//------------------------------// // A Tale of Darkness // Story: Draconequus // by cheezesauce //------------------------------// Ooo A Tale of Darkness ooO Twilight jumped in fright as Rarity burst into the Carousel Boutique, hitting her head painfully on one of the antique lamps that hung from the ceiling. She winced, lifting a forehoof to massage the bruise on her head. “Ow...” “I got the book!” Rarity shouted. She waved the old tome in front of Twilight’s face, breathing heavily. “Oh okay. Thanks,” Twilight said, plucking it from its field of light blue magic. She shifted her gaze to her friend, noticing her unusually messy mane. Beads of sweat had collected on Rarity’s forehead, and below that, her eyes had widened in fear, their pupils becoming constricted. Twilight tilted her head to one side in confusion. “Um... are you feeling okay?” “No!” Rarity burst out. “It was horrendous, ghastly, absolutely vile! Why, first there were those terrible symbols from last time, glowing all on their own! Then I found that doll of yours, gruesomely ripped to pieces. And when I finally got hold of the book, something was flying around and tracking me down. Heavens, if I had to spend one more moment in that library...” Twilight was finding it hard to keep up with Rarity’s spluttering. “Wait, what did you say? The symbols were glowing?” “Yes, certainly. Glowing and burning, actually.” “That’s strange. They wouldn’t be doing that if they were just carvings...” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “meaning that those symbols must have magic in them. They could have been cast by a unicorn, or... or...” she gulped in fear, “...or whatever that thing was.” Twilight levitated the book in front of her and trotted back to the oak table. She set it neatly in the middle as Rarity came up beside her. The large golden letters gleamed against the light in contrast to the black covers that they were engraved on. It was time to move on to the next step in her plan. “Okay Rarity, are you ready to cast the translation spell?” “Now? Well, I am able to do it now actually. It is quite a simple little spell, really. Just watch me.” Rarity lighted up her horn. She surrounded the black book with her magic. The light blue glow around the book grew steadily stronger and stronger, turning into a hot, bluish white. The book began to float, hovering a few inches above the table. Twilight watched as Rarity worked her magic. She knew that a spell like this wouldn’t need much effort. The bearer of the Element of Magic chewed on her lip, noticing the excessive and unsteady flow of magic from Rarity’s horn. No, channel the magic slowly. Don’t burn the pages. ...oh Celestia, I really hope she doesn’t burn the pages. Twilight could see something happening to the large golden letters on the book’s cover. They began to vibrate, squiggling and squirming about their positions. Magic continued to pour in, causing the book to tremble lightly in the air. Its letters simmered, as if placed over some sort of magical fire. Gradually, they began to melt before her eyes, forming thick golden liquid with the same consistency as glue. Better not drip any of that, or I’ll be reading junk with missing letters. To her relief, not one drop of the liquid fell off the black covers. It moved around, as if being pulled by gravity, joining up and pooling in several spots side by side, roughly equal in size. The spots of liquid cooled off, beginning to mould themselves into distinct shapes. Twilight realised that she biting hard on her lip and quickly opened her jaws. She gritted her teeth instead and focused on the shapes. Eleven spots of gold began to harden into eleven recognisable letters. They engraved themselves back into the book, with the same thick, block-like font style they had previously, forming one single, simple word. Draconequus The two mares stared at it. “Dra-con-e-quus.” Twilight murmured. A confused look appeared on her face. She cocked her head to one side, looking at the title from an angle, which didn’t help to draw any further inspiration of course. Twilight shot a glance at Rarity, seeing a similar expression reflected there. None of them knew what that word meant. “Well, I definitely did the spell right,” Rarity said defensively. “Even well done, if I may say so.” “Yes, nerve-wreckingly well done,” Twilight agreed. Her lower lip throbbed in pain, but at least the book was still in one piece. She picked the it up, giving it a tentative sniff. It had a stale, musty smell—the type old books usually gave out. Twilight ran a forehoof over the cover, feeling the subtle depressions made by the engraved letters. The cloth-like surface of the hardcover was soft and frayed, but its bulk remained sturdy. She tapped it twice, producing two solid knocks. Rarity continued to wait patiently by her side. “Right.” Twilight finally flipped open the cover. The writing was cursive and hard to read. But none of that mattered much, because everything was now in perfect Equestrian. Twilight eagerly