her. Thing is, I don't know what they are, where they reside, or even what they do."

"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide."

Twilight looked up at the tallest point of the shelves, seeing Fluttershy holding an old book, flapping her wings gently to sustain herself.

"Fluttershy? How did... How did you find...?"

The shy Pegasus hid behind her mane as she slowly descended, touching down before the adept spellcaster.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just heard you say Elements and saw the name on this book's spine. Your shelf is organized in alphabetical order, and this book was put in 'E' by mistake."

Twilight blinked at the cream-colored mare before shaking her head and flipping open the book.

"Alright, let's see... Elements... Elements... What do you do...?"

She flipped one page, then doubled back two when she thought she passed it. Smiling upon finding what she was looking for, she read it aloud.

"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known. Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, and Laughter. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the Elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Fore-"

*SLAM*

All occupants in the room jumped as something big hit the side of the library. Looking up at her window, she spotted the beast that invaded Town Hall, now attached to her window and growling off at something in the distance. Jumping after it, he made his way towards the forest Twilight mentioned, a gust of blue smoke trailing just ahead of him. Seeing him reminded Twilight of the other objective in returning to her temporary library.

"Spark, have you found anything?"

The purple Dragon puckered her lips as she scratched the side of her head.

"Nothing really of interest. I've seen a few events in the history books that could be important, but I'm not sure."

"Show me."

The Dragon lifted up the books she found her sources in, letting Twilight levitate them out of her grip and into the air before her. She flipped to the marked pages and saw a few key things of interest. One book showed a picture of a stallion, well before the plague wiped them out, standing in place and bending over, as if doubling in pain. His body was covered in that same substance that was on the monster she encountered, but in lesser mass. It seemed that this ooze worked as a suit of sorts.

Turning to the second book, she read into the marked event that happened a couple hundred years ago. A mare, filled with spite and hatred for somepony, presumably a mayor or a high official that took everything from her, was consumed by this ooze... Actually, no, she wasn't consumed. She created it. Generated it from the deepest pits of her heart... her soul. It was pure, unfiltered magic given an amorphous form that, according to the article, ran off of a ceaseless hunger for a type of magical energy that all beings on this planet emanate subconsciously. It's a powerful nutrient that is needed for most creatures to survive, such as Ponies, Griffons, and Centaurs. Oddly enough, some species like Yaks, Dragons, and even Diamond Dogs can survive having that essence leeched from them, though their nervous system and cognitive functionality in both their brain and body is impaired until the nutrients replenish naturally.

That mare became the same monster that invaded Town Hall, but even then, still, this incarnation was less threatening, less... violent. It was focused on the nutrients of a single target, and only after her revenge was fulfilled did satisfaction kill the ooze, and her hatred was let go.

The final book made Twilight's eyebrow raise. It was... notes. Published notes of an experiment that was tested by two Royal Scientists under the order of Princess Celestia. These two mares were doing vigorous research on this living sludge, trying to see what makes it tick, and Celestia knows what else. Judging by the notes, they were attempting to make a cure, but as their research progressed, they made more and more entries in the publicized journal that depicted their progress slowing to a halt. In the end, they abandoned their project, burning the ooze and destroying their research. Something scared them into ditching the whole thing, and Celestia approved of this abandonment of the project as soon as she found out what it was.

The details in the journal didn't show what exactly it was that made them back out and destroy everything, but if it spooked the Princess of Equestria, it had to be major. Something that could, potentially, threaten Equestria, and maybe the whole world.

But that's not where the journal entries ended. Another one was made, after a police report was filed for a crash of the first aerial chariot pulled by engines instead of Royal Guards.

There were four survivors in that crash, and they all reported seeing the same thing. A creature, a monster, made of slime. A Pony within a suit of horrors. One of them dubbed the creature Venom for its toxic behavior and poisonous hunger for living creatures, like a parasite leeching off of hosts one after the other.

That "Venom" creature was eventually subdued, and with overwhelming force, the secondary scientist that worked on the "Venom" suit was put down.

'Venom... That's what that thing is... but who's inside of it...?'

Twilight shook her head of any rambling thoughts. She had to focus. "Venom" can come after she has located the Elements of Harmony and saved the world from eternal night. Closing the books, and having a location, she ordered Spark to stay behind for safety's sake, wanting to keep her special Dragon assistant alive and out of harm's way as she ventures into unknown territory.

Stepping out into the night, she found that the other mares were tagging along, much to her chargin.

"Girls, I know you want to help, but I think it might be best for me to venture on alone from here."

Applejack rolled her eyes as she tugged on the thin brown jacket put on over her tank top.

"No can do, sugarcube. We ain't lettin' no friend of ours go into that creepy forest all by their lonesome."

She nudged Twilight as they all jogged towards the Everfree.

"We're sticking to ya like caramel on a candy apple.~"

Their protest made the purple Unicorn groan, but in all honesty, she was welcoming the company. Not only would going into a forest of unknown dangers alone be frightening, but facing Nightmare Moon AND "Venom" alone would most likely result in her death.

She'd much rather avoid that.

Following her newfound friends into through the treeline, she kept an eye out as her ears flicked to and fro, attempting to pick up any signs of the venomous project's feral howls, or even an abnormal gust of wind. Even in company, she was going to remain ever so vigilant, for Nightmare Moon would have definitely set up traps and trials along the way to the Castle of the Royal Sisters.

'I just hope none of them are lethal...'

Chapter 2: A Nightmare Devoured

"S-So... None of you have actually been IN the Everfree Forest?"

Twilight cast a paranoid glance behind her as she and her five friends wandered down a lone path that stretched inward towards the central areas of the forest. Through small talk, and even revealing some things she read about concerning this "Venom" creature, they had come to admit they'd never set foot anywhere near this dangerous maze of mysteries. Rarity, scoffing as she kept a hand held close to her chest, shivered as she passed by a raunchy-looking plant.

"Ah, heavens, no! Just look around, darling! This place is quite dreadful, no?"

Applejack nodded in agreement as she kept the lead, keeping an eye out for any movement that might intercept them.

"And this place sure as rain ain't natural."

"It's not... natural? What do you mean?"

Rainbow Dash did a quick lap around the group before coming to Twilight's left.

"This place has had a few rumors buzzing around it. Some are true, some are so bizarre that you might even laugh at them."

She pointed forward.

"But there isn't a single thing in this forest that works the same as everything else in Equestria. It's like it works off of its own magic. Even the clouds around here move on their own."

She made the same shiver Rarity did seconds prior, turning her finger up to the greyed tuft of pillowy substance as it hovered over them.

"Believe me when I say the weather Ponies ain't touching those kinds of clouds anytime soon."

Twilight gave her that. If the forest is so unpredictable, and worked off of magic unknown to the world, who knows what kinds of properties linger within. She knew this forest was dangerous just by looking at it from the outside, but now that she was inside its perimeter, she could feel the presence of Chaos Magic all around her, and maybe even hints of Dark Magic here and there. Nopony would dare ever collect samples from a forest that was seemingly alive, especially against its will.

Taking exception to the action would be an understatement if Rainbow's words held weight.

"Well, we shouldn't be here for no more than a night. Once we're done here, we can leave just as quickly. We only need to find the Elements of Harmony."

Rarity looked back at her as they turned on a cliffside, going from a forest setting to some rocky edges.

"And what about this- erm... "Venom" creature you speak? Even if find these Elements, and use them to stop that awful mare, what would we do about her?"

