Chapter One- A kind of Peace, and a Echoing hallow Past.
Arthur jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat. His breath came in ragged gasps as the last echoes of the nightmare clung to his waking mind.
In his dreams, the timberwolves had torn into him with savage and unrelenting veracity, their wooden jaws snapping around him there claws slashing into him, as they mauled his flesh. And cracked bone,
Out of nowhere, the manticore he had angered all those nights ago charged in, crushing the timberwolves beneath its massive paws. With a swift motion, its stinger struck him, piercing him effortlessly. Before it reared back its tail and threw him, the force of it sent him flying like a ragdoll into the black void.
He could feel the weight of death pressing down on him, the sharp edge of oblivion looming closer. But a zebra had saved him. Arthur could still remember her face.
Her hooves up to her mid forelegs was a deep crimson, thanks to yours truly, even her face, body and mane was covered in his blood. But she somehow saved his life; why did it prevent his death? Why it hadn’t punched his ticket, it didn't allow him to truly die; not this time, or the next.
Her eyes, though were calm and focused, had fear behind her professionalist eyes.
Yet Arthur would never truly get used to dying, then again who would, even remembering the cold embrace death offered that day even made him shiver from it.
"Damn it Luna, you said you'd help me out when it came down to stuff like this. Hopefully it was just an off day for her, or she must have forgotten. Life always does find ways to make others forget once in a while." He said, holding at his chest, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat.
Now, he lay in his bedroom, staring up at the wooden beams of the ceiling. The dim morning light filtered in through the window to his right, casting soft light across the room.
'Guess that explains why she didn't give me a hand this time.' He shuttered, knowing this would not be the last time those dreams haunt him.
Yet from the beams above someone spoke up, her voice still as a clear starry night sky.
"Her Highness, Princess Luna is currently off to rest herself at this hour. That is why she is unable to safeguard your dreams; do not forget Ser Arthur, you are not the only one she needs to 'babysit.' So to speak. And please avoid using expletive language." Said a female voice up in the most hidden parts of the roof of his room, and he knew all too well who it was.
"I'll try and keep that in mind, but when you start having nightmares of being used as a chew toy by Timberwolves, and getting thrown like a football by a Manticore. Not to mention dying; I don't want to hear it." Arthur said absentmindedly, not fully realizing just who was hiding in his room.
His heartbeat, thankfully, began to slow. His muscles, still tight from the memory of his fight for survival, had been flexed so hard it ached. Gradually, they began to relax.
And as he wiped a hand across his face in an effort to wake himself up, he saw his scars on his forearm; these were caused by the vicious creatures who call the Everfree Forest home, and nearly took his life. In a sense,
Now having been awake for a few minutes, he realized who answered his morning groveling.
Grabbing the blanket he wrapped it around his healed frame annoyed that she decided to stay in his room all night again.
"Damn it, Noc I thought I told you not to stalk me in my sleep!” Arthur yelled as her ethereal giggle echoed from above him.
Spotting her slitted eyes from the shadows, Nocturna knew her time of hiding was up. So she quickly and gracefully jumped down landing with a soft thud of her lavender armor.
“I know, but Princess Luna told me to watch you, ‘closely’ to make sure you're not trying anything suspicious during the night.” She calmly stated emphasizing the closely part, but he knew she was just being a turd.
“That's a lie and you know it Nocturna, I was there when both Princesses discussed the terms of this. And no where did it state, a guard had to watch me sleep.” Arthur argued as she merely gave him a fang filled smile.
“The fine print! Always check the fine print of any written agreement. Ser Arthur.” Her smile continued to grow wider, before it broke apart into tired laughter.
Her laugh, had been eerily similar to Nightmare Moon’s, as it sent a small chill down his spine. Thankfully, it wasn’t really the real thing.
"I'm just messing with you, ya dork. I know you wouldn't leave without telling one of your friends—after all, at least one of them needs to be with you at all times to comply with the house arrest agreement. Between you and the Crowns, slipping up would mean a one-way trip to Canterlot's dungeons. And I rather much prefer you not to be arrested, as I very much like you're cooking. Certainly more, then the mess all in Canterlot."
Nocturna Veil teased, her voice dripping with casual confidence. Meanwhile Arthur, was less amused. He wasn’t having any of it.
“Funny. I explicitly requested privacy for showers,restroom usage, letters both receiving and sending, lastly sleep. And from what I remember either Princess doesn't go back on their written word without offering an explanation, or some other compensation.”
Arthur challenged the Thestral mare, but she merely waved her armored hoof at him, showing to calm down. While she tiredly responded,
"Relax, dude, I was just kidding. Did you not here me say it the first time? Honestly, I wanted to check out your scars. They’re pretty wild! Not many hairless creatures live in Equestria, and when a pony gets scars of any kind, they usually don’t show them off; as they buy—shampoos and creams, to help the fur grow back. But you? You look like you’ve been through Tartarus and back! And, if you catch my drift, there are a few mares buzzing about it in Ponyville and Canterlot. It doesn't help that I've been adding fuel to some of those fires," Nocturna Veil grinned before letting out a huge yawn, revealing that she wasn’t the only one up past her bedtime.
'I don't joke around with stuff like this.' Arthur thought, as this matter specifically was not something to kid about.
"Do me a solid, would ya? Wake up Clover Meadow if that early bird isn't already up, I'm off to sleep as I've been off the clock for an hour now." Nocturna said as she began to strip before him not really caring if he watched her remove her armor or not.
And Arthur wasn't going to, the last time he did she teased him something awful. As that memory replayed in his head rather quickly, too quickly for his liking.
That morning, as Nocturna removed her armor, she noticed her charge watching. And with a sly grin, she decided to have a little fun. Striking a sensual pose, she fixed Arthur with a pair of bedroom eyes and spoke in a soft, seductive tone.
"Like what you see, tall stuff? Because I’m just getting started~ and maybe, when I’m done, I can start with undressing you."
Nocturna's voice was a silky purr, her slitted eyes never leaving his as he tried to explain to her the reason why,
"I'm not trying to perv! I was just curious to see how Ponies removed and equip armor!" He reasoned, but still she took her time, slipping off each remaining piece of armor with deliberate, slow movements, allowing them to fall and hit the ground in an unorganized mess. As she continued teasing him with every motion. While her silky calm voice answered him,
"You’ve been staring long enough; might as well enjoy the show." A playful smirk tugged at her muzzle showing her fangs ever so slightly as she began a slow trot toward him, each step was slow but graceful.
"Nocturna! I swear to God, if you don't stop right now, I'll—Damn it, get away!" Arthur’s threat fizzled out as he scrambled on to the bed, hoping that standing on it would deter her slow advance. Yet his weak and unprepared defense seemed to only amuse her. As she tilted her head in slight confusion while smiling, showing that his effort did amuse the Thestral. But she dismissed it with a flick of her tufted ear, opening up her leathery bat wings. It was time to take it a step forward,
In one swift, calculated move, Nocturna closed the distance with alarming speed. Before Arthur could react, she reared up, her powerful front hooves pushing him back onto the bed. The mattress creaked beneath there combined weight as she pinned him down, pressing his shoulders firmly to the sheets with a practiced ease that made escape impossible.
"You'll do what?~ My lord?~ or would you prefer I say it like a lowborn mare. M'lord?~" was her only reply, showing he had lost his advantage.
Her eyes softly shined with a mix of mischief and challenge as she leaned down, her muzzle so close he could feel her warmth breath every time she exhaled. Every muscle in her lean form radiated strength, her shadowy mane spilling forward as her hooves held him in place near the headboard of his temporary bed.
"You where so bold to jump onto this bed~ and to think, I needed to force sompony so eager for a Thestral's touch." She said almost breathless, slowly she leaned in just a little closer, Arthur saw her tail was flicking with mischievous intent behind her. As she left him little to no wiggle room, effectively leaving him at her mercy. Yet she continued to speak,
"Who knows, you might even learn a thing or two. Just by spending a morning with an experienced mare Thestral~" leaning her head over to his ear she slowly opened her muzzle, and exhaled on his ear; before closing the distance and beginning to nibble on it gently with her fangs. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to show they where their. And oh boy, did it send shivers down his spine, even the mere thought of it made Arthur's heart beat increase in anxiety.
After that, the rest of the day was rather awkward for the pair, more specifically Arthur who felt as if he was going to die. And later on in the evening she made it clear she was just teasing and didn't mean to make him uncomfortable.
'Yeah my ass you were teasing.' He internally grumbled, yet the way she moved, and looked at him kinda did unnerve him.
Jumping out of bed, he decided to get dressed beside her as she lazily hummed a tune to herself taking off the armor she spent all night in.
"Man, my bones and wings are screaming for exercise. I gotta go for a run one of these nights, are you interested in it Arthur?" She asked lazily Glancing over at him.
Despite being half-dressed, she didn’t seem to mind his current state at least from what he could tell. After all, he always slept half clothed, so nothing too crazy could have happened without him feeling it happen.
"Maybe if it’s early enough, I want to have a relatively normal sleep schedule." He shrugged. Before adding onto his rather small statement,
“I’ve got stuff to do every day."As he felt her smooth and sleek tail graze his legs.
"Yeah, right. Like you’ve got 'things' you need to do," she scoffed. "You hardly ever leave this cabin! And honestly, I wouldn’t mind if you had mares breaking down the front door every day—at least I’d have something to do in the form of Night Guard and Day Guard reports. Instead of listening to you snore all night," Her sarcastic tone lingered for a moment before shifting into something more serious.
"But seriously dude, if you joined me for a run every now and then, that just might change...Luna's mercy! If a mare calls you 'stud' to your face. "She teased with a sly grin.
"Definitely a step up from what Clover Meadow and Silver Gleam told me about your little routine. From what I hear, it’s more boring than nobles whining over who snagged the last Gala ticket." She playfully flicked her warm tail at the back of his leg for a second time, the black hairs tickling his exposed ankle and foot. He just shrugged her off and headed to grab a shirt.
“You can't do the same thing over and over again and expect a new reaction from me, nice try Noc.”
Giving a small huff, she saw her extremely light teasing finally wouldn't work on him.
"About time somepony grew a pair! I can’t help my bro find a mare if he can’t handle a light teasing!" she chided, giving him a light punch on the back with her free hoof before jumping onto his bed and snuggling into the covers he left mere moments ago.
'What is you're definition of light teasing?' Arthur thought accusatorily.
