darkSpyro

As Arlon goes off with another pony, I nod and silently walk off. Laying down, I curl up into a little ball beside a large window. My deep, dark midnight blue eyes gleam brilliantly,even in the darkness. For now my identity remains a secret to all but Arlon, but even he does not speak of me. After a little while I fall fast asleep. Crystal tears stream down my cheeks as my eyes slowly close.

Arthur smiled softly. "I was actually here in one of the back isles looking for a quiet place to read but, i get to meet you know. I think its a fair turn of events." He walked over and sat next to her. "I wish we could go somewhere. I hate being stuck in the castle. We arent going to be safe much longer and its obvious that the princesses cant help us... If it werent for the mist i wouldnt be here in this castle..." he sighed the adjusted his glasses

Bridle nodded. "Yeah...i really want to investigate this mist though...along with music, this type of magic is also my favorite..." she tried not to seem sinister, but anyone who practiced dark magic was just defaulty considered evil. She sighed and laid her head down. "I've spent my life studdying this stuff...I was one of the top students at starswhirl accademy for it too...but here I am stuck in this place and i doubt the guards here will just let me pass..."

"Optimism, while it has its uses, has always been, ultimately, a negative influence." Arlon commented. "It instills false hope when there was none to be found. 'He's still alive in there, deep down, we can still reach through to him.' 'The Crystal Empire is going to be fine' bah! If I knew that wretched little brat half as well as I did, there is nothing irrevocable about that genocide."

He stood still during the exchange between Starsong and Flash, stepping back a little as the former's book slid in front of him. Raising a brow skeptically, he picked it up in his own silver-tinted magic, though no glow surrounded his antlers. He flipped through it indistinctly, though caught the title.

"'Nightmare Legends?' Someone wrote a book about this thing?"

Arlon snorted, a small burst of silvery flames singing the air in front of him.

"Powerful? Sure. If one of them is hiding up north and has abandoned the rest of this foresaken land, and the rest are god knows where, than I'm sure we're going to be fine." he paused, returning his attention to the book. "Nightmare Moon... So a Nightmare wandered free at some point? Hah! What hope would any mortal have in the face of a fallen god's lingering magic? "

His silver eyes narrowed, pupils hardening into thin slits.

"Actually, that might be an idea," he muttered, "Nightmare Protocol... an irredeemable monster, of course, but... would it give me back what's rightfully mine? I don't owe these ponies anything, but then again, as a means to get home... No, no, that won't work, Nio would have to strike me down herself... fix no one's problems."

Arlon shook his head, laughing. "Well, okay. This might actually be fun. I've always liked experimenting."

As I wake up I am surrounded by doubt, fear, despair and so much negative feeling. The Nightmare Mist is fueled by the negative feelings of others, this I know. They need a leader, someone to be their strength in this darkness, I am that strength. Swallowing, my horn glows brightly as I reveal myself to the others. Dressed in fine clothes resembling the night and day, in all its glory, created by none other than my Aunt, Rarity, who is a marvelous clothing designer, I speak.

"Ponies and other races of Equestria as well as beyond, guests of unknown realms and worlds. I understand your fear, your sadness and even your doubt, my big sisters, Princess Celestia and Luna are missing, along as my Aunt Twilight and others, so you may feel lost and hopeless. Do not, for I, Prince Astrello, Prince of the Stars, and Little Brother of Princesses, am here. I will be your strength, your light, your shield and armor, your leader in this darkness. We will find the answers we seek and together, united as one, we will overcome this darkness. We will defeat the Nightmare Mist, find my big sisters and the others, returning the land to what it once was, once again." I proclaim to the group, even as tears glisten within my deep, dark midnight blue eyes. As I remain strong for those around me, they can see that I speak the truth, I know all about what they feel.

