//------------------------------// // Suspicions // Story: Dark Cloud // by D5ky //------------------------------// The door to the library kitchen opened slowly with a loud creak. Spike looked around from in front of the stove, beholding a very groggy-looking Twilight crossing the threshold. Her mane was disheveled, and her eyes were still half-closed, very obviously still half-asleep. "Good morning, Twilight," Spike said, cheerfully. Twilight didn't respond, meandering across the kitchen to sit at the table. Unperturbed, Spike flipped over one of the sandwiches he was cooking. "I'm making lunch," he brightly informed her. "...Lunch?" Twilight said, confused. Her voice was slightly hoarse from her grogginess. "What time is it?" "Almost eleven-thirty," Spike said, his cheerful manner faltering at the end of the sentence. Twilight was silent, and Spike was bracing himself for the explosion that he knew was coming. "...Eleven-thirty?" Twilight asked, her voice becoming clearer now. Spike tensed up, waiting for it. "ELEVEN THIRTY?!?" Her voice had risen a half-octave, her eyes wide open now. "You know how much I hate sleeping in, Spike! Why didn't you wake me up?!" "We're not doing anything today," Spike shrugged. "There's nothing written on the schedule." “Well, at least now I know why you’re cooking…” she muttered. “Hey,” Spike said, indignantly. “I’ve cooked breakfast before.” “When have you ever cooked me breakfast when you weren’t in trouble?” Twilight asked. Spike chose to remain silent. Flipping the two sandwiches onto separate plates, he carried them over to the table. “I hate sleeping in,” Twilight said yet again, as a grilled hay sandwich was placed in front of her. “So much time gone to waste.” “You work too much,” Spike informed her, sitting at the other side of the table and biting into his hay sandwich. “You need to take a break sometimes.” “You know,” Twilight thought aloud, obviously not having listened to a word Spike said, “it’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Princess.” “Oh, yeah,” Spike said, sheepishly. He stood up, walked into the library, and returned carrying a tightly-rolled scroll that Twilight hadn’t noticed on her way downstairs. He held it out to her. “This came earlier this morning. It’s marked F.T.E.O.” For Twilight’s Eyes Only. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Honestly, Spike, you need to remember important things like that!” she scolded, dropping the hay sandwich back onto her plate. She levitated the scroll in midair as it unfurled itself for her to read, and Spike returned to his hay sandwich. Twilight, It’s been a little while since I’ve given you an assignment specifically focusing on magic. You’ve been so caught up in studying friendship that I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting your magical training. My next assignment for you is somewhat different than usual. Years ago, we taught the foals in school about a certain type of magic. However, to to certain extenuating circumstances, I caused that subject to be banned. I’ve already taught you a little bit about this magic. It is the most powerful magic in existence, but it is also the most deadly. It is the magic that King Sombra specializes in: Dark Magic. Twilight’s eyes widened as she read the letter. The Princess couldn’t possibly mean what she thought she meant… could she? Centuries ago, I confiscated all of the books related to dark magic known to ponykind, and sealed them in the restricted section of the archives. They still remain there, only to be read by those I deem ready. You, Twilight, are ready for this stage of training. Most ponies can’t use dark magic because of the dark energies that accompany it. As far as I am aware, Princess Luna and Myself are two of the only remaining individuals who can. But, as you may remember, when you were a filly, I ran many tests on your magical energy. Twilight did remember. She remembered having amounts of blood drawn, having many examinations to see just how much power she had. She remembered overhearing a conversation about how the tests were taking much longer than usual, because of her amount of raw magical strength. These tests made it clear to me that you have the capacity to use certain amounts of dark magic without any negative side effects. This became even more apparent during the Crystal Empire Crisis, when you used a basic dark spell of revealing to get past several obstacles. Therefore, I will be sending you forty of the dark magic textbooks, ranging from basic to intermediate skill level, as soon as you reply to this letter. I can only have them out of the archives for eight days, or the pony who checks the restricted section might ask awkward questions. I also can’t order him to not do the count, as that will pose even more questions. I want you to read them all in the next seven days and practice what they’re teaching you, as I believe you will find it useful in the coming days. You are to remain in your study while you work, and disclose the true nature of your assignment to nopony, not even Spike. The public will get the wrong idea if they knew about this, and it would cause trouble for you, me, and the entire kingdom. I know that dark magic seems like an evil and insidious magic. You saw a small portion of what it is