All Hail, Midnight Sparkle!

by MisterEdd

A Chink in the Armor

Soundlessly, Midnight crept through the castle's ruins, its make-up permanently ingrained into her brain, allowing her to effortlessly navigate her way through the darkness and debris. The air was thick with dust and mold, along with...something else. She couldn't put her hoof on what it was per se, only that it had nothing to do with the remnants of dark magic still lingering to the foundation. The Everfree Forest was a nexus point for maleficium, every rock, plant, tree and beast oozing with sorcery most foul, which was unsurprising given that it was once the site for the nightmare city of Tambelon. Upon Grogar the Cruel's banishment, the city vanished but the dark magic surrounding it seeped into the nearby land, eventually creating the Everfree that everypony knew of and rightfully feared.

No, what resonated within Midnight were emotions that she couldn't quite identify, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her chest ache and almost brought a tear to her eye. She passed through the halls, memories flooding her mind of the time spent there with Princesses Celestia and Luna, talking, laughing, running giddily like fillies. This was her home-

No, this was their home, not mine! They weren't even aware that I existed!

Twilight's voice rattled around in her skull. "So you knew them?"

Oh yes, she'd forgotten about her passenger.

"'Knew them'?" Midnight snorted. "Yes, we were connected. And still are."

"How so?"

Midnight rolled her eyes. "You know, for as smart as you are, you're a real simpleton sometimes. Think back to your nightmares. The clues are all there."

Twilight gasped and Midnight had to smirk at the bewilderment she exuded. "That's...that's not possible."

"Oh, but it is! By right, this land should belong to me. Instead, Princess Two-Face and Princess Weak-Will are in charge. Well, it won't matter. Soon, I will rule Equestria. In place of a princess, they shall have a QUEEN! All SHALL love me and DESPAIR!"

"You can't force others to love you!"

"Yes, I can!" Midnight screeched in an almost petulant tone. "And they will! They will worship me, just as they do Celestia! The teeming pathetic masses will bow and grovel at my hooves, rip each other to bits just to get even a fleeting glimpse of my majesty!"

"What then?"

Midnight paused, thrown slightly off by the simple yet piercing question.

"After you've conquered Equestria and forced everypony to be your subjects, what then?"

The truth was, she had no idea.

"It doesn't matter. Once the throne is mine, all the pieces will fall into place."

Twilight didn't answer her, making Midnight twinge with fury.

"Nothing to say, bookworm?! You dare insult a goddess and future queen with your inane inquiries and now you can't even muster up a response?"

A minute passed and then, a quiet but resolute counter:

"You're no goddess and you will never sit in the throne. My friends will stop you."

Her anger receding, Midnight found herself smirking at the young mare's absolutism.

"Your band of misfits? Oh, don't worry about them. I have something SPECIAL in mind for them."

Finished with her stroll down memory lane, Midnight exited the castle and trekked deeper into the Everfree, ignoring the howls of the native fauna. The ancient forest held no fear for her, having been long-since purged herself of the troublesome emotion and yet, there was was undeniably sinister about the expansive area. She developed quick glimpses of an ominous figure, a silhouette of a horned being with red eyes accompanied by the tolling of some great bell. The visions passed and Midnight continued on her way, guided to her intended destination by a kind of nudge in the back of her skull. Grogar may be gone but his influence remained and she intended to take full advantage of it.

Burning away a briar patch of purple spiked vines, she entered a small clearing in the forest and inhaled, taking in the stench of the corrupted earth. In lieu of conversation, Twilight had resorted to once more try breaking the mental barrier but Midnight was ahead of her now, strengthening it to prevent further mishaps. This was her body now and she had no intention of parting with it now or ever. She conjured a massive gust of wind to sweep away the dirt and reveal the bronze-colored vault underneath it, shuddering at the raw power that it exuded.

