//------------------------------//
// 11: The Dark 
// Story: A Nightmare in Eidolon 
// by FolkloreBrony 
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PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER


IMPORTANT SCHEDULING MESSAGE PENDING





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Chapter 11-The Dark
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The forest had grown dark as the band of travelers quietly walked upon a road carving into the foliage, the mismatched group looking rather awkward together. Storm clouds had rolled in during the past hour, bringing a heavy downpour with the occasional roll of distant thunder. Nyx was shielded from the weather by a poncho given to her by Toby, her horn poking out of the hood as it glowed to illuminate the night. Nero’s head popped out from the base of the collar, his puffy fur tickling the bottom of Nyx’s neck as he curiously looked around.

As they stepped through the mud, the Wendigo pressed his scythe into the ground as he studied their surroundings. Rain dripped from the Wendigo’s hat as he lifted a lantern in the darkness, providing aid to the alicorn’s light that was dearly needed to see where they were going. Toby seemed to be the only one enjoying the weather, the rain dampening his amphibian skin. Nyx looked up at the Wendigo, wincing a little as the rain hit her face and eyes.

“How much further?” she asked, shouting a little over the sound of the downpour.

“A mile. We will reach the castle bridge soon,” he answered, looking down to stare at her from behind his emotionless mask. “So eager to meet with death?”

Nyx frowned, not liking the bedside manner of the harbinger of doom she was forced to have as a guide. “Just lead the way.”

The Wendigo cackled, conceding the point with a bow, “Fine, fine. It matters little to me. If fortunate enough, I shall feast on your bones tonight.”

“I never!” Toby exclaimed, horrified by such implication as his gaze shot up at Nyx. The mare’s expression formed into a scowl, her nose scrunching up in disgust. She turned away from the beast, allowing herself to smile as she looked down at Nero, who happened to be looking about with his tongue sticking out cutely. At least somebody’s happy, Nyx thought to herself, raising her hoof to gently scratch the bottom of his chin.

As Nyx tended to Nero, she couldn’t help but consider their guide, wondering what exactly he was supposed to be. She was familiar with the legend of the first Hearth’s Warming Eve and how Clover the Clever along with her fellow advisers of the three tribes had shared the warmth of friendship to cast out the windigos from Equestria. It was, of course, a favorite of her, one she looked forward to hearing during the holidays. But, though he shared their name, the beast was fundamentally different from the windigos of the story. She stared at him with a hesitant curiosity, wondering if for him ‘Wendigo’ was merely a name, or if there was, in fact, something deeper behind the title.

“So… Wendigo, is it?” Nyx asked, trying to pass the time as they walked slowly through the rain, hoping to be rewarded with answers to questions she had.

“It is,” the Wendigo hissed out in reply, starting to feel slightly annoyed.

“But you don’t look like a windigo,” Nyx said as she ran her eyes up and down his form, studying him like she would when trying to solve a puzzle. “Why?”

The Wendigo paused, turning to glare at her with an analytical eye. “Why do you care? It’s all rather boring, anyway,” he said, gesturing with his hands to further insinuate his words.

“Humor me,” she answered in a flat tone, thunder rumbling in the distance as she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.

The Wendigo seemed rather confused by this, finding it odd that she would even care about the circumstance of his name. However, as her servant, he had no choice but to answer said question, even if he found it rather pointless, not to mention annoying.

“Humph, perhaps since my sins were greater than my sons, the world saw fit to inflect a harsher punishment upon me,” the Wendigo let out a suppressed snarl, his shoulders tense as he recalled the events that led him to this existence. “Perhaps if I had not been so stubborn when I was still a pony, I would have died old and ignorant, with grandchildren making my bloodline secure.”

Nyx’s eyes widened, looking up at him with horrific disbelief. “You… you were a pony once?” she asked, almost tripping over herself.

“Once. Behind this mask, I am… deformed,” the Wendigo touched the mask, rubbing it as if it gave considerable discomfort. “Despite the horrors she had seen and all her dark deeds, it would seem the Nightmare found my appearance unpleasant. So she forced me to wear these accursed garments.”

“And… how did you end up like this?” Nyx asked, a little more timidly this time, still recovering from the fact that this monster had once been a pony like her.

“I had four sons. We lived in the mountains, and we were trapped in a storm. The youngest was the weakest. We made a choice and we ate his flesh,” the Wendigo listed off these facts as if it were the most inconsequential thing on the planet, ignoring the growing paleness in Nyx’s face as he continued. “Then the others died. One by one we ate their flesh, until there was only me. We were damned from the start, but I grew to enjoy it, so I wanted more.”

Nyx’s eyes widened as he cackled, holding back a gasp while he continued his story, “I was on my tenth morsel when the Nightmare found me, should have killed me right then and there. But she was selfish, saw she could use me. And so here I am. The first and only member of her army against the day.”

Nyx felt revolted at what he admitted, her snout scrunching up in disgust. The Wendigo took this in stride, laughing wickedly as he found her reaction most amusing. The Nightmare wanted to use him, this… cannibal, as a soldier? The mare shook her head as she pushed the thought off to the side, though she felt her opinion towards this creature sour even more than it already had.

“There it is.”

Nyx was startled by the Wendigo’s sudden address, looking up to see where he was pointing. The trees had opened up to a stone bridge hanging over the forest river, held behind an iron gate overtaken by vines and rust. Beyond that, on the other side of the river, stood a great wall, rising forty feet in the air to guard the mountain behind it. Sharp towers rose far above the walls, row upon row racing up the mountainside until it reached up unto a mighty hall, banners and watchtowers hanging from its edges. Thunder boomed as lightning cracked across the midnight sky, revealing floating mountains hanging near the towers, structures built upon their crowns with rope bridges connecting them to the main castle. For a brief moment, the clouds parted to cast moonlight upon the castle, only for what was once a soft comforting light, to be replaced with the eerie glow of a blood-red moon.

“Dear lord,” Toby gasped at the haunting castle walls, backing up slightly as if trying to put some distance between himself and the structure.

“The Castle of Tarikor, as promised,” the Wendigo said dryly, thankful that the journey was finally over so he could be rid of his annoying master. Nyx meanwhile stared at the rising towers with growing apprehension, the weight of what she was about to do dancing in her head.

“Well, I suppose we should get moving, then.” Toby repositioned his bowtie, earning enough courage to outshine his previous fright. However, he only was able to take a step before his path was blocked by Nyx, who lowered her wing in front of him to keep him behind her.

“No Toby, I need you to stay here,” Nyx sighed, opening up her poncho to let Nero out.

“But, milady--!” Toby started to protest before he was quickly cut off, the alicorn holding up her hoof to signal she wanted to speak.

“No, Toby. I have to face this alone,” Nyx said firmly, glaring at him with hardened eyes, holding on to Nero for a moment before handing him to the toad. “The fight is going to be too dangerous for you and Nero, I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”

“But, I...” Toby stuttered, looking up at Nyx as he struggled to keep Nero up in his arms.

“I’m the only one with the power to stop the Dark. I can’t let you come with me,” Nyx placed her hoof on his shoulder, “please, do this for me.” Nyx looked him straight in the eye, pleading with him as Nero looked between the two in curiosity. Toby was reluctant to agree with her, but as he looked into her eyes, seeing the concern and determination reflecting in them, he relented. Toby sighed.

“Alright, milady. Alright.” He conceded, patting Nero for a bit of security as Nyx turned to look at the Wendigo, who lightly chuckled to himself.

