Chapter 2: Castle of Death

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Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack stared at Prince Dark Bane, as he walked up to them with an evil glare as he looked at them in the eyes.
"You six have taken a great stallion from this world." Dark Bane stated as he stopped in front of Twilight and glared at her with hate.
"That great stallion as you call him was a monster." Twilight replied with a glare of her own.
"Shut your mouth wench!" Dark Bane yelled at her as he slammed his hoof into the floor that caused an explosion throwing the girls to the wall knocking out five of them.(Bet you don't know which one of the girls was able to stay awake.)
"My prince, let me destroy them for you." Trixie stated as she walked up to them with her horn light up.
"We'll take care of them later. Right now we will be taking our leave to my fortress." Dark Bane stated as he started to walk to leave the old castle as Trixie started to follow him out.
"I'm not done yet." Twilight stated in a pained tone of voice.
"Yes you are." Dark Bane stated as he looked at Twilight then used his magic to throw her into the same wall causing her to blackout.
When the Mane Six woke up, they saw they where in a Canterlot medical room with all three princesses and Shining Armor with worry on their faces.
"Did any pony get the names of that group of ponies that ran us over?" Pinkie Pie asked her joke while she rubbed her head.
"Darlings, do any of you remember what Dark Bane said while he was leaving with Trixie?" Rarity asked as she was also rubbing her head.
"Forget about what he said, are all of you ok?" Candance asked them out of worry.
"Calm down honey." Shining stated as he moved closer to his wife to try to calm her down.
"How long have we been out?" Rainbow Dash asked as she rubbed he head.
"One day." Luna answered with a calm tone of voice.
"Good, we didn't miss anything then. Anyone know where he's going?" Rainbow asked as she looked at her friends.
"I remember Dark Bane saying something about going to his fortress. That means he's going to the Crystal Empire right?" Twilight asked as she looked at the princesses and her brother.
"Well Twilight the thing is, the history books in the Crystal Empire state that Prince Dark Bane left the empire and rarely ever came back to the Crystal Empire." Cadance answered as she had to read up on the history of her new empire with her husband.
"It's true. The only reason we got them both at once was by chance. We have no idea where he goes to when he isn't at the Crystal Empire." Celestia stated as she looked at the floor.
"I think I know where they're going. I think they're going to the Castle of Death." Luna stated with despair.
"What's the Castle of Death?" 5/6 of the Mane Six asked as they looked at their leader for the answer.
"The Castle of Death is a castle that is in the middle of a graveyard and that supposely is the home of the Grim Reaper, and everypony that has gone to look for it has never been seen agian, well that's what the legends say about it, but there has been evidous that graveyards have been made where castles once stood that's most likely how the legend started." Twilight stated to her friends who seem to know nothing of some of the most known legends in Equestria.
"Nevvver seeen again." Fluttershy stammered the majority of the sentence as she was scared to go somewhere that was in legend the home of the king of death.
"I can only think of one place that could possible be that castle. It's to the north of Canterlot. You will know you are there when a fog and mist covers the ground and sky in the middle of a forest." Celestia stated as she brought up a map of Equestria and marked the spot on it.
"Be very careful. Shortly after we stopped Sombra and Dark Bane, I sent out my best scout to find this very castle. When he came back, his mind had been shattered into so many pieces that he alone almost released Discord with the amount of chaos that was in his mind, and he was of sanest mind in my guard." Luna stated as she remembered the day he had returned twiching about, looking all over the place, and not trusting any pony except Princess Luna herself.
"You sent one of your scouts to a most likely dangerous place." Celestia stated as she just found out about this.
"I asked for a voluntary, and they knew that there was most likely danger involved." Luna explained with annoyed tone of voice.
"Well girls, let's go." Twilight stated so they wouldn't have to hear the regal sisters argue.
"Twilight, I want you, your friends, Shining Armor, and Cadance to go to the Crystal Empire. I believe Dark Bane will be going there to try and bring his father back to life." Celestia told everypony in the room.
"How can he do that?" Twilight asked out of shock.
"He knows many dark arts so I believe he will try to get something of his father." Celestia answered as she looked at the ground knowing he was going to try to.
The Mane Six and the Prince & the Princess of the Crystal Empire went back to the empire to wait for the attack.
Prince Dark Bane and The Great and Powerful Trixie:
Dark Bane and Trixie were walking down a path in a forest that was north of Canterlot covered in mist and fog. Trixie was getting a little annoyed because she was not just promised great power but was also promised to become a general in her new prince's army.
"Where are we going my prince?" Trixie asked trying her best to not sound annoyed by the fact that her prince won't tell her anything.
"We are heading to my strong hold. You may have heard of it. The Castle of Death." Dark Bane answered with a look of emotionless.
"But that castle is supposed to be the home of the Grim Reaper!" Trixie yelled as she stopped in her tracks out of shock and fear.
"I hated being in the Crystal Empire. I was always in my father's shadow. Equestria know nothing about me." he replied as he still kept walking to the fortress.
"But no pony has ever returned from that castle!" the show pony yelled as she looked to her prince with fear and then ran infront of him to try and stop him.
"The castle is mine, and I have a spell over it to make sure no pony returns unless I say so." the prince of shadows replied still walking calmly to his castle.
"You are the pony that romes the Castle of Death." Trixie stated out of shock as she looked at his dragon like eyes that looked just like his father's.
"Yes I am." Dark Bane answered calmly.
"He's so cute, but he most likely thinks of me as nothing more but a show mare." Trixie thought to herself as she walked behind him while she looked at him with a gaze filled with love.
As the two where walking throught the mist, Trixie started to see headstones and even some tombs as she looked out at the area as she saw how the legends that Death lived in a castle was started.
"Trixie, there has been a question I been meaning to ask you for a while now." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the show pony.
"Yes, my lord." Trixie replied as she looked to her lord hoping he would say something she knew she couldn't.
"How did you find out about me?" Dark Bane asked as he looked at her with his soul piercing gaze.
"Well I found this library in that castle of the Regal Sisters and I found a dairy I think was Luna's." Trixie answered a little depressed that he didn't ask her a different question.
"I thank you for doing all this. Not only will I make you my student, but I will also make you my top general in my army." Dark Bane replied as he was still walking to his fortress.
Trixie was now very happy since not only was she now going to be powerful but if she played her cards right she might get to become a princess too. She was so happy that she didn't notice that the castle was now in view of the pair. The castle was large and intimidating with a strong gothic element to it. It had three large spires that reached for the moon or sun (hard to tell with the mist and fog) and the tallest one had a dim light at the top (or near again hard to tell).
"Pretty little Luna has lost her beauty. Now I will need to find a new mare to become my wife. That purple unicorn from before would have been a great choice, but she's the student of Celestia so she's out. Trixie here could be a great choice, but I'll have to test her to see if she can handle the power. The Alicorn Amulet should show me if her mind can withstand the power of dark magic." Dark Bane thought to himself as he made sure she couldn't see his smile.
As the two of them where nearing the castle, Trixie saw two guards standing by either side of a double door gate and was surprized to see anything guarding this place.
"Prince Dark Bane, how are these ponies still alive?" Trixie asked as she looked at the two grey unicorns stallions wearing armor that looked like the very same armor the prince was wearing with minor differences.(No cape and they wore helmets.)
"The ponies that guard and serve this castle are nothing more but crystals and my magic. They are nothing more but an extension of my will. That is the spell I used on my castle." Dark Bane answered as he stepped to the gate.
"Halt! Who goes there?" the guards yelled as the mist and fog swarled around their prince keeping him from veiw.
"Bow before your master." Dark Bane stated as he walked into a clear veiw for them.
"Master Dark Bane, it has been a long time since you've been here." the gurad on the right of the door replied as he and the other guard bowed to their master.
"Open the gate for me and my student." Dark Bane ordered as Trixie walked up to her lord.
"My lord, you brought a mare. This is the first time you brought another pony with you." the guard on the left side of the door stated as he and the other guard started to open the large wooden doors that soundlessly opened.
"For a castle that has been around for longer than the legend of Nightmare Moon, this place has been in great care." Trixie stated as she walked in with her master.
"The servants here maintane my home at all time." Dark Bane stated as the two unicorns passed a couple of grey earth pony maids who bowed to their master after adding wood to a burning fire that has been burning for who knows how long.
"My prince, why are all the servants grey coated and without cutie marks?" Trixie asked as the passed a couple of grey pegasus ponies dusting a chandelier.
"Because this very fortress was built over a magical crystal mine. The crystals in the mine never end but the crystals are all grey." Dark Bane stated as he stood infront of a large painted section of the wall with his father standing over a large amount of crystals.
"Who's that?" Trixie asked as she looked at the picture of the unicorn that looked like her prince.
"That's my father. King Sombra." Dark Bane stated as he looked to her.
"You look just like him." Trixie stated as she looked at the picture still.
"Yes, I know. Where are all of my guards?" Dark Bane stated and then asked one of the maids as she was walking past.
"I'm sorry my lord, but Diamond Dogs kept attacking wanting the crystals that we are made of and the only ones left are the ones that are left where at the gates." the unicorn maid answered with a bow.
"I really hate those muts." Dark Bane stated with annoyed tone.
"My prince, how do you make these ponies?" Trixie asked as she looked at all the servants.
"Follow me and you will see the creation of your soilders." Dark Bane stated as he walked to a spiral stair case that leads down.
Trixie followed her prince closely as they walked down the stairs to show large a amount of earth ponies where mining large amounts of grey crystals that where growing out of every surface and seemed to be repairing themselves as fast as they where being mined.
"Our lord has returned!" one miner yelled causing all of them to stop and bow to him.
"Wait, who's that mare with him?!?" yelled a stallion pulling a large wagon of crystals .
"This is my new general. This is General Trixie and you will bring me the finest crystals for me to make her legion." Dark Bane ordered as he glared at the miners.
"Yes our prince!" all the miners replied as they bowed to their lord.
The miners started to bring in crates full of almost perfectly clear grey crystals to their lord, but he didn't look to happy at the amount they brought him.
"I've been gone for centeries and this all the you have." Dark Bane stated as he glared at all of his miners.
"We're sorry our lord, but the Diamond Dogs attack us at least ounce a year and after 50 years we where down to only the two guards at the gate, so we started to give the dogs crystals to leave us alone." one of the miners stated as he cowarded to his creator.
That's when a maid came running down the stairs looking very scared.
"My lord, the Diamond Dogs are coming. What should we do?" the pegasus asked her lord out of fear for her and the other crystal ponies of the castle.
As Dark Bane walked to the gates of his castle, his servants banged for him to stay in the castle, but he contunied to walk to the gate. When he got out of the castle, he glared at the muts before him that where laughing at him.
"So the ponies made of crystals plan on stopping us." one of the dogs stated as he walked up to the prince.
Prince Dark Bane used his magic to unleash a blast of fire at the dogs that freak at the sight.
"But these ponies can't magic!" a dog yelled as the rest started to freak out as Dark Bane started to use his father's magic to bring out tendrals of magic that struck out at the dogs.
"Leave or die." Dark Bane ordered as the dogs started to ran away.
"Run! We'll find another source of crystals!" the one that most likely was in charge yelled as they ran away.
Dark Bane walked into his castle and then went to the crates to make Trixie her troops. Trixie watched as her lord started to channel his magic into his horn as the crystals started to float into the air. The crystals started to melt and change as they formed a single large pool of liquid crystal. The pool started to form around 60 bodies, and from the looks of it there was an equal amounts of earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies forming. When the 60 ponies where formed, they looked like the basic military stallions without their armor (imagine Shining Armor without his armor and all grey with no cutie mark), then by their creator's magic their armor formed out of thin air (armor looks just like the guards at the gate).
"I'll give you more when they find more high quality crystals." Dark Bane stated as he started towards the stairs.
"Prince Dark Bane, when while I start my first lesson?" Trixie asked as she and her legion followed him up the stairs.
"Soon my student, but first maybe you can tell your troops to stop stocking us." Dark Bane answered as he looked her in the eyes.
"Oh. Um...All of you keep watch of the surrounding area of the castle and keep any pony from coming close." she ordered as she turned to her troops.
"Yes General Trixie." all of her troops replied as they went to guard the castle.
"My prince, you didn't tell them anything so how do they know I'm your top general?" Trixie asked as she looked at him.
"While I'm making them, I can put what ever I want into their minds allowing me to give them all the information at once." Dark Bane replied as he continued to lead her to a room.
"Where are we going?" the ex-show pony asked as she was now a little scared of what he could do as she remembered what he did to the Diamond Dogs.
"I'm taking you to my study. I need to give you a test." the prince answered as they where now going up grand stairs to one of the towers.
"Y-Your study, but why?" Trixie asked with a blush forming on her face.
"I need to see if you can handle the power that I will grant you. It can strain the mind a bit." Dark Bane answered he looked at the door they where aproaching.
Dark Bane opened the door using his magic and had Trixie go in first. As they walked in, Trixie saw a king sized bed that could fit most likely six ponies at once. She looked over at the roaring fire place and saw that there was a phoenix there, and as soon as it saw Dark Bane it fly over to him and landed on his back. Trixie had to admit it, she never got to see a phoenix this close up before, but this one was completely black and its eyes where as red as its master's horn while they glowed. When she looked over to the desk that was by the fire she saw a table with an amulet in the shape of an alicorn. It was made of silver and ruby.
"What's that amulet?" Trixie asked as she got closer to it.
"That would be your test. That amulet was made by me. It gives the wear the power of two enraged alicorns, but it can cause the wearer to become power hungry. The test I'm giving you is to last at least three hours with this on." Dark Bane answered as he walked over to said amulet and begain to move it towards Trixie.
"How will this show you anything?" Trixie asked as he was about to put it on her.
"The magic I'm want to teach you has negative effects on the mind and if you use too much then you will be overwhelmed by its power. This amulet has the same effect on the mind but far more powerful. If you last at least three hours, you can use dark magic without a problem." Dark Bane answered as he put the amulet on her.
"I don't feel different. What do I do now?" Trixie asked as she looked at her teacher.
"It doesn't matter if you use the power it gives you. We just have to wait." Dark Bane answered as he took off his cape and placed it on a table.
"Prince Dark Bane, what's with the black phoenix?" Trixie asked as she looked at the bird as it seemed to glare at her.
"He's my pet. His name is Loki. He is the last the dark phoenix on this planet." Dark Bane answered as said bird went to a perch.
"Why is he the last one?" Trixie asked as she eyed the bird that still seemed to glare at her.
"The princesses of the sun and moon had the rest exterminated because they increased the power of dark magic. I was able to save him before Celestia got to his egg." Dark Bane stated as he looked at Loki.
In the end Trixie was able to withstand almost four full hours of wearing the amulet.
"You should feel proud of yourself. You lasted almost as long as me. In fact you lasted longer than Prince Luna did when I placed it on her." Dark Bane stated as he placed a glass dome around the amulet and then placed a spell on the dome keeping it in place.
"If you say so, but I feel like I just got bucked in the face." Trixie stated as she rubbed her head.
"I'll show you to your room then so you can rest." the prince replied as he got up and lead her to another room in the same tower.
"My lord, why isn't your room at the top of the tower?" Trixie asked as she was now too curouis.
"That room is for my father if he ever comes here, and since he won't be able to rule his empire after I bring him back, he will be staying here." Dark Bane stated as if he was annoyed.
Dark Bane openned the door for Trixie who walked in to see that it looked kinda like Dark Bane's room but didn't have the same sized bed (the bed was about half the size).
"Rest, for tomorrow we will begin your training." Dark Bane stated as he walked out of the room and closed the door as Trixie went to the bed.
"I will do anything to make sure I can get as close to you as possible. I will become your wife." Trixie said queitly as she fell asleep.
Dark Bane was walking back to his room with a single goal on his mind.
"I need to bring my father back, but that requires two powerful unicorns in the same family. I will make Trixie my bride and show my father that I can make my own choices, and Trixie is beuatiful, even more so than Luna. I believe Father will approve of this, and I will make sure my child knows their mother unlike me." Dark Bane thought as he walked into his room and then went to his bed to sleep.

Chapter 3: A Grand Change

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Crystal Empire Castle:
The Mane Six, Spike, Shining Armor, and Candance where in the throne room of the Crystal Empire and Rainbow Dash was flying all over the room.
"I thought Princess Celestia said that Dark Bane was going to come here." Rainbow Dash complained as she fly through the air of the throne room.
"Rainbow Dash, Dark Bane uses strategy to make sure he will most likely win every time." Twilight replied while reading a dark red book with a black crystal heart with a large crack going from the top of the heart to the center of it.
"Twilight, where did you get that book?" Shining asked his sister with surprise.
"It was in the room you two put me in. In fact, it was on the night stand this morning. It has so much about the Prince of Shadows." Twilight answered as she looked at her brother.
"That book is Sombra's journal about his son." Candance stated as she flow over to her sister-in-law.
"Really. Well even though this book tells me a lot of things about Dark Bane, it seems that he didn't know his own son all that well on a personal level." Twilight stated as she looked at the book some more.
"What I want to know is, why Dark Bane doesn't like living here?" Rarity asked as she motioned the now expanded city allowing visitors to be in the barrier keeping out the cold weather.
"From what we've heard, the prince and the king weren't very close. In fact Dark Bane never know his mother." Candance answered as she looked at the others.
"That's so sad." Fluttershy stated as she was the only one to think that about the prince.
"So what does that there book say about Prince Dark Bane?" Applejack asked as she looked to Twilight.
"It says that if there was ever a fight going on in the empire that Dark Bane would be seen when he was here." Twilight read aloud as she looked at the book.
"Now that's weird. Hey maybe his talent is hoof to hoof fighting or maybe he's a professional wrestler." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked at her friends with a large Pinkie Pie smile.
"I don't think that's his talent Pinkie Pie." Spike stated as he looked at the pink earth pony.
"It says that his talent was magic, just like Sombra himself." Twilight stated so her friends and family wouldn't start to agrue.
"Any clue when he might attack?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked out at the sky bored.
"No." everyone replied back to the pegasus.
Prince Dark Bane's Castle:
Trixie woke up to the song of an old pipe organ being played and from the sounds of activity she could hear, it was around eight in the morning.
(Sounds like this.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO1FdPXlsWw

"Who's playing that thing at this time in the morning?" Trixie asked to herself as she got out of her bed and then brushed her hair.
That's when there was a knocking at her door, and then a maid came walking in with a tray with breakfest levatating above her head. The pony used the levation spell to place the tray on a little table.
"Thank you for bringing my food. Is there anything that Prince Dark Bane wants of me?" Trixie asked before she started to eat her breakfest.
"Lord Dark Bane, wants you to be at the library after your finish you breakfest, and he will lead you to the library." the maid stated as she motioned to an earth pony butler standing to the side of the door.
"Ok." Trixie replied as she was finishing her breakfest.(Speedy little eater I have made her.)
After Trixie finished eating her breakfest, the butler began to take her to the library, and all the while that music was still playing.
"Hey, what's with this music?" Trixie asked as she looked at the very life like doll.(In bases that's what all of Dark Bane's minions are.)
"That is Prince Dark Bane playing his prize pipe organ. Before he disappeared, he would play it every morning. I can only image how much pain he was in when during those thousand years." the elderly sounding earth pony stated as he lead her to two large wooden doors with a dragon eye shaped gem was inbedded in each door and it was also where the music was coming from the loudest.
"I take it that this is the library." Trixie stated as she looked at the earth pony.
"Yes. You will be able to find him at the back of the library. Just follow the pipes. His pipe organ is contacred to every part of the castle so everypony can hear his song." the elderly pony stated as he opened the door for her.
"Thank you." Trixie thanked as she walked in.
"You are welcome General Trixie." replied the elder pony with a bow.
Trixie had almost forgotten that she was now a general in an army and turned back to the earth pony and told him to go tell her troops to start pratrolling the inside of the castle. He obeyed and Trixie entered the library. As she walked through the well of knowlegde, she saw books that every library in Equestria would want to have, and a certain unicorn that would love to read every last book in here. After about 5 minutes of following a pipe that was on the roof, she found the very unicorn that she wanted. The prince was still playing that song. It seemed every time he finished the song, he would play it again. She walked up to her teacher, prince, and hopefully lover.
"She has finally arrived. Now is the time to see if she has any patience." Dark Bane thought to himself as he contunied to play on the musical instrument with years of experince.
"Does he not sense me?" Trixie asked herself as she sat in a position that looked like she was bowing to him.
Trixie waited for 10 minutes before she stood up and approached her lord. As soon as Trixie was about a yard away, Dark Bane turned his head to look at her.
"10 minutes, impressive I thought you where only going to last 5 minutes." Dark Bane stated as he walked over to her and moving a strand of hair out of her face when she looked up at him.
"Why is that impressive my lord?" Trixie asked as she looked deeply into his eyes revealing everything he needed to know about the mare's feelings for him.
"Your first test was to show that you have patience, and you passed. Now I need you to read this book with in three days." Dark Bane answered as he brought out a book that was about as thick as a unrolled newspaper.(In other terms it was a small book. It was a book that could be read in about a hour really.)
"My lord, it will only take me a few hours to read all of this." Trixie stated as she looked at the book to reveal that it was a book on black magic.
"Then read and memorize it." Dark Bane stated as he looked at her and then went back to playing his beloved pipe organ again.
Trixie started to look through the book of magic to discover that this single book only had one spell. It was a resurrection spell and it was a complicated one.
"What the hell? Why does he want me to know this? This type of magic has been forbidden before even the princesses, and from what I've read, this only brings back a family member as long as you have something from them when they where alive or a bone of some kind. Wait, it says here that only family can use it to bring somepony back, but it takes at least two unicorns to do it and they must be related! Weather by blood or by marriage!" Trixie thought to herself as she was reading along the pages and then seeing the seal used with it.(In fact the pages that showed how to make the seal took up half of the book and it was now sunset. She really wasn't expecting the introctions to be well detailed.)
Dark Bane has been using Loki to watch Trixie as she looked over the spell book and noticed that her face kept changing from surprised, to confused, to terrified, and then to flabbergasted. He was smiling as he watched her looking back and forth from the book to her prince.
"I take it that you have gotten to the last of the instructions since you keeping staring at me, and yes I know what it takes to perform this spell. I already have the seal ready in my garden." Dark Bane stated as he turned to his his student.
"But that would mean you need help from your family. Do have any living family members at all, and when did you have the seal made?" Trixie asked her prince as she looked at him with pure confusion on her face.
"My mother died shortly after my birth, I'm an only child, and I have no relatives, because mother and father where the only child in their families. That only leaves me one option, I have to get married. Do you haveany idea who I believe would be my perfect bride?" the Prince of Shadows asked as he walked so close to Trixie that she backed up into a wall as he moved his head so his lips where by her ear.
"One of the princesses, or maybe one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony." Trixie guessed as she was was pinned up against the wall with her prince's lips close to her own.
"I was thinking of an ex-show pony who's talent is magic. In fact, said pony needs to have fur as blue as the sky during the day, and a mane and tail a teal. From what I have seen of Equestria, there's only one pony like that." Dark Bane stated as he moved closer to her causing her to blush and breath a little harder.
"Do you mean me, Prince Dark Bane?" Trixie asked as her expression changed to that of love.(You know the face that is used for those cheesey love sceens where the couple end up making out shortly after that.)
"Yes my little princess." Dark Bane answeres as he placed a kiss on Trixie's lips causing her to melt from his touch.(Yes I know but it had to be done.)
Dark Bane pulled away from her causing her to give a soft moan of displeasure. Trixie looked into his eyes with more than just love, but complete and total lust. Loki came flying down and landed on Dark Bane, but that's when Dark Bane whispered something to the bird and Loki then flow off as if it was obeying an order.
"Dark Bane, please keep kissing me." Trixie begged as she was panting.
"Follow me to our room." Dark Bane stated as he started to leave her.
"Dark Bane!" Trixie wined as she chased him through the castle and into their room.
"There's a little ritual that I know that will make us of one family." Dark Bane stated as he sat infront of the fire place.
"Then lets do it, please." Trixie begged as her eyes where pleading to him.
Loki came flying over to his master with a red crystal flask in his talens. Loki placed the crystal flask on a table as his master made one appear in between himself and Trixie.
[Warning: This part gets a little dark and graffic in my point of view. If you are wanting to skip this part look for this {[]} in the middle of the page.]
Dark Bane used the magic he inheritted from his father, to summon a dark bladed dagger and then stuck his front right leg above the crystal flask. Trixie was looking at the sceen with a sence of panic at what was happening. Dark Bane then proceed to cut himself with the dagger causing blood to fill the flask half way from two or three drops. He levitated the blade to a now very alarmed Trixie.
"This crystal flask is encanted so it turns the blood into a potion that will bide us together. In other words my future princess this little flask can wed us." Dark Bane explained as he looked at Trixie who was hyperventilating a light bit.
"But I can't do this." Trixie answered as she looked at the dark metal blade of the dagger.
"Calm down. The blade is enchanted so all you have to do it place the blade to your leg and the magic will pull the amount of blood needed for this without you getting hurt or feeling any pain." Dark Bane stated as he looked at how scared she held the blade with her magic.
"Ok." Trixie replied as she moved her left front leg over the flask and then did as Dark Bane instructed and she was releaved that he was right.
The three drops of blood fell into the flask and the rest of it was filled by the blood red potion. Dark Bane lifted the flask into the air and moved it towards Trixie as he gave her a nod that said it would be fine. Trixie closed her eyes while she opened her mouth and then tasted what seemed to be a sweet taste that couldn't be compared to anything. Trixie opened her eyes when she felt the flask move from her lips and saw that now Dark Bane was drinking the rest of the potion.
"So we're now married?" Trixie asked as she looked at Dark Bane as he walked up to her.
"Yes we are." Dark Bane answered as he made the flask vanished and then got into their bad.(After he took off his armor. Want to know what Dark Bane's cutie mark is. It is a black crystal heart with a large crack going from the top of the heart to the very center ot it.)
{[]}
Trixie walked over to their bed and got in with her new husband. As soon as Trixie was in the bed, Dark Bane wrapped his front hooves around his wife and made her face him. Trixie saw he had a smile on his lips and then to give her a passionate kiss.
"We aren't done quite yet." he stated as both of them smiled after he said it. (I'm not going to go into detail of what happened but I'm sure you know what happened.)

Chapter 4: Remnants of the Fallen King

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Crystal Empire:
It has been a week since the return of the prince and he hasn't attacked yet, and it was making a certain rainbow maned pegasus pony really annoyed.
"How much longer are we going to wait for that bucker to get here?" Rainbow wined as she started to jump up and down out of anger.
"Rainbow Dash, a mare should never use such language." Rarity stated at the use of foul language at all.
"Oh would you two stop fighting, because it isn't going to help us." Applejack state annoyed at her friends for fighting with each other.
"But Dark Pain, is taking forever to attack. This is so not awsome, and I already read all the Daring Do books I brought with me." Rainbow replied as she slupped down onto the ground.
"Princess Cadance! Prince Shining Armor! There is an army approaching the empire as I speak!" a guard yelled as he rushed into the throne room.
"How many?" Shining asked as he stood to his full height.
"They are two hundred strong my prince." the guard anwsered as he looked out a window and pointed at a large gray mass caming into sight.
"Hey, I remember reading about an army like this." Twilight stated as she looked at the army that was now in a position to attack the empire.
"What are the meanies called then?" Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced up to her friend.
"They are called the Legion of Shadows. It is said that they are an army that appeared around a thousand years ago, and that they attacked small towns for their gems, but there has never been a body recovered from this army for some reason." Twilight answered as she looked at the soldiers ready to attack.
"They most likely took their dead back with them." Shining stated as he gazed at the army.
"Attention slaves of the Crystal Empire, I have come for my father's crown. Any resistance will result with the resister's life being terrimated at once." Dark Bane's voice boomed through only the castle of the empire as if he was standing right there in person.
"Well Rainbow, you got something to do now." Twilight stated as she looked at the army as they stood at a distance from the empire.
Legion of Shadows:
"Honey, why did you make so many soldiers out of low quality crystals?" Trixie asked as she nuzzled her husband's neck with her head.
"They are only to distract them as we look for any remains of my father." Dark Bane stated as he kissed his wife's forehead.
"Didn't you bring Loki here?" Trixie asked as she looked for the said dark phoenix.
"He is within the city ready to act." Dark Bane answered as he used emerld magic to move a strain of Trixie's mane back into place.
That's when a dome of magic appeared around the city.
Crystal Empire under the shield:
The citizens started to look around the city curious to why the princess just placed the shield over the city. That's when one crystal mare screamed as she saw the glowing red eyes of the black phoenix perched on a near by roof. Other crystal ponies began to see the bird that caused to mare to scream.
"It's Loki! Prince Dark Bane has returned!" yelled some random crystal pony out of fear.
The crystal ponies started to run to their homes. Even the guards where also scared as the army of their ex-prince approached the shield.
"Why would Dark Bane have Loki in the shield?" a guard asked another guard.
"Who cares? Just catch the damn bird!" another guard yelled at rest of his squad.
That's when Dark Bane's army started to hit the shield with their hooves and magical blasts from the unicorns. The shield was taking the beating easily. That's when Loki flew up into the air and opened his wings and a blast of dark magic erupted from the bird destroying the shield Cadance made. The Legion of Shadows started to run into the city attacking the guards. The Mane Six ran into battle to help the guards. Twilight was blasting the legionaires with her magic, Rarity was using the levitation spell to throw them into each other, Pinkie Pie was, well she was some how getting them to attack themselves (Thanks to her Pinkie Pie powers.), Applejack just kept bucking them, Rainbow Dash grabbed them and took them for a ride and dropped them from a painful height, Fluttershy wasn't really fighting but kept getting them to run into each by running around. As the Mane Six were being distracted by the undying troops of the Legion of Shadows, Prince Dark Bane and Princess Trixie walked toward the castle with a look of pride.
"Honey, can I kill Sparkle now?" Trixie asked her husband in an alluring tone of voice.
"You will have your revenge soon my princess, but we first need to get something of Father." Dark Bane answered as he gave her a kiss.
"Fine my prince." Trixie replied as she looked at the ground.
"You can how even give her some trouble with the troops." Dark Bane stated to cheer her up.
"Thank you, but how are you going to find something to use to bring him back?" Trixie asked she looked at her husband.
"I have a spell to help me with finding the perfect item for the resurrection spell." Dark Bane answered as his horn glowed emerld.
Dark Bane then walked into the castle as he looked for the item that the spell choose. Trixie then had all of the troops gather around Twilight and her friends. The troops surrounded the girls and then forced them to the ground.
"Look at the this. The student of the sun goddess on the ground before a true princess." Trixie stated as she looked at the Mane Six.
"What are you talking about... Trixie your eyes. What happened to your eyes?" Twilight asked as she looked up at Trixie.
Trixie's eyes had changed to match her husband's dragon like eyes.
"I got married, that's what happened to my eyes." Trixie answered as she walked up to them as troops bowed to her.
"How does getting married cause your eyes to change?" Rainbow asked as three earth pony troops forced her down making sure she couldn't fly away.
"Ever heard of a binding ritual that in basis weds two ponies?" Trixie asked as she looked into the eyes of her enemies.
"OOOO. Let me guess. You and Dark Bane used the Crystal Flask Binding Ritual so the two of you would be married and then the two of you cuddled." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked at the new Princess of Shadows.
Trixie just stared at Pinkie Pie with an open mouth. She didn't move for almost a whole minute, but then the ex-show pony shook her head and regained her composure.
"I'm not even going to ask how you know all of that." Trixie replied as she looked at the pink earth pony.
"Well it was easy. I know the author." Pinkie stated making all of the girls and even the troops look at each other.(Yes painfully obvious Pinkie Pie breaking the forth wall moment. I thought it was needed.)
"What is wrong with this pony?" Trixie asked to no one really.
"We don't really question it." Applejack answered with a deadpan tone of voice.
Dark Bane a few moments ago:
Dark Bane was walking through the castle opening doors looking for what his spell was directing him to. At the moment his spell was leading him to the upper levels of the castle. As he was walking through the level that had his childhood bedroom, his spell flashed a bright red as he stepped infront of the door for his old bedroom.
"My childhood bedroom?" Dark Bane questioned to no pony.
"What do you think you're doing... Dark Bane!" Shining yelled as he went around a corn to help his sister and her friends.
"I don't have time for this." Dark Bane stated as he used his magic to slam Shining into the ceiling and drop him onto the floor knocked out.
Dark Bane opened the door to his old room to see his room was still as baren as he left it. All of the books that he owned he had been taken to his fortress. The only thing different about the room was that it was smaller. The wall opposent of the bed was closer to it. As he walked in, his horn started to glow with so much brightness that it wood have blinded any pony that was in the room with him. Dark Bane was looking at the wall until he saw a part in it that was not the right shade of color. Using his magic, he pushed the part of the wall and it raised to reveal the rest of the room. At the center of the room was his father's horn, and he stepped closer to what he was looking for, he heard his father's voice whispering a spell.
"Even in death you have a plan to survive, but soon you will live agian." Dark Bane stated to himself.
Dark Bane used his magic to teleport his father's horn back to his fortress. He then felt all his troops going to a single point in the empire.
"What is my wife doing?" he stated as he looked out of the window to see she had the legion in one spot.
Dark Bane then used his magic to teleport to his wife as everypony there started to look at each other.(He got there right after Applejack answered Trixie.)
"My prince." Trixie stated as she nuzzled her husband's neck with affection.
"Dark Bane, how are your troops not getting hurt at all?" Twilight asked as she got her head up off the ground enough to ask.
"They are made of crystals, and are there for do not age, hunger, or feel pain." Dark Bane answered as he glared down at Twilight with such hatred that surpassed even Trixie.
"You won't become king of the Crystal Empire, not as long as any of us or the princesses of Equestria still breath, you can't stop us!" Cadance yelled as she flew towards the prince.
"Silence." Trixie yelled then used the dark powers of her father-in-law to slam Cadance into the ground with a lot of force.
"Nothing can bet me in battle." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the princess with a look that reminder her of Chrysalis when she was imprisoned by her.
"What are you?" Cadance asked scaried to find out.
"The heir of this empire, and the reason I say heir is because soon the king will return." Dark Bane answered as he turned away towards the Mane Six.
"Can I kill Sparkle now?" Trixie asked her husband with a baging look.
"Way not? It would please Father that the pony that truly killed him is dead." Dark Bane stated as he made an ax appear infront of Trixie.
"Thank you honey." Trixie sang to him with unnatural happyness.
"No leave her alone!" Cadance yelled as she struggled to free herself from the magic of Dark Bane that now kept her on the ground now.
"Maybe I'll kill the princess and then her friends before I kill Sparkle, just to add to the pain." Trixie stated as she turned to look at Cadance with an evil glit in her eyes.
"No. Father would most likely want to kill Princess Mi Amore Cadenza since she was the one that took his empire." Dark Bane stated as he looked at his wife.
"Very well I'll start with her friends. Wait she has a brother. Where is he?" Trixie asked as she looked for the ex-captain of the guard.
"He's right here!" Shining Armor yelled as he blasted a trooper with his magic hard enough to make the soilder exploid from the force of the blast.
"The fake prince has awakened from the concussion I gave him, and it looks like you are willing to end a life, even if it was the life of one of my puppets." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the soilder.
"I will not let you hurt Cadance or Twilight or her friends!" Shining yelled as he charged at Dark Bane with his horn glowing with magic.
"You don't have a choice in the matter." Dark Bane replied as his eyes glowed red for a moment and Shining felt as if a small amount of the anger and hatred he felt for the Prince of Shadows disappeared.
"You just feed off of me emotions. What are you?" Shining asked as he looked at the prince straight in the eyes.
"Let me show you something that not even Father knows that I can do." Dark Bane stated as very familiar flames started to surround him.
Dark Bane was soon envelpoded in the flames as he started to change shape to look like Shining Armor himself but with the eyes that came with dark magic.
"Hello I'm Shining Armor, the worthless husband of a worthless princess." Dark Bane stated mimicing Shining's voice perfectly, but not his speak pattern.
"You take that back about Cadance right now!" Shining yelled as he tried to sink his horn into Dark Bane.
Dark Bane changed back to his form and then his eyes glowed red again as everypony felt their rage and hatred getting weaker from Dark Bane. This was about the point where Shining then got slammed into the ground.
"How can you use Changeling magic?" Trixie asked as she came out of shock she was in when he shaped shift to the form of Shining Armor.
"My talent is that of magic, and that means I can use all magic." Dark Bane answered as he looked into the eyes of his wife.
"But Trixie and mine talents are also talented in magic and we can't use Changeling magic." Twilight stated as she tried to use her magic to throw the soilders off of her.
"It comes to me naturally actually. Then again all I ever did was study when I was a child. Father did have the largest collection of books, but now I have that collection. If you are wondering why it is simple I copied every book down to the letter and those books are in our room back at our home." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the purple unicorn then to his wife.
"Can I please just kill them now?" Trixie asked her husband as she raised the ax towards Fluttershy.
"Yes you can, but start with Armor. Just to add to the pain." Dark Bane answered as he looked at Shining.
"Good idea." Trixie stated as she walked over to Shining and raised the ax above Shining's neck.
"Shining!" Twilight and Cadance yelled as Trixie started to bring the ax down.
For the Mane Six and Cadance the ax was moving painfully slow, but when the blade was about to meet his flesh a bright red fire ball hit the weapon causing it to shatter into thousands of harmless shards.
"What happened?" Trixie asked her husband.
"That was very powerful fire magic, but crystal ponies can't use magic." Dark Bane stated as he looked around the area.
"Then who did it?" Trixie asked as she looked around the area to see if a unicorn or one of the other princesses.
As everypony was looking for the pony that fired the fire, a shadow appeared over them, but quickly disappeared.
"Was that the shadow of Princess Luna?" Trixie asked as she started to freak out.
"No. If that was Princess Luna, we would have heard her yelling that she would rip my head off." Dark Bane answered as he rememebered how Luna reacted after he spoke.
"Then who could be doing this?" Trixie asked with fear in her eyes.
As everypony was looking into the sky trying to see who it was, but they didn't notice a green pegasus walking up to them from an alley with flames in his eyes with a Yin Yang cutie mark but the white is blue. Following this pegasus was a dragon around the same size as Spike that had green scales and a red belly/what ever you call that thing that runs down a dragon's back (There's a name for it but I don't know what it is.) and was breathing green fire to show she was ready for a fight.
"Where is the pony?" Trixie asked everyone of the troops who where freaking out.
"Burn!" yelled the green pegasus as he came flying out of the alley covered in fire as he tackled the troops off of Cadance.
The troops that this pegasus tackled while on fire shattered into harmless fragments. All the troops released the pony they where holding to attack this pegasus.
"Kill him!" yelled Dark Bane and Trixie as they fired twin beams of dark magic at this magicual pegasus.