Letting out a soft sigh of delight, the batpony made herself comfortable in Arthur’s bed before speaking up. She knew he’d just love getting a list of tasks from his batpony companion so she gave him one,
“Anyway, I'm off the clock…Oh! If you go into town, mind grabbing me something to read, and a few drinks and snacks? And close the blinds on the way out? I'll pay you back I promise.” She said with a tired smile claiming the spot he used as it was the warmest spot of his bed.
“You said that last time. And why are you sleeping in my bed? I thought you had you're own." Arthur started but she covered her ears with her hooves.
"I can’t hear you! Sounds like somepony can’t wait for my paycheck to come in. Can’t you tell I’m asleep?" She added, letting out a fake snore to emphasize how ‘asleep’ she really was. Before continuing. "Besides, this spot was kept warm for me by my hooman? Human? Such a strange word to say. But the one fact everypony forgets to put in you're file, is males of your species are like walking foundries! If I am still assigned to you in the winter where sharing a bed!"
Rolling his eyes at the bat pony’s antics, he made his way to the window. After closing the blinds, he left his room and headed to the other bedroom in the cabin.
Opening the door quietly he found the second guard assigned to him. But not the one Nocturna Veil told him to awaken as Silver Gleam's room was far more organized then the utter messy pile her bat counterpart left.
Meanwhile, Silver was softly snoring away in her bed, blissfully unaware of the world around her.
'Best not to wake the one who's a battlemage.' He thought, ' I'd rather not end up with a new hole in my face to breathe from. Maybe several,'
Watching her for a moment, her mane was splayed across the pillow like a waterfall of hair, as her light snoring echoed out from her blanket prison. This made him chuckled to himself. For all her strength and power, she sounded so unthreatening in her sleep. Not to mention, her being a pony who could easily wipe the floor with nearly anything, she fought.
But he knew better than to test her patience—especially when she was knocked out cold unless for a very good reason.
Gently closing the door, Arthur went downstairs and found the third Guardsmare assigned to him was awake. And currently already dressed in her royal guard armor, minus the signature helmet that all royal guards all wore.
“Morning Clover, sleep well?” He asked as a light beige ear perked up and moved in his direction. Followed by her head turning to see him, A light smile on the mare.
“Hello Ser Arthur! And a good morning to you too. And yes, I slept like a newborn foal!” She said rather cheerfully, as she quickly stood up and grabbed hold of her helmet.
“Any big plans? I know it's still early and all, but I love helping you with the routine.” Clover Meadow beamed at the tired human who merely raised a hand to stop her verbal foray.
“I understand you like to wake up early, but I don't. This is one of those off-chance days where I am forced to be up at the butt crack of dawn; also please stop calling me ‘Ser,’ as I am no Ser to begin with.
Arthur fought, disliking the title they all kept using for him which confused his earth pony guard.
“But Arthur!” She playfully chirped,
“You're a Knight who was personally anointed as such, by the new High-King of the Griffin Kingdom! And here in Equestria we respect all knighthoods regardless of where they come from. Not to mention you own land there, as a Baron as Griffin culture dictates.” Clover answered, showing she wanted to be respectful in following both traditions of pony and griffin.
Annoyed, he persisted.
“I understand that, but please. Don't call me by that title, I know you're just trying to be respectful but I personally didn't want it; so please just call me Arthur. I had my fill of it thanks to the nobles up in Canterlot repeatedly calling me that, why do you think I begged Celestia to get the hell out of there?” He pleaded as she gently nodded, in understanding.
“Very well Arthur. I'll respect your wishes.” Clover said disappointed he didn't like the honorary title of knight.
‘I can't believe how much honor means to these more honest Ponies, especially those in higher Guard positions.’ Shaking his head, he went over toward the kitchen while the iconic sound of armored hooves walking on wood were heard following him.
“Thanks Clover, I owe you one.” Arthur said, as she merely nodded his way.
“Think nothing of it, I just figured you wanted to be called by title first not name. At least that sets you apart from most nobility regardless of which kingdom or empire they are with.” Clover answered, showing just how understanding she was about the whole thing. As Arthur brewed a pot of coffee, a more unpleasant memory crept into his mind, unlike the last one. At least he saw Nocturna as a friend.
“At least I'm not like that white snot rag, what was his name?” He asked Looking back at her as she flinched upon who he was hinting at.
“You mean Prince Blueblood?” She asked calmly, as Arthur continued.
“Yeah that shit head, that guy wouldn't shut up about not having the right temperature water for a bath. For two. Whole. Hours. I had half a mind to strangle him or throw him through a high story window and really see if he's blue blooded. Once he landed," Arthur finished before pointing down at the coffee pot.
“Sorry about that; you want some?” He asked as she nervously nodded.
“Sure thing S- I mean Arthur.” Clover saved, as that stallion was a rough spot indeed not only for the royal guards but for the Princesses.
After another cup of coffee making, he slid it over toward the earth pony. Who promptly sat down on a pillow and held the cup in her front hoof, while she absentmindedly traced the top rim of the cup with the other.
“I'm surprised Celestia and Luna haven't just dumped him in a box and threw away the key yet.” Arthur continued as another groggy voice joined in from the small room, they just entered from.
“The reason why neither Princess has touched him is because his family line is the unofficial official heirs to the Equestria kingdom. Celestia forbid if Princess Luna or Princess Celestia both pass away or both go missing, without any heirs or an official regent in place; the kingdom goes to his family line.” Silver Gleam answered, following the sweet smell of freshly made goodness.
Locking her icy blue eyes on target, she added onto her original statement.
“And also where's my cup? You made Clover one.” She pressed, smelling the sweet aroma of the heavenly drink. As her eyes dimly shined at the mere thought of drinking it.
“You have magic, she doesn't; make your own damn cup.” Arthur joked, as she gave him a slight unsettling glare.
“You brewed yourself a cup of Coffee, yet you won’t serve me? How in Celestia’s name is that fair? Worst service ever!" Silver exclaimed, her voice a mix of frustration and playful indignation. She stomped her hoof on the floor, causing a few items to rattle on the nearby kitchen shelf. Her cheeks puffed up in a adorable way, and her disheveled bedhead fell over most of her face, giving her an endearing yet comical appearance. “I mean, come on! It’s not like I’m asking for the moon here!”
Giving a defeated sigh, he went to give the Unicorn of his detail the same thing as everyone else.
“You do know that's not very professional for a Royal Guard, right?” He asked as she merely huffed in his direction.
“Are you my commanding officer now? Do I need to leave the bedroom fully dressed every time, Ser?” Silver pressed, crossing her forelegs as she settled into her seat at the decent-sized table. She winced slightly as the light flickered into her face from the kitchen window. Her tone a mixture of playful defiance and of hurting irritation, as she rubbed her temples with her hooves.
Clover winced at the ‘Ser’ part, but didn't answer for him.
“Even if I was, you're a worse morning person than me. At least I'm not as crabby as you,” Arthur mused.
Her only answer was a snort of annoyance.
Silver Gleam, just like him, wasn't an early bird. But the royal guards woke up from what he remembered was beyond early for him, four in the morning to be exact.
And since their new guard duties were protecting and guarding him, he allowed them to sleep in. But the only one who didn't follow this was Clover, not that she didn't want to; she was just hardwired to be up so early.
His assigned Unicorn was more than thankful over this offer, but today it seemed even she had an odd day too.
‘Once that coffee kicks in, she'll be her usual old self. But I am having doubts she might have been drinking, if she didn't invite me I won't be happy.'
Sliding over the Coffee, Arthur continued to drink his own cup. While Clover asked a question,
“Hey Silver,” Clover started as Arthur focused more on his own cup.
“Mm? What is it?” She deadpanned, placing her hooves down, while igniting her horn and taking hold of the coffee cup. She dragged it closer, and breathed in its fresh aroma deeply as Clover continued.
“Were you drinking last night? I smell the faint scent of booze on you. And from your room last night.”
Arthur couldn't smell it, but apparently Clover did.
The silence in the room was more deafening than anyone had anticipated, pressing down on the room like an invisible old blanket. It lingered, for a long and uncomfortable amount of time, until Silver finally spoke; her voice cutting through the tension rather simply.
“I don't want to talk about it.” She hissed, shortly after she grunted in pain as a hoof flung to her head to hold it. As she could no longer hide the fact of her secret night of fun.
Clover, on her part, looked shocked that Silver would even humor drinking right now. If her mouth hanging open was any correlation, and eyes as wide as dinner plates.
Drinking while actively deployed as a royal guard was heavily frowned upon from what Arthur could guess.
'Yep, she was definitely drinking. Honestly, I don’t blame her. With her and Twilight trying to teach me spellcasting, half of which is more advanced than I can handle; I’d probably want a drink too. The way they clash over every little detail during my lessons would stress anyone out. Speaking of which, where is that Bookworm? She usually isn't late for anything for the short time I've known her.’
Checking the small clock on the wall, to just confirm he wasn't losing it. The hour point had been at eight in the morning, so Twilight was indeed late. Yet he was more interested in the current events unfolding before him to interrupt, as Clover began her verbal yelling.
“Silver, how could you drink while actively deployed? That is heavily frowned upon! Not to mention the worst offense. You're also the second in command here!” Clover stammered, not wanting them to have a slip up and something happening to either their charge. Or one of them. And in slight annoyance, she answered her.
“First of all, stop yelling. My head is pounding, and you’re not helping," Silver groaned, rubbing her temple. "Second, I was off duty when I had a drink, so if you're so worried, maybe crack open the official guard handbook. It clearly states that as long as it's not illegal or a risk to national security, what a guard does on their off time is their business. And guess what? Me having a few drinks is perfectly within regulation." She shot a pointed look, her eyes narrowing as her headache spiked.
"So, Private, get off my case or, by Celestia's mane, the second this headache is gone, I’m really not going to be your friend." She gritted the last bit out as talking too much caused her head to ache in pain. While she dropped the mug of fresh coffee back onto the table, as using magic with a hangover wasn't something possible right now.
"B-buck! This hangover is killing me!" Silver groaned, clutching at her head trying to stop it.
“I'll go get water.”
Arthur said unamused, as he went toward one of the cabinets, opening it and grabbing a glass pitcher.
Arthur placed it on the counter, as he dug through the new fridge. And took out a small lemon, oranges, and other fresh fruits, most of them containing vitamins and citrus.
Cutting them with a kitchen knife, and dropping them in, he gathered water from the sink and filled it accordingly.
