Past Sins
What else can you be
when the world can only see
a monster?
By Pen Stroke
Assisted by Batty Gloom
See Full Sized Cover Here
Art Done as a Commission By Valcron
Currently @ Revision 1

Amidst dim candlelight, a single unicorn sat with his head bent down, eyes
shut. He sat alone at the edge of the still pond, reflection dancing in the
water. The pond was nestled deep within Everfree Forest, the darkened
trees and gnarled branches surrounding all sides like silent sentinels.
While most of Equestria had just shifted into spring, Everfree still had
lingering bits of winter. Snow covered the ground and there was a lingering
chill in the air, the unicorn’s hot breath leaving puffs of steam to curl up for
a few seconds before disappearing into the night.
For an hour the unicorn had sat in the utter silence on the edge of the
pond, only a few nearby candles for company. The light from the tiny,
flickering flames fell upon his black coat, though it wasn’t his natural color.
No, his whole body, mane included, had been dyed the deepest black
possible... even his true cutie mark had been covered by the dyes, his flank
appearing utterly blank.
Only the small sounds of the forest were audible, the creaking of the trees
and shifting of the pond water. It was a scene of utter peace, what the
unicorn needed as he prepared for the task of the evening. Yet, as he took
in another deep breath and released it, the sound of hoof steps began to
echo across the trees.
“Nexus, we’re ready when you are.”
The black unicorn, Spell Nexus, took in another breath, turquoise eyes
opening as he turned to look at the pony who had approached him from
behind. “I will be along shortly.”
The pony who had interrupted nodded, disappearing back into the forest.
After waiting for the sound of hoof steps to once again fade, Nexus lit his
horn, magic flowing. He reached to his side, levitating a number of items
into the air.
“Our queen, guide me this night... for it is beneath this full moon that our
efforts come to fruition.”
Nexus spoke the words slowly, his voice carrying the tone of a pony well
practiced in preaching, whose words could inspire the loyalty of his
brothers and sister. A voice that had drawn great minds and strong bodies
to the cause, though at the moment he was speaking only to himself.
“Let me be merely a vessel for your will and strength until the deed is
done.”
The levitating items drew close to him, a cape that was a midnight blue with
white stars all across its surface. A chest plate comprised of grayish purple
metal, with a turquoise crescent moon set in its center. Horseshoes to
match the chest piece. An armored plate for the back of his neck. All these
bits of metal secured themselves to the unicorn as he spoke.
“Let me bear your mane, both powerful and beautiful, a depiction of the
endless sky. Let me stand in uniform, bearing the armor in the image of
your greatness. Let me be your agent this night, for it is you I serve above
all others.”
The final piece levitated towards Nexus, a helmet made of the same metal
as the chest piece. The unicorn guided the helmet carefully, bring it down
across his horn as it fit snuggling onto his head.
“May your power be with me, for tonight you shall not only breathe again of
the cool night air, but you shall look upon the world with eyes of your own,
no longer sharing a body with a weak foal. Tonight, you shall be your own
mare, and never again to be threatened.”
Nexus stood, looking at his reflection in the pond. He now appeared the
ultimate doppelganger of his mistress, an eager acolyte to her power and
knowledge. Through his efforts and those of the rest of the group, they
would see their queen rise again. Yet it was only he that was allowed to
look so much like the queen, to lead the spell that was about to be cast. It
was his place of honor, one no pony would steal from him.
“Tonight, Nightmare Moon, your followers shall grant you a life of your own,
and the tyrants of sun and moon shall fall.”
Mentally prepared, Nexus turned and began to walk into the forest,
following the trail that connected the pond to another part of the Everfree.
Another clearing, which came into view quickly and was populated by
several unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies moving about the space as they
double and triple checked their work.
The ground in the clearing had been cleared of snow, a few piles left dotted
about the space. On both the exposed ground and on top of the piles of
snow wooden bowls had been placed, the bowls themselves filled with oil
soaked powders. Paint had been used upon the ground to draw arcane
lines of power, and in the air above cloaked pegasi gathered clouds,
pushing them together to hide the clearing from prying, sky bound eyes.
All the ponies Nexus saw wore the simple, black cloak of the order except
for three, who stood giving orders. A pair of pegasi and an earth pony, who
like Nexus wore the honored armor. Still, they lacked the flowing, star field
cloak and the helmet... those were vestments that were worn by Nexus
alone.
“How close are we Night Wind?” Nexus asked as he approached the two
pegasi and the one earth pony.
“Cloud cover is almost complete and then the pegasi need a few minutes to
get their bowls of powder.” The dark purple pegasus answered, staring
back at Nexus with her turquoise eyes, a sign of the order. Through the
work of a spell Nexus blessed each of the Children of Nightmare, a
blessing that carried enlightenment along with with eyes to match their
queen. Eyes that could be shifted to the regal turquoise color when the
order assembled but changed back to normal when in public.
“Good. Stonewall, do you have the items?”
“They have not left my sight since our departure from Canterlot, Nexus.”
The earth pony replied, motioning to the bowl that was currently resting on
his back.
“And Gray Gale, is our special guest awake?”
“Oh yea, she just woke up.” The gray pegasus of the trio offered, talking far
more casually. “And boy is she scared!”
“That’s because you told her Stonewall would snap off her horn if she tired
to escape.” Night Wind snipped.
“Hey, it kept her from trying anything.” Gray Gale defended.
“She couldn’t try anything even if she wanted to. She’s got an anti-magic
brace on her neck.”
“You have all done well,” Nexus spoke, stopping the argument before it
could go any further. “But now we must all take our places. Stonewall, take
the sacred items to their place in the center of the ritual. Gray Gale, Night
Wind, prepare your torches and head to the sky.”
The three nodded, going to their assigned tasks while Nexus turned his
attention to one side of the clearing. There, lying on the ground was a pony,
hogtied with rope and a cloth bag over her head.
Walking slowly, being careful not to brush against any of the wooden bowls
set around, Nexus approached the hogtied pony and, when he was a few
steps away, used his magic to loosen and remove the bag. The unicorn
was now fully visible, her violet coat dirty in a few places from the fact she
was lying on the ground. Her darker purple mane was a mess and she
looked up at Nexus in fear, undoubtedly noticing the resemblance the
unicorn had with a certain fallen princess.
“Twilight Sparkle...” Nexus half whispered, smiling down at the unicorn. “I’m
so happy you were able to join us this evening.”
“Who... who are you? What are you going to do to me?” Twilight asked, just
barely managing to find her voice as she struggled at the ropes around her
legs. She would have tried to use her magic to escape, but along with the
rope a metal brace was secured around Twilight’s neck, which blocked
unicorn magic. It was something most often seen in dungeons and jails,
since without such an item keeping unicorn criminals locked up would be
nearly impossible.
“Inquisitive, though I should expect no less from Celestia’s star pupil.”
Nexus replied, his horn glowing as he picked Twilight off the ground. With
the unicorn floating in his magic, Nexus turned and began walking back
towards the center of the clearing, where the earth pony Stonewall had set
up a metal pedestal, upon which he had set the wooden bowl from his
back.
“What we have planned for you, Twilight Sparkle, is very simple, but
something I’d rather keep as a surprise. As to who we are... well, consider
us simply the loyal servants of Equestria’s true queen, her regal majesty
Nightmare Moon.”
“Are you crazy!?” Twilight asked, twisting a bit as she was carried upside
down by Nexus’s magic. “Nightmare Moon is gone. How can you serve
somepony who is gone?”
“Ah... but that’s why we’re here tonight Miss Sparkle.” Nexus replied,
reaching the metal pedestal. He floated Twilight closer, letting the hogtied
unicorn see the contents of the wooden bowl set upon the tall but narrow
metal table. Inside the bowl were curled shreds of what looked like paper,
but it was a purple color and one of the pieces had a big, turquoise
crescent moon its surface.
“Do you recognize these, Miss Sparkle? They are the shreds left behind
when you and your friends struck down our beloved queen, all to free your
precious Celestia and her feeble sister. The only remains of that regal
beauty.”
“Yes, I do.” The unicorn half snapped, finding her courage. “But that’s all
they are: shreds. Nightmare Moon is gone! And even if she wasn’t, why
would you want her to be Equestria’s queen? She wanted to plunge the
kingdom into eternal night!”
“Her wisdom is greater than yours or mine; her plans are not for us to
understand.” Nexus replied, his turquoise eyes flashing as he turned his
gaze upon Twilight. “And it is through her greatness Equestria will be able
to achieve its full potential.
“And tonight, Twilight Sparkle, you shall not only bear witness to her
greatness once again but shall contribute to her return.”
At this moment Nexus’s magic shifted, part of his levitation spell keeping
Twilight held in the air while another part of his magic drew a dagger from
beneath the metal podium. Twilight began to twist and flail, trying to escape
the blade that drew closer and closer. She then shut her eyes tight,
undoubtedly fearing where Nexus was going to plunge the blade.
The black dyed unicorn, while enjoying Twilight’s fear, did not really injure
the hogtied unicorn. Nexus drew the blade across part of Twilight's leg,
leaving a very shallow cut that was no worse then a paper cut. The wound
began to bleed gently, a few drops of blood forming. Nexus used the blade
to gather several of these drops before placing both the blood and blade
into wooden bowl with Nightmare Moon’s remains.
“Yes, the spark of life from one who bears the Element of Magic. May it
grant our queen invulnerability against those cursed Elements of Harmony.”
Nexus whispered, levitating Twilight back to the edge of the clearing while
he remained at the center.
Slowly, Nexus drew in another breath, releasing it and watching the puff of
steam escape into the night air. Then, on final deep breath before the
unicorn leader look out across the rest of the Children of Nightmare, his
voice echoing across the trees as he preached to his fellows.
“Brothers and Sisters, for months we have toiled in secrecy. We worked
behind the back of the guards, of the tyrant princesses, putting our own
safety at risk. Personal fortunes have been spent along with many hours to
bring us to this point. But now we are ready, the spell is prepared.
“Tonight we, The Children of Nightmare, shall see our queen given life,
blood, and form of her own.
“Once, she and Luna were one and the same, but the Elements of
Harmony could not destroy what our queen was. No, that power could only
peel her away from the weak foal Luna, trap her essence in these precious
shreds. It was a horrible fate, but it is because the Elements of Harmony
inability to destroy our queen that we can stand here tonight.
“For tonight this spell will give the essence of our queen life of its own. She
will no longer be shackled to the meek Princess Luna. She shall breathe
the cool night air with lungs of her own, see the world with eyes of her own,
and with our aid will come to rule over all Equestria within a year of her
tragic defeat.
“Now, lend your magic to the spell... for the time of our victory is at hoof!
Let Nightmare Moon be born anew!”
All the cult members quickly went about their work. The unicorns formed a
circle around the clearing, horns starting to glow as the lines of paint they
had drawn on the forest floor came to life with a blue glow. Stonewall, one
of the few earth ponies, walked around the circle, using a torch to light the
bowls filled with oil soaked powders. The powders burned with an eerie
blue flame, the air in the clearing becoming so thick with magic it almost
became tangible.
The cloaked pegasi cult members also held bowls of burning powder, the
armored Gray Gale and Night Shade flying around to light the bowls kept
aloft above the clearing.
When all the bowls were lit, Nexus used his magic to take the fire from one,
gently holding it in the air and keeping the flickering flame alive. He brought
the fire over the bowl containing the shreds of Nightmare Moon and the
bloodied dagger, and then dropped the flame inside.
The contents burst into fire almost instantly, Nexus quickly retreating to the
edge of the spell to join his fellow unicorns. There, they all began to twist
and work at the magic in the air, working like potters with clay. They
shaped the free magic, formed it, and began to force the magic down into
the bowl that was currently burning the shreds of Nightmare Moon.
After a few anxious moments Nexus saw what he had hoped for, the blood
soaked dagger starting to float above the fire. The blood was drawn up
from the dagger, formed into a single crimson sphere before the dagger
itself was launched clear of the spell, its polished metal surface digging into
a nearby tree.
The central bowl then began to billow with black smoke, the shreds of
Nightmare Moon starting to truly burn. The black smooth began to form and
swirl around the large drop of blood. The fires from the wooden bowls
began getting drawn in, the flames swirling and orbiting the spell’s focal
point like water in a whirlpool.
The drop of blood became encased in a black sphere, and that black
sphere began to slowly grow. It drew in the fire and smoke, everything, and
grew larger with each passing moment.
“Yes... it is working my brothers and sisters. She is beginning to take
shape. Our queen shall soon be-”
KRAC-CROOO-OOOM!
Every pony jumped probably a foot in the air when a single bolt of lighting
raced down from the sky and struck the very center of the spell, hitting the
metal podium while causing it, the shreds of Nightmare Moon, and the
wooden bowl all to become wrapped in crimson flames.
Eyes turned upward to the source of the lighting, the cloud cover the cult’s
pegasi had carefully placed blown back as a full battalion of royal guards
flew down through the new hole in the cloud.
“FREEZE!! YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!!!” Several of the guards
shouted as dozens of other gold armored pegasi landing in the center of
the clearing. Still, not a single pony froze, the cultists charging and
attacking the armored guards.
Nexus stood only flabbergasted, watching as the center of the spell and the
precious shreds of Nightmare Moon were destroyed. All their plans,
decimated by a single surge of magical lightning... lightning that could only
have come from one source.
Turning his eyes skyward, Nexus glared at the next figure to float down
through the hole in the clouds, her horn flashing once before all of the cloud
cover was brushed away like froth from a cup of hot cocoa.
“Celestia...” Nexus forced out through gritted teeth, his turquoise eyes
locked on the sun princess as she floated down amidst the fighting, casting
back anypony that dared attack her with barely a flick of her horn.
“You... you shall regret stepping into my sight, Celestia. I will strike you
down and please my queen.” Nexus hissed, his own horn starting to glow.
He, however, did not get to act as a firm hoof to the back of his head
knocked the unicorn out.
“Sorry Nexus, but we can’t let you get arrested.” Gray Gale offered, the
pegasus being the one to knock out the unicorn. With the help of Night
Wind, the unconscious Nexus was loaded onto Stonewall’s back, the
earthy pony making sure the cult’s leader wasn’t going to fall off before he
and the two armored pegasi charged off into the forest, fleeing from the
royal guards.
===========
“Have you apprehended all involved?”
Celestia currently sat in the Ponyville library. After rescuing Twilight, the
princess had taken her student home and sent her straight to bed. Twilight
resisted a bit, but after going through such a stressful situation it didn’t take
much to get the unicorn to fall asleep. Celestia had turned the library in to a
base of operations, keeping guard of her student personally while having
her own guards bring their reports to her.
“We have captured a great number of those involved, but there are signs
some escaped into the forest. We are currently searching the forest with
the aid of the zebra that reported your student’s ponynapping.”
“Yes, Zecora. Please make sure that she is properly thanked for all she has
done this evening. Also, please extend her an invitation to the palace so
that she may join Luna and I for dinner on an evening of her choosing.”
“Of course Princess. Though, if I may ask, what were these ponies trying to
do?”
“I do not know. All we were able to get from the information we gathered
prior to this night was that something was going to happen. And the spell is
not something I recognize. If it is from a book or ancient scroll, then I have
not read of it, but it could just as easily be a new spell. A ritual crafted for a
specific purpose... though that purpose still remains to be unearthed. Make
sure that the details of the spell itself remained preserved; it will need to be
studied.”
“Of course Princess. We will gather any evidence at the scene and have it
taken to the castle until such time it can be examined.”
“Good. I have no doubt the spell’s purpose was dark, and I will not stand for
my student being threatened either. I want the truth of this revealed,
Captain, with all haste.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
===========
And the area was searched, unicorn guards sweeping over it with their
magic to try and detect anything left behind. What remained of the wooden
bowls were gathered, the unburnt powder collected together into a single
bag. Everything and anything that was not natural to the Everfree forest
was taken up from the clearing, loaded into a sky chariot before it was
carried back to Canterlot by pegasi.
“All right stallions, let’s go join the groups searching the forest for any of the
cult members that might have escaped.” The gray coated unicorn
lieutenant offered, his soldiers snapping to attention and quickly marching
out of the clearing. The lieutenant moved to follow them, glancing back
over the clearing once. Upon seeing nothing being left behind, he
disappeared amongst the trees.
Still, the magic that lingered in the air like a heavy mist began to shift,
sparkling a bit in the cool night air as it was drawn to one side of the
clearing. There, hidden away by a bush, a black sphere lay amongst the
dirt. A sphere which was cast away from the center of the spell by
Celestia’s bolt of arcane lighting. A sphere that, at its heart, contained the
blood of a certain purple unicorn.
The magic that lingered in the clearing flowed into the sphere, drawn to it
like metal to a magnet. As the arcane energy was absorbed the sphere
continued to grow, continuing the process begun by the spell Celestia had
been interrupted.
Chapter 1
Everfree Discovery
“Oh Twilight, I just heard the news! Did those ruffians hurt you? Are you
okay? Oh, I just can’t imagine what it must have been like! I mean, it was
probably similar to when I was ponynapped by the Diamond Dogs. Still,
that’s just not the same as getting taken by other ponies, and I, for one-”
“Rarity!” Twilight half shouted. The white unicorn had barreled into the
library in a huff, catching Twilight in the middle of reading a book. Spike
had been organizing the library shelves, though the baby dragon was
quickly distracted by Rarity’s arrival.
Grinning stupidly, and with an otherwise smitten look on his face, Spike
waved a claw. “Hi Rarity.”
“Good day Spike,” The unicorn offered before she turned her attention back
to Twilight. “Now, what is it you wanted to say, Dear?”
“I wanted to tell you to relax. I’m fine.”
“But how can you be fine? After such a harrowing ordeal you must be
positively petrified, and I heard they had you tied up! Oh, you must have
such horrible rope burns.”
“I’ll admit, it does hurt a little where they had me tied up, but Nurse
Redheart already took a look. It's just a minor irritation that will go away by
tomorrow. So, Rarity, believe me when I say I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, “Twilight replied, voice betraying her minor annoyance. “I
appreciate your concern, but everypony has already been here to check on
me.”
“Everypony? Even Fluttershy?”
“She was actually the first.”
“Oh, and what a horrible friend I must be!” Rarity voiced dramatically,
putting a hoof to her head with a pained, practically theatrical expression.
“Being the last to arrive to check on you. I would have come earlier, but I
was working in my shop all day. I only just stepped out to get a late lunch
when Rainbow Dash found me and told me everything, and I rushed right
over.”
“Rarity it’s okay.”
“No, no it’s completely unacceptable. I officially owe you, Twilight Sparkle,
a favor.”
“A what now?” Twilight asked as she cocked an eyebrow.
“A favor. Pinkie Pie has her promises, I have my favors. You just come to
me if you need anything, and, if I can help, I will do my very best to assist...
as long as it doesn’t involve excessive amounts of dirt.”
Twilight giggled a little at Rarity’s usual discomfort with dirt.
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, but you don’t have to worry about me,
Rarity. I’m fine, really. Yes, getting ponynapped wasn’t exactly how I
intended to spend my evening, but everything turned out all right. If
anything, I’m just a little annoyed. I’ve been trying to get some reading
done all day, but because of everypony coming to check on me, I haven’t
even gotten past the first page.”
“Then I shan't take another moment of your time. You just read, relax, and
recover from your harrowing ordeal,” Rarity said as she headed for the
door, only to turn back one final time. “And remember, if you need anything,
I owe you one favor.”
“I got it.” Twilight replied as she watched her friend leave before finally
being able to get to her book. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow
Dash, and now Rarity... that was all her closest friends. Maybe now, she
could get into the book she was trying to read.
==========
“Spike?” Twilight called a few hours later, finally a good distance into her
book. “Can you bring me that book I had yesterday? Mountain Valley’s
Geographic Guide to Equestria?”
“Didn’t you have it with you yesterday?”
Twilight looked up from her book, deciding to stare at the ceiling as she
tried to think back.
“Well... I didn’t think... but maybe... No, wait... I did have it. I put it in my
saddle bag so that I could have it when I read this book at the park, but
then I realized I had left this book here.
“So I came back... but then Pinkie Pie grabbed me to help decorate for her
party... and that took all afternoon. So, the book was still in my saddlebags
when I went to the party... and then I left the party to come back here... and
then I got ponynapp-”
Twilight quickly twisted her head around as her eyes darted about the
library. The unicorn practically jumped to her hooves, galloping around the
room in a panic while rummaging through drawers and checking every
nook and cranny she could find.
It was only Spike that ended the panic, the baby dragon putting himself in
front of Twilight.
“Whoa, easy, Twilight. What’s wrong?”
“My saddlebags! Where are they?”
“How should I know?” The baby dragon asked.
“Oh no! No no no no no no no no no! I had my saddlebags with me when I
was ponynapped, and that means that either those cult ponies took them,
or I lost them somewhere along the way! No no no no no! I can replace the
copy of Geographic Guide to Equestria, but I had books in that bag
Celestia loaned me from the royal library! I can’t lose those books, I-”
Spike grabbed the sides of the panicking unicorn’s head and brought her
eyes to his.
“Twilight, breathe... and think. Can’t you just use your locator spell?”
A smile of relief burst onto the unicorn as she closed her eyes and focused.
Twilight’s horn shimmered before starting to blink. The locator spell was a
charm Twilight put on her saddlebags after leaving them in the library one
too many times. It would allow her to find her bags based on some of the
same magical principles that Rarity used to find gems. The main difference
was that Twilight’s spell had a wider range, since it was focused on finding
a single item that had already been magically marked.
Twilight waved her head around, watching her horn as it flashed at different
rates. She finally found the direction where the flashing was the fastest.
The spell was pointing to a window, and beyond that window Twilight could
see the Everfree Forest.
“Great... that’s just great. My bags are in the forest,’” Twilight grumbled. If it
was just a normal bag of books, she would have probably just left them in
the forest, considering the dangers involved going into Everfree. But
Twilight couldn’t keep herself from thinking about the fact that Celestia
herself had loaned her some of those books. Even if the Everfree Forest
was dangerous, disappointing Celestia was worse. At least, it was worse in
Twilight's mind.
After a few seconds of internal debate, Twilight began to trot towards the
door, only for Spike to quickly cut her off.
“Nuh-uh, no way Twi. Celestia would have my scales if she found out I let
you go back into the Everfree Forest the day after you were ponynapped!”
“Well then, Celestia just won’t find out,” Twilight replied, moving Spike out
of the way with some levitation magic, only for him to run back into her
path.
“But what if those crazy ponies are still in the forest? Do you want to get
ponynapped again?”
“Celestia’s guards scoured the forest last night with Zecora’s help. I doubt if
any of those ponies are still there. Besides I need to get those books back!
They’re irreplaceable, and I need you to stay here in case somepony
comes and needs to checkout a book. This is a library after all, and we
can’t just close it up whenever we want.”
Spike was not convinced, crossing his arms and eyeing the unicorn.
“I still don’t like it Twilight. Can’t you find somepony to go with you?”
“Everypony else is busy, especially after they already came by to see me.
Besides, I’ve been to Everfree before, Spike; I know how to keep myself
out of trouble.”
