//------------------------------// // Faire And Foul // Story: Our Darkest Days // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// The Crystal Faire was held the following weekend. Sunset made her way to the Faire's entrance, where she and Echo had agreed to meet. She was surprised to find the Thestral wearing a large trench-coat (one which obscured his wings) and a wide-brimmed fedora. "Nice look." She snarked. "Trying to make a fashion statement?" "I said I'd join you." Echo declared. "But I didn't say anything about broadcasting my presence here. Unless you have somehow developed short-term memory loss and have no recollection of what happened mere days ago?" "No, no, I remember." Sunset sighed. "At least you're actually getting out. Shall we go in?" "After you." Echo nodded, with a gesture of a hoof. The Faire was a fairly lively affair, filled with many festivities. A flugelhorn performance assaulted Sunset and Echo's ears as they walked by. "My, what... interesting music." Sunset remarked. "If you can call it 'music' at all." Echo cringed. "Personally, I consider an Ursa Major with toothache to be more melodious." "To each his own, I guess." Sunset shrugged. A short distance from the entrance, there was a stand selling crystal berry pies and corn. Sunset and Echo bought some. "Mmm, delicious." Sunset savored the taste of her crystal corn. "I must admit, this region has some of the best food I've ever tasted." Echo declared, as he finished his slice of crystal pie. "A nice fringe benefit to my coming here." Their appetites sated, Sunset and Echo moved further into the fair. As they did, Echo noticed a pony in a black overcoat pass them by. "What unusual attire..." He stopped to glance at the pony. "What's the hold-up back there, Echo?" Sunset called. "Oh, nothing," Echo turned to her. He turned back to see the pony had vanished. "Nothing at all..." As they continued onwards, Sunset and Echo crossed paths with Sterling. "Ms. Shimmer." Sterling smiled. "And..." He then frowned. "Alchemy. Enjoying your day out?" "Not that it's any of your business, but yes." Echo said tersely. "What brings you here? You wouldn't happen to be following Ms. Shimmer, would you?" "Of course not." Sterling snorted. "There's a lot more to my life than babysitting you five days a week." "I don't recall asking to be babysat." Echo retorted, "I have a master's degree from Hayvard, and several academic achievements ranging in fields from archaeology to philosophy. Honestly, I do not need somepony to monitor me day in and day out!" "Well, certain ponies in the upper echelons of command seem to think you need watching." Sterling smirked. "Why do you think that is? Hmm, Alchemy?" "Why, you impudent-" Echo started. "Easy there, boys." Sunset stepped between them. "We were all having a good day just now. Let's not ruin it." "...Fine." Echo sighed. "If you say so, Ms. Shimmer." Sterling nodded. "Just let me know if you want a change of company." Sterling walked away. "Musclebound buffoon." Echo spat. "Forget him." Sunset declared. "Let's focus on the Faire." "Yes, and all those ancient artefacts." Echo nodded. "Speaking of which, we really should get to them." "Ah-ah-ah, not just yet." Sunset waved a hoof. "Let's enjoy some of the other sights first. This is my first Crystal Faire, and I'd like to take in as much as I can. It doesn't always have to be about work, you know." "I suppose I can wait." Echo sighed. "It is because of you that I even knew about the artefacts in the first place." "Exactly." Sunset nodded. "Let's check out the jousting first. I've always wanted to see that up close!" "Seems a little barbaric, but okay." Echo shrugged. The jousting proved even more exciting to Sunset than she could have imagined. She cheered loudly as the knight in silver armor downed his bronze-suited foe. "Yay, silver!" She cheered. "What is it with mares and knights?" Echo muttered under his breath. "I heard that." Sunset glared at him. "Sorry." Echo cringed. "Seriously though, what is the appeal of these armored thugs?" "They not thugs." Sunset snorted. "They're gallant, noble, heroic stallions." "Like Sterling?" Echo sneered. "Not exactly." Sunset said awkwardly. "When I was a little filly, I used to dream about having a handsome knight sweep me off my hooves." "A dream you have yet to grow out of, I see." Echo frowned. "What, you've never had dreams?" Sunset asked. "I had one dream." Echo admitted. "To study dark magic and use it to help Equestria. And I'm living that dream right now." "Okay." Sunset nodded. "I'm going to guess you didn't have a typical childhood." "You could say that." Echo declared. "Now, shall we move on, or do you wish to see more 'noble stallions' give each other concussions?" "Yeah, sure." Sunset shrugged. "I've had my fun. Now, let's go check out those artefacts." "Now that's what I like to hear." Echo smiled. As they made their way to the dark magic display, they crossed paths with another pony, one whose presence was welcomed by both of them; Princess Cadance. The princess (almost a month pregnant with her second child) was overseeing the festivities. "Good morning, your majesty." Sunset bowed. "Hello, Sunset." Cadance smiled, having met Sunset for the first time not long after she started work. "Enjoying the Faire?" "I certainly am." Sunset nodded. "And Echo Alchemy." Cadance said, with mild surprise. "What brings you here?" "I was hoping to get a look at all the dark magic artefacts that were on display." Echo declared. "For research purposes, of course." "Ah, yes." Cadance mused. "Your work looking into dark magic. That stuff really isn't my cup of tea, but if it can help Equestria in the long run, I suppose I