Premonitions
Celestia slowly raised the sun from atop her watchtower balcony, and was still impressed with her handiwork every morning thousands of years later. Feeling satisfied, she grabbed her cup coffee and stared at the massive flaming orb in the sky that gave her purpose in life. Entranced in her thoughts, she only remembered Luna’s presence when she loudly cleared throat behind her. Startled, but not shaken, Celestia jumped a bit at her briefly forgotten sister.
“I take it all is well if you are so catatonically calm, sister?” Luna jested with a comically raised eyebrow and a smirk.
“You know I think deeply in the mornings sister. It is when I am at my most energetic and aware. The day has just begun, and the possibilities are endless…” Celestia mused with a tone of wonder.
Unwilling to sit in the watchtower and listen to Celestia monologue about her wondrous day for another hour, Luna checked out with her sister and said her farewells. As she opened the doors to her chambers and began to slip into bed, she had a gut feeling that something was off. That the moonset had only marked the start of something terrible.
Celestia felt it too as she descended the watchtower’s steps and into her private dining area. A sense that something dark and evil was stirring in a faraway land. Concerned, and trusting of her gut instinct, she decided to keep a mental note of it as the day progressed.
When her waiter entered the room, she asked if she could have her daily papers be brought into the dining quarter so that her Chief Advisor could debrief her while she ate her breakfast. More then happy to oblige, the waiter dropped of her morning coffee cake and muffins and went out the door to find Celestia’s Chief Advisor.
A few minutes and bites of coffee cake later, Celestia’s chief advisor came through the door with a massive stack of papers, her mane and glasses in a mess, and a upbeat demeanor as always. I swear that mare is only rivaled by Twilight in her love of organization and checklists. Celestia mildly chuckled at the thought of an organization competition between the two.
“Something amusing your highness?” Celestia’s advisor asked with a cheery smile.
“Isn’t there always, Quill Whisk?” She replied with a knowing smile.
“Humor is essential to productive rule your highness, but you already know that.” Quill Whisk said humorously.
“If I didn’t, I would have gone mad long ago. Moving on, what has happened in my absence?”
Quill Whisks snout contorted into a concerned frown as she looked at the summary folder crowning the massive pile of papers now laying on top of Celestia’s dining table. “Well, the Crystalling spurred a lot of new press regarding your actions in the empire, and half-a-dozen papers all want statements from you.”
“Well then. I come back another near-death situation and the first thing I’m asked to do is deal with with the press? Wonderful.” Celestia rubbed the bridge of her nose, preparing for the stress of a massive royal catch-up day. “Why delay the inevitable then? Let us start.”
Quill Whisk bounced excitedly. “Good to hear! The whole of Canterlot will want to hear your recount of The Crystalling! Let’s get to it!”
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Dracarthus’s ancient soul stirred in the black and shapeless void, hearing the Lost Ones calling to him. Concentrating his psychic energy, he established contact with the souls of the Lost Ones, who were lost somewhere in the formless abyss that surrounded Dracarthus.
What is it oh great Lost Ones? Have you made another breakthrough? Are we one step closer to freeing me?
Even better. We have finally collected enough energy in your old form to free your mind from thisss prissson! It is indeed a good day, but we mussst act quickly if you are to make the jump into the mortal realm intact. Make hassste dark one! The mortal realm awaitssss!
Excellent. I have been away for far too long. Once I can accommodate to living in a flesh body again, Equestria will be ripe for the taking once more!
Good to sssee your prioritiesss are in order. Now go mighty tyrant, reclaim what is rightfully ours!
In a violent flash of light, a cyan vortex burst into the void and sucked in Dracarthus’s soul. As his very being was whipped through a storm of blue-green magic, he began to see his withered body reform around him. As soon as he was fully reformed however, he was brought to the end of the vortex, and his vision went black.
Waking up with his eyelids shut and his body under massive pressure, Dracarthus had no bearing as to where he was or what surrounded him, due to his eyes being unable to open. The only thing that he really felt for certain was cold. Piercing and painful cold. Realizing he must be under a massive amount of snow, Dracarthus focused much of his mana into a massive vaporization spell, and began blasting away at the snow above him. After evaporating most of the snowpack that encased him, Dracarthus climbed to the top of the nearly 7-foot deep hole and collapsed at the top. Utterly spent, he silently cursed his frail body. Despite feeling very weak and generally awful, he sensed an underlying wrongness in his body. Curious as to the origin of the feeling, he consulted the Lost Ones for answers. After taking his time to reconnect to the Void, he asked the Lost Ones about his feeling of lethargy and dirtiness.
