When Darkness Falls

As the much welcomed bright light of the sun shined down across Equestria for the first time in weeks, the citizens breathed a much needed sigh of relief. It took some time for everything to readjust to the way it once was, but ultimately it was as if the night had never reigned. The Earth Ponies managed to help the land recover from the absence of sunlight and the food supply was soon back on track. The Unicorns and Pegasi banded together and helped rebuild the cities that were devastatingly affected by the attacks. The old kingdom soon became completely uninhabitable. The battle that took place there just made the landscape that much worse than it was before. The population of wildlife increased, and it soon became plainly known as the Everfree Forest due to how the plantation and animal life prosper all on their own. The old kingdom was soon lost to the forest and was abandoned. The Unicorns insisted that Celestia start living in Canterlot, and take her position as sole ruler of Equestria. It felt different for Celestia to take over Luna's place, but she knew that in the end it was for the best. Before the old Kingdom was left behind, Celestia had the Elements secretly placed there in hopes that they would be safe until the time came for them to be used again. Adjusting to life after the lose of her sister wasn't easy, be she managed to maintain her ruling. It wasn't for Sunny to re-adjust either. Even though his body was no longer under Nightfall's control his body still maintained the look that struck fear across the land. The increased size, the sharp teeth and the midnight colored coat were a grim reminder of what he was capable of. Throughout his life he had never imagined that hidden deep within him was an unbearable evil. When Nightmare Moon had been banished to the moon, Sunny was taken straight to the hospital. The doctors and attending surgeons were amazed that he survived the injuries he had sustained from the fight he went through against Nightmare Moon. All of his ribs had been broken, and some required surgery to be realigned. Cuts of all sizes and depth were scattered all over his body, making him require countless stitches. And his leg turned out to be broken in 3 different places, requiring more reconstructive surgery. But surprisingly, not long after surgery was complete he had already begun to heal. They assumed it was another side-effect of Nightfall's power. Within just a matter of two weeks Sunny was back on his feet with only minor pain. Life didn't get much easier after he was released from the hospital. His presence didn't help ponies get over the scars from the war, and just the sight of Sunny's current physical appearance only made them feel more fear. Even Celestia was hesitant toward Sunny because of his look, but she had swore to Sunny while he was in the hospital that she would do her best to find a way to change him back to who he used to be. Sunny felt like an idiot for up and leaving in a futile attempt at talking to Nightmare Moon, and he made Celestia know on several occasions that he had never felt more stupid than he had ever before. But every time he would apologize, Celestia always reassured him that if he hadn't done what he did then they probably wouldn't be alive at that moment. Sunny trusted her and he also knew that she wouldn't fill him with false hope. He knew that what she told him was true, but all the forgiveness he would receive wouldn't have been able to remove the guilt that had began to eat away at his mind. Every night when Sunny would close his eyes, he would see the faces of those he had killed. The gruesome memories only added to the guilt, adding to the dark and miserable grip that it takes on. He could hear the sounds of the screaming from the pony that he had ripped apart...the sound of his hoof crashing through the skull of his former Captain. He could feel the blood warm blood splattering on his face, taking him deeper and deeper into a state of complete depression...

Celestia began to get used to picking up the duties her sister once had. It was more strenuous than usual, but she was managing to get by. When she had first started, she would visit Sunny while he was in the Hospital. It wasn't easy seeing him in such a horrid state, but she was just happy that he wasn't killed that day in the Everfree Forest. As the days passed, Sunny was healing faster than an average pony. A part of Celestia was glad that he was going to be OK, but there was something else that stirred in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder: Just how much has Nightfall infested Sunny? She trusted him with her life and she would believe him no matter what he said, but she also couldn't help but wonder if this evil was going to ever completely go away. He isn't a monster anymore, he was the same friend that she has known for the better part of 20 years. But there was still doubts about whether or not he would ever truly be the same again. Celestia devoted all of her free-time to trying to find a way to change Sunny back. There had to be a spell that could restore his former appearance. She spent days digging through all the books that the Public Library and the restricted sections, looking for something that could help. He had saved her life, as well as all of the lives of the ponies of Equestria. She couldn't just stand by and let him bear the image that he didn't deserve. Unfortunately there was no possible way to reverse his Cutie Mark without changing the entire course of history. She couldn't take the chance of losing the precious memories she possessed of her parents, her sister, and her best friend. It was too much to risk losing. Finally, she had found what she was looking for. Nightmare Moon had used a spell that would draw out the evil within some-pony, and almost utterly obliterate what goodness existed within the host. This had given Celestia hope. Because every spell, no matter the magnitude or effect, always has a counter-spell. A spell that is the exact opposite. And she eventually found it, a spell that would draw out the good from a host. This may not have been the ideal spell, but it was the only thing they could do. Sunny already had control over his body, but Celestia had hoped that maybe this spell could somehow get rid of his demon-like appearance. This was only a couple of days after Sunny was released from the hospital. She sent word that she requested his presence in the private garden of Canterlot Castle. She stood in the night sky, awaiting for Sunny to arrive. She soon found her mind returning to old memories. The moon shined across the land, as she thought about Luna. She could remember when they were kids, playing in the Castle grounds in the Alicorn Kingdom. They played hide-and-seek, as well as a good game of tag. But suddenly, their mother had interrupted them and told them to get back inside. They watched out the window, as a pink cloud started to spread across the sky. The surrounding islands began to morph and change into odd-shaped buildings, it didn't make sense at all. As they watched, their mother pulled Celestia aside. "Sweetie, I need you to take your sister and go find someplace outside the city to hide." "Mom, what's wrong?", Celestia asked her mother in confusion. "Don't worry about whats happening, just get out of here. Go!" Celestia wanted her mother to tell her what was happening, but she did as she was told. When her and Luna reached the far side of the kingdom, she turned and had seen a serpent like creature. The creature was cackling maniacally, and he seemed to cast his magic on everything that he could see. Everything was turning into random objects, which again didn't make no sense whatsoever.

