Fire of Passion

by Zachurra

Chapter One

“I wonder what the Princess wanted from us.”

Each of the cyan Pegasus’s five friends all nodded in quiet agreement as they made their way through the halls of Canterlot Castle. They were alone in their journey through the grand castle save for the occasional royal guard that would give them a courteous nod.

“Princess Luna sounded rather urgent in her letter,” Twilight Sparkle said, “I wonder what she would need us for.”

“Surely it must be something of the utmost importance if she required all six of us.” Rarity added, “I just hope it doesn’t take too long. I have enough work to trudge through at home and a disaster threatening the world is the last thing I need right now.”

“Tell me about it!” A certain pink party pony exclaimed as she hopped alongside her friends. “If another disaster were to occur, think of all the parties I wouldn’t be able to throw because I’d be too busy!”

Each pony either smiled or rolled their eyes playfully. Their journey came to a sudden halt as their passage was blocked by a large golden door. The royal guards on each side gave a courteous nod to the six mares, who in turn returned the gesture. Each door became enveloped by a magical aura and slowly opened to allow entrance. The six mares walked forward and the doors immediately shut behind them.

The ponies found themselves in a grand hall. Light flooded in through stained glass windows and on the far end of the room was a locked door that only the Princesses – and Discord, as had become evident during his initial breakout – could open. Not far from this door was the Princess of the night herself. She was looking up at one of the windows and appeared to be locked in deep thought. Upon coming closer, the mares were able to see that the window in particular was the one that had been put up not long after their defeating of Nightmare Moon and the realization that they were the Elements of Harmony themselves.

The lunar princess seemed distracted by her thoughts as she gave no form of acknowledgement to the six mares. She only gazed up at the glass replica of the past and remained in a state of melancholy.

“Princess?” Twilight was the first to speak up. Consequently, this caused the Alicorn princess to be startled and take a step back. The lavender mare immediately felt bad for surprising her but the princess was able to recover herself before a word of apology could be said.

“Ah, good. I am pleased you were all able to make it on such short notice.”

“Well, you are one of Equestria’s very own Princesses darling! Of course we can make time for you!”

Luna gave a small smile to Rarity for her words, which proceeded to spread to the rest of the mares. If only it were allowed to last a few moments longer, for it soon faded from the lunar princess’s lips as her expression fell back into the solemn phase it had been in when they had first entered the room.

“I only wish that our meeting was to serve a more pleasant purpose. Instead, I have requested the presence of all of thee to ask a rather… personal favor.”

“A favor?” Twilight was not the only one to cock their head at such a request.

Luna nodded, “Indeed.” Her eyes returned to the great window once more for a brief moment. “As I am sure you all are aware, my sister is currently away on business. As such, I have been given full power until her return.”

“Sounds like quite the honor, princess… but Ah don’t see why you would need the help of some little ponyfolk like us.” Applejack said humbly with a touch of her hat.

Luna nodded and turned to walk towards a set of doors at the end of the hall. The mares followed closely behind her. “I am sure you are all wondering why we have called all of thee here on such short notice.” Upon reaching the door, the princess lowered her head and inserted her horn into a small opening. The dark horn began to glow its familiar blue aura as the door lit up, opening to reveal a large an extensive room. It was not bright enough for any of the mares to see anything other than a few stone pedestals. Luna’s horn brightened once more and a series of candles found themselves spontaneously lit and illuminated the room.

There were a number of square stone pedestals dotted throughout the room and each had a glass dome atop them. Within the glass covers were single various objects of many different shapes and sizes and colors. One in particular stood out to the red of the girls, and it just so happened to be the one artifact that Princess Luna was moving towards.

“The Alicorn Amulet?” the lavender Unicorn’s head cocked to one side as they approached the infamous accessory. Memories of a fateful duel returned to the librarian’s mind. Flashbacks of corruption and such evil power were what let Twilight to send the Amulet to Canterlot for safekeeping.

