//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Nightshade's Prophecy // Story: Redeeming Chaos // by PabloTheDestr0yer71 //------------------------------// “What in the name of Equestria WAS that… that thing?!” The foals and Spike stared out the window, five pairs of eyes trained on the spot where the mysterious figure had been moments ago. “Beats the hay out of me,” Scootaloo shrugged. “But whatever it was, it sure wasn’t a pony! Did you see that mane cut?!” Sweetie nodded, her face stunned. “And those eyes?! They were so small! And… bright!” Apple Bloom was still shaking a little from the shock of the encounter. “Should ah go get my sister? And have her report this to the Ponyville police? For all we know, it could be some sort of crazed killer!” “NO!” Cosmos interjected. Everypony else stared at him incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?!” Scootaloo’s disdain was cold and obvious, and the timid colt shrank away from her. “Hey Scoot, take it easy on the poor guy,” Spike stepped in between the two, turning to Cosmos. “She does have a point though, my friend. That thing could be really dangerous!” “I know,” Cosmos scuffed at the ground with a forehoof. “But I just… I have this feeling, that maybe…” “Oh, come on! Out with it already, Cosmo!” Sweetie Belle implored. “I think, maybe that creature was in the window… “ “Yes”? Four sets of eyes trained themselves on him expectantly. “Because it was trying to talk to me.” *** “Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Scootaloo frowned, as the posse left Sweet Apple Acres and made its way down the tree-lined path into town. “Cosmos said that the thing in the window was trying to communicate with him or something like that. And as his new friends, it’s only fair of us to be there for him!” Spike replied. “Even if he is a few apples short of a bushel,” Apple Bloom mused, giggling a bit. “Wait a minute.” The orange pegasus stopped in her tracks. “If we didn’t see where that creature made off to, how do we know where it is right now?” “Following a hunch, I guess?” Cosmos grinned sheepishly, eliciting an exasperated groan from Scootaloo. But just then, an idea wormed its way into the young colt’s head. “Hey, Spike? Where did you say that… Dusk Lurker fellow lived again?” Spike blinked in confusion. “The old house behind the school, I think…? Hold up, Cosmo.” He had caught on. “You don’t mean to tell me you think our mystery guy is actually the Dusk Lurker… do you?” “I honestly don’t know. But I think it’s worth a shot to go try there.” In a few minutes, the group had made their way to the Ponyville schoolhouse on the west side of town. They passed the eerily-silent building and playground, and could see the dilapidated abode across the schoolhouse field, surrounded by a grove of trees and a rotted-out wooden fence. “Well, that’s the place,” Spike observed, pointing it out. “Before you do anything though, Cosmos, I think you should hear the other part of the Dusk Lurker legend…” “…Other part?” “Yeah.” The baby dragon looked grim. “They say that the Dusk Lurker collects eyeballs, because he has none of his own. So if anypony unwittingly approaches him, well… Long story short, they can kiss their eyes goodbye!” Cosmos eyed him suspiciously. “You’re bluffing. I know you are…” But Spike maintained seriousness. “No way! It’s totally true, C’mon Sweetie, back me up on this one!” The white-coated filly nodded, verifying Spike’s point. “That’s how the story goes, anyway. Rarity used to tell me about it to get me to stay indoors at night.” “Well, all I know is that you four are a bunch of chickens who can’t even pony up enough to disprove a little urban legend. I’m goin’ in!” Scootaloo was already on the wildly overgrown property, and headed for the house. “Wait up, Scootaloo!” Cosmos took off to catch up to her, with Spike in tow. Apple Bloom and Sweetie exchanged a confident nod before following after their friends. The abandoned-looking yard was choked with weeds and trees, and the house’s siding and roof were so tangled with ivy vines, it looked like part of greenery itself. The intrepid band rounded the abode through the jungle of a property and rapped on the huge, oaken front door. Which opened on its own with a rusty, grinding *creeeeak!