began to read the faded text, feeling like an explorer that had just dug out an ancient treasure map. Little is known about the creature cast in stone... It seemed to be some sort of cryptic poem. She didn’t quite understand it and skipped to the next part, finding another mass of vague literature. It wasn’t helpful either. Twilight had intended to find simple, solid facts, not some mysterious verses that hardly told her anything. Flipping through the first few pages, she landed herself on what appeared to be an event log consisting of short passages and outdated articles from newspapers, reports, and other sources. That was what she needed—facts from reliable sources. Or reliable looking sources at least. Rarity decided to squeeze in beside her. Together, they began to read the lines of cursive writing. A burglary took place in Red Ruby & Diamond Star’s Jewelleries. The jewellery shop was reported to have been ransacked, presumably over Monday night. The store owners, Red Ruby and his wife, Diamond Star, claim to have up to fifty thousand bits worth of jewellery missing. However, the unicorn couple were puzzled to find that valuable gemstones, such as the fifty carat Fire Ruby, remained untouched. They noted that the majority of the stolen items seemed to contain enhancer spells and other traces of magic. The Fire Ruby was not known to have contained magic, leading to a possible explanation of why it was not stolen. Police began searching for leads to this mysterious magical-gemstone loving thief two days ago. However, a police spokespony reported that investigations were not yielding results. Officer Ice Heart confirmed the statement, adding that efforts were ‘frustratingly fruitless’, and that they had found ‘zero evidence’. However, he added later that the store owners noticed several ‘strange markings’ on the floor, which they claimed were not there the day before. They were assumed to have appeared overnight. ─Equestria Daily, 10/5 --- A team of researchers claimed to have spotted an unusual set of tracks appearing in the Everfree forest. Originally on a project to investigate the self-governing characteristics of it, the team stumbled upon the tracks in the mid-west region of the forest. The group’s head, Dr. Greenleaf, decided to pursue the trail after a brief discussion with his fellow researchers. As quoted from True Wonder, a junior member of the team: “We found these really weird imprints on the ground... like some footprint combination of two or more different animals. At first we thought of a cockatrice or something... but there were markings made by a hoof as well. It didn’t make sense! I thought it was some observational error. But when we followed the trail further, the different imprints appeared to have a distinct sequence, and remained the same distance apart,  meaning that they had to belong to the same creature. I’m thrilled that we’re gonna search for it. This is so exciting!” The research team announced that they will set off again on Wednesday to further the investigation. ─Equestria Daily, 11/5 --- A letter to the Police Headquarters, Canterlot Sir, All is well in Ponyville. We have not much to report, except a few petty thefts. The suspects were, of course, promptly arrested. Our force strives to uphold its flawless reputation at all times. On a side note, The Night Guard Border Patrol reported a strange sighting while on duty. It was approaching Moonhigh when they heard the rustling of leaves from within the Everfree Forest. They suspected that a large creature was hidden among the leaves, but could not identify it due to the darkness of the night. Conflicting accounts of what the creature could have been were given. But they identified a set of ‘gleaming red eyes’ staring at them from within the forest. Shortly after the incident, two of the guards submitted in their resignation forms. I hope that this update was found to be useful, and I await your response. The subsequent update will be sent next Thursday, as usual. Yours sincerely, Officer Brightheart --- Dr. Greenleaf and his team of researchers, the group that discovered the ‘unusual tracks’ in the Everfree Forest, have since cut short their trip and returned to Canterlot. They did not reveal the outcome of their research. Instead, ‘safety reasons’ were cited for the termination of the project. Members of the group declined further commenting. ─Equestria Daily, 14/5 --- A letter to Officer Ice Heart (misplaced in a document folder): Ice Heart, I’ve returned early from Dawn Patrol, because most of the other guards were so focused on getting the job done and reporting back. They’re a pretty boring bunch of ponies to hang out with sometimes. Anyway, I saw something weird on the way back. It was like... some small sack of fur, lying on the grass. No pony else noticed it, so I went to have a closer look. I think it was actually the corpse of a squirrel. I wasn’t sure, because it didn’t quite look like a squirrel anymore... It looked like the poor creature had been