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Ponibius


T

This story is a sequel to Midnight's Shadow: Tainted Legacies


Magus Midnight Sparkle answers a summons to Swampy Bottom Bog as an evil spirit has taken residence deep within the depths of the swamp and is starting to corrupt the land. Midnight finds herself facing annoying haunts, malicious creatures disrupting her work, and irritating teenagers without any survival instincts. And most horrifying of all, she must face her true nemesis: mud.

Chapters (5)
Comments ( 125 )

Poor Middy. She can be very silly sometimes.

A shame, perhaps if Sunbeam had listened to her warnings about the Perfidious Filly, we could've avoided Cozy Glow...

Yessss more Middy adventures, gimme, yesss. :twilightsmile:

Ah yes, a conflict years in the making. This will end in many, many baths.

9913237
Indeed. Midnight's not crazy, just centuries ahead of her time.

9913237
9913261

It is Winningverse canon that Cozy Glow is the Perfidious Filly's distant descendant.

first part is so short when is the 2 part

who is that on the cover

9913284

That should be out in a couple of weeks.

9913287

That is Midnight.

9913296
OK most of it i get but whats with the hat

Ah it feels like it's been too long since we had a Midnight adventure. If only Sunbeam were around to witness what the Perfidious Filly's progeny has wrought in the present. Come to think of it, with the existence of the Phoenix Empire AU, Sunbeam vs Cozy Glow is entirely possible.

9913330she looks like a plague doctor

As always, I wish you well on another writing endeavor:twilightsmile:

So excited to read a new Midnight story!

Also, it's been a while since I read the previous stories. Anyone care to remind me of who the Perfidious Filly is and what she did? The name was familiar, but I can't remember exactly what she did, and I'm too lazy to read all three of the other stories to find out. :twilightsheepish:

9913803
She first showed up in The Great Snowball War where she pegged Midnight with a snowball after getting pinned by Midnight and begging her no to tag her. She also had a brief cameo in Tainted Legacies I believe where she accidentally splashed Midnight with water while playing in the rain. One of the “authors notes” mentioned that Midnight would apparently spend the rest of her life believing the filly was some great evil and threat to Equestria. Evidently this is what that looks like.

Ah, Midnight, we have missed you. :twilightsmile:

And while Midnight's paranoia about the Perfidious Filly seems excessive, she does have a legitimate concern, which her mother and everypony else is going out of their way to ignore.

9913268 Is Starlight Glimmer also a descendant of the Perfidious Filly? After all, evil plots and malicious time travel are right up Starlight's alley ....

Ahh yes, time for muddy Midnight. She's gonna build so much character.

I stomped a hoof. “'Tis the Perfidious Filly, she is behind it all! Every ill in the world is her fault, I just know it.” I pointed to the boards as I went through different aspects of the fiend’s master plan. “The inflation of sugar prices, the increase in monster attacks to the south, rain storms on the night of the Gala—all her! ‘Tis all linked.” I rubbed my chin. “Even if I have yet to determine exactly how ‘tis all intended to work together. But I will see through the mist of her deceptions in time. Then she will rue the day she was born.”

Did you...make a conspiracy theory string chart about yourself, Midnight?

Oh wait, it's someone else. The kid from the snowball fight, I think?

“Is there not some other duty I can do?” I pleaded. “Something less ... dirty? Thou art given requests for aid from all quarters. Surely there is another task to assign.”

There's dirt everywhere, Midnight.

She picked it up and stacked it on top of one of the other boards, as though to transport all of them. I thought it queer, but that was probably my mind being foolish. Mother would not ignore a threat as great as the Perfidious Filly. Likely she was just transporting everything to her own lab or office to carry on my important research.

It'll be easier to light them all on fire if they're stacked up together. Though maybe her mother wouldn't be quite that mean.

9913268

That is actually hilarious. Thank you for this information.

9914007
Ah ok, now I remember. Thanks, bro!

Oh boy, a new adventure with Middy. This looks like it’ll be interesting.

Glad we finally get the chance to meet Mossy Banks soon as well.

I don't think I'll be calm until I see her summon crows again.

......... Oh this is going to be fun

CABIN IN THE WOODS. CABIN IN THE WOODS.

I may have just went to see Evil Dead the musical, whoops.

9940773
im sorry what musical are you for real

No one had expected the ephors to so suddenly and violently turn on Unicornia

Not turn on Equestria, but on Unicornia ... interesting ....

Midnight trying to give warning = terrifying ponies and sending them into danger to escape her. :pinkiecrazy:

Lol, I missed Midnights total lack of awareness how most ponies view her and her interests. Also it probably doesn't help that there is a mind effecting curse in the area.

Ah, classic Midnight.

Even if one’s current enemies were defeated, that only seemed to create new enemies. That or new ones would show themselves.

A pattern that continues even in the modern era.

Sometimes children are prone to taking the shortest path to finishing their chores and do not think of the consequences of their actions.

I'm sure that won't be a theme of the story or anything.

Ah, Midnight's a black mana filtration system. Makes sense to me.

This one was pure black and had a long, raven-like beak. The Great Unkindness cawed in approval as they circled above.

The only way it could be better would be if it had a skull on it.

:facehoof::rainbowlaugh: Oh, Midnight. She tries, bless her, but she so rarely understands. Ah well, I suppose it's of to save the horror movie victims.

