//------------------------------// // 1. Darkness // Story: The trials of Selune Darkeye // by nioniosbbbb //------------------------------// Down goes the dark spiral, down to the bottomless abyss. Down… and into the black heart of the void that calls all living things back to where they began. A black unicorn with white markings on its coat was there. A single lamp provided a small light in the room she was. She was sitting quietly on her haunches, with her purple eyes wandering over to the table with the lamp. There was a small note on it. It took a few moments for Selune Darkeye to actually register that she was looking at it. The absent minded mare shook her maroon mane as she read again. She shook her head, why was she there? Who wrote this? Where was she? Thousands of questions stormed her head as she couldn’t recall how she got here. None had an answer, but the pattern was clear. She was awake, she didn’t remember where she was, or how she got there. She realized she was in a dream. There was an eerie feeling about this place. The air was too stiff, and the silence was almost tangible. Something was out there in the darkness, watching her quietly, waiting for her. She felt its presence, its aura; the promise of a nightmare. Selune gulped as she shook the shivers off. Taking a deep breath, she bit her right hoof, but besides the sharp pain nothing happened. This was not a normal dream. Acknowledging the dream didn’t work, nor did pain wake her up. Once again, her eyes wandered, falling on the note. Something in the back of her mind told her this was the key to everything. She grabbed the paper and read it out loud. “Everybody is scared of something, so tell me… What are you afraid of?” There was no point avoiding it, no reason lying. It was all around her after all, it was in the corners of this box of stone that she was in. It cowered from the now dimming light of the lamp, a serpent that crawled in circles all around her, enveloping her in its coils. “Darkness…” As she said the word a soft breeze blew out of nowhere and the lamp’s light was snuffed out, the very edges of the room around and above her melted into pitch black darkness. Selune’s hooves started shaking uncontrollably as her breath quickened. There was a low whistle, and an unnatural coldness rushed her. As she gasped, Selune instinctively cast the first spell that came to her mind. -Sssssslik- Two red slits opened as steel made contact with the flesh. But no death rattle was heard, nor blood spilled. Instead, Selune’s form dissipated into glittering mana. The creature shrieked angrily as Selune’s form shimmered when her Mislead spell faded. Her horn lit up purple as she cast True Sight and conjured a runic eye just in time to see the creature jerking its head towards her. “Petty tricks will not save you…” Its voice was like two serpents, one layered above the other. Its eyes, two red slits, gazed upon her, causing the unicorn mare to gulp as cold sweat rolled down her forehead. “What… what are you? Who are you?” The black unicorn made out of concentrated darkness approached her, letting its curved hoofblades make a metallic screech as they dragged on the ground. It had a build similar to her own, and a black fog emanated from where its mane and tail should have been. “Your future…” with a puff of smoke it disappeared. Selune’s eyes shot wide open as she felt its aura behind her and she ducked. Two strands of her maroon mane dropped to the ground as she rolled away from it. “Why do you fight?” The phantasmal mare asked “You don’t have what it takes to defeat me. So why?” Selune grabbed her heart, gasping for air, hoping for a respite from the creature’s assault. “Are you not afraid? How can you hope to defeat me when you dread me so?” Its words rung true in her ears: her racing heart, her trembling hooves. “Yes… indeed I’m terrified. But that’s exactly why I fight you!” Selune took one deep breath as the creature approached her once again. Her hoof loosened over her heart “Princess Luna once saved me… She is the reason the darkness didn’t swallow me at birth. I have to live, live and repay her the debt, and I can’t do that if I’m scared.” She lifted her head and stared back at the creature, gritting her teeth “So I can’t dishonor her domain by dying to a creature like you…” The creature ignored her, and lifted its hoof, leaning forward. “WHO DISRESPECTS THE NIGHT OF THE PRINCESS LIKE THIS!” Selune cried out. There was a momentary flash as metal clashed with metal. The creature’s eyes widened as Selune held two curved metal blades clenched in her hooves. Using all her strength she used her illusionary blades to make an arcing swing in front of her, deflecting the creature’s blow and pushing it back. Within a purple flash she disappeared, teleporting behind the creature. Her horn glowed as she launched an arcing wave of purple magic . Casting a similar spell, the creature triggered an explosion as both spells clashed within the air. Charging through the smoke, Selune’s blades once again clashed with the creature’s hoofblades. Selune’s horn glowed as she launched a stream of glittering arcane pollen at the creature’s face. The creature’s form pulsed as it threw her off balance and pushed back her spell. “Bwahahhaha… are your spells really that weak? Or does your mind simply make your fears so strong?” The creature’s voice echoed in the void. A small shockwave pulsed around the creature’s feet as it made a dash enhanced by magic. Selune’s horn glowed once again as she raised her hooves, summoning a shimmering barrier. “IT’S USELESS TO RESIST!” The creature’s blows struck down the barrier, with its left hoofblade shattering it to pieces. Slashing at her neck with the right, the creature widened its eyes as glittering mana emerged from the wound. Looking around, the creature frantically searched for its victim. -Sssssslik- “Mistakes done twice, are not of mares wise.” Behind its back Selune’s camouflage was dispelled, revealing a smiling unicorn holding a blade firmly planted on the creature’s back. “You didn’t think I’d charge through the smoke blindly now, would you? Simulacrum and Camouflage. You hit a clone of mine while I was invisible. For an incarnation of my fear you really don’t know me at all…” Black drops of blood spilled down from the wound. She twisted the knife, causing the creature to gurgle in response. “You aren’t simply my fear of darkness. You are my fear of the unknown, and only wits and will can conquer you.” As Selune spoke the creature’s form started dissipating into thin air. “I know you’re not yet completely defeated. So long as unknown exists as a term I will always be afraid of it. But that doesn’t mean you’re not conquered. After all, being fearless isn’t to ignore fear…” Her surroundings melted and flowed down into a whirlpool of darkness. As she blinked, Selune found herself once again in her room, looking at the ceiling. She’d have to report this to the Night Princess next thing in the morning, but for now she turned towards her nightlight and smiled as she closed it. “But to press on in spite of that fear.”