The Darkest Hour

The wind had whispered a song of evil, a warning of what was to come if nothing was done to stop it. Rumors had swept across the many streets of the city, leaving many weary.  A reign of an unforgiving monarch lay on the horizon, awaiting for the sun to rise on his behalf, so he may claim it for his own.  However, the fiery ball of light had yet to appear in the sky, leaving Equestria in a state of unsettling twilight, as ponies waited unknowingly  to see what would happen next.  

Though, such rumors were slim and far between.  Many remained unaware, or simply unfazed by them. But Equestria had seen too much distress in the past few years, and even the slightest threat had to be accounted for.  Everything was taken very seriously, and maybe that was beneficial to society at its current state. There was really no way of knowing, which was why an elite had been sent to investigate the matter.

All signs suggested that this new threat had made it’s home somewhere deep within the Everfree forest.  During these dark hours, beneath the shadow of the thick canopy, most would find it nearly impossible to see in such conditions.  But the chosen mare knew somewhere in the skies above, the light of the moon was there to guide her.  As a bat pony the adaptations her ancestors developed long ago helped her to see better than most in the dark, but even her vision was not perfectly keen at the moment.  Nonetheless, her other senses were sharp and intact and she made her way through the forest without much hassle.  

Remaining silent, Nightsong attempted to cover as much ground as possible without drawing attention to herself.  She was looking for something that would not naturally occur in the Everfree, and attracting beasts such as timberwolves and manticores would prove to be a large distraction and would be at no convenience.

Eventually coming across a distant light, she felt as if she was coming closer to the answers she was seeking.  She moved straight towards the light which soon appeared to be the result of burning flames. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the flames were surrounding the old castle.  A fire so large, yet confined to a specific area she knew was not a natural occurrence, and was most likely the work of some sort of magic.

Examining the situation in front of her, she tried to analyze the best way of getting inside.  If someone was in there, she did not want to be seen. The purpose of this expedition was to find out what was going on,  and return the information back to Canterlot safely. Trying to resolve the problem solo would probably have less than acceptable results. However Nightsong currently had no idea what the meaning of any of this was, and refused to return to Canterlot empty hoofed. The violet mare decided to fly through one of the broken windows, finding herself in some sort of library. “Well… I’m in, might as well have a look around and see if I can find what's going on.” She whispered under her breath and began making her way towards the hallway.

(It's long... sorry. I got carried away xD
I was thinking she could be found and captured or something, to keep it more interesting.)

Sleep was elusive for the beast of the night.  But sleep was an unnecessary inconvenience to the brute.  As the sun’s comfort remained hidden from the lands of Equestria, the ‘monarch’ of darkness and flame had spent time exploring the forest that encircled his less-than humble abode.  In the middle of a decaying courtyard, a pile of broken sticks burned - what had once been timberwolves, now made kindling.  The warmth of the flames lapped at the stallion’s grim features.  The absurd animals had done nothing to instill any fear of the Everfree into the dark pony’s mind, as they were no match for his magic and skill.

In his mind, they were no different from the weak collection of ponies that inhabited Equestria.  From city ponies to rural farmers, from earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike, there were no others that could rival Inferno in his own mind.  He had dreamt of domination and power, and it was all becoming a reality.  Already, he had two ponies under his control.  And Raging Inferno was interested in gathering a third that night.

A pulsating, fiery red light streaked into the room, alerting him to the intrusion - his own personal silent alarm, so to speak, that sensed when outside energy had entered his beautiful castle.  Pulling himself away from the bonfire, Inferno stalked out of the courtyard in search of the newcomer.  He would be glad to welcome them to his home, and better still if they stayed there with the maniacal unicorn.

The creature’s bright amethyst coat did little to conceal her presence from her watcher - who in turn, was now doing nothing to hide his presence.  His breaths were ragged and noisy as they parted his lips, the air hot as it escaped from between sharped teeth.  His eyes explored the mare, with her unusual, black leathery wings and yellow eyes that practically glowed in the dark as she glanced around the formerly abandoned castle.

