//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Ponyville (edited) // Story: Soulbound // by GreyNimbus //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Ponyville It was a quiet afternoon in Equestria. There were clouds covering half the sky and the only sound heard was a gentle breeze and chirping birds. A mysterious, cloaked figure walked through a terrain of hills that were completely covered with grass and very few trees. Under the ragged cloak was a Pegasus pony with a cream-colored coat, red eyes and a black and grey mane and tail. "I should be near Ponyville by now.", the Pegasus thought, "I've been walking since this morning. Maybe I'll take a breather at the top of that hill.", he thought as he stared into the distance to his temporary destination. As he got closer to the tree shading the hill, he could hear voices coming from behind it. When he quietly got to the base, he decided to hide behind it and take a peek through the side to see where the voices were coming from. There were two ponies sitting around on a large quilt having a picnic. One was an Earth Pony who had a pink coat and a pink cotton candy mane and tail. The other was a Unicorn who had a purple coat and a dark blue mane and tail with a light blue stripe. "Pinkie, stop hogging the whole cake! There won't be enough for me!", the Unicorn exclaimed to the Earth Pony. "Sorry, Twilight, but I can't help it. Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake is my favourite!", the pink pony said with an innocent tone. "Do you have any idea how many calories that... Oh, nevermind. I'll just have some tea.", said the Unicorn. Meanwhile, the anonymous Pegasus behind the tree who was still peeking at them backed up. "Should I ask them for directions?", he whispered to himself, "It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? They look friendly enough. Besides, I might get some information from them. I just have to remain discreet and things should be..." "Hello?" Before he lost his train of thought, the purple Unicorn's head popped out around the tree. The Pegasus didn't notice her presence behind him. The purple one asked without hesitation, "Oh, hello. Didn't see you there. What's your name?" "Uhh... my name is Grey Nimbus", he said in a nervous tone. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Grey Nimbus. My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is my friend Pinkie Pie.", Twilight said likewise. In a split-second, the pink pony appeared in a flash right in front of him, startling him. "Oh, my gosh, I've never seen you before! That must mean you're new to Ponyville! You know what this calls for!?" Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly. "I don't think I want to know.", Grey Nimbus thought. "A PARTY! There'll be music, cake, games, punch and other ponies there, too! It'll be FUN!", exclaimed the hyper pink pony. "I don't have time for a party. I'm looking for Ponyville." Grey Nimbus said with a serious expression. "Oh, well why didn't you just say so? We're FROM Ponyville. We can take you there if you'd like. It's right over there." Twilight said while pointing to Ponyville in the distance. Grey Nimbus had a blank expression on his face, pondering how he did not see the town sooner. "Oh, okay. Thanks. I'd better go find a hotel to stay at before they all close. It's already dusk." Grey Nimbus walked past the two ponies and walked towards Ponyville. Pinkie Pie nudged her friend and Twilight slapped her hoof away. “Stop that, Pinkie.” “He can’t walk to Ponyville by himself! What if he gets lost? Or attacked by a vicious gang of Timberwolves? Or a herd of zombies? Or a vicious herd of zombie timberwolves!?” “Pinkie, that’s ridiculous.” “Maybe so, but I don’t know of anypony who would say no to my company!” She bounded after Grey Nimbus and Twilight galloped to catch up to her. "Hey, Mr. Nimbus! wait up!" Pinkie exclaimed as she ran towards Grey Nimbus. As Pinkie Pie got close to him at arm's length, she reached to put a hoof on his back. Just before Pinkie could touch him, she was engulfed in a purple aura which pulled her away from the Pegasus. Grey Nimbus stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the mares. Twilight moved in front of Pinkie to get the stallion's attention. "Please excuse Pinkie. She's always enthusiastic. Anyway, I insist that you stay with me at my library. I won't charge you anything, I have a spare room and you can stay for as long as you need." Twilight forced a smile on her face. She knew that new ponies wouldn't be to comfortable staying with Pinkie Pie so she decided to make the offer before her pink friend could. "Well... If you insist, Miss Sparkle. It'll save me the trouble of finding a hotel. But are you sure? You don't even know me." "I'm sure." Twilight said with a nod "Very well, then." With that settled, Twilight and Pinkie Pie packed up their picnic and escorted Grey Nimbus to Ponyville. The sun was setting and the sound of the gently breeze was replaced with crickets chirping. When they finally arrived in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie said goodnight to her friend while