can stomach it." "I appreciate that, your highness." Echo admitted. "Especially considering my work goes on in your very castle. I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable, especially considering the recent events." "I'll admit, things were pretty rough, not too long ago." Cadance declared. "That lunatic Black Knight Paladin very nearly used Sombra's magic to ruin this Empire again. But that's in the past now. It's better to focus on our future." "Speaking of which, how's the foal coming along?" Sunset asked. "Very well." Cadance rubbed her slightly rounded belly. "And I'm not so gigantic that I can't enjoy the Faire. Speaking of which, I think I'll go get some funnel cake... with mustard. Enjoy the display, you two." Cadance walked away, driven by her sudden craving. Sunset and Echo moved on, finally reaching the dark magic display. "My word." Echo gasped. "Look at all this! The wand of Warpos, the stones of Seraph..." "And is that... the bell of Grogar?" Sunset gaped. "And there's a jar over there with some actual Smooze in it!" "Be still, my beating heart." Echo stared at an unusual tome. "The actual Necronomicon." "Speaking of hearts, get a load of this." Sunset glanced at a creepy red heart-shaped mask with two big yellow eyes, "It's the Majora's Mask. I read that it nearly brought the moon crashing down on our world within three days' time. Who would even make something like that?" "Alas, we cannot comprehend the mindset of the mad." Echo shrugged. "Take this, for example: the Red Horseshoes. Whoever wears them is compelled to dance nonstop for the rest of their life. Only a twisted mind could conceive of something so cruel." "That's still nothing compare to the pièce de résistance." Sunset pointed to the centerpiece of the display. "King Sombra's very own spell book." "Indeed." Echo nodded. "Imagine all the pain and misery inflicted by this tome..." The book was sat in a glass case, open for all to see. "That's odd." Sunset peered at it. "There are some pages missing." "Ah, yes." Echo adjusted his glasses. "I once heard that there was an attempt made, some years ago, to tap into the powers of this book. Each and every line in this book was imbued with powerful dark magic, so powerful that they were unable to control it. A major catastrophe nearly occurred because of this." "What kind of catastrophe?" Sunset asked. "I do not know, I'm afraid." Echo said curtly. "All I do know is the authorities caught on to what had happened, and ensured that that terrible mistake couldn't happen again by tearing most of the pages from the book and scattering them across the globe, ensuring they would never again fall into the wrong hooves." "Incredible." Sunset gasped. "But how do you know so much about it?" "Well, the study of dark magic is my profession." Echo declared. "I would have to keep my ear to the ground regarding all such events." "I'll bet." Said a crystal stallion, using the deepest contempt. "A dark magic loving freak like you." He knocked off Echo's fedora. "What, you think we wouldn't see through this lame disguise?" "You probably feel right at home here." Another stallion sneered. "With all the other abominations." "Now see here..." Echo started. "No, you see here." The first stallion snarled. "We don't like dark magic around these parts. Dark magic cost this Empire a thousand years, and we don't need some weirdo like you digging more of the stuff up." "Excuse me? If it wasn't for dark magic, all of you crystal ponies would had been extinct by now." Echo pointed out. "Yeah, and getting our minds erased was so much better." A crystal mare butted in. "Who are you to decide what can and can't be researched?" Sunset said angrily. "And you're just as bad." The second stallion declared. "You actually work for this nutjob. You've got magic of your own, and you spend your time looking into the bad kind? What are you, crazy or just plain dumb?" Other members of the crowd joined in, berating both Sunset and Echo. "They're right!" "Why don't you just leave well enough alone?" "Or at least take your twisted studies somewhere where it won't hurt the normal ponies!" "I'll have you know Princess Celestia herself arranged for those studies to take place here." Sunset declared. "If you have a problem with us, you have a problem with her." "Or not." Another mare countered. "Who's to say that beast didn't corrupt her with his dark magic?" "How dare you!" Echo yelled. "How else do you explain Celestia allowing these travesties to continue?" The mare glared. "He's probably messing with that poor Unicorn's head too!" A stallion agreed. "No, he's not." Sunset retorted. "Which is just what a brainwashed minion would say!" The stallion said triumphantly. "I would never do such a thing!" Echo protested, getting angrier. "We oughta run this freak out of town!" Another stallion raged. "But not before we force him to tell us what he's planning!" His compatriot stated. "Don't want him getting into our heads too!" "Okay, that is enough!" Echo growled. He climbed onto a bench. "Listen! All of you! I am more than aware of what dark magic had wrought upon you. All of you see dark magic as something to be feared and hated, and with users like Sombra and the one they called Black Knight, I don't blame you. But you are failing to see the big picture here! I study dark magic because I see something more. An untapped potential..." "Yeah, for evil!" One pony cried out. The crowd announced their agreement. "He's right!" "That leather-winged monster's out of his mind!" "The only potential in dark magic is to hurt ponies!" "Listen to me!" Echo roared. "If dark magic could only be used properly, it could make life better for all of