The clearing laid deep in the hearts of the Everfree Forest. It was almost empty without any sign of life, except for a pegasus mare, who sat by the shore of a pond. The dark trees stood around it like silent guardians. Their branches, covered in dark, heavy leaves were enlaced in one another, forming a celling of impenetrable thicket. Only a few rays of moonlight made it through and painted small dots on the dark gras.
Autumn had come. Outside of Everfree the Running of the Leaves took place and shook the brown, red and golden leaves from the trees. Not so in this forest. Here a cold, sharp, frosty wind had to fullfill the duty of thousands of pony hooves. Therefor it took longer for Everfree to lose all its leaves. The wind was whispering.
It moved the pegasus' mane. She sat by the pond's shore, motionless like a stature. Her eyes were closed as if she was breeding over something. Pale patches of moonlight brightened up her fair grey coat, making it shimmer like liquid silver. Her mane and tail were bushy, thick and tousled from the wind. Their strong, cobaltblue tone was a huge contrast to the fair grey fur.
The mare wore a slender, thick, atheletic-like uniform. Violet, shiny fabric and yellow, lightning shaped lines at the leg's ends. The most parts of the suit were pitchblack, but neck, body and legs were hidden under the purple fabric. At the mare's hips where usually a Cutiemark laid was the symbol of the suit: a horse's skull with a wing. The pegasus' eyes were hidden under the yellow glass of her glasses.
There was a clicking noise as an intruder stepped on a branch, when he entered the clearing. The mare's ears twitched but she did not bother to turn her face around. „Amentia.“ The full, deep voice of the stallion sounded as clear in her mind as if he whispered the words into her ear. „We are ready, when you are.“ Telepathy. It was only granted her and her siblings. Because the Shadowbolts were no ordinary ponies. They were the children of the black unicorn itself.
Amentia let out a pleased sneeker. She blinked and smiled. „I shall come soon“, she said. Unlike the stallion her voice was fair, high-pitched, yet melodic, soft and smooth. It had a rasping sound in it like leaves trembleing in the wind. The stallion nodded in a silent understanding and turned around. His hooves crunched over wet leaves as he disappeared between the trees and got swallowed by the shadow.
Amentia opened her eyes. She directed her glance towards the moon. It hang above Everfree, a large, silver coin. Tonight was a supermoon. The celestial body hang close above the earth and was rounder and larger then usual. In its cool light one could see strange imprints on the surface. Dark grey dots like hoofprints. They formed the silhouette of a mare's head with a long horn. It had been clearer a long time ago, but now the imprint seemed to fade away.
Amentia's eyes started to glow golden. Another skill, she had, which was different from other pegasi. Magic. The grey mare could cast spells, while her eyes glowed yellow underneath her glasses. Now she slowly levitated a strange, silver-blue piece of metall. It was a helmet, shaped to fit a far taller mare's head with a horn. Amentia focussed the helmet as she spoke: „Our queen, my mistress, my mother, grace our meeting with your presence tonight for we shall present to you the very first object, you need for your step to claim the Equestrian throne as your own.“
The mare closed her eyes. The helmet, which swam in the air above her, moved closer, until its cool metall met the back of her nose. „Let me be an instrument, a piece in your game of chess, until the King is defeated“, Amentia continued her silent prayer, „For tonight you shall see the object for your deed. And we shall await your orders. Ready to fullfill them without hesitation.“
Amentia opened her wings. With a fast flap she took into the air. Her silhouette was painted against the moon. Her wings moved back and forth. Her eyes glowed golden as she made the helmet circulate around her, before she directed it towards her head.
„Graze us with your presents. True Queen of Equestria, Mare of Darkness, Mare in the Moon. We, the Nocturnal Children, are waiting for you. We shall fullfill your task and the dirarchy of Sun and Moon shall fall. You shall be pleased with the object, we are bringing to you. Nightmare Moon, we shall present you your first step in your masterplan.“
Amentia landed back on the grass of the shore. She threw her head in her neck. It was now embraced by the cool metall of the helmet, which sat loosely on her forehead. The Shadowbolt's eyes reflected the moon and its strange imprint. „We will follow through your plan“, she whispered, „For you are the queen and we are your instruments.“
***
Amentia was slowly walking down a path. It curled itself out of the clearing and through the forest. Roots laid over the dry, brown earth and bramble ranks clawed themselves into the pegasus' legs. But the mare moved safe and sure over the path, which had been made by animals. It leaded towards another clearing, even deeper then the one with the pond.
