You could find all sorts of bounties in the forests of Everfree. From rare plants to great treasures, they all lie in the heart of the accursed darkness. If one is lucky, they will find a great bounty hidden beneath the dark leaves and scratching bushes. If one is unlucky, they will find naught but death and pain in this home of the damned. And if one is particularly lucky, they may run across a lone fire, tended by a lone creature. If the individual is brave or stupid enough to approach, they may even get the chance to talk. Of course, this has never happened before, but who's to say it won't? After all, impossible things happen every day.
Chapters (9)
This might be good...
9449524
That could probably accurately summarize any plan I've ever had. Let's not talk about what they sometimes turn into.
Looks like I could be a good story, I’ll be along for the ride
9449534
I feel you man...
I’m enjoying where this is going.
Very nice. Very nice indeed. I spotted a couple typos though.
SHe had no way
SHe felt fear grasp
I'm eager to see where this goes. She sounds like she has a lot of experience lying, maybe, for once, a character's web of lies will be strong enouh to persist after the spider is long gone.
So something's decided to humor her? Marvelous, 'twill make for a lovely jest!
Up until the joke stops being funny...
Ah, maybe less funny than you might think. I was basing these spirits after the European fae, so they're kinda tremendous jerks. Also I wanted to write fae trickery, so this was my first choice.
9452191
Well it all depends on who's laughing, yes?
After all, a wish-trap can be enormously amusing, such as when some fool is convinced to ruin their own life in pursuit of glamour.
9452255
Yep, but I was thinking that the actual spirit of night would be more like the legends of Mab. Distant, cold, and only truly appearing when she wants to show those silly mortals just how badly they've fucked up.
9452268
Ah. That one.
Well Twilight's dead.
So who do you think Harmony might pick as a replacement? After all, one can't leave such a hole in the tapestry of fate, 'tis untidy. let's see, the throne needs someone capable of empathy, faith, teamwork, leadership, hmmm. I suppose we could just shanghai the human one, get a mind-wipe spell and a back-up set of memories...
What? Celestia didn't back her up? One would assume, what with all those suicide missions. . . No? Fine, no doppelgangers, making a convincing fake of an accidental death is always such a hassle anyway.
*Distracted muttering fades off into the distance*
9452287
I wasn't thinking she would kill twi, but she does want something. I could spoil it, but that would defeat the whole point, now wouldn't it? But yeah, I love fae when they're done in the brutal grimm style over the merry trickster style. I may have read far to many morbid fantasy stories as a kid.
This gun get good
Looking forward for the next chapter
It increasingly seems like the ACTUAL Spirit of the Night is playing along.
Mayhaps looking to pass on their mantle?
Maybe simply finding some sense of amusement?
Either way, I like how it's playing out thus far.
Oh, she has a gift for this. I am truly loving the showmanship that she's putting into this. Say, if she could get ahold of a fiddle/violin, I've a song that would fit this story oh, so well.
After all, there's more to the night than hiding in the shadows playing the spooky monster.
Watch him be the actual Night
There is pretty nice female version of the chapter theme song: link.
It's fine, she's fine, it's fine it's fine, it's fine.
And such marvelous songs, she's making quite an impact on dear Roseluck.
Again, I suspect that she's about to genuinely become what she claims to be.
Everything is fine. I f something were wrong there woulda been a hint. But there was none, none at all, and therefore everything is fine.
I just can't get enough of this fic!
Go big or go home, and there's no going home!
She got stung, didn't she?
This is probably one of the most interesting HIE stories I'm currently reading. Keep up the great work.
I am, as they say...
Hungry for another one.
A good fight.
No song this time? That's a shame, I was looking forward to it.
9508902
Song next chapter. And a not well known one either
Odd, but acceptable.
8-9/10
This makes me think of the poem from Brütal Legend.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a decent video of it, but here's the wording.
Through the woods a girl came sadly.
Something broken in her chest.
She had dared to love another.
Alas, no better than the rest.
Up my path the girl came gladly.
Something opened up my doors.
I longed to stop her bleeding heart.
And so I called her to my shores.
Those you trust will hurt you badly.
Something now I'm sure you see.
So drown your tears in me, my dear.
As you drown, my dear, in me.
Gah, paladins. Worse than clerics even, at least a cleric has something holding the reins. A paladin only gets stronger the more he loses himself to his delusions.
"Oh jackfuck. We have a young god now do we? Petty fool he is."
So... Is one of the songs going to be based off of In the Dark of the Night from the movie Anastasia?
9628276
I feel like thats a reference
9628289
2nd chapter, hit that one early.
9628293
While not the exact quote its the same meaning. In some book I read an elder god saw two entities fighting over a namesake and remarked at the fire of their youth, their blind belief in that which they perceive to be their old age, and the idea tha said 'wisdom' made them wiser. Even more so he is amused at their profound lack of power an understanding of their own. So blind in themselves they are they do not even realize why belief in them is waning, nor does their 'age' allow them to perceive it. To this god, these creatures are beyond young, to this god, their squabble is beyond petty and to this god, their power, their name, their very existence is both futile and ultimately, meaningless.
Wonder if there is a degree of power in names/belief.
Initially I assumed some spirit of the forest was playing along with her/giving her some power that way, but with this chapter I wonder if it's now because creatures believe that she is the spirit the power is shifting from the actual spirit to be her own. Or I'm losing it/rambling. Probably pretty poorly articulated.
Though if that is the case, will she grow stronger as more believe?
Edit: Typos/clarification.
9629401
You're fairly spot on. I always liked the idea that gods and spirits are powered by belief, which begs a different question. What happens when a mortal gets a ton of belief in them?
9629433
I look forward to finding out. ;p
Very nice! I wonder what she's going to do when she returns to her home to find it burned to ashes.
So if this is a "belief based power" like previous comments suggest, does that mean trixie was on to something that whole time? But never got it right? Or does it have to start with something real to latch on to?
And if that's the case, does the belief power give celestia and luna a boost because of all the ponies that believe in them?
I'm loving this story, and I'm not sure where its going next.
The need to post a comment here finally drove me to register an account. Please continue this; I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've read so far.
A fantastic bit of story here. I'm surprised it didn't get more attention when it was new. Hope to see more of it someday, and if that's not meant to be, thanks for sharing whats here.