A bat pony.  That is certainly interesting, he thought internally as he stepped into the hallway, alarmingly close to the intruder.  “No need to whisper, little mare,” he said condescendingly.  She was of average size for her species and gender, but given Inferno’s freakish enormity, she seemed more like a foal.  “You are not alone.”

It was not long until Nighsong sensed the presence of another being.  Not giving her much time for reaction, a huge ebony stallion had appeared in front of her, making an obstacle in her path.   She examined the massive unicorn but made sure not to let her guard down even the slightest.  As a matter of fact, her vigilance was at an all time high.  She almost instantly knew that this unicorn was part of the reason she was here.  She regretted the decision of entering the castle without a proper plan, but at this point she would have to live with that mistake.  This was not the first time she had found herself in a potentially dangerous situation, and she knew the best way to deal with it was to remain calm until she could think of a way out of it.  

It would be stupid to reveal her position to the unicorn then.  He obviously had control over powerful magic, something she would not be able to take on hoof to hoof. It was time to resort to a strategy which came naturally to her, or at least, more so than it did to most guards.  It was time for her to blend in as much as she could.  Pretend to be an ordinary mare in an ordinary situation… or as ordinary as it could get in the Everfree forest.  

"I can obviously see I’m not alone. In case you haven’t noticed, you're standing right in front of me.”She said in a somewhat calm tone. “Though I am surprised to see anypony here… usually this place is abandoned.”

The violet stranger spoke in a level voice - if she was fearful of him, she was not showing it, which meant either she was good at hiding terror, or she wasn’t feeling terrorized at all.  Either case proved interested to Raging Inferno, who stood before Nightsong with his head lifted high, with posture befitting the regality he had claimed, along with the castle.

"Little bat mare," he replied, his tone surprisingly cool, with an air of teasing in his words. “Why do you presume I refer only to myself?”  With an ominous chuckle, he stared into her yellow eyes.  A spell to read thoughts would undoubtedly be useful, he considered.  Perhaps one of his newfound ‘subjects’ could come up with something useful.  Already, he was amassing a collection of ponies, various races and talents that would be useful to him.  A bat pony was not yet among his finds.

Still assessing the mare with obvious interest etched upon his crimson facade, he addressed her second comment with a prideful gleam in his blood-red eyes.  “It is abandoned no longer.  Now it belongs to me and my followers.  I am called Raging Inferno,” he added in his low vocals.  Though she hadn’t asked for his moniker, he felt inclined to inform her that she was in the company of a pony well on his way to notoriety and infamy.

(I didn't want to skip over Jack, but it was listed in the rules somewhere that you could post after three days with no response, so I decided to post something.)

Nightsong looked up to the overwhelmingly large unicorn. She could see an evil gleam in his eyes, and especially after he stated he had followers, she knew this was the threat she was after. ‘For the good of Equestria…’ she thought to herself as she began to feel uneasy.  Normally, she would have had an easier time blending in, but the way this stallion towered over her, barely giving her any space of her own was quite uncomfortable, to say the least.

Nonetheless, she didn’t have a choice in the matter, it was either stay here and deal with the situation or probably be burned alive.  But she was not completely defenseless either. As a bat pony, she had sharp fangs which she had learned to use as a weapon. Also, hidden under her wing was a small bag of necessities, including a small blade which she rarely went anywhere without. She was not the kind of pony to go out on a journey such as this without something to back her up.  However, she was certainly not prepared for what she had come across, it only originally being a small rumor that someone was trying to take over Equestria.  These rumors had come up time and time again, and while some things were a bit cumbersome, she had never came such a large and wrathful king…

Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe this situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed. She had no proof that this unicorn even had bad intentions, and perhaps the whole ‘follower thing’ was made up. Though it was peculiar that he decided to make residence in an old abandoned castle such as this one.  It was dark, dusty, and the walls were nearly about to crumble. “Followers?” she questioned allowed.  It was time to get some answers out of this guy… maybe. “What for?”

