Mare of the Void
Chapter 5: Silent Dusk
There it was. The heart of the monstrosity known as Void.
Or what was left of it.
Nightmare Star stared at the thing as it slowly deteriorated before her eyes, though she couldn't understand why. “It's...it's dying? But how could that be?”
The glowing red sphere that was Void's heart, was losing pieces of itself as it hovered in the endless black.
-'I wasn't expecting this at all...oh Twilight.'-
Star smirked wickedly as she lit her horn. “This is a perfect opportunity to kill it, if you ask me.”
-'Star wait! Something's not righ-'- Celestia began before Nightmare Star unleashed a devastating beam at Void's heart.
A solid purple barrier sprang into sight and deflected the beam back toward them, Nightmare Star was only just barely quick enough to avoid it. “What manner of sorcery is this!?”
-'I knew it.'-
“What?”
-'Void is clearly using Twilight's magic to protect itself despite its death being a sure thing. Look, the magic is the same shade of Twilight's. Luna mentioned it being able to harness some of it's host's magic for personal use.'-
“Your student is more powerful than I gave her credit for then. But Void still needs to die.” Nightmare Star circled around the heart searching for a weak spot in the barrier.
-'I agree fully, but we need to be cautious. We don't know what else this creature has up it's sleeve.'-
“Tch...”
Twilight lied on her bed reading as Cadence gazed out the window and onto her fiance unsure of how to pull her sister-in-law away from her books and into a state of...well into a more agreeable mood as it were.
Her last few attempts failed miserably. Jumping out the window didn't work, Twilight had it sealed with whatever that black-grey substance was so that route was out. She could probably engage Twilight in a fight, being an Alicorn surely made her more powerful than the transformed unicorn right? 'No, that would solve nothing I can feel her power from here, it's too much for me. Maybe one of my Aunts could but they're...not here.' Cadence's mood dropped at the thought of her missing aunts.
A book slammed closed startling the pink mare. “Time to leave, Cady.” Twilight stood up and began walking out the door with Cadence following behind.
“Twilight, where are you going?” Cadence questioned as Twilight opened the door and dropped her shield.
Twilight grinned. “To the Castle of the Two Sisters.'
Void spread its tendrils as far as it could, blanketing the whole of Canterlot. It raised a claw gazing intently at the small cracks forming along its palm. “We were trapped within that crsssytal for too long.”
The creature knew time was running out for it, as it was becoming more of a challenge to spread its influence. “...Need to complete Our new Seed before we...are-” Before it could finish a hot searing pain flared around its non-existent chest as it smoke rose into air as the sun became even hotter. “Ssssso you still live”
Before long, Nightmare Star burst out of Void's body grinning wildly. “Ha! You should known better, monster!” The alicorn hovered in front Void's frowning face. “Hmpf! Me and my sister should have guessed.”
Void rose up until it towered over Nightmare Star once again. “And what would that be?”
Nightmare Star surrounded herself with flames. “That you are not a true Eternal.”
-Be careful, Star.-
Void cracked its knuckles as it smirked cruelly. “So it finally comessss to light doessss it?” Chuckling silently Void crossed its arms. “Yessss, We are not an Eternal. We never were. The original Eternal we were created from left this world.”
Nightmare Star began channeling pure light through her body causing her eyes to turn white. “Harbinger.”
The eldrich being raised its arms. “We are living off of borrowed time, We are dying. Soon We will vanish forever into the aether. But it will not matter, your precious Twilight will be Our successor.” It began laughing silently.
Nightmare Star glared at it hatefully. “...You have destroyed more than you have realized.” Without warning, she charged at Void completely wreathed with flame.
Void swiped at claw at her but found its movements once again slowed by Nightmare Star's magic circle. “Thissss again?”
“I'm not holding anything back this time!” She swiftly dodged the claw and blasted Void with solar fire, incinerating parts of its shadowy body.
Void howled in pain as it broke free of the magic circle. “We are going to die anyway, but not alone.” The alicorn made back away but was intercepted by a black wyvern.
“Argh!!” Nightmare Star unleashed her flames onto the void creature as it bit into her back. She heard it shriek before she teleported away while avoiding more of Void's attacks.
Void summoned dozens of tendrils form its body attempting to skewer the solar alicorn. Nightmare Star raised a single barrier deflecting with tendrils, with a grunt of exertion she trapped the dark appendages within her magic.
The creature opened its maw firing balls of void energy at its adversary, Nightmare Star flapped her wings to gain some altitude but was hit by one of the spheres in the leg. She cringed at the pain as she spotted more wyverns coming in from all sides. “Tch.” With one flap of her wings she unleashed a wave of super-heated air, burning the creatures in midair.
Void watched as its creations were burned to cinders. It could feel its own power wavering as the fight continued, each of them trading blow for blow. It managed to catch to her a number of times, but the alicorn proved herself to be a real challenge.
