Troops where running at the pegasus with all their weapons ready to kill him, but as they rushed to do their lords will, the pegasus flapped his wings sending a wave of fire that destroyed the army and putting Trixie and Dark Bane in a state of total shock as the army they brought was reduced to dust.
"How is that possible? He's a pegasus, they can't use magic!" Trixie yelled as she looked at the green hair pegasus.
"It doesn't matter. He'll burn just like the rest." Dark Bane replied to his wife as he used a spell that allowed him to breath fire.
As the flames got close to the pegasus, the flames suddenly turned up towards the sky making everypony go into a state of shock.
"That's impossible. That fire was created with the power of hatred itself." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the pegasus.
"Hey Twilight, how can he use magic?" Rainbow Dash asked since there has never been a pegasus in history that could use magic.
"I don't know." Twilight replied as she looked at the pegasus.
"I think it is time for us to take our leave my princess." Dark Bane stated as he backed up to get away from this pony.
"Agreed my prince." Trixie replied as she stepped closer to her husband.
Dark Bane then used dark magic to teleport the both of them back to their castle. Leaving the six weilders of the Elements of Harmony and the rulers of the Crystal Empire looking at the pegasus and the dragoness.
"Alright buster who are you?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew into the magical pegasus's face.
"His name is Flame, and you'll leave him alone." the dragoness answered as she pushed Rainbow Dash away from Flame.
"Wow, you have a baby dragon as an assisstant like me." Twilight stated as she looked at the dragoness.
"I'm no baby you horned dork, and the name is Scales." the dragoness corrected the unicorn.
"Sorry." Twilight apologized to the small dragoness.
"Twilight, are you alright?" Spike asked as he ran up to the group.
"Yes Spike, we are all fine." Twilight replied as she hugged the baby dragon.
"How did you beat them?" Spike asked as he looked up at her.
"Actually, we were saved by Flame here and I believe his friend Scales." Twilight answered as she turned him so he can see them.
As soon as Spike saw Scales, he started to stare at her kinda the same way he did when he first saw Rarity.
"Hey, stop staring or I'm going to smack you so hard that you're ancestors will feel it." Scales stated as she saw him staring at her.
"Sorry." Spike apologized as he lowered his head.
"Don't you dare threaten my number one assisstant." Twilight stated as she glared at the dragoness.
"Get away from her." Flame stated as he walked between the two.
"If you two are done, we need to go tell Aunt Celestia that Dark Bane got what ever he wanted." Cadance stated as she looked at the group.
"Actually honey, I know what he got. He got the horn of Sombra." Shining stated as he looked at the group with a sadden look.
"Why would he want his father's horn? I mean that is rather disgusting that he would want that thing." Rarity stated as she was disturbed by the thought.
"Wait, I just remebered that Dark Bane knows many ancient spells. Spells like necromancy. He plans on using a spell to bring back his father to life." Cadance stated as she remembered a very important detail about him.
"Necromancy has been forbidden even before Princess Celestia was born. How can he know any of those spells?" Twilight asked as she looked at the group.
"There must have been a few recorded spells then." Flame answered as he and Scales started to leave towards the edge of the empire.
"Wait, where are you two going?" Pinkie asked as she popped out infront of the two.
"Wow! How did she do that?" Scales asked as she looked at the pink pony.
"To get our stuff." Flame answered the earth pony with a calm stated face.
"We have to hurry back to Princess Celestia! She needs to know what is happening!" Twilight yelled as she started to panick.
"Then we leave now." Cadance stated as she used her magic to teleport her, Shining, Spike, and the Mane Six to the castle of the royal sisters.
Castle of Death:
Trixie was sitting on the couch as she was chewing on her lower lip. Her husband was in the mines making more warriors to protect their home from an attack on them that could happen at any time. He was using large amounts of his own magic to refine the crystals to make stronger troops. After about an hour of doing this, Dark Bane came out of the mines breathing heavily and followed by around 600 troops.
"Are you alright?" Trixie asked as she rushed over to his side.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Dark Bane answered as he was lead to the couch.
"What do we do now? You're to weak to cast the resurrection spell now." Trixie said as she looked into his eyes.
"I have an idea. You come over here." Dark Bane stated as a unicorn maid came walking up to the two.
"Yes, my lords." the maid stated as she bowed to her lords.
Dark Bane started to channel changeling magic into the maid. Her coat changed into a deep ruby, her mane and tail changed to a sapphire and they were styled to look like Sweetie Belle's. Her eyes were a deep purple. On her flank was a black crescent diamond moon.
