Dormitabis

"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...'