Twilight couldn't really answer her in a way that would reassure the fashionista. Truth is, she was dreading that question, as the last case of a "Venom" attack was dealt with by an extreme amount of offensive magic and a hail of blades and spears. It was a monster that, to many before her, was deemed too risky and too unsafe to the Kingdom, and had to be killed or subdued on sight.

The problem with that solution is Twilight was only a student. Sure, she was learning under the personal tutelage of Princess Celestia, but she knew her limits. She was a talented Unicorn, a spellcaster of a variety of powers, but she wasn't a soldier like her older sister: Gleaming Shield. She may NEVER be.

If they went up against "Venom" now, the oozing monstrosity would tear them all apart in seconds.

And speaking of which-

*SLAM*

The gang all jumped as the large body of the monster slammed down on the side of the cliffs above them, holding a dead rabbit in its jaws. Sucking down the nutrients in its body, the human inside let out a growl as he spat it out.

"Huuuuuungeeeeeerrrrr..."

"Venom" sniffed around, looking to and fro as the body parts of the rabbit fell past the girls and down the small mountain. Fluttershy, the animal lover that she is, gasped when seeing this, almost believing that this corpse was her little Angel bunny. She was grateful it wasn't, but that didn't stop her from fainting and falling over the side of the hill. Applejack tried to catch her, calling out to her as she collapsed over the edge.

"Fluttershy!!"

"Venom" turned his head down towards them, hissing as he found a group of victims to feed on. However, seeing the falling Pegasus made a part of his mind return to him. A promise held, a virtue kept.

Ignoring his hunger, he shifted his targeting gaze to the cream Pegasus, lunging off the side of the hill and soaring down towards her. The five conscious mares watched as the beast turned itself, snapping its claw into the side of the hill and slowing its descent. Grabbing onto Fluttershy's tail, the villainous abomination... saved her life. His sudden heroism made Twilight more invested in finding out just who was under that gooey mask of hatred and hunger. Her wonder turned to surprise as she was smacked in the face with Fluttershy's body, the mare being thrown back up as "Venom" leaped off, paying the six mares no further attention as his hunger-intensified senses managed to pick up that glorious scent of the dark mare.

Tailing after it, he disappeared into the trees below as the blue smoke was approaching the old castle in the distance.

The Inventor's mass and size crashed into the forest floor as he left the sentient horse people behind. With his hunger still prevalent, and his senses being overloaded by the smell of that starry-haired entity, he felt no need to feed on those six girls, especially the cream one he managed to sober up enough to save from falling to her death.

Despite being... this, and having yet to acknowledge whether or not this was real, the human still had his sense of promise, his word kept and his will strong. It was tough enough to keep the hatred at bay for a few seconds, and allow him to sedate the unique hunger with it. As soon as he was done with his rescue op, however, the anger returned, and he set off again. Sprinting through the forest, the human was determined to find the smoke. He felt so close to it, yet so far away. He wanted it. He needed it. He was going to chase it for as long as he needed to in order to finally feed on something worthy to be called dinner.

Of course, with every quest, there are obstacles, and one more stopped him in his tracks as he came out to a clearing.

"MMMMRRRRREEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHWWWW!!!!"

The human tilted his head as he eyed the thing that stopped him. it appeared to be a lion, but with odd hybrid appendages. The most notable were the scorpion tail, and the bat wings.

'A Manticore...?'

The Inventor took a step back as the large cat had him in its sights, not as prey, but as a rival. Flying towards him with a powerful flap of its bat-like wings, the hybrid myth swiped at him with its large claws. Dodging to the side, the monster of hatred wrapped his tendrils around the more natural predator to this forest. He couldn't feed on this morsel. It was too big to be absorbed, so he only had the option of putting it down the old fashioned way.

Keeping his tentacles looped around the cat's neck and arms, another one jabbed through its stomach while they violently twisted and turned, breaking the creature's bones and puncturing a plethora of organs at once. The kill was instant, and he made sure that the feline didn't suffer. He didn't like killing things like this, but when he is in the right mind, and his hand is forced, he has the decency to ensure it doesn't feel its oncoming death.

Dropping the large cat back onto the ground, the maw of the human's outer appearance chittered before his head moved to the direction of the scent. Feeling his stomach throb, the Inventor moved and approached another nearby clearing. This one had some sort of ruined stone structure within it. It looked like a castle that had been abandoned for years, perhaps even decades or centuries. He marveled at the fact that something so old was still standing, even if it was taken over by the elements of nature. Sensing the presence of that darkness inside, he lunged onto the side of the structure and made his way up.

Nightmare Moon was having an... interesting first night back.

She had all but anticipated the moment of her return. Seeing the faces of her subjects looking upon her with terror. She knew her crown meant nothing to them, and as long as they had their precious Sun Princess around, they wouldn't accept her as the Alicorn they desired.

But with her plans in motion, Celestia and Nightmare switched places. She would forever be trapped, alone and watching from afar as Nightmare Moon made the appropriate changes to the Kingdom that rejected her.

It was all going smoothly, save for the addition of something new.

Before she became who she was, she had been around for the incident that was caused by the Canterlot Royal Scientists' new project. Simply dubbed: Venom, the ooze that was drenched in negativity, and amplified to the tenth degree, was studied and rigorously experimented on. The hopes that spurred in Celestia and their subjects was to find a way to rid Ponies of ever creating such a substance from their magical makeup. Everypony was susceptible, and this "Venom" was a disease.

They made the mistake of treating it as one, too. The "Venom" ooze was not a substance to cure, but to control. Nightmare Moon was one of few who have been corrupted by this "Venom", but she was only doused with a drop of the amorphous magic, and thus, was able to control it despite the effects it had on her mind.

But that... thing. Whoever that was within that little village's Town Hall contained enough hatred, sadness, and apathy to become a creature much darker than Nightmare Moon admitted to be. To an extent, she was still as every bit as benevolent as Celestia, just of a different light. That "Venom" monster that chased her throughout the Everfree Forest was like a wild animal, a relentless hunter that sought to find her with an endless resolve, and she knew what the mare inside wanted.

Her focus was not on that suited Pony. As every bit of a threat as the "Venom" chasing her was, the ever more present danger to her plans are the Artifacts that defeated her, and banished her to the moon the first time.

The Elements of Harmony.

Before her sat the five ancient stones that held the empowered gems inside.

"Finally... With these destroyed, my reign over Equestria can begin, and nothing will stand between me and the empty throne."

She lifted up her heel, cracking it down into the floor and drawing a fissure to the five stones. With the ground opening up underneath them, dark jets of blue-tinted magic fired from the crevices, damaging the stones and eventually...

*C-CRIIIACK-*

*SHATTER*

Destroying them. With the shards falling to Nightmare Moon's feet, she grinned ominously, staring up at the moon as she felt her royal adversary staring back. Laughing out into the night, she relished in her victory. Now she was the ruler of Equestria. She was the one Ponies will look up, and no one, not even the Royal Guard, will do or say anything that will-

*CRASH*

Nightmare Moon spun around immediately upon hearing something large land inside the old throne room. Turning and facing the creature she was dwelling her thoughts on, she gave a narrowed gaze as the hungry eyes of the "Venom" monster glared back at her.

"KIIIIIILLLLL yooooou..."

Nightmare Moon tensed as her wings flared out as an act of intimidation. She said nothing, for no words nor conversation would slow the beast down. No sense in a monologue over her enemy's defeat if she perishes in the process.

"DESTRRRROOOOYYYY yooooou...!"

"There it is...!"

Twilight and the gang finally managed to get off of the rocky hillside after their close encounter with the "Venom" creature. With Fluttershy being carried by Applejack, the five were crossing over a bridge that led down to another platform that stemmed up from the forest floor. Upon it was part of the Castle of the Two Sisters, and it appeared to be the main entrance inside.