"Your name is Eclipse. You will go to the Temple of the Moon. You will find it in a cave near the center of White Tail Woods." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the newly made pony.
"But my lord, what if they question me why I'm there?" Eclipse asked as she looked at her master.
"You will tell them that you had an ancestor that left the order, but you are still loyal to the goddess of the night, and that you have learned that the Shadow Empire is going to attack Canterlot, and that the guards are unable to provide enough protection." Dark Bane answered as he glared at the mare.
"Yes my lord." Eclipse replied as she started to wonder why she was obeying him.
"Why are you sending her to tell them that you are going to attack Canterlot?" Trixie asked when Eclipse was out of ear shot.
"Simple my lovely wife." Dark Bane stated as he nuzzled up to her ear, "The ponies within that temple are called the Children of the Night. When Celestia and Luna defeated Discord and sealed him away in stone, groups of ponies started to fight over which princess saved them. Two orders were formed, the Children of the Night and the Guardians of the Light. The Children of the Night was originally formed by orphans of the Era of Discord, who saw Luna as a guardian and like a mother. The Guardians of the Light was originally formed by parents who lost their children because of Discord. They look to Celestia for guidence. They are hidden within a cavern temple near the center of the Everfree Forest. Both cults are unknown to the world, and I have already sent a good number of troops to get rid of the Guardians."
"So how do you know them?" Trixie asked as she looked at him.
"You tend to learn alot when your a statue." Dark Bane answered with a drained expression.
"You still haven't answered my question about sending Eclipse to them." Trixie replied as she gave him a stare to explain right now.
"Have you heard about Nightmare Moon?" Dark Bane asked as he looked at her with his dragon like eyes.
"Everypony knows that story. Princess Luna changed into her from anger and jealous for her sister." Trixie answered not to happy that her question still hasn't been answered.
"I'm the reason why Luna changed into Nightmare Moon. You see since I can use changeling magic to eat anger and hate, I can plant emotions into others, and before I was turned to stone, I used my magic to place the seeds of hate into Luna, and in my stoning prison I could still feel what was happening. I told her to bring forth an eternal night, but then Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to send her to the moon. After a thousand years, I was able to use what dark magic I could get through the stone to release her from her moon, but then Celestia's student along with her friends used the Elements to free her of my control." Dark Bane lectured as Trixie started to glare at him with anger.
"So this has to do with the Children of the Night how?" Trixie asked with annoyed tone of voice.
"After Celestia, Luna, and those enraging Mane Six left, the Children of the Night came and took what was left of Nightmare Moon, and they are the only ones that know the real reason why Luna became Nightmare Moon." Dark Bane answered as he looked at his wife.
"Why worry about them?" Trixie replied as she started to lead him to their bedroom.
"They hold the remains of Nightmare Moon." he replied as let his wife lead him to their room.
"What's with you and Nightmare Moon?" she asked as they were going up the stairs of the tower.
"You could say that Nightmare Moon is my daughter, and I would like her back." Dark Bane stated as they got to their room.
"Don't worry my love, I will bring her back here myself. Now sleep and when you awaken, she will be here. Waiting for new life." Trixie replied to her husband as she kissed him on the forehead as she layed him down on the bed.
(A pat on the back if you can figure out the reference to another story here on this site. More hints will be in the chapter but two have been given already.)
Everfree Forest, Temple of the Sun:
Temple of the Sun was a structure made of golden colored stone and within it, a large group ponies were meditating in artificial sun light made by a large golden orb on the roof. Everypony was wearing cloaks of pure white like Celestia's coat, and on their backs were a golden version of the alicorn amulet. All of these ponies were the masters of the order, and around them were young colts and fillies practicing their respected skills to become masters in their fields of combat and culture. The only pony that seemed to be doing nothing was an elderly unicorn mare that was over looking everypony. This single old mare was completely white, she had deep green eyes, and had a cutie mark that looked like a golden libra sign.(Go to google image and type in libra zodiacs.) Her robe's edging was golden like the very sun.
"Grand Master Libra, I have seen something horrible, and it is going to happen soon, but if I only know what." stated an unicorn stallion around the same age as Twilight and her friends.
This stallion was a ruby color, his tail and mane were emerld, his eyes were golden, and his cutie mark was a golden monacle with a clock face as the lence. He wore a robe with edging that was a blinding yellow.
"Your gift to see the future is your strength, but if we could only help you strength it so your visions were clear to you, Clockwork." Libra stated as she looked at the unicorn with a smile.
