Road to Twilight

by ShadowBrony

A Strange New Place

Twilight slowly opened her eyes. She stared up at the star filled sky for a few moments, unsure as to what had just happened. Then it hit her, the storm, the Shadows, her home and then her friends. She immediately stood up but regretted it as she felt her head spin. She quickly sat back down and instead decided it would be better to view her surroundings sitting down.

She glanced around and noticed she was in some court yard of an old castle. It appeared to have been abandoned for centuries yet at the same time it still looked pleasant for an old castle. She briefly wondered if perhaps she had somehow ended up in the castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. But as she continued to look around, she decided that the architecture did not match.

After a few minutes of rest, Twilight decided that perhaps it was time to look around. She got up; slowly this time, and made her way out of the court yard. She went through some old wooden doors, down a small hallway, before finding herself in what she could only guess was the throne room. While the rest of the castle was grey and lifeless, this portion still had some beauty still hidden amongst the dust. The carpet was ripped and torn yet still noticeable. The stone throne looked like it was crafted to fit a Pegasus. The windows were all broken except for one. Chandeliers still remain hung somehow though covered in spider webs. The walls were bare but it was evident that flags used to be hung as there appeared to be hooks all over the place.

Twilight glanced back over to the only window that appeared to be unbroken. Like the throne room in Canterlot, this one appeared to have had picture windows as well. Twilight took a step closer to it. The moon light shone through it and made it almost look like the picture was glowing. It had a picture of Luna on it and she seemed to be surrounded by ponies with bat wings.

Twilight wracked her brain. She had seen these bat ponies with Luna before. But these appeared to be just a bit different. These ponies’ wings seemed bigger and they had different colors such as blue or even purple. Luna seemed to be smiling in the picture as if she was happy to be amongst so many of them. Twilight was so engrossed with the picture; she failed to notice a shadow creeping up on her. She jumped and nearly hit the ceiling when somepony tapped her on the shoulder abruptly.

Twilight quickly turned around and saw a stallion standing just a few ways away from her. He had a brown hood and cape that masked what he looked like. But from the way he appeared, she could tell he was a stallion. Her theory was confirmed when he spoke, “Didn’t mean to startle you. Hello by the way, are you alright?”

Twilight let out a deep sigh when she realized she was holding back her breath. “I’m okay; I just didn’t expect to see anypony in a place like this." Twilight glanced around her, "Who are you and where am I?” The stallion lowered his hood. He appeared to have a dark blue coat but his mouth and nose were black. His eyes were a soft yellow, though it was just his irises that appeared yellow not his whole eyes like the creatures she saw earlier.

He grunted a few times before he spoke, “Hello, my name is Night Glider,” he said while extending his hoof.

Twilight reached out her hoof to bump his. “Twilight Sparkle” She said returning the hoof bump.

Night nodded his head, “As for where you are, you’re in the Ruins of the Thestral Kingdom.”

Twilight gave him a confused look, “I have read about all sorts of kingdoms both existing and mythological. I have never heard of the Thestral Kingdom.”

Night's face fell as he looked at her with a sorrowful face, “I guess I would be surprised if you had heard of it. It hasn’t been in the record books since the fall of Luna over 1000 years ago.” He paused as Twilight gave him a shocked and confused look. He then continued, “Before Luna fell to darkness, she was a dear friend to the Thestrals. But then the war against Celestia happened. The Thestrals were forced to pick a side; of course they chose Luna’s side. But when she fell, Celestia turned her attention to the Thestrals. By this point they were ready to surrender, but Celestia showed little mercy. In the end she blamed them for her sister’s betrayal.”

“Celestia wouldn’t.” Twilight interjected, wanting to defend her mentor. Night shook his head looking at her with heavy eyes. "Wait, you’re not lying?”

“I have no reason to lie Twilight. Celestia destroyed the Kingdom and burned all records of its existence. She viewed the Thestrals as evil and banished them from Equestria. Any Thestral that went to negotiate with her, never returned. They soon became viewed as a bad omen and were run out of every town they went for shelter. For hundreds of years this went on, nothing changed for any of them.

The Threstrals fell on hard times. They were beaten, jailed, sometimes even killed for being who they were. They were never evil, just ended up on the wrong side during the war. But they continued to pay for it for generations to come. When Luna returned, there wasn’t much left of them in the world.”

Twilight thought about it for a moment when he paused. “You mean those guards are Thestrals?” Night nodded his head with a smile. Twilight tilted her head, “I never thought they were a different race in the slightest. Just made to look that way through magic.”

Night shook his head, “Luna managed to track a few of them down and now serve as her guards. But there is still racism even now, stories are always held onto; if anypony looks or resembles one, it’s always the same result. They are still feared in most places. Even places that have never heard of a Thestral run when they see them. That is why you if you are every born a Thestral, your life becomes a curse. These Ruins is a monument to better times. A sanctuary if you will. Even though it has been years since the last time a Thestral has been seen here, it is still whispered about for those willing to hear.” As Night finished his tale, he was surprised to see that the mare in front of him looked like she was on the edge of tears. The stallion but his hoof on her shoulder, “Hey it’s alright, just be glad you’re not a Thestral.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hoof, “I don’t care, what Celestia did was just awful. Just when you think you know a pony, you find out she has more skeletons in her closet then the records let on!”

