“Where did this monster come from?! I didn’t hear about any of this from my foolish sister!” Exclaimed a clearly frustrated Nightmare Moon who was currently torturing the beasts in the Everfree Forest.
She knew that something was wrong the moment she saw Celestia and her student through the windows of the Castle.
Her instincts saved her from the darkness that befell on Canterlot. She was lucky that she was no longer in the city as she saw darkness like she never saw before, she could also see the silhouette of a bipedal being made by this shadow that covered Canterlot.
After seeing the silhouette of the monster, she fled to the Everfree Forest. Her pride would normally never allow her to do such a thing, but she was not foolish enough to take on a monster that easily took over Canterlot by just standing on top of a building.
“Damn monster! You’re a being of shadows! And no shadows is stronger than me who controls the night!” She screamed as she exploded a Timberwolf.
She was thinking about what to do next but every plan ended in her immediate demise. King Sombra is protected by the blanket of snow around the Crystal Empire and Chrysalis is not something she can trust.
She screamed in rage again as she obliterated another Timberwolf. She would again be defeated by these weak ponies, but, she still had plans to deal with them without directly going to them.
After all, she imposed her rule in the Everfree Forest. The manticores feared her and the hydras bowed before her power. They all feared her and were ready to fight for her instead of going against her.
“Well, no matter how much time I must wait, night WILL fall on Equestria forever.” She said with a new resolution.
But she would have to wait as she knew that she could not stand a chance against this monster, for now.
“Ah yes I almost forgot…. I wonder where this amulet could be.” She said before laughing like a mad mare.
“Hm… She is quite troublesome indeed.” Sighed Bendy as he walked through Canterlot city with Twilight.
They could see many ponies disoriented or even unconscious around on their path but they all helped each other. They were so busy helping each other they didn’t even notice the Ink Demon and the Princess of Friendship strolling through the city.
Twilight herself was left speechless since the very moment she left behind her mentor, she still feels guilty and wished she could go back and comfort her. Although now she had a disturbing companion now, and she slowly built up courage to speak with the being in front of her.
“W-where are we going?” She never felt like this ever before. Even against Discord, King Sombra, Chrysalis and even Tirek, she was fine and was ready to fight them head on. But now she was next to a being that even made her, the one who saved Equestria nearly every time it was in danger, shake.
“Ah yes, we are searching for the other Moon, but she is quite troublesome so we will only see for the casualties in Canterlot before going back to the little princess.” He explained nonchalantly. Twilight could not even understand him, it is even harder to understand him than Discord’s riddles.
Yet at the same time, what he was explaining made complete sense and was so simple even fillies and colts would understand. Searching for Nightmare Moon, seeing if there are any injured inside the city of Canterlot and then go back to see the… little princess?
“Why do you call Princess Celestia ‘little princess’?” She blurted out without thinking before immediately covering her mouth with her hooves. She couldn’t even understand her reaction towards him! The only time she reacts that way was in front of Princess Celestia herself! So why does she feel so vulnerable when talking to him?
“Hm… Well I would tell you but it is better to wait for the little princess herself to be in better shape.” He said as he watched a pony helping another pony standing up.
Twilight felt extremely uncomfortable and uneasy, something about him was wrong right now and she couldn’t put her hooves on it.
“It looks like everything is fine in the city, maybe after some week the city will be back on its feet.” He said while watching the walls around the city that were flooded by soldiers trying to see if there were any injured within their ranks.
That’s when it clicked in her head. The thing that was wrong about him was that there isn’t anything wrong with him right now. He was being too nice and even was checking on the injured, she could see him taking a peek at some of the confused ponies on their way. The way he acted now with so much care for the ponies was nothing like he was not just an hour ago.
“Why do you care so much about the ponies?” She blurted out again before putting her hooves on her mouth. She got a chuckle as a response.
“Well, it would be rude of me to not take our little contract seriously.” He said and now she understood.
In the books she read, both fictional and mythical, Demons were known to be extreme with their contracts. They take every part of it with extreme care, some of the books said it was to make sure the client would pay for the contract in return, others books said it’s because demons, while known for their mischiefs, were quite the noble and honest class of spirits.
