I got you darkness for Hearth's Warming Eve!

by ChaosDragon

The Void Awakens

Author's Note:

So this started out as a reply to a random deviant art comment about someone wanting the story of this comic (by I-am-knot) to continue. And what was supposed to be a two paragraph response, kind of got away from me and snowballed into a 6 page reply. It turned out so well that I decided to just keep going and turn it into a full on FanFic. So please enjoy what was initially a 6 hour rambling done while I was bored at work.
Art by LaurenMagpie

*You may notice a lack of dialogue in the story. This was an intentional artistic choice.

An eerie stillness lay upon the desolate wastes at the top of the world, as if the very land itself was frozen in fear. The relentless blizzards driven by the howling winds from the south grew utterly silent, falling away as if they had never been. The thick layer of steel gray clouds that were an ever-present feature of the high north had ceased their incessant barrage of snow, leaving the frozen air crisp and clear. It was here, in this barren and frozen expanse, that a lone mountain stood.

The slope of its face was nearly vertical, slick with a thick layer of wind smoothed ice that would provide no purchase for even the most surefooted of creatures. The high peak rose into the sky, piercing the thick layer of clouds to be lost from sight in the heavens above. Nothing, not even the hardiest and most stubborn of lichen, could possibly survive on the slopes of this treacherous mountain, or in the harsh frozen land that surrounded it. Yet impossible as it was, something stirred in this lonely place of silence and frost.

High above the world, past the layer of clouds, lay a lone cave concealed in the mountainside. Deep in the cave’s darkest recesses, something powerful and ancient shifted. Awakening from a sleep that had begun long before even the earliest of dragons had yet walked the land, a darkness stretched in its prison. Only to find that what had once bound it now slowly yielded to its touch, like warm wax. A thrill shot through the formless being. Sending tremors through the earth as it stirred, it reached out, slipping it’s hand slowly through the bars of its weakened cell and toward the entrance of the cave. The darkness was careful and did not rush, for it knew it was not truly free just yet. But it was close, so tantalizingly close that it could practically see the time of its release. The void was infinitely patient in this task as in all things, for it knew its time would come as it eventually must.

Thick dark tendrils of roiling shadow seeped from the mouth of the cave and oozed down the side of the mountain like the corrupt blood of some tainted wound. It inched bit by bit down the nearly vertical slope, drawing closer to the world below. When the black fingers had crawled the long way down to the cloud layer that marked the boundary of the world below, they paused in their slow descent. This was it, this was the true test of the void’s confinement. Leaving the cave meant nothing if its bonds could still keep it from touching the world. Though if it could, oh, then it would truly rejoice. For if the darkness could touch the world once more, it would be a sign that its shackles could be broken in earnest. Not immediately, but it could be done, and then its great work could begin. Tentatively, a single tendril reached down to the gray clouds and touched them, the black shadow-sludge sinking deep into the mass. There was a tremble, and the world screamed.

The moment it touched the clouds, the still silence of the land below shattered. The air grew heavy and trembled as the very earth heaved. Thunderous booms and cracks filled the sky as the earth split, leaving great crevices racing along the ground, speeding away from the mountain in all directions as the land retched. Torrential cascades of baseball sized hail dropped from the clouds like missiles, smashing into the land and battering the mountain to no avail as the skies wept. The wind grew into a howling fury, lifting the hail and carrying it aloft once more as the wind whipped itself into a great blizzard. The storm hurled the large chunks of ice across the barren land as the world moaned in terror and despair. High above, deep inside the mountain, the faceless, shapeless darkness… smiled.

Weeks have passed since tendrils of darkness began to flow into the world again, and the shadow has been patiently chipping away at its prison ever since. It made only the slightest of scratches on its prison at a time however, and this slowed its progress. If its touch was too heavy, the entire world would more than likely go mad and nature would scream out in alarm. Someone would undoubtedly notice, and it would have been disastrous if someone had taken note of its efforts and come to investigate before it broke free. So the void kept its touch upon its prison feather light. Thinking only a breeze had brushed across the back of its neck, and not something far worse, the world merely shivered when it should have been begging for salvation. A breeze may be light, but even it has power. After scratching away for so long, the darkness was nearly free, its prison worn away to practically nothing now. Its time was close.