Twilight lead her guest to her library where he'll be staying. The library was a large oak tree with a door, windows and a balcony. Since the sun was already going down, there were lights shining through the windows. The two went inside. "I have a guest room that you can use upstairs." Twilight said as Grey Nimbus put his saddlebag down next to the couch. "Thanks, Twilight." he said as he took a seat on the couch. "No problem, Grey Nimbus. Would you like some tea?" Twilight offered. "I would love some, Twilight. And, please, 'Nimbus' is fine." he replied with a reassuring smile. Twilight exited the living room and into the kitchen to make some tea. As soon as Twilight was out of sight, Grey Nimbus let out a worried sigh. I was hoping I wouldn't get too physically close to a Unicorn. I just hope she doesn't notice too soon. Grey Nimbus thought. He sat and waited for a few more minutes until Twilight finally came back in while levitating a tray of tea with her magic. As soon as Twilight put the tray on the table in front of the couch, she levitated one of the cups over to Grey Nimbus. When the magic-embraced cup came in contact with his hooves, she felt her magic burst, like she was just hit by an explosion. She gasped loudly and was pushed back slightly by the burst of magic. "What the... what was that!?" Twilight exclaimed "Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't notice..." Grey Nimbus stared at the cup in his hooves guiltily. "I shouldn't have touched your magic." Twilight backed up slowly, deciding to listen to Grey Nimbus' explanation. Despite her fear, she was still a curious scientist at heart; she needed to know more. "What's this dark magic that's emanating from you?" Grey Nimbus was preparing to tell Twilight everything. "Alright, I'll tell you. For as long as I can remember, I've always had this powerful dark energy inside me. I never found out why I have it but I found out what it was. I went to an expert Magic Unicorn in Baltimare and he confirmed that a forbidden spell called 'Soulbound' was cast onto me when I was bor-" Twilight interrupted, "I've read up on many magic hexes, and this sounds familiar to me... Soulbound. Care to explain?" Grey Nimbus let out a deep breath before getting ready to explain. "Soulbound is an ancient spell used to seal away the souls of wraiths, demons and other evil entities. The soul is sealed together with the soul of the host to form one soul, like a mutated cell. But it's risky because if the soul is too powerful for the host to absorb, then the host will suffer endless pain and agony until the host is nothing more than an enigma of it's former self and the dark soul escapes. Nopony in history has ever survived the Soulbound spell... except for me." Twilight was speechless, knowing she had an interesting test subject in her home. She had read up on this type of dark magic before, but only as a precautionary; if a pony uses dark magic, it can corrupt the magical reserves within and in turn, corrupt their minds. She thought back to Nightmare Moon and shivered; the black arts were not to be trifled with. "Well, it looks like I've made history, doesn't it? I was hoping not to get too physically close to you, Twilight. Not because I don't trust you, but because when a Unicorn's magic comes in contact with my body, my dark aura surrounds me and then repels magic away with a counter-shock. And I guess you're gonna drive me away like the rest, huh?" Grey Nimbus explained in despair. "But... you seem like a good pony to me. and you're still in one piece after that spell was cast on you. You DID say you've had it for your whole life. Besides, I'd like to hear more, if that's okay with you." Twilight said in a calm manner, allowing Grey Nimbus to stay at her home, only to be her test subject. "Thank you, Twilight. I'll explain everything to you. The only explanation I can think of is that I'm either extremely lucky or not a normal pony. I think the second option is more believable. Anyway, I left my home about a month ago to find a way to use the power of my soul for peaceful purposes. I first came to Ponyville to find some information." explained Grey Nimbus "Well, I happen to be Princess Celestia's protégé. I have good connections with her and maybe I can ask her to help you." Twilight said. Grey Nimbus had a very surprised yet relieved look on his face. "Really? You'd do that for me, Twilight?" Grey Nimbus was sitting on the couch in the living room, waiting for Twilight to finish her letter in her study. I can’t believe I’ll be getting help from Equestria’s monarch. It’s a good thing I came to Ponyville; I don’t think I could be luckier. Grey Nimbus thought to himself while being patient. After several minutes of waiting, Twilight returned from her study while levitating a scroll with her magic. “I’ve finished the letter. I’ll have my assistant Spike to deliver it later. Right now, he’s asleep. Shall we go to the welcoming party? Knowing Pinkie Pie, she'd probably have it set up by now." "Why would she set up a party for a complete stranger?" Grey Nimbus asked "That's just what Pinkie does. She sees somepony that she's