//------------------------------//
// Strange Visitors in a Stranger Land 
// Story: Into the Dark 
// by LordSiravant 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Two: Strange Visitors in a Stranger Land

Nino and Jaffar continued down the path, keeping a sharp eye out for any more creatures, and more importantly, Nergal. So far nothing had impeded their progress, but they weren’t taking any chances. The moon shined brightly above them, accompanied by an infinite expanse of pristine, sparkling stars and constellations. Nino had to admit, it was a beautiful night, wherever they were.

Jaffar kept his focus on the road. Admiring the scenery felt like a waste of time to him, the way Nergal had raised him conditioning him to believe that anything not involving death and assassinations was a waste of time. Finally, after what seemed hours of walking, they discovered a break in the trees. They were almost out of the forest.

The two of them gingerly stepped out of the cover of the woods and examined their surroundings. A fair distance away was a large town, all the houses dark and silent as whoever lived there slept the night away. Not very far from the entrance to the forest was a quaint little cottage, also dark and quiet. A number of birdhouses, burrows, and pens surrounded the cottage, in which a wide assortment of animals slumbered peacefully.

"A settlement," Jaffar surmised. "So people live here. Nino, I don't think we are on the Dread Isle anymore."

"Then where are we?" Nino asked. "Is this the world of dragons?"

Jaffar was quiet for a moment. "...Unlikely. This settlement looks as though it were built by human hands. From what Nergal spoke about it, there were no humans on the other side."

"Maybe we should go talk to one of them," Nino suggested.

Jaffar's eyes narrowed slightly, the idea of speaking to unfamiliar faces rather unappealing to him. "In the middle of the night?"

"Oh...right. They're all probably asleep. Well, maybe we'll just wait 'til morning, and then we can talk to them!"

"We know nothing about them, Nino," Jaffar warned. "They could be hostile to strangers."

"Jaffar, look at these houses," Nino flatly replied. "Look at how they're built. I don't believe someone who could build such charming homes would have an unfriendly bone in their body."

Jaffar did not reply, keeping his thoughts to himself. Nino really was too naïve for her own good. The two of them then climbed up one of the large trees with branches large enough to support a human's weight. After a half-hour of uncomfortable wriggling on Nino's behalf, the young sage fell asleep, her head resting against Jaffar's shoulder. Ever watchful and paranoid, Jaffar kept a sharp eye out for anything dangerous, particularly Nergal. Weariness from his previous battles soon caught up with him, and he too eventually succumbed to deep, pleasant slumber.

XXXXXX

Nergal was pleased. His trek through these unfamiliar woods had yielded plenty of fruit. His most recent victim, a strange, talking giant serpent far too fond of his hair and mustache, had provided him an exquisite amount of quintessence.

What Nergal had relished the most, though, was the look of pure terror in the creature's eyes as he had drained his life force right out of his body.

The pack of Timberwolves that had attempted to ambush Nergal some time before that, however, had not nearly been as bountiful, for they had simply been dumb creatures looking for a meal. As the sorcerer continued down the path, he pondered his predicament.

He had no idea where he was. It was likely he was nowhere on Elibe anymore. Perhaps another continent? No, something about that didn't add up. What really concerned Nergal was the fact that the very magic of this land felt foreign and alien to him. It was an ancient power that bore little similarities to the magic intertwined with his homeland. The very dirt beneath his feet had magic running through it.

The thought seemed so absurd, but there could be no other explanation. He was no longer in his world. Did that mean he had been pulled into the world of dragons?

The thought put a smile on Nergal's face. So, even in defeat, I claim victory, he thought to himself. Eliwood and his friends likely think me dead. Yet here I am in the world of dragons, the very place sealed off for millennia! I will find the dragons, and their quintessence will be mine!

It seemed fortune decided to smile upon the dark druid once more, for upon clearing a break in the trees, Nergal stumbled across an incredible find.

An ancient, abandoned castle.

A chasm separated Nergal from the castle ruins, across which was a rickety old bridge. After marveling at his incredible luck for a moment, Nergal inspected the bridge. It looked very old, the rope dry and chafed and the boards moldy and full of holes and cracks. There was no way this bridge would be able to support Nergal's weight.

No matter. With an idle flick of his hand, Nergal channeled some of his magic into the fibers of the rope and planks, strengthening them considerably. Confident his magic would hold the bridge together, Nergal stepped on and began making his way across. The bridge swayed with each step the wizard took, a light mist drifting lazily across the chasm. The wooden planks creaked in protest as Nergal walked, keeping a firm grip on the ropes.