sucked out dry from the inside, and even the colour of its coat had turned into a sickly grey. I didn’t have the time to examine it further, because my patrol was leaving. And wandering alone near the Everfree was the last thing I wanted. I can take you to see it if you want. I don’t mind getting a second look too—it’s sick! Your friend, Leafwhistle --- An urgent report was filed to the police department five minutes past midnight by a young mare. Apparently, the mare was taking a regular midnight stroll when she heard ‘unnaturally high pitched’ screams coming from the Everfree forest. She could not pinpoint the exact location of the source, but described it as ‘bloodcurdling’. Hours later, similar complaints were filed to the department, all reporting about the same unnatural screaming. The residents claimed that the screams subsided only in the early hours in the morning. ─Equestria Daily, 17/5 --- For the first time in years, a murder has taken place in Ponyville. Police barricades sprang up along Orange Grove Street, cordoning off an estimated 20 by 20 metre area. When reporters flocked to the scene, they found it to be completely shielded off from view, and were denied entry. An officer on duty took queries from reporters, explaining that the nature of the crime was ‘particularly gruesome’ and ‘unfit for news’. He could not reveal the details of the crime, except that paramedics had pronounced the victim dead upon arrival. However, rumours have it that the victim was a unicorn mare, and was also said to be the owner of a Jewellery shop... Twilight slammed the book shut, her hooves trembling. “Twilight, you don’t mean to tell me that those symbols I saw...” “I think they’re markings,” Twilight croaked, feeling as though a ball of ice had been shoved down her stomach. “Markings to mark me out... I-It’s hunting me, and when it gets me, it’ll... it’ll...” She gulped down the rest of her sentence, feeling nauseous from fear. “I need to write to Princess Celestia.” “Good idea, let me get you the quill and parchment,” Rarity said. She moved shakily to the stairs. Twilight pushed the book away cautiously, as if it was some sort of dangerous object. “I think I’ll just go and—” She paused abruptly, flicking up her ears. Rarity looked back at her. “Is there something wrong?” “Not really, I just think something has been flying past the window a couple of times.” The two mares began to look at the square windows all around the boutique. Rarity’s eyes were wide open, and she shifted from side to side on her hooves. She stiffened in fear as the flutter of wings was carried through the air. Something had zipped past the an open window behind them. “Oh my stars...  It’s that sound from the library!” Rarity whispered under her breath. The fashion designer spun around, magically slamming the boutique’s windows shut. She did the same for the other windows around the boutique. The room fell into an abrupt silence as the sounds from outside were cut off. Twilight shuffled around and tried to keep her eyes on all the windows at once. She knew that anything that followed Rarity all the way from the library couldn’t be any good. Thump Twilight whirled to face the window behind her, pricking her ears and holding her breath. There was nothing there, at least from where she stood. Twilight inched her way forward, curiosity getting the better of her. Behind her, a second set of hooves followed. The amber rays of sunset was streaming in through the glass, forming a faint orange square of light on the floor. Twilight stepped past it and reached the window, feeling another coat brush against hers as Rarity stood beside. Together, they looked through the small square panel of glass. A single tawny brown feather was falling outside, making its slow descent to the ground. Twilight stared at it, her violet pupils shifting lower and lower down as they tracked the feather. Leaning in closer, she peered at it go down, her snout pressed against the cool glass and leaving a small wet mark on it. THUMP! Twilight screamed as something smashed itself against the window, mere centimetres of glass separating it from her snout, something small and brown. Jerking her head away, she spun around and bolted away with Rarity. Together, they jumped behind a couch for cover. “What was that?!” Rarity cried. Twilight crouched behind the cushions, her heart still pounding. If not for the glass, it would have landed squarely on her face, whatever it was anyway. She recalled the oddly shaped brown mass, and then the tawny brown feather. Both had seemed a little familiar. Moments later, a sheepish smile began to form on her face. “I think that was Owliscious.” Rarity stared incredulously at her. “What? Are you absolutely sure?” Twilight trotted back to the window. She pushed open the glass and poked her head outside, looking around for her feathered assistant. The sun was setting outside, the fiery ball sinking behind the rooftops of several tall houses. She scanned the area, but the owl was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, she pulled her head back inside. “I thought it was Owliscious...” Just at that moment, as if to prove her right, the small brown owl shot through the open window, barely missing Twilight’s snout for the second time. It tumbled through the air and completed its undignified entrance by crashing onto the oak table. It recovered quickly, flapping its wings and rising into the air. It moved a short distance before settling down onto one of Rarity’s plastic clothes stands beside the window. At this moment, the owl decided to give his signature greeting to the pair of mares staring at him. “Hoo.”          “Oh thank goodness it’s just you Owliscious!” Rarity sighed in relief. “Was that you earlier at the library?” “Hoo?” “You had me absolutely terrified back there you know.” “Hoo.” “What? Who?” “Hoo.” Rarity’s eye gave a little twitch. “I think I’ll just be getting the quill and parchment,” she muttered. She turned around and trotted away. Twilight couldn’t be more relieved to see her assistant. “Oh Owliscious, it’s so good to see you! Something awful has happened. My whole life is in danger. I don’t even know what I should do.” Twilight raised a hoof to stroke the small owl’s back. Its glossy feathers evened out as her hoof ran along them. “But I’m going to ask Princess Celestia for help. She will know what to do. Yes, of course she would! And it won’t be too late. Everything will turn out fine...” The owl seemed indifferent to Twilight’s words. It faced out of the window, its back turned towards her. “I’m scared, Owliscious,” whispered Twilight. It gave no response. “Owliscious?” The tawny brown owl remained still for a few moments. Then, keeping its body still, its head began to rotate slowly, twisting and turning backwards.   A terrified scream pierced through the air from down below. Twilight! With the quill and parchment enveloped in her magic, Rarity sped down the stairs. “Twilight! Are you alright?” The purple unicorn was crouched low to the ground. She shielded her head with her fore hooves. “It’s Owliscious! He... he scared me.” Twilight’s voice quivered. She blinked a few times, pulling herself together and rising off the ground. “Sorry for overreacting like that. I think I’m fine now.” Rarity looked around for Twilight’s feathered friend, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. “Where did he go?” “He flew off. I must have startled him when I screamed,” Twilight said guiltily. She took a deep breath and exhaled out. “I’m fine,” she repeated. “Darling, you have to tell me what happened.” “It’s hard to explain...” Twilight levitated the quill and parchment from Rarity. She set it on the table and began to scribble down her letter, forming line after line of writing. Her face screwed up in concentration as she tried her best to translate everything into words. Satisfied, she rolled up the parchment and lighted her horn, enveloping it in a cloud of purple magic. A moment later, the scroll disappeared with a faint ‘pop’ sound. Twilight fell back on her rump with a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her. “Okay, all we have to do now is wait for a response.”   Back in the Canterlot castle, Celestia was flipping through an exceptionally long report. Her team of scientists were, without a doubt, trying their best to find out the inner workings of the eclipse, but she could see that they were not making much progress.   Celestia scanned through the final page of the report, littered with complicated magic formulas just as most of its earlier pages were. The sun goddess was familiar with these already, being a master of magic herself. Yet, her face creased up in worry as she read the report. She felt like she was missing something, something important, and that bad things would happen if she didn’t find it out soon.   Just then, a tiny scroll popped up inches from her face, its parchment slightly crumpled as if the sender wrote it in a hurry. It was one of Twilight’s Friendship Reports again, which Celestia found odd, because Twilight had already sent one this week. “My dear Twilight, as hardworking as ever,” Celestia sighed.   Feeling a little guilty, Celestia placed the scroll carefully on top of her growing pile of royal business letters. She couldn’t afford to read extra bits of homework when there was such a serious matter at hoof. Her thoughts returned to Aether’s strange experiment. She couldn’t quite put her horn on what was wrong, but gut feelings nurtured over thousands of years shouldn’t be dismissed easily; they had somehow grown to be accurate over time. Perhaps she would have to take this matter into her own hooves...   Celestia caught sight of Twilight’s Friendship Report sitting on top of the pile of letters. The little brown scroll looked meek compared to the other scrolls underneath it, with their crisp white parchment and shiny golden seals. Ironically, it was that little scroll that held the most importance in her heart.   “Tomorrow night, Twilight. I promise.”