Austin sighed. "I see.... I studied stuff like the mist at my school before i returned home... But sadly i never finished my studies due to the loss of my father and shortly after my mother..." His ears fell back. "But my mother really believed in me and gave me a book that has been in my family for many generations. It holds spells and different songs that have been made and composed by late family members. Everypony in my family has contributed either a journal entry, spell, study pages or music sheets to this book... I hope that maybe I will be able to add to it and pass it on someday too... You know.. Keep the legacy going..." He said looking at her. His emerald eyes looked over her quickly before returning to her gaze. He found her to be rather beautiful. His ears twitched suddenly and he could hear a speech going on and he got up. "I wonder what the commotion is about..." He said to himself and took a few steps then looked back at Bridle. "Join me wont you?"

Bridle gave Austin a slight smirk. "Sure, why not". She got up and stood beside him. Yodoichi was still asleep on her head, snoring lightly, too low to truly hear alone. After a short few minutes she glanced at the stallion a few times and blushed lowly, finding him a tad dashing. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "So this book of yours...have you decided what you're going to add yet?". Her head was turned away until she was sure her cheeks were back to their white shade.

"Im hoping someday.. If somepony succeeds.. That i could add the secret to defeating the mist... For the future generations..." Arthur said. "I just hope whom ever tries to beat it succeeds...." He sighed and walked to the gathering of ponies looking at the alicorn. He heard the mention of pure magic and gasped and quickly pulled out his book. He flipped through page after page quickly till he found a page. He scanned over it quickly and then dashed over to Flash Photography. "Miss.. If you dont mind.... My families book has an entry about different types of pure magic... One of which, as an example.. The elements of harmony... And the magics of royalty... So far those are the only forms of it... Perhaps there is another way to form pure magic..." He said showing Flash Photography the entry in the book.

"Break the rules," Arlon stated coolly, rolling his eyes at Astrello's speech. "Force the world to work for you. That's always been my method, but seeing as... No, doesn't really matter. Let's go with what we already know."

His antlers gleamed with silver magic, a piece of paper materialising in front of him. Arlon frowned, reading down the sheet, mouthing something to himself.

"Well, not particularly helpful, but here we go." he spat out a small burst of flames, sending the paper back to whence it came. "I can still access Protocol... It sickens me, actually. Is an Avatar of Chaos here?"

Bridle accompanied Arthur. When she heard the mention of avatar of chaos she spoke up. "Actually, the avatar of chaos is divided amidst three branches, there's raw chaos that serves as the catalyst while dark magic and demonic intent fill it..." she tapped her hoof at the ground. "Sorry...i'm a scholar of dark magic myself...". She confessed.

"They let Discord go free?" The floor cracked around Arlon's hooves as the kirin's silvery eyes widened. His mane flickered noticeably, as if made of black flames, before he corrected his mistake and willed it to lie normally. "Alive?"

He looked away, his expression thunderous. "Order and Chaos can't coexist. If I almost killed myself the last time... No, I can't feel his presence. Good. For him.

"Anyway. Alicorn magic, yes? Or just that of the Sun and Moon? Pure.. I don't recognize the term. Elemental, Bright, Harmonic, Chaotic, Dark..." Summoning another few sheets of paper, shuffling through all but the last. "Common spell formula, at the least... Familiar?"

Arthur looked over at her. "You know.. That might be something.... If there was a way to raise everyones hopes. Get rid of the negativity... We could push it back.. Weaken it almost. Like... A celebration or maybe even some event that brings joy."

Bridle looked around. "That might work actually..."she said, "but where are we going to get all the stuff from? It's not like there's a room full of stuff right?"

"Ridiculous... Nio slaughtered the beast after what he did to the Everfree City's citizens, shattered the statue until there was nothing left... And you can trust Chaos incarnate itself? Never have I met a child so imsufferably naïve to the way the worlds work."

Arlon huffed, sagging against the wall. "Positivity? Again, false hope."

Arthur sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Who needs a room full of stuff when you have a large concentration of unicorns and a stallion whose great uncle was literally a clown and contributed a party set up spell.." He said. Arthur smiled and looked around. "It wouldnt be to hard to clear out a library room. Though... where to put the books to keep them nice and orderly..."