“Says the pony that got turned to stone by a Cockatrice,” Spike pointed out.
“Okay, I’ll admit, that wasn’t one of my better moments. Okay, how about
this? If I’m not back in three hours, you can tell Celestia that I left. You can
even say that I put you to sleep with a sedation spell so you couldn’t stop
me.”
“Twilight, I don’t want you to go because I think it’s dangerous, not because
I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“Spike, I promise, everything will be fine,” The unicorn argued as she
walked around Spike and continued to move towards the door. “Now, just
keep doing your chores and I’ll be back before you know it. It’s just after
three, so if I’m not back by a little after six in the afternoon then you can tell
Celestia, but I promise I’ll be back before then.”
==========
Twilight swallowed nervously, stepping slowly as she kept her head down,
following the light of her blinking horn. The threatening trees of Everfree
Forest surrounded the unicorn on all sides, their mangled and twisted
branches reaching out from the canopy like deadly claws. The silence of
the forest unnerving, Twilight’s ears swiveling constantly to pick up on any
trace of sound as goose bumps ran up the unicorn’s spine, either from the
tension or chill in the air.
“Okay... maybe it won’t be fine.” Twilight muttered to herself, finally
admitting that maybe she wasn’t ready to brave the forest alone. Although
the unicorn was 95% sure her mind was just playing tricks on her, she
couldn’t keep herself from believing every pony-shaped shadow she saw
was one of the cult ponies coming to ponynap her again. She even
barreled off the forest path a few times, trying to get a jump on a would be
assailant, only to discover it was a bush or a tree branch.
The situation was only made worse by the bad weather that was rolling in
over the forest; dark, gray, and threatening clouds... Everfree’s first spring
thunderstorm. Twilight could only imagine how horrible it would be to be
caught in one of the infamous wild storms. With winds strong enough to
pick a pony off her feet and throw her half way across Equestria and
lighting that-
Twilight shook her head, trying to clear away her panicked thoughts. She
was getting close to her saddlebags now; the rate at which her horn was
flashing was a sure indicator of that. She just needed to get those bags,
and then she could just teleport herself back to the library.
“Okay... just hold it together, Twilight. Just hold it together a little longer,”
The unicorn whispered to herself in a half-hearted pep talk. A pep-talk
Twilight tried to continue as she rounded a bend in the path, only for the
words to die in her mouth as she came to a dead stop. Glancing about, the
unicorn’s eyes shrank to the size of small dots as her breathing quickened.
Her locator spell had led her back to where she had been the night before,
the forest clearing where the spell had been cast. The same place where
she had been held captive by the cult ponies. For a moment, Twilight had
to fight the overpowering urge to teleport back to the library at that very
moment and leave her saddlebag to their fate.
That urge, however, ended when Twilight saw a small corner of purple in a
bush on the far side of the clearing. It was her saddlebag, probably tossed
aside by the cult ponies when they had finished carrying Twilight to the
clearing and started tying her up.
Seeing the bags were so close gave Twilight the courage to move into the
clearing. The unicorn trotted out into the open air, horn glowing as she lifted
the bag from the bush magically. After drawing the bag closer, Twilight
opened the bags and peaked inside. A smile spread onto the unicorn's lips;
none of the rare books were missing.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight levitated the bags over her head and
settled them down on her back. “Perfect; now to just teleport myself back to
the library, and-”
RUSTLE
Twilight froze, eyes narrow as her ears stood erect.
RUSTLE RUSTLE
She turned her head, focusing on the source of the noise. It was a single
bush, located on the edge of the clearing. The leaves were rustling,
something moving around inside the foliage, just out of sight. Almost
instantly, Twilight’s mind began to jump to the worst case scenario, much
like it had done when Fluttershy had taken Celestia’s pet, Philomena.
It could be a cultist, lingering there in the darkness. A cultist ready to jump
Twilight, hogtie her again, and this time, when they tried to bring Nightmare
Moon back, they’d use more than just a drop of blood. No, they’d get much
more brutal with a dagger... heck, they’d probably use an actual sword and
just-
Twilight shook her head hard. No, she couldn’t think like that. That... that
bush was too small to hide a full grown pony. It’s probably just an animal.
Yes, it’s just a rabbit or something. She’d just get a little closer, and the little
furry creature would pop out and scamper off, and she could finally
breathe.
Unless it was a snake... oh, if it was a snake, she was going to scream.
Inching closer to the bush, Twilight made each hoof step as silent as
possible, straining her eyes to try and see inside the darkness of the bush.
The branches rustled again, but still whatever animal was inside had yet to
jump free.
FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOOM!
Twilight leapt a foot in the air, and quickly galloped in the exact opposite
direction of the bush, before she dove behind a tree on the far side of the
clearing. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it could burst out of her
chest, the unicorn putting a hoof over top of it to try and calm the thumping
vital organ while she breathed deeply.
“It was just the storm...” Twilight told herself, looking up at the threatening
sky above the forest. “It was just thunder... it was just thunder... thunder
that scared me half to death... but it was just thunder.”
As the unicorn tried to calm herself, she began to hear something over the
sound of her own breathing. It was soft at first, but, as Twilight managed to
slow and quiet her breathing, she began to hear the sound more clearly. It
was... crying. Somepony nearby was crying, and, from the sounds of the
voice, it was a young filly.
“Hello?” Twilight called out, her ears swiveling as she tried to pinpoint the
sound. “Is somepony there?”
The crying quickly fell quiet, like the voice’s owner was trying to hide. Still,
Twilight had been able to figure out the general direction the voice was
coming from, moving back into the forest clearing as she continued to
listen.
“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” Twilight offered as she looked around.
Still, she heard nothing, or at least she didn’t hear any voice calling back.
Maybe her imagination was really getting the best of her. Sighing once,
Twilight began to gather magic in her horn, preparing to teleport back to the
library.
FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOOM!
Again, the storm caught Twilight by surprise. It was not as bad as the first
time; Twilight able to keep herself standing in the center of the clearing
instead of galloping off to hide. Instead, she looked up at the clouds and
threw them an annoyed glare for startling her twice.
Still, the thunder had also brought back another sound, the crying Twilight
had heard earlier, and it was close. Deciding it would be better to not try
and call out for the pony, Twilight swiveled her ears forward and listened.
The sound was now accompanied by some rustling, and it took Twilight
only a few moments to pinpoint its source. It was the bush from earlier, the
one Twilight had feared hid some horrible danger.
More concerned about the other pony than the possibility of being attacked,
Twilight crept over to the bush as quietly as possible. As she drew close,
the unicorn stretched out her magic and began to carefully grasp at the
branches. If whatever inside the bush decided to run away, Twilight wanted
to at least be sure she got a good look at it before it escaped. She would
move the branches away quickly, and launch her own surprise attack.
With a single nervous swallow, and Twilight braced herself. Her magic
shoved the branches away and the unicorn shut her eyes tight, a small part
of her still expecting some pony in a cloak to jump out. When that didn’t
happen, Twilight opened her eyes and took a look at the interior of the
bush.
What Twilight found, however, was nothing she could have expected. A
filly, as young or even a little younger than Apple Bloom, was tangled up in
the thorny branches. She had nicks and scratches in a number of places,
caused by the thorns as the filly struggled to free herself. Her mane was
also tangled amongst the branches, and it looked like she had been there
for at least a few hours, if not longer.
If it was any normal filly, Twilight would have reached out to help
immediately... but the unicorn found herself frozen, mind locking up as she
tried to process the filly’s appearance. Her coat was a regal black. She
possessed a rich purple mane, with a shine that was comparable to
Rarity’s, despite the fact the long strands were tangled in the bush’s thorny
branches. And, finally, the filly had not only a pair of pegasus wings but a
unicorn horn, making her an alicorn.
Twilight then looked to the filly’s eyes, which were locked on the young
adult unicorn. They were filled with fear. The filly looked upon Twilight as if
she was one of the nasty monsters of the Everfree, as if the unicorn would
strike out at any moment and gobble her up.
Those fear-filled eyes, however, were not shaped like any normal ponies.
The turquoise orbs, which should have had round pupils, instead
resembled a dragon’s eyes, with dagger shaped pupils. The whites of the
eyes were also off. Instead of being white, they were a lighter color that
closely resembled the color of the irises.
Above all, they were eyes Twilight had seen before. They were the eyes of
Nightmare Moon.
Twilight felt her breathing quicken a bit, her memories slipping back to the
night before. The spell to bring back Nightmare Moon... did it work? Had
the cult succeeded in bring back Nightmare Moon? Was this Nightmare
Moon?
It had to be. She... she had to warn somepony, tell somepony... she had to
write Celestia immediately.
Or better yet, she had to confront this... this... thing before she could get
away, somehow get free. Before she could get loose and hurt somepony.
Even if she was the size of a filly... Nightmare Moon was a master of
deception and trickery. As far as Twilight knew, this was all just a trick. The
alicorn could have simply been attempting to lure somepony in a trap, lying
in wait somepony to get close before attacking.
Twilight bristled, furrowing her eyebrows as she glared at the filly. “I know-,”
Twilight began harshly, only to stop abruptly. With just those two words, the
filly shrunk away, whimpering and shutting her eyes as the bush's thorns
left a fresh cuts and scrapes on the little pony's body.
When the filly finally dared to open her eyes again, Twilight lifted her hoof
and tried to reach out as slowly as possible. Still, the filly whimpered and
tried to get away, though she only succeeded to injure herself even more
on the bush’s thorns.
It was a reaction of pure fear.
Twilight’s brain did a flip-flop trying to process this. Nightmare Moon was
the greatest threat to Equestria. She was a monster that tried to, at best,
scare Twilight and her new friends away, and, at worst, tried to get them
killed. She was supposed to be the worst part of Luna’s own psyche
brought to life. At least, that’s what Twilight thought the insane cult was
trying to do.
Yet here she was just a filly, tangled in a thorn brush, and Twilight was
unable to look away. Those dragon eyes that had once looked down on all
ponies as if they were nothing but lowly insects... were now filled to the
brim with fear and pain. Some of the scratches from the bush’s thorns were
bleeding. The filly was terrified, was hurt... and she needed help.
“It’s okay; I won’t hurt you.” Twilight offered shakily, not even really thinking
about what she was doing as she just did it. Her magic began to take hold
of the bush, carefully snapping away branches piece by piece as she
worked to free the filly. There were a couple times the filly winced, any
small movement leading to a thorn pricking her, but still she kept her eyes
locked on Twilight. The filly’s eyes were filled with fear but behind that fear
was a flicker of hope. Hope that the unicorn who had appeared was not a
monster she needed to fear.
A few minutes later, with a final snap, enough branches were cleared away
for Twilight to gently levitate the filly out of the bush. She brought the filly
Nightmare Moon out from the edge of the clearing, setting her down in the
dead center where the pair proceeded to just stare at each other.
Twilight’s mind was spinning at a million miles an hour while not really
going anywhere. She kept just circling around the same thoughts over and
over again. Was this really Nightmare Moon? Did the spell last night work?
How could there be a Nightmare Moon and a Luna? Weren’t they one and
the same? Why was Nightmare Moon so small? Did the spell not work?
Was Nightmare Moon just trying to trick her into taking her back to
Ponyville? Was she only pretending to be so small and helpless? Was she
dangerous? Was this really Nightmare Moon?
Round and around the thoughts circled, Twilight unable to stop herself. It
was the thunderstorm that finally managed to break the endless loop.
Another crack of thunder cut through the air and snapped Twilight back to
reality, and just as quickly the unicorn noticed that the filly had rushed up to
her. Trembling like a leaf, the filly practically clung to Twilight’s leg, eyes
shut tight.
She was scared of the thunderstorm... would Nightmare Moon ever be
scared of a thunderstorm? Could she just be playing a trick, trying to lull the
unicorn into a false sense of security? Twilight, however, just couldn’t be
sure. Her mind was telling her that the filly couldn’t be trusted. That she just
needed to leave her in the forest, tell Celestia, and let the princess deal
with it.
But, at the same time, Twilight knew she couldn’t just leave the filly there.
Nightmare Moon or not, she looked terrified. As stupid as it sounded, she
just couldn’t in good conscience abandon the little pony.
“Um... would you like to come home with me?” Twilight asked, unable to
think of a better way to phrase the question. While the filly remained silent,
her eyes spoke her reply. She shakily nodded her head, clinging even
closer to Twilight as the filly now looked upon the unicorn like she was
some grand savior from a story book. Twilight might have smiled at this
sight if it wasn’t for the raindrops that were starting to fall on her head.
“Oh... great...” Twilight muttered, flinching a bit as the rain started to get
thicker. The storm wasn’t going to break up anytime soon, and she wouldn’t
be able to teleport back to the library with the filly. She wasn’t very good
with multi-pony teleportation spells. The one time she had been able to pull
it off, she and Spike both were pretty badly singed, and that was the last
thing the filly needed after being stuck in the thorny bush.
So, Twilight did the only thing she could. Horn glowing, the unicorn picked
up the filly and set her down on her back, nestled between the saddle bags.
Twilight then turned her magic above her head, projecting a transparent
barrier. Just in time too, because the rain suddenly got even worse. It
would be a long, muddy walk back out of the forest. At the moment,
however, Twilight just hoped she could get back to the library before Spike
panicked and sent a letter to Celestia.
==========
Spike anxiously finished writing the letter to Celestia, glancing at the clock
as each minute ticked by. Twilight had been gone for two hours and fifty-
nine minutes. Twilight had one minute, just one minute, to get back to the
library before he called in the cavalry. There wasn’t a second hoof on the
clock, but still Spike watched it anxiously... rolling the scroll as he prepared
to set it on fire.
The baby dragon glanced outside at the raging thunderstorm. Dash came
by the library to warn Twilight that the weather team was letting a storm
from Everfree Forest roll over Ponyville. The storm wasn’t scheduled, but
the weather team had decided to let it roll over to save themselves the
trouble of preparing a storm just two days later.
It made sense, but the storm was still pretty nasty. Thunder, lightning... the
whole nine yards, and Twilight was out in that storm, possibly hurt or
ponynapped.
Spike glanced at the clock again, seeing the minute hand click to the next
slot. It was official; it had been three hours and Twilight hadn’t been back.
Spike began breathing in, the message to Celestia mere moments from
being sent magically to Canterlot when the door suddenly swung open.
“Spike! Don’t you dare breathe out!” Twilight yelled, pointing an accusing
hoof at the baby dragon. She had mud and gunk up to her neck, little
leaves and sticks caught in her mane, and a tired expression on her face.
Still, Spike couldn’t help but smile, tossing the carefully prepared note aside
before running up to Twilight.
“Where were you?” Spike asked. He would have hugged the unicorn’s leg,
but he took notice of how muddy she was.
“In Everfree Forest, like I told you. It just took longer to find my bags than I
expected and then I had to walk back in the storm.” Twilight said, doing her
best to wipe her hooves clean on the welcome mat before stepping inside.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Nothing happened... unless you count the storm. All I need is
a bath and some dinner.” The unicorn answer, her horn glowing as she
opened her saddle bags and removed the thankfully dry books, though the
bags themselves were damp and splattered with mud.
“Well then, you go straight upstairs and take a bath. I’ll make some dinner.
How about some soup and sandwiches?”
“You make that celery soup and daffodil sandwiches, and it will be perfect.”
“Celery soup and daffodil sandwiches coming right up... after I get these
books put away.” Spike offered as he gathered the retrieved books,
beginning the quick task of putting the tomes back on the library shelves.
While the baby dragon went about his work, Twilight headed to the second
floor of the library, crossing her bedroom and entering the bathroom. It was
a small, cozy room with a bathtub that could also be a shower and all the
basic amenities. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done.
Twilight got all the way in before she used her magic to shut and lock the
door, breathing a sigh of relief before looking back over her shoulder. Still
lying on her back, nestled between her saddle bags, was the filly Nightmare
Moon. She had curled up and fallen asleep half way back to the library,
and, thankfully, Spike hadn’t noticed the breathing black mass that was
partially hidden by Twilight’s mane and her saddlebags.
For the moment Twilight just let the filly sleep, using her magic to turn on
the bathtub faucets. As the tub started to fill with hot water, the unicorn
opened up the medicine cabinet, gathering up some first aid supplies.
While most of the injuries the filly had from the thorn bush were very minor
there were a couple Twilight wanted to bandage to keep them from
bleeding and getting infected.
Twilight waited until the tub was almost full before shutting off the faucets,
the perfectly warm water gently steaming in the cool bathroom air. At this
point Twilight turned her head back, lowering down as she gently nudged
the filly Nightmare Moon with her nose. It took a few nudges, but little black
coated pony finally began to wake up.
Her dragon like eyes looked about the room, the filly taking in her
surroundings before looking at Twilight, the unicorn offering a gentle smile.
“Don’t worry, you’re safe here. This is where I live, and you don’t have to
worry about the storm or anything here,” Twilight offered. “Still, after
walking around in that storm, I need to get cleaned up. Would you mind
getting off my back while I take a quick bath?”
The filly shook her head once and only once, very carefully and cautiously
standing up on Twilight’s back before jumping off, using her wings to slow
her fall to the floor. When her hooves were on the ground the filly laid right
back down again on the semi-soft bathroom mat, curling back up into a tiny
black coated ball.
Twilight found the behavior a little bit strange, but she just guessed that the
filly was tired and wanted to go back to sleep. The unicorn was now able to
levitate her mud splattered saddle bags off and climb into the bathtub, the
warm water feeling wonderful as she used a brush to get the mud off her
body.
It was destined to be a quick bath, Twilight more worried about getting
clean than enjoying the water. Once the mud was gone and all the little
sticks and leaves were out of her mane, Twilight climbed out and magically
toweled herself off while she let the tub drain. When the dirty water was
gone, she then began filling the tub again, but this time only to about
quarter of the way full.
It was a very shallow bath, but it would be perfect for the small filly. Twilight
was able to levitate the miniature Nightmare Moon into the water, the little
pony offering no protest but a few winces as the warm water touched some
of her scratches. Twilight then made use of the brush, cleaning some of the
mud that had managed to splatter up onto the filly, despite riding the whole
way to the library on the unicorn’s back.
With the filly clean, Twilight proceeded to lift her out of the tub, towel her
off, and then use the first aid kit to put some bandages on the worst of her
cuts and scrapes. All the while, the unicorn was amazed with how
cooperative the filly was being, albeit acting sad and tired.
Would Nightmare Moon really allow herself to be bathed and bandaged
without protest? Sure, such a regal and royal pony might expect to be
waited on by servants, but that wasn’t what Twilight was doing. She was
cleaning the filly more like a caretaker or parent. In a way, she was treating
her like a foal.
The real Nightmare Moon wouldn’t accept being treated like a foal, no
matter how small she actually was. This once again raised the question of
whether this filly really was Nightmare Moon. Twilight was becoming less
and less sure. The resemblance was undeniable. All the little pony was
missing was the flowing, magical hair that was dotted with stars and she’d
looked exactly like the Mare in the Moon.
Besides arguments of age, this filly just wasn’t acting like the Nightmare
Moon the unicorn would have expected. She didn’t talk down to Twilight,
threatened her...she didn’t even say anything to Twilight since she found
her. She barely moved once Twilight got her out of the thorn bush.
And if she didn’t act like Nightmare Moon, that raised another question. If
she was not Nightmare Moon, then who was she?
Twilight couldn’t focus too much on that train of thought, a knock coming at
the bathroom door just as she was putting the last bandage on the filly.
“Hey Twilight, I’ve got your dinner.”
“Thank you Spike, but... you know, I’m really hungry after hiking through
Everfree Forest and the storm. Would you mind making me another
sandwich and filling another bowl of soup?”
“No problem; I made a big batch of the celery soup and we have plenty of
stuff for sandwiches. I could probably make five servings of this meal.”
“That’s wonderful Spike, but I only need one more.”
“You got it, Twi.” The baby dragon replied from the other side of the
bathroom door before he departed. Twilight listened for the baby dragon’s
footsteps to reach the bottom of the stairs before she opened the door. She
checked the bedroom, making sure Spike really had left before she
stepped out. The filly followed, staying close to Twilight as the unicorn
crossed the room and moved towards her bed.
The meal Spike had brought in was sitting on her bedside table. It looked
good and the unicorn was starving, but instead of digging in herself, she
levitated the filly up onto her bed and then set the food out in front of her.
“Here, you go ahead and eat this. I’m going to go downstairs and talk with
Spike.” Twilight said, her words coming with a comforting smile. The filly,
again, didn’t offer more than a simple nod in reply. She then leaned
forward, taking a bite from the sandwich... a bite that was quickly followed
by another as the filly began to devour the food.
It was the first real sign of life Twilight had seen from the Nightmare Moon
look-a-like, and it was encouraging to say the least. For now, however, the
unicorn had to leave the filly alone to her meal. She had to go downstairs
and tell Spike the truth, before the baby dragon discovered the filly for
himself, assumed the worse, and sent a letter to Celestia.
==========
It had taken a couple hours to finally convince Spike not to write Celestia
and tell her about the filly. He, like Twilight had at first, assumed she was
Nightmare Moon reborn and that Celestia had to be told. He had even
written up a letter and was about to send it before Twilight snatched it away
and threw it in the garbage.
Twilight’s arguments were weak. All she could really say was that the filly
really didn’t seem to act like Nightmare Moon. In her logical mind, Twilight
knew that Spike was probably right. They needed to tell Celestia, but once
again the unicorn’s imagination began to betray her. Celestia had banished
Nightmare Moon to the moon for a thousand years, and Twilight feared she
would do the same to the little pony.. and that just didn’t seem like
something the filly deserved.
In the end, Twilight had only gotten Spike to agree to the silence by
promising she’d go buy him a large sapphire from Rarity as a bribe. It
wasn’t how she would have wanted to obtain his silence, but Spike had
Pinkie Pie promised that, if she got him the gem in the morning, he would
keep quiet about the filly until Twilight wanted to tell Celestia.
Having eaten her own dinner during the negotiations, Twilight made her
way back up to the bedroom. She was a little worried what she would find,
that maybe in the past two hours the filly had grown into an adult Nightmare
Moon and was ready to attack. Still, after she opened the bedroom door,
Twilight saw that the filly was still sitting on her bed, the sandwich and soup
eaten.
“Well, looks like you were hungry.” Twilight joked as she trotted over. “Are
you feeling better?”
The filly nodded her head once.
“That’s good.” Twilight replied, sitting down beside the bed. “So... uh... do
you know where you are?”
The filly shook her head.
“Do you remember where you were before I found you?”
The filly shook her head, the first of many such replies as Twilight then
began a longer chain of questions, asking the filly what she did remember,
what she knew, and all such things.
There were a few nods here and there, but most of the questions were met
with a shake of the filly’s head, her eyes slowly tearing up. Upon the last
question, when Twilight asked the filly if she remembered her name, the
little black pony broke down and began crying. It wasn’t wailing or outright
sobbing, but it was a quiet cry, the filly sniffling as tears poured down her
cheeks.
Twilight now began to understand why the little pony had been so quiet and
secluded; she was scared and confused. The only memories she must
have had were the ones of the past several hours, of waking up in that
thorny bush and then being rescued by Twilight. She had no memories of
her own, and yet possessed some common knowledge, like an
understanding of Equestrian language.