Author's Notes:

Me: I added these two new ocs by demand of my older sibling.
Prince Dark Bane: That's it.
Me: What's it?
The Great and Powerful Trixie: Dark Bane and I the Great and Powerful Trixie yell kill him and the chapter is over.
Prince Dark Bane: That's Prince Dark Bane, and I agree with you Great and Powerful Trixie.
Me: Why does my own oc hate me?
Prince Dark Bane: Because I can't stand you.
Me: Someone shoot me. On second thought never mind.
Prince Dark Bane: Dam. (Bang) Oh crud.
Me: I'm so going to have Trixie b***h your ear off in the next up coming chapters.
Prince Dark Bane and the Great and Powerful Trixie: Wait why?
Me: Let me just say the feared King Sombra is going to be fearing himself.
Both Prince Dark Bane and the Great and Powerful Trixie look confused but I laughing at them.

Chapter 5: War of the Alicorns

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Troops where running at the pegasus with all their weapons ready to kill him, but as they rushed to do their lords will, the pegasus flapped his wings sending a wave of fire that destroyed the army and putting Trixie and Dark Bane in a state of total shock as the army they brought was reduced to dust.
"How is that possible? He's a pegasus, they can't use magic!" Trixie yelled as she looked at the green hair pegasus.
"It doesn't matter. He'll burn just like the rest." Dark Bane replied to his wife as he used a spell that allowed him to breath fire.
As the flames got close to the pegasus, the flames suddenly turned up towards the sky making everypony go into a state of shock.
"That's impossible. That fire was created with the power of hatred itself." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the pegasus.
"Hey Twilight, how can he use magic?" Rainbow Dash asked since there has never been a pegasus in history that could use magic.
"I don't know." Twilight replied as she looked at the pegasus.
"I think it is time for us to take our leave my princess." Dark Bane stated as he backed up to get away from this pony.
"Agreed my prince." Trixie replied as she stepped closer to her husband.
Dark Bane then used dark magic to teleport the both of them back to their castle. Leaving the six weilders of the Elements of Harmony and the rulers of the Crystal Empire looking at the pegasus and the dragoness.
"Alright buster who are you?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew into the magical pegasus's face.
"His name is Flame, and you'll leave him alone." the dragoness answered as she pushed Rainbow Dash away from Flame.
"Wow, you have a baby dragon as an assisstant like me." Twilight stated as she looked at the dragoness.
"I'm no baby you horned dork, and the name is Scales." the dragoness corrected the unicorn.
"Sorry." Twilight apologized to the small dragoness.
"Twilight, are you alright?" Spike asked as he ran up to the group.
"Yes Spike, we are all fine." Twilight replied as she hugged the baby dragon.
"How did you beat them?" Spike asked as he looked up at her.
"Actually, we were saved by Flame here and I believe his friend Scales." Twilight answered as she turned him so he can see them.
As soon as Spike saw Scales, he started to stare at her kinda the same way he did when he first saw Rarity.
"Hey, stop staring or I'm going to smack you so hard that you're ancestors will feel it." Scales stated as she saw him staring at her.
"Sorry." Spike apologized as he lowered his head.
"Don't you dare threaten my number one assisstant." Twilight stated as she glared at the dragoness.
"Get away from her." Flame stated as he walked between the two.
"If you two are done, we need to go tell Aunt Celestia that Dark Bane got what ever he wanted." Cadance stated as she looked at the group.
"Actually honey, I know what he got. He got the horn of Sombra." Shining stated as he looked at the group with a sadden look.
"Why would he want his father's horn? I mean that is rather disgusting that he would want that thing." Rarity stated as she was disturbed by the thought.
"Wait, I just remebered that Dark Bane knows many ancient spells. Spells like necromancy. He plans on using a spell to bring back his father to life." Cadance stated as she remembered a very important detail about him.
"Necromancy has been forbidden even before Princess Celestia was born. How can he know any of those spells?" Twilight asked as she looked at the group.
"There must have been a few recorded spells then." Flame answered as he and Scales started to leave towards the edge of the empire.
"Wait, where are you two going?" Pinkie asked as she popped out infront of the two.
"Wow! How did she do that?" Scales asked as she looked at the pink pony.
"To get our stuff." Flame answered the earth pony with a calm stated face.
"We have to hurry back to Princess Celestia! She needs to know what is happening!" Twilight yelled as she started to panick.
"Then we leave now." Cadance stated as she used her magic to teleport her, Shining, Spike, and the Mane Six to the castle of the royal sisters.
Castle of Death:
Trixie was sitting on the couch as she was chewing on her lower lip. Her husband was in the mines making more warriors to protect their home from an attack on them that could happen at any time. He was using large amounts of his own magic to refine the crystals to make stronger troops. After about an hour of doing this, Dark Bane came out of the mines breathing heavily and followed by around 600 troops.
"Are you alright?" Trixie asked as she rushed over to his side.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Dark Bane answered as he was lead to the couch.
"What do we do now? You're to weak to cast the resurrection spell now." Trixie said as she looked into his eyes.
"I have an idea. You come over here." Dark Bane stated as a unicorn maid came walking up to the two.
"Yes, my lords." the maid stated as she bowed to her lords.
Dark Bane started to channel changeling magic into the maid. Her coat changed into a deep ruby, her mane and tail changed to a sapphire and they were styled to look like Sweetie Belle's. Her eyes were a deep purple. On her flank was a black crescent diamond moon.
"Your name is Eclipse. You will go to the Temple of the Moon. You will find it in a cave near the center of White Tail Woods." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the newly made pony.
"But my lord, what if they question me why I'm there?" Eclipse asked as she looked at her master.
"You will tell them that you had an ancestor that left the order, but you are still loyal to the goddess of the night, and that you have learned that the Shadow Empire is going to attack Canterlot, and that the guards are unable to provide enough protection." Dark Bane answered as he glared at the mare.
"Yes my lord." Eclipse replied as she started to wonder why she was obeying him.
"Why are you sending her to tell them that you are going to attack Canterlot?" Trixie asked when Eclipse was out of ear shot.
"Simple my lovely wife." Dark Bane stated as he nuzzled up to her ear, "The ponies within that temple are called the Children of the Night. When Celestia and Luna defeated Discord and sealed him away in stone, groups of ponies started to fight over which princess saved them. Two orders were formed, the Children of the Night and the Guardians of the Light. The Children of the Night was originally formed by orphans of the Era of Discord, who saw Luna as a guardian and like a mother. The Guardians of the Light was originally formed by parents who lost their children because of Discord. They look to Celestia for guidence. They are hidden within a cavern temple near the center of the Everfree Forest. Both cults are unknown to the world, and I have already sent a good number of troops to get rid of the Guardians."
"So how do you know them?" Trixie asked as she looked at him.
"You tend to learn alot when your a statue." Dark Bane answered with a drained expression.
"You still haven't answered my question about sending Eclipse to them." Trixie replied as she gave him a stare to explain right now.
"Have you heard about Nightmare Moon?" Dark Bane asked as he looked at her with his dragon like eyes.
"Everypony knows that story. Princess Luna changed into her from anger and jealous for her sister." Trixie answered not to happy that her question still hasn't been answered.
"I'm the reason why Luna changed into Nightmare Moon. You see since I can use changeling magic to eat anger and hate, I can plant emotions into others, and before I was turned to stone, I used my magic to place the seeds of hate into Luna, and in my stoning prison I could still feel what was happening. I told her to bring forth an eternal night, but then Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to send her to the moon. After a thousand years, I was able to use what dark magic I could get through the stone to release her from her moon, but then Celestia's student along with her friends used the Elements to free her of my control." Dark Bane lectured as Trixie started to glare at him with anger.
"So this has to do with the Children of the Night how?" Trixie asked with annoyed tone of voice.
"After Celestia, Luna, and those enraging Mane Six left, the Children of the Night came and took what was left of Nightmare Moon, and they are the only ones that know the real reason why Luna became Nightmare Moon." Dark Bane answered as he looked at his wife.
"Why worry about them?" Trixie replied as she started to lead him to their bedroom.
"They hold the remains of Nightmare Moon." he replied as let his wife lead him to their room.
"What's with you and Nightmare Moon?" she asked as they were going up the stairs of the tower.
"You could say that Nightmare Moon is my daughter, and I would like her back." Dark Bane stated as they got to their room.
"Don't worry my love, I will bring her back here myself. Now sleep and when you awaken, she will be here. Waiting for new life." Trixie replied to her husband as she kissed him on the forehead as she layed him down on the bed.
(A pat on the back if you can figure out the reference to another story here on this site. More hints will be in the chapter but two have been given already.)
Everfree Forest, Temple of the Sun:
Temple of the Sun was a structure made of golden colored stone and within it, a large group ponies were meditating in artificial sun light made by a large golden orb on the roof. Everypony was wearing cloaks of pure white like Celestia's coat, and on their backs were a golden version of the alicorn amulet. All of these ponies were the masters of the order, and around them were young colts and fillies practicing their respected skills to become masters in their fields of combat and culture. The only pony that seemed to be doing nothing was an elderly unicorn mare that was over looking everypony. This single old mare was completely white, she had deep green eyes, and had a cutie mark that looked like a golden libra sign.(Go to google image and type in libra zodiacs.) Her robe's edging was golden like the very sun.
"Grand Master Libra, I have seen something horrible, and it is going to happen soon, but if I only know what." stated an unicorn stallion around the same age as Twilight and her friends.
This stallion was a ruby color, his tail and mane were emerld, his eyes were golden, and his cutie mark was a golden monacle with a clock face as the lence. He wore a robe with edging that was a blinding yellow.
"Your gift to see the future is your strength, but if we could only help you strength it so your visions were clear to you, Clockwork." Libra stated as she looked at the unicorn with a smile.
"Grand Master, something terrible is going to happen, and I saw that we are involved with it in some way." Clockwork stated as he was in a panic.
At that moment an explosion happened and a group of around 120 troops of the Legion of Shadows with fourty of each tribe of pony. The troops started to attack everypony in the temple as if they were trained royal guards. The children started to run into the structure out of fear. The masters were fighting the troops but were failing to stop them.
"Clockwork guide the young ones, for you are now, Grand Master Clockwork." Libra stated as she took off her robe and gave it to him.
"What are you doing Master Libra?" Clockwork yelled as he watched her walk out to help the masters.
"Take the children to Canterlot. I have been sercetly sending our history and our culture to Canterlot. Take the passage of the Sun Goddess." Libra replied as she summoned her magic to take the troops' attentions from the children.
"Kill the old mare!" a unicorn yelled as he used dark magic to throw the body of a stallion around the same age as Twilight's father.
"You can try!" Libra yelled as she used her magic to send a blast of slicing spells at the troops.
"That is quite the trick. I think our master will love it." the unicorn stated as he fired a blast of slicing spells at the mare.
Clockwork was watching as his master was doing her best to distract the troops. He saw troops coming towards him and so he fired a beam of raw magic at the golden orb bring it down on top of the only entrace to the actual temple.
"Grand Master, what do we do?" asked a scared filly as she looked up at the pony with the robe of their leader.
"We take the passage of the Sun Goddess, and go to Canterlot. We are going to our shared mother." Clockwork stated as he walked up to a golden statue of Celestia.
"What's your name Grand Master?" asked a colt as he and others looked to him.
"I'm Clockwork, now go. We have a two day travel to get to Canterlot by hoof." Clockwork answered as he looked to the statue of Celestia.
Clockwork walked up the statue and pushed the golden sun cutie mark on its pedestal to move it to the side as it revealed a passage. All the kids started to run in as they feared the big, scary ponies that attack them. As the kids ran, Clockwork put the robe on and made sure all the kids were in the tunnel before going in himself then closed to door. As soon as the statue was back in place, the troops came blasting in through the walls and found an empty room.
"Were are they?" yelled a unicorn with what seemed to be rage in his voice.
"We don't know." answered a pegasus as he flow all over the room.
"Then find them!" yelled the same unicorn with as much rage to rival their creator.
White Tail Woods, Temple of the Moon:
A temple of stone that was the same shade of blue as the night sky. The light in the cavern was artificial moon light made by a large silver orb. There weren't to many full grown ponines here unlike what they know of the Guardians of the Light. There was a large number of children playing multiple games. The adults were sparring with each other. All around the sparring ponies were weapon racks holding harmless versions of actual weapons. The ponies wore cloaks of the same shade as Luna's coat, and on the back of these cloaks was an image of the full moon. A lone stallion sat in front of a mural of Princess Luna. In the mursl with her were three fillies and three colts. There was two of each tribe with her. This lone stallion had a grey coat, his mane and tail were black, he had a wing on his right side the other wing was missing, his eyes were red, and his cutie mark was a full moon with the shadow of a wolf in it.
"Sensei Wolf Moon, we found an intrunder near the entrace of our home." stated a member as he approached with two more members and a mare.
"Who are you and why have you come to this sacred place?" Wolf Moon asked as he glared at the mare.
"My name is Eclipse, I come with news about the Shadow Empire." Eclipse lied as she looked the stallion in the eyes.
After she said Shadow Empire, everypony in the cavern stopped what they doing. They looked at Eclipse as if she said a taboo.
"Follow me." Wolf Moon ordered as he walked inside the temple walls.
After Eclipse followed him in, she saw a huge silver statue of Princess Luna on a pedestal with her cutie mark on it. Wolf Moon then looked her straight into her eyes with a calm that was so similar to Prince Drak Bane's own stare.
"How do you know about the Shadow Empire?" Wolf Moon demanded as he continued to stare at her.
"I had an ancestor that left the order, but she passed the knowlegde down as stories. I'm the first one to reallize that they weren't stories." Eclipse lied modifing what her prince told her to say.
"Then how did you find out about the demon Dark Bane?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked at her with scepticism.
"Dark Bane was in these stories as a demon of darkness much like his father. and I saw a force of ponies wearing the dark prince's armor heading to Canterlot." Eclipse answered as she looked at the leader of the order will thinking she was her prince and king were demons.
"Then we leave for Canterlot. The children and a few members including myself will stay here." he replied as he looked at the statue of Luna.
"Why are you staying here? Wouldn't it be better if you went with the warrios?" she asked as looked at the stallion.
"The battle field is no place for a pegasus who lost his left wing to a scorpios." Wolf Moon answered with a calmness that even surpassed Eclipse's master.
Wolf Moon walked out of the temple and told a group of ponies with swords something. After Wolf Moon told them what he wanted to, they started to go talk to others with weapons. When there was about 200 armed ponies they started to leave the temple.
"I think I'll go with them." Eclipse stated as she followed the warriors.
An hour had past since the warriors and Eclipse left, and there was the sound of ponies where coming to the temple.
"Why are the warriors coming back?" asked an unicorn colt around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. This unicorn had a grey coat, his mane and tail was a yellow, his eyes where a deep emerald green, and the last thing about him was that he was a blank flank.
"Calm yourself Wolf Bane." Wolf Moon replied as he looked down at the unicorn.
"But Dad, I have a bad feeling, just like the time before Mom died." Wolf Bane stated to his father.
"I wish I could of saved her and you from that scorpios on that fateful day." Wolf Moon stated as he remembered that day.
Flash Back:
Wolf Moon was walking with his son and wife. His wife was an unicorn, she had a dark blue coat, her mane and tail was yellow, her eyes where a deep emerald green, and her cutie mark was a lily.
"Honey, are you sure it's safe to bring Wolf Bane out here? He still so young." the mare stated as she looked at a Wolf Bane that was bearly old enough to not be called a baby.
"Don't worry Lily. He'll be fine." Wolf Moon replied as he nuzzled her neck.
Lily nuzzled him back and the two where enjoying each others' company that they didn't notice that Wolf Bane was getting to far away from them. They were brought out of their little world when Wolf Bane screamed out of torror, and when they turned to see what the matter was. Wolf Bane was running towards his parents being chased by a large celestial scorpion.
"Our son is being chased by a scorpios! Do something Wolf Moon!" Lily yelled as she started to fire up her horn to save her son.
Wolf Moon flow up to the clouds to build up speed. When he came back down, he was coming back with almost enough speed to do a sonic rainboom, but Lily was on the ground with Wolf Bane screaming for her to get back up, and the monster was about to grab them with its claws.
"Get away from them!" Wolf Moon yellled as he slamed into the monster with enough force to throw it a good ten feet away.
The hit was stronge enought to make it run away, but Wolf Moon had lost a wing from the monster's claws.
"Dad your wing!" Wolf Bane yelled as he looked his dad while shacking from his near death experience.
"I'll be fine, what about your mother?" Wolf Moon asked as he was feeling a light headed from blood lose.
"Dad, she's not breathing." Wolf Bane answered as he was scaried as to way his mother wasn't breathing.
That's when other members came from hearing the comotion of the fight. Both members were taken back to the temple and given medical treatment. Wolf Moon was able to be saved, but Lily wasn't able to be saved from the beast.
"I had a bad feeling when we went outside today Dad. I just didn't know what." Wolf Bane cried as he hugged his father.
"Its alright kiddo." Wolf Moon replied as he held his son in a calming hug.
Present day:
The children were looking at the tunnel that leads from the forest to the temple. They kept hearing hoof steps coming closer to them. They started to get scared and ran into the temple for safety.
"Wolf Bane, get into the temple now." Wolf Moon ordered his son.
"Yes Dad." Wolf Bane replied as he ran into the temple.
"Snake Eyes, I need to talk to you." Wolf Moon called to a pony that stood in the shadows.
"You called Sensei?" Snake Eyes asked as he stepped out of the shadows revealing him to be an unicorn.
"Yes, and take your cloak off." Wolf Moon replied as he took his cloak off.
"Sensei?" Snake Eye asked as he took his cloak off. Snake Eyes had a black coat, a black mane and tail, his eyes were venomous green, and his cutie mark was a king combra posed to strike in a light grey color.
"I have a feeling that I will not be able to lead soon, so you will lead the Children of the Night in my place. I want you to make sure my son is happy." Wolf Moon answered as he grabbed a dagger as he signaled others to go into the temple.
"I will do my best Sensei, but what of our history?" asked Snake Eyes as he looked at his leader.
"I have had them sent to Canterlot weeks ago, so don't worry." Wolf Moon answered as almost all of the other members had enter the temple.
"Sensei, what are you doing?" Snake Eyes asked as he saw that they were the only ponies outside the temple at the moment.
"We're going to be attacked by the Shadow Empire. I'm making sure they don't hurt any of you." Wolf Moon answered as he aimed the dagger to the chain that held the silver moon over the entrace of the temple.
"Then we should leave now." Snake Eyes replied as he looked at his master.
"You take the others down the path of the Moon Goddess." Wolf Moon ordered as he walked away from the temple but still had a good angle on the chain.
Just as Snake Eyes went into the temple, Trixie came walking out of the tunnel dressed like her husband and flanked by 90 troops.(Do I really have to tell you what tribes of pony are with her and how many of each are with her.)
"Who are you and why are you here?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked at the tainted unicorn.
"I am Trixie, and I'm here for the remnats of Nightmare Moon." Trixie answered as she looked at the older stallion.
"Are you a member of the Children of Nightmare?" Wolf Moon asked as he glared at Trixie.
"What are you talking about? I'm the wife of Prince Dark Bane, which makes me the princess of shadows." Trixie replied as she looked at him with a confused looked.
"You're married Dark Bane, then you know that I can't let you take those shards." Wolf Moon replied as he raised the dagger he had.
"Like you have a choice in the matter." Trixie stated as the troops started to enter the shadows and surronded Wolf Moon.
"Do you really think you can control a demon?" Wolf Moon asked as he looked a Trixie.
"I'm not going to control my daughter. Now if don't mind I'm taking her back." Trixie answered as she moved closer to the temple.
"Not as soon as you think." Wolf Moon stated as he throw the dagger and brought the silver sphere down on the entrance.
"Why you, punish him!" Trixie yelled as she glared at the stallion.
The troops jumped onto Wolf Moon obeying their princess, and trying to give the punishment he seemed to deserved.
"You three get in there with your shadow walking powers now." Trixie ordered as she glared at three troops that were about to join in on the beating. (There was one unicorn, one pegasus, and one earth pony. Where you expecting them to be one tribe?)
"Yes mistress." they replied in unison as they dove into shadows.
As the three went to enter, they just went up the walls, and Trixie was not happy at all.
"What are you idiots doing?" Trixie yelled at the three with rage to rival her husband.
"There must be an enchantment on the temple mistress. We can't enter with our shadow forms." the unicorn replied as he looked to the ground hoping to avoide the rage of his mistress.
"Then get that orb out of the way!" Trixie yelled as the rest of the troops started to leave the beaten body of Wolf Moon.
"Yes our mistress." every troop replied as they started to move the silver sphere.
After they removed the sphere, they started to go through the entire temple until they came upon the damaged armor of Nightmare Moon, and it was surronded by four collums that seemed to make a shield that prevented them from even touching it.
"What are you idiots waiting for?" Trixie yelled as she glared at all of them.
"Sorry mistress." all the troops replied as they started to push on the shield.
"You are all idiots." Trixie stated as they kept pushing on the shield.
"Mistress, what do we do?" one of them asked as they stopped using force on the barrier.
"You just have to use what little of a brain my husband gave all of you to know to use some magic on the sorce of the barrier." Trixie answered as her horn glowed with dark magic sending a shadow to go to the four magic infused collums causing them to turn black with dark colored crystals growing out of them.
The troops Trixie brought were all watching as the shield started to grow darker and darker until it disappeared leaving the armor of Nightmare Moon unprotected. Trixie walked up to it and could feel the power that was still inside of it.
"Find me something to put me future daughter in." Trixie ordered as she looked over these shadow ponies as she called them.
"Yes our mistress." all the of them replied as they ran off to find the item to hold the new addition to the Shadow Empire's royal family.
"Soon you will be give new life my daughter." Trixie said to herself as she looked into the eyes of the empty helmet.
"I just want a family that loves me." said a voice of filly around the same age as Snails and Snips that seemed to come from the armor.
Trixie was taken off guard by the fact that even in the state she was in that she could still talk to others. Trixie walked up to the armor and saw that she could still affect it with her magic, and so with this new found information she cast a spell to repair it. After the spell was finish repairring the armor, Trixie then used her magic to turn one of the banners into a bag to hold all six peices firmly while being in the form of saddle bags. After Trixie ordered every soilder that was there to take her back to the castle, the temple was as silents as a graveyard until an unicorn walked out from behind a hiding spot.
"Lord Night Shade, is not going to be pleased with this." said an earth pony mare that was completely black, the eyes of Nightmare Moon, and was wearring a modified set of armor that looked like Nightmare Moon's.

