The Quest For Darkness
The Quest for Darkness
Canterlot, Twenty-five minutes after the Borg reached the defensive perimeter…
“Worf to Enterprise,” Lieutenant Commander Worf tried once again to reach the ship from the throne room. Silence was the only reply.
After the Enterprise’s transmission that they had engaged the Borg, there had not been a single update into how the battle was progressing. A sinking feeling was steadily growing in Worf’s stomach. He tightened his grip on his bat’leth.
“It has been sufficient time without contact to assume the battle has not gone well,” Lieutenant Commander Data informed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who remained by her sister’s side after retiring the moon.
Princess Luna gulped audibly.
Princess Celestia held a tight poker face. She knew if the Enterprise and the other ships assisting them were defeated, they stood little chance of success there on the ground.
“Alert the soldiers!” she announced, her sharp words echoing loudly along the walls of the throne room. “Battle is imminent!”
Data shifted his feet slightly, something he had never done before.
“Your highness,” he started. He looked down at his hand and realized it was shaking slightly.
“Yes, Commander?”
“I know you requested that my emotion chip be reactivated, but I am currently suffering a 12.8% decrease in my cognitive capabilities as I experience the emotional sensations of anxiety, fear, and anticipation. It would be wise to deactivate the processor until the situation is resolved.”
“Data, I explained to you before. Fear doesn’t always bring the most logical judgment, but it tests the makings of a true being. If you wish to be a computer, then switch yourself off, because I don’t need you.”
Data looked at the princess curiously. “It is still my desire to become more human.”
“Then leave that chip active, Commander. Make the best judgments you can, and listen to your gut when it tells you something.”
“I do not possess any processing capability in my ‘gut’, but I believe I understand your use of symbolism.”
“Good. Now then, Twilight: have all of your friends returned yet?”
“Rainbow Dash and Applejack are the last to come back. Their train is pulling into the station as we speak.”
“Very well, go and collect them and bring them back. We must be at our strongest if these creatures should–”
Green light emanated around the throne room. Four Borg drones appeared directly inside the room, right next to Princess Celestia.
Data was the first respond using his modified phaser. He fired at two of the drones, who both collapsed to the floor.
Worf fired his in sequence, taking down another one, but the fourth had adapted. The phaser fire merely impacted on the drone’s green shielding, causing no damage. But the bat’leth sticking out of his chest finished the job well.
“The invasion has begun!” shouted Worf. “We need to relocate the princesses immediately!”
Another ten drones beamed in.
Worf swung at the first. Data kept trying to modify his phaser in rapid sequence to prevent adaptability. The royal guards charged at the drones with their spears. Twilight, unable to use her magic, saw the drones were targeting Celestia. She charged at them head on – horn out, but two drones had already latched onto the princess. They beamed away with her in hand.
“SISTER!!!!” Luna shouted, not entirely sure what had happened.
The Borg fighting Worf in turn beamed away, followed by the one closing in on Data. Finally the drones lying on the floor disappeared. The room was quiet again with no signs of struggle. It almost looked as though nothing had transpired, except the leader of Equestria was now missing.
“What has happened!?” Luna demanded. “Where have they taken our sister? Why did they cease their attack?”
Data tapped his communicator pin. “All security teams report the situation.”
“Security team 1, nothing to report in Canterlot.”
“Security team 2, nothing to report in Ponyville.”
“Security team 3, nothing to report in Manehattan.”
…
“All security teams have reported no other incursions with the Borg,” Data reported to the group. “This stands to reason that the Borg were deliberately seeking to capture Princess Celestia.”
“But why?” asked Twilight, tears forming in her eyes.
“A logical assumption would be to assume that, since they became aware of the powers possessed by your people, they have also learned of your former advanced technological status. As a result, they acquired the only known specimen old enough to have sufficient scientific knowledge of the monoceros particle. From this, we can ascertain that they have halted their attack while they assimilate this new information.”
“But that would mean…” said Luna, trailing off.
