Fear had taken hold of the world. The people cowered at the mere mention of my title. With my reign having been thoroughly established and with their lives being at stake should they defy me, I felt all the more like a god. My people dare not stand against me so long as my enforcers remained active. Even so, I felt that there was always the possibility that the occasional corruption of my subjects would only increase the resentment the rest felt towards me. But after the use of Lavan's unparalleled might to erase a defiant settlement off the map, I knew the puny creatures of the world would not dare rise against me. Even so, I ordered Arabus to remain ever watchful for signs of further rebellion. Those who would dare usurp me from my throne would be reduced to ashes.
Fewer and fewer of my subjects began to seek me out for any reason whatsoever. Even my guards and attendants stationed within Midnight Castle became quick to desert me. Not that it mattered. My guards paled in comparison to the endless might I possess as well as my ever growing collection of pets. Only Discord and my many pets remained by my side, though the former was constantly wary of me. However, when I found that Orbash and Sunflare had ceased to maintain contact with me, I grew suspicious of their intentions. They were aware of Arabus serving as my eyes and ears throughout the world. But even then, if they did succeed in rallying the people against me, the miasma would overwhelm them much as it engulfed the entire planet eons ago. Any and all attempts to rise against me were doomed to fail. And they knew it.
One fateful day, word reached me from Arabus. He appeared before me to reveal that it seemed suspicious activity had been brooding over a vast field surrounded by mountains miles wide constantly engulfed in howling gale winds being maintained by the pegasi. The winds prevented my minion from getting anywhere near to discern exactly what this sort of activity could be. Knowing that such a barrier would not keep Lavan out, I decided to make an example of the dissenters and sent The Burning Mountain to destroy them from below. But hours later, I found that I could no longer reach my powerful weapon of molten earth. Much to my shock, Arabus returned to me to reveal that Lavan had been contained! Rendered harmless deep below the world's crust by powerful restraining magic! The pegasi had woven a barrier of great wind to keep Arabus out as they laid a trap! Wrath filled my senses. My people had found a way to oppose me!
I roared at Arabus to send for Grogar and Chrysalis. They were to find the traitors and destroy them. This time, I watched from my throne to discern exactly what my subjects had done. To my frustration, Chrysalis never appeared. Only Arabus and Grogar remained. In time, they were drawn away from each other and, much to my rage, overwhelmed and contained by droves of traitors. And leading each side were the two ponies that I dreaded seeing turn against me most. Orbash and Sunflare. Chrysalis was the only one to escape capture and she would continue to remain elusive for millennia to come as all knowledge of her connections to me would fade.
Discord inquired as to what had happened and I responded with a roar. With such effective counters to my mightiest enforcers, there had to have been a traitor in my midst. An insider must have collaborated with my subjects to know how to most effectively ambush and subdue my enforcers. But Discord merely smiled and laughed at me before he suddenly burst into bits of candy. All that remained of him was rubbery pieces of his body as if he had been a balloon.
It then dawned on me. I was next.
Now all but alone, cornered within the depths of the Devil's Mountain, I rushed out of my castle with the intention of slaughtering all who dared make a fool of me. My many demonic pets followed after me in droves like a sea of shadows. I did not even reach halfway across the cavern before I found them. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of humans and ponies. Coated in shimmering metal armor and wielding many weapons of sizes and shapes, the most pitiful race of them all stood at the vanguard ready to engage me in combat.
I demanded that they explain themselves and I was promptly answered as three figures stepped forward. Orbash, Sunflare, and even the true Discord. The one who had been by my throne for so long had been nothing more than a decoy. He revealed himself to have been mingling with my people right under my nose while even Arabus was unaware of his presence outside Midnight Castle. I demanded the reasons behind even my own court jester turning against me. His response was brief and to the point. He claimed that the world under my rule had no joy in it. No sorrow. No anger. Not even chaos. Only fear. And he could not bear to see it go on any longer.
My blood began to boil as the army before me roused my wrath. I had held onto my control over the world from the moment I had brought it to life. I would not be surrendering my throne now! I soon cackled in a fusion of frustration and sadistic glee as I remembered exactly who many of my pets were. They all stood before me, ready to tear into the enemy army. I reminded my subjects that they would have to slaughter my pets first. But as my army of demons charged at the treasonous army, I saw something at the far end of the droves of metal armor. A bright glowing light of many colors.
It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The glowing light of many colors was not at all like the light that comes from a flame. It felt...ethereal. Beyond anything I had ever witnessed. And then, it burst forth from that spot. A towering rainbow radiating light rose high over the army before descending down and engulfing my many pets. The exposure was brief before the rainbow vanished. But once it faded, I stood transfixed at what had become of them. Every last one of them, beast and pony alike, had been purged of the miasma's influence! They all looked at themselves and each other as if they could scarcely remember being under its effects. The army called for them to hurry forward and past them, and my purified subjects did just that. The beasts merely scattered in confusion into the shadows.