Once done he added ice to it, and gave Silver Gleam an empty glass, and the container full of this Concoction.
“After that coffee, drink all of this. You'll be better in an hour or so, depending on how much you drank.” Arthur offered as she gave him her side eye, thinking it was the private. But it quickly changed into a look of appreciation
“Thanks B-boss, I knew I could count on you to help.” Silver offered him a small smile before, clutching her head with one hoof, and drinking her coffee in the other despite being in pain.
Arthur had finished his cup, and was more than eager to get his little routine done. Glancing toward Clover he asked a question of his own,
“Did you finish that?” He asked as she quickly nodded.
“Yep! All ready to go Arthur.”
Despite this situation feeling like a small college dorm setup, and him being outnumbered by more women than ever before in his life. It still would get awkward at times, but these ponies were here and had a job to do.
They still treated him like a friend, and yet. At times he would forget about the whole written agreement Arthur had made with Celestia and Luna.
Stepping outside followed by Clover she had her Lance in hoof, despite it hanging lazily on a noc in her armor it was still easily grabbable for the mare.
“What's the plan Arthur? Are we going into Ponyville, or are we visiting somepony?” Clover asked curiously, genuinely hoping for a slight change of pace.
Looking back he saw her hopeful light brown eyes, but Arthur needed to get the basics down first.
“Sorry Clove, but same as the day before. Wood cutting and gardening, plus. Wasn't Twilight supposed to be showing up today? It is Monday right.” He asked as she answered cheerfully,
“I don't mind it! But you're mistaken about Twilight's arrival, she only shows up around midday. If I can recall properly, it's because she has chores of her own to do. But after that she can help teach you magic for the rest of the afternoon." Clover informed, while beginning to trot towards the back of the fair sized cabin.
Following close behind her Arthur began his chores to help keep his mind off of the item that rested on his finger, and its constant evil deceptions.
Glancing down at it, it almost sensed him staring as it glowed. Showing what powers laid within, but thankfully Clover Meadow began talking to herself.
“I still can't believe Silver Gleam would drink here of all places, on the very border of the Everfree Forest! Canterlot was one thing, but here of all places?! And with such a high risk in our charge no less.” Clover started while her tail lashed in slight annoyance, as she sorta forgot he was behind her.
“High risk? I've been nothing but good these past few months, and with a trac record like that. I'm positive the Corporal knows I'm not going to pull anything.” Arthur countered from behind the mare,
Her ears folded in embarrassment, as she forgot who was behind her.
“D-did I say all that out loud?" Clover asked Looking back, as he gave a nod.
Now that her thoughts had been exposed, Clover’s fur flushed a deep red, similar in color of a ripe tomato, from the sheer embarrassment she was going through. For the rest of the short walk, she remained unusually quiet, seemingly unsure of what to say.
Arriving at his little escapes from reality, Arthur from where he stood, saw most of his plants did survive thanks to Zecora's recommendations.
'Guess that makes it Zecora one, Arthur zero. In stopping pests from eating my vegetables.' Before Arthur could go towards the lone shed Clover got in his path, her face looked lost in deep thought like her mind had been plaguing her about something internally.
"Arthur."
She started seemingly not sure how to word it, and being the nice guy he was. Arthur waved her on, showing she had his attention.
"Look, I didn’t mean to upset you with what I said earlier; when I vent, I forget who's around me. But I've known you long enough to know you always see things from other ponies perspective; you can't blame me, I only want the best for everypony. What if a master sergeant or a higher ranked Officer showed up for a surprise inspection? They have done it before, with past High risk house arrest members. I just don't want Silver to be chewed out or even transferred off this detail, just because she couldn’t wait for us to go back. I'm surprised Princess Celestia herself signed off on this!”
She said, giving a nervous smile, toward Arthur who just moved closer toward her and gave her a light ear scratch.
“Don't worry about it, I've seen worse. And she is getting better at hiding hangovers, one day she might surprise us?” Arthur offered as the ear flicked against his hand instinctively, as Clover released a soft coo; leaning into his hand slightly.
"Maybe you're right—for now, anyway. I won't report this, but if anypony asks, I won’t lie." Clover mumbled, as he stepped away from the pony toward his tool shed.
"You truly are a good friend, but don’t forget, she and Twilight have been clashing over how to teach me magic. Even though it’s not really her responsibility, Silver still wants to make sure I’ve got the basics before Twilight moves on to whatever advanced stuff she’s planning."
Arthur started before he grabbed the ax he used to chop logs, after checking it to see if it needed replacing he got to work cutting wood into uneven planks for a fire. Now with this small inspection complete, he continued to speak.
"And I really do appreciate everything Twilight is doing, but I’m a bit slow when it comes to magic. Back where I’m from, magic is just seen as tricks, illusions, and sleight of hand."
From what Arthur could tell, Clover had accepted his argument, but the mare couldn’t help adding her own perspective. And curiosity,
"I know, I had to look over the book of a file you had; we all did before getting assigned to you. Yet most of it had been redacted for some reason." Clover’s brow furrowed, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"It still boggles my mind that there’s a world out there without any magic. How does humanity keep everything running without spells? Or how you change the seasons when needed?" Clover said jokingly, before quickly becoming a little more serious.
"If I had to explain what I know about your race to somepony who never heard or seen a thing about you. there’s one thing that comes to mind; what I’ve learned from what you explained about humanity, it’s that you all love a challenge." Clover started, her tone thoughtful as she watched Arthur closely. Now that he was armed with an ax.
"You thrive on pushing limits, don’t you? Even when the odds are stacked against you, it’s like you’re always ready to prove something—whether it’s to you're world, to others, or to yourselves. And somehow your kind manages to thrive against Insurmountable odds."
She paused, her gaze drifting as if she were piecing together everything she’d learned about him and his kind.
"You come from a world without magic, yet you’ve managed to conquer it through sheer willpower, ingenuity, and hard work. No spells, no enchanted fancy artifacts…No shortcuts; just through stubbornness and a large refusal to become extinct. I think that’s what fascinates me the most. Compared to our world specifically we rely so much on magic to make our lives easier, to solve problems. But you? From what you told me, you're home had it in for you. And yet? You came out on top, reminds me of the early Earth Pony tribe from a hearts and hooves day play."
"Earth Ponies? Really, I don't see your kind growing thumbs. Or climbing trees," Arthur joked, as her eyes narrowed, annoyed he didn't get what she was trying to hint at.
"I was trying to be nice and say that us Earth Ponies and humans were similar, but if you want to go down that route then no. We aren't alike,"
Yet seeing that Arthur was slightly more focused on wood cutting she huffed, but moved to stand off to the side, vigilant, ensuring that no pony or creature could attack him—or that Arthur wouldn’t slip away without her noticing.
With each *CRACK* of the ax head connecting into wood. Arthur thought about just how his story began, in this magical land called Equestria.
Seven months ago, Arthur's POV
Arthur sat by his modest, flickering fire, resting quietly as his 'guest' sat across from him. Though she had been loud and demanding at first, her demeanor shifted once she realized her approach wouldn’t get her anywhere. The fire crackled softly between them, and the initial tension slowly ebbed away, leaving a more subdued silence in its wake.
Looking up at the sky, Arthur marveled at the vast expanse above. With no light pollution from any nearby citys or towns to obscure his view, thousands of stars twinkled brightly around them, filling the night with a quiet, silent beauty.
"Really is a nice night out."
Arthur spoke absentmindedly, and she responded with a subtle flick of the ear, followed by a quick verbal reply.
"Thank you, I try to make every night truly unforgettable~" Nightmare Moon cooed, as she herself showed pride at his praise; even she glanced upwards seeing the stars she adored.
"I have a question for you, Princess." Arthur asked as she looked down back at him, waiting for his question.
Taking that unblinking stare, as his 'go ahead' sign he did so.
"Is this fire even warming you up at all? I know this current time of year isn't exactly cold. But tonight is somewhat chilly. Just with your build and height I was not sure if it was enough for you."
Producing a small ghostly giggle, Nightmare Moon responded.
"I do appreciate the concern of keeping me warm, but my fur and feathers are more than enough to keep me from freezing. But that's not the right question, especially one that you should be asking." She said rather displeased at this pointless inquiry.
"Very well, and to answer the earlier statement of yours; before you decided to calm down. What do I get out of this?" Arthur pressed. As she dealt the last blow to win this nearly hour long negotiation, an offer he simply couldn't refuse.
"It's rather simple." Nightmare Moon started,
"As I've stated before, you assist me to the best of your ability tonight, and once we win. I'll make you my student; and your tutelage will begin immediately. Once you complete the lessons on magic, land will also be given to you as well so that you may have this quiet life you are seeking."
Standing up she unfurled her wings and prepared to take off,
"I have spent more than enough time here speaking to you, please answer now before I depart. I must know now, if I have an ally in this field or a future foe,"
Standing up, Nightmare Moon saw that the creature she would soon use was eye level or even taller than herself. Not counting her horn,
"Fine, let's get this over and done with, you owe me a new fire once this is done." Was his only response.
"Do not worry you'll be compensated. Now do stay still, I wouldn't want you to be injured during the teleportation process,"
Before he could respond, Nightmare Moon teleported Arthur into some kind of gray walled room. The main issue was he was currently and rapidly descending down to the floor,
'Shit.'
Unlike Nightmare Moon's landing an hour ago, Arthur's had not an ounce of grace, and he fell flat on his head. And that was wording it nicely,
Getting back onto his feet, the room was spinning and he could have sworn that fall landed him a minor concussion.
"Not one of my best moments, I'll admit. Where is a zonked chaperone when you need one? I'm getting myself hurt here!"
He muttered, while rubbing his possibly cracked skull. Hoping that would halt his vertigo; for his own safety, and not to hurt himself further Arthur sat back down.
It took a while, but once the spinning room ceased. Arthur stood again on his own two feet. He was amazed and curious at just where this was going now. But slowly he started to have second thoughts,
Spotting a window he calmly traveled over gripping his throbbing skull, only to see fog. Yet he could hear two individuals talking in the distance, however he couldn't figure out if they were human or some fairytale creature, But regardless of what, it didn't mean he couldn’t eavesdrop.
"Come on Y'all! We gotta find Twilight, we can't let her face Nightmare Moon on her lonesome, let's get a move on!"
Soon another more hyper voice joined the fray.
"Yeah! Let’s get that black snooty! We'll bounce right on in there with our super duper smiles, Ready, everypony? Let's spread some cheer!"