“Indeed,” Luna lifted the glass casing up with her magic, allowing the Amulet to be pulled out. The Princess held it before the six mares for all to see. “This artifact is certainly one of the vault’s more dangerous contents. There are not many objects as simple as this one that actually has the power to corrupt and alter the mind of the one who uses it. Can anypony explain to me why this may be?”

The Amulet hovered before each pony for a few moments, and each one looked at it with perplexed expressions. There didn’t seem to be anything that truly stood out to the ponies besides the somewhat dark aura that seemed to surround it. After a time, only one pony seemed to have seen any clues that could be used to identify the answer that the Princess was looking for.

“This ruby is truly a beautiful gem, but something about it seems… off.” Rarity stepped forward to get a closer look and rubbed her chin with her hoof. “It seems… flawed, in some way.”

Luna smiled and brought the Amulet closer. “It is through this crimson gem that the Alicorn Amulet gets its treacherous power. However, the gem itself is far from perfect and that is what led it to backfire and corrupt its user. It is what is known as a Severed gem – a gem that was cut from one that was far larger and more powerful in an effort to help reduce the initial power of the first gem. Thou may think of it similar to how one may dull a blade.”

The Princess waited patiently for her explanation to sink in. Not surprisingly, it was Twilight Sparkle who was the first to put together the pieces and understand what she was trying to say.

“Wait, you’re saying that artifacts such as the Alicorn Amulet get their power through their gems… and that the one in the Amulet is but a piece of another, more powerful, artifact?”

“Precisely.” Luna smiled. Her sister certainly knew what she was doing when she took the young mare as an apprentice. Perhaps one day she should look into doing the same? Whether she did or not, that was a decision for another time. Using her magic, Luna slipped the Amulet back under its case. “This particular gem comes from thee have likely never heard of. An artifact known as the Fire of Passion.”

“The Fire of Passion?” Twilight looked down at the floor as she tried to remember if she had ever heard of such a name, but her memory failed her.

“An artifact of great and immense power, a third of its power was taken away to ensure that it did not give any one pony too much power. Thus, the Alicorn Amulet was born, only to be quickly sent away for safekeeping. Unfortunately, the caravan that was tasked with the moving of it was attacked by an unknown enemy. It was believed to be lost forever. Needless to say that my sister and I were quite surprised to hear that it had been found.”

“And whatever happened to the Fire?” Twilight asked, her curiosity obviously overshadowing that of the others.

Luna’s smile for the young mare’s intuitiveness began to fade, not because of the mare’s question, but rather because of memories that were slowly but surely making their way back into the Alicorn’s consciousness. “It, too, had been lost. But now, after all these years, I think I may know just where to look.”

“Well, if you know where to look, then why don’t you just go get it?” Rainbow piped up after being silent through Luna’s earlier explanations.

“Because when I find it, I… may not be able to handle whatever may be waiting for me.” There was a pregnant pause amongst the ponies before Luna broke it by clearing her throat. “Regardless, I wish for you all to accompany me on my chariot. I trust you are all ready to depart?”

Her familiar smile returned upon seeing their heads nod.

-------------

The journey through the air would have been a quiet one if not for the sound of both the wind and the flapping of the night guard’s wings. Luna’s eyes were locked forward upon their destination: the small hamlet of Ponyville. It was there that they would be stopping to make their way through the Everfree, for the foliage was much too think to get their by carriage.

Twilight looked out towards the landscape. There wasn’t much to see under the newly risen moon, but the chilled air was a nice relief after such a hot day. The mare looked towards the Lunar Princess and wondered why she had suddenly gone so quiet since her mention of the Fire of Passion.

The Unicorn leaned over to her pearly white counterpart and spoke in a hushed whisper, “Hey, what do you think has got the Princess looking so… I don’t know, gloomy?”

“Come now, darling,” Rarity replied. “This is Princess Luna we’re talking about. She’s certainly a far cry from a certain character we all know.”

Each pony gave a deadpan look towards Pinkie Pie, who was currently hanging halfway out of the carriage and holding her mouth open, making her look more like a dog than a pony.

Luna, however, had heard their words despite their attempts to cover them. “My silence comes from contemplation, Twilight Sparkle, not irritation.”