Chapter 6: The nightmare lives again

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Two days after chapter 5, Unkown location:
The air was earie as a group of ponies with the eyes of Nightmare Moon and wearing the same thing as the dark alicorn. The armored clad ponies were walking through passage ways made of stone that must of been enchanted since it looked like it was from the moon, the roofs of the hallways looked like the night sky, and all the hallways seemed to lead to a large war room with the most restent maps of Equestria. This room had several ponies in armor similar to Nightmare Moon's and near the back of room was a statue of Nightmare Moon made of black obsidian with actual armor on it. A group of ponies stood around a round table with a 3D map of Equestria made to scale that was being projected from a large midnight blue crystal with beams of magic were fired at it from unicorns. Each unicorn was standing on ledges as pegasuses flew around to tell them things and the map would change after the unicorn fired a beam of magic. The temples of the Guardians of the Light and the Children of the Night crumbled to the ground and were both replaced with a grey banner with Dark Bane's cutie mark. All the ponies surrounding the table stopped talking and looked upon the new information.
"We must tell Lord Night Shade of this." a pegasus mare stated as she flew to tell their leader.
She flew past the statue of Nightmare Moon to a tunnel that lead to barracks. There were rooms for every member that wanted their own and then there were rooms that varied from size from 2 to 5 ponies that could live in the room. She flew to the room with a black mare of the moon on the dark wood door. When she opened the door to see an earth mare talking to an unicorn stallion.
"Are you sure?" asked the unicorn stallion as big as Big Mac.
"Yes Lord Night Shade." the earth pony mare replied as she bowed to her leader.
"Very well, leave me then I seem to have news from one of my generals." Night Shade stated as looked to pegasus mare as the earth pony mare left.
"Lord Night Shade, our fastest pegasus scouts have found out that Dark Bane of the Shadow Empire has made a move and destroyed the temples of the Children of the Night and the Guardians of the Light." the mare stated as she looked at her leader.
"It's more than destroying them he wants, for one of our spies has seen an unicorn mare wearing armor similar to Dark Bane, and she lead the attack on the Children of the Night." Night Shade stated as he looked into the mares eyes.
"Why should this concern us, my husband?" asked the mare with a questioning look.
"Simple my lovely Starlight, Dark Bane's entire army is nothing but stallions he made from crystals. The fact that there is now a mare in his army means that he has taken in an unicron that he believes has power that could rivial his own, or..." Night Shade started to say as he looked up at a stain glass window of Nightmare Moon.
"Or what?" Starlight asked as she walked closer to her husband.
"Or Dark Bane has married with this mare so he can bring back his late father." Night Shade finished as started to leave his room.
"Where are you going?" Starlight asked as looked at her husband.
"I want to see how our children's training is going." Night Shade answered as he looked to his lover's eyes.
"I'll join you." Starlight replied as she walked with him.
The two walked outside to reveal that they lived in a twin castle of the royal sisters in Canterlot, and it was made out of black stone. This black twin of Canterlot Castle loomed in a swamp.
"Why must we live in Haysead Swamps?" Starlight asked as she looked at the place with distance.
"This is where the first Children of Nightmare was formed, but we will soon leave this place for a nice little area in Everfree Forest near Ponyville." Night Shade stated as looked at pegasus colt around Scootaloo's age with a snow white coat, his tail and mane was a light silver, his eyes were a pale orange, with large wings his age, and he was a blank flank.
"Blizzard, have you seen Night Veil?" Starlight asked as she looked at the colt.
"No Mom. I haven't seen Big Sister around here. Wait, I think that's her over there." Blizzard replied as he point to an unicorn walking up to them.
"Yes, there is your sister." Night Shade replied as he looked at his oldest child.
Night Veil had a grey coat, her mane and tail were a deep silver, but you couldn't tell what her eyes looked like since she had a cloth blind that was the same color as her coat, and her cutie mark was a blue six pointed star with an eye on each side. She walked up to her family as if she could see.
"Night Veil, where have you been?" Starlight asked as she looked at her daughter.
"I was in the swamp testing a spell I made." Night Veil answered in a tone much to serious for a mare her age.(Just as Blizzard is the same age as the CMC, she is the same age as the Mane Six.)
"Really and what would it be?" Night Shade asked as he looked at what seemed to be a blind unicorn.
"I was testing my Sixth Sense spell, and it worked perfectly. In fact I'm using it right now. I don't even have to use all that much concentration to use the spell and it doesn't even need that much magic. Soon I will be able to do it without even thinking." Night Veil replied to her father as if she was in the military already.
"What does your spell do again Big Sis?" Blizzard asked as he looked at his older sister with big pleading eyes.
"It gives me an exact image of everything throught the magical field that surrounds everything with in my mind." Night Veil answered as she turned her head to face her little brother.
"Enough of this, I need you to help me with the movement to Everfree Forest." Night Shade stated as he looked at his daughter.
"Why are we moving Father? We are well hidden here." Night Veil replied as she voiced her opion.
"Dark Bane has return and has taken our queen's remains. We must bring her back to her children." Night Shade answered as looked at both of his kids.
"That and the fact I want at least one of my kids to have friends outside of this order." Starlight stated as she looked at her husband with an all knowing look.
"Mom, Blizzard and I have no friends to begin with." Night Veil replied as she was correct.
"What do you mean? I thought Blizzard was close to that unicorn filly. What was her name?" Night Shade asked as he looked at his son.
"Her name was Angle, and she just liked me because I had a chance at becoming the leader." Blizzard stated as he looked at the ground in shame.
"Then I'm going to have a talk with her then." Night Veil stated as her voice took an edge of anger.
"How can you tell everypony apart?" Blizzard asked as he looked at his sister.
"Everypony has a signature magical field. That's how I can tell everypony apart." Night Veil answered as she rubbed her little brother's head much like how Rainbow Dash rubs Scootaloo's head.
"Please don't." Blizzard replied with a plead.
"Very well little brother, but if I if any pony tries to use you agian I will kill them." Night Veil stated as she started to be the over protective sister Blizzard remembered her to be.
"Only if I say so, because last time you tried to do that, it scared off all possibility of me having friends in the order." Blizzard replied with a slight depressed tone.
"We need to start the movement. Night Veil, you need to help the other unicorns to find out what needs to be done to move our home to Everfree Forest." Night Shade stated as he looked at his daughter.
"Very well father, but if my little brother needs me, I'll drop everything and help him." Night Veil replied as she stood protectively over Blizzard.
Canterlot, same day:
All three princesses, the mane six, Spike, and Shining Armor where in the throne room of the castle. As usual Rainbow Dash was annoyed by waiting for something to happen.
"It has been two days since Dark Bane attacked the Crystal Empire and he hasn't done anything since. I'm tired of waiting all the time!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she was getting annoyed.
"Calm yourself Ms. Dash." Luna stated as she stared out of a window.
"What do we do now then Princess Luna?" Rainbow asked as she looked at the princess of night.
"Princesses, two groups of ponies are coming this way, but they do not resumble the Legion of Shadows!" a guard yelled as he ran in.
"Let's meet them then." Celestia replied as she started to leave the room.
As they all got to the gate of Canterlot, they heard agreeing of multiple ponies.
"Get lost moonies!" yelled what sounded like a colt around Apple Bloom's age.
"Be quiet sun burn." replied the voice of a stallion around Shining's age.
"What in Equstria is going on out there?" Twilight asked out loud as her and the others got out of the city.
"Our home was destroyed by Dark Bane's army!" yelled what seemed to be the same colt with anger that from the look of it was only being held in by his cloak.
"We don't care." replied a pegasus stallion holding a great sword.
"Enough. What is your name and what was this about Dark Bane?" Luna asked as she walked up to the colt surprising the warriors.
"My name is Silver Shield, and Dark Bane's army came to our Temple of the Sun. The troops attacked without caring who they attacked." Silver Shield answered with a tone of depression.
Silver Shield took off his cloak to reveal he had batter body, but you could tell his coat was the same shade as silver, his mane and tail were bronze, his eyes were golden, and he lacked a cutie mark.
"The rest of you, please remove your hoods." Celestia stated as she walked over to the now bowing Gardians of the Light.
Every member lowered their hoods. The older ponies (That where there.) had cuts and some of them seemed to have broken bones. The children just seemed to have brusies, but they weren't in any bad states.
"What about all of you?" Luna asked as she looked at the bowing Children of the Night.
"We were told that Dark Bane's army was coming here to Canterlot." answered an unicorn mare with a spear.
That's when a royal guard on a tower called out a large group of ponies where coming from the South West. All the warriors of the Children of the Night turned to see the rest of their order coming to the city.
"What are the children doing here?" asked a mare in the crowd.
After the rest of their order got to the city, the parents ran to their kids seeing them covered in dirt and filth. The warriors that weren't looking at the children were looking for some other pony until they saw Snake Eyes trying to calm down Wolf Bane.
"Snake Eyes where is Sensei Wolf Moon?" asked an earth pony stallion holding a battle ax.
"An hour or so after you left, the Legion of Shadows attacked us. They were lead by an unicorn mare dressed like Dark Bane." Snake Eyes answered as he looked the warriors over.
"That must have been Trixie." Twilight stated as she walked over.
"Why did she attack us? We weren't doing anything bad." Wolf Bane asked as he was trying not to cry and failing.
"Dark Bane must of wanted the shards of Nightmare Moon." Snake Eyes answered the younger unicorn with a sadden face.
"Snake Eyes, I understand that the temple was attacked but where is Sensei Wolf Moon?" asked the stallion with the ax.
"That horrible mare had my Dad killed!" Wolf Bane yelled causing all the ponies to gasp and that's when the dam broke letting all the tires, sadness, and pain out.
Silver Shield was the first to move to Wolf Bane and place a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. Wolf Bane looked up to Silver Shields eyes to see a form of kinship.
"We Gardians of the Light never know our parents and are taken care of by the entire order. Dark Bane's army attacked us and killed most of the older members. In short, we all lost a part of our family to Dark Bane and his wife." Silver Shield stated to Wolf Bane who stopped crying.
"Oh my. Did I really cause that much pain to a single foal?" asked the voice of Trixie causing Wolf Bane to try to hide himself, Silver Shield to stand infront of Wolf Bane, and Snake Eyes to stand infront of Silver Shield.
"This can't be happening." Eclipse stated as she looked around with fear in her eyes.
Trixie then appeared walking out of the shadow of a tree. Her horn had turned red, was gaining fangs like her husband, and her coat turned into a darker shade of itself.
"You have done well Eclipse, it's time for you to return to the castle." Trixie stated as she looked at the same pony all the others were too.
"NO MORE! I CAN'T JUST FORGET WHAT I HELPED TO CAUSE EVEN IF I WAS MADE BY DARK BANE HIMSELF!" Eclipse yelled as she started to put magic into her horn and aim it at Trixie.
"Do you really think you stand a chance against me?" Trixie asked the now ex-maid.
"Dying is better than serving ponies like the two of you." Eclipse answered surprising everypony there.
Eclipse fired a magic beam from her horn at Trixie, but Trixie used dark magic to block the attack and strike at Eclipse leaving a large crack in her crest.
"Consider yourself dead then." Trixie stated as she used dark magic to teleport out of there.
Eclipse stumbled a bit before purple mist started to come out of the crack. She was having a hard time breathing as her body was beginning to become heavy to her.
"What do we do?" Rarity asked to no pony as she looked at the shadow pony.
"Let her die. She worked for Dark Bane and it's not like she was ever alive to begin with." Rainbow Dash answered as she glared at Eclipse.
"I'm not going to die. Not yet." Eclipse stated as green flames appeared around her and then flow at her wound, surring it shut.
Everypony was amazed at what they saw, but Eclipse fainted from a combination of pain and magical exhaustion. That's when everypony saw that the crystals that made her body started to change into flesh.
"What do we do now?" Twilight asked as she looked at the princesses.
"I want you to take her and both of these orders to Ponyville." Celestia answered as she looked over all of them.
"If that is your will." Clockwork replied as he and other members bowed to Celestia.
"We will only do what Princess Luna wishes from us." some random soilder in the Children of Night stated.
"You will go to Ponyville with the Guardians of the Light, and if I hear if any of you cause any trouble, I will make sure you never do it agian." Luna stated with a mother glare towards the Children of Night.
"The same goes with you too Guardians of the Light." Celestia stated with an emotionless stair.
"Yes your highness." both orders replied as they bowed to their respected princess.
It surprisingly only took two hours for them all to get to Ponyville. As soon as they got there, the two orders already started to build themselves new homes near the edge of town. Eclipse has been unconscious throughout the entire trip. The wound she received has turned into a scare in the shape of fire. Twilight had taken her to her library and placed her in the guest room. She was walking out.
"So Twilight, is she going to wake up soon?" Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced up to her friend.
"She's suffering from magic withdrawl. She'll be asleep for a while." Twilight answered her hyper active friend.
"Will she be alright?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the room.
"I have no idea because this has never happened before." Twilight answered as she looked to her friends.
"Well at least the two orders aren't fighting each other any more." Rarity stated as she remembered the two groups fought over almosts everything well the full grown members the kids just talked about what they thought was cool.
"It did help that Rainbow Dash here yelled at them on the way here to not talk to each other." Applejack stated as they all remembered how both groups coward at the seething rage of the rainbow maned mare that seemed ready to kill them.
"They where getting on my nerves." Rainbow defending herself as she crossed her front legs over her chest as she hovered above them.
"I liked that there Silver Shield though. I think Applebloom would like him as a friend, and he could always join the CMC they need the members." Applejack stated as she remembered the colt helping others even when they where the Children of the Night members.
"I think Wolf Bane should meet Sweetie Bell he needs friends at this time and if if joined the CMC too he wold get a few more friends to help him through this hard time of his." Rarity stated as she remembered that Silver Shield tried to help him through the lost of his father but not very well.
"Then they'll need another colt that's a pegasus." Rainbow Dash stated as she counted the numbers.(You should already know who it will be.)
"I have an older cousin moving close by. He has two kids." Fluttershy stated as she looked at her closest friends.
"Really! What are they're names?" Rarity asked as she looked at her shy friend.
"Well my cousin's name is Night Shade, his wife's name is Starlight, his daughter's name is Night Veil, and his son's name is Blizzard." Fluttershy answered as she looked at their faces.
"I'm guessing this Blizzard is the pegasus." Rainbow Dash stated as she looked at the shy pegasus.
"Yes. He's sent a picture of him and his family. If you want I can show you the picture." Fluttershy replied as she looked at her friends with a friendly smile.
"Please show us!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she jumped up and down wanting to know what the newest Ponyville family was going to look like.
"I'll be right back." Fluttershy replied as she actually flow off to her cottage for the picture.
"So what do think they look like?" Applejack asked as she looked at the rest of the girls.
"No idea. This is the first time she ever mentioned a cousin to me." Rainbow Dash answered as she looked at the others.
"I for one hope that they are good ponies." Rarity stated as she looked at the others.
"Wow." Rainbow Dash suddenly stated as her eyes opened wide.
"What's wrong Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked as she looked at the pegasus.
"I think somepony just came close to breaking my speed record." Rainbow Dash stated as looked to the front door where Fluttershy came flying in.
"Wow Fluttershy, if you got her 30 seconds and you would of broken Rainbow Dash's record for going from my librery to your cottage and back." Twilight stated as she looked at a stop watch she had hidden.
"You timed her!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she looked at Twilight.
"Yes I did. I mainly did it because I saw Fluttershy look a little happy to tell us about her cousin." Twilight stated as she looked at her friends.
Fluttershy showed them the picture of her cousin's family. An unicorn as large as Big Mac, with a grey coat close to black, his mane and tail was a light silver, he had purple eyes, and his cutie mark was a black rose. A pegasus mare the same size as Princess Luna, her coat was white, her mane and tail was a deep silver, her eyes was a beautiful shade of orange, and her cutie mark was a closed purple book.(You already know what their kids look like.)
"That is Night Shade, she's Starlight, she's Night Veil, and he's Blizzard." Fluttershy stated as she pointed to each as she said their names.
"Way does Night Veil have a blinder on?" Applejack asked she looked at the girl around her and her friend's age.
"Was the picture taken on her birthday?" Pinkie Pie asked as all of her friends face hooved from her question.
"My cousin told me that she's blind and that she wears it so everypony would know." Fluttershy stated as she looked at her friends.
"Then how does she get around?" Twilight asked as she takes up a thinking position.
"From what I've been told that she uses her magic to sence things around her. Twilight, I think the two of you would get along very well." Fluttershy answered as she looked at Twilight.
"How long before they get here, because the sooner the more awsome." Rainbow Dash asked as she wanted to meet this family and most likely wanting a chance at teaching another pegasus to fly like her.
"Night Shade said that they were hoping to get here at most a month." Fluttershy answered as she smiled at friends.
"I'll start planning the 'Welcome to Ponyvile' party for when they get here." Pinkie Pie stated with a near insane smile.
"I think they wouldn't like that Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy stated with shy frown.
"I bet they will!" Pinkie Pie stated and then ran off.

Chapter 7: The Eclipse begins

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Castle of Death, Right after Chapter 6:
Dark Bane was resting on the bed in his and his wife's bedroom. Trixie was sitting by her husband's head waiting for him to awaken.
"Please awaken honey." Trixie begged as she looked at her husband as he took deep breaths.
"My lady, you went to bring Eclipse back, but when you returned she was not with you, and her voice disappeared from our collective mind. Where is she?" a mare unicorn maid asked as she walked in as she held a tray of food with what little magic Dark Bane has aloud her to use.
"Why do you want to know?" Trixie snarled the question out as she glared at the servant with the eyes her husband and her share from the dark magic.
"We servants and warroirs see each other as kin. If I fail to find out my brothers and sisters will ask you until you tell us." the maid answered as she looked her empiress in the eyes without blinking.
"She shielded me from an attack from the royal guard, but was unable to survive." Trixie lied as she turrned her head back to the sleeping form of her husband.
"Thank you my lady." the maid replied but suppected that she was being mislead.
As soon as the servant closed the door, Dark Bane's eyes shot wide open as if he was only acting like he was asleep. His eyes were glazed over and his over all presence has changed.
"Honey, are you alright?" Trixie asked with a large amount of concern.
"You must be the mare my son has married from using the Crystal Flask Binding Ritual." said a voice much like Dark Bane's but different.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HUSBAND?!?" Trixie yelled as she caused the servants outside of the room that where close by to cringe out of fear.
"Like I said before I'm Dark Bane's father. I am King Sombra, the true king of the Crystal Empire." Sombra stated as he stepped off the bed and started to put his son's royal wear on the boby of his son.
"Why are you controlling my husband and your son?" Trixie asked as she kept her eyes on him.
"To tell you that you need to cast the resurrection spell and the animation spell tonight if you are to bring me back and give Nightmare Moon a body. Hello Loki." Sombra answered as he looked at his daughter-in-law then looked at the bird as it land on his son's back.
"Why tonight?" Trixie asked as she raised an eyebrow and motioned Loki to get away from his master.
"Tonight there will be a lunar eclipse. During a lunar eclipse dark magic's power increases ten fold." Sombra answered as he felt his hold over his son weaken.
"Wouldn't Luna just keep it from happening?" Trixie asked as she looked to the now darkening sky.
"If Luna was to stop it from happening nature would be sent into chaos that is why the moon has different phases." Sombra answered with some stuggle keeping control now.
"One last question, what if Celestia has Twilight and her friends use the Elements of Harmony on us?" Trixie asked as she remembered that they freed Luna from her husband's curse and turned the god of chaos and disharmony to stone.
"The Elements of Harmony saves one from chaos that has been brought to one's soul, but in Discord's case he is chaos so they turned him to stone. You have nothing to worry about from them since Celestia and Luna made them to end Discord's rule. I will see you, my son, and granddaughter tonight." Sombra answered as Dark Bane took back control of his body.
"Ready the army, because when we start the spells everything that can feel magic is going to know what we're doing. We might even amplify all magic around Equestria." Dark Bane stated as he grabbed his father's horn and the armor of Nightmare Moon.
"Very well, but we are renaming our daughter when we give her a body." Trixie replied as she sent the message to the army.
"You read my mind." Dark Bane stated as the two started to walk down the stairs.
Ponyville, new Temple of the Moon:
Twilight was walking up to the building that the Children of the Night where calling the Temple of the Moon. She wasn't really surprised since the Guardians of the Light called their home the Temple of the Sun. Twilight was going to the Children of the Night because she was a little curious what they know about the younger sibling of her teacher.
"Ok that's enough for now! Everypony take a break!" Snake Eyes yelled as he over looked of this temple.
"Hey, your name is Snake Eyes right?" Twilight asked as she got closer to the new leader of the Children of the Night.
"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?" Snake Eyes asked as he looked Twilight in the eyes.
"Yes. I would like to learn more about Princess Luna. Princess Celestia doesn't seem like she wants to tell me, and Luna herself doesn't want to talk about it." Twilight answered as she looked at the fellow unicorn.
"What about our mother do you want to know?" Snake Eyes asked as he looked at Princess Celestia's student.
"Why does she hate Dark Bane so much?" Twilight asked since all she know was that Dark Bane tried to turn Luna into a slave.
"That is a story from a long time ago. Follow me and I will show the first book of our order." Snake Eyes stated as he walked over to a finished area of the temple where they where keeping the books for safety.
"I really don't need to know about how your order formed." Twilight stated as she followed him.
"The first book has our mother's and our aunt's triumph over Discord. It also has shows why our mother turned into Nightmare Moon." Snake Eyes replied as he brought a book over to them, and it was one of those books that look like it would be on Celestia's book case in her room.
When the book was opened it revealed it was blank, but before Twilight could say anything Snake Eyes sent magic into the book causing both him and Twilight to go into the past like how Discord show Twilight the past.
"Wow." Twilight stated as she looked at the surrounding area.
It looked like both her and Snake Eyes where standing in the begining of Everfree Forest. Twilight was amazed to see the Castle of the Royal Sisters in all its glory in the light of the full moon. It was a giant castle that looked to be made from gold, silver, coper, and sapphire. Luna came walking out with a younger Dark Bane, but something seemed different with him. His coat was white, his cutie mark was a whole heart that had a shield in it, his eyes where blue like her brother's eyes(Which made Twilight a little uneasy), and he only wore a grey versions of Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's royal wear.
"Prince Dark Bane, how can thee be the son of King Sombra? We mean he is so cold and heartless to your citzens, but you are so proctive of them." Luna stated with the old tongue.
"My father seeks to only make the empire stronge incase of war. I want to make the ponies stronge, and the only way I can do that is to inspire them to become the best they can be. How I wish I was an alicorn like you pretty Luna, then I could be the great protecter of the empire, that is with the help of the Crystal Heart." Dark Bane stated as he walked with Luna.
"We hear thee are studying Changeling magic. Why is that?" Luna asked as if he was a close friend.
"From what I have learned Changelings may have been ounce been a group of ponies trying to become alicorns like you and your sister. They tampered with items of great power to do this, but something happened to them they didn't want and they made themselves into creatures that need to consume love to grow more powerful. They are immortals like you and Celestie, but they cravie love. If I can find a way to release them from their curse then I can most likely become an alicorn from my actions." Dark Bane stated as his eyes light up.
"Maybe, and we hope you do." Luna stated as she nuzzled his head.
"Now Luna, what would Celestia do if she saw this?" Dark Bane asked playfully.
"She would most likely throw a fit." Luna answered as she looked up to her night.
"Very true." Dark Bane replied with a small chuckle.
"By the way you said that the Changelings tampered with items of power like the Elements of Harmony. Is that true?" Luna asked as she looked at the prince.
"No. From what I have learned the Changelings come from the time before you and Celestia rose up to end Discord's rule. They where a group that wanted to end the fighting between the pony tribes. They used items from the ancient world known as the Elements of Nature." Dark Bane answered with a look of excitment.
"What are these Elements of Nature?" Luna asked as she had this confused look on her face.
"Everything I know about them is from old scrips writen by Starswirl the Bearded when he was young." Dark Bane answered as he looked at the night sky.
"My sister and I know him, but he never said anything about them. How we miss that grumping old unicorn." Luna replied as she looked at the stars.
"Would you like to hear what he believes they are?" Dark Bane asked shyly like Fluttershy.
"He's acting nothing like he did when my friends and I are around him." Twilight stated as she watched this with Snake Eyes.
"Dark Bane was his father's spy. He could fool anypony when he wanted to. He trick our mother just to try to enslave her." Snake Eyes replied with a look that said he wanted to destroy Dark Bane himself.
"Yes please tell us." Luna replied to Dark Bane.
"From what I have read the Elements of Nature are from a time and world before ours. He believes nature itself made them when darkness came close to destroying the world, but six brave friends stepped up to it. When the darkness went to destroy them they where proctected by nature itself and it gave each friend a power over an element." Dark Bane stated as he looked to the ground and used his emerld magic to draw figures into the dirt.(Imagine a cloud of evil [Like Sombra.] appoaring six humans with their arms pointed out towards the cloud.)
"What are those strange creatures there, and what are the peices to the Elements of Nature?" Luna asked looking at the picture.
"If I remember correctly Starwswirl called them humans, but I can't be sure. How ever I do remember what the peices of the Elements of Nature are. There is fire, water, earth, air, light, and shadows. When these six are united then they banish darkness and corruption back to the depths of Hell." Dark Bane answered as he looked at Luna.
"Shadows, but isn't that a part of darkness, and where are these elements now?" Luna asked as she looked at the prince.
"Every light makes a shadow. The two can not excist without each other. If there is no shadow then the light would burn us all to ash, but if there was no light then the shadows would became darker until only darkness was left." Dark Bane answered with a look that held more wisdom then he should.
"Ok, but where did they go?" Luna asked her question again.
"I believe when the Changelings used them to try to become gods, fire, water, earth, and air where sent to the four corners of Equestria while light and shadow disappeared for being used for something so greedy." Dark Bane answered with a look of curouisity.
"You believe." Luna stated with a raised eyebrow.
"He never said anything about how they disappeared, but using a spell on the Crystal Heart allowed me to see that around 100 years before the pony tribes unified, a large magical explosion happened on the land to become Equestria." Dark Bane explained as he looked to the moon.
"Ok." Luna stated as she looked to the moon, then turned to Dark Bane with what looked like a question on her tongue. "Dark Bane, if your father where need to be over thrown would you help in doing it?"
"If it means to keep the empire safe then yes, but Luna my father is getting more and more secretive and he's been asking me to help him in his tests of enhancing spells. Each time I let him use me as the subject of them I feel my light dim. The next time I see you, I may not be who I am now." Dark Bane stated as he used magic to teleport back to the Crystal Empire.
"I just hope you don't change my friend." Luna stated as the sence changed to darkness.
When Twilight could see again, she saw a village on fire and a lot of bodies on the ground. Most of the bodies where villagers. The princesses where there with a large force of ponies and all of them had shocked looks on their faces.
"Who would do such a thing?" Celestia asked out loud as she looked at the destruction as she and Luna walked through the village.
"My princesses, the prince of the Crystal Empire did this to us." an earth pony stallion replied as he started to get up showing a large gash on his chest.
"Don't move my little pony." Celestia ordered as she motioned for medics.
"Dark Bane did this, but he's to protective for this." Luna stated out of shock as she looked at the village again.
"Oh but I did." Dark Bane stated as he appeared from a shadow looking like how Twilight first saw him.
"Why did you do this? This isn't like you!" Luna cried as tears went down her face.
"Because my father was right. Equestria is weak. I will take this kingdom in the name of mine and my father's empire. The Empire of Shadows." Dark Bane replied as he fired a blast of dark magic at the wounded pony making him disappear with a scream of pain.
"You used forbidden magic, then that means everything you said was a lie!" Luna yelled as she charged Dark Bane.
When Luna's horn meant the thorn of a horn that was Dark Bane's, Luna yelled as her coat started to change to black and her eyes to become dragon like. If it wasn't for Celestia to use her magic to pull Luna back to her it seemed like Dark Bane was going to turn Luna into Nightmare Moon.
"What did he do to Princess Luna?" Twilight asked as she saw Luna was breathing hard.
"He tried to turn Luna into a slave." Snake Eyes answered with lots of hatred in his voice.
"Not everything I said was a lie. The Elements of Nature are real and like they where used to defeat the darkness and end the world of humans, I will use them to destroy all weakness and becom an alicorn. After I become a god I will do the same for Father so we can take over the world and shadows rule over all, but don't think I'm returning back to the Crystal Empire my father took over with force I'm staying here in Equestria. Nice and close to the soon to be the most powerful of my slaves." Dark Bane stated as he disappeared as a shadow.
"My closest friend, somepony that I consider as close as you Tia, just tried to turn me into a slave." Luna cried as she cried into her sister's shoulder.
The sence turned dark again as Luna cried into Celestia. When the darkness left again, Luna and Celestria where fighting Sombra and Dark Bane with both sides using deadly force.
"You can't win Luna. Dark magic is to powerful to your magic over the sun and moon." Dark Bane stated as he had tendrels of dark magic around him and attacking Luna.
"Which is why we will not end you, but imprision you!" Luna yelled as she flow up and was joined by her sister as they combined their powers and slamed Dark Bane with a beam of magic turning him to stone and then teleported him to their castle.
Twilight saw that just before Dark Bane's head was turned to stone, his eyes glowed red and so did Luna's.
"Dark Bane is the reason why Luna turned into Nightmare Moon." Twilight stated out of shock.
"Yes. He ordered Luna to bring forth the eternal night." Snake Eyes replied as the sence grow dark again.
When the sence returned, there stood Nightmare Moon, with what looked like members of the Children of the Night bowing to her.
"This was a tragic day. Half of the order left thinking that puppet of Luna was being justifing the night by bringing chaos to nature." Snake Eyes stated as he looked at the sence with a pained look.
"What did they call themselves at that point?" Twilight asked as she saw that the once members of the Children of the Night where fighting the members that where still in the true order.
"They called themselves the Children of Nightmare. They will do what ever Nightmare Moon tells them. If Dark Bane brings that monster back and she obeys him, his army would become that much more powerful." Snake Eyes stated as the sence disappeared altogether and the two where back in the present.
Twilight looked out to the sky and saw the moon was close to the middle of the sky and it seemed every member of the order was outside to watch the moon. She then got this confused look and turned back to Snake Eyes.
"You said that Nightmare Moon would of sent nature into chaos. What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked as she looked at him.
"Long before ponies where what they are now, magic was thought to be nothing more but fake. The world was being devoured by greed and corruption. The darkness Dark Bane was talking about is corruption itself and if it wasn't stopped at that time the world may not even be here now. The Elements of Nature ends the darkness that is around an object or in one's soul. They can also when together allow a group control over nature itself." Snake Eyes stated as he looked Twilight in the eyes.
"Then we have to find them before he does!" Twilight yelled as she was scared what would happen if that power was in the hooves of a tyrannt.
That's when both Twilight and Snake Eyes felt a pulse of magic and turned to the moon to see it was turning red.
"What's happening to the moon?" Twilight asked as she saw this.
"It's a lunar eclipse, but it doesn't send a pulse of magic out like that." Snake Eyes answered as he turned his head to Canterlot Castle.
That's when the Guardians of the Light and the rest of the Mane Six came running up. The Guardians of the Light looked mad.
"What have you all nighters done now?" yelled one stallion from the Guardians of the Light.
"Something is very wrong with this eclipse." Snake Eyes stated as him and the rest of the the Children of the Night looked at the eclipse.
That's when all three princesses and Shining Armor teleported to the large group with looks of terror on their faces.
"Dark Bane is using the lunar eclipse to amplify his power to bring back his father." Cadance stated as she looked at everypony.
"Princess Luna, we fear that Dark Bane is planning to bring back Nightmare Moon." Snake Eyes stated as he bowed to his princess.
"I'm going to send him to Hell myself." Luna stated as her eyes started to glow white with power.
"To do that we need to know where he is." Rainbow stated as she looked at the now very angry princess of the night.
"Then I will lead you to the castle." said the voice of Eclipse being followed by Spike.
"I tried to stop her, but she kept using magic to push me out of the way." Spike stated as he catch up.
"How are you awake?" Twilight asked as she looked at the unicorn mare.
"Never mind about that how are you feeling darling?" Rarity asked as she looked at the ex-crystal pony.
"I feel fine and I wakened because Dark Bane is starting to use the resurrection spell and animation spell now. As soon as the moon is fully eclipse the spells will be complete. I can teleport a good number of us there but I will need help." Eclipse stated as she looked at everypony.
"How many ponies can you take to the castle?" Luna asked with a look that said she was ready to kill.
"At max I can taken 13 other ponies with me. The princess are coming, I'm sure of that, and the holders of the Elements of Harmony. That's 10 ponies, we still have 3 more to go." Eclipse stated as she looked at all the other ponies near by.
"I will go. I will avenge Grand Master Libra." Clockwork stated as his anger and hatred showed.
"I will go too. Sensie Wolf Moon's murder must be brought to justice." Snake Eyes stated as he took a step forward standing with the other unicorn.
"That's olny 12, one more can come." Eclipse stated as she looked over the large group of ponies.
"I will go." Shining Armor stated as he stepped up.
"No your not honey. Your needed at the Crystal Empire. We can't leave it unprotected." Cadance stated as she walked over to her husband.
"But the crystal heart protects the empire." Shining replied as he looked at his wife.
"Brother, Dark Bane, Trixie, their dam bird, and their army was able to get into the city and the crystal heart did nothing to stop them." Twilight stated as she remembered seeing her brother nearly being decapitated.
"Fine, but then who's going to go?" Shining asked as he looked at the group.
"I will go." replied a voice the Mane Six remembered very well.
"Flame is that you?" Pinkie asked as she looked around the area.
"Look above you." Flame ordered as the group heard the sound of pegasus wings.
Everypony looked up to see the magical pegasus flying above them with his dragoness friend on his back.
"Flame, don't do this. It took more than a thousand years to finally leave the Crystal Empire and those tyrants." Scales stated as her friend landed on the ground and she got off of him.
"Scales, those two want to rule everything. That means that they are going to attack the world, and that includes Equetria. In fact I'm pretty sure that Dark Bane is planing on taking Equestria before he helps his father take the Crystal Empire." Flame replied as he looked at his little scaled friend.
"So you are from the Crystal Empire." Luna stated as she looked at the pony.
"Yah. Never know my parents. Scales here is the only one I trust." Flame stated as walked up to the soon to be with the group.
"We don't need your life story. Just stand over here so we can make a circle." Eclipse stated with a tone that stated she was losing her patience.
"Scales, if I don't come back in three days, use the black bottle on him the next time you see him." Flame stated as he walked over to the group.
The group of fourteen ponies stood in a circle as magic started to swirled around them as if it was alive. The group seemed to turn into shadows and then they disappeared much like the Legion of Shadows.
Haysead Swamps, Castle of Nightmare:
Night Shade was talking to most of the unicorns of the cult when his daughter came walking up to him with a serious expression.(Where you expecting her to be silly?)
"What is it Night Veil?" Night Shade asked as he turned to his oldest.
"Father, I sense an influx of magic appeared and it has covered Equestria. If we act now, we can move the castle to any part of Equestria." Night Veil answered as she pointed herself at her father.
"Get everypony in the castle now! We move to the Everfree Forest this night!" Night Shade yelled causing every pegasus to take flight and to find every member that the castle was moving to Everfree Forest.
"Father, there's something else to this inflex." Night Veil stated as she directed herself at her father.
"What about it?" Night Shade asked as he looked at his daughter.
"There is something dark and corrupte is using it to do something dark." Night Veil stated as she actually could not discribe the dark feeling she felt.
"That must be Dark Bane and his toy bringing Sombra back." Night Shade stated as he looked to his daughter.
After about two minutes, all members that where close by where in the castle and the castle was starting to disappear. When the castle reappeared with in the Everfree Forest close to Ponyville but could not be seen from the town.
"The castle may be in Everfree Forest, but we are going to be living in Ponyville." Night Shade stated as he looked at his daughter.
"What? Why?!?" Night Veil asked as if the thought hurt her.
"I told my cousin I was going to move to Ponyville. We don't have to go there now, but by the end of the month we will be moving in." Night Shade told his daughter with a strong fatherly voice.
"But why?" Night Veil asked as she started to sound like a spoiled child that was just told no.
"Your mother wants to make sure that your younger brother gets some friends. We have already started to fill out the papers to put him in the school here, and we even started to fill out papers to own a house in the town. It will be near the edge of town." Night Shade answered as he turned to work on other matters.
"But how will I work on my projects?" Night Veil asked as she started to sound like a spoiled child.(So like Diamon Taira when she's complaining.)
"There is a library for you to work with. I believe it is called Golden Oaks Library." Night Shade answered as he told his daughter.
"Fine. By the way, what is our relative's name?" Night Veil asked as she gave up on trying to stay in the castle.
"Her name is Fluttershy, and I believe she is the animal care in Ponyville." Night Shade answered his oldest.
"Great. I'm related to a animal lover." Night Veil stated as she lowered her head.
"You will show respect to her. She is the kindest pony you will ever meet." Night Shade replied as he turned to his daughter in disappointment.
"Are talking about great cousin Fluttershy?" Blizzard asked as he walked in with Starlight.
"Yes Little Brother." Night Veil answered as she sounded annoyed.
"Did you know that she's the Element of Kindness?" Blizzard asked as his wings flapped sending him up above his mother's head.
"She is!" Night Shade And Night Veil yelled out in surprise.
"Ah. She helped Twilight Sparkle defeat our queen. I know about all the mare of the Elements of Harmony." Blizzard replied as if he wanted to tell more.
"I would like you to tell me all the names of these mares." Night Shade stated as he looked at his son.
"Well Twilight Sparkle is the Element of Magic, Fluttyershy is the Element of Kindness, Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyality, Rarity is the Element of Generosity, AppleJack is the Element of Honesty, and Pinkie Pie is the Element of Laughter." Blizzard stated as he looked at his father.
"How do you know all of this?" Night Veil asked as she most likely raised an eye brow.
"I asked a scout to bring me newspapers of the week of the town he stays in." Blizzard answered as he looked at his sister.
"And the newspapers just happened to have the six that tried to kill our queen." Night Shade stated as his eye brow raised.
"It happened on the Summer Sun Celebration where the night lasted longer then it should of." Blizzard replied as he looked at his family. That's when Blizzard got this confused look, "Wait, what was the condition the armor of our queen?"
"The spy said it was in perfect condition. Why?" Night Shade replied as he got confused.
"From what I read, the armor was in badly damaged, but the spy said it was perfect. Who ever took it must see our queen in some way as family, so they might try to do something with our queen." Blizzard stated as he put a hoof to his chin.
"We must get our queen back!" Night Shade yelled as he started to run to the war room.
(Well that's chapter 7. I build it up, and I do this. You must hate me.)