There were a few other voices of agreement, but that was the least of Arthur's worries. As one stood out to him,
"Darlings, look! I do believe I’ve spotted where they might be. Let’s move quickly, my dears! We simply must not waste another moment!"
Glancing around for a few moments he discovered just where he had to be.
'Oops, guess Nightmare Moon was off with my LZ by roughly a floor. better get over there before those four maybe five do, I only wanted to see where this goes.'
Stepping back from the windowless stone arch, and one light jog across the seemingly empty room.
He pushed open the old wooden door and picked the right hallway path that seemingly went up stairs.
Following the vine covered steps he entered a large stone room, the walls also covered in overgrowth.
But at the center was Nightmare Moon as a fellow equine was pinned under hoof.
Turning her head, she saw who it was and that prompted her to speak.
"Ah~ perfect timing, my new Vassel. And here I thought you deserted."
Nightmare Moon cooed, as she turned to face him. Dragging the mare beneath her frame, and through the dust and dirt to the front of herself.
Once her dirtied frame was before Nightmare Moon she tossed the seemingly lifeless body towards him.
"Please you're Princess and rid me of this mare. She has proved to be nothing but trouble this whole night, and it would be only fitting for you to gain first blood as that will cement your place my student. She is very much alive, just unconscious."
Looking at the mare, she did seem a little bruised but her chest was still rising and falling if only labored.
'Guessing she wasn't taking any chances with her running, or maybe she just got too close for comfort.' Approaching the mare, the voice started up again seemingly in rage at the fact that he agreed to serve this being.
"Do not mock the will of your true master by bending to this creature's feeble plight. End them both swiftly; they stand no chance against a servant of the Lord of Mordor. Show them no mercy—they are not worthy of it."
Ignoring the ring, he merely knelt down near this purple pony, this only added to Nightmare Moon's displeasure.
"What are you doing?! I said to end her miserable existence, not to study her!" She snapped,
"Does she even have a name?"
Arthur asked, despite it angering her she did inform him of her name.
"That mare's name is Twilight; I don't see how knowing what they call her by would matter if you were commanded to execute her. I don’t care how she dies just make it so,"
In a huff, Nightmare Moon turned and began trotting across the room seemingly toward a large stone podium. Or was it a throne, it was hard to tell at this distance, glancing toward the ceiling he discovered a few gaping holes that allowed moonlight to enter this room unaltered.
Taking a long look around this room, he discovered this was a throne room as the few carvings and even treasures that were left inside. Couldn't stand the test of time, as the few that did remain were relics of a forgotten era. Massive stone pillars line the hall, their surfaces cracked and weathered with age.
Yet he remained determined not to harm the small horse, that wasn't even conscious.
Gently her unconscious form shuttered, from what he presumed to be from the harshness of Nightmare Moon's tone of voice.
Reaching out, and with great care began stroking her head. Taking care not to touch her horn, despite being unconscious, she instinctively leaned into the gentle strokes.
"So you are the infamous Twilight I heard so much about, your friends seemed worried about you, you're going to be alright, just rest. You've had a long night, hell so have all of us. You'll be safe here at least for now; your friends are on their way. I'll buy you and the others as much time as I humanly can, wish me luck."
He whispered to her, and that seemed to calm her shuttering to a near halt. Either that or was it his fingers going through her smooth mane and fur?
'Man, I love having fingers and thumbs.'
Arthur added, as he got up leaving Twilight's unconscious frame on the stone floor very much still alive.
Leaving her there he began walking towards Nightmare Moon, 'I got a plan, it's wild; but it's all I got.'
Arthur wasn’t one for killing unless it was justified. But taking a life over a difference in views felt undeniably wrong.
As he crossed the large room, Arthur finally saw what had captured Nightmare Moon's full attention: five stone spheres. Once close enough, he made a simple request.
"May I approach?"
He asked, seeing her eyeing the carved balls with contempt, and disgust. After a long pause, she answered.
"You may, but be quick if you've come to speak with me," Nightmare Moon replied distractedly. "Our last stand must be made here. Even with Twilight gone, I fear the remaining five may still find the spark to activate the Elements."
And this was the opening he needed. While he stepped closer ever so slightly.
"I should have questioned this from the start, after hearing what you've said, I'm left with a nagging suspicion that all is not as you claim. That mare hardly resembled a soldier or a mercenary. If she was, wouldn't she have any kind of ID on her to prove it so?" Arthur began, while Nightmare Moon's tail began to twitch in slight annoyance. Yet she didn't speak, perhaps she was preparing her counter argument.
'Looks like I got her on the back foot, let's keep it up.' He figured seeing how she was currently reacting,
"Twilight seemed more like a civilian swept up in the turmoil of royal ambition. Are you truly willing to end her life, on the pretents of what she wanted to protect what she thought was right? It feels deeply unjust to silence a voice of dissent. Why not instead show her the errors she made? That's what a true leader should do and not fall to the temptation of violence..." Turning to face him, her slited eyes had narrowed followed by her brow furrowing. And yet she remained silent allowing him to make his rather long case.
'This might be a shot in the dark, but fuck it. If you're the moon, you're sisters the sun; show me the money! Daddy needs a new pair of tires!'
"Another thing I've noticed is that you're so focused on spreading the night, which leads me to assume your sister must represent the sun, right?" He observed how Nightmare Moon's body instinctively tensed, as if she could feel her sister's presence in the room, ready to cast a spell against her.
'I'm on fire! Come on let's end this here, need to lay on heavy pressure to make her break!'
Despite feeling like he was killing it at a casino, That physical answer was his hint to continue.
"Right, so that confirms she represents the other side of the coin. Have you truly considered what an eternal night would bring? You would achieve your long desired goal, but at what cost? The death of the world as it languishes in a never-ending lullaby. Is that what you wanted? To rule over a dying land as your subjects starve until they expire?" Arthur commented,
Slowly she closed her eyes, and looked downcast, her snout almost touching the ground as she appeared to be thinking over what he said.
'Come on baby, double or nothing! Go big or go home!' Arthur internally cheered, hoping for this large pot of money.
A gentle, almost ghostly whisper of a chuckle echoed from the nightmare before him. This made him nervous, as it continued.
'I may not have won against the house this time.' Arthur thought nervously as her soft, manic laughter grew louder, echoing through the room as she threw her head back in evil mirth.
Once it died down, she began to speak showing how she truly felt of his 'opinion.'
"You sound just like my elder sister." Nightmare Moon sneered, her expression twisted as if she had tasted something foul and was ready to spit it out. "I would be a fool to believe she’s here, speaking through you. But I know reality when I see it; she’s locked away somewhere only I know of. Still, I’ll grant you this; you do possess a sharp mind, much like her." Her glare was icy, delivering a look that could kill, "But if you ever try this little stunt again, I will not hesitate to make you into a smoldering pile of ash on this very floor. Do I make myself clear?"
'Damn it! Where are they? Those mares should have arrived by now.' He glanced back, finding no one in sight except for Twilight's still, unmoving form.
Nightmare Moon, however, did not appreciate his silence. While her horn flickered to life.
"I said." she snapped, not wanting to repeat herself; as he looked back toward her, while she finished her sentence.
"Do I make myself clear?"
She hissed as he could hear the venom in her voice, her horn glowing bright.
He opened his mouth to say more in an attempt to distract the princess, but instead, it was Twilight's voice that emerged." He's right about nearly everything! But For your information, I-i am not a horse! I'm a pony."
This made him sigh internally,
'About time you got up, my ass was about to be made into grass fertilizer.'
Looking back he saw her shakily standing, her nose was dripping blood on one side but Twilight still seemed to be in the fight.
Nightmare Moon was more angry then Arthur had ever seen before. In this short time he had known her, her midnight coat was turning red.
"I thought I told you to end her life, Not spare her!" She hissed through sharpened fangs, feeling forced to respond. Arthur did,
"I never claimed I would take the life of anything or anyone, especially if they’re unconscious or clearly defeated," Arthur defended himself.
Nightmare Moon had enough.
In an instance, he started to shine in a dark blue light and in one swift spell he was slammed against the far back wall behind the throne; pinned by her evil magic. As she began to choke the life out of him. "Useless, utterly useless! Pawns are not supposed to think or speak, they have marching orders! Something you clearly refused to accept. You welp!"
Nightmare Moon shouted as she continued to belittle and choke him, her eyes blazing with malice and rage.
Twilight's face from what he could bearly see through his darking vision reflected shock as she witnessed this struggle, grappling with the realization that something she barely understood was being suffocated before her eyes. Panic surged through her as she fought against the instinct to intervene, unsure of how to confront the darkness threatening to extinguish a life right in front of her.
Finally she found it, after he slid down the wall behind the podium. Her voice echoing throught the room,
Stop it! He can’t breathe!” Twilight shouted, her voice filled with desperation as she unleashed a powerful spell aimed at Nightmare Moon, determined to break the dark magic choking him. Yet, she easily blocked the spell, still belittling him.
"Two-legged abomination, stay there and pass on for all I care. If a Lady wants something done right, she has to do it herself these nights." Nightmare Moon seethed, as Twilight seemed horrified that she could go through with killing another creature.
“Y-you're killing him!” She shouted, as Nightmare Moon laughed again.
“A loose end that needs tieing up is all.”
Yet her laughter slowly turned into disbelief, she uttered something he didn't expect in his last moments.
"You're Kidding; You're kidding right?"
'I'd really like to see what's going on,' Arthur continued to gasp and cough for breath.
Her magical choking continued even after she galloped down the steps of the throne, and even after she disappeared from his view as everything slowly faded into darkness.
Yet in the never ending darkness he was not alone.
"It is almost amusing how effortlessly you were vanquished, facing one who barely comprehends the full measure of you; Ring bearer..." The voice mocked, as it clearly wasn't impressed.
Frustrated, he made his retort. "Listen here, I'm not in the mood to deal with your Invisible bullshit! Either help me out or stop talking, so I can think! I can't allow innocents to die, not if I can stop it."
And like a stinging slap, it responded.
"Is it power you seek to rescue that insignificant pony; Twilight, was it? It does not matter now. For if you wield the true power of the ring, you may yet alter her sealed fate of death." It tempted, as that was just enough to make him change his mind.
"How do I use it? Tell me."He pressed as it didn't answer.
"Tell me damn it!"
He shouted, as it finally gave him the answer seemingly careless for who lived and who died.
