When Darkness Falls

Quick Note: For added effect, listen to For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica while reading the first couple of paragraphs.

The air began to grow thicker and thicker with anger, and hatred. All that had befallen Equestria had been because of one pony, Nightmare Moon. As Celestia stared directly into Nightmare Moon's eyes, it seemed as though time itself had come to a pause. On the one end of the stare, you saw rage and anger. While from the other point of view, there was arrogance and disgust. Mere seconds passed from when Nightmare Moon had made her not-so dramatic entrance. Although to the ones that were in attendance of this wretched battle, it felt like the seconds dragged on for hours on end. Until finally the silence had finally been broken. The ground began to vibrate intensely as either side began to charge at each other, releasing battle-cries that thundered through the destroyed kingdom. Nightmare Moon immediately flew high in the air, soon followed by Celestia. The opposing Guard forces collided head-on in all out war, replacing a lot of the rage filled yells with blood curdling screams. Spears pierced through flesh like a knife through butter. Some were driven by hard muscle from the Earth ponies, while others were plunged by the magic of the Unicorns. The Pegasi battled from the air, raining death from above. In the mist of all the fighting, ponies were being taken out by the group by a single pony. Nightfall had wasted little time doing what he loved best, firing black bolts of energy and using his tendrils to fling ponies across the field. He was enjoying it, more so than even Nightmare Moon herself. Some of those he killed, he took his sweet time. Utilizing his ability to control the darkness he froze their shadows in place, leaving them at his mercy. But unfortunately for them, he saw mercy as nothing more than an excuse to continue living their pathetic lives. As Nightfall continued to take Celestia's so-called sorry excuse for Guards, he notices that there is some-pony viciously taking out his feeble men as well. Dawning an armor of high decoration, looking as if he knew exactly what he was doing unlike the other mortal whelps that foolishly believed they stood a chance at winning. This pony on the other hoof, acted as though he knew they would triumphant this day. The Pegasus in the armor finally turned his gaze toward Nightfall, who had been keeping his watch of this Pegasus for several seconds now. Sunny suddenly recognizes just who this Pegasus was, it was Captain Cyrus. He was fighting hard, even at his age. Cyrus finally sees the larger than normal pony that had been watching him, bearing the look of a psychopath. As they stared each other down, it became clear that the titans of the opposing forces were about to collide. "Finally, somepony that will present a challenge!", Nightfall yelled. "Your mother sure presented a challenge for me last night!", Cyrus replied beginning to gallop. Nightfall grunted an angry sound before charging toward Cyrus himself.

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As the battle waged on below, Celestia and Nightmare Moon continued to fight in the skies above. Using every bit of magic they could muster, they each attempted their best to end the other's life. Bolts of pure magic pierced through the air, strong enough they would have demolished the strongest tree. Celestia had been hit twice, searing the skin and bringing a devastating burn. As if the magic wasn't fatal enough, loose rubble left over from the old kingdom were being hurled at one another desperately trying to end this epic fight. Celestia wasn't quick enough to dodge them all, causing her to receive cuts deep enough that would require stitches when this was over. If she was still alive... "Did thou really think that this would be easy?! I expected more from the so called Ruler of Equestria!", Nightmare Moon mocked as Celestia struggled to remain in the air. "And more you shall receive!", she replied while dashing at Nightmare Moon, ready and willing to die for Equestria if this fight drags on for that long.

