Darkening Summary

As I promised, here is a brief summary of The Darkening for anyone who would like to continue the story but would rather not spend the time reading the 69k word story again. Now if you haven't read the story, then please don't read this summary, it is going to cover all of the plot points very quickly, and you will get nothing from it but confusion and whiplash. You can catch the summary just after the page break! And chapter 8 will be up next Wednesday at noon EST.

Chapter 1

Twilight wakes from her dream of Spike and a lush forest inside her cave as the other Ascended: Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie arrive.  At Mistress’s summons, they travel to the town hall of Ponyville and find her sitting on Celetia’s old throne.  She tells them that she has gifted them each a mortal to feed on, but holds Twilight back and warns her of a coming threat.  She disturbs Twilight by getting sentimental, then with a flash of her eyes that leaves Twilight disoriented, Mistress vanishes.  

As Twilight prepares to feed on her mortal, she is surprised by the presence of a cloaked pony.  This pony hints about Spike and her past life, and tells her that there are answers in the basement of the library.  Realizing that she doesn’t have time to feed, and if she simply kills the mortal the body will be found, Twilight opts to spare the mortal’s life.  

Twilight makes her way through the ruined town, and arrives at the library.  In the basement, she finds photos of her friends and her past life.  She then notices the Element of Magic, which is a muted gray but pulses with light as she approaches.  Feeling as though this object is somehow a part of her, she touches it and gets several glimpses of her past life.  She awakens laying on her side and finds that the element has fallen to the floor.  She stands up and bumps into Mistress, who is furious that she has found the element.  She accuses Twilight of being the new threat and attacks despite Twilight’s objections.  She calls the other Ascended and bites Twilight, and they cast her into the Ghastly Gorge, leaving her to die.

Chapter 2

Applejack is hauling a shipment back to Sanctuary when she is attacked.  She slays the newly turned vampony with ease and cuts out the fangs as Spike arrives with fangs from his own kill.  Spike is now a teen and has grown quite a bit and has become more muscular.  They reminisce and grieve for what has become of their friends.       

They arrive at Sanctuary and Applejack has a heated argument with Big Mac for starting a family, feeling he is forgetting Apple Bloom.  Once Spike cheers her up, they report to Lance that they’ve secured the Elementium, and learn that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Diamond Tiara (all grown up) are being trained as hunters.  Lance informs them that Princess Cadance, now residing in Cloudsdale, has visited and told him that they have found a new water source.  He also tells them that four of their number, including Lyra, have been abducted for gifts for the Ascended.  

At Zecora’s, they give her the fangs they have collected on their journey,  which Zecora uses to make Vamponies Bane, a powder that burns vamponies on contact and kills with prolonged exposure.  They give her the last ingredient she needed to create a cure, but it fails.  Applejack loses hope of saving Apple Bloom and leaves the town to be alone.  She comes to the realization that the only way to save her sister from her accursed fate is to kill her and end her suffering.

The cloaked pony suddenly appears and tells her of the Phoenix Heart in Canterlot Castle.  It is the literal heart of Philomena that was created when she gave her life to save Celestia during the Canterlot invasion.  She tells Applejack that she has a plan to overthrow Mistress and the Ascended, and that Applejack will be instrumental in this plan.  Applejack agrees that if she gets the Phoenix Heart and saves Apple Bloom, then she will help the cloaked pony.  They shake on it and the pony vanishes.     

Back in Sanctuary, Applejack prepares to sneak out of town, but is caught by Spike.  She tries to lie but he sees through it, and although he doesn’t fully believe Applejack’s story, he trusts her and insists on going with her.  

Chapter 3

Twilight awakens in Fluttershy’s old cottage.  It is heavily damaged and a hole has been blown through the roof.  Pain from Mistress’s bite cripples her, and when the pain alleviates, Discord appears.  He tells her that the vampirism isn’t a disease but is actually an out of control spell that cuts ponies off from Equestrian magic and transforms them, and requires the magic that is in the blood of all ponies to sustain them.  He explains that taking in too much, like Twilight did when Mistress bit her a second time, will basically overdose them.  He then teleports them to the Tree of Harmony and tells her that it is near death, but cannot fully die as long as the Elements of Harmony are intact.  He tells her that she must retrieve the Elements and bring them back here to restore the tree and bring magic and the sun back to Equestria.  In exchange for her service, he will use his magic to interfere with the magic within her, so that she won’t die from the surges.  But he warns her that if she displeases him, he will remove the bonds and the ensuing surge will kill her on the spot.  He also warns that this will happen if he were to die.  