“So, you go to your death alone. How noble,” the Wendigo said snidely, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, judging her.

“I’m glad you approve.” Nyx glared up at the Wendigo, a scowl upon her face. She then grew a smile, a mischievous thought crossing her mind. “And while I’m gone, you will not harm my friends and will follow every order Toby gives you as if it were my own.”

The Wendigo, for all his cruel jesting, tensed up suddenly at her words, quickly looking down to the toad with a growl. “You would make me take orders from him?!”

“And be sure to call him Mister Toby, while you’re at it,” Nyx added further insult as she turned, earning a bellow of anger from the Wendigo.

“When you meet the Dark, be sure to fall out a window!” the Wendigo suddenly called, waving at Nyx before she could go to get her attention.

Nyx paused, turning to glare at him for the odd piece of advice. “Why?”

His eyes suddenly glowed a dark crimson, coldly staring as he growled, “I’d hate to climb all those stairs just to get my supper.”

Nyx tensed a little at the implication of what he had said, an unpleasant tingle crawling down her spine. She was about to give a retort but kept silent as Toby spoke up from behind the Wendigo.

“Right, sir. First, we need good shelter and firewood to get warm. Perhaps some food, as well. Be a good chap and fetch us some food while you’re at it. Fish perhaps?” Toby asked, smiling devilishly as he riled up the beast.

“What?!” the Wendigo screeched, looming his shadow over the toad as he tried to intimidate him, a move Toby quietly ignored.

“And do be quick about it, Nero’s catching a cold,” he said as he gestured to the baby nocnitsa, who blinked at the Wendigo before letting out a cute little sneeze.

The Wendigo snarled in anger as he snatched up his scythe, looking down at the toad with a burning hatred that his aura threatened to use on him. But after a moment he turned away, going off to do what he was told while hissing and cursing under his breath. Toby puffed up his chest and smiled confidently as he noticed Nyx with her head turned towards him, giving her a thumbs-up.

Nyx couldn’t help but giggle at that, giving him a salute as she turned back around to face the gates once again. Immediately she felt a weight fall down into the pit of her stomach. The castle was quite big, and the towers looming over her did make her take a moment to gulp down a rather large lump in her throat. But she had to put that aside for now, lock it away, so she could replace it with a brave face. She had made it this far, and the people of Eidolon depended on her.

So that’s what she did. Nyx took a breath of air, puffed up her chest, and put that brave face on, and stepped forward through the bridge gate, leaving her companions behind.
////
Nyx entered the castle gates as her heart sank in her chest, suddenly feeling rather small. It didn’t help that she was overwhelmed by the scale of the fortress, rising high above the ground in gothic towers. The architecture was bold and harsh, yet beautiful in its construction. She wondered how such a thing could have been built and by whom, her imagination skyrocketing as she thought of ponies raising the dark columns into the sky.

The castle itself wasn’t alone. In fact, it spread out to an imposing metropolis. The titan woods gave way to the Victorian monuments, a heavy blue fog hanging low over the city streets. Street lamps, still burning with oil even after all the centuries past, illuminated her way as her hooves clopped against the cobblestone road. Archways ran over her head to connect the upper levels of the streets, crumbling with age and erosion. Rainwater dripped from the rooftops through gutters and fell into puddles in the street, turning the cobblestones glossy.

Nyx frowned, wondering where she was supposed to go. The city was vast and filled with paths and passageways leading to who knows where. One could easily lose themselves to the avenues, so the alicorn had to be mindful to not get distracted and become trapped within the maze. She needed to focus, looking for hints that might help her in finding her final destination.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to go far. Nyx passed by a rusty old gate that opened up to a staircase in the alleyways, leading toward a cathedral. The path was guarded by statues of weeping ponies with their wings encircling their bodies, hiding their faces from anyone who would look upon them. She gazed past them to consider the massive structure it led to, eyeing the bell tower as it chimed its hourly hymn. Somepony has to be there to ring that bell, she told herself, deciding that this was the direction she needed to go.

Nyx climbed the steps as she marveled at the pillars of trees holding up the cathedral, their twisted roots snaking down and twirling upon the cobblestones beneath her hooves. She looked up to the mighty trunks, quivering in fear as she saw the resemblance of a massive skull formed by the roots and bark upon the oak.

She would have gone further, but found as she came to the bridge at the top of the stairs she was met with a ledge. The bridge as long since fallen into decay as the stone was reclaimed by the forest, the stones lost to the streets below. Looking out upon her perch, Nyx’s gaze wandered between the rising ridges, forts, and spires, many of which had trees growing out from their walls. And to the mountainside, carved into the stone, stood a titan maiden who loomed over the city with eyes covered by a blindfold, curved horns rising above her head.

As she stood in wonder of these ruins, these broken echoes of the past, she realized how quiet everything was. With that silence came self-reflection, something she had not been able to do with the others. And she desperately wished that she couldn’t. But reflect she did, pondering over her fight with the nocnitsa and the kelpie. Why am I so aggressive now? she wondered, thinking about all the rage she had felt toward both creatures. She could understand being angry with them, even hating them considering the kelpie. They tried to kill her, after all, but this was different. What she felt was cruel and vindictive, traits she told herself were not her own. That wasn’t who she wanted to be, yet she felt it all the same. It was familiar, uncomfortable, and it reminded her too vividly of her experience when she had been turned into Nightmare Moon by the Children of Nightmare.

What’s happening to me?

Nyx had kept it all in the back of her mind until now, but it was a concerning question nonetheless. She shivered as thoughts of returning to a life of such hatred and loneliness crossed her mind, revisiting unpleasant memories of what she had almost become. In the time since she had been stripped of Nightmare Moon’s power Nyx had developed a mean temper, she was well aware of that, but she never was this aggressive. She felt terrified by her lack of control, ashamed that she couldn’t hold it in and be like everyone else.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, Nyx looked below the ledge to see the entrance to the cathedral, seeing clearly the grand iron doors bolting the crypt shut despite the distance. Standing on the edge she spread her legs and wings, feeling her feathers flexing in the damp night air, and leaped. Nyx tucked in her legs as she rode the air current down, gliding safely toward the lonely street below. She landed gently onto the steps leading to the door, looking up to the massive iron entry. She swallowed as she moved to open the door, nervous as to what she might find on the other side.

Within the cathedral's walls ran a hall that led deeper into the castle tomb, lit by dim torches that cast thin shadows that danced upon the brick. Nyx lifted the hood from her head, looking around at her surroundings. The door creaked shut behind her, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. A thunderbolt clapped in the storm outside, lighting the hall for a short moment before the rumble followed. The wind blew in from a broken window up above, letting out a lonesome wail that echoed through the archways. Nyx tensed, her eyes adjusting to the low light. Spooksville, she mused, finding the building altogether creepy.

Nyx took a brave step forward, knowing she needed to buck up to face what awaited her. She moved off to the side, grabbing one of the torches, and lifted it over her head, letting it light the way. Better than constantly using my own magic, she thought, the walls and floor glowing faint amber in the torch’s light. As she made her way through the hall she looked up to the windows that had not been broken by time, now noticing that they were stained glass windows which held pictures in their designs. The alicorn took the time to look at the pictures as she passed them, committing their images to memory. Nyx couldn’t help but admire their designs, reminding her of the glass murals of Canterlot. 

