> Book of the Dark
>  by Rysthcrg
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> Book of the Dark
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		My name is Bright Eyes, I am a collector of ancient artifacts and an expert in linguistics. This message I have written is intended as a warning to those who holds this book in their hooves. My advice to the pony who found it is this: Do not read it, no matter the circumstances. I will explain my reasons from my own experiences. I hope my end would not find me until I finish my writing. If you happened to find me dead and saw these pages, I beg of you, put them on the first page of the book with the red crystal on its cover. It should be right here beside me. Then hide this book, make sure that no one would ever find it. The existence of this book and the things that are written on it should never be known by anypony. Do not try to destroy or damage the book. You will learn why if I still have the time to tell it.

I found this book at an antique shop. A book with no name on it, a blazing red crystal wrought unto its cover. It must have been an artifact of great value for I could see that the crystal was not a cheap sham. I opened the book with the intention of reading it. The first pages were written in an old version of our language and as I turned the pages, I saw that the language was growing older and older. How I could possibly know this? Simple, it’s my special talent. But from what I could comprehend, these pages warn me how dangerous this book really is but I cared little about superstitions back then. What was really important is that the book was old beyond my understanding. I knew the language that was being used by the founders of Equestria, but some of these writings were older than the time of vicious winter and yet this book survived all these centuries, just for me to find it.

Giving up on it was out of the question. Cost was not an issue. I was ready to give everything I owned to have this book in my possession. But it did not cost me more than the crystal on its cover. Apparently in my fortune, or now I would say misfortune, the dealer was a fool. I tried hard not to show my enthusiasm when I heard the price he asked.

After purchasing the book for the price of practically nothing, I immediately went back to my home. I was eager to reveal its secrets.  I started to peruse it but I realised that the only parts that I could read were just warnings about the book's content. I was a bit disappointed to learn that but for my area of expertise, it won’t be much of  a problem to decrypt an older version of a language that I was already familiar with.

Decryption took days but finally I was able to read and understand the language. I eagerly rushed into reading the first page: "If you were to read this book, you shall learn things that you do not want to and things that you will beg to forget." But these words were nothing but fuel for my hunger. I continued reading. 

I read a section about old legends and myths, about which of them were true, where did they arise, things like that. It had no dire effect on me as I recalled the warning. But then the writings started to mention about more obscure things, things that are beyond common knowledge, horrific things beyond imagination. Because I think that none of them should be known by anypony, I will not write the things that I mentioned. But I was so terrified from the things I read, I could not continue and I was unable to sleep until the late hours of the following day's night. Sleep only came to me when I was no longer able to resist, only to be constantly shredded by nightmares. I never doubted the truthfulness of the words that were written. Nopony's heart could be so dark to be able to tell such lies and yet whoever wrote these must had a heart that is pitch black.

But then the book lured me to itself. I thought I was ready to face the things I was going to read this time, but the book became more and more vile as I turn its pages. I could not sleep, I had nightmares. Some time later a fear of darkness sprouted in me. I wanted to forget what I learned, I wanted to believe that they were all lies. So I kept reading to find something that will help me prove that they were false.

I stopped reading time to time, but then forced myself to continue. For three weeks I never left my home. My nerves were devastated but not as much they are now. I was afraid of my own shadow. I was trying to walk silently even though I knew there is nopony but me in the house.

OH SWEET CELESTIA! I AM TERRIFIED OF EVERY SINGLE SOUND THAT I HEAR! Even the noise that my quill makes when I am writing gives me a horripilation because I can not hear them. No, I can not lose my control, not yet.

But now I understand that I was not in any real danger back then. I was just frightened from what I have learned. It was not like the present. I really am in danger right now and there is nowhere to run. All because I found a ritual in the book that can be used to confirm the validity of its contents. The book was finally giving me something that I can perform. A ritual. The author was mentioning about summoning a "mindless" creature named Ast'Rath that was supposed to be the guardian of the nether realms and use him to learn the secrets of dark magic from this realm. The author was describing everything I should do in the ritual, right down to the smallest detail. It required magic of course. Lucky me, I am a unicorn. But it was stated clearly that the smallest mistake during the ritual might, and probably would, give birth to unpredictable consequences. Then all I had to do was to perform the ritual without making mistakes. I will not give any details of the ritual, because what I did should not be done by anypony else.

I prepared everything for the ritual. Checked what I did over and over again, just to be sure. The book was saying: "Prepare yourself for what you are about to see." I did not know what it was, it was not described in the book either. I forced myself to think about everything that I read just to be prepared. I was shaking when I was done. I gave myself some time to calm a little. I thought I was ready. I had no idea.

I started and finished the ritual, nothing happened. I was so happy in that moment when I realized it was nothing but lies. Of course it could be a mistake that I did, but I was not going to push my chances by performing the ritual again. I had to be satisfied with this.

My happiness did not last long as some stinking yellow smoke started to rise inside the ritual circle followed by a sickening light, yellow as well. Then among that stinking smoke and sickening light an entity rised that is more disgusting than any sickness in this world. Its eyes were nothing but two hollows looking right into my mind and soul. NO! I can not describe this vile abomination to you, my mind can not stand that memory again. I remember I had an urge to rip my own eyes out of their sockets because I was unable to look away from that maddening scene and I would do it too if only that thing would not take my mind from me. Such an abomination... HOW?... WHY?... I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Not yet, no, I just have to resist a bit more.