She agrees and heads back to Ponyville to steal the Element of Magic from Mistress.  On the way, she decides that she will betray Discord to Mistress, opting to die on her own terms instead of letting Discord control her fate.  She comes across Lyra, being chased through the forest by underlings, and catches her, intending to feed.  Trixie then shows up and after a quick fight, Twilight defeats her, only to be attacked from behind by Lyra.  Twilight is confused by the two of them risking their lives to save the other, and unexpectedly begins to remember her previous friendships.  To her surprise, she finds that she no longer wants to feed, and leaves them.

  Twilight arrives at the throne room to talk to Mistress, and finds the Element sitting on the throne.  As she approaches, Mistress enters with Rainbow (who has already replaced Twilight) at her side.  She laughs at Twilight and reveals that she always knew of Discord, but needed bait to lure him out.  She explains that Twilight was becoming a liability because her dreams were making her weak, and had decided to sacrifice her to catch Discord.  She then leaves, ordering Rainbow to get Discord’s location from Twilight and then kill her.

Enraged, Twilight manages to surprise Rainbow, grabs the Element and escapes.  She hides under a bridge as Rainbow taunts her.  It takes all the determination she can muster to remain hidden and not answer Rainbow’s challenge, but she knows she must live.  She is now determined to gather the Elements and bring back the sun.  She wants to take everything from Mistress before killing her herself.

Chapter 4

Applejack dreams of Sweet Apple Acres on the night of the vampony invasion.  A turned royal guard attacks them, killing Winona and Granny Smith, but Applejack and Big Mac manage to kill him.  They then hear a scream and turn to find Mistress biting Apple Bloom.  Applejack tries to attack Mistress, but Big Mac holds her back, and ends up knocking her out to drag her to safety.  

Once she’s awake, Spike consoles her and she leaves Spike to sleep and takes her turn to stand watch.  She thinks of her parents and Granny Smith and worries that they are no longer proud of her and her decisions.  Once Spike is awake, they plan their path into Canterlot.  Spike tells her that the caves that Chrysalis used to imprison Cadance run from the base of the mountain all the way up to the castle’s dungeons.  They decide the caves are the best path.

Twilight returns to Discord and presents the Element.  Discord gives her Fluttershy’s old saddlebag to keep it in, telling her that he wants her to keep it in case Mistress gets lucky and finds him.  Twilight breaks down over Mistress’s betrayal and Discord is surprised by her emotions, having assumed that vamponies were incapable of feeling anything other than anger and hate.  He tells her that the next element is deep underground in the Diamond Dog city in the Badlands.  He tells her that the cottage is no longer safe and that he’ll find her once she has obtained the next element.

After he leaves, Twilight is confronted by Luna, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation.  She tries to convince Twilight to give her the element, and team with her to destroy Mistress.  Twilight refuses and bluffs her way out of a confrontation, and an enraged Luna shouts that she will be her that kills Twilight before flying off.  Twilight then remembers the old castle ruins in the forest and heads there to get some much needed rest.

Once there, she quickly goes to sleep and finds herself in the lush forests of her dream.  Spike leads her down a path and hugs her, telling her he’s happy she remembers him now, and leaves, telling her that there is someone who wants to meet her.  Twilight steps through some foliage and finds Princess Twilight sitting on a log.  Princess Twilight explains that she is a manifestation of her old self that her mind has created because she is desperate for a friend.  She says that she came to be because Twilight resparked her memories when she touched the Element of Harmony.  She talks Twilight through some of her issues, and tells her that she believes Discord can be trusted.  As Twilight begins to awaken, Princess Twilight implores her to try to make friends. 

Chapter 5

Applejack and Spike arrive at Carriage Town, a town run by former bandits, and become angry when they find a stallion hanging from the gallows.  She tells them that Princess Cadance has already ordered that the gallows be removed, that the ponies of Carriage Town must abide by Equestrian law.  The ponies of the town argue, saying that Cadance isn’t their princess and that they will never follow a princess again.  They begin complaining about the pegasi having it easy in the clouds while they toil on land, and they start demanding equality.  With the help of Spike and Gilda, who is now a mercenary for the Mercenary Guild, Applejack calms the crowd and they agree to stop using the gallows.  Applejack and Spike trade for equipment needed for traversing the caves, and then leave.

Twilight wakes up feeling better about her situation, although she doesn’t fully remember the dream.  She heads toward the Badlands but comes across a group of mortals escaping some underlings.  She watches them fight to protect one another, and remembering Lyra and Trixie, she steps in and kills the vamponies.  She then warns the mortals that the forests surrounding Sanctuary are teeming with vamponies and if they don’t stop the pegasus’s leg from bleeding, then every underling in the forest will fall upon them.  Derpy, the injured pegasus, limps toward Twilight and thanks her for her help.  Warily, Twilight hoof bumps her and gets excited when she begins feeling the emotions from her dream.  She does it again a bit too hard, and Derpy falls over, startling Twilight and causing her to take to the air.  She tells the group of the castle, and gives them permission to stay there until Derpy is better.  She then leaves, ignoring Derpy’s pleas for her to come back.