Nightmare Star eventually created a sword out of pure flame, which made slicing Void's tendrils an easy task. Void opened its maw for a blast of its own. “We are more than you realize, Alicorn!” As it spoke it unleashed a wide beam of black-grey energy toward the panting mare.
Nightmare Star grit her teeth. 'It's weakening, its power is still immense but I doubt it could keep this up for much longer.' Charging up her own horn, Nightmare Star met Void's beam with her one of her own but made pure plasma.
Void planted its claws into ground demolishing buildings in its wake. 'She'ssss more powerful than We thought.' It could feel the strain as their beams refused to let up.
Nightmare Star flapped her wings in a furious pace. “I will not let you win, Void! I refuse to let you harm my precious student with your evil!!”
-'Star?'-
Void was suddenly forced back as its beam was pushed back by such sudden and overwhelming magic. “What!?” It hadn't foreseen this, something beyond simple hatred was powering the solar alicorn now, but Voidras couldn't figure out what it was.
“You took my sister from me!” He primary feathers burst into flame. “Harmed my ponies!” The sun turned red. “And now you have turned my Twilight into your puppet!”
Void launched dozens of tendrils at Nightmare Star only to find them being turned to ash before they could even grip her. The heat was of no danger to Void itself, but its physical form couldn't take this much angry solar magic licking at its body.
Nightmare Star gave final burst of magic into her beam causing it over power Void's and taking half of its face in the process. “HA!” She laughed as Void fell to the streets below.
Void's massive head slammed into the cobblestone streets, destroying even more buildings in the process. It chuckled silently eyeing up alicorn now standing before it. “How interesting, We didn't know you had that kind of power hiding within you.” Its face had already reformed but it could barely move at this point.
Nightmare Star grinned despite her panting. “I'm at my limit I'm afraid. But I doubt you will be getting up again, monster.” She raised her wings, her primaries still aflame.
“We can feel Our essence fading...We haven't lost, though We lay dying.” Void's arms shattered into nothingness.
Nightmare Star stomped a hoof. “It's over, Void. Your return was short lived.” She lit her horn for one final spell.
Void let out an actual chuckle. “Foal, regardless of Our demisssse, this land will be unified under Our power.”
Nightmare Star snorted. “Without you I will release Twilight from your so called 'power'.”
“Oh? Even though your sister still remains tainted by Our influence?” Void smiled.
Nightmare Star drew closer. “I have no time for your mind games anymore.”
Void's' head fell to the side as more of its body evaporated. “Hahahahaahhhaaa!!” It began laughing maniacally before Nightmare Star let loose with her spell and obliterated both Void's head and now unprotected heart. “Even if We...die...We will never truly be gone-” Was all it said before being silenced forever.
Luna jumped as she felt her sister's presence return. “Sister...I knew it.” She looked up to see the red sun revert back its original hue and the power of Void vanish into nothing. “And that abomination is gone at last.”
She heard a groan, and looked over to see the pale purple alicorn standing up on her wobbly legs. “Oh my daughter!” She ran over to support the other mare's weight with a wing. 'With Void dead, she must have been released from whatever spell it had over her.'
Silent Dusk rose to her hooves slowly. “Ngh...what...what happened?” Opening her grey draconic eyes, she realized she was standing in the castle of the two sisters. “How did I get here?” She asked as slowly turned her head.
“You are home, my star.”
She heard a voice to her left, and spun her head around to see Nightmare Moon standing beside her. “N-Nightmare!” She screamed knocking the warm wing away and jumping away several feet from the black alicorn. “H-How did you survive!? I saw you being destroyed!”
Luna's eyebrows rose in confusion. “What? Don't you recognize me, Silent? I'm your mother!” She took a step forward.
Silent Dusk flared her wings. “You-” She gasped when she noticed the wings on her back. “Huh?! When did I get wings!?” She looked down noticing how tall she was. “Taller...” She summoned a mirror made of magic. “Ah!” She was wearing black armour similar in style to Nightmare Moon's with a single pink star-burst on the breast plate. “My eyes too?!” She dismissed the mirror and took a step back in a panic.
Luna adopted a concerned look. “What's gotten into you, Silent? You're acting strange.”
Silent Dusk looked over at Nightmare. “Did you do this to me?” She growled.
Luna gave a pained frown. “My star...it's me Luna, your mother. I would never harm you. I'm longer a nightmare!”
The pale alicorn's anger simmered down slightly when she noticed the heartfelt look in Luna's eyes. “What?”
Luna carefully trotted over to the frightened mare and wrapped her large black wings around her. “It's alright now, Void is no more. It cannot harm you or anypony ever again.” She whispered warmly.
Silent Dusk froze at the contact. 'Dead? But how? I was just...' She raised a hoof to her neck. 'There's no puncture wound?'