us! That's what I'm trying to do, make life better! Perhaps if you put your plebeian brains to some actual use, you'd understand this..." "Ple-what?" A stallion spat. "Thinks he's better than us, does he?" A mare growled. "You know who else thought he was better than us?" Another mare asked. "King Sombra, that's who. And look what he did!" "Dark magic isn't so different than regular magic." Echo continued. "It has its own special properties. If those properties could be harnessed responsibly, dark magic could be used to make things better for everypony..." As Echo continued his rant, he failed to notice the crowd of ponies parting as a black overcoat clad pony in a red and white mask made it's way through the crowd. "Nice outfit." Sunset frowned. "I didn't know this Faire had a costume contest." "Um, we don't." One of the ponies quipped. "What's with the get-up?" One stallion glared at the masked stranger. "You another one of these dark magic junkies too?" "I suppose you have something to say to me also?" Echo sighed, his eyes recognizing the pony from earlier. "Come on then, out with it." The masked pony raised a hoof. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. From out of nowhere, hundreds of tiny black crystals rushed out of his sleeve. "What in Equestria?!" Sunset yelped. "Fascinating..." Echo declared, mystified by what was happening. The crystals enveloped everypony around him, picking them up off the ground. The crowd began to panic. "What's going on?" "Let us go!" "I'm sorry I called you a 'junkie'!" The stallion who insulted the stranger quivered. "Please don't hurt me!" "My word!" Echo gasped, "What is this?!" "Put us down!" Sunset yelled. The masked pony swung his hoof, and the dark crystal swarm threw everypony aside. The crowd began to clear out of the display in a panic, utterly horrified. "Let's get out of here!" "I knew it! This is what happens when you put on a dark magic display!" As the others ran, Sunset and Echo got up. "I'm guessing this isn't part of the Faire." Echo said drily. "It definitely wasn't in the brochure..." Sunset snarked. Then, fighting his way through the crowd, Sterling entered the display. "What the heck's going on here?" He asked. "I'm not quite sure myself." Sunset admitted. "But I'm pretty sure that pony's trouble." "Well, worry not, Ms. Shimmer." Sterling smirked. "Your knight in shining armor is here!" "Oh, please." Echo groaned. "Not this again..." At the masked pony's command, the dark crystals gathered together and became a hammer, which the pony instantly brought down upon the case of Sombra's spell book, shattering it instantly. The masked pony reached for it. "Oh no, you don't!" Sterling charged over. The masked pony thrust his hoof forward towards Sterling, and the dark crystals formed into a massive version of his hoof. They slammed into Sterling, sending him flying into a nearby stand. "No fair... I wasn't ready." Sterling wheezed in pain. The masked pony turned back to the book. "Leave that book alone, you hoodlum!" Echo yelled. He removed his trenchcoat and took to the sky. The masked pony stared at the Thestral, and then pressed his hooves together. The black crystals turned into a giant set of pincers, snagging Echo in midflight. "Let him go!" Sunset yelled, firing a bolt of magic at the masked pony. The bolt caught the masked pony in the side. He stumbled back, and the pincers came apart. "Much better." Echo grinned. "Thank you, Ms. Shimmer." "No problem." Sunset smiled. "Best way to break a spell? Break the user's concentration." "Naturally." Echo nodded. The masked pony regained his footing, and thrust out his hooves again. The dark crystals formed into several tendrils that lashed out at Sunset and Echo. Echo took the skies once more, dodging some of them, while Sunset blasted the others apart with her magic. Undeterred, the masked pony gestured at the nearby bench. A cloud of dark crystals lifted up the bench, and flung it at Echo, who dodged it. "Hah!" Echo smirked. "You'll have to try harder than-oof!" An arch of crystals struck Echo from behind, slamming him into the ground. "Echo!" Sunset gasped, before turning to glare at the masked pony. "You'll pay for that, you masked monster!" At the masked pony's whim, the dark crystals ripped the roofs off of the displays, flinging them at Sunset. She blasted them to dust with her magic, but a stream of dark crystals rammed into her side, knocking her to the ground. "Gah!" Sunset growled, gripping her side. "Just who is this guy?" "I don't know." Echo groaned. "But those crystals... he's using some form of dark magic that I have never seen before." "Never?" Sunset asked. "I thought you were supposed to be the expert on dark magic." "I am." Echo declared. "Than what does that make him?" Sunset pointed to their foe. The masked pony, confirming that all obstacles were clear, turned to the display once more, and with a wave of a hoof, he picked up the spell book with a small portion of dark crystals. "Please, stop!" Echo barked. The masked pony turned and stared at Echo for a moment. Echo stared back, confused by the odd look in the pony's eyes. Then with another flick of a hoof, the dark crystals formed a wave, carrying the masked pony away from the Faire. "The book..." Echo groaned. "He took the book." "We're in trouble, aren't we?" Sunset asked. "In deeper trouble than we can possibly imagine." Echo declared, struggling to his feet. "Come. We must alert the proper authorities." With that, the two rushed off, intending to bring the matter to the highest authority in the Crystal Empire. Echo briefly stopped to pick up one of the dark crystals Sunset had blasted, intending to bring it along as evidence.