* Always alert, the five young’uns stepped into the foyer and front hall. They were finding no sign of any current inhabitants, until— “Ah, I’ve been expecting your arrival…” A wispy, aged-sounding voice came from behind them. Wheeling around, they gawked up at the voice’s source. They had never seen anything like him before. He had the lower body and trimmed hocks of an equine, all of a deep navy blue color. But his upper body. That was the bizarre part. He seemed to have a second torso, of a paler blue. Two extra forelegs were growing from it, and the forehooves had the strangest adjustable mini-limbs on them. And his face and eyes. That matted hairdo! He was like nopony they’d ever seen before. “You must be…” began Scootaloo. “… the Dusk Lurker?” Cosmos finished for her. “Ahhh! Stay Away! I like my eyes just where they are!!” shrieked Sweetie Belle, huddled behind her friends. The being’s stern expression softened. “Do not worry yourselves, young ones. I mean you no harm.” His face grew solemn as he addressed the group. “So that is what I’ve come to be known as… their only memory of me is that of a monster, a vile creature of the night...” Scootaloo looked utterly confused. “Wait… what? Then what are you, exactly?” “My dear, I am a centaur, and the last of my kind. My name is Nightshade.” The towering creature stooped to one knee in a bow of sorts. “It is a pleasure making your acquaintance, children of the earth.” “A what?” Apple Bloom asked. “A centaur, child.” The being replied. “One part pony, one part human.” “Human…??” The young ones looked at Nightshade as if he was out of his mind. “What in Equestria is a human?!” “A race of the distant past, I’m afraid. I will tell you all that I know in due time. But first, allow me to get you children something to drink.” The centaur ambled over to his kitchen, leaving the foals and baby dragon standing bewildered in the hallway. He returned with four clay goblets of herbal tea, one too few for the group. Reluctantly, Cosmos got Nightshade’s attention. “Excuse me, Mr. Nightshade, sir? I’m sorry to trouble you, but we’ve got one cup too few for our group…” The centaur looked puzzled. “Please forgive me, I only heard the presence of four voices.” It was then that Cosmos got a really good look at his eyes. They were constantly staring in the same direction, and were glassy and pale as the moon. He's... he's blind! Sweetie Belle seized the potentially romantic opportunity. “Oh, that’s quite all right Cosmo, you can share with me! I’m not sick, or anythi”— But before she could finish, their host made his way to the kitchen again to fetch another drink. Drat!... When he returned, the centaur led the children up to the rooftop of his home, where the treetops concealed a large balcony. A break in the branches above gave way to a lovely view of the star-filled sky. Spike picked up the conversation where their host had left off. “So, Mr. Nightshade what are those humans you mentioned earlier? And what do they have to do with ponykind? “So, you’re the fifth of the young ones,” the centaur turned his unseeing head to the baby dragon. “And from what I can sense, you aren’t a pony, either.” “Nope,” Spike replied. “I’m 100% dragon; the only one here in Ponyville!” “It is ever so nice to meet a fellow minority species such as myself.” A warm smile lightened their host’s aged face. “And to answer your question, young one, the humans no longer exist here in Equestria. As I said, they are a race of the distant, distant past…” “What happened to them…?” Sweetie asked, her attention piqued. “The humans were a brilliant and resourceful species, who brought many a valiant contribution to this fair land. They served as protectors of the Greater Spirits of Equestria, in a time before it was even named so…” The centaur continued: “but as time progressed, a group of the humans began to lust for power and control of the land. They attempted to easily overthrow the Spirits with their unrivaled ingenuity. And it was from this brash rebelliousness that the Spirit of Chaos was first born.” “The Spirit of Chaos… You mean Discord!?” Spike’s eyes went wide, and Nightshade nodded. “Discord fed off the human’s ill sentiments, and led them to defeat the Great Spirits and lay claim to this land. But the draconequus became madly power-hungry, fueled by the drive of the insatiable humans. And this madness transformed him into a monster. A wretched abomination known only as the Disaster.” The posse stared at Nightshade, each with a look of shock and disbelief. “W-what happened then?” Apple Bloom shakily inquired. “The Disaster reigned supreme in Equestria for many a year. It