MLP: Darkness Rising

Chapter 10 - New Information, Part 1

Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" belongs to DHX Media and Hasbro, and Stardust Balance was created by the Warrior of Twilight. I just own Casey, and this story.

Also, yes, I apologize for the shortness of the chapter, but this story is going to be a long anyway, so I hope you're all okay with this.

After taking his seat out on the castle steps, Anti-Stardust let out a sigh, and began rubbing closed eyes with his forehooves.

Just relax, Stardust… relax...

Everything that had happened to him since having woken up this morning was starting to give him a headache, and the scarred pony was doing his best to lower his rising blood pressure.

"Um… are you, er, okay?"

Anti-Stardust turned his head to the side, and was a little surprised to see Spike taking a seat beside him, but at a certain distance. "I'll be fine. Just needed a… moment to myself…"

He glanced back over at the castle doors, assuming that Starlight was currently trying to figure out from Twilight why exactly they were going with him to his world.

"You mind if I ask you a question?"

I mean, he already has, thought Anti-Stardust before nodding his head in a polite manner, and watched as the young dragon gave a sigh, as if also trying to feel relaxed.

"Why… um… do you hate your other self so much?"

Ah. The young Earth Pony rubbed the back of his gold-colored neck, and replied, "I don't really… hate him like how I used to… and that was because… well, to make a long story short, I blamed him for all of the things that ever happened in my life… but one day, I learned that wasn't the case at all… so there's not really a need for me to be angry at him."

Spike nodded his head, understanding what he was saying to him, and Anti-Stardust finished by adding, "Not saying that we're going to end up being the best of friends or any of that friendship stuff Twilight's learned, but I'm content with admitting that… I can respect who he is, and those that he is close to… does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, it… it does," replied Spike, a small smile appearing on his face, which made Anti-Stardust start to feel his own appear on his face, and the young dragon looked back at the doors. "So… think you could tell me the rest of the story involving your eyepatch?"

Anti-Stardust gave a chuckle, and smirked as he said, "Alright, but don't let Twilight know that you know what I'm about to tell you…"

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Waving away the magical viewing portal that she had created to see what Spike and Stardust's counterpart were doing, Starlight looked back over at Twilight. "Does he know about-"

Twilight shook her head, and Starlight gave a small sigh whilst rubbing the back of her neck as she added, "You know I'm only looking out for everyone's safety, Twilight… Anti - I mean, his track record isn't exactly one that makes me completely comfortable."

The two mares were inside of the throne room, Starlight standing beside the Map table and Twilight sitting in her throne, with the purple alicorn saying, "I understand what you mean completely, Starlight… but this is a friendship problem, even without being called by the Map, and I'm willing to give him a chance for the sake of getting back those he cares about."

Starlight looked over at Stardust's empty throne for a moment, and then back to Twilight as she said, "Alright… um… will we need to bring anything with us over to his world?"

Twilight was about to shake her head, but then she paused to think about what her answer would be. "Well… there were some books I figured would be best for us to bring…"

Casey's World

"So that's what you see in that… in him?" Twilight nodded her head. "Huh… well, I… I mean, it's your choice to be with Casey, so…"

"Thank you, Stardust," replied the young alicorn, already sensing that her world's version of Stardust wanted to move on to something else. "So you haven't met anypony else that-"

Stardust gave a scoff, followed by a smirk, and he shook her head. "Not really looking to be in a relationship for the time being… especially now that I know… well, anyway, I-"

"And now we're back in the castle again!" called out Pinkie, speaking like a tour guide as she opened the doors for Emerl to step inside, along with Casey and Starlight.

"I still don't get why we just came in through the back since - oh…" While Casey went up the stairs to his room, Emerl stopped her sentence once she noticed that Twilight and Stardust were now looking at her. "Hey there, Princess… um… it's been a while."

"Emerl… how nice to see you… safe," replied Twilight in a polite manner, while Stardust remembered the last time he had seen the green Pegasus.

Pinkie gave Emerl a pat on the back, and chuckled as she said, "See? Told you she wouldn't be upset or anything about the kiss that-"

Starlight cleared her throat, and looked over at Stardust. "So, ah, what room you plan on staying at time to time? We have plenty to choose from… come to think of it, I'm surprised the rest of our friends don't have their own special room that-"

"Whoa, okay, let's not talk about that sort of stuff yet…" interrupted Stardust, the young stallion shaking his head. "I want to know more now about this Xenos guy that used, um… Wallflower as a puppet in Sunset Shimmer's world."

Before Twilight could give him an answer, Casey returned to them, and handed over the remaining piece of the Memory Stone to Emerl, who gave an answer to Stardust's statement. "He's someone that should not be underestimated… and is currently trying to find the locations of six immensely powerful stones, with this being one of them."

"Wait, what?" All of the ponies in the room replied, with Pinkie suggesting that she must be mistaking them for the Elements of Harmony, but Emerl shook her head.

"This is something much greater than the Elements… these stones are spread out all across this universe, and at this moment, he will have already obtained the stone that represents power."

Twilight noticed a change in the pegasus' expression, and found herself asking, "How would he have done that exactly?"

Emerl let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment while giving the alicorn princess an answer. "By… taking care of those who were keeping it safe on their planet… or so they had thought."

"Wait a sec, do you mean…" Starlight said, with Emerl nodding her head, and almost everyone's mouths dropped in shock. "The whole planet's inhabitants?"

"No, only half of them… and not just them, but also all of the animals and plant life-" Emerl began to say, but stopped when she noticed Stardust now having a frown. "What?"

The golden-furred Earth Pony looked at Emerl, and he replied, "You seem to know a lot about this stuff… should we be concerned as to why and how?"

Emerl remained silent for a moment before letting out another sigh, with Casey and Twilight noticing that she was not exactly fond of what she was about to say next.

"Because… I'm Xenos' daughter… he took me from my planet as a child…" Emerl then glanced down at her weapon placed in its sheath. "... and he's also the reason why I was trained to be one of the fiercest beings in this universe."

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Location: Unknown

"Where is the other symbiote, Miles?" asked Xenos, the menacing figure currently having his right foot pressed against the chest of a certain Pegasus that Twilight and Casey were friends with. "I do not want to repeat myself a third time."

The elderly Pegasus coughed a few times, and he quickly shook his head, also trying his best to breath. "Someone… broke in and took it when I was gone… I have no idea who it was or why he did - ack!"

"Miles, I am starting to lose my patience now in this matter," retorted Xenos, pressing his foot down a bit more, and looking unamused. "So either tell me who you think-"

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Elixir suddenly bursted through the main doors, and he looked completely concerned. "Sir, we have a… really major issue… our test subject that I showed you earlier has escaped, and… I have no idea where she could be at."

Xenos remained silent for a few seconds before looking back down at Miles, who then coughed and gasped for air as he felt Xenos' foot be taken off of his body. "Leave now before I decide to end your life in 3 seconds."

Miles used as much strength as he could to fly over to the portal that had brought him into Xenos' lair, and the cloaked figure shook his head before going back to Elixir. "Start preparing my ship… I know exactly where the subject will be, and when the time is right for me to get the stone that represents space itself."

Elixir nodded his head, and hurried his way out of the room before Xenos could have second thoughts, with the menacing figure looking at his Gauntlet that currently bore a purple-colored stone.

"Time will soon be on my side… heh… and not even the magic of friendship can stop me now."