//------------------------------//
// Pooling Bloodlines 
// Story: A Story of Heritage 
// by thecookiewookie 
//------------------------------//

Shadestar began weaving a spell in the dimly lit room, her silver aura blindingly brilliant. "Just an illusion to make explaining this easier. It should show you my thoughts." she said in response to Sunlit's worried look.

The room flashed silver bright, then faded to black.

Sunlit heard his cousin's voice in his mind. "Many thousands of years ago, the first of clan Obsidian was born. He was a vicious and ill tempered unicorn, who started duels at the faintest perceived slight. Through the fights he started, he became extremely good at injuring and killing other ponies. His reputation became widespread, and Obsidian was soon hired for his talents."

As Shadestar spoke, her words played on the wall in silver light and ebony black, acting out a macabre shadow puppet dance to her story.

"Too clever for a simple thug, he quickly found a niche as a clandestine killer. He was soon a master assassin, and he had no shortage of targets when every noble held a grudge against each other. He found a mare who shared his love for spilling pony blood, and married her. Their foals were the first generation of the Obsidian Clan.

"The clan used the cover of night to commit their vile murders, and began to worship Princess Luna. They were fanatical,  though, and believed in a strong, cold mistress of the night, not her true self, the loving, quiet alicorn we know. When they realized this, they decided to use their assassinations as a tool, to sculpt her into their god of shadow.

"They began to target those around her, trying to harden her and twist her personality. She lost many friends to the Obsidians. After one particularly close friend was targeted, Luna vowed to protect him personally. Even she never saw the black-garbed devils in time. She managed to capture one of them, and through Duskmantle Obsidian she cursed the clan that they would never again work any normal magic with the night's aid, for the moon would reveal them, and the stars devour their luck and fate.

"For a time this worked. The clan was not seen for over a century. Then, one hundred and one years later, to the day, a target received the customary Mourning Token, an obsidian coin meant to tell a target to cherish their last week alive. One week later, along their rules of 'civilized' murder,  the great-great grandfoal of Duskmantle's target, barely twelve years old, was found dead, his home reeking of fell ritual magic. Princess Luna's curse had not stopped the clan, only weakened it.

"The curse nearly worked, though. If any fewer of the Obsidians were naturally able to channel ritual magic, the clan would likely have faded away. Even still, they found it too constraining. As they looked for alternative methods to eliminate targets, one  member found the Dreaming. The Obsidians immediately saw the appeal it held. They could see into the thoughts of their targets with little practice necessary. Only a choice few could manipulate it well, but anything helped bolster their ranks. The trainees practiced stealth in each others minds, until even Luna had difficulty finding them in the dreamscape. Then, when the concept of nightmares was considered as a tool, a new horror arose.

"After only a few generations, the Obsidians had carefully pruned and prepared nightmares which could scare a pony to death. They had created a true ultimate weapon, one which could slay any target without trace or risk to the assassins. As they began their campaign of bloodshed once more, they also worked on a dream-construct of their idealized, idolized version of Luna. It was not a true Nightmare, but it would possess Luna and make her the dark god they wished for if ever it came in contact with her.

"Finally moved by their attacks beyond thoughts of the repercussions, Luna battled the clan in the dreamscape of her guard captain. She was on her way toward victory, but then they released their possession spirit. Worse, the fighting in the Dreaming had released one of the Obsidians' lethal Nightmares. The nightmare and the dark goddess attacked Luna at the same time, but she nearly fended them off.

"However, Luna could not ward her mind properly,  overcome with grief and loathing of the Obsidians. Caught off guard, she was possessed by both, and their combined effects left only one part of the original Luna unchanged: her seething hatred for the Obsidian Clan. Nightmare Moon, as their ideal now called herself, showed no mercy, and slaughtered every member of the clan she could find, before turning her eye to the rest of Equestria. She restrained the specters and returned to her home, but the forces which had taken root could not be so easily held down. She soon lost control entirely, and Celestia was forced to banish her.

"Only a few survived, and those few went deep undercover. Even when Nightmare Moon was banished, they decided to bide their time and restore their strength. Now, only thirty years ago, a young mare left the clan to raise a family. She left for the wilderness and carved a tower in which to live. She raised her foal with love, and passed in her sleep four years ago. And ever since I have learned of my family's past, I believe that mare, my mother, was murdered by the same clan she left."

The spell ended and the dim tower came into view again. Shadestar trembled visibly, though whether with rage, grief, or exhaustion eluded a certain stunned white unicorn.

Sunlit was shell shocked. He couldn't accept this, how could he be related to a clan which had nearly destroyed Equestria? More importantly, did he have any family left?

"Who were my parents?" asked Sunlit. "The spell the librarian cast showed a stallion with a crimson mane, and a cutie mark of a domino mask."

At this news, Shadestar looked grim. "I do not know precisely. If the ancestry spell worked for you, and the mark was correct, I am sorry. It was likely my uncle, Rogue Glint Obsidian, and his wife. They were the other two who helped my mother escape. They left too, she with a newborn foal, but were never heard from again after their escape from the Clan. They were well known, and they would have been hunted down soon after."

Sunlit felt his last wisp of hope slowly wither away. So he was alone.

Noting Sunlit's crushed expression, Shadestar decided to console her new found cousin as best she could. "Sunlit, " she said, getting his attention,"I don't intend to let our family go unavenged."

Sunlit started. Was it really his job to avenge somepony he had never known? Nopony could hold him responsible for honoring their names, but...somewhere within him a voice cried out for justice. Not only for his parents and Shadestar's mother, but for the atrocities this Obsidian Clan had caused princess Luna to commit. He did not have to help her, but somehow he knew he would never be able to live with himself unless he did.

Sunlit looked up, steely-eyed. "Where do we start?"