Author's Notes:

Me: So anyone wondering what the black bottle does? If so good.
Prince Dark Bane: What the hell is wrong with you?
The Great and Powerful Trixie: Will you dumbass males shut the buck up!
Flame: All of you shut the buck up.
Me Prince Dark Bance and the Great and Powerful Trixie: WAIT YOU CAN'T BE IN HERE, AND HOW DID YOU GET IN?!?
Flame: I asked Pinkie Pie to let me in.
Pinkie Pie: That's right and you buckers can't stop me from doing it!
Me: Maybe I should kill you off.
Pinkie Pie: I would just come back buckie.
Me: DO NOT CALL THE WRITER THAT YOU HORSE!
Pinkie Pie: I'm a pony. Didn't you see the last episode of season 1 where Twilight turned some mice into horses that then ran away because of Rarity's meanie cat.
Flame Prince Dark Bane and the Great and Powerful Trixie: Wait what?
Me: Pinkie Pie! Stop breaking the Fourth Wall!
Pinkie Pie: Please Dark Bane already knows he's a OC, and Flame is too.
Flame: I'm not obessive compulsive although Dark Bane probably is.
Prince Dark Bane: That's Prince Dark Bane, and OC means Original Character you dumbass!
the Great and Powerful Trixie: Why did you make me marry him, and Prince Dark Pain I would run now.
Prince Dark Bane: That's Prince Dark Bane and why?
Flame: I WILL BURN YOUR BONES TO ASH! (With fire reaching orbit.)
Prince Dark Bane: OH SH*T! (Starts running like Hell is after him. Which it kinda is.)
Flame: GET BACK PRINCE B**CH ALOT!
Me: Well I better make sure my OC lives to see at least the next summer for 2014.
Flame: NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO ABOUT IT!
Pinkie Pie: I'll bring the pop corn.
Prince Dark Bane: FATHER, YOUR LITTLE FLAME THOWER NEEDS BACK UP!
Me: I'll need a asprin.
Pinkie Pie: Here you go.
Me: Thank you.
Gaint flank explosion because of Flame's rage.
Me: Prince Dark Bane can't you eat rage and hatred?
Prince Dark Bane: TOO BUCKING SCARIED!
Flame: YOUR FATHER WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED TO KNOW THAT!
Me: On second thought, PINKIE PIE GET ME GET THE ALCOHOL I'M GETTING HAMMERED!
Pinkie Pie: Okey dokie lokie.
Prince Dark Bane: LOKIE IS HERE! THANK GOD! WHERE IS THAT DARK PHOENIX?
Me: Your pet bird is not here.
Prince Dark Bane: DAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 8: War has Come

View Online

(Right after Chapter 7, Castle of Death)
Eclipse, all three princess, the Mane Six, Snake Eyes, Clockwork, and Flame stood just out of sight of the guards.
"We are just out of the guard's sight. If I walk with all of you as my prisoners we can get in without a fight. The servants will not question me even if they where told I'm dead." Eclipse stated as she looked at everypony in the eyes.
"Wait, why would the servants not care but the guards would?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked at Eclipse.
"The guards and the servants see each other as kin but the guards are just soldiers given that duty. Every soilder has the same strengths and weaknesses, but they are stronger than normal ponies." Eclipse stated as she looked at the castle with black clouds starting to swirl around the three towers.
"I know that Dark Bane likes to be scary and stuff like that, but why are his soilders so strong and why is his castle like this?" Pinkie Pie asked as she looked at the dark castle.
"He is one for statements. His castle is a statement saying that dark magic has the power to let him and his father do what ever they want." Eclipse answered as she looked at her old home.
"Ok, so he likes to show off his power, but what about his soilders? How do we defeat them if there is a fight?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked like she was starting to dread this.
"Dark Bane does not show off his power. He simply shows that he does what he wants, and you can easily defeat the guards by putting their bodies under lots of pressure, but unlike the soilders at the Crystal Empire these ones are made from near perfect crystals. They are stronger and can take more stress on their bodies, but every soilder can barely think." Eclipse answered as she looked at her allies.
"Barely think. What do you mean by that?" Luna asked as she looked at the pony made by magic.
"Dark Bane is scared for his power. The soilders have great power and he fears when his soilders actually start to think for themselves. You see the soilders are so loyal to him that they can only think about the duty they are given. That is why they will do what ever he says and what ever that huge ego of a wife of his says." Eclipse answered with easily hearable hatred for both the prince and the princess of darkness.
"So all we have to is get his guards to think for themselves." Flame stated as he looked at Eclipse.
"Unlike the crystal ponies of the Crystal Empire, these crystal ponies are mentally linked, and Dark Bane & Trixie can use that link to give out orders." Eclipse answered as she looked at everypony.
"Um...What will happen if the guards don't buy the trick?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the castle.
"Then we're going to have to fight through the castle to get to the guarden." Eclipse answered as she looked at everypony with a straight face.
"Wait, why the guarden?" Applejack asked as she looked at the unicorn being asked the question.
"The spells have to be casted outside. The guarden has a spell on it to make it spring all the time in it. I would know since I worked in the guarden for around one thousand years. I know every route to and from the guarden." Eclipse stated as she looked at everypony.
"Why would he need guarden?" Clockwork asked as he looked at the unicorn.
"Dark Bane was always working on something new. He would make potions to turn one into a cowerd or a potion that would corrupt anything it gets on." Eclipse stated as she look at a now surprised Flame.
"What's wrong sir Flame?" Luna asked as she look at the pegasus.
"Please don't call me sir Princess Luna, and I'm just surprised that he would know zebra magic." Flame answered as he looked at everypony.
"Wait, you know what a zebra is." Twilight stated as she looked at Flame.
"Yes I do. Zebras are actually very communal, and are will teach others their form of magic. Dark Bane has always had a thirst for knowledge. He would get books on every form of magic. Sometimes he would get copies of books he already had and would end up throwing them out of a window. That's how I ended up with a book with zebra magic in it." Flame stated as he looked at all the others.
"Well first off, zebras don't have magic, but they are incredible herbalists. All the potions you and Dark Bane have been making can only be herbal toxins or anti-toxins." Twilight stated as she look at the pegasus.
"Well I infuse my potions with magic making them more powerful. Dark Bane most likely does the same thing." Flame replied as he pulled a deep emerld green liquid filled glass bottle.(He pulled it from his satchel bag that's under his wing.)
"What's that? Some super sour syrup?" Pinkie Pie asked as she hopped up to the magical pegasus.
"It's a potion that will release magic draining clouds. Anything that has magic in it that enters the clouds will have all of its magic drained." Flame answered as he looked at the others.
"But the only ponies that can use magic are unicorns and alicorns." Rarity stated as she looked at everypony.
"Actually Rarity, unicorns use arcane magic, pegasus use sky magic, earth ponies use well earth magic, and alicorns can use all magic." Twilight replied as she corrected her friend about magic.
"Oh. So that's why pegasi can stand on clouds." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked up to the clouds.
"Yes, but if Dark Bane does infuse magic into potions then they will do incredible damage to everything." Celestia stated as she was now showing visible concern on her facial features.
"Sister, if Dark Bane has read books on different forms of magic then he has most likely not only know necromancy but also a spell that could give Nightmare Moon a new body." Luna stated as she looked at everypony.
"Why care about somepony that wants to bring eternal night? No offence Princess Luna." Clockwork asked and then apologize to the princess of the night.
"None taken." Luna replied with a straight face.
"Some taken." Snake Eyes stated as he gave a glare of annoyance.
Luna just sighed at that as well as Celestia and the Mane Six was just hoping the two orders would get along soon.
"Dark Bane sees Nightmare Moon as his own daughter, which might make him think your the mother Princess Luna." Eclipse answered Clockwork with a disappointed look.
"WE SURE HOPE NOT!" Luna stated with the royal voice causing everypony to stress since the guards could of heard her.
"Lulu, I hope he doesn't see you as the mother, but you need to be quiet." Celestia stated as she tried to calm her little sister down.
"There was something in our single-consciousness right after I left, I heard Trixie's voice say that she was going to bring back their daughter, so she sees herself as Nightmare Moon's mother." Eclipse stated as she looked at everypony.
"Enough talking the lunar eclipse is almost full." Clockwork stated as he looked at a moon that was now half way eclipsed.
All 14 ponies started to walk towards the gates while Celestia, Luna, and Cadance casted multiple spells to make it look like they where chained up with real chains and where the prisoners of Eclipse.
"Eclipse, we where told that you died proctecting Mistress Trixie." the unicorn gurad on the left stated as he saw her.
"I was able to survive by using every last drop of magic I could muster to heal my body and capture our lord's enemies." Eclipse stated as she made it look like she forcefully pulled the princess, the Mane Six, the leaders of the two orders' leaders, and Flame.
"You where able to capture them all and even the pegasus that can use magic. How did you do it?" asked the unicorn guard on the right with a surprised facial expresstion.
"I used some of the very dark magic Prince Dark Bane used to give me life to seal their magic and then teleport us her, but I was a few miles off but I could still tell where to go." Eclipse lied hoping it would fool the guards.
"Why have they not talked or yelled yet?" the left unicorn asked as eyed every 'prisoner' and saw their mouths where not bound.
"Must be an after effect of me using the shadow chain spell on them." Eclipse lied agian hoping the muscle heads would believe it.
"Must be. You servents are smarter so magic comes to all of you better then us warriors." the right unicorn guard replied as he shook his head.
"By the way Eclipse, why did your voice disappear from our collective mind?" the left guard asked with a raised eye brow.
"I believe it was from the sudden lack of magic is in my body." Eclipse lied again since she is now alive.
"That must be the reason. You can enter with the prisoners, and do you need help taking them to the dungeons?" the right guard asked as he and his partener used the magic they could muster to open the doors.
"That will not be necessary, I wish to surprise our masters." Eclipse answered as she started to lead her 'prisoners' to the dungeons.
After they left the gates, they saw why Dark Bane believed he could do what ever he wanted, since this castle was a beacon of his power. The walls seemed to be made of obsidan, and the fire on the touches was an evil mixture of black surrounded by purple. Every window they went by looked to be made of a grey crystal like material. Everytime they saw a servent all stared at Eclipse and her 'prisoners' as they past and then seemed to get angry. When they where far enough from the servents, the girls and guys gave Eclipse a confused look.
"Servents like I was are smarter than the warriors so we can keep working without being ordered what to do. That is why the castle is still in liveable condition. Servents are also able to order around warriors. I'm just glad that I wasn't made to be a miner, then I would have to dig away to get more crystals to make more of us." Eclipse stated as she guided them to huge double doors with a single rose ingraved in both doors.
"Pass these doors are the gardens. As soon as we go in, Trixie will most likely tell Dark Bane I'm a betrayed him. As soon as he hears this, he will attack with all of his rage. Be ready to fight for your lives." Eclipse stated as she turned her head towards the doors.
"Twilight, take the others and go after Trixie. Luna and I will end Dark Bane." Celestia ordered as she looked at the door with pure rage just like her little sister.
As soon as the door opened, they saw Dark Bane and Trixie standing in two circles calling upon dark magic with an evil looking phoenix flying around them.
"A dark phoenix, but we made sure they where extinct long ago." Luna stated as she looked at the bird.
"Dark Bane! They're here!" Trixie yelled as she saw them aproach.
"We must finish the spell! Come to me my Legion of Shadows!" Dark Bane yelled as his voice thundered through the castle.
As soon as he yelled out the command warriors came to the gardens through the shadows.
"How can they do that?" Pinkie asked as she looked at all the crystal ponies.
"Its because everypony Dark Bane not only uses dark magic and his own magic, but he uses shadow magic to allow us to travel any where he tells us to." Eclipse answered as she glared at the crystal ponies and their masters.
"I'm going to call them shadow ponies then." Pinkie Pie replied as she looked at said ponies with her ever known smile.
"Eclipse! What are you doing?" one of the soilders asked.
"Dark Bane is a tyrant and Trixie is just plain power hungry. I can not just stand by and let them do what ever they want." Eclipse answered as she empowered her horn with new magic that she had gained by becoming flesh and blood.
"Then you are traitor to our prince, princess, and king. For your betrayel you will die. Warriors use leathel force!" the same soilder replied as the warriors draw their weapons.
"Burn." Flame stated as he flew up above everypony and then threw a fireball at the now swirling masses of shadows and night sky.
Everypony watched as the ball of fire flew towards the masses, but Loki flew infront of the ball and made a shield of dark magic blocking the blast.
"Let's get those muders!" yelled both Clockwork and Snake Eyes as they fired beams of gold and silver.(They where fired by the pony in the same order.)
Earth pony soilders blocked the beams easily taking the blasts. The soilders then charged the group all yelling a battle cry.(It basicly is just 'For the the shadows!')
"Get out of my way! Dark Bane is my target!" Luna yelled as she used her magic to throw the soilders out of her way.
"Honey, what do we do?" Trixie asked as she was focusing all of her magic into the spells her husband was molding into their working state.
"Just keep your mind on the spell as soon as the moon is fully eclipse the spells will be finished."Dark Bane answered as he kept his eyes on the horn of his father and the armor of Nightmare Moon with a small bowl of blood by it.(The moon was like 80% eclipse at the moment and the blood was a mix of Dark Bane's and Trixie's blood.)
"Hey Flame, maybe now would be a good time to throw that magic eating cloud in a bottle you have." Applejack stated as she kicked a soilder into a wall.
"I believe that would be a good idea." Flame stated as he flew up above the soilders.
Flame pulled out the deep emerld green bottle, but was then tackled by a pegasus soilder. The bottle full to the ground and soilders went to grab the bottle but a pegasus soilder eneded up landing on the bottle breaking it and release the cloud that quickly enveloped all the soilders and turning their bodies back to crystals.(So now they where crystal statues with armor on them and yes the cloud basicly died.)
"Well that worked out nicely." Rarity stated as her and the rest of the group ran over to stop the spells.
Just as they got a foot away from the seals of the spell, Loki flew infront of them and made a shield blocking them painfully.
"I always hated that damn bird." Eclipse stated as she glare said bird.
"I think we might be a little late to stop the spells." Twilight stated as she looked up to see the moon was just about to be fully eclipse.
"You lose princesses." Sombra's voice stated as the mass of shadows took the form of Sombra.
"Father. You live again." Dark Bane stated as the mass of night sky hid under Trixie's cape.
"My blood is flowing through my vains again. Air thunders in my lungs. The king of shadows and fear has return. May the world rejoice." Sombra stated as he looked up to the now ending lunar eclipse.(Sombra did not have any of his 'royal' wear on so everypony saw his powerful body and his cutie mark that was three black crystal spikes.)
"This castle is only for my family and those I decide to give the honor to enter." Dark Bane stated as everything and everypony except the Mane Six, the Princesses, Clockwork, Snake Eyes, and Flame disappeared right before their eyes.
"The next time you see us, it will be at war." Sombra stated as he, his son, and new daughter-in-law laughed and they were now completely gone.
"Great now they're gone." Luna stated as she glared at the spot that Dark Bane was standing moments ago.
"Oh no." everypony heard Eclipse stated as they turned to see her looking into a hole.
"What's the matter Eclipse?" Rarity asked as the others walked over to her.
"He was able to take the mine he uses to make his crystal ponies." Eclipse stated as she looked the now completely empty cavern.
"They're not crystal ponies, they're shadow ponies." Pinkie corrected with her nickname for the ponies created by the prince of hatred.
"Any idea where they're going Eclipse?" Celestia asked as the alicorn looked around the area.
"He's most likely going to hide within Everfree Forest since it has an ancient magic with in it." Eclipse stated as she looked at the others.
"Ancient magic like that of was left after my battle with my sister?" Luna asked a little self-aware.
"There is that magic, but there is a magic there that is from the old world. The world of man." Eclipse answered as she looked at everypony.
"But he said that the humans didn't believe in magic." Luna replied as she looked at the unicorn with a raised eyebrow.
"It was back when the humans called the dark ages. At that time the humans had wizards and witches. This magic seems to draw anything that has magic to it. That's most likely why you made your first castle there." Eclipse stated as she looked at the princesses.
"Princesses, I think he plans on using the Everfree Forest to try to summon the Elements of Nature. If he is able to bring them together then we are doomed." Twilight stated out of pannick.
"Relax Twilight Sparkle, Dark Bane said that nature itself made the Elements of Nature to fight the darkness. Dark Bane ironicly uses dark magic, so they will not obey him." Luna stated as she looked at the Element of Magic.
"Let us return home for now." Celestia stated as she teleported everypony back to their respected homes.(Remember Eclipse is staying with Twilight.)
Castle of Dark Bane:
Sombra, Dark Bane, and Trixie were trying to find a very scared filly out from her hiding spot. The scared little one found out that she was hidig under a much larger pony instead of a table, and had ran off screaming scaring the guards and the servents. Sombra was never was good at making a child feel safe, even when his only son was young, Dark Bane wasn't much better since he looked just like his father, but Trixie still looked like herself giving her the best chance at finding the filly and calming her down.
"Come on out." Trixie stated with a calming voice like a mother.(Well no horse pucking.)
"Yes, so I can have a good look at you." Sombra stated with his normal voice.(So he just made her freak and stay quiet.)
"FATHER! YOU'RE! NOT! HELPING!" Dark Bane yelled each word so loudly that he had to take a breath after each word.
"Honey! Your yelling not helping either." Trixie stated with a look that challenged the two males to do anything.
Both unicorn stallions wisely decided to not challenge the mare. Trixie smiled at her victory and then went back to looking for her new daughter. She found the scared filly hiding in the crystal mines with some of the miners looking at the filly between crates of crystals. When Trixie looked at her, she saw that the filly was an alicorn, (What were you expecting an unicorn?) had black fur her mane and tail that was the deepest purple there was, her eyes were just like when she was one with Luna, (I have no idea how to describe the relationship.) and she seemed to be the same age as those annoying Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Hello I'm Trixie and I'm also your mother, so you can call me mother, mom, mommy, or momma." Trixie stated as she lowered herself to make herself as unintimidating as possible.
"Your m-my mommy?" the little alicorn asked as she was shaking slightly.
"Yes and one of those loud mouths is your daddy." Trixie replied as she kept low.
"Both of them scare me." she replied looking into these kind eyes. (Trixie's eyes are still purple they are just the same shape as Dark Bane's with the purple mist coming out of them.)
"Only your grandfather on your father's side of the family tries to be scary. Your father although has never had any experince with a child of any age." Trixie replied as she was able to bring the filly out.
The two walked back up the stairs to see the two males quitely yelling at each other.
"Do they usual act like this?" the filly asked as she looked at the two unicorn stallions.
"I haven't been around your grandfather for very long, but he's the one with the long hair while the one with short hair is your father." Trixie answered the filly.
That's when Dark Bane stopped 'yelling' and looked at the doors of the castle.
"What is son?" Sombra asked as he looked at his only child.
"An army of fools is committing suicide right now." Dark Bane stated as the doors shuttered from an attack on them.
"How did daddy do that?" the filly asked with wide eyes.
"He is mentally linked with every soilder and servant. I'm also linked to them but I'm as strong with it like him. So if one guards is attacked everypony knows about it." Trixie answered as the doors shook again.
Loki came flying up to his master when the doors where slammed open and a flood of ponies came running in, all of them with armor that looked like Nightmare Moon's armor. An unicorn stallion stepped up with a look of a leader. Next to him was a pegasus mare was standing on his left while there was a younger unicorn mare on the stallion's right side that wore a helmet that had a blinder on it.
"I told you I could find this place. This place reeks of dark magic." said the young mare that could be no older than the Mane 6. (This is what Sombra, Dark Bane, and Trixie thought.)
"Who are you ponies, and why do you attack my son's home?" Sombra asked with much anger in his voice.
"We are the Children of Nightmare, and we are here to take our queen back from you." the stallion stated with narrow eyes.
"You will never take my daughter!" Trixie yelled as sent out an order of magic to the Legion of Shadows.
"Children of Nightmare?" Dark Bane asked himself as he looked at these ponies.
The soilders came to their mistress's command and appeared through the shadows of the room. The soilders then moved between the royal family and the attackers.
"Queen Nightmare Moon is not your daughter!" yelled one member of the cult.
"Her name is not Nightmare Moon! Her name is Nightengale!" Trixie yelled and made the filly smile hearing her new name.
"If you plan on taking my daughter, then you'll have to kill me." Dark Bane stated as he summoned dark magic.
"Daddy, please stop." Nightengale pleaded as she started to hide under Trixie again.
Dark Bane quickly dismissed the magic and simplely summoned his emerld magic. It looked like he was about to fire a blast of magic, but then he used changeling magic to change into a large snake that looked poisonous. (Imagine the Bassilisk from Chamber of Secrests.)
"What did he just transform into?" questioned one member of the cult.
"I can use my magic with changeling magic to take the form of anything I know. This snake is known as Bassilisk. (Yes I know but you think up a name for magical animals.) Changeling magic also allows me to devour any emotion I choose so I can always grow in strength."Dark Bane stated as he slithered closer to the cult. (He can not kill just by looking at you. He has its shape not its powers.)
"STOP IT!" Nightengale yelled as her magic seemed to come to life and started to shack the castle.
"Yes our queen." every member of the Children of Nightmare replied as they bowed to her.
"I'm so sorry my daughter." Dark Bane stated as he tramsformed back into his pony self and hugged the filly.
"Don't touch our queen darkness bringer!" yelled a random member.
Sombra then summoned dark magic and glared at the Children of Nightmare. He smiled at them as he started to walk towards the cult.
"Father stop. I have a question for these ponies." Dark Bane stated causing Sombra to give a sigh disappointment.
"You never have any fun." Sombra stated as he dismissed the evil magic.
"What do you want Dark Bane?" the leader asked with much anger.
"Who are you and why do you want my daughter?" Dark Bane asked with his voice that was calm and collected but some how sent chills down evert members spine.
"I am Night Shade, leader of the Children of Nightmare, and we are the servants of Nightmare Moon herself. We will help her bring the night of forever." Night Shade answered as he glared at the prince.
"You are keeping something from me. I think I'll see what that is now." Dark Bane stated as he used dark magic and was able to hit Night Shade's horn.
What looks to be an endless white space:
"What the? Where am I?" Night Shade asked as he looked around the space.
"This is your mind. I was expecting something a little more." Dark Bane stated as he appeared walking towards Night Shade.
"What, but if this is my mind, how are you here?" Night Shade asked as he looked at the prince.
"I used a spell that allows get into minds this is how I get all the information I want, and if you fight this, you will be in massive pain. I know this since I used this spell to learn about the Guardians of the Light and the Children of Night." Dark Bane state as he started to bring out memories.
Dark Bane seemed to be coping every memory Night Shade has and was taking all the copies. Night Shade tried to keep his memories from Dark Bane but olny got lots of pain from it. Dark Bane was liturely getting every memory he had including the memories of his family.
"So you are the cousin of the Element of Kindness. That mare I will not kill, for she will be needed in my plan to summon the Elements of Nature. In fact, every bearer of the Elements of Harmony has a role to summon the Elements of Nature." Dark Bane stated as he finished getting every memory.
That's when everything turned into a bright white light and Night Shade and Dark Bane were back to the proper state of mind.
"Kill him! He has learned sercets of our order!" Night Shade yelled the order.
"If you kill me, my legion will lose all reason and attack everything. This won't happen when the magic I use to link their minds has connected with Trixie, then I simply have to connect my daughter, your queen, with that magic." Dark Bane stated as he glared at the cult.
"You command your army with your mind." the blindfolded mare stated more out of fasination rather than shock.
"I can command them through magic too, but that is a crude method." Trixie stated as she looked at the cult with annoyance.
"You gave your legion a hive mind just like the Changelings." the young mare stated again out of fasination.
"I suppose I did Night Veil, but here's the thing nightmare child. Your queen is my daughter, the Legion of Shadow will do what ever she commands. I don't have to tell them to do anything." Dark Bane stated as he looked to his legion then used his left hoof to gesture his family.
"How did he know my name?" Night Veil asked herself as she looked at Dark Bane through her spell to feel feilds of magic.
"I suggest that you bow to your royal family." Trixie stated as she walked up to the cult with a look of superiority.
"We will only bow to our queen." yelled a random member with lots of rage.
"Bow to me and my family, now." Nightengale stated as she walked up to the cult with the same look as Trixie.
This was enough proof for the cultists, so they bowed to the family, but Night Veil was thinking that this family was going go to far to get what they wanted. That's when she felt an influx of the magic in Equestria. It felt like a hot, humid, and dusty wind. Night Veil was not sure why, but she felt as if her brother had something to do with this power.

Author's Notes:

Me: Well that took some time, but I did it.
Prince Dark Bane: Its about time.
Pinkie Pie: Yah. I was getting bored.
Me: PINKIE PIE GET OUT OF HERE!
The Great and Powerful Trixie: I was hoping you gave up on this story.
Me: You are all horrible ponies.
Princess Luna: I am not horrible. I'm just misunderstood.
Me: My Princess Luna you are my favorite of all. Take me to the great night.
Princess Luna: Well at least some creatures have propper behavior.
Prince Dark Bane: I'm a prince and this is a weak human.
Me: I'm going to have you turn into the over-protective father with Nightengale.
Nightengale: Did somepony say may name?
Everyone: HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?
Nightengale: I'm alicorn. I can easily get in here. Just like Luna was able to get in here.
Princess Luna: I actually had Pinkie Pie bring me here.
Me: Someone get me asprin.
Flame: Here you go.
Me: PINKAMENA DIANE PIE!
Pinkie Pie: Hey! Only my parents can call me that.
Flame: Why did you bring me back.
Pinkie Pie: It was fun the last time I brought you here.
Prince Dark Bane: FUN! I still have burns from him. If it wasn't from the author hitting him in the head with a frying pan I would be ash.
Flame and Me: Don't remind me.
Flame: By the way Prince Dark Pain in the Flank, (Dark Bane not happy at all at that name.) ready for round two.
Prince Dark Bane: Wait! What?
Me: Oh by the gods of above and below don't make me break the full moon frying pan out again.
Everypony shuting up. (Even Pinkie Pie.)
Me: Thank you.
Nightengale: I'm bored.
Flame: You're a cute little one...wait you're an alicorn.
Nightengale: So. I was once the great Nightmare Moon.
Flame: Oooooooooooooooooooooh.
Me: Why me?