‘That’s right… our contract.’ She thought before atrocious images flashes in her mind. She imagined many scenarios where the demon she was walking with would take everything important to her. Her mentor, her friends, Spike…
“Well now, why don’t we return to your mentor’s Castle? I think she is waiting for us.” He said before pointing at one of the towers of the Castle, in one of its windows, she could see the silhouette of Princess Celestia watching them.
The demon didn’t wait for an answer as he was already walking back to the Castle, still having a smile on his face. Twilight only followed him from behind, far away enough so the demon could not grab her or attack her.
She was scared of him, scared of what he would do, scared of what he can do and scared of what would happen once their contract was done. She was lost in her nightmarish imagination while her body continued on autopilot.
“So little zebra? Where is the amulet?” SAid Nightmare Moon calmly as she held Zecora in her magical grasp.
Zecora could not respond as she was being choked by the Alicorn’s grasp. This made Nightmare Moon’s more angry as her patience was slowly fading away.
She released the zebra but still had a spell ready to fire if the zebra tries to flee.
“So? Are you gonna tell me or are you ready to die?” She said as her spell charged stronger and stronger.
“...At the end of my home
Lays the object you search…
Leave me alone…”
The zebra said as she laid on the ground while glaring at the Alicorn. Nightmare Moon smiled and went deeper into the house of the zebra, she saw a box laying on a table and there was indeed the amulet inside of it.
When she returned, the zebra was nowhere to be seen as she might have fled away into the woods.
“No matter, I have what I wanted.” Nightmare Moon smiled before walking towards Ponyville.
When Twilight and Bendy arrived at the Castle, Celestia greeted them at the entrance.
“So little princess?” Bendy said while looking directly at Celestia. She only glared back at him then looked more softly towards her student who was behind him.
“Twilight… You will have to save your friends from Nightmare Moon with… him. I cannot accompany you as I must stay here to calm the ponies.” Celestia explained.
Twilight came out from behind Bendy and looked at her mentor with the determination she always had when saving Equestria. She then looked at Bendy with the same determination in her eyes, as if to say that he must and will help her in her quest to save her friends.
The demon only smiled, like he always do, but the smile he had right now felt more… happier? Like he was excited by what’s coming in the future.
“Well, let’s go to your little town to start then.” He said before turning around and walking towards the train station. Twilight followed behind with her new found determination. And Celestia watched them walking away, knowing fully well that she would have to pay the price for the protection of the undefeated Ink Demon.
“I will wait for you Twilight and…. uncle.”
“Ah, it looks like little princess is slowly opening up again.” Suddenly stated the Ink Demon in the train station.
Twilight quizzically looked at him, wondering what he was talking about Celestia. She still didn’t gave up on knowing more about the demon and with her new determination, her fear of talking to him was swept away.
“What was between you and little- Princess Celestia.” She stuttered a little and then blushed. Bendy only chuckled.
“You could say she was some kind of niece to me.” This brought an explosion stronger than Discord’s madness into her mind.
“SHE WAS WHAT?!!!!” Screamed Twilight effectively bringing the attention of the other ponies in the train station. She apologized and blushed before looking at the demon with wide eyes.
The train arrived and they both entered it.
“Ah yes, the little princess used to be such a hot headed young sun.” He said before contemplating.
Flashback, many millenia ago
“Uncle! Uncle! Look at this flower!” Exclaimed a very young Celestia while holding an ancient yellow flower. This flower is known to always turn its head towards the sun, but the flower the little princess held was always facing her.
“Well…. It is quite beautiful.” Said an inky voice. It was Bendy the Ink Demon in his monstrous form.
He didn’t have complete mastery over ink yet so he would always walk in his demon form at the time. Everypony were afraid of him, but the royal family weren’t afraid.
Yet the little princess would always play with him. He did not care much as he did not have a heart besides the one that always beats when he is in this form.
The little princess was in no better situation, she was found around the frozen mountains of the North with her sister Luna. The ponies at the time were very strict when it came to Alicorns and so they sheltered the two young Alicorns and would make them into great rulers.
