//------------------------------//
// Enter Nightshade 
// Story: The Great Divide 
// by Venomous Woe 
//------------------------------//

	Gestalt: a structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts. - Merriam-Webster dictionary

“She does look elegant, doesn't she?”
“Yes; a new princess is always a sight to behold.”
“Ha! Listen to her talk of friendship and love; she knows nothing of true friendship, and what it really entails.”
“I like how she says Celestia ordered her to 'study' friendship. As if friendship could be quantified by science.”
“I think it's time that we put our plans into motion.”
“I agree. I shall make the arrangements.”
“Equestria shall truly know friendship, for friendship will be the only option.”

The warm Ponyville day touched Twilight Sparkle as she lay on her balcony, reading. Becoming a princess had already been taxing on her stamina, so she took solace the only way she knew how. Twilight's eyes scanned the musty pages, absorbing every last hint of knowledge to be gleaned from them. She would have continued, were it not for her loyal dragon friend Spike stepping onto the balcony.
“Hey, Twilight!” He announced.
Twilight glanced up from her pages to see the diminutive purple dragon carrying an envelope. “Oh, hey Spike!” She got up on all fours, leering at the envelope. “Whatcha got there?”
“I was just about to ask about that!” Spike replied. “You busy tomorrow?”
“Well, no, not really.” Twilight answered. “After that business beyond the mirror, all I planned to do was read.”
“Awesome!” Spike declared. He reached into the envelope and pulled out a slip of golden paper. “Because we've got VIP tickets to a concert!”
“A...concert?” Twilight stammered.
“Yeah! We've got front-row seats to see the master of darkness himself, Nightshade!”
“Nightshade?” Twilight asked. “Who's that?”
Spike looked at her with an almost abysmal level of disappointment. “Oh, c'mon Twilight! Nightshade!” He declared. “The horse of horror! The colt of calamity! The equine of evil! The greatest performer this side of Canterlot!”
“Nope, doesn't ring a bell, Spike,” Twilight answered. “And are you sure you should be following someone like that?”
“Oh, c'mon Twilight, it's just showbiz!” Spike replied. “He isn't really evil. It's just a stage persona.” 	
“Well, if I were him, I would have picked a better, um, stage persona,” Twilight mentioned.
“Ha! You just don't understand art!” Spike pouted.
Twilight laughed. “Since when were you a music connoisseur?” She teased.
“Uh, when was I a what?” Spike replied.
Twilight shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “Anyway, when did you say this concert was? Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, tomorrow night!” Spike answered. “All the other ponies are gonna be there, too! Oh, I hope I get a seat next to Rarity!”
Twilight chuckled again. “Keep your feet on the ground, lover boy,” She mocked. “And I might as well go to this concert. After all, what type of friend would I be if I said no?”
Spike lunged forward and threw his arms around Twilight's leg. “Oh, thank you, Twilight! This is gonna be so awesome!” Twilight couldn't help but blush and smile.
One day later...


