//------------------------------//
// Chapter XVI 
// Story: An Unexpected Guest 
// by PropsValroa 
//------------------------------//

Cali would trot and follow him towards the door. "Casually stroll, sure. I have no idea where we we are going so you can lead the way. I am not really sure what to think of what you say there, but I suppose I shall see for myself in due time." they walked closer to the door. The door itself opened once they got close to it. The large perfectly crafted stone door retracted up into the ceiling in a slow, yet also quick pace for something its size. It was silent as it moved up.


"Impressive construction, isn't it? I was able to find information on the door itself...this is the legendary 'Golden Door' that is well fabled about in this area for centuries. While it was said that some had found it, it was never fully 'found'...I was able to find it when testing out some sort of device that removes holograms in a certain radius and I saw the bright gold color of the exterior part of the door shining and well, the rest was history." Cali lamented upon that as they exited, and walked out. As they left the torches seemed to dim but not going dark. And when they were a ways away from the door, the door slammed back down in a boom and then seemed to vanish within the surrounding hill.

Disciple looked back at the door as Cali commented on it, "Oh? I hadn't really noticed. It helps when you can sense magic as well as I can. It wasn't ever really hidden for me once I stumbled upon it."

With that they began their trek across Equestria towards the thestral village. 

They weren't traveling long before they found a group of ponies beset by a trio of unicorn bandits. Disciple giggled to himself out of sight of the groups, "What fun! What do you think we should do here?"

Cali's eyes scan the scene as she watched the unicorn bandits that were harassing the group of other ponies up ahead. Cali smirks to Disciple. "Why bother telling, when I can act?" she said and marched up to the scene as if unafraid. For a second she just seemed to watch as if judging either of the sides. The bandits were the ones that seemed to have instigated this judging by what they were wearing, and what they were also saying.

"You 3 better back off before I shatter your atomic structures across this plane of existence!" she said in a warning tone as her form transformed into the bird like android from before. The android was very metallic, and reflective. It lets out a hellish mechanical screech as it lunges towards the 3 bandits. as it fires red lasers from its eyes down at their legs. 

Understandably, all of the gathered ponies immediately fled screaming at the sight of Cali's mechanical form, the bandits dropping weapons and the ponies abandoning their things in an effort to get away.

Disciple looked disappointed, once the ponies had fled out of sight he started gathering up the discarded items, organizing them into neat piles and repairing what was damaged. "It'll be a while, if ever, until those ponies decide to come back for their things. The bandits will recover their resolve much sooner. Did you enjoy scaring them off like that? You truly know nothing of subtlety."

With a snap of his fingers the items loaded themselves into the ponies' abandoned cart, and it set off in the direction they fled. "That should do it."

The android took some weird stance as the ponies and the bandits had fled off. Cali did not pursue and in her android form had walked over to Disciple. It seemed to roll its eyes before reverting back down into Cali's unicorn form. "Subtlety is something of which was largely pointless amongst my old battles. My enemies would find me no matter what and I had accepted that fact. However I see your point. Next time, you will see my subtlety." Cali smirked rather slyly.

She watched the abandoned cart set off in the direction of where the ponies had fled and then seemed to playfully bump his arm. "Hows that for a duo eh? Anyways, what are you capable of, exactly?" Cali would ask with a weird look in her eyes. 

Disciple snorted at Cali's promise of subtlety, "Your earlier foes could match you in power. Few, if any, of those we meet here will even come close."

When asked what he was capable of, he shrugged, "I haven't really tried to push my limits, haven't had a need to. At the very least, there hasn't yet been a task I couldn't find a way to complete, and while I may not be able to overpower all my enemies, I have managed to outsmart them on occasion."

He chuckled, "I even got Princess Celestia in a bind once, funny story that."

Cali smirks at that. "Then we make a powerful duo. My earlier foes would outmatch me in power. In unavoidable ways I will say that much. I hope we don't come across anything like that here, unlikely as it is. But we shall see." 

As they walked the path they are on eventually became forested. There were some occasional clearings. Eventually they could see some sort of abandoned farmhouse in the clearings. There were ruins of an old farmstead here. But it has long since abandoned. As they walk they spot a band of raiders near to that farmhouse and the ruins. They were seeming to be in some sort of meeting. They could recognize the 3 bandits from before. They were involved in some sort of ritual.