Far away from the frozen waste, in a foreign land across the seas, lay a small town nestled deep in the peaceful heart of Equestria. The many earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns in this town of Ponyville knew nothing of what happened in the north. They had plenty to occupy themselves with in their own lands, and did not overly concern themselves with what went on elsewhere in the world. Here it was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and they lay safe in their beds, away from the winter chill that permeated the silent sky and the problems of other lands. The first rays of soft winter sunlight were just cresting the horizon to chase away the night, when the cries of a delighted filly shattered the peaceful silence of one particular home.

Sweetie Belle burst into Rarity’s room like a freight train, sending the door crashing back against a work table and toppling several spools of cloth as she squealed happily. Running straight to Rarity’s bedside, the filly skidded to a halt and yelled her sisters name as she practically hopped with excitement. The only reaction from the lump in the bed was a slight shifting and some sort of sleep clouded mumble that wasn't even coherent. With an exasperated sigh, Sweetie Belle grabbed Rarity, shaking her as the filly whined that it was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and Rarity just had to get up before she exploded from anticipation. The white lump simply groaned and rolled over, pulling up the covers as she mumbled that it was too early and Sweetie Belle should go back to sleep.

Sweetie Belle let out a wailing exclamation of disappointment and hung her head in defeat. The despondent filly was just turning to leave when an idea came to her. All she had to do was convince Rarity to let her open presents without her. Sweetie Belle instantly had a plan. She knew from experience there was no better way to convince Rarity of doing something, than to simply annoy her. In a matter of minutes, Rarity would agree to anything just to get rid of her.

Gathering her hooves beneath her, she jumped onto Rarity’s bed, landing heavily on the mattress. Rarity bounced up, letting out a cry of surprise at her sudden flight. Sweetie Belle knew this wouldn’t be enough however and quickly jumped onto Rarity. She began hopping up and down on her sister like a trampoline as the little filly whined that it was morning and she wanted to open her presents sooooo badly.

With an exasperated groan, Rarity finally gave in. Lifting up her sleeping mask, Rarity shouted at Sweetie Belle that her presents were under the tree, but she could only open them if she left her alone so she could sleep. The little filly was already moving before Rarity had even finished. Calling a hasty thanks over her shoulder, she raced off downstairs in excitement, grinning all the way as she congratulated herself on a plan well executed.

Sweetie Belle came dashing down the garland strewn stairs with reckless abandon, streaking into the back room of the store. She swerved around the tables that had once been topped with piles of fabric, but now held only cards and holiday candles. Past the line of mannequins dressed as very stylish reindeer. Finally sliding to a stop in front of the mostly decorative fireplace. She let out a relieved sigh at having just narrowly avoided running straight into the tree that stood next to it. Rarity had spent so many hours decorating it with the utmost care, until she had finally deemed it ‘just absolutely fabulous’. She would have had a fit for sure if Sweetie Belle had destroyed all her hard work.

Wiping her hoof across her forehead at the close call, she turned to look up at her red stocking and back down to the pile of presents beneath it. Rarity had meticulously wrapped every package, naturally giving them her own flare and turning them into works of art. All were color coordinated as well of course. However, it wasn’t the outsides that interested Sweetie Belle, it was what lay within. Rubbing her hooves together, she giggled and tore into her presents, ignoring the beautiful wrappings, determined to find the GameColt she had asked Rarity for so often in the last few months . Though when the flurry of torn wrapping paper and ribbons had finally died down, there was no GameColt to be found among the packages.