Twilight found it difficult to even imagine having so few memories, to wake
up in a place like the Everfree Forest, to be stuck in a thorny bush, and be
unable to remember anything before that. It did, however, support Twilight’s
theory that this little filly had been produced by the spell cast by the cult. It
would make sense for her to only have a few hours of memory, because
the spell had only been cast the night before.
Again, the question of whether or not the filly was Nightmare Moon reared
its ugly head. The spell’s purpose was to resurrect Nightmare Moon, and it
had been working until Celestia and the Royal Guard intervened. The spell
was interrupted, and that meant that the filly was a product of an
incomplete spell, and there was often no way to predict what effects an
incomplete spell would have.
It was a question Twilight chose to shelf in her mind for later as she
crawled up onto the bed. She laid down beside the filly, doing her best to
comfort her while the little black pony continued to cry, letting out the pent
up fear and anxiety that had been building for the past several hours.
Nightmare Moon or not, Twilight couldn’t in good conscience not try to
comfort a scared little filly.
===========
It took about half an hour for the filly to finally calm down, crying herself dry.
The tears, however, seemed to have a good effect as the filly looked less
scared then she had been. She laid right next to Twilight, with her head
leaned against the unicorn’s shoulder as she tried to dry her eyes.
“Feeling better?”
“Y-yes.” The filly shakily replied, the first word Twilight had heard her say
the entire night. The voice had a musical quality, but a fragility to it as well.
It reminded Twilight of one time she had seen an earth pony playing crystal
juice glasses filled with water. It was a feat made easier by the special
horseshoes the pony had on, but still it was impressive to watch and listen
to. A voice like a Glass Harp.... certainly not the voice of an evil, fallen
princess bent on creating an eternal night.
“That’s good, but we’ve both had a long day. How about we get some
sleep?”
“I can stay here?”
Twilight nodded.
“Yes you can, but how about I make it so we’re both more comfortable?”
With that the unicorn’s horn lit up as she shifted a few things around. Within
a few moments Twilight was under the covers of her blanket while the filly
still lay on top of the covers with her own blanket and pillow, resting next to
Twilight’s side.
It was comfortable enough, both Twilight and the filly having to stifle yawns
as the long day began to take its toll on them. It was still relatively early,
barely getting close to nine o’clock... but Twilight was more than willing to
call it a night. Another yawn gripped the unicorn as her eyes started to
droop a little.
“Miss unicorn?”
Twilight was drawn back from the edge of sleep as her eyes met the filly’s
dragon-like eyes.
“I’m sorry, I guess I never introduced myself. My name’s Twilight Sparkle.”
“Okay... Miss Sparkle?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want me to leave in the morning?”
“What makes you think I’d make you leave?”
The filly bit her lip for a second before talking.
“You seemed mad when you first saw me... I just felt like you wouldn’t want
me around.”
“It’s not your fault; I just thought you were somepony else for a minute. No,
you don’t have to leave in the morning. You can stay here as long as you
want.”
The filly smiled at this, the first honest smile she offered all evening. With
that concern put to rest, the filly yawned and closed her eyes. Within
minutes she had drifted off to sleep, Twilight following soon after.
Chapter 2
A Secret Between Friends
Twilight yawned as she made her way down the steps to the library’s main
floor, her mane freshly brushed, but the unicorn herself still not completely
awake. She had been up late the night before, doing research and making
some plans, and had not gotten to bed until well past midnight.
Still, an empty belly can be a powerful motivation to get out of bed, the
unicorn stepping into the kitchen.
“Morning Twilight," Spike offered, the baby dragon working at the stove.
“Hey Spike," The unicorn replied, before having to yawn again as she
made making her way to the table. This had been the pair’s usual morning
ever since they had moved to Ponyville, and even for a time before that.
One of them would get up semi-early and make breakfast while the other
would stumbled into the kitchen sometime later. Who made breakfast
largely depended on who went to bed first the night before, and the
previous evening it had been Spike.
Yet, for the past few days, there had been an addition to the routine, a little
black filly alicorn who currently sat and waited patiently for her breakfast.
Twilight had come to call the filly Nyx, an old name from a storybook
Twilight remembered from her own fillyhood. Nyx, as the old stories went,
was a pony that basked in Luna’s night before she became Nightmare
Moon. A black coated mare who stood guard of her home against the
creatures that lingered in the dark, protecting those she cared about while
they slept.
Nyx had been one of Twilight’s favorite storybook characters growing up,
her parents reading some of the old stories to her at bedtime. The name
just seemed to fit the filly, and it was far better than calling her Nightmare
Moon.
And, in truth, the filly had become the focus of Twilight’s efforts for the past
few days. All of her research and time she could spare studying was
devoted to trying to understand the spell that the cult ponies had been
trying to cast. Twilight knew that the princess had unicorns in Canterlot on
the same research, and she had been asked to be informed what they had
found.
Celestia, however, had refused the request, wishing Twilight to not concern
herself with it.
But Twilight couldn’t stop herself, not just because of her own curiosity but
because of Nyx. While she couldn’t really believe the scared little filly was
Nightmare Moon reborn, the threat and danger of that truth lingered
constantly on the fringes of the unicorn’s mind. She needed to be
absolutely sure, and the only way to be absolutely sure was to understand
the spell that was being cast, and what had happened when the spell was
interrupted.
But that wasn’t what had kept Twilight up late the night before. No, her
efforts of the previous evening was in planning. Over the past few days,
Nyx had become a little more open, though she was still quite nervous and
quiet. She had even started helping Spike with his chores, slowly winning
over the skeptical baby dragon.
She had also demonstrated an interest in learning, or at least an interest in
reading. The past few night, Twilight had read Nyx one or two bedtime
stories to help her sleep. The filly seemed to be literate, but she paid close
attention to Twilight all the same, trying to absorb everything the unicorn
said as if it was the most sacred knowledge.
Her curiosity, however, was not going to be constrained by the library for
long. If there was one thing that Nyx did that Twilight found annoying, it was
that she asked questions; a lot of questions. Most of them were things that
Twilight could easily answer from the top of her head, but it was still
enough of a distraction that the unicorn found her normal amount of study
time greatly reduced.
Even worse, however, was that Nyx had seen the many ponies walk past
the library windows, seen some fillies and colts her own age playing. While
she seemed scared of the other ponies, she eagerly looked at everything
else she could see and had asked more than once if she could go outside.
Now that she was no longer in the scary Everfree Forest, she wanted to
see the outside, to see the parks and trees and grass and everything else
just beyond the library windows.
Twilight, of course, had to refuse the request. Even if Nyx didn’t look like a
certain Mare in the Moon, she was an alicorn, and that alone would raise a
lot of suspicion. Thankfully, Nyx didn’t resist, and was willing to accept her
confinement in the library... at least for the moment.
Still, Twilight knew that she couldn’t keep Nyx hidden in the library forever.
Even if she could... she didn’t want to. The library wasn’t a jail, she wasn’t a
warden, and Nyx wasn’t a prisoner. The filly deserved to be able to go
outside and enjoy the sunshine... but if she did it on her own, without any
preparation, it would have been disastrous.
So the previous evening had been spent making a plan. Twilight was going
to pass off Nyx as a cousin who was going to stay with the unicorn
indefinitely as a sort of student. Much like how Twilight had started living at
Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns when she became the princess’
private pupil. It might not have been the greatest of plans, but Twilight
never really told anypony in Ponyville about her family so there was a
chance they would probably buy it.
It was a plan that could work, buy her the time she needed to be sure
whether or not the filly was Nightmare Moon. But it would require a number
of things to work. The first of which Twilight was going to try and tackle that
very morning.
It was time to cash in on Rarity’s favor.
===========
It took some precise movements and careful hiding, but Twilight was able
to lead Nyx across Ponyville to the Carousal Boutique without anypony
really getting a good glimpse of them. The front door to the shop was
thankfully open, the little bell ringing as Twilight let Nyx get inside before
the unicorn herself slipped in unnoticed by anypony passing on the street.
While Nyx had been excited to finally go outside, the filly clung close to
Twilight the entire trip over and still lingered nearby now that they were in
the shop, just as scared of running into another pony as Twilight was but
apparently for different reasons. Yet her cautiousness was slowly being
overridden by curiosity as the filly looked about the room, taking in the
shop’s beautiful interior and the elegant dresses on display.
“Rarity, are you home?” Twilight called out as she levitated her saddle bags
off and set them by the door.
“Yes Dear, just a moment!” Rarity called back, the white unicorn coming out
from the boutique’s back room with several spools of thread floating behind
her. She had on her red glasses, a sign that Rarity was in the middle of
sewing something together. Reading glasses, Rarity once told Twilight, that
she only needed to work and, well, read.
“Twilight, Darling, I haven’t seen coat nor hair of you in days. Where have
you been hiding?”
“In the library, where else?”
“Where else indeed. You know, all those dusty old books can’t be good for
your complexion. You should come with Fluttershy and I on our weekly spa
outing. You had such fun the last time you joined us that I was actually
hoping the three of us could make it a regular thing.”
“I’m sorry Rarity, I would like to, really, but sometimes I just can’t pull
myself away from a book.”
“A fact I am well aware of,” Rarity replied, setting the spools of fabric down
as well as levitating her glasses off and setting them on her workbench.
“Still, I guess hearing that you’ve been studying your little head off is a
good thing. It means you’ve recovered from your traumatic ponynapping as
well as anypony could hope. Now, just what brings you by the boutique?”
“I need some casual day-wear.”
“Casual day-wear? Now that is a request I don’t get too often. Most ponies
are just satisfied strolling about without a thread of fabric on, but personally
I feel some ponies would look just fabulous with the right vest or day dress.
“Personally though, I think you’re one of those ponies that doesn’t need
casual wear but I can’t say for certain until we try on some designs. So,
Twilight, what were you looking for in particular?”
Twilight smiled nervously. “Okay, so... here’s the thing... it really isn’t for
me.”
“Well, who is it for then?”
“It’s for her.”
At this Twilight stepped to one side, leaving Nyx standing in clear view of
Rarity. When Nyx realized that she was exposed and in clear view of
Rarity, the filly hung her head and stepped back behind Twilight, trying to
remain hidden. It took Twilight whispering some reassuring words to the
filly to finally coax Nyx back into plain view, though Nyx chose to keep her
head lowered and avoid direct eye contact.
“Rarity, I’d like you to meet Nyx. Nyx, this is my good friend, Rarity. Say
hello, Nyx.”
“Um... H-Hello, Miss Rarity,” Nyx offered very quietly. It was a good thing
Nyx kept her eyes turned down at the floor, for it kept the filly from noticing
that Rarity was staring, dumbstruck, at her. The white unicorn was focused
on the dragon-like eyes that looked all too familiar... eyes Rarity had gotten
a very close look at during the last Summer Sun Celebration.
The white unicorn, however, managed to put on a uneasy smile as she
turned her attention to Twilight.
“Well...of course... Dear. I just need you to... uh... come in back with me
and....pick out a fabric. Uh... Nyx, was it? Would you mind being a dear and
staying here? I just need to speak with Twilight for a few moments in
private.”
“T-Twilight?” Nyx whimpered, looking at the purple unicorn as if she would
never see her again.
“It will be all right, Nyx,” The unicorn reassured. “Just go look at some of
the dresses Rarity’s made. We’ll be right back.”
The little black pony slowly nodded before she turned and headed towards
one of the display mannequins to look at an outfit, the same jumpsuit
Fluttershy had worn when Rarity was trying to impress Photo Finish.
As soon as the filly’s back was turned, Twilight felt herself wrapped in
magic. Specifically Rarity’s magic, the white unicorn dragging Twilight into
the back room of her shop. Rarity had the self-control to gently shut the
door, as to not draw too much attention, but the moment that backroom
door was closed her eyes locked Twilight.
“Twilight. Who. Is. That?” Rarity stressed.
“I take it you noticed she looks kind of like-”
“Nightmare Moon!” Rarity whispered, though she still spoke loudly enough
that it was clear she would have rather shout. “Yes, Dear, I did notice! Now,
would you care explain?!”
“Well, do you want the long or short version? Or maybe the medium
version? I suppose I could-”
“Twilight, just tell me!” Rarity pressed.
“Okay, short version. She might, and I mean might... be Nightmare Moon
reborn. That crazy cult that ponynapped me cast some weird spell, and
while Celestia kept the spell from being completed, it still... well... I think it
created her. I found her in the Everfree Forest, alone and scared, and-”
“And you brought her to Ponyville?!” The fashion design half-shouted.
“Rarity, calm down before she hears you! Look, she doesn’t remember
anything that happened before I found her, and she acts nothing like
Nightmare Moon. She’s...just a sweet, if a bit nervous, little filly. To be
honest... I am having trouble believing she could be Nightmare Moon at
all.”
“And did it ever cross your mind what would happen if she really was
Nightmare Moon? That monster could have attacked you in your sleep!”
“Rarity, she isn’t a monster, I promise. She’s just-”
“Twilight, Dear, I think your ponynapping has rattled your senses! You have
to tell Celestia about this! If there is even a small chance that filly is
Nightmare Moon the princess needs to know before-”
“But I’m afraid that if Celestia finds out she’ll banish Nyx to the moon! Look,
you saw how she acted when she first met you. She’s more terrified of you
than you are of her. She really doesn’t know who Nightmare Moon is or
anything that happened at the last Summer Sun Celebration.”
“And have you ever thought what might happened if she did start to
remember?”
“I’ve thought about it, yes... but-”
“No buts! If that filly was produced by a spell and that spell was supposed
to bring back Nightmare Moon then-”
“Rarity, please, you’re the only other pony I’ve told, and I need you to keep
this a secret.” Twilight pleaded, “I’m afraid that if Celestia finds out she’ll
banish Nyx to the moon, and I don’t think a filly deserves that, even if she
was created by a spell meant to bring back Nightmare Moon.
“Right now, I want to try to pass her off as my cousin, at least until I can
figure out if she really is Nightmare Moon or if she just looks like her. But I
can’t just keep her locked in the library all the time. If I’m going to pass her
off as a normal unicorn, she needs to be able to go outside, but... she
needs a disguise.”
“Twilight, I really think you should tell Celestia,” Rarity nervously stressed.
“Rarity, I need you to keep this a secret. Consider this the favor you owe
me.”
Rarity pushed her lips together, realizing that Twilight had just called in the
one favor the unicorn owed her and that she did not like the nature of the
favor.
“And you want to use your favor like this?”
“Yes,” Twilight replied firmly.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you absolutely, positively-”
“Rarity, I’m sure,” Twilight snipped.
“... *sigh* Very well, Twilight. Your secret is safe with me, but that still
leaves me wondering just why you’ve brought her to my boutique.”
“I need you to make something, anything, Nyx can wear on a daily basis to
hide her wings.”
“Her wings?”
“Didn’t you notice? Nyx is an alicorn.”
“Well of course I noticed, but why would you want to hide her wings? Wings
are so in style right now. All the best boutiques in Canterlot are using
pegasus models this season. Makes me wish I could talk Fluttershy into
stepping back onto the stage, that or I could convince Rainbow Dash. She
could have such a beautiful mane if she would just brush it out once in a
while and-”
“Rarity, focus!” Twilight interrupted, bringing the fashion designer back to
reality. “I can’t let Nyx go outside if ponies can see she is an alicorn, and
it’s a whole lot easier to hide a pair of wings than it is to try and hide a
horn.”
“True, wings are a feature more readily hidden,” Rarity admitted, “and... I
that filly does have such a wonderful black coat. It’s like obsidian the way it
shines in the light. And her mane... it’s almost as beautiful as mine, and
with a little care... Hmmmm...”
At that Rarity shut her eyes, gently tapping her chin with her hoof as the
gears in her mind turned before a smile sprang onto the unicorn’s lips.
“Oh... iiiiiddddddeeeaaaa~!” Rarity sang, her horn lighting up as she
opened the door to the backroom. And with that, the fashion designer was
off, calling Nyx over as spools of fabric began to float around the room.
============
“Okay, Nyx, you’ve been an absolute darling, and I’m almost done. Just
hold still for a few more seconds,” Rarity said an hour later. The little black
filly had a pained expression on her face, like she was tired of standing still
in the same place. Still, as Nyx had proved to Twilight, she was naturally
well behaved, if timid, and did her best to keep still as Rarity touched up a
few things.
Rarity had worked her usual magic, creating a perfect bit of casual wear for
the little filly. A simple purple vest, similar in design to the vests worn by
everypony in town during Winter Wrap-Up. Rarity, however, had modified
the design in a few places so that Nyx’s wings could hide comfortably
beneath the fabric and not be readily visible from the outside. Rarity had
also worked to stylize the vest a little bit, putting some black bits here and
there to blend with Nyx’s natural coat color.
The final thing Rarity was working on was Nyx’s hair, the unicorn trying a
number of different styles with it. She had tried styling it up like her own
mane as well as giving it more body like Fluttershy’s, but neither style
seemed to please Rarity.
“Oh, what to do? What to do?” Rarity worried, letting Nyx’s hair drop. “Most
ponies have their mane styled to leave a little something in the front, but
you just look so... elegant with your mane pulled back, and it shows off
more of your adorable little face. Yes, I definitely need to keep the pulled
back style... but it just needs something... ”
Rarity’s horn glowed, the unicorn levitating a few ribbons and hair bands
from her private collection. Her eyes moved over each, tossing some away
while other lingered in the air, waiting to be judged by the fashion
designer’s meticulous eye. Then, Rarity’s eyes lit up.
“Of course! Aloe and Lotus,” The unicorn proclaimed.
“Who and what now?” Twilight asked.
“Aloe and Lotus; they are the ponies who run the spa. They style their
manes back like this and, oh, that style would look absolutely perfect on
little Nyx here.”
With that Rarity was off, running a brush through Nyx’s hair until every
strand fell perfectly straight. Then, as a final touch, Rarity settled a head
band just above Nyx’s horn, a turquoise color with some designs on the
sides that really brought out Nyx’s eyes.
“There, perfect... oh Dear, you really do have the mane to pull this off. Your
hair falls so wonderfully and has such a shine when its brushed. With your
face... I dare say it gives you an air of sophistication and class.”
“Am I done now?” Nyx asked, not trying to sound bored but even the well
behaved filly was at her wits’ end.
“Yes Dear, you are done and you look wonderful. Here, why don’t you go
take a look in the mirror?”
The filly nodded, jumping down from the table she had been standing on
while Rarity worked. It wasn’t hard to find a mirror; the front of Rarity’s shop
littered with mirrors of varying sizes. Nyx moved to the nearest one,
examining her reflection.
“It’s perfect Rarity; if I didn’t know better I’d say she was just a normal
unicorn.”
“Oh, Twilight, must you always think of function over form? Yes, it hides her
wings, but she also looks fabulous, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, she looks amazing, Rarity.”
The white unicorn batted at a bit of her hair.
“Try not to sound so surprised, Darling. After all, I was the one that made
your wonderful Gala dress.”
“Now all Nyx needs are her glasses,” Twilight said with a smile.
“Glasses? Heavens, Dear, what would that little filly need glasses for? Her
eyesight seems fine.”
“These aren’t correctional glasses. It took a lot of research but I’ve finally
found an illusion spell and enchanted them so that they can disguise Nyx’s
eyes, make them look... well... more common.”
“Oh, but it will be such a travesty against fashion to hide those beautiful
orbs! Those slits of irises give Nyx an air of mystery about her. What other
pony can say they have eyes like a dragon?”
“None, but that’s the point. There is only one other mare who has ever had
dragon shaped eyes, and that was... you know who.”
Rarity frowned.
“True... and it was because of those eyes I was really able to notice the
resemblance. Oooohhh... but it’s such a shame to hide them! At least tell
me you got some fashionable frames.”
“Well, I thought they would be fine,” Twilight admitted. Turning her head,
the unicorn’s horn began to glow as her saddle bags, which had been left
by the door, flipped open. From inside Twilight extracted a pair of glasses,
levitating them across the room before presenting them to Rarity.
“Twilight, please tell me this is some kind of cruel joke!” Rarity said as she
shied away from the glasses, as if they were an angry snake.
“Why do you say that; what’s wrong?”
“Those glasses, Dear. They are in every way wrong. Those thick frames,
and that black color! Oh, they utterly clash with Nyx’s entire outfit!”
“But... she’s got a black coat. How can black frames clash with a black
coat?”
“It’s so much more than just the color, Twilight. I mean, look at these
glasses! They’re matte, with no shine whatsoever, while Nyx’s coat has just
the slightest, natural sheen. And don’t get me started with the thickness.
“No, these just won’t do,” Rarity snipped matter of factually.
“But-”
“No buts!” Rarity said, getting behind Twilight and starting to push her
towards the door. “I will not have you ruin this poor filly’s fashionable attire
with some random frames you picked out just because you’d thought they’d
‘be fine’. As you surely remember, Twilight, I’ve seen your definition of
fine... and it was embodied in that horrible excuse of a dress you were
going to wear to the Gala. Not only was it old, the red and yellow colors
were a horrible match for your mane, coat, eyes... it clashed with
everything.”
“But-,” Twilight tried to defend, only to get cut off again.
“Now, I want you to gallop down to wherever you purchased these
atrocities and get them exchanged. Pick up something midnight purple with
a slight, and I mean slight, gloss and make sure the frames are also at
least half as thin as these... these... things.” Rarity replied, setting the
offending glasses on Twilight’s forehead.
“But what about Nyx?”
“She will be fine here with me until you come back with those new frames.
Now, off with you.” Rarity ordered, shoving Twilight outside the shop before
shutting the front door abruptly behind the purple unicorn.
“Twilight I swear, sometimes you try to be unfashionable on purpose,”
Rarity huffed, turning away from the door and trotting away from the door. “I
do apologize for that outburst, Nyx, but I just couldn’t let Twilight make you
wear those awful glasses. They would have just been a travesty against
fashion, a simple travesty.”
“Were the glasses really that bad?” Nyx asked as she turned away from the
mirror.
“Oh, yes they were. Honestly, I wouldn’t make my worst enemy, some pony
I truly hated, wear those glasses. They are, in all honesty, the very
definition of a fashion don’t.”
At that Rarity turned, quickly busying herself as she cleaned up the bits and
pieces left behind after making the vest. For a time, the unicorn went about
her work happily, humming a melody to herself as she cleaned and put her
material away. Yet, as Rarity worked she began to hear something, a quiet
sniffling. Caught a bit off guard by the sound, Rarity turned to look at its
source.
Nyx had plopped down in the middle of the shop floor and looked like she
was on the verge of sobbing.
Dealing with Nyx while making the vest had already taken away most of
Rarity’s doubts about whether the filly was as harmless and timid as
Twilight promised, but seeing her about to cry completely dispelled any
lingering worries. The seamstress’ only concern at the moment being
making the filly feel better.
“Oh... oh Dear, what in the world is the matter?”
“T-Twilight doesn’t like me... ,” Nyx blubbered with a whine, struggling to
not cry outright.
“Now just what makes you think that?”
“Y-you said that you wouldn’t m-make anypony wear those glasses, e-even
some pony you really hate... b-but Twilight wanted me to wear those
glasses, s-so she must hate me and... and...”