Cali ducks behind a tree and gestures Disciple to do the same. They weren't spotted yet and were too far away to be, but just in case Cali hid behind the tree. "I can see...some sort of ritual they are doing." Cali looked closer. The farmhouse was indeed the site of some sort of ritual. The ground was littered with bones and black, sacrificial magic symbols. And they were also doing some sort of black magic chant.

Disciple shuddered when he first saw all the bones strewn about, "What a waste, they trying to summon the lord of trash?" He chuckled, "That does give me an idea though..."

He stood still for a moment, the staff centering itself in his form before a large pair of wings grew from his back, then with a snap his form went from diamond to obsidian, giving him a sharp yet nebulous looking form. "How do I look? You think I could pass myself off as a demon?"

He didn't really wait for a response before he turned his now fiery red gaze towards the summoners, "Watch my back wont you?"

With a snap he teleported himself into the center of their circle with a bang and a large cloud of smoke, followed by a deep laugh. "FOOLS! Why hast thou summoned me?"

"You surely seem like you can." Cali cackled quietly as she would observe the spectacle that as going on with the bandits who were completely unaware with her observing of them. over at the circle the bandits cough at the smoke before seeing Disciple's nebulous looking form. The leader's eyes widen in surprise. "I am the one who summoned thee." He points to the circle and the bandits bow before Disciple.

One of them looks at him curiously. "I think we summoned the WRONG entity..." he points out and then the leader huffs. "Silence you! This better not be the fifth time this happened!" he would shoota glare at the other one who fell silent and then he bowed again. "My apologies, Nightmare Moon...for so long we have waited to have an audience with you...we are one of your loyalty..." he would flash a dark blue moon medallion for the 'entity' to see. 

Disciple was surprised, Her? Really? Luckily I've got some memories to pull on this.

Inwardly he went to his library of memories, an old yet happy looking crystal mare sitting at the desk, "What do you need to know today?"

"Some ponies were trying to summon Nightmare Moon, how can I be convincing?"

The mare chuckled, "If only the knew how close they've gotten, they've got the exact opposite half right before them. Nonetheless... here you go."

She passed him a book, which disappeared when he grabbed it, "Thanks again."

The inward dialogue lasted not even a second had passed since the stallion showed him the medallion. Disciple shifted his form to adopt a more quadrupedal stature, a strong contender for Princess Luna's silhouette. "Thou hast summoned the Nightmare, but we see no Moon to inhabit. Knowest thou not that the Nightmare requires a host? A Living, Willing, Thinking, host?" He chuckled, "An alicorn preferably, but a unicorn would do, or any creature with casting potential."

The cultists then formed some sort of circle around 'Nightmare Moon' and then began chanting some sort of language. Then they did some sort of praising and bowing before they seemed to look at each other and the leader stepped forward. "For so long we have sought to bring the glorious reign of Nightmare Moon back. Thou needs a body, I would be willing. I have dedicated my entire life to studying you and the prophecies. You can never be killed or eradicated. Nightmare Moon is always forever! All hail Nightmare Moon!' they said, then the others joined in with the hailing for a few moments. They stayed with their heads bowed. They were all certainly convinced this was the real Nightmare Moon.

Then Cali got an idea. She knew how Nightmare Moon had looked and she knows the story of her. In a red flash behind the oak tree she would turn into Nightmare Moon and then just proceed to watch. Then she stood at the edge of the treeline but the cultists were quite focused on what was in front of them, than what was going on in the woods around them.

Disciple spread his wings and forehooves, "Then enter, and receive your destiny!"

Assuming the unicorn in question entered willingly, Disciple would quickly encase them in the fragments of himself, as well as penetrate their mind with his mental magic, drawing them into a small white room with a pair of seats.

(Inside)

Disciple revealed himself in his human form, "As you may have noticed, you've been duped. You should never open yourself as a host to strange entities, who knows what they might do with your body in the meantime? You can't leave this room, so you may as well make yourself comfortable."