"Submit to the inevitable. Become what you were always mean't to be; and the ring shall weave your remaining fate, or that Twilight's fate, or anything's fate to whatever you choose it to be."
Looking down at the ring, he grimaced before agreeing. And giving in;
"Let's get this over with."
Recommend music for Nazgúl form!
https://youtu.be/ZOW7J9F9Hok?si=fOs_aDJkRtgFEj3-
He jolted back to life with a gasp that racked his body and lungs, pain radiating through him like a wildfire. As Arthur's heart was jump started and it quickly went into high gear, as his dead body was brought back from the grave. Each breath, felt like someone had been forcing his head into a steel box to breathe in a stagnant thick cloud of mustard gas.
As his heart wasn't faring much better, Nightmare Moon's dark magic that was once around him was gone.
Yet, the ring on his hand was glowing brightly as if it was a small star; showing just for a moment its true strength.
For a fleeting moment, Arthur felt invincible despite laying in a crumbled heap. A rush of strength coursed through him, electrifying every sense he had. It felt like he could get hit by a train going full speed, and come out of that situation without a scratch on him. Ten times over,
He could hear the rustle of leaves, outside, the distant howl of a lone timberwolf searching for its pack.
Even the heartbeat of seven individuals in the room he was in; but not only their heart beats, but them speaking.
It was so crystal clear, with no interference of any kind. And yet he couldn't hear them; almost as if his body was adjusting to its new abilities.
And by god was it empowering, and extremely intoxicating to have this much power. With this ring, he felt as though he could take on anything that came his way—whether it was a mountain of paperwork, a library of books to sift through, hunting a rampaging manticore, or even facing down Nightmare Moon herself.
"What is this?"
He asked in a soft whisper more towards himself, then anyone in the room, the feeling was beyond comparison.
The best way to form it into words, was warm fuzziness mixed with the feeling of Nostalgia, of finding that missing piece of yourself. Had this been his missing piece, that would make him whole.
Slowly the whispers began. They began to chant in a language he never heard before, as music started playing from an surprisingly well hidden orchestra.
"Bârî'n...Khatarâd...îdô...Nidir ně...Něpâm...něd abârat; Dir ně...nâkham!..Něbâ...bitham ma...gâna, nânê!..Nětab...dâur!.."
Looking to his right, then left he saw no one nearby who could have spoke these words, yet he wasnt the only who heard this ghoslty voice.
As it repeated it for a second time, then a third, and four. Until Arthur understood what was being said to him,
"The Lords of Unending Life, Behold!..We the Nine...We take unto...ourselves the power; We are, the Nine!..We renounce, our Maker...We cling, we take...We Cleave, the darkness!.."
Despite these constant voices and there ceaseless whispers he enjoyed this relative warmth and calm the ring offered as if it was a summer day. Gently his limps began to tremor, it was small and unnoticeable at first but quickly worsened as his jaw began to chatter.
'W-why does it feel like I'm in a F-fucking blizzard in my underwear!' He was still dressed, maybe Arthur had fallen ill and it only reared its head finally. Or did those mushrooms he ate a few hours ago only now reared there ugly heads?
Reaching up with a shaky hand to feel his forehead, he saw how sickly his skin looked on his hand.
Before this, he wasn't a fan of roasting in the sun but now; it looked like he lived in an underground cave his whole life. That's how pale he had become,
'What's happening to me?'
This was his last thought as a man; as fear did grip his mortal mind, but in an instance. It was all gone, nothing but a bad memory as the transformation took hold, as this man became fear itself; Arthur at this point watched his reflection in a not to distant broken window.
What stared back was not the body or man he remembered himself being; as the darkness enveloped his weakened form further, Arthur before this had always heard the ring calling to him, it was faint like an afterthought, but easy to ignore. But now, it had become deafening; in this form, it spoke to him in a language he both could and couldn't understand.
A small shadow formed near his neck, as a dark robe coiled out and around his form like a snake constricting its prey, he could sense the immense dark magic coursing through his new body.
He gazed down at the flowing fabric that now hung from his shoulders, and body. Its surface was nothing more than gray cloth. While it slowly wrapped around his body, the weight of the thick cloak felt somewhat comforting. It would protect him from what little light did appear since his armor had yet to form, the ring however was there in Arthur's mind forcefully making demands.
Despite the mental onslaught, Arthur did his best to keep himself on the right side of crazy. As he remembered, why he became this thing in the first place.
'Save Twilight and her friends, stop Nightmare Moon whatever the cost. A-and; A-and.' Yet the last part was easy enough, and that was to change back.
But why couldn't he say it, then again, why should he? After all the flesh was weak, this form was not; and that's when the ring was the most loudest. As it spoke to him almost as if it knew his thoughts,
"Why would you go back to such a weak form that's bound by flesh and mortal life? This is far more superior than what you once were. Let go of your humanity, it always held you back from what made you a weakling in life, this ring has perfected you; now, you are not truly dead, or truly alive. Just forget what you were and embrace the darkness Arthur, and serve your master for all of eternity!" The ring roared, trying to convince him to never go back.
Before he could tell this invisible voice to kiss his rear, Arthur remembered the other beings in the room and despite their speech being extremely unintelligible it was an easy fix now.
Adjusting his hearing at the near speed of light, he was able to hear what was being said.
"Twilight are ya alright? And what's with the whispers, they just won't stop!" Shouted a country sounding mare.
"I'm not sure what the chanting is, but we need to hurry so that Nightmare Moon doesn't shatter the elements!" Twilight exclaimed, panic clear in her voice.
Finally after all this time, Nightmare Moon decided to destroy these old stones to show they weren't going to save them. Besides, she wanted to focus on the arrival of something more interesting.
With one mighty stomp of her forelegs they were destroyed into mear chunks.
"You little foals! You all aren't even worth my time, but something that is, has finally come out to play.~ it is time for the pupil, to challenge the teacher.” Nightmare Moon cackled,
Like a wave of water, each piece of the cursed armor appeared on his frame, settling in with an unnatural ease. The metal seemed to breathe and shift, wrapping around him in cold, precise layers. The gauntlets tightened around his wrists, the chestplate molded perfectly to his torso, it almost felt alive. But that wasn't the case thankfully. Arthur stood up; this armors mask though looking like it blinded the user, it served a purpose for a bonus fear factor.
The immediate difference he felt was feeling taller, as he easily cleared the throne holding podium that Nightmare Moon threw him behind.
Yet when he stared at them, he didn't see them with the sight of a man.
Arthur bore sight into the wraith world, a swirling palette of colors and essences emerged before him, each hue. Revealed only fragments of each equines emotions; he could see and almost smell the steady, rhythmic beating of their hearts.
He also heard them all slowly increased upon seeing him, but one. The pulsing within their chests was helping Arthur see them. The thick, deep-red currents flowing through them, pumping the necessary lifeblood, to keep all of them alive was intoxicating to him.
The cyan mare with rainbow hair, she had a strong-will more so because of her strength in numbers. The color her shape was producing was red, but traces of blue did show. Showing past all that toughness she did fear him,
A cream colored mare with pink hair, she reeked of fear. Just the mere sight of him nearly made her go into shock,
'You're not the one I'm here for, so relax yourself, I'm surprised she hasn't died from fear yet.'
The orange mare, also had a strong will but the longer his stare lingered on her the quicker it began to crack away.
'Pitiful.'
Glancing towards Twilight he saw something most rare for most intelligent; creatures, she was terrified of him like most of her friends but there were traces of curiosity buried beneath her fear.
'Interesting.'
The pink mare seemed to be hyper; Scratch that, no word in the Nazgúl vocabulary could describe how hyper that one mare was, especially more so because she. Wanted to throw him a party. That confused him deeply,
'That one concerns me. Deeply, I doubt even I can sow fear into her heart; far too much joy in her.'
The last of the unknowns was a white mare with a purple mane. She feared him in this form, as many would upon seeing a wraith form Nazgúl.
"If you finally have grown a spine, challenge me welp! If not, I am willing to give one last chance to prove your loyalty to me once and for all! End those six mares and I'll consider all transgressions against myself forgiven!"
Nightmare Moon tempted. But with one mere glance, he saw what even scared a Nightmare of her station.
Toward him she had no fear, but toward the Elements and of her older sister. Now that was the jackpot, a surplus of anger and fear from Nightmare Moon, and including the other six's fears only seemed to add to his growing strength.
Even the moon was giving his powers that needed edge.
"My business is with you, Not them."
He hissed, Arthur's voice a cold whisper that sent shivers through nearly all that heard it, as he continued on.
"You also dare try to command me while wielding your pitiful dark magic? I have traversed the shadows of this world for less than an hour, and I have become a far better harbinger of nightmares and fear. Your power will be snuffed out shortly."
He started pointing a blackened plate armored finger at the corrupted Princess, as if she were a mear bug to be crushed beneath his heel.
Nightmare Moon didn't take this too well, as now she felt like he needed to be reined back into her control. How better than threatening him,
"Do you truly believe your petty dark magic can challenge me? Can you even comprehend the powers you were gifted—the very same powers, I was born into? I am the night itself! Where do you think the Shadows and Darkness go to hide from the precious light? And who do you think stands against them or keeps them in line? What you wield is but a mere fraction of true dark power; even 'King Sombra' possessed more strength than you when I claimed his head.
"You may have stumbled through the shadows for less than twenty minutes, but I have commanded them for centuries. Let us not forget—you can't even cast a simple spell! You would be no challenge to fight. And you dare to claim to be a greater harbinger of fear? Your skills are laughably lacking."
Unbothered by her attempt to gain him back into her service, Arthur replied.
"I don't need magic to defeat you, that would end this too quickly."
Needless to say, his mere presence was installing fear and it was clearly working.
The resolve of the six mares were faltering. And despite them not being his targets it did passively show who they feared the most, and thus helped charge his new dark powers. This back and forth between the mares and himself, also helped split up Nightmare Moon's ability to focus on who the bigger threat was.
Arthur could have climbed the podium, but he decided to instead walk around it toward the steps as he took his first step forward. With him came a creeping fog, pooling at his feet and spreading outward if had a will of it's own filling the room in a gloomy fog; that swallowed any low forms of light and made the room more noticeably freezing. Earning a few shivers from the six mares,
His heavy footfalls echoed through the empty chamber, yet Nightmare Moon still didn't fear him. And so he decided to congratulate her,
"I commend your efforts in hiding your fear, but I already see what makes you tremble; your heart and soul has betrayed you." His new voice was eerie yet raspy, and with the aid of this old throne room it echoed almost to a supernatural level. As each word was slow and deliberate, to further sow seeds of terror to terrify her.
