A gentle beat of instrumental hoofsteps echoed through the tower as the colt climbed the spiral staircase. The peaceful ascent allowed him to take his mind off from the presumed chaos that has most likely blasted through the ballroom, though it did make him ponder how his friends were doing.
Hopefully, Pinkie wont get into too much trouble with the guards. Though, if my encounter with that Stoneheart fellow gave me any clues, Id be counting my lucky stars for such an outcome.
As he continued his arduous climb, he took the time to peer out of the gape ways on occasion. It was a sight to behold, looking down at the bustling town that surrounded the castle as it held firm on the side of the mountain. Though, the view above the land could keep him entertained for hours. It was just relaxing to Darklo when he looked to the stars as they overtook the sky and glistened in a beautiful pattern.
He supposed that he was fortunate to be in a world so reliant on magic, as the starscape one could find 'inspiring' on earth was extremely limited due to light pollution.
Eventually, the endless staircase ended as he walked through the hallway on the top floor. "Okay, so a big door with a silver label- ah there it is." The search didn't take long at all, since the place was just a couple steps away from the staircase. "Well, let's see what I can find!"
With a single swipe of the horn, the doors pushed forward, revealing the archives within. It was mostly what he expected: long lines of shelves housing a horde of scrolls and books, a world record of zero windows in the room for protection purposes and a barred off room shut off from the rest of room by lock and key. The only thing that seemed out of wack was a rather expensive and well kept book stuck to a piller whilst entrapped in chains.
"Huh...seems like an evil item or something," Darklo paced around the book and tapped on the chains to test if some kind of magic would react, "best not to get in trouble with the guards on my first visit. Alright, let's see what I can find."
And so the hours went by and the colts resting spot was piling with scrolls and books by the minute, diligently copying any useful information on a separate scroll for home use. He really felt at ease in the silent walls of the archives, it was like he was back at the library scrounging through iles of books while Ira, Zelus or both siblings would slide in for an engaging conversation.
Man those two numbskulls... for all the annoying shit they did, I couldn't have asked for better friends. I just wish I could've apologised for everything. They deserved that much.
Darklo smiled in reminiscence as he tossed the last book into its designated place, tossing his body backwards so the chair tilted 90° as the colt stretched his front hooves. "Welp, this was definately the best decision I could make here. Hours of pure silence and unbothered peace along with some new spells for the road. How could this NOT be a win?"
Darklo grinned at the ceiling before grabbing his sheet of paper and scrummaging through the contents he copied into it.
___________________________________
Mirage Charm- The spell shall result in a mirage of your primary target to be generated which can be manipulated however the user likes. To put into effect, focus your mind on the object or organism while pushing your magical energy through a targets eyes so it can reflect into the image you want. Auditory effects not included.
Phasing Spell- This spell will allow one to pass through a solid object like it were a liquid. Requirements of effect: Advanced Level of Spellcasting, high magical stores and a steady mind.
To work, one must diffuse their magical energy through their limb or their entire body and vibrate said energy rigorously. Sign of a successful phased limb should be transparent skin but if the limb is still vibrating, the magical energy is rather not plentiful enough or the speed of vibration is too slow. WARNING: NEVER USE FULL BODY PHASING SPELL WHILE ON SOLID GROUND. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Conduction Charm- An intermediate spell for safety issues in case of a lightning strike and light magic attacks. A prime defence against pegasi jokesters. To put into effect, one must close their branched magical circuits to prevent the voltage exiting through the muscles. Instead, link your main magical circuit with your magical storage organ and your horn whilst spinning a small amount of magical energy around the tip of the horn. This should create a suitable enough charge to attract a polar energy source towards the horn where it can be safely passed into your magical storage and converted to energy. Be Advised: Advanced offensive spells or higher could slowly rupture the storage organ membrane if it isnt strong enough.
Sealing Curse- With the power of spiritual manipulation, matter control, magical preservation and the freeze spell combined, the user can place a living or ghostly organism into a secure object where they will be preserved as if they were turned to stone. Recommend this spell for hostile spectral forces as it has less strain on magical reserves. Note: Reckless use of this spell on an innocent pony will lead to your incarceration of 10 years in Tartarus. Stay mindful.
___________________________________
He had to admit that the array of spells weren't as much in quantity as he'd hoped as although his reading escapade led him through thousands of cool spells, they were rather blocked off with ridiculous requirements or had side effects that he'd rather not take.