"Grand Master, something terrible is going to happen, and I saw that we are involved with it in some way." Clockwork stated as he was in a panic.
At that moment an explosion happened and a group of around 120 troops of the Legion of Shadows with fourty of each tribe of pony. The troops started to attack everypony in the temple as if they were trained royal guards. The children started to run into the structure out of fear. The masters were fighting the troops but were failing to stop them.
"Clockwork guide the young ones, for you are now, Grand Master Clockwork." Libra stated as she took off her robe and gave it to him.
"What are you doing Master Libra?" Clockwork yelled as he watched her walk out to help the masters.
"Take the children to Canterlot. I have been sercetly sending our history and our culture to Canterlot. Take the passage of the Sun Goddess." Libra replied as she summoned her magic to take the troops' attentions from the children.
"Kill the old mare!" a unicorn yelled as he used dark magic to throw the body of a stallion around the same age as Twilight's father.
"You can try!" Libra yelled as she used her magic to send a blast of slicing spells at the troops.
"That is quite the trick. I think our master will love it." the unicorn stated as he fired a blast of slicing spells at the mare.
Clockwork was watching as his master was doing her best to distract the troops. He saw troops coming towards him and so he fired a beam of raw magic at the golden orb bring it down on top of the only entrace to the actual temple.
"Grand Master, what do we do?" asked a scared filly as she looked up at the pony with the robe of their leader.
"We take the passage of the Sun Goddess, and go to Canterlot. We are going to our shared mother." Clockwork stated as he walked up to a golden statue of Celestia.
"What's your name Grand Master?" asked a colt as he and others looked to him.
"I'm Clockwork, now go. We have a two day travel to get to Canterlot by hoof." Clockwork answered as he looked to the statue of Celestia.
Clockwork walked up the statue and pushed the golden sun cutie mark on its pedestal to move it to the side as it revealed a passage. All the kids started to run in as they feared the big, scary ponies that attack them. As the kids ran, Clockwork put the robe on and made sure all the kids were in the tunnel before going in himself then closed to door. As soon as the statue was back in place, the troops came blasting in through the walls and found an empty room.
"Were are they?" yelled a unicorn with what seemed to be rage in his voice.
"We don't know." answered a pegasus as he flow all over the room.
"Then find them!" yelled the same unicorn with as much rage to rival their creator.
White Tail Woods, Temple of the Moon:
A temple of stone that was the same shade of blue as the night sky. The light in the cavern was artificial moon light made by a large silver orb. There weren't to many full grown ponines here unlike what they know of the Guardians of the Light. There was a large number of children playing multiple games. The adults were sparring with each other. All around the sparring ponies were weapon racks holding harmless versions of actual weapons. The ponies wore cloaks of the same shade as Luna's coat, and on the back of these cloaks was an image of the full moon. A lone stallion sat in front of a mural of Princess Luna. In the mursl with her were three fillies and three colts. There was two of each tribe with her. This lone stallion had a grey coat, his mane and tail were black, he had a wing on his right side the other wing was missing, his eyes were red, and his cutie mark was a full moon with the shadow of a wolf in it.
"Sensei Wolf Moon, we found an intrunder near the entrace of our home." stated a member as he approached with two more members and a mare.
"Who are you and why have you come to this sacred place?" Wolf Moon asked as he glared at the mare.
"My name is Eclipse, I come with news about the Shadow Empire." Eclipse lied as she looked the stallion in the eyes.
After she said Shadow Empire, everypony in the cavern stopped what they doing. They looked at Eclipse as if she said a taboo.
"Follow me." Wolf Moon ordered as he walked inside the temple walls.
After Eclipse followed him in, she saw a huge silver statue of Princess Luna on a pedestal with her cutie mark on it. Wolf Moon then looked her straight into her eyes with a calm that was so similar to Prince Drak Bane's own stare.
"How do you know about the Shadow Empire?" Wolf Moon demanded as he continued to stare at her.
"I had an ancestor that left the order, but she passed the knowlegde down as stories. I'm the first one to reallize that they weren't stories." Eclipse lied modifing what her prince told her to say.
"Then how did you find out about the demon Dark Bane?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked at her with scepticism.
"Dark Bane was in these stories as a demon of darkness much like his father. and I saw a force of ponies wearing the dark prince's armor heading to Canterlot." Eclipse answered as she looked at the leader of the order will thinking she was her prince and king were demons.