The unicorn entered on inside of where Disciple had lead them. At first his eyes were shocked, then angered. "Y-you...tricked me! H-how dare you! I...I...wished my whole life to meet her and this...this is what happens!?" his eyes were extremely enraged, almost bulging out of his head and he shouted at the top of his lungs. His cutie mark seemed to be a crescent moon within a glowing pentagram of sorts. He just looked on in extreme rage. "Who are you?! What do you want from us?!" he'd ask more mortified, but still enraged.

Disciple shrugged, "Honestly? You're getting off easy, unlike most any of the others you could have summoned you're going to live, and be mentally capable, to regret what you've done. If you have summoned the real Nightmare you'd already be wiped from existence. The Nightmare has no need for you to live."

"Who am I? You can call me Discord's Devoted Disciple, honestly a far better patron than the Nightmare any day."

"What do I want? I want to see ponies fulfilled, living their best life, and a lunatic cult trying to destroy the world does not factor into those plans. Why don't you rethink your life for a bit, if you're good I'll teach you something you can use to help those around you, rather than hurt them."

The stallion looks to Disciple in a confused manner. "All we want is to bow down in front of our beloved Nightmare Moon. Nothing less, nothing more. We have dedicated our lives. Our movement has existed since Nightmare Moon came into existence. We will dedicate our lives to her. Die for her, even. You don't understand. I have proof to back up my claim. Search my mind, and you will find it to be true." the stallion said. "If you wish to know my name, my name is Infinity Glow." he said in an oddly respectful manner.

Disciple raised an eyebrow in intrigue, "Over a thousand years and these few are all that remain? Have you lost popularity so or are there more factions throughout Equestria?"

He didn't wait for Infinity to answer, instead placing his palm on Infinity's forehead, pulling the information straight from him.

The information Disciple receives is quite shocking. This group here is part of what is called the 'Cult of the Moon'. Infinity Glow has a certain book in his cloak. This book was given to the original founders of the Cult a thousand years ago...by Nightmare Moon herself. In this book, it detailed the injustices hidden from the public by Celestia. The book was protected by a certain spell that made the book impossible to age, making it as if it was brand new. And that only those allowed by leader of the cult would reveal the information within this book.

Nightmare Moon had originally intended to speak to Celestia about the injustices. It seems as if the real story around Nightmare Moon was not only that Nightmare Moon was jealous, but the whole story of the two sisters was not the entire truth. While Nightmare Moon was shunned by her sister, the ponies had still enjoyed her night. It's not like all of them forgot about her night. Nightmare Moon then discovered the dark truth about Celestia's real nature, and published it in the form of a book. These books were then destroyed by Celestia, and for it, a great battle ensued between Celestia and Nightmare Moon. The story ends in a similar manner as to how it was recounted, but it failed to mention that Nightmare Moon's followers were also banished into the moon with her...including Infinity Glow and his followers.



As he searched deeper...he sees memories of Infinity Glow leading the charge against Celestia's guards, and then the actual banishing of Nightmare Moon and her followers into the Moon. Contrary to what everyone was told, Nightmare Moon was very diplomatic, smart, and intelligent. She wasn't the one who fired the first shot. While banished into the moon, Nightmare Moon and her followers were subjected to great torment. In time, they adapted to this torment and were able to lull themselves into a mental state that rendered them in a form of unconsciousness...then when they were freed they themselves found themselves back on the ground.

Nightmare Moon herself had changed. Due to the agony, and isolation she grew mad. Her former diplomatic act went away and she became the tyrant of the stories of propaganda, except she wasn't like that all along. Her goals remained the same except for being twisted and more selfish. These events were hidden directly by Celestia. But the question is, what else as also hidden?

Disciple wasn't really surprised by the information, both the old soul in the diamond and Discord knew these things, perhaps what shocked him most was that someone who had stood so near to the Nightmare failed to realize that he was not her.

Infinity stayed mostly silent. But, Disciple learned that they were hoping to bring back Nightmare Moon. At least, the original one and not the more tyrannical one after her banishment. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to care about the situation the group was in.


(Outside)

The dark particles gave the unicorn's coat a distinct dark shimmering color, Disciple had direct control of the body through these particles even if the mental trap somehow failed. "This is acceptable. Now, what is it you desire of me? Shall we begin the night eternal?"