Using their combined efforts to open the doors beyond the rickety bridge, the five stood before a pedestal that had five chambers sticking out from the base. Residue of touched stone was left behind in the cups within, and the whole thing looked to have been left inactive for a long, long time.

Applejack, setting Fluttershy down, motioned to the mechanism.

"Well? C'mon, now, Twilight. This is what y'all were lookin' fer, wasn't it?"

Twilight walked to the front of the group, blinking at the machine as something seemed... missing. It wasn't until she thought back to the book she read about this machine did she realize what it was.

"The stones... Where are the Elements of Harmony?!"

The other mares perked up, not realizing what was missing either until their lavender companion pointed it out. They looked around the room, hoping that they just fell off and rolled somewhere.

*flash-!*

A bright light, lasting no longer than a second, was emitting from the next tower over. Twilight, catching it, doubled back to the window looking up to it. Another flash, this time of a different colored light.

That had to be where the Elements were.

"Girls! Over there!"

The others turned to Twilight, looking out the window themselves before following the Unicorn up to a higher level. Fluttershy was being carried again, slowly coming to as they made their way back outside onto a passageway from one tower to the next. A short whimper of fear from the height and intimidating decor made Applejack perk up, and let the shy Pegasus down. Coaxing her into following them, the six were led to another chamber in the old castle by several flashed of light, all varying in color and intensity. Making their way inside, they stopped almost immediately when the walls on their left were smashed open, Nightmare Moon sailing through the room to the other open window on their right while "Venom" was hot on her tail. The six friends kept their distance and remained hidden as they took their fight back outside, allowing them space to find the Elements of Harmony.

"Alright, everypony. Look around. Leave no stone unturned. We have to find them, and quickly."

They nodded back before commencing their search, going to every part of the room, high and low, and checking over everything. As they went about the room, the flash occurred again. This time, however, they happened nearby each mare. Rainbow, being the closest, followed that light to a part of the wall. That flash came again, and the residue of it remained, illuminating some sort of quote upon the wall.

[Loyalty is a feature in a character that inspires boundless hope.]

[Loyalty is hard to find.]

[Trust is easy to lose.]

[Actions speak louder than words.]

[Your Loyalty to a person should not be based on the time you have known a person, but rather on how the person has treated you during the duration of your friendship.]

Rainbow Dash squinted as she read over the constantly-changing line of dialogue that burned into the stone. As the last one went by, an imprint appeared below it.

A handprint...

Narrowing her eyes with uncertainty, she hesitantly lifted up her hand and pressed it into the stone where the glowing mark was.

Applejack was next to find hers. On the far right of the throne, she found her color calling to the walls behind it.

[Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.]

[Honesty is often very hard.]

[The truth is often painful.]

[But the freedom it can bring is worth trying.]

[Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it will always get you the right ones.]

Applejack placed her hand on the palm print when it appeared, being less hesitant that Rainbow Dash was. Despite her growing nerves etching her backwards, she wasn't going to back down, not now. She came here with her friends, been honest with them, true to them.

Now, she'll see this through to the end, for them.

Fluttershy was up next. Finding her glow high in the air, well above Rainbow Dash's, her message was embedded into the highest point of the tower.

[Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.]

[Kindness is seeing the best in others when they cannot see it in themselves.]

[To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times, what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks...]

[But a special heart that listens.]

Fluttershy felt a warmth wash over her as she was beckoned by the words to place her hand on the palm before her. As she did, that same warmth swept over her heart, and made her smile.

Pinkie Pie bounced around the room before finding her glow under the rug leading to the throne. Drifting it aside, she blinked as she watched the messages pass.

[Laughter will always be the best medicine.]

[Silence will always be the best revenge.]

[Always find a reason to laugh. It may not add years to your life...]

[But it will surely add life to your years.]

Pinkie let out a giggle as she smacked her hand over the one presented before her, as if high fiving it after a good joke. Continuing to chuckle and snort, she was bypassed by Rarity, who approached the throne and found her message inscribed on the large chair itself.

[Generosity is giving more than you can.]

[Pride is taking less than you need.]

[The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.]

[The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.]

Rarity gave a small, beautiful smile as she rested a palm on the throne's armrest. As she was the last to place her hand on the stone, all five palm prints began to glow brighter, seeping the magic within that light into all of them. Twilight stepped back, watching as her friends were imbued with the power of a legend.

"Amazing... The Elements recognized each one of you as a bearer, a representation..."

She looked down, remembering upon her time with them. Pinkie's parties bring joy and laughter. Rarity is always there to give and offer new style and clothing to those in need. Fluttershy's meek behavior did nothing for Ponies, but she catered to the animals that resided within the town's outskirts. Applejack's family is full of honest folk, not just her, and Rainbow Dash was always around, either doing her own work for the Summer Sun Celebration, or helping out her friends with their work.

Laughter

Generosity

Kindness

Honesty

Loyalty

It all made sense... and when looking up at them, a glimmer, a spark, shined in her eyes.

"Girls...-"

*SMASH*

Twilight turned around as Nightmare Moon was thrown through the ceiling, collapsing onto the floor as she was swung into the room by a large tendril. The tentacle retreated as the sounds of "Venom" growling could be heard from outside as he moved around the side of the tower.

Nightmare Moon slowly pushed herself to a sit, shaking her head of the trauma she suffered before looking towards the six mares. Gasping, she shook with fear as she realized what was happening.

"What?! But... how is this possible!? I destroyed the Elements!"

Twilight glanced back at her friends before turning back to Nightmare Moon.

"You think you can destroy the Elements, just like that? While it is true that the Elements' power are sealed within their respective gems, the true magic they wield are in the spirits that represent them."

She held out a hand towards the five mares behind her.

"These five have helped me realized that I didn't need the Elements of Harmony themselves, but what they strive to be in order to defeat you. Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty; they all are here, within this room, still whole and still more powerful than you."

Nightmare Moon seethed as she stood up.

"Fool. You still don't have the sixth Element. Without that, you can't use the Artifacts against me. The spark didn't work!"

"That's where you're wrong."

"What...?"

"There was a spark, a different kind of sorts. One that was generated when I came to realize where I had went wrong with this whole journey to save Equestria. I felt it the moment I saw them each taking the mantle of their traits, and empowered as a result. I knew it was true, for when I understood what truly made the Elements of Harmony so special, I found myself staring forward at the sixth itself..."

The floor beneath Twilight glowed with a majestic purple hue, her own messages forming as she knelt down.

[We do not need power to change the world.]

[We carry the all the magic we need inside ourselves.]

[We have the magic to imagine better...]

[Magic has the power to experience and fathom things which are inaccessible to common reason.]

[For magic is a great secret wisdom...]

[And no magic is stronger than that of which binds you to your closest loved ones.]

Twilight placed her hand upon her own palm print, letting it glow and transfer the power of the last Artifact, the Element of Magic, into her body. With the energy flowing through her veins, her eyes began to glow a powerful bright light, the same that flashed from the tower over and caught their attention in the first place.

With that blinding light, five ornaments were created, similar to the brace that was worn around Princess Celestia's neck. They snapped onto the five mares that accompanied Twilight, each gem taking the shape of their respective Pony's Cutie Mark.