Pressing her horn to the insignia at the center, Midnight poured her magic into it, the vault glowing cyan as energy ebbed throughout it, illuminated the ancient symbols carved into the metal. A series of high-pitched, rusted squeaks echoed in the air, soon followed by several booming clicks. She hopped-flew away from the vault to witness the door slowly revolve until it receded entirely, revealing pitch blackness. Midnight's ears twitched at the sound of splashing as something stirred deep within the vault. Two pink-purple orbs flashed in the abyss accompanied by a hissing roar.

"W-what is that thing?"

The creature rose above Midnight, casting its shadow over her.

"That, my dear Twilight, is the special gift for your friends."

~*~

One, two, three, four...one, two, three, four...

Spike mentally counted out his hoof-steps, careful to ensure he didn't trip over his toes or drop the old mare slung over his back. He was surprised somewhat at being able to support Rarity's weight for the past twenty minutes without rest but then considered the fact that she was much lighter than she used to be and he was in a body designed to bear weight. Looking over at Applejack, he was a little assuaged at his difficulties by observing her own strange gait, a kind of stumbling, bow-legged amble. It would be hilarious in any other circumstances if it wasn't for the fact that their friend was possessed by an angry spirit that was Tartarus-bent on conquering Equestria. Spike's eyes snapped over to their guide, who was busy following the map that Zecora gave them for their journey through the Everfree.

"How much longer until we get there?" Rainbow asked sullenly.

"About another half-hour," Sombra replied still facing forward.

"Are ya sure she's at th' castle?"

Sombra looked down at Applejack. "No, but seeing as how the Castle of the Royal Sisters was her base of operations last time, it's plausible that she's there now."

"You know Sombra, you should really do something about your wardrobe," Rarity muttered. "Black is so last season and look at it! It's a miracle that it's managed to hold itself together. It looks like homeless pony gauche!"

"'Gauche'?"

"It means she doesn't like it," Rainbow added in smugly.

The cloak was a faded black with a large red-brown stain on the left shoulder and a series of smaller stains littering the hood. The edges of the cloak were frayed and torn, the material crudely stitched together with a few patches replacing entire sections. Holes, scorch marks and water stains rounded out the damage; in short, the cloak had been through Tartarus. Sombra held up an edge and shrugged.

"I'll get a new one later. My clothing isn't exactly a high priority."

Fluttershy giggled and waved her hooves in Sombra's direction.

"I think Flutterfoal likes it," Pinkie nodded.

It was a tad eerie how she walked instead of bounced.

"Good for her," Sombra dryly answered, returning once more to the map.

"Ya know, ya'd be a lot more easier t' be around if ya were a might bit more pleasant."

"AJ's right," Spike agreed. "Working together means acting, um..."

"Cordial?" Rarity offered up.

"Right."

Sombra lowered the map, his expression one of slight annoyance. "I didn't come here to be pleasant, cordial or friendly. I'm here to help banish the eidolon from Twilight, not have a tea party with you."

"A tea party sounds like fun," Pinkie droned before a knee-high table appeared next to them, complete with a checkered table cloth, tea pot, china cups, saucers and plates stacked with cookies. "Voila. That's Germane for 'tea time.'"

"It really isn't, Darling."

"Look, I really think-..."

Sombra was interrupted when a booming, raspy-trumpeting ripped through the air. In the distance, there were various splitting and cracking sounds reverberated throughout the forest, followed closely by several treetops vanishing as the trees collapsed with a parade of thuds.

"What in tarnation was that?"

"Whatever it is," Spike gulped. "It's heading for Ponyville!"

They all gasped and made a hard turn, rushing straight in the direction of Ponyville when Spike skidded to a stop.

"Sombra, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Sombra merely cocked one brow.

"Why?"

"'Why'? Wha do ya mean, 'why'? Ponyville's in trouble!"

Sombra remained where he was. "You asked me for help regarding the eidolon. Saving Ponyville wasn't part of the agreement."

Flutterfoal's hooves flew to her chubby cheeks, a loud gasp escaping her lips.

