Prologue: Curiosity
The silence of the Everfree forest was broken as a deer crashed through the bushes. Here reigns the need of survival. The unforgiving laws of nature didn’t care that it was wonderful quiet night with a clear sky and the emerald green forest was bathed in the silver light of the full moon. The deer ran for its life but it was clear that it wouldn't make it. The pack of wolves that was chasing it, already wounded it and most certainly wouldn't lose the track. The hunt went on when suddenly the deer found itself cornered in an ancient ruin, stuck in a dead-end, with the wolves blocking the way out. Desperately, the deer ran into the only open doorway at the end of the alley, the pack close on its tail. Unfortunately it was just another dead end. Hunters and prey found themselves in a round ritual chamber with strange, connected symbols carved on the floor and on the wall, that formed a dome and only one entrance. The one the hunters and the hunted just passed to be precise. Needless to say that the wolves had the deer killed rather quickly and started their feast.
Unnoticed by the wolves, the blood flowing out of the deer filled the grooves on the floor even to the farthest corners as if it was drawn to form rills along them. The wolf pack, on the other hand, didn't care much for it as they did for their surroundings in general at the moment. So they also didn't notice when the blood reached the wall but instead of stopping, it slowly started to fill the lines on the wall as well, some kind of magic preventing it from running over the edges of the glyphs. Finally the hunger of the wolves was satisfied and they left the ruins. As the red fluid finally filled up the last inch of the complex pattern, there was a quiet creaking noise. In the middle of the ceiling an opening appeared with a grinding sound of moving stones and a single ray of moonlight shone through.
Hours passed and nothing seemed to happen except for an occasional breeze when the moonlight hit a certain spot in the middle of the pattern. The blood began to glow in a pale light and started to run back to the middle of the chamber. After a short time, there was a pale bubble floating mid-air. Strangely, the dead deer started glowing as well and dissolved to become part of it. After some time, the bubble darkened until it became pitch black.
Suddenly the air became ice cold and darkness filled the room as if all energy, warmth and light, had been sucked out. The bubble on the other side started to boil for a brief period of time, releasing a few strands of smoky mist, and then collapsed unceremoniously in itself, vanishing in the process. What was left was impenetrable darkness. After a while the darkness seemed to concentrate in a single billowing sphere of the size of somewhat bigger than a skull, while the rest of the chamber slowly started to lighten up. It looked like a ball of black smoke but it was surprisingly solid. But there was one thing on it that was rather unsettling. Regular smoke doesn't have white glowing eyes, darting around looking for a reason to be here.
For a long time nothing noteworthy happened. The dark ball hovered in place, waiting. Waiting for something to happen. It was summoned to this world, ripped from its own. Now it wanted to know for what reason. Hours passed. No one came; no order was given, but the dark entity still wavered to leave the circle. Eventually it broke through the weak magic wall of the summoning circle created and still there was no reaction, no one to quell it. Curiously the creature wafted slowly to the open entrance. As it passed the doorway it was clear that no one would bind it to his will, no one would enslave it just to send it back as soon as the work was done. This time, there were no such shackles to yield to. On the contrary, there was a whole new world to discover! The creature flew to the sky in delight, wondering what it might find in this world.
In Canterlot, Celestia raised her head from her pillow. Something woke from her slumber but she couldn't say why. It felt like something happened, something important and somehow she was strangely familiar with this very feeling, but couldn't pin down why. Stifling a yawn, she slowly got up and put on her royal attire. Still pondering about the strange feeling she went to Luna's observatory, hoping to find her sister there. Cautiously she stepped on the balcony.
"I take from your presence that you felt it too?"
"Indeed I did. It seems it is as familiar to you as it is to me?"
"Likely. It seems to resonate in my very core, striking a long forgotten chord. I know that it is somehow connected to us but I cannot say how or why."
"You stood guard here. Did you see anything happening? Maybe a clue where we could start to search?"
"I am afraid I did not..."
Celestia looked to the stars, roaming her memory for anything that could give her answer.
"If it has something to with us, maybe it will take action on its own. Who knows? Maybe it will be an enjoyable event!"
