> Darkest Before Dawn
>  by Ponyman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Darkness Comes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The darkness of the library foyer felt like a lead weight on the shoulders of the unicorn.  It was the only defense she had from the coming threat until she could get a plan together.  Her panicked eyes darted about, making out familiar shapes of objects to get her bearings.  Then they landed on the small dragon, whose green eyes were filled with terror as they peered over her shoulder. 
        Hoofbeats could be heard approaching and the unicorn muffled her yelp of surprise.  She had noticed that despite the thing being so close, there was no shadow visible from under the door as he walked around and sniffed the air.  Seconds felt like an eternity, until the approaching figure gave a swift blow to the door, sending it crashing to the floor in a cloud of dust and debris.  The unicorn scooted back further into the shadows, holding her breath as she watched the figure stalk about in search of his prey.  
        She never got a good look at Ponyville’s attacker until now.  It was obviously a male judging by its size and aggression.  A mangy black coat of tangled hair hung over his body like a tattered blanket, and the unicorn swore she could see naked bone when she saw his legs.  He also gave off an acrid smell of decay that made the unicorn taste bile on the back of her tongue. 

        
        The dragon was burying his face into the unicorn’s shoulder, hoping that if he couldn’t see it, it couldn’t see him.  The smell of mold and rot grew closer, making the mare cringe.  She was still unsettled by the thing’s lack of a shadow, but figured now was not the time to try and analyze something.
        The beast raised its forelegs, and she noticed the pony-like structure it had.  Was this another pony?  Maybe he’s just upset about something and they could all work it out and make a nice friendship report to the Princess.  Alas, this was not to be.  With a mighty heave, the table the unicorn was hiding under went flying across the room, and she found herself staring into glowing, soulless red eyes. 
        “Twilight Sparkle, I presume?”  he asked.  Twilight nodded slowly, not knowing why she did.  She had read about big horned sheep, but never saw one up close, let alone this big.  He was almost unnatural, and the lack of shadow and smelling like an open grave did nothing to help Twilight’s mind register this was really happening. 
        “I am who they call Grogar the Conqueror,” the ram bowed, narrowly missing Twilight with his immense curved horns.  His voice was thick with an accent that the unicorn couldn’t place.  “Lord Aerebus has told me great things about you.”
        Twilight continued to stare in awe and fright.  Even though she heard that name before, she couldn’t bring herself to recall when and where.  “Spike...” she whispered.  “Run...”
        The dragon nodded and scrambled off, hoping that Twilight could keep the beast distracted.  To Twilight’s surprise and horror, the ram’s horns began to glow.  The color was not unlike her own as a tendril of magic slithered forth and grabbed Spike.  


        “You...you can use magic?”  Twilight asked numbly.  Of course he could, he had a horn.  Well, horns.  She thought only unicorns could do magic, but Zecora had enlightened her to the other ways magic could be performed.  Ancient rituals, runes, talismans, there was no limit to who could do magic both good and evil.  The vibe Twilight was sensing in her horn however, shown that this abomination was pure evil.  
        “Who is Lord Aerebus?”  Twilight figured that she could at least die having learned something.  The ram stared down at her, and gave a smile.  The unicorn recoiled in disgust at the rotten teeth and foul smell his grin revealed.  


Oh, Celestia!  Was that a maggot I just saw?


       “Lord Aerebus is the darkness.  In the dark, you can reveal who you truly are,” Grogar responded cryptically.  He knew of the unicorn’s intelligence and left her to figure out his meaning. 
        Twilight managed to tear her eyes from the glowing red orbs of her captor.  This allowed the thought to creep in that he didn’t have eyes at all, but the glow was coming from his empty sockets.  Shuddering at the thought, Twilight tried to focus on something, anything to get her out of here.  With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and channeled the spell through her horn.  A bright flash, and Twilight and Spike had vanished, leaving Grogar confused and angry.  