Man, and I really wanted to make a huge shield over a town.Stupid two pony minimum rule! Would've been so much better in case of invasions from outside forces. Then again, is Equestria at war with any nation? Probably not. Oh well, I'll just keep it memorised.
And so, the colt stuffed the piece of paper into his saddlebag and headed toward the door, wondering how everyone is doing below.
Alright, lets see what the friendship crew has gotten themselves into-
CLANG!
The sudden noise made Darklo jump like a cat, twisting himself to face the noise with his horn ignited. But nothing was there, the archives looked the same as he entered it. But not exactly per say.
There was actually a thing that was moved, the lock to the restricted section. Its iron plating was slumped onto the hard floor along with the chains that slacked below the bars which was almost a king to be removed. Immediately, pangs of curiosity overtook his brain as he pondered the possibilities, imagining angel and demon versions of himself whispering in his ears.
"That lock was meant to be closed. Since it isn't we can most likely predict a trap!"
"Oh come on, if it was really a trap, this random stranger could've easily gotten us with THAT kind of stealth."
But think about the consequences. If we get caught, we could face incarceration. And even if we don't, how are our friends going to see us the same?"
"Such a worry wart. Remember what that Stoneheart gal said? Nopony comes up here. We arent getting caught as long as we replace the lock."
"And do what? Look at the stuff in the restricted section. It's restricted for a reason. We could be easily cursed just by walking into that room unprepared."
"So we wont touch anything. Besides, we are too curious to look back now. If somepony is going to get a free chance to peek at the unknown, it might as well be us than a pony with cruel intentions. "
"Yeah... I made my mind up." Darklo blankly stated to nopony in particular and slid the chains out of the bars, opening the gate before walking inside.
The feeling felt gradual, but there was a looming sense of dread that crawled through his fur as he paced the stone covered halls. The rats and spiders had made their homes in the multiple crevasses and corners of the place, but they made sure to stay clear of the many artifacts and scrolls that lines the shelves.
"Huh... there isn't a single book in sight. All this stuff must be pretty old then." The colt monologued, yet it was a strange thought.
Why are there no modern scriptures in here?
Surely, there would've been one evil bastard that would try the impossible in the 1000 year jump but nothing. Everything he could see dated far back if the discoloured papers told him anything. And the artefacts, each one was held under magical chains as if to contain the evil within them. A few even bounced around trying to reach him, yearning for escape like a rabid dog and the pungent smell of decay wasn't doing any better for Darklos stomach.
While holding his nose, he took one of the scrolls that looked the safest and gave a quick read of the introduction.
"'The Art of Immortality. Live your whole life hijacking the bodies of unicorn foals and uncover the secrets only undiscoverable to the mortal pony.' Yikes, I'm just glad the old Darkloud was already dying or there would be some thoughts I'd rather not pull on." Darklo frowned as he placed the scroll back in its position, choosing to forgo reading the specifics of the spell while he looked around at the beasts of knowledge stocked before him. "And if that was considered tame in here, I'd rather not check anything else... damn, this was a waste of time."
Sighing deeply, he walked back to the entrance until he saw something in the corner of his eye. A mosaic. The thing looked like one of those tainted windows one would see in a church and seeing that it was the only window in the entire place, it was meant to catch his attention.
The mosaic portrayed an alicorn in the center. Though it looked like it, since the wings were crimson red unlike her coat which bore a pure white, the antithesis of his own. Along with her messy charcoal mane and equally bloody crimson eyes glaring down at him, she had a plastered smile which didn't portray kindness, love nor evil as he imagined the designer was aiming for. It looked- no, it felt maternal in nature yet twisted in a way that made it feel wrong on this particular mare.
What was most concerning was the strange amulet she had in he telekinetic hold. It looked like a ruby gem held together by the image of an alicorn but an eerie red aura was bouncing off of it, connecting to the crying masses on the bottom of the mosaic, whom were all consumed by blue fire.
Darklo had no explanation for why such a disturbing peice was in the restricted section instead of an art gallery. He wasn't an artist at all and yet, he felt so connected to the window without even knowing its context. But after another minute was staring, he noticed a detail that made his spine crawl.
T-That symbol surrounding the alicorn... an arrow that has two lines through its stem like feathers. It has to be it....
