Return of the Lord

As the sun began to set beneath the foreign realm's horizon, Zaros felt weary.

Even gods must die...

The staff's words haunted him.

How close was I to death?

He continued his journey through the forest, lost in his thoughts.

His preoccupation with his mind proved hazardous, however, as he walked down a path into the clutches of a waiting cockatrice.

Zaros was roused from his contemplations as he felt a surge of magic course through him, and he realised his hindlegs were turning to stone.

He smiled.

How feeble.

The creature appeared to be similar to the cockatrices which Zaros knew lurked underneath Rellekka back in Gielinor.

Why am I always caught without my mirror shield?

Zaros casually exerted a meagre amount of his drained, but still potent, mind. At once, his hindlegs began to return to flesh, and the creature's magic was nullified.

Confused, bewildered, and infinitely scared, the cockatrice fled, scampering back into the undergrowth of the Everfree Forest.

Zaros gently chuckled to himself, and once more trudged on towards the nearby town.

Once more, his thoughts returned.

It seems death is always around a metaphorical corner, even for a god.

The wounds the staff had inflicted, aside from the draining of Zaros's power, had been purely physical, although the pain still remained fresh in Zaros's mind.

And so did the stench of betrayal.

Zaros was not normally known for being vindictive, but in this instance, he felt it was necessary.

He would return to Gielinor, and Zamorak would feel his wrath.

Not even mahjarrat are above punishment.

His thoughts were briefly interrupted once again, as he heard a strange pack of wolves howling nearby.

He cast his gaze skyward, and saw that night had fallen, and at this hour, had the heavens locked within its firm grip.

Zaros began to walk forwards once more, only to find himself nearing the outskirts of town.

Freed from the suppressive restraints of the forest's dreadful canopy, Zaros unfurled his great wings, and took off into the night, his new, slender, equine form soaring above the town.

He cast his thoughts down into the houses below, and requisitioned some knowledge from some of the inhabitant's minds.

I am sure they will be impartial, regarding my intrusions.

Soon, however, he was once more reminded of the gods he had sensed from space, and so he landed and quietly withdrew his mind's influences.

Better safe than sorry...

One thing intrigued Zaros, however. Naturally, he had quickly scanned the nearby inhabitants, but what interested him was a nearby entity within the town.

Compared to the others, this one is far more powerful...

After picking up a lock on its position, Zaros began to walk through the streets to its abode.

Twilight Sparkle was in the middle of a midnight library cleanup.

Spurred on by a horrible experience she had had earlier in the day, where she had found a book out of place, she had resolved that after a hard evening of studying, she would reorganize the library.

Or at least, Spike would.

Twilight sat in the corner, pondering as to why the book had been so out of place.

What if someone had sabotaged her perfect book placement?

What if it was a sign from a higher power?

What if some evil unicorn enchanted my books so that they randomly change position all the time?!

Twilight was beginning to twitch, and her pupils were starting to shrink, but she was snapped out of her insane ramblings by Spike pausing his book sorting in order to tell her something.

"Twilight? I think someone is at the door!"

Twilight panicked.

It was the dead of night! Why would anyone come to see her at this hour?

Twilight was about to attempt an escape, but Spike had already opened the door, revealing a tall, slender pegasus pony with a white coat, and purple mane and tail. What really struck Twilight, however, was his weird, symbolic cutie mark, and his intent, hollow eyes.

Twilight walked up to stand behind Spike at the door, just as the strange arrival spoke.

"Good evening, I am afraid that I have been walking for quite a while, only just made it into town, and was hoping that you could point me in a direction of a place to sleep?"

Twilight shuddered. The stranger's voice had seemed to sound old, so old, but so firm and young at the same time.

"Where have you come here from?" Twilight asked a little cautiously.

"From the south, I had to travel through the Everfree Forest to arrive here before nightfall," the stranger replied, and also staring quite solidly, as if trying to gauge Twilight's reaction.

His story seemed very weird and unusual, It was the middle of the night.

"What is your name, may I ask?" Twilight asked forcefully, trying to sound strong enough to ensure the stranger wouldn't attempt to rob her library or something.

The stranger seemed unfazed.

"Midnight Feather" He replied effortlessly.

Twilight considered telling him to leave, then realised how cruel that would be.

This pony could have travelled for miles, only to arrive in the dead of night. If you turned away such a soul in need, how could you still claim to be more moral than your enemies such as Discord or Nightmare Moon? Besides, he could become your friend.

Twilight shuddered at the last thought, and somehow couldn't shake the feeling that those thoughts weren't her own.

Regardless, she'd made up her mind.

"There is a spare bed downstairs, if you wouldn't mind staying the night here?"

The stranger seemed genuinely taken aback by the offer, as did Spike, who almost seemed petrified by the pegasus's presence.

"Thank you, kind maiden. I am eternally grateful for your kind hospitality." The stranger replied.

Twilight almost giggled at his unusual manner of speech, but lead him downstairs all the same, to where there lay a ready made bed, in case of emergency sleepovers, as her plethora of guides on the subject had informed her that a spare, isolated bed was sometimes a necessary backup tool.

The stranger once more made his appreciation known, before clambering inside the bedcovers and swiftly falling asleep.

Twilight trotted back up to the ground floor, and after instructing Spike to continue sorting out the books, made her way upstairs, in order to finally get some rest.

Rest, however, is one thing Twilight did not get that night.

Midnight Feather

The name was weird, but if that's his name, that's his name.

She still couldn't quite believe his tale about his arrival in Ponyville, however. He had travelled through the Everfree Forest for Celestia's sake!
No one travels through the Everfree Forest, not even strange pegasi with weird cutie marks.

His cutie mark.

It had been very strange, to say the very least.

Twilight sighed.

Who have I let into my house?

Reality stayed firm.

This is impossible!

But Zamorak knew it wasn't, for he'd seen it done before.

I must keep trying!