"Celestia?" She snapped out of her reflective train of thought, and turned to see that Sunny had reached the garden. "Sunny, I'm glad your here.", she said as Sunny made his way toward her. His evil appearance still made her want to take a defensive stance, even though she knew he was in control once more. "Is there something you needed?", Sunny asked. "I think I have found a way to help. I've found a spell...with luck it should help restore the way you used to look." "With luck...?", Sunny responded wondering if there was something Celestia wasn't mentioning. Celestia took a deep breath and lowered her head in shame, "There...is a possibility that...you won't look like you used to look. Once something is touched with evil, it leaves a permanent scar of some type. It could be mental...or physical..." "So I won't look like Nightfall anymore, but I will never look exactly the same as I did before...", Sunny said flatly. "Yes..." Sunny took a deep breath before finally saying, "Well, if we're going to try this its best to get it over with now..." Sunny took a few steps back beginning to brace himself. He took a deep breath, in and out. "OK...I'm ready." Celestia took a stance, and focused everything she could into the tip of her horn. Suddenly, her magic shot from her horn and engulfed Sunny in a white light. All that was visible was a tall shadow through the light. The shadowy figure began to disfigure, and change shape. The once-visible horn began to retreat into the shadow's head, until it was though it was never there. The wings of the figure started to morph, the bones that constructed the bat-like wings breaking and reshaping. Feathers slowly began to grow, and the protruding claw endings grew smaller until no longer visible. The mane that once seemed to stand on end fell flat on the ponies head and neck, and the tail grew somewhat smaller as well. As the light dissipated a somewhat large figured was seen lying on the ground. Celestia quickly approached the pony, only to see that her magic had worked but the scarring evil that she was afraid of was clearly visible. Sunny wasn't the white pegasus she met all those years ago... His coat was now gray and his mane wasn't fixed up like before. It seemed...deflated from its original appearance. As he began to stand back to his feet, it became apparent that he kept the towering size of Nightfall. He meet her eye to eye, which wasn't common for a normal pony. "Are...are you OK?", she asked. "Yeah...I'm fine.", Sunny said flatly while making his way to the pond that was close by in the garden. He looked into his reflection to see how much he had been changed. He was his old self again, but he'll never truly have the image he once possessed. He leaned his flank around to see something that didn't help how he was feeling. He still had Nightfall's Cutie Mark. A moon and 5 stars that bared a red eye in the center of a certain star. It felt as though that even with Nightfall locked away, it was as if he could still see everything. Watching...waiting for the time when he would return. Celestia walked up beside Sunny, hoping that she could help in some way. "Well, your taller..." Mentally she was kicking herself. She was raised to handle any situation a Princess could handle, but trying to help with a close friend's confidence wasn't something she was prepared for. "Yeah...", Sunny uttered in response. Waves of uncertain emotions were flooding through his mind, he didn't know how to feel about this. He felt as though his very will to live seemed to desecrate before him. "I think it's time for dinner.", Celestia said breaking the silence. "Right behind you", Sunny said. It was the first real quality time they had spent together and a very long time. Sunny hoped it could help with his emotions, but he would be sorely disappointed.