As for Twilight, her Cutie Mark jewel was placed with a crown-like object. A golden tiara, if you will. With it placed upon her head, the Elements of Harmony powered up its signature energy, and began to exert it in a rainbow of steam. Channeling it and aiming it at the dark mare, Nightmare Moon was hopeless to get away before the cataclysmic beam of harmonic magic engulfed her. Her screams echoed throughout the old castle as a shockwave burst outwards, spreading across Equestria and beyond to show that the Elements of Harmony have returned to their natural state, and were ready to be used to protect this nation once more.

As a result from the pulse of harmony, the imprint in the moon disappeared once again, freeing the Princess of the Day from her temporary prison. She vanished without a trace off the rock, seemingly disappearing altogether. As for Nightmare Moon, she was of no threat to anyone anymore. She now lay around her broken armor, the blackness in her fur melting off as she tried to hold control. Unable to move, and unable to think, she hissed as she clawed at the floor.

*SLAM*

She gasped and looked behind her, seeing "Venom" had returned, and was now in a perfect position to finish what it started. As she tried to grasp as anything to hold herself back, even with the cracks in the floor, she was ensnared by the beast's tentacles and pulled into its mass.

With this going undetected by the Element Bearers, the light that surrounded them faded, allowing them to touch back onto the floor and collapse in exhaustion. Being the first time using these Artifacts took a toll on them, and one by one, they came to, getting their bearings and helping each other up. Applejack, grabbing her hat and putting it back on, glanced to her friends.

"Everypony okay?"

A series of nods came in reply as Applejack noticed the new necklaces and the large crown on Twilight's head.

"What in tarnation...?"

Fluttershy also saw that they all had the ornaments adorned on their necks and looked down, poking at the gem on her's.

"Oh my. These necklaces... and Twilight's crown. They look just like our Cutie Marks..."

Rainbow flew up into the air, stretching herself out and popping a few bones.

"Agh-!... Hey, she's right! Check out this awesome red lightning bolt!"

Applejack watched as her friends marveled at the pieces of jewelry before walking over to the only one of her friends that have yet to get up. Helping Twilight sit, she tilted her head as she prodded the crown's purple star.

"Jee, Twilight. Ah must say, Ah am powerful sorry for doubtin' ya. When y'all were talkin' about these here Elements back in the library, Ah thought you were spoutin' nonsense, but..."

She looked back down at the orange apple gem that was positioned above her chest.

"Ah guess these Elements do exist, and we all represent a core value in them."

"Indeed, you do."

Everypony turned to the window as the moon settled on the horizon, making way for the sun to rise. With its blinding warmth, a piece of it broke off and sailed towards the smashed entryway "Venom" made. The light was cast away, and in its place was the ruler of Equestria herself.

"Princess Celestia..."

The white, benevolent Alicorn smiled as she dusted off her golden yellow regal wears, giving a gracious and welcoming smile to her precious student.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student...! I never had a doubt in my mind that you wouldn't be able to succeed."

"Succeed?"

Twilight approached the Princess, her arms folded in front of her.

"You... wanted me to come here, to find the Elements? But I thought you said all this was just an old Pony's tale?"

"Twilight, I sent you to Ponyville upon the order to make some friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

The Princess passed the Element of Magic, standing before her newfound companions.

"I, too, saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her."

She looked back at Twilight.

"But you couldn't unleash such a power until you allowed true friendship into your heart..."

She turned to the side as Twilight smiled at her friends, getting the same in return as Celestia muttered to herself.

"Now if only another would-"

"HHHHHAAAAAARRRWWWWWUUUUAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!!"

All eyes went back to Nightmare Moon as they finally realized she was being consumed by "Venom". With the monster of hatred howling to the skies, she was tossed from his body, but unlike the others "Venom" has fed off of, the mare he tossed out looked... fine. She was different, sure, and without the superior power that made her a fully-fledged Alicorn, but her coat and her darkness was no longer a part of her. All of that was now feasted upon and absorbed into the ten-foot colossus that went still shortly after disposing of her.

Finally... After spending the last few hours relentlessly hounding after that horse lady, the Inventor finally had her in his grasp.

Stringing her into his ooze, he leered over and crossed his arms over his chest, keeping her sealed and unable to escape before he was done absorbing that delectable and juicy essence. It took a while, but the more he fed, the more control over his mind he seemed to possess. With all of his senses returning to him naturally, pain was the first thing he registered. A sharp stab into his skull that made him turn and roar up into the air whilst spitting out that evil anthro.

As his mind throbbed, his eyes closed, tightly squeezing together as his amorphous slime began to melt. Patches of the human underneath were revealed as his mind reeled and rasped, taking in air as the mask of the beast came off last. Once it splattered onto the ground, he let out another howl as he fell to his knees.

This pain... These feelings... Wasn't he dead...? Surely this whole thing was some kind of afterlife nightmare that he had to treck through before either soaring or burning.

...

No...

No, this was wrong.

This was ALL wrong.

He can feel everything. He shouldn't be able to. He shouldn't be feeling much of anything at ALL. No dead man can rub his hands together and feel skin and flesh.

Opening his eyes, the human's heart began to race as he panicked, looking around as his hunger was quelled, but his mind only teemed with unanswered questions.

"W-Where... Where am I...? What is...?"

He growled as he clasped his head harshly, clawing at his mind as something was forcing him out every time he tried to remember anything. It was as if something barricaded him from his memories, forced him to be something that he wasn't.

"A-Aaaww my god... My head... Such... So sharp... It hurts...!"

Twilight and the others watched with either slack jaws of shock or wide eyes. Celestia was the most surprised to see such a creature before her. After her last incidents with this kind of magic, she prayed she'd never see the face of a "Venom" creature ever again.

Seems like she was wrong.

The Inventor stood back up, staggering in place and looking around. Seeing his arms, and his reflection in the window, he could see half of his own face, and the other being the morphed and sagging maw of the monster he's become.

"What has... What the hell am I...?! What happened to me?!"

He snapped to the others in the room, ignoring the fact that they were Equines and only demanding the origins of this slime.

"What did you DO to me...?!"

He shook his head quickly to try and sharpen his vision, casting away the blur from his shock while his body began to melt even more.

"I... I can't... I can't feel... I can't think... I... must... I have to get out of here... Have to... escape...!"

Celestia perked up at this, acting quickly and sealing "Venom" inside a dome of yellow magic. Howling in protest at this, the human bashed his normal fist and enlarged one against the barrier, making the Princess flinch as he fought against her. Using his quick wit and thinking, the human managed to figure out a loophole in this bubble barrier.

It didn't cover the floor below him.

Smashing his fists into the floor, he caved himself down into the floor below, sliding down a pile of rubble before faceplanting into the grass. With his body continuously leaking off of him, his movements were sluggish, and felt as if trying to run with a blanket of thick sewage water covering him five times over. Rushing with all of his might back into the forest, he coughed and gagged as the sludge went into his mouth a couple times when breathing, forcing him to stumble and bump against the foliage as he made his way inward.

Coming to a slow and painful crawl in the middle of a clearing, the human gagged as he spat out another batch of what covers, forcefully laid out onto the ground as he tried to continue onward.

His body, however, once the slime left it completely and dissolved into the earth, gave out entirely. He couldn't move. He couldn't think...

He couldn't remember.

And that's what troubled him the most, made him panic the most. He didn't know where he was, how he got there, or worst of all... what his own name was.

He knew he had a family, and his heart told him that something terrible had happened before he ended up here, but try as he might, only a headache greeted him, as if to punish him for trying again and again.

It was then that a new, unfamiliar emotion gripped him. A weakness he was not familiar with.

Fear.

