//------------------------------// // Facing the Darkness // Story: A role-playing gamer in Celestia's Court // by Gsarge9289 //------------------------------// I was still trying to recover from the shock of being told that the Nightmare Force had escaped its last encounter with defeat at the hooves of the mane six and Luna as well as having Queen Chrysalis simply allow her to leave after our little exchange. I was now combing slightly easier terrain about a week after our little chat. Investigating a lead of strange noises and lights in a normally very peaceful forest near a thorp called Hoofton which appeared to be made up of three-fourths earth ponies. After asking the ponies a few questions, it seemed everything started about about a week ago after news that a traveling magician was lost on her way to Hoofton but I sadly couldn’t find anypony that could confirm the magician’s name for me so I just had to hope it wasn’t the pony I thought it was. I had spent the last three days searching the forest and once again having a chance to enjoy meat without any chance of being caught, the fact of which might have been the only good thing to come out of my time in the wilds of Equestria. I was making my way back to the clearing I had been using as a campsite during my search until I froze in place with the fur on the back of my neck raised as a wave of foreboding washed over me. “Who dares disturb the Great and Powerful Trixie with their stomping about and flagrant flaunting of their magic?” I turned my head expecting to see Trixie only to see a black coated unicorn with white-blue mane and tail wearing Trixie’s iconic magician’s outfit. I was taken back in shock seeing Trixie sport much of the same change in appearance that Rarity had undergone when she had fallen victim to the Nightmare Force as I dropped my prey to the ground. “:Well, whoever you are, you seem wise enough to show Trixie her proper respect.” It seemed my fears were being realized in front of me, Trixie was one pony that could make a very powerful vessel for the Nightmare Force. I turned to face her head on and looked Trixie over. “You seem different from what I've been told about you, oh Great and Powerful Trixie.” I gave a bow to her as she smirked in a haughty fashion in keeping with her new role. “Oh, an admirer? Well yes, I have changed much and gained great power to boot, and just who might you be, stranger?” “I’m Onyxian, a humble wizard’s apprentice that was accidently brought to this land by one of my master’s experiments.” Trixie cocked her head to the side with a bemused smile crossing her lips. “Oh don’t be so humble, you wield your magic quite expertly. You display quite a bit of training with you control and natural talent.” So, what brings you to this odious place?” I stood back up and kept my cloak closed as best as I could to hide my armor from view. “I had heard you were going to have a show in Hoofton but showed up. I thought I’d come looking for you when I heard stories of strange sounds and lights in the forest. I thought perhaps I could be of assistance if I were to encounter you.” Trixie scoffed lightly. “Such a venue was beneath me even before my ascension to true greatness. Your desire to be of aid to me was unneeded but certainly appreciated, Onyxian.” I felt my hood being lifted from around my head as I kept my gaze on Trixie. I noticed even her eyes had changed color and taken the snake-like slit pupils of Nightmare Moon’s as she made an appraising hum. “Quite a handsome face, even if you are strangely built. A certain exotic and even dark appeal.” My eyes widened as she smirked at me. “I find it rather attractive.” I tried to hide my gulp as every player instinct I had was telling me the situation was going from bad to likely worse or certainly more complicated, but how does one let down somepony taken over by an empowering malevolent force that preys on your darker thoughts gently? “I’m flattered you think so, but I already have a special somepony. She means the world to me.” Trixie’s eyes narrowed at me in response to what I’m sure was an unsatisfactory statement. “Quite a pity, for with my new found power, I am not one to be denied.” I took the initiative and launched a discus of stone from the ground going for a body shot which managed to connect with her side just before she formed a dark shimmering bubble that looked to be a shielding spell that waived as she whined in pain while I launched a few more projectiles against the bubble in an attempt to overwhelm her defenses. The attacks smashed into her shield which rippled in an angry fashion from each impact point as I heard a crackling sound when the ripples came in contact with each other. I studied her shield as best as I could while trying to avoid her bolts of dark energy before raising a mound to use as cover while trying to think up a better plan. I’d rather avoid using deadly force but having any real impact on her was likely going to require me to go all out on her. First step was breaking her shield or finding a way to attack around it. “Is that all you’ve got ? I was expecting a bit better from you considering what I heard .” Luckily vanity isn’t a major flaw in my character but it did remind me it is one for Trixie. “Your reputation speaks a bit too highly of you. I’m sure Twilight Sparkle would have beaten me by now.” I heard a very angry and magically empowered voice sneer out. “How dare you speak that name in the presence of the Great and Powerful-” “More like Long Winded and Self-important.” She yelled out in disdain as I was blown onto my back by the impact that ripped through the mound I had been behind. “I’m starting to find your mouth a little less attractive!” I scramble to my hooves and let fly another volley of assorted projectiles which clashed against her shield “Is your most powerful spell .simply your sharp tongue?” As I was about to retort, I noticed something about her shield bubble. The ripples stopped at the