She studied the images depicted with interest, noting with surprise familiar figureheads of Equestrian history frequenting the stories the stained glass told. One, in particular, caught her eye, pausing for a moment to look up at the illustrated figures. Two ponies flew in the air circling the other, surrounding a green and silver orb that shone with its own inner light. The two ponies looked at each other with smiles upon their faces, but what caught her attention was who they depicted. One was a unicorn Saddle Arabian with a naval blue coat and mane of silver, his crimson eyes painted with thin eyeliner. But the other was an alicorn, with a coat as blue as midnight, and a mane that swirled with the stars. 

Princess Luna. Nyx stood there in silence, disbelief etched on her face. Trying to find the meaning behind the images, she focused on the orb the figures circled, observing the symbol inside; a crescent moon swallowing a six-pointed star. Nyx was taken aback by it, having seen the image before upon the uniforms of the Somnium guards. The symbols and colors connected in her mind, deducting their meaning as a representation of the realm of Eidolon. Did Princess Luna create Eidolon? Nyx asked herself, before sliding her gaze to the second character. And who was he? Were they friends? These questions swam around in her head as she decided to move forward, shelving them to be answered at a later time.

Nyx came to the end of the hall and found two paths, one leading straight down an adjacent hall to the right and the other holding a spiral stairway going up to the higher levels on the left. Didn’t Toby say to always go left? Nyx pondered for a moment before smiling to herself, turning left to take the staircase. The sound of rain hitting the outside of the building pricked her ears as she walked slowly upward, her torch flickering softly against the stone walls.

Nyx made it to the top of the stairs and turned left, surprised when she was met with a sudden shaft of light. Moving forward under an arch she entered a new hall, this one lined with a royal red carpet with gold trimmings. What made her gasp, however, was the endless line of mounted heads upon the walls, decorating the hall with the members of several races with vacant expressions. She felt the urge to relieve herself of her lunch in the presence of something so morbid, but she forced enough willpower to keep it down as she crept forward. She dared to venture closer to the framed heads, captivated by the grim decorum. Ponies, dragons, zebras, griffins, there were even heads mounted to creatures she had never even seen before. As she brought her torch close to see their faces, she noticed that every single one of them had a pair of horns growing out of their skulls, curling upward above their heads into sharp tips. Not only that, but a candle had been set upon each of their scalps, flicking faintly in unison to light the hall.

Nyx shuddered at what could have done such a thing to these creatures, the reason why she had come here dancing in her mind. Did the Dark do this? Beads of sweat poured down her head, thinking of what she had gotten herself into. Biting her lip, she leaned in to take a closer look at one of the nearest heads, drawing her torch close to its face. It was the head of a mare, the fire casting shadows over her pale white fur. Dark maroon locks of hair flowed down on either side of her face, casting her neck into a cave of shadows. Black horns rose from her head, making Nyx wince at how sharp they were. The alicorn looked into her eyes, the orbs glazed over and livid, her eyelids hanging lazily as they barely kept them open. Nyx sighed as she allowed the torch to shine upon the face, seeing the tired, sad expression shown with a look of empathy.

That was, of course, until the head’s eyes shot open.

Nyx jumped, startled by the sudden movement as she backed away, raising the torch higher. The head let out a long gasp for air, the bones in her neck cracking as she slowly moved around.

What? Who?” the mare’s head said in a harsh, groggy voice as she turned this way and that, looking for who had disturbed her slumber. “Who dares come here?”

“What make noise?” A yak head was forced awake by the commotion, snorting angrily as he looked about.

“Someone has come into the hall!” the head of a fat griffin called, his expression looking particularly cross.

“What is it? What is it?!” a dragon’s head shouted angrily, snarling as smoke rose from his nostrils. 

The disturbance seemed to have a domino effect upon the mounted heads, spreading outward as it woke them from their slumber. The mare’s head hissed at the others, trying to clear itself from distraction as she searched for what had interrupted her rest. Staring directly in front of her, the disembodied head looked  straight at Nyx, her lips curled into a sneer. “Oh! One of the living. How hideous!”

“Y-You’re alive…” Nyx whispered, her eyes contracting into pinpricks at the talking, sneering decapitated heads. She felt like she was going to be sick.

The mare’s head grumbled, “Alive? No. Trapped, made prisoners by our own arrogance,” she said with what almost sounded like despair.

“The Dark is master now!” the dragon head snarled.

“Master now!” the yak declared with a shout.

“Master now,” the griffin head repeated through a sneer.

“What are you doing here?” the mare growled, looking rather displeased as she stared at Nyx.

“I… I’ve come to stop the Dark! To save Eidolon!” Nyx admitted before their words fully registered in her head. They’re captives of the Dark! She realized with wide eyes, looking at them with pity. “I could save you too! Set you free!”

“Ha!” the griffin snorted, laughing at her words as if they were some joke. He then glared at her, a wicked smile curling against his beak as his eyes glazed lifelessly. “You will join us soon.”

“Join us soon,” the row of heads to the right said simultaneously.

“Join us soon,” the row to the left repeated in the same fashion.

“You will join us soon,” the horned mare finished before the whole wall of heads erupted in laughter as their candles went out, smiling mockingly at the mare as she slowly backed up.

“Hahahaha!”

They all laughed in unison, mocking the alicorn as they celebrated her inevitable doom. Nyx didn’t know what to make of any of this. Why wouldn’t they want her help? Why were they laughing? She was so deep in thought trying to figure out what to do next, she didn’t notice the body she was walking back into, shadows dancing on grey fur as she bumped into something standing behind her until it reached out to grab her shoulder.

“Auuuuuhhhh!!!” Nyx screamed in fright, jumping ten feet out of her skin as she whipped around, dropping the torch. The flame at the end went out upon hitting the floor. Quickly she lit her horn, ready to fire a spell at any moment, expecting to find some monster waiting for her in the dark. What she didn’t expect was to be met face to face with a gruff, grey coated stallion who stared at her with low, analytical eyes. A flash of lightning went off outside the windows, illuminating the left side of his face in a white glow.

“Who are you?” he asked in a calm, smooth voice that had developed a low pitch with age, holding up a lantern to her face. Nyx winced slightly as the light invaded her vision, still trying to catch up with her beating heart. When she adjusted she quickly measured up the stallion, taking in every detail she could find.

“W-Who am I? Who are you?!” she growled through large huffs, trying to get the downy feathers of her lower wings and chest to go down after they had fluffed up in her alarm. He was a stallion in the later years of his fifties, crow’s feet beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. He wore a dark robe with faded colors of brown and blue. Beneath that he wore a tattered scarf that hung low against his chest, lined with tears and stains from years of neglect. He stared at her for a moment with a blank expression, bringing the lantern away from her face and back toward his own.

“I am the Groundskeeper of the Cathedral, I watch over these halls.” He lifted his lantern up, letting the light shine upon the many heads mounted upon the wall. “I see you have met the decorum.”

“Y-Yes. It’s… nice?” Nyx squeaked, feeling really nervous around the old stallion for some reason.

“Nice she says. Ha!” the dragon’s head leered, snarling as his long tongue danced to taste the air.

“She’ll think it’s nice when her head’s hanging on the wall with us!” The mare’s head laughed, sending a chill down Nyx’s spine. Her cackle continued until the stallion shot her a death glare, forcing the head to immediately silence herself.

“Did… how did you…?” Nyx stuttered, her mouth agape at how easily he made the head shrink back in fear.