Chapter 9: The Three New Colts in School

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(Ponyville, 2 weeks after chapter 8.)
All of Equestria was in a slight panic when the princesses released the information that the tyrant king of the Crystal Empire was brought back to life by his son who has mastered dark, changeling, and most likely many other forms of magic. The citizens where even more scared over the fact that not only the tyrants of the Crystal Empire wanted the world under their hooves, but Dark Bane had used his magic to bring back Nightmare Moon. The nation was over joyed though when they heard that two groups had joined them in the fight against the dark lords. (I know horrible.) Ponyville residents weren’t all that scared since they out of everypony should know what happens when all of Equestria and most likely the world are at stake. They liked having two groups that had an axe to grind with the dark prince in town with them. The groups where kind and friendly to everypony except each other. Well some of the older adult ponies showed hostility to each other, but the children and teenagers got along well. (Some of the teens even started dating each other much to some of the older members horror.) Although there was now a lot more ponies in town, neither of the groups have sent any of the children into the town's school system yet. The colts didn't mind since the girls started to give all of their attentions to them. At the moment the children were running to school so they wouldn't be late. As the last of the kids got in their seats, the bell ranged and Miss Cheerilee walked in with a lovely smile on her face.
"Good morning class." Cheerilee stated to the class still with that smile on her lips.
"Good morning Miss Cheerilee." the entire class replied to their teacher weather they wanted to or not.
"Now class I have exciting news." Cheerilee stated as she was now smiling like Pinkie Pie which scared some of her students. (Mainly the CMC.)
"Is school canceled for an unknown time period with the tyrants of the Crystal Empire on the loose." Diamond Tiara replied hoping what she said was true. (Most of the class was hoping with her.)
"Thankfully not." Cheerilee stated and then heard most of her class sigh out of disappointment.
"So much for that possiblity." Silver Spoon stated while she and Diamond Tiara got a scalding look from Cheerilee.
"Are we going to learn about the Crystal Empire?" Sweetie Belle asked as her hoof was in the air.
"No. We have three new students." Cheerilee answered and was rewarded with a sigh from most of her students and looked to see that the colts seemed to be praying for some reason.
"What are their names?" Applebloom asked as she was hoping they were blank flanks like her, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.
"How about they introduce themselves and say something special about themselves?" Cheerilee answered with a question of her own as she side stepped to reveal three colts. (You should know which three they are.)
"My name is Silver Shield. I am an earth pony from the Guardians of the Light." he stated as he gave every student a little bow and getting sighs of love from most of the fillies while getting angry glares from all of the colts that were seated.
"I am Wolf Bane. I am a unicorn from the Children of the Night." he stated as he also gave a bow getting the same reaction from the class.
"Well my name is Blizzard, and well the only thing I can think of that makes me special is that Fluttershy is my great-cousin." he stated as he had a hoof to his chin to think and somehow getting the same reaction from the class.
In the back of the room there were three colts glaring at the three new colts since they saw that the CMC seemed to be staring at them with a lot of interest. These colts where Rumble, Pipsqueak, and Featherweight. These three have had crushes on the CMC for as long as they could remember. Pipsueak loved everything about Applebloom, but loved how she sticks with her friends no matter what. Rumble loved Sweetie Belle all together, but he loved her voice the most. Featherweight loved Scootaloo all together, but he loved her never give up attitude. Even though they never said anything to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they knew that they would love them. (I mean the CMC would love the three of them.)
"If any of those new guys try to take my Applebloom from me, I'll buck them all the way to Canterlot." Pipaqueak whispered to his friends as he glared at the silver earth pony the most.
"The same goes with my Sweetie Belle." Rumble whispered back as he glared at the grey unicorn the most.
"The same goes for my Scootaloo." Featherweight whispered as he glared at the white pegasus with the oversized wings.
"Now, where to have you three sit? Oh, how about you three sit next to Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?" Cheerilee asked as she pointed a hoof towards said fillies getting every other filly in the class to sigh out of disappointment.
"That's all right with me Ms. Cheerilee." Blizzard replied with a smile.
"Very well Master Cheerilee." Silver Shield replied surprising almost everypony in the building. (The only ones that were not surprised were Silver Shield himself [Duh.] and Wolf Bane.)
"Ok Sensei Cheerilee." Wolf Bane replied surprising each pony from before.
After those three took their seats, (Each sitting with the same type of pony.) Cheerilee started to give a lecture on plants and how important it was to take care of the environment.
"Is that why Princess Celestia doesn't have Everfree Forest cut down?" Diamond Tiara asked as she had this dying of bored look.
"That is one of the reasons. The other reason is that the Everfree Forest has wild magic and monsters like the timber wolves. If the forest was to be cleared then they would have no home and they would need to look for food. I'm not sure about you, but I would rather not be a meal." Cheerilee answered as she looked at her class with a cheery smile.
Cheerilee went back to giving her lecture, but after about 10 minutes the bell range signally for recess. While everypony ran outside to play, the new colts were a little confused on what to do.
"What is this recess, and what do we do during it?" Silver Shield asked as he looked at his fellow new students.
"I was home schooled up to today. I never even heard about this." Blizzard replied as he looked at the others. (He did not lie. He lived in the Castle of Nightmare [The dark twin of Canterlot Castle.] for as long as he can remember.)
"I think this is where we practice our stealth and recovering skills." Wolf Bane answered as he saw some classmates playing hide and seek.
"That's not what recess is for. Recess is for us to play." Diamond Tiara stated as she, Silver Spoon, Snails, and Snips came walking up.
Moments before the three walked out:
"Hey Diamond." Silver Spoon stated as she looked down.
"What Silver?" Diamond Tiara asked as she saw her friend has a blush.
"Do you like, I don't know, the new colts?" Silver Spoon asked as she was now blushing like mad.
"I do like them, but I want that cutie of a colt, Blizzard." Diamond Tiara answered as she drooled a little bit.
"I want that handsome Silver Shield, and you know what they say. You can never have enough silver." Silver Spoon stated as she drooled a little bit as well.
"Hey girls want to play with us?" Snails asked as he and Snips walked up to them with nervous smiles.
"How about you help us get the three new colts in our little group, then we'll play with you." Diamond Tiara stated using all of her charms on the poor, stupid boys.
"OK!" both of the unicorns yelled as they were hopelessly under the bullies' powers.
Present:
"Playing. What a waste of time. Back at the first Temple of Light, we members only had four things to do. Train, study, eat, and sleep. We all had to be doing something productive." Silver Shield stated as if the very act of doing nothing productive was evil to him.
"At the Temple of the Moon, every member between 5 to 13 can play for one hour then it's off to train. I am to become the next leader so I must learn a lot. Dad would have me play a game of chess with him every day so I'll learn strategy." Wolf Bane replied as he looked at his first true friend.
"Anyway...Want to join our little group? Only the coolest can be a part of it and then there these two." Diamond Tiara stated and then gestured to the two boys.
"Hey." both Snails and Snips stated as if hurt physically.
"You remind me of a filly I know. She was horrible to be near." Blizzard stated as he looked at Diamond Tiara with a look of annoyance.
"Because they're bullies. Their favorite past time is to make fun of blank flanks." Applebloom stated as she and her friends (Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. You should have figured.) came over.
"Bullies." Blizzard stated as a question as he tilted his head to the left.
"Damn that is cute." Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara both thought as he looked confused.
"It means that both of them make fun of other students just because they have nothing to do." Sweetie Belle explained as she glared at the earth pony brats.
"From what I just heard, both of them would be banished and sent out into the woods to fend for themselves." Silver Shield stated and getting a nod of agreement from Wolf Bane.
"The Children of the Night know that in-fighting would destroy the order, but in this case I would say that the community would be the one that would be in danger." Wolf Bane stated as he glared at the two fillies that he found out where mean to others.
"Snails and Snips here do whatever they tell them too." Scootaloo stated as she sent the two boys a disapproving look.
"Is that so?" Silver Shield asked as he looked at the two boys with a raised eye brow.
"Yah. They think if they do whatever they tell 'em to do that they'll get to date those two." Applebloom answered as she glare at the four.(I have never used the word 'they' so many times in one sentence.)
"They would be banished too." Silver Shield stated as he glared at the four.
"Get out of here. Any pony that acts like that has no place among members in either order we are from." Wolf Bane added as he was enraged at what these ponies did.
"Those two fillies would be welcomed into the Children of Nightmare. Maybe I'll see if they will help in bringing the true queen back her crown." Blizzard thought as he knew that his parents wanted him to be ready if he ever becomes leader instead of his sister.
Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Snails, and Snips left while they glared back at the CMC and the new students. Diamond Tiara gave a rather nasty glare at Scootaloo.
"Sorry, but we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Applebloom. Mah big sister is Applejack the Element of Honesty." Applebloom stated to the colts as she smiled at them.
"I'm Sweetie Belle. My big sister is Rarity and she's the Element of Generosity." Sweetie Belle stated as she smiled at the colts as well.
"The name is Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, says she sees me as a sister." Scootaloo stated as she smiled as well.
"Nice to meet all of you." the colts replied as they looked at the fillies.
The six then started to talk about themselves until they had to go back to class. The rest of the school day was spent with the class trying to learn about nature.
"That was horrible. I hope by the time I have foals, that Ponyville is more like Canterlot or that I move somewhere that is livable." Diamond Tiara stated with a frown as Silver Spoon agreed like she was some sort of robot.
"Blizzard, where are you?" a unicorn mare with a blinder yelled as she walked past everypony as if she could see perfectly.
"Who is that weird unicorn?" Silver Spoon asked as she looked at said unicorn.
"Night Veil, what you doing here?" Blizzard asked as he looked up to her face.
"Who's this Blizzard?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at the grey unicorn reminding her of a story she was told by her mother, when she was very young, about a grey unicorn tyrant king and his son who he dragged into darkness with him. (Yes I have done this.)
"This is my big sister. Night Veil these are my new friends. This is Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Silver Shield, and Wolf Bane." Blizzard stated as he pointed at them while saying their names.
"As long as they don't use you I don't care. Now come with me. We are heading home and I don't want that pink pain in the flank to find me again." Night Veil stated then both her and Blizzard shuddered as they remembered Pinkie Pie somehow got into their house before they got back from going to the store. (She gave them a Welcome to Ponyville party and well Night Shade had Pinkie Pie arrested for breaking and entering.)
"Do you mean Pinkie Pie? Well sorry about that, we've been asking Mayor Mare to get a warning sign about her." Sweetie Belle stated as she remembered the pink party pony very well. (Who wouldn't?)
"I suggest you try harder, but for now time to go home Blizz...ard." Night Veil replied but seemed to get her attention taken by something.
"What's wrong there new comer?" Applejack asked as she, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash came walking up.
"Blizzard, get behind me now!" Night Veil ordered as her horn light up with magic.
"What the hey?" Diamond Tiara yelled as she and Silver Spoon nearly got tackled by Zecora who was out of breath.
"Zecora, what are you doing here?" Rarity asked as the group walked up to her.
"Darkness has come turning the forest even more wild and dangerous." Zercora stated as she steadied her breathing.
"Then why didn't you bring your stuff?" Applebloom asked the potion maker.
"Where did that zebra go!?!" yelled a stallion that must have been angry.
"They are the reason my craft is not with me." Zercora stated as the troops of the Legion of Shadows came storming out of the forest.
"There's the zebra captain." yelled an earth pony soldier as he glared at the zebra.
"Forget about her. Half of the Elements of Harmony are here. They are our main target." the captain (a unicorn) yelled as he looked at the three.
"So you’re going to try to kill us now." Rainbow Dash stated as she flow up.
"Remember, Prince Dark Bane wants each of them alive and healthy, but he didn't say they had to be conscious or have all their limbs." the captain stated as if he didn't hear Rainbow Dash.
"You leave our big sisters alone!" the CMC yelled as they glared at the soldiers.
"Sugar cubes, this is brave in all, but get out of here now." Applejack ordered as she and her friends got in front of all of the colts and fillies.
"I have to agree with you three, but I would like to protect my niece if you don't mind." said a voice of a mare that the foals knew since she was the biggest DJ. (Not to mention Pinkie Pie was able to get her to the big royal wedding. Yes I went that far. I mainly did it since I don't like the orphan, sister of one of the Mane 6 [Daughter is fine.], or abusive parent. Well I don't mind if she's like a runaway but it has to be a good reason.)
"Is that DJ PON-3?" a colt asked as he looked at the DJ. (She hand her glasses on at the moment.)
"Auntie Vinyl Scratch!" Scootaloo yelled as said DJ came up and rubbed her head. (Imagine the head rub that Rainbow Dash gives the small winged pegasus.)
"Now everypony take a step back. I got this." Vinyl Scratch stated as her horn glowed with her magic and strangely so did her throat.
"This is going to be loud. Especially since she didn't bring the bass cannon. (Don't say it!)" Scootaloo stated as she covered her ears causing everypony to follow her lead.
Vinyl Scratch took in a deep breath and then unleashed a sky opening scream that shattered every piece of glass at most in a one square mile circle. (That would be a mile from one point to the corresponding point where they make an angle of 180 degrees, and it was a good thing the town was not within that mile and that there was no glass at the school except correctional glasses some students need.) When the DJ stopped her yell, the crystal legionnaires had large cracks all over their bodies. Each crack had dark purple mist coming out of them all.
"If I was any of you, and I'm glad I'm not, I would start running. I got my cutie mark after I amplified my voice and then broke every glass object in my house before I even started elementary school, so I'm basically a specialist in sound magic." Vinyl stated as she looked at the badly damaged crystal constructs. (The scream brought the other half of the Mane Six.)
"That was some yell." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked at the damage the DJ did.
"Well she did make the bass cannon." Twilight replied as she looked a little shamed since a unicorn would make such a thing.
"Oh my goodness. Zercora, are you all right?" Fluttershy asked when she saw the zebra with a small scratch on her side. (The scratch was a really small one that most wouldn't be notice not even by the zebra herself. [Think about it. She has to look after animals that most likely rough house around so she has to see the smallest wounds even the ones that mean nothing.])
"I am in perfect condition. My home may not be." Zercora replied to the shy pegasus.
"Don't worry. If they try anything I'll just give them a second round of my scream." Vinyl stated as her throat glowed again from her magic.
"If that doesn't shatter them, then I'll burn them to ash." Flame stated as he flew over them.
"No offense sir, but pegasuses can only use sky magic." Scootaloo stated as she looked at the pyromancer.
"That's not what we saw up at the Crystal Empire Scoots." Rainbow Dash stated as she looked at the fiery pegasus.
"His magical field. It’s like fire. Who is this pegasus?" Night Veil thought to herself as she saw the shape of a pegasus engulfed in flames.
"Our prince will get you six, and when he does he will be able to summon the Elements of Nature." the captain stated before the mist stopped leaking from the entire squad's bodies.
As soon as the mist stopped coming out of them, they lost everything that showed they had life except the armor they wore, and that's when the crystals that once lived crumbled into piles of crystals from the cracks that had technically killed them.
"That's not good." Night Veil suddenly said as everypony looked at her with confused faces.
"Why was that not good?" Applebloom asked as she looked at the blind unicorn.
"The magic that gave them life it’s not leaving the area. If it stays like this it will kill all plant life within a mile." Night Veil answered causing everypony including Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to look scared.
"Then I'll burn it away." Flame stated as he started to make fire appear around him.
"Burn the crystals and everything around them. You can't leave any trace of the dark magic. If you think you got all of it unleash more fire until I say so." Night Veil nearly yelled as she ordered the fire user.
Flame made a large circle around the crystals and blasted them with so much power that a pillar of fire vaporized everything within the circle. (No pony could hear a thing from the roaring flames.) For a whole minute Flame just unleashed pure fire power on it.
"Is it all gone?" Flame asked as he was a little breathless.
"It was gone half a minute ago. I failed to recognized the amount of power you have." Night Veil stated as she used her sixth sense spell to see that the hole was 10 feet deep and 3 feet wide.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!" Eclipse yelled as she Shadow Stepped (Pinkie Pie named it that the week before.) there looking rather angry.
"My scream didn't bring you here, but that pillar of fire did." Vinyl stated more as a question.
"I was reading a book about plants and couldn't put it down. The main reason is I'm use to loud noises is since Dark Bane loves to play his pipe organ whenever he has free time, but I felt darkness for a moment." Eclipse stated as she looked rather angry still.
"You can feel the presence of dark magic." Night Veil stated as she used her sixth sense spell to see that this unicorn has dark magic within her but it was very small.
"Yes I can, and I felt the death of other crystal ponies made by Dark Bane." Eclipse stated as if it was annoying her to talk to this blind mare.
"No all the ponies made by Dark Bane are shadow ponies." Pinkie Pie corrected and got a sigh from Eclipse.
"Well any way, time to go home, my favorite little niece." Vinyl stated as she hugged Scootaloo.
"I'm your only niece." Scootaloo replied as she hugged her aunt back.
"There for you are my favorite niece." Vinyl stated as she released Scootaloo from the hug.
"I guess that makes sense." Scootaloo replied as she looked up at the white unicorn.
"Oh by the way, I'm going to be leaving tonight at around 7 and I'm not going to back until around noon tomorrow. Octavia will come check on you every ounce in a while. Do you understand Scoots?" Vinyl asked as she looked at the orange pegasus filly.
"The usual plan." Scootaloo stated as if this was a regular thing.
"Why does it sound like you're use to this?" Applebloom asked as she looked at the pair.
"I'm the most popular DJ in Equestria. I'm just glad I have a friend close by that can look after Scoots here." Vinyl answered as she had this thankful look.
"Friends are a wonderful thing to have." Twilight replied with a smile on her face. (I just had to put that in.)
"Now come on Scoots. I need to make you some dinner. How does lasagna sound?" Vinyl asked as she surprised everypony with the fact she can cook.
"I love your lasagna!" Scootaloo yelled then licked her lips.
"Yah, I know." Vinyl replied as she and Scootaloo left to their home.
"We have to go too. Come along little brother." Night Veil stated as she and Blizzard left to go to their home.
"We all should go home." Twilight stated as everypony agreed and left for their homes. (Zercora is staying with Fluttershy since her home puts her in more danger than normal with the Legion of Shadows now living in the Everfree Forest. Zercora still does not know about the Children of Nightmare yet.)
Home of Night Shade and family:
"Are Mom and Dad home Night Veil?" Blizzard asked as he looked at his sister.
"They are at the castle at the moment Blizzard." she answered as she moved through the house with easy.
"When will they be back?" he asked as he looked at his sister.
"They will be back in the morning." Night Veil answered as she moved her head towards her brother.
"It's a good thing we know how to take care of ourselves then." Blizzard stated as he walked over to the kitchen.
Scootaloo's and Vinyl Scartch's house:
"So have you made any new friends?" Vinyl asked as she and Scootaloo walked in and the DJ walked into the kitchen.
"I made friends with three colts today." Scootaloo answered as she placed her saddle bag by the couch.
There was then the sudden sound of glass shattering. Scootaloo walked over to see that her aunt had gotten out Sweet Apple Arces brand apple juice (What do you think they would make? Orange juice.), and there were two broken glasses on the floor.
"Are you ok Aunt Vinyl?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at her aunt.
"Oh yah. It was just a slip of focus. Don't worry about it. It's just some broken glass." the older mare stated with a nervous smile while she used her magic to pick up the glass and grabbed two more glasses.
"Well their names are Blizzard, Wolf Bane, and Silver Shield. They are very nice. Blizzard seems to be hiding something though. Maybe it has something to do with his over protective sister." Scootaloo stated as she looked at her aunt pulling the lasagna out of the oven. (She's a unicorn. All she has to do is teleport to the school and back. So there's no danger.)
"They must be if you're talking about them in such high regard, and I wouldn't worry about it at the moment. When the time is right he will tell you." Vinyl stated with a bit of forced joy.
"Are you sure you're ok?" the younger mare asked as she look at the older mare.
"Of course I am." the mare answered with a forced smile.
"If you say so." Scootaloo replied as she then grabbed the juice, plates, and silverware then left to place them on the table. (She balanced it on her head and her back.)
"How can I be alright with this? She's not supposed to get interested in colts until she's a teenager." Vinyl thought to herself as she took the glasses and the lasagna to the table.
Sweet Apple Arces:
Applejack and Applebloom came walking in to their home to see that Big Mac and Granny were in the house. Granny Smith was on her rocking chair while knitting a scarf. Big Mac was reading a book about apples that will hopefully bring more money for his family.
"How was school Applebloom?" Granny Smith asked as she knitted a scarf.
"It was great. I made friends with the three new colts in class today." Applebloom stated with a big smile on her face.
The rest of her family was a little shocked that their little bloom has made friends with three colts and that made them a little uneasy.
"If any of those colts try to hurt my sister, I'm gonna hurt them." Big Mac thought as he became the over protective brother he was.
"If any of them try anything with Applebloom or her friends, Ah will make it so they will never walk again." Applejack thought as she had this hard look on her face.
"Their names are Silver Shield, Wolf Bane, and Blizzard. They are so nice, and Silver Shield is so protective of those he sees as his friends." Applebloom stated with a smile on her face.
"I remember when fillies wouldn't take any interest in colts until they were Applejack's age." Granny Smith stated while remembering when she was a little filly herself.
"It's nothen like that!" Applebloom yelled as she blushed the same color as her older brother.
"If you say so little, Applebloom." Granny Smith stated as she went back to knitting.
"Anyways, how about we eat supper and then we should all go off for bed." Applejack stated as she went to the kitchen to go make supper.
"Hey Mac, can you help me with my homework? We are learning about the environment and such." Applebloom asked as she gave him a look that he couldn't say no to.
"Alright Applebloom." Big Mac replied back as his youngest sister got out her homework.
Carousel Boutique:
"So how was your day?" Rarity asked her little sister as they walked up to the house portion of her store.
"I made friends with the three new colts in class." Sweetie Belle answered as she looked at her sister with a smile.
"What are their names?" Rarity asked going straight to fan girl mode.
"Well their names are Wolf Bane, Blizzard, and Silver Shield. They are sooo nice, and Wolf Bane is so honorable." Sweetie Belle answered as she had this dream like face.
"They all sound nice, but from the sound of it, Wolf Bane is a great colt. I can't wait to meet him myself." Rarity stated as she gave her little sister a wink causing the younger unicorn to blush heavily.
"It's nothing like that!" the filly replied as she tried to hide her blush from her sister.
"Anyway how does a lovely dinner sound?" the mare asked as she looked at her sister.
"That would be great." the young unicorn quickly answered with a blush still on her cheeks.
Rarity just laughed at how her little sister was so flustered.
(None of the Mane 6 has personally met any of the colts. Not even Fluttershy with her cousin or his family. Those two just wrote to each other.)
Temple of the Light:
Clockwork was reading a book on his order. It may have been little more than two weeks, but he still had a lot to learn to lead the order properly. He just hoped that his first act as leader was a good one. You see the members may see each other as family so if you hurt one member the entire order will come after you, but Clockwork knew that the best way for others (The other ponies in Equestria.) to accept the order was to get involved with the community. One of these was to get the children to get involved with other children outside the order. The teens have been doing well since they actually wanted to learn about their sister order. (One order was for Celestia and the other was for Luna so they are technical sister orders.)
"Hello Grand Master Clockwork, I have returned from the school. I can safely say that I have made friends with five ponies outside of the Guardians of the Light." Silver Shield stated as he looked at his leader.
"And on your first day. What are their names?" Clockwork asked as he decided it was time to take a break since he has been reading for almost every waking moment for the past three days. (Neither of the orders could make a temple in a few days. Both finished at the same time which was three days ago.)
"They're names are Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Wolf Bane, and Blizzard." the earth colt answered as he looked at the older stallion.
"I believe Wolf Bane is in the Children of the Night. I also believe that those fillies are sisters and/or friends with the Elements of Harmony, but this Blizzard I do not know." the unicorn stated as he remembered when the CMC came running up to greet their sisters and friends, but the second colt's name didn't sound familiar.
"He's one of Fluttershy's great-cousins on his father side of the family." the young pony replied as he looked at the time gazer. (He's called that since he can see small details of the future like a pony, a date, or a situation.)
"Oh. Well I hope this will show everypony that we are here to help." Clockwork replied as he knew that there where ponies thinking that the order was willing to do anything to give Celestia full power over Equestia.
"What do you mean? We are the ponies of Celestia. We are her disciples." the young colt asked as he looked to the closest thing he has to a brother.
"That's just it. Someponies think that we see her as the great creator and will do anything to win her favor." Clockwork answered as he sighed since he knew the rumors would start soon from the looks they got from Canterlot ponies.
"But we aren't like that! We seek to protect all of Equestria from evil!" Silver Shield yelled as he was outraged at this statement.
"And this is the reason! How would you feel if a group of ponies just suddenly showed up one day and said that they would do whatever one pony told them!?!" Clockwork yelled back as if he was scolding his own son.
"I think I understand now." Silver Shield replied as he looked down with a little shame.
"I do feel sorry for the Children of the Night though." Clockwork stated as Silver Shield agreed.
Temple of the Night:
Snake Eyes was reading up on what he needed to know to lead the order until Wolf Bane reaches the age of 18. (I know I have been not open about age but I can't tell how anything ages except dragons so I'm having them age the same way as humans. I do know that dragons will live for a few thousand years. Spike is only like five to ten years old and with creatures that live for so long that would still be baby years. Plus as far as I know dragons in this series only get larger when they get greedy. Dear lord have I explained so much.) Unlike with their sister order, the leader of the order stays within a family unless the family shows they are ill fit to lead and the order will choice a new family that shows that they truly can lead the order better. (They put up to a vote between all the families that are in the order. At least that's what the order hopes.) There has only been one time when a family was removed from leading and that was the night of Nightmare Moon came to be because of Dark Bane. (Well that leading family and others where technically thrown out of the order.) The order does not know what has happened to the family that said that corrupted shadow of Princess Luna had righteous furry, but some of the books of their history theorizes that the family leads the Children of Nightmare. The order did have a plan if the leading family died, and the order would do the same thing as if the family is ill fit to lead.
"Hello Sensei Snake Eyes. I made friends today at the school house." Wolf Bane stated as he walked to the temporary leader.
"Who are they?" Snake Eyes asked as he looked at the younger unicorn with a smile like he was Wolf Bane's uncle.
"They are Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, Silver Shield, and Blizzard." the young unicorn answered as he looked at the older unicorn.
"The fillies I know to be close to the Elements of Harmony, Silver Shield is a part of the Guardians of the Light, but who is this Blizzard?" Snake Eyes asked as he looked at the future leader of the order.
"He's Fluttershy's great-cousin." Wolf Bane answered as he looked at the temporary leader.
"Oh, and how was your day at school?" Snake Eyes asked as he was lifting books, scrolls, and other forms of text up to read. (He's a multitasker.)
"A couple of the other colts called me a Nightmare Moon lover." replied the unicorn colt with sadness in his voice.
"It will take us some time before we are seen as protectors of Equestria instead of its destroyers." the older unicorn replied as he looked down.
"I told them that the Children of the Night are nothing like the Children of Nightmare." Wolf Bane stated as he looked a little disappointed.
"What? You know that we are not supposed to talk about them." Snake Eyes stated as he nearly dropped everything he had in his magical grip.
"I simple told them that they were crazy ponies that wanted to kill us all, but that didn't help much." Wolf Bane replied as he looked even more depressed.
"That's why we do not talk about them." Snake Eyes stated as he lifted the texts up again.
"I see that now and I just hope the Nightmares (Children of the Night nickname for the defaulters) don't attack." Wolf Bane replied as he was scared of what they will do.
Castle of Nightmare, war room:
Night Shade was looking at what appeared to be Dark Bane being flanked by 10 squads of his Legion of Shadows. (1 full squad has 1 of each pony clan in it so there are 30 of Dark Bane's warriors there. Dark Bane has sent some of his warriors there to show that he sees them as if they were that of royal guards just like how some of the Children of Nightmare where now at the Castle of Death, but the real reason Dark Bane had his warriors there was to get more information. Dark Bane wanted to know everything about the cult including every spell they had.) The leader of the cult was showing Dark Bane the current map of Equestria so that he was up to date with the kingdom's territory. The prince was looking at the map with a look of calmness that scared members of the cult.
"So Prince Dark Bane, that is everything that is happening in the kingdom." Night Shade stated as he looked into the eyes of his new prince.
"I see that Princess Celestia has been using her magic on me even when I was stone to keep me from seeing everything in her kingdom." Dark Bane stated as he narrowed his eyes from the very thought that information has been kept from him.
"May I ask how you plan on using the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to summon these Elements of Nature?" Night Shade asked out of worry for his cousin.
"All magical items of power are drawn to each other. I plan on using the harmony bearers to draw in the Elements of Nature. If I did the calculations correctly, they will only have headaches." Dark Bane lied as he knew the spell would kill them very painfully if it works.
"Very well. Is there anything else you need to know?" Night Shade asked hoping the lord of hatred would leave soon.
"No." Dark Bane stated as he gave a mental order to the legionaries to start the search for every last piece of information they could get.
Dark Bane started to disappear as if he was an illusion spell. When he completely disappeared, a dark purple crystal orb floated down to Night Shade and when it was in front of him, he grabbed it with his magic causing it to turn to a grey color. (Dark Bane created 2 crystal orbs so if he or Night Shade had to speak to each other it was easier and faster while no one could fellow either of them to either castle.) The shadow ponies (Just going to call the ponies created by Dark Bane that for now.) started to leave the war room doing as their master ordered.
Castle of Death:
Dark Bane has just finished talking to Night Shade and was walking towards the newly made room for Nightengale. When he got to his daughter's room, he saw Trixie telling a story to the young alicorn as she was tucked into her bed.
"Even though the young guardian was smaller and weaker than the traitor, he would not give up. He stood his ground and let his friends get away, but seeing what the guardian was doing the traitor charged ready to kill the young stallion. Before the traitor could kill the guardian, the guardian summoned every last drop of magic within his body and unleash a blast that turned both him and the traitor into stone for the rest of time. The guardian's friends where safe, but they lost their friend. Not wanting to bring shame to his memory, they founded the Guardians of Peace." Trixie said as she finished the story while using her magic to move the blank so it was to Nightengale's chin.
"Mommy, is that story true?" Nightengale asked as she was now trying to fight off sleep.
"No. It was a story that was made to give hope to the hopeless. Now sleep my little song bird." Trixie answered as she placed a kiss right under Nightengale's horn.
"Nightie mo-yawn-mmy." Nightengale replied as she lost her battle with sleep.
"You could have let me know that it was story time." Dark Bane stated as he surprised his wife.
"Woo. You scared me, and you were busy at the moment." Trixie whispered to her husband as she tilted her head to show the sleeping form of their daughter.
The two quietly left their daughter's room and went to their room to do some talking.
"Honey, I think we should place Nightengale in a school." Trixie stated as they started to take off their royal wears.
"Where did this come from?" Dark Bane asked as the two got to bed.
"She's a curious filly and at this age she needs friends. The guards and servants don't count." Trixie answered as she gave him a look that left zero room for an argument.
"I'll see what I can do. Maybe I'll make a guardian for her that doesn't look like the legionnaires." Dark Bane started to say as his mind start to think of things to do to make his wife happy.
Castle of Death, garden, King Sombra:
"The spell I placed on my son has weakened. How has this happened?" Sombra asked himself as he gave a plant a glare as if it would destroy it.
Sombra then looked up at the night sky of the Everfree Forest. He seemed to be in deep thought as his eyes looked to the darkness that took the sky.
"To get my son on the right path, I have to destroy his little happy family." Sombra stated as he turned around and started to head for the room his son has given him.
The next day at Ponyville Elementary:
Fillies and colts were running to the school house so they wouldn't be late for school. The CMC was saying good bye to the ponies that took them to the school house today. As the children left the adults, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash (Even though she didn't bring Scootaloo since it was Octavia, she was making sure Dark Bane didn't try anything. Night Veil didn't stay to talk.) looked to Octavia.
"Octavia, I have a question for yah." Applejack stated as she and the other two element bearers looked at her.
"Ask away." Octavia replied as she looked at the other mares.
"Why does Scootaloo live with her aunt and not her ma or pa?" Applejack asked as she raised an eyebrow with her friends.
"It is not my place to say." the cello player stated as she gave the element bearers a glare.
"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew so she was in Octavia's face.
"Because I promised my friend that I wouldn't tell anypony unless she said it was all right, and neither of us know any of you or the rest of your friends very well." the musician answered as she gave them a glare that caused them to back away from her.
"We are just worried about the little darling." Rarity stated as she was worried about Scootaloo since she thought she was living with her parents.
"If you want to know why, I suggest you ask Vinyl herself." the classical music player stated as she walked off to the town.
Golden Oaks Library Around Noon:
Twilight was looking for infomation on how to get the Elements of Nature. She was not having very much luck on finding anything on the elements. In fact she was finding nothing on them. She was starting to have her little break down like when she couldn't think of something for her friendship report and ended up using the want it need it spell on Smarty Pants that she was still trying to get back from Big Mac.
"I give up!" Twilight yelled as she slammed the book she currently had closed and then placed it back where she found it with a little unneeded force.