"Inane..." Darklo whispered under baited breath. He just couldn't believe it, the symbol of the void that embodied the very nature of greed and evil was apart of Equestrian culture. Yes, it could be a coincidence but there was still a chance and that thought worried him.
How could it exist? I mean, magic is the primary source of power, not alchemy! Did God send someone else before me? No, he clearly said that I was the first... man, this doesnt make sense. Just who is she?
"You wish to know of her storm bringer?" The unexpected follow up to his own thought snapped him out of his mind, turning back to face the suspected pony with an apologetic smile.
"Uhm, before you ask. The lock had broke on its own. Please believe me." Darklo lowered his head in respect to the much taller alicorn that strolled toward him.
"Raise thine head storm bringer. We arent upset at thou, it was precisely our doing that approved thine adventure through the forbidden catacombs."
"Huh... But why? And scratch that- where even were you, I never saw you come in!" The colt flicked his ears in a confusingly annoyed manner which made Luna chuckle respectfully.
"Hehehe, though should know that our magical prowess is naught to be trifled with. A simple invisibility spell was enough to observe thou in action and I must say, thou make the most adorable noises when frustrated." Luna continued her restrained laughter as the colts ears flapped randomly and his cheeks pouted along with a dissapointed frown.
"Don't you know it's rude to watch someone like that?"
"We don't see any wrong with a little observing. It was a common past time me and my sister conjured which helped us become closer so I thought I'd do the same for thou."
Still creepy, Luna. Though because you're royalty and it was done in you're own home, I'll let this go... for now.
"We promise, we did it for a good reason too." Luna had stood beside him and pointed a hoof at the horrid shelves. "Though we have finally understood your point of origin and your motivations, -all noble if we recall- we were still concerned with your morals. With how thou were raised as a human, it was only natural that thou gravitated to strength and knowledge as a source of solice but we had to be sure that thou had limits."
"I see..." The colts sweat cascaded down his skin at the notion. In Lunas eyes, he could still be a threat, which he could understand but it still hurt a bit. He really thought they connected well enough in the dreamscape to be fully trustworthy. "Anyway, do you have any insight on this mosaic? I don't think I've seen this pony in the history books."
As Luna glanced up at the image, her gaze hardened resolutely. "Ah... we thought we'd never look at that mare ever again. To think sister actually commissioned this."
The reaction through Darklo through a loop, understanding the deep connection this mare must have. "So, you know her?"
"Unfortunately, she was the first enemy we had to face once we ascended the throne. Snowlily Voidwalker, the false alicorn. She was as most unicorns were at that time, prideful and seeking glory but as her efforts didn't give her the results she wanted, the mare resorted to dark magic, sacrificing many pony lives for her experiments. Eventually, she massed enough power to push the natural order and became an alicorn, bulldozing through Equestria as a twisted game of hers. If we and our sister weren't there to stop her, we couldn't hope to guess what she would've done next."
"And the amulet?"
"We don't have much information on it. It was called the Alicorn Amulet and was probably how she transcended into an alicorn, but I must imagine to price of such an artefact would've been devastating. Perhaps that would be the best assumption of her fate post vanishment."
"Vanishment?" Darklo questioned, his eyes sparkling with wonder and curiosity as the moon deity spoke. "Did you not send her to Tartarus like you normally do?"
"It was our plan, but after many wars and surprise encounters, she never appeared again following the new year. Her base of operations was still intact however which helped stock at least 4 of the shelves thou see before you."
The colt took another glance at the agglomeration of knowledge in the room. The stench of evil was still pungent in the cramped quarters and it was desperately searching at the wind, hungry for a misfortune pony to grasp their claws into. To think almost half of this came from one pony...
"She was certainly our most capable adversary before thine sister banished us to the moon. We will never agree with her methods, but she did gain the results she wanted in the end..." Promptly, Luna lowered her head, walking back into the library with Darklo as she firmly reattached the lock onto the bars. "May her mistakes be a lesson to thou, storm bringer. The laws of nature are a strict and cruel mistress. Attempting to break the universal norm will always result in dire consequences."
Darklo nodded understandingly, though his mind was settling in another place as his thoughts wandered off to a similar person.
"Is something on your mind Darklo?" Luna asked carefully, lifting his chin towards her while gifting a sympathetic glance. These specs of love and care were way too much to handle for the poor colt, like usual. It was becoming such a pattern that he wondered if all ponies just have an interest ability to melt his heart.