“As I said, I am the Groundskeeper of the castle, which includes this cathedral and the Hall of the Damned. It holds the souls of those who sought out the Dark for their own gain. They serve now as a warning to those… unworthy.” The Groundskeeper paused for a moment, turning to look at her up and down, studying her. “I realize you have yet to tell me your name.”

“Oh… it’s Nyx,” the mare replied shyly, looking down at her hooves. She didn’t know why she felt this way, but something seemed off about the older stallion. Honestly, she had mostly gotten over her general sheepishness towards new ponies, but something about him intimidated her.

“Hmm, I see,” the Groundskeeper said thoughtfully, pondering the name for a moment before pushing his lantern closer to her. “And why are you here?”

“Emperor Kadhaab of Eidolon sent me to fight against the Dark. His influence is destroying the land!” she answered without even thinking, a feeling forming in the pit of her stomach telling her that it wouldn’t be wise to withhold any information from him. “I might not know what I’m supposed to do, but I’m an alicorn. It’s my duty to help those in need!”

“An alicorn you say?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, his expression otherwise blank. Nyx immediately extended one of her wings from between her saddlebags, showing it off as the stallion nodded his head in acknowledgment. “There hasn’t been an alicorn in this realm in a thousand years. Where did you come from?”

“I… I’m not from here. I came from Equestria,” she admitted, holding the pendant around her neck tightly.

“Ahh, that explains it. You Equestrians always had a… self-righteous view of duty,” the Groundskeeper said in a dry tone, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“Thanks?” she said questioningly, wondering why exactly he chose to put it like that. The Groundskeeper took a step back and turned the lantern down the hall, looking into the darkness that swallowed the end before he spoke again.

“So, Nyx of Equestria, you seek the Dark?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, wheeling around as he gave her a small smile. Nyx hesitated for a moment as she took in how he seemed to be holding onto more information than he was letting on, brushing it off as she slowly nodded.

“Yes. I know it might sound crazy. From what I’ve heard all of this is crazy, but this is what I have to do,” she answered with a determined expression. His smile seemed to grow in response to that spark.

The Groundskeeper placed his hoof over his chest. “Then would you like me to be your guide?” he asked.

Nyx’s eyes widened. “You know where the Dark is? You’d help me get to him?” she asked, surprised by his lack of fear at the idea of leading her to such a monster.

“I know many things that go on in the Castle of Tarikor. As for help, it has always been my way to guide those seeking the end of their journey, whether good or bad the ending to that path may lead.”

“Oh, o-okay,” she said through a forced smile, nervously following him down the hall. Great, Nyx, you’re doing great. Now you’re being chaperoned by Dracula. Nyx shook her head as she allowed the Groundskeeper’s lantern to be her light, her eyes glancing at anything that was illuminated by it in the shadows.

She was so preoccupied with her surroundings, she didn’t notice the scowl that formed on the Groundskeeper’s face as he led her through the dark labyrinth.
////
The storm outside had intensified since the Groundskeeper offered to guide Nyx through the castle corridors, the sound of heavy rain pelting the roof echoing through the rafters. Some corridors were lit, but for the most part, the castle was left in the dark. Nyx concluded that perhaps that was how her opponent preferred it, letting the shadows spook ponies so he appeared more menacing than he actually was. For a moment a flicker of hope emerged from within the mare, humoring the idea that perhaps the Dark wouldn’t be a problem after all, and that everything going on was a clever use of smoke and mirrors. She sincerely hoped that was the case.

The Groundskeeper turned a corner and led her to a wide row of stairs, directing her to a pair of heavy wooden doors that rose up to the ceiling about two stories above their heads. He motioned for her to follow, walking up the steps as he set his lantern down and pulled a ring of keys from his cloak. He muttered to himself a few times, shifting through the keys until he found the one he desired before pushing it into the lock. There was a loud click as the mechanism inside was released, the door creaking open slightly on its own now that the lock was undone. He turned to her.

“The Dark will see you inside,” he said as her eyes grew wide, the alicorn staring at the door with a feeling of hesitation.

“He’s in there?” she asked somewhat nervously, rubbing a hoof against her leg.

The Groundskeeper paused. “Not at the moment, but he will be, shortly. Trust me, I know him better than anypony else.”

Nyx stared blankly for a few moments, feeling a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. After a moment, however, she took a deep breath to calm herself, reaching up to hold the pendant around her neck. She opened her eyes and stepped forward, a new sense of determination etched upon her face. “Alright.”

The Groundskeeper nodded, pushing the doors open wide as they groaned in protest. Dust fell from their hinges, pulling against cobwebs that had built up over the centuries, giving way as the two stepped into the throne room. The first thing Nyx noticed as she walked in was that the room was very large, more of a hall like the one in Canterlot. Cracked marble columns lined the corners of the room from the doors to the end, leading to a seat set atop a round set of stairs. The ceiling curved above them ordained with ivory, onyx, and silver. The layout itself felt like a cathedral of old, stained glass windows exposing the storm outside as lightning flashed against the inner gothic structure.

Nyx braved her way further inside while the Groundskeeper stayed behind, watching her with a scrutinizing eye. Her gaze wandered up to a pair of banners emblazed in colors of midnight blue and forest green, the familiar symbol of Eidolon sewn into the cloth. She pondered for a moment, wondering how the castle would look like if it was still under the control of the Eidolonians.

However, as she drew closer to the throne, she knew that something was wrong. “I don’t understand, I thought you said the Dark would be here?” She looked around, trying to find where the Dark might be hiding.

“He already is,” the Groundskeeper said ominously, slinking into the shadows as his eyes glowed, his body shifting and rising. Nyx shook her head in frustration, turning back toward him.

“But where? Shouldn’t he be right here? Where… is… he?” She trailed off as her eyes traveled upward, staring upon the being that now stood above her. The figure was tall and thin and loomed over her, casting a long shadow over her body. It was bipedal in its form, bony appendages peeking out of elegant blue robes covered in decorative designs that had faded long ago. Its skin was as pale as a corpse, its spinal ridges poking through the back of its unnaturally thin neck. Its head, however, was what drew the air from the mare’s lungs. Its face was devoid of any expression or defining feature whatsoever, lacking eyes, mouth, or nose. Large horns curled from the sides of its head into sharp points, their tips directed right at her. The figure shifted in the darkness and took a step forward, causing her to fall backward in fright.

“You… you’re the Dark?” she squeaked, her ears flattening against her head as she looked up into the shadow of the towering figure.

“The Dark,” the form sneered, vibrating in disgust as he uttered the title given to him, “such a primitive term for something so abstract. But if that is what you insist on calling me, so be it.” He relaxed a little at that statement, now seemingly complacent with the name.

“What are you?” she asked, still recovering from the initial shock of what was standing before her. Nyx had to gather all her strength just to stand up, taking in his full height. He was easily eight feet tall and knew it, holding both the grace of a nobleman and an intense, domineering presence. He stood rigid at her question, his hand reaching into the air as he produced a long staff out of nowhere.

“I am a monument to all the evil in existence. Every shadow, every dark deed, every horrid desire of the imagination, is mine,” he said with a bow, his gaze, if you could call it that, never leaving her.

Nyx frowned, tilting her head at the outlandishness of his claims. The Dark sighed. “I am the negative, the passive. The less desirable aspects of harmony that keeps the world in balance.”

“Harmony? How are you a part of harmony?” Nyx shook her head, rolling her eyes at such nonsense. “The Emperor told me what you’re doing to Eidolon. You’re stealing their land, destroying their homes. That’s not harmony, that’s chaos! It’s evil!”

