//------------------------------// // 5: The Darkest Hour // Story: The Elements of Disharmony: Necessary Corruption // by Night_Shine //------------------------------// Sound asleep in her bed laid the omnipotent goddess of the sun; she knew not of the storm which surrounded her. The innocent smile on her face betrayed that she had been whisked away by a dream to the confines of a pleasant fantasy, a land of sweet naïveté that kept her locked away from the harsh reality outside her very window. In this dream the sun shone bright; its radiance covered all corners of the earth. A simple fact that her subconscious mind could not face…was that this false utopia of everlasting day had left no room for the moon. Next to the bed of the sleeping deity hung a beautiful painting; the painting had been left sitting mysteriously on her windowsill a bright and sunny morning less than one year ago. It captured the image of the sky in a beautiful sunrise within its intricate brushwork, displaying both the moon and the sun in all of their glory. The stars were faintly visible through the first bright rays of morning, and the few scattered clouds above the sun reflected a spectrum of colors, the stunning bright pinks, reds, and oranges of dawn. Carved into its simple wood frame was a small inscription, the title of the work: Harmony in Equestria. The author had not marked their own name on their work and instead left only a note indicating that it was a gift for the fair Solar Princess. Milky-white moonlight flowed over this magnificent painting through the window on the opposite side of the room, covering its shades of red and orange with pure white. With a slow creak, the window slid open, and on a cloud of indigo magic flew a mare whose coat was as black as her heart. The storm followed her inside in a powerful gust of wind. Harmony in Equestria, stirred by the storm, fell onto the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces. A beautiful green diamond lied on the ground beneath the West Canterlot Tower, sitting in the middle of the road as if it was cast aside. Or waiting. The embodiment of corruptive innocence sat in silence, letting the night pass by overhead. The pouring rain of the storm washed over its pure surface, and yet did not tarnish it. Bright moonlight fell down from the sky, reflecting off of the gem’s mesmerizing exterior and only making it all the more enticing. Its deadly mirrored light captured the eyes of no one, save its sole intended victim high up beneath the wide windows of Canterlot Castle. Dark clouds passed aimlessly through the sky, signaling the passing of time. But the crystal would wait; it would lie here in darkness until its master came to claim it. Spike nearly jumped out of his scales as a deafening thunderclap washed over him. A piercing scream followed, but was cut off suddenly...as if it was silenced. He shivered. The research team’s meeting room suddenly seemed a shade darker, even though the clouds had parted and bathed the room in milky light. Every flickering shadow in the corner of his eye made him flinch. Yet Spike carried on, cautiously tiptoeing up to the center table. Spike fished a quill out that he had stuffed into the scroll clenched in his claw; he then copied out its contents to four other scrolls as quickly as he could. Just as he scratched out the last word, a swift tapping at the window nearly made him jump out of his seat. Outlined in the pale moonlight was the silent form of Owlowiscious, waiting patiently for Spike to shake himself out of his fearful stupor and hand over the letters. The owl’s body was pure black against the harsh moonlight. Dude, that’s creepy…thought Spike. He hopped up to the windowsill and handed Owlowiscious the precious letters, saying, “Make sure one of these gets to all of Twilight’s friends.” “Who?” questioned the owl. “Oh, you know-Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.” “Who.” “You know what…nevermind.” The owl nodded and flew off into the dark sky, disappearing into the black thunderclouds that surrounded the city of Canterlot. His small body, a tiny dot against the enormous clouds, faded into the darkness. Spike was just about to turn away from the broad window…when something else caught his eye. A tiny light was winking at him from a hundred feet below. Under the darkness just below the Castle lay a deadly garden. This garden of statues, tranquil under the silent moon, sat frozen in the stillness of night. Its centerpiece, the tallest statue that had once stood proudly above all others, was twisted in a pose of pure horror. He had been in this shape for a comparatively short period of time which felt like an eternity; he was now simply another vanquished enemy to be gazed upon in this ageless trophy collection. This surreal nocturnal bliss was broken, however, by a blue colt in shining chrome whose form wavered under the pale moonlight. It trembled not from the cold. The Shadow was, for the first time in so long…afraid. He could still remember the face of his next target from so many years ago, when the image of the laughing beast was seared across his mind. Discord... As the Shadow trotted down to the base of the stone statue, he could only stare…at the one who had so happily ruined his life, laughing all of the while. The one who had stepped in with one claw and swept everything away. His family. His friends. His dreams, his goals, his talent. And yet here stood the lord of chaos. Imprisoned in stone, arms outstretched, and his facial expression that of one begging for mercy. His screaming face was frozen permanently in a state of FEAR. The Shadow almost smiled behind his mask. Almost. It was nice to be reminded who was in charge here. The face of another one who had dared laugh at him floated briefly through his mind, but…he….he did not know what to think of her. She had dared to look at him and smile, to treat him almost like a friend…like everypony had treated him before he took up the silver mask… But she was an enemy to be dealt with at a later time; he had business to do. Reluctantly, the Shadow reached out with his mind and prodded the surreal consciousness that was Discord. He was…already awoken by the Shadow’s presence, and had simply waited for him to make the first move like any good chessmaster would. And who might you be? The thought floated down to the Shadow, standing below Discord’s tall statue of stone that rose high in the air above him. I am the Shadow that lurks in your mind…the voice of the darkness that twists dreams into nightmares, responded the Shadow, although he was doubtful that his usual