//------------------------------//
// cH.1 BoOkS aNd CoVeRs (My Secrets are Many) 
// Story: The Moon Presence at Twilight 
// by Arcanum -Phantasy 
//------------------------------//

It was quiet within the Castle of Friendship's library, the only disturbance being the furious scribbling of quill on paper. The evening breeze from one of the open windows ruffled a tall pile of papers on her desk as she scanned through an open book as a much more ancient looking tome sat at the heart of the sea of paper and binding. Princess Twilight Sparkle shared the space of relative calm at the eye of the research hurricane, arms crossed, mane a mess, and nightgown rumpled. With her breathing a little labored and disheveled appearance, one would think she was doing some other late night activity.
I'm so close, she thought, hands trembling as she turned another page in the ancient book. Just a few more key symbols and I'll be able to get an exact translation! A borderline manic grin decorated her face as she levitated a reference book closer to herself. To think, such a rare piece of Equestrian history was just sitting there in the middle of Hollow Shades! Now if I could just translate this one last symbol." 

As she skimmed through the aged pages, one caught her eye. Like all the other ones, it was written in red ink, but these symbols had a faint glow to them, but more importantly, Twilight could actually read them.
"Huh? How is that possible?" she muttered to herself as she looked over the page. "All of the Chronological spells I cast on this places it to be written over six hundred thousand years ago. How can a portion of it be written in modern Equestrian?"
Puzzled, Twilight gave the page a careful once over. Then, with a tone colored with curiosity, began to read the page aloud.
"O, sacred being that hides in the shadows; o Lord of Madness and Inspiration; hear my voice from the confines of your timeless cage. I release you on the grounds of the ancient rite, to be bound by blood, by soul, by time, and by flesh for the gifts of your glory. Hear me, Dark One, Howler in the Dark, Skinless One, Moon Presence, Floating Horror, The Crawling Chaos, I give you my hand with a chalice of my blood to mark my loyalty to your love. Take the kindness of my touch as we embrace in wake of the world's eternal screams. May we share laughter that smothers the terrified screams of those we damned to timeless madness. May we shatter the minds of the masses to make our words the only truths of the world. Devour my twisted heart, generously given and flavored by my madness for your pleasure as much my own as we sing songs not meant for the ears of the sane. I give myself to you, my beloved lord. Do with me as you see fit should you deem me worthy of your love. Take me to your forsaken kingdom beyond the void of infinite darkness so that we may bring forth an heir to the madness beyond the star's light can reach. May we stay eternal, till my flesh and meat rot from my bones and I must move on to the plane all souls must journey to at the end of our time. O great Father of all Bats, Haunter of the Dark, Dark Wing, God of the Bloody Tongue, Faceless God, hear my voice and take me as your own. Please take me as your Queen, as your lover, as your greatest desire."
What the heck? she thought as she gave the page a second look over. Who would write something so gruesome?! It sounds like some love letter from a serial killer or something.
She gave the book an uncomfortable look as she stepped away from it.
"Did I uncover some madpony's journal or something?"
As she was about to close the book, something on the page caught her attention. Three words that weren't there originally. Three words written in glowing red ink that sent a chill down the Alicorn's spine.
I aCcEpT yOu.
Suddenly, glowing red liquid started to leak out of the book, first as a series of small drips before becoming a steady stream, soaking the floor and desk with crimson stains. Panicking, Twilight ran towards the door only to see it covered with solid coils of shadow. Thick splashes dragged her attention back to the book, to which she was greeted by the sight of a variable waterfall of blood poring from it. Eyes wide, she channeled her magic in an attempt to teleport, only to find herself unable to do so. In desperation, she turned back towards the door and tried to blast it away with a beam of magic. When the resulting smoke cleared the door was completely intact.
No...NO! NO!!! she thought desperately, tears running down her face as she ran to the door, glowing blood risen to the ankles of her hooves by this point. She pounded on the door, her heart beating like a jackhammer as her terror drove her to try to breakdown the barrier.
"SOMEPONY! ANYPONY! PLEASE! SPIKE! STARLIGHT! HELP! PEASE! SOMEPONY PLEASE HELP ME!!!"
She pounded and pounded, but not even her Alicorn strength could break the power holding the door together. 
"Please," she whimpered, hands sore as she slid to her knees, the glowing blood coming up to her hips and staining her teal nightgown. "Somepony....help."
As she kneeled there, terrified and defeated, she noticed that she could no longer hear the torrent of blood coming from the book. Heart still pounding in her chest, she turned towards it. The book was no longer bleeding and was even closed, having apparently did the deed when Twilight was begging for help. She hadn't even taken a breath before fear took hold of her yet again as the blood began to move of its own volition. Like an army of red serpents, the blood slithered up from the floor to the walls and ceiling, all of them weaving themselves into intricate patterns and marks that covered every surface of the room. Even the floor wasn't spared as intricate markings covered it in its entirety. At the center of it all was a magic circle, swirling patterns of madness dominated its center while the ring that surrounded it was composed of symbols that Twilight failed to recognize or translate. She watched in silent horror as magic, long forgotten to those in the present went to work. Magic that defied the known laws of the world without reason, restraint, or fear or consequence. Magic that she had unknowingly unleashed upon the world. At the center of the circle, a small black mass formed, only to gradually begin to grow. As it did, a laugh from a deep voice began to fill the room, gently at first, but as the mass grew so to did the voice, both in volume and madness. Eventually, the black mass grew beyond what the circle could contain and flooded the room like a mix of shadow and water, the only patch spared the mass' presence was the speck of ground that Twilight sat upon. Her eyes widened and breathing was labored from fear as she watched the mass of living magic  surge around her, its manic laughter the only other thing she could process. No, there was another thing she could perceive, the thing that had her surrounded was powerful. Immensely powerful. She could tell that if the being wanted to, it could destroy her in a matter of seconds and that there was nothing she could do to stop it.
W-What have I done?
"Wh-Who are you?" she asked, voice just barely above a terrified whisper.
The mass stopped its laughing, its attention focused on the cowering Alicorn before it.
"Do you not know?" it asked, its masculine voice bringing to mind someone tilting their head in intrigue. "You used many of my names when you summoned me. Though I suppose you mortals do have pretty poor memories for creatures that pride yourselves on your brains. The name I go by is Nyarlethotep, The Crawling Chaos. Tell me mortal, what do they call you?"
"T-Twilight Sparkle," she stammered, fear gripping her like a vice.
"Twilight Sparkle," the entity, Nyarlethotep parroted, as if he was testing the way the name felt on his tongue. 
"P-Please," she cried. "D-Don't hurt me."
A portion of Nyarlethotep surged towards her, making her jump back in terror.
"Hurt you?" he said, voice now coming from the shadowy tendril presented to her. "Perish the thought."
Instantly, all of the creature's mass pulled in on itself  where the tendril hovered until nothing but a large mass of shadow stood before her. Then, before her very eyes, the mass quivered and shifted its form until another equinoid stood before her.  He was an Alicorn stallion, covered with thick muscles that his dark gray coat could barely contain. His mane and tail was long and a pure shade of silver that seemed to shine with light all on its own. He wore a black pair of dress pants and shirt with an elegant black hooded cloak draped over his broad shoulders. But what truly held Twilight's attention were his eyes. A deep pair of opal orbs that held power beyond what a mere mortal could ever hope to comprehend.
"After all," he continued, gently guiding her to her hooves by her hand. "Who could ever bring themselves to hurt such a lovely bride?"