“I never claimed it wasn’t,” the Dark stated flatly, moving out of the shadows, displaying his full height, slowly moving forward toward the throne while keeping his gaze on her. “But that’s the cost of harmony, balance. The light burns its way through the darkness, without nary a thought. And then when it pushes too deep, it’s swallowed.”

The dark shifted his weight as he craned his neck around, staring dead at her. “It’s a lesson you equines never seem to learn. Too arrogant to know that your view of the world is skewed and biased.”

Nyx was shaking now, feeling that hot anger starting to steer her again as she gathered the courage to give a retort, “Of course I’m biased, you’re hurting them! You’re destroying their home!” she yelled, only to receive a dismissive wave from the creature.

“They destroyed mine first,” he said with little emotion, testing her flaring temper.

“That doesn’t make it right.” She snarled, surprising herself. Why am I getting so angry? She wondered silently, glaring at him.

The Dark shook his head, leaning against his staff. “I never said it was right, only fair.”

“Fair?! This is wrong! You have to stop! If you don’t do it, I’ll force you!” she growled, trying to keep her temper in check as she flared her wings out in intimidation. She couldn’t help but shudder and grit her teeth when he just laughed at her.

“Stop me? Dear child, you don’t even know what I am,” he said with an angry snarl, insulted by her naivety. “You don’t even know what’s going on. How could you? You’re an outsider looking in. Stuck in her primitive world view.”

“And what’s that?” Nyx stared at him through narrow eyes, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible, yet finding herself curious to discover why he had said that.

The Dark shrugged his shoulders, taking his staff in both hands as he looked down on it to study the patterns in the wood. “That your world is governed only by the positive traits of harmony. That the natural order of things is what falls in line under your control, why the unruly and strange is to be shunned and feared.” He looked down upon her. “That good can only be pushed forward by the light, while darkness is forgotten.”

Nyx scoffed. “Ponies don’t need the darkness to grow. We grow living by each other’s happiness and good deeds.”

“Yet does not your light shine brighter in the presence of my darkness?” he argued, gesturing with his hands as if he were a professor instructing his students. “When faced with evil, does it not strengthen the bond you share with those you care for?”

Nyx frowned. “You’re a liar. Ponies will always stand together, help one another!” she spoke with passion, resighting the lessons her mother and the other Elements had taught her.

“Would they, then? Are you so sure?” he questioned her, tilting his head as he slowly walked towards her, each step seeming to make him grow taller and taller. “Your ancestors squabbled amongst themselves until it brought a cold blight upon their lands. Had it not been for the threat of the windigos sealing them within an eternal tomb, they would still be fighting each other to this day.”

Nyx shook her head. “No, you’re wrong!” she yelled, stomping her hoof against the cold stone floor. The Dark merely gawked at her, lowering himself to return to his original height. 

“Am I? Was it not Spell Nexus, your princess’ most trusted of advisors, who was corrupted by darkness and betrayed her?” he pointed his finger at her accusingly, his head lowering as the ball of darkness hovering above his curved horns flared with purple energy. “Did he not make you? You, who then lashed out at everyone just to satisfy your selfish need to belong?”

Nyx’s eyes widened, her ears drooping against her head. “How… how do you know that?” Nyx stuttered, backing away as she suddenly felt very uncomfortable with the idea that he knew so much about her.

“I know many things, child. All things that are concealed in the shadows I see. I know of Sombra’s tyranny and pride. I know of Tirek’s gluttonous pursuit of power. And, I know of Luna’s envy and wrath, twisting her into the monster that birthed you.” He formed a ball of light in his hand, admiring it as he spoke, “All puppets to the darkness. All puppets to me.”

“Puppets?” Nyx questioned, the slow realization of what he was suggesting forcing a shocked gasp from her throat. “You granted them dark magic!”

“Yes. Both directly and indirectly. All who seek out the power of the darkness seek out me, whether they know it or not. Sombra, if I recall, was the only one who was aware of me. I had hoped that he might stand out from the rest, yet he was only another disappointment,” the Dark said bitterly, clutching his hand tightly around the ball of light, crushing it. “In the end, they were all arrogant. Blind. They saw only selfish gain, ignored the light in the darkness.”

“What do you know of light? You created history’s greatest tyrants! You’re a monster!” she spat, her temper reaching to a boil.

The Dark reared back as if he had been slapped. “Have you heard nothing of what I’ve said? Is darkness all you see?” he asked in an offended tone, his words bordering on disappointment.

“All I see is evil, and I will stop you!” Nyx stomped her hoof, allowing some of her magic to seep into the blow, causing the marble beneath her to crack like a spider web. The two stood quietly for what seemed like an eternity, the silence broken only when the Dark let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

“Then you are no different than the rest,” the Dark snarled. With a sudden upward swipe of his arm, the floor to the throne room fell out from beneath her hooves, purple tendrils of energy snaking through the cracks of stone. Nyx yelped in surprise, unable to steady herself enough to fly as she fell into the swirling black void below. Desperately, she tried to break her fall with her magic, but was too slow in her reactions as she slammed down onto a surface hard, knocking the wind out of her. A dull pain erupted through her body as she slowly got back up, her eyes dilating as she took in her new surroundings.

The castle was gone as far as she could tell, replaced by a vast empty space that held floating boulders and, bizarrely, several impossibly large objects such as cracked teacups, monocles, and arabian daggers. The void held a faded grey hue broken up by the occasional violet streak of lightning, flashing hot and angry as if it had its own malicious will. Shying away from the cracks of thunder, she looked down at her hooves and noticed with a gasp that the ground she stood upon was, in fact, a massive pocket watch, its glass covering splintered with cracks that obscured the moving gears beneath.

What is this place? she wondered, nervously trying to find a way out.

What do you fear most, little filly?

Nyx doubled over as the deep threatening voice of the Dark echoed all around her with thunderous effect, shaking the world. Her eyes darted all around, trying to find where it was coming from, finding it difficult to see through the void despite her enhanced vision.

Is it the sounds that go bump in the night?

The Dark spoke again as she got to her hooves, his voice ringing in her ears. It was getting louder, forcing Nyx to flatten her ears against her head. She backed away and took to the air, flying around trying to find a way out, her wings flapping in a panic. She didn’t know what was happening. It was as if her emotions had been dialed to eleven, so many different feels going off in her head at once that she couldn’t think straight.

Or the imaginary monster under your bed?

The voice grew so loud now that her ears started to bleed, crying out in pain as she covered them with her hooves. Several bolts of violet lightning filled the sky like spider webs, the light reflecting off her coat as her wings locked up and she fell to the floor, her body shaking in agony.

Or, are you afraid of something more… painfully real?

The voice became so loud that it actually paralyzed her, her mind going numb like she was going to pass out. The glass beneath her vibrated as new cracks formed, threatening to shatter but somehow keeping together as another thunderbolt flashed. Then, everything became quiet, save for the distant thunder that echoed deep into the endless space.

“Nyx?”

The voice came barely noticed at first, the alicorn having difficulty hearing anything over the constant ringing. The voice was persistent however, repeating itself over and over until Nyx forced her eyes open, squinting at the blurry world around her. Wincing, she brought her hoof to her ear, grimacing at the crimson stain that coated it when she retracted it. Brushing it against her chest fur she looked around to find where the voice was coming from, her eyes blinking rapidly as a shape began to form.