Bramble bushes grew between the enermous dark trees and formed a wall of dark, impenertable thicket. Amentia used her magic to open a small gap between the thorny ranks. As soon as she slipped through it, the pegasus made the entrance close again. This clearing was larger. The gras had been ripped out and someone had drawn strange symbols on the ground in the center. They formed a circle and in it the moon, around which laid six lines.
The place was barley enlighted by the dull shine of candles, which stood in glass bowls. A large rock laid in the gras in front of the strange symbol. It was so huge, a mare could stand on it. Moonlight turned the silver of the stone into bright white. The flickery flames of the candles showed that several other ponies were in the clearing. Pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies. They all had different shapes and colours. The only thing they had in common was the uniform. It was the same silky athletic suit, Amentia was wearing.
Amentia let her eyes glide over the clearing. Finally she found those, she had been looking for. In front of the rock stood two pegasi stallions with darkgrey fur and cobaltblue manes like hers. They were waiting patiently as she marched towards them and stopped. If the trio of them stood together, one could easily see, that they were the real Shadowbolts. And they were the only ponies, fully grown, without any Cutiemark.
„So?“, asked Amentia.
„The area around the clearing is clear“, Deimos said. He had a rasping, sharp sounding voice. „We have not spotted any guard of the Night Patroul. Therefore I think, we won't be distrubed in any way.“
„Good.“ Amentia nodded, before she directed her attention towards her other brother. „Do you have the special object, Phobos?“
„It has not left my side scince our departure from the place, where it had been hidden from the world.“ Phobos had been the stallion, who had asked Amentia to come.
„And do we have a sacrifice?“, Amentia demanded to know, „You are aware, that she won't come without a sacrifice.“
Deimos smirked. „Oh, yes, we have one. She has just woken up. And by all the evil spirits she is scared.“
Phobos gave his brother an angry glare. „That is because you told her, Lightning Dust would cut off her horn, if she tries anything.“ Deimos waved an hoof. He chuckled nervously. „It was all for some fun nothing more.“ He whispered to himself: „Old killjoy.“
Phobos snorted disdainfully. He adressed Amentia: „She could not do anything, even if she wanted to. She is a foal and her magic is not mature enough yet. She can hardly levitated a spoon. She won't make any trouble.“ He shot a sharp look at his brother as if he wanted to say Unlike somebody else. Deimos smirked challenging, but as Phobos kicked him in the side and grumbled something, he ducked down.
Amentia smiled pleased and amused. It was always funny to see Deimos and Phobos arguing. The two saw her as the leader, although she had stated to Rainbow Dash, when she and her siblings tried to lure her away from her friends, that the Shadowbolts still needed a captain. But now after the purification of Princess Luna, the three pegasi had come to life and were no longer mere illusions. And they had sworn to avange their mother's murder.
„You all have done very well“, Amentia said. She was the only one gifted with a voice of her own for Nightmare had spoken with her mouth to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus mare glanced at the sky. The moon shone in the clearing. „But now we must take our places. The night won't be young forever.“
Deimos and Phobos nodded and slowly flew away. Amentia watched them, until they slowly circled above the clearing with the other pegasi. She turned around and walked to Lightning Dust, a bright lemongreen pegasus mare with a yellow, stiff mane, who stood besides a bundle with a sack above its head.
Lightning slowly nodded as a greeting and bowed. „Amentia?“, she asked. The silvery mare looked at the bundle. The filly's fair purplegrey coat had patches of dirt and dry leaves in the mane. It was whimpering and struggeling against the ropes, tied around its legs.
„I take the sacrafice“, Amentia explained, „You have done well, Lightning Dust. Now go and take your place.“ The pegasus nodded, turned around and walked off.
Amentia pulled off the bag of the filly's head. The small mare gasped for breath and looked around worried. She had yellow, big eyes and a small horn on her head. As soon as she spotted the scary pegasus, she stammered: „Where am I? Who are you? What are you going to do with me?“ Tears were shimmering in her eyes and she whimpered.