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Cyrus and Nightfall began to draw closer, still galloping at full speed. Just as violent contact was about to be made, Nightfall leaped over Cyrus hoping to attack from behind. But fortunately Cyrus anticipated this and immediately all in one motion: Stopped right where he was, then forcefully rared back and bucked Nightfall just as he began to land and turn. Nightfall flew backwards, feeling the full force of the Captain's hooves directly to his gut. As Nightfall stood back up to his feet, Cyrus proceeded to yell: "I may be just an old Pegasus, but this Pegasus still has enough fight in him to beat the living hell out of you!" "We shall see about that...", Nightfall replied showing some form of amusement in his voice. He then dashed once more, this time firing black bolts of magic at Cyrus. He was just barely quick enough to dodge them, but Nightfall quickly turned and returned Cyrus's buck with one of his own. As Cyrus went air borne, he immediately utilized his wings and regained himself before quickly rushing at Nightfall. Cyrus had nailed him directly, spearing him into one of the walls that were still standing. As soon as Nightfall felt the wall on his back, he then tackled Cyrus to the ground trying to choke the life from him. Cyrus struggled to his best abilities to get the powerful Alicorn's hooves from around his neck. He reached for the ground, hoping to find something that could help. He soon felt something solid. Without hesitation and not caring what it was, he wrapped the end of his hoof around it. He swung full-force catching Nightfall on the left side of his face, knocking him off of him. Just Cyrus got up from the ground to continue his assault with the blunt object that just saved his life, Nightfall fired another bolt of magic once more. Only this time, Cyrus didn't see it coming. The bolt hit its intended target, right directly in Cyrus's face. Everything went black. Cyrus eyes had gotten the worst of the attack, taking away his sight temporarily. He swung the object he had, hoping to buy him some time for his sight to return to him. But when he had opened his eyes, and shook away the blurriness...Nightfall was no where to be seen in the mist of this brutal war.

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Celestia slammed into Nightmare Moon with everything she could muster, sending her to the ground. Careful not to give her the chance to regain herself, Celestia began firing a never-ending barrage of magic bolts. More and more dust began to rise with every bolt of magic that hit, eventually bringing a thick smokey curtain over where Nightmare Moon had landed. Celestia finally ceased firing, utterly exhausted from how much power this assault had used. As the dust began to clear, Celestia's mind began to fill with hope. This long grueling battle had finally come to an end, Equestia was safe. Only...things weren't going to be that easy. When the last particles of dust that formed the blinding curtain had finally subsided, Celestia's hope had been crushed and soon replaced with even more fear than before. Nightmare Moon had conjured a barrier at the last possible second before the bolts had begun to land...she was unscathed from this incredible attack. "That almost hurt...", Nightmare Moon said flatly, mocking Celestia's feeble attempt to end this. Nightmare Moon's then began to glow a dark color, preparing for an attack of her own. Celestia summoned what strength she had left, and put up a shield of her own. As Nightmare Moon's magic bolts began to hit, the shield started to crack. And finally, she fired a powerful charged bolt. The shield shattered, unable to stop the devastating final shot. It hit Celestia with full force, causing her to fall the ground. As she tossed and reeled in pain, Nightmare Moon still stood there mocking her: "Surely one such as you can put up a better fight than that feeble pathetic excuse for a pony called Sunny did?! You should have heard him as the life left him, crying and begging for mercy!" As Nightmare Moon watched on, Celestia began to get up once more. Her eyes flaring from an unprecedented show of complete anger, she screamed: "Don't you dare speak about Sunny that way! He would have never given in to you, AND NEITHER WILL I!!!"