The shape was the unmistakable outline of a pony, slowly moving towards her as it became more defined. Colors were the first thing that became apparent, a mix of lavender and dark cobalt presenting themselves in her vision. Then the outline became more prominent, revealing a horn and wings, and a look of confusion and worry that only a mother could have.

“Mom?” Nyx breathed, rubbing her eyes to get them to focus. The world finally became crystal clear as the mare standing before her was revealed, the familiar form of Twilight Sparkle filling her with excited recognition. Quickly she got to her hooves and ran forward, closing the distance between the two of them as she threw herself into her mother’s embrace. Tears stained her cheeks as she cried happily into Twilight’s shoulder, her mother returning the gesture as she craned her neck.

“Nyx!”

Nyx ears flicked at the voices that shouted her name in unison, looking up from her mother’s shoulder in the direction they came from. Her eyes widened as she saw a group of fillies and a dragon running toward her, all looking at her with happy, excited looks.

“Spike? Girls?” Nyx mouthed in disbelief. They were here, too? Why were they here? She didn’t understand where they had come from, but she would be lying to herself if she didn’t feel her spirits soar as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Twist, and Spike tackled her in a laughing, crying group hug.

“Nyx, what’s going on? Where are we?” Twilight asked Nyx as she pulled away, allowing the others to show their affection as she looked around in confusion.

“I… I don’t know. What are you all doing here?” Nyx asked through spouts of giggles, looking at each of her friends hoping for an answer. Before they could, however, a large black mass slinked across the surface of the watch toward them like spilled ink, grabbing them all by their legs. Nyx watched in horror as they were dragged down into the shadow as if it was the surface of water, frantically grabbing hold of Twilight before she was completely submerged.

“Nyx!” Twilight cried out in terror, their hooves locked together as she was slowly pulled down, a black tendril reaching out of the ink to wrap around her mouth and silence her.

“Mom!” Nyx cried, putting all of her strength into keeping the mare above the surface. She stared desperately into her mother’s panicked eyes, gritting her teeth in exertion as her hooves skeeted against the glass. Whatever the mass was, it soon grew tired of the game of tug of war, several tendrils wrapped around Nyx’s barrel and yanked her back, throwing her away from the pool as Twilight was swallowed with a muffled cry.

“No!” Nyx cried, flaring her wings as she flew back toward the ink, charging a spell to attack it. She fired on the shadow, but it just broke apart, spreading outward toward the corners of the watch as she landed where it had been. 

Nyx whipped around to fire again but stopped as she watched the shadows rose up from the glass, taking shape into six different globs of black. The globs quickly grew shape and color, materializing as her friends and family. Nyx stepped forward to get them but stopped with wide-eyed shock as six other figures formed, wrapping themselves around the others as they shaped into six identical mares. The mares pulled out ugly daggers and brought them up to their captives’ throats, smiling viciously at Nyx as she looked at them in recognition.

They were all exact copies of Nyx.

“Hi there, brother,” one of the doppelgangers hissed into Spike’s ear, looking at him with a twisted smile as it pressed the knife against his windpipe.

“N-Nyx?! What are ya--?!” Apple Bloom tried to question the clone that held onto her, only to earn a slap across the face.

“Quiet!” the fake sneered at the southern filly, showing off its sharp, predatory teeth to scare her.

“Mommy? Why is this happening, mommy?” the fake holding Twilight asked as it looked at the alicorn with desperate, unhinged eyes, twirling the dagger in its magic.

“Let them go!” Nyx growled at the others, earning their attention, shaking in fear and anger as she gritted her teeth. The doppelgangers laughed at her in unison, pointing their daggers at her.

“No, you let them go!” the one holding Scootaloo snarled, its eyes darting around in a paranoid frenzy.

“Smothering and worrying for them, pretending to care!” another mocked with a shaky voice as if tittering on an emotional breakdown, keeping its front leg wrapped around Sweetie Belle’s throat.

“If you really cared you’d run away!” Twilight’s captor screamed, causing the mare it held to cry.

“Shut up!” Nyx spat, her eyes giving off a flickering glow as she stepped forward. The doppelgangers immediately pressed the knives against their captives’ skin, drawing blood. Their eyes stared with a burning psychotic lust that made Nyx stop herself, reminded that she needed to be careful with what was at stake.

“Nyx, please!” Sweetie Belle was crying now, shaking like a leaf as her captor hugged her.

“Sheesh, it’s okay. It’ll all be over soon,” the fake Nyx cooed, patting the filly on the back. Nyx gritted her teeth at the display, unsettled at the unhinged look in her clone’s eyes as she ‘comforted’ Sweetie Belle.

The one holding Twilight hissed, drawing Nyx’s attention back toward her. “You stay with them and the hate grows, and they get caught in the crossfire,” it growled, eyes filled with rage.

“We’re so content with letting them be hurt by those who want to hurt us, so…”

“Why don’t we finish the job?!” the doppelgangers cried in unison, pressing the daggers to their captives’ throats. Nyx’s eyes widened, knowing what was coming next.

“No! Don’t--!” She yelled as she took a desperate step forward, a move made too late.

There was a sickening wet scraping sound as the ‘Nyx’ holding Twilight glided the dagger across her jugular in a slow, maniacal move. Twilight’s eyes bugged out as she choked and gagged, holding her hoof against her throat as she slumped over. 

Spike was next to topple, his claw falling close to Twilight, as if reaching for her one last time. Apple Bloom went next, then Twist, then Scootaloo. Of all of them, it was the start of Sweetie's scream, cut tragically short, that broke her the most. The dopplegangers held them up with twisted smiles as the life was drained from them.

Nyx quivered as she watched helplessly, her eyes locked on the pools of red that seeped into the cracks in the glass, running down towards her. The floor was etched in their blood, spreading out in intricate patterns that webbed under the clones’ hooves. Said clones were in varying states of reactions; Spike’s was dancing around his body with glee, dipping her hooves in the puddle. Twist’s was poking her body as if trying to get a reaction, while Scootaloo’s spat on her corpse. Sweetie Belle’s rocked back and forth with the dagger pressed against her head, whining to herself that she ‘didn’t mean to’. Apple Bloom’s just stared at her now blood-stained dagger, mesmerized by it. And the one who had killed Twilight, her Twilight, stared right at her with an evil, insane look, laughing at her. 

Her heart raced in her chest as her eyes rose from the still form of her mother, her gaze marked with murderous intent. Her eyes glowed an angry teal, the slits dilating into sharp knives behind the lenses as she stared hatefully at her mirror image.

“You… you took everything from me!” Nyx bellowed, hot tears staining her cheeks as she screamed and fired.

Her horn ignited with the ferocity of a star, a blistering hot ray of blue magic exploding into the torso of the doppelganger. The mare ceased her cruel laughter to let out a surprised urk of pain. She dropped the bloody knife and looked down at herself, staring in confusion at what had elected a cry from her throat.

Staring down at the gaping hole running right through her.

The doppelganger slowly lifted her head to stare at Nyx, a look of pure shock etched in her eyes. Then, to Nyx’s rage, she offered her a cruel, twisted smile before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell backward, slumping down dead on the floor. The other doppelgangers immediately snapped to attention, staring at her with the predatory gaze a pack of psychopaths. Nyx snarled at them and they snarled back, running toward her as Nyx charged her horn again, going on the offense as they all lunged at her.