Twilight grinned sheepishly and tried not to keep eye contact for too long, instead opting to look towards the floor and rub the back of her neck with her hoof. Before long, she decided to straighten up and ask what had been on her mind. “So then, why are you being so quiet? I mean, you’ve hardly said a word since we left the castle.”

A sigh could be heard from the Princess, causing all the ponies, including Pinkie, to bring their attention forward. Once the Lunar Princess had collected herself, she spoke once more, “I am simply… remembering. I mentioned that the Fire was lost, but there is more to it than just that. The Fire of Passion was discovered several years before my attempt at an uprising was even an idea in my head, but it was for that purpose – the purpose of defeating my sister – that its power was ever even considered to be used against another pony. With my own pride and passion acting as the perfect catalyst for the Fire, all I needed was a following… and quite the following did I receive. Some of the bravest ponies I had ever met lined up to do whatever I ask. One of them would have gladly jumped off a bridge, had I only told him to do so. However, it seemed that they were not as trustworthy as I had once assumed. For on the day that I had planned to overthrow my sister, they were nowhere to be found. After doing some research, it appeared that both they and the Fire simply disappeared without a trace.”

“They stole it?” The timid yellow Pegasus whispered from the back of the group, “Oh my…”

Luna’s eyes returned forward when she noticed their carriage was beginning to descend. “Whatever may have happened, there is no changing it. All I seek now is to retrieve the Fire of Passion and ensure that nopony ever attempts to use it as I had.”

The landing was a swift and quiet one. Most ponies had already returned to their homes by this time of night, but the ones that had chosen to stay out and enjoy the coming darkness began to spread word of the Princess of the night’s arrival. The group did not make it far before they were approached by a familiar older mare.

“O-oh hello, Princess!” Mayor Mare quickly trotted forward, a slight stumble in her step from her apparent drowsiness. That is, if her quickly rushed mane and attire weren’t evidence enough that the Princess’s visit was unexpected. “I would have prepared something if I had known you were coming –”

“’Tis quite alright.” Luna said, lifting a hoof to gesture for the mayor to quit her rambling. “We and the Elements of Harmony are simply passing through. It would be greatly appreciated if thou could look after my loyal guards and ensure they find a place to rest. Our mission may be a long one.”

“Of course!” The mayor replied with a somewhat forced smile. Only somewhat due to the fact she was relieved to not have to put on anything extravagant for such a surprise royal visit.

Soon enough the seven mares found themselves entering the infamous Everfree Forest. Fearing the possibility of another long and silent journey filled with boredom, Applejack spoke up. “So, uh, Princess, about them ‘followers’ you mentioned… how come we ain’t never heard of ‘em before?”

“Followers?” The Princess looked at the farm mare oddly for a few seconds, obviously being pulled out of another of her phasing out moments once more, before finally realizing just what the earth pony meant. “Ah, yes… my followers. ‘Tis not surprising to see that they never made it into the history books since they were so few in number. There were only eight in total… eight who would have given their lives to ensure that what they saw as justice would come to light. Well, perhaps not all of them.

“There was one in particular that I always knew never followed me because she believed I was being outshined by my sister. A very tall mare, nearly as tall as I. The only thing that matched her height was her ego as one of society’s elite. The name Saryn was one that was known all-throughout the city. She may as well have been royalty already; all she was missing were a pair of wings. Beautiful and proud, ponies flocked to her for her opinion on anything and everything. From what kind of fashion should be in that year to what a pair of new parents should decide to name their foal, her words held as much weight as both mine and my sister’s.”

“Well, she certainly sounds like quite the mare.” All eyes turned to Rarity, who simply returned their looks with one of confusion. “What?”

Luna gave a slight roll of her eyes before continuing, “Not only was she a beauty on the outside, but her siren’s song could catch the attention of both mare and stallion alike. Her silver tongue was what allowed her to get so close to me in the first place. She likely saw the possibilities of what could happen to her position should I succeed.