Darklo sighed in defeat and smiled back half-heartedly. "It's nothing. It's just my old world had a person kind of like that Snowlily fellow." He retracted from the princess' hold and solemly stared back at the sign of Inane on the mosaic. "He was a hero... my hero."
-Flashback
The academy training grounds. If a student on the Conduit course ever hoped to make it to the top, this was the place they should be in. And a typical day in those reinforced walls was occuring at the moment as a scourge of fire and water danced along the battlefield while Lux and Zelus were inside.
Lux bobbed and weaved away from the punches and kicks coming his way as he kept his eyes trained on the balls of water that spun around Zelus like a hurricane. Eventually, the brash kid made his move, combining all of the water in his hold into a giant ball of condensed liquid and threw it down at the kid.
The sight made Ira cheer for joy from behind the stands while Lepus, her rabbit summon, blankly stared at the spar with vague disinterest. "Come on brother, tie it up already!" The essentric girl shouted which Zelus must have heard given he clenched his teeth in focused frustration.
However, the lack of an audience didn't deter the young alchemist as he grinned and generated a small sphere of wind and threw it into the incoming attack. Though it looked like the effort was fruitless, a single clench of his fist resulted in a massive gust of air that blew up the water ball, flooding the whole floor with water.
Clasping his hands together, one glove with the aer sign and the other with the ignis sign, sparks of electricity began to flicker from them making Zelus flinch in anticipation.
May the warmth of the land power the clouds of my hands, while the guardian of the wind guides my hands to their rightful target. Ignis, Aer... Lightning! After finishing his mental incantation, he slammed his hands to the floor.
But instead of the sound of volts passing through the water and into his adversary, the lightning only met a sheet of ice that covered Lux' feet, freeing him from the prison. It took the kid by surprise, looking up to see Zelus, the sign of glacio on his glove that was firmly on the floor.
Both of them smirked at each other, the adrenaline of their spar sparking a greater fire in them than ever before. They readily rushed at each other again, choosing to fight with icicle blades and flaming fists before a figure jumped in between them and caught their hands with ease.
It was almost an instant, but the ice and fire on their skin were enveloped by a black void before vanishing back into the figure. Despite the added frustration of their battle being cut short, Lux smiled in admiration at the person.
"Cyprus. You're back!" The kid excitedly stated, bouncing up and down at his side.
"Heh, no battle in the middle east can keep me down Lux. Infact, I had enough time to raid the stores while I was at it. Take a pick kids!" Cyprus slid his bagpack off and opened its contents, revealing packs of gems and jewelry that shone with an expensive bling.
"Eh? Why jewelry. You know that stuff is for show offs." Zelus commented, hands on his hips as he stared at the items, unamused. "Could've at leat brought back artefacts."
"Nu uh uh Zelus." The older soldier wagged his finger at him cheekily. "All foreign artefacts are given to the Belican Elites for testing, I can't go against protocol little guy."
At least one of them was happy as Ira came running and greedily grabbed a couple golden watches and necklaceswhile Lepus jumped onto Cyprus' arm and snatched a rather generous . "Aww these are lovely. Thanks Cyprus!"
"No problem, Ira. They'd look better on you than a filthy Perduelian could ever pull off." The soldier complimented as the rabbit hopped onto her shoulder to help equip her earrings.
But as much as Lux liked the guy, he never saw any benefits to slandering other nations. Better to beat an enemy at their own game than stoop to their level as he'd say, but even though there wasnt anything wrong with it, Cyprus was a man with different priorities.
"Say now, how is your raining coming along Lux?" Cyprus asked with a cheeky grin, ruffling the kids messy hair while he was at it. "It's been a long time since someone developed a new form of alchemy. Lightning right? Have you gotten better at it?"
"It's still in its early stage... I still need to recite a full incantation to use it, but I think I'm getting better at it."
"Not better enough to escape my flash freeze trap though. Just you wait, I'll make my own combined form of alchemy soon!" Zelus said bombastically, aggressively pointing his finger to Lux and then to Cyprus. "And you, I hope you've enjoyed your time in the front lines cause that Philosopher's Stone will be mine in a few months!"