A short while afterward, Nergal made it across and surveyed the ruins up close. The walls were cracked and faded with age. In many areas there was no ceiling, and virtually all the windows had been smashed. It was apparent a battle had been fought here long ago, the owner likely having died in the attack, considering the castle's current state. Nergal stepped through what was left of the main entrance and proceeded down the once-grand hall. Before too long he came across an ivy-covered set of pedestals.

Whatever they had once held was no longer there. However, Nergal could sense lingering energies dwelling here, remnants of an unknown source. It concerned and piqued Nergal's interest. But there would be another time to delve deeper into this castle's secrets. Now, he needed to consolidate his position here and turn it into a functional base of operations. First order of business...

Rebuild his army.

His preferable servants had always been morphs, artificial constructs of magic shaped in the image of human beings with pale skin, jet-black hair, golden eyes, and blood-red lips. A considerable amount of quintessence would be needed to create a sufficient fighting force. Then again, Nergal had plenty to spare. He would need to also create a few more powerful morphs to function as harvesters and infiltrators. Limstella had been his most perfect acheivement, the ideal morph. Recreating her would be an easy task. Ephidel had been useful as well; he too would be revived.

Sonia, on the other hand, had been a flawed specimen. Far weaker than Limstella, and having also deluded herself into believing she was a human being, Sonia had been a disappointment to Nergal. Though she had been instrumental in bending the Black Fang assassin's guild to his will, she ultimately was a failure. He would take care not to create others like her.

Without further ado, Nergal set to work, bringing his vast reserves of quintessence to bear as he began the spell. He focused all his concentration on replicating everything that had gone into the creation of Limstella and Ephidel, the shapes of their faces, the length of their hair, their heights, the sounds of their voices. Two circles of runes appeared before Nergal, glowing brightly as shapes slowly began to take form within.

As it so happened, the residual energies lying dormant within the hallowed grounds of the abandoned fortress were drawn to the surge of energy provided by Nergal's strange magic. The energy had a mind. It had a will.

And it saw an opportunity.

Nergal was too focused on his spell to notice. The shapes inside the rune circles were growing taller, more defined. Meanwhile, a shadow moved unseen across the ground, silently drawing closer to the pair of morphs being created. It slid into the shadow of the feminine figure as her form became clearly defined. Finished, Nergal looked upon his old servants.

Ephidel and Limstella were both kneeling reverently before their creator. "Master, what is your bidding?" Limstella queried in a smooth, emotionless tone.

Nergal sneered cruelly. "My finest creations," he spoke imperiously. "Tonight you rejoin me in a world not our own, far from the reaches of Eliwood and his meddlesome allies. Behold! We have entered the realm of the dragons!"

Ephidel and Limstella looked at their surroundings with detached curiosity. "My Lord, if this is the world of dragons, then where are they?" Ephidel questioned.

"We will find them," Nergal answered. "Of that, I am certain. In the meantime, I have tasks for you both. Limstella, you shall harvest quintessence from whatever worthy beings you find. There are many creatures here who possess considerable quintessence. Ephidel, you shall scout out the countryside and search for any sign of the dragons. If you discover anything of interest, report back to me at once."

Limstella and Ephidel bowed. "As you wish, Lord Nergal," they both answered.

But before they could leave to attend to their missions, Nergal stopped them. "And one more thing. Jaffar and Nino are here as well. If you find them, eliminate them. Is that clear?"

"As you will it," Limstella replied.

"It shall be done," Ephidel assured.

As Limstella left the castle in search of quintessence, little heed did she pay to the foreign touch within her mind. It was there when she was recreated, therefore it was there on Nergal's wishes. The morph, though, could almost hear the triumphant laughter of a strange, imposing woman within the deep recesses of her mind...

XXXXXX

Morning eventually came, the warm sunlight stirring Jaffar awake. The assassin sighed as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Nino was still asleep, snoring softly as her head leaned against his shoulder. He looked down at her face, so youthful and kind, and felt a stirring of unfamiliar feelings deep inside his chest. He still had trouble making sense of them, but they seemed to put him at ease, so they must be positive in nature.