“Oh... oh Nyx, no,” Rarity reassured, trotting over beside the foal. Using
one hoof to raise the filly's chin, Rarity used her other hoof to wipe away
Nyx's tears while she looked into turquoise, dragon-like eyes.
“Twilight does not hate you.”
“But... you said...”
“Allow me to clarify. I wouldn’t make anypony wear those glasses, but I also
have a better sense of fashion than Twilight Sparkle. She just doesn’t
realize how ugly those glasses were; she’s always more concerned with
function at the expense of form. Honestly, if she needed to, she’d probably
wear those glasses herself, and I know Twilight doesn’t hate herself.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am absolutely positive,” Rarity said, her voice ringing with authority.
“Twilight Sparkle does not hate you in the least, and I don’t want you to
ever think otherwise.”
“O... okay Miss Rarity.”
“Please, Dear, it’s just Rarity,” The white unicorn corrected, heading for the
stairs that lead to the upper level of the shop, where the unicorn lived.
“Now, why don’t we go and have ourselves a late morning tea while we
wait for Twilight? I also think I have some leftover pieces of cake from one
of Pinkie Pie’s many parties. I’d say you deserve to have a slice after
behaving so well this morning.”
Nyx perked up at the thought of getting a slice of cake, and eagerly
followed Rarity to the boutique’s kitchen. With an elegant flick of her horn,
Rarity set several things in motion about the kitchen, the fashion designer
well-practiced at levitating a number of items around a room at the same
time. The very definition of an efficient multi-tasker.
“Go ahead and sit there,” Rarity said, motioning to the small kitchen table.
“The tea will be ready in a jiffy.”
Nyx complied as she jumped up into one of the seats, though it quickly
became apparent that the seats were a little too big for the foal, her eyes
barely breaking even with the top of the table. A stack of books quickly
alleviated that, and, within minutes, Rarity had poured the tea and served
both herself and Nyx a slice of cake.
It was a pleasant late morning tea, but Rarity had another purpose for the
impromptu sit down. To say the least, the designer was still curious about
the Nightmare Moon look-a-like. A curiosity she was now going to work to
satisfy while Twilight was away.
“So, tell me a little about yourself, Nyx. Twilight has managed to keep you a
secret for the past three days, but now I want to know everything.”
“Well, I’ve been staying with Twilight. She’s a really nice unicorn, and Spike
is nice too. She also has an owl named-”
“Dear, you’re telling me about Twilight Sparkle, and I know Twilight. She is,
after all, one of my closest friends. That and, if you recall, you and Twilight
told me all about what you’ve been doing the past three days while I was
working on your vest. No, I want to know more about you. Oh, and I’d drink
your tea before it starts getting cold.”
Nyx nodded, looking down at the small cup she had been served. The filly
alicorn first leaned in to take a sip, but quickly froze up and cringed when
Rarity began to speak.
“Oh, Dear, please tell me Twilight has at least taught you how to have tea
correctly.”
“There’s... a proper way to have tea?”
“But of course,” Rarity replied, giving her hair a toss as she liked to when
making a point. “Especially when you have a unicorn horn. The only proper
way for a unicorn to have tea is to levitate the cup to your mouth and take a
very delicate sip, and, above all, a proper mare shouldn’t spill a drop or
slurp.”
As if to give an example, Rarity did just that. She expertly sipped from the
cup of tea without making a single noise before levitating it back down to its
coaster.
“You mean... like this?” Nyx replied, her own horn starting to glow... only for
her cup of tea to sky rocket up into the ceiling, smashing to pieces as drops
of tea rained across the room.
“My word...”
“Rarity, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad, I-I-I didn't mean to do
it! It was an accident! Please don't be mad! I'm so sorry, please don’t hate
me! I.... I..."
“Nyx, Nyx, please! Relax, it was just an accident; I’m not going to hate you
for something so trivial,” Rarity replied, her own horn glowing as she took a
few dish rags and began cleaning up the spilled tea and shattered tea cup.
“Though, if I were to venture a guess, that was your first time trying to
levitate something.”
The black coated filly replied with a nod.
“Well, I don’t want you to worry. No unicorn gets levitation right on the first
try. Though, most colts and fillies your age have trouble lifting things, where
as your trouble seems to be that you have a natural ability for magic. You
just put a little too much energy into it.
“Now,” Rarity continued, her magic cleaning up the last pieces of the mess
while, at the same time, pouring Nyx a fresh cup of tea. “I want you to try
again, but be very gentle this time.”
“But... what if I break another cup?”
“Then I’ll just clean it up and we’ll try again until I’m out of cups,” Rarity
answered, though she would secretly keep some of her cups hidden away.
She was willing to help a filly learn, but she wouldn’t risk her best china
being destroyed.
The bode of confidence, however, brought a smile to Nyx’s face as her
horn glowed again. This time, the cup of tea very gently levitated off the
saucer, wobbling around a bit in the air but staying level enough that it
didn’t spill. Nyx opened her mouth far wider than she probably needed to,
bringing the cup close until she could bring her lips together and take a
very gentle sip of tea.
Then, she levitated the cup down, intending to set it gently down on the
saucer. Nyx, however, released her magic a little too early, and the cup
clattered down onto the waiting saucer. The cup, however, did not break or
spill.
“Oh, that was marvelous, Darling, simply marvelous!" Rarity said, happy to
see that the filly had succeeded and that her tea cup had survived. "I can
tell, you have the makings and natural talent to really be a proper mare and
a talented magic user... with the right instruction, of course.”
“There is more to being a proper mare than sipping tea?”
“But of course! You have to be able to walk with the right posture, have to
be able to keep up pleasant conversation, oh... and any proper mare must-”
“Can you teach me something else, Rarity?” Nyx asked eagerly. “Please?”
“Oh, now if only Sweetie Belle was so eager,” Rarity mused with a smile.
“But yes, I can teach you. We can get started right now, as a matter of fact.
Starting with the proper way to eat a cake.”
============
Twilight galloped, grumbling under her breath about the pony at the shop
where she had bought the frames. It had taken much longer than it should
have to find the right glasses, and it was no fault of Twilight’s. The stallion
who ran the store understood Rarity’s very specific specifications, but what
had taken forever was him finding those glasses. The stallion had no
organization skills, and they ended up looking through half the boxes he
had in storage for that one pair of glasses.
Still, Twilight had the glasses in question and was happy to see she was
getting close to Carousal Boutique. She galloped in the door, looking
around the front room for Rarity and Nyx. A small surge of panic went
through the unicorn seeing the front room empty, but before starting to get
worked up in worry, Twilight called out.
“Rarity?”
“OH! Twilight! You’re back,” Rarity called. “Come on into the kitchen.”
Following her friend’s voice, Twilight nosed open the door to the kitchen
and was a bit surprised at what she found. Both Nyx and Rarity were
standing in the kitchen, the white unicorn balancing a stack of three book
on her head while Nyx had a single fairly thin book on hers. The filly was
watching the book, squirming a little as she tried to keep the book
balanced.
“What... are you two doing?”
“Why, I’m just giving Nyx a few lessons in being a proper mare.”
“Yea, she taught me how to sip tea, how to eat cake, and now she’s
showing me how to have proper posture,” Nyx chirped, all too excited by
the prospect of learning... well, anything.
“There’s a way to eat cake?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask while raising an
eyebrow.
“But of course, Twilight; at least there is a proper way to do it. Still, I
assume you have the new glasses for Nyx?”
“Yep, I’ve got them right here,” Twilight said, levitating the frames off her
forehead and over to Rarity. The white unicorn took the glasses into her
own levitation magic, turning them around a number of times as she
examined them, scrutinizing every detail.
“These are... better. Not ideal, mind you, but still better than the last set of
frames. Have you already enchanted them?”
“Yes, I did it on my way over here.”
“Well then, Nyx, Dear, try them on,” Rarity said, passing the glasses to the
little filly. The effect was immediate as soon as he glasses where on the
bridge of the filly’s nose; Nyx’s dragon-shaped eyes now looking round and
normal. Her irises were still turquoise, but more importantly the whites of
her eyes actually white.
“While I still say your real eyes are far better, you still look absolutely
darling, and those midnight purple frames go perfectly with your new vest.
Yes, I officially declare you to be fabulous, Nyx.”
“Twilight, why do I have to wear a vest and glasses?” Nyx asked, her
curiosity about the clothes reaching its limits. Twilight bit her lip for a
minute, trying to think of something but failing. Thankfully, Rarity seemed to
pick up on Twilight’s nerves.
“While, Twilight’s just trying to protect you, Dear.”
“Protect me? From what?”
“Why, from making other ponies jealous, of course! Most ponies either
have wings or a horn, if they even have either at all, but you have both. Not
only that, but you have one of the most unique eyes I’ve ever seen, and
you wouldn’t want to make anypony jealous, would you?”
“No, I guess I don’t...”
“Now, why don’t you go finish your cake while I talk with Twilight for a
moment? Oh, but do remember to practice eating it properly.”
“I will, Rarity,” Nyx chirped, moving back to the table while Rarity guided
Twilight to the far corner of the room, where they could talk quietly without
being overheard.
“So, I take it you two have been getting along,” Twilight offered in a hushed
voice.
“Oh Twilight, she is a little angel! I can see why you were so adamant
earlier that she only looks like Nightmare Moon.”
“I’m glad to hear you think so.”
“Though I did notice a couple things that you may want to be aware of.”
“Like what?”
“Firstly, that little filly has a lot of magic. As you can see, she’s already able
to levitate a tea cup. Well, actually, the first cup she tried to lift flew straight
into the ceiling and was smashed to bits, like she put too much effort into
it.”
“Well, she is an alicorn,” Twilight pointed out. “Celestia and Luna are able
to move the sun and moon, so moving a cup is probably something that
comes quite easily to an alicorn.”
“Secondly,” Rarity continued, not even registering Twilight quick comment.
“Be very, and I do mean very, careful what you say around her. I’ve found
out the hard way that little Nyx here is a very sensitive pony and tends to
cry at the drop of a hat. I accidentally said something in passing that made
her think you hated her... and the poor dear was absolutely heartbroken! In
fact, I dare say she is actually worse than our dear Fluttershy.”
“To be fair, Fluttershy has gotten more sociable since I’ve started to know
her. I’m sure that Nyx will grow out of it eventually... or at least I hope so.”
“Well, still be careful what you say. It wouldn’t take much to hurt her
feelings.”
“Don’t worry Rarity,” Twilight replied with a reassuring smile. “I may not
know as much about fashion as you do, but I do know that you have to be
careful what you say to some ponies because it just may hurt their
feelings.”
“One of your lessons on friendship, I would imagine,” Rarity said with a
smile. “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the afternoon?”
“I was actually planning to show Nyx around Ponyville and see how well
her disguise holds up. Take her to see the rest of our friends.”
“Very clever of you, Twilight. In case the disguise isn’t enough, you’d only
be introducing her to our friends, ponies who we can trust to keep a secret.”
“Exactly, though... I think for right now I’d like to just keep the real truth
between you and me.”
“It would be for the best, wouldn’t it? While Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie may
take well to Nyx, I can only imagine that convincing Applejack and Rainbow
Dash that she isn’t Nightmare Moon would be much more difficult,
considering how stubborn those two ponies are.”
“That and the fewer ponies that know the truth the better, at least until I can
figure out if she really is Nightmare Moon or just happens to look like her.
Still, you promise to keep this just between us?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Rarity quickly
chanted, making the appropriate body movements in tune with the Pinkie
Pie promise.
“Thank you Rarity... and thanks again for helping with Nyx’s disguise.”
“It was my pleasure Twilight, really,” Rarity replied, she and Twilight moving
back to the table now that the sensitive part of their conversation was done.
“But just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to let Nyx come over to see me once in a while. I won’t let you
keep this little sweetheart all to yourself.”
Twilight giggled a little, but nodded her head all the same.
“I promise.”
=============
The next few hours were spent with Twilight showing Nyx to her other
friends, and, just like her friends, their responses to and from Nyx were
vastly different, the only constant being that none of them could see
through the expertly crafted disguise.
Rainbow Dash was actually the very first to run into Twilight... literally run
into Twilight. It was enough to make Nyx start bawling, afraid that the first
pony to show her any kindness was seriously hurt or worse. Twilight,
however, already used to acting like a living crash site more than once, was
no more worse for the wear, and got Nyx to settle down once she showed
the crying filly that she was fine.
Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, wasn’t too impressed with Twilight’s
“cousin”. In her own words, Dash pointed out that Nyx was kind of a
crybaby, and that she could stand a bit of toughening up. A lot of toughing
up, actually. Like, she needed to be way more than just 20% tougher. It
was the kind of harsh honesty Dash was known for, though Twilight didn't
appreciate it at the moment. After those not so gentle words, Nyx
practically hid behind Twilight until Rainbow dashed off. Nyx admitted she
didn't like Dash much as Rarity, but Twilight assured her that while she was
a little abrasive, Dash was a pony Nyx could always trust and count on.
The next pony Twilight introduced Nyx to was Applejack. At first, Nyx
seemed frighten of Applejack, seeing her buck apple trees with the greatest
of ease. Still, Nyx changed her tune when Applejack showed the filly some
good old fashioned Southern hospitality, offering a smile and free apple
juice. It wasn’t long before the young filly was asking Applejack all kinds of
questions about the care and harvesting of apples. Questions Applejack
was more than willing to answer proudly, the farm pony impressing not only
Nyx but Twilight with her extensive knowledge of her livelihood.
There was no doubt about it. If apple farming was a field of study,
Applejack would have a PhD.
Fluttershy was also another pony that Nyx got along well with, though if the
filly couldn’t get along with the Bearer of the Element of Kindness, Twilight
seriously doubted that Nyx could ever get along with anypony else.
Fluttershy was all over with how adorable she thought Nyx was, quickly
pulling Nyx out of her shell. The yellow pegasus then introduced Nyx to as
many of her animal friends she could, happily handling Nyx’s constant
stream of questions about the many cute and cuddly creatures.
Now Twilight and Nyx were walking down the street of Ponyville, their
destination looming closer. While Twilight had a feeling all her friends
would have accepted Nyx eventually anyway, even if she had told them the
truth, it was safer for Nyx if fewer ponies knew where she came from. She
just needed time to study the crazy cult’s spell, to figure out what had
happened when the spell was interrupted. Once she knew for sure what
occurred, she would tell everypony the truth.
But, for the moment, Rarity would be the only one Twilight would let in on
the secret... that’s if the disguise held up against its most difficult opponent.
An energetic pink earth pony that had a happy outlook on life but, more
importantly, a strange sixth sense about the future, among other things.
The disguise would have to stand up against Pinkie Pie.
Twilight winced when she heard the little bell above the shop’s door ring,
announcing her and Nyx’s arrival. She was understandably nervous. She
knew she could make Pinkie Pie promise to keep the truth a secret if she
saw through the disguise. If any pony was going to keep a Pinkie Pie
promise, it was the pony the promise was named after. Still, if the disguise
could fool the pink earth pony, then it meant that almost any regular pony
would be fooled.
“Hey, welcome to Sugar Cube Corner where everything is super tasty,
super sugary, and just super super. OH, hey Twilight!” The pink earth pony
said as she bounced out from the kitchen. “Here for an afternoon snack?”
“Actually, I’m here to introduce you to my cousin. She’s going to be staying
here in Ponyville with me for a while, and-”
Twilight found herself quickly knocked out of the way as Pinkie Pie zipped
up, bringing her face within inches of Nyx, who could only crane her neck
back and took a few nervous steps back in of shock at how quickly the
earth pony had crossed the room.
“OH YEA! I love meeting new ponies! I’m Pinkie Pie. What’s your name?”
“I’m... I’m... I’m... ,” Nyx stammered, starting to get scared from the crazy
pink pony with the manic blue eyes staring at her.
“Oh, I know! Let me guess! I’m great at guessing games,” Pinkie Pie
chirped, bringing her head back and actually giving Nyx a bit of her
personal space back. “Um... Little Shadow? No... how about Night Shade?
Oh, I know! Black Snooty, Black Snooty!”
Pinkie Pie froze up at this, as did Twilight. The unicorn’s mind slipped back
to the morning of the last Summer Sun Celebration. When Nightmare Moon
first appeared Pinkie tried to guess her name, and one of the names she
guessed was Black Snooty. Was that a sign Pinkie Pie saw the
resemblance? Was she able to see through Nyx’s disguise?
“Oh, I’m sorry, that was mean of me,” Pinkie then finally offered, ending the
silence that had fallen on the room. “I know your coat is black but I don’t
know enough about you to call you snooty, and even if I did, I wouldn’t say
it to you like this. That would just make me a rude rudy rude pants. Still, I
wonder why I thought that would be your name?”
“Well,” Twilight interrupted, not wanting to give Pinkie Pie time to think
about it. “In any case, her name is Nyx.”
“Oh, that’s a cool name. Nyx... Nyx... Nyx... oh yea, that is a really cool
name. So, Nyxie, how long have you been in Ponyville?”
“Just a few days,” Twilight answered for Nyx, the black filly having taken
the time that Pinkie stepped back to hide behind the unicorn.
“WHAT?!!!” Pinkie Pie half shouted, the earth pony glaring angrily at
Twilight, the unicorn taking an anxious step back from Pinkie Pie while Nyx
darted behind Twilight, covering her eyes in fear
“She’s been here for that long and you didn’t tell me?!”
“Well, I was just giving her a chance to settle in. See, she’s very-.”
“Twilight, nothing helps a pony settle in better then one of my famous
Pinkie Pie Welcome Parties, and now I’m late! I’m going to have to make
this party extra, super duper special to make up for it! Oh, I’m going to need
streamers, balloons, and you know what else?”
“No... ,” Twilight replied, slightly afraid of what the answer would be.
“I’m going to need... a piñata! That’s the only thing that can make up for the
fact I’m this late for with Nyx’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie Pie
announced, as if the strange unwritten laws of Pinkie Pie’s parties were
common knowledge to anypony. “Now, we’ll have the party at the library
tonight and I’ll invite everypony! Oh, it will be such fun, but I’m going to
need help if I’m going to pull it off. Oh, I wonder if I can find Rainbow
Dash?”
With that Pinkie Pie was off, leaving a very scared and confused Nyx in her
wake. Twilight, however, was mostly relieved. Pinkie Pie was acting like
Pinkie Pie, which meant she hadn’t recognized Nyx, at least consciously.
The unicorn couldn’t help but worry that Pinkie Pie might have
subconsciously recognized Nyx, which is why she brought up the name
Black Snooty. Still, as long as that recognition stayed in the pink pony’s
subconscious, they would be fine.
Still, with Pinkie Pie off to pull together a welcome party, Twilight turned her
attention to Nyx. The filly was still stunned, as some ponies were when they
first met the very energetic earth pony.
“Twilight, i-is she always like that?” Nyx asked as she began to recover
from meeting Pinkie Pie, just barely finding the courage to come out from
her hiding place behind Twilight.
“Not always... but she does get like this whenever she meets a new pony.”
Nyx took this answer silently, turning her attention to the door Pinkie Pie
had bounced out of a few moments earlier.
“And... is she really going to throw me a party?”
“Yep. Pinkie Pie throws a party for every new pony who comes to Ponyville,
even ponies who may only be staying here for a few days. She just... really
likes throwing parties and making ponies smile.”
“That’s nice, but... please don’t hate me for saying this but... she’s kind of
weird...”
Twilight laughed a little.
“Yep, that’s Pinkie Pie. She’s on a different wavelength than anypony else.
But don’t worry; she’s one of the nicest ponies in Ponyville. Still, if she’s
going to throw you a party, I’m going to have to let you know what to
expect. Don’t want you to get overloaded like I did at my welcome party.”
“Pinkie Pie threw you a welcome party? What was that like?”
Twilight bit her lip, the welcome party being on the night just before
Nightmare Moon returned. She was on the verge of asking Nyx to drop the
question, but then she looked into the filly’s eyes. Eyes that said that, while
Nyx would have accepted no as an answer, she would be very
disappointed if her question wasn’t answered.
Well, she did just asked what the party was like. Twilight didn’t have to
mention the Summer Sun Celebration...
“Well, it’s sort like this. I had just moved to Ponyville with Spike, when he
told me to try to talk to some of the ponies in town. The first pony we ran
into was Pinkie Pie, and..."
=======================================
- Bonus Art -
Concept Renditions of Filly Nightmare Moon AKA Nyx
Art By Valcron
She’s so cute, you’d never imagine she was about to take over Equestria
=======================================
Chapter 3
School Days and Memories
Nyx stood near Twilight, close to the mare’s front leg as she looked ahead.
Before the pair was a building, painted in rich, welcoming, red colors, set
amongst a lush green yard. The building was decorated with festive hearts,
even the weather mane on the top of the bell tower featured a heart,
looking almost like a Cupid arrow. A playground was visible out behind the
building, while a flag pole and a hedge sculpture stood in front. The hedge
sculpture was of a pony wearing a square, flat-topped hat with a tassel.
An utterly welcoming sight to most young ponies in the community, and a
place of fond memories to many of Ponyville’s resident. A place of learning,
where ponies studied for a bright future and made good friends. Ponyville
Elementary School house, where the mulberry-colored earth pony
Cheerilee granted the gift of knowledge to her students.
It was a place that scared Nyx utterly.
“Do I really have to go?” The black coated filly asked, trying her best to hide
behind Twilight’s leg.
“Yes,” Twilight replied.
“For how long?”
“You’re signed up for the morning class, so you’ll be done around
lunchtime. I’ll come back to pick you up then,” Twilight answered.
“But... I didn’t have to go to school before. Why do I have to go now?”
“It’s important for you to get a good education,” Twilight replied, though it
wasn’t the whole truth. Yes, she felt it was important for Nyx to go to
school, but it was also part of her disguise. If she was going to school it
would be more easy for ponies to believe that she was just an average
unicorn filly and really was Twilight’s cousin.
Nyx was also becoming just a little too clingy at the library. She had a thirst
for knowledge that was almost insatiable, and Twilight hadn’t been able to
get much research done into the cult’s spell. She found Nyx’s curiosity
wonderful, and wanted to encourage it, but she needed to be able to get to
her own studies as well... and maybe have a few hours to herself.
“Do I really have to?”
“The whole point of school is to learn new things. You’ve been learning
everything you can from me and Rarity, and you've been having a lot of
fun. Now, you’re just going to learn from Cheerilee instead, and actually be
in a class with other fillies and colts.”
“But I know you and your friends... I don’t know Cheerilee. What if she’s
mean?”
“Don’t worry, Cheerilee is very nice. Just pay attention in class and
remember to follow the rules. That means both Cheerilee’s rules and my
rules, which are?”
“I can’t take off my vest, I can’t take off my glasses, and I should try not to
use my magic unless I’m writing something down.”
“And try to make some friends,” Twilight added, rubbing a hoof against the
little filly’s head in a playful noogie. Nyx looked up at Twilight with curiosity
gleaming in them after Twilight stopped.
“Are friends really that important?”
“Trust me, nothing is more important than having good friends,” Twilight
said, taking a step forward as the school bell began to ring. “Now, come on.