never seen before in Ponyville and she instantly throws them a welcoming party to show that she wants to be friends." They stepped outside and saw Luna’s moon brightening the night sky as Twilight and Grey Nimbus headed to Sugarcube Corner. Grey Nimbus was starting to warm up to Twilight and her generosity. Twilight and her kindness; making friends other ponies was never any interest to him, but after being encouraged by Twilight and being offered to stay at her library, Grey Nimbus decided to give ‘friendship’ a chance. After seconds of leaving the library, Grey Nimbus and Twilight were walking side-by-side. There was nopony in sight; very few lights were shining through windows of houses and faint party music could be heard in the distance. Grey Nimbus turned his head towards Twilight with a curious expression. “Hey, Twilight?”, Grey Nimbus asked “Yes?”, Twilight replied with a smile. “Why aren't you afraid of me?” Twilight could understand why she was asked such a question. She turns her head towards Grey Nimbus, still keeping the smile, and answered... “Well, the reason I’m not scared of you is because; in recorded history, the ponies that perished from the spell did not have pure hearts. They were ponies reduced to the level of thievery, brutality and greed; they embraced their darker magic and in doing so, destroyed their mortal bodies." Twilight shook her head. "They all gave in. You, on the other hoof, don't seem to be showing fatigue or wear. You're sustaining it well." Twilight’s words put a surprised look on Grey Nimbus’ face. Grey Nimbus didn't know how to respond to such kind and flattering words. “Thanks, Twilight" was all Grey Nimbus could say. “You’re welcome, Nimbus.”, Twilight said as they heard party music getting louder with each step and they found themselves at the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. “Oh, we’re here. Nimbus, why don’t I introduce you to my friends? I think you’ll all get along swimmingly.” Grey Nimbus had his hoof to his chin, still thinking about making friends. If Twilight already accepts me, even when she knows that I'm a potential threat, I guess meeting her friends wouldn't kill me... I hope, Grey Nimbus thought. Twilight then noticed Grey Nimbus rubbing his eyes and the side of his head. “Nimbus, is something wrong?”, Twilight asked with a worried expression. Nimbus snapped out of his slight struggle and looked back at Twilight. "Please don’t tell anypony about… what I told you earlier. I don’t want to make any enemies.” “Don’t worry. I Pinkie Pie Promise.” “Pinkie Pie Promise?” “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight chanted while making the gestures. “Oh, I see”, Grey Nimbus said in an unimpressed tone. Twilight let out a small snicker and walked towards the front door. “Now, let’s go inside. We wouldn't wanna miss the fun.” “Okay.” he smiled as he followed Twilight. Twilight and Grey Nimbus stepped inside Sugarcube Corner, and Grey Nimbus' eyes went wide with surprise. He had never seen so many ponies in one room. There were at least over 20 ponies in sight. "All of these ponies were invited to a welcoming party for a complete stranger?" Grey Nimbus thought. "Ponies aren't so welcoming where I come from." "Why don't you go mingle for a minute, Nimbus? I'm gonna go gather up my best friends so you can meet them, okay?" He nodded before Twilight left his side to find her friends. Grey Nimbus walked through the crowd of ponies for several minutes, greeting each pony who said 'hello' to him. To everypony, he just replied with the occasional 'hi'. It was almost impossible to mingle with 20 ponies at the same time. Unless their definition of 'mingle' is "gather your friends and shower a soon-to-be-friend with questions". Grey Nimbus managed to escape from the crowd of 'minglers' and made his way to a snack table that was up against the wall. He turned his gaze to the contents of the table and saw a round tray piled with chocolate-covered eclairs with whipped cream filling. "My favorite...", he though. His mouth was beginning to drool at the sight of the personally irresistible delicacies in front of him. He wiped the falling saliva from his mouth with his forearm before reaching his hoof out to take one. His train of thought was then suddenly lost as he felt another pony's hoof wrap around his other forearm. He was interrupted by Twilight Sparkle, who came to inform Grey Nimbus that she is now ready to introduce him to her friends. "Nimbus, my friends are ready to meet you." Twilight said. Grey Nimbus wanted to grab an eclair but was being dragged away by Twilight before he could even touch one. He groaned with frustration as she continued to pull him. ”Twilight, I can walk on my own. Will you please stop trying to drag my across the carpet?” Grey Nimbus said with a frown. Twilight quickly realised what she was doing and suddenly released her grip on her guest. She put her hoof to the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "Eh-heh, sorry. I just couldn't wait to introduce you to my friends and I guess I let myself get carried away." Grey Nimbus raised a hoof between them both to