The proclamation incited the soldier to laugh while the students watched him, the Philosopher's Stone gleaming at Zelus and Lux from his palm as he held it in front of them. "Hehehe... still full of determination I see. That's at least something I like out you, kid."
"Hey!"
"It's just... I hope you all will realise just how brutal the battlefield is. No amount of training and preparation will let you walk into hell with a straight face. And as a Conduit, you have to act like a devil to pass those gates." The scenery began to flash back and forth, from the Cyprus surrounded by his greatest fan to the Cyprus sitting on a throne of bodies, all of which were so pale and skinny, it looked like the bones were piercing through the skin. And their smile, one that he used to see as hopeful and passionate was now a sinister mockery of the Conduit he used to know. But that was long ago.
Now he sat on a battlefield overseas, sitting by the lifeless corpses of both friends and foes. But was there really such a thing? 'Cause as the tired boy looked to his hand and stared at the jewel that brought him to hell, he wondered.
If Conduits need to be devils... what does that make those who Conduits answer to?
-End Flashback
"I just wish things could've been as black and white as it is here." Darklo said under his breath, the shame evident in his voice. "Simple good and bad, no lying masses and alarming secrets to worry about."
"Darklo, as much as we love that you see Equestria in such high regards, our world is also no stranger to the acts of deceit. We believe you have encountered the nobles from below?"
"Yeah. Overheard a couple wanting to interact with me to boost their reputation. Not like I expected ponies of status to genuinely talk with me anyway so... oh! And there was that scandal with Prince Blueblood I heard from my friend, Im glad I havent seen that fellow yet."
Luna flinched for a mere moment, as if the very name of that stallion brought back some unsavoury memories. "Sweet Celestia, we dont know why she gave him any sort of responsibilities... b-but yes, Canterlots nobles have been around for generations, passing their torch to their offsprings. But we can see that most have grown soft and complicent with the status of their ansestors. From charitable and charming businessponies of our time to arrogant fools that would rather sniff the bits in their pockets than talk with anyone below their rank. We really need to get them in line once we step back into politics... if that ever happens."
The two had made their way out of the library on instinct, walking down the halls together for a change in scenery. The time he's spent with the wise alicorn has granted him a sense of security he never felt before, in fact he has felt comfortable around her ever since he gave her a hoof in the Castle of the Two Sisters. There was just something about her that allowed him to speak his mind. No matter his age, status or origin, she accepted everything he gave her without question. So when he saw her face droop at the pretence of 'if', like the stars she orchestrated couldn't align for her, Darklo couldn't stand by and leave her like that.
Not again, not like me... "Is Nightmare Moon still on your mind?"
"Huh?"
"You... well. You took the time to test me for a few hours instead of going down to the party with your sister and everypony is just acting like you don't even exist. So I can only guess that you're scared. Scared of how your ponies perceive you."
Luna paused glancing at the colt carefully, starlit eyes awkwardly watching his every move. And that was all the confirmation that Darklo needed to open the flood gates. "But that's not you anymore! And what's isolating yourself going to do to make your situation any better? Isn't your jealousy of your sisters popularity the driving factor for your descent to evil? You need to be down there. Convince them whole heartedly that you are a nice and kind ruler like you truly are... like I KNOW you are.
"It's just INFURIATING! Everypony is literally scared of you -hell- even my own friends are. It's like they see you as a ticking time bomb or something when they are intentionally causing such a scenario. And they are avoiding you all for what? To save their skins, to play it safe, to stay away from the 'Mare of the Moon' when she's literally the nicest pony I've ever known -hell- the ONLY pony who could even understand what I've been through without thinking I'm crazy? WhyDoYouHaveToSufferAloneWhenYou'veGoneThroughTheWorstShitImaginable.JustWhyCan'tTheGoodPeopleWinInAnyWorld?!-"
"Darklo..." The moon princess had wrapped her wing around the colts body while she wiped his streaming tears with her magic.
I...I was crying?
While his mind was hitting a factory reset, Luna tried her best to hug the smaller pony, close enough to where she could feel his irractic heartbeat. "Darklo... thank thou, really. We... no, I can't be happier to know that somepony other than my own sister sees me in such a way. And I know you have encountered pain far beyond your age should handle but I say that it has gifted you with a sense of compassion and drive like no other. You fought with my alter ego, combated numerous dangerous beasts alone and pushed the limits of magic a colt could never do, all for the safety of those you love." Luna smiled lovingly at him as the colt averted his gaze in an embarrassed haze. "So I don't care who you see yourself. Whether you're Lux or Darklo, Human boy or colt, you will always be my little pony while you're still here."