Amentia smiled coldly. „How nice of you to join us here“, she whispered, „And don't you worry your little head. You will hardly need those questions, because soon this is all over for you.“ The pegasus mare looked around. The Nocturnal Children had taken their positions and were now eagerly and silently waiting for the leader to begin.
Amentia's eyes glowed golden and her magic enwrapped itself around the filly. She screamed and kicked helplessly in her grasp. Amentia's eyes glowed even more and the shrill sounds of the filly silent and muffled as she had been gagged. The Shadowbolt carried the sacrifice to the center of the weird drawing. She softly placed the filly on the ground.
While the young cub looked around with eyes filled with terror, Amentia directed her glance to the moon. Her voice filled the clearing as she spoke: „Our queen, our mistress, mother, we are gathered here together in an emergency meeting to present to you the first key to the chest, which is called victory. Nightmare Moon, please have the mercy to honor us with your presence. We are giving you the soul of this filly. Be well-pleased with it!“
Amentia's eyes glowed as she casted another spell. The mare had been carring a saddleback with her for some time by now. Now it opened and out of its protective foldings floated a knife. It was small and sharp like a razor blade. The silver shimmered, unpatched, unstained. But Amentia was about to change that.
As soon as the filly spotted the knife, enwrapped by the Shadowbolt's magic, she struggled even more against her ties. Her head yerked around. Muffled cries and screams came out of her maw. „Hold her still“, Amentia ordered calmly. There won't be a mistake during this sacrafice. This silly filly would not ruin their ceremony.
Deimos and Phobos stepped forwards. The placed their hooves against the filly's forehead and kept her still. The small one's horn sparkled weakly in an attempt to free its owner. But Phobos had been right. This foal was so young, it could not defend itself. It was like killing a chicken. Amentia's eyes glowed and the blade made a fast, swooshing movement.
The filly gasped. The cut at her throat was not so deep it would kill her. No, the life would be drained out slowly like the blood, which now formed several rills on the fair purple coat. Amentia and the other Nocturnal Children stepped backwards. They waited patiently. An awkward, tight silence filled the room. All eyes of yellow glass were directed at the filly.
She was breathing in fast and quiet wheezes. Her chest softly moved up and down. Her eyes were shot open and tears trembled between the lashes. The blood kept running out of the wound, stealing the life away. It had an exotic beauty in itself. The drops landed on the dry grass, forming a beautiful contrast.
Slowly a change took place. Out of the filly's maw and noistrils came a silvery-white dust. The substance floated upwards like fog. Phobos hit Amentia at her shoulder and pointed upwards. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the shadows, which towered above the rock. The dark, mistlike fabric was creeping over the stone, pouring through its cracks. The silver-white dust was floating towards this shadows and seemed to be absorbed by them.
The blackish mist twisted and shaped itself. Out of the dancing shadows a mare's head pulled itself out. It had a long, elegant horn. Two oval, turqouise eyes with slitlike pupils opened. Her mane danced around her. The mare opened her maw and revealed long, white teeth, sharp like daggers cooled in snow.
The Nocturnal Children could hear a sight. It came from the filly. The small creature was breathing out for one last time and out of its maw came a small, blue orb. It flew upwards, glowing rhythmically like a heartbeat. The shadowy mare let out an eagerly, pleased growling sound as her maw opened wider. A long, violet tongue rolled out and snatched after the orb. Its tip wrapped itself around the tiny, precious object, then the mare closed her maw with a low crack and tilted her head back. Everyone's eyes followed the small burl, which travled down the mare's long, snakelike neck, until it disappeared in her chest.
Then with a silent, swooshing sound the shadows drained themselves away and revealed the mare as an Alicorn. She was tall, taller then any pony of this meeting. Her shoulders beared feathered wings, which were partly shaped like the one of a bat. The coat was as black as coal. Her mane and tail wavered around her despite the place being windless. It's fabric was black too, but it had an indigo shimmer in it. The texture reminded one of fog.
All Nocturnal Children immediatley pressed themselves on the ground, until belly and chin touched the cool grass. Amentia shared curious and excited glances with her brothers. They all pressed their ears on their head. The true Queen of Equestria had come to their meeting and therefore she should have her right respect.