Both princesses spun around, startled by the new voice.
"Discord..." they sighed in unison.
The draconequus rested on the railing, munching on a bag of popcorn.
"So they call me. Mostly among other, less charming names, anyway... But since I had this exciting feeling too, I wanted see if there is anyone else who wants to find out what it is about."
The royal sisters exchanged a worried glance. Discord may have been reformed to a certain degree and would most likely not plunge Equestria into chaos again, but they still didn't trust him entirely. The revelation that he was affected too made them unsure how to deal with him. Surely he could be a great help to find out what happened and they could hardly leave such a powerful potential ally like him aside, or worse, ignore him, but would be far from easy to work with him.
After a deep sigh Celestia finally broke the silence.
"Hopefully we will. But right now we have no real hint where we could start. The only thing we know is that it has some kind of connection to us three. I will search the library for any hints. Luna, would you please do the same when you have the time..."
"And what about me? Is there anything you could suggest? I have better things to do with my nose than sticking it into some ancient tome!"
Emphasizing his words, he pulled said body part of his face from the same head while speaking and started to juggle around with it and the bag of popcorn.
"You...” Celestia thoughtfully tapped her chin, “you could search around since you don't have any royal duties to fulfill... However, try to keep contact so we can tell each other when we found something."
"Excellent! Finally, a task that suits my taste! I am sure there will be one or the other chance to make some improvements to the hard working ponies here. But there is still one last thing I have to do before I leave."
With this, Discord pulled a false beard out of his ear and stuck it on Celestia’s face and vanished with a laugh and a flash.
At first Celestia was too perplexed by this impertinence to react at all. A hardly suppressed giggle from her side broke her frozen stance.
"Discord… I swear, one day I will find a way to make you pay for all your pranks…" she muttered in her now existing beard.
Luna stood there, clearly having a hard time stifling her laughter as Celestia started to shave the beard with a quickly summoned razorblade, since the draconequus used his magic to actually fuse it with her face. Usually the princess would have just cast a counter spell but Discord’s… alterations were mostly resistant to her due to their chaotic nature and could only be dealt with in an indirect manner.
"Do you really think we will find anything in the library, sister?" Luna asked cautiously, after Celestia finished shaving and stopped muttering silent curses to Discord for now. The addressed princess slowly turned around, visibly trying to calm herself.
"No. But as long as we don't know more we can't do anything else... Let's just hope it isn't another threat to Equestria again..."
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At the same time the strange creature had started exploring the thickets of the Everfree Forest. It seemed to look for something without knowing what it was. Sometimes it would draw closer to a sleeping bird in a tree or follow a bat on its nightly hunt. However these peaceful examinations wouldn't go on for long. The forest wasn't feared and avoided for nothing. A pack of Timberwolves spotted the flying orb of darkness and decided it fit their diet. The living shadow noticed the pack immediately but it was still inspecting a nest of ants in a hollow tree and didn't identify them as hostile. The wolves, on the other side, mistook the lack of activity as opportunity to strike. The biggest one burst through the bushes with a loud howl and attacked what he intended to make his midnight snack followed closely by the others. Alas, the dark creature was now aware of the predatory intents of the wooden animals and turned to them, squinting its eyes and started sizzling with energy. The moment the pack leader pounced at it, a sudden surge of magic was released.
The shadow took a moment to admire its work. Around him stood the pack, frozen on the spot, the leader even mid-air which resulted in him lying helplessly on the ground as immobile as a rock. After a short while of considering the situation, the creature decided to keep moving and find something else to watch.
Eventually it reached the borders of the forest. Before it lay a small town, shrouded in the veil of night. Curiously, it flew closer to the closest buildings only to find them filled with darkness. The animated shadow seemed to ponder a while before moving on to investigate the rest of the town. It slowly went from house to house but it was always the same picture. All lights were dimmed and the doors and windows were locked and closed. After some time it reached a tree which was hollowed out to build a house inside. Contrary to the other houses, there was still a window alight. This caught the interest of the dark creature. Surely there was something new inside, something it hadn't seen yet and hopefully something interesting. It slowly started to approach the unique building.