capable of in the Crystal Empire. Letting you learn this magic is a risk, but it’s a risk we need to take. You might be asking yourself why I’m having you do this. If you ever feel uncomfortable throughout the duration of this assignment, remember this: You cannot fight your enemy without knowing how they think, what their weaknesses are, and exactly what they’re capable of. King Sombra was not the only dark magic user of this age, and I believe that you will face it again many times throughout the course of your life. Master the things the textbooks teach you, as they are the key to survival. I expect a secure letter from you every two days, reporting on your progress. Be careful about how you use dark magic in future. Good Luck. Your mentor and friend, -Princess Celestia Twilight re-read the letter, her mind racing. This was definitely something she hadn’t been expecting. She felt a little apprehensive about learning the most evil and most powerful magic in existence, but at the same time, she was excited. Before the Crystal Empire, she hadn’t even known dark magic existed. This was something that she knew almost nothing about, and there would be a lot to learn. “Anything interesting?” Spike asked. Twilight snapped back to reality. She had almost forgotten Spike was in the room, and she needed to come up with some excuse that she could use to study without him being suspicious. “Yeah,” she said, thinking hard. Then inspiration came. Technically she wouldn’t lie, but Spike still wouldn’t know the truth. “I’ve got forty magic books to read by the end of the week,” she informed him. “Forty?” Spike sounded dumb-struck. “How are you supposed to read forty magic textbooks in less than a week?” “I read a dozen books in two days a few weekends ago,” she shrugged. “If I work even harder this time, I can pull it off no problem.” “Well, do you want me to write the reply letter?” Spike asked. Twilight paused. She hadn’t thought about the fact that Spike would expect to write a letter for her, as usual. “No, she says she doesn’t need one,” she lied. “Really?” Spike asked in surprise, as Twilight hurried and ate the rest of her sandwich. “Yup,” she replied, after swallowing the last mouthful. “Could you take care of the dishes?” “Can’t you just do it with magic?” he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him. "...Oh, all right," he grumbled. "Thank you," Twilight said in silent triumph, holding up her plate for him to take. As soon as Spike turned on the water to wash the dishes, Twilight's horn lit quietly, and opened a drawer back in the library. Knowing exactly where she had last left them, she levitated ink, quill, and parchment from the drawer, and levitated them through the open door. She quickly wrote out a reply letter with her magic, moving the parchment against one of the cupboards, where Spike couldn't see it. Princess, I'd be honored to study Dark Magic. I understand the circumstances. Nopony else will find out about this. I told Spike I need to read forty magic books, but didn't specify which ones. I'll tell my other friends the same. You can send the books when you're ready. Your faithful student, -Twilight Having recently learned a spell that would allow her to send messages without need of Spike's help, she sent the letter off into oblivion, where it would wait until Princess Celestia chose to retrieve it. This was the more secure message system they had worked out; Celestia had obviously sent the letter to Spike so he wouldn't question why Twilight was working. Forty books on brand-new magic, Twilight thought to herself, half-scared, half-excited. I'd better start getting ready. Spike finished washing the dishes just as Twilight finished replacing the quill and ink into the open library desk drawer. "Well, I'd better get started," Twilight said, standing up. "I don't want any interruptions while I'm working, unless it's really important. I'll make a checklist of chores for you to do every day. If anypony asks where I am, tell them the truth." "Got it," Spike said, as he followed Twilight into the Library. "What books do you need?" "I can get them myself," Twilight said, her horn lighting up. She began to pull forty random books off of the shelves, pretending to double-check their names as she levitated each one into a stack. "But it would be nice if you could get the basement door for me." Spike ran to the basement door, and pulled it open as Twilight and her many books crossed the threshold. She descended the steps into darkness, as the door swung shut behind her. Before continuing further, she used her magic to open the shudders to the one window they had down there. Sunlight spilled through the distant hole, not blinding her, as she hadn't become used to the dark yet. Finishing the descent, she set the pile of books on the floor against the west wall. Moving across to the window, she opened it, and used magic to remove the screen. At that moment, a yellow beam of light hit the ground, and a large brown box materialized inside. Twilight was surprised that Celestia would deliver the books through solar transport, as it generally took her a large amount of effort to use it. She levitated the box through the hole, then replaced the screen. She tore the magical tape off from the box, opening it eagerly. She