This story ties in to Rising Star
Diamond doesn't know why she keeps having the nightmare. She doesn't even know what that thing she's running from is.
And she definitely doesn't know about the ancient power she's helping to wake up a little more every time she has it.
Midnight's worried. Trapped in his star, there are a lot of things he can see but not do anything about. And any time he uses the knowledge he gains as a Wishing Star to help his old friends, there's a price. With the threat that's coming, that price will be far too high.
And then he finds her. A young filly on the precipice of Darkness, about to fall. And she's the answer to his problem.
So the Alicorn of Hope gives a filly some gifts. Freedom from her recurring nightmare, the ability to help her friends sealed carefully away in a box she can't open yet, a riddle that makes no sense, and a cryptic warning so vague she's convinced he got it from a fortune cookie.
And Faust help Equestria, but Diamond's our only chance.
Sex tag is primarilly for a rather large misunderstanding. There are/will be a few small references to things that actually happened in backstories, but no details.
Hi, just letting you know that I really like your story, and I look forward to it's continuation. Thanks :)
6962497 Thank you
So if you fall in the darkness, do you die, become a monster or it depends on the ponies ?
Go full nightmare then be purged by the rainbow power of harmony ? That is what happened to Luna.
Someone who was an redeemable antagonist at one point and is old. I can't think of anypony.
At this point, I feel like you forgot to tag some pretty relevent characters for this story, as Luna, Midnight Star, Cheerilee and Twilight. I have the feeling they will play an important part.
This part warmed my heart. Caring Cheerilee is best Cheerilee.
6965182 It depends on the pony, but most would become a monster.
There's one extra step in there that'll be revealed later.
All is not as it seems.
6965197 I might add Cheerilee and Midnight later, if my current plans change. For the moment however, none of them are going to be involved past the first seven or eight chapters.
6965867 Okay, I just found extremly frustrating you don't have more readers cuz Tiara alone isn't an attractive tag. I think you clearly deserve more.
6966185 Thanks for the concern, I appreciate it.
Great chapter, the part where Tiara accept the gift, with the 'flashback' bits was awesome.
Children always have awful ideas. It was Sweetie Bell right ? She always have the worst ideas.
And as always, Twilight saves the day. This is bad. She already know that the shadow ranger is in Cheerilee's class, related in some say to Tiara, and now she isn't one of the foals undef attack. She is too close to find out who it is.
6966240 TBH, I would have preferred it if DT had saved the day, but meh. It's not my fic.
On a sidenote, we must stop running into each other like this...
6966752 Then stop reading fanfiction.
Tiara never get physical before. She had no prior experience in fighting. She is weaker than any CMC. If the three can't fend off the Timberwolves, there is no way Tiara could. Twilight was the right choice.
6968528 I meant, her armour could have acted of it's own accord, and killed those brutes. We don't have any explanation how it works yet.
Wouldn't it be interesting if it stuck to her skin, and she was forced to live the rest of her life looking like that? But nah, that won't happen. It sounds more like a 'secret disguise' to me...
Oh yeah, so Time Pirate is Pipsqueack.
Celestia, Luna, Twilight, the spooky Nightmare in the prologue, IDK, Cadance. The wishing star refers of course Morning Star aka the alicorn of Hope.
I had the same reaction. Poor Tiara don't know the horrible quiproquo she had set up.
The last line was awful... for Cheerilee. How long before she starts drinking ? That's mess up.
6975500 On the whole, you got about 65% of it.
Yeah, Cheerilee's first meeting with Midnight is going to be... interesting.
I know exactly what's going on in Twilight's head right now...
AMBER ALERT! AMBER ALERT!
I thought they only want Nyx. Why bother with the crusaders ? What are you hiding ?
Yep, the unicorn use blood-based spell.
Offspring of a timelord, something like that ? It is a common headcanon after all.
Twilight go for the rescue. She is too strong for the foal-nappers. They barricade themselves in the schoolhouse with Nyx and the crusaders as hostage.