„Oh my beloved instruments“, Nightmare Moon adressed the ponies, „It has been so many moons, scince I have seen you. The soul, you gave me, was quite a pleasure to me. I presume, you had a good reason to call me.“ Her wings flapped and the turqouise eyes burned themselves into every member with a fast, cold glance.
Amentia looked at Phobos. „Give me the object“, she hissed. Her brother opened his saddleback. He handed her a small, brown packet, wrapped in dirty balls of dry fabric. The mare snatched the packet with her teeth. She stood up and stepped forwards. Nightmare Moon's head stopped dancing around and her eyes foccused on the leader. Her wings slowly folded. „So, Amentia“, she asked, „What have you got for me?“
Amentia dropped the package. She looked up and adressed not just her mistress, but also the members of the Nocturnal Children: „We have been searching far and wide to find this specific gem stone. It may have another name now, but for us its true purpose was clear. We present the Alicorn Amulet to you, Nightmare Moon.“ Amentia bowed deeply. Her chin rested on her knee. Her eyes were closed. „We hope, it is to your pleasure, true Queen of Equestria.“
As the Shadowbolt's leader stepped backwards, Deimos and Phobos came forward as if there had been a silent sign. Both brothers snatched the packet's bandages and started to unfold them. On the brown scarf laid a silver necklace. It had a grey triangle in the middle and in its center stuck a bloodred, starshaped gemstone. An unicorn's head and pegasi wings had been forged at the triangle.
The Shadowbolts took their place in the Nocturnal Children. Again the whole group ducked down like an omega wolf in front of its alpha. Their ears were pirked up and their eyes followed Nightmare Moon's movement shyly. The dark mare took a step forward and lowered her head. Her horn started to glow cyan and so did the Amulet. It rose from its place and floated upwards, before it stopped in front of the Shadow-Alicorn.
Nightmare closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Her horn glowed more. The Amulet started to rotate around her, glowing red like the devil's eye. It kept this movement for a while, but then abruptley Nightmare Moon stopped her spell and dropped the object back on the scarf. She tilted her head aside, her mane softly dancing around her shoulders. Amentia pirked up her ears as the mare mumbled something to herself: „That is not enough.“
The Nocturnal Children shared worried glances. Whatever Nightmare Moon had been attempted to do, it had not worked. Had they made a mistake? Had they brought her the wrong amulet? Was it not as powerful as they all had thought?
Amentia sensed thousands of glances in her back and knew, that they were blaming her. I have done nothing wrong. Our Queen had shown me the object in a dream. She must know, what she is doing. The pegasus mare put her ears back. She crunched her teeth. Was this a test? But what was Nightmare Moon testing from her children?
Amentia's choking anger vanished partly as Nightmare Moon adressed the crowd again: „You have done very well, but we still need more of them, if we want to fullfill the first steps of my master plan.“ The Nocturnal Children gasped in surprise. Amentia furrowed her brow. How can there be more amulets? And why did I not heard of them before? She shot a questioning look at her siblings, but Deimos and Phobos shook their head. They too had no idea, what was going on. Whispers filled the Nocturnal Children.
The Shadow-Alicorn flapped her wings and with a high-pitched shout she broke silence back to the group. „Yes“, stated Nightmare, „We definitley need more of them. I know, that the others are hiden somewhere. I will make someone search for us without knowing. For now, my children, you all take cover and wait for my sign. I shall choose three of you, who shall follow our sleuth dog, and when he found all gems, they shall bring them to me. Until now I suspect you to take care of the Alicorn Amulet. Until we meet again.“
The meeting was over. The ponies could sense it. Nightmare Moon slowly started to transform herself back into shadows. As a last greeting the Nocturnal Children called: „You are the Queen and we are your instruments!“ Then the dark mare was gone as silent and sudden as she had arrived. The ponies looked at one another. Very slowly the members of the group started to dissipate.
Amentia stood up and trotted towards the Alicorn Amulet. „What are you plotting?“, asked Phobos alarmed as he watched her, grabbing the necklace. „Store it, until it is needed“, explained Amentia with a grumbling sound. She moved her head carefully, until the necklace snapped around her neck. Slowly the mare let go of it. Her eyes flashed red for a couple of seconds. Then the pegasus took flight and her brothers followed after a short hesitation. They flew in the direction of the moon, deep into the forest to their hiding place.