was met with a significant amount of dust. She coughed slightly as it spread from the ancient books. Despite the books being so old, they looked in fairly good condition. There was a note attached to one of them, which Twilight lifted up and began reading. Instructions Start with the book entitled "A History of Dark Magic." You will find the title of which book to read next inside the back cover. Keep in mind: Some dark magic is too advanced for even Luna and I, so it will be for you as well. You are to read and study the theory for the whole book, but only actually attempt to cast spells from the list of chapters found in the front cover. Good luck. Twilight located the first book in the top of the box. She walked over to her desk, and opened the cover. Inside, she found a small note saying Practical Application: N/A. Curious, she opened the front cover and began to read. (=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=) Aura All dark magic puts off some kind of aura, but strong users are able to hide it very well if they choose. The stronger the pony attempting to sense them is, the harder it is for them to hide. Typical signs of dark aura are: Sudden Decreases in Air Temperature Feeling of Being Watched Feelings of Fear or Terror These feelings vary from pony to pony, as dark magic users are constantly trying to hide these signs unless they really want to scare you. Dark Aura can be sensed easily, even by Earth Ponies or Pegasai. This is one of the few downsides to Dark Magic, although it is rarely a problem as most of them cannot tell that they are sensing something magical. Very few are able... Twilight's eyes moved across the lines of text, taking in every word. It had been two days since she began, but she still hadn't learned any practical application, as most of the beginning books were written to teach ponies how to recognize Dark Magic, not to use it. She hadn't slept a wink, reading straight through the night. In the mornings, she wrote lists of chores for Spike, and levitated them to the top of the basement stairs. She was physically exhausted, but her brain refused to let her take a break; she needed to keep going if she wanted to meet her deadline. The basement door opened, then closed again. Twilight couldn't see the newcomer due to the way the staircase curved, but she was unsurprised to see Spike standing there, holding yet another grilled hay sandwich. "I made you breakfast again," he said, bringing the plate over to her. "Thanks," she said, distractedly, not beginning to eat it. She continued reading, until she registered that Spike hadn't gone back upstairs. "Was there something else?" she asked him. Instead of answering, Spike pulled something out from behind his back and handed it to her. It was a scroll of parchment, one that she recognized. "Royal Duties?" she asked. Spike nodded. "When do you need to leave?" "Right now," Spike said. "The next train to Canterlot leaves in 20 minutes." Twilight found it odd that Celestia would summon Spike to Canterlot now. Why hadn't she just done it yesterday, delivering it with the letter she had sent to Twilight? "How long?" "A week," Spike replied. Perfect, Twilight thought to herself. I'll be done with the books by then. "Well, I guess you'd better get going," she said, looking back at the book on the table. "Double-check that you've packed everything, and write to me every night." "I know," Spike said, in a 'quit-nagging-me' tone. "Do all of my friends know where I am?" She asked. "Everyone but Fluttershy and Rarity," Spike replied, his eyes going a bit starry upon saying the second name. "But I'll ask Pinkie Pie to tell them on my way to the staion." "Thanks," Twilight said. Spike turned to go, then paused. "Twilight? I know books are cool and all, but... can you promise me you'll eat every once in a while?" Twilight looked back up at him, seeing the genuine concern in his face. It was true; she sometimes went off meals to keep reading. If Spike hadn't been bringing her food, she wouldn't have eaten at all. "I will," she said, smiling at him. "I promise." Spike climbed the circling staircase out of sight, and a few moments later, Twilight heard the basement door click shut, leaving her alone with the books. (=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=) Dark Blood Even the most powerful magic users cannot use dark magic to its full extent while missing this crucial component. Dark Blood is a dangerous substance which will kill you if incorrectly applied. When injected and utilized correctly, it replaces all regular blood you have. Most ponies with dark blood were born with it, rather than given it. When your blood is dark, your healing rate will increase exponentially, making it difficult for anypony to finish you properly. You will also adapt to all of the dark energies known to us, and will be able to use dark magic fully without any side effects. -Dark Blood: A Mystery of Science (=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=) Just one more page, Twilight. Just... one... more... Twilight struggled to stay awake, as she attempted to read the final page of a book entitled Dark Blood: A Mystery of Science. She had left the study only to use the bathroom and eat. It would be almost her third day straight of reading, come a few