Night smiled at her. “Look, it’s all in the past, not much you can do about it but move forward. I am sure that you have had some hardships as well.”

Twilight nodded her head, “I lost my home, my friends and even my whole town. I am not sure what I am going to do now."

Night was silent for a moment, “Sounds like we may have more in common than you think.” Twilight looked at him with a surprised look. Night just sat there silently and stared at the window. Twilight looked over and stared at it as well as the moon continued to glow through the picture.

***

Twilight slowly opened her eyes again. She realized she might have just dozed off. She glanced around until she saw Night sleeping up against the wall. She glanced over at the window and noticed that the moon appeared to be covered by clouds.

Twilight stood up and walked over where the throne was. She seemed to be drawn to it for some reason. Then she walked right past it towards the wall behind it. She stopped as she wondered why she had gone over there in the first place. Upon closer examination however, she noticed a small crack in the shaped of a rectangle, hidden behind the shadow of the throne. Twilight pushed against it revealing a door. Twilight pushed harder and harder as it was slow to move. Finally after a few minutes of pushing, the door fell over.

It made a loud thump that echoed throughout the castle. When she looked around, all she saw was another broken window in a small room with a square piece of wood lying on a chest. Twilight walked over and examined the wood. She was about to turn around and examine it in better light, when the chest began to glow a dark aura. Twilight stared at the chest as it began to leak dark liquid. Twilight ran out as the room continued to fill with it. Once she was back in the thrown room, she ran over to where Night was still sleeping.

“Night? I need you to wake up. I think we have a problem!” Night Glider opened an eye and glanced over at the throne as the dark ooze began to surround it. He was on his hooves in seconds. He then dashed to the middle of the room as the ooze began to gather by the throne. Twilight ran up next to him.

She lowered her horn and yelled, "FIRE" at the dark puddle. But nothing happened. She tried over and over but no fire was coming out. Night sighed and rolled his eyes, “You may want to try that again when you have your Keyblade out. It works a whole lot better.”

Twilight looked back at Night with a look of surprise. “My what?”

Night winced, “Uh, mind if I tell you later?” By now the ooze had begun to rise and take shape. Soon, hooves began to form. Then flat bat-like wings sprung out as its face came into view. Its eyes were pure yellow. Once its transformation was complete, it stared down at them having grown to half the height of the throne room. Twilight glanced back at the window then back at the creature. She was sure that it was a Shadow of a Thestral. It let out a roar as it brought its hooves down. The shock wave knocked both ponies to the ground.

Night glanced over to Twilight, “You're going to call that Keyblade any moment now, right?”

Twilight bit her lip before answering, “I’m not sure what that is, or how to do that.”

Night took a deep breath, “Alright, just think hard about it, clear your mind… and don’t get squashed!” Twilight barely had time to react as the Shadow Thestral’s hoof came down on her. While it did miss her, the shockwave sent her flying back against the wall.

Night called out to her, “Concentrate and summon it!”

Twilight cried back, “I can’t. It’s… Not… Working!” Twilight continued to push hard with her mind as if she were casting a really hard spell. She closed her eyes as she continued to concentrate. She was starting to learn that closing your eyes when something is going on, was a bad idea, as she felt the Shadow Thestral’s wing hit her and pin her against the wall. Twilight gasped as precious air left her lungs.

“Twilight!”

Twilight felt her vision go blurry for a moment. When she could see again, she noticed that the Shadow Thestral’s mouth was open. Her eyes grew wide as energy began to gather in it, forming a big ball of dark energy in its mouth. Twilight struggled against the Thestral’s grasp, but it had her too well pined to move. Twilight tried again to focus as she called with all her might for her Keyblade to form. She thought of the first time she summoned it. She remembered the big battle as it came back in vivid detail. She thought of her friends. Twilight eyes widened as memories of her and they came together. Twilight instantly felt sadness fill her as she realized she might never see her friends again. She stared up at the ball of energy as it began to get bigger.

“Maybe,” she thought, “maybe it is better to just give in. It’s not like I have much else to live for anymore. Without my friends, I am not sure why it is worth fighting anymore.” Twilight closed her eyes, ready to except her fate.

“Damn it, Twilight don't give up!”

Twilight opened her eyes just in time to see a back object hit the energy ball, making it explode within the Thestral’s mouth. The creature cried out in pain and dropped Twilight to the ground as it staggered back. Twilight stared back at Night in confusion. Night stared back at her with a look of determination. Then something flashed into his mouth.

It was a black sword like object, with a head that had a crown like look to it. At the other end was a chain with a black crown hanging from the end. Twilight’s eyes grew to new heights as her jaw hit the floor. She recognized the blade, and knew at that moment what a Keyblade was. Night grinned at her as the object disappeared in a flash of light.

“Like I said, we have a lot more in common than you think.”

Author's Note:

Night's Keyblade is Oblivion.
Whenever I come across music that has commercials, I will put them on repeat so you don't have to watch them.
Hope you enjoyed.

Comments

[117dragon]

Nice. Not perfect but getting better. Still feels a tiny bit rushed to me but the important thing is that your improving. So continue the good work.
That is all.

[the other sans]

to see a back object

1. Black.