“Correct, it is likely the Borg will soon be able to harness the power of the particle and use it to complete the invasion and assimilation of Equestria.”
Worf growled angrily, striking his blade through a wooden table, splitting it clean in half.
“What can we do now?” Twilight asked. “Can we go after them?”
“That would be impossible without a ship. The only ship on this planet at present is the ship which your future self piloted to contact us originally. I am afraid that particular vessel is incapable of defending itself against one Borg cube, let alone three.”
“WE ARE ABLE!!!” Princess Luna shouted angrily in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“I am not sure I understand what you are implying,” said Data.
“WE ARE ABLE TO REACH THE HEAVENS!!! WE SHALL GO AND SAVE OUR SISTER!!!”
“I’m afraid that would be a futile attempt. There is no means that I am aware that would allow you to succeed in rescuing your sister.
“OUR TASK IS GREAT, BUT ONCE BEFORE, WE POSSESSED THE POWER NEEDED TO SAVE OUR SISTER. WE SHALL POSSESS IT ONCE MORE!!!”
Twilight had a sudden realization. “Wait! You can’t mean you’re going to…”
“YES, TWILIGHT SPARKLE! WE WILL GO TO THE PLACE THAT ROUGHT THE FIRST DESTRUCTION OF EQUESTRIA AND HARNESS IT FOR THE GREATER GOOD!!!”
“You can’t! I won’t let you turn back into her!” Twilight yelled. “Nightmare Moon is Evil!”
Luna coughed until her throat cleared. In a much softer tone she spoke again. “Young, Twilight, the power which possessed us so long ago once held the power to do great good. It was we which were so corrupted by its power that we became the villain known as Nightmare Moon. With thy help, we believe thou can maintain the good in us.”
“But how can I possibly help? We had to use the Elements of Harmony to stop you before!”
“And that is exactly how thou shall protect us now.”
Twilight looked highly uncertain.
“Gather thy friends and meet in the courtyard. Our quest begins!”
Twilight turned slowly away from Princess Luna. She looked from Data to Worf.
Worf quickly offered, “If you are journeying on a quest that will involve danger, allow me to join your party!” He held up his blade.
“No, Worf,” said Twilight. “Please stay here and protect this city. You are the most learned in the battle strategy and we need you here for when the Borg return.”
Worf looked a little disappointed, but accepted the role. “I will lead with honor!”
“Good.” Twilight looked to the guards, who were less then helpful in protecting the princess. “You will all follow Lieutenant Commander Worf’s leadership. That is my order.”
“And our order as well!” Luna concurred.
All the guards bowed low in compliance. They were ashamed of their inability to protect the princess.
Twilight left the room to collect her friends.
By the time everypony had gathered in the courtyard, Princess Luna had arrived and started to think, pacing in a circle. Pinkie Pie thought she was playing a game and started to pace in a circle as well.
“Whatcha trying to do, Princess?” Applejack asked.
“We are trying to remember how to get to the Reflecting Pool of Eternal Darkness.”
Fluttershy shuddered in fear, “E-E-Eternal D-D-Darkness!?” she tried to run away, but rainbow had already placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s tail. Fluttershy struggled to break free in vain, until she eventually gave in.
“It was so long ago that we stumbled upon this place. We were but a filly then. It was the first time we had ever teleported. At the time t’was our desire to break free of our new life in the palace. We wanted escape. I wanted to be left alone.”
Twilight noticed the sudden change in Luna’s vocabulary, but didn’t say anything. Luna closed her eyes and concentrated.
“I wish to go to a place where I cannot be found,” she announced inside her mind.
Luna’s horn glowed starry blue and its aura wrapped around the entire group. It twisted around them at a dizzying speed until, all together, they vanished from the courtyard.
When Luna opened her eyes, she found herself in a dark forest. So much had changed in two thousand years. Not a single tree remained from that time.
“Did we make it?” Pinkie asked, looking around curiously. “I don’t see any pools.”
Twilight tried to see if she could figure out where she was, but could not find one landmark to guide her.