        With another flash, the unicorn appeared in the center of Ponyville, far away from her now compromised hiding spot.  Spike landed with a dull thud next to her and groaned.  Twilight smiled at herself, having successfully teleported two beings without them being in proximity.  Amazing what you could do under pressure.  
        “What are we going to to, Twilight?”  Spike finally asked, his voice shaking with worry and fear.  The violet mare glanced up at the sky to see thick storm clouds approaching from over the Everfree Forest.  
        “Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything about a storm tonight...” she muttered to herself.  She glanced down at her assistant.  “Well, first we have to find the others.  The Elements of Harmony should do the trick!”  Though her words rang hollow, as she realized how much she had come to rely on those gems.  Discord had shown her they weren’t foolproof, and now she had no idea what she was up against.  
        “I hope Rarity is okay...” Spike whispered, wringing his tail nervously.  
        “Well, lets go check on her first,” Twilight nodded.  She hoped that would at least calm Spike down a bit.  


        The walk to Carousel Boutique seemed to take longer than usual.  Ponyville was eerily quiet, and only the occasional moans of fear and sadness could be heard echoing through the darkness.  The looming storm painted everything in grey, making the once cheery village drab and unhappy.  As if the very soul of the town was ripped out.  Without even thinking about it, Twilight glanced at the ground to make sure her own shadow remained intact.  She didn’t know why, but a feeling told her that it was something to pay attention to. 
        Finally arriving at the grand building, the duo noticed it somehow looked different.  Even in the darkest of nights, the boutique’s historical architecture still held the glamor that it shared with it’s owner.  But tonight, it seemed dull.  Spike curiously scrapped some fresh rust off of the metal around the door.  This piqued Twilight’s interest, as it seemed this darkness was slowly decaying everything it swallowed. 
        Now worried for Rarity’s safety, Twilight bolted inside.  The ringing of the bell above the heavy door drew the attention of the white unicorn inside.  Twilight’s eyes scrambled around, checking every surface to be sure her friend was okay.  Rarity was there at her work table but something was amiss.  


        She didn’t have a shadow...


        “Go away!  I’m closed!”  Rarity snapped, waving a forceful hoof at the intruders.  Twilight ignored her command and stepped forward, hoping this bold approach would show that she wasn’t going to be gotten rid of that easily.  She was willing to fight for her friends after all.  
        “Rarity, I don’t know if you noticed...but Ponyville seems to be in a...well...a ‘funk’ if you will,” Twilight tried to avoid any of her usual expansive vocabulary so she could be understood.  She would have to work on that if they made it through the night. 
        The white unicorn put down her work and closed the distance between them.  Spike looked at his crush as if she were a stranger in Rarity’s coat.  He didn’t like the nagging feeling in his mind that something was very wrong.  
        “Oh, Twilight...nothing is wrong.  Everything is fine,” Rarity replied, her voice calm and collected as always.  But there was something off about it.  “If you’re afraid of it, I can keep you company.” 
        Twilight was about to object when Rarity did something completely unexpected.  She began nuzzling Twilight, slow and confident as she let out a moan in desire.  She couldn’t believe this was happening.  “Rarity...now...now isn’t the time for...”


        “Shush, darling...let me take care of you...”  Rarity cut her off, pressing her snout into the soft purple coat of Twilight’s neck.  “I will make you feel all better.” 
        Spike’s jaw fell open in shock.  He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, partly because it was almost like every fantasy come true.  But his conscience told him that he needed to get Twilight out of there before something bad happened.  He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked around for something to distract the unicorn with.  His eyes landed on the full length mirror.  


        He could see Twilight just fine...but Rarity...


        “TWILIGHT!  GET AWAY FROM HER!”  
        The lavender mare’s eyes shot open as she was ripped from her sudden bliss.  Rarity jerked her face away from Twilight’s neck and gave an unnatural, almost feline sounding hiss.  Did...does she have....FANGS?!
        “Don’t listen to Spikey Wikey...he’s just jealous,” Rarity continued.  Her approaching snout was met with a hoof as Twilight turned to run back towards the door.  Rarity watched as her fellow unicorn skidded across the floor.  
        “Did you just try to bite me!”  Twilight snapped, gasping for breath.  
        “NO! Well...yes...” Rarity hung her head.  “I thought it would be so romantic and kind of thrilling, being this way.  It was at first, but then I began to learn all the maintenance and upkeep required.  Here I thought being beautiful was hard, now I have to be that and mysterious!” 
        “But that doesn’t explain why you tried to bite me...”  Twilight frowned.  
        “Instinct, darling...nothing personal.  I’m glad Spike snapped me out of it when he did, or I would never forgive myself.”  
        Seeing Rarity genuinely upset at this turn of events, Twilight felt her anger and fear break.  She couldn’t stand seeing her friends in any kind of pain.  
        “What’s going on?”  Twilight finally asked, feeling relieved that everything was somewhat normal.  She always known Rarity to have tremendous self control, but it amazed her that the unicorn could cope with something such as this so well. 