6992058 Nothing... there.
The Crusaders are just a combination of vengeance and opportunity. Nyx was the only one they specifically had to have, but they do need more than that, which is why "He's coming for the foals."
Wow, Granny Smith is a hardcore mothafucka.
Wild guess : Agent Sweetie Drop ?
And Diamond got a stalker. If it's her old butter I will like you forever. I found a little odd that she can't sense the darkness in other when all the other Shadow Ranger can do it.
I was right, they are "blood-bender".
i never saw this one coming. Several Shadow Ranger hidden in Ponyville aka Granny and maybe Randolph, a secret organisation, two crusaders, one timelord's offsprings. The plot thickens.
I wish I had the next chapter.
7010980 Basically it's just a matter of training. Diamond could easily sense other Shadow Rangers and really anypony of the night, but she would have to know how first.
And no on Sweetie Drops, she's still on assignment, not retired. I can promise though that you will be surprised when you find out who they are.
Wow, things are getting interesting now. I love the lore you've created here. Where did the name Blacklight come from. Most of all, I'm looking forward to the next chapter of this fic, just to see the meaning to that final sentence...
7013601 Thank you
Details on the name will be in the next chapter.
7015530
Thanks, having reread this chapter, I think this is my favourite paragraph now:
This is a brilliant use of description, I have no idea what is happening, nor do I wish to know until the next chapter, but it sounds like things'll never be the same again...
I am sure this will be relevent later. Who will be those foals ?
It's called "plot convinience".
I really don't know what this line refers.
Still believing Randolph will have a revelent role later.
I figure it out. DT's weapon is an almighty flashlight.
7017906 We'll have to wait til next chapter to see how accurate you are.
Sad that we're the only two (apart from the author) commenting here. This story needs more love...
7018383 Agreed, it's really a shame. Alas Diamond Tiara alone isn't enough to attract other readers. She is an underappreciated character.
7020293 It's not just that. There are plenty of stories with the Mane 6 tag which aren't popular. Perhaps the description of the fic sounds a bit too complicated to attract a wider audience. I don't know... Maybe the author should try adding a few more tags, to see if your theory is correct or not.
I am interested to see how much DT we'll get in Season 6. A lot of people seem downbeat about it, but I am curiously optimistic...
I can't but feel, leaving her tiara behind, a part of her is gone for good. It's kinda sad...
It does beg the question, though. Is she Black Diamond all the time , now? If not, what is she known as when she's not in her shadow form? Just plain Diamond? Or, something else?
Anyway, great chapter, well worth the week long wait. I wonder what's going to happen in Ponyville before her departure. I also dwell on what she picked up from Barnyard Bargains on the way out. We shall find out soon enough....
7038162 She's still Diamond Tiara when she's not Black Diamond, it's just going to be a little while before that happens again. More of putting her old life on the shelf for a while than leaving it behind entirely.
7038197 Yes, but can she ever return to her old life again? We shall see..
You got an excellent point here. It makes too much sense.
Still, they don't need Sweetie Belle anymore. I fear for her safety.
Is this the item she buys at BB ?
Flowers is truely the ultimate teacher. Celestia should take exemple. DT and Flowers interactions are my favorite.
Did she lefts her tiara as a gift. I get she takes the rhinestones as a mean of money. She will need money, so why not sell the remains, the metal is a still valuable.
7038162 I am more interested in knowing what item she picked in her bedroom.
7041424 Her piggy bank. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that.
Can Twilight be more irresponsible ? If the cultist are that dangerous, she will never let a foal go fight them alone.
Okay, seriously ?
So do they now know about Midnight Star, the molestation and Tiara close relationship with Black Diamond ? They won't let their daughter disapear. Let the manhunt for Black Diamond begin.