"Uhm... thanks. That means alot Luna." Once the colts heartbeat finally paced itself, the alicorn let go of her winged hold on the colt to which he stepped back from her, face lit up like he just had a revelation. "Say... I actually tried to negotiate with Nightmare Moon before I knew anything about this world. Of course, she upped the stakes and I refused obviously but I did genuinely consider my options back then. But now..." Darklo smirked at the Princess, a familiar look for arrogance mirroring his exact face from their prior negotiation. "I want to give you a request!"
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I'd like to become your apprentice!" Darklo said with his chest, stunning the alicorn briefly.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, Twilight is Celestia's apprentice per say, so me learning under you would round us out. Plus, we can use the nobles tricks to our advantage. If I am tied to you and I'm seen as a hero to the ponies then by logic, you would be good too which will make it easier to get them to accept you." Darklo slithered to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder, her body too big to wrap his hoof over her neck. "Besides, I'd rather learn from you than Celestia, she seems a little too relaxed for me. And wouldn't it be amazing to make a better student in shorter time than your sister?"
"Heh, speaking in the language of sibling rivalry I see. Well, I do admit that the proposition DOES peek my interest storm bringer. But I can't just accept you that easily. Flattery or not."
"Eh. Why not?" The colt frowned worriedly, until his mind sparked a realisation. "Oh! You want me to prove myself? OK just give me a spell and I'll learn it in a day, just watch me!"
Observing the colts vigorous spunk, she chuckled at the childish innocence at play.
No matter how old he had to become, he's still a child at heart. "Oh no dear storm bringer, being taught under an alicorn was a very high honour in my youth and it probably still is. This is why the alicorn dynasty had constructed a method to allow worthy students to connect with such powerful royalty. But let me tell you something storm bringer. From my 48 years on the throne, around 450 unicorns came for my tutelage and 0 succeeded. Do you know why?"
"Uhm... I think you're gonna tell me anyway-"
"It is because the method revolves around a spar between the alicorn teacher and the unicorn student. To gain the respect of the teacher, the student must land a solid hit on them before they are defeated."
...what?
At that point, the colt understood what was being asked. His muscles clenching in both excitement and stress. "So you're telling me that I have to fight you? How did Twilight even do this with Celestia?"
"Oh, you should know Celestia, she's not much a mare for tradition but I feel like this test would be sufficient in testing you as a fighter. You are much more akin to the young warriors of my old battalion than the scholars of today so in respect of those who fought an died for me, I will be giving you this one chance to impress me Darklo. You may begin when-"
Luna blinked and Darklos hoof was centimeters from her face, electricity sparking from his fur, which made a harsh impact as the alicorn was pushed back from the force. Darklo grinned, satisfied with the first strike, until he noticed how un-fur like the point of impact was. The shockwave subsided, showing a blue forcefield covering the princess who gifted the colt a smirk. "Already so eager. Very well then storm bringer!"
Suddenly, her horn glowed brightly, making the colt instinctually jump back and cast a shield. And from the impact, he was blown back through the hall and into a window, falling down the tower. The colt blinked the shock of the assault away and stuck his back hooves into the bricks while the princess flew down in pursuit.
Glacio! The sign formed under him, allowing the colt to skate down the tower as the bricks covered in ice. Luna shot blast after blast at him while he swerved from certain doom until he reached the floor where his hooves were enveloped by mini-tornados, allowing him to fly through the trees of the garden.
Both expertly manoeuvred around the trees while the animals ran to the floor for cover. "Running isn't going to help you~" Luna cooed right behind him. It was almost spooky how much she was enjoying this.
"Man, you're scary when you fight!"
Darklo had eventually reached the lake in the center and dived inside, stopping Luna in her tracks as she pondered the colts game. She carefully analysed the waters until a sudden whirlpool shot out it, revealing Darklo in the center.
Luna shot a beam of energy into the spiral of water while the colt created a shield out of it, turning the air into a field of steam. But Luna was just as fast, as she barreled into Darklo which disrupted the whirlpool and tackled him to the floor. "Sorry this didn't go how you hoped storm bringer, but I certainly had fun... huh?"
