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// Black Orbs And Sun Spots 
// Story: The Dark Of The Night 
// by Nobodyslament 
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Another week, another mystery to chew on. I ran my hand over my new blade over and over again. When my hand went down the blade, the black miasma covered the blade. As I wiped it upwards, it returned, making the blade fade into darkness. I stared as my hand danced over the blade. "So am I magic now?" I looked across my campfire, the flames dancing to the tune of nature. "Or have I always been magic, and this place is letting me use it?" I wiped the blade so it would retain its silver glow, and held out a single finger. With careful movements, I began playing with my newfound ability. The darkness that once coated the whole blade forming a small line as my finger began tracing the blade. I swooped my finger across the blade. I slowly coated the whole blade in darkness, leaving a clear area in a sigil I remembered from the past. Three lines, one straight, two curved. Two circles on the top and bottom. I nodded at the marks. "Neberius, Lord of cunning." I spun the knife when I said it, beginning the process on the other side as well. "I may have barred the gates of heaven with my silver tongue, but I like to think I've earned some help in my corner on the other side."

I smiled at the thought. The demon lord of cunning, welcoming in a con-woman who had pretended to be all things in her life. I began thinking aloud, letting my greatest hits sound through the forest. "A tailor, a banker, a prostitute, a rich woman, a beggar, a prostitute again, and a one-eyed gypsy. I've done it all, and if that doesn't get me in some good graces, I don't know what will." I threw the knife in the sky, letting the sigil catch the light as I caught it. "Or maybe I'm just being an edgy idiot, either way, I wanna learn more."

I moved around the fire with a smile on my face as I played with the knife. I had gotten used to the weight now, and knowing I could apparently make things darker was kinda cool. Maybe I could learn to do it around my camp, learn some more parlor tricks for guests. I watched the fire for a moment before grabbing one of my little fire fruits. Tossing it in the fire, I watched as it exploded outwards. Heat poured over my face, whipping my black hair into my face. As my hair lowered to cover my eyes a voice sounded behind me. "Well well, that was an excellent little trick. Is that how you scared Princess Twilight?"

I smiled wide in manic glee. Whoever this was, went and chose the wrong time if they were hoping to catch me off guard. I was magic, and a demons mark now stained my blade. I reached into my bag, pulling out a small pouch of jerked meat. I added some salt and took a bite. I turned on my heel, speaking before I even saw my target. "Ah, so the game is afoot yet again." I turned and saw the solid white pony with horns and wings. I didn't slow down, the wings of bullshit letting me fly. "But who are you in my story I wonder?"

I began pacing, looking over the pony as she wore a small smile. I tapped my chin. "Are you my Mycroft, here to hinder slightly and help greatly, or are you my Moriarty?" I held my hands like scales. Bouncing them up and down. "The scale of fate is bouncing up and down, and do you know what that means my little guest?"

The pony looked at me with one eye, her other hidden by her mane. "I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest."

I leaned back, letting gravity force me down as I sat. "It means another guest walked in without introducing herself!" I spread my arms over my head. "What state is the world in I wonder? Where thinking creatures don't bother to introduce themselves before speaking. It's sacrilege I say, and rude to top it off!"

A giggle came from the general direction of the pony, and soft hoof-falls moved towards me. "Then I apologize. I am Princess Sol Celestia. Ruler of this land and sovereign of the sun."

I was to hyped up to care. Magic powers tend to do that. I grabbed some old lies, restructuring them and bringing important ones to the front of my mind. "Oh poo, a boring sunspot right in the middle of my beautiful abyss." I waved my hand at her. "Begone Moriarty, and if you run into my brother tell him I said to fuck off. Heaven knows that ball of gas needs to be deflated a little bit."

There was a pause before more giggles filled the air. "Luna warned me that you were a tad bit confrontational, though I will admit to not believing you would be so small for a creature that claims such great power."

I smirked. "Great power? What great power does the night hold in your world princess?" I decided that testing my theory now over later would be good, walking to a nearby tree. "Is it the power to do something great and mystifying like teleport?" I laughed as I rested my arm on the tree, leaning against it. "Because I wish to know how being dark grants the power to teleport." I snapped a finger. "Maybe it grants the power of flight? Surely with all the birds and bats of the night that is what it does."

I shook my head. "No princess, the night holds no great and terrible power that affects the living." I made sure to add that line in specifically to cast some doubt. If the night can't affect the living, then the dead was still wide open. My old threats still stand. I shook my head. "No sunspot, do you know the only power of the night?"

Celestia looked at me, a curious glint in her single eye. "You've got me curious enough to ask. What power does the night have?"

I ran my hand down the tree, and couldn't restrain the sinister laugh that bubbled up as it faded into the black abyss. "The secret little light is that the night is always there. Waiting and lurking." I walked back towards Celestia. "That's the only power of the night." I smiled wide. "It reminds me of something I heard a lifetime ago. Tell me Sunspot, what is the fastest thing you know of?"