reassure her that he didn't mind the enthusiasm. “Anyway, I'm sure my friends will really like you, Nimbus. And I hope the feeling will be mutual.” Twilight said with an reassuring smile. Grey Nimbus nodded and followed the lavender Unicorn. Shortly after, Twilight lead him to a round table against a window where 5 ponies were sitting around. There, he saw Pinkie Pie, another Unicorn with a white coat and a purple mane. Two Pegasi; One with a blue coat and a rainbow coloured mane, the other with a yellow coat and a bright pink mane and an Earth Pony with an orange coat, a yellow mane and a Stetson hat atop her head. “Well, everypony, here he is; the guest of honor.” Twilight said before taking a spare seat around the table. “Everypony, this is Grey Nimbus. He just arrived in Ponyville today and is staying at my library during his time here. Grey Nimbus, let me introduce you to my best friends; this here is Rarity…” “Salutations.” The white Unicorn greets herself in a very lady-like manner. “This is Rainbow Dash…” “How’s it goin’?” says the prismatic pony in a confident tone. “That’s Fluttershy…” “Um…… hello”, whispers the shy Pegasus as she slowly cowers behind the table. “And then there’s Applejack.” “Howdy, partner!” says the farm pony in a country accent. “And together, we’re the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight says after finishing the introductions. “Elements of Harmony? What are those?” Grey Nimbus asked “They are six supernatural artifacts that are the most powerful force in Equestria. Each artifact represents an element of friendship and the six of us each possess the corresponding traits to wield them. They are used to purify and/or extinguish dark entities and restore harmony and order.” As Twilight explained, Grey Nimbus widened his eyes and started to slowly walk backwards in fear, as if he had just seen a ghost. “Oh, no…" Grey Nimbus thought fearfully. He then began to ran for the exit. "Nimbus, where are you going?" Twilight called to the fleeing stallion, but she was ignored. Grey Nimbus rushed through the door and made it outside. While he was still running, he became airborne and quickly made his way towards the open field outside of Ponyville. The girls all came out through the door and watched Grey Nimbus fade into the night sky. “Leave it to me, girls. I’ll go see what’s buggin' him.” Rainbow Dash said before quickly zooming through the air to pursue Grey Nimbus. “What was that all about? Did he not like the party I threw for him?” Pinkie Pie asked in a dumbfounded tone. “I don’t know, but we have to talk to him. Maybe we can help.” Twilight said to her friends in a concerned tone. I wonder… was he scared to think that we were a weapon against him? Grey Nimbus flew as fast as his wings will carry him as he fled from Ponyville, not wanting to be around Twilight and her friends and knowing that they possess the most powerful force of magic known to Equestria: The Elements of Harmony. “I can’t be around those ponies any longer! Those Elements will instantly wipe me from existence if they plan to use them on me!” Five minutes after fleeing from Ponyville, he already exhausted the wings that he rarely used. While traveling Equestria, he preferred the ground environment, where he can remain most inconspicuous. Drawing attention to himself would be the equivalent of starting a riot. If anypony got a glimpse of what the Soulbound spell can do to him, it could mean either being treated like a monster or imminent death. Most likely both. Grey Nimbus guessed that his best course of action now would be to avoid eye contact with all inhabited ponies, sneak back into Twilight’s library, collect all of the possessions that he left behind and then move on to the next inhabited settlement, hoping to find the info that he needed while keeping his contact with other ponies to a minimum. Grey Nimbus looked over his shoulder as he descended to the ground to rest his wings. There was neither a pony nor town in sight. He assumed that nopony was pursuing him out of town until… “GOTCHA!” He was tackled to the ground from behind by an unknown pony. All four of his hooves were pinned down, preventing him from escaping despite his struggling. “I was way ahead of you and waited for the right moment to stop you in your tracks.” said the tomboyish voice on top of him. Grey Nimbus couldn’t tell who it was in the darkness of the night. Well, not the way his eyes are now. He stopped struggling and shut his eyes tight. “Vokun Fus… Sahqo Miin.” he chanted mentally. (Shadow Force... Red Eyes) He opened his eyes wide to show that his irises were now glowing an unholy red. This grants him night vision. He looks over his shoulder to get a good look at his attacker. “Rainbow Dash!” Grey Nimbus exclaimed. “What are you doing?! Let me go!” “Not until you answer my question; Why did you just fly off like that? And… why are your eyes glowing red?” Grey Nimbus chose to ignore her questions and instead, struggled to free himself from her grasp, but she had him pinned down too well. Flying had completely drained his stamina, and he had none left to fight back. He grunted and