If we just keep standing here you’re going to be late.”
============
“Good morning class,” Cheerilee half sang, standing at the front of the
room.
“Good morning Cheerilee,” The class echoed back, some honestly
meaning it while others were just saying it because, if they didn’t, they’d
have to say it again.
“Now, before we get started, I have a small announcement. We have a new
student joining us today. Her name is Nyx, and I expect you all to welcome
her as you would any new student,” Cheerilee said, motioning to the black
coated filly standing next to her.
“Now, go ahead and find your seat Nyx. You can take any open desk you
like.”
Nyx nodded gently before she looked out across the dozen desks. The
school house had only nine desks the day before, but, in preparation for
having a new student, Cheerilee had brought out another three desks from
storage. The room was now laid out with four columns of three desks each.
The rest of the class was sitting to one side of the room, leaving an entire
column of empty desks on the right side of the room, when one was looking
from the teacher’s desk. Nyx looked at each seat. Twilight had told her to
sit as close to the front as possible, but at the same time Nyx didn’t feel
brave enough to sit in the very front, at least not on the first day. With only
three rows of desk to choose from, that only left one desk that really
worked.
Nyx walked to the middle desk, setting down the saddle bag Twilight had
packed for her that morning before taking a seat. Directly to her right was
an earth pony with a grayish magenta coat, and a mane that was a mixture
of white and violet. Nyx couldn’t help but glance up to the top of the filly’s
head, where she wore a tiara very similar to the tiara she had for a cutie
mark.
It was only then that Nyx realized the pony she was staring at was staring
back, and not in a good way. The tiara wearing pony wore an expression of
annoyance, like Nyx’s very presence was something of an offence to her.
Nyx shank away from the other filly, not sure what to do... but then she
remembered what Twilight told her.
Gathering what courage she could, Nyx gave a very sheepish smile and
gently waved her hoof, but the tiara wearing pony just humphed and turned
her head away, lifting her nose a little. It was an action that made Nyx
slump down in her seat, turning her attention to the front of the room where
Cheerilee was writing something on the board.
School was not going to be fun at all.
==============
School was amazing!
Nyx could only smile, horn shimmering as she took notes feverishly.
Cheerilee had started the day’s lesson with some history, talking about the
founding of Ponyville by earth ponies and why the town honored some of
the traditions they did. Specifically, she focused on the town’s seasonal
traditions, giving simple explanations as to why the traditions were done
and why they were so important.
“Now, are there any questions before we go to recess?” Cheerilee asked,
not expecting to see a hoof in the air since her students were always more
interested in taking their recess. Still, the teacher couldn’t help but smile
when she saw a particular black hoof in the air, one that had been raised
several times already, the sign of an eager student.
“Yes Nyx, what’s your question?”
“How was Winter Wrap Up done before there were pegasus ponies in
Ponyville?”
“That is a very good question Nyx. While it is tradition that magic isn’t used
to clean up winter, few ponies realized that back when the tradition started
that there weren’t pegasi around.”
“So how did they clean up the clouds and get the birds back?”
“Well, if you don’t mind getting to recess a little later than usual, I can tell
you that originally the earth ponies in town-”
And Cheerilee was off, going much deeper into her lecture. Nyx was happy,
already jotting down fresh notes. Her note taking, however, was interrupted
as Nyx felt something hit the side of her head. Looking down at the floor,
she saw it was a piece of paper, and upon looking up she saw a number of
her classmates were glaring at her fairly coldly for delaying recess.
It was enough to make the filly turn away, sinking into her desk and
whimpering a little, wondering what she had done wrong. She had just
asked a question... she was just curious.
==============
“Boy, am I glad to get outside,” Applebloom said about fifteen minutes later,
when Cheerilee had finished talking about how earth ponies cleared the
clouds. “I’m just glad Cheerilee didn’t cancel recess because of the
question that new filly asked.”
“But it was pretty cool hearing how earth ponies were able to clear the
skies and bring back the southern birds before there were pegasi in town,”
Twist offered as she and Applebloom walked down the outside steps of the
school house, heading into the playground area.
“Yea, it was kind of cool, but I’d still rather have recess. So, what do you
want to do?”
“You want to take turns on the swing?” Twist asked, pointing at the swing in
question.
“Sure!” Applebloom replied, the pair jogging over. Twist arrived first,
jumping on the wooden swing as she began to put her weight into
swinging. Applebloom stood back, watching as her friend got pretty high,
not the highest the farm filly had seen, but respectable.
“Hey!” Twist called, as she reached the top of her forward swing.
“What is it?”
“I think... Silver Spoon... and... Diamond... Tiara... are talking... to... the
new... filly,” Twist said, saying a few bits of her sentence each time she
swung by Applebloom. The farm filly turned her head, seeing that the two
school bullies had caught the new filly just as she came outside for recess,
the three of them talking on the school house steps.
“What do... you think... they’re... talking... about?”
“Nothin’ good if I know those two,” Applebloom said, before turning in that
direction. “Twist, you stay here a sec. I’ll be right back.”
“O... kay!” Twist called, continuing to swing, but watching as her yellow,
earth pony friend made her way across the playground. Thankfully,
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had their backs to the rest of the
playground, so they couldn’t see Applebloom coming up. This allowed the
yellow filly to listen in and hear what the two bullies were saying.
“So, like, we don’t appreciate nerds like you making us almost miss
recess,” Diamond Tiara said, pointing an accusing hoof.
“That class is already soooo boring without you asking a bunch of
questions,” Silver Spoon added. “We get enough of that from Twist.”
“But at least Twist is bearable. That and she doesn’t have ugly coat, like
yours.”
Nyx immediately cringed as she head lowered pulled her ears back, tears
already forming on her eyes. “It-it’s...U...ugly?” she barely sniffled out.
The two earth ponies looked at each other with malicious smirks before
they turned their attention back to Nyx.
“Yeah, it is. The absolute worst color. I would just die if I had a black coat.”
“Me too; not only is black, like, so ugly but it’s creepy too. Only things like
spiders, bats, and ticks are supposed to be black. Not ponies. It just isn’t
natural.”
“She probably actually likes bugs. Why, I bet she’s covered in ticks this
very moment.”
“Ewww... ,” Silver Spoon replied, sticking out her tongue before the two
fillies began to chant evilly together.
“Nyx has Ticks, Nyx has Ticks, Nyx has Ticks.”
“I... I do n-not... ,” Nyx whimpered out, trying to defend herself, but lacking
the courage or conviction needed to get the bullies to stop. Tears were
already flowing from her eyes, only fueling the sadistic mood of the two
class bullies.
“Awww, what’s the matter?” Diamond Tiara mocked with faked sympathy.
“Are you going to cry like a little foal?”
“I bet she is; she’s been teary eyed all day. You are, like, such a crybaby.”
Nyx couldn’t stand it anymore. She collapsed on the ground and proceeded
to wail, making the two earth ponies laugh, not noticing a yellow filly
sneaking behind them.
“So, like, is crying supposed to by your special talent or something?”
“Nah, she doesn’t even have a cutie mark,” Silver Spoon noted, pointing to
Nyx’s blank flanks.
“Wow, I so didn’t notice that before! So she’s a nerd, a creep, a crybaby,
and a blank flank! She’s, like, the biggest loser in the whole school!”
“More like the biggest loser in Ponyville,” Silver Spoon corrected, making
Nyx only cry even harder as the two bullies laughed. Or, at least, they did
laugh until Diamond Tiara was suddenly shoved to the ground, namesake
tiara falling of her head and into the dirt.
“Oh my gosh, Tiara!” Silver Spoon exclaimed, eyes darting until she saw a
furious Applebloom standing just a few feet away. Silver Spoon quickly
connected the dots and glared at the yellow farm filly. “Like, you’re going to
be in so much trouble now.”
“My tiara!” Diamond Tiara cried out, turning and glaring daggers at
Applebloom. “You got dirt on my tiara! I’m telling the Cheerilee!”
“Fine!” Applebloom challenged. “If you do that, then I’ll tell her that you
were bein’ mean to Nyx when she told us to be nice to her.”
“Oh, what, and you think she’ll believe you?”
“Nyx is cryin’ and my friend Twist is watchin’ the whole thing.”
“Is not!” Diamond Tiara protested. Applebloom, however, just smirked and
pointed a hoof behind her, where Twist, while still on the swings, was
watching the whole thing.
Silver Spoon grabbed Diamond Tiara’s tiara, doing her best to wipe the dirt
of the treasured crown.
“Come on, Diamond Tiara, this is, like, not worth our time getting in trouble
for.”
“Hmph. Fine. You win this round, Blank Flank. Have fun with your new
friend and all of her ticks. Let’s get out of here, Silver Spoon.”
With that, the pair turned to make tactical retreat, Applebloom watching the
pair leave before huffing and scrapping her hoof on the ground.
“Someday I’d like to buck some sense into those two, just like my big sister
would. She never got teased in school... but then again she got in trouble
for fighin’,” Applebloom grumbled before turning around. “You okay?”
Nyx nodded, still crying, but beginning to calm down. She carefully
removed her glasses to rub the tears from her eyes. Nyx kept her eyes
closed the entire time her glasses were off, not wanting to get teased for
her dragon eyes, and did not open her eyes again until the glasses were
back where they belonged, perched on the filly's nose.
“W-why are those two so mean?”
“Personally, I think it’s their special talents, and that they should have bully
cutie marks. But I guess it’s kind of like havin’ a special talent for arguin’.
There just isn’t a cutie mark that really makes sense for being a bully. I’m
Applebloom by the way,” The yellow filly chirped as she put out a hoof.
The disguised alicorn looked at the hoof for a bit before shakily offering up
her own in a rather weak hoof shake.
“Nyx.”
==============
“Well howdy Twilight; what brings you round these here parts?” Applejack
greeted, trotting up to the purple unicorn.
“Oh, hey Applejack. I’m just on my way to the schoolhouse,” Twilight
replied, the two friends staring to walk along side each other down the path.
“Well, that’s just where I’m headin’. I’m pickin’ up Applebloom from school
today. Need her help runnin’ some errands in town. What about yerself?”
“I’m picking up Nyx.”
“Nyx? That cousin of yours? Since when did that little filly start goin’ to
school?”
“Today was her first day actually.”
“First day of school is never easy, ‘specially when you just moved to a new
place.”
“Yea, I remember the first day I transferred from my old school to Celestia’s
School for Gifted Unicorns. It was scary, but I really didn’t have to deal with
a lot of other students, being Celestia’s private pupil and all. Still, doesn’t
this mean Applebloom and Nyx are in class together?”
“I reckon it does. You think they’ve met?” Applejack asked as the pair
rounded a bend in the path, the school coming into view.
Twilight smiled, taking notice of a couple of fillies playing just outside the
schoolhouse.
“I’d say they’ve more than just met.”
The pair stopped at this, deciding to watch from a distance as Nyx chased
Applebloom around, probably in a game of tag though Twilight couldn’t be
sure, both due to the distance and because sometimes it’s just hard to tell
what little fillies and colts were doing.
The pair of young mares watched the fillies play for a few moments before
resuming their approach, Applejack calling out to her little sister and
causing both Applebloom and Nyx to run in their direction.
“Hey Applebloom, how was school today?” Applejack asked once the fillies
were within ear shot.
“It was really fun, and I’ve made a new friend,” Applebloom said with a
smile.
“And would this be her?”
“Yep. Applejack, this is Nyx. Nyx, this is my big sister Applejack.”
“Wait... your big sister is Applejack?” Nyx asked.
“You already know my big sister?”
“She should,” The orange farm pony interrupted. “Twilight brought Nyx
around to see me and all our other friends.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because, Nyx is my cousin. And she’s staying with me at the library,”
Twilight answered with her simple but effective lie.
“Whoa, that’s cool!” Applebloom offered excitedly. “Did you know Twilight
once beat an Ursa Minor all by herself?”
Nyx eyes went wide, looking at the purple unicorn with awe and admiration.
“You did?”
“Well... yes, but I wouldn’t really call what I did beating it. The Ursa Minor
was just cranky from being woken up, so I gave it some milk and rocked it
to sleep.”
“But it was still really cool,” Applebloom offered.
“So, did anything else happen at school today?” Twilight asked, trying to
steer the conversation away from her defeat of the Ursa Minor.
“Well... some of the other fillies in class were mean to me... OH! And
Cheerilee wanted me to give you something,” Nyx said, horn glowing as
her saddle bag clicked open. The note in question floated into the air,
passing from Nyx’s magic to Twilight’s as the unicorn read.
“What does it say? Did Nyx do something bad?” Applebloom asked, her
only experience with teacher’s notes being when she had misbehaved at
school. Nyx couldn’t help but look at Applebloom with mild panic, being
afraid that she did something wrong on her very first day of school.
“No, it’s just Cheerilee asking me to make sure Nyx knows about some
subjects, since she’s starting partway through the school year.”
Applejack whistled, reading the note over Twilight’s shoulder.
“That ain’t just some subjects Twi; that’s a lot of book learnin’ Nyx has to
catch up on.”
“Yes... but with my help I’m sure we’ll get through it really quickly. We’ll, of
course, start right away. We could probably get through the basic
mathematics this afternoon if we really hit it hard.”
“Awww... ,” Applebloom muttered in disappointment.
“What’s the matter Sugarcube?”
“I wanted to as Nyx if she wanted to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I’m
meeting Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell after they get out from the afternoon
class so we can try and find our cutie marks, and Nyx doesn’t have hers
either.”
“Well, them two friends of yers don’t get out of class until mid-afternoon and
you and I got errands to run. So how about you let Nyx go get some
learnin’ done with Twilight, and then you and your friends can go find her at
the library later?
“That is, ‘course, if it’s okay with Twilight.”
Before the unicorn could even answer, both Applebloom and Nyx were
giving her the biggest, most pleading puppy dog eyes and begging smiles
they could muster. It was enough to make Twilight giggle, nodding her
head.
“Of course. Nyx may need to study, but she also needs to have time to play
with new friends.”
==============
Diamond Tiara groaned as she dropped her face into her open book. She
glared coldly at the letters on the page, even though she’d rather be setting
her glare on a certain black filly. Nyx had just asked another question, right
before recess, and now Cheerilee was continuing to lecture past the time
they were supposed to go outside.
Thankfully, the answer to Nyx’s question was short, and the fillies and colts
of the school were soon free to run and play outside. Nyx rushed out with
Applebloom and Twist, the three rushing off to play on a bit of playground
equipment. Diamond Tiara watched the black filly from across the
playground with a glare, waiting for Silver Spoon to get outside.
“Hey there, Diamond Tiara. How boring was that lesson?”
“Totally boring, and Nyx just couldn’t keep her mouth shut and had to ask
another one of her dumb questions. Seriously, I don’t know what’s wrong
with her. It’s like she actually likes school.”
“A total egghead,” Silver Spoon agreed.
“She’s been like this since she started class two weeks ago. I don’t know
why she keeps doing it. Like, everypony else hates it. Her only friends are
those three blank flanks and that other nerd Twist. Somepony needs to
teach her a lesson about being so... nerdy.”
“Oh yea. Hey, you want to put gum on her chair?”
“No, that won’t do it. It might make her cry but that’ll be it. If we’re going to
prank her, it needs to be a prank that teaches her to not be so curious,”
Diamond Tiara said, shifting her gaze away from the black filly, and to the
forest trees in the distance. It was at this point the bully began to smile.
“Oh... that is too perfect.”
“What is it?”
Diamond Tiara motioned for Silver Spoon to get close before she started
whispering in her friend's ear.
Silver Spoon also began smiling, nodding her head in approval. “Oh,
Diamond Tiara, that will teach her.”
“Bump! Bump! Sugar-lump, rump!” The pair said in unison, doing their very
strange special hoofshake before they laughed and began strolling off to
set their plans in motion.
==============
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK
“Coming,” Twilight announced, strolling towards the door. She and Nyx
were in the middle of the filly’s extra afternoon lessons, where she and
Twilight worked to catch Nyx up with the rest of her class. Nyx was
currently working on some math problems Twilight had written out for her
when the unicorn went to answer the door.
“Nyx?” Twilight called from the door.
“Yeah?”
“There are a couple of your friends from school here. You want to take a
break and go play with them?”
Nyx was at the door in the flash, expecting Applebloom or Twist... but her
smile turned into a frown when she saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon
standing there.
“Hey Nyx, we were just going to Sugarcube Corner to get a snack. You
want to come with?” Diamond Tiara offered, putting on a smile.
“I... I really shouldn’t,” Nyx said. “I’ve got a lot of studying to do.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Twilight said, using a leg to push Nyx out the door. She
then fetched the black filly’s saddle bags and puts a few bits into the right
bag. “Go have a break with your friends. That, and can you bring me back
a sugar cookie? Pinkie Pie was bragging that the sugar cookies she made
this morning are her best ever, and I was hoping to try one.”
“But, but...” Nyx stammered, the unicorn not quite picking up Nyx’s lack of
excitement. Before she knew it, she was already outside, with Twilight
expecting her to buy snacks for both herself and for the little fillies. Nyx
lowered her head, and looked at the two other fillies in fear, afraid of what
other mean things they would say to emotionally cut her. Instead, the two
continued to smile... and... they were pretty nice smiles.
“So Silver Spoon and I just wanted to apologize for being so mean.”
“You... you do?” Nyx asked as she raised her head, utterly surprised to
hear those words; it was the last thing she would have expected them to
say.
“Yeah, like, we thought about what we did, and we’re so sorry we did it. It’s
not easy being the new kid in town, and it was wrong of us to be mean to
you like that.”
“O-oh, um... that’s okay. I forgive you,” Nyx offered with a shy smile.
“Aw, thanks a lot, Nyx! We thought that maybe you were a nice pony, and
we’re right as always! In fact, let’s be friends.”
“R-really?!” Nyx asked with a grin, unable to hide her enthusiasm at having
more friends.
“Oh yea. We can, like, be total BFF’s.”
“What’s that?” Nyx asked, as she began to walk with the other two fillies.
“BFF’s... Best Friends Forever,” Diamond Tiara explained. “Oh, and just so
you know, black is so totally cool.”
“It is?”
“Like, coolest color ever. It makes you unique, even if you don’t have a
cutie mark yet.” Silver Spoon assured.
“Totally cool,” Diamond Tiara agreed.
“Well, thanks. I’m glad we can be friends,” Nyx said, smiling. Diamond
Tiara and Silver Spoon smiled as well, winking at each other behind Nyx’s
back before laughing a bit.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing, just thinking of a joke Silver Spoon told me. Now, let’s go get
those sweets.”
==============
“Really?” Nyx asked in disbelief as she sat with Silver Spoon and Diamond
Tiara just outside Sugarcube Corner, the three eating their snacks. Nyx
was using her horn to levitate the food to her mouth, doing her best to
remember all the lessons on being a proper mare Rarity had taught her
since Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seemed to be the kind of mares to
care.
“Oh yes, the Everfree Forest really is amazing once you go deep enough
inside.” Diamond Tiara reassured. She and Silver Spoon had just spent the
last half hour telling Nyx that while the Everfree Forest was scary on the
outside it an amazing place when you got deep enough. A beautiful place
with all sorts of gentle animals and babbling brooks and huge fields of
flowers. To Nyx, it sounded like the best place ever.
“But... I’ve been in the Everfree Forest with Twilight, and I never saw
anything like that.”
“You must not have gone deep enough,” Silver Spoon answered quickly,
brushing off Nyx’s comment.
“Still, you don’t know what you’re missing. It is, like, so beautiful,” Diamond
Tiara said before perking up with a smile. “Hey, we should all go together.”
“I...I don’t know...” Nyx began, trying to resist the urge to cry. “I’ve been in
there and it’s really scary... and Twilight told me to never go back in there
because of all the monsters.”
“Look, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Diamond Tiara insisted. “The main
path is, like, enchanted or something. You stay on it and the monsters will
leave you alone.”
“Oh, well... that’s good, but... Twilight’s expecting me back at the library.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Silver Spoon and I will go tell her where we’re going.”
Diamond replied, reaching into her saddle bag and pulling out a map, one
which she had drawn a dotted red line. “Just follow this map with the path
marked, and you’ll get to the really beautiful part of the Everfree Forest.
We’ll be right behind you.”
Nyx eyed the pair for a second, and then looked down at the map, biting
her lower lip like she did when she was nervous. Still, when she looked up
and saw the very gentle and excited looks on Diamond Tiara and Silver
Spoon, she couldn’t help but smile. Nyx picked up the map with her magic,
and stuck it into her saddle bag. She then took out some of the bits Twilight
had given her.
“Well, okay, I’ll see you there. But... please remember to take Twilight a
sugar cookie when you go to tell her. “
“Of course,” Silver Spoon said, taking the bits and standing up from the
table. “I’ll go buy the cookie right now.”
“Yea, we’ll go tell Twilight. You just go on ahead, BFF.”
Nyx nodded, jumping down from the table and trotting off in the direction of
the forest. Diamond Tiara smiled, watching the black filly until she had
rounded a corner before bursting out in laughter. Diamond Tiara laughed
until Silver Spoon came back out of Sugar Cube Corner, carrying two
freshly purchased cookies.
“Oh... that was too easy.”
Sliver Spoon nodded, offering one of the cookies to Diamond Tiara.
“Yea, and we, like, got free cookies out of the deal.”
“This, Silver Spoon, was our Best. Prank. Ever.”
“Totally,” The gray earth pony replied, the pair high hoofing before digging
into their ill gotten cookies.
==============
Twilight trotted through the streets of Ponyville as she anxiously looked
around. She hadn’t seen Nyx in two hours and was starting to worry. She
hadn’t been able to find the filly or the two friends that had come to play
with her, but at the moment, she was willing to believe they had just gotten
caught up in playing and lost track of time.
The unicorn trotted into the market and looked around, but saw no sign of
Nyx. She did, however, catch sight of Applejack. The farm pony was
tending the market stand while, at the same time, keeping an eye on
Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, the Cutie Mark Crusaders
trying to balance on top of each other. It was another attempt in getting
their cutie marks, but one Twilight didn’t have time to try and figure out.
“Hey, Applejack!”
“Hey there, Sugarcube. What can I do ya for? Want some red delicious,
gala, or maybe some granny smith apples?”
“Applejack, you haven’t seen Nyx have you?”
“Nyx? Why no, I haven’t. Is she missin’?”
“I... I don’t know! Two fillies from her class came by to see if she could play,
but that was two hours ago and I’m starting to worry.”
“Oh, Twilight, I’m sure you got nothin’ to worry yourself about. They’re
probably just off playin’.”
“I know, but... but it has been two hours.”
“What two fillies came to play with Nyx?” Applebloom asked as she and her
friends walked up to the mares, having overheard the conversation.
“I don’t know their names. One was gray with a spoon cutie mark and a
braid in her mane. The other had a swirled mane and a tiara.”
“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?! Nyx went to play with them?!”
Applebloom said, her voice carrying undertones of concern.
“Yes... is that bad?”
“Twilight, those two are bullies! Don’t you remember how they made fun of
me, called me a blank flank at the Cute-ceañera?”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she remembered that day and the two fillies
who teased Applebloom. She hadn’t recognized them when they came to
play with Nyx because they didn’t have their party dresses on.