Dark spirits, why do I feel as if something unwanted lurks in my body?
We wondered if you would notice. That isss a ssside effect of the love magic usssed to empower your body.
Love magic…? LOVE MAGIC? OF ALL THE MAGICS YOU COULD HAVE USED, YOU PICKED LOVE MAGIC!? I’m lucky my body isn’t violently convulsing and dying AGAIN!
We knew that the love magic might have causssed you trouble in you weakened ssstate, but we had to take a risssk. Resssurrecting you wasss paramount, due to the risssing number of high-powered magic usssersss in the past few years. We feared that even you and your might may not have been able to ssstand up to sssome of thessse new magic wieldersss if given enough time. Ssseeing the opportunity, we ssseized the day and sssent you over.
Fine, so be it. Since I’m here now, do you know where the fragments of my power are located?
Unfortunately, time hasss not been kind to what’sss left of you’re your power, and the variousss fragments have drifted around Equessstria and found new formsss over time. However, one fragment of your power doesss ssstill lie in the Cryssstal Empire, although we are not sssure exactly what form it hasss taken or where it lies inssside the Empire’sss borders.
Any lead is a good one. I know the Empire is roughly northwest of here, but you know exactly how far. Do you?
Roughly three days walk from our estimates, but we cannot be sure. Prepare for a long journey.
Very well. I will begin tomorrow. Tonight, I draw from the power of the shadows and formulate a plan.
Returning to the conscious world, Dracarthus took in a heavy breath of cold air, and savored the feeling of being alive again. He took a long look at the landscape of barren white around him, and noticed that his vision was off by a bit. Feeling his eyes for gunk, he realized that one of his eyes was completely scarred shut. Angered and enthused at the same time, Dracarthus blew off his anger with a dark chuckle, and made a note to put a disguise spell or eye-patch on his eye later. Weary, but excited for the days to come, Dracarthus trudged off into the non-stop blizzard in search of a place to rest.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
As Celestia lowered the sun, she began to feel the first waves of fatigue. It was unusual for her to tire so early, but today had been a lengthy press day, and those were always tiring. So many reporters always asking obviously dumb or instigating comments to try and get a reaction out of the princess. Nevertheless, Celestia had kept her poker face on all day, and it had helped shoo off the more frivolous reporters who wanted nothing more than a shocked face or angry rebuttal out of the princess. As soon as Luna entered the top turret of the watchtower, Celestia let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.
“You seem worn down sister. Have those press-ponies been trying to squeeze headlines and interviews out of you all day?”
“Indeed Luna. I grow weary of the modern media these days. You’re lucky only a few reporters stay up this late for an exclusive interview.”
“Being nocturnal has it’s benefits sister.” Luna replied with a painfully smug grin.
After elevating the moon high enough to begin its rising course, Luna turned to Celestia with a concerned smile. “Go to your chambers and get some rest sister, I can take it from here. You deserve an early night.”
“Very well. I’m not exactly opposed to the idea of hitting the hay now. I will check in with you tomorrow morning as usual.” Celestia said with a sleepy slur added to her speech by a yawn.
“Fantastic. Sleep well sister, the night is in good hooves.”
“Isn’t always?” Celestia replied with a sleepy smile as she slowly descended the watchtower steps.
Even in her sister’s presence, Luna felt that something was out of place under her lovely moon; and as Celestia moved farther and farther away, the feeling of discomfort grew. Something was wrong, VERY wrong, but Luna couldn’t tell what was wrong, and it bugged her. Then, she felt a part of her very being slip away from her body, leaving her feeling incomplete. Now terrified, Luna scanned her magic’s to see what had been stolen from her, she found that her control over the shadows of the night had been stolen. In full panic mode, Luna’s mind began racing to dark and disturbing conclusions until she used the breathing technique taught to her by Cadence to calm her down.