        
        “I’m not sure.  Some oafish brute came in here and started spouting nonsense.  Something about his master and darkness in us all.  He made me this way...like he knew my fantasy or something.  He said it was to keep me docile...” 
        Twilight’s eyes scanned the room to find that it was indeed ransacked.  Rarity probably attempted to hide as well, but he found her out.  “So he’s placating us with our inner desires so we can’t stop his master...” her voice trailed off as she thought. 
        “Twilight?”  Rarity asked, sounding worried.  She noticed the mischievous smile forming on Twilight’s face. 
        “I think I might know how to stop this guy...but first I need to make sure the others are okay,” the purple unicorn paused.  “Does...Sweetie Belle know about this?” 
        “Oh no, darling! Perish the thought!  She’d be terrified!  Seeing her big sister as a monster...don’t...don’t tell her...promise?”  Rarity pleaded with her big blue eyes, which still retained all her charm and sympathy despite her condition. 
        “Okay...I hope beating this guy will turn you back to normal,” Twilight nodded.  “I promise!” 
        “Could you...you know?”  Rarity waved a hoof. 
        Twilight gave a frustrated sigh, “Cross my heart, hope to fly...stick a cupcake in my eye...” she deadpanned, noticing she was getting better at not poking herself in the eye. 
        Rarity relaxed, shedding her proper poise.  “Thank you...”
        The two stood in the dark of the boutique for a few moments, letting the air that was once thick with awkward tension dissipate somewhat.  Now that Spike knew Rarity was still normal for lack of a better term, he once again became enamored with her. 
        “She can bite me anytime...”  
        Twilight rolled her eyes and snatched Spike from his floating bliss with her magic.  “Well, good to know you’re okay...for the most part I mean...”
        “Give that brute one for me!”  Rarity called after her, returning to her work table.  Twilight figured that her friend just needed something to distract herself from doing anything she would regret. 


        Standing outside the boutique, Twilight noticed it had gotten substantially darker.  The once bright and cheery houses she passed on the way; now even more decayed and falling apart than before.  Her horn tingled with the same negative vibe she felt around that ram, and it gave her a headache.  
Her eyes fell onto a tan stallion with a messy dark brown mane.  He was staring at the sky intently, waving some kind of device with a light on the end in his mouth.  Twilight had never really gotten to personally know this mystery pony with the hourglass mark, but now wasn’t the time to make chit chat.  With Pinkie Pie fresh on her mind, she headed off towards Sugarcube Corner, hoping that the others fared just as well.  The seemingly acidic darkness continued its decaying trek across the sky, thunder rumbling form within the boiling mass of clouds.  It was slow, almost rhythmic in its sound.


Is that...laughing?!


        Arriving at the famous bakery didn’t have the same joy that normally accompanied such a trip.  Perhaps it was because Pinkie Pie wasn’t there to greet her like always.  Twilight surmised it was because the place looked rotten, as if the gingerbread walls and cupcake loft were edible and left in the sun for too long.  Mr. and Mrs. Cake were nowhere to be found, and she only hoped they made it out with the kids.  The light in the loft, barely visible through the continuous fog, showed that Pinkie was still home.  Twilight should’ve felt relieved, but only felt a cold pit in her stomach  
She barged through the front door, narrowly catching herself on the stair railing before she plummeted into the gaping hole of the lobby floor.  The place was falling apart, and she had to get Pinkie out of there.  Spike padded in after her, glancing over his shoulder to make sure their previous intruder hadn’t decided to give chase.
        The faint sound of music caught her attention, and Twilight glanced up the stairs to see the light from Pinkie’s room spilling into the hallway.  She had never been in Pinkie’s place before, but given Pinkie’s chaotic nature, she dreaded going up there.  Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Twilight slowly inched up the stairs.  Ignoring her common sense that it was foalish to think Pinkie would burst out with a sharp implement and go nuts, the unicorn made sure that her pace was considerably slow so as to be on her guard. 