Bridle joined in again. "Do we know what the effects of this mist has on ponies or any lifeform at this time? For all we know it could be harmless, and if it is it would make finding a solution easier...especially if we can gain access to a better library or information....maybe Zecora knows..." she suggested.

"If so, than the inversed form of that statement must be true." Arlon replied patiently. "Not every story has a good end. Mine didn't. We need to think beyond old fairy tales. Something practical."

His ears twitched, before he turned to look at Bridle. "You said you study dark magic? I don't know whether to be impressed or disgusted, the magic of Tartarus' greatest prisoners aren't meant for the eyes of your kind. The Blighted Host - no, nevermind, it doesn't matter. Not here. Maybe it could help, though..."

Arthur sighed feeling shot down. He took back his book and put it in his saddle bag. "s-sorry to have wasted your time..." He said his ears falling back and he walked away back to one of the library rooms and sat in a small isle. He leaned against the wall and stared at the spines of the books.

Bridle noticed him leave so she followed him shortly afterward. When she caught up she nudged him. "Hey, i thought it was a good idea..." Bridle stated in an attempt to cheer him up. "Hey...can I show you something?". The mare stood up and waited for him to join her.

"Teamwork..." Arlon's tone was skeptical. Cooperation had never worked for him. Not now, not in centuries past, not when he was a child. He frowned. It always came to force, to exerting his will above all others and taking charge for himself, and the mere thought of it sickened him.

Long forgotten pain ached along his back and forehead, causing the kirin to wince. All in the name of revenge. He was just a bad egg who would corrupt the rest of the clutch, after all.

Not for the first time, he reflected that things would've been a lot better for his home if he'd simply died when he was supposed to. Better for him, even. A fate aside from his delusions of order and protocol.

"I'm not a good person," Arlon muttered drily.

Arthur was hesitant and still felt like a dolt for speaking up. He sighed. "You dont have to say you liked my idea to try and cheer me up.... It was a stupid childish idea.... Just like everypony said...." His emerald eyes seeming clouded and less vibrant. His emotion usually reflected in his eyes and it defiantly showed right then.

Bridle nudged him again. "Arthur...we'll find another alternative, one you can add to your book, but now is not the time for loathing..." She stared in his eyes to make sure he was listening. "There are others depending on some kind of hope, at least you're trying...and honestly that's all we need right now...". She nuzzled him as a form of comfort before looking out the window and seeing something odd.

Not sortly after, something shifted. The castle shook slightly as the mist closed in on the castle a little more but stopping after a few feet. Time was running, and it wasn't in their favor. The shift of the mist also affected the mare herself. Her magic aura around her horn turned a bubbly black and she covered her head and ears. To her she could hear screams, dark whispers, and far worse and unimaginable sounds. "Stop! Stop! Make it stop!....". There were other screams from the civilians in the castle who were starting to panic even more as well, probably affected in the same way or startled by the shift of the castle.

"I don't know what, aheh, 'fantastical' tales you've heard about my kind," Arlon replied vaguely, "of being paragons of peace, founts of wisdom, or whatever, but here's the truth; kirin very rarely turn out to be decent individuals. As I've heard, we know naught but treachery, and war is our way. So many of us fall to madness and insanity, and I am not - was not - an exception. How many supposed 'ponies' in history lied about what they really were in order to shield themselves from such superstition? I recall one. If the one here is anything like the one I know..."

Arlon smiled slyly, exposing his sharp teeth. "Did you really think that Sombra was just a regular old unicorn? A perfect example of our monstrosity."

Arthur snapped out of his haze and got up quickly looking at Bridal. "Are you alright? Whats going on?" He was worried and a little panicked by her sudden behavior so he grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Breath... Theres no pony here but you and me... Nothing will hurt you i promise. Relax..." Good going Arthur... Feel pity for yourself.. Everyone must find you to be extremely annoying now... He sighed and did his best to comfort her.

Bridle finally settled down when the sounds finally went away. When she finally realized what had happened, she looked up in Arthur's arms. She blushed then pushed herself off his chest gently. Bridle turned her head aside to hide her red cheeks. "S-sorry...that won't happen again" She tried to fix her mane a little, but its curly nature made it hard. "I didn't mean to freak out like that..."

