Chapter One: Overcast
It was a gloomy night at the castle in Canterlot. Princess Celestia was sitting in her room. It's your average high class bedroom. Pictures of her star pupil Tiwlight Sparkle and her friends were hanging all around the room. The bed was trimmed with gold and gems of all types. Expensive furniture embroidered with the Canterlot crest. While reading a letter from Twilight, she felt a frightening chill. Confused by the feeling, she got up from her bed and wandered over to the balcony. She looked up to the sky, but all she saw were clouds with a dark ominous appearance.
The Princess called for a guard, and informed him of a mission she'd like run by one of her scouts. "Please inform my guard captain, that I would like one of his scouts to head out to Ponyville. I'd like him to keep an eye on Twilight and her friends, I have a bad feeling something horrible may happen soon."
"Yes ma'am."
Off the guard trotted in the direction of the guard tower. Princess Celestia went back to her bed to finish reading her letter from Twilight.
The scout arrived in Ponyville shortly. He was instructed to talk with the Mayor and keep a low profile in town as to not cause a panic. It was one of your typical days in Ponyville. Many ponies running around, going about their daily business.
"Hi! Who are you? I've never seen you around here before. What are you doing here? Are you a traveler?"
The scout was bombarded with an array of questions by a bouncing pink pony. Bewildered he stammered back slightly. He knows he needs to keep a low profile he didn't want to seem rude and mysterious, he humored her and responded, "Woah, woah, woah, settle down there miss'y. One question at a time."
"Uhh...okay! Well...who are you?"
"My name is Sir Sharp Eyes, but you can call me Sharp. What's yours?"
"My name's Pinky Pie, but you can just call me Pinky!" Pinky smiled and continued, "So why are you here?"
Quickly thinking on his feet he made up an excuse, "I'm here to talk with the Mayor, I have some ideas for the town, and I was told she was the pony to talk to."
"Yep she'd defiantly be the pony to talk to, she's in that building over there." Pinky pointed to a large white stone building that very much resembled that of a standard government building. It had tall columns that held up a large awning that read Ponyville.
"Ah, thank you very much Ms. Pinky. I'll make due haste to talk with the Mayor. Have a nice day." With that he trotted off to the building. Pinky simply smiled again and continued bouncing toward her destination.
A new day breaks out over Canterlot. It's another beautiful day while Princess Luna is walking though the castle garden. A nice cool breeze takes her as she basks in the heat of the sun. Being only recently broken free, she's finding she enjoys the warmth of her sisters sun. While gazing at a bed of stunning daisies, she gets a sharp chill. Not one of a summers breeze, but a cold deep chill. She looks up and sees a trail of smoke that comes from a nearby forest. Slightly freighted by the mysterious chill, she goes to talk with her sister.
"Sister, how art thou on this fine day."
"Oh hello Luna. I'm doing just fine thank you."
"Say..sister, hath thou felt a gloomy chill?"
Celestia is some what surprised at her sisters remark, yet understands that she too must have felt it, "Yes Luna, I have. Although I do not know what it is from, I fear something terrible might be taking place."
"I feel much the same. Was any burning granted to the residents in the forest recently?"
"Why, no I do not believe so." With this the Celestia looks out the window, and too, notices the smoke bellowing out from the distant trees. "This should be checked out Luna, would you like to come with?"
Not having gone nearly anywhere with her sister, she quickly accepted her sisters offer, "Yes I would!"
On their way to the forest, they notice the smoke is getting thicker and thicker. They start to smell that it is not smoke from burning wood, but from something different they can't quite make out. They reach the edge of the forest and share a quick glance and they continue into the forest. The forest is dence and heavy. There isn't really a path to follow, so they judge the best they can to head to the origin of the smoke. A clearing comes into view, and they slow their pace to walk. They peer into the clearing though a bush. What they see frightens them very much.
In the clearing is a small stone alter bearing an emblem they cannot recall ever seeing before. It's shaped in an eight pointed star, circled with thorny vines. In the center of the star is the rough outline of a pony. Surrounding the alter is a dozen gray unicorns all focusing their magic on a statue of a large stallion unicorn. Once again they do not recognize the pony the statue is resembling. Celestia quickly glances at the flanks of the ponies she could see. The majority of the ponies she could make out had an assortment of skulls and bones on them. She noticed the smoke was coming from the combined magic of all the unicorns.
Suddenly the earth started to shake. Luna lost her balance and fell to the ground letting out a small yelp. One of the unicorns heard her yelp and turned around looking at the bush.
"Intruders!"
As the pony yelled out the shaking worsened. The earth in the center of the alter started to shift, and then began cracking open. The hazy blue glow that was once coming from the unicorns stopped and they all slowly started to back up. From the cracks a dark black unicorn rose. His horn spouting a black colored magic lowered himself to the ground.
"Princess Celestia, it's been a long time hasn't it," bellowed the black stallion.
Celestia emerged from the brush and stepped forward and replied, "Yes Black Crest, not long enough though I'm afraid." Using her magic she shot a brilliant magical yellow arrow toward Black. He quickly deflected it with his magic.
"Tisk tisk tisk, and here I was hoping you'd be excited to see your brother."
Luna quickly leaped out of the bush, "WHAT!? Our brother!?! What ever does he mean?"
"Why if it isn't Luna too, what a wonderful family reunion," said Black.
Celestia now lost for words looking at Luna's confused face, "Yes, Luna, this is your older brother Black Crest. Not long after you were born, our parents banished him for trying to spread evil across Equestria. He is the reason Discord was able to gain power."
Luna was lost in her own mind, trying to make heads and tails of what was happening before her. Taking advantage of their position, Black quickly used his magic to encase Luna. With a loud pop, Luna disappeared. Before Celestia could do anything he turned to her and attempted to use his magic on her. She, too, quickly responded their magic meeting in the center of them.
"What did you do to Luna," yelled Celestia.
Casually Black responded, "I put her some where safe, she would have gotten in the way...." he trailed off as Celestia started to put all of her might into trying to defeat his magic. Though it was not enough, putting a little effort into it, he overwhelmed her and too, encased her in his magic. She slowly rose from the earth barely able to move. With her last remaining magic, she summoned a scroll and pen and scribbled out a small message which she quickly sent away.
"What was that? A note? No matter, now that I have you, getting the Elements of Harmony will be easy. Once I have them nothing will be able to stop me." Another loud pop and Celestia was gone.