        Finally cresting the last stair, she looked down at Spike, who had remained on watch in case Grogar came looking for her.  She gave a satisfied nod and turned to walk towards Pinkie’s room.  The music grew louder, making the unicorn wonder how she could party at a time like this.  With a sigh, Twilight pushed open the door.  She blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the sudden flood of light, and looked around the room to see Pinkie was indeed throwing a party.        
        “Hey, Twilight!  You come to have fun at our awesome party?!”  Pinkie sprang from seemingly nowhere, causing Twilight to fall back and land on her rear. 
        “What party?  Who’s we?”  Twilight stammered, getting back onto her hooves. 
        “Why all my friends of course!”  Pinkie made a sweeping gesture to the table in the center of her room, which was populated with some interesting guests.  A bucket of turnips, a bag of flour;


         Is that a ball of dust?


But the most out of place guest, ironically enough, was a rainbow maned pegasus.  
        “Dash, what are you doing here?”  Twilight raised a brow.   She also noticed the odd detail that while Pinkie didn’t have a shadow...Dash did. 
        “Because Pinkie throws some awesome parties! Right Pinks?”  Dash pumped her hoof in the air, then gave Pinkie a hoof bump. 
        Twilight pondered over the implications of this.  If Grogar made it to where a pony’s desires came true...then that would mean...
        She shook her head.  That would have to come later.  “We need to stop this darkness!  The Elements of Harmony need to be...”


        “Oh, blah blah blah!”  Dash remarked, making faces at the unicorn.  Pinkie giggled and began making faces too.  Twilight grew annoyed at this behavior, though had to admit if it were under different circumstances those two were awful cute together.  
        “Ponyville is going to be destroyed by this storm if we don’t stop Grogar!  Don’t you guys care?!”  Twilight was growing exasperated at her friends and their stubborn attitudes. 
        “We’re going to party until the end!  Go out in a blaze of pony!”  Pinkie exclaimed, tossing more confetti in the air. 
        Twilight gritted her teeth and stomped a hoof.  “I’m serious guys...We need to pull together and...” 
        “You gonna party or what?”  Pinkie asked, cocking her head. 
        “NO! I don’t want to party!  I want...”  Twilight was cut off when Dash lifted her up and carried her down the stairs.  The unicorn looked up at the pegasus with an annoyed scowl.  “Why are you here?  What’s going on?!” 
        “You wouldn’t understand!  I’m keeping her happy!  Just...find the others...I got it here,” Dash explained, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Pinkie didn’t hear their conversation. 
        “Well, okay...I trust you...”  Twilight paused.  “How did you avoid Grogar though?” 
        “I’m just awesome like that!”  Dash brushed her mane with a hoof.  “You managed to get away from him, didn’t you?” 
        “Don’t get too overconfident.  He might still be after me, and I’m sure he’ll find you too,”  Twilight warned. 
        “I know,” Dash whispered.  “But we can kick his butt!  That requires Pinkie to be on board.  So let me do my thing, and you go find the others.” 
        “Dashie? You coming back to the party?”  Pinkie called out into the darkened hallway. 
        “Coming, Pinks!”  Dash called back, shooting Twilight a confident wink.


        Twilight snatched up Spike in a bubble of magic and dashed out the door.  Shielding her eyes from the dust being kicked up by the now violent wind, she could see Ponyville was practically monochrome now.  Houses appeared to have huge bites taken out of them, and the historical structures looked more ancient than usual. 
        At least she knew Rarity and Rainbow Dash were still on her side.  Better than nopony at all, she surmised.  Now standing in Ponyville proper, her eyes glanced around as her mind tried to decide where to go next.  Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy’s home were equal distance away from her current location, but she would never make it to both places in time.  Crushing her eyes shut, she concentrated hard on her destination, but nothing happened.  There was only a dull pain in her horn that spread through her temples.  Maybe the stress was getting to her?  Twilight glanced around to find something simple to experiment with.  Ever the analytical mind, she attempted to lift a small potted plant with her magic.  Nothing happened except for the same throbbing pain.  After a few more failed attempts and trying a few other ideas, she finally gave up.  Panting from overexertion, she glanced up at the dark clouds.  Something was blocking her magic.