hours. She had to mentally shake herself every few seconds to continue taking in the words she was reading, as her eyes slowly dragged across the black text. Finally, she finished the final page, and set the book in the stack of other finished ones beside her. 19 down, 21 to go, she thought, dully. At least she finally had some practical application. She remembered the text clearly. Shadow Magic Shadow Magic is a rudimentary form of dark magic, which specializes in illusion and deception. Changelings are creatures of Shadow Magic, which is how they can all appear to be any other creature. The rest of the book had gone into detail on how to disguise oneself, as well as creating external illusions. She had spent the last few hours changing different areas of her body to look like something else, as well as creating a full-bodied pony from thin air. She hadn't quite perfected disguising herself, but she had taken notes on it, and she could perfect it later. But right now, Twilight was barely staying awake. She was going to go take a short nap before getting back to it. She ascended the stairs, emerging into the Library. The sun still hadn't risen, as it was 6:31 AM. She turned to go straight up to her bedroom area, but as she began walking towards the staircase, a familiar voice sounded from behind. "Taking a break at last, I see." Twilight jumped and whipped around to face the intruder. There, sitting on her couch, was none other than Princess Celestia herself, with her hind legs crossed, looking down expressionlessly at Twilight. "Princess!" Twilight exclaimed, quickly trotting back and bowing to her teacher and friend. "How long have you been here?" "Oh, a few hours or so," Celestia shrugged. "I didn't know you were coming," Twilight said. As she realized that she had just been caught going to bed, she hastily added, "I'm not giving up! I can read all of those books, you'll see--" Celestia silenced her by raising a hoof, effectively cutting off the flow of explanation from Twilight's mouth. "It's ok, Twilight," she said with a smile. "I don't expect anypony to be awake as long as you have been, especially while doing your demanding task." Twilight was still slightly worried. "Princess, what if I can't finish in time without staying up longer? I don't know--" "You'll be fine, Twilight," Celestia said. "I wouldn't have assigned you this task if I didn't believe you could do it." Something was funny with Celestia's appearance, but Twilight couldn't quite place it. Then she realized; Celestia looked as though she was about to pass out. "Are you all right, Princess?" She asked. "You look a little green..." "I'm fine, thank you," The white Alicorn responded. Twilight found it even more odd that Celestia's skin tone returned to normal right afterwards. "You're sure?" she prompted. Celestia shuddered suddenly, making Twilight jump again. The Alicorn had a slight fire in her eyes that her student had never seen before. She put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, my student," she said to her protege, who was still shocked at her sudden change in behavior. "I cannot tell what quite yet, but I can sense a great danger looming over us. Read the rest of those books, master the magic, and prepare your friends. We are headed for a dark, tragic time, and I want us to be ready." Leaving Twilight in a state of utter confusion, the white Alicorn stepped out the front door where her chariot was waiting. She stepped in, and her guards pulled her into the air and off back towards Canterlot. Twilight sat there, in a state of deep-seated unease and bewilderment. She had never seen the Princess behave quite like that before. Unannounced entrance, unnerving conversation, abrupt exit. If the princess is this bothered, there must be something terribly wrong, Twilight thought as she paced about the room. She wanted to find out more, but she didn't want to bother the princess further. I'll just have to go ask the chief about it later today, she thought. She yawned hugely, then remembered where she had been going before Celestia showed up. She ascended the staircase to the bedroom, and after setting a magical alarm that would wake her after a few hours' rest, she fell asleep almost immediately. (=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=) The night guard sat at the wooden desk, almost falling asleep as he stared at the computer monitors. It had been another uneventful night in the Ponyville hospital. No one came in, no one came out. He had been sitting there all night, trying not to sleep as he watched the front door and several hallways. Finally, he sat up straight as he watched a lemon-colored Pegasus walk through the front doors. If the newcomer could unlock the door, then it meant the shift was over, and everyone else would be showing up soon. Odd, the guard thought as he glanced at the clock on the wall. The first shift isn't scheduled for another fifteen minutes. Figuring that the newcomer just decided to come in a bit early, the guard stood up and began to walk out of the room. The yellow stallion just happened to pass by the guard as he was leaving. The guard opened his mouth to ask why he had come so early when his emerald eyes met the scarlet eyes of the newcomer. Instantly, the guard's thoughts, ethics, and free will