Luna smiled as she felt her daughter's wings wrapped around barrel with slight hesitation. “That's it, I'm here now. I won't let anything harm you again.”
Despite the warmth, Silent Dusk felt a cold tingle go up her spine. 'What happened to me?' She gazed at her cutie mark, which was a pink star-burst surrounded by stars covered by a black crescent moon with a purple splotch behind it all. “What did Void do to me?” She asked Luna quietly.
“It took you from the castle and sealed you away where I couldn't get to you, my star.” Luna nuzzled her cheek lovingly. “I tried everything to free you, but it just wouldn't let you out.”
Silent Dusk backed away out of the embrace. “But why do you look like Nightmare Moon?”
“You don't remember?” Silent shook her head. “But how do you not know this?...Void...” Luna scowled. “It must have messed with your memories.”
Silent Dusk rubbed a fetlock with a hoof. “My memories are fine. I think.” She frowned.
“That's good.”A familiar voice said, catching both mare's attention.
Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence walked into the open chamber, one wearing a slightly cold frown and the other following the taller mare warily. Silent Dusk's gaze was drawn to Twilight's oddly shaped eyes. “Aunty!” Cadence yelped at Luna's appearance.
“It's me Cadence, not the Nightmare.” Luna said softly as Cadence's mouth opened and closed in shock. “I merely look like this due to the monster known as Void.”
The pink princess looked at Twilight then back to Luna as she acknowledged just what the connection was. “Then, you were its last victim?”
Luna nodded gravely. “Yes it chose me as its Seed after it was sealed away, my jealousy blinded me to its power.” She looked at Twilight. “But you know the rest.” Twilight merely nodded as she stepped forward.
Silent Dusk for the life of her couldn't restrain the growl that rose up in her throat as she blocked Twilight's advance. “What kind of pony are you?” She flared her wings in a threatening manner.
Twilight lit her horn. “Oh and who might you be?”
“...” Silent Dusk opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself when she realized she couldn't actaully remember her name. “I'm...my name is...”
Luna clicked her tongue. “Her name is Silent Dusk, Twilight.”
Something clicked in Silent's brain when she heard the name 'Twilight'. 'What, but that's...'
Twilight nodded. “Alright. Sorry, my name is Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic and Void's new Seed.” She said with nonchalance, like it was completely normal.
The other mares gawked at her. “No, Twilight! The creature is dead! There is no reason for you to follows its wishes any longer!” Luna stepped between Silent and Twilight with a stern frown.
The void mare raised an eyebrow. “I know it's a monster, but Void merely wanted to unify the ponies.” Luna and Cadence shared a frightened look. “And its dead...somepony must carry on its dream.”
Silent Dusk didn't like where this was going, this 'Twilight' was acting creepily. Her gaseous mane was rolling in what seemed to be barely restrained anger, and the unicorn stood as tall as Luna. She felt the air temperature drop, as Twilight's bladed horn lit up. 'I don't think so.' Before she could release her magic Silent Dusk grabbed her with her own flowing purple mane and tossed the unicorn across the room. “Look out!”
Twilight let loose a powerful black beam into what remained of the ceiling, destroying it in the process. Luna and Cadence gasped and teleported away from Twilight. Twilight grunted as she got up. “You shouldn't have done that.” She said with a grin.
“Twilight?” Luna raised a barrier as the void mare calmly trotted to them.
Twilight smiled. “You're not your true self anymore, Luna. You must join with me.”
Cadence couldn't believe her eyes, Twilight acted almost like herself at the library. But in no time flat she already tried to attack them. “What are you doing Twilight!? Stop this!” She pleaded.
“Celestia is alive. Void is gone. Luna is not being true to herself. You Cadence...are mine.” Twilight stated as she lit her horn again.
Cadence started, before a pained frown came over her lips. “You...you are not Twilight.” Her magic awoke as it passed Twilight's body, which showed exactly what was wrong with her. “Aunty, her love is gone, it's been twisted by whatever Void did to her!”
Luna narrowed her eyes. “Just like what it did to me as Nightmare Moon.” Both mares let out a blast of magic at Twilight's chest...
...only for them to be absorbed by the tendrils Twilight summoned. “Every moment you spend resisting me, only makes me stronger.” She shook her head in disappointment.
Silent Dusk noticed what Twilight did. 'This Cadence mare isn't nearly strong enough,and Luna isn't quite at her full strength. Twilight seems to devour magic.'
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Devour it? No, no you have it all wrong. I AM magic.” With a swish of her horn the Element of Magic appeared and landed on her head. “See?” More tendrils sprung from the ground as she advanced their position.
Silent grit her teeth. “So you can read minds?” Twilight merely grinned. “...Well then, en garde.” She said before launching herself at her.