to MiErcIApple: yeah, I am differently planning on including the key episodes, though I still need to figure out how the new Elements will get theirs.

to Redlungs: heh thanks ^^
I honestly never meant for Living Darkness to get this long, but apparently I always go big in my stories XD

This happens a half-hour after the last chapter. Part two and made after "Castle Mane-ia"


**Everfree forest**

Why did he agree on this again? Not sure, only that he and Rarity are walking through the quite scorched forest, having his monster looking sword lying on his back. "You couldn't wait for whatever we're doing until tomorrow?" Demo asks the white unicorn. He stops for a moment when hearing some plant ruffling but when he does not see anything, continue on the same path they went in search of the now destroyed Tree of Harmony. "Must be important."

Rarity stops and does shed some light on why she brought Demo here this late evening. "Important indeed my good stallion." She continues to trot again, "I've realized that the Castle of the Two Sisters is filled with the most gorgeous of ancient tapestries in all of pony history! It pains me to think of those magnificent creations rotting away in those old ruins, totally unappreciated." She didn't notice the 'are you kidding?' look the one-eyed unicorn gives her, too busy thinking about those poor tapestries that suffer inside the old ruins. "I would like to get my hooves on them before the scheduled rainstorm tomorrow," reaching the bridge leading to the castle, she tells the still annoyed-looking Demo. "and I require your help in saving these ancient tapestries, and bring back to the boutique where I can restore them." Rarity gasps of a brilliant idea coming to mind. "Maybe I'll even use the patterns as the inspiration for a new line!"

"Uh huh." Demo replies uninterested that they are going inside a somewhat dangerous forest near night just for some old cloth designs. Well, he might as well do it since they are here anyway.

Now noticing that Demo is uninterested in her goal, Rarity clears her throat and will admit to the frowning stallion. "Yes, well, maybe not the most important thing in my entire life, but retro-ancient classical will be all the rage next season, so it's nothing to sneeze at."

"If you say so, lassie." Demo replies dismissive, honestly just want to get this over with so he can get back to Ponyville and drink some zap apple cider with Berry Punch.

As Demo and Rarity steps inside the ruins, Eyelander snaps its head backward, spotting someone in the shadows but because it didn't get the pony vibe, the monster-sword shrugs it off.

Inside, Rarity squeals at the still decent persevered tapestries, all having patterns of the royal sisters and in style not used anymore. "It's practically an artistic treasure trove of ancient good taste!"

Walking over to the half-rotten thrones, "So you wanted one of these?" Demo asks, nodding up to the tapestries that have the designs of the sun and moon.

"Oh, yes, but please be gentle with them." Rarity replies.
Demo activates his magic, the red glow surrounds the moon tapestries,' and he carefully tries to get it down, but even though he's barely touching it, this old cloth shattered from whatever it had to endure these countless of years. Still trying to save what remains, Demo puts down the fabric before the clothing designer. Rarity stares at the whole thing, looking as if he just revealed he accidentally blew up her cat. She sighs, "Such a shame… this poor thing has met its last days of fashion." and she begins to move on. "Perhaps there are some that have survived further inside. Come along Demo, can't let them endure more hardship inside this dreadful castle."

Well, looks like this isn't as simple as hoped. Demo lets out a long sigh but follows. A cackling sound and he shoots Eyelander a glare "don't make me stick your tail right down your throat." His transformed sword keeps on laughing, only stops when he bucks it off and forcing the sword to follow with its own two legs. it pleases him to see Eyelander is sulking of no longer getting a ride. "that's what you get laughing at your owner." The sword flipped him the bird, pretty sure Eyelander has many times wanted to do that in the past and now it's his turn to do a gleeful cackle.

Right that moment Demo and Rarity disappear down a hallway with the sulking monster-sword right behind, Twilight Sparkle walks thought the once again empty throne room, levitating several lit candles. She looks back when Spike points out; "I don't think I'll need all these candles, Twilight. I was really only scared for a second." And with a giggle on how the drake is trying to act tough, Twilight replies him: "Better safe than sorry. Can't have any of us stumbles over some loose rocks or unable to read the books. Besides," she smiles "We're gonna be studying late into the night, and I feel better being in a nicely lit up room."