“Girls, I reckon you three better help Twilight find those two. Do you know
where they like to hang out?”
“I know where Diamond Tiara lives; her dad owns the jewelry shop here in
town,” Sweetie Belle offered. “My big sister Rarity is good friends with her
father. Whenever I go over to the shop with her, I see Diamond Tiara and
Silver Spoon their doing homework, at least, at this time of day.”
“Take me there.” Twilight ordered, the three fillies quickly snapping into stiff
salutes before galloping off, the concerned unicorn following in their wake.
==============
Nyx shakily took out the map Diamond Tiara had given her, looking it over
before looking up at the dark, foreboding path ahead. She didn’t know how
far along the path she was, but the line on the paper said she still had to
keep going.
The line crossed a river, and Nyx could hear the babbling of a stream just
ahead of her. Still, after she rounded a corner, Nyx froze up, eyes focusing
on a large purple serpent that was splashing around in the water. Ducking
behind a tree, Nyx watched as the purple sea serpent with strangely well
styled orange hair ate his lunch, some rough gemstones he had gathered
from the river bed.
Nyx was certain the serpent wouldn’t turn down his gemstones to eat a little
pony, so she decided to stay hidden and wait until he had left.
==============
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren’t at the jewelry store, and Twilight
was officially starting to panic. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had split up, each
going to fetch help. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle ran to get their big
sisters, Applejack and Rarity respectively, while Scootaloo used her
scooter to quickly race out of Ponyville to where Rainbow Dash was
practicing tricks.
That left Twilight to continue to run around Ponyville, trying to find the two
fillies who had last been with Nyx. She began asking anypony she came
across, growing more frantic as more time passed. Where were they?
Where was Nyx?
“TWILIGHT!”
The unicorn turned skyward, seeing Rainbow Dash circling above her.
“I’ve found them, this way!” With that the pegasus banked, flying off to
another part of Ponyville. Twilight galloped as fast as her hooves could
carry her. It was a few blocks of running, but, after rounding a corner,
Twilight saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“How you want to do this?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Go find the others and have them meet in the town square, just in case we
have to go and try to find Nyx. I’ll deal with these two.”
“You got it, Twi,” Rainbow Dash said as she sped off to gather all the
others. Twilight watched her friend leave for a moment before turning her
eyes on the park bench, eyebrows furrowing as she approached the two
fillies.
“Hey, you two!” Twilight snapped, making the two fillies jump. Still, the
shock was short lived as the pair’s expressions shifted to annoyance and
disinterest.
“Oh look, Silver Spoon, it’s the town librarian. What, trying to find ponies
that have overdue books?” Diamond Tiara teased.
“Where is Nyx?”
“Who is that? We don’t know a Nyx, do we Silver Spoon?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Silver Spoon said behind a giggle. Diamond Tiara
would have joined in the giggle, but the laughter died in her chest as her
eyes fell on Twilight Sparkle.
While reports of such things are rare, especially magically inclined unicorns
were said to be able to perform a rage shift, where their anger feeds into
their magic and causes a physical change to their bodies. Twilight had
experienced one such rage shift when she was trying to understand Pinkie
Pie’s sixth sense, and today would be the second occurrence.
Mane and tail set ablaze by her rage driven magic, eyes glowing red, and
her coat a bright, angry white, Twilight glared down at Diamond Tiara like a
fiery unicorn of doom.
“Unless you want me to turn you into a cactus you will tell me where Nyx is
RIGHT NOW!”
“She’s in the Everfree Forest!” Diamond Tiara squeaked out in fear. “We...
we told her that the forest got really nice if you go deep enough and gave
her a map. She left from Sugarcube Corner and that’s the last we saw of
her!”
Twilight’s rage shift ended, her mane, tail, coat, and eyes returning to
normal as her eyes narrowed into pin points. Without another word, Twilight
spun on her hooves and galloped back towards the center of Ponyville,
where Rainbow Dash would be gathering her friends. It would be getting
dark soon, and the Everfree Forest only got more dangerous in the dark.
==============
Nyx trembled, just barely keeping herself moving and not crying, if only so
she didn’t attract the attention of any monsters. It had gotten dark, and the
forest had gotten very, very scary. The little filly looked around the path
anxiously, looking at the many long shadows... seeing things that looked
like scary monsters. It was only by some miracle that the moon was three
fourths full, providing plenty of light to see the path ahead.
Nyx had given up trying to find the nice part of the forest, just trying to get
back to Ponyville. But she had lost her map when something startled her,
and she ran, leaving the map behind. Now she was wandering around
aimlessly, but what else could she do?
She tried to follow the paths that were familiar, ones she thought looked
like parts of the forest she had seen before. Still, she hadn’t even crossed
the river again, the one landmark Nyx was desperately hoping to see, even
if the sea serpent was back.
Rounding a corner in the path, Nyx came to a stop as her eyes fell on aged
and worn stone. A creaky rope bridge hung over a deep expanse, shifting
gently from side to side. On the far side was the ruins of an ancient castle,
long forgotten and partially overtaken by the Everfree Forest.
It was something Nyx knew she hadn’t passed by on her way into the
forest, and yet... it was strangely familiar. Curiosity starting to replace fear,
Nyx carefully stepped out onto the bridge, crossing the expanse.
Thankfully, none of the wooden planks gave away, so Nyx able to cross to
the other side without incident.
Still, as the filly looked up the long forgotten castle... she began to
remember something, a memory rising to the surface. It wasn’t like she was
trying to remember, but the memory just wouldn’t go away. It forced itself to
the front of Nyx’s mind, the voices and blurry images from the memory
playing in her head.
Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious
little sun-loving faces.
What did you do with our Princess?
Whoa there, Nelly!
Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?
Ooh! Ooh! More guessing games! Um... Hokey Smokes! How about Queen
Meanie? No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty!
Does my crown no longer count, now that I have been imprisoned for a
thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?
I did, and I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare
Moon.
Well well well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm
here.
You're here to... to...
Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment
forth, the night will last forever! AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Nyx shook her head, finally managing to banish the blurred thought that
had overtaken her mind. She had recognized some of the voices; she had
heard Twilight’s voice... but there was a voice she shouldn’t have
recognized, but did. The voice of the older mare, the one who laughed in
the end. It was a voice that Nyx felt she kind of remembered, but she
couldn’t remember who it belonged to.
Putting the strange occurrence out of her mind, the filly began climbing the
steps to the castle. She didn’t know why, but she had to see the inside, no
matter how scary the Everfree Forest was, as if the castle was calling out to
her. She climbed steps, navigated old hallways, and eventually climbed to
the one remaining tower. Despite its age, Nyx couldn’t help but shake the
thought from her head that she had just entered the palace’s old throne
room... like she had been there before.
The little filly stepped into the center of the room, looking up at the broken
glass windows at the far end. She then winced in pain, a memory coming to
the surface of her mind again. This memory, however, was far more
aggressive. It would not be ignored; it shoved all other thoughts out of the
way, demanding attention.
Nyx could remember standing at the far end of the room, looking down
across it. She was looking down at a small purple unicorn... a unicorn she
knew... Twilight.
You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your
princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!
Nyx could remember herself saying those words. She could remember
thinking them, but even worse... she could remember the feelings behind
those thoughts. She wanted to hurt Twilight, to punish the unicorn for trying
to usurp her. She was thinking about banishing her, imprisoning her... even
torturing her.
Nyx struggled against the memory. No, she wouldn’t want to hurt Twilight.
Twilight was the kindest pony she knew. It was Twilight who took care of
her, who taught her, who read her to sleep at night with story books. It was
Twilight that had found her in the forest. She didn’t want to hurt Twilight!
Dark shadows shifted around the room, dispelled magic that had laid
dormant being awaken by Nyx’s presence. Trails of indigo smoke began to
creep towards Nyx, and as the magic began to seep into her, the memory
continued, despite how much Nyx wanted it to stop.
She saw Twilight with her friends, the unicorn giving a long speech about
elements... and then there was a bright light. A light so bright that it hurt to
look at it, that she had to shield herself from it with her wing. And then...
then there was a rainbow... but not a nice, pretty rainbow.
No, the rainbow lunged at her like an angry snake, encircling her. It... it
burned. It was burning her away, tearing her away from something else. It
was like a savage animal with razor sharp claws, tearing her to ribbons
despite her cries.
Nyx collapsed on the floor of the castle, panting heavily as the memory
finally relented. Despite the cool feel of the castle stone floor, the filly could
still feel the burning pain of the rainbow, how it had cut and tore at her.
Other thoughts began to bubble to the surface as more and more of the
indigo smoke began to draw in from the room and feed into Nyx. The
thoughts were desires... hateful desires. Desires to hurt ponies, to make
them pay for ignoring her. Memories of being scorned and ignored,
memories of jealousy and anguish.
Amongst these thoughts a few began to stand out. Thoughts that mingled
with Nyx’s latest memories of her friends, of Twilight. They began to poison
those memories, filling them with hatred. She wanted to hurt Twilight. She
wanted to make her suffer, wanted to torture her. These were thoughts that
Nyx didn’t want to have, the little filly clapping her hooves against the side
of her head.
“NO!!!” Nyx tried to argue, shouting to the silence of the castle as if to
chase the thoughts away. “I don’t want to hurt Twilight! She takes care of
me, teaches me things, let's me go to school! I don’t want to hurt her!”
Yet the thoughts continued, unrelenting. Thoughts of how she would hurt
Twilight. How she would torture the unicorn. Snap off her horn, keep her
locked into a dungeon, horrible thoughts that started to make Nyx
physically ill.
“NO!” Nyx cried to the silence. “I don’t want to hurt Twilight! I don’t want to!”
The thoughts were reaching a boil. As Nyx tried to push some away, more
rose in their place. Thoughts of how she’d hurt Twilight’s friends to make
the unicorn suffer. How she’d go after Twilight’s family. Of all the ways she
could break the unicorn’s spirit.
“NO! NO NO NO NO NO NOOOO!!!”
With that final scream something sparked to life inside Nyx, the filly
alicorn’s eyes glowing white. The creeping tendrils of indigo smoke
suddenly shifted, swirling faster and faster as they were sucked down into
the filly like water in a whirlpool. At the same time the dark desires began to
fade, ebbing away and leaving as Nyx floated up into the air.
When the last traces of the indigo cloud was gone, Nyx’s horn sparked, a
crack of lightning lancing up from her horn and into the sky with a
thunderous boom.
==============
Celestia bolted up in bed and turned her eyes to her window, through which
she could see the distant Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. Her breathing
was still, the alicorn trying to stretch out her magic and senses. For a
moment, it felt like... but that was impossible. She could sense Luna in
castle, in the main hall... but this presence.
It was short lived, but she had sensed her presence... a presence the sun
princess hoped to never sense again.
==============
In another part of Canterlot, a dark blue unicorn with turquoise eyes, who
was sitting in his study, also looked out his window. His eyes remained
focus on the window for a time, looking out beyond it on the distant
Everfree Forest. He shut the book he had been reading, a complex spell
book on theoretical resurrection magic.
The figure quickly moved to the door of his study, opening it and calling out
into the hallways of the stately manor.
“Proper Etiquette!?”
“You called Sir?” The butler pony replied, quickly zipping up. He was an all
white unicorn with a collar and tie around his neck and a monocle over his
right eye, his eyes turquoise as well.
“Have messages sent to Miss Gray Gale, Miss Night Wind, and Mr.
Stonewall. I need to speak them right away: this evening, if possible.”
“Of course, Sir. I will have them summoned immediately.”
==============
“AAHHHH!!!” Twilight cried out in pain, tripping over her own hooves. She
and her friends had been racing through the Everfree forest when a arcane
bolt of lightning launched itself up into the sky. Twilight tumbled on the
ground, landing in a heap on the side of the path. Rarity and Fluttershy
quickly galloped up while the others were transfixed skyward, where they
had just seen the bolt of magic.
“WHOA!!! Did you see that!?” Dash asked, the pegasus pointing skyward.
“Sure did Sugarcube. Where do you reckon it came from?”
“Oh, the Everfree Forest!” Pinkie Pie chirped.
“Well, no duh Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “We’re kind of in the
Everfree Forest.”
“Of course, Silly! That’s how I knew that lightning bolt came from here.”
Dash could only face hoof while Twilight struggled to her hooves.
“Twilight, Dear, what happened?” Rarity asked. “You were running just fine
and then you... you just crashed. Did you trip on your own hooves?”
“No... I just... it felt like a big surge of magic was just released. It... it came
from the old castle... and I think Nyx is there.”
“But why would she be there?” Rarity asked as Twilight got to her hooves.
“I don’t know... but I have to get to her now,” Twilight said, her horn starting
to glow. Before any of her friends could protest, the unicorn was enveloped
in light, teleporting away.
==============
Twilight reappeared, looking around the room she had not been in since
the last Summer Sun Celebration. The throne room in the Ancient Castle of
the Royal Pony Sisters, where she and her friends had defeated Nightmare
Moon. The room was just as Twilight remembered it, except for a single
small detail.
Lying in the center of the room, bawling her eyes out, was Nyx. Twilight
rushed over to the filly, getting down on the floor beside her, the unicorn
trying her best to embrace and comfort the little pony.
“Shhhh... it’s okay. It’s okay,” Twilight reassured, Nyx trembling in her
hooves. Still, as Twilight looked down at the filly, she took notice of
something that made her heart skip a beat.
Nyx’s mane and tail had changed, becoming a swirling, mystical cloud of
indigo dotted with stars. It was the “hair” of Nightmare Moon. Still, even as
Twilight was trying to process the existence of the mystical mane and tail
they began to fade and change, reverting back to the purple hair Nyx
normally had.
Even as Nyx returned to normal, Twilight found herself hugging the filly
even tighter, her mind trying to find some way to explain what she had just
seen.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please don’t hate me! Please!” Nyx wailed, burying her
head in Twilight’s chest.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I know Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon
tricked you into coming here.”
“No... I’m... I’m sorry I wanted to hurt you!”
“When did you-?”
“I... I don’t know! I came in here and then... and then I remembered looking
down on you. We were both here, and you looked so scared, and I was
happy to see you were scared... and-and I wanted to hurt you, b-because
you tried to stop me from doing s-something... but I d-don’t want to hurt
you, Twilight! Please... please don’t hate me! I don’t want to hurt you!”
“I know you don’t,” Twilight reassured. “It’s okay, I know you don’t.”
Still, the unicorn couldn’t help but look up at the far end of the throne room,
where the true Nightmare Moon had stood on the night of her defeat as
Nyx continued to cry.
There was only one pony Twilight had ever really stopped, a pony whose
plan she had thwarted. That pony had been defeated in that very room, and
it was possibly the room itself that triggered these memories in Nyx.
It sent a chill down Twilight’s spine, and she hugged Nyx as tightly as she
could without hurting the filly. If she remembered this place... if she had
memories of that night... then... then there was a chance she really was
Nightmare Moon.
Twilight shook her head, feeling herself tear up. No... it couldn’t be true.
She wouldn’t believe it. She didn’t care what anypony said. Nyx wasn’t
Nightmare Moon, she just wasn’t.
It just couldn’t be true... could it?
Chapter 4
Distant Storm Clouds
Twilight stepped down the stairs of the library, having just tucked Nyx into
bed. The filly was exhausted, falling asleep as soon as her head had hit the
pillow. Down in the library’s main floor, all of Twilight's friends, Spike, and
the Cutie Mark Crusaders waited to hear how Nyx was doing. Twilight was
touched by how worried everypony had been, and she offered them a
gentle smile once she got downstairs.
“She’s okay, just tired. I just put her to bed.”
The breath that was being held by everypony was exhaled at once, the
tension in the room dissipating. Twilight embodied this release in tension by
dropping to her haunches and just sitting there for a moment. It had been a
long several hours... but Nyx was back and safe. No worse for wear...
mostly.
“Well, this has been fun, but I am exhausted,” Rarity offered. “I hope you
don’t mind, Twilight, but I’m going to take Sweetie Belle home.”
“No, I don’t mind. I know you are all tired, and Nyx is safe now. You should
all go home and get some rest.”
“You sure you don’t want some of us to stay?”
“No, I couldn’t ask you to do that. You all dropped everything to help me
find Nyx... I couldn’t make you stay now that she’s safe.”
“Well shoot, Sugarcube, that’s what friends are for. You’d do the same if
Apple Bloom went missing.”
“Or Sweetie Belle.”
“Or Gummy!”
“I know. Still, I can’t thank you all enough. I was... I was really worried
about her.”
“It wouldn’t be right if you weren’t concerned; you obviously care about that
cousin of yours,” Applejack said, starting to head for the door. “Still, Twi’s
right. We all should be in bed, includin’ three certain fillies that have school
in the morning.”
“Awww.... but we want to stay and make sure Nyx is okay,” Apple Bloom
whined.
“No dice, Apple Bloom. You got school in the mornin’. You can come and
check on Nyx after class.”
“The same goes for you, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity added, looking at the
smaller white unicorn. “We need to get you home and into bed.”
“And I know your mother’s got to be worried too, Scootaloo.” Twilight
remarked.
“Oh no! My mom is going to flip!” The orange pegasus realized.
“Hey, don’t worry, Kid, I’ve got you covered,” Rainbow Dash said, giving
Scootaloo a noogie. “I know your mom. How about I fly you home and
explain everything?”
“Wow, you’d really do that?”
“Hey, you stayed here just to make sure Nyx got home safe. That’s a kind
of loyalty I can appreciate,” Dash explained as she landed on the ground
and motioned for Scootaloo to get on her back. “Now, get up here.”
Scootaloo grinned ear to ear, more than eager to accept Dash’s offer of a
flight home. With that, the mass of ponies filtered out of the room, Twilight
offering 'good night's and 'thank you’s as she watched everypony leave.
The unicorn then shut the door to the library, letting out an exhausted sigh
as she began to head for the stairs. She was dead tired and starving, but
she was too tired to eat. She’d just wait and have a big breakfast in the
morning.
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
Twilight turned, eyeing her front door as she debated opening it. She really,
really just wanted to go to bed, but her more courteous nature got the
better of her. The unicorn turned and walked towards the door as she
opened it magically.
“That’s her, Daddy.”
Twilight’s eyes hardened as she saw Diamond Tiara standing on her
doorstep, this time accompanied by an older stallion. He had a grayish
violet mane and a complementary grayed red tone for his coat. He was
substantially sized, not as big as Big Macintosh but substantial. He had a
cutie mark of a jeweled necklace and jeweler’s eyepiece. His azure eyes
were turned down in a hard glare set directly upon a certain purple unicorn.
“Can I help you?” Twilight asked, trying to be as pleasant as possible.
“You must certainly can! My daughter says you threatened to turn her into a
cactus! I will not stand to have my child threatened. I expect a full apology,
or I’m going to the authorities!”
Twilight’s eyebrow furrowed, the unicorn stepping so she was directly in
front of the stallion, her eyes locked on his as she glared him down.
“Your daughter sent Nyx into the Everfree Forest alone, into a place where
she could have gotten hurt, lost, or eaten!”
“It isn’t my fault this Nyx doesn’t know any better. I’ve made sure my
daughter knows how dangerous the forest was; maybe you should consider
doing the same.”
“Nyx does know how dangerous the Everfree Forest is!” Twilight exploded,
stamping a hoof as she yelled in the stallions face. “Diamond Tiara
intentionally put Nyx in danger, told her that there was an enchanted path
through the Everfree Forest, and even gave Nyx a map so she would get
lost in the deepest part of the forest!”
“A likely story. Let me guess: Nyx told you that. Well, she is lying. My little
angel wouldn’t do anything to endanger one of her fellow classmates.”
“Nyx has no reason to lie to me, unlike your daughter who has every
motivation to not tell the truth. On top of that, from what I’ve heard, your
daughter is nothing but a bully, and you are doing no favors protecting her
from the consequence of her actions.
“So, let me make this crystal clear,” Twilight continued, her voice getting
low as she stood on the tips of her hooves, trying to make her eyes as level
with the stallions as possible. “If she does anything like this to Nyx again,
being turned into a cactus will be the least of her concerns.”
“Who do you think you are, threatening my family like this? I am a
respected member of this community!”
“And I’m the unicorn that beat a Ursa Minor bare-hoofed, and also the
unicorn who is Princess Celestia's private pupil! So, if you really want to
push your luck, I’d be happy to take this outside. Otherwise, get out of my
library!”
The stallion swallowed at this, his conviction wavering. There was a tense
moment where Twilight began to worry she might have to actually “take this
outside”, but the stallion buckled, taking a step back in defeat.
“Da... Daddy, what are you doing?”
“We’re going home, Diamond Tiara, and when we get there, you are
grounded.”
“What!? For how long?”
“Indefinitely!” The father snapped back, he and the young bully walking
down the street. Twilight slammed the door of the library shut, a final
punctuation to her angry rant, before taking a few deep breaths to calm
herself. Finally, her anger broke, and Twilight felt a cool wave of calmness
flow over her, allowing the unicorn to regain her composure.
“Whoa... that was pretty scary, Twilight,” Spike admitted, the baby dragon
having stood at the back of the library to keep out of the fight. “I’ve never
heard you pull rank like that, using your position as Celestia’s student to
threaten somepony.”
“Yeah... and Celestia wouldn’t be happy if she found out I did. So...”
“Hey, my lips are sealed. Personally, I think you should have turned him
into a cactus just to prove a point.”
“No... that wouldn’t have helped at all. Still, I can’t believe that little filly
actually sent Nyx into the Everfree Forest. I mean, what was she thinking?”
“Couldn’t tell you; I don’t make it a habit trying to understand bullies,” Spike
replied, yawning as he glanced at the clock. “Well, it’s late. I’m surprised
Owlowiscious hasn’t come in yet. He’s usual-”
“Hoo.”
Spike jumped, spinning around to see the horned owl was sitting on top of
a nearby book shelf.
“Seriously, we need to tie a bell on you. You’re like a ninja owl or
something.”
“Hoo,” The owl replied in his usual fashion.
“You.”
“Hoo.”
“You, I’m talking about you!”
“Hoo.”
“I’m... you know what, no... I’m not getting into that with you,” Spike said,
heading towards the staircase. “I’m going to bed. Night Twilight.”
“Good night, Spike,” The unicorn replied, watching her assistant climb the
steps. She then turned to look at Owlowiscious, the owl titling his head a
little bit expectantly.
“Sorry Owlowiscious, but I’m really tired; it’s been a long day. I hope you
don’t mind if I just go to bed too.”
“Hoo,” Was all the owl replied, taking flight. He swooped around the room,
grabbing a book off a shelf. He then dropped the book on a reading table,
the pages flipping open as the owl too landed, bending over as he began to
read. This made Twilight giggle a little, happy to see the owl was able to
keep himself busy at night, even when the unicorn wasn’t up late studying.
Leaving Owlowiscious to his reading, Twilight climbed her way to the
library's second floor. Spike had already curled up in bed and shut off the
lamps, the only light in the room coming from the moon through the
window. It was enough light for Twilight to cross the room without any
trouble.