The little filly was utterly crushed, and she swung back and forth between depression and indignation as she brooded, muttering that her sister was a terrible element of generosity. As she moped however, something caught her eye. Tucked away against the wall, behind all the presents, sat a six sided crystal box with six keyholes on top, one on each facet. Looking at it in utter bewilderment, Sweetie Belle wondered what it could possibly be, as she had never seen anything like it before. Grabbing the edge carefully with her teeth, she dragged it out into the open and stared at it as the light glittered off it’s surface. Sweetie Belle prodded the box with a hoof as a thought came to her. Surely her GameColt must be hidden inside this thing, and wasn’t it just typical Rarity to go locking up the one present she had wanted more than any other, and in a crystal box no less! She had to hand it to Rarity though, this was elaborate even for her, but the stubborn filly would not be denied!

Sweetie Belle searched the entire room looking for the six keys, then searched the entire house, then searched the house again, before finally flopping down next to the box in a huff. She had tried every key in the house that she could find, but not a single one fit any of the locks on the box. Utterly frustrated, Sweetie Belle snarled at the box and attacked it with gusto, kicking and biting it in a vain attempt to force it open and obtain the precious GameColt inside. She tried until her teeth hurt, but no matter what she did, the box would not open. Sweetie Belle was so mad she could scream! It just wasn’t fair! She called the box dumb and threw it away in defeat, sinking down to the floor and starting to sulk.

As Sweetie Belle sat staring at the box, watching as the light played over its surface, an idea began to take form in her mind. The box hadn’t taken a single scratch from her assault, and it was definitely very pretty, and it did look very expensive. Perhaps even expensive enough that, if she sold it, she could go buy a different GameColt and forget this dumb box altogether! Sweetie Belle grinned and dragged the box off, snickering as she imagined the look on her sister’s face when she discovered that she had been outsmarted. She would teach Rarity to hide her GameColt in a dumb box that wouldn’t even open!

With a grunt, Sweetie Belle finally got the box standing against the door. She watched it for a minute to make sure it wouldn’t fall, then turned to the hooks next to the door. Pulling her saddle bags down, she flipped open the top flap, and managed to just barely wrestle the box inside. She wasn’t looking forward to lugging this thing through town, but it would be worth it when she was playing ‘Mega Mare 4’ on her new GameColt.

The streets of Ponyville were practically deserted this early in the morning, and the few ponies that were around appeared disheveled or drunk. They quickly darted down side streets when Sweetie Belle turned a corner, obviously wanting to stay hidden from any who happened by. The filly noticed these ponies, but she simply shook her head and chuckled to herself as she passed. She muttered under her breath that, those must have been some parties, if these ponies were only now making their way home. That was their business though and not the least bit interesting to her at that particular moment.

Rounding another corner, Sweetie Belle let out a little jump of joy as she saw the pawn shop come into view. Even better, the owner was standing at the door as he fiddled with a large ring of keys. She was just in time. She kept back and watched from the corner, tapping her hoof impatiently as she waited for the stallion to find the right key. After all, if she were to simply stand around behind him, he might start some idle conversation which could lead to questions, and that wouldn’t do.

A few minutes later, the stallion finally got the door open, and Sweetie Belle headed toward the shop. She slipped inside just as the stallion made his way behind the counter. The owner started as he looked up to see Sweetie Belle standing in front of him. He scratched his head with a hoof as he eyed the bell above the door. It hadn’t rung, but then again, maybe he just hadn’t heard it. He shrugged inwardly and asked Sweetie Belle what he could help her with.

The pawn shop was always getting a flood of random stuff nobody wanted around this time of year. Sweetie Belle knew she could easily make something up if he bothered to ask any specific questions about the box, but she was confident he wouldn’t look too deep. She pulled her saddle bags around and set them down on the counter, flipping back the flap. With as much assuredness and self confidence as she could muster, she promptly informed the stallion that she wanted to sell the box. The owner was instantly suspicious of this young filly. She obviously didn’t have any income, and the box looked expensive. He decided to ask her some questions first, just to be sure. What was it? Where did she get it? Why did she want to sell it?

Fortunately for her, Sweetie Belle had used her time waiting outside to think up a few answers to just such questions, just in case he decided to be nosy. With complete confidence in her answers, she told him that it belonged to her sister. It was some "objet d’art" she had picked up while visiting the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately once she got home, she had decided that it simply clashed with everything and she couldn’t keep it. So her sister had sent her down here with it.