was during this time that I came into existence, as the twin son of the Umbral King Andradon and the equine maiden Libra. My own twin brother became a slave to the Disaster’s reign of destruction. But alas, he proved to be the Chaos’s weakest link.” The centaur smirked grimly. “The birth of the Royal Sisters produced the Rainbow of Light that quelled my brother’s dark forces and vanquished him. When the sisters came of age, the rainbow manifested its power into the Elements of Harmony you know today. With the Elements, the Princesses were unstoppable. They split the Spirit of Chaos from his almighty Disaster form, and imprisoned him in stone for a thousand years. And as for the Disaster…” “What could Celestia and Luna do get rid of such a powerful enemy?” Scootaloo interrupted, not entirely convinced by Nightshade’s story. “It does seem like such an enemy would be impossible to destroy completely. And it is true that the Princesses could not get rid of the Disaster entirely. So they did the next best thing…” “Which was…?” Everypony looked at Nightshade, dying to hear the rest of the story. “They constructed a portal, an arch between dimensions, which became known as the Everlasting Gateway. Within it, they sealed away the malevolent entity. And atop the hallowed Gateway, they placed the Keystone of Unity, the most magical of artifacts ever to exist in Equestrian history. So long as the Keystone remained in place, the Disaster would be eternally locked within his trans-dimensional prison.” The foals and dragonling still looked confused. “But… if that’s what became of Discord and the Disaster… then whatever happened to the human race?” Nightshade’s brow furrowed into a solemn frown. “Celestia and Luna knew of the humans’ corruption and usurpation of the Spirits’ rule. And for their wrongdoings, the Sisters had the humans banished to the Everlasting Gateway along with their abysmal creation. And my own species was exiled to the farthest reaches of Everfree, to pay for the crimes of my misled brother. Sadly, I am all that remains of the centaurs here in Equestria, but my time here is quickly drawing to an end.” “Then what do we have to do with all this?” Cosmos asked warily. “Before the Banishment of Humankind and the Exile of the Centaurs, and right after the Disaster had been sealed within the Everlasting Gateway, my mentor the Oracle summoned me to his chamber. He was dying, but he had something of great importance to tell me before he did. It was his Final Prophecy.” Nightshade closed his glassy eyes, as if reliving some long-forgotten memory. And then, he spoke: “The thousand years have come and passed And Sands of time now shift. With age-old evil nigh at last, To vanquish Heaven’s gift. The Sacred One must find the Key Ordained to fell the Beast, Lest doom should rage from Chaos’ sea Until all life has ceased. One ally bears the heart of gold To never lead astray, Another brings the fire, bold, To always find the way. The third provides a clever mind To aid as they embark, And lastly, one whose love burns kind To raise Him from the Dark. On evil’s cusp, where none have tread, The One must face the Lord of Dread.” Everything was absolutely silent for what seemed like hours, after Nightshade had finished. Cosmos was the first to speak up. “But… what does that have to do with us?! I still don’t get how we have anything to do with that Prophecy of yours…” The centaur’s visage became frightfully stern. “I waited for one thousand years, hiding for risk of exile, so that I could relay to you the Prophecy. The Prophecy that would dictate the fate of all Equestria.” Everything was starting to piece together for the young colt. “So that means, Discord will return, and the Disaster”— “Will reclaim its dominion along with him, yes. And with the Elements permanently separated from the Sisters’ control, there is nothing they can do to prevent the Disaster’s resurrection.” “Wait a minute,” Spike interjected. “How come the Disaster didn’t break free last time Discord was released? The Princesses were separated from the Elements back then, too!” “He couldn’t have broken free,” answered Nightshade. “because the Keystone was still in place. Now, with the Prophecy’s foretold events unfolding, the Keystone has gone missing. And this is why I came in search of you.” Despite his blindness, the centaur stared right into Cosmos’s own eyes. Straight into his soul. “It’s you, Cosmos Quark.” “You are the Sacred One.”