Rarity's jaw dropped. "How...can you be so obtuse?"

"Yeah, help us out you jerk!" Rainbow demanded.

Applejack raised her hands. "Alright everypony, let's jus' relax." She turned to Sombra, her hands clasped together in front of her beseechingly. "Ah know we ain't exactly friends er nothin,' but ya gotta do somethin'. Ya may not have any ties t' Ponyville but we do. An' ya know who else does? Twilight. If she lost it, she'd be crushed. Please...help us."

Whether it was her desperate pleading and appealing to Sombra's pony side or her name-drop of his marefriend, the umbrum slowly nodded and stared in the direction of Ponyville.

"Alright, fine. We'll go save Ponyville."

"Then there's no time to lose," Pinkie pointed quasi-dramatically while standing on her hindlegs.

Placing Applejack on his back, Sombra once again took up the task of leading them. They followed a series of striations in the dirt, noting their comparability to snake tracks, only much much larger and deeper. Trees were completely uprooted and split in half, once more adding to the conclusion that something big and strong was on its way to the small town. Keeping up a solid pace, they soon arrived on the border between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. Digging their collective hooves into the dirt, they swerved to a stop and stared in awe at the colossus just a few feet away.

It resembled a large, grayish-brown serpent with black splotches along its thick hide, golden rings lining its forty-foot body. The head, however, while snake-like in appearance, possessed a pachyderm's trunk with two sets of tusks on either side of its mouth. Large, curved fangs jutted from its upper jaw and a pair of elephant legs poked out from the upper half of its body. The creature's underbelly glittered in the sunlight; upon closer inspection, the source was a cluster of diamonds coating the softer surface like armor. A sizable multifaceted green gem rested in between its large pink-purple eyes, which soon narrowed at the group as its forked tongue slid out of its maw.

"I don't believe it," Sombra breathed. "It's a grootslang."

The creature bellowed and flipped open a leathery cobra's hood that brought to mind a pair of elephant ears.

"We should run. Now!"

No sooner had Sombra said this when something slimy hurtled towards them, splattering on the ground and exploding in a semi-liquid mass. The grootslang spat more slimeballs at them, each one narrowly hitting their mark as the group scurried to avoid them.

"Sombra, explanation now!" Applejack yelped.

"It's a creature known as a grootslang. They're supposed to be extinct!"

Rainbow huffed, "Tell him that!"

A glob exploded near Pinkie, who stood by curiously at the steaming heap.

"What is this? I think I should touch it."

"Pinkie, don't!"

Whipping out its tail, the grootslang fired several diamonds at the slime, striking it and sparking a roaring fire that threw Pinkie backwards. Sitting upright, she put out a small fire on the pit of her curlicue and fled, having taken nearly being incinerated as a learning experience. The group huddled behind a small hill while the grootslang, satisfied that it chase off its foes, slithered on ahead, making a beeline for the place with all of the yummy ponies. Spike gulped, his chest burning as he heaved in several breaths. He gently set Rarity down and looked to Sombra inquisitively.

"So how do we stop that thing?"

Sombra paused and after a brief moment of deliberation, replied, "I once read somewhere that a grootslang's power rests in the gem on its forehead. If we can somehow remove the gem, we might just pacify it."

"'Might'? You mean you don't know?!"

He glared at Rainbow. "I've never actually seen one of these in the flesh, so excuse me if I'm not an expert."

Rarity patted Sombra's foreleg. "Just tell us what to do."

"Its skin is too thick for conventional attacks. It has the advantage of speed and durability and that exploding slime is designed to keep enemies at bay. However, they're just simple creatures, possessing no concept of strategy."

"So we'll jus' have t' outthink it?"

"Precisely. Spike, take Rarity to safety-..."

The unicorn wobbled as she stood up, using a nearby branch as a makeshift walking stick. "That just won't do. I am not staying out of this fight."

Sombra held out a foreleg. "You'd just get in the way. You're too old-..."