The first slashed at her as Nyx brought up her wings to protect herself, growling as the dagger made a thin cut across her radius. The doppelganger prepared to bring the dagger back around but was stopped by a quick uppercut from Nyx’s front hoof against her jaw, staggering. Taking the advantage she jumped, wrapping a hoof around its neck for momentum so she could get on its back, bringing her weight down as she slammed the fake Nyx’s head into the ground. She heard the crunch of bones breaking, quickly rolling off of the now still clone. She didn’t care. She wanted it to hurt. She wanted to hurt them all.

The second rushed at her the moment she came out of the roll, catching her off guard as she slammed into her middle. The charge took her back several feet, the clone using its weight to then slam the mare into the ground near the edge of the watch. Nyx’s eyes widened as the doppelganger screamed and raised its dagger in the air to swing it down in a wide arch. Nyx leaned her head out of the way just as the blade sunk into the glass mere inches from where her eye used to be. The doppelganger snarled and cursed as it tried to pull the knife out of the glass, giving Nyx the chance to kick her in the gut. The clone moaned, rearing up and gasping as Nyx grabbed it by the wing, twisted and pulled, then slammed its body into the glass with a now broken wing. Satisfied that it couldn’t fly, Nyx dragged the doppelganger around by the appendage and tossed it into the void, the clone letting out a scream as it fell over the edge.

Nyx was rewarded only a moment’s rest before the third and fourth doppelganger were on top of her, swinging their daggers in a frenzy. Nyx ducked and swayed, trying to keep out of their reach as she dodged another swipe that could have taken out her eye. With one in front of her and the other behind, Nyx needed to separate the two or she was going to die. As the one behind her made a move to slash at her flank she kicked her in the face while flapping her wings to get in the air, hovering over the head of the one in front as she brought one wing down on her neck, forcing it to its knees. Building on the growing gap between her opponents, she wheeled around and blasted the clone she had kicked with her magic, sending it tumbling backward. Grunting, she turned back around, only to earn a painful cut across the face by the other one, glaring daggers at her as she swung again.

Nyx, however, quickly reached up and grabbed the doppelganger’s arm and twisted it, forcing her to let go of the dagger. She then brought her own arm down on her, forcing her to lean down to the ground head-first as she quickly pulled out her own dagger and drove it into her back, forcing the air out of her lungs in a surprised gasp. She pulled the blade out just as the other clone got back up, catching her out of the corner of her eyes as she ran toward her. She looked toward it then back at the dagger, wires connecting in her brain as she placed the sharp end between the split in her hoof and threw it. The dagger spun in the air dangerously as it quickly closed the gap between itself and its target, the doppelganger too surprised to react before the blade planted itself into her chest, the force knocking her off her hooves. She fell dead on her back.

Nyx snorted and looked about, searching for the last one. She had just turned when she was forced back by a powerful beam of dark magic, quickly raising a shield that barely held against its raw might. She cried and gritted her teeth and poured all her magic into just keeping the shield up, opening her eyes to see what was going on. The final doppelganger had used the others as a distraction while she conjured up a well of dark magic, building it up until it hit critical mass. The heat coming from it alone would have been hot enough to melt steel, the shield offering some protection but still forcing her to break out into a sweat. The doppelganger laughed and shouted obscenities at her, mocking Nyx for her failures as she forced the mare to her knees.

“Look at you! Can’t even stand! How does it feel knowing your weakness let them die!” she cackled madly, pouring more power into the beam of black energy, the doppelganger’s eyes glowing red and green as purple smoke steamed off of them.

Nyx growled, looking up to her dark counterpart with hatred. Without even thinking, she started to pull on that anchor of darkness that the doppelganger had built up for herself, drawing it into her own magic to vamp up her own reserves. The doppelganger felt this change and frowned, realizing what she was doing with fear and agitation.

Having stolen enough of the dark magic for herself, Nyx morphed her shield spell into a beam of her own, countering the spell fired on her as the two colliding forces wrestled for dominance. The doppelganger strained against Nyx’s magic as she tried to insult her, break her morale, but was actually terrified when the alicorn’s magic only got stronger. Nyx wasn’t responding to anything anymore, lost in a sea of emotion. In that moment Nyx was gone, replaced by an angry, vengeful animal.

Against the strain the doppelganger cried and stepped back, her magic starting to flicker out of existence. Nyx saw this and pressed forward, keeping the beam on it as she closed the distance between them. The clone snarled and used what little magic it had left to swipe her beam out of the way, pulling its dagger out of its holster, and swung at her. The sudden movement caught her off guard and the blow was able to land, just barely grazing her across the face as a cut formed from her cheek across the top of her muzzle. The second swing however was expected.

Nyx met the blade with her own, deflecting the swipes and jabs as she stared at the thing in front of her with a sickened expression. Finally, as the doppelganger went for a slash across her throat, Nyx swiped upward against the clone’s arm, knocking the blow out of the way. Whipping around, she brought her own dagger across its belly. Her double let out a pained cry, which was quickly silenced as Nyx drove forward, taking the dagger and jamming it into her evil twin’s gut. It looked down at the wound with disbelief, finally letting out a whimper. Nyx pulled it out and shoved it back in, enjoying the pain she was giving to this monster who took away her whole world.

“Hurt? I hope so, you…! You…?” What began as a sneer was replaced by a look of confusion as the doppelganger let out a painful laugh, hacking as blood leaked from its mouth. Nyx was caught off guard by the act, lost as to what it could possibly think that was so funny. Then it reached up and grabbed her tightly for support, the laugh evolving to a hopeless sob. Nyx watched wide-eyed as the look on its face changed from crazed anger to one of sadness, the once evil glare of a monster changed into something softer and frightfully familiar.

Nyx only gasped in horror as the features of the doppelganger’s face softened, morphing into the likeness of Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh, sweet Celestia, no…” Nyx breathed sharply, pulling out the dagger while she fell to her knees and scooped up Twilight to hold her. Her mother wheezed, clawing at life through labored breaths as she stared up into her daughter’s eyes, a look of betrayal in her own.

“W-Why? Why did you… do it?” Twilight asked, reaching up to touch her. Nyx didn’t shy away from this, leaning into her hoof to caress her cheek, hot tears ready to fall from her eyes.

Nyx shook her head, wiping her eyes as she held her mother, “I.. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know!” she tried to reassure Twilight, but her mother only looked at her with a sigh.

“You… never do… do you?” she whispered, caressing her daughter’s cheek before she wheezed. Her body grew tired from the stress as her eyes glazed over, closing for the final time before she fell limp in Nyx’s arms.

She was gone.

“Mom? Mom! No!” Nyx was crying freely now, shaking her mother hard as she tried and failed to wake her, the purple alicorn’s head rolling limply backward.

“No… no…” Nyx whispered, her wings drooping in defeat as she just held her mother, not wanting to let go. As she sat there alone with her, a shadow fell over the mare, blocking out the light. Nyx turned, looking up to behold the form of the Dark, who stood over her with an unreadable expression. Nyx held her mother tightly, her anger surging as she ignited her horn, her intuition dangerously hostile.

“What… what is this?!” Nyx hissed out through her tears, looking up at the Dark demanding an answer.

“What you fear most,” he answered simply, barely above a whisper.

Nyx seethed in anger, clutching her mother’s body in her arms. “Liar! I’d never hurt my family!” she screamed defiantly, shaking her head in denial.

“Not directly. But that’s not what you fear, is it?” The Dark lowered himself to her level, placing his boney pale hand upon her shoulder which she resisted, but his grip held firm. “You fear that, indirectly, you will bring wrath down upon those you care for. That others will hurt them, just to get to you. And in that sense, it is no different than if you plunged the knife into them yourself.”