Before that I could not comprehend the word "mindless" that I saw in the book earlier. In that very moment I understood, the creature did not have a mind, it was nothing but a pile of knowledge, knowledge and darkness.The moment it was summoned, it clung onto the closest mind it could find: my mind. To me... It showed me things that I did not want to see. I begged to it to stop. It mocked me. It ripped my mind, tore my soul apart and laughed at me. Then it was over. Creature, lights and smoke sucked back into the center of the circle. I can still hear it laughing at me. An echo in my mind that I know will never stop.

I sat there. I was afraid to even move. I wanted to yell, to scream. I wanted to cry. But my fear suppressed them all. Celestia raised the sun, Luna brought the night and all that time I just sat there unable to move a muscle. When I regained enough control to move, I got struck with cramps all over my body. I cried silently, partly from the physical pain that I endured but mostly for the soul I had lost. I stood up and walked to my bathroom to take a shower. I headed for the sink to wash my face first and then I saw my reflection on the mirror... I would jump back if I had the power. A purple fire was rising around my eyes which were glowing green with red irises and my pupils were thin and long, like a cat's. The tip of my horn was blazing with a red glow, lacking its spiral lines and bent upwards. I opened my mouth in confusion and saw my teeth was sharpened and pointy. They cut my tongue as I licked them.

I knew this look, I read the description of somepony looking exactly like this in one of my books. I ran to my library, praying to Faust for my fate. I found the book I was searching for: Rise and Fall of the Crystal Empire, Vol. V, and quickly found the description of King Sombra, the vicious tyrant and predecessor of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Glowing green eyes, burning with lavender fire, blazing red horn...  Could it be? Could he be the author of this book? In that moment I made up my mind. I was going to destroy the book so no one could find and use it again. I took the book and threw it into the chimney. I watched the book burn to ashes.

I immediately felt relaxed, like all the burden of my knowledge, the fear of the thing I saw was taken away. I went to the bathroom again and took a shower. For the first time in weeks I was not feeling horrified. Of course I was still nervous but I knew that it would pass in time. But I had to do something about my looks. I could not walk around looking like Sombra. I was able to use magic so maybe an illusion spell, although my magic is not strong enough for that feat. Then I remembered the things I learned from Ast'Rath, the guardian of nether worlds. I knew how to perform an illusion spell with dark magic and I might as well use my knowledge so all my suffering would not go in vain. So I walked in front of the mirror and casted the spell. It worked perfectly. I looked exactly like the old me. No glowing eyes, no blazing horn. I smiled, I was happy.

I went to bed early that night, for I was really exhausted after that dreadful ritual. All of my happiness faded when they came to visit my dream. Some form of black smoke gathered before my eyes and began to speak. I remember every word of our conversation. "Why did you burn the book?” the smoke asked to me. "Was it not useful for your motives?" Its voice was deep, echoing through my mind.

"I never wanted that power," I spoke. "I would never use a power like that to achieve anything."

"Yet you did, liar. You will be punished for your actions."

It struck me like a brick. I did use the power of dark magic. Only thing I could do from now on was to try to defend myself. "You will punish me for a simple illusion spell?" I asked.

"No, not for that. That power was intended to be used. Your punishment is for burning the book which did not belong to you."

"I bought the book, it was mine," I objected. But I was aware that my objection was idiotic.

"Indeed you did, but buying something does not make one its possessor. You will suffer the consequences."

I was blinded by my fear. I had nothing else to argue, so I said the one thing that every idiot would say in a situation like mine. "I do not fear you King Sombra."

A laughter echoed through my mind, but it was not the voice I heard that was laughing at me. There were many voices laughing and mocking. They stopped as one and they spoke as one. "We are no Sombra, we are no king. He was nothing but a puppet that we used. You are right not to fear him, for all the time we possessed him he did nothing but beg for his freedom. He still does. Would you like to see him?" The black smoke moved to the side, revealing somepony chained to a wall. He looked at me with fear in his eyes before he spoke, his voice was full of terror and madness. "Help me! Please, I'm begging you. GET ME OUT OF HERE!" As the smoke began to take its former place his pleading became more desperate. "No, please, don't go. I didn't mean to yell at you. Come back, please. Don't leave me here. Help me. HELP ME!"

"Pathetic, is it not?" The smoke spoke with pleasure.

"Why are you doing this to him?"

"Oh, please. We are having fun that is all," said the smoke with a mocking voice.

"Who are you? What will you do to me?"

The smoke spoke with boredom, "You are very curious, are not you? We have no name so call ourselves the Dark." In that moment I understood that the author's heart was not pitch black, there was no heart to begin with, just darkness. "You will suffer the same punishment as Sombra. You will be our newest puppet."

"No, I will not," I replied, "I will not surrender my mind to you."

They laughed again, "You will let your guard down eventually and when you do we will be waiting for you. Once we have you there is no salvation. You may leave now but take this with you." A book appeared in my hooves,the same book that I had burned a while ago. It was still burning, scorching my hooves but I could not let it go.

I woke up, screaming because of fear and pain. I threw the book across the room and I heard their laughter. "Does it hurt so much?" They mocked me. Laughing, yelling, whispering... I could hear Sombra begging, crying, screaming in agony. I covered my ears to stop it, but they were in my head. I waited for them to go away, I waited for days. I could not sleep, not even for a second. I screamed, cried, begged for them to stop. They just mocked me. So here I am writing this note to protect you from my fate. I am about to give up, but I will not let them take me. I WILL END MY LIFE INSTEAD!