A beam of sunlight escaped the lightly-rustling canopy of the trees and focused on her eye. This soon awakened her as well, causing her to mumble sleepily. Just as she was about to stretch though, Jaffar caught her by the arm. "Careful. We're up in a tree, remember?"

"Oh...right," she mumbled tiredly. "Whut time's it?"

"No idea," Jaffar observed. "But the sun is up."

"That's good, I guess."

The two assassins soon managed to return to the ground and collected their bearings. Nino felt her stomach growl discontentedly and she moaned in displeasure. Much to Jaffar's chagrin, his shortly joined in, causing Nino to laugh despite herself. Jaffar took note of the fact that her laughter also seemed to lighten his mood somehow. "Well, I think it's obvious we're both hungry," Nino observed. "We should go visit that town beyond the forest and see if we can find something to eat there and figure out where we are."

Once again, Jaffar's expression became one of hesitance and doubt. "I don't think it wise..."

"Jaffar, you're a cold-blooded assassin without an ounce of humor in you," Nino chastised. "Don't tell me now you're afraid of people."

"...I fear nothing."

"If that's the case, then come with me!" Nino goaded. "It's always exciting to meet new people, after all!"

Jaffar knew deep-down that there was no use arguing with her, and at last capitulated. "...Very well. I'll go."

Nino beamed and took Jaffar by the hand. "Let's go! I'm starving!"

The young sage led the assassin out of the woods past the lone cottage towards the town. As they got closer to the town, though, something made them stop. Something completely unexpected and unbelievable.

The village was crowded with small, brightly-colored ponies. The weirder thing was that there were pegasi amongst them, alongside ponies that could only be unicorns, judging by the horns on their heads that seemed to be where they focused their magic.

It wasn't long before the ponies noticed the pair of humans gawking at them just outside the city limits. The unfamiliar creatures sent the townsponies into a panic, who all started screaming and running towards their homes. Jaffar instinctively grabbed hold of the hilts of his daggers but kept them sheathed as the strangely-colored equines barricaded themselves inside their homes.

Confused, Nino wandered into the now-empty streets, Jaffar glancing suspiciously about beside her. "Um...hello?" Nino spoke up. "We don't mean any of you harm..."

"I don't know if they understand us," Jaffar said.

"Understand you I think they do, yet still they cause a hullabaloo," an unexpected voice spoke from behind.

Jaffar's knives were out in an instant, ready to slice at a moment's notice as he and Nino turned around to see another pony-like creature standing there. Judging by the eyelashes and gold jewelry, she appeared to be female. She was white with faded black stripes and a jet-black mane. Noticing their tense expressions, the zebra raised a hoof in submission. "Worry not, you have nothing to fear from me," she assured them in a thickly-accented, deep feminine tone. "I am a friend, that much you will see."

Jaffar did not sheathe his knives, but he did remove them from where they had been hovering near the zebra's face. "Who are you?" Nino asked politely.

"Call me Zecora, for that is my name, and I hope your courtesy is the same."

"My name is Nino, and this is Jaffar. I hope you'll forgive him. He, uh...startles easily."

Zecora nodded in understanding. "Remember that, I certainly will. Now why then, may I ask, have you come to Ponyville?"

"Well...I'm not sure you'd believe us if we told you," Nino tentatively answered.

"It sounds as though you have a story to tell," Zecora answered. "Let us find a place to settle, and I shall listen well."

"Okay," Nino answered.

Zecora noticed that Jaffar had been deathly quiet during the whole introduction. He probably wasn't much of a talker. The knives suggested he was adept at combat. Perhaps he was a mercenary from a foreign land? She was about to find out.

Zecora led the two humans down the street towards a large, hollowed out tree standing smack-dab in the center of town. To Nino and Jaffar's surprise, windows could be seen up in the treetop, as well as a balcony. Zecora trotted up to the door and knocked on it briskly. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a female lavender unicorn with a purple mane and tail with a pink streak running through them and a starlike design tattooed on her rear. "Hey, Zecora! What can I do for--uh, w-who are they?!" she stammered, noticing Zecora's strange company.

"Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you. I hope you don't mind; I brought company too."

Twilight grinned weakly, staring up at the two humans standing on either side of Zecora. "Uh...hello?" she nervously greeted.

"Hi!" Nino cheerfully greeted.

Jaffar said nothing, prompting a light elbowing in the ribs by Nino. "Say hi, Jaffar!" Nino whispered.

"...Hello," Jaffar gruffly replied.