Inferno was all too glad to tell the newcomer of his vision (delusions), in hopes that the mare would be intrigued enough to join his cause.  The more loyalty he could gather from others, the greater his chance at success.  “Followers to inhabit my growing kingdom, of course.  Earth ponies will help to repair the castle and fortify defenses.  The unicorns will experiment with new, powerful magic, and the pegasi will guard my castle from above from intruders.  And this castle is only the beginning of what is to come.  As for bat ponies…”  He grinned a sickly, unnerving smile.  “I’m certain there is use for you and your kind in my kingdom.”

He took a sudden wide step to the side in an attempt to block her path to the castle’s gaping entrance.  It wouldn’t do him good to have the mare depart without considering what he had to offer. “Nightsong is a lovely name.  I have always preferred the dead of night,” he offered, still smiling.  It wasn’t often that Inferno paid anyone a compliment, but his intentions would be clear: he wanted to win her over to his side, his way of thinking.  He wanted her to stay with him, to be a part of the revolution to come.

“I see.” This was certainly interesting. The stallion was actually acting somewhat nice to her, though he was probably just trying to win her over. By the way he completely blocked her path, Nightsong knew that he would not let her just walk away. He obviously wanted something from her. He even made a compliment about her name, but that wasn’t all, it was almost as if he was trying to find a common interest too.

The bat mare decided to continue faking the real reason she was here. “Sound interesting…” she said, trying to convince him his plans appealed to her in some way. “What is the purpose of this kingdom of yours? And how would my kind play a role in building it?” she questioned, attempting to get as much information out of the stallion as she could. Now was a good a time as ever to do so, and she would continue to play along until she could find a way out of this mess.

The mare seemed interested in what he was offering, which pleased the brute - though Inferno had veiled suspicions about how genuine her response could be, he continued on to answer her inquiry.  “The purpose of my kingdom?  My own.  I have long awaited the day Equestria would be mine.  As for you,” he stepped closer to the mare, giving little room between them, and little chance for escape.  She just needed a little... convincing.  Then she would be there beside him for the battles and victories to come.

Or, if she pleased, she could be in the dungeon instead.  His sharp eyes kept watch over her, waiting for any sudden movements to indicate she would attempt to leave him now. “You can decide the role you would like to play.  Will you join the revolution, the wise choice, or will you be recruited?” The way he annunciated the final word suggested that his version of recruiting was

This stallion wanted Equestria to himself, it was the same explanation so many villains had given. The lust for power is very dangerous, and can easily corrupt ones mind and soul. This was not the first pony Nightsong had come across who had fallen victim to the idea of wanting more, and it probably would not be the last, given her occupation.

He obviously wanted the bat mare to help him build his kingdom, and the way he pronounced the word ‘recruited’ made her feel uneasy. Nightsong quickly played out her options in her head, and decided she would still play along. However, she reminded herself that she would soon have to plan away out of the situation. She did not want to be stuck in this old castle with the large unicorn stallion any longer than she had to.

She nodded and responded “I will help you build your kingdom… I suppose I have nothing better to do with my time.” It was the best explanation she could think of in that moment.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, the stress of the situation was beginning to make her ache slightly. She adjusted and began to stretch her wings, which revealed to be a bad idea. The small bag she had hidden under her wing was not closed properly and several objects fell out. Quickly her gaze turned from the stallion to the small pile of objects that now scattered the floor to the side of her. Nothing was of significance except for a badge which would immediately give away her position in the night guard. Still, she didn’t panic. It was small, and she made sure to block it with her hoof as she went to pick the other objects up.