"Ha! Like a dark being as weak as you could see what frightens me." Nightmare Moon challenged, and Arthur was oh so kind to show the truth. Aka his trap card,
"You cower before your sister who controls the sun... And before the Elements. To call yourself a nightmare who rules over fear and darkness for centuries, and yet tremble with fear is a pitiful attempt at a joke; Most laughable, indeed." Arthur offered, as that made her pause.
He saw her anger rise now, as she now realized just how dangerous he really was.
"Enough! Of this, I shall slay these traitors then I shall end you for your insolence!" She snapped, doing her best to change the subject.
With a flash of starry lightning, Nightmare Moon fired a spell so powerful that it even would harm Celestia. Toward the six mares across the throne room, yet before there eyes; his wraith-like figure dissolved into a swirling cloud of dark mist, the air thickening with an unnatural chill. Wisps of shadow clung to where he once stood, only to scatter like smoke caught in a gust of wind.
Before any of the ponies could even draw breath, the same dark mist began to swirl before the main six, silently coalescing until Arthur reappeared, his cloaked form emerging from the shadows as though birthed from the darkness itself. In that instant, the boundary between the physical and ethereal worlds blurred for a moment, and without warning disappeared.
The spell collided with his own body, bearly making him flinch as it did no harm. Besides burning a hole into his gray cloak.
"Try again; put more power into it, at this rate you will not even dent my armor with that weak of a spell."
He commented, as the raspiness in his voice echoed throughout this throne room.
"Why you little."
She seethed even more now at his mockery. As someone spoke up behind him,
"Please! if you're here to help us, keep her distracted so that we can figure out what we can do now without the elements!" Recognizing it as Twilight's voice, she kept begging for help from behind him.
Knowing a mere glance in this form would terrify them all, he decided on a more silent, and not face to face communication.
Reaching back with one of his hands, he merely gave a thumbs up in her general direction as Arthur began to slowly walk towards Nightmare Moon.
"Finally! Somepony who's actually strong and cool enough to back us up! Took ya long enough to get here, honestly. We’ve been sitting around, waiting to get some real action! Show her what you got!" Shouted one of the mares, in excitement.
"Rainbow!"
Applejack reprimanded, not wanting his eye back on them.
Twilight did begin to speak about something. Before he purely focused on his target, he was able to hear something about the other five mares being her friends or something of that nature.
But he just tuned them out as Nightmare Moon was quite a tricky adversary that needed nearly all of his focus to keep distracted.
On the way to handle Nightmare Moon tiny rocks and pebbles floated up into the air. Many of them had different colors, and reeked of magic, but that seemed to startle Nightmare Moon.
"W-what is happening?!"
Nightmare Moon demanded, as this forced Arthur to now listen in on what was fully going on around him.
"Fluttershy, who was able to tame a Manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness." Twilight listed, before she continued Arthur decided to ignore, her ramblings about her friend's. And work through her talking and not stand there and stare like his apparent teacher.
Arthur only tuned back in when Nightmare Moon snapped at Twilight, as this was a point of interest.
"You all still don't have the sixth element, your spark didn't work!" Her statement seemed to have given her a small moment of comfort, yet Twilight thought otherwise.
"Oh but it did, a different kind of spark. And I felt it the moment I heard you all, to see you and how much I cared for you, the spark that started in me the moment I realized you five were my friends!" Twilight concluded.
As the sudden brightness burned his back; he gritted his teeth in pain. Yet thanks to the thick cloak the bright light didn't do anything more, but for safety.
Some of his wraith magic went into fortifying his clothy prison, and stopping the torment a mere light could throw upon him. Pressing forward, now only being a few feet away it seemed like all was over for Nightmare Moon.
The bright light also snapped her out of the deer in headlights phase, as she remembered about the long horn of hers. And began to shoot spell after spell at him each ranging in strength and stopping power; and all had little to no effect on him.
Arthur could see Nightmare Moon's rapid heartbeat, each pulse giving his none existing spine a shiver. Similar to a blood hound finding its pray,
'Fool. Dark magic against a Nazgúl is as meaningless as a fly buzzing near your ear; all you've done was annoy me.'
To Arthur all that mattered was to either subdue or in the worst case scenario, end Nightmare Moon.
Both are equally doable for him in this form, as something shifted in the realm of magic.
"Your fear is palpable. I can see you're heart beating rapidly; and it only makes me stronger;" Arthur mocked;
"B-back you Devil !"
Nightmare Moon shrieked, as she fired nearly every spell, every offensive spell she knew at him.
Yet a new power had arrived, these so called 'elements' soon started to show their own strength.
Pausing for a slight moment, Arthur used his own new senses to find this new pure magical anomaly. And his powers confirmed it to be these, elements.
'Huh. Tiny yet mighty, noted.'
Nightmare Moon sensed it too, as she began bombarding him with all manner of spells that she could cast as her fear and terror were intoxicating to his psyche.
Walking up the old steps, unbothered by her magic. He heard a voice from behind him,
"If you can hear me, keep Nightmare Moon in one spot! It won't work if she escapes." Twilight shouted, as that was easily something he could do.
'Keep her still? I can get it done.' Even more so because of his close proximity to the corrupted Princess.
Nightmare Moon however was less than willing.
"I warned you, now face my fury!" She exclaimed, before trying to spear him with her oversized horn.
She did stab him, but his Nazgúl armor took the brunt of her poor physical attack.
"That was a big mistake." Arthur whispered, she pulled her head back, trying to extract her horn from his armor. But his gloved hand stopped her, now having full control over the Ailcorn's head. He merely held her there much to her displeasure.
"Release me you Devil!" She shrieked.
Nightmare Moon thrashed about, further proving she was stuck. Grabbing her head with his free hand, he forced the terrified nightmare mare to stare up at him.
As her slitted eyes went wide, as she stared up into his mask he could feel and even see her struggling to free herself begin to weaken. Arthur still wanted to out do Twilight and her friends. As a mischievous grin formed under his mask. 'I think it's time, I show her what a real nightmare looks like.'
Taking a deep breath, and using some of the seemingly endless wraith magic; Arthur screamed in the wraith form.
Arthur’s new found scream echoed through the old overgrown throne room, and beyond.
https://youtu.be/6rtI86rgZ9I?si=W-TE-xDJ0CYWf11E
I'm sorry headphone users, or those who have full volume on for some reason.
His banshee-like wail tore through the air, and its effect was immediate. Nightmare Moon's ears cleaved flat against her head, pinned tightly beneath her helmet attempting to shield her from this dreadful noise. Her heartbeat thundered, racing as wildly as the one who had nearly died from terror earlier, and her front legs began to tremble, betraying the faintest hint of physical fear.
Arthur could only imagine how the others behind him were managing the second hand effects, while the Alicorn's morale began to drop.
To his surprise, her morale was not broken. Instead she was stunned as Arthur finally stopped his screaming assault on nearly all beings in his general vicinity.
"Most impressive; perhaps there is some spine in you after all." Arthur hissed, his voice like a cold spot in a room, or nothing more than a ghostly whisper that seemed to send a chill down these ponies' spines.
"But do not deceive yourself. If I had my way and more time, your defiance and strong-will would have crumbled. As all who stand before the shadows fall, but how the wind changes in unpredictable ways. I won't get my chance; but what is assured, your fall is inevitable."
If Arthur wanted to escape it was too late.
As a rainbow blur blast enveloped them, everything around them dissolved into blinding light.
The pain was immeasurable, heat and warmth were everywhere. But that wasn't what bothered him, it was the blinding lights it made. as if the very sun itself was before him.
There was no malice in the light, no cruelty, just relentless purity. And that’s what made it so overwhelming to Arthur, as the opposite of light this felt so incredibly wrong.
The light robbed him of his vision and hearing, Everything had been taken away from him, how could creatures live in the light.
It felt like eons of torture, far more worse then what the ring could do.
For a moment, Arthur felt his armor cracking and splintering apart under the magical pressure. 'Am I going to die here? Would I die once this beam of light magic disappears; here's to hoping that isn't the case!'
Thankfully as if hearing his thoughts the beam showed mercy on him, as the light changed.
The soft pressure it gave was strangely comforting, as it shifted fully into its magical warmth, a few gentle flows of magic seeped out from the rainbow walls and tried to flow into his body and through his armor cracks that the blast had caused.
It tried to fill what the ring tore away, but Arthur closed himself off as best he could, preferring it to go toward Nightmare Moon. She was the bigger threat than him,
And then, suddenly, it was over. The light faded, freeing him from the blast of magical hell.
Arthur's wraith form was ultimately weakened at this moment in time. To the point a pony could breathe on him and he could expire,
Falling to his knees with a heavy metallic crash, his large body was just too much for a weakened wraith to handle.
And there he sat for what felt like hours. Arthur could feel the runoff of the elements on his body but even after that he was regaining strength, he had only three theories.
The first everyone had died, pretty grim. But he couldn't feel any vibrations in the ground. From either movement or speech, even the invisible speakers had fallen silent. So either everyone perished in the blast or they simply left him. Thinking he had died,
Second theory is that they are all unconscious. If so Arthur wanted to be able to move soon and get out of here before the sun comes up, or they wake up.
' I don't need to be blasted twice.'
The third, was rather simple. He didn't have a theory for this one as Arthur sorta forgot it, kinda getting blasted has that effect on some people.
Yet the ring was fast at work restoring his dark powers; yet it too, was affected by the elements it felt weakened. No longer was it weighing heavy on his mind, as it was too weak to do anything regarding mental manipulation.
'Looks like I can save myself, the ring is out of commission at least for now. I can become myself again, whatever that might be.'
Soon, he heard something that confirmed one of his two theories, someone had started speaking. The only words he could make out were, 'I knew you could do it.'
'Welp, there goes me sneaking off into the remaining night. So much for that plan,'
There was some muffled back and forth, between them and a second voice from what he could put together.
Finally his senses were working. More specifically, wraith sight.
'Let's see what I gotta deal with here.' Arthur muttered as he struggled to lift his head.
Lifting his head shakily, Arthur saw those who had been here before, minus one new "pony."
Thanks to the remaining fear from the six mares he could make out a brand new face. She was tall and white, with flowing hair and covered in golden jewelry of some kind.
Soon she began trotting somewhere, and being sorta blind right now thanks to the sun he couldn't guess where.