The alicorn had dispersed the dust that arose from her landing, showing her the lack of a Darklo under her. Snapping back to the lake, she saw that the colt was still in the same place with no air or fire keeping him afloat.
A mirage charm! Luna concluded, but as she was about to take off, the plants wrapped around her hooves while the ground below her cracked and crashed her body into a tree. Darklo eventually crawled out of the tunnel he dug underground, surveying the damage with a smile.
"Alright Luna, no need to wait it out. I clearly hit you-"
"Did you?" Darklo instuntually used amplificare and jumped up to kick Luna with a firey blaze. But it missed her by a few inches. This allowed the alicorn to grab him in a telekinetic hold and toss the colt into the air.
Dammit, curse this tiny little body and its stupid quadreped dynamics!
While the colt lay ragdolled in the night sky, Luna flew beside him with a branch in her hold, swinging it down at him. So in a split decision, he shot a bullet of fire through a sign he hadn't used in a while. Telum!
As the fire passed through the sign, it transformed its shape into that of a spear which telekinetically clashed with the enhanced branch. And so the duel was on where they flew through the skies and converged to clash on occasion. The result creating a spree of sparks that perfectly blended with the stars.
On the 15th clash, they noticed that their weapons were losing strength, so they nodded at each other in accordance and dissapartated them, preferring to fly back down to which they continued their chase.
Dammit, if this keeps up, Il run out of magic and the test will be over! I need something and quick... wait. So I just need more magic.
Darklo grinned to himself, speeding by an angry Fluttershy whom instantly reverted to a scared mess upon the realisation of the danger. The colt focused his energy on converging the clouds into one miniature ball of thunder while he evaded Lunas blasts. Once completed, he flew upwards as Luna shot another beam at him. Finally, the lightning shot from the clouds and conducted into his horn, charging him with electrical energy that would dispell the blast.
But that didn't happen. In a precise movement, Luna redirected her shot around the colt and back at him, forcing him to activate an electrified shield before he was sent flying into a large window.
Twilight just stood by the doors with Celestia, dumbstruck on what the hours have done to her friends. Pinkie Pie had pie cream and confetti all over her coat as well as two guards who were attempting to escort her out of there, to no avail. Rainbow Dash was in the middle of ponies who looked at her with discontent as most were covered in food or drinks. Applejack was nowhere to be seen, Fluttershy eventually barreled inside with the garden animals due to dangerous beast speeding around or something. Rarity was beating the brakes off of Prince Blueblood, for a good reason hopefully and Spike lay stuck in the Royal cake as Mayor Mare attempted to get him out. Conclusion: The day was a disaster!
I didnt even get to talk with the Princess... wait.
Twilight took another look around the devastated ballroom for a particular dark colt in a white suit, but there was nopony of the description. Quickly, she excused herself from Celestia and dashed towards Spike who licking the icing from his scales while the Mayor was cleaning him with a towel.
"Spike... where did Darklo go? Wasn't he with you?"
"Well yeah but then we had a whole fiasco with Pinkie Pie that he didn't want to stick around for, so he left for the archives."
With the right answer being said, the exhausted unicorn sighed in relief. At least through the crowd of peeved nobles and a probably disappointed Celestia, it could at least be a positive that Darklo had a good time.
"Phew... thats nice. I'm just glad he didn't have to see this mess." Twilight zapped all the leftover icing on the dragons body away and looked to the outside to clear her head, watching the stars while a strange cloud closes in on itself.
"Oh Celestia, if I knew about all the set backs sooner, I probably would've gone with him. Speaking for which, the night is almost over... where is he -WHAT THE-"
CRASH!
The whole crowd gasped in shock as they snapped their heads toward the sound,finding a small colt covered in powerful electricity that hastily picked himself from the floor. He back flipped to a safe distance as Princess Luna flew inside and shot an array of spells at him, leaving both Twilight and Celestia flabbergasted.
Is... is this how it feels? Watching your younger sibling do something stupid? Ughhh Im too young/old for this!
On the other hand, the younger siblings were full of smiles as they engaged each other, as Darklo surrounded the thousands of glass shards around him like he would with water and slammed it into each blast that came barrelling towards him. Eventually, it was clear to the colt that he had backed himself against a table, so he dived under and kicked it towards the princess who batted it aside with ease.