He was afraid, shivering with the emotion, and almost tearing up at the presence of it. Such a dangerous feeling that racked him to the core, and yet all he wanted was safety, the security of the family he didn't remember. Holding his hand out as he lay there, he grasped at the grass as he gritted his teeth.

"My... family... Must... I have to..."

His hand lost feeling and dropped into the lower edges of the blades, his eyes slowly drifting close as a figure approached from beyond the treeline. A cloaked figure that had fur like the others, but from what he could see on her legs, her fur was styled black and white... like a Zebra.

"Well, this is not what I expected when investigating the noises of a monster. Instead of a beast, I find a soul that has wandered."

The figure knelt down in front of the Inventor, tracing her fuzzy hand down the back of his head.

"A creature of myth, ancient from the times of old. You are frail, and so very cold."

She turned the human over onto his back, blinking when she saw his features.

"How curious to see you are not female. Yet, you appear in this land where half of the populace has gone stale."

A low cough from the human made her focus return, forcing her to act quickly. Taking out a small potion, she gently dripped its contents into the human's mouth, getting him to swallow it as she picked him up.

"Your clothes are torn, and your body has been quite worn. Drink the brew, and in mere hours, you will no longer be blue."

Carrying the human bridal-style, the Zebra looked over his features. He was, definitely, of teenage years. Perhaps either in the center or just coming into the early stages of adulthood. She was impressed by his muscle mass. For someone so small, his arms were more firm than she thought upon seeing them. It was as if his average body was hiding it all under a secret layer of skin and flesh. Knowing this ancient sentient ape will heal nicely given time, the Zebra turned and walked back the way she came.

"Fear not, dear child. Your wounds and illness will soon dissipate, and soon your body will be of a cleaner slate. Until then, I shall cater to your needs until your stresses are elated."

Returning to Ponyville after a long battle fought was a welcoming change after all that'd happened in the prior evening. With the darkness literally eaten out of the dark mare, Nightmare Moon had returned to the natural Pony she once was. The little sibling of Princess Celestia herself, and the one that rose and lowered the Moon before her banishment a thousand years ago: Princess Luna.

With the younger Alicorn completely spent on her strength, both physically and psychologically, Princess Celestia had aided her into the chariot she called from Canterlot. Twilight was bewildered, at first, when seeing the chariot was being pulled by Guardsmares, but remembered the report she saw on that project that dubbed the beast that inadvertently saved Luna from herself "Venom".

She assumed the engine-powered chariots were abandoned shortly after the crash was caused by "Venom". This was fine. It wasn't like it was a big step backwards. Surely, by years end, or even the next, Ponies would gather the courage to try innovating once again. After all, we had the technology to do more unique things than magic could. Not even spells can power what a machine can.

Riding the chariot with the Princesses, she noticed Princess Luna was deep in thought. She didn't want to bother her, given that her return was sudden, and... didn't give off the best first impressions.

Nevertheless, they arrived back in Ponyville, where the town welcomed them back with the festivities they had prepared to take down when the night was deemed to last forever by Nightmare Moon. With Celestia and Luna up front, they were given the brunt of the attention, the cheering mares and fillies making Luna blush as she hid behind her mane, much like Fluttershy would.

When the chariot stopped, Spark was the first to come forward, giving Twilight a big hug when she stepped down. Embracing her assistant with the same affection, she thanked whoever was listening above that her little Dragoness was safe in the midst of all that had happened.

Celestia and Luna followed Twilight, coming up next to her as two fillies fluttered up to Luna, putting a necklace of red roses around her neck. A sheepish smile was given in return, the gesture unexpected by the Princess of the Night, but not rejected. Celestia's smile only widened at her Ponies accepting the return of her sister. She knew that Ponyville was the one place she could always count on when forgiving Ponies for their mistakes. Places like Canterlot, however, especially with the Royal Court, would be harder to sway away from imprisoning Luna for a time.

The white Alicorn dispelled the thoughts, leaving them for later as, for right now, she should let her worries die, and watch as her Ponies and her little Lulu got along.

Giving a short giggle when Luna got a hug from one of the mares, she cast a quick eye over to her student, seeing that she was slightly down, despite everything.

"Twilight?"

Her student perked up, looking over at the monarch as she approached her.

"Whatever could be the matter, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete, and you can return to your studies?"

"Well... That's just it. I've spent such a short time here, but in that time, I've finally learned just how important friendship actually is. I... guess I don't want to leave. I want to continue learning about it from within the library you set up for me."

Celestia looked over at the other Element Bearers, then nodded to herself.

"I see... Well, then. Spark, please take a note."

The young Dragon blinked, then pulled out a scroll and quill.

"I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the Unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville."

Twilight smiled as she was pulled into a group hug with her friends. Embracing them back, she gave an accepting smile up to Princess Celestia.

"Thank you, Princess. I'll be sure to report to you on everything I find."

"I know you will, but before I make this decree final, I would like to ask you still return to Canterlot for a time. I believe there is another matter we need to do a bit of... research over, as well as observation."

Twilight blinked, then lowered her gaze to the ground as she realized what she was talking about.

'Venom...'

"Yes, of course, Princess."

Twilight gave a short goodbye to her friends, bidding them a temporary farewell as she told Spark to hold the fort at their new library. With the Dragon saluting her, she stepped up onto the chariot once more, sitting down next to Princess Luna as the latter was giving a careful wave to the Ponies that were waving back. Princess Celestia stepped up next to Twilight's other side, taking a seat herself as the chariot doors closed, and they were on their way.

As they rode away, Twilight's thoughts went back to what she saw in the old castle. The "Venom", after it devoured Nightmare Moon out of Princess Luna... changed. She saw the reason why it didn't sound female, and that's because it wasn't.

But how was that possible? No traces of a male populace in any location on the planet was found after the plague wiped them off its face for twelve-thousand years. How is it that one has appeared now...?

And the "Venom" suit it wore. Luna, from what she's seen and witnessed, bore the same amorphous magic when she was turned into Nightmare Moon, and she explained in her olden accent that she only wore a drop of the monstrous suit. This explained her height, and her imposing presence when standing before other creatures, but the "Venom" on that ape-like creature. It surely wasn't a drop, but a gallon. Perhaps even more. It was enough to make a ten-foot beast that lived off of the dark magic's innate hunger for the light.

How were they supposed to defeat something like that? Or, if their aim isn't to defeat him, how were they going to tame it...?

'I suppose that's a question left to be answered tomorrow...'

Chapter 3: A Failed First Impression

"Here, human. Have some soup. It will help your nerves loose their droop."

The Inventor gave a confused look to the cloaked Zebra as she had taken him back to her home in this... forest. This strange forest in an even stranger world. He couldn't recall much from a time before today, or even last night, but he knew for a fact animals aren't meant to talk, much less stand on two feet. Not ALL of them, at least.

Hesitantly, he reached out, taking the bowl from the generous anthro and tipping it back against his lips. Drinking down the soup, he felt the gnawing ache in his stomach soothe, something in this liquid meal making him calm down. Yet, despite his nerves loosening, his mind still buzzed with questions. Picking up on this, the Zebra took a seat.

"I see your mind still lingers questions. Perhaps, some answers will simmer your mental aggression?"

The Inventor gave another glance at her, now figuring out that she'll only speak in rhymes. Rolling his eyes, he took another sip of the soup before sighing out in content, now calm enough to ask without freaking out.

"... Where am I...?"

The cloaked Zebra tilted her head.

"To answer your question, there are many suggestions. If you are searching for where you reside now, you sit within my home with your chow."

She motioned towards the outside.

"If you are curious about the country, then I will give the name bluntly. The Kingdom of Equestria is where you stand, and no longer in the time and space of which you were planned."