Next to Twilight’s larger bed was a smaller bed, which she had purchased
for Nyx. Still, the filly was not there, instead curled up on top the covers of
Twilight’s bed. The unicorn had been trying to encourage Nyx to sleep in
her own bed, but, after the day they both had, Twilight was more than
happy to share her bed.
Being sure not to wake Nyx, who was sleeping on top of the blanket,
Twilight slipped herself slowly beneath the covers. She then used her
magic to levitate the blanket off Nyx’s bed, using it to cover the sleeping
filly.
Despite being asleep, Nyx managed to sense Twilight’s presence. She
woke up just barely, in a sort of sleep walking like state. With her blanket
hanging of her little body, she moved over beside Twilight and laid back
down right beside the unicorn in the bed, her little head resting in the crook
of Twilight’s neck.
It was something that brought a smile to Twilight as she gently nuzzled the
sleeping Nyx. Yet, memories of what she had seen in at the ruined castle
still lingered in Twilight’s mind. Particularly , the memory of the moment she
had seen Nyx with the magically infused mane of Nightmare Moon. She
didn’t know what that meant, but that could wait until morning.
At the moment, the pair had both had a long day... and deserved a simple,
peaceful night sleep.
==============
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK
A white coated unicorn with a perfectly trimmed and slicked back black
mane moved towards the door of a stately manor, magically undoing the
locks and cracking open the large, elegant doors. Just beyond the doorway
was a sleeping Canterlot, the manor nestled in a part of the capitol
populated by the elite of Equestria. Celebrities, politicians, and anypony
else that was widely known and very well paid.
The butler pony who answered the door, Proper Etiquette, looked out at the
three figures now standing in front of the manor. Two pegasi and an earth
pony, who currently were dressed very casually... meaning they had
nothing on. The very definition of pony casual.
“Yes?” Proper Etiquette asked, looking over the three guests. “May I help
you?”
“Just open the freaking door!” The gray pegasus snapped. She was one of
those rarer ponies that had a mane color very similar to her coat color, the
hairs just a few shades darker. Her cutie mark was that of a dark gray,
swirling tornado.
“Of course Miss Gale,” The butler replied, stepping back as he opened the
door wide. The three ponies stepped in. The other pegasi was a dark
purple colored mare with a black mane and a pair of black feathered wings
and some swirling wind lines for a cutie mark. The sole earth pony was a
dull clay-red colored stallion with a tall build. His blond mane was cut very
short and his cutie mark was a stone wall that looked like castle
battlements.
“Sir Spell Nexus is in his study. I believe you know the way,” Proper
Etiquette offered as he shut the manor’s front door.
“Yeah yeah, we know the way,” Gray Gale said, jumping into the air. “But
Nexus better have a good reason for calling us like this.”
“Yes,” Night Wind, the purple pegasi agreed. “Not only is it late, but we are
trying to lie low after that grand failure in the Everfree Forest. The town
guard is much more alert, and is stopping ponies on the street if they run
across them this late at night.”
“I do not know why Sir Spell Nexus called for you as he did,” Proper
Etiquette assured as she began to walk away. “But I do believe you will find
it difficult to get an answer unless you go and speak with him. Now, I must
be off to the kitchen; Sir Spell Nexus does not like to host company without
refreshment.”
“Seriously, that pony takes his job way too seriously,” Gray Gale mumbled
to herself as the three ponies made their way through the elegant manor.
After climbing a flight of stairs and passing down a lavishly furnished
hallway, they arrived at a door they all knew quite well. Moving inside, they
entered the manor’s study.
The study was a cozy little room with very large windows and a fireplace.
One wall was lined with book shelves, properly filled with either books or
small nick-knacks and pictures. The windows looked out over the elegant
cityscape of Canterlot, a view that the manor’s owner had been
complimented on a number of times.
The final detail was an oil painting above the fireplace, a regal portrait of
the manor’s owner. The painting depicted a dark blue unicorn with a light
gray mane, sitting behind a very elegant looking desk, a few papers spread
around as the unicorn in the painting offered a gentle smile. A metal plate
at the bottom of the portrait was engraved with beautiful, cursive writing.
Sir Spell Nexus
Headmaster of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns
Mystical Advisor to the Royal Court
The pony from the portrait was standing in front of the fireplace, its fires
reflecting in his turquoise eyes. He did not turn to look at the three ponies
who had entered his study, instead motioning with a hoof to some chairs.
“Please, have a seat.”
“What’s this about Nexus?” Gale asked. “Even you don’t send messengers
for us in the middle of the night.”
“It is strange, Nexus,” Night Wind agreed. “You are the one that is always
telling us to keep our movements subtle and hidden, and this is far from
subtle or hidden.”
“And not all of us have cushy jobs like you do,” Stonewall grumbled. “The
commander is already suspicious why I was late reporting in after what
happened in Everfree. I’m skating on thin ice with the Town Guard.”
“Yes, I apologize for the late hour, my sisters and brother, but there has
been an... interesting turn of events.”
“It better be interesting.”
“I assure you, it is,” Nexus said, turning away from the fire, and walking
towards the three seated ponies. “It would seem that our efforts on the past
full moon were not wasted.”
“How were they ‘not wasted’? A large chunk of our brothers and sisters
were arrested by the guards, we barely escaped, and Celestia interrupted
the spell and we’ve lost the remains of Nightmare Moon!” Gray Gale
ranted.
“Yes, but all that is no longer needed... for Nightmare Moon lives.”
There was a dead silence in the room, the earth pony and pegasi looking at
each other in disbelief.
“Wait... wait wait wait,” Gray Gale began, pointing a hoof at Nexus. “Are
you saying the spell worked?”
“I did not dare to hope so, but in part... yes.”
“And just how do you know that Nightmare Moon lives? I mean, wouldn’t
she have overthrown Celestia by now?”
“It is true, if our queen was at full strength, Equestria would already be
bathed in the glory of a night eternal and we would have received our just
rewards as loyal servants to Nightmare Moon. Still, I cannot deny what I
sensed and saw. Early this evening, a brilliant bolt of arcane lighting shot
up from Everfree Forest, and in that moment I sensed her. I sensed our
queen in all her power and glory. Something inside me shifted, and... and I
felt positively giddy for a moment. It took all my will power to keep myself
from racing to the forest.
“Yes, it was a brief, brilliant flame of our queen’s magic that then faded
back into the cool of the night.”
“While it’s nice to hear we weren’t wasting our time with that spell, just what
are we supposed to do now?” Stonewall asked.
“Brother... sisters, we must find our queen. I believe her form, like the spell
we cast that night, is incomplete... but it something that can be completed. I
believe she is in hiding, either amongst the trees of Everfree or in some
area close to that. It is our duty, as Children of Nightmare, to seek her out
and aid her however we can.”
“And just how are we supposed to do that? It’s not like we can just drop
what we're doing and take a week long stroll through Everfree.”
“This is true, but thankfully not all our brothers and sisters were arrested in
Celestia’s interruption. Gray Gale, in the morning you will find I’ve
contracted out your services as a pair of wings for hire to deliver important
letters to a number of individuals around Ponyville. Some of these letters
are simple letters from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but a few of
those letters are notes to our brothers and sisters, telling them to keep an
eye out for our queen.”
“Will I know who is who?”
“No, their anonymity must be preserved; it is how we’ve been able to
function so long without detection. Only I truly know all those who stand
with the Children of Nightmare.”
“Which, as I’ve said before, is really creepy,” Gray Gale remarked, only to
get elbowed in the side by Night Wind.
“And what about us Nexus?” Stonewall asked.
“Stonewall, you must simply continue your duties with the Town Guard.
Night Wind, however, has a greater responsibility.”
“And that is?”
“I have little doubt that Celestia will have sensed Nightmare Moon, and this
will undoubtedly cause her to step up the research team she has working
on deciphering our spell. Through my efforts and our brothers and sisters,
you were placed as a guard for that team. If Celestia speaks with them
tomorrow I want you to tell me exactly what she says. We must discern
how much Celestia knows.”
“Eavesdropping is easy for guards. Most of those we guard see us as little
more than statues, though, considering how still we stand at times, I am
inclined to agree with them.”
“Then continue as the silent statue, but keep your ears open,” Nexus
advised. “Celestia was able to stop us once, but fate has given us another
chance to see our queen rise... and I will not see it slip through our hooves.
For the Night Eternal.”
“For Equestria’s True Queen,” The three ponies chimed back.
==============
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
“Just one moment,” A light blue unicorn stallion called, pulling himself out of
bed. Bastion Yorsets glanced at the clock, grumbling at the late hour as he
began to head to the front door. His eggshell white mane and tail were a
wreck but he didn’t have any desire to try and make himself presentable for
anypony who would come knocking at such an hour.
Horn glowing, Bastion opened his front door, intending to chew out
whoever thought to disturb him so late at night, only to freeze still as a
statue.
when he saw Princess Celestia standing on the door step.
“Your... Y-your Highness!” Bastion stuttered out, Princess Celestia standing
on his doorstep.
“I do apologize for the late hour Bastion, but may I come in?”
“Of.. of course... please, make yourself at home. I’ll be with you in a
moment,” The stallion then galloped off to his bedroom. Bastion Yorsets
was teacher at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and had even been
there when the young Twilight Sparkle revealed her immense aptitude for
magic. He was among the senior teaching staff, but recently he was also
the unicorn was leading the team of ponies who were studying the spell
created and cast by the cult ponies who had ponynapped Twilight Sparkle.
Within a few minutes of the princess’ arrival, Bastion re-emerged from his
bedroom far more presentable, his mane and tail brushed. He had even
slipped into his normal work attire, a collared shirt, and light brown sweater
vest. The ensemble was finished off by his thin, black tie.
“My apologies for making you wait, Your Highness,” Bastion offered as he
entered his living room, where the princess had laid down on his couch.
“You need not apologize, Bastion,” Celestia offered as the stallion sat down
in a nearby chair. “I would not normally disturb you at your home, or at such
a late hour... but I was curious how things were going deciphering the
spell.”
“It is progressing, but slowly. The unicorns were making use of several very
old forms of magic of which there are few records. The oil soaked powders
they were burning came from zebra magic, and while there are records of
unicorns using arcane designs to direct the flow of magic, there are no
actual books describing how such magical lines work. It’s information lost.”
“Well... purposefully hidden may be the more accurate phrase.”
“Princess?”
“Bastion, in the morning I want you to move your team out of the library and
into the royal archives. I have already arranged with the guards for your
team to have full access to anything in the archives.”
“Princess... those... those books are hundreds of years old!”
“Yes, but that is the point. The tomes in that collection are the final copies
of books and knowledge that I wished to have preserved, but not available
to all of Equestria. There are very powerful magic in some of those books,
spells that, if attempted by ponies who do not fully understand them, could
have dire consequences. Some of those books, however, describe such
ancient arts as the diagrams made use in the cult’s spell.”
“We will make our move to the archives first thing in the morning.”
“Good, but one other thing Bastion.”
“Yes Your Highness?”
“While I want your team to figure out what the spell was supposed to do, I
now need you to find out something else. I need to know what the spell
did.”
“Pardon?”
“The spell was started when I arrived with the royal guards and I interrupted
it. I need to know if the spell did anything, even though it did not get cast to
completion.”
“That is a very theoretical branch of magic, Princess. Incomplete spells
have been known to do a variety of things, some never doing the same
thing twice.”
“I have every faith in you, Bastion. You are the greatest theoretical magic
mind at the school.”
Bastion couldn’t help but blush, bowing his head.
“You flatter me, Princess.”
“I make no habit of flattering, Bastion, I only offer the compliments ponies
deserve,” Celestia replied, getting up from the couch. “Now, I'd best depart.
I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You are never an imposition, Princess... though, none of this seems
terribly pressing. Might I ask why you felt I needed to hear all this now?”
Celestia paused at the door, having already put one hoof outside, when
she turned back to look at Bastion.
“I have simply realized that I have not been providing your team with the
materials it needed to decipher this spell quickly, and... I have also come to
realize this evening that swiftness in this matter is of the utmost
importance.”
Chapter 5
Theatrical Trouble
Nyx sat on the sole swing outside the Ponyville Elementary Schoolhouse. It
had been about a week since Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s prank
gone bad. Twilight had let Nyx skip a few days of school, but wouldn’t let
the disguised alicorn hide in the library for the rest of her life.
The black coated filly stared at the ground with tears in her eyes, the swing
rocking back and forth just a few inches. Despite the fact all her classmates
were laughing, giggling, and playing, Nyx couldn’t bring herself to smile. In
truth, she was trying her hardest to keep herself from sobbing.
And two certain fillies weren’t helping the situation at all. Diamond Tiara
and Silver Spoon had become unbearable since Nyx returned to school,
Diamond Tiara enacting her vengeance for getting grounded because of
what happened. They had spread nasty rumors around the school, picked
on Nyx openly, and even tried to framed Nyx for putting a tack on
Cheerilee’s desk chair.
Thankfully, the teacher had seen through the ruse. Diamond Tiara and
Silver Spoon were now missing recess, sitting at their desks as punishment
for the tack. It gave Nyx her first peaceful recess in days, though it did little
to raise the filly’s spirits. While Twilight had forgiven her, and said it was all
right, Nyx still felt horrible. She... she had wanted to hurt Twilight at some
point in time. She didn’t know when she had or why... but the memory
lingered in Nyx’s mind.
How could she have ever wanted to hurt Twilight? She was such a nice
pony. It was Twilight that had found her in the forest, had taken her in, and
had been taking care of her. It was Twilight who was helped her catch up in
school, and read her bedtime stories. How could she want to hurt
somepony who was willing to do all that?
“Hey Nyx, how are you doing?”
Nyx jumped a little, having not noticed somepony come up beside her.
Looking up, she saw Applebloom and Twist standing near the swing. Still,
after realizing it was her friends, Nyx looked back down, resuming her
staring contest with the ground.
“I’m okay,” she lied, tears glistening at the edges of her eyes.
“You don’t sound okay... or look okay either... ” Twist pointed out.
Nyx sniffled, rubbing a hoof across her nose.
“Can... can I tell you two a secret?”
“Of course,” Applebloom reassured.
“And you promise not to tell any pony else?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Applebloom
rattled off.
“What was that?” Twist asked, confused by the sudden movement and
rhymes.
“It was a Pinkie Pie Promise.”
“There is a promise named after Pinkie Pie?” Twisted asked, a little
stunned.
“Oh yeah, it’s a promise between friends that you have to keep forever.”
“Forever?” Twist echoed.
“Fooorreeevvveeerrr!”
Nyx, Apple Bloom, and Twist jumped, turning to look towards the path that
went by the school. Standing on the other side of the fence that surrounded
the playground was Pinkie Pie, the earth pony eyeing the three fillies. She
was carrying a tray of cupcakes on her back, and her saddle bags were
loaded down with assorted goodies.
“Uh, hey Pinkie Pie,” Applebloom said, giving the earth pony a weak wave.
The serious expression on Pinkie Pie’s face quickly shifted back to its
normal, cheerful nature.
“Hey girls! I was just taking some sweets to a party. Well, I’d better get
going. You have fun.”
“Uh... okay, see ya,” Applebloom replied, the three watching Pinkie Pie
bounce down the path.
“That... was weird,” Twist offered, once she was sure Pinkie Pie was out of
ear shot.
“It’s Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, that’s just how she is,” Applebloom replied.
“Still, a Pinkie Pie promise is a promise you have to keep, since losing a
friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend forever.”
“FOOOREEEEVVEEEEER!”
The three fillies jumped again, turning their heads. Pinkie Pie was a long
ways down the path, almost out of sight of the school, but at the moment
she was staring down the three fillies, as if she was able to hear their
conversation, despite the distance. It was either that or her strange Pinkie
Pie Sense let the earth pony know when somepony was talking about her
Pinkie Pie Promises.
It was a tense moment, Pinkie Pie eyeing the three fillies. But just as
quickly as she had spoken out, Pinkie Pie returned to her normal perky
nature, turning and bouncing around a bend in the path as she continued
on her task of delivering food for a party.
“If it’s okay with you, Apple Bloom, I think I’ll just use a normal promise,”
Twist said, the yellow farm filly offering no protest.
“So, what did you want to tell us, Nyx?” Applebloom asked.
“W-well... when I was in the forest... I-I remembered things. Or... it felt like
they were memories, even though I don’t think they are... and... and, in
some of those memories... I wanted to h-hurt Twilight.”
“Why would you ever want to hurt Twilight?”
“I... I don’t know!” Nyx blubbered, the tears she had been trying to hold
back streaming down her face. “But I wanted to. I really wanted to... but I
don’t know why. And I don’t want to hurt Twilight now, because she’s so
nice... but... but...”
“Whoa, easy, Nyx,” Applebloom said, seeing her friend was starting
hyperventilate. “Is that why you’ve been so sad, because you thought you
wanted to hurt Twilight?”
Nyx nodded, trying to dry her eyes.
“I’m not even sure when it happened or why, but... I remember wanting to
hurt her before. We were both standing in some old castle ruins, and I was
really tall, and when I spoke, my voice was all strange, but I remember
wanting to hurt her... and I don’t know why.”
“Are ya sure you weren’t just dreamin’?” Applebloom asked.
“D-dreaming?” Nyx echoed.
“Yeah, dreamin’. I mean, Twilight said you were way out in the Everfree
Forest. Maybe you just got tired and passed out, and dreamed the whole
thing up. You just didn’t know it because of how scared you were. I mean,
you ain’t exactly taller than Twilight, are ya?”
“Well... no... but even if it was just a dream, I still feel bad about it.”
“Have you told Twilight about this?” Twist asked.
“Yes...”
“And did you apologize?”
“Yes, I apologized, and she said it was all right.”
“Well then why are you worryin’ about it, you silly filly?” Applebloom asked,
smiling gently. “Like you said, you don’t really want to hurt Twilight and it
sounds like she’s already forgiven you. As my big sister would say, it's all
water under a bridge now.”
“What does a bridge have to do with any of this?” Twist asked.
“No, you see, it’s an expression.”
“What does it mean?”
“Well... it kind of... look, I don’t know for sure, but I know it does mean
somethin’ like that once you apologized for doing somethin’ and somepony
has forgiven you, then it’s okay just to forget about it.”
“Oh, so since Twilight’s forgiven Nyx for thinking she ever wanted to hurt
her, they can both just forget about it and go back to being happy?”
“Exactly!” Applebloom said with a smile.
“But... I may have wanted to hurt Twilight for real, and I don’t know why!
What if I want to hurt her again... I don’t want to hurt her!”
“Okay, we’re going in circles, time for an Apple family remedy,” Applebloom
said, walking behind Nyx.
“Apple family remedy? What is- WHOA!”
Nyx went wide-eyed. Apple Bloom, putting her practice apple bucking to
use, turned and bucked at the swing. This sent Nyx swinging skyward, her
purple mane flowing behind her as the filly grabbed tightly to the chains.
The swing reached its peak and began swooping back. Applebloom had
already gotten out of the way when Nyx swung by, she and Twist laughing
at Nyx’s panicked face.
“Come on, go higher!” Applebloom encouraged.
“Yea! Higher!” Twist added in her nasally tone.
Nyx gulped a little. She was already swinging higher than she ever had
before, but Twist and Apple Bloom’s cheers filled the filly’s head. Taking a
deep breath, Nyx began to throw her weight into the swing, causing the
swing to reach higher and higher. Eventually, the filly even reached the
point where the swing began to hang loose at the top of its arc, a few
moments of free fall before the chains snapped taut again.
Nyx swung back and forth a number of times before her courage ran out
and she let the swing slow down. But when she did stop, she was smiling
and laughing right along with Applebloom and Twist, who quickly moved up
beside her.
“See? Apple family remedy works every time.”
“What’s the remedy? Swinging on a swing?” Nyx asked.
“No, havin’ fun. Nothin’ can get a pony feeling better like havin’ a little fun.
Now scootch over, it’s my turn,” Applebloom replied. Nyx gladly obliged,
relinquishing the swing to her friend and even using her magic to push the
farm filly, so she could reach a similar height on the swing.
==============
Twilight smiled gently as she looked at the calendar on the wall, striking off
another day. It had been about a month and a half since Nyx’s arrival, and
Twilight was happy to say that the little black filly was doing well.
She had gotten caught up in school, so now instead of spending afternoons
studying Nyx was able to go out and play with her friends. There were,
however, still days where Nyx chose to come back to the library, wanting
Twilight to teach her more about something she learned in school.
The alicorn’s curiosity was, at times, insatiable.
School itself had been going better as well. After Twilight’s confrontation
with Diamond Tiara’s dad and a few other altercations between the fillies at
school, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started to going to Cheerilee’s
afternoon class, which in turn let two fillies in particular join the morning
class. Those two fillies were Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Add that to Twist
and Apple Bloom, and Nyx had four solid friends... more than Twilight could
say she had at that age, thanks to her excessive studying.
Moving away from the calendar, Twilight began to shuffle and clean up
books around the library. Spike was over at Rarity’s place helping her,
Owlowiscious was asleep, and Nyx was at school. All in all, it gave Twilight
a quiet morning to clean up the library, a mess caused by her usual study
practices.
Putting the books back on the shelves, Twilight glanced at some of the
titles, thinking about whether or not she had read them. At this point, most
of the books in the library had been read by the unicorn, but she still at
times came across books she hadn’t read. Some books she hadn't read by
choice, others because they hadn’t passed in front of her yet.
All the books Twilight put away were ones she had read, but the unicorn
lingered on the last book. It was brown, with golden clasps on the corners
and a gold unicorn on the cover surrounded by six golden gemstones. It
was a book of folklore, old stories from Equestria’s past. It was, in fact, from
that book that Twilight had read about the Elements of Harmony, which
lead her to discover that Nightmare Moon was going to return.
Without even thinking about it, Twilight opened the book to the folktale in
question, her eyes glancing over the beautiful illustrations before reaching
the first line.
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal
sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this,
the eldest-
“I’m home!”
Twilight smiled, setting the book down on the reading table as Nyx came
running into the library, quickly moving over to and nuzzling up against
Twilight.
“Hey there, Nyx, how was school today?”
“Great!” The filly chirped. “Cheerilee told us that we're going to be putting
on a play.”
“Really?”
“Yep! She says every spring the school puts on a play for the Ponyville
Spring Festival. It’s this really cool thing where a bunch of musicians,
artists, and entertainers come to Ponyville and every pony has a lot of fun.”
“The Spring Festival; if I remember correctly it was started by a traveling
group of musicians that came to Ponyville every year around this time as
they toured Equestria. Eventually, other musicians started showing up at
the same time, and after a few years it grew into a festival.”
“Yea, that’s what Cheerilee said,” Nyx replied. “And she says we can pick
what the play will be about and that we’ll all have something to do.”
“Well doesn’t that sound fun? Do you have any ideas?”
“I... I was kind of hoping I’d find a good story in one of the library books.”
Twilight smiled. “That’s a great idea. Books have some of the best stories,
but just remember that it’s meant to be a school play, so try to pick a story
that’s short and one that all your friends will like.”
“Okay,” Nyx agreed, about to open her mouth and ask for Twilight’s help
further. Still, the filly was interrupted as the door to the library opened,
Applejack running in.