"Calm down Twilight. These Elements of Nature was a legend back when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna where young, I'm pretty sure the only library that would have any information on them would be the Princess's privet library." Spike stated as his head popped out of a pile of scrolls that his care giver had him bring up from the basement.
"You've been asleep for the past hour. How do you know this?" Twilight asked as she used her magic to get a brash to tidy up her mane.
"I fell asleep to you talking to yourself about finding them, and that was after you asked me to get all the scrolls about nature magic." Spike answered as he gave her a look that showed great wisdom even though he was only around the same age as the CMC.
"Remind me to get you a really big gem for you to knaw on." Twilight replied as she looked like her sane self again.
Twilight was about to write a letter to the princesses when Spike burped up a letter that said that Luna would be coming to Ponyville that night to help with research since she was the closest to Dark Bane before the Crystal Empire falling under tyrannical rule.
"Well that solves a few problems. Want to go to SugarCube Coner?" Twilight asked as she looked at the baby dragon.
"Why not." Spike answered as he stretched his arms out.
As the two opened the door, they were meant with their hyper active, party loving friend Pinkie Pie. She had her look of major importance on.
"Pinkie, what's wrong?" Twilight asked as she had her nervous smile on her face.
"I want to know why fun loving Scootaloo lives with her aunt and not her parents. I mean her aunt is DJ Pon-3, but still why is she not with her parents?" Pinkie Pie answered with a question of her own.
"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation. Her parents' jobs could keep them busy or something like that." Twilight tried to reason to her friend.
"But that's the thing. I never seen her with any ponies but her friends and Rainbow Dash. I need to know why her parents aren't around, and I'm not the only one. Face it Twilight you want to know why too." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked at her book smart friend.
"Yes I would like to know, but I'm not going to ask Scootaloo." Twilight stated with a glare that told the party pony not to ask the filly either.
"Actually, we were going to ask her aunt." Pinkie Pie stated as she looked her friend with a knowing stare.
"We?" Twilight asked as she had a bad feeling about what this would lead to.
"I think I'll stay here just in case somepony wants to check out a book." Spike said to keep himself out of any trouble that Twilight and her friends got into.
"Ok. I'll make sure Twilight gets back at a reasonable hour." Pinkie Pie stated as she grabbed a struggling Twilight.
After about 5 minutes of Pinkie Pie pulling Twilight around they stopped inside of the Carousel Boutique.
"Ok, why did you bring me here if you were going to ask Vinyl why she's taking care of Scootaloo?" Twilight asked as she looked at her friend.
"Well darling, none of us know where she lives, but she did come by here asking for a dress for her niece." Rarity answered as she and the rest of the Mane Six walked up to the two.
"We're gonna ask her why Scootaloo lives with her and not her ma or pa when she cames to pick up the dress ta day." Applejack stated as she was now in her family base state of mind.
"Plus, the squirt is the closest thing I have to a little sister, so there for I need to know her better." Rainbow Dash stated as she looked at the voilet unicorn.
"And the fact that she never told you any of this." Applejack stated as she told the other reason why Rainbow Dash wanted to know.
"That too." Rainbow Dash replied as she had a blush from the fact that Scootaloo didn't tell her something this huge.
"I'm just worried about the poor filly." Fluttershy stated as she felt it was her turn to answer the unspoken question.
"I know what you all mean, but I still think we shouldn't just butt into their life story like this." Twilight stated as she gave a glare to her friends.
"Who’s' life story?" Vinyl asked as she just entered the store.
Twilight froze up on the spot causing the DJ to look at the others with a look that told them to spill the beans.
"Well, we are all just curious as to why little old Scootaloo was living with you. Not that we don't think you can." Applejack stated and then added out of fear of offending the unicorn that could easily hurt her with sound.
"This is what I knew would happen when ponies found out. I'll tell you but you can't tell a single soul. That means in this life and the next." Vinyl stated as she looked at them with a death glare. (She had her sun glasses on and to give the glare she lowered them to reveal her eyes.)
"We promise." every mare replied as they looked at the DJ.
"You can't just promise. You have to Pinkie Promise." Vinyl stated as she gave a knowing glare at the fashionista.
"Cross our hearts, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes. (They're all doing the Pinkie Promise so I had to change the thing a little bit.)" the members of the Mane Six stated as they went through the motions of the promise.
"Ok. Scootaloo parents are no longer of this world." Vinyl stated as all but one member of the group gasped.
"What do you mean? Did they get abducted by aliens or did they ascend into alicorns gods?" Pinkie Pie asked as she got glares from the other mares in the store.
"Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo's parents are dead." Applejack answered as she felt like a huge weight has just been placed on all of their shoulders.
"Oh." Pinkie Pie replied as her mane and tail deflated a little bit.
"How did it happen?" Fluttershy asked as she was nearly about to cry.
"I'll tell you, but not even Scootaloo knows the full story of this and I don't want any of you to tell her. I will tell her when she becomes a full fledge mare. It all started when Scoots was 2 years old..." Vinyl started as she took her glasses off and then rubbed her front left leg over her eyes.
Flashback, Canterlot, noon, 10 years ago:
A younger Vinyl Scratch was down the streets of the capital city to her sister's family house. When she came up to a house that looked to belong to a near royal citizen lived there. She walked up to the door and used her magic to pull a rope to ring a bell. The door was soon answered by a smiling mare slightly younger than herself. This mare was a pegasus with deep fire orange fir, had a beautiful blond mane and tail in a simple brushed style, gorgeous blue eyes, and had a cutie mark was a rolled up scroll with a silk ribbon tie around it. She had a golden ear rings with a diamond in each ear.
"Hello Big Sister. Did you take time out of your schedule to see us?" she asked with the classiest voice you can ever hear.
"I visit all the time Sally, but I still can hardly see my niece ever." Vinyl stated as she smiled at her younger sister.
"It is rather hard to watch a baby foal in the royal court of Princess Celestia without causing everypony sending me a glare because of her crying. That's why we ask Celestia if her niece can watch Scootaloo while we are working." Sally stated as she looked at her older sister with a smile.
"Sally Honey, who's at the door? That can't be good. No Scootaloo, stop! Don't climb that!" yelled the voice of a stallion that had an air of barely controlled panic. (The bold is where he started to panic. A lot.)
"We should probably go help your husband and my brother-in law." Vinyl stated as she didn't want the closet thing she had to a brother to have a panic attack.
When the 2 mares walked into the living room, they saw a baby Scootaloo 2 feet in the air in a blue magical field with a frown on her face. The stallion was an unicorn with sea blue fur, his mane and tail are a deep purple and styled to be spiked (Just imagine Scootaloo's mane and tail.), he had purple eyes, his cutie mark was a broken gold shield, and had a gold ring with a diamond in it on his horn. His mouth was in a frown and he looked to be unhappy just like the filly his magic was holding.
"How does Cadance do this?" the father asked as he put his daughter on the ground.
"Shield Breaker, she can't. I'm surprised she still takes the job. I mean she foalsits Princess Celestia's private student. That foal must be well behaved." Sally answered as she imaged a well behaved daughter.
"Little Scoots is behaving. She's just behaving like a 2 year old pegasus foal. Remember I was 5 when you were 2. I remember how you acted back then. Both of you should be glad that Scoots can't fly yet. Sally was a nightmare to keep in her crib at all." Vinyl stated as she remembered her foalhood with her sister.
"Auntie Scrach." Scootaloo stated in baby talk as she saw her aunt and raised her front legs wanting her aunt to pick her up.
"How about I take her to a play. She loves those things." the unicorn mare stated as the pegasus filly agreed by clapping her hooves. (I don't know what it’s called when they slam their hooves so I'm calling it clapping.)
"Well it would be nice if you can spend time with her." Sally stated as she felt bad that her older sister hasn't been able to spend time with her niece since all of their schedules.
"Come on Scooties. We are heading to the play." Vinyl stated as she grabbed her niece with her magic and left for the door.
Vinyl took Scootaloo to a play based off of the 'legend' of Nightmare Moon. Scootaloo was just sucked into it the whole time and Vinyl chuckled at the faces her niece made for each scene of every act. After two hours the play was over and it was getting close to three, so Vinyl thought it was time to take Scootaloo back to her parents. When the 2 female ponies got to the door of the filly's house, Vinyl saw that the door was slightly ajar. Vinyl took Scootaloo to one of her neighbors and asked if they could watch her for a few minutes. When they agreed (They were an old married unicorn couple that have been living in the city for about 50 years and didn't get to see their grandkids too often.), Vinyl went back to the house and started to check the rooms of the house. She first went to the bedrooms and found nothing wrong. It was the same for the entire house until she walked into the family room. She saw both her sister and brother-in-law on the floor with their internal organs fallen out of their stomachs and their blood pooling around them, but the thing that made the DJ (Yes she is one at this time too.) throw up was a message written on the wall with their blood. The message was a single word and it was in all capitals. It was the name Merry. (It was spelled like this MERRY.) Within a heartbeat, Vinyl summoned the guards and they quickly got there and had told her that they will do whatever they can to make sure this monster was caught. Fearing that the murder would come after Scootaloo, Vinyl asked (Begged being a better term for the scene that the white unicorn made.) Princess Celestia to let her take her niece to her home. Celestia stated that if anything was to happen to her and her husband, Sally wanted Scootaloo to live with Vinyl. The DJ nearly broke out crying hearing that. When she went back for Scootaloo she already had her niece's stuff sent to her home in Ponyville. (Who would think a famous DJ would live at a town that was still relatively a new town in the empire.) Vinyl told Scootaloo that her parents won't be around anymore since they had to leave the empire to help make the world a better place. (If any of you say I'm not being realistic, please remember that Scootaloo is 2 in this flashback.)
Carousel Boutique, Present:
"Oh my." Fluttershy stated after Vinyl told them her story while she seemed to pale a bit.
No other pony talked as the news set in. Applejack looked like she was about to lose her lunch, Rarity has now fainted onto her couch that appears out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie was so depressed that her mane and tail had straighten completely, Rainbow Dash looked like she had just broke a promise to every one of her friends she had in her entire life, and Twilight had a look that was filled with dread.
"Vinyl, was the message written over the family portage?" Twilight asked as she was afraid of the answer.
"Yah, why?" Vinyl asked her fellow unicorn with surprise.
"I know who did it." the purple unicorn stated as her friends looked at her like she grew a second head.
"Then who did it? I'll make sure that meanie gets it." Pinkie Pie demanded as her mane and tail turned into fire and steam shot out of her ears while her eyes turned red.
"The serial killer Bloody Merry." Twilight stated as everypony in the room paled or fainted. (Rarity and Fluttershy fainted.)
"But that guy was sentenced to death by Princess Celestia 25 years ago. How could he be back?" Rainbow Dash asked as she was now very confused. (Fluttershy and Rarity came back to the land of the awake again.)
"Could it be one of those copycat criminals I heard about?" Applejack asked as she looked her book smart friend.
"I don't think so. He made other criminals scared. He was known to kill entire families and then use their blood to put that message on the family photo. But I do remember reading about the day of his hanging." Twilight stated as she shuddered at the memory of the text.
"What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked hoping there would be some good news.
"The last words that evil unicorn ever said was No matter how hard you try, I will always live." Twilight quoted as she looked to her friends.
"I highly doubt it could be him Twilight. No matter what, he's dead. I've even seen his grave." Rarity stated as she looked at her friends and the DJ.
"I'm with Rarity on this one Twilight. There's no way that he could still be around." Rainbow Dash stated as she looked at the others.
"Actually there is one spell that might let him live, but it was a spell that uses dark magic." Twilight stated as she looked at everypony in the room with fear.
"What does this spell do?" Pinkie Pie asked with a serious look.
"The spell allows the user to reborn themselves as long as they give something in return." Twilight stated as she looked at the others.
"What do they have to give?" Vinyl asked as she looked at the other unicorn mare.
"Don't know." Celestia's student answered as she looked at every other pony in the room.
"TWILIGHT! TROUBLE AT THE SCHOOL HOUSE!" Spike yelled as he ran into the cloth store near out of breath.
"What kind of trouble?" all the mares asked at the same time hoping it was something small.
"Scootaloo is being attacked by some stallion." Spike answered as he had fear showing in his eyes.
Going off of pure instinct Twilight (Not wanting anypony getting hurt.) and Vinyl used their magic to teleport all of them to the school house to see a stallion being held up in the air by Dark Bane's emerald magic with Scootaloo behind him.
"I'm not the only one seeing this right?" Pinkie Pie asked as she looked at the sight.
Ponyville School House, 5 minutes ago:
All the fillies and colts were playing with their friends when Spike came walking up to the CMC and their three new friends.
"Hi yah Spike, what's yah doin here?" Applebloom asked as she looked at the baby dragon.
"Your friends with a dragon." Wolf Bane stated out of shock since dragons were not friendly towards ponies. (Well most dragons anyway.)
"Yep, Twilight hatched him to get into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." Sweetie Belle replied as she looked at the colts.
"Well I'm here, because Twilight told me to see that these new guys are fitting in with everypony." Spike answered the question Applebloom asked before anypony can start talking about his species.
"Maybe if need be, we can use that dragon to get the Mane Six to do what we want." Blizzard thought as he looked at the young dragon with calculating eyes.
"We are with good ponies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders have been great friends, even their friend Twist has been a great friend." Wolf Bane stated as said friend came walking up.
"Hi, Ssspike. Hey, who'sss that sstallion over there?" Twist stated as she pointed to a black unicorn stallion with a blood red mane, blood red tail, and black saddle begs. (I hate writing how Twist speaks!)
The stallion walked up to the group with four fillies, three colts, and one baby dragon without any emotions. When he got close to the group, it was revealed that he was around the same age as the Mane Six maybe older, red eyes that seemed to glow, and that his cutie mark was a red heart that seemed to be bleeding.
"Are any of you a filly from Canterlot?" the stallion asked as with a voice that sounds rough and older than he was.
"I am, but that was a long time ago. I think I moved in with my aunt when I was 2 years old." Scootaloo answered as she kept her eyes on this stranger.
"Why do you care?" Blizzard asked as he looked at the black and red unicorn.
"Just wanted to see if the younger generation of Canterlot was happy with the city." the stallion stated with a smile that creeped them out.
"Then why don't yah go back to Canterlot and ask them?" Applebloom asked as she didn't like the look this stallion had in his eyes.
"Because I need to do this." the stallion stated as he used crimson magic to pull a knife out of his bag and try to slash Scootaloo, but Blizzard tackled her to get her out of the way and without any of them getting hurt.
"WHAT IN TARN NATION IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!" Applebloom yelled gaining the attention of everypony.
"Hold still you little brat." the stallion stated as his eyes took an insane look to them.
"Spike go get Twilight and the others!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she looked at the baby dragon.
"They're all at the Carousel Boutique, by the time I get there, Scootaloo and the every other pony here could get hurt!" Spike yelled back with extreme fright.
"Then I'll try to get you as close as possible." Wolf Bane stated as he was calm thanks to years of being in a dangerous forest.
"Are you sure you even know where it is?" Spike asked as he looked to see that the other kids started to throw rocks and sticks at the unicorn who was forced to use his magic to form a barrier.
"Sweetie Belle told me where it is so I can at least get you close." Wolf Bane stated as he his horn glowed with a pale blue turning white.
"This isn't going to hurt is it?" Spike asked as he looked like he was steeling himself.
Sweetie Belle grabbed Spike's head in her front hooves and turned his head to see that the psycho unicorn was no longer getting rocks or sticks thrown at him, and that Cheerilee was now outside throwing some books at him but would run out soon. Spike didn't answer as he gave a gesture to tell Wolf Bane to do it. Wolf Bane formed a mental map of the town that Sweetie Belle had given him (Sweetie Belle gave an up to date map of the town to all three colts so they wouldn't get lost.) and sent the baby dragon where he believed the cloth store was. Spike was enveloped by magic and was teleported at least near the store. (Wolf Bane receives the best training technically since he is the next leader, so he would have gotten advance magic training around this age.)
"Ok, so the bigger ponies have been told. Now what!?!" Sweetie Belle asked as she saw Scootaloo had to start running again since everypony ran out of things to throw, and the stallion placed a dome around the objects.
"Now, we go get that jerk!" Applebloom all but yelled and ran at the stallion with the mental image of her bucking his flank all the way to Canterlot.
Right before Applebloom or any of the others could get to the stallion, he grabbed Blizzard with his magic and threw the pegasus colt into Applebloom and was now holding Scootaloo down with his magic.
"Stop this!" Cheerilee yelled as she thought she was going to see one of her students die in front of her eyes.
The stallion was about to bury the knife into the filly, but a large shadow had appear under Scootaloo and as the knife went down the shadow seemed to be jumping at the stallion. Everypony closed their eyes believing that if they didn't that they would soon see red. (The only one that saw the shadow was the stallion.) After what felt like forever but was only 2 seconds at most, everypony heard the sound of metal on metal. They opened their eyes to see that the black stallion was staring at Prince Dark Bane himself standing over Scootaloo in a protective manner. Dark Bane looked to be in a near rage at the sight the stallion in front of him.
"You use my father's magic and you would harm a child." Dark Bane stated as he glared at the black stallion.
"Your father's magic, please no pony owns dark magic and I'm older then I appear. Just like you, I was born centuries ago. In fact I was born 500 years ago, but unlike you I died 20 years after my birth." the stallion stated as he glare at Dark Bane.
"Then how are you here and why do you have dark magic in your soul?" Dark Bane asked as he glared back at the stallion as his magic felt the recognizable feel of dark magic and felt that it went all the way to his soul.
"I used the spell called Lazarus Reborn. As long as I cast this spell within 24 hours before my death, I will be reborn." the stallion stated with a crazy grin.
"I know that spell, and it has a price. Every time you use it and are reborn, you lose a piece of your sanity. How many times have you used this spell?" Dark Bane stated and then asked as he had this face that held a look of horror.
"I lost track after 50 times, and I kill when I feel like it and I missed her 10 years ago." the stallion stated with a mad grin.
"You’re that stallion Trixie has told me about. You are this serial killer known as Bloody Merry." Dark Bane stated as he glared at the killer.
"That's my name and I know who you are Prince Dark Bane son of King Sombra, and I know that you were once sweet to Princess Luna. Hahahahaha!" Bloody Merry replied as he looked at the now annoyed stallion as he laughed like an insane idiot. (Imagine Discord's laugh but a lot more annoying.)
Bloody Merry ran right at the Prince of Shadows with his knife ready, but was stopped as he was lifted into the air by emerald magic and was unable to break free of it. Dark Bane then walked away from the stunned Scootaloo as he became a barrier between the stallion and filly.
"I'm not the only one seeing this right?" everypony heard Pinkie Pie asked as some turned their heads to see the bears of the most powerful items of magic in Equestria with the most popular DJ in the nation.
"Auntie Scratch!" Scootaloo yelled as she ran to her aunt and seemed to be trying to hide herself in her care giver's embrace as Vinyl hugged Scoots closer to herself.
"The strange thing is that Dark Bane protected Scootaloo from that stallion, and that guy said he was over 500 years old." Sweetie Belle stated as her orange friend was crying her eyes out into her aunt's shoulder.
"You're like me. We're both monsters to everypony else. If we join together, we can take control of this nation." Bloody Merry stated as he tried using his magic to break free of Dark Bane's magic.
"I have seen many things that this nation has done while I was a statue. I've seen good things like when a colt that has been what I have learned to be bulling stand up for not only for himself but others then became a royal guard to help others. That guard was a unicorn that when he became a father to that very filly you tried to kill. You are one of the worst things I have ever seen from this nation." Dark Bane stated as the information Dark Bane stated told everypony there that the very unicorn the prince held in his magic was a pony that killed Scootaloo's parents in cold blood. (Scootaloo also heard this and now knew why she hasn't seen her parents for 10 years.)
"You can kill me if you want but I have already casted Lazarus Reborn! I'll only return!" Bloody Merry yelled with insane happiness.
"I never said I was going to kill you. No death is too good for you." Dark Bane replied with calmness that made even this insane pony scared.
As soon as Dark Bane finished his statement, two squads of the Legion of Shadows Shadow Stepped to their prince and one of the unicorns had some sort of collar. Dark Bane motioned the one holding the collar for it to be put on the stallion. As soon as the collar was placed on his neck Bloody Merry’s crimson magic died instantly.
"What happened to my magic?" Bloody Merry yelled the question as he couldn't feel his magic at all.
"That collar makes it impossible for any pony to use the magic within them. I once place one of my magic inhibitors on a pegasus and he wasn't even able to stand on a cloud. I placed another one on an earth pony and she lost half of her strength. You should already know what happens to a unicorn with one of theses on them." Dark Bane stated as he used his magic to apply some pressure on the stallion's horn putting the killer for fun in a large amount of pain. (In this fanfic an unicorns' and alicorns' horns contact to the brain.)
"STOP! ENOUGH!" Bloody Merry yelled as it felt like Dark Bane was about to crush his brain.
"I'll make you wish you were never born, and definitely make you wish you were never reborn. Take him to a cell, and make sure that he lives. I don't care how alive he is just make sure he stays alive." Dark Bane stated as he threw the stallion to his legionnaires.
"Yes our lord." all six of them replied and grabbed their prince's new prisoner then Shadow Stepped back to the Castle of Death.
"You six will soon be visiting my castle." Dark Bane stated as he looked at each member of the Mane Six but seemed to keep his gaze on Twilight for what seemed to be half a second longer than the rest.
Before anypony could do anything, Dark Bane followed his warriors as he Shadow Stepped back to his home. Not even two seconds have passed since Dark Bane left, when Princess Luna teleported to the school house and seemed to have just woken up since her mane looked like it needed to be brushed while her eyes were slightly blood shot.
"Are y'ah alright Princess Luna?" Applebloom asked as she walked to the goddess of the night and protector of dreams.
"I'm fine, just tired. I haven't been able to sleep very well since Sombra came back to the land of the living and Dark Bane gave life back to my old identity." Luna answered as she gave a yawn after telling the young filly that she was alright.
"Why is that Princess Luna?" Blizzard asked but seemed to force the question out but everypony thought it was only because he just met the lunar alicorn.
"Dark Bane, is planning something and I believe it has something to do with the Elements of Harmony." Luna answered as she looked ready to faint.
"Princess Luna, go back to Canterlot Castle and get some rest." Twilight stated as she gave the dark blue alicorn a worried look.
"But, if Dark Bane attacks...'yawn'." Luna started to say but interrupted herself with a yawn.
"Princess Luna, in y'ah current state, you would only get hurt and would only get others hurt as well." Applejack stated as she looked worriedly at the younger princess.
"You have a point. I guess that's why you're the bear of the Element of Honesty. Good Bye everypony." Luna replied as she teleported back to her room hopefully.
As soon as the princess left, everypony (Well except for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.) from the school ran up to Scootaloo asking if she was alright. Scootaloo told them that she was fine but that something seemed off about Dark Bane.
"What do you mean Squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked the younger pegasus.
"It felt like he protected me because he was compelled to." Scootaloo answered as she looked at where Dark Bane had disappeared.
"Why would he protect anypony, but the ones that serves him?" Rarity asked as she held Sweetie Belle protectively.
"Rarity, please let me go." Sweetie Belle begged as she tried to get out of her big sister's grip.
"Ah would let her go before you suffocate her." Applejack stated as she kept Apple Bloom close to herself.
Before anypony could say anything else, Night Veil appeared in a flash of light showing that she teleported there. Even though she had her blindfold on, everypony could tell that she was deeply worried.
"Blizzard, are you alright?!?" Night Veil asked with so much protective intent that when she found him, she seemed to scan him for any form of injury.
"I'm alright Sis. You can stop now. I mean other ponies are around." Blizzard replied but stressed the last part of the statement a little but ended up with Fluttershy doing the same thing as she realized that she hasn't checked on her younger second cousin.
"I can't believe I didn't check him for any injuries when we got here. I'm such a horrible relative." Fluttershy stated as she started to cry on the spot.
"Please don't cry Fluttershy." Blizzard stated as he felt like a jerk for making his father's cousin cry.
"Ok." Fluttershy replied as she wiped the tears away with her left wing.
"I wonder what he's going to do to Bloody Merry?" Pinkie Pie asked as she looked up at the sky.
"Well whatever he does to him, I hope it's painful." Vinyl stated as she wanted the stallion that killed her sister and brother-in-law.
"Aunt Vinyl?" Scootaloo questioned since she rarely sees her aunt angry.
"I'm sorry Scoots, I was just so worried about you." Vinyl stated as she then hugged her niece close to her.
Castle of Death, two hours later:
Trixie was sitting on a large soft cushion couch in front of a large fire place, while she thought about the reasons why Dark Bane came back with a prisoner after he and some of the Legion of Shadows left. He told her that he had business to take care of. Now Dark Bane was in the dungeon torturing the stallion to no end. If it wasn't for the spell of silence Dark Bane had placed around the dungeon, the stallion's screams would probably be heard throughout the castle. Nightengale came walking up to her mother with a confused look on her face.
"Mommy, why is Daddy spending so much time with that stallion the soldiers brought back?" Nightengale asked as she looked at Trixie with her dragon like eyes with a look that stated that she was thirsting for knowledge. (There was nothing to show innocence and naivety.)
"He's just getting to know that stallion for whatever reason I don't know." Trixie answered trying to keep as much information child safe.
"The stallion is in the dungeon. He's being tortured Mommy. I want to know why." Nightengale replied as she gave her mother a look that was almost just like her father's when it comes to knowing glares.
"I was torturing him to teach him to not use dark magic like he owns it." Dark Bane stated as he walked in with a frown on his lips and an angry glare in his eyes.
"Daddy, when are you going to show me how to use dark magic?" Nightengale whined as she tried to using the saddest and most tearing eyed look she could muster towards her father. (She used the puppy eyes.)
"Not until you show me you are ready for it. So while I'm waiting for that time, I will teach you other forms of magic that I know." Dark Bane answered as he looked at his daughter with little to no emotion.
"What magic are you going to teach me first?" Nightengale asked excitedly as she looked at her father with the happiest eyes anypony has seen. (Well there anyway.)
"I will first be teaching you healing magic." Dark Bane answered as he looked at her with eyes that showed the need to protect that only a trained eye could see. (Trixie saw the look and was very happy about the look.)
"Healing magic! Ahhh, but I want to learn about magic that could allow me to destroy our enemies as if they were trees in the path of a wildfire, like fire magic." Nightengale replied with a big smile at the end of her little rant.
"No. I'm making sure you can heal yourself if anything happens to you." Dark Bane stated with a look that left no room for argument.
"Ok, Daddy." the alicorn filly stated as she looked down to the floor.
"Ahem." Trixie stated as she gave her husband a glare that told him he was forgetting something very important.
"Is Mommy pregnant?!?" Nightengale asked happily as she looked at her parents as her father looked a little scared about that.
"No, Nightengale. Mommy is not pregnant, but Daddy should have something for you." Trixie replied a little bit disappointed but kept her glare on her husband.
"I'm getting there." Dark Bane stated he raised his right front hoof up a form of surrender.
"Do it faster." Trixie stated with a small glare of anger.
"Nightengale, I would like you to meet your personal guard and servant." Dark Bane stated as he motioned his daughter to look at towards the entrance of the castle.
"I don't see anypony." Nightengale replied as she looked at the gate like doors with confused eyes.
"Hello young mistress." two voices behind her stated and nearly gave her a heart attack as she turned around with her little horn lit up with magic.
When Nightengale turned fully around, she saw a solider that was sapphire blue, with sun yellow mane and tail styled to looked a little spiked up (His helmet was off and I was going for the style that Time Tuner [aka Doctor Hooves or Dr. Hooves whichever] has.), grey eyes, and was an unicorn, while his armor covered his cutie mark and seemed to be a steel grey version of what she had when she was still apart of Luna. The servant was a pegasus ruby red, with an obsidian black mane and tail styled to look like she has great class (She has the same basic mane and tail styling as Rarity. I was going for something on the classy side since war is about to begin.), her eyes where purple with a kind shine in them, and she was wearing a light red simple but classy looking dress that with a necklace and earrings that matched the dress. (I was picturing a dress like the one Rarity gave to Twilight on her birthday when Rarity went to Canterlot.)
"Who are you?" Nightengale asked as she looked at the two with confusion.
"My name is Sword Shine. I am your personal guard. It is a pleasure to meet you." the guardian replied as he looked at his young ward with the overwhelming need to protect her.
"My name is Classic Elegance. I am going to be your teacher for the finer things about being a princess that your father can't teach you. I'm also going to be your care giver when your parents can't look after you." the care giver answered as she gave a sweet smile to the filly.
"Honey?" Trixie asked as she raised her left eyebrow towards her husband.
"We are going to war; we will be needed by the troops." Dark Bane stated as he motioned her to follow him.
"What's the matter?" Trixie asked as she looked at her husband with the same look.
"We are needed in the war room. The Children of Nightmare are waiting for us. We are needed to end this age of weakness in Equestria, and bring it into an age of strength." Dark Bane stated as he looked to the fire place.
"What about your father?" Trixie asked as she wanted to talk to her father-in-law.
"He is already in the war room. Father knows how to fight in a war." Dark Bane stated as he looked at his wife as the both of them walked towards the middle sized tower.
"How will your father fight and I think I told you that Nightengale needs friends, so where are her friends?" Trixie asked with a glare as she walked with her husband to the war room at the top of the middle tower.
"I can't make any friends for Nightengale and I will make an elite strike force for Father." Dark Bane answered as they started to climb up the spiral stair case for 6 stories (Each story was about 20 feet height.) to the war room.
The war room was large with no windows but had lights from enchanted clear crystals that gave off light in the room while leaving shadows but allowing everypony to see everything in it. There was a large platform with an up to date 3D solid map of Equestria. (The map is like the 3D map the Children of Nightmare have but is not made of light and is changed through magic on the material it is made from. A material Dark Bane made by turning crystals and gems into powders then mixing the powders together and then infused the powder with magic. By using magic, Dark Bane or any unicorn that has control over the arcane magical force [Having good control over the most basic unicorn practiced skills. Any unicorn that can levitate 3 objects at once can do it.] can form anything they want to scale. [Lord that was a lot.]) The map then turned to look like the Everfree Forest with Ponyville appeared before the forms of Sombra and Night Shade, with the members of the Children of Nightmare staying with in the castle, where standing by the map and Night Shade looked like he was ready to kill along with the members there.
"What seems to be the problem Night Shade?" Trixie asked as she looked at the cult leader as he and the members behind him glared.
"My daughter told me and my wife that a dark magic user tried to hurt my son when he went after a filly. Tell me is it true. Was this unicorn Bloody Merry?" Night Shade demanded as he glared at the dark magic users.
"You dare demand anything from us!" Trixie yelled as she summoned dark magic to strike him, but was stopped by Dark Bane.
"This is true and I was the one that stopped him and brought him here. He will pay for what he has done." the Prince of Shadows replied to the cult leader.
"My son is still in harm’s way with him in that town. He can't fly properly with his wings yet." the Nightmare unicorn stated in a fatherly way.
"Night Shade, I have a question for you." Sombra stated out of the blue.
"What is it?" the leader of the cult asked as he was brought out of his protective father routine.
"How are you the leader of the Children of Nightmare while your cousin, the Element of Kindness, is not even a member." the king of fear asked as he looked at the cult leader.
"I married into the order, and my beautiful wife didn't want to be the leader. I took her place so leadership stayed within her family. No other member of my family knows that I'm a part of this order." Night Shade answered as he looked at the king.
"How did you learn about the order?" Sombra asked as he schooled his facial expression to look emotionless. (Thanks to all his years as being the king to the Crystal Empire before he became the king of fear.)
"I always thought the night was underappreciated and one day I read about a black castle in the Haysead Swamps, so I went and found them. They were going to kill until I said I wanted to be a member. For Queen Nightmare Moon's, (Trixie sends a glare at him for using the wrong name with her daughter.) I mean Princess Nightengale (Dark Bane mouthing 'Nice save.' to him.) is the true ruler that is kind to those that deserve it and harsh to those that need it." Night Shade answered with the voice of a believer.
"Thank you." Sombra stated as he looked at the cult leader.
"You’re welcome, but how did you come to power in the Crystal Empire?" Night Shade asked as he looked at the know tyrant king.
"I was born in to it. Before I was born the empire was ruled by four families of unicorns. One family handled the weather, one family for the stated of the empire's economy, one family to handle the citizens, and the last family foreign affairs. It had always been that way until the empire went to war with Diamond Dogs. I was very young when the empire had gone to war. I also happened to be the only member of the royal families that could not go fight for the empire. Each family had 10 members in them, 39 members of the royal family went to battle with the dogs. The war only lasted three months, but the damage to the empire was great and the families. My family and the others suffered the most." Sombra stated as he lowered his head as he remembered the times of his youth.
"I remember reading about them Father." Dark Bane stated as he looked at his father.
"What happened to them, my lord?" Night Shade asked as he looked at the king of fear.
"Before the war ended, the dogs had poisoned the royal families' member. My entire family and all of our friends died a week after the war ended. I was then crowned king of the empire." the king of shadows answered as a tear fell from his right eye.
"How did you do everything your family and the other families had to do?" a pegasus cult member asked as she looked at the fallen king.
"I had to bring in other ponies to do what I couldn't, but I had to keep the weather under control. After a few years of studying, I learned how to allow the crystal ponies use other forms of magic than just their earth magic. After some time I married to the most beautiful mare, then a year later, Dark Bane was born. Two weeks after Dark Bane was born, my beautiful wife died from unknown illness. I believe I started to fall into the dark arts to try to find a way to revive my lovely wife. The rest is known from the history books." Sombra stated as he looked at the pegasus with a sad look on his face.
"I'm very sorry about your lost." Night Shade stated as he looked at the fallen king.
"The past is the past, now we ready ourselves for war." Dark Bane stated as he got into an emotionless state of mind to ready himself for the war that would be coming.