7053478 At the moment, she thinks Diamond Tiara's in more of a supportive role. Messenger and errand filly basically. She has no idea DT is BD and will be actively fighting. Also, this is a society that regularly pins all chances for survival on a baker, a seamstress, a farmer, a veterinarian, a weatherpony, and a librarian. "Responsible" doesn't mean quite the same thing.
Seriously what?
No, no, and no actually. Both Cheerilee and Twilight feel like the situation's a little bit too sensitive to tell her parents about. Also, just to make sure I'm being clear, Diamond is not actually getting molested, Cheerilee just thinks she is.
7053978 True, but Twilight is also a princess and Celestia's protégée.
I'm not fond of Mary Poppins being in this fic.
I feel like molestation is a bit heavy for not telling the parents. Plus the parents must be worried sick about their daughter, so they'll try everything to find her. They have money, a lot, and won't hesited using it. Maybe they will engaged the best detective in Equestria, aka Prancy Dew, on this case.
7054199
Her primary role is getting Diamond to Manehatten safely. Also, this version has a lot more of the Brimstone and Treacle Reprise in her than the Disney version.
And yes, under most circumstances you'd be right about telling her parents. However, Cheerilee can't be sure they're not involved, especially with how distant the family is. (I know, a lot of Cheerilee's actions and assumptions are strretched, there's a reason, I promise, I'm just waiting on revealing it.)
It was because she became a badass.
So this new character is what Diamond would be without the Shadow ordeal. The contrast is interesting. Is this why she accepts her proposition, because she saw herself in her ?
The innocence is lost forever. Won't this kind of thinking makes her fall in the night.
7070495 Well, you're not wrong.
They're not quite the same, but close. Subconsciously, yes, that had something do do with it, although it hasn't quite clicked for Diamond cognisantly yet.
Shhhhhh! Spoilers!
Aha, so I was right, yet I wasn't thinking she was this close to fall.
And yet she worked alone for months now.
Honest mistake really, that filly is a unicorn. One is permitted to have doubts.
So she is still scared by Diamond ? I want to know what this dream was about now.
Demon Blood I presume. (?)
Does Midnight sound like Usagi/Serena from the first Sailor Moon anime? (English dub) If not, then what does she sound like? ...She is female, right?
7102170 ...No... Midnight's male... At least, this Midnight is. Midnight Dream has yet to appear...
As for his voice... the best description I can think of is Samuel Jackson doing a Dumbledore impersonation (The one from the first two movies). In this story at least. He's a bit more serious here than he is elsewhere. Honestly, he still sounds like Inkwell for the most part. The magic didn't modulate their voices any, time did is all.
So that definite, she won't die in this battle. Kinda kills the suspense. And she is supposed to Die by the hooves of her friends. Sucks to be her.
That's why the alicorn princesses never lift a hoof for their citizen in the show. Because they can't. Makes absolute sense.
The autor opinion ? I take you hate this two mares. Cheerilee don't struck me as the kind of pony who would mock and dispite the disable.
No teacher in his right mind would let foals play with weapon. Just sayin'.
Wut ? SB got take down by ONE cultist. How can she compare now with a dozen of them ? She will be trampled to death.
7152148 That was a future that Midnight tried to prevent. All bets are off at this point, things have changed too much.
No, not my personal opinion, just some ironic misobservation on Cheerilee's part. Also, this version of Ditzy isn't disabled, just cross-eyed.
Two chapter 17s?! You truly do spoil us...
7199417
I think I'm going to leave it like that now.
Is it temporary ? Is he still dying or the cube heals him completely ?
True, she had tons of help. For ponies who musn't interfered with mortals, they do help a lots.
Did you write an alternative story ? And what would happen if she turns nightmare here ? End of the world ?
Or point the canon toward Nyx. Problem solved.
Blue ? Weird ? What does it mean ?
7200262 The cube healed the killing wound, everything else he picked up throughtout has to heal naturally.
That was actually a reference to my first drafts. Although I might do a spinoff later about what would have happened...
LOL