Celestia paused a moment, raising a hoof to her chin. "I would imagine it would be light itself. Despite the great distance between the sun and Equess, it still lights the world instantly as I pull it over the horizon."

I showed my teeth, taking the three facts I was just given and rejoicing as she stepped into my verbal pitfall. I spun around, pointing my finger behind me towards her. "And that is why I shall call you Sunspot. So focused on your little patch of the world you forget of the flames around you even as you stand apart. The light is fast." I waved my hand in the air. "Perhaps the second fastest thing in the universe. But there is one thing faster." I moved to my fire, before trying another new step in my powers. I began moving my hands as if to warm them at the flames, before moving them down. Darkness followed them, causing a large shadow to fall. "Look, princess, look at the light as it stops. As soon as it stops the darkness reclaims it, and it will race and beat against the light. No matter how fast light is, darkness will always beat it there." I clicked my tongue. "It will beat the light in its race and be there waiting. That is the night."

I coated my hands over our entire side of the fire, shrouding us in darkness. "And that is all that the night can do sunspot. It lets the creatures that hate the light have a chance. Creatures like me."

A flash from in front of me blinded me, and with a swipe of my hand, I blocked the light. I heard Celestia's voice from behind my shield. "But the light can always beat the darkness, is this not also true?"

I smiled. Veiled threats hid behind pretty words. This was my battleground, and I loved it even as she pushed me into the check. But check wasn't mate, and this game was still on. I removed the black shield, smiling wide. "Of course it can, but the light requires a source. Power fonts and fountains that give it life." I made a small circle of darkness in front of me. "Meanwhile, darkness and night requires only itself. Others may join, and bask in it's embrace. But when they leave it is not lesser, and when all the power around it dies..." I watched as her horn faded, before flicking the ball. A sense of glee overcame me as the ball moved, dropping over the campfire and leaving both me and the princess in pitch black night. "Only then, does night truly fall. And all my friends begin to rise."

The wind began to whistle, making the leaves seem to mutter and whistle in dark speech. The darkness barely seemed to inhibit my sight, whether a side-effect of playing with magic or not I couldn't guess. But it meant when I saw the faint glow of Celestia's horn as she began to force light into the world once again, it was nearly blinding. I blinked hard as the light enveloped my clearing again, the small sphere around the campfire remaining dark. Celestia looked at it with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I believe that answers all my immediate questions. Though I did have one request if you would humor me?"

I smiled. "One may always make a request of the night Sunspot, though I may not always listen."

Celestia nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it. I simply heard from Twilight that you have a surprisingly nice singing voice. May I hear a song?"

I smiled wide as my stomach growled. An idea formed in my head as I pulled my knife from it's sheath, tapping it against my belt buckle. "You don't look like, you belong here..." I began creeping and crawling, letting the disturbing vibe of the song come to life in my movements.

Celestia watched with her visible eye wide as I let my inner thespian come forth. The trees became my stage. I let the world fade into nothingness, the only real thing in the world was me and my song. As the song went on and on I climbed up the trees, feeling like an extra in a horror movie is I clung to the wood like a demented gecko. As the song dialed down to the end I began to crawl down, landing on all fours. I crawled across the gorund, staring Celstia in the eyes "Are you hungry for another one?"

She took a half-step back as I began to rise, dusting off my clothes. "Well princess, did you enjoy my song?"

She paused, looking over the trees and the clearing with her eye. "It was.. enlightening. I thank you for your time Lady Night. If you find yourself tiring of the forest, you may always request a place to rest in Canterlot." 

She stared as if waiting for my response. I didn't have time to be taken aback by the offer, instead instantly treating it as a test. Possibilities whizzed past in my mind, each outcome to this con for both choices flying in my head. At the end I reached consensus with myself. If I took her offer, I would be betraying the very ideals of freedom I spouted to Twilight and Luna earlier. The night doesn't care. I rolled with my thought, letting my mouth think up the rest for me. "A boring room in a boring city? No thank you." I raised my hand to cup my chin in thought for a moment, before snapping my fingers. "However if you truly wish to show some aid, some clothing would be nice." I raised my jacket to show the pitiful state of my shirt and jeans. "I appear to have worn this set through, and while wandering in the nude would certainly be possible, I would prefer to have some actual garments."

Celestia let out a half-smile, letting me know I misstepped somehow. I bit my tongue, no time to go back now. She nodded once. "If that is all you wish then I will endeavor to meet your request. Have a wonderful night."

As she turned I waved, letting a cocky grin rest on my face in what I hoped was a confident expression. "And a boring day to you princess." When she flew off I waited a moment. Then another just to make sure she was gone. As soon as I was certain she could no longer hear me I jumped in place. "I CAN DO MAGIC!!!" I began giggling and dancing around my clearing, summoning darkness all around me. I swore I heard a whisper, but ignored it. Magic was here, and it was cool as ice!"













"But what did it cost? And what did you gain?"