Luna looked around again and again, she had a feeling she was in the right place, but had no idea which way to go from there.
“I think it’s this way,” she said, pointing off into the darker side of the jungle.
The ponies followed the princess down the path. Shortly followed by running back into the lighter area desperately trying to remove the spider webs they all walked into. The spider who spun the intricate web was very upset when they barreled through its creation.
“I-I guess it wasn’t that way after all…” said Luna. She looked down at the ground guiltily.
“It’s okay, Princess,” said Twilight. “Try to remember how you found it last time.”
“The last time I was here, a voice called out to me. It told me where to go.”
“Try to listen,” Twilight instructed. “Maybe that voice still calls would be visitors.”
Luna nodded and closed her eyes. Her ears twitched in every direction, listening carefully. She could here the rustle of the anxious Applejack’s hooves; the flapping of Rainbow Dash’s wings; the banging of the large base drum by Pinkie Pie.
Luna opened one eye to see Twilight yelling at Pinkie. Luna smiled slightly, before closing her eyes and concentrating again. Just below a whisper, a soft voice called out to her.
“Follow…” it said.
“This way!” she said, heading towards the source of the voice. As she came closer, the voice grew louder.
“Follow…”
“I can hear it!” cried Pinkie.
“I can as well,” said Rarity.
Fluttershy squeaked in terror. “Who said that?” she demanded.
“It is the voice of the well,” Luna answered. It is what drew to this place when I was young.
They continued to follow the voice as it called out again and again, growing louder as they approached. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the reflecting pool, at which point, the voice completely stopped. The pool was square with four great pillars on each corner. Strange writing was littered about them. Silence hung in the air above the pool.
“Wow!” Rainbow commented looking around at the scene.
Fluttershy followed, but mostly because she was locked hoof-in-hoof with Rainbow from fright.
Pinkie was already trying to see what was so special about the water.
“Do not look into the well!” Luna spoke out, causing Pinkie to jump back.
“Sorry!” she said, blushing.
Twilight was more interested in the writing. “I think I’ve seen this writing before,” she said.
“How could you have?” asked Luna. “No pony has been here in a thousand years!”
Twilight looked more carefully at the etchings. “I’ve seen this in the Canterlot library.”
“But how is that possible?” asked Luna.
“This is the writing of the Ancients,” she explained. “I once read a book on ancient mythology. It described a race of ponies unlike anything we have ever seen. The only times they’ve ever been mentioned are in old pony tales passed down for generations. I always just thought it was all a hoax, like BigHoof!”
“BigHoof’s real!” shouted Pinkie.
“When my sister first discovered the Elements of Harmony,” Luna recanted, “we were inside a cavern that contained writing that moved. It explained the legacy of an ancient race that was defeated by a great evil. The Elements were their last hope, and they failed… But that writing was very different. It was more drawing then writing.”
Twilight tried to translate some of the symbols. She read aloud, “Here lies … soul … darkness… stole the light… spell hold trapped… return… darkness eternal.”
Twilight put the pieces together. “What if they didn’t fail?” she offered. Luna looked at her curiously. “What if the writing to find the elements was found by somepony and used to vanquish the evil that was spoken of and that imprisoned that evil here with writing to serve as a warning to stay away?”
“I suppose that is possible,” said Luna. She gazed at the black water which currently only reflected the ceiling of the forest. She closed her eyes to prepare herself.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Luna?” asked Twilight. The other ponies watched in awe as the princess prepared to resume her role as one of Equestria’s most powerful villains.
Luna’s eyes narrowed. “We are sure!” she said confidentally, renewing her prior tongue. “Art thou ready?”
Twilight placed her crown upon her head. As she did so, the other ponies followed suit and dawned their own Elements of Harmony. Twilight received confirmations that everpony was ready.
“Good luck, Princess Luna!” said Twilight as her horn started to glow.
At once all six ponies’ necklaces glowed brightly as they synced with Twilight’s. Their combined magical aura enveloped Princess Luna, lifting her off the ground. The Alicorn hovered directly over the reflecting pool. Luna opened her eyes, gazing into her reflection. But it was not her reflection, but that of Nightmare Moon’s. Luna concentrated hard with her sister deep within her thoughts.