Robbed of the few loyalists I still had, I demanded that they explain where such holy power could even come from. The army began to form a path as the many armored fools stepped aside. At the far end of the path, I saw them. Six mares, two of each race of pony. And each clad in golden necklaces while one of the unicorns wore an intricate gold tiara atop her head. They all stared defiantly at me as a glowing gem of bright color was set into each of their elegant attire. One of the earth ponies, a mare with an orange coat and blond mane with a blue bow tied around the base of her tail, bore an orange and green gem that bore the appearance of an apple. The other earth pony, a timid mare with long flowing pink mane and tail and a pale gold coat, wore a golden necklace that displayed a pink flower that was likely a tulip. One of the pegasi, a pink mare with blue tail and mane, bore a red gem carved into a lightning bolt. The other pegasus, a white mare with bright yellow mane and tail, wore a blue gem in the form of a balloon. The only unicorn wearing a necklace possessed a very pale blue coat with a curled mane and tail of indigo and magenta hues while her respective gem displayed a purple diamond. The unicorn who wore the tiara was clad in a light pink coat with a light gray mane and tail that displayed a purple stripe down the middles. The gem that was set atop her tiara was a simple five-armed star of a darker purple hue than the gem in the form of a flower. Each gem glowed brightly in the darkness. And as I beheld these mysterious gems, I felt myself quiver. I could sense it... A frightful purifying presence within each of them that felt entirely alien to me.
I felt fear for the first time.
I was not the only one to feel a natural sense of hostility towards this purifying force. The miasma writhed within its prison. It too could sense the holy presence before it. It was the exact opposite of the miasma. Its natural enemy. I demanded that Orbash and Sunflare explain what these abominations were. The patriarch of the pony races explained in great detail how the holy gems came to be. The physical embodiments of six prominent virtues that could stand against all adversity in any situation. Virtues that play off of and empower the others to form a perfect unison, which the six bearers seemed to posses with each other. It was then that I learned the namesake of these purifying tools. The Elements of Harmony.
In a rage, I unleashed the miasma upon the army before me. I knew that even without my pets, they would still never be able to resist the miasma's corrupting properties. But as I did, I looked on in shock as the Elements of Harmony began to shine brighter before yet another swirling column of rainbow colors rose up from their bearers. The miasma detected its enemy and rushed towards the incoming rainbow of light instead of its prey. They collided and clashed briefly before both sides were forced back. The rainbow of light faded while the miasma returned to its prison, subdued. It was then that I understood the function of the Elements of Harmony. They had been crafted not as a weapon, but as a means to counter the unstoppable miasma and reverse its effects on those it had corrupted. But at the same time, the miasma had forced them to become inert as well. They were a perfect counter for the other. A stalemate. So long as I possessed the miasma, I had nothing to fear from the Elements.
Even so, I was left frustrated as my greatest weapon was left useless. The army began to prepare for battle as the six bearers and the three ringleaders of the rebellion retreated to the back along with the ponies while the humans took the front lines. The humans were clearly the boldest of the races in spite of their weaknesses. A foolish race with no sense of survival instinct. While the miasma was rendered useless, I still possessed all of the power I had always carried within myself. Already clad in my armored cuirass, I conjured forth the shadows and compacted the darkness into a form of maximum density. A colossal lance formed and was grasped in my hand. The Midnight Lance. If they thought that I was a king that relied solely on his guards for protection, they were in for a very rude awakening.
Like a swarm of ants, the armored humans charged. But of course, ants are merely tiny insects. And to me, so too were these mere mortals. With a wave of my hand, I unleashed an explosive burst of dark magic. Sprays of blood filled the air as the clatter of ruined armor and weapons reached my ears along with the howl of dying screams. And yet, the swarm pressed on. Arrows flew through the air and dug into my flesh as bolts of magic from Orbash, Sunflare, and unicorn mages exploded into me. Fleeting wounds closed in mere seconds. The pain meant little to me. I swung my lance and smashed rows of warriors with its sheer size and weight alone while skewering many upon its shaft before flinging them off, leaving the Midnight Lance's jet black shaft stained crimson. The few who managed to reach me plunged their weapons into me. Still, any wounds I suffered were quick to heal as I slaughtered the opposition.
I lost track of time as the swarm threw themselves at me. I obliterated them by the hundreds. By the thousands! And yet, they just kept coming! Not one pony ever came close enough for me to strike down. Only the humans dared come near me. How much time even passed before I began to feel the fatigue of battle finally setting in? As time dragged on and I suffered more and more from the enemies' weapons, I felt it. My wounds had begun to close more slowly. My body and mind were becoming fatigued. I knew I had no reason to fear death as I have always been simply beyond it, but I was beginning to grasp the reality of the situation. Defeat was becoming increasingly likely. Even though I could not die, I could still be left potentially exhausted to the point of being unable to resist my captors. And the enemy was showing no signs of stopping. Especially as Orbash and Sunflare bombarded me with bolts of white lightning and blasts of unnaturally hot and bright fire that felt as potent as the real thing.