        “Well, Spike,” Twilight began, turning her gaze to the dragon.  Somehow he seemed smaller when he was cowering in fear.  “I’m afraid we’re going to have to split up.”
        “What? But...NO!”  Spike threw himself at the unicorn and wrapped around her foreleg.  
        Twilight shook her head.  “I’m sorry...but with this storm,” she looked up at the sky as lightning tore through the thick black clouds,  “or whatever it is, blocking my magic...I can’t teleport us anywhere.  We have to see if both of them are alright, and there’s no time unless we split up.  I want you to check on Fluttershy.”
        “I don’t want you going out there alone!  What if he comes back?”  Spike pleaded, trying to hide that his fear for her was also fear for himself. 
        “Spike, trust me.  We’re not too far away from the boutique.  Maybe Rarity can go with you?”  Twilight raised a brow, hoping that this offer would bring her number one assistant around. 
        “Well, since you put it that way,” Spike replied, rolling his eyes in a pitiful attempt to sound disappointed.  Suddenly his face went pale.  “What if she tries to bite me?” 
        “SPIKE!  Rarity wouldn’t do such a thing!  She lov...” Twilight froze, “LIKES you too much to let her condition get the better of her!”  
        The dragon hung his head, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and stupid.  “You’re right...”  he whispered.  
        Twilight frowned at the sight of her assistant about to cry.  If the stress of this situation was maddening to her, what must it be like for him?  So young and innocent.  With a gentle nudge of her head, Spike began walking back to the boutique, his mind swirling with the odd feelings of joy and dread. 


        With that settled, Twilight nodded to herself.  If only she had a checklist to keep track of things.  Fluttershy would be less of a hoofful for them than Applejack would anyway.  It was for the best.  But the fact that she was trying to justify her actions made her feel even worse.  The unicorn snapped her eyes open to see that her time being idle had allowed the storm to build even more.  She could barely see her hoof in front of her face, and the wind almost blew her off her feet.  
        Struggling against the gale force winds, Twilight managed to lower her head enough to protect her eyes and pressed forward.  The last time she gave up on her friends, she felt terrible,  almost as if Discord had ripped her heart out.  She was not going to experience that again.  She noticed her walking had been considerably slowed by the wind current pushing her back, but it was what she bumped into that made her freeze in terror. 
        “Hello, Miss Sparkle...”  Grogar seethed, his wicked smile returning and somehow more vile than ever.  


        Spike swore he heard a scream.  An all to familiar scream actually.  His conscience screamed at him to run back and save Twilight, but common sense prevailed in the end.  He was only one baby dragon, how could he compete with a creature like Grogar?  Standing on the grand front porch, he noticed the dust and debris picking up in the wind.  It was a good thing Twilight always practiced those wild storm drills, because knowledge of where to hide would be handy right about now.  
        Rarity answered the door, hesitant at first.  She stuck out an experimental hoof and waved it around for a few moments.  Spike watched this curious ritual and figured that the unicorn would be satisfied enough she didn’t burst into flames.  The door closed then reopened fully, and out stepped Rarity in all her splendor.  Spike stared with an open mouth as the newly christened seductress of the night shown off her new cape.          
        “You look....amazing...” was all he could manage to spit out.  Realizing how crude he looked, he instantly closed his mouth and wiped away any errant drool.  
        “Oh, this?”  Rarity looked over her shoulder at the glittering black cape.  “I just made this out of boredom really.  Accentuate the positive, they say!  Hopefully I won’t remain like this and all of this will be just a silly memory.  Think of it as an early Nightmare Night costume.”  The unicorn paused and glanced around, noticing somepony was missing.  “Where is Twilight, darling?”
        “She sent me to find you so we can see if Fluttershy is okay.  Twilight is probably going to check on Applejack,” his voice trailed off into a whisper.  “I hope...”
        “By herself?  Why couldn’t she just teleport?”  Rarity asked, reeling back a bit at this news. 
        “She said the storm was blocking her magic,” Spike shrugged.  “I thought the same thing.” 
        Rarity put a hoof to her chin and glanced at the ground.  “Come to think of it, I was having some magic trouble as well.  It had been a while since I sewn anything by hoof,” she looked at her cape once more.  “I realized that magic can’t quite emulate that special touch!”  She wiggled her hips in a questionable manner, smiling at her handiwork swaying in the strong winds.  
        Spike shook his head to clear out any thoughts that may have tried to creep in.  Now wasn’t the time for such things.  Twilight was counting on him!