The Pegasus looked to Disciple. "We will. Now, raise the moon and block out the sun as you see fit. Then, we will join you in the siege of Canterlot and we will bear witness the banishment of the FALSE PRINCESS into the Sun...all hail Nightmare Moon!" he said, and they all bowed before Disciple.

He began to laugh, "Fools! Thou art lucky we art in a sporting mood. This body is not nearly powerful enough to raise the moon. All of you together lack the strength several times over. Besides... The Princess of Dreams still exerts her control, she must first be removed, captured, so that I may assume my full power and grant thee they request. Bring the nebulous one to me, and then they request shall be granted."

They nodded to Disciple. "Alright, right away on it. Wingman, do it." the mare looks to an older winged Pegasus. He nods, and presses some sort of button his chest. The stallion flies up into the air and like a shimmering mirage with...an oddly sickening popping sound, he vanishes. Perhaps he is gone. The mare's left eye seems to glow a strange hue of red. She smiles knowing fully. "Nice try, faker." as if she had some manner to reveal who the identity of Disciple was.

Disciple chuckled, "Really should have checked before I ate your comrade shouldn't you?" With an audible snap the smoke coalesced into razer-sharp points extended just an inch short of each of their necks. "Now, if you all don't want to die today, you're all going to calm down, take a seat, and reconsider your goals in life. Were I the real Nightmare you'd all be dead right now, so count yourselves lucky I'm merciful, maybe you'll have a place worshipping a more worthwhile entity."

They backed off and sat down. The mare with the strange one eye laughed. "You really think we fall for that? You are sorely mistaken. Perhaps you are the one who has to reconsider your own goal. I can't blame you. You likely were lied to when you were young. It's quite sad isn't it? This world being a place of hidden truths." the mare spoke. "The name is Revealing Diamond. And I, I see all truth." she pointed to her strange eye which seemed to rotate, turning a deep orange hue. She turned to the side. Her cutie mark was an eye overlooking a writhing mass, with there being a diamond buried within. "If you claim to be an open minded individual, you will listen. If not, then that won't turn out good for any of us, now will it?" she cocked her eye slightly. He felt some sort of otherworldly presence come over him. It was not hostile...it was more of curiosity with the feeling of a deep glare accompanying it? Something like that.

Disciple chuckled, "You act like you have any power over me, like you could harm me in some way? I hold Infinity in my grasp, on a whim I could reduce him to atoms, I could kill every one in this room in but a moment. I'd threaten your families but I know none of you have any families, not living anyway. So enlighten me, and you better give me something more interesting than what I ripped from Infinity's mind."

Revealing Diamond laughs in response. "If you did that you'd have quite the guilty conscious, and none to gain." she would say in an extremely ominous tone. "You may have seen us attacking some other ponies. That is not the case, before you arrived they were Celestia cultists we have a rivalry with." he could tell that she was telling the truth. "Plus, do you even have a goal? Or are you just sent around to mess with people? Your displays of power do not scare me. Just another self-righteous all powerful being if I am honest. How quaint." 

Behind them all, there was another strange stallion with some sort of intellectual look on his face. He would speak up. "I am growing doubtful of your hollow platitudes. If you weren't more reasonable, this situation would have already ended." his cutie mark was some sort of clock with a distortion / enchantment around it. All of these ponies seemed to be honest, yet also ominous in what they say, and how strange they were.

-End-

Disciple laughed heartily at that, "A Guilty Conscience? THAT'S what I have to fear? I personally twisted each of the Elements of Harmony into grotesque perversions of themselves, drove the Element of Magic to murder me." He chuckled, "You should have seen it, the bloodlust in her eyes was a true sight to behold."

He shifted his form, forcing Infinity's body to lay down as he extended his imposing human form, complete with wings, out of his back, leaning against his staff, "You say I've nothing to gain, but the bones strewn about the area beg to differ. Dark arts are typically frowned upon, and you were trying to summon the Nightmare, forgetting what made Nebulous such a great speaker in the first place. Have you even spoken to her since she returned? I think she'd be quite disappointed in you. Besides, neither her nor Sunny are even in power anymore. So it sounds like you lot are the ones without a goal. Besides, publicly stated plans are the most easily foiled."