The suspicious stallion thought the story over for a moment, then took a look at the box. It certainly seemed like something from the Crystal Empire, and if he remembered correctly, this filly was Sweetie Belle, which would make her sister Rarity. It certainly sounded like something Rarity would do, from the little he knew about her. He shrugged and flatly offered her 50 bits for it. Sweetie Belle thought it over for a moment as she did some quick calculations. It would be just enough for a GameColt and Mega Mare 4 if she was right. Plus a few bits left over! She pulled the box out of her pack and set it on the counter, informing him that he had a deal.

With her pack now greatly lightened, Sweetie Belle trotted down the street toward the toy store, her new bag of bits clinking merrily as she went. This was going perfectly for her, and she couldn’t be more pleased. Head held high in triumph, she trotted into the toy store and made a beeline for the GameColts. She ignored the other games around her as she looked for the GameColts with single-minded determination. After a few minutes of searching, her heart began to sink. What if they were out?! It was Hearth’s Warming Eve after all! Could she be too late?

No! There it was! Toward the end of the aisle, behind that Ponymon game! She ran down the aisle and snagged the last GameColt on the shelf in triumph. Humming the Pony Fantasy victory music to herself, she headed toward the registers, only remembering at the last moment to pick up a copy of ‘Mega Mare 4’ as she trotted past it. Putting her purchases on the counter, she dug out her bag of bits and handed it to the cashier. Apparently little fillies carrying around large bags of money wasn’t anything new to him, because he didn’t even bat an eye. He simply rung up Sweetie Belle’s items, counted out the bits, handed her three back with a receipt, and told her to have a nice day.

Sweetie Belle could care less about the cashier’s disinterest however, because she was on cloud nine as she headed home. Her plan had gone like clockwork, and she had pulled one over on Rarity to boot! The GameColt in her bag was practically whispering to her, calling out to be opened and played with. She picked up speed with every step she took until she was galloping flat out for home.

The door to Carousel Boutique burst open as Sweetie Belle came dashing in. As the door banged against the wall, the filly came to her senses and winced, glancing toward the stairs nervously. It wouldn’t be pleasant if she accidentally woke Rarity up. Not after being such a nuisance earlier. Tiptoeing carefully past the stairs, Sweetie Belle made her way back to the pile of shredded present wrappings and sat down. The anticipation was almost too much to bare as she pulled out the GameColt and her new game and began to unwrap them with an almost reverent care. This was one package it was worth taking time to open. Soon enough the box was laying empty on the floor, forgotten as Sweetie Belle slid ‘Mega Mare 4’ into the GameColt and settled back to immerse herself for the foreseeable future. Hours passed by as the filly played her new game. She was so completely engrossed that she didn’t even notice when sounds began to drift down from upstairs as her sister got up and moved around.

Rarity yawned and stretched as she climbed out of bed then went about getting ready for the day. Other than the rude awakening from Sweetie Belle, it had been a good night. She felt refreshed and ready to take on the world. Unbeknownst to Sweetie Belle, Rarity had indeed bought her a GameColt, but it most definitely wasn’t in the crystal box. She hadn’t wanted to miss seeing her little sisters face light up with joy when she opened the present, so Rarity had decided to keep it in her closet instead of under the tree. The plan had been to bring it downstairs when she got up so she didn’t miss a thing. So when Rarity came downstairs hours later with the GameColt hovering magically next to her, she was completely shocked to find Sweetie Belle already playing one.

Rarity cried out in surprise and demanded to know where Sweetie Belle had gotten the GameColt. The little filly didn’t even look up from her game as she responded, telling Rarity rather proudly that she had defeated Rarity’s dumb, locked up, puzzle box and had claimed her GameColt prize. Rarity stared at Sweetie Belle for a moment, blinking a few times in confusion, then asked the filly what box she was talking about, because the GameColt Rarity had bought her was right here. Sweetie Belle’s head whipped around so fast to stare at the GameColt hovering next to her sister, that Rarity thought it was going to go flying off with the filly’s mouth still hanging open in shock. Then Sweetie Belle uttered two little words that made Rarity’s stomach fill with a nauseating, cold dread; ‘uh oh’.