Spike frowns nervously for a moment, not liking the idea of being here all night. At least the room will be well lit.

**A little while later**

"What's so daring about this place?" Rainbow Dash asks as they step inside the Castle of the Two Sisters, not seeing the big deal. "This is where we got the Elements of Harmony."

Applejack stops and explains both her and the just as unimpressed partner of Rainbow Dash. "When I was just a filly, Granny Smith told me of an ancient legend. When Nightmare Moon was banished, not every last bit of her dark magic went with her. Granny used to say that when night falls on the castle, magic takes the form of... the Pony of Shadows!" She exclaims for dramatic effect.

"You mean like the Shadow Ponies or are you talking about a ghost?" Rainbow Dash asks, not sure if she wants to face a Shadow Pony now that they don't have the Elements. She rolls her eyes when Applejack, still acting like that filly story is something to be scared of: "Nopony know~!"

Walking further inside these ruins for this new kind of dare, between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "I rather face a ghost than a bloody Shadow Pony." Sniper points out, as facing a ghost seems like the lesser threat.

The two mares follow the griffin not long after.

Rainbow Dash snorts and will voice out that story of Applejack is stupid. "I don't see what's so daring about an old legend." They all stop before a large tapestry, "Plus, I don't believe in ghosts." right there, the fabric begins to move and moaning voices come from it. All three look up, and when strange lights come from inside this night colored piece of cloth, all three yelled out in fear and took the run for it.

Sniper did for a moment consider stopping to see what the hell that was, but when a loud whirring sound, which made it sounds like something big is right behind them, he quickly changed his mind and ran after the two still screaming ponies.

Meanwhile, Rarity and Demo are walking down a long hallway, using their horns to light the way. Slithering up ahead is Eyelander, and by the looks of it, is trying to reach something from how set that transformed sword is in moving up ahead. "Ey, slow down!" Demo calls after the sword, "I know having a body is exciting and all but—" he and Rarity yelp in surprise when the floor suddenly disappears under them.

The transformed sword turns its head around, stares dumbfounded at the hole in the floor, then down to the hidden panel it's clawed right hand is resting on. Lifting said hand and the trapdoor closes, Eyelander stares at the spot where its current wielder and that pony fell through for a few seconds. Them with a shrug, the transformed sword moves on. Demo and Rarity can figure a way out on their own; the sword is much more interesting in figuring out why these ruins are not as empty as they first appeared. Eyelander stops when hearing muffled voices; it moves over to the wall where they are coming from and spots a small peephole. The sword walks over to the spot, sees Demo's partner and another pony, and one it thinks is Sniper.

Just heard that Applejack brought them here to see who would stay in this creepy castle the longest is the darest pony. "Then it's settled!" Rainbow Dash exclaims and declares to her rival. "Whoever stays in the castle the longest is the Most Daring Pony."

"Deal!" and the two ponies hoofbump in the sign of this agreement.

With the deal settled, Rainbow Dash feels the need to point out: "But it's gonna take a lot more than some shadowy ghost pony to get me to leave."

Right there, Sniper notices something weird from the paintings of old ponies. He turns and a picture of a grumpy looking pony… well, he's pretty sure that eye just blinked! Sniper lets out a surprised scream, making the two mares turn.

"Already getting scared there, Sniper?" Rainbow Dash taunts her partner, though it's not as confidently as she wanted, for this is the first time she has seen Sniper acting scared. Sniper, eyes wide in fear and tailed puffed up as well, he points at the painting. Both she and Applejack look and after a moment of staring, the eyeball of that painted old pony turns to look straight at them! They all scream and run as far away from that painting.

On the other side of the wall, Eyelander slides away from the peephole. Smirking devilishly of having scared that bunch into pretty much a panic frenzy.

**Library**

Unaware of the chaos going on inside the castle, Twilight, Heavy and Spike are all reading a book, two out of research about the mysterious box while the latter does it more out of pleasure.
Twilight Sparkle lowers her book and asks the young drake. "Find anything, Spike?"