"Umm, excuse me, I could take you all to the moon, but I would have to remain. I've done it before, well not to the moon or anything, but to another place. It's a very complicated spell, it will take quite a bit of time to prepare. Now, I will need space to works and a large place for the spell," I say as I remove a large book from my saddlebags. Anyone that has spent time with me, knows this book is very precious to me. Everywhere I go, it comes with me.

"M-might i ask what it was about? What triggered that?" Arthur asked. He sounded genuinely worried about her and watched her closely to make sure that she was really okay. He fixed his sweater blushing a bit himself and looked at her before sighing. "I-... im sorry about earlier... I was being childish.. and rude..."

"Its fine...I understand what you're feeling...as far as my little outburst...it's probably nothing. Usually beings that posses alot of magic potential can tune into nearby magic...but i've had this problem when i was younger....i thought i could handle it..." She tapped her hoof on the ground, a little disapointed in herself to look so fragile. "It won't happen again..." The thought of his arms around her flashed in her mind and she blushed maddly, looking away from him again. "R-right...so...any other ideas?..."

Arthur sighed. "Well from the bits i could hear from the others.. they are planning to go to the moon... Not sure what good that would do.. If we go there how would we get back? Cause the caster of the spell stays behind.... So someone would stay behind here and then to get back someone else would have to stay behind...." He said sitting down and looking towards the door.

Bridle sat next to him. "Honestly i'm not sure they'll find anything up there" she pulled out her flute again. "But we'll see...". She began playing to herself again, making a new song. After a few notes she stopped. "We could try finding another way...if you're willing to risk it...." She added. "Nevermind...it's stupid..."

"Actually that is not quite how it works. I would remain here to maintain the spell until you all returned, only then after I have dispelled it, would it be gone. No extra magic circle would have to be created on the moon. Nor would any other pony have to stay there. However, we may not even have to go there at all. I believe that though the original source of this mist may have come from the moon, I believe the mist that surrounds us now, has a source here in Equestria or beyond its borders. Basically somewhere on our homeworld," I say, looking around at the ground, raking my hooves against the floor.

Arthur looked at Bridle abit curious. "Whats this 'other way' you have in mind? Im very curious now." He inquired moving closer to her before sitting down. It was much easier to see his freckles up close then it was far away. They were a mixture of light tan and white spots all across his snout and cheeks. He moved and adjusted his glasses again, seemingly that they slid down his snout allot.

Bridle looked at him, noticing his facial features. "Ay-uhhh....we could go outside...into..the mist...we don't know for sure if it actually has any affect on ponies...so theoretically...we could look for the source of the mist by hoof..." She turned, blushing again from embarasment. "Like i said, it's probably stupid..." She tapped the ground a few times.

"No. Acutally your right. I dont think there have been any recorded effects. So if we could find a way to see clearly we could hide from what ever is lurking in the mist and possibly find what ever created the mist or its source.." Arthur smiled. "Its not a bad idea at all."

Arlon scoffed, though didn't say anything further. He sank down into a sitting position, still using the wall as support, considering his options carefully.

Never going back to the moon. Maybe I could replicate my own spells if I had access to magic... a lot of magic...

He glanced over at Astrello, an odd glint in his silver eyes.

Maybe.

Bridle looked at him. "Really...it's a bit dangerous...but...i really think it's worth a shot..." She said, both worry and eagerness in her eyes, staring intently. "You'd really go with me?". She asked.

"Yeah. If no one else comes up with an idea. I think that its the best chance" He said getting up. "We should talk to the others about it. We would be greater in numbers." He suggested.

Bridle nodded and quickly went back to the group. She approached Starson as well as the others. "I think I have a plan you guys. I'm sure you've already come to the conclusion that the source is here in equestria...but the mist seems to be a barrier....or is it?...since we have no real record of any negative effects or injuries from being within the mist. I propose that we start an expedition into the mist. We're running out of both time and options". She said proudly and honestly hellbent on going through with this plan.