In short, the princesses were alone and would be used to maintain the day/night cycle. This continued for generations and Celestia became more and more aware of the situation she was in.
She fled with her sister into the deep forest that was feared by every living beings. Why did life fear the forest so much? Because Bendy was in here. He was already known throughout the old kingdoms as the Monster of Destruction. Even the last Draconequus, Discord, didn’t dare to enter the dark Forest that would later be known as the Everfree Forest.
Celestia and Luna were in bad shape even before they entered the forest because they were pursued by the ponies who wanted to keep them in their Castles. As a matter of fact, it was during this time that the personalities known as Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker were created.
Emotions acted differently with Alicorns, and strong emotions would often manifest themselves. So of course that when they were fleeing, the feeling of hatred grew to manifest into the two evil personalities.
But when they met Bendy, these emotions faded away. But the personalities didn’t and were only in a state of sleep deep within their consciousness.
The Ink Demon himself grew attached to the two Alicorns, he played with them and even built a Castle for them at one point.
The two Alicorns, well only Celestia as Luna was still afraid of the Ink Demon, started to call him Uncle for some reason. But he didn’t hate or like it so he didn’t say anything.
“Say Uncle! Why do you look like that? Doesn’t it hurt?” The little princess said as she watched the melting body of the Ink Demon in worry.
“It is how I am… The pain already faded away a long time ago.” He said before looking away.
This worried Celestia even more. He was after all the only one who treated her in true kindness in her entire life, and she would feel really bad if she couldn’t help the only one who treated her that way.
“Let’s go… you need to turn the sun down.” He said before walking towards the Castle he built inside the forest where Luna was waiting.
Luna was still afraid and would often stay closed inside the Castle. She is quite timid and wouldn’t talk much to anyone besides her sister. This was how they lived, Bendy would walk Celestia outside while Luna stayed inside the Castle, when the time came they would make night time before going to sleep.
They didn’t especially need to sleep but it still made them rest and more comfortable. Bendy also told that it would be nice for them to feel how the other beings felt like, even if he himself didn’t need to sleep at all, in fact he didn’t even need anything to live. It was like he was immortal after all.
He insisted for the two Alicorns to eat regularly even if they didn’t need to. They lived a normal life for many many years, until…
Flashback End
“Ah, it seems like the train has arrived.” Bendy said and indeed, the train stopped.
Twilight started to contemplate about what the demon told her. The Princess Celestia was this childish a long time ago? She also couldn’t believe that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were alone and even used by the ponies at the time.
All the stories she read up until now about the Two Alicorn Sisters fell apart. The stories about two powerful being suddenly appearing and helping the ponies to raise the sun and the moon were false?
Well, they still raised the sun and the moon but they didn’t help, they were used and even manipulated to use their powers for the ponies. Not only that but from what he told her, their powers were also used to monopolize their powers in Equestria.
The ancient time sounded so cruel but she couldn’t contradict the demon either as he didn’t seem to lie and she didn’t find any reason to lie about such a story.
“Come on.” Said the demon, bringing her back to reality. But when they got out, she heard the screams of ponies.
She ran past the demon and went into Ponyville. The town was already rebuilding after the attack of the two evil alicorns.
Twilight saw hell again, this time she saw Nightmare Moon, wearing what looks like..
“THE ALICORN AMULET?!” She screamed, bringing the attention of the Alicorn destroying the town.
“Ah yes, I knew you would come out, now you meet your doom!” She shouted before shooting a deadly spell.
But then a wave of ink suddenly appeared in front of Twilight, completely devouring the beam of magic. When the wall of ink fell down, a new silhouette stood between Twilight and Nightmare Moon.
Darkness fell on the little Town of Ponyville. Just like in Canterlot, the sky, the ground and the walls of the buildings had inky shadows slithering on them. A dome of ink was around the town of Ponyville.
Hard breaths could be heard as well as loud heartbeats. The Ink Demon has awakened.
“DoOm iS an oLd FriEnd of MiNe.” The demon said before looking directly at the Alicorn.
“lEt’S hAve fUn.”