//------------------------------//
// Chapter 42 
// Story: The Darkness in our Souls 
// by Black Light 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 42

“The book? What book?” Twilight asked.

“Remember a while ago when I stayed in the Canterlot Library?” I responded.

“Yes, and you eventually fainted from exhaustion. I remember.” She told me.

“While I was there, and just before I passed out I found a book. I thought it might answer some of my questions and I kept it with me.” I said to her.

“Right, I remember. That Shadow Servers came and stole that book from your room didn’t they?” Twilight questioned.

“That’s right they did.” I answered.

“And you think that book has something to do with them creating another darkness?” She asked.

“Of that, we’re almost positive.” I told her.

“So since they got the book they could create another darkness anywhere at any time.” Twilight said.

“Maybe, it’s possible that it’s not a spell they can learn from the book, but actually something in the book that causes it to happen. If we take away the book they might not be able to make another.” I told them.

“So what’s to stop them from making another right now?” Rainbow asked.

“Power, even with the book I would expect it takes an enormous amount of power to create another darkness, so right now they’re probably trying to regain some strength. Although I expect that as soon as they get enough strength again they’ll attempt to make another. That’s why time is of the most importance.” I said to them.

“So you want to go and steal the book back from them?” Twilight asked.

“No, I don’t want to steal it. As soon as I find it, I want to burn it.” I answered.

“BURN IT!?” Twilight shouted. “But- but you can’t burn a book. They’re things of knowledge and it should be a terrible crime to even think of harming one.”

“Twilight, This book isn’t a thing of knowledge. It is a thing of evil, and it would be a terrible crime to allow it to exist in this world any longer than it already has.” I told her.

“But- but.” Twilight started trying to find the right words to protect the book.

“You can’t talk me out of this. Because of that book and my own weakness there is a pony dead. I won’t let that happen ever again, and if the Shadow Servers are allowed to make another darkness then it will only end in more death.” I said angrily.

“Shadow, you can’t blame yourself for Starry.” Twilight said to me.

“AND WHY NOT!?” I shouted. “If I had been stronger I could’ve stopped her. If I had been smarter I could’ve found a way. If I had been braver I could’ve-” I would’ve continued but a hoof slapped my face forcing me to stop. 

I turned and looked at the mare who had hit me. “I already told you. Looking back it seems like you could’ve done more, but in the moment you really can’t. So stop blaming yourself for it please. I can’t stand to see you like this.” Rainbow said her eyes starting to tear up slightly.

I sat quietly for a moment before I moved and brought her into an embrace. “I’m sorry. You’re right, and I know your right. I just wish I could’ve done more, so I don’t want to admit that I wasn’t able to do anything.” I told her my own eyes beginning to water. Soon all the girls were all gathered around me in a large embrace. I took a deep breath and composed myself. “Alright that’s enough of the waterworks. We still have some work to do.”

“Right, we need to find the Shadow Servers.” Twilight said.

“Correct. We still don’t know where they are, and if we don’t know where they are we’ll never be able to get the book from them.”

“Well, how are we supposed to find them?” Rainbow asked.

I started to pace around the room. I knew that I could probably use my power to find them, but I didn’t want to give them the pleasure of having my power used on them, because knowing them, they would consider themselves blessed if they knew I had used it on them. This was one part of the plan I still hadn’t thought quite thought through. In truth the rest of it wasn’t much of a plan anyway. It basically just went along the lines of find them, beat them up, find the book, steal the book, and destroy the book. That’s about it. I sighed. “I don’t think that we can find them, but I think that I know somepony who can.”

“What do you mean? Who is it?” Twilight asked.

“He’s an old acquaintance of mine, and he has access to some of the best tracking techniques in all of Equestria.” I answered. “And to top all those things off. He’s one of the few who doesn’t consider me a monster.” I said with a smile.

“Alright, so where do we find him?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, he tends to spend a lot of time in the Everfree forest, but normally he’s on the whole other side of the forest than the side we’re on now.” I answered.

“He lives in the Everfree forest?” Twilight asked.

“Most of the time. He goes to a few other forests occasionally. He doesn’t really have a set home, but he gets along quite well.” I told them.

“Well if he’s all the way on the other side of the forest than we’d better get a move on.” Rainbow said.

“Are you sure you want to go?” I asked.

“Of course, we’ve been in the forest a couple times. We can handle ourselves in there.” Rainbow told me.

“Perhaps I should rephrase. Are you sure you want to meet him?” I responded.

“Why is he strange?” Twilight asked.

“Well… you see he’s…” I sighed. There’s really no other way to describe him. “He’s vulgar, rude, perverted, and yes he’s indeed a little strange.” I told them.

There was a moment of silence around the room, and then I was slapped.

“Rarity!? Why did you slap me?!” I asked rubbing my cheek.

“Because you said those things in front of Skies. What type of a brother says those things in front of his own sister?” Rarity answered.

“I actually can’t blame him.” Skies told her. “I’ve met the dude. He’ll probably try and bed any mature mare he comes across.”

And another moment of silence. And then I was slapped again.

“WHY?! Why do you keep doing that!?” I said to Rarity rubbing my other cheek.

“For one, she obviously had to have learned that language from you, and two if this stallion is really as bad as you say. I am extremely disappointed you even allowed Skies to meet him.

“I didn’t do either of those things!” I retorted. “Skies learned those words from a book that was suggested to her by a teacher that saw how mature she was for her age, and I told her to stay away from him but she went anyways. When I got back to his camp they were having tea and discussing the mating rituals of Timberwolves.” Another moment of silence. I quickly flew up into the air. I knew what normally followed these moments of silence. “So before I get slapped again can we just go?” I finally asked.

After a short debate the girls finally agreed that it was time to go. We packed up the gear we would need for the journey and meet each other at the entrance to the Everfree forest a few minutes later.

“So do you know how to find him in the forest?” Twilight asked me.

“Yeah, when we said our good-byes last time we met he gave me something so that I could find him wherever he went.” I answered her.

“That’s good, so what is it?” Twilight responded.

“Well you see-” I would’ve continued but a growl coming from a bush cut me off. A timberwolf jumped from the bush with a few more following it. Soon we were surrounded with the largest within the circle the smaller ones had formed. All the girls were squeezing close together facing towards the circle the wolves had made. Skies and I on the other hoof simple smiled. “Good they smelled us. I was kind of expecting it to take a little bit longer though.”

“How can you be so calm about this?!” Twilight asked. “And why did you expect this to happen!?”

I used my magic and levitated a small pouch out of my saddlebags and floated it over to the large wolf. He took a long sniff of it and then lowered his body onto the ground. Skies and I smiled and got onto his back. He stood up with us still on top of him and gave us time to get settled. The girls were staring wide eyed. “Well don’t just stand there.” I told them. “Find a wolf and get on.” It was now they looked around and saw that the circle of wolves had all gotten down on their bellies in the same way as the large wolf.

“Wha- what- what’s going on?!” Twilight shouted.

“Well, if you want to know the specifics. We’re riding on the backs of timberwolves who are going to lead us to the pony I was talking about.”

A moment of silence.

“…WHAT!?!” All six mares shouted. I couldn’t help but smile, and I’m almost positive I saw the large wolf I was on do the same as well.