intimidation would have any effect on this monster. He was correct. Really? No, you’re not. I remember you, Soul Shade…what fun we had! The mere mention of his past self’s name sent an uncontrollable shiver down the Shadow’s spine. A rush of bottled memories came flooding out, threatening to break his wall of self-control that his brother helped him develop after the tragic accident so many years ago. The Shadow concentrated for a moment, using all of his willpower to repress his…emotions. Why would you use my old name, Discord? After all, it was you who made me what you see now. You created this, the Shadow thought at the motionless statue, gesturing to his half-broken form, his silver armor, his glowing eyes. Oh, my little Shady. Always hotheaded and always trying to one-up me. You haven’t changed a bit! Discord was simply trying to make him lose his cool, to break him. As predicted. And according to his brother’s plan, the Shadow must not continue this conversational direction. Discord. We will have plenty of time for small talk as soon as you are free; he reprimanded the spirit of chaos. Fine. You’re no fun anymore, Soul Shade, but all the same, I would very much like to be free. It’s quite boring being imprisoned in stone, you know. So how do you plan on freeing me? As long as the Elements of Harmony are stable, I’m locked in. He felt another involuntary shiver at the mention his old name, but no matter. You shall see shortly. However, in exchange for this freedom, you must promise to restrain your chaotic nature and power to further the effort of the group. The Shadow felt a twinge of worry as the words passed through his mind. You want a promise like THAT? From me? You expect too much from me, dear Shady. I can’t help it; it is my nature. The Shadow glared at Discord, letting his eyes glow a harsh bright red. I am simply saying this to protect you. If you attempt to overthrow the group, you will be stopped, with a force that even you cannot contend to beat. Keep your head low, and perhaps she will spare you. The face of a pony in a black and golden suit passed briefly through the Shadow’s mind, a mare wearing a shining black crown inlaid with golden jewels and topped with a six-pointed yellow star. Discord’s voice burst explosively into laughter, causing the Shadow to physically wince. Discord barely got out, If you say so. The last thing the Shadow heard from the cruel whisper in the wind was echoing laughter that would not leave his mind. Spike hopped down the last few floors of the old dusty staircase, taking them three at a time, barely containing his giddy excitement. In his rush to reach the bottom he tripped and tumbled down the stairs, head over heels, crashing face first on the ground floor. “Ow.” he said, pushing himself off of the ground and rubbing the spot where his face met the floor. Shaking his head a couple times, he walked through the tall doors into the dark night. They slammed shut behind him with an ominous BOOM. You know you shouldn’t be doing this, a voice nagged at Spike from the back of his mind. Twilight told you to come back to her room immediately. She's afraid for you. No, she didn’t. She didn’t tell us ANYTHING! shouted back a second voice, its fiery vehemence startling Spike. But you know she would not want you out here, the first responded quietly. WOULD she? She doesn’t care about us. She has never cared about us. The second voice carried a passion, an anger that Spike was beginning to relate to. What do you think- The first voice was cut off abruptly as Spike noticed the tiny green diamond sitting on the rough road. That dazzling, alluring diamond…the very same diamond that had captured his heart and mind with its beauty. He approached it hesitantly, subconsciously afraid of its power over him. However his fears were soothed as he felt a quiet voice coming from it, whispering soft nothings into his ear. Come here, Spike. Its voice was distinctly feminine, had a powerful quality to it, and yet seemed so…caring. The almost motherly tone soothed all of his nervous fears and put Spike at ease. And then there was the crystal itself, in its indescribable splendor. No longer afraid, the tiny dragon sprinted toward it, reaching out his claw to just touch it, to just grab on and hold it and never let go… The crystal jumped out of his reach, repelled from him by an almost magnetic force. Annoyed, Spike made another leap for the diamond. His legs felt more powerful this time, as if they had grown ever so slightly since his first attempt. Once again the cruel diamond bounded out of his reach. Spike heard the voice again, and yet it was not the same. Its soothing quality was replaced by a harsh, nasally, irritating whine. Come and get me, Spike! I’m waiting! A giggle bubbled out of the shiny gem. The dragon’s forked tongue flickered out of his mouth, tasting the air. He and his precious diamond were alone, save the drumming of the rain and the angry screaming of the storm overhead. Mixed into this cacophony was the snide laughter of an audacious jewel. “GET OVER HERE!” Spike’s voice dropped an octave in pitch the words exploded out from between his fangs. He dropped onto all fours as he chased after the shiny speck as it rolled further and further down the road towards the Canterlot Statue Garden. Over here! Its malicious laughter pierced through Spike’s will; his narrowing dragon-eyes could see nothing but its tantalizing form falling further and further out of his reach. He barely noticed as his arms doubled in length, his tail swishing slower and slower as it grew to the length of a stallion. Nope. I’m right here! The shrill voice would not stop. Each word shot through Spike’s mind was a hot coal thrust in his face, a burning needle stabbed through his eyes. I WANT TO KILL THAT VOICE…I NEED TO HAVE THAT…I MUST TAKE…I WANT…Spike’s thoughts became simpler and angrier with every passing second. The diamond suddenly stopped, filling his vision as it floated toward his face upon a pillar of green fire. A black necklace had locked itself around Spike’s throat without him even noticing, and with a soft click the lime-colored gem retracted into its frame. With a meaty claw the angry dragon grabbed the gem; it was within his grasp at last. Its tiny, beautiful geometric form lay harmlessly in his palm. Suddenly the diamond glowed a blinding bright orange. Ignited by its own magic, its heat scalded his claw with the fire of a thousand burning suns and Spike felt pain beyond anything he had ever imagined. Rearing up on his back claws, the dragon let out a thunderous roar that shook the very earth itself.