        “Well,”  Rarity began, snapping Spike out of his worry.  “Let’s go find Fluttershy.”  She gave a coy smile, showing her fangs.  Even they seemed elegant when she had them.  “Celestia knows it’s dark enough now I won’t have to worry.”
        “Maybe you should leave the cape...you know...in case Fluttershy is even more scared than usual?”  Spike offered, trying not to make eye contact.  He knew he would willingly put himself under her spell if he did. 
        “Perhaps you’re right...”  Rarity frowned, looking at her finest example of crasftmareship she had ever made.  “Don’t want to get it all dirty in this storm, now do I?”  She gingerly took the cape in her teeth and pulled it off, placing it back inside on a table near the door.  Glancing back outside, she saw Spike was trying his best not to look at her.  He also seemed to try to be hiding something. 
        

        Twilight ran as fast as her hooves could carry her.  Grogar was hot on her trail, and the wind didn’t seem to be slowing him down at all.  Adrenaline kicked in as she made a beeline for Sweet Apple Acres, hoping to lose him in the expanse of the orchard.  Her throat burned from panting so hard as she forced herself against the wall of air before her.  Perhaps this is what it felt like to Rainbow Dash when she broke the sound barrier? 
        Of course!  If she could have found some way to get Rainbow Dash to help her, there wouldn’t be any problems.  The pegasus would just buck Grogar in the face, and then both of them would be running, but at least she wouldn’t be alone.
        A large chunk of an unfortunate cottage ripped free and plummeted towards the ground before being swept up in the current.  Twilight gasped and ducked the obstacle, glancing over her shoulder to see Grogar wasn’t so fortunate.  Sweet Apple Acres finally came into view and Twilight poured on the extra energy to make it through the gate.  With a swift kick of her hind legs, she slammed the mighty wooden doors closed, the shock wave sending the lock into place on its own. 


        The farm had seen better days.  The sight of bare trees reaching for the sky gave a solemn feeling that they were awaiting the fate of their lighting charred brethren.  No doubt the Apple Family sought refuge in the cellar, but when she noticed the pile of decayed barn lying on top of it, her mind tried to not place them inside there. 
        Glancing around for any signs of life, she could hear the distinct sound of hooves hitting a tree, barely audible over the howling wind and the thunder that Twilight swore sounded like laughter.  The unicorn increased her approach, a small smile forming on her face.  At least one thing was normal around here.  
        But it was too good to last.  Twilight froze when she saw Applejack was kicking a bare tree.  Her coat had become a catchall for the stray leaves and dirt from the storm, and from the looks of the tree she was bucking, she narrowly missed a few lighting strikes. 
        “Applejack?!  What are you doing?”  Twilight asked, her voice showing no sign of hiding her disappointment that yet another friend was crazy.         
        “Ah’m rich now!  Ah got to harvest all the apples ah can!  Got to meet demand!”  Applejack replied quickly, still kicking the tree. 
        “Rich?  How?”  The unicorn cocked her head, ears alert as if she were in a class.  
        “Ah got a big order!  If I can fill it, ah’ll be set for life!”  The earth pony continued her fruitless endevor. 
        “But...there’s no apples here...you can’t....”
        “What’chu talkin’ bout, Twi?”  Applejack was suddenly on top of her, looking her straight in the eye.  Twilight backed up nervously.  
        “There...are...no...apples...”  Twilight elaborated, using her eyes and hooves to point out that very fact.  Applejack gave a sour look, her green eyes darker than usual. 
        “Then ya’ll must be blind...ah see plenty of ‘em!”  
        Twilight gave a disappointed sigh.  She only hoped Spike was having better luck.  