“Long before she ever joined my cause, there was another pony that was far less renowned. A traveling magician, an illusionist by the name of Awestruck Wonder was the first to ever follow in my ever-growing shadow. A true gentlecolt, I remember he performed at the castle once during the summertime. He chose to wait until night had come before showing his talents – something that had rather shocked me at the time. When asked as to why he had decided to wait, he responded by saying that the sun blinded the ponies and they were unable to see the spectacles which he performed. He said that it was only during the night which the true beauty of magic could be seen.”

The ponies who could get a good look at the Princess’s face each smiled as they saw a hint of blush come to the Alicorn’s cheeks. “He was quite the charmer…” she continued, “When he learned that I was seeking a following, he immediately gave an oath to follow my lead until his final days. With him came a close but quiet friend of his. A rather large stallion that went by the name of Goliath. Goliath was apparently a childhood friend of his and would often assist Awestruck should his show ever come to his hometown. He had spent most of his days as a farmer besides that. Upon thinking about it, there appears to be little difference between him and the one you all know as Big Macintosh.”

“Sounds like a mighty respectable feller.” Applejack said with a proud smile.

“Hmm,” Luna put her hoof to her chin as she attempted to remember the names of the ones she had long believed forgotten. “Ah, there was also Star Light. Like Saryn he was very close to the royal family, but for completely different reasons. Where she preferred to see things completed through others, Star Light refused to allow anything done by hooves other than his own if he could help it. Also unlike Saryn, he was actually a part of the royal family already. Found alone and without any name or note, he had been left on the doorstep of the castle one night. Celestia and I agreed that the poor foal could not be abandoned, and so we took him in as one of our own. Simply referring to him as our nephew, Star Light grew quickly in strength and even quicker in mind. He took a post as a royal guard and reached the rank of captain within five years of service.”

“Well, he certainly sounds efficient!” Twilight added with a smile. “I can respect that.”

“Indeed. On top of that, he was apparently able to see a mare on the side, despite all his duties.”

“How do you know that?” the Unicorn asked.

Luna responded with a soft deadpan look and a cocked eyebrow. “How do you think Prince Blueblood came to be a part of the family?”

One pony in the group felt compelled to shudder at the sound of that name.

“In light of all of it, he always tended to side with me had my sister and I ever come to a disagreement. While he put duty and honor above all else, he was surprisingly lacking in mercy and compassion. Needless to say, he saw quite the mother figure in what I was quickly becoming.

“With him came another soldier, but one of humbler beginnings. A Pegasus by the name of Wind Reaver that had many years of experience under his belt and had seen more than his fair share of battles during his time. A general in the royal guard’s airborne unit, war was what he lived and breathed. That is not to say he was a warmonger of any kind, of course. In fact, he was rather the opposite. He was the first to offer the option of taking things slowly and the thought of getting a low blow on his enemy never once crossed his mind. Something that he and Star Light shared was their sense of honor.”

“I can respect a pony who likes honor and all that,” Rainbow added in, “but I don’t know how any pony could really suggest taking things so slowly. I mean, come on! You said he was in a war, right?”

Luna nodded, “Indeed, and sadly his slow pace was what led to his downfall. He was not quick enough to react, hoping that negotiations would make it through on time. They did, and the war was soon officially over within the next day. However, word had not reached that far into the enemy just yet, and the town where his family resided was torn apart. He lost everything that day. His wife and his foal were lost, and he blamed no one but himself for it. Looking back, I suppose the only reason he joined my cause was simply because he felt it might give his life meaning again if he were to fight for a cause.”

There was a long silence amongst all the ponies as they made their way through the dark forest. Not even the brash Rainbow Dash had anything to say after such a tale of loss. However, the last thing she wanted to see was her friends in such a low mood and so she took the risk of asking Luna to continue her story.

“So, you only mentioned five ponies… who were the other three?”