"I don't care. Ponyville is my home too and I have just as much to lose as the rest of you."

Sombra's skepticism gave way to a half-smirk. "Very well then. Spike, protect Rarity while she assaults the front. Applejack and I will attack the grootslang from the sides. Rainbow Dash, do you think you can get Fluttershy to use the Stare?"

"I'm...uh...not sure." She stared down at Flutterfoal, who gave her a reassuring nod. "Okay, I guess so."

"What about me?" Pinkie leapt into the middle of the circle. Despite her animated movements, her face and voice were devoid of any kind of excitement.

"Do you have access to a party cannon?"

"Is Gummy the most adorable-est pet ever?"

Sombra had heard mention of the alligator but had never actually seen him. "...Yes?"

"Then yes."

"You'll bring up the rear. We need to keep its attention divided. Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good."

Teleporting to the grootslang's left side, Sombra fired a continuous stream of energy at its flank, drawing a rattling shriek from the chimeric nightmare. It opened its jaws to release another torrent of slime when Applejack belched a plume of fire at its right side. Rarity fired several bolts at its chest, the octogenarian resting up against Spike while he pelted the creature with large rocks. Pinkie soon joined in the assault, her party cannon roaring and hitting the serpent's back with blasts of confetti. Under attack from all sides, the grootslang thrashed its diamond-encrusted tail wildly around in a blind attempt to crush just one of its assailants before several shadowy tendrils took a hold of it.

"Now Rainbow!"

Hearing her cue, Rainbow held Flutterfoal up like a javelin, lining her up whilst aiming at the grootslang's forehead gem. With a yell, she swung her foreleg forward and tossed the filly with all of her might. Flutterfoal soared through the air and, using her wings to stabilize her descent, landed on the creature's snout. Summoning all of her strength, Flutterfoal released the full might of the Stare on the grootslang, its eyes shooting open in unblinking terror. Two black clawed hands atop elongated arms reached up, one wrapping around Flutterfoal's barrel, the other seizing the gem and yanking it free.

Emitting an ear-splitting roar, the grootslang wove to and fro before toppling over, its shadow falling upon Rainbow. She screamed and closed her eyes, only for something to wrench her away before the beast slammed into the ground, a low moan escaping its maw. Opening her eyes, Rainbow turned just in time to see one of Sombra's tendrils retreat back into his body. Her friends gathered around her, giving her hugs and pats on the back but her eyes never left his.

The pegasus stared saucer-eyed at him and then pointed.

"You just saved my life..."

Sombra merely retained his uncommitted expression. "Don't read too much into it," he coolly stated and walked past her. He then briefly turned and said, "But you're welcome."

Perhaps it was a trick of the light but Rainbow could've sworn that he smirked.

Comments

[PrincessTwilightSparkle1]

Sombra merely retained his uncommitted expression. "Don't read too much into it," he coolly stated and walked past her. He then briefly turned and said, "But you're welcome." Perhaps it was a trick of the light but Rainbow could've sworn that he smirked.

[Viper Pit]

Epic fight

[Flameboy]

I'm not really a big fan on stories that make Twilight turn into Midnight, but, surprisingly, I feel intrigued to know what happens next.

Can you make so that the only one who can free her is Spike? Like, fully? Just like the Friendship Games, but without help from magic, but with the love of a little brother?

Please?

[MisterEdd]

10355706
We'll see...

[Ingsoc]

Good story so far. On par with the previous stories for sure.

[MisterEdd]

10373714
Thank you!

[Sarsath]

Should I read the previous 2 stories in order to understand what is going in this?

[MisterEdd]

10383586
They certainly help, especially the previous entry

[Redwolf777sg]

Ah, a Lord of the Rings reference.

[Eventide100]

She turned to Sombra, her hands clasped together in front of her beseechingly

Hands?

[MisterEdd]

10944445
Applejack is in Spike's body so she has hands instead of hooves