Chapter 10: The Night's Song

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Right after Nightengale was left alone with her personal shadow ponies:
Nightengale was looking at the two ponies her daddy made for her. Her first thought of them was that they were lame. She didn't know why her daddy wanted them to be around her, especially the servant. She under stood that maybe having her own guard was a good idea since the Equestrians and those orders wanted to take her from her loving mommy and daddy or could do worst to her.
"Why would Daddy make you, Miss Elegance?" Nightengale asked as she hurt the feelings of the servant. (Dark Bane can do many things with them, and Sombra's control is slipping so more of Dark Bane's true nature is coming back.)
"I was made to make sure that you are were well educated." Classic Elegance answered with a look that showed she wanted to cry. (Dark Bane can't make it so they can cry.)
"Oh. Ok." Nightengale replied as she tilted her head not understanding why the servant looked sad.
"Do you need anything, Princess Nightengale?" Sword Shine asked as he looked at his young ward.
"I want friends!" Nightengale demanded as she looked at her secondary caregivers. (Dark Bane and Trixie are still her main since they are still around since they won't leave the castle for combat.)
"You can always make friends with other servants or guards." Sword Shine replied as he was to make sure she was safe at all times.
"But I want them 'yawn' now, and I want them to 'yawn' to be my age." Nightengale stated as she through a temper tantrum and was trying to fight off sleep.
"Well I'm sure your father will help you meet children your age, but I think it's time for you to go to bed young mistress." Elegance stated as she started to lead the young alicorn up to her room.
"But I want to go to bed with Mommy or Daddy." Nightengale whined as she still followed the servant to her room since Mommy told her to behave.
"Do you want a story read to you?" Sword Shine asked as he looked at the young princess of shadows.
"No. I'm to tired." Nightengale answered and almost fell but was caught by Sword Shine's bright blue magic.
"Then we need to get the young princess to bed." Classic Elegance stated as she lead the guardain to the young alicorn's room.
After the two shadow ponies placed the young alicorn in her bed, they left the room so Classic could get some books from the library to help her in future lessons she's going to have with the young royal. After five minutes, Nightengale openned her eyes and looked around her room to make sure no pony was around her. (Dark Bane had caught her past her bedtime in the guardens looking at the stars 3 nights ago.)
"Goodie. No pony in sight. I'm getting friends tonight." Nightengale stated as she jumped out of her bed and walked towards the door but felt Sword Shine just outside her door.
Nightengale was cursing her luck and was wondering what to do. She thought she could use her magic, but her dad hasn't taught her anything yet. Although her mom has taught the basics of some spells like levitation and teleportation.
"Maybe I can teleport to Ponyville." Nightengale thought to herself as she walked over to her window to see the top of Ponyville Town Hall. (Dark Bane has a spell over the castle to hide it from others' eyes. You'll only find it at a distance of half a mile or if you have the sixth sense spell Night Veil made. Trixie taught Nightengale the same day Blizzard went to Ponyville Elementary.)
Nightengale summoned her magic and imagined herself in the town square of Ponyville. She disappeared in the light of deep violet magic. The next thing she knew, she was standing in the square of the town closest to her home to see the clock tower showing it was 9 at night.
"Time to get some friends." the young alicorn said out loud as she looked at the town.
Her horn started to glow and she started to hum a tuneless song as she looked towards the library without realizing it. She walked towards the home of wisdom as the humming was empowered with magic.
Golden Oaks Library, same time:
The Mane Six, Vinyl Scratch, Snake Eyes, and Clockwork where talking about the six kids that were sleepying in Twilight's last spare room for the night. (Night Veil was at one of the castles but no pony knows that, and couldn't watch the CMC so Blizzard is at his first sleep over ever.)
"I'm not sure I can let Wolf Bane join this group known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I have heard that they tend to get into a lot of trouble." Snake Eyes stated as he asked other members of the town about them.
"I agree. I can not in good mind let Silver Shield join this group. Not to mention he has responsiblities to the order." Clockwork stated as he looked at the mares with a look that showed he was not ready to let the order to get any bad intention at the moment.
"I don't blame you for not wanting them in the little club, but when it cames down to it, it's all up to them." Twilight replied as she intivated everypony over to talk.
Right before any other pony could say anything, Eclipse walked into the room from the second storey with a focus look on her face.
"What seems ta be the problem there Eclipse?" Applejack asked as she looked at the unicorn.
"I feel something near by. Something that feels like Dark Bane." the shadow pony answered as she walked over to a window and looked out of it to try to see what it was.
"I think she might be right." Fluttershy stated as she looked through another window and saw a filly standing outside and motioned the others to take a look at this.
"Who is that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked at the filly.
"I don't know, but she needs to get inside." Rarity replied as she looked at the strange filly.
"Is she singing?" Pinkie Pie asked as she started to hear what sounded like a song.
"Ah gonna ta check up on the kids." Applejack asked as she wanted to make sure they were all right.
As Applejack walked the stairs, the others left the windows to see what to do about this unkown filly when they heard loud, quick hoof steps. Applejack came down the stairs quickly with a terrified look on her face.
"The children are gone!" Applejack almost yelled as she had no idea why they were gone.
"What has happened to those darlings?" Rarity asked as she fell onto her magically appearing couch.
"How did she get that couch here?" Clockwork asked as he had a confused look on his face who was joined by Snake Eyes.
"Don't question it. It's kinda like Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense." Vinyl asnwered as she gave the two unicorn stallions a serious look.
"Ms. Pie's Pinkie what?" Snake Eyes asked with a WTF face joined by Clockwork.
"Oh, it's an ability of mine that allows me to see the future or if something is happening." Pinkie Pie answered as she looked at the two leaders.
"Is that it?" the black unicorn asked sarcasticly as he looked at the pony that some how through a party in their temple the night his order finished building it.
"Well, I was told not to tell anypony, but I can break the fourth wall and talk to the author." the party pony answered as she looked at nothing and waved. [Pinkie Pine stop that!] (I had to do it.)
"What?" the time gazer asked as he started to get a headache from this strange pony that through a party at the temple the day after his order finished it.
"Just don't ask." Rainbow Dash stated as she got ready to charge out of the door with the other mares and was soon joined by the the stallions.
"Can we please just see where the kids are?" Twilight yelled as she glared at the others.
"What do you mean by that Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked as she teleported into the library with saddle bags that seemed to be stuffed with books, scrolls, and other texts.
"Princess Luna, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have disappeared." Twilight answered as she was less worried now that the protecter of dreams was now here.
"Who ever is the cause of their disappearous will suffer." Luna stated as she was enrage at the thought of somepony kidnapping children.
"Oh, no worries. They're just with that strange filly we saw earlier." Pinkie Pie stated as she turned around from the window in the door.
"What?!?" every other pony replied as they ran or flew to a window to see all seven kids.
Outside Golden Oaks Library:
"Yah! I now have six friends." Nightengale stated with joy as she looked at the zoned out faces of the CMC.
"Stop right there!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew up to the kids then dropped her mouth out of shock.
"What's the matter Ms. Dash?" Snake Eyes asked as the rest of the group joined her and was answered as the cyan pegasus pointed her left front hoof at black filly.
"Is she an alicorn?" Rarity asked as everypony looked at this young alicorn.
"It can't be." Snake Eyes stated out of disbelief as he took a step back.
"I'm not an it, I am Princess Nightengale. Daughter of Prince Dark Bane and Princess Trixie Lulamoon. Granddaughter of King Sombra." Nightengale replied with a frown on her face.
"You were once a part of me. So you must know that I can't let you take these children." Luna stated as she walked up to the smaller alicorn with an emotionless stare.
"I remember how alone we felt. I remember how we craved the love that could only come from family. I also remember how we longed for Daddy's love." Nightengale replied unfazed by the stare Luna gave her and the enjoyed the shocked look she had as she told her what she remembered when they were one.
"You are nothing more but a corrputed shadow of her majesty Luna!" Snake Eyes yelled as he over came his shock and sent magic to his horn.
"If you hurt me, Daddy will burn this town like how he did to that first village he attack at the beginning of the Crystal War." Nightengale stated in the voice of a promise. (I call the fight between Equestria and the Crystal Empire the Crystal War.)
"How do you know about that war?" Luna asked as she looked at the young filly.
"I still remember somethings from when we were one. Although for me it's like watching a dream." Nightengale answered as she started to send magic to horn and a magical circle appeared around her and the CMC. (Blizzard, Silver Shield, and Wolf Bane was with the girls. They sercetly joined so no one could say anything about it.)
"What do you think your doing with those children?" Luna asked as she readied her magic.
"They're my friends and I'm taking them home." Nightengale answered as she had a smile that seemed to be from Trixie herself.
"You're not takin' mah little sister any where." Applejack state with a glare being joined by Vinyl, Snake Eyes, Clockwork, and the rest of the Mane Six.
"Not your choice." Nightengale replied with that same smile and right after she finished what she said her and the CMC disappeared in a flash deep violet light.
"No, give me back my niece and her friends!" Vinyl yelled as she ran to the spot the children had been.
"Ms. Scratch, yelling will not get the children back." Luna stated as she walked up to the emotional unicorn.
"I just lost my little sister's baby girl!" Vinyl stated in a near shout.
"Ms. Scratch, yelling will only wake up those that are sleeping." Snake Eyes answered as he walked over to the emotional unicorn.
"Blizzard, I hope you're alright." Fluttershy stated to no one as she was worried about her great cousin.
"If you like Vinyl, you can help us find out how to defeat Dark Bane." Rarity stated as she looked at the other white unicorn mare.
"I think I'll just go home." Vinyl replied as she teleported home and went to bed with tears in her eyes.
"May you sleep well Ms. Scratch." Clockwork stated as he bowed his head.
Castle of Death, war room:
"By having the Legion of Shadows attacking the north gates keeping the guards distracked, the Children of Nightmare will come from the south gate and then we will storm the castle taking the Elements of Harmony." Night Shade stated as the map made the plan he told appear in front of the planing ponies.
"No." Dark Bane stated as he seemed to glare at the plan that was shown to him.
"What seems to be the problem, Son?" Sombra asked as he looked at his son with a raised eye brow.
"Yes Honey, what's wrong with the plan?" Trixie asked as she was by her lover's side.
"I would lose to many of my legionairs. We will instead came from the crystal caves that ran through the mountain. We will swarm the city." Dark Bane stated as the map showed both of the armies coming out of the sewers and other opennings that came from the mountain, but then he looked away and seemed to be trying to look at something.
"What now?" Night Shade asked as he looked at the lord of rage.
"There are six new souls in the castle, and they're are at...Nightengale!" Dark Bane stated as he felt the six ponies in his daughter's room.
"My baby!" Trixie yelled as she and Dark Bane used their magic to teleport to Nightengale's room.
When the two dark magic users got to their daughter's room, they saw she was wide awake with six foals around her age. While Nightengale had a guilty look the other foals had a zoned out look.
"Nightengale, who are these foals and why are they in your room?" Trixie asked as she gave her daughter a glare that only a mother that was angry at her child could do.
"Well I don't know their names yet, but they are my new friends." Nightengale answered as she gave her parents an over sweet smile.
"Lord Dark Bane, is everything alright?" Night Shade asked as his image, King Sombra, the members of the Children of Nightmare, and three squads of the Legion of Shadows with Sword Shine came bursting into the room to see the group of ponies before them.
"Children. They sent children to end us." Sombra stated as he looked at the kids with a look that if allowed would cut paper and flesh easily.
"Blizzard! What are you doing here?" Night Shade asked loudly as he saw his son here in the room of the very alicorn they worshipped.
"What? Dad, what do you mean? I'm at Golden Oak Library with my friends. Aren't I?" Blizzard replied as he shook his head and looked around to see through the blurry vision.
"You are in my daughter's room." Dark Bane stated as he got into the view of the young colt.
"What's going on?" Sweetie Belle asked as she started to come back to her sences.
"Ah don't know Sweetie, but it feels alot different then Twilight's library." Apple Bloom replied as she shook her head to clear it.
"I feel like I just crashed my scooter into a tree while I was going my fastest." Scootaloo stated as she wobbled from side to side with her eyes closed.
"I feel like I'm back at the temple." Silver Shield stated as he rubbed his head as his head felt like it was split in half.
"I know what you mean Sun Shine." Wolf Bane stated to the earth colt as he kept his eyes shut out of the thought that the room was spinning.
"Well I must say, for it being their first time teleporting, none of them threw up, but what I want to know is how you know how to teleport?" Dark Bane asked as his voice caught the attention of the CMC.
"Dark Bane!" Wolf Bane yelled as he took a step back from seeing him.
"That's Prince Dark Bane. Remember it, and it's a good thing my daughter seems to like all five of you." Dark Bane replied with a growl and a glare at them.
"Um, don't you mean six?" Sweetie Belle asked as she took a step back from the dark unicorn.
"No he means five." Blizzard answered as he lowered his head knowing that any chance he had with being friends with them has just ended with this unwanted trip.
"What do you mean Blizzard?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at her opposite. (He's the opposite gender and he has over sized wings, so yah he's her opposite.)
"I see you came close to making some friends, my son." Night Shade stated as his image moved to the side of his youngest.
"You're a member of the Children of Nightmare!" Wolf Bane yelled as his horn light up with magic and his mane and tail started to move to an unseen wind.
"He's not just a member. He's the youngest of the leader of the Children of Nightmare." Night Shade replied as he motioned the members there to move up to protect Nightengale and Blizzard.
"I never asked for a cult following or this guard. I just wanted friends to spend time with and to have Daddy to teach me some of the magic he knows." Nightengale stated as she sent a glare at the cult members with a pout on her face.
"Can somepony tell me how my daughter knows how to teleport." Dark Bane growled as he sent a glare at the cult members.
"Sorry about that honey, but I told her the basics of levitation, teleportation, and some other basic spells, but I thought I didn't go into enough detail for her to actaully use them." Trixie answered her husband who had a shocked look on his face.
"Mommy, I was once a part of Luna. I remember some things she knows. You helped fill in the blanks." Nightengale stated as she jumped onto her bed and started flapping her wings.
"Right. I forgot about that." Trixie replied as she placed her right front hoof on her forehead.
"Nightengale." Dark Bane stated as he looked at his daughter.
"Yes Daddy?" the young alicorn asked as she looked at her father with her dragon like eyes.
"You're grounded, and your magic lessons begin tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?" the lord of rage told his daughter as he gave her a stern look.
"Yes Daddy. You made yourself clear." Nightengale stated as she lowered her head in shame.
"I hope you learned your lesson young lady." Trixie stated as she looked at the filly.
"Can my new friends learn with me too Daddy? Please." Nightengale asked while doing the biggest saddest puppy eyes ever seen by Trixie or any of the CMC.
"That will never work on my son." Sombra thought as he sent a glare at the six new souls that are in the castle.
"Very well, I will treat them as my guests, but if they try to escape or to slow my progress of my conquest of Equestria, then they will be placed in a cell by Bloody Merry." Dark Bane answered surprising everypony in the room except for a now very happy alicorn filly.
"If we're guests, Ah hate to see what happenes to his prisoners." Apple Bloom stated as she looked at the dark prince.
"I have a question for you." Scootaloo stated as she walked right up to Dark Bane with a stabborn look on her face.
"You are a brave little one, so I will let you ask me a question." Dark Bane replied as he looked down to the small winged pegasus.
"Why did you save me from Bloody Merry?" the orange filly asked as she looked right into the eyes of a unicorn that could kill her with little more than a thought.
"I simply wanted that stallion. Saving you came from my rage towards that stallion. I simply wanted him to suffer." Dark Bane answered as he turned around and with a mental command had a group of his legionairs form around the three fillies and the two colts.
"Daddy, what are you doing?" Nightengale asked as she looked at the soldiers with a slight glare.
"I'm having them placed in rooms. I will not have them stay in your room no matter what you say." Dark Bane answered the young alicorn as he turned to leave the room.
"What about me, my lord?" Blizzard asked as he looked at the larger stallion.
"You will also be in a room." the dark unicorn told the large winged pegasus colt.
"He better not be in the same room as any filly, or so help I'll..." Night Shade started but a single look from the lord of rage.
"Or you'll do what? I'm keeping them all separated when it comes to sleeping, and I advise you to never over step your place ever again." Dark Bane stated interrupting Night Shade as he sent him a glare at the cult leader that could most likely melt ice.
"Under stood my lord." Night Shade replied as he lowered his head out of fear.
"You are becoming soft my son." Sombra stated as his son lead the troops and the children to their rooms.
"You may say that Father, but remember this. As long as they follow my rules they are under my protection." Dark Bane replied to his father with a glare that surprised a lot of the ponies there.
"Watch your tongue my son. One might misunderstand what you say." Sombra stated as his son left the room with the six young ponies.
Dark Bane kept all the children on the same floor as his daughter but had a guard at each door to watch over them will while they where in their rooms. (Sword Shine and Classic Elegance would watch over them then and he had the same type of shadow pony guard them while they are in their rooms.) After Dark Bane got them in their rooms, he went back to the others and that maybe it would be better for them to retire for the night.
"You know you are going soft. They are the young of the enemy. Have you thought about what would happen if they escaped?" Trixie asked as she looked at her husband with narrowing eyes.
"I have told them what would happen if they tried to and I'm not worried about them. I'm more worried about that magical pegasus that also uses potions, and then there's the fact that do to this little foalnapping, Celestia and Luna will be getting ready for war." Dark Bane answered as he remembered what one of the green pegasus's potions did to his legionairs and the fury the two alicorns would use on his army.
"You are a great unicorn Honey, and you are a great father." the unicorn mare replied as she placed her head into her husband's neck.
"I need to increase the stock pile of my potions to fight off that pegasus and that zebra." the prince stated as he returned the affection back to his wife.
"I have an idea." Trixie replied as she moved her lips to her husband's ear and whispered something to him.
"You are as wise as you are beautiful Trixie Lulamoon." Dark Bane replied as his emerld magic light up and teleported him.
"Soon he'll be paying Celestia a little visit." the mare said to herself as she yawned and went to her and her husband's chambers.
Dark Bane's potion lab:
The lab was large enough to have three large stallions in it at ounce, with large shelves full of herbs, flowers, roots, bugs, and other ingeriants used for potion making stood at the dark walls. A medium sized work table stood at a wall with a window above it letting natural light. Around the table were two shelves with bottles with different colored liquids in them behind glass doors. Some bottles gave off some light the same color as the liquid inside them while others seemed to give off a sickly glow, and to the sides of the completed potions shelves were chests. Theses chests were made from nearly black, dark oak wood and seemed to be less important but gave off uneasiness.
"I need something that can kill, but I don't what it to be to powerful." Dark Bane said to himself as he skimmed through the bottles of potions and poisons he made.
After looking through all of the large glass containers for what he wanted but wasn't able to, he growled as started to look around the shelves again from top to bottom hoping for the perfect brew for what he needed. After about a minute, he stopped and looked over to the chest to the left side corner. He walked over to it and openned it to see small viles filled with glowing liquids being held by what looked to be test tub holders and it seemed the chest could up to fifty viles but only had thirty in it. Some were golden while others were green or blue, but the prince only frowned at them as he shut the chest close. Before he moved away from the chest, Dark Bane used his magic to burn the shape of a medical cross on it and gave the symbol a bit of red coloring telling him that the potions were used for healing. He then walked over to the other chest and openned it. He saw viles of the same size being held the same way as the ones in the other chest and it looked like it was full at fifty, but the liquid in these viles gave off a sickly glow. Dark Bane looked over each vile as his magic light each one up but didn't move any of them. As his magic moved across vile after vile, he magic stopped on one that gave a dark near black like purple glow, but went back to a vile that gave off a venomous yellow glow. Pulling the vile out, Dark Bane pulled the cork out and gave the mixture a quick sniff. Quickly putting the cork back into the vile, Dark Bane closed the chest and used his magic to burn the shapes of a unicorn's skull over crossed bones with the shape of pegasus wings on the sides on it and giving them a pale green coloring to tell him this chest held the poisons he made in small amounts.
"This should be powerful enough for the ponies to worry about their sun goddess." Dark Bane stated as he used his magic to teleport himself again.
Dark Bane appeared in an armory with sets of his legionairs' armor with sets of the armor woren by the members of the Children of Nightmare, but standing by what looked to be actual war armor for him with its heavy looking plate armor was a set looked to be made for stealth instead of combat. Before Dark Bane could move his hoof, two guards came rushing through the doors with their weapons ready. The guard on the left was a unicorn stallion member of the Children of Nightmare while the one on the right was a pegasus member of the Legion of Shadows.
"My lord, what are you doing in here at such an hour?" the unicorn asked as he lowered the spear in his magic.
"I'm surprised you're a guard while my Legion of Shadows don't need to sleep or eat." Dark Bane replied as he started to take off his royal wears and drop them on the floor.
"It is fine with you, some of use like to make sure these mindless droins aren't in control of everything." the cult member stated as he looked at the legionair.
"I control them all, so there for I control everything in this castle." the prince stated as he grabbed the stealth armor and put it on.
"Where are you going my master?" the shadow pony asked as he spoke the first time in front of the cult member.
"I'm paying a visit to Canterlot castle. Have my royal wears cleaned and taken to my chambers." the dark magic user answered as he pulled up a hood and mask hiding most of his face.
While the shadow pony ordered a servant to do as the prince commanded, the cult member watched the lord of rage and hatred used his magic to grab a knife that was five inches from tip to grip, and curved giving it a longer cutting edge that could kill easily enough if it hit the right spot or went deep enough. The prince put the knife into a sheath that was made into the armor's back. The Nightmare unicorn then saw the dark magic user put a vile of venomously glowing yellow liquid into a breast pocket. As the dark unicorn turned around showing the armor fulling to the cult member, the Nightmare unicorn saw that the prince was now wearing dark brown leather armor that seemed to be folded into place. The hood hid almost all of his upper head and hid all of his mane, but his thorn of a horn poked out of it was able to make a shadow making his eyes stand out more and seem even more terrifing. The mask covered Dark Bane's jaw and nose hiding his sharp fang like teeth if he talked or smiled. The rest of the armor seemed to be able to take anything as big as a sword the guards used at Canterlot castle, but anything bigger could most likely pierce it and it let his tail out causing it to be seen and for it to be grabbed.
"When I return, be ready to march to battle at any moment." Dark Bane ordered as he sent a glare at the cult member and then teleported away.
Canterlot castle, around 10 at night:
Dark Bane teleported into the empty throne room of the castle with the stained glass windows of great or important moments of Equetria history. He looked around the room with his eyes showing great hatred. He moved through the room finding a door leading further into the castle. The dark unicorn moved carefully through the halls to keep himself from being detected by the guards, but after about thirty minutes of moving through the castle, Dark Bane found a door painted a darker shade of pink making it look more like purple with a sun painted at the top of it, and having two guards standing in front of it. Using his complete fouce, Dark Bane was able to put the guards under a spell of unawareness making them seem like statues as long as they didn't hear anything or something touching them. (Basicly they see the same thing before the spell is placed on them but can be brought out of it from hearing something or being touch.)
"This should give me enough time to set Trixie's plan into action." Dark Bane thought to himself as he walked to the door without making a sound and then entering making sure the door didn't squeek from openning of closing.
After Dark Bane soundlessly closed the door, he turned around to see Celestia sleeping peacefully on her round bed with a fire blazing in her fire place. The steady raise and fall of her chest showing she was deep into her sleep. Dark Bane looked around to see if her pet phoenix was around and thought it was strange for not to be near its master. Deciding to take this blessing from what ever god was giving him, Dark Bane pulled the knife out slowly as to not make a sound and almost paniced when he saw Celestia stir in her bed. Dark Bane calmed down when Celestia had only roled over causing her back to be towards the evil prince. He then used his magic to bring the vile of poison out and carefully pulled the cork out. Making sure that nothing was about to walk in on him or that the solar alicorn was going to wake up, Dark Bane started to pour the poison onto the knife and walked over to the slumbering princess. He was right by Celestia's neck when Philomena came flying through the window shrieking loudly waking Celestia, causing the guards to came bursting through the door with their weapons at the ready, and forcing Dark Bane to take a step back from the taller and older pony.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Celestia demanded as she used her golden magic to create a sword of arcane energy.
"You already know who I am, and I'm here to kill you." Dark Bane answered as he looked at the golden blade with the pattern of fire going from the tip down the two feet to the hoof guard in the shape of the sun, but knowing that it could easily kill him.
"Dark Bane, then you have come here to die." the oldest alicorn stated as she readied herself to kill if she must.
"It's Prince Dark Bane, Princess Celestia. If I use your title you could at least use mine." the dark unicorn growled as he took a step back.
"You have no right to be called a prince." the alicorn of the sun replied as she readied her blade.
"If you kill me, my father will not stop until all of your precious civilians are turned to dust." the dark magic user countered as he changed his grip so the blade of the knife was away from his boby. (Basicly holding it back handed style.)
"I will make sure that never happens." Celestia stated as she charged at the unicorn with her sword pointed straight for his heart.
Dark Bane used all of his strength and speed to dodge to Celestia's right and to cut her with his knife as he passed her leg. The cut was not very deep more like a cut she would get from a thorn on a rose bush, but the instant the blade left her flesh, Celestia gave off a thunderous scream of pain and suffering that it could be hear any where in Canterlot. The pain was so great that she lost her focus causing her sword to disappear and drop to the floor. Knowing that the princess was now in far more danger then thought of, the two guards rushed to her side. One took to standing in front of the in pain alicorn, while the other went right at Dark Bane and was able to knock his knife out of his magical grip. Knowing that he couldn't take on these two elite guards alone, Dark Bane used his power over dark magic to teleport back to his castle. Right after Dark Bane fleed, more guards flooded the room to see what was causing the noise.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO PRINCESS CELESTIA?!?" a unicorn guard asked as he came running into the room.
"Princess Celestia was attacked by Dark Bane, but her highness only got a scratch from the weapon he used." answered one of the guards that saw it happen.
"Where is the weapon he used?" asked the same unicorn guard with a worried look in his eyes.
"Over here Captian!" yelled a pegasus guards as he picked up the knife and showed it to the captian.
"THIS KNIFE HAS POISON ON IT! PRINCESS CELESTIA HAS BEEN POISONED!" the captian yelled as everypony understood right away.
"We need to get her to the medical wing now, and bring that knife too. We might need a sample of that poison." the captian ordered as every guard did as was told.
The guards moved as quick as the Wonder Bolts while getting Celestia to the medical wing of the castle, and all the while seeing that she was suffering a great deal of pain and was now sweating from the toxic liquid. When they got her to the medical wing, doctors and nurses moved with a single mind to find out how to cure their princess of this toxin, slow its progress, or at the very least easy the pain for their beloved ruler. But what no pony saw was the slight glow caming from Celestia's closed eyes as she started to cry out in pain as the poison started to attack the pain resepters in her body at random times and intencities. The pain was so bad that the doctors had to have the guards hold Celestia down so she could be stapped down and put a magic cancling ring on her horn to keep her from hurting herself or others in her current state of mind.
"What do we do? She has never even been sick before Doctor Stitches." asked a worried earth pony nurse with green eyes, a white coat (Her fur.), had a blond tail and mane in tight buns, her cutie mark looked like a first aid kit with a heart on the top, and was wearing a white nurse's outfit with the hat, while she had her front left hoof to her mouth.
"I don't know, Nurse Aid. But we have to calm her down or she could hurt herself and others." answered a unicorn doctor with a sea blue coat, gray eyes, with a green mane and tail kept tight together with hair bands, has a cutie mark that looked like a sewing needle with thread tied around the loop of the needle, wearing a bleach white doctor's coat, had a stethoscpe around his neck, and had deep blue rimmed glasses on, while he was using his magic to fill a syringe with a relaxative drug.
"You can't be serious Doctor? We don't know how it would react to the poison already in her blood stream." Nurse Aid asked as she looked at the doctor with worry.
"Nurse First Aid, if we don't calm the princess down soon, she could hurt herself or others given her state. Hopefully there won't be any reaction." Doctor Stitches answered as he pointed at the princess with his right front hoof.
"Understood Doctor. We need help to keep her still!" First Aid called out as she used all her strength on the larger and stronger pony.
"We'll help!" replied a guard as he lead some others over to the princess and started to try to keep her still.
"Don't worry Princess Celestia. Just calm down and everything will be all right." Doctor Stitches told Celestia as soothenly as possible as he brought the needle closer to her front right leg.
Seeing the needle getting closer to the part of her body that hurt the most, Celestia started to panic and try to escape the straps harder and the ring on her horn, but couldn't get enough of her strength to break free. As soon as the needle pierced her skin, Celestia gave off a silent scream, but as the drug was injected into her blood stream, she started to feel drowsy. Soon the alicorn was placed hopefully into a painless sleep. After putting the alicorn to sleep the doctors and nurses started to find a way to cure their princess of the poison, or slow its progress to get help from somepony that knows how to cure her. They took samples of the poison from what was left of it on the knife, from what was left on the actually deeper then thought wound, and hopefully any from blood samples that they were going to need. But no pony saw that for half a second that Celestia's eyes glowed purple, and they didn't know that Celestia was going to have the worst dream of her long life.
Celestia's dream:
Celestia was walking across what seemed to be a dried up dessert without any of her royal wears, while it was noon. For what seemed to be an hour, she walked without seeing any plants, animals, or even ponies to talk to so she couldn't find out where she was, but the strangest thing was that the weather was strangely hot and no matter how hard she tried the sun wouldn't move. She soon spotted a town in the distance and thought it might be Apple Loosa or Dodge City. After what felt like thirty minutes, the solar alicorn saw that the town wasn't right for Dodge City, and it to large for Apple Loosa. Needing to know where she was, Celestia took flight and flow all the way there but fear at what she might find. As she started to land, she closed her eyes until she felt ground under her hoofs. What meant her eyes were crumbling or burnt out buildings with the skeletons of her citizens of the lovable town Ponyville in them. Celestia almost broke out sobbing when she saw the blacken skeleton of a foal that looked to have been the same age as those lovable fillies that made a club just to find their cutie marks. (She couldn't remember that they called themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders.) Before she could break down crying, she turned her head to see the home of her most faithful student, more so than Sunset Simmer, Twilight Sparkle was crumbling and covered in black burn marks all over it. The alicorn almost broke completely down before she heard a moan coming from the destroied building. Rushing over to the ounce great home, Celestia used her magic to move and remove the debris as fast and carefully as possible. It only took her about five minutes before her magic grasped the body of a living pony. Carefully bringing the pony to herself, Celestia saw that the pony was Twilight, but she was covered with cuts, bruises, burns, dirt, dried blood, and ash all over her body.
"Twilight, what happened here?" Celestia asked as she brought the young unicorn mare into an embrace, but didn't care why she was trying to push her away.
"You don't remember what you did here." Twilight replied as she stopped struggling with the stronger pony.
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked as she looked down to see that Twilight had a large scar going across her left eye leaving it dead and useless to the unicorn mare.
"You did this to Ponyvilla and all of Equestria, Queen Terror Nova." Twilight answered with a glare as she used her magic to teleport to get some distance from the princess.
"I would never do this to my home or my citizens." Celestia countered with hurt in her voice as her eyes began to tear up.
"You stabbed your sister in the back, then you released Discord, used a spell to steal his magic and life force, and then you attacked Ponyville with Dark Bane. My orchards were the first thing you destroied with your fire. My family lies dead in the ashes of Sweet Apple Acres because of you, and now I'm never going to be able to see ma'h little sister grow up into a the great mare she was going to be." Applejack stated as she walked up wearing her hat even though it had burn marks all over it, her eyes looking empty, had burns all over her body with her mane and tail burned very short, and had a heavy dusting of ash over her body.
"I would never do that." the alicorn stated as she had to fight for control over herself to keep from crying.
"You did that, and burned my boutique while my sister and I where in it. I'm never going to be able to hear her anglic voice again in this life." Rarity growled as she walked up with a scar on her right eye like Twilight, had cuts and burns all over her body, had dried blood on her coat, but was even whiter from the ash that dirtied her coat, mane, and tail.
"I couldn't have." Celestia cried as she couldn't believe what the element bearers were telling her.
"All of my animal friends were killed by you when you blasted my home with a blast of magic. All of them are gone. All of them because of you." Fluttershy growled as she walked up with her left wing missing, had scares all over her body, and was covered with dried blood of her animals or her own.
"No." Celestia stated as she couldn't believe theses lies.
"Because of you, I'm never going to be able to teach the squirt how to fly now, and her aunt killed herself because of her niece's death. They were both bright lights to everypony around them. I don't even want to talk about what you did to Cloudsdale." Rainbow Dash growled walking up with her right wing missing, while she was covered with cuts, bruises, dried blood, and ash.
"Why would I do any of this?" Celestia asked no pony as she was about to break down crying.
"Yah, Queen Terror Nova, why did you do all of this? You killed everypony that got in your way. We couldn't stop you because you gave the Elements of Harmony to Dark Bane. You made him unstoppable. And now thanks to you, the Crystal Empire is going to be destroied like Equestria and then the rest of the world. You brought doom's day to the planet. I hope you're happy. Was it worth it to be by not only Dark Bane, but your secret husband. I bet you're proud of your son." Pinkie Pie almost yelled as she walked up making a circle around the alicorn, while covered in burns, bruises, cuts, scars, ash, dried blood, and her mane and tail completely deflated.
"What?" Celestia asked as she looked at each member of the Mane Six with tears in her eyes.
"Your son Dark Bane, talked you into destroying everything." all six answered shocking Celestia to the core all while walking closer with murder in their eyes.
"He's not my son. I never loved Sombra. I would never do this." Celestia all but yelled as her eyes were the start of small rivers on her face.
"You ended all freedom and most likely life on this planet!" the six younger mares yelled back as they where now to close for Celestia's comfort.
"No! Stay away from me!" Celestia yelled as she started to panic with fear.
"What's the matter Terror Nova? Scared." all six replied as they were now only a couple of steps away from her.
"I said stay away from me! Go away! Go! Away!" Celestia yelled as she used her magic to unleash a blast of magic that looked to be made of fire while her eyes were closed.
The magical blast from the alicorn struck the mares and seemed to burn the flesh from their bodies and blackened their bones. When the alicorn openned her eyes, she saw that she had just killed all six of them and had destroied the town even more in her panic.
"What have I done?" Celestia asked as she looked at the detruction she had unleashed.
"You killed the last beings that would be a threat to us my love." answered the voice of Sombra making the alicorn turn around to see the unicorn with his son, daughter-in-law, Nightmare Moon, and legions of ponies wearring their armor.
"What?" Celestia asked as she looked at the large amount of ponies with her jaw openned slightly.
"Mother, what's wrong? This was all a part of your plan, and I love how you took your true form for this." Dark Bane asked as he looked at her with worry.
This caused Celestia to remember that the younger mares had called her by a different name than her own. Using her magic to summon a mirror, Celestia saw that she now had a red coat, her eyes now dragon like with the whites replaced with a light purple, and that her tail and mane now looked to be made of fire. But what made her want to scream was the dark golden armor she wore. It looked so much like the armor her sister wore when she was Nightmare Moon. The armor that Dark Bane had given her when they were almost lovers, making the older alicorn look like the day's equivalent of Nightmare Moon.
"Soon my wife, the world will be ours to do with what we want." Sombra stated bringing her out of her thoughts.
"And when I have summoned the Elements of Nature, we will control all." Dark Bane stated as he gave a dangerous smile as Trixie nuzzled herself into his neck.
Celestia was hoping that this was all a nightmare and that her sister would soon come to save her from this, but then the world started to turn dark and Celestia lost herself to the darkness.
Castle of Death, guardens 11 at night:
Dark Bane was smiling to himself as he felt Celestia's will and mind giving way to the pain his poison was putting her though, and the nightmare he created for her.
"Soon you will be my ultimate weapon Celestia. You will be Terror Nova." Dark Bane laughed as he used his magic to send his assassin armor back to the armory and gave an order for it to be cleaned and put away. He then teleported to his chambers to be with his wife to sleep.