“One was a mare who practically put the idea of Pegasus ponies manipulating the weather right out the window. A Unicorn named Morning Dew with a surprising amount of concentration; she could easily spend an entire day sitting in one spot and over the course of that day, send the entire city through the same elements the entire year would bring. From springtime showers to winter’s storms, it would be done flawlessly. In me she saw a new world; a changing world. And that was the world she strived for, a world where one pony could be just as good at one thing as another. Where a Unicorn could be just as good at weather control as an entire team of Pegasi.

“The other was a prisoner by the name of Red Star. She had been apprehended some years prior to the events that would go on to make history and was sentenced to life for charges of killing her own family in cold blood.” Luna paused for a moment as she heard a few of the mares gasp at such an unthinkable idea before continuing. “Without my sister’s knowledge, Awestruck Wonder suggested to her an ultimatum: she may either continue living out her days in a prison cell, or give an oath of allegiance to me. Should our plans succeed, she was promised freedom. Needless to say, she chose to option that would get her out of the dark and damp dungeons and back into the light.

“And finally, the eighth pony to swear their allegiance and undying loyalty to me… was a young foal by the name of New Dawn. He saw just what was going on and how ponies were enjoying the night less and less as time went by and thought that they were being cruel. He knew he had little to offer me, especially compared to the other seven. But nevertheless he made a promise – a promise that he would make sure that everypony saw the world as he saw it: a place of peace.”

Not a moment after her tale had ended had the old capitol ruins come into view. Speeding up their pace, Luna took a good long look around at the ruins of the city that she once called home. It was the first time in one thousand years that she had looked upon it. Needless to say, it had seen better days. The Alicorn walked forward mindlessly, her tendered eyes going from one collapsed heap of rubble to a simple street corner as images of a time long past returned to her mind. Memories of a simpler time for ponies and a chaotic time for herself.

The sound of her hooves was all she heard as she ventured further down the street. A sound then caught her ear. What was it? Whispers? She turned a corner and found herself just short of being able to look into a window that was beside her. There was a light from within, but that was all she could see. What she could hear, however, were a pair of voices. One older, and one younger.

“Mommy, please don’t blow out the candle… I’m scared of the dark…”

“Honey, there’s no reason to be scared of the dark.” The mother’s voice was calm and soothing, but that alone was not enough to satisfy the child.

“But why does it have to be so dark out?” the child asked.

“Because it’s night time, dear.”

“But why? Day should last forever, night is stupid.”

Luna felt her heart breaking at the sound of the child’s words.

“Don’t worry honey, in a few hours Princess Celestia will raise the sun and it will be day again.”

“She’ll scare off the night?”

“Of course she will.”

Luna had had enough. She pushed herself up onto her hind legs to look into the window, but the moment she did the light had been snuffed out. Using a spell, her horn began to grow bright enough to illuminate the inside of the small bedroom, but she found no mother and child. Only dust and the echoes of memories.

Luna slipped down back onto her four hooves just as the other mares followed around the corner. One spoke up, “Princess? Are you feeling alright?” She knew not which mare had spoken to her, for her mind was still trying to separate what was real and what was not. She only nodded in response and continued forward, wanting to leave behind what she believed she had heard.

“So, Princess,” Twilight trotted by her side, “what exactly are we looking for?”

“We are looking for the home of Awestruck Wonder… near the center of the city.” Was her reply. “If we are to find any clues as to what fate had befallen both the Fire and the ones who had taken it, it would be wise to begin there.”

The Unicorn nodded before quietly falling back a few paces to where her friends followed along. Luna could hear their whispers but not their words. She tried slowing her pace in hopes that their words would become clearer, but the deeper the group traversed into the forgotten city, the louder the whispers became. Soon the Lunar Princess became unsure of whether or not the whispers she heard were those of her friends or those of memories.

The whispers finally came to an abrupt end, much to the Alicorn’s relief. She let out a happy sigh, stopping a moment to close her eyes and take a few pleasant deep breaths. The air was still chilled and the mist brought a moist feeling to her nostrils. The first breath was slow to allow her lungs to grow used to the air. The second breath was not as heavy, and by the third she felt calm. She opened her eyes to see that the fog had indeed grown without her realizing it. It was quite peculiar, the fog… it was not the natural grey that fog tended to be, but instead had a slight green tint to it. And its scent… there was something off about it, and also something… familiar…

Luna’s eyes shot open. She quickly spun around, “Quickly, hold your breaths!” But it was too late. The six mares that followed behind her were now collapsed on the ground. From the looks of it, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were already fading in and out of consciousness. The others were faring better but appeared to have lost the ability to even stand, only being able to watch as their bodies were rendered immobile.