Equestria... That's the name of this place? That explains the horse-like homosapiens. With a name like that, he can only assume that this world, or maybe even just this so-called Kingdom, is inhabited by those Pony girls. Seems like it was strictly a female society as well, which the Inventor didn't really know how to feel about. Taking another sip, he eyed the Zebra.

"Who are you...?"

She turned her hand around, ushering with her fuzzy fingers towards herself.

"I am Zecora, ancient one. I live out here in the midst of this forest, procuring my potions and brews in weather either the coldest or hottest."

"Zecora... Hmm..."

"Would you care to tell me your name, human...?"

The Inventor blinked as he turned his gaze forward. Try as he might, he couldn't even remember THAT. Feeling a sharp pain whenever he'd try to dig deeper, he shook his head.

"I... I don't know... I don't know my name."

"You... do not?"

He shook his head.

"I can't... I can't remember. It's like a thousand needles pricking my brain every time I try. It's so... fuzzy. All I can remember clearly is a white light, then the next I can recall is feeling a... some kind of..."

He gritted his teeth as he gripped his head, dropping the empty bowl as he growled. Zecora looked him over, watching as something seemed to squirm from beneath the blankets that cover his back. Tensing at the wavelengths of hatred they gave off, she gently soothed the human.

"Be still, human. You mustn't let your nerves consume you, even if you do not have a clue."

She picked up the bowl, bringing it over to her cauldron and setting it down on the desk beside it.

"Within you is a nasty parasite, one that stems from hatred and spite."

The Inventor calmed himself down again when hearing this, feeling it leave the moment he registered what she said.

"Hatred and spite...? But, I don't know what I hate? I can't really FEEL spite for anything. All I am is just... confused, and hungry."

"Hunger is but a side effect to the purpose of the sludge..."

She lifted up a small vial of the same substance that was once wrapped around the human in his monstrous state. The thick liquid didn't seem agitated, but it was, indeed, alive.

"For this is a legend with a grudge..."

The human looked up at the small bottle, seeing the slime push up against the glass nearest to him. He could feel it... calling to him, ushering him closer so it could take him. He shook his head, clearing his mind of the voice and shifting away.

"I can remember the time I was in... that. I don't know what it is, but it... someone was there before I became that. Before I felt that... unbearable hunger and..."

He slowly widened his eyes before standing.

"Oh god...! The people! The people I...! Oh fuck, what did I do...?"

"Calm yourself, my little creature. I can assure you that an innocent's death is not part of this parasite's feature."

He turned to her as she poured a drop of the thing into her cauldron, stirring it quickly so it could dissolve into the other products thrown in with it.

"It would appear that your leech favors leaving its victims alive. So caring for a beast who uses others' magical essence to thrive."

She brushed her hand under her chin as the human walked to the window, staring out into the foliage beyond the hut.

"... I need to find out what happened..."

Zecora looked back at him as he trudged towards his seat.

"I don't know what it is, but... SOMETHING... wants me to know. Like a part of myself is screaming at me to remember."

Zecora was quick, pulling the blanket back over the human and guiding him towards the bedding beyond the seat.

"In your condition now, I am afraid your ambition for adventure I must disallow. You are frail as you are, and some rest is needed to cure everything within you that is bizarre."

She sat him down again, ensuring that everything she had was, at the very least, comfortable.

"When you awaken, if you are feeling well, we will discuss whether venturing is forsaken. I know I am no parent or guardian to you, but in this land, such a creature as yourself is nonexistent and will surely find females coo."

The Inventor ran her words through his head, trying to piece together what she was saying. Then, it hit him. She said that Equestria was an all-female society. Nowhere in this country is there a single, sentient guy. Having him just walk around freely would guarantee the stress and anger provoking the... thing that he was earlier, or even worse, get him captured by the wrong people of the wrong group.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right... I'll take a minute, at least for right now. I need a minute to try and think, anyways..."

He turned over and laid down, using the extra blankets as pillows to lay his head against as the throbbing in his skull continued. Zecora, watching him, gave a sympathetic frown beyond her shadowed head. Brushed her fingers through the human's hair, she offered her two cents to comfort him.

"You will be safe here. Nopony would find you out this way, for not many wander so far within these woods without a seer."

The human didn't react, but Zecora could feel him loosen up the rest of his nerves. Giving a small smile, she brushed her hand over his arm before standing and leaving him to slumber. Returning to her cauldron, she eyed the dark liquid within the vial before glancing at the contents within the large, steel bowl.

"So volatile, yet... so calm. Perhaps this "Venom" sees Pony kind with no qualm..."

She hummed before flipping the pages in an old book.

"I shall give this a closer inspection in my research..."

Within his dreams, the Inventor saw nothing but a blur of oranges and red. Flickering lights were all around, teasing him through a lens that made everything less focused than it was. He couldn't make out the shapes, but the colors, the way the oranges and reds flicked and twitched about on certain things. He was almost sure he was standing... somewhere, and all around him, the buildings were set ablaze. It was his most logical guess, as the heat emanating from them was almost unbearable.

"You never stood a chance to begin with..."

He turned around, seeing an equally-blurry figure striding towards him.

"Not now... nor when you first opposed me."

He turned down the other way, seeing the figure closer than he was before, and now walking from the other side of this burning path.

"All of your attempts to escape my grasp have failed, just as your attempts to stop me have failed... and now..."

The sound of shearing metal made the Inventor step away from the figure.

"You will-"

*FLASH*

The Inventor quickly rose up his arms as he was assaulted by the flash of what appeared to be from a VERY large camera lens, or perhaps even a flashbang. Shaking his head as the light faded, he found himself elsewhere. Somewhere that was more... peaceful. He was in a roofless house under a beautiful, brightly lit night sky. The furniture, the rooms, and even the overall aura of the place felt homely and snug, as if he was already wrapped in blankets full of love. Shivering at the feeling, he brushed his hands over one another as he wandered the home, looking out the windows and seeing that same starry sky all around. It didn't take long for him to deduce that his dreams carried him unexpectedly to this tiny house in the middle of a rather comfortable void.

With the previous scenario forgotten, for now, the human reentered the living room after exploring the kitchen, glancing about once again as the stars above the house seemed to... move. It was faint, and looked to be very weak. When it became noticeable, the human turned up and watched the twinkling dots as they seemed to gather at one point, then gently circle around one another. In their circling, they formed a full moon shape with their speed, and as they revved up their power, the blinding light returned. This time, no more than a second passed before a new presence filled the area. A sense of regalness that was missed for a couple centuries at best. With that moon shape turning a vibrant light lavender, the blue hue peeled away and floated down to a hill that could be seen on the other side of the roof, despite the rest of the ares looking like a void. As the illuminated sphere touched down, a low hum came as it faded, allowing the human to meet, face to face, with one of the many he'd come to regret his actions towards.

"You..."

The dark blue Alicorn didn't acknowledge the human at first. She was too busy relishing in the fact that, despite it being a thousand years, and most of her natural power had been devoured, she was still able to travel to and from the dream realm. Her mane, which was still just discharged blue locks and bangs, drifted to the side in the nonexistent wind, showing signs of the strands, unlike her sister. This alone proved she still had a long way ahead of her before she could be at her full potential again.

"Hmm... Such a peaceful aura this area carries."

She rolled over onto her back, placing her hands on her stomach.

"And yet, despite this setting, I have only been able to find you through your incredibly weaker link to the dream world than the others that drown in slumber amidst my nights."

The Inventor stared up at the horse lady as she turned her head back, eyeing him curiously through her upside-down vision.