Applejack and Spike emerge from the cave into the dungeons of Canterlot Castle.  They move quietly through the halls, narrowly avoiding a group of vamponies patrolling the halls, and make it to the castle’s library.  There, Rarity becomes aware of their presence and attempts to seduce Spike.  He slashes her face with his claw and they run as a horde of vamponies give chase.  Eventually, the vamponies fall back and two elite guards attack the pair.  Applejack falls through a window and lands on a balcony below, and just manages to slay the vampony, only to find Luna standing just inside the room.

Chapter 6

Applejack and Spike prepare to fight, but then Rarity enters the room.  The two Ascended tell them that they are impressed with their abilities and ask why they’ve come.  Applejack tells them of the Phoenix Heart and Luna confirms it exists.  Luna tells Applejack of Twilight’s plan to collect the Elements of Harmony and wants her to kill Twilight and take the elements.  She tells Applejack that if she does this, she will let her have the Phoenix Heart.  Rarity takes Applejack to see the Phoenix Heart, and on the way reveals that she is planning to betray Luna.  She admits that she has begun to like mortals and sees value in them, and believes that they will be instrumental in her overthrowing Mistress.  She offers to let Applejack have the heart right now if she will help Rarity capture Princess Cadance.  Applejack declines, and Rarity just smiles and accepts it.  She assures Applejack that a time will come when she will have to side with her, and leads her to the entrance of the castle where Luna and Spike are waiting.  Luna tells them that her underlings have reported one of the elements is in the heart of Manehattan, and tells the two of them to go and retrieve it.  She wants them to use it as a lure for Twilight, and tells them to kill her when she comes to collect it.  Luna agrees to send a group of vamponies to help them cross the Manehattan bridge, and Applejack and Spike leave.

Twilight arrives at the Badlands, and after several hours of searching, finally finds an entrance to the Diamond Dog’s underground tunnels.  After traversing a network of tunnels, she catches the scent of fire and follows it to an underground river.  Knowing she found their water source, she grins and hurries along.

Chapter 7

Twilight arrives at a large door and bangs on it.  Voices on the other side become fearful when they learn who she is and tell her to leave.  When she refuses, one of them offers to come out and talk.  Surprised, Twilight agrees, but becomes scared.  What if this mortal is like Derpy?  She doesn’t know how to stand up against kindness.  Her fears are washed away, however, when Thorax emerges and immediately shows his fear.  She quickly learns that, even though Thorax is fearful, he is not a coward and he stands up to her.  

The two of them talk and she learns that the changelings came here after Mistress destroyed their hive, and they were forced to conquer the Diamond Dogs instead of secretly infiltrating their society like they would have wanted to.  As a result, the changelings aren’t able to get the love that they need and are in a perpetual starved state, with only Queen Chrysalis getting the nutrition she needs.  

Thorax then tells her how he discovered friendship and that he and some other changelings have found a way to feed off of it, but when they went to Queen Chrysalis with this discovery, she became angry and accused them of treason.  Now, their portion of the city is quarantined, and the guards have been ordered to kill Thorax and his friends if they try to enter.  Twilight offers to deal with Queen Chrysalis nonviolently if he lets her enter the city.  After making her promise not to hurt anyone, he eventually agrees and they enter the city.

Applejack is on watch as Spike sleeps, and comes across the cloaked pony.  The cloaked pony asks if Applejack has acquired the Phoenix Heart, and accuses her of failing when Applejack says no.  She becomes angry with Applejack, accusing her of being a terrible friend, that she should have left Spike behind and that she could have ruined everything.  She reveals that it was Spike that she needed all along, and that gaining Applejack’s trust was simply the easiest way to get to Spike.  She tells Applejack that she has become a liability and that their deal is off.  She then taunts Applejack, saying that she is wasting her time with Apple Bloom, that she is too far gone, and even if she could cure her, the horror of the things she’s done as a vampony would destroy her.  Apple Bloom cannot come back.       

Applejack attacks the cloaked pony, but her halberd stops midswing, as if it lodged into a solid wall.  Spike is woken by the commotion and yells out for Applejack.  The cloaked pony is shocked that he is still with her, and flees as he approaches.  Applejack lies to Spike about why the cloaked pony became angry, saying it was because they didn’t have the Phoenix Heart yet, and leaving out the part about her wanting Spike for her plans.  As they continue their trek toward Manehattan, Applejack ponders on what it is about Spike that made the cloaked pony flee.