        “So...what’s it feel like?”  Spike asked, breaking the silence of their walk.  Unlike Twilight, they were walking with the flow of the wind, so had nowhere near as much difficulty.  
        “What?”  Rarity titled her head as her blue eyes sparkled for a brief moment.  “Oh, this?  Well, it’s...different...” 
        “Does it hurt?”  Spike winced, hoping he wasn’t being to nosy with his awkward attempt at conversation. 
        Rarity thought for a moment, trying to come up with a way to explain the feeling to the young dragon.  “Well, it’s kind of like...being cold.  All the time.  I guess it has something to do with losing your soul, but I’m not sure,” she stared ahead, frowning. 
        “How can you still be you without a soul?”  Spike asked, eyes wide with amazement. 
        The unicorn let out a soft chuckle.  “Well, that’s only part of it, dear.  Besides, I know I have my friends no matter what, and that is motivation enough for me.”  Her sapphire eyes landed on the dragon as a smile crept across her face. 
        Spike smiled and nodded, happy to hear that he left such an impression on the mare. 
        “And besides, now I don’t have to worry about fussing over my looks anymore.  Takes some getting used to, not having a reflection.  Not to mention all this new strength I have!  Now I can finally get into the thick of things!”  Rarity seemed more confident than before, making Spike’s heart flutter a little. 
        “As long as you’re okay...”  Spike replied, blushing a bit.  Rarity smiled brighter than he had ever seen at that moment.  Almost as if she could light the way though the increasing darkness.  He was ashamed of himself for thinking badly of Rarity, especially when it wasn’t her fault.  
        “Well, here we are,” Rarity spoke up again as Fluttershy’s cottage came into view.  Spike knew that was the cue to drop the subject.  
        “I just hope that she isn’t too afraid,” Spike whispered, shuffling his feet nervously.  Rarity nodded in agreement, pursing her lips in an attempt to hide her fangs.  Raising a trembling hoof, Rarity knocked loudly on the door, finding herself biting her lip in worry.  
After a few long minutes, the buttercup pegasus answered the door.  Only she didn’t have her usual shyness and fear.  Rather she grabbed the both of them and pulled them inside.  


“I’m so glad you’re here!  I’m attempting to write a romance novel...like the ones you let me borrow...only, I don’t think I’m doing so well.  What do you think?”  Fluttershy asked, shoving the manuscript in Rarity’s face.         
“Darling, now isn’t the time for...”  the unicorn was cut off when the pegasus snatched her up and looked her in the eyes.  She was so caught up in her own fantasy, Fluttershy didn’t even notice the slight red tinge in Rarity’s blue eyes. 
“I want to be famous!  This will be my ticket to stardom!  I need input!  Approval!”  Fluttershy snapped, her voice ragged and frantic.  
Spike thought it strange that Fluttershy would want any kind of attention.  His eyes wandered away from the raving pegasus to see that she didn’t have a shadow, just like Rarity. 
“I can look it over,” Spike offered.  Rarity snapped her attention to the dragon, looking at him as if he were crazy.  
“What?  But we...”
“It’s the only way to get her to stop asking and come with us,” Spike noted, taking the book and sitting down.  


Twilight stood and stared at Applejack, trying to think of what to do to snap her out of it.  A loud bang in the distance made the unicorn realize that Grogar had smashed his way through the gate, and was coming for her.  Hiding behind a cluster of apple trees, Twilight watched intently as Grogar rushed into view.  He ignored Applejack, as she was already under his spell judging by her lack of a shadow.  His head jerked to the left and he saw the unicorn hiding.  He smiled that vile smile, and rushed towards the trees, mighty horns ripping them from the ground with an unnatural force.  
The unicorn was cornered now.  He had her in his magic grasp.  The mare struggled, but her hooves had nothing to find purchase on while hovering in the air.  
“You’ve been quite a challenge for me, Miss Sparkle,” he mused, pulling Twilight closer to look her in the eyes.  The red glow from his empty sockets made Twilight flinch in pain and disgust.  “Once you are pacified, nothing will stop Lord Aerebus’ coming!”  
As if on cue, the thunder from the storm above roared once more.  It WAS laughing!  Laughing at her, her failures...her loss.  Twilight quit struggling, hanging limply in the magical bubble as Grogar set to work.  The unicorn felt a painful cold in her bones, sending a chill up her spine as her shadow was ripped away from her.  Soon she would be lost in her own little dream world and Ponyville and all of Equestria would crumble.  


        His job done, Grogar dropped the now empty shell of a unicorn to the ground like a rag doll.  Twilight moved her legs experimentally, then got to shaky hooves.  Grogar mused at this pathetic sight, but noticed that the unicorn was oddly content with her condition.  Her face bore a mischievous grin. 
        “Twilight?  What the hay is goin’ on?  Who’s this?”  Applejack asked, shaking the cobwebs from her brain.  She looked at the dead apple tree that now had several deep hoof prints in the rotting bark.  “Was ah really kickin’ that much?” 
        Grogar whipped his head around and sneered.  His spell must’ve worn off.  No matter, he would just cast it again and...