sighed in frustration as he could no longer fight off Rainbow Dash and had no choice but to comply. "Fine, I'll explain!" Grey Nimbus exclaimed The glow in his eyes starts to fade away as he calmed himself "Come back with me to Ponyville and explain it to Twilight. She's the Element of Magic, so she'll probably understand." The two Pegasi flew towards the now silent town of Ponyville. By looking at the position of the moon, Grey Nimbus could calculate how late it was. As the town came into view, they both noticed the lack of lights lit in and out of the residential homes. Grey Nimbus felt more at ease to not be seen by any other ponies. He much preferred the night to the day. The night may seem dark, scary and lonely, but Grey Nimbus... Nimbus could see the night... in a different light. At night, he doesn't see a world turned into a realm of Darkness; He saw how peaceful, serene, quiet and beautiful the night can be. He liked to think of himself as a nocturnal pony. Fatigue had taken over Nimbus' body and could no longer fly right. Rainbow Dash offer to help keep his balance by slipping his hoof around her shoulder, which Nimbus accepted uncertainly. "Have you ever used your wings? You fall faster than Granny Smith if she had a pair of those.", Rainbow Dash bickered. The two winged ponies slowly descended, and by the time they touch the ground, they were in front of the Golden Oaks Library. Rainbow Dash released her grip on Nimbus' shoulder to let him stand on his own. She tapped a wing on his back to reassure him that he has nothing to fear from Twilight and her friends. Nimbus responded with a slow nod. Rainbow Dash walked to the door to knock, but was swiftly opened before she could lay a hoof on it. On the other side of the door frame was a small, purple Dragon with green spines. "Hey, Spike. Is Twilight home? I managed to catch this new guy for her." Rainbow Dash asked the little Dragon. "Yeah, she and the other girls are here too. I heard you two land outside, so I opened the door for you. Come in." The Dragon replied Spike cleared the way for the two ponies as Rainbow Dash walked in with Grey Nimbus behind with his head down. Inside the library were Twilight and the four other friends she introduced him to. They were all sitting on two separate sofas around a coffee table. They all turned their attention to Nimbus, the pony who flew away without a single word. Twilight got off her seat and walked towards him. "Nimbus, we were so worried about you. Why did you fly off like that?" Twilight a worried tone. Nimbus didn't make eye contact with Twilight. With hesitation and depression, he answered... "Twilight... I think you know." Twilight knew exactly what he meant. He explained Soulbound to her shortly after they met. She knew what such a life-threatening curse can do to a pony, yet she couldn't even come close to imagine how much pain he has suffered since birth. With a silent pause, Twilight pondered on how to help her new friend. Her first option was closure. "Nimbus, we need to talk." she said with a neutral voice. Nimbus wasn't comfortable sharing his unpleasant life story with anypony, but it felt like he had no choice. During a silent pause, Nimbus was pondering on how to look at his current situation. He is surrounded by six strange ponies who say they were worried about him, one of them is a magical genius and has connections with the most powerful pony in the land and she considers him... a friend. For the first time in his life, he felt that the feeling is mutual. Is this what having a friend means? It feels... warm. With a lift of his head and a smile on his face, Nimbus looked to Twilight and said with a friendly tone... "Okay, Twilight. Let's talk" He did not feel like a monster anymore. Nimbus prepared himself to explain to the rest of Twilight's friends about himself, including the Soulbound curse. After explaining it to Twilight earlier, she took it unexpectedly well. He doubted that her friends would also understand, because no two ponies are that similar. But even several minutes of closure with his new pony companions would feel unsettling. He expected fear and resentment from them. But, to make him feel more at ease, they explained to him that together they have experience coping with a lot of unusual incidents in the past. After he reveals his dark secret to the group, he predicts that he will get showered with questions from each of Twilight's friends all at once. "I hope Twilight's friends aren't 'minglers' too?" "We're ready to listen, Nimbus." Twilight said with a smile. The six ponies sat on the separate sofas in front of him. He inhales deeply and slowly lets it out, hoping to calm his mind. He looked at the mares. "It all began when I was just a yearling," Nimbus began, "I was raised by an Earth Pony mare named Sweet Fields. She was the most caring mare I have ever known. She taught me everything; How to read and write, how to walk and talk, how to cook and eat, even how to survive in the wild. She was like a mother to me. And she treated me like her own son. We lived together happily, until one day..." He paused for a moment before