"Do not be afraid, my Queen. They are not dying."

Luna’s heart stopped as the stallion’s voice reached her ears. Could it be, after all these years…? She slowly turned her head around to see the stallion in question standing on his own. The fog began to part, revealing one pony after another. Luna’s eyes locked with the piercing stare of Awestruck Wonder. The eyes within his eyes caused a shiver to run down her spine even more so than the large one on his forehead. The moonlight that made its way down into the street where they stood reflected off his black mane in a way that even caused the individual strands to have eyes themselves.

“They are merely under a state of… paralysis.” A tall mare walked forward slowly, her silver coated body swaying from side to side with each step. From her forelegs up past her shoulders were what appeared to be a carapace that matched her fur in color. At first glance, one might mistake them for the furred hood of an expensive fur coat that simply draped around her neck. Her sickly green eyes were easily visible due to her equally silver mane being so short and styled. From her horn came a steady green trail of magic that faded into the fog. Her head tilted to the side and she gave an arrogant smile, “Please don’t look at us like that, you know we’ve always been wary of strangers.”

The fog continued to thin and clear, revealing even more of the group. One was a stallion whose height was just shy of meeting the mare’s. His body was toned and muscular after years and years of physical labor. One could not be sure if his coat was naturally its charcoal color or if that was nothing more than dirt and dust that covered him. His face was obscured by an oddly shaped white mask. It was completely smooth except for a pair of horns that jutted out from each side and two holes for his wide open and bloodshot eyes to look through. On his back was what appeared to be a large weapon of some sort, seemingly made of the same material that made up his mask.

Beside him was a mare that looked about the age of the girls themselves, however a tad smaller. Her coat was a deep red and her mane was of the darkest black. Around her neck was what looked like a metal collar and strapped to her each of her legs were metal circlets like the kind a policepony might use when hoofcuffing a suspect. Connected to them were varying lengths of metal chains that rattled against the ground with each step she took. She looked down at the mares as if they were simply trash tossed on the side of the street.

The next to be revealed was a stallion who stood straight and with his eyes forward. His coat and mane were like the night sky, as was the armor he wore. He appeared to be the most normal of the bunch, being able to pass along as nothing more than one of Luna’s night guards. All he needed to do was trade in his horn for a pair of bat wings.

Beside him was an older looking Pegasus who wore a leather jerkin. At his sides, just beneath his wings was a pair of matching swords. His coat contrasted the others, being of a very light grey and a tan, messy mane. His left eye was covered by an eye patch.

Next came another mare – or so she was assumed to be. Her coat was a pumpkin orange and she wore a raincoat that appeared to be drenched. Her body was dripping with water as if she had just jumped into a pool. The raincoat’s hood was up, obscuring most of her face. What it didn’t cover was mostly covered by her dark brown mane which, as with everything else, was also drenched.

Finally, the last to be revealed was the one who stood furthest behind the rest. A small colt stood somewhat hidden behind Awestruck. His coat and mane were a pleasant blue, like Star Light’s but only brighter by comparison. He was the only one to look down at the mares with genuine concern for what may become of them.

“A-A-Awestruck… is that truly thou who stands before me…?” Luna’s voice cracked as she attempted to speak.

Awestruck stood unphased, simply looking at the Alicorn Princess with the same admiration as he had always had. “Why, of course.” He said, sounding rather surprised by Luna’s odd mood. “My Queen knows that I would never trick her with simple illusions. Are you feeling alright?” His red eyes turned towards the tall Unicorn, “Venom, you are certain the poison did not affect her? By her name, if you have done something to harm her–”

“Calm down!” Venom hissed at the former magician. “Do not think for a moment that I would dare make a stand against our Queen, or that I would make such a foolish mistake!”