The concert hall in Canterlot was abuzz with noise as Twlight and Spike entered. Thousands had gathered to see Nightshade perform. The extravagance of the hall was nearly overwhelming: The path to the VIP seats was adorned with red carpet, and the floors were black speckled marble. The hall rose to an immeasurable height, and the walls were almost pure white.
Twilight approached the VIP box up on the balcony. Peeking inside, she could see all of her friends inside. Pinkie Pie, a pink earth pony, was excitedly bouncing up and down in her seat, while Rarity, a white unicorn, watched amused. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, a blue pegasus and an orange earth pony respectively, were engaged in conversation, while Fluttershy, a bright yellow pegasus, was watching the rest of the group. They all instantly turned to see Twilight when she entered the room.
“Twilight!” They all shouted.
“Hey, girls! Hope I didn't keep you waiting!”
Pinkie Pie leapt out of her seat, and hastily motioned towards Twilight. “Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited! This is gonna be the most exciting concert in the exciting history of excitement!” She babbled.
“Slow down, Pinkie,” Twilight commanded. “Don't burn yourself out too early.” The rest of the group laughed at her antics.
“Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called. “Grab a seat right here! We saved the best seats for you and Spike!”
“Sweet!” Spike exclaimed. He lunged toward the seat, plopping himself flush into the chair. “Hey, c'mon Twilight! The show's gonna start soon!”
“Alright, alright,” Twilight acknowledged. Just give me a s-” She felt someone bump into her. She quickly turned around to look. “Ohmigosh, I'm sorry!” She apologized. “I was just talking with my friends and...” She stopped once she saw who it was. A regal, navy-blue alicorn stood in front of her, her dark mane flowing on it's own accord. She wore a crown with a black gem, and a moon symbol on her chest. Twilight Sparkle recognized her right away. “Princess Luna!” She called out. “What are you doing here?”
Princess Luna smiled and replied, “We have been called to enjoy this concert, same as you.”
“Wow,” Twilight Sparkle remarked. “What's the occasion?”
Princess Luna blushed. “We haven't been too open about it, but today is when we were born,” Luna answered. “My sister thought we would like Nightshade, so she asked him to perform for us.”
“Whoa, it's your birthday?” Twilight exclaimed. “I never would have thought.”
“Yes, but we've stayed here too long,” Luna explained. “Let us go join your friends!”
“OK!” Twilight replied. They found their seats amidst the group, while the rest of the ponies greeted Luna. Within a few minutes, the lights began to dim, and the entire hall fell silent. The ponies all took their seats, and watched as the searchlights danced across the room.
“Fillies and gentlecolts!” An announcer boomed. “May we present, on this most auspicious of occasions, the one, the only, Nightshade!”
The curtains flew open to reveal a tall unicorn, deep purple in color, standing in the center of the stage. He wore a long black cape and a wide-brimmed black hat, and had a de-thorned rose as elegant as the one on his Cutie Mark in his mouth. The audience roared with delight. Cries of “Nightshade! Nightshade!” filled the room, while Nightshade himself gazed and waved at the audience.
He spat out his rose as he reached for the microphone. “Greetings everypony!” The audience cheered in response. “I'm looking forward to taking you all through the darkest, deepest corridors of our world. It will be a perilous journey, wrought with danger and evil, but hold fast and we shall make it through! But first, I'd like to acknowledge a very special guest tonight. Fillies and gentlecolts, please welcome Canterlot's very own Princess Luna!”
`	A searchlight beamed down above the ponies' heads directly into the VIP box. The audience cheered and clapped their hooves for Luna, all while the guest of honor herself was blushing and sheepishly waving.
“Yes, yes, I am very honored to have Princess Luna bear witness to my work. As we give our thanks and appreciation to the princess of the night, let us remember what she, and her sister Celestia, protect us from.” The lights on Nightshade and Luna began to dim, and Nightshade's horn began to glow.
“Our nation is safe only because of the princesses, and the gifts they have bestowed. They would rather not have their subjects see what I am going to show you.” Two balls of magical energy began to emerge and spiral out of the horn. “But I shall show you anyway, for we cannot simply cower in the face of unspeakable terror! Join me, and I shall bestow upon you the knowledge you need to protect yourself.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Seriously? What a ham,” she whispered.
“Ssshh, Twilight!” Spike muttered. “I really wanna see this!” He turned away and fixed his eager gaze on Nightshade.
“But remember,” Nightshade continued. The two magical balls began to spiral around him. “Knowledge is terrifying. Once you know, you cannot forget. Once you see, your sight cannot be erased! There is no escape from knowledge! Especially for those in the VIP seats!”
Twilight perked up when she heard that last line. What does he mean by that? She thought.
In a flash, the two magical balls flew from the stage toward the VIP box. The balls burst, and an immense curtain of flame began to encircle the box. It formed a wall around all of the ponies, trapping them. Outside the curtain of flame, screams began to erupt, shortly being drowned out by the ponies' own screams.
Twilight turned to Spike, “Is...is this part of the show?” She shouted over the roar of the flames.
Spike's frightened eyes turned toward hers, and replied, “No! He's never done anything like this before!”
Twilight nervously glanced around the room, desperately searching for a way through the flames, but none was to be found. Twilight figured there was only one way to douse the flames: magic.
“Alright, girls!” she declared. “I'm going to get us out of here!”
Suddenly, a bright flash filled the room, and emerging directly through its center was Nightshade.
“Silly filly!” Nightshade taunted, with a dark smirk on his face. “Like I said, there's no escape!”
Princess Luna sprang from her seat to confront him. “Nightshade! What is the meaning of this?”
“Let's just say I have big plans,” Nightshade replied. “And you're going to be part of them.”
Rainbow Dash took to the air on her mighty wings, and stared Nightshade down. “Oh yeah?” She said. “Well, I'm not gonna be part of no stinking plan!” She began to make punching gestures with her hooves. “You don't look so tough! C'mon! Put 'em up!”
“Oh, believe me, I'd love to,” Nightshade replied. “But I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with you. So I might as well do what I came here to do.”
“Which is?” Twilight demanded.
Nightshade quickly reached for his cape. In the time it takes for lightning to strike, he ripped it off, and threw it across the room onto Princess Luna. Twilight looked at the cape as it soared past her. In the light of the flames, she could make out a symbol printed on the underside. She recognized immediately what it was.
Nightshade's horn began to glow again, and with the same methodological quickness, he fired a beam at the cape. As soon as it struck, the cape began to glow, enveloping both it and Princess Luna in its light. The form of the cape-enshrouded Princess Luna began to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared.
The other ponies all gasped. Twilight immediately turned toward Nightshade, and bellowed, “That was a teleportation rune! Where'd you send her?”
“None of your business,” Nightshade replied. “But if you want to save her, you better move quickly.” Nightshade's wicked smile intensified. “I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go as well. Ta-ta!”
Nightshade's horn glowed once more, and a flash once again filled the room. When it settled, Nightshade was gone, as if he was never there. The flames began to subside, then disappeared completely. Twilight ran to where he stood, and pounding the ground violently. “Get back here, you coward!” She shouted.
“Twilight, stop it!” Said a voice that Twilight recognized as Applejack's. “There's nothing we can do!”
Twilight looked back at the other ponies. They all showed that a deep concern in their eyes. Right before them, one of the two princesses of Equestria had been kidnapped. She returned her gaze to the floor, and sighed.
She looked over the balcony. Where there was once a screaming crowd, there was nary a soul. Twilight figured the hall had been evacuated.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” She heard a voice call. Several Canterlot guard pegasi were flying above the stage, probably directing panicked concert-goers to the exit, and trying to find a way through the flames to the ponies. One of them flew down to the VIP box and landed next to Twilight. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I'm fine,” She replied.
The guard glanced around the VIP box, searching for something. “Where's Princess Luna?”
“Well, uh,” She stammered. She looked back at her friends. They all nodded to her, telling her what the best course of action was without speaking. She turned back to the guard, and with the deepest melancholy spoke, “She's gone. Nightshade took her with a teleportation rune on his cape.”
The guards eyes widened in surprise, and he cursed under his breath. He looked at Twilight, and said, “I have to report this to Princess Celestia. And I bet she'll want to see you.” He gestured toward the exit. “Please, come with me.” He walked out of the VIP box and towards the concert hall lobby. Twilight looked toward the other ponies, and gestured them to come along. The six ponies all exited the hall single file, to face the aftermath of Nightshade's heinous deeds.