Twilight eased up slightly. The female, green-haired one seemed nice enough, at least. Her gruff companion, on theother hand, sent an uncomfortable chill down Twilight's spine. He loomed over the two ponies. He was dressed in leather clothing and a lightweight cloak, his midriff left exposed. Two knives were sheathed at his sides, and his piercing eyes carried a cold, professional glint. His was the look of a seasoned warrior, one who had seen much more action that most of Princess Celestia's bodyguards.

"They were about to tell me the story of their being here," Zecora explained. "I felt it would be a tale you'd like to hear."

"Uh...okay, uh...please, come in then," Twilight spoke, opening the door wide enough for everyone to enter.

The humans had to bend their heads down to avoid bumping their heads on the doorframe, and then realized that they were in a library. Nino's eyes lit up in excitement at the wide arrangement of books lining the shelves, while Jaffar looked on disinterestedly.

At least the female liked books, Twilight observed. Perhaps that was something they could relate to. Twilight led her guests over to the kitchen table, where they each took up a seat. Once they were situated, Twilight said, "Okay. Tell us everything."

Nino glanced at Jaffar before she recounted the tale of their coming in every detail. The fight with Nergal, the Dragon's Gate malfunctioning, getting sucked into this world alongside Nergal, and barely managing to escape the dark wizard. She explained their roles in the Black Fang before they had abandoned it, and about the lies Nergal had fed them as they grew up under his twisted care.

By the time Nino was finished, Twilight's jaw was slack from shock, while Zecora regarded them with an unreadable expression. Finally collecting herself, Twilight asked, "So...let me see if I got this straight. You two are...a-assassins?"

Nino nodded, while Jaffar maintained his quiet. The very notion of such an occupation clearly did not appeal to Twilight, but she put that trepidation aside and continued her line of questioning. "And this...'Nergal' character...what's he like?" Twilight asked.

Nino's face contorted slightly with bitter hatred. "He's a ruthless, cold-blooded killer obsessed with obtaining unlimited power at any cost. Twice I lost my family to him."

"Twice?" Twilight questioned.

"He and his morph Sonia killed my parents and my brother after learning the secret of the Dragon's Gate from them. I was just a baby then. I eventually came to consider the rest of the Black Fang my family. Many of them were good people...Uncle Jan...Linus...Lloyd...I lost them because Nergal manipulated the Black Fang for his own goals. There is only one person I hate, and it's him."

"And to think he has come to our land," Zecora spoke. "I shudder to think what things he has planned."

"If he comes here, we will finish him," Jaffar stated flatly, fingering one of his daggers.

"I think it would be a good idea to let Princess Celestia know about all this," Twilight said. "Hopefully she can deal with Nergal before he causes any serious damage. Spike's off helping Rarity with gem-hunting right now, though, so it'll have to wait until he comes back. In the meantime, where are you guys staying?"

"Oh...well, actually we didn't have anywhere in mind," Nino answered. "I mean, we slept in the forest last night, and--!"

"You slept in the Everfree Forest?!" Twilight interrupted, aghast. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there, especially at night?!"

"We had nowhere else to go," Jaffar simply stated.

Twilight shook her head. "Well, I'm not letting that happen again. You can stay here until we find somewhere else for you to stay. I've got an extra bed, if you don't mind sleeping together."

Nino involuntarily blushed at the implications, but Jaffar remained stony-faced. "Ah, uh, well, uh, that's very nice of you," Nino stammered. "But it's not necessary--!"

"I insist!" Twilight pressed. "Please?"

"I, uh...well, if it's okay with you, then I guess. What do you think, Jaffar?"

"..."

"I'll take that as a yes," Nino replied. "Thank you, Ms. Twilight."

Twilight chuckled. "No no, just Twilight'll do. Calling me a Ms. makes me feel old."

Nino nodded. With nothing else to do, Zecora went about her business, Twilight returned to her studying, Nino began investigating the books, and Jaffar just stared silently out the window, all waiting for the individual called Spike to return. After about a half-hour of waiting, Jaffar suddenly recoiled from the window in shock, causing Nino to drop her current book in alarm. "What is it, Jaffar?!" she exclaimed.

Jaffar pointed out the window at a small, purple lizard-like creature approaching the library. "That...that thing...That's a..." he was so shocked he could not finish his sentence, but Nino's mind finished the sentence for her.

It was a dragon.