Twilight asked nervously, "Wh-what happened?" Nimbus continued, "When I reached the age of 13, I discovered that I possessed dark powers. But I had no control over such power, and I was temporarily and periodically corrupted by evil. It turned me into a monster. Then I... I..." Nimbus shut his eyes tight and began to sniffle. Despite the emotional pain, he reopened his eyes and continued. "I... the dark magic forced me to... attack my mother..." The mares all gasped in shock. Before any of them could say a word, Nimbus proceeded. "I took away one of her legs.", They all gasped, "But despite all that I did to her, she never held anything against me. She knew I wasn't myself. She than told me something that I never would of expected. I wasn't born as her real foal. I was adopted. She told me that she found me as a baby inside a cave, somewhere in forest near our house. She decided to take me in. After the incident, she told me of a way to help me overcome my power. So I had to journey through Equestria to find somepony... or something... and never return until I do. I didn't have any choice, so I abandoned my home to make sure that I never hurt her again. I was forced to fend for myself in the wilderness. The dark magic still came to me every few days, but after 3 years of trying to refuse it's control over me, I finally control it. It was an extremely painful process and it changed my physical form over time. It changed my eyes to look that of a dragon's and my wings started to change their appearance too." Nimbus looked to his wing as he spread it out to show the mares. What they saw, left them speechless; On the underside of his wing, where some of the feathers should have been, was a patch of thin leather skin. It wasn't like the wing of a Pegasus at all. His wing looked like it was a combination of a Pegasus' wing and a bat's wing. "This is why I tend to isolate myself from any settlements around Equestria. But I had to find information on what I had to find." "What did you have to find?" Twilight asked. "Sweet Fields told me to find the thing that can help me resolve this curse. Something to make me a normal pony so I can return to her. Something called 'The Mare in the Moon'." "Huuuh?" The six mares exclaimed confusingly in unison. Nimbus took a moment to look at their confused faces. He than asked... "Wait... do you girls know of it?" he asked curiously. "Well...", Rarity began to answer, "... The Mare in the Moon, preferably Nightmare Moon, used to be a major threat to Equestria, dear. I'm surprised you never heard of her before. It used to be an old mare's tales." Nimbus began to contemplate what Rarity just said. It wasn't an object he was looking for. It was a living pony. Twilight was the next one to speak. "Nightmare Moon returned to Equestria from banishment over a year ago to bring night time eternal. But the six of us together stopped her evil plans with the Elements of Harmony and took away her dark powers, turning her back into Princess Luna." "Why was Nightmare Moon evil?" Applejack was the next to answer. "Well, a thousand years ago, Princess Luna was got jealous of her sister, Princess Celestia's, duty and came to resent her. The ponies of Equestria did everything during the day, but during the night, they all just went to sleep. This made Luna angry and transformed herself into Nightmare Moon." Fluttershy decided to continue. "She, um... wanted to make the night last forever, so that she could be loved, but Princess Celestia had no choice but to banish her to the moon for a thousand years." Nimbus was surprise, yet disappointed, to hear that what he was looking for was just a tale. He waited patiently for another one of the group to continue. "But over a year ago, during the Summer Sun Celebration, Nightmare Moon escaped and once again tried to bring eternal night. I read that the only way to defeat her was to use the power of the Elements of Harmony. We found them in the old castle ruins in the Everfree Forest. Nightmare Moon ambushed us there and tried to destroy the Elements. She managed to destroy the Element stones, but the virtues of the six of us embodied the Elements themselves and we defeated Nightmare Moon and changed her back to Princess Luna. Now she and Princess Celestia have been ruling Equestria side by side till this day.", Twilight finished. Immediately after Twilight finished her explanation, Grey Nimbus asked suddenly with curiosity, "So... The Mare in the Moon still exists? And is co-ruling Equestria right now?" Rarity replied, "Why, of course. Since it is now night time, she is performing her royal night duties from Canterlot as we speak." Nimbus stood back up on his hooves with a look of confidence in his draconian eyes. "I know what I need to do now! I need to go to Canterlot, seek an audience with Princess Luna and plead for her guidance and wisdom. Maybe she can help me with my corrupted magic! Thank you for giving me the information I've been looking for, girls! I'm very grateful!", he exclaimed. All the mares in the room got up from their seats with proud smiles on their faces. They each stood around him to congratulate him in