Sunny sat there...barely even eating anything. He didn't feel like eating, food just didn't seem to have any taste. "Sunny...?", Celestia asked. Sunny snapped out of his deep thought to answer, "Yes?" "Uhm you know...that you can talk to me if your having problems.", she said flatly hoping to cheer Sunny up in some way. Truth be told she was hoping that he would tell her what was wrong. She feared that what trauma he had went through was affecting his psyche. And losing Luna was hard enough...she didn't want to lose her best friend... "There isn't anything to talk about...", Sunny uttered silently sounding sad. "Sunny please...the only way you're going to get over what Nightfall did is get help. Ple--" Sunny immediately stood from the table and screams angrily, "DON'T YOU GET IT! IT WASN'T NIGHTFALL THAT KILLED ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE! IT WAS ME!! DON'T YOU JUST SIT THERE AND PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU CAN'T!" Sunny angrily left the room, slamming the door as he left. Celestia lifted her hoof to her mouth, utterly shocked at what Sunny had just said. It was as if it was Luna all over again. As she sat there no longer eating she silently began to cry. She was losing her best friend...and there was nothing she could do about it... Once she had regained herself, it was time for the moon to be raised. She stood there watching the sun lower and the moon rising, with tears still falling from her face and making the concrete balcony become dark from the wetness of her tears. Suddenly she felt a hoof on her shoulder. The guard was coming to check on her. Without even looking in his direction, Celestia only said: "I need some time alone..." "I think that's the last thing either of us need...", she heard a familiar voice say. She turned to see Sunny, bearing tears of his own. "I'm...I'm sorry...for what I said. I had no right to explode on you like that...", Sunny flatly uttered while more tears seem to flow. "Su-sunny...I-I just don't want to lose you like we did Luna... I'm sorry, I should have waited for you to come to me first... I'm s-so sorry.", Celestia managed to say before becoming completely overpowered with her sobs. Sunny and Celestia stood there hugging each other crying madly, feeling guilty in their own different ways. Even after letting all of his sobs out, it didn't help how Sunny was feeling inside. Every night when he closed his eyes to sleep he could still hear the screams. Their faces starring him down, and accusing him of murder. Blood pouring from all directions and filling whatever dark realm he was in, making him think he was going to drown in his own evil. Nightfall seemed to live on in his dreams, making Sunny wish that he could bring it all to an end no matter the procedure. He would quickly arise from each dream, soaked to the skin in cold sweat. All the images that haunted him continued to do so even when he was awake. Sunny just wanted it all to stop.

Sunny tried to get on with his life, trying desperately to accept his guilt and live with it. But his effort was in vein. Everywhere he went and every-pony he looked at seemed to accuse him of his sins. He couldn't get back the life he once had. He couldn't re-assume his position in the Guard anymore. His psyche wouldn't let him. He felt as though he had failed the very thing he swore to his dying breath to protect, Equestria itself. He tried helping around the castle to get his mind off things, only to no avail. One day he was helping with repairs in the main ballroom, using different lengths of rope to re-secure the decorative chandelier. When the job was through, he volunteered to store away the left over extra parts. As he packed away the few boxes, the remaining length of rope seemed to call to him. Sunny slowly picked it up, the feeling of the tightly knit fibers in his hoof stirred up feelings within him that he could not explain. He took the rope with him when he had gone back to the castle. He stayed up late that night, not even bothering to put forth an effort into getting sleep. He knew what horrors awaited him the moment he would close his eyes. As he sat there randomly piddling with the rope he still had, he began to think about his nightmares. All the screaming and hatred that was erected at him, seemed all the more devastating the more he thought about it. Every time he tried to erase those thoughts from his mind, they seemingly forced themselves back in as if driven by their own will. Without even realizing what he had done, he glanced down at the rope he was holding in his hooves. He had made a 15-notch noose... He sat there looking at it, wondering exactly what it was that caused him to make it. Unthinkable imaginings started to enter his mind, thoughts of death... He immediately through the noose away from him, treating it as if it was a dead animal. The very sight of it caused the thoughts to return, Sunny turned away trying to avoid even looking at the piece of rope. Finally he admitted defeat to the tiredness of the day's work-filled stress, and he laid back to get what sleep he could get. Only this time...it wasn't a nightmare he had.