"Then we leave for Canterlot. The children and a few members including myself will stay here." he replied as he looked at the statue of Luna.
"Why are you staying here? Wouldn't it be better if you went with the warrios?" she asked as looked at the stallion.
"The battle field is no place for a pegasus who lost his left wing to a scorpios." Wolf Moon answered with a calmness that even surpassed Eclipse's master.
Wolf Moon walked out of the temple and told a group of ponies with swords something. After Wolf Moon told them what he wanted to, they started to go talk to others with weapons. When there was about 200 armed ponies they started to leave the temple.
"I think I'll go with them." Eclipse stated as she followed the warriors.
An hour had past since the warriors and Eclipse left, and there was the sound of ponies where coming to the temple.
"Why are the warriors coming back?" asked an unicorn colt around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. This unicorn had a grey coat, his mane and tail was a yellow, his eyes where a deep emerald green, and the last thing about him was that he was a blank flank.
"Calm yourself Wolf Bane." Wolf Moon replied as he looked down at the unicorn.
"But Dad, I have a bad feeling, just like the time before Mom died." Wolf Bane stated to his father.
"I wish I could of saved her and you from that scorpios on that fateful day." Wolf Moon stated as he remembered that day.
Flash Back:
Wolf Moon was walking with his son and wife. His wife was an unicorn, she had a dark blue coat, her mane and tail was yellow, her eyes where a deep emerald green, and her cutie mark was a lily.
"Honey, are you sure it's safe to bring Wolf Bane out here? He still so young." the mare stated as she looked at a Wolf Bane that was bearly old enough to not be called a baby.
"Don't worry Lily. He'll be fine." Wolf Moon replied as he nuzzled her neck.
Lily nuzzled him back and the two where enjoying each others' company that they didn't notice that Wolf Bane was getting to far away from them. They were brought out of their little world when Wolf Bane screamed out of torror, and when they turned to see what the matter was. Wolf Bane was running towards his parents being chased by a large celestial scorpion.
"Our son is being chased by a scorpios! Do something Wolf Moon!" Lily yelled as she started to fire up her horn to save her son.
Wolf Moon flow up to the clouds to build up speed. When he came back down, he was coming back with almost enough speed to do a sonic rainboom, but Lily was on the ground with Wolf Bane screaming for her to get back up, and the monster was about to grab them with its claws.
"Get away from them!" Wolf Moon yellled as he slamed into the monster with enough force to throw it a good ten feet away.
The hit was stronge enought to make it run away, but Wolf Moon had lost a wing from the monster's claws.
"Dad your wing!" Wolf Bane yelled as he looked his dad while shacking from his near death experience.
"I'll be fine, what about your mother?" Wolf Moon asked as he was feeling a light headed from blood lose.
"Dad, she's not breathing." Wolf Bane answered as he was scaried as to way his mother wasn't breathing.
That's when other members came from hearing the comotion of the fight. Both members were taken back to the temple and given medical treatment. Wolf Moon was able to be saved, but Lily wasn't able to be saved from the beast.
"I had a bad feeling when we went outside today Dad. I just didn't know what." Wolf Bane cried as he hugged his father.
"Its alright kiddo." Wolf Moon replied as he held his son in a calming hug.
Present day:
The children were looking at the tunnel that leads from the forest to the temple. They kept hearing hoof steps coming closer to them. They started to get scared and ran into the temple for safety.
"Wolf Bane, get into the temple now." Wolf Moon ordered his son.
"Yes Dad." Wolf Bane replied as he ran into the temple.
"Snake Eyes, I need to talk to you." Wolf Moon called to a pony that stood in the shadows.
"You called Sensei?" Snake Eyes asked as he stepped out of the shadows revealing him to be an unicorn.
"Yes, and take your cloak off." Wolf Moon replied as he took his cloak off.
"Sensei?" Snake Eye asked as he took his cloak off. Snake Eyes had a black coat, a black mane and tail, his eyes were venomous green, and his cutie mark was a king combra posed to strike in a light grey color.
"I have a feeling that I will not be able to lead soon, so you will lead the Children of the Night in my place. I want you to make sure my son is happy." Wolf Moon answered as he grabbed a dagger as he signaled others to go into the temple.
"I will do my best Sensei, but what of our history?" asked Snake Eyes as he looked at his leader.
"I have had them sent to Canterlot weeks ago, so don't worry." Wolf Moon answered as almost all of the other members had enter the temple.
"Sensei, what are you doing?" Snake Eyes asked as he saw that they were the only ponies outside the temple at the moment.