        It didn’t work...

        
        “You made one fatal mistake, Grogar!  By taking my friends away from me, you only made me desire their company even more!  And now,”  she raised her head weakly, giving a devious smile, “You gave me the one weapon to defeat you...”
        Grogar’s jaw hung open in terror as he backed away from the unicorn.  How could he have been so stupid?  His spell was going to lead her friends right to them, and now his master was going to be furious.  Grogar’s glowing eyes shot up to the sky to see Rainbow Dash carrying Pinkie Pie to the scene.  Fluttershy, Spike, and Rarity came running up from the direction of the shattered gate.  Soon, all six friends were poised and ready, their resolve strengthened.  The lavender unicorn took in the site of her friends, all assembled conveniently for their latest foe’s undoing. 
Twilight’s eyes began to glow as the Elements of Harmony were once again summoned to perform their cleansing ritual.  Grogar’s black coat disintegrated, revealing Twilight was correct in her observation.  He was nothing but bones wrapped in hair.  The haunting red glow left his empty sockets as the rest of his body began to crumble into dust.  Through the haze of white, Twilight could see that it looked like the earth was reclaiming his remains.  Sending them to the fiery depths they belonged. 


        With his vessel destroyed, Aerebus let out a roar of thunder in pain.  Lighting flashed in erratic patterns as the darkness itself seemed to back away in terror. Bubbling black clouds broke and dissolved as Celestia’s holy rays pierced the inky depths.  The six ponies could feel the warmth of the arriving daylight, and their shadows returned to them.  She could see the rest of the storm collapsing into itself like a dying star.  Lingering grey clouds soon whisked away like smoke, leaving only it’s destruction as evidence anything happened at all.  
Twilight’s eyes dimmed as the power from the Elements wained, leaving the ponies exhausted but feeling confident once more.  Seeing the blue sky again and her friends back to normal brought a tear to the unicorn’s eye.  She could’ve swore she saw Pinkie hugging Dash as well. 


        “Great job, girls!”  Twilight exclaimed.  “I knew I could use Grogar’s own ploy against him!  His spell granted a pony’s innermost desire, so I just desired you guys!  He broke his own spell to grant my wish!” 
        “Aw yeah!  Now THAT’S the kind of egghead I like!”  Dash shouted, pumping her hoof in the air.  
        “But where did Rarity go?”  Applejack asked, glancing among the group.  
        “I don’t know.  The sun came up and everything got all warm, then when I looked she was gone!”  Pinkie explained, overemphasizing the last word in a comically dramatic fashion.
Twilight placed a hoof to her chin as her mind began to work.  She didn’t like the conclusion she was coming to.  


Panting from overexertion, Rarity leaned up against her boutique door and gave a long sigh.  She closed her eyes and basked in the chill of the darkened foyer as her horn glowed to pull the curtains closed.  
Don’t need that pesky sunlight ruining my complexion!  Rarity mused to herself as she 
batted at her coif.  Twilight and the others wouldn’t understand what really happened.  It was easy to blame it on that Grogar fellow than to admit she was a foal and went into the Everfree Forest alone in search of some rare gems she heard grew in the ground.  She always hated bats, and now she knew why. 
But all the talk about how romantic it seemed, and how cold she felt sometimes; all of that was true.  She frowned as she thought of how Spike would react when he learned the truth.  They had to find out eventually, even if she did maintain normal business hours.  No more trips to the spa, unless she could use her ‘rainy day’ bits to bribe the twins into a late night session.  Fluttershy would be disappointed, but also the most understanding.  


As much as it pained her to have to keep up the act; a part of her didn’t want to come to Twilight for a cure just yet.  Maybe she could learn to cope with this, and put these newfound talents to use to help her friends even more.  They narrowly defeated Grogar and his master, who knew what else lay in store for the designated heroes of Equestria?         
Until then, Rarity walked to her fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine.  She popped the cork and took in the aroma of copper that emanated from within.  A pragmatic pony knew how to bend the rules a little while still obeying them.  Fluttershy would be horrified if she thought Rarity was draining innocent animals while they were still alive. 


But Rarity wasn’t that kind of vampire...