Alright then Luna, think! Who could do such a thing? Who could take control of the shadows in the first place, much less pry them from my grasp? Well Sombra could to some extent, but I could have easily sensed him and overpowered him. No one else in recent history can control dark magic well enough to make this possible! Hmmm, maybe I’m thinking about the situation wrong. Could chaos magic be used to control the shadows? Possibly, but that would only leave…. Discord. I can’t inquire him unless I can collect evidence, so I guess I’ll just have to get Celestia’s approval so I can do some direct questioning. I’ll need to talk with her about this before I can pitch the idea though. Luna stayed deep in thought atop the watchtower, trying to unravel the mystery of who had taken the shadows from her control, and was becoming increasingly worried. If the shadows had truly escaped, then they could put all of Equestria in danger, which would lead to even bigger problems! Suddenly, as abruptly as they had left, the shadows returned to her control, and Luna felt just a bit calmer. However, she was now thoroughly concerned about the implications of all of todays bad omens, and this terrifying loss over her ability to restrain the shadows. Deeply troubled, Luna descended the watchtower steps back to the castle, and continued to think over her predicament.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
As soon as Dracarthus had found a small cave opening in the frozen tundra, he wiggled his way in, and fell asleep in the complete darkness. Hours later, Dracarthus awoke once more the piercing cold he had come to know and hate. It was also pitch black, which would not be problem for very long. The only reason he wore his wicked smile was because it was finally time to drain the accursed love magic from his body, and he could be filled with dark magic once more. Creating a magical wisp of fire for light, Dracarthus went to work carving the appropriate runes into the floor with small pulses of magic, and all of the assorted symbols required for the ritual. After a few minutes of carving, checking, and double checking the setup for the ritual, Dracarthus added the last requirement to the center of the rune complex: blood. Taking a sharp fragment of crystal that was growing on the walls of the cave, Dracarthus slashed his hoof open, letting it bleed all over the center of the center of the rune complex, watching in awe and excitement as the massive circle of magical symbols and words began to glow dark red and faint whispers began to fill the cave.
“That’s it, don’t be scared... I’m back. I’m here to help you, and protect you from the puppeteer. In order for me to help you once more, I need you to help me. Give me some of your vast magical power, and I can begin to rebuild my strength again.”
The shadows were reluctant at first, not remembering his voice or touch, but as more whispers filled the room, they slowly remembered Dracarthus. His power, bloodlust, ferocity, but most of all, immense power with dark magic. They remembered how they had unlimited freedom, how they could do as they pleased within his lands, how they were free of her, and her imprisonment. Yearning to be free once more, the shadows drew together to lend their dark savior the power he so desperately needed. As Dracarthus was surrounded by the smoky and paranormal manifestations of the shadows, he began chanting in the tongues of Tartarus in order to begin the transfer of the dark magic that the shadows possessed. All the while, the shadows began to whisper louder and louder, until they were all yelling and howling in their incoherent language at the top of their lungs, the chaos egged on by their brief freedom from their entrapment. As the symphony of chaos raged around him, Dracarthus took it all in with satisfaction, knowing that the shadows would follow him to the ends of Equestria. Then, bit by bit, the shadows compounded their power, and began to drain it into Dracarthus.
As dark magic flowed back into him, Dracarthus savored every moment of it. The warm familiarity of such power made his dark heart beat faster with delight and exhilaration. He has forgotten how intoxicating power of this magnitude and type felt. As the transfer’s level of magic peaked, Dracarthus let out a savage, dark-magic fueled roar that as the array’s runes glowed bright green, and then faded to dust. As the runes crumbled, the shadows reluctantly returned to their imprisonment, but now with the knowledge that they would soon be free. Now laying alone, Dracarthus breathed heavily while a dark aura wafted off him. Now with basic magic once more, Dracarthus sat basking in the company of the darkness as he formulated his master plan.
Stats
Page generated in 0.014 seconds
Total duration
640 users online
826,993 hits today, 2,660,641 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Its been so long now that I actually FORGOT what this was until I re-read it when it showed up in my tracked stories list.
7557054
I know it's been a while, but I'm back and ready to rock! I have several new ideas for chapters coming soon, each roughly 2000-3000 words or more!
P.S. I really appreciate you tracking my story! All the support is really appreciated!
7557061
This one has been lying in my library for so long... I'm sorry for not getting there earlier.
Story-wise, you have my interest for the next and upcoming chapters
Dracarthus seems like an opponent that will make more than just one princess sweat. Your setting of Equestria and events is good too.
Form-wise, be aware that there are some unintentionally duplicated words in the text, but that's a minor issue. What I'd point out are the descriptions - the reader can picture what was Dracarthus doing with the runes to small details, that was a well-done description. However, when it comes to Luna panicking about the shadows, I think far more detailed description on what she did with her magic wouldn't hurt