9941434
At the time of the Lunar Rebellion, Equestria was very much three nations under one flag. Unification efforts are still ongoing.

‘Twas as I was about to empty a large bag filled with corn for the Great Unkindness that a curious sound came to my ears: the voices of ponies.

Nope.jpg

Oh, well. That ended up much differently than I thought it would.

I love ponies reactions to Midnight.

9913340
It depends on your interpretation of just what's going on or missing with that filly. But while Glimmer's a natural rebel who could plausibly come into conflict with any greater system (whether government, physics, or causality), Cozy Glow might be quite easily manageable by someone not bound by the limitations of treating her as a filly. Or as a person. It's more likely Sunbeam would find her a useful resource than an adversary - although either way I somehow doubt she'd reach adulthood.

Oh lord Midnight just unwittingly became a horror movie antagonist. It's Tucker and Dale all over again.

It seems like Midnight actually has a legitimate phobia of mud. I'm sure there's a technical term for it but I can't be bothered to look it up right now.

9949170
you got to admit thou middy would make a good horror villain

in fact i actually have the basis for a story with middy being a serial killer and killing all her friends and relatives shame i cant write for nothing

free real estate if any of yins want it just drop me a pm

‘Twas not long before I was flying towards Archmagus Mossy Banks’ home in a sky carriage, with the Great Unkindness following behind us.

Given the proximity of the bog to future Ponyville, this feels a bit like a parallel to S1E1 and that is wonderful.

“Because homes built within the cover of the swamp are much easier to hide.” Ardent waved to the space above the Stalker’s new compound. “If we build a new cloud-compound then it could be seen for miles around. ‘Twould do much to undermine the advantages of my husband’s magic in keeping us hidden from enemy eyes.”

Seems reasonable.

Those pigs are lucky they didn't get eaten by crows for their trouble. That pig driver, too.

“I do not wish to make a scene of this, I assure you.” Really, I wished to scream in horror at being covered in mud. I had only been on the ground for but a few moments and already I was filthy. If this was but the start, what other terrible indignities would I have to suffer?

The indignities will be legion.

The Archmagus stroked his beard as he thought how best to explain matters. “Thou dost appear to be a natural sponge to all forms of ill fortune and curses. I have never seen the like before.”

Thanks, Luna.

I took the mask and examined it. It was of a similar design to the masks worn by the Stalkers, with a pair of glass eyepieces and feathers decorating its sides. This one was pure black and had a long, raven-like beak. The Great Unkindness cawed in approval as they circled above.

Nice! Properly thematic.

A dead bog is apparently far worse than a living one.

So, do we have to rescue those idiots, or can we just assume the swap will take care of them?

9941434
Well, of course, Unicornia, because unicorns are the most important kind of ponies, followed by pegasi who remained loyal to their horned masters and the earth ponies can honestly go fuck themselves.

JMP

Wishing to warn these ponies of the danger and get back to my camp to sleep, I placed the bag of corn down before I addressed the group. “BEWARE! This bog is no place for thee! Remain here and ‘twill be thy doom!”

“Doom! Doom! Doom!” the ravens echoed, knowing the truth of the matter.

....A for effort, Midnight, A for effort :facehoof:

so far this bog gives me Lovecraft vibes like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKKTqB_Lzv0

Rich nobles going to their family's cabin in the woods, blonde maned alabaster unicorn, bog masks, the weed smoker... yeah, this doesn't reek of Friday the 13th (2009), Evil Dead, Cabin Fever (don't drink the bog water!), and a whole bunch of others. In a good way, of course.

And Midnight Sparkle unwittingly dives into her role as the Cassandra.

Poor Midnight. Things always conspire to make her day harder.

Like mud. And idiot teenagers. Also dark, demonic magic but the first two are definitely worse.

Any camps or crystal lakes anywhere near this bog with that Jason-like griffon? :trollestia:

Also Midnight continues to horrifically misidentify what normal ponies would find comforting! Gotta love her! :rainbowlaugh:

10082227
Oh? What did you hear?

The story of how midnight became a ghost story

JMP

Midnight's letter was absolutely hilarious. I don't think she'll ever learn why people find her unsettling, but it's funnier that way.

Wording Midnight, wording.

I wonder if we will see the origin of Twikught's rapidash form?

‘Twas as I pulled out its many parts and examining them that I realized I had a problem.

“Oh dear, how does one even put up a tent?”

:rainbowlaugh:

Oh Discord, that note, that note! :rainbowlaugh:

So, we have the cabin from Evil Dead, a Jason-esque Revenant, and a mysterious puzzle box (found under the porch of said cabin) ... and Mossy Banks (who knows about the cabin at the very least) apparently can not be bothered to deal with the matter, nor has he seen fit to summon a Magus Conclave (or ask Celestia for help) if it is simply that the entities are too strong for him to deal with on his own ... yeah. Maybe it's just my cynicism speaking, but this sounds like Midnight is being set-up ... again.

10082567
I’ll admit it seems heavily implied in the previous chapter Mossy Banks is testing Midnight in some capacity. In fairness to him though, all we know he was aware of was that a local dark spirit was testing its wards and he could use a little backup. We don’t know if he knew about Diet Jason or the Tucker and Dale v. Evil club.

10082767 Considering that Mossy went out of his way to not explain why he has not permanently dealt with an evil spirit that has inhabited his swamp, with his full knowledge, for what I believe was years, I think Mossy may well have used up his Fairness allotment already.

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