"How strange. Here we believed when we stripped thou from thine current dream, we would see no less than a monster in need of punishment."

She rolled back over, blinking at him before giving a small, playful smirk.

"And yet, we see not a monster, but a wandering dreamer in need of correction."

She flapped her wings, bringing her into the air and spreading them out to allow her a glide to the house. Landing upon the table gently, she gave a curt and respectful bow to the human.

"Greetings, ancient youngling. We are ever so delighted to see thy is no horrendous monstrosity."

"Erm..."

The Princess looked up, spotting the human sizing her up.

"It's... you. You were that... that horse lady in black... weren't you...?"

"Hmm...? Thou doesn'th remember?"

She gave a small flap to right herself, folding her wings as she tilted her head.

"It was thou who hath saved us from the clutches of our mistakes, no? We remember you quite well, especially after the fact."

She ushered to his face, drifting a small star to his cheek and trailing it down to his arm.

"Your halved face, and thou arm. We saw it in thine panic. We apologize for appearing before you in... circumstances last night, but we have made many an error, and it resulted in our downfall."

Now the human was intrigued. With his own identity cast second to hers, he tilted his head back as he walked to the side a bit to get a better look at this anthro woman.

"Downfall...? Who are you?"

The female smiled as she ushered to herself.

"Thou shalt refer to us as Princess Luna Solaris. We are... were one of the two co-rulers of the Kingdom many know as Equestria. Back before our banishment, we were known as the Goddess of the Moon, and the Guardian of Dreams."

She turned her hand up, gesturing the colored moon.

"Our job was to raise and lower the moon so that our sister could do the same with the sun. Through this cycle, we bring about day and night for our Kingdom and others."

"Wait, you RAISE and LOWER the Sun and Moon? That... is both really weird and kinda cool..."

Luna tilted her head again.

"Thou is an ancient species upon this planet, dear human, but thou cannot tell us that thou hasn'th been around before Equestria was founded."

"Well... That's the thing. I don't... I don't remember where, or even WHEN I'm from. I know my age, what I look like, and a lot of other things about where I'm from, but..."

He grunted as he tried and failed once more to recount any closer memories.

"It's like something's keeping me from remembering my more... personal memories. The memories that tell me who I am... I know for a fact that where I come from, there aren't any like you, Princess."

"Any like... us? What dost thou inquire?"

The Inventor merely shrugged back.

"I could be eluding to anything at this point. I'm so frustrated, confused, and scared shitless that I wasn't even making sense when I woke up after... all of that."

He turned and threw his arms out as Luna's face became more serious and firm, her mind calculating what she's being told and trying to piece anything about it together, as if it were evidence, or a piece of a bigger puzzle.

"I mean, for crying out loud, I don't even have a single CLUE what this Kingdom is! I was just told its name SECONDS ago right after I was also privy to the fact that I'm carrying some sort of goddamn hate sludge in my body!"

He groaned as the said sludge slithered from his back, crawling over his clothes before disappearing back into him. Luna, watching this, shook her head.

"Thou mustn't let thy anger control your state of mind, human. Compared to it, and how much of it you have, the dark magic can easily contort your urges, your mind's basic carnal desires. After all, it has done so with us."

The human turned back to Luna as she walked towards him, being slow as she didn't want to alarm or provoke him.

"For a thousand years, we have been trapped in the moon, isolated from the world because our own rage and jealousy overpowered us. It changed us... morphed our mind... into something darker. Just as it did with you, it sought for its own goal in our mind as well. A hunger for fame, for recognition. Unlike thou, we were only so spiteful to generate but a drop of the ghastly amorphous magic my sister and her subjects call "Venom"."

She took his hands into her own.

"But thou hast freed us, human. Even if unintentionally, we are forever grateful for your actions in our last encounter. The darkness no longer lives within us, but now swims within your bloodstream. Thus, we have approached thou in thine dreams to speak with thee."

The human noted how Luna's speech seemed to change in subtle ways between olden and modern. He guessed in the day she's been back, she already grew accustomed to using words like "you" instead of "thou" on occasions.

"Why would you want to speak with me, Princess? If I really am this... monster, why would you want to approach me, knowing the risk of either being devoured, or given back that darkness, this... "Venom"...?"

She gave a short giggle in return.

"Dear human, thou cannot transfer such harmful magic mentally. While it is true that our projected states can still feel mental anguish from these magical tantabi, our bodies must be within the appropriate distance to transfer the magic."

She released his hands, bring hers around behind her and shifting her wings uncomfortably.

"And as for our reasons to confront you, we have come for two reasons. We wish to extend our friendship to thee."

"Friendship...?"

She nodded.

"Aside from myself, there are no others who are... out of their element. Much less, we both do not know Equestria as it is today. It would be beneficial to bond with one another by learning the ways of this new culture together, no...?"

She twiddled her thumbs before clearing her throat, looking less like a Princess now and more like that shy Pegasus the human saved whilst within this... "Venom" thing she kept referring to.

"In other words, we have come to make peace between our sex and our species, if that makes any sense to thou."

The Inventor kept his long, confused stare centered on the lunar entity for some time before he shook his head.

"The first thing we're gonna do is get you acquainted with modern English-"

"Equus."

"-whatever. Deal?"

She beamed as her wings spread in joy.

"Thy terms shall be accepted, dear human! Dost thou have a name we can call you?"

"Uh... Not really. I don't really remember that, either. Why don't you just call me..."

He thought back onto himself in the present. Without the costume, he could vaguely remember some more instinctual parts about himself. Common knowledge that came with experience from a time and place sealed away behind that headache-inducing force.

He was good with gadgets. Inventions that he can make by simply putting two simple items, right down to the tiniest bit of scrap, together. The same can be said with mixing drinks together with the strange purple vials he found in his torn blazer upon waking up in Zecora's hut.

Thinking on this, he came up with an alias that's been hinted at his occupation throughout this venture into the unknown.

"Inventor. Just, for right now, call me the Inventor."

She nodded, fluttering up into the air happily. It hadn't been no more than a few hours since her return, and she's already found a friend to call her own. Granted, her sister wanted him captured, as she felt the human posed too much of a danger to modern Equestria's society, and while she is right, Luna can aid the Inventor in controlling who to target and lock the hunger of the "Venom" suit on. After all, letting it run rampant will ensure she and Celestia get thrice the Scrolls about monster attacks than they do right now.

The Inventor watched her float and giddily dance around the room, noting how childish she's being while also keeping a regal and graceful posture while doing it. It was almost like she was... prancing.

...

'Oh, right. Ponies...'

Shaking his head as he took a seat on the couch, the eager Princess landed on the other across the coffee table.

"Shall we begin the lessons, fair Inventor?"

The Inventor, feeling more relaxed and comfortable around THIS mare over the others, let some of his snarky personality show.

"As long as it gets you to stop referring to yourself as "we", then yes."

Almost instantly, the lunar Princess buzzed with a pout.

"You do not respect the Royal We? It is tradition to speak and address ourselves as such, and to use--"

"--THIS MUCH VOLUME WHEN ADDRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!!!"

The Inventor felt the wind slam against his face as the couch toppled over.

"OOOOOOH... SHIT...!!"

He pushed himself over, getting himself back up before pointing at her.

"OKAY, lower the volume, first of all. That is WAY too much."

"Too much? I do not understand."

"Wh-What?!"

He pointed to the couch.

"Whaddya mean, you don't understand?! You tipped over the couch on the first try."

She pouted at him again as he chuckled, his hands on his knees as he recuperated. Grabbing the couch from behind, he threw it back up.