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Cyrus looked in all directions, trying desperately to locate the dark Alicorn. But there was no sign whatsoever. A fellow guard suddenly rushed up to the Captain, looking as though his body was barely holding together. "Sir, are you OK?", he said frantically. "I'll be fine, whats the progress?", Cyrus answered but returned a question of his own. "Not good at all, sir...", the guard answered flatly. Cyrus then turned away, still trying to find Nightfall before he could attack again. "How bad?", Cyrus asked but got no answer. Suddenly his legs were swept out from under him, and a force equal to that of a raging Minotaur came down on his hind legs, ultimately snapping one of them completely in half. Cyrus quickly rolled on his back and looked up at the guard, only to see that his fur began to melt away and his face beginning to reform to reveal Nightfall! "Your making horrible progress!", Nightfall said relishing in how he had tricked the highly regarded Captain of Celestia's Guard. Cyrus struggled to regain his composure, but feel back to the ground because of his now broken leg. He then tried to fly from the ground, but was then grabbed by the throat as he began to lift off the ground. While the tendril that came from Nightfall held Cyrus by the neck, Nightfall then used his magic on Cyrus's shadow to pin him to the ground, completely defenseless at the mercy of Nightfall. He then suddenly raised high and stomped with all his might directly on Cyrus's stomach, obliterating what air Cyrus was holding and sending blood through his body and exiting from his mouth in a slow choking drip and splatter. As the iron like taste of fresh blood overpowered Cyrus's taste buds, Nightfall slowly trotted closer to his head. He placed a single hoof over his throat, causing him to gasp for air with even more difficulty than before. "You should have surrendered, made it easier on yourself...", Nightfall mocked while enjoying watching Cyrus struggle to breath through his own blood. "N-never", Cyrus quietly said still trying to catch what breath he can. Nightfall then removed his hoof from Cyrus's throat and then turned as if he was about to walk away. But suddenly, Nightfall's hind leg rose up in the air and came down with tremendous force. His hoof came down directly on Cyrus's face, breaking the front of his skull and piercing the flesh that surrounded it. Twisting and grinding his hoof deeper and deeper, turning what was once Cyrus's well-aged face into nothing more than complete mush. Muffled drowning screams could be heard, but they soon stopped completely...Cyrus, was no more... As Nightfall sat his blood splattered hoof back on solid ground, he quietly said to himself in satisfaction: "That was fun..." Nightfall then turns just in time to see Celestia fall from the sky and land hard on the ground motionless. Sunny could do nothing, but stand there and watch through Nightfall's eyes as his best friend was slowly being defeated. He began to lose hope...Cyrus was gone, Luna was gone, and now...the one that he has always thought the world of, was about to be gone as well... Memories began to flow through his mind about all the time they had spent together, the first night he had spent at the castle, the day they spent playing in the garden, they all flashed before his eyes. But unbeknownst to Sunny, these memories were filling Nightfall's mind as well. Nightfall soon began to feel his pleasure from this violence slowly turn into hatred and anger from seeing Celestia lying there, seemingly lifeless. As Nightfall and Sunny were continuing to look toward Celestia, they begin to hear maniacal laughter, filled with the darkest evil. As they looked up toward where this was coming from they soon find what they were hearing. Nightmare Moon, looking like a winged monster of some kind was circling above. Her laughter echoing through the old Kingdom. And it suddenly hits Nightfall and Sunny just what is truly unfolding before their eyes. The nightmare that plagued their mind, that gave them sleepless nights when they were young...had come true. Both Nightfall and Sunny had seized up at this sight, Nightmare Moon's laughter ringing in their ears. Their hearts beating violently in sync, kept becoming louder and louder. Their anger growing into unbelievable proportions. The rage that burned within them continued to grow, before finally releasing all of its force making them both shout at the top of their lungs: "NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" The scream thundered across the battlefield and the realm of Limbo, and a bright light engulfed their vision and a strong power surged through their bodies.

The light faded...Sunny could see Nightmare Moon still flying above Celestia and laughing maniacally. He can feel the dirt, the rubble, and the still warm blood that belonged to Cyrus beneath his hooves. The sounds of an intense battle that raged between the opposing Guard forces rattled through his ears. He can feel the wind blowing through the bat-like wings that were on his back. Sunny is himself once more, but at that very moment that was the last thing on his mind. "NIGHTMARE MOON!!", he screamed in rage. Nightmare Moon stopped circling Celestia and looked directly at the leader of her army, "Nightfall? What do you wa--" She went dead silent in the middle of her question. She was looking at the dark Alicorn that she knew as Nightfall, but it was Nightfall no longer. She was no longer staring into the blood-red serpent eyes of a sadistic master of war, she was looking into the bright blue eyes of Sunny Night...