Chapter 11: Sound the Drums of War

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Five in the morning after Dark Bane's attack on Celestia:
Nine ponies could be seen talking to each other even though the sun hasn't come out yet, and a tenth pony could be seen walking down the stairs looking at the others with an unsurprised look on her face.
"Did any of you sleep at all last night?" Eclipse asked as she looked at the seven mares and the two stallions with a raised eye brow.
"No. We need to defeat Dark Bane as fast as possible. Now more than ever." Luna answered with a yawn while she looked at the shadow pony.
"I hope Dark Bane won't do anything painful to those foals." the unicorn stated as she looked worried for the younger ponies.
"What would he do to them?" Twilight asked as she took a gulp of air after asking her question.
"He might force them to work as servants, or just keep them in the dungeon." the shadow pony answered as she looked at the other ponies in the room.
"That doesn't seem like him. Why would he do that?" Pinkie Pie asked as she looked like she wasn't tired at all. (I believe that party crazed pony could easily stay up for two nights in a row.)
"Even before he vanished, he always went easy on kids. I believe his father might have used dark magic to turn him into a weapon." Eclipse answered as she moved to the kitchen to start breakfast since Spike was still asleep. (Spike was a little glad that Eclipse was a natural early raiser and that he didn't have to make food most of the time now.)
Before any of them could join the shadow pony, a knock on the front door grabbed the attention of everypony in the room. Twilight walked over to the door and opened it to see who it was. The young mare saw one of Luna's Lunar Guards and one of Celestia's Solaris Unicorn Guards. Both of them had grave looks on their faces.
"Miss Sparkle, is Princess Luna within your home?" asked the unicorn guard as he looked at the unicorn mare with an empty look in his eyes.
"Yes. Why do you need her?" Twilight asked as she looked at the two guards with worry in her eyes and voice.
"Yes, we need to tell her, the rest of the element bearers, and the two order leaders grave news about Princess Celestia." answered the Lunar Guard as he lowered his head.
"Then please come in. They're already here." Twilight replied as she opened the door fully letting the guards enter her home.
"What seems to be the problem honorable guards ponies?" Clockwork asked as he looked at the two law enforcers.
"Yes our loyal guards, what does the problem seem to be?" Luna asked slipping back to her old speech pattern from the lack of sleep. (I know everyone has Luna talk like that, but it has been at least a year since the first episode to the season three premiere, so I had Luna learn to control how she talks as long as she isn't in a rage, or near fainting from the lack of sleep.)
"Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Grand Master Clockwork, and Sensei Snake Eyes. Late last night, Princess Celestia was attacked by Dark Bane." the Solaris Guard answered as he gave the grave news to everypony in the room.
"Surely our sister was able to send him running so he could lick his wounds." Luna replied with a small smile on her lips.
"Unfortunately, from what we know, Dark Bane didn't receive a single injury while he was able to poison Princess Celestia." the Lunar Guard countered as the nine ponies had different degrees of shock.
"How is that possible? Princess Celestia is unstoppable." Rainbow Dash asked as she flared her wings out in anger.
"I'll make Dark Bane pay for what he's done!" Luna yelled causing a thud to be heard coming from the second floor.
"I think I'm going to go check on Spike. He might have fallen down the stairs in our room." Twilight stated as she moved to her room to check on the baby dragon.
"This can't be happening. Mother Celestia can't be killed so easily like this." Clockwork stated out of shock with his jaw open.
"That reminds me, why do you call Princess Celestia mother? Your order was formed from parents that lost their children." Snake Eyes asked and got looks of shock from the mares and the two guards.
"Some of your order's members joined mine hundreds of years ago, just like how some of members from mine order most likely joined your order, and they got the children to call Princess Celestia mother. We don't try to correct them since they are so young and they need a parent figure." Clockwork answered right as Twilight came back down the stairs with a tired Spike with a bump on the top of his head.
"You ok Spike?" Applejack asked as she took a closer look at the bump.
"I'll be fine, but I would like to know which one of you yelled." Spike replied as he sent a glare at everypony in the room except Twilight.
"Uh why?" Pinkie Pie asked as she looked at the dragon with confusion.
"Because that scream startled me and caused me to jump. Unfortunately I jumped towards the stairs and went past all of them." Spike answered as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"We are very sorry about that Spike the Dragon. How about we get you a large emerald as an apologia?" Luna asked as she looked ashamed for hurting the dragon.
"As long as it's not too much trouble, Princess Luna." Spike answered as he didn't want the lunar princess getting in trouble.
"It's no trouble for us, but now we need to take our leave." Luna replied as she knew that until her sister gets cured that she will need all her strength to resist the poison.
"What happened?" Spike asked Twilight as the princess left with the guards to return to Canterlot.
"Dark Bane attacked Princess Celestia, and to add to that horrible news, he also poisoned her. He's such a brute." Rarity explained as she looked ready to pass out.
"Well I say you all need to at least take a short rest. You won't be any help to anything if you're about to faint from lack of sleep." Eclipse stated as she walked back into the main room with a look telling the other ponies that they need to rest now.
"Snake Eyes and I have to go anyway. We must tell our orders about the recent abductions. The Guardians of the Light are going to war." Clockwork stated as he began to leave with the other order leader.
"And so will the Children of the Night. We will stand with Equestria and the Guardians of the Light." Snake Eyes added as he turned to the Temple of the Moon while Clockwork turned to the Temple of the Sun.
Seven in the morning at the Castle of Death:
Dark Bane, Trixie, Sombra, Nightengale, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Wolf Bane, Silver Shield, and Blizzard where sitting at a large rectangular dining table with platters of breakfast foods covering it. Even though it was quiet at the table, there was a great silence in the air. Scootaloo, Silver Shield, and Wolf Bane kept sending glares towards Blizzard while Sweetie Belle and Applebloom just kept their distance from him. Nightengale was trying to figure out why all of her new friends didn't want to talk.
"So how was everyponies sleep last night?" Trixie asked as she wanted to end the silence that had taken over the room.
"I would sleep better if I was back home in Ponyville." Applebloom answered getting nods from four other young ponies.
"That will happen after the war is over." Dark Bane replied as he used his magic to raise a crystal flask filled with some kind of juice.
"What is that you're drinking Prince Dark Bane?" Blizzard asked as he tried to ignore the heated glares he was receiving from the two order members and the filly.
"It's a blend of apple and orange juice. I only have it when I have completed a plan." Dark Bane answered as he took a sip of the drink.
"You did something to her." Silver Shield suddenly stated as he sent a glare at the prince.
"You'll have to be more clear about who she is." Dark Bane replied as he sent a glare at colt.
"What did you do to Princess Celestia?" Silver Shield demanded as he increased the glare he had.
"I don't have the foggiest idea what you mean." Dark Bane replied as he tried to hold in his smile.
"I know you did something to Princess Celestia. The sun rise felt different today. The magic that was used for was different then it was yesterday." the colt countered as he glared at the unicorn.
"Well, I did pay her a visit last night." the unicorn stallion replied as his smile grew in size.
"So you did use my plan. How long before the poison kills her?" Trixie asked while gaining the attention of everypony in the room.
"Most likely never." Dark Bane answered after finishing his drink.
"What about my plan?" Trixie asked as she looked at her husband with big pleading eyes which made Nightengale gag.
"I agree with you." Sweetie Belle whispered to the alicorn filly as she tried to look away from the older unicorns.
"Why kill what you can control?" Dark Bane countered his wife's question with one of his own getting his father's attention.
"You're a monster." Silver Shield stated as he glared at the unicorn.
"Watch what you say young one." Dark Bane replied as he looked at the colt with emotionless eyes.
"Am I going to be a big sister now?" Nightengale asked as she gained a large smile on her face.
"Maybe my little filly." Trixie answered and got the other fillies and colts in the room to laugh at the alicorn filly.
"MOM!" Nightengale yelled with a large blush on her cheeks.
"Now I know why my sister likes to tease me." Sweetie Belle stated as she tried to stop laughing.
"Makes me wish I had a sibling." Wolf Bane stated as he kept himself from laughing long enough to say something.
"It's not all that fun. Trust me." Silver Shield replied as he gave a great sigh.
"What would you know of siblings? Your order is filled with monks, and every member is raised as a monk." Wolf Bane asked as he looked at the monk like order member.
"We're raised as one big family. So every member is seen as a sibling." Silver Shield answered as he looked at the unicorn colt.
"I wonder what my family is going to do to make it look like they're worried?" Blizzard asked himself as he looked at the fancy looking hash browns with a glass of orange juice.
"I could always ask your father if you want." Dark Bane stated as he turned his head towards the large winged pegasus colt.
"There's no need for you to do that my lord." the colt replied as he lowered his head out of respect. (And fear.)
"Never look a gift horse in the mouth." Sombra stated out of nowhere surprising everypony there since this was the first time he spoke today.
"I'll remember that King Sombra." Blizzard replied as he did his best not to look into the dark king's eyes.
"What are we going to learn today?" Sweetie Belle asked as she decided that it would be better for the king to stay silent.
"All seven of you will learn some basic healing magic first." Dark Bane answered as he brought an apple to his fang like teeth.
"I still want to learn fire magic." Nightengale muttered as she had a sour look on her face.
"My baby is growing up so fast." Trixie stated as she then started to hug the filly who was trying to get her mother to let her go.
"This is comedy gold." Scootaloo laughed as she watched this happen.
The young pegasus filly stopped laughing when she suddenly felt a chill in the air and moved her eyes to see that Dark Bane was looking at her with an emotionless stare. She stopped laughing right after that and tried to avoid his stare.
"Mr. Dark Bane." Applebloom stated getting said unicorn’s attention.
"That would be Prince Dark Bane young one." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the Apple Family filly.
"Well, can't only unicorns and alicorns use magic?" Applebloom asked as she looked at the large unicorn.
"Why does everypony think that?" Dark Bane asked out loud telling everypony that he was tired of this question.
"What do you mean?" Sweetie Belle asked as she looked at the unicorn that technically could be as old as the princesses.
"Every living thing has magic in them. Ponies have the most magic in them." Dark Bane stated as he looked at the young unicorn filly.
"So, how does that mean we can all use healing magic?" Sweetie Belle asked as she looked at the older unicorn.
"Everypony can use healing magic because it doesn't fall under earth, sky, or arcane magic." the unicorn stallion answered as he started to leave the table.
"Where are you going Daddy?" Nightengale asked as she looked at her father.
"I need to get everything ready for the lesson." the older pony replied as he left the dining room.
"Evil beast." Silver Shield muttered as he glared at the older stallion.
"I heard that colt. Remember, the only reason you're a guest in my home is my daughter." Dark Bane's voice sounded through the castle surprising the younger ponies in the room.
"I wonder what Night Veil is doing now?" Blizzard asked himself as he looked at what remained of his breakfast.
"Learning Little Brother." Nigh Veil stated as she appeared walking towards her sibling.
"What are you doing here?" Silver Shield demanded as he glared at the unicorn mare.
"Hold your tongue. I'm not even here little boy." Night Veil answered as her head turned to the wrong way.
"Sis, he's the other way." Blizzard stated as his sister turned her head the other way.
"I need to work on this spell." the young mare muttered as her horn glowed and a notepad appeared.
"What spell are you working on now?" the young pegasus colt asked as he looked at his older sister.
"I call it Spirit Projecting. While I'm using it, it looks like my body is asleep, but I can send my spirit anywhere I want. I still need to work on it so I can use the Sixth Sense spell with it." the blind mare stated telling everypony that she was using mostly hearing to judge where ponies where.
"So then, why are you here?" Sombra asked as he sent shivers down the spines of the CMC.
"I'm going to be joining my brother here soon. No matter what, I'm going to protect my brother." the unicorn mare answered unafraid of the tyrant king. (Then again, she can't see him and was looking the wrong way, again.)
"I'm over here." Sombra stated as his voice caused the blind mare to turn her head towards him.
"I don't think Daddy will let you stay here." Nightengale stated to the grey mare.
"Well Princess Nightengale, I'm coming and nothing Prince Dark Bane says will change my mind." Night Veil replied as her brother had a bright red blush from embarrassment.
"I think you're embarrassing your little brother." Trixie stated as she looked at the snow white pegasus colt trying to hide his reddening cheeks but was failing.
"I'll tell Daddy to expect you then." the alicorn filly replied as she was ready to begin her first lesson with her dad.
"I can't believe my luck. It's like something is trying to make my life as embarrassing as possible. [I have no idea what he's talking about.]" Blizzard stated as he wanted to disappear.
Eight in the morning, Canterlot Castle, Medical Wing:
Luna was standing over the sleeping form of her older sister. The princess of the moon could tell that her sister was having a nightmare, but something was keeping her from entering her sister's dream.
"Dark Bane, I know you're the reason why my sister is having a nightmare. You're also keeping me from entering her dreams. When I get my hooves on you Dark Bane, not even the reaper will be able to help you." Luna thought as her thoughts started to take on darker forms while thinking of different ways to hurt the prince.
"Princess Luna, ponies are starting to show up to the Day Court. We need you do take your sister's place until she recovers." a white unicorn stallion advisor stated as he along with the other three advisors waited for her to respond to them.
"My sister lies her most likely dyeing, and you're asking me to leave her side." Luna growled at all four advisors with an angry glare that many believed would make even the tyrant king scared.
"Your majesty, we're not asking you to abandoned your sister. We're asking you to hope for her recovering and to make sure that there's a home for her to come back to." a blue unicorn mare replied hoping the alicorn of the night would see that somepony has to take charge of the government with the main leader unable to lead.
"Very well. Have coffee ready for me when I arrive to the throne room." Luna spoke with an edge of anger in her voice, making the advisors hope was either towards Dark Bane or the lack of sleep this alicorn has had. (Anger makes a great wakeup call some times.)
"Yes your majesty." all four advisors answered as they left to get coffee ready for the mostly night alicorn so she could stay up for the Day Court.
"Don't worry Tia. I'll make sure Equestria stays strong while you recover." Luna replied and was about to leave when she saw her sister's closed eyes glow for a split second.
Too scared to let this not be known, Luna told one of the doctors what she saw, and they told her that it might just be her magic trying to purge the poison out of her system.
Five minutes later, Day Court:
Everypony was waiting for Princess Celestia to arrive so they could begin, but most were surprised when a royal guard brought in a coffee mug and a pot of freshly made coffee. They have never seen Princess Celestia drink coffee before. When they saw Princess Luna walk in, they were very surprised to see her take her sister's throne. Whispers started to go through the court with most of them about how Luna most likely casting a spell of sleep on Celestia.
“Ponies of my sister’s Day Court. Due to resent events, my sister’s health has deteriorated greatly. Until she recovers back to health I will take her place until then.” Luna stated as she looked at all the nobles including her unofficial nephew Prince Blueblood.
“What happened to Auntie Celestia?” Blueblood asked making most of the guards and nobles sigh at how he acts.
“She was attacked by Dark Bane last night and was injured.” Luna answered the white coated unicorn then taking a sip of her freshly made black coffee.
“This is an act of war. What nation is he from?” asked a grey unicorn stallion with a pair of glasses on his nose.
“He was originally from the Crystal Empire.” the alicorn of the night answered with a visible glare of hatred.
“Does that mean that my sister and the ex-captain of the guards have gone to war with us?” Blueblood asked as this got the other nobles in the room to start to panic slightly.
“He is the son of King Sombra. Both father and son plan on enslaving the entire world.” Luna answered as the entire room went silent as everypony let this information set in.
“Please stop talking about me and my family as if I’m not here.” Dark Bane’s voice sounded through the room making many there shake with fear.
“SHOW THYSELF!” Luna ordered with her royal voice causing the dark magic user to laugh at her.
“Very well your highness.” the prince of shadows replied as his outline came out of Blueblood’s shadow and then seemed to peel itself off the floor then took Dark Bane’s physical form.
“That ruffian was using me as a shield!” Blueblood complained as he started to check himself for something that showed illness.
“If I didn’t need this empire as weak as possible, I would have killed you.” Dark Bane countered as he sent an annoyed glare at the unicorn nobles.
“What’s with that look? We are nobles of Equestria.” a mare yelled at the prince as she glared at the metal covered stallion.
“After I was turned into a statue by your princesses, I watched over this entire empire. In this empire’s government, you ‘nobles’ cause more problems than you solve. Especially that joke of prince over there.” the dark prince replied while putting extra amounts of distain in the word noble.
“Do you know who I am?” Blueblood asked as he glared at the metal covered unicorn.
“You are ‘Prince’ Blueblood. You are the younger brother to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. You are self-adsorbent and you think everypony that is not a part of your family is beneath you. You also have a soft spot for Princess Celestia’s student. Need I go on?” the dark unicorn answered and then went into detail about the white unicorn surprising everypony there with how much he knew and then cocked an eye brow at the other stallion as if challenging him to speak.
“How do you know all of that?” Blueblood demanded as everypony in the room noticed that he was actually serious for once in his life.
“I’ve had an eye on every noble house in this empire even before my petrification.” the armor clad pony answered as all the other ponies noticed that he seemed to be counting for some reason.
“What seems to be the problem Dark Bane?” Luna asked with a small smile knowing she was playing a dangerous game with him.
“That’s Prince Dark Bane, and the noble house of Princess Platinum has been missing for the last 150 years.” the unicorn answered the alicorn with a raised eye brow.
“Princess Platinum’s family has died out. The children never married nor had children of their own.” replied a mint green mare with too much make up on.
“I can still feel the power of that family’s blood. The group is small, but there are at least 2 direct decedents of her majesty.” Dark Bane replied as this news made many of the court look towards each other while all thinking the same thing. (They wanted to bring both of these decedents into their families for more political power.)
“Why are you here?” Luna demanded as she knew what all these ‘nobles’ were thinking.
“Why it wouldn’t be proper if I didn’t send a declaration of war.” the stallion answered as he used his magic to summon a scroll into the room.
“You declared war with us the moment you attacked the Crystal Empire.” Luna replied as she summoned twin short swords.
“Well then, I did this for nothing, but I will give you my ultimatum. Surrender now or everypony either dies or gets enslaved.” Dark Bane stated as he glared at Luna.
“We will fight to our last breath for our freedom!” Luna yelled her reply as she glared at the unicorn.
“Very well, it’s to war.” the dark stallion countered and then seemed to evaporate away.
“The draft will begin within this week. Any and all able bodied pony will be called upon for this war if need be. Do I make myself clear?” Luna stated as the nobles saw the differences of the 2 sisters now.

Chapter 12: Assault on Canterlot

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Day after Chapter 11:
All citizens of Equestria were surprised when they read in the paper that they were going to war with the tyrants of the Crystal Empire. This brought great fear since they heard that Sombra’s son had created his own army by giving life to crystals. Princess Luna was having all military forces train hard and had more patrols go through the empire. Most of the patrols went by the Everfree Forest to make sure Dark Bane kept to the forest. Some of the brave hardy cadets ran into the forest only to return saying they were attacked by both the Legion of Shadows and small imperfect clones of Nightmare Moon. With the help of the Children of Night, the military learned that they we’re told that they encountered members of the Children of Nightmare. Luna was sending her Lunar Guards to Ponyville to make sure Dark Bane didn’t go after any of the elements bearers. Twilight and friends where working out a plan to find Dark Bane’s castle and to rescue the CMC. So far the group of mares and some stallions weren’t having the best of luck with coming up with a plan. In fact, when Night Shade and Star Light heard that their son was taken caused the parents to cut themselves from socially with Night Veil packing her bags to leave the town while not telling anypony where she was going. Most ponies were wondering where Princess Celestia as she hasn’t been seen in a day or two. The entire kingdom was scared since there has been rumors had gone around saying that Dark Bane has kidnapped six children most like brainwash them to use them as spies. Parents started to follow their children everywhere to make sure they wouldn’t be taken. While the CMC were just tired of Dark Bane and in their opinion his demonic teaching.
Castle of Death, Library, 7:30 AM:
In the center of the library stood seven dark oak desks with a foal sitting in each while facing towards a chalk board with the prince of shadows standing in front of it lecturing the seven young minds about magic.
“Now by focusing your magic to one point, you can increase the power for a spell that you can cast.” Dark Bane stated as he used a pointer stick to point out what he was explaining on a chalk board.
“And I thought Twilight was an egghead, but he makes her seem almost as awesome as Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo thought as she looked at the chalk board with a bored expression while she had her chin on her hoof.
“Pay attention Scoot or he’ll have us balance on top of wood boards that are on stone balls.” Sweetie Belle whispered to her friend to make sure that Dark Bane didn’t have them do another focus test like yesterday when said pegasus fell asleep during one of his lectures and had punished all seven foals for it.
“I am paying attention! I’m never doing that again.” Scootaloo hissed back to the unicorn filly as the older pony was describing the parts of magic.
“Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, is there something that you two would like to say?” Dark Bane asked as he turned around to look at the two fillies causing them to sit straight in their seats.
“No we don’t.” the two replied in unison while scared that he may make them go through focus training again for that alone.
“Then please keep your eyes on the board and your ears open.” the prince countered as he motioned with his left hoof to Loki as he sat on a perch with his glowing red eyes staring at the group.
“That bird still creeps me out more than the Everfree Forest.” Applebloom stated as she looked at the dark phoenix with a look of slight panic.
“I can see through him, so I can tell what you’re doing remember?” the unicorn stallion asked as he looked at the group of foals with a raised eye brow and getting nods in return from all but one foal.
“All I want is to get my cutie mark and finally be able to fly. Nothing you’re teaching is going to help me with either of those.” the small winged pegasus filly countered with as she looked at him with a stare that rivaled his own.
“Have you seen that pegasus that used fire magic?” Dark Bane asked as he looked down towards the filly with a look of annoyance of a past memory.
“I’ve seen him, but I’m never going to be able to do what he can.” Scootaloo answered as she looked up at the unicorn stallion.
“When I first started to learn magic, I had a natural talent for its defensive aspect. It took long nights of reading, studying and practice for me to master all the other forms of magic there is. All you have to do to get your cutie mark is to find what you’re best at. Then there’s a strong possibility that the built up magic in your body will be released allowing your wings to grow to their proper size.” the foals’ teacher explained as he looked at the orange filly.
“Then why are my wings so big?” Blizzard asked as he looked at his large wings with a frown.
“What’s wrong with having big wings?” Silver Shield asked as he moved his glare from Dark Bane to the pegasus colt.
“They’re too big for me to fly normally like any other pegasus.” the snow white colt answered as he did a small flap.
“You’re like the exact opposite of me, but you still can’t fly. Maybe we can be friends after all. That is if you weren’t part of some evil colt.” Scootaloo stated as she looked at the other pegasus.
“I was born into it, and everypony sees me as the next leader since my sister is blind. They expect me to be perfect, and they expect me to know everything a pegasus can do without any help.” Blizzard replied as he placed his head on the desk.
“I will then get the both of you flight trainers to help you. They will be waiting for you after this.” Dark Bane stated as he turned back to his chalk board and used his emerald colored magic to pick up a piece of chalk and continued his lesson on healing magic.
Unknown to the seven foals was that Dark Bane was getting a large strike force ready to begin the first part of summoning the Elements of Nature so he could use them.
Canterlot Castle, 8:00 A.M.:
The many guards of the castle didn’t know what to think of when they saw a group of 6 mares, 3 stallions, 2 dragons, and 1 zebra walked by them. Some guards didn’t even bat an eye at the sight since they got use to this kind of stuff a few years ago from all the potential world ending events.
“25 bits that they’re going to use the Hammer of Friendship on this Dark Bane stallion.” a grey unicorn guard whispered to a white pegasus guard. (A nickname I’ve decided to have the guards call the Elements of Harmony.)
“30 bits that they won’t.” the pegasus whispered back as he leaned a little to his friend.
“Hey you two, you’re still on duty! Get to work!” yelled a red earth pony rounding a corner who was their sergeant.
“Sir Yes Sir!” both replied as they quickly continued their patrol that they seemed to stop to make said bet.
The group of 12 made their way towards the throne room. When they got there, they saw Princess Luna sitting on the throne with a solemn look on her face.
“You wanted to see us Princess Luna.” Twilight stated as she looked at the alicorn of the night.
“Yes. It seems the poison that Dark Bane used on my sister has eluded our doctors. I would like Zecora to take a look at some they have recreated.” Luna replied as she used her magic to levitate a small vial of a glowing yellow liquid to the zebra.
When Zecora grabbed the vial, both her and Flame looked at it with calculating stares. After a minute, Zecora lowered her head with a frown on her lips.
“I am sorry. But without my home, this poison I cannot cure.” the zebra stated as she had a defeated look in her eyes. (I hate writing/typing in rhymes.)
“Good thing I’m a brew master as well, and from the fact that it’s glowing, I can tell he has infused it with magic.” Flame stated as he took the vial of poison.
“How long will it take you to make a cure?” Luna asked as she looked at the pure green pegasus.
“Let me see.” Flame stated as he shook the vial then removed the stopper while taking a sniff of the vial liquid.
“So, how long Flame?” Scale asked as she looked at her friend with a raised an eye brow.
“I would have to say 2 weeks at most.” Flame answered as he replaced the stopper.
“If you need anymore, simply ask me.” Luna stated before one of the medical stuff from the medical wing came running in.
“Princess Luna, your sister is fully healed, but something is off about her!” the nurse exclaimed as she looked at the lunar alicorn.
Luna immediately took flight with the others following her down the halls to see the elder sister. When they got to the medical wing, they saw that Celestia was sitting upright on the bed while looking out the window to look at the edge of the Everfree Forest that the mountain city was built on didn’t block. No pony knew what to do as Celestia really wasn’t acting like herself.
“Sister, are you ok?” Luna asked as she got closer to her sister feeling something was different with the older alicorn’s magic.
“No, but thanks to Dark Bane’s attack, I now see the truth about him. I will be in my room readying myself for the battle that is to come.” Celestia replied as she turned and left for her room while no pony saw her eyes turn dragon like with the whites replaced with a light purple for a split second.
“I don’t know what has happened to me sister, but Dark Bane is the reason for it.” the younger alicorn sister stated as she looked to where her sister went with worry.
“We could really use the help of that one group of heroes.” Pinkie stated as she looked at the others with her hoof to her mouth.
“What is this group called and who are in it?” Clockwork asked as he had a feeling he just gave everypony a headache from asking.
“I don’t remember any of the names, but one member wears a high-tech suit, another one is a super soldier that was created during something called a world war, then there’s the god of thunder and he has a hammer, then the super spy and her partner that’s never misses with his bow and arrow, and then there’s the strongest one of them all where he gets stronger the angrier he gets. Now if I could only remember their names and what they call themselves.” Pinkie Pie stated as she held a hoof to her chin while the others just looked at her like she was crazy. (I made a promise to myself that I would reference them.)
Castle of Death Gardens, same time:
“Princess Celestia has finally fallen and my new weapon has awakened. She shall be known as Terror Nova.” Dark Bane stated as he already sent the kids away and had Scootaloo and Blizzard start their flight training and then went to his gardens.
Trixie looked at her husband as she walked into the gardens to see if her husband knew anything about alicorns that way she could take care of Nightengale better.
“Honey, you had trouble controlling Luna. What makes you think you’ll have better luck controlling Celestia?” the ex-show mare asked as she looked at the powerful unicorn stallion that she loves.
“Luna doesn’t have the same level of magic as her sister, but she had greater will than her sister. There’s a reason why they ruled together. Celestia is too soft by herself, while Luna is too hard by herself.” the dark stallion answered as Trixie realized what he was saying.
Suddenly, the sky of the forest went black with thunder and lightning tearing it apart. The black clouds gathered around the castle. After about a minute, rain started to lightly come down on the two ponies. As Trixie left to get back into the castle, Dark Bane stayed out longer letting rain fall on him for about a second before he used his magic to raise a shield to protect his gardens in case if the rain becomes a thunderstorm. With his garden protected from the worst of the potential storm, the dark stallion rejoined his wife who looked a little startled at the sudden appearance of the falling water.
“I know the Everfree Forest contains wild magic, but I didn’t think that it would affect the weather this much.” Trixie stated as she used her magic to dry her husband while he looked at the raging rain storm.
“This is not the forest’s power at work. It is nature. It is enraged at an unbalance that Equestria has created.” the dark prince stated as he used his powerful magical skills to reach out to try and find out why nature became angry now of all the ages.
“Maybe it had something to do with you controlling Celestia like she’s a puppet.” the princess stated as she finished drying her husband and started to nuzzle his neck with her head.
“No, it’s not that. Just have to widen my search.” the prince stated as his horn started to glow with his emerald magic as his eyes closed to let his magic have his full attention at the moment.
After about 30 seconds, the two unicorns got startled by Night Veil as walked up while she seemed to be searching for something herself.
“Must you creep like that?” Trixie asked as she glared at the blind unicorn.
“I’m trying to find out why Equestria’s magical field changed. It’s causing problems with my sixth sense spell. Everything is blurred, and by the way, if you’re glaring at me, I can’t tell even if my spell was working correctly.” the scholar mare stated as she turned her head towards the two but seemed to have troubles telling them apart.
“Nature hates imbalances. Princess Celestia and her rule has made this land too ordered. There needs to be chaos and the Everfree Forest can no longer give the needed chaos.” Dark Bane stated as he looked at the worsening storm as he sent an order for the unicorn members of his legion to form a barrier around the castle.
“My lord, I do have a question for you.” Night Veil stated as she was starting to get used to the strange vision.
“Speak it and make it quick. I have work to do.” the unicorn stallion replied as he looked at the blind mare.
“You say that you have studied many forms of magic and yet you only seem to use dark magic, the magic every unicorn can use, and Changeling magic. Why don’t you use all the magic you know?” the colt mare asked as she could tell that he had the strength to use many more different types of magic.
“It is true that I have studied most known forms of magic, but I had just learned how to use Changeling magic before I was turned to stone, but I was able to learn more about it while I waited for my freedom. However, the main reason I studied so many different forms of magic was to be prepared. I don’t fear the mage that has practiced a thousand different spells once, but I do fear the mage that has practiced a single spell a thousand times. The more you know of a spell the better you can use it.” the dark lord answered as he turned around and headed towards the crystal mines to create more Legion of Shadow warriors so his father would have his own strike force to use.
“Thank you my lord. I’ll keep your words in mind.” the blind mare replied as she turned around and walked into a legionnaire.
“Are you Night Veil?” the legionnaire asked as he helped her up.
“Yes I am.” she answered as she rubbed her head while trying to figure out how she didn’t see him.
“King Sombra has asked for your presence in the war room. Will you need an escort?” the shadow pony stated as she could now tell that he was a large earth shadow pony.
“Yes. I’m having a hard time navigating at the moment and a harder time seeing ponies, so please stay close to me and make some noise every once and a while.” the cult mage replied as she saw mostly the chaotic magic of the Everfree Forest at the moment.
The nameless warrior/guard grunted in agreement as he made sure that she was following him first before leading her to the war room. He only had to make a noise three times before they got to their destination. She thanked the legionnaire pony before he left and then turned to look at the lord of fear and dark magic. Night Veil was slightly panicking since she could clearly seem him with her spell since he used dark magic so often that it scared his magical field to take on a darker look.
“I must ask you something.” the king stated as he looked at the young mare.
“How may I help you?” the blind mare asked as she made sure that he wasn’t trying to influence her with dark magic.
“I want your opinion on my son’s resent behavior. I haven’t seen him like this since he was a child.” Sombra answered as he looked at the mare that’s around the same age as the one that got pass his traps.
“All that I have seen shows me that he is very protective. From what I’ve heard of him, this is very strange since he was willing to sacrifice anything to win.” Night Veil replied as she thought about what she heard about the lord of rage and hate.
“I was afraid of this.” Sombra stated as he turned his back to the mare.
“Afraid of what my king?” the young mare asked as she noticed that there were no legionnaires in the war room at the moment.
“Before my son and I started the war with Equestria, he had me cast a spell on him that made him look and act differently than he did during the war, but now I think that the spell is weakening somehow.” the lord of fear lied as he started to think up a plan. “I either have to recast my control spell on him, or send him into a state of rage that will make him my weapon once more. I’ll have to send him into a rage.”
Night Veil couldn’t tell what was going through the dark lord’s mind, but she could tell that he was thinking of something do to his magical field changing.
“I must be careful around this one. Sombra may be more power crazed than we thought.” Night Veil thought as she kept her body ready to move at a moment’s notice.
“My legions, prepare for battle! We leave for Canterlot in one hour. Those of the Children of Nightmare that wish to come either keep up or stay behind. I will not have my military operation ruined this day.” Dark Bane’s voice sounded throughout the castle as the sound of hoof steps sounded.
With Dark Bane:
The young prince of old stood before a group of 10 unicorn stallions that were the same size as an average earth pony stallion. These legionnaires were difficult to make since he knew that his father would want them all to be unicorns and strong as well. They would also need his father’s magical signature to truly finish them. They would be separate from the hive mind and only take orders from his father.
“Hopefully these are to my father’s standers.” Dark Bane stated as moments later his father appeared from a dark magic teleport.
“Are they finished?” the king asked his son as he looked at the small group of shadow ponies.
“Not quite. I already gave them everything they needed, but you need to use your magic on them so they know who their one and only commander is.” the younger stallion answered as he looked at his father.
Nodding to this, Sombra summoned his magic and sent non harming beams at them. As soon as they were hit, all 10 of them stood ram rod straight and waited for orders.
“Father, have them go to the armory. I had their armor made and waiting for them there. We will soon be sitting on the throne of this empire.” Dark Bane stated as he started to walk off
Sombra knew that his son would allow him to mentally command this strike force and had them go to the armory, and gave them a command to be ready to leave for Canterlot soon. As soon as they disappeared, the lord of fear went to find his daughter-in-law. He soon found her reading a story to the foals. (Blizzard and Scootaloo had to stop their flight training because of the storm.)
“We will be beginning our attack soon. I suggest you get ready.” the unicorn stallion stated as he glared at all of them.
“Grandpa scares me.” Nightengale whispered to her mother.
“You’re not the only one scared of him.” Trixie whispered back.

The Prince of the Crystal Empire

by Prince_Dark_Bane

Chapter 1: The Dark Prince Returns

Chapter 2: Castle of Death

Chapter 3: A Grand Change

Chapter 4: Remnants of the Fallen King

Chapter 5: War of the Alicorns

Chapter 6: The nightmare lives again

Chapter 7: The Eclipse begins

Chapter 8: War has Come

Chapter 9: The Three New Colts in School

Chapter 10: The Night's Song

Chapter 11: Sound the Drums of War

Chapter 12: Assault on Canterlot