"Alright, let's try this again..."

"Oh, dear..."

Zecora glanced over her notes as she flipped the pages of the old book, biting her lip as she delved deeper and deeper into the logs and findings of the scientist's notes from long ago. Having had the book on "Venom" ever since it came out, the knowledge of the bestial slime came almost instantly to Zecora. She knew of its corruption factor, what it can do, what it wants out of each and every host, and most importantly: how powerful it was.

And while there was a case later reported that Nightmare Moon, the entity that was said to be vanquished recently, held a small amount of "Venom" after generating it, she pales in comparison to the human. In every case, only a drop or two was made, as Ponies were normally such docile and friendly creatures. She could expect a pint or more from a Dragon or a scorned Griffon. The findings, however, all stated that the incidents back then, and the incident with Nightmare Moon, all held traces of "Venom" that was very, very faint.

But the human... The amount of the liquid magic he holds can fill up a gallon container, and that was the BEST case scenario. Never in the history books on this creature, nor in the research that was publicized, was there ever a reaction like the one that occurred with the human. She had not seen the monster itself, but rumors around Ponyville, and even a picture taken by a photographer going through town, showed Zecora just how big and how lethal this incarnation was...

And it wasn't pretty. Not by a long shot.

Stepping away from the book, she turned back to the vial full of the hate sludge. Picking it up and giving it a light shake, it took exception and lunged at the glass, trying to break through. Frowning, she knew it would be of no use to study this matter. It was too volatile, too unstable. Only the human could ever hope to tame this vile blackness long enough to recede it. Unlike her own spirit, his was strong enough to become the dominant will in the symbiotic relationship, even if he is driven by a ceaseless magical hunger.

Pouring a specific amount of other potions into her cauldron, Zecora boiled it until the concoction turned a bright orange, and sizzled with enough heat to pass off as magma, or heavens forbid, unfiltered lava. Holding the vial up, she glared into the glass before dropping it into the large dome of steel.

"This dark matter is too dangerous for study, for the results of testing further will be quite bloody."

Watching it as it melted within the searing brew she mixed into being, she let out a defeated sigh.

"Only a will as strong as an ox can control such a deadly thing. I hope, in his mission to do so, that his gentle nature will not hang by a string."

As she stepped away from the cauldron, she made her way across the room to clean up her utensils, closing everything down for the night to get some well-deserved rest. As she turned away from the human, she failed to notice, when the sludge had been burned to nothing in the lava-like potion in the large pot...

He twitched.

"See? Here. You say it like this, and with a level volume, too. Do that too much, and you'll scare away anyone you approach by notoriety alone."

Luna leaned over the table, glancing to where the Inventor was pointing to. Squinting her eyes to read the sentence, she was so focused that she didn't see her new friend twitch.

As for the Inventor, he suddenly couldn't move, or more or less, he could...

"What the-"

*SMACK*

His body just wouldn't follow HIS commands. With his arm flying up, he not only smacked Luna, but threw her through the air, making her hit the podium between the living room and the kitchen. She gagged as she hit the ground, looking up as she spotted her new friend approaching her.

"Y-You hit... You would strike... your new friend...?"

The Inventor looked horrified. Not only because he hit Luna hard enough to make her bleed out the nose and down the side of her head, but by the fact that he couldn't move himself. Something else had control over his arms and legs.

"T-That wasn't me! Luna, I-"

He choked on his breath as the Princess could barely see, just past him, the tendrils she bore witness to in the "Venom" creature ensnaring his arms, his legs, his torso, and the back of his head.

"Luna...! I can't move...! What-What's going on?!"

The Princess of the Night quickly stood up, seeing the face of the demon within his heart.

"Do not worry, new friend! I... I will help you!"

That was a lie. She knew, in her current state, she couldn't do anything to aid him. In body and mind, he was too powerful for her, even as Nightmare Moon.

But, for him, for their friendship, she had to try. Reaching forward quickly, she aimed to magically chop the tendril on his right arm. The Inventor strafed to the side, avoiding her swing and looking to the side to avoid the rounding enveloped magic. Taking her extended arm, he pushed his hand into her chest and shoved her backwards violently, making her crack the counter and bounce her back forward.

Grunting at the pain in her back, Luna grasped the counter top and shot her legs towards the human, aiming for the tendril stuck to the back of his head. She gasped when he leaned backwards, dodging with a limbo and taking her legs before she could retract them. Twisting her over onto her stomach, she was slammed to the wall it was attached to before thrown over into the kitchen.

Whatever had control over the Inventor moved him through the doorway. He no longer could do anything but stare and speak, horrified that he was hurting the first connection, the first companion, he's made in this world.

"U-Um... Okay, uh... Luna, we can figure this out. Just-"

The force shoved him forward towards the collapsed mare, picking her up by her still-physical mane and smashing her face into the corner of the other side of the podium.

"Oh, god da-"

The Inventor did a double take behind him as his body yanked her mane back, ripping her from the podium and sending her crashing into the cabinets, breaking the doors and dropping a few plates out of them.

"Ho-Holy f- What the FUCK?!"

He was forced forward again, picking up plates and glasses along the way and shattering them upside her head as she tried to get up. On the fourth plate, she fell to the floor, slipping on the broken shards. Taking a step back unwillingly, he could see her with the moonlight cast over the room.

The fur on her face and the sides of her head were completely drenched in red. Her roman-styled white dressed was stained with her blood, and he could see that he'd broken a bone in the frontal area of her skull. Even a fuckin RIB was popping out.

Luna opened an eye, looking up at him as he gulped, looking down at her with shock and horror. She knew he wasn't doing this. She couldn't blame him. He will be forgiven for what happens tonight.

Still, she needs to act, lest her dream self be killed, and she would be thrown out of his mental space.

The Inventor subtly shook his head as he saw her try and get back up.

"Oh god, no. No, no, no. Luna, stay down. Please. Please, don't! Don't get u- STAY DOWN, Princess...!"

His words were unheeded and ignored as the Princess rose to her feet, grabbing the only thing she could use as a cutter for the tendrils. Taking up a kitchen knife, she took a swing and managed to cut the tendril holding his left arm, but its influence allowed it to heal almost instantly, retaining control as the other hand grasped her wrist and turned it. Feeling a crack in her elbow, she let out a cry as the knife dropped into the Inventor's other hand and went right into her shoulder.

"AAAAUGH!!!"

"OOOOH!!!"

Both parties in this dreamscape screamed out, either in pain or in shock as the Inventor's blade dug into the blue Pony's flesh, twisting past bone and shearing away at her tendons.

"J-Jesus Christ!!"

He watched as Luna staggered back into the living room, holding her shoulder as she tried to pull the knife out. She gasped again when her friend's hand took the blade's handle and ripped it out in the most unclean and painful way. He kicked her down to her knees, putting the blade to her mouth.

Before she could do anything else, his knee pressed on her back and the knife cut into her mouth and up, taking off the front part of her face.

In that instance of death, she awoke.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Celestia's eyes shot open the moment she heard the loudest Canterlot Voice she'd ever experienced, both before and after her sister's banishment. Sitting up her gold-colored night gown, she looked towards her sister's chambers, then quickly threw the covers away. Not caring for her attire, nor any of her regal wears, she sprinted to her little sister's room, where multiple guards were gathering around.

"Out of my way! Clear the area!"

The guardsmares did as they were told, making way for Celestia as she slammed open Luna's doors.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

"Get my sister to the clinic!"

She stomped her foot into the floor when they weren't on it the second after that command was given.