//------------------------------//
// The Darkness 
// Story: Its Always Darkest Before The Dawn 
// by TheFallen 
//------------------------------//


Chapter One


The Darkness


He stood on the Edge of the field and watched the wind brush the grass slightly to the left. The wind pushed his Yellow mane out of his face and put a slight chill on his Black coat. He pondered at the beauty of Equestrias Landscape the hills presented before him the mountains in the back showing the smoking city of Canterlot. A frown came to his face as he looked at the city. The first thing he noticed about the city was the palace where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had lived before all this. To his left more snowcapped mountains that stood over Equestria. To his right the ocean the water was just on the horizon and the wave were barely visible. As he pondered at the beauty an army of thousands walked over the hill in front of him. 

He turned his head to skim the line of soldiers in Black armor. The original army that Luna had was made up of black ponies with purple manes. Now it was a sporadic mix of colors since the city’s around Equstria had joined her. For death was the fear that each of them faced so to them it was easier to join then fight. Now he saw pegasia, unicorns, and earth ponies of all colors but the majority was still the black and purpled army Luna had put together. He spotted some of his friends from Manehatten he thought if he had to fight them they would be sparred only the original army would die on this field. He swore to himself. He looked up at the army of flying pegasia all lead by a Rainbow manned Pegasus. Rainbowdash... one of his life time friends was now facing him on the field of battle and next to her a pale yellow Pegasus with a light pink mane. She looked scared and practically hid behind Rainbow Dash. The army was split in half. To the left were all the unicorns all led by a purple unicorn. He knew who she was but not her name. She was Celestias Personal student. To her right was a white unicorn with a purple mane. The two of them stood tall and proud. The half to the right was the mass army of earth ponies. Led by an Orange Coated pony with a blond mane. Next to her a pink pony who was hoping she looked happy to be there it confused him. But behind them all flew a purple alicorn. Luna She killed her sister and started a war. Any who went against her was killed in battle. Now he stood against her army he knew that this war would end on that field and that he would die. But he fought to keep the only spark of hope alive and one day it would grow and the fire would spread. The thousands of ponies that stood before them looked for their enemy and when they found him some laughed, somewhere shocked, somewhere mad that he wasted their time. He stood there and faced them. 

Luna spoke her voice boomed over the planes. 

"Lightning Bolt. Why is it that you still fight? What makes you think that you can beat me and my army of thousand for you are but only are a single pony? What runs through your mind that even makes you think for a second that if you fight you will live?"

Bolt spoke. His voice filled with pride. "For my dear Luna I know I will not leave this field alive. I just stand here to fight for what I believe in. You see we think differently and people only fight for you because they fear you and that’s how you will rule Equestria with the power of fear that you put in the people. I don’t want that for these ponies." 

She got angry and realized the truth in his words. “My army Advance. Take out this simple pest that stands in my path to victory. 

As she spoke the army advanced when ponies on the ground started marching forward, the pegasai stood in their place. 
Ponies who marched went into a trot, then, a canter, then, a full on gallop. He watched and when the first pony swung his weapon at him. He moved out of the way and stabbed the black pony from a blade that came out of his for hoofed armor. As they came they dropped only Luna’s original army dropped to the field they fought on the others where nocked back or wounded. He took out hundreds of her army. But even as he fought he got tired. He took down soldier after soldier. But when he almost slit his friend’s he saw his friend’s scared face he froze. One of Luna’s men tackled him to the ground. He landed with an "ooff" he kicked the other pony off and quickly after a knife was plunged into the soldiers heart and he fell to the ground. He fought until Luna’s men had backed off and when he was only fighting the army of colorful ponies he had no choice but to back off and stop fighting. He faced the army Luna’s Ponies and unicorns littered the field while others just backed away scared. He spoke to the army of colorful ponies his voice filled with pleading to them. 

"Why are you fighting me I am your friend I am trying to stop her from ruling you? You don’t deserve this. Please stop fighting me I don’t want to hurt anyone you.... I’m just trying to stop her."

The Orange earthpony stood next to the purple unicorn they were followed by their second in commands the pink earthpony who was still bouncing and the white unicorn. The purple one spoke first. "We don’t fight for her. We fight so we can live if we fight her and her army we will die they are better trained and better equipped. We can’t stand against them." 

At that moment he saw Rainbowdash and her yellow friend glide over to them slowly.

"Well we have to try" She looked at him and flew next to him. "If we never try then we will never have the chance to see if we can win." He smiled as she joined him. They stood there in silence for what seemed like hours but he saw movement the Orange and pink ponies joined them followed by the Purple and white unicorns. More and more Ponies, unicorns, and pegasia joined but some stayed and fought for Luna. He smiled and knew that they would stick with him. All at once the fight broke out once more but this time he wasn’t alone. He and rainbow dash fought next to each other watching each other’s back. They cut down Luna’s army and Luna was getting angry. 

Luna flew into the group and fought bolt head on rainbow took care of anyone trying to hit him while he fought her. Their blades clashed, he had no idea how she fought and he got used to it but every time he did she changed her fighting style it was making him angry. He couldn’t get a single hit on her and he knew if he tried he would miss and she would kill him. Everything seemed to slow at that point the battle around frozen. He saw Luna swinging her blade at him she left her right side open to show her dark purple coat all at once he made his move and plunged his blade into her right side near flank. But she hit him too; her blade went through his upper body. He fell backwards and layed on his right side. Luna stood over him and he saw a small smile appear on her face.

"My dear Luna l-look around you. Y-your army is falling b-back and you have lost. We h-have one this war. Just give up."

She looked around at the field bodies lay across the field mostly her men some other ponies but mostly the color of black and purple. She turned behind her and her army was running followed by a wave of colorful army of ponies. Her face grew angry and turned back only to feel the cold metal slide into her upper body. Her blood pooled around the blade immediately. She dropped to the ground as blood came from wound and the cut dripped blood. She slumped onto the blade her body went limp and her eyes slowly shut as she died.