their own words. Grey Nimbus couldn't keep track of any of their words as they all spoke in unison. After several seconds of praising, Twilight interrupted and curiously asked Grey Nimbus a question that he hoped was never asked... "Nimbus, we'd be happy to help you see Princess Luna. But before we do, I need to ask...... What can you do?" Nimbus raised an eyebrow and stared at Twilight with a dumbfounded expression. "What do you mean 'What can I do'?". "Well, I don't like to brag, but my special talent and Element is Magic...", She asked nervously, "So I hope you don't mind showing us what you can do with your... dark magic." Nimbus suddenly went wide-eyed. He was just asked to use his dark magic in front of his new friends. He wanted to panic. He wanted to scream. He wanted to crawl into the deepest, darkest hole and never come out. But he had to keep his emotions intact; the ponies in front of him may be his one chance of freedom. He closed his eyes tight and inhaled deeply through his nose. He slowly exhaled which calmed him slightly and slowly opened his eyes. He then looked at Twilight and replied in a serious tone, "Twilight... Do you even know what you're asking of me? I can keep it under control, yes, but I have limits. I already used a dark spell once today when Rainbow Dash caught me. Using another on the same day? I don't even know what could happen afterwards." Twilight smiled sadly and replied with a tone of sincerity, “I know it's a lot to ask, but we need to know the caliber of your dark magic to best decide how to help you. If it's not too strong, I might be able to help you myself. But if it's too much for me to handle, we'll have no choice but to consult the Princesses." Nimbus let out a sigh of preparation before saying, "Alright. Can I trust you not to regret this?" The lavender unicorn pondered the question. She could never regret gaining knowledge, of any kind, but she was hesitant to put another pony (or seven) at risk to do so. But she had come so far in her studies; she was the Element of Magic. And, if the worst were to happen, the Princesses were only a letter away. Eventually, she reached a conclusion. "I'd never leave my friends in the sun to dry when they can be ironed out.” Pinkie Pie giggled at the analogy, and Twilight shot a stern glance before continuing. “You can trust all of us, Nimbus. And I trust you to at least help yourself. Can you do that?" "Thank you, Twilight. Now, I don’t know what will happen. I would feel much safer, though, if you all were up on the second floor, away from me as possible. Just until I cast the spell… I will cast a small one, just in case. I shall perform a transformation spell.” He decided, almost talking to himself. The ponies nodded and gathered upstairs into Twilight’s bedroom. As a precaution, they all took cover behind the far side of the bed and exposed their heads to at least catch sight of this rare occurrence. Twilight was the most focused as she wanted to witness Nimbus' potential the most. "Thanks for understanding, it makes me feel safer." He said before closing his eyes to concentrate his magic, "Okay, here I go..." Around Nimbus, the surroundings were slowly shrouded in a dark purple and black aura. The whole library began to vibrate mildly as the pressure in the air got heavier. "Vokun Fus..." he chanted under his breath. (Shadow Force...) The aura around him began to expand and disperse. Fluttershy yelped and ducked down on the floor with her hooves over her head while the rest of her friends looked on. Nimbus' whole body began to hover slightly of the floor without budging his wings. His wings started to turn pitch black as the aura covered every inch of his body. He opened his eyes, which revealed slit draconic pupils with bright red, glowing irises, and the sclera turned from white to a dark grey. His teeth slowly grew and became as sharp, looking more dangerous than a Timberwolf. His wings were also slowly changing, both in size and in shape; the wings grew twice in size and were forming the unmistakable shape of bat wings. Once the growth stopped, the dark aura began to fade over the rest of his body. His wings remained coated in thick, transparent darkness. "Vopraan... Dinok Vulon." (Awaken... Death Night) The air pressure in the library began to soften as Nimbus finished his spell and fell to the floor with a soft thud. The silence that now fell upon the library was deafening. "You can all come down now." Nimbus said with an ominous change in his voice. His voice was suddenly much deeper with a low echo, reminiscent of a demon from Tartarus. They slowly traveled down the stairs with cautionary steps to get a closer look. "This... is what I can do." “Fascinating…” Twilight muttered, reaching out to Nimbus’s grey leather wings with a hoof. Nimbus backed away worriedly, and his rump hit the bookshelf with a crash. One of Spike’s interactive comic books landed on his wing and it was instantly vaporized. “Oops… I’m so sorry, Twilight. My wings incinerate just about any small objects, if they’re enchanted with magic. It doesn't kill ponies, but they might hurt unicorns. You shouldn't go near them; I don’t want to hurt you.” He growled. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and muttered something behind her hoof to Pinkie Pie, and she snickered in turn. “Good thing we ain't unicorns, then.” Pinkie drawled and ran up to Nimbus with Rainbow Dash in tow. Dash grabbed his wings and he twitched uncomfortably. “Your wings are so cool! I bet you could get some great air with these things.” She mentioned excitedly. She dashed upstairs, and out the open window, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. She returned within seconds with a piece of cloud in her hooves and she flew back to Nimbus, rubbing the cloud against his wing; the cloud evaporated almost instantly with a sizzling sound. Rainbow lowered her head in disappointment. “Guess you can’t do tricks with clouds then, huh? Too bad, it would have looked awesome! I didn't know cumulus clouds were enchanted, though…” “Of course they are, silly. But maybe you don’t know that, Nimbus!” Pinkie snorted, “I can take a guess that you don’t fly much with those kooky wings. How about your strength, though?” She grabbed Nimbus’s foreleg and examined it closely. He smiled nervously, looking over at Twilight for help. Twilight only shrugged, sharing his expression. “Look… girls. I really don’t agree with being prodded like this…” He whispered; it seems his little dark magic stunt had the opposite effect of what he’d expected. He was certain they would have run away… the only one that seemed affected was Fluttershy; she had been cowering behind Rarity ever since the mares came down from the stairs. Nimbus wasn't entirely sure if this unanticipated reaction was a good thing. “Pink pony, please stop.” He shook her from his leg and she giggled as if she was enjoying herself. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! Well, I suppose it’s really a nickname. But, Pinkie is what my friends call me, so call me Pinkie! Can I give you a nickname?” She smiled happily and Nimbus was absolutely stunned. Never before had he met a pony who reacted to him like she did. “I’m gonna call you… Batty! Or Nimby! Or Grey Nimbus! Oh, wait- that’s already your name…” She scratched her chin and pondered. “So, darling…” Rarity grabbed Pinkie by her tail and shoved her roughly aside with sapphire magic, “What is the purpose for this transformation spell?” “More importantly, is there anything else you can do?” Twilight interjected with wide eyes and a bright smile. “Like, perhaps some weather spells? Even without ‘em, those wings of yours would be great for cloud busting; maybe you’d be interested in joining our Ponyville weather team?” Rainbow added, still patting his leathery wings. “I don’t think you know how dangerous this magic could be, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight chastised, stomping a hoof on the hard wooden library floor. “Now, please… if you could answer my question?” “Well… I’m sure I can do more, but I don’t know for sure…” Nimbus stuttered uneasily under Twilight’s cold, analytical gaze, “I have little memory when the… darker side takes hold.” “Well then, Dr. Jekyll, why don’t you and Mr. Hyde open the lines of communication?” Rarity commented, with a hint of sophistication in her already heavily-posh tone. “Who?” “You know, Dr. Hoofrey Jekyll! He drank a potion and went totally insane.” Pinkie hopped across the room and crossed her eyes, stumbling around like a madpony. She trotted up to the stallion and grabbed his face with her hooves with a wild demeanour. “He brought his evil side out and the evil took over!!” “Do ignore them. They saw the musical the other day; Rarity designed the outfits and Pinkie provided the snacks, so they got free tickets.” Twilight snickered and, with a flourish of her magenta magic, picked up the hyperactive pony and floated her away from Nimbus. “I do have the book though, if you’re interested.” “I don’t really care much for musicals.” He scratched behind his head uncertainly and backed up. Rarity just shrugged in response and watched Pinkie as she continued to dance. The room fell silent once more; it created an uneasy atmosphere for the ponies in the library. The only sound was the hoof-stomping of Pinkie’s less-than-graceful dance moves on the floorboards. “With that said, I think Rarity brings up a good point.” Twilight broke the silence with an awkward laugh and a forced question, ”Have you tried to communicate with… whatever it is, when you lose control?” Nimbus widened his eyes with shock and shook his head. What a risky manoeuvre that would be! “Of course I haven’t attempted it; I don’t even know what it is! It could be my sub-conscience, or something more sinister. I wouldn’t know where to begin.” “Don’t worry, Grey Nimbus.” A timid voice spoke up from behind the rest of the crowd, and Fluttershy rose to her hooves for what seemed to be an eternity of hiding, “No matter what happens, you’ll be fine. Our magic is stronger than the dark.” She smiled reassuringly and the other mares nodded in agreement. Nimbus smiled back, and he looked to the night sky out an open window of the library. "I think I need an audience with Princess Luna."