Spike drops the large book he was skimming for clues. "Uh, nope. Nothing yet." He turns to the large shelf they are sitting near, a book with a yellow and blue gem catches his eyes and Spike leaves the one he read to get that one. He's too small to reach it though, so using Heavy as his ladder, he climbs up onto the horse's head (interrupting Heavy's reading in the progress) and grabs this book. However, instead of coming out as a book should, this one only comes halfway out, a 'click' and the whole bookshelf moves, revealing a secret room. Spike gets so surprised by this that he falls off Heavy's head.

Neither Twilight or Heavy really noticed, both busier staring at this hidden room Spike unintentional found. Twilight is the first who moves, she walks inside a well-preserved room, like most others, shares the deep blue and warm yellow colors of the two royal sisters. In the middle of this room is a pedestal and on it is a book. Twilight Sparkle moves over and reads out loud to the two males that have just entered ""The Journal of the Two Sisters."" She gasps and wonders out loud to both Heavy and Spike; "Maybe this is the book Princess Celestia was talking about?"

"Try check out book." Heavy suggests and Twilight does— right after she has taken grabbed the candles to light up this room.

**Meanwhile.**

"You alright there, lassie?" Demo asks in this pitch dark place he and the other unicorn fell into.

"Startled but fine, darling." Rarity replies and her face appears when she makes the tip of her horn light up. Now with light to show the place they dropped into, it turns out to be a very small one and by the looks of it; no way out. Rarity hums of the inconvenience they got themselves into, "Looks like we ended up in quite the spot." she remarks to Demo.

"Let's try and see if we can find a way out." Demo suggests for he highly doubts that using one of his bombs would be useful other than killing them both. It takes some searching, but they find a hoofsized hole in one of the walls.
Rarity decides to stick her hoof inside and after a moment, she swiftly retrieves it; pretty freaked out.

"What's wrong?" Demo asks her.

"I felt something... alive!" Rarity replies, more or less clinging to this veteran fighter and is so freaked out from what she just went through. Unaware that she has scared Rainbow Dash further by have touched her.

Demo pushes the freaked out Rarity down from his neck and walks over to the hole. "Let me check." he sticks his hoof inside but does not feel anything alive. Bit more searching and his hoof touches something cold, feeling like metal and when pushing it, the wall spins and he and Rarity are now standing inside a hallway of disembodied pony legs that looks like a creepy way of making torches. Rarity is once again clinging to him and although Demo is pretty crept out by this whole place. He has gone through too many Halloweens where he fought huge eyeballs, specters with a big-ass ax and a wizard who loved to make skeletons attack the team. Glancing down to the trembling in terror pony, he suggests. "Maybe we should return tomorrow."

Rarity nods in agreement, for she has gotten more than enough of this scary place of the past. Although… "I-I'd really h-hoped t-to get some
o-of this tapestries…" She speaks through her chatting teeth. But is willing to drop the whole thing, if it means getting out from this place quicker.

Right there, a loud ominous sound of an old organ can be heard throughout the whole castle, Twilight's group looks up from their readings, confused and also surprised there is someone else here.
The other two groups, already freaked out, get into a straight panic, not making it better that Rarity and Demo spot some sort of monster flying past them and Applejack's group suddenly stood face to face with a snake creature in the shadows. They all screamed and went into a blind panic.

Twilight and the two others heard the screaming and putting down the journal of Celestia and Luna; she asks: "What in the world is that?!"

Spike, hiding behind the also confused Heavy, suggests through his chattering teeth. "M-Maybe i-it t-th-the Sha-Shadow P-Po-Ponies."

Twilight frowns and the more she listens, the more it sounds unlikely to be these black spirits of chaos. "I don't know; it does not sound like them." She gets up and trots out to check. Heavy is close behind, having the scared Spike on his back. Out in the throne room, they see a very odd scene of Applejack, Rarity, Sniper, Rainbow Dash and Demo all running screaming around while that weird creature belonging to Demo is rolling on the floor laughing.

Seeing that made him forget about his own fears and Spike asks a bit confused about the running scared five. "What got into them?"

No idea, but she is going to stop it. "Alright, everypony, stop!" Twilight calls and with her magic, freezes all in place.