Disappearing into the void, Arthur had no idea what was happening until he could finally hear.
"Now if only another will as well." Her voice was motherly, soothing and overall felt as soft as the first rays of sun.
If Arthur didn't know any better he would have assumed this was Nightmare Moon's older sister.
"Princess Luna."
The white pony merely stated, her tone authoritative yet gentle. Luna on the other hand, acted as if she was slapped as she gasped awake from her light napping. While her fear helped him see what was going on,
‘Thank you for bringing my sight back.’
Now having her full attention, the older sister continued.
"It has been a thousand winters since I've last seen you like this. Please, let us put our differences behind us; we were meant to rule together, little sister."
Behind the two individuals, Twilight and her friends seemed shocked at this revelation. Yet her older sister stayed gentle and true to her words, as she concluded with a simple question.
"Will you accept my friendship?"
Suddenly she leaped up, and nuzzled into this taller being. "I'm so sorry big sister!" She shouted as they embraced,
The pink pony from earlier began to cry hysterically. From their reunion, but the others didn't seem to share in her enthusiasm.
To be sure this was a heartwarming moment, but Arthur on the other hand was more focused on trying to stand. But he did catch a glimpse of Luna's broken armor in the wraith world, and that was more than enough to explain what happened to her other form. Yet his fog and supernatural mist had vanished, leaving Arthur more exposed to the powers of the glorious sun.
'At least I know what happened to Nightmare Moon, guess who's the stronger one now?' He internally joked, as pain flared from the sun. It felt like his skin was being oil fried,
Thankfully he was able to ignore it watching the two sisters reconnect.
Now with them having made up, he finally could stand and so he did.
This caught the attention of nearly all ponies in the room, minus Luna who was embracing her sister. He slowly walked down the few steps of the podium rainbow steam emanating from his body, and approached the two sisters, her bigger sisters horn began to glow a deep golden aura.
Showing that she was well aware of what remained. And wasn't going to act, unless it approached.
Once reaching a respectable distance Arthur decided to speak.
"I assume you can handle your little sister from here?" Arthur asked calmly, Luna's head flung around with almost lightning speed.
Spotting him, her mouth laid open in shock at how he survived the elements of harmony while still producing this level of malevolent magic. His voice still did keep a few wraith-like elements, but it sounded more human than Nazgúl.
With great speed, enough to even impress Rainbow Dash, she hid behind her sister; leaving the much more powerful alicorn to handle him where she failed. As fear flowed from her, giving him a better picture of this solar Princess.
Her eyes looked back at her younger sister's cowering form but still she remained stoic; as if she was prepared for this moment, had she been keeping an eye on him the whole time before he interacted with them.
"I can."
Celestia replied, her voice steady, as her horn increased its radiant glow. The power emanating from it felt like the very essence of the sun itself, subtly flickering along its length. She then posed a question of her own.
"If I may ask, why would one dark being such as yourself believe this matter concerns you?"
'Now that's a stark difference between me and those ponies, she doesn't play with something she's never seen before. Cautious yet defensive; I like it.'
Raising a hand in a peaceful manner, he merely did his best to defuse the situation.
"Please; I mean no harm Bringer of Light-" at mere mention of that name, Arthur felt a burning sensation flood his body; making him grunt in pain.
'Ow ow ow ow! I'm sorry! Stop it!' Arthur chanted inside his mind, as he gritted out in pain as Celestia raised her eyebrow in mild confusion.
"And?" She pressed, showing she knew he had more to say.
Finally the pain stopped, as Arthur continued to explain his case.
"I-i was the one who protected Twilight and her friends from death. Without my intervention, they would have perished, if you wish to thank me. Please end the spell that can be casted, at me."
Upon hearing this her eyes narrowed.
"I do not believe your lies Being of Shadows, why would a being like you do something that would weaken you? Eternal night would have made you immensely powerful. From what I see before me, is nothing but fabrications and falsehoods."She said rather calmly the spell intensifying rapidly, that was concerning for Arthur as he quickly responded to keep her from blasting him.
"Correct." Arthur started,
"But there would be nothing left, I did this to make it so the balance of light and darkness remains. But If you do not believe me, which is apparent, why not ask Twilight and her friends yourself? Get their side of the story. That's how you'll know I speak truth, not lies." Arthur defended, and so she did just that.
With extreme caution flowing from her eyes, she looked Arthur up and down from his blacksteel boots to the very tip of his mask. As if she was studying every detail this creature had, gradually her light purple mixed lavender eyes looked him back in the face as she answered.
"I will ask."
Celestia said rather cautiously, her light purple eyes seemed cold yet warm at the same time as she studied him; not like her previous inspection, this stare she fixed him, felt as if she was studying his very soul. Her spell was still ready, Arthur was completely at her mercy, and she knew it; while adding onto the original statement.
"But know this, if any harm has come to Twilight or her friends because of your aid, your crimes will not go unpunished, Servant of Darkness."
Giving a nod, as his answer. Celestia began her investigation first with her prized student.
"Twilight?”
She called softly, her voice carrying through the room like a gentle bird call. And she seemed slightly concerned, yet Twilight answered her call.
"Yes Princess?"
Now having her attention, she merely persisted.
"I need you to listen closely. This is a matter of great importance. This dark entity before us all claims to have Intervened on the behalf of you all, protecting you and your friends, from my sister. Is there any truth to what it says? All of you. Please speak freely. For I do not believe it's lies, shine the truth on this."
The silence was concerning, as it felt like he was waiting years for their responses.
Finally Twilight's voice, though slightly nervous, did speak up.
"He did Princess Celestia, I can confirm he did in fact help us free your sister."
Not only Twilight, but the rest of her friends said something to further prove his innocence. Even the one who nearly died from seeing him, confirmed he did indeed help them. Even her younger sister told her something, sadly Arthur couldn't hear the trembling whispers of Luna.
Yet with a nod, and a gentle sigh. Celestia gave her verdict on this,
"I thank you all."
She said, her voice calm was still yet resolute. "I appreciate the honesty. It is good to know that your safety was assured even by such an unlikely and odd ally." The newly named Celestia said rather warmly, toward them.
Turning back to face him, her face was one of clear resolve, her guard had been focused on him as she spoke once more.
"I, nor anypony here, will be indebted to a creature of darkness," Celestia stated.
Her voice was calm, yet resonating with solar power. "If you acted on your own, then that is where your reward ends. I owe you nothing."
Yet Arthur wasn't after anything they all collectively had. And decided to make it known,
"I ask for nothing from you, Princess. I was perfectly content in my isolation; minus the wildlife trying to eat me, until she dragged me here, trying to make me do her bidding," Arthur answered truthfully, seeing she valued honesty above all.
Sensing his honesty, she gave her own opinion on his decision of isolation.
"Isolation can breed many things, like ambition and plans of conquest. What assurance do I have that you won't turn on your own word?" Celestia asked cautiously,
"You don't; why trust words that can be more hallow then a long dead tree? When you can trust actions, and deeds that can last for centuries."
Arthur stated truthfully, his voice steady as he used the lingering fear that still gripped Luna and Twilight's friends. These emotions were faint, but still there. A silent scar to the darkness they had witnessed.
As he made his way toward the grand staircase that served as the entrance and exit, he paused momentarily, his hand resting against the cold, rough stone wall for support. The weight of his earlier words hung in the air, and he found himself reflecting on the gravity of what he had just said.
'That might be problematic in the future, I think I should sand it down now.' Glancing back in the general direction of the Princesses he saw Celestia nuzzling her younger sister in comfort, yet she had an eye on him. Not to mention the others did keep their distance, talking amongst themselves.
"But I think we can agree on something between me and you Princess Celestia."
This made the room go dead quiet, as Celestia's blurry form lifted her head toward him, eyebrow raised, her expression composed but on guard. "And what, pray tell, might that be?" she asked, her voice calm but still showing her intrigue.
"Have you ever heard the saying, You leave me alone. I leave you alone?" Arthur merely asked.
Celestia, however, remained ever vigilant, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of deceit or impending attack. She stood tall and composed, embodying the duality of a fierce protector and a wise diplomat. As the tension in the air thickened, she maintained a steady presence, her aura exuding warmth and calmness. When she finally spoke, her voice resonated softly but with undeniable authority, wrapping around those present like a comforting blanket while conveying the seriousness of the situation.
"I am familiar with such sentiments, yes." She answered;
"Then it is clear; I remain untouched by your presence or the affairs of your realm. I have no need to threaten you nor any who live here, but I will defend myself with force if something or someone who tries to harm me. That includes you; does that sound agreeable to you?"
Yet she decided to give him her own conviction.
"I do not govern by simple bargains. Peace is maintained through understanding, not avoidance. While you may seek isolation, I will not tolerate active or inactive threats against my kingdom; or my little Ponies. Yet I myself am reasonable, if you ever attack in self-defense that I may be willing to excuse; but If you ever come knocking on my door, it will not be unanswered." Celestia warned, showing she wasn't playing these kinds of games.
'I guess Luna was right, her sister is a sharp little thing isn't she?'
She wasn't exactly "little" but you get the idea. Giving a light nod her way, he turned and began his long crawl.
"I do believe we reached a temporary agreement, worry more about your sister. I will not bother you or the others for the rest of this day, farewell Princess."
He knew Celestia's character well enough now to know she wouldn't have allowed him to just leave, like that.
True he was still weak, but what would have stopped him from taking a hostage? Or using his gloved hands as weapons. She had so many lives here that she couldn't all protect at once, in a effective way. And from what he saw her sister was still very weak; so it seemed logical to allow him to walk, only this time.
And so Arthur descended the seemingly endless flight of steps, he relied on the crumbling walls for support, each step a careful guess in the dim light.
With the sun rising outside, his vision felt as though it had been robbed, leaving him as blind as a bat.
Granted he could see, but he needed to focus his wraith sight extremely hard in order to see anything; but the urge to put as much distance as possible between himself and the inhabitants of the castle surged within him—especially the solar Princess. He felt an instinctual need to escape her watchful gaze, the power she had was more than enough to end a weakened Nazgúl.
'Why are there so many damn stairs!'
As he turned to descend the last few steps, a burst of natural sunlight hit him, causing him to scream in agony and lose his balance before tumbling down with a heavy crash onto the main floor. He struggled to get up but failed spectacularly, remaining sprawled on the ground.
'Ow; of course this stairwell doesn't connect to the basement, why wouldn't it? If it did, this fall would be extremely less painful.'