Awestruck closed his eyes as the mare shouted at him and took deep controlled breaths to ensure his cool attitude remained. “I apologize.” His eyes returned to Luna’s, “My Queen, are you feeling sick? You look so pale… like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Luna said nothing, only staring at the cream-coated stallion with her mouth agape. Small, cracked noises that he believed were intended to be words were the only things to come from her mouth. He gave a soft sigh before turning to the one that looked like a night guard. “Severance, please check the mares.”

Star Light, or Severance, nodded wordlessly and stepped forward. Luna reacted almost immediately, moving to cut off Severance’s advance. “You will not touch them!” Severance stopped dead in his tracks, but in his expression there was no fear from the Princess’s outburst.

“Stand down, Severance. If the Queen trusts them, then so do we.” Awestruck gave the Princess a soft smile. It may have worked to calm her down if not for all of his eyes. “My Queen, please, you must calm down… Please, just take a deep breath–”

“No!” Luna snapped at him, causing him to flinch, “I will not become calm! You are not real, none of thee are! You should not exist!”

A flicker of emotion flashed across his eyes as she spoke. Luna hadn’t caught it at first, but it almost appeared to be… pain? Awestruck bit his lip and looked at the ground for a moment.

“Something is wrong… very wrong. You do not appear to be yourself…” His eyes returned to the mare before him, a newfound fire within them. “Surely this is the work of the Tyrant. She must have learned of us and acted to ensure you cannot use us as you had planned!” A swirling darkness began to form around Luna, and like a predator swallowing its prey, the darkness enveloped her until there was nothing but a swirling ball mass of blackness between the two groups. “But do not worry!” A wide smile flashed across his face, “I know just the thing to bring you back to your old self!” The darkness began to sink back into the ground and faded away just as quickly as it had come.

He quickly trotted forward to the closest of the paralyzed mares. He lighted part of Twilight’s mane to allow eye contact, “I feel I must apologize for your treatment. I’m sure you can understand that we are wary of strangers and we must be cautious. But rest assured that we will take good care of our Queen and she will be returned to the castle once she is well once more.” He spun around and began trotted back towards the others. “Regret,”

The old Pegasus grumped in Awestruck’s direction.

“You can traverse distances faster than the rest of us. Now this just a wild guess, but something has happened to the city seeing as how it’s empty. I want you to fly a short distance out and report back on whether or not there are any towns nearby. Should you find anything,” He turned to the drenched mare in the raincoat, “Revenant, I want you to transport them safely back into town and then return here. These mares are obviously important to Queen Nightmare, and as such will be treated as honored guests while they are here.” His eyes turned to Venom in particular. “They are guests, not playthings.”

Venom smiled as she stepped forward. She sat down and took Rarity, who was still barely conscious from the weak poison in the air, by her head and brought her own a mere inch away. “You’re no fun, Relinquish. You know how much I love to play with my food.” She licked her lips before setting the mare’s head back down.

Awestruck Wonder, or Relinquish, as he had been called, rolled his eyes and continued walking away. “Yes, I do. And I wish I didn’t.”

Author's Note:

Few things to say here. The first being that i originally intended for this to be updated weekly, but between Christmas and getting painfully sick, i just couldn't bring myself to do it. Hopefully i can get things back on track though... hopefully.

The next is that i certainly hope Borsuq doesn't come down upon me with the wrath of the sun for taking a small bit from his Nightmare Moon origin story in Rebirth of the Damned. If you're a fan of World of Warcraft, definitely check it out! And if you're not, then definitely check it out!

One more thing is that i hopefully don't confuse anyone with certain people have two names (Awestruck being Relinquish and Saryn being Venom, etc.). I will not be using their original names except for possible choice moments. These names will be explained in due time.

As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

P.S. I totally forgot to add the music i had wanted to. Oh well, better late than never. I didn't really want to use music that's already in a game, but i feel that good old Nbuo Uematsu caught Relinquish's presence just perfectly with this song.