ground. This got me to think that I should attack from an different angle as I rose five columns from the ground at her hooves as fast as I could with two missing their mark but three scoring solid hits to her chin and guts the force lifting her off her hooves to let her drop to her knees. the hit must have forced her out of focus as her shield shook violently and disappeared. I kept at the ready and pulled a stone mace from the ground letting my armor show from under my cloak. “Are you scared of me, Onyxian?” Trixie jibed as she picked herself back up onto her hooves. “Just treating a dangerous pony with healthy respect.” I lunged at her with my mace in both hands going for an overhead swing down onto her with all my muscle as she horn glowed once more with magical power enhanced by the Nightmare Force. My mace struck her one the head just before her spell could go off, the magic aura around her horn harmlessly dissipated as I then pressed my advantage pulling my mace back behind me with one arm before once again gripping the handle with both hands for a sweep slamming the mace into Trixie’s shoulder knocking her onto the ground. “Quite the killer instinct you have there, Onyxian.” I froze hearing a dark sultry voice in my head rather than my ears. “I saw it right there on your face,” I saw Trixie get back onto her hooves as I backed away. “But you held back. Strong, cunning, resourceful, and deadly. what a waste of such potential.” I needed help. The only way I could stop Nightmare Trixie by myself would be to go all out, stop pulling punches, and aim to kill. I was desperate to not have to kill a pony that had only been misguided, not evil. I needed somepony wise and powerful, the name Star Swirl came to my mind and I felt a strange surge of magic lance from my horn into the ground beside me. The ground erupted with a sick greenish purple light followed by what sounded like the screams of the damned as a cloaked figure with a broad brimmed hat and iconic cream beard and coat was risen from the ground as if on a piston by my side. The pony turned his head to look at me with a scowl of disapproval before turning to look at Nightmare Trixie in front of us. I was in shock standing next to Star Swirl the Bearded as I pointed at Nightmare Trixie who seemed rather shocked by what I had done as well. “I need your help freeing this pony from the possession of a malevolent force.” Star Swirl gave a dry smirk, his horn glowing with golden magic. “Hmm quite the problem, but certainly not one without a solution.” Trixie seemed to have regained some of her confident air. “Surely this is just some illusion. Nopony knows magic that is able to raise the dead.” “You would be correct, nopony does know magic of that sort. However, I wasn’t brought here by a pony. Now was I?” Trixie let fly a bolt of magical energy which connected with an invisible shield Star Swirl had apparently conjured as I had told him the goal we were trying to meet. Trixie seemed dumbfounded as I charged in a second time at her. This time around she managed to dodge out of the way by rearing back just as my mace came down where the front of her had been while Star Swirl bolted to the right looking to maneuver around and force her to split her attention in two directions. I noticed her raise another shield around her as a beam of golden magical energy danced along the surface of it. The attack originated from Star Swirl’s horn. This time around, my attack from below was to grab hold of Trixie’s hooves with the ground and have stone travel up her legs to hold her in place while she had to concentrate on feeding more energy to maintain her shield against Star Swirl’s continued onslaught. “This can’t be, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. I will not be stopped by the likes of you, two. Your efforts will only bring you your own ruin.” I reinforced the rock I was holding Trixie still with more from the ground as it climbed up covering her body leaving her only able to thrash her head about in defiance as I moved it up the back of her neck taking a page from Sombra’s book of tricks but trying to be more gentle as the rock began to wind its way around the base of her horn as Trixie looked panicked trying to struggle but unable to thwart my attack while holding Star Swirl at bay. Trixie’s horn was half covered as the bubble began to wane and the shattered as Star Swirl, in his forward thinking, had been glancing his beam off the top of her shield and stopped as the last of it sailed over Trixie’s head harmlessly with my rock shell now fully covering her horn and suppressing its magic. “Excellent show, a bit close to dark magic for my personal taste but a good way to restrain her without injury. So, just what are we dealing with here? Oh, how rude of me. I’m Star Swirl the Bearded. Who are you?” I looked at him and then back at Nightmare Trixie letting out a sigh. “I’m Onyxian. The thing possessing this mare is known as the Nightmare Force. It feeds off the negative emotions of whoever it bonds with, usually starting with loneliness which it elevates to hatred over time. I’d figure its motive is to once again bond with Princess Luna and become Nightmare Moon once again.” Nightmare Trixie seemed rather put out by just how much I knew about the Nightmare Force. “You’ll not stop me from my rise to power, Onyxian.” I glared at Nightmare Trixie moving in close to look her in the eyes as she was only a bit shorter than I was. “You will not hurt my Luna.” Both Nightmare Trixie and Star Swirl the Bearded went wide-eyed at my statement. “Well you seem kind, the interesting fellow, Onyxian. From what you’ve told me, sealing it away will be a difficult process. However, we could bond it to one more resistant to its influence for the time being to try and keep it in check while we work out what we need to do.” I turned looking back to Star Swirl as another sinking feeling hit me and I said something I shouldn’t have. “Ok, I’ll do it.”