I had to take into consideration my plight. They would never be able to end my life, but they would still be able to capture me. Seal me away much like they did with Lavan. And I would not have that. There had to be something I could do to insure that something would aid me in my eventual escape. And as I scanned the dark horizon from high above the enemy, I caught glimpses of them. Two alicorn ponies that were no longer fillies, but had not quite yet become mares. The offspring of Orbash and Sunflare who had been born quite some time ago. They too likely possessed great power like their parents, though clearly not of the same magnitude.
I eyed them after repelling another wave of traitors before setting my sights on the younger of the two. Yes... She would do nicely. I unleashed an orb of my magic containing a very specific spell mixed with traces of the miasma across the vast cavern. They did not anticipate the spell as the child shrieked while the orb burst in a flash of dark magic, engulfing her. Her mother rushed to her side, but it appeared that the spell had misfired. Or so it seemed. The spell was not meant to cause harm. The sleeper had been set and would only spring when the proper requirements had been met. Should this gamble pay off, she would be of great use to me should I fall. The younger siblings are more likely to find themselves in the shadow of the elder after all.
And in time as a sea of blood lapped around my hooves while a sickly sweet scent filled the air, I felt it. My body was reaching its limits. The dwindling human warriors stood their ground as I staggered, the Midnight Lance falling from my grasp with a clank and splash. I dropped to a knee, my vision blurring with sheer exhaustion. My wounds simply refused to close as my own blood spilled forth. I attempted to prepare another spell to annihilate more of my enemies, but my focus faltered. With my endurance having finally been whittled away, I collapsed into the sea of blood as mountains of armored corpses surrounded me. The last thing I recall seeing as slumber began to take hold of me was the forms of Orbash and Sunflare drawing near with Discord at their sides.
When I finally awoke, I still ached from my wounds. My arms and legs were shackled while a restrictive magic field prevented me from exerting my magical will. The miasma's prison had been removed from me and was nowhere to be seen, but I knew it was still nearby. I could sense it. And there was no possible means to destroy it. A council surrounded me as I found myself in a stone cave I did not recognize. At its head were Discord, Sunflare, and Orbash. They revealed to me that Arabus and Grogar had already been sealed away in a stone prison complex that had been specifically prepared for us. And I would not be joining them.
Rightfully fearful of my might should I be allowed to recover, my enemies sought to destroy me in any way they could. They attempt to behead me. Drown me. Poison me. Even submerge me within the molten blood of the earth itself. And every attempt failed as the darkness of the world sustained me even as my wounds were slow to heal. When it became clear that I was beyond death's icy grip, they instead agreed to seal me away with my most trusted enforcers. And so, I was sent to the stone prison cavern that would come to be known as Tartarus.
I could already feel the presence of Grogar and Arabus close by. Placed in stasis so that they would never awaken from within stone chambers sealed forever. And I too joined them. In a stone chamber, my limbs were shackled to the floor and walls as my magic was still restricted. The three new illegitimate leaders of my subjects bid me one final resentful glare as a stone wall slid over the entrance, sealing me away from the world forever.
Millennia has passed, and all I have been able to do is watch, listen, and wait. I watched as the false king and queen used their vast magical might to create the celestial bodies known as the sun and moon to bring night and day to the world as well as the passage of time. My subjects have done much to make certain that all knowledge regarding me and my reign has been forgotten. My name and even the title "Lord of Midnight" has faded from the world's memory. But even so, I know that I will not remain here forever. With every passing night, the darkness of the night seeps into this chamber. And with every passing night, I feel slivers of my strength returning.
It seems that the child I chose to serve me, the one named Luna, has yet to fully reach the point where my sleeper spell will activate. But she is starting to show promising signs. She is growing steadily resentful of her sister as my subjects have developed an innate fear of the darkness due to eons of living under my eternal midnight as she has become a "Princess of the Night" and has been given the duty of bringing it forth every day. It seems I chose wisely. And her dear parents and sister would not dare bring harm to her, even if she became their enemy.
Even should she fail to serve me, it is only a matter of time. I rise ever closer to my full power with every moonrise. Power that even my restraints will not be able to contain. And when it does, my reign will continue once more. The miasma is close by, sealed away as well. And with it, this world will never escape my grasp again.
I have all the time in the world to wait. And I am a very patient god. The time of my return will come when the Lord of Midnight leaves Tartarus to reclaim this world of Equestria once more.
It will happen. It is inevitable.