She could still feel the unicorns stare on her. After she had placed a few things back in her bag, she felt the need to say something to perhaps make the situation less awkward. “Um… sorry I can be a bit clumsy at times.” Though, It didn’t work at all. The situation just felt more awkward. Yet she still managed to hide her emotions through an almost unreadable grin.

“I will help you build your kingdom… I suppose I have nothing better to do with my time.”  Raging Inferno stared down upon the mare, face unflinching and expression harrowing.  The newcomer seemed to lack the enthusiasm that Inferno would have preferred to see.  But, no matter.  She would either prove her loyalty to earn her new king’s trust, along with her place within the new kingdom.  Or… well, there were many other options if she proved to be disloyal.  Already, the castle’s dark, dank dungeon’s cells were beginning to house those who deserved a place there - ponies who had failed to join his cause voluntarily, those who would prove very useful in the future Inferno was personally crafting.

“That is a wise decision, Nightsong, and one you will not regret.”

The massive stallion was about to offer the batpony a tour of his massive castle when her wings extended to stretch.  The soft sound of objects falling onto the ancient, worn stone floors caused Inferno’s gaze to shift from the mare to her previously-hidden possessions.  Immediately, the smile on his face hardened, brows narrowing into a sharpened glare.  “What was that?” The mare began to replace the items in the bag she had held hidden beneath a wing.  His posture grew rigid and he loomed over her.  “Show it to me.” The tone of his voice, matched with the intense expression he wore, hinted that he was not playing, nor was he leaving any room for argument.  His curved horn began to glow an ominous black hue, prepared to use his magic to retrieve the items if she dared to deny him.

Glitter Hail meanwhile had basically arrived at the castle, having just brought back someone he had ponynapped. however, upon noticing Inferno's presence from a distance, he decided not to get close. His boss seemed busy, and he was the last person to interrupt his boss during something. His sharp archer eyes did notice something though. He stood a good distance away from the Unicorn and Batpony, looking into the castle from a hole that was outside. He had noticed the Batpony's wings. He hated wings. Not as much as he hated Unicorns and their defensive spells, but winged ponies always thought they could outfly and avoid his arrows. He had made a great effort to make sure that wasn't true, and he wasn't about to let that effort go to waste. He was wearing a large green cloak which hid his head and his whole body, a necessary cover.

He sat, hunched low in the grass outside of the castle, peaking inside by only a small hole, bow drawn and held forward, Arrow in mouth, Eyes on Nightsong. Two flaps of her wings and he'd make sure she'd hit the ground. His ponynappee was unconcious, and as such, he wasn't worried about getting noticed right now. Wind blowing over the moonlit grass and his large cloak did not deter him, remaining as still as a rock on the ground, Bow readied and aimed at Nightsong, outside of Inferno, and hopefully Nightsong too. The chance was small that she had noticed this 'sniper' aiming on her, but certainly present, as her nightvision was much better than that of Glitter Hail, despite his trained falcon like eyes.

The glare in the stallion's eyes warned her there was no escape unless she somehow fought her way out of the situation. “Oh… you know… just a few necessities I need to complete my mission... ” She said, slightly nervously, though her expression remained unreadable. The bat-pony slowly took several steps back. She almost didn’t notice the sniper in the window, but at last second she did.

There was nothing she could do about it. She could only hope her wings were strong enough to guide her through the obstacles of both the arrows and the unicorns magic safely. Her heart began to race like thunder as she prepared herself for battle. It had been some time since she had gotten herself into this kind of trouble, however, she had practiced making sure her moves would not be rusty for a situation like this one.

She quickly jumped into the air and used her wings to push her weight higher. With a hiss, she revealed her fangs. She knew she would not be able to go up against the unicorns raw power on her own, however, if she could escape from the castle and back to Canterlot, she could bring back the help she needed to take him down. Nightsong grabbed her pocket knife out in case she would need it, and quickly dove towards the window at full speed.


Notes: Wow... has it really been over a month since I last posted? I am extremely sorry this reply was so late.... On the other hand, we finally have some action going on here!