A Star Reborn

by burner181

Dark Moon Rising

A young mare opens the front door and it creaks open, “We really need to oil this door. Hey, Dad I’m home.” She notices Tux walking over to her with a note, “What that’s Tux?”

Tux unrolls the letter for her to read.

Hey Fizzy,
Something’s come up and I need to take care of it. Tux has learned that Celestia is holding the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville, and with what I’ve heard about the Royal Guard these days, I think it might be best if you head down there to get some practical experience. Even if you are just still a recruit.

Sincerely,

Dad

Fizzy pets Tux as she finishes reading the letter, “Guess I need to start packing, just in case this turns into one of Dad’s… long term missions.” She heads to her room to pack up whatever she needs before heading to the train.
=====================================================================

Fizzy arrives at the train station and looks around Ponyville, noticing ponies giving her odd looks, something that she has grown used to seeing. That may have been true until a bright pink, friendly-looking pony comes up to her, ”Hello there.” The pink pony gasps and runs off leaving Fizzy confused. She looks at over at a pony who watched the exchange and the pony just shrugs, “And Dad thought ponies would think I’m weird.”

As Fizzy explores the town she notices a shadow from overhead. Looking up and noticing a chariot pulled by two pegasi, she comments, “It appears the princess’s personal student has shown up as well to oversee the proceedings for the event.” Fizzy looks around and decides to go find some food while she thought of what to do next. As she sits down and orders her food she notices that the stares she got went from curious to concerned, she smiles to herself that she was able to find a place that was actually friendly to her. As her food arrives and she begins to eat she notices a cloaked pony speaking to a mare and her colt before parting ways, “That’s odd why would anypony wear a cloak in the middle of a sunny day?”

With a swooshing sound and a smell of frosting, the scenery suddenly changes. Fizzy blinks as she takes in account what had just happened to her. One moment she was just wandering around town. Then the next moment there was a pink blur and she’s now at a party in the town library. Fizzy looks down at the drink in her hoof, “I don’t think there is an alcohol strong enough to make sense of what just happened.” She notices a group gathering around the concession table, one of which is the pink pony that brought her here and another being Miss Sparkle. Then she notices that Miss Sparkle’s face turns red and starts breathing fire after taking a drink then heading upstairs to the building’s bedroom. As she walks over, Fizzy notices Sparkle’s assistant pick up a bottle of hot sauce that the party pony proceeds to pour on a cupcake and eat it, claiming it tastes good. “Not everyone can handle hot sauce miss.” The group startles not having noticed her approach.

Fizzy looks at the little dragon. “So is everything in order Spike?” she inquires waiting patiently for his response

The little dragon puffs out his chest proudly, “Yep everything is prepared and ready for the celebration.” Then he stops and looks at her, “Wait how did you know my name, I don’t believe we have met before.”

Fizzy just smirks, “Not every recruit of the Royal Guard is oblivious to important figures.” She gestures to him then at where twilight went. She smiles, “Well enjoy the rest of the party.” Fizzy goes off and mingles with the rest of the crowd for the rest of the party leaving the small group of ponies slightly confused.
=====================================================================

A cloaked figure observes the central building of the town, “How long has it been since I could experience the Summer Sun Celebration.” They smirk and shake their head before raising it as they hear a commotion and ducking behind a tree. The figure sees six mares and a dragon run towards the library and the rest of the town starting to panic, “She made her move I see, I should set out as well.” He steps out from his spot and notices another mare with a broken horn coming out with a sense of duty in her eyes. The figure smirks, then catches her attention and motions for her to quell the panicking citizens while they deal with whatever else is happening. At first the mare hesitates then returns into the building to help maintain order and the figure leaves to follow the others.

As the figure heads in the direction of the library they duck behind another house seeing a small blue cloud and grind their teeth, “I failed once before, I will not do so again.” The cloud flies past them quickly knocking their hood off revealing Darkness, who quickly pulls his hood back up and teleports away before he’s seen by her. He sees the six mares head to the forest and he follows after them, keeping some distance to not be seen but keeping his shield spell ready just in case it’s needed.

Darkness picks up his pace as he hears the telltale signs of an avalanche. He sees the sheared off cliff face, “Okay, this could be problematic if she’s starting off this serious.” He subtly casts his emergency shield spell on the mares. He nods as his spell goes off, “I hope I don’t have to act past that, there’s potential in the lot of them.” He notices the group start to move on and quickly follows after, shortening the distance between them.

After awhile he stops and turns around tapping a pink mare on the nose, “Tell none of them I’m here, I want my reveal to be a surprise.” The pink earth pony blinks, surprised, then nods smiling. Any further discussion is interrupted by a roar. “Get going, the others need you.” The pink pony nods and jumps through a hole in the ground prompting Darkness to look through it then back away slowly. “Nope, not going to deal with that.” The hole closes as he leaves.

As Darkness catches up to the six mares he sees them fighting a manticore and starts reaching for a pair of swords, one black the other white, debating which would be better in a situation like this. He starts lowering his hoof as he notices that the mares have it well in hoof. He watches the fight, “That cowpony and cyan pegasus have sure potential if they wanted to join the guard, also I wonder if the pegasus is related to Prysm.” His musings are cut off when the yellow pegasus shouted at everyone and approaches the manticore. He starts to move in to intercept her when he is surprised by the manticore opening its palm to show a thorn in it which prompts him to facehoof. “Seriously a thorn, okay maybe she’s not as big of a threat as I thought she would be.” He notices the mares passing the manticore and the manticore heading its own direction before he decides to follow.