No longer allowed to move and recognizing the magenta magic, the five realizes that others of their friends are here, and Twilight is there as well.

With them somewhat calm, Twilight Sparkle dismisses the freezing spell and asks her friends, "Have you all spent the whole night running around, scaring each other?"

The five look at each other, with Rarity asking, "D-Did I touch one of you?"

"Yeah, me." Rainbow Dash replies.

"What about the moving eye of the painting?" Sniper asks and Demo replies, having a frown over his face. "Must be Eyelander," the brown unicorn nods over to the still laughing monster sword. "I lost sight of it when Rarity and I fell through a trapdoor."

Now much calmer as it seems they all accidentally scared each other, "Then which one of you started playing on the organ?" Applejack asks.
No one answered and getting scared again. "What about the moaning tapestry?" Again, no one answered.

Right there, the organ music goes on again. Spike hides behind Twilight, asking pretty freaked out, "Then who's playing... that?"

"We're going to find out." Twilight tells her friends, not really scared as she did read about this organ but is troubled by who is playing on it. Heading to the area, Twilight and the others spot something, like lightning going on down the hallway of hoof and whatever it is, it's approaching fast.

The group step close to one another, all ready for a fight, and right as tension is high; Scout appears, giving them all a confused look. "Oh hey," He greets them, "I wasn't aware more joined the game."

Snapping out of the surprise and the tension he felt from expecting they had to face some sort of monster, not Spy's kid. "What are you doing here, Scout?" Sniper asks.

"Playing hide-and-seek." Scout replies like it's the most obvious thing and trotting towards where the organ music is coming from. "Duh."

The others follow the half-changeling inside the room of the organ, here Scout speeds over to the figure playing, declaring, "Got you now!" and Pinkie turns to him, all giddy: "Wow! You're getting really good at this!" Then she notices the others and waves, "Heya guys! I didn't know you were joining our hide-and-seek game!"

"Hold up," Rainbow Dash flies over to the two Laugher bearers, demanding both; "you have been here playing?"

"Sure, this castle has so many secret pathways, it's the perfect place for hide-and-seek!" Pinkie replies, like her partner, voicing it as if it's the most obvious thing.

Scout nods and grinning widely, "I thought I knew every hidden path, but I was wrong. Found a new one tonight."

"Uhhh where?" Pinkie asks excitingly, neither seeing the dumbfounded look the others gave them.

"Behind a wall hanging carpet." Scout replies and adding with a laugh, "Man, did I get stuck! I had to use my powers just so I could get free!" revealing that he had been that moaning tapestry that made bit of a light show.

After have gotten that settled, everyone went to the secret room inside the library, where they relaxed and recovered from the many scares they went through. "After everything we have been through lately," Demo turns away from Eyelander, which is once again chilling on his back. "I'd made us all kinda jumpy."

Rarity nods in agreement. "Fortunately, the danger this time around was just in our heads. So it's good we all have friends to rein one in when it gets out of hoof." She voices while doing her best to repair one of the better-preserved tapestry.

"You said it." Rainbow Dash says.

Even though she didn't find anything about the mysterious box, reading Celestia's and Luna's journal; seeing the bond they shared. It gave Twilight an idea, "Why don't we keep a journal?" she suggests her friends and putting a hoof onto the journal. "Share what we have learned and who knows, maybe others read it and learn something, too!" She smiles down to said book. "I didn't find anything about the mysterious box, but reading the royal sister's journal; it gave me a better view of what kind of ponies they are."

Applejack chuckles, "I know what my first entry will be! "Dear Diary, I'm glad Granny Smith's legend wasn't true."" The others laugh along with her.

The group left the castle a couple of hours later, not a single one noticed the figure watching them with her three eyes inside the darkness of the forest, nor this mish-mashed creature disappear back into the woods, humming a small melody to herself.


Soon this OC of mine will make her grand entrance. I really look forward to it.

Before I leave you for this week, I have a question: how many of you want a chapter dedicated to the "Power Ponies" episode?
Instead of Mane 6, I was thinking of throwing team Vanguard into that dimension instead. tell me what you think.