“I… I don’t want them to get hurt. I’d do anything to protect them.” Nyx looked down upon Twilight’s lifeless body, tears staining her cheeks as she hugged her, rocking her slowly.

“I know,” the Dark said calmly, his hand gripping her tighter as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “And you will fail.”

Nyx’s temper flared suddenly as she let out a snarl, spinning around as she fired a hot blue beam at the Dark. This angered the being as the spell caught his robes and burned them away, forcing a gasp of shock and revulsion as it revealed his body underneath. His body was horribly thin, bones popping out from everywhere. What little muscle he had was toned, but on his arms the skin was peeled back to expose the grey flesh beneath, appearing as if he was in the early stages of decay. His gut, however, was another matter entirely. Instead of an exposed, naked belly, there was a set of jaws protruding with blunt teeth, glistening with blood-red stains. The jaws were open wide as tendrils spilled out of the orifice, which to Nyx’s realization and disgust were his intestines.

The Dark ripped what was left of his robes off his body, the jaws slurping up his bowels like noodles. Nyx leaned down, feeling nauseated before he blasted her back with a magical surge from his staff, her body rolling across the glass. She recovered and looked up as he jumped off the watch, his body growing to that of a titan. She stared up in horror as the being looked upon her with an unreadable expression, the rumble of an earthquake filling the air as lightning flashed and cracked. Then, she fell back as the massive jaws let out an ear-splitting roar, filling the space with primal rage as his arm rose over his head, balling up his fist before he brought it down like a hammer, smashing the watch she was standing on into a million pieces.

Her wings spread on instinct as she flailed about in a panic, zipping and swooping and barrel-rolling in the air to avoid getting hit by the gears and glass falling around her. She screamed and cursed as a particularly sharp shard ripped through her side, wincing as the blood flowed freely from the open wound. Gravity seemed to be pulling her towards something as her descent sped up, the debris zooming past her to the point she couldn’t even tell what any of it was anymore.

The fall ended as she crashed into the throne room with a loud thud, returning to the real world with a groan, though that term was relative in all sense of the word. A second thud echoed through the hall as the Dark landed directly in front of her, whipping around as he brought up his staff, ready for a fight. Nyx shot up from the ground she was lying on and faced him, her face wearing an angry scowl.

“There! You feel it, don’t you?! The anger, the rage!” the Dark roared, holding back as he waited for her to make the first move.

Nyx snarled as she shot a fire spell at him, the blue flames moving forward in a wide spread that he quickly collected with a wide sweep of his hand. Bringing it up to where his mouth would be on his face if he had one, he made a blowing motion, sending the fire back at her in a torrent of stone-melting heat. She yelped as she jumped out of the way, a lick of flame singeing the fur on her left hindquarter making her wince.

The Dark ceased his attack, the flame in his hand dying the moment he closed his fist. “You’ve felt it grow since you came here! Exposing who you really are!”

Nyx spun on her hoof as her body morphed into a dark cloud of sparkling purple smoke, spreading out into a long-running wall that broke apart and reformed, forming a small army of Nyx’s. The clones glared angrily at the eldritch horror in front of them, yelling in unison as they screamed, “Shut up!”

The clones all started firing projectile spells at the Dark from all directions, pelting his body with stinging magic. The firepower continued until the dark orb above his head flashed with angry purple sparks, causing the streaking blue lines of magic to freeze mid-air around him. The multiple Nyx’s stared wide-eyed as her magic was then sucked into the orb, the purple static pulsing over its surface before it shot cascade of violet magic in all directions, hitting the clones as they screamed in pain.

The effect was immediate. The clones systematically pulled back together, phasing into the bodies of those closest to themselves until the line made its way all the way back to the original Nyx, the girl writhing in pain as she fell to the ground. The orb over the Dark ceased crackling, going dormant once again as he moved towards her fallen form.

“It will swallow you whole! You aren’t ready for the power you have!” he chastised, raising his hand to grab her hoof as she brought it up, twisting the dagger out of her grasp that she had concealed after she fell.

“And do you know why the darkness will consume you? Because, just like the others, you’re afraid of what’s inside you!” he bellowed, sending an uppercut into her gut like a lightning strike, forcing the air from her lungs. Her back arched up.

“Undisciplined,” he growled, easily dodging a feeble attempt at a punch on her part, sending a right hook across her face, earning a thin spray of blood and spittle.

“Unfocused.” he mocked, clocking her in the neck just below her ear, causing her senses to dull under a loud ringing. She kicked out at him to get away, earning a hard, backhand slap against her cheek.

“Sloppy,” he sneered, watching her pitifully fire a spell in a desperate attempt to hit him, only for the shot to miss by several feet, despite her target being directly in front of her. The attempt, however, was not met without reward, her body rocketed back into a wall as a hot purple bolt of magic shot out of his hand into her torso. Nyx heaved as she slumped to the floor, bloody and bruised. Everything hurt. Everything. She almost went into shock in light of the level of abuse she had endured, somehow able to keep over the edge as her chest rose and fell. She was sure that some bones were broken, a sharp pain ripping through her ribs as she breathed. I’m losing. All this magic, all this power, and I’m losing! The thought repeated over and over in her mind as she began to panic, feeling her body being dragged across the floor of the throne room by an invisible force.

Just as she was brought to the feet of the Dark he reached down and grabbed her by the neck, raising her into the air as his bony fingers wrapped around her throat, making her gag. He lowered her slightly toward his face to look at her, his shoulders slumping as if disappointed as she pawed at his arm.

“I hoped, after all this time, that one might come that would be different. I hoped it might be you,” he said with a hint of sadness, listening to her struggled gasps for air. She was barely paying attention, a fact he caught onto as he shook her once and tightened his grip, his fingers digging into her painfully as she yelped. She was paying attention now.

The Dark shook his head. “You will never save them, no matter what you do. You’re just a little girl. They will die, as painfully as you will.”

The Dark threw out his arm, a long, sharp sword shooting out of his cloak. Nyx’s eyes widened as he held the blade in his hand, gripping the handle tightly as he brought it up. 

“Goodbye, Nyx of Equestria,” he said, the blade ready to drive upward at any moment. 

Something shimmered. Call it chance, call it fate. Call it pure, dumb luck, but before he could end her life with the ugly blade, Nyx caught a glint out of the corner of her eye, noticing the sharp end of her dagger poking out of a pile of rubble a few feet away. Her eyes snapping back towards the Dark, she wasted no time. Her horn flared, the magic wrapping around her dagger’s handle, the knife sailing through the air into her hoof, stabbing him in the arm as the blade dug deep.

“GUH!” the Dark howled angrily, whirling around before he threw her, her body flying out of his grasp into one of the windows. Nyx’s back flared in hot searing pain as her body crashed through the panel, countless shards of glass sailing past her as they cut across her flesh. She was partially aware that she was falling now, her mane and coat fluttering against the wind and rain as she skyrocketed downward. The pain, however, had started to take its toll, barely able to keep her eyes open as she threatened to slip into unconsciousness. It took every last ounce of her strength left just to spread her wings, the feathers catching on the air as she was only a few hundred feet from the ground.

She was tired, so very very tired. Her vision darkened as her wings glided her on autopilot, unaware of where she was going or what would happen when she got there. She didn’t care, let it happen. There was nothing she could do. She just closed her eyes, letting gravity do the work as she slipped into unconsciousness.
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