With a panicked urgency, Rarity tossed the GameColt onto the couch as she dashed over to Sweetie Belle, grabbing her little sister frantically and giving her a shake, demanding to know what box she was talking about. The little filly knew this had just gotten a lot worse than she had ever thought possible. Her eyes darted around, looking for a way out, giving Rarity many an ‘um’ and ‘well you see’ as she stalled. Once Sweetie Belle realized that there was simply no escaping this, she finally just sucked it up and told Rarity what she had done. The couch suddenly shifted five feet towards her sister as Rarity turned even whiter than she already was. Rarity staggered and swayed for a moment, then fell over onto the couch in a dead faint. Sweetie Belle sighed and rolled her eyes as she waited for her sister to come to, taking the time to wonder just how Rarity always managed to have a couch around to faint on no matter where she was.

That soon became the least of the filly’s worries however. Rarity’s eyes snapped open and she quickly got to her hooves. Her face twisted into a mask of utter disbelief, anger, and disappointment as she stared at Sweetie Belle. Her mouth worked silently for a moment as she sought the words to accurately portray the thoughts running through her mind. She took a deep breath and ordered her thoughts before finally tearing into Sweetie Belle. She shouted and raged at her sister with such fervor that the little filly was taken aback by the attack. Rarity yelled for so long that her sentences lost all coherency, jumping around from thought to thought seemingly at random.

How could Sweetie Belle do such a thing?! What would their parents say! Where had Sweetie Belle even found the box?! What could possibly have made her think this was a good idea?! Did she even know what they did to ponies that stole?! Twilight was going to be so disappointed in Rarity! What was she going to tell her friends?! Where could Rarity have gone so wrong with her sister? Sweetie Belle knew better! What had she done with it? Did she have any idea just how important that box was?! Why did she do something like this without even asking her! How could Rarity trust her again after this?! What was she going to do now?! She was going to be grounded until she was 50! No, longer! How could this have happened?!

Sweetie Belle was thoroughly cowed by the tirade and hung her head in shame. She mentally chided herself for being ten kinds of stupid, and for getting so fixated on the GameColt that she had become blind to everything else. The chastised filly tried to make herself as small as possible as she weathered storm Rarity, seeming to shrink in on herself more and more as it went on.

In between her yelling, Rarity questioned her sister about what she had done. Luckily for her, Sweetie Belle seemed to have grown enough sense to tell Rarity absolutely everything and leave nothing out. It was a point in the filly’s favor, but just one, and she had a ways to go yet to even begin making up for this. It was a long time before Rarity finally cooled down and collected herself, but at least the verbal lashing seemed to have had some effect on her sister. Sweetie Belle was looking genuinely sorry and ashamed for what she had done. Rarity decided that would have to be good enough for now. She couldn’t afford to waste any more time on this, she had to find the box.

Rarity had been tasked with looking after the box several days ago when Twilight had headed out to the old Everfree castle to spend a few days doing research. Rarity had been so busy wrapping and decorating and cooking, that she had agreed without really hearing the request. She had simply set the box aside to be dealt with later and had completely forgotten to put it away. Now it looked like that oversight had come back to bite her, and not in the nice way.

Rarity raced off to search for the lost box of the harmony tree, thinking only of recovering it before Twilight Sparkle found out that it was gone, not knowing that her mission would be of far more importance than she could imagine. For as Rarity ran off to search, Twilight was, at that very moment, coming back from the Everfree forest and heading straight to Carousel Boutique in search of Rarity and the crystal box. Twilight had just concluded a correspondence with Luna and Celestia, and the royal sisters had requested the box be sent to them immediately for study. But unbeknownst to either Twilight or Rarity, the royal sisters had happened upon a most dire discovery that would affect them all, not just Equestria, but the world itself.

Comments

[LunaAlpha]

love it so far