Chapter 1: New Moon
7782. 7783. 7784. 7785... The days went on and on as Copper Moon lived his life. Recently, he had tried to pay attention to the days since he had been born. Finding his birth date in the town records was relatively easy for a shut-in like him that enjoyed time spent buried in books, and he thought it would help him get through the days. After all, when you've lived 7782 days, what's another? As he saw the number tick up and up, it became more of an accusation. How has he done nothing of worth in 7782 days? At best, he was somewhere in the background when something important happened.
Finally, on day 7786, he had enough. He felt like his chest was going to burst open from the shame and anxiety welling up inside it. After his boring, soul crushing work, he walked home. The grass had long died where he cut corners from the path- a sign of how long he had been working there. Something felt very different to him today: not only was his chest hurting, but his flank, too. His cursed blank flank that destined him to this life of mediocrity.
A pegasus interrupted him to ask if he was okay, despite his obviously bad mood. However, he did not respond, his face darkening even further. Why did ponies not leave him alone? He didn't think anything was wrong with him. Or well, he thought that nothing was supposed to be wrong with him. Why did everypony want to help him? He wasn't worth it. he had done nothing of use, and he just dragged people down.
Before he knew it, somepony yelled. It took him a minute before feeling his hoof sting slightly. The other pony was holding her cheek with a hoof. It was surprising, but it didn't feel wrong, or make him sad. It made him feel amazing. Freed, even.
"Why... Why did you DO THAT?" the pegasi asked, tears welling up in her eyes. However, he did not respond. A sadistic smile drew on his face as he raised his hoof again.
She recoiled, but not in time. Letting out a yip of pain as she was struck over the head again. As he looked down, a small spot appeared on his hoof. Blood? No, it was too dark and purple. Something else; But he didn't care. It felt too good.
While he was absorbed in his observation, though, the frail pegasi backed off slowly, ready to turn tail and run. She was quickly interrupted as he grabbed her hair and yanked her back towards him, only to punch her in the throat with his other hoof.
The sound she made as she tried to yell in pain was unlike anything he had heard before, and it made his entire body shiver. He used to be blind to the power he holds. He used to look away from the strength he had, simply because it was the moral thing to do. but he was tired of being a speckle of nothing. a grain of sand among other grains of sands. no, he wanted to be someone. He wanted to truly matter.
And, as he choked the pony under his hoof, seeing the consciousness fade from her eyes, his smile got wider. Simply because right then, he was the only thing that mattered to this pony. He was the only one that chooses whether she lived or died. As her struggles faded, he loosened his hold. He didn't want to kill her, not yet. No, no, that wouldn't do at all; he could hardly change her being, make a difference on her, be of use, if she was dead. No, instead, he dragged her away to the Everfree.
As he left the city, he reflected on what he was doing. Dragging an unconscious mare that he had choked and hit to exercise more of that sweet, delicious power on her. He knew it was wrong. He, however, did not care. He has lived for so long simply trying to do what was right. but he was still a nothing. People may have cared about him.. but he wasn't worth their attention. He wasn't worth their time. But now, he would finally feel worthy. maybe it would be of their hate and scorn. But when he would look in the mirror, he was going to see something. A paragon of evil, maybe. But he would be something. He didn't want to be saved anymore, to be given a hoofshake and go back to his pathetic life of nothingness. No, he was finally going to matter and change the world as he wishes. As a force of evil... but he was going to matter nonetheless.
Nightshade woke up to a dull pain in her head. As she felt the hold of rope against her limbs, and the cool, pure air of the everfree forest, the memories of last night came back to her. Her eyes nervously scanned the cave she found herself in for any sign of that violent earth pony. However, she only found the day peeking through the entrance. Thankfully the ropes were quite loose, so it was easy for her to escape the bindings. It must have been their first time trying to pull this kind of trick, and hopefully their last.
Usually, she would be styling her bright red mane by now, getting ready to look impeccable for work. Appearances were vital to her; she had to keep her black coat pampered as well, and it took quite a bit of time to get it right. But it wasn't only from vanity. It was useful for it not to get in her way, and good looks never hurt. She had more pressing matters to tend to than her messy mane, though. Like the scratches all over her body from being dragged over the forest floor, and the mad pony out there.
Wandering out of the small cave, the earth pony was nowhere to be found. She quickly went for the bushes, though; while she was confident she could take most earth ponies in a fight thanks to her training, he certainly felt very off, and she would rather not take the chance. From here, she was going to be able to observe the pony as they came back and learnt that she had escaped.
Time passed as she lay in wait. Should she really be here? If curiosity wasn't taking the better of her, she would be running off to the town's guards to warn them of this pony. But.. perhaps if they were grabbing another victim, she could save them as well. She fell completely still as she heard the steps.. a single pony, he's back.