were pushed into a deep corner of his mind, away from where he could use them. He stood silently, waiting for the yellow Pegasus to speak, prepared to follow his instructions to a tee. You will go back in that room, the guard heard the voice echo through his head, and you'll wait until I leave. Then, you'll alter the video memory to remove me from it. You'll do it thoroughly and effectively, leaving no trace of alteration. When you've finished, you will forget that I was ever here and you'll forget about altering the memory. Do you understand? "Yes," the guard replied. "Good," the yellow stallion said. He started making his way upstairs, careful to be completely silent as to not wake the patients as he moved through a few hallways. He made it to the room he was searching for, unlocking it easily with magic. The room was cold, lined with shelves upon shelves of blood packs. Locating the O+ section, he levitated one of the bags down, using a spell to magically stow it away. He then quickly returned to the front of the hospital, passing by the room where the guard was now editing the security files. As soon as he exited through the large set of double doors, he began flying towards the west end of town, finally reaching it after ten minutes. Ponies began emerging from their homes; he would have to make this next part fast. Hiding behind a building and ensuring that nopony was watching him, he was suddenly enveloped entirely by dark green flames. When they subsided, a dark cyan unicorn stood where the lemon-colored Pegasus had been, but with the same scarlet eyes gleaming in the now rising sun. Although he no longer had wings, that didn't stop his ability to fly. In fact, it assisted his flying. With another spell, his body broke apart, and he transformed into a black cloud of smoke. Flying upwards towards the cloud barrier, he began moving towards the Everfree Forest at a much greater speed than his wings had allowed, a small trail of smoke tailing behind him as he moved across the sky. As the Everfree Forest loomed beneath him, he spotted the small structure where he was hiding almost immediately, and began undoing the dark protection spells that were placed around it. Once he was inside, however, they immediately reactivated themselves. He retrieved the pack of blood from his magic storage and opened it. He grabbed a small cup with red stains and some grey powder, and poured some of the fresh blood into it. As he mixed the powder and fresh blood with a hoof, he uttered a long, chant-like incantation. As he felt the link form, he brought the memory of his day floating to the top of his consciousness. That was a terrible performance, the voice said. The cyan unicorn gritted his teeth. You try impersonating royalty, he thought back, bitterly. It's hard to perfectly imitate Alicorn Aura, especially with somepony like Twilight Sparkle watching you. I can imagine. Just do me a favor, and don't screw up again. You're the last pony who can help me, and I'd hate to lose you. Oh, I don't plan on messing up again, the dark unicorn thought, a fresh wave of confidence bringing new fire to his eyes. But it'll end up fine either way. I gave the warning. She will soon realize something's wrong, but as long as no one finds out about me in the meantime, we'll be fine. Celestia doesn't suspect anything... Yet. He felt the dark spirit's satisfaction before the link died down. Slowly, he let the memories he had been blocking flow back into himself. He smiled. And neither do you... (=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=)(=) "I'm sorry, Twilight, but that's all I know," the chief of police said, with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Twilight stood up and left the police offices, sighing inwardly. She had requested a meeting with the chief, and asked if he knew about anything odd happening in Canterlot. He had informed her that he hadn't heard anything, and after Twilight asked several different variations of the same question, the chief became sick of it. Twilight returned to her study, reading the next dark magic book in the series. But she was finding it slightly harder to concentrate than normal, as her mind kept wandering back to the conversation she and Celestia had this morning. By the time 4:00 came, she couldn't stand it anymore. She magically stowed away the next few books in the series, and ran up the study steps, through the library, straight out the door into the street. She began galloping towards the center of town, mind racing. She knew where Rainbow Dash normally liked to nap, but nothing guaranteed that she would be there now. However, a minute later, she relaxed as she saw a cyan shape up in a large tree. Twilight yelled her name until she awoke, and she turned over in the branch to look down at her. "Oh, hey Twi," Rainbow Dash greeted her, yawning hugely. "I thought you were--" "Rainbow, I need a huge favor," Twilight cut across her. "Are you doing anything tonight?" "I was gonna practice some stunts for the Wonderbolt Academy Reunion," Rainbow Dash replied, frowning slightly, "but I can do that tomorrow, I guess. What do you need?" "I need you to find Dr. Whooves, and meet me at the train station in 20 minutes," Twilight said. "We're going to Canterlot." Current Equestria Population: 1,634,940