Sunny can see a city of some kind. A castle towered over the entire city. Voices could clearly be heard echoing through the air. Sunny begins to run, for no apparent reason. The castle was his destination and he had to get there fast. "They can't get a hold of it...", the voice echoed. Followed by more, "If they get a hold of this power then all will be lost..." "This power has been locked away for centuries. No-pony, not even Celestia herself, knows what it is capable of...good or bad..." Sunny continues to gallop as fast as possible, the castle becoming closer and closer. Whatever was inside...it was big. Something so colossal that destiny itself has no control over. Destiny doesn't have anything to do with it. Good and Evil are locked in a struggle over control of this....whatever this object of importance is. It could be a weapon...or an ancient spell. But it doesn't matter. The enemy cannot take it...or else...life as he know it, ponies and otherwise would be doomed...

Sunny sprang awake, trying to contemplate what had unfolded in his mind. There was only one kingdom in Equestria, and what he had seen wasn't Canterlot. He didn't what he had seen. He just knew that dreams like that aren't ones to be ignored. Something wasn't right, and that something couldn't be found wondering the halls of Canterlot Castle. Sunny sat up in his bed, rubbing his temples. He lifted his head, only to see the noose he had made still lying in the corner. The thoughts from earlier returned, and oddly enough they brought a sense of...comfort. It meant not worrying about anything anymore, he would be free from it all. Never having to worry about anything anymore...completely care free... But then the dream wiggled its way inside, causing Sunny's mind to race from one thought to the other. He wasn't sure how to go about this...he needed to do something. Sitting here in this castle like a prince wasn't making anything easier. He had to do something...and he knew precisely what that something was... He immediately got up and began packing only his personal belongings. Just as he was about to close the travel bag up, his eyes seemed pulled to the noose once more. After examining it aimlessly, he became compelled and trotted over to the corner. He stood there, continuing to examine the expertly tied fatal knot. It seemed to call to him. He finally picked it up, and placed it in his travel case. He didn't know why he was bringing it, but it just wouldn't allow him to leave it there. When his bag was packed he walked out on the balcony and stood there watching, waiting for the sign that Celestia was up and about. Finally, as the moon descending from its high post in the sky and the sun arose to bring the light for a new day, Sunny walked out of his room to Celestia's and knocked on the door. "Come in.", Celestia answered. The door slowly opened, and Sunny entered. Celestia had just raised the sun and had returned from the balcony. "Good morning, Sunny." "Morning. Celestia...there's something, I need to talk to you about and it's kind of important..." "Is there something?", Celestia asked while putting on her tiara. "Well, yes and no..." "Sunny, what is it? Your starting to worry me." Sunny took a deep breath. "Please...sit down. What I'm about to say isn't going to be easy." Celestia sat where she stood, and Sunny did the same. "Celestia, I...I'm going away for a while. I can't exactly explain...it just...there is something I have to do. I'm not sure what it is...I just know that I'm not meant to spend my days here. You probably think I'm crazy, and I know you're going to try to talk me out of it...but I've made my decision. I plan to leave today...and I don't know when I'll be back..." Sunny expected Celestia to automatically start pleading that he stay, but to his surprise she just sat there and listened. When Sunny was finished, Celestia remained silent for a minute. She wasn't trying to think of what to say...she was trying to think of how she could say it. "If...if you want to leave then I'm not going to stop you...", she said flatly. Sunny was completely surprised that she acted so cool about this, he couldn't help but wonder why. "Your...not going to try and talk me out of it?" "No, I'm not. Sunny...", Celestia began while getting up and walking toward the balcony. Sunny followed, still listening to what Celestia wanted to say. "...a long time ago I had to make a choice. When my home was attacked that fateful day...I had the choice of either leaving or staying and trying to help. My mother wanted me to take Luna and leave, and I didn't want to disobey her. But I wanted to fight, I wanted to defend my home. But there was something...something I can't explain even to this day. When I stood there at the portal, I glanced back at what was attacking my fellow ponies. And something was telling me to go...that I needed to leave. There are times when destiny itself doesn't have a threshold on our lives, and our fate is of our own choosing. I chose my destiny that day, and as much as it is painful to relive, I have never regretted my decision to this day... You've grown up so much since we had first met...and I am proud of you. As you're oldest friend, I will support you on your decision. There are times when you just have to go with what life gives you, and then there are moments when we can't let destiny decide our fate. You have something to do...and there is nothing that is going to stop you..." Sunny just stood there, soaking it all in. Celestia wasn't only OK with him leaving...she understood completely why he was leaving. "Thank you...Celestia. No matter how far I go, I will never forget what you have given me...", Sunny said. Celestia and Sunny shared one final touching hug, before Sunny picked up his bag and made his way for the front gate. No-pony knows what is going to happen behind those gates, away from the safety of Sunny's home. Destiny didn't have no say in what happened next, Sunny had full control of the path that laid before him. But even though he truly had complete free will and choice of his life, he wasn't sure if he wanted all of that responsibility anymore...