Arthur struggled to gain back his footing for sometime, until he heard soft wing flapping and a gentle gasp from behind him.
'Welp; I'm done for. If you're going to end me, do it already.'
He figured Celestia had followed, hot on his trail but he heard a different voice then hers speak up.
"O-oh my goodness! Are you okay, D-do you need help?" Her voice was soft and barely above a whisper, as she hesitated, unsure if he wanted help.
He groaned trying to rise, but failed as Arthur was just too weak now. Moving his masked face to the side, he spoke up.
"I'd like that."
Gently landing next to him, she gently guided him back onto his feet.
"There you go. Just take it nice and slow. I promise I'll catch you if you fall again." She gently cooed, once back up he saw the cream colored mare from before standing there.
"Weren't you just terrified of me mere moments ago?" Arthur asked as her ears folded and immediately she looked down, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I; was scared, yes. You looked really intimidating, and I didn't know what to expect. But then I heared you scream and heard you fall, and I couldn't just stand by." She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.
"I believe that even those who seem scary can feel pain or loneliness. I just wanted to help you B-because…Because I care about all creatures, no matter how tall or small, or even how scary they may look. Not to mention you saved us all from Nightmare Moon, you even stopped her from blasting us with magic by using yourself as a shield. I just had to make sure you were alright!"
Her gaze lifted to meet Arthur's mask, her eyes filled with a gentle warmth. And sadness,
" I'm sorry if my fear upset you; It's just that I've never seen anything like you before. But I promise, I'm here to help if you need it." She offered in hope of fixing her earlier mistake, this impressed Arthur.
'And here I thought this day couldn't get any better, the one I figured was the weakest of the six. Was actually pretty strong in her own right, I thought she wasn't going to make it. Most impressive, indeed; sometimes it's good to be wrong. But I have another question,'
Reaching over with a hand, he merely repeated the same action he did with Twilight to her pink mane. As her right ear began softly flicking on its own , showing she enjoyed his metallic armor going through her mane.
"Can I ask why you followed me? No one told you to follow me; right?" Arthur pressed, thinking Celestia or maybe one of her friends put her up to this.
"Oh, um; I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. N-no pony told me to, I just; I noticed you seemed a little hurt and I wanted to see if, um, maybe I could help; I-I understand if you don’t want me to stay." She stated slightly nervous Arthur would say no, yet it was the opposite.
"I have one more favor to ask of you, do not feel pressured into agreeing because you heard me fall down a flight of steps." Arthur began as she listened,
She stared up at Arthur, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. As her front hoof gently pawed at the ground, "Oh; um, what is it you'd like to ask?" she said softly, her voice still gentle.
She shifted nervously, her instincts urging her to flee but her heart pushed her to be kind and understanding. "I promise, you don't have to worry about me feeling pressured. I just want to help in any way I can." The kind mare said, showing her rather kind nature.
"Help me to the basement, by covering any points that the sun may shine through. I am also blind now, thanks to Celestia's sun it affects my seeing to the point I'm a bat; please help me find it, all I ask you to do is protect me from the light, it burns me."
Her gray teal eyes widened with concern as she processed Arthur’s words. "O-oh my; I had no idea the light could harm you," she said softly, her eyes shimmering with sadness.
" I'll protect you, I promise!" She softly shouted before taking flight and latching onto his back.
"It wouldn't have this great of an affect, if I weren't blasted by those gems; what are you doing?" Arthur asked confused as her wings covered his head,
"For now it's early morning, so you should be fine with this. Hopefully we can get to this basement before midday," she said with soft cheer.
Arthur was just too weak to argue, so he just traveled the halls with a pony on his back and shoulders.
"U-um sir? Can I ask a question?" She asked nervously, and them still having a little more time together Arthur decided to answer it to pass the time.
"I'm all ears."
Gently gripping his cloaked shoulders in her hooves, she asked what was on her mind.
"If what Princess Celestia said was true. Why did you stop Nightmare Moon? Why did you give up being so strong as her Highness claimed?"
Seeing this as a make it or break it moment he answered truthfully.
"Because everything would suffer. Without sunlight crops and plants can not grow, thus plants die.
Without grass or plants, nothing in Equestria can eat. Then any animals who eat meat can't hunt; what I'm getting at is I didn't stop her because it did not support my own agenda. That's not counting the main reason, I stopped her because she would have ended innocent lives. And even after the fact it doesn't stop the suspicion and persecution I faced." Arthur asked as she gave his back a gentle hug.
All she gave was a mere nod against his back, as her hold on him tightened softly.
Eventually, Arthur found the basement entrance as steps led down into the cool darkness and now it was time for them to separate. Gently kneeling down. So his winged guest could get down easily and she slid off him.
Standing back up he faced the doorless arch as it looked like an oasis in a desert. Reaching out gently he touched the darkness within with his hand, as it felt like heaven. The few remaining rainbows around that gloved hand had vanished into the darkness.
"I thank you, kind soul." Arthur offered, as she gently giggled.
"Anything for a creature in need, regardless if they're good or evil."
Stepping into the dark basement, he felt the rush of power flood back to him as Arthur saw her leaving.
"Wait!" He shouted, making her pause.
"Y-yes?" She said nervously, as his wraith voice had fully come back to full strength.
"I will not forget the kindness you showed me today. If you need help call on the shadows, I will hear and come to assist you; I also promise you and all of your friends, and even the Princesses will sleep safely tonight for I will be close by. After Luna gets her powers back I am not sure she might share the night. Despite night time and darkness's peremant alliance against light." Arthur joked, but she seemed nervous.
"Um, thank you for your offer; I appreciate your kindness, even if you're a little scary. I believe that everypony has the capacity for goodness, no matter what they are. I hope you can find peace, too." She muttered, still scared of his voice.
"Farewell kind pony, I must go and lick my wounds." Arthur commented as she merely waved at the darkness,
"I wish I could help, but I can't treat magical wounds so I wish you G-good luck!" She shouted down the steps as he flew down them like a breeze.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs in a flash, Arthur paused to survey the pitch black basement. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and the faint echoes of dripping water reverberated through the darkness. He stepped cautiously into the space, his senses and powers on high alert for any hidden threats that might lurk among the shadows, much like he himself had.
Yet his fog clouds slowly appeared, coming out from his very body. As the whispers from before had returned, seemingly there rejoicing at his victory; but he wanted them to be quite, so he spoke to them.
"Lûgûrzûl snagaûrz ghâsh." Arthur hissed into the shadows, and like a switch; they fell silent one by one, but the fog remained.
Glancing down this long dark hall, Arthur spotted a flickering light from a small whole in the ceiling above illuminated the ground below, in a small pillar of light. Arthur studied the darkness, straining to detect any movement or signs of life. Every step his armored feet made where amplified in the silence, each sound a reminder of possible threats.
Yet nothing attacked him, allowing him to patch himself up; more specifically for the ring to fix what was damaged.
Collapsing in pain filled relief the shadows sensing his distress, and where hard at work powering his ring and helping him heal as the last part of the plan. Echoed in Arthur's mind.
'Turn back.'
Looking at his wounded frame, he thought against turning back at least for now.
After some time had past, and Arthur was at peak strength again. He decided now, was the time to become human.
"Turn me back." He hissed in the common tongue, at the ring as it responded in kind, with a clear and obvious answer something he never expected.
"Ah, my follower of darkness, how you long for the warmth of life and the freedom of your former self. You desire to be whole again, don’t you? But remember, power lies not in the past but in the eternal shadows. Embrace your true nature; you are more than just a man now. Together, we can achieve greatness beyond your wildest dreams. Why seek to return to mortality, and light when you can command the fear of all forever, from the comfort of the shadows?" It tempted, but Arthur wasn't having it.
"Am I the master of this ring?" Arthur challenged, as it spoke to him.
"Master?"
The ring paused, like the words had been foreign to it. Yet it quickly responded not wanting him to be mistaken.
"You hold me, yes, but true mastery is elusive. Power flows through you, because of me; yet you must harness and understand what lies within to claim my full power. Only one who bends the will of others, and embraces dominance over those who live and those who don't. Without hesitation, are you ready for that? to be more than a mere bearer? If so, you might master me. But my cost of power comes at a price, one a magicless being like you cannot hope to pay."
"Then as you're bearer, follow this instruction; turn me back to my former self! I have done what needed to be done. I no longer need to be a Wraith, regardless of how useful or powerful it is." And it seemed all to prepared for this,
"Turn you back? Ah, but why cast aside such power, such potential? You have transcended life beyond comprehension, become something greater. To return to your former self is to embrace weakness, to relinquish the strength you now wield. You say you have no need of this form, but is it not the need that brought you this far? Would you really trade the fear you could command for the fleeting frailties of mortal life? I can give you more, so much more, if you just accept what you are; a Nazgúl."
It echoed all around, doing its best to impose its will upon him. But due to its weakness, Arthur was able to resist it.
'Note to self: those magical gems are lifesavers.'
"Then I accept the frailties of the flesh, as they too have strengths you fail to offer. Turn me back!" Arthur ordered as it finally gave in.
"So you truly wish to return to the frailty of flesh? Very well, but know this; once you step back into the light of mortality, you will feel the weight of time, the aches of a body that withers and fades. You trade eternal power and life for fleeting life, a life where every heartbeat brings you closer to permanent death. You better keep me on if you wish to avoid such a fate;
I will grant your wish, but remember, should you falter, should you regret this choice; I will be waiting. The shadows never forget, and neither will I. Ring bearer.”
Author's Note
Chapter one is done and made! I've been hard at work making this and sorta ignored the other stories I have 😅
Please note I have written these weeks or a few months before actually posting them to be reviewed by a mod. So if I have overlooked something from x amount of chapters please help correct it in the comments!
And for those who got ear touched by the scream I am deeply sorry 😅
Don't worry it made me bleed too slightly, and ring for a little bit.
I also own nothing regarding the music you might hear!
And yea I am a bit scared without my grammerly keyboard, but I'll do my best to keep this going!
One last thing, I seemed to forgotten to place somewhere as to why I didn't pick a cannon Nazgúl as someone pointed out!
The answer is simple really, I want to give us the readers a more human connection to him.
Despite having a ring of power, Arthur is himself. With all manner of emotions
What I'm trying to say is I'm trying to make a connection between you (the reader) and the main character so when he does join the Nine. It affects you, on some kind of level instead of saying. "Oh no.....anyway"
Type deal
But that being said happy Halloween folks!