"We're going to be attacked by the Shadow Empire. I'm making sure they don't hurt any of you." Wolf Moon answered as he aimed the dagger to the chain that held the silver moon over the entrace of the temple.
"Then we should leave now." Snake Eyes replied as he looked at his master.
"You take the others down the path of the Moon Goddess." Wolf Moon ordered as he walked away from the temple but still had a good angle on the chain.
Just as Snake Eyes went into the temple, Trixie came walking out of the tunnel dressed like her husband and flanked by 90 troops.(Do I really have to tell you what tribes of pony are with her and how many of each are with her.)
"Who are you and why are you here?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked at the tainted unicorn.
"I am Trixie, and I'm here for the remnats of Nightmare Moon." Trixie answered as she looked at the older stallion.
"Are you a member of the Children of Nightmare?" Wolf Moon asked as he glared at Trixie.
"What are you talking about? I'm the wife of Prince Dark Bane, which makes me the princess of shadows." Trixie replied as she looked at him with a confused looked.
"You're married Dark Bane, then you know that I can't let you take those shards." Wolf Moon replied as he raised the dagger he had.
"Like you have a choice in the matter." Trixie stated as the troops started to enter the shadows and surronded Wolf Moon.
"Do you really think you can control a demon?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked a Trixie.
"I'm not going to control my daughter. Now if don't mind I'm taking her back." Trixie answered as she moved closer to the temple.
"Not as soon as you think." Wolf Moon stated as he throw the dagger and brought the silver sphere down on the entrance.
"Why you, punish him!" Trixie yelled as she glared at the stallion.
The troops jumped onto Wolf Moon obeying their princess, and trying to give the punishment he seemed to deserved.
"You three get in there with your shadow walking powers now." Trixie ordered as she glared at three troops that were about to join in on the beating. (There was one unicorn, one pegasus, and one earth pony. Where you expecting them to be one tribe?)
"Yes mistress." they replied in unison as they dove into shadows.
As the three went to enter, they just went up the walls, and Trixie was not happy at all.
"What are you idiots doing?" Trixie yelled at the three with rage to rival her husband.
"There must be an enchantment on the temple mistress. We can't enter with our shadow forms." the unicorn replied as he looked to the ground hoping to avoide the rage of his mistress.
"Then get that orb out of the way!" Trixie yelled as the rest of the troops started to leave the beaten body of Wolf Moon.
"Yes our mistress." every troop replied as they started to move the silver sphere.
After they removed the sphere, they started to go through the entire temple until they came upon the damaged armor of Nightmare Moon, and it was surronded by four collums that seemed to make a shield that prevented them from even touching it.
"What are you idiots waiting for?" Trixie yelled as she glared at all of them.
"Sorry mistress." all the troops replied as they started to push on the shield.
"You are all idiots." Trixie stated as they kept pushing on the shield.
"Mistress, what do we do?" one of them asked as they stopped using force on the barrier.
"You just have to use what little of a brain my husband gave all of you to know to use some magic on the sorce of the barrier." Trixie answered as her horn glowed with dark magic sending a shadow to go to the four magic infused collums causing them to turn black with dark colored crystals growing out of them.
The troops Trixie brought were all watching as the shield started to grow darker and darker until it disappeared leaving the armor of Nightmare Moon unprotected. Trixie walked up to it and could feel the power that was still inside of it.
"Find me something to put me future daughter in." Trixie ordered as she looked over these shadow ponies as she called them.
"Yes our mistress." all the of them replied as they ran off to find the item to hold the new addition to the Shadow Empire's royal family.
"Soon you will be give new life my daughter." Trixie said to herself as she looked into the eyes of the empty helmet.
"I just want a family that loves me." said a voice of filly around the same age as Snails and Snips that seemed to come from the armor.
Trixie was taken off guard by the fact that even in the state she was in that she could still talk to others. Trixie walked up to the armor and saw that she could still affect it with her magic, and so with this new found information she cast a spell to repair it. After the spell was finish repairring the armor, Trixie then used her magic to turn one of the banners into a bag to hold all six peices firmly while being in the form of saddle bags. After Trixie ordered every soilder that was there to take her back to the castle, the temple was as silents as a graveyard until an unicorn walked out from behind a hiding spot.
"Lord Night Shade, is not going to be pleased with this." said an earth pony mare that was completely black, the eyes of Nightmare Moon, and was wearring a modified set of armor that looked like Nightmare Moon's.