“Lower me!” she said confidently.
The aura protecting Luna lowered her down into the well. After a few seconds, Twilight lifted the princess back out of the water, but Luna was gone.
Nightmare Moon rose high from the water. Tall and sleek with her violet armor an elongated horn, her fur turned blacker than the night. Nightmare Moon laughed maniacally.
“Well, well, well, look who we have here, ha ha! I have returned my little ponies!” she boasted. “And now, I will deliver this land unto darkness, once and for all!”
My hope was to release this weeks chapter together with a story I recently wrote, but alas, it has failed moderation and there's no easy way to get it to pass.
So for those ineterested, you can view the unsubmitted story here:
PASSWORD: 12345
And yes... It is as Epic as it looks! 
Stats
Page generated in 0.042 seconds
Total duration
1,062 users online
1,669,347 hits today, 2,156,967 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.®
So depressing that you can't submit a parody of a parody.
hummmm
>>>Fear doesn’t always bring the most logical judgment, but it tests the makings of a true being. If you wish to be a computer, then switch yourself off, because I don’t need you.”>>>
Uhm, Celestia, maybe you could leave the metaphysical trials of humanity for later... when the ENTIRE BUCKING UNIVERSE IS NOT ABOUT TO END!!!!
Let Data be a damned robot and think of solutions logically for now!
(Dumb Celestia is dumb)
>>>“I wish to go to a place where I cannot be found,” she announced inside her mind.>>>\
And so Luna found herself in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts.
Unintentional comedy.
>>>“Well, well, well, look who we have here, ha ha! I have returned my little ponies!” she boasted. “And now, I will deliver this land unto darkness, once and for all!”>>>
Twilight face-hoofed, "Ok, blast her with the Elements again."
NMM waved her hooves frantically, "Whoah whoah whoah! I didn't mean it! It was force of habit!! Now, let's get those mean old Borg, eh my bestest pony chums in the whole wide world?" (Note to self: Stop openly shouting 'Nighttime 4EVAR!!' until I have the upper hoof.)
3339878>>3339899>>3339919
Lolz!
3339878
While I follow your line of thinking, I can't agree with your train of thought.
Celestia wants Data to feel the emotions of a human, simply because she doesn't want to let anypony die. If Data is forced to experience that feeling...he may be forced to find better solutions to the issues at hand, rather than taking the most logical ones. Sometimes the better solution sounds crazy...but it just might save more lives than one with planned sacrifice in mind.
3350665 Unless he gets too freaked out to think clearly.
In war, you don't want to listen to the guy who's running around screaming. Cooler heads prevail in battle.
3352041
Can't argue that.Well played,sir.
Unless Luna's referring to Data or Worf's sister, she means "my." Or "our."
In any case... wow. Really, Luna?
And you were doing so well...
3356765
13th step... back to villianing
Thanks for the catch. Dusk found a lot of those typos in editing. I gotta work on my RCV grammar!
3356765 3357249 Alternatively I can just put more effort into catching them. T'was an odd occurrence for me to miss such a mistake after all.
in an alternate universe created by an alternate ending to this story, the NLR has risen, but it is benign, because the borg were defeated, but Celestia was not recovered... I like this train of thought.
Uh oh, Nightmare Moon is back...
The Ancients, eh?...
Are they gonna stick the collective knowledge of their species in Twi's head and force her to make kinda-first-contact with the Asgard to fix it?
6239828
Spoiler from next chapter: I'd say that crossed with Gollum
Okayis Nightmare Moon still origniating from Luna with this pool being a catalyst or is this that dumb parasite route?
“I’m afraid that would be a futile attempt. There is no means that I am aware that would allow you to succeed in rescuing your sister.
Luna answered. It is what drew to this place when I was young.
1. Forgot your closing quotation mark.
2. Forgot both your opening and closing quotation mark.