He catches up just in time to hear screaming. He notices them screaming at enchanted trees. His eye twitches then starts banigng his head against a tree. After the fifth hit, the tree topples over, scaring the mares even more and a blue mist notices him and floats over to him.

The mist coalesces into the Mare of Nightmares smiling at Darkness, “Oh Captain, my Captain, it’s so wonderful to see my most trusted soldier again.”

He raises an eyebrow at her, “Oh really? I don’t remember swearing fealty to you Nightmare.”

Nightmare walks around him, smiling and running her tail under his muzzle teasingly, “Well it was my other half at the time, and we are one soooo...we also remember your confession, we thought it was foolish for our other half to turn away somepony so strong, powerful, and handsome.”

Darkness smirks, “Well I thank you for the complement Nightmare.” He notices the mares are on the move again, “but isn’t there something you should be trying to do?”

Nightmare notices the missing mares and frowns, “Wait for me, my Captain.” She turns to mist again and departs.

Darkness waits till she is out of sight before shaking his head, “If only she weren’t so misguided, then that may have worked.” He decides to take a different route he recalls to the old castle. He sighs as he looks up at the moon, “I hope they succeed where I did not.” After awhile he arrives at the castle and teleports up to one of the parapets to look across the forest and notices the mares arriving. “The final confrontation is at hoof, will these six purify the princess, or will I be forced to take drastic measures?” He shifts the two swords on his back and heads inside.

He walks through the ruined castle looking around and remembering the incident that brought it to this state. He stops in front of a statue that is wearing armor of the Moon Shadows thinking about his past. Darkness is brought out of his musings as he sees a light in the tallest tower then dives behind a fallen pillar as he hears the mares running by. He pulls up his hood and face mask and follows behind them quietly. He arrives in time to see the Elements activate and circle around the startled Nightmare. He smiles and notices that Nightmare has been purified from Lady Luna and noticed a bright light as Celestia appears. “Okay, she needs to lay off the cake, and I should write up an exercise regime for her, now if she would only actually follow it though.” He notices the sisters make up and hug each other, “That’s my cue.”

He triggers the enchantment on his face mask to alter his voice and makes his eyes glow red, “Well well well, isn’t this cute, the sisters have finally made up, and I’d like to say resolved their issues as well.”

Seven of the eight mares are startled, with five of them standing in front of the princesses in defense and the cyan pegasus lunging for him immediately.

Darkness catches the pegasus mid-flight, “You know it’s rude to interrupt somepony when they are talking.” He spins catching the pegasus in the side with his other hoof and chucking her at the farm pony knocking her over. He gives the pink pony a look asking if they are okay to which she subtly nods yes.

He notices the purple unicorn has charged up a beam attack and launched it at him. He Rolls his eyes and puts up a forty-five degree shield that causes the beam to split in two directions leaving him unharmed. “A thousand years too young to beat me in a magic duel child, also don’t bother with those Elements, I’m pretty sure you lot don’t know how they work well enough to use them again.”

Celestia steps forward, “Get behind me my little ponies, I’ll deal with this being.”

Darkness raises an eyebrow, “Really the alicorn that has done nothing but sit on her plot and eat cake for the last century or so is going to fight me?” He chuckles, “I’m so afraid.”

This causes one unicorn to gasp, another to smirk, and three other ponies to giggle. Then everyone hears a gasp of realization, “DARKNESS.” Luna runs forward and tackle hugs Darkness, knocking his hood off and disabling the illusory effect on his eyes.

He disables his voice enchantment and returns the hug, “Good to see you too, Lady Luna.”

Celestia pouts, “Me damnit Darkness, you gave me a heart attack.” Everypony looks at Celestia surprised.

Darkness chuckles, “Are you sure it was me, and not all those cakes you’ve been eating?” A round of giggles circles the room again.

Celestia grins and looks at her old friend and sister, smiles, and wipes away a tear, “Where have you been Darkness?”

He separates from Luna, “I’ll explain once we’re back at Canterlot, we should probably head back to Ponyville for now, everypony there is worried about you Princess.” Everypony nods with him. Darkness looks over at the pink pony, “We have two ponies returning from being lost, do you know what this calls for?”

The pink pony gasps and goes wide-eyed, “It calls for...” They all somehow get transported back to ponyville, “A PARTY!!!”

Darkness smiles, still standing next to a stupefied Luna, “You know, I didn’t actually expect that to work.” Luna giggles to his statement. They both notice a unicorn mare with a broken horn coming towards them.

Fizzy tackles Darkness, “Dad!” The outburst makes his companions look at him.

Darkness smiles and hugs his daughter, “As I said, I will explain back at Canterlot, let’s just enjoy the party for now.” Darkness resumes his duty as Luna’s guard during her time at the party but not forgetting to spend some time with his daughter.

Celestia looks over at Darkness, “About those comments at the castle.”

Darkness just looks at her with a deadpan expression, “You are going on a diet, and when Day Court is not in session, you will be doing an exercise regime of my creation.” Giggles are heard from Luna, “That goes for you too Missy, you were on the moon for a thousand years, we don’t know if your muscles atrophied up there or not.” The giggles stop, but she gives a nod of understanding.