He turned his head without the rest of his body to address the clock pony, "I never claimed to be unreasonable, I claimed to be extremely deadly. Do you want an example?"

A pony in the back seemed to laugh. She looked to infinity, seemingly unphased by by Disciple's display of power and what he said. "Wait a minute!" she declared. "Who ate the donut?" the others look to her confused. She giggled nervously and seemed to back off a bit. They seemed to grit their teeth at what Disciple was doing. Another pony amongst the group, a green one said, "Come on, do we really have to fight it out! It's just what he wants anyways. Why must this always happen." he said with a disappointed tone.

The clock pony stepped forward proudly. "I am not afraid of you. Please, back off. Let it be known that we are former bearers of the elements of harmony. Your statement offends me, but we will not fall for your mind games. And as for an example, allow me to demonstrate." the clock pony said with narrowed eyes.

As he focused on a a spell for a brief second There was a weird distortion around him and then there was suddenly a loud BANG sound. Disciple found his form disrupted and Infinity was freed from Disicple's control. Infinity grunted and shook his head and slowly stood up, a bit weakened from the spell that the clock pony just did. It seemed that Disciple's form was knocked back. But it was not a harmful attack, it was just releasing Infinity. 

Revealing Diamond looked to Disciple. "Do us all a favor, and leave us be. We will leave you in peace, if you leave us in peace." they all seemed to have a unique aura, perhaps...residual magic of the elements of harmony within them?

Disciple simply chuckled with a slow, condescending clap to accent it, "The tree has certainly gotten better at picking elements since you lot. You call that magic? You may have been elements once, but now you're antiques."

He leaned in closer, "Frankly I respect your decision to not fight. I wouldn't want to fight me either. And besides, suicide after coming all this way sure sounds like a waste."

He turned his back on the group, "I'll hold you to that promise, so long as you leave me in peace, you'll get no trouble from me." He turned his head, or rather formed six pairs of eyes on the back of his head to watch all six of the gathered ponies, "My peace, is easily disturbed. So I've no doubt we'll meet again shortly... on far less friendly circumstances."

With a snap he would shut the door to the room they were in, and then walk through it, teleporting himself to where Cali was waiting as soon as he passed through the closed door. "What did you think of that?"

They all seemed to look to each other and frown. "We want no issue with you, Disciple." Clockwise spoke in a somewhat defeated manner. Revealing Diamond looked to the eyes on the back of his head. "Then may your doubt be proved unwarranted." she would reply with a sigh. However to what they said about the elements, they seemed rather insulted at that. But knowing what they know now, it was true. They were barely a fraction of who the elements are now. But even then, they did not have enough time as the embodiment of the elements to fully access their power like the others have.

Vermillion would look to Disiciple as he left. She would pull out a chocalate donut from...somewhere. She'd then smirk. "Here, have a donut! Don't forget who ate the donut." she'd say, looking to Infinity as she handed him the donut. It was just a normal, chocalate glazed donut. Nothing was off about it. 

After he left, they sat in silence. Utterly stunned as to what happened. They agreed through, they had to go somewhere...more private. 

As for Cali, she was still sitting there as Nightmare Moon. She seemed confused. "That...was not at all what I expected for us to encounter here. I am at a loss for words, quite frankly." she'd say rather stunned and then noticed the donut. "A donut? Where did you get that?"

Disciple hadn't noticed that he had been given a donut, "Oh this? One of those strange ponies gave it to me, you can have it on account that I can't eat anything." He would give Cali the donut if she wanted it.

He cast a glance at the building the old elements were in, "To be frank I hardly expected then either. I've got a feeling that won't be the last we see of them. Regardless, shall we keep moving? Or would you like to do something more to them?"

Cali took the donut and ate it. She seemed to enjoy the donut. "Mhm. Chocolate. You are really missing out you know." she winked as she turned back into her unicorn form. "Let's keep moving. I don't think we should do anything else. We don't want more enemies and those ponies didn't exactly seem hostile. It's better to have...friends than enemies..." Cali frowned remembering what happened with Blu and that whole situation.

"Anyways! On then!" she said jokingly doing some sort of soldier salute and then lead the way away from this area.