However, one moment was all it took for her to loose sight of the colt. That was when the crackling of thunder escaped her ears to which she looked up, seeing Darklo hanging onto a chandelier while pouring all of his electrical energy into his horn, revealing his full face to the audience.
Meanwhile, Luna stood her ground, charging a surge of her own magic which shook the ballroom furniture. Once the colt jumped down and they got near and nearer, the audience closed their eyes in fear of the inevitable shockwave while Stoneheart and Luster Purge released Pinkie to try and stop their collision. But they were too far to reach them.
And finally... they paused, but not by their own will. The colt had immediately sensed a magical hold locking him in place and was going to release his attack until he noticed that the telekinetic power wasn't Lunas signature blue, but a purple one more akin to his adoptive sister. Oh no...
From Lunas view, she too was about to fire her spell until a familiar golden shield blocked his view, so she deactivated her attack in time, looking back to see a look of sisterly disappointment from Celestia. Oh no...
Once Darklo was let go and landed on the floor, he chuckled awkwardly at the crowd he had just noticed. "Uhm... sorry for stopping by?"
"Darklo! What in the name of Celestia were you doing? Also cancel your magic before that spell gets out of control." The colt blinked confusingly until Luna pointed at his horn to which he looked up and saw the ball of electrical power, a little too big for size.
"Ah dammit!" He attempted to push the energy back into his magical circuits but it wouldn't go back. The power was too unstable to return to its previous state so he was forced to fire it through the broken window where he made his entrance. The following thunderous explosion made in the sky was surely a sight to behold for everypony, Darklo included as he looked amazed at the conductive potential of his efforts.
Unfortunately, the nobles regained their demeanour and opened their mouths in protest. "So Nightmare Moon cause another mess. And I thought we would be rid of her."
"Shut it Mrs Rich, what if she attacks us next?"
"And that colt is getting more dangerous by the minute! She must have bewitched him or something!"
So one at a time, most of the higher class ponies fled the ballroom in a hurry, rather in distaste for everything that happened or fear of the display they witnessed. This only left the guest ponies, the princess and the guards who stared at the newcomers.
But unbecoming of what the spectators expected, Darklo began to let out a chuckle, which sparked the moon princess to do the same, eventually catapulting into cheerful laughter. The sight left everypony concerned besides the pink mare of joy herself.
"Woah, they must really like eachother if they can do my infecting laugh tactic so easily, let me join!" And so Pinkies voice joined the choir of happiness.
"Hey, what's so funny? You both were fighting each other without a care in the world, do you know what could've happened if you harmed somepony?" Twilight lectured.
"And as lovely as it is to see you like this dear sister, I have to agree with my pupil. This activity was rather reckless."
Finally, the howls of laughter died down as Luna wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh I know, I know. It's just, it's been 1000 years since I had fun with a battle, especially against somepony who can make me work for it."
"Oh come on Luna, that's an exaggeration and you know it." Darklo grinned while he sat down in a heap of exhaustion, folding his front hooves, though there was definately a hint of annoyance on his lips. "I didn't hit you once. Hell, I don't think I even saw you sweat."
"Oh you don't give yourself enough credit young storm bringer." Luna replied, shining herself around to show a light bruise on her back. Quickly, Celestia cast a spell over it as the bruise vanished almost instantly.
"But, when did I... oh."
"Mhm, remember that tree you sent me into, I hit a branch before I was able to teleport. Where do you think I picked up my weapon?"
Now it was the colts turn to be flabbergasted. In all reality, he didn't think he'd be able to contend with her at full strength, so to finally see the stairs of potential extend further for him, it was a dream come true. "So does that mean?"
"Yes Darklo. As the first ever pony to be my friend in this generation and as the first student to complete the Trial of Tutilage under my supervision, I hereby grant you the title of my Moonlit Apprentice."
"... heh, WOOHOOO!" And so, Darklo bounced in the air along with Pinkie Pie who somehow knew he was going to do that, smiling ear to ear. At last, he had something bigger to work for. No longer will he move along with the day and train for future threats. Now, he had somepony to impress, somepony to turn to, somepony to gauge his growth with.
And despite all that he encountered and the personal worries that latched onto him like a savage ghost, he finally felt powerful. Just like home.
God, sorry I doubted you... I promise you that I will make this life worth while and protect your creations with everything I can. Il make Zelus proud, Il make Ira proud... Il make you proud.
Just watch me!