She finally took a good look at him as he entered the cave. That orange mane and beige coat looked much messier than before, and his hooves had a few scratches. He probably hurt himself waltzing in the woods. What was more interesting, though, were those dark patches on his skin. What was going on there? It did not look like bruises. It was unnatural, like a disease, or a corruption, spreading through his body. Was it what was making him so mean?
Nightshade winced as a small dent was left in the rocky wall of the cave by the pony's enraged strike. Surprisingly, that was the extent of his anger, as he suddenly slumped and sat down, muzzle in his hooves. She was completely taken by surprise as he sobbed.
Pity took the better of her. She stepped out of the bushes. She wasn't foolish enough to get close, but perhaps she could help him from a safe distance. Making sure that she had a quick escape into the skies, she took one more step forward. "I'm here", she spoke out softly, looking towards the pony carefully. "I can see you're hurting-" The pony turns around, staring at her with wide, teary eyes. After seeing that he did not get any closer, Nightshade continued. "and perhaps I can help you in a way that doesn't involve me getting battered and tortured. Please, tell me your name."
A few seconds of silence filled the air as they looked at each other, before the pony finally responded. "My.. my name is Copper Moon," he said quietly, wiping his tears. "I-I'm sorry," he added. Nightshade looked on as the dark patches on him seemed to shrink and pulse. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Why did you do it?" She took another step forward. He avoided her gaze as he responded. "I... I don't have a cutie mark, still. I have no destiny, nothing that I can do. I thought, if I did it, I'd show myself I could make my own mark on ponykind, but I failed at even that," he said with a sigh, another tear running down Copper Moon's muzzle. His eyes looked over Nightshade's body and landed on her rose cutie mark.
"I see... it must be tough for you." she responded, still trying to process how this would have led him down this path. "You have no idea... I think it's under control now, but I don't want to go back to Ponyville." Copper took a step forward. Nightshade did not move, but her wings fluttered slightly, ready to take off at any moment.
"I understand. Listen, if you want to do something that has an impact, why don't you work for me? I.. could use the help, and as long as you don't hurt anyone again, I wouldn't mind giving you something to do," nightshade quickly says. "Why would you...?" Copper looked genuinely shocked at that proposition, "but what of the guards? What if they saw me assaulting you? What is your job if it makes such an impact? Who are you to-" Copper's increasingly agitated questioning was cut short by Nightshade. "I'm a thief. I gather artifacts, sell some for bits, and keep others. Maybe we can cure your, ahem, condition with one, if we are lucky." she said with a slight smile drawing on her face. Maybe she could help this sick pony back to relative health, and get a close ally at the same time. Although she wasn't going to forgive him so easily; he was going to owe her for a long, long time.
He opened his muzzle to respond, but he was interrupted by something that caught his attention, staring at that thing in the sky. She quickly turned her head, but she only saw the moon. She took her eyes back to him in a hurry, thinking he tried to distract her, but he had not moved. Although something was happening to him. His teeth were gritting, and he was stomping his hooves on the ground. "It's coming back- How is it coming back so quickly? I-" Copper gasped as the sky suddenly went dark, night falling near instantly in the forest.
Nightshade took a step back as she noticed the dark purple corruption spreading on his flank, although a shape was drawing inside of it. Was he related to the sudden darkness? Her wings flapped as she got ready to escape, but she did not need to. A strange energy flowed quickly across the forest, before slamming into him. It was blue and full of stars, shining like the night sky. Copper let out a yell of surprise as the odd aura covered him, and Nightshade only had the chance to see the crescent moon on his flank before he sunk into the energy and disappeared. As quickly as it came, the aura went, leaving Nightshade in silence as it took Copper Moon deeper into the Everfree.
Nightshade stayed frozen for a minute as she attempted to register what happened. As the silence continued, she exhaled and relaxed. Seemed like she wasn't getting a new sidekick.. and Copper Moon's troubles were only starting. It would be quite tough to track the aura, but she took to the air anyway. As she thought, there was no way to see where it was going. Still, she had to try. She was so close to saving him, and she wasn't going to give up yet. She glid in the direction the strange aura took. The forest was huge, though, and as she landed on one of the trees, Nightshade had to accept the reality that she could not find him. It was no use to her to wander around the forest aimlessly until she starved, or tired out. She shook her head and decided to go back to Ponyville, at least to figure out what was happening with the sudden night.
This had been one hell of a day... and well, a night. She wasn't too far, so she decided to take the trip on hoof, to wind down. As a thief, she had hidden in the everfree a few times before, so she knew that it wasn't as dangerous as many ponies made it out to be. It was quite relaxing, actually, to walk in that luscious forest. So close to the town, the trees were green, and there was still a lot of moonlight piercing through the ceiling of leaves above. No animals were in sight; She heard birds singing, but, weren't they supposed to be singing only during the day?
Something was definitely going wrong. Well, she wasn't wanted in Ponyville, so she could ask around and get filled in once she reached it, and perhaps help that Copper Moon fella too. Right now she would just focus on enjoying the alone time and calming herself down. Besides... night was her favorite time of the day.