“Twi, there you are! I need your help with somethin’ fierce!”
“What’s wrong Applejack?”
“Some nasty plant showed up in Sweet Apple Acres; it’s a vine and it’s
startin’ to grow up around some of the trees. You got any books in here that
can tell us what it is?”
Twilight nodded, her horn glowing as she grabbed a number of
phytopathology books from the shelves and her saddle bag. The books
flew into the bags, the bags settling on Twilight back as the unicorn looked
over her shoulder.
“Nyx, I’ve got to go help Applejack. Will you be okay by yourself for a little
while?”
“Sure, I’ll just try and find a story for my school play.”
Twilight nodded. “Good. Now, if you need help, Spike is at Rarity’s and
Owlowiscious is asleep in the bedroom upstairs. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay, Twilight.”
“Thanks again, Sugarcube,” Applejack offered as she and Twilight galloped
out the door. “I don’t know what that nasty plant is, but I know it ain’t good
on my apple trees.”
At that, the door to the library shut under Twilight’s magic, leaving little Nyx
to her studies. The disguised alicorn looked about the room for a few
minutes, just mindlessly perusing the books on the shelves for something
that looked like a story book before she took notice of one book that was
left setting out.
Trotting over, Nyx looked into the book and its beautiful illustrations,
beginning to read the first line.
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal
sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this,
the eldest-
==============
“So, do you know what the play is supposed to be about?” Twilight asked
as she walked with Rarity in the direction of the Ponyville Elementary
School. The pair of unicorns had volunteered to help the students prepare
the show, though all the actual work was going to be done by the fillies and
colts. It was a chance for the students to find their cutie marks, and, in
truth, it was a similar school play event that helped Rarity discover her
special talent in fashion and clothes making.
“I’ve asked Sweetie Belle, but she’s refused to tell me; says we’ll find out
today. She seems really excited though.”
“Is she going to be acting in the play or she helping some other way?”
“My sister wanted to help with the costumes but... after she mentioned to
Cheerilee that she was the one that made the costumes for the Crusaders’
appearance in the talent show, Cheerilee encouraged Sweetie Belle to take
on one of the acting parts... a part with singing.”
“Oh, that’s good. Sweetie Belle has such an amazing voice, so it will be
nice to hear her sing.”
“Yes, it will. Personally, I’d bet that she’s destined to be a great singer... but
we just can’t be sure until that little cutie mark of hers appears, can we?”
Twilight shook her head as the pair began getting close to the school
house. While the school and its playground were set up on one side of the
path, the school’s outdoor stage was set up on the opposite side of the
road. The one and only permanent stage in Ponyville, unless one
considered the town hall stage.
Cheerilee was standing in the center of the many colts and fillies, giving
directions to the eagerly listening young ponies. After all, doing the play
meant they got out of normal school work for at least part of the day. Still,
when Cheerilee saw Twilight and Rarity approaching, the teacher decided
to let the students slip off to recess a little earlier than scheduled, so she
could talk with the two unicorns.
“You two have excellent timing,” Cheerilee greeted as the children ran off to
play, Nyx giving a wave to Twilight before running off with her friends. “I
was just telling the class how you were kind enough to volunteer your time
to help us make this play.”
“Glad to help Cheerilee, though we still haven’t been told just what the play
is supposed to be about.”
“Oh, of course. Here,” Cheerilee replied, using a hoof to push a few scripts
across the ground. Twilight picked up the one on top, Rarity looking over
the purple unicorn’s shoulder as they read the title on the script.
“Reunion of the Royal Pony Sisters,” Twilight read aloud.
“Yes, it was Nyx’s idea. She found an old fairy tale about how Celestia and
Luna kept the world in balance, and then how Luna became the frightful
Nightmare Moon. Applebloom then had the idea to incorporate the
adventure you and your friends had where you beat Nightmare Moon and
restored Princess Luna back to normal.”
“Wow, that’s actually not a bad story. A wonderful little tale for a little school
play. Much better than the usual fair,” Rarity mused.
“What are the plays usually about?”
“Well, at least when I was a filly, our Spring Festival play was about a pony
picnic that got stolen by ants. It was... cute... but not exactly what you
would call great theater, though it was because of that particular play that I
got my Cutie Mark. This, however, looks far more interesting.” Rarity
praised, flipping through a copy of the script. “Oh, and look here; you have
Pinkie Pie’s song in here.”
“You mean the song she sang in Everfree Forest, when she was telling us
to giggle at the ghosties and crack up at the creepy?” Twilight asked,
flipping to the same page in the script.
“The very one. Oh, I can only imagine how Pinkie Pie will react when she
hears them singing it. We won’t be able to stop her from bouncing for
days.”
Twilight giggled, picturing Pinkie Pie’s reaction.
“Yea, she’ll probably start singing along right there in the audience. Still,
this looks fun.”
“Oh yes, it's going to be one of the best plays the school has ever put on!”
Cheerilee energetically agreed. “I’ve actually pulled together both classes
because there are just so many parts to play and things to be done. And
we’ve already got all the character’s casted. You can see who is who on
the first page.”
Twilight and Rarity nodded, flipping to the first page of the script.
Reunion of the Royal Pony Sisters
A Ponyville Elementary School Production
Written By Cheerilee
Music Composed By Lyra
Narrator.................................Zecora
Twilight Sparkle.................Dinky Doo
Applejack......................Apple Bloom
Rarity............................Sweetie Belle
Rainbow Dash....................Scootaloo
Fluttershy.....................Cotton Cloudy
Pinkie Pie........................Sunny Days
The Mayor...........................Little Hoof
Sea Serpent....................Tornado Bolt
Manticore..................................Archer
Princess Celestia.........Diamond Tiara
Princess Luna..................Silver Spoon
Nightmare Moon.............................Nyx
Ponyville Residents & Everfree Forest Trees
Hot Rod, Berry Pinch, Paradise, Tootsie Flute,
White Lightning, Peachy Pie, Lily Dache
Set Design
Berry Pinch, Paradise, Peachy Pie
Costumes
Sunny Days, Tootsie Flute, Lily Dache
Stage Hooves
Hot Rod & White Lightening
“Zecora... I’m surprised you were able to get her to be the narrator,” Rarity
said, glancing up from the page.
“It was Applebloom that actually convinced her. From what I hear, she has
an exceptional voice.”
“Oh yes, her voice is perfect for a story of this kind of genre, narrating an
epic tale. Yet, I’d suggest you let her come up with her own lines.”
“Why is that?”
“Zecora speaks in rhymes very naturally, and having a rhyming narrator
would just give the whole play a very old world fairy tale appeal. That, and I
can’t imagine what her voice would sound like if she didn’t rhyme as she
does.”
“I’ll be sure to sit down with her then and work on the script.”
Rarity smiled with a nod, reading further down the page.
“Well, would you look at that. Sweetie Belle is going to be playing me.
Though, I supposed that does makes sense; she has my wonderful white
coat. Oh, and Scootaloo gets to be Rainbow Dash! She must be positively
ecstatic!”
“Oh yes.” Cheerilee agreed. “Scootaloo was practically begging for the
chance to play Rainbow Dash the moment realized she’d be a character in
a play. It is also a character that suits her, since she talks so much like
Rainbow Dash.”
“Yes, Scootaloo is definitely a filly who you hear saying ‘awesome’ just
about as much as Dash.” Rarity agreed, continuing to read down the page.
“Let’s see, don’t know her, or her, or her... wait, Sea Serpent? Do you
mean Steven Magnet?”
“Who?”
“Steven Magnet, that’s the name of the sea serpent we met on our way to
find the Elements of Harmony. Oh, I do hope you are portraying him well.
Such a well groomed and polite sea serpent shouldn’t be relegated to a
role of a simple monster. Wouldn’t you agree Twilight?....... Twilight?”
Rarity and Cheerilee turned to look at Twilight, the unicorn stiff as a statue
and a few shades paler than she normally was.
“Twilight, Dear, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked, noticing the unicorn’s eyes
were focused on the page. Returning to her own copy of the script, Rarity
read down a few more lines and then froze up too, eyes narrowing.
“Is... is something wrong?” Cheerilee asked, concerned why the two
unicorns were acting so strangely.
“Oh... oh, of course not, Dear,” Rarity replied, regaining her composure. “I
was just curious about some of your casting. For example, what makes you
feel Nyx will play a good Nightmare Moon? Besides the fact that she’s an
absolute sweetheart, she’s also very timid and sensitive. Nightmare Moon,
on the other hoof, was... well...”
“That’s the point of acting, Rarity, to be characters we usually aren’t.
Besides, it was Scootaloo that suggested it, and everypony in class agreed
that Nyx would do the best Nightmare Moon, if only because she has a
black coat. I asked Nyx if she was okay with that, and she didn’t seem to
mind at all. ”
“Oh, well, I suppose that if Nyx agreed to the role...”
“I think she’ll be just fine,” Cheerilee assured. “Nyx is a smart filly, which is
good because Nightmare Moon is one of the characters that has a lot of
lines. Not as much as, say, your character, Twilight, but still a significant
amount of lines. I have little doubt Nyx will be able to memorize what she
needs to say.”
“Of course, I’m sure she’ll be a perfect Nightmare Moon. Don’t you agree
Twilight?” Rarity said, elbowing the purple unicorn in the side, snapping
Twilight out of her shock.
“Oh... oh yes of course. Perfect,” Twilight said with a forced grin.
==============
“But WHY!?”
“I’m sorry Nyx, you just... you can’t be in the play.”
“But... but that isn’t fair!” The black filly whined, already starting to have
tears fall from her eyes. “The play’s tomorrow and... and... and they won’t
be able to perform without me!”
Twilight frowned, feeling her heart twist in her chest. It had been a few
weeks since the unicorn found out the little filly was going to be Nightmare
Moon in the play, and over those two weeks Twilight had agonized over
what to do. Whether to let Nyx participate in the play or to make up an
excuse and keep her at the library.
Twilight had actually started leaning towards letting Nyx be in the play,
considering how much fun she seemed to be having. Two things, however,
quickly changed Twilight’s mind. The first was the announcement that
Celestia and Luna were going to be attending the Spring Festival, having
heard that the Ponyville School was going to be telling the story of Luna’s
return, the first stage performance of the story.
Twilight knew Nyx’s disguise could fool common ponies, but she couldn’t
expect it to fool Celestia and Luna. Luna had been Nightmare Moon and
Celestia was arguably just as familiar with the Mare in the Moon. They
would surely notice Nyx’s resemblance, and Twilight feared Nyx would be
banished on the spot.
The other thing that that had swayed Twilight was when she finally got to
see Nyx’s costume. The armor was made of stiff fabric and wire, the wings
were fake, and the sparkling mane was obviously just indigo fabric with
sparkles... but it was enough that Nyx looked just too much like Nightmare
Moon, especially with the moon cutie mark painted on her flank. Sure,
some ponies in Ponyville might just think the costume was wonderful... but
still Twilight feared they would draw unwanted connections.
“I’m... I’m sorry Nyx, but they’ll just have to do the play without you.”
Twilight assured.
“NO! It’s not fair! I’ve worked really hard and I learned all my lines!” Nyx
yelled as she threw her first official temper tantrum. It was honestly
something Twilight had expected to deal with sooner, but it still wasn’t a
good time for Nyx to have her first.
“Nyx...”
“IT”S NOT FAIR!!!” The filly screamed.
“NYX!” Twilight barked, forcing the filly to fall silent as she looked at
Twilight, still crying but also still very angry.
“I'm sorry, I really am, but this is just how it has to be. Now, I want you to go
upstairs and take that costume off.”
“But-”
“Upstairs!” Twilight said, stamping her hoof. Nyx met Twilight’s hard gaze,
trying to glare down the unicorn... but when that failed, the filly broke down.
Beginning to sob, Nyx broke into a gallop and bolted up upstairs, wailing
the whole way before she slammed the bedroom shut behind her.
“Twilight, don’t you think you could just let her be in the play?” Spike asked.
“I mean, she was really looking forward to it.”
“I know she was, Spike, and I want to let her, but... it’s just too risky. If
Celestia and Luna were to figure out the truth, that she was made by the
spell those cultists were casting... they’d banish her to the moon... take her
away. I... I can’t let that happen.”
“Do you really think Celestia would just do that? I mean, she trusts you
completely. I’m sure you could convince her that Nyx isn’t Nightmare
Moon.”
“I’m glad you think so Spike... but I just can’t risk it.”
==============
“Now, Spike and I have to meet with the princesses this evening. Celestia
expects me and him to be there to watch the evening performances with
her and Luna,” Twilight said, talking to Nyx, the filly dressed in her normal,
everyday clothes. “Owlowiscious will be keeping an eye on you, and I
expect you to behave for him.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Nyx said, the tone of disappointment thick in her voice. It
unnerved Twilight, because it was the first time that Nyx was truly angry
with her before. Still, this was for the best.
“I am sorry Nyx, and I promise I’ll make this up to you,” Twilight promised
as she turned to leave. “Now, try not to think about it. Spike and I will be
back soon.”
“Okay...”
With that Twilight stepped out the door, closing it tightly behind her.
Owlowiscious then flew across the room, taking the key from the door lock
in his talons before landing on the edge of Twilight’s writing desk.
Nyx’s eye brows furrowed once Twilight was gone, the little filly kicking at
some books on the floor as she stomped around the floor and sniffled just a
bit.
“It isn’t fair... it isn’t fair! Cheerilee is expecting me to be there, they’re all
counting on me! And I practiced so hard! It isn’t fair...”
“Hoo.”
Nyx looked over at Owlowiscious, the horned owl watching her. Nyx then
went wide eyed, quickly scampering over to the owl.
“Please, Owlowiscious, let me go to the play! Everypony is counting on me!
They won’t be able to do it without me! I’m supposed to be Nightmare
Moon and you can’t tell the story without Nightmare Moon.”
“Hoo?”
“Nightmare Moon, the bad mare! Please, Owlowiscious... Please please
please please PLEEAASSEEE,” Nyx begged.
The owl’s gaze met Nyx’s, the filly looking up at him with the biggest, most
pleading eyes she could muster. She was evening doing a trick Sweetie
Belle taught her, the filly pushing out her bottom lip in a pout.
Owlowiscious, however, only continued to stare back, his beady eyes and
non-expressive beak a perfect poker face, crafted by nature itself.
Owlowiscious wasn’t moved, only holding more tightly to the door key.
Nyx, however, had one more trick. She began to add her own touch to her
carefully crafted begging. Letting her eyes water, a few pitiful tears began
to streak down the filly’s cheeks. She really could cry at the drop of a hat
and, with the Royal Pony Sisters as her witness, she was going to take
advantage of that strange ability.
“Hoo... ,” The owl hooted in defeat, Nyx’s begging too much to bear. Taking
off, Owlowiscious flew across the room and expertly placed the key in the
door lock. He then circled around, making another pass as he turned the
key and opened the door.
“OH! Thank you, Owlowiscious! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!” Nyx
said with several bounces before running upstairs. In a flash the filly alicorn
got out of her vest and tossed off her glasses before pulling out her
costume. With a single leap, Nyx landed in all four of the costume shoes
and began putting on other bits of fake armor.
Cheerilee would paint on the fake cutie mark once Nyx got to the
performance, but first she needed to get on her fake wings. While it
seemed pointless, since the filly alicorn already had wings, Twilight insisted
that if she was going to be in the play that she had to wear the fake wings
that went with the costume and keep her wings hidden underneath.
The fake wings, however, were difficult to get on. The one part of the
costume that wasn’t very well designed and usually needed to be put on
before the helmet, which Nyx was already wearing. Still, not wanting to
waste time taking off the helmet, Nyx struggled to just get the wings on.
She was making progress after fumbling with the wings for a few minutes,
but then Nyx tripped over her own hooves. The filly began to fall to one
side, the wings dropping off her back. The wings hit the floor and Nyx
landed right on top of them, the fall punctuated by the sound of splintering
wood.
“No... no!” Nyx cried, now starting to shed genuine tears while looking at
the horribly bent wings. The filly nudged at them with her hoof, which only
caused one of the fake wings to snap in half and flop on the floor. Nyx
might have started to wail if she hadn’t glanced back at where the fake
wings would have been... and took notice of the real wings that were
already there.
“Well... *sniff* If... if I keep them straight all night... that might work,” Nyx
said, smiling as she extended her little wings vertically. The filly knew she
was going to be in so much trouble with Twilight once she got home, not
only for sneaking out to the play but going out with her real wings visible.
Still, at the moment, she was less afraid of being punished by Twilight than
she was disappointing the rest of her class. Not only did she not want to let
down her few friends, she was already unpopular enough as it was.
Everypony in class, except her friends, either thought of her as a crybaby, a
teacher’s pet, or both; ruining the play would only make things worse.
Determination flaring, Nyx made sure the rest of her costume was secured
and in good shape. Sure she wasn’t missing anything, Nyx galloped back
downstairs and out the front door, racing towards the Spring Festival. She
doubled back only once, poking her head in the library door to offer a final,
loud “Thank you!” to Owlowiscious before running off towards the center of
Ponyville.
Chapter 6
Reunion of the Royal Pony Sisters
Twilight, along with the rest of the audience, applauded as the preceding
performance ended. All of Ponyville, as well as a number of ponies from
other towns, were sitting in the city’s central square, which had been
transformed into a outdoor theater for the Spring Festival.
A large stage, with all the bells and whistles of proper lighting and the like,
had been set up on one side of the plaza that surrounded the town hall.
The area was packed with ponies, all eagerly standing and waiting to see
the many performances. Twilight, however, wasn’t among the ponies
below, but instead was seated up on a balcony of the town hall. She, Spike,
and her friends had been invited to sit with Princess Celestia and Luna in
what was being called the VIP section, for Very Important Ponies.
“Oh, that was a funny one! I loved the one part where they threw a pie!”
Pinkie Pie cheered as she bounced on her seat cushion.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed, “That was pretty sweet.”
“Total laugh riot,” Spike added excitedly.
“The humor was low brow... but enjoyable,“ Rarity remarked, not as
impressed as her friends. “Though I particularly liked the joke about blues
music.”
“Really? ‘Cause that one was kind of stupid if you ask me,” Applejack
argued.
“It must have simply gone over your head.”
“Really? Then wouldn’t it have hit her hat?” Pinkie Pie asked, a question
that made Rainbow Dash snort.
“Oh... oh geeze, somepony should tell those stallions that one; that’s a joke
that should be in a play.”
The others were giggling right along with Dash, including Celestia and
Luna. While the group of ponies had been a little tense around the royal
sisters at first, a few good performances and Celestia cracking a
particularly witty joke let everypony feel more at ease.
“So, what’s next on the program, Sister?” Luna asked, the moon princess
obviously eager to see the next performance.
“Let’s see... the Reunion of the Royal Pony Sisters, by the Ponyville
Elementary School.”
“Oh yeah, this is the one I’ve been waiting for,” Dash said eagerly, sitting
up on her cushion. “This is the one about us!”
“Personally, I just hope Apple Bloom don’t make me look like a foal,”
Applejack admitted. “Don’t need no ponies snickerin’ behind my back
because of this.”
“I’m sure Apple Bloom will do fine,” Fluttershy reassured. “After all, she
actually knows you. I don’t even know the pony whose going to be playing
me.”
“Yea, I guess yer right. Hey, says here in this program they got Nyx to play
Nightmare Moon.”
“Really? Huh, I... I guess that’s kind of cool. I mean, sure, she’s got the
right coat color... but she’s kind of a crybaby.”
“Rainbow Dash, that’s mean!” Fluttershy scolded.
“Hey, I just call it as I see it.”
“Well, I... I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Girls. Nyx wasn’t feeling well
earlier,” Twilight lied.
“Oh, the poor thing; did she have a stomach ache?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh yes, really nasty tummy ache. I actually left her back at the library with
Owlowiscious. I doubt she’ll be able to make it.”
“Twilight, it sounds like this little filly is living with you,” Celestia pointed out,
looking at her student. “I’m surprised you haven’t told me.”
“Oh... really? Ha ha... I... thought I’d told you about her back when she first
arrived. She’s my cousin... half-cousin, really ... but yea, she’s been staying
with me for a while now.” Twilight answered, trying to keep as casual as
possible, but unable to stop herself from putting on a stupid, forced smile
before quickly changing the subject. “So... uh... Luna, are you going to be
okay? I mean, this play is kind of about-”
“Don’t worry Twilight,” Luna offered with a smile. “I... I think I’ll be okay.
Besides, it’s a play by elementary school children. If anything, it will make
ponies laugh at Nightmare Moon... and I think it would nice to see that
particular part of past portrayed comically, but thank you for asking.”
“Oh, you’re welcome Princess,” Twilight said, smiling that her redirection of
the conversation had worked. It was just a few minutes later that the mayor
walked out into the center of the stage, the politician pony acting as the
Spring Festival’s Master of Ceremonies.
“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” The mayor began with her usual flare. “I am now
proud to present the Ponyville Elementary School’s original play, The
Reunion of the Royal Pony Sisters.”
The crowd applauded, the parents in the crowd particularly loud as the
mayor stepped off the stage and the curtains opened. Some smoke began
to curl out from the stage, a few dark set pieces looming in the sea of mist.
The only light came from the stars and moon above, and for a moment all
things were quiet.
“Beware... Beware you pony folk, for the tale I am about to tell is no joke. A
story begun in days, months, and years gone by, about the pony sisters
who, in harmony, ruled the sky.”
At this one of the set pieces on the stage moved, causing a number of
ponies in the audience to jump a little, a few even gasping. The moving set
piece turned out to be a figure, who moved to the center of the stage as a
light clicked on. Zecora stood for a moment in her cloak, eyes glowing
beneath the hood as she looked out across crowd. The zebra then lifted a
hoof, lowering her hood and offering a smile.
“The eldest did guide the sun, raising it up at the dawn. The other brought
the moon to the sky when the day had ended, and the sun to bed had
gone.”
At this, two more lights clicked on stage, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon
standing on either side the stage in their Luna and Celestia costumes. As
Zecora stepped off to one side of the stage where she would narrate the
rest of the play, the two little fillies climbed up some steps hidden behind
the backdrop of the play, standing on the backs of the painted wooden
mountains while a number of the other students came out and began to
dance and play on stage.
“The two sisters brought harmony to the world as they brought balance to
the moon and sun, and beneath their guidance all different ponies lived,
laughed, and had fun.”
“Wow, Zecora is doing a really good job with the whole narrator thing,”
Dash whispered to Applejack, the pair sitting next to each other.
“You got that right, Sugarcube.”
“But not all would be well in Equestria as the younger sister grew resentful;
her actions set to make the future of the land quite eventful. The ponies of
the land did frolic and play, lived much of their lives under the sun’s golden
rays. Yet they slept through the night and its majesty. Something, in truth,
that was a horrible tragedy.”
As Zecora narrated, the fillies and colts on stage performed out the scene.
Diamond Tiara, dressed as Celestia, stood proud as the ponies on stage
played and laughed, but then when she hid and Silver Spoon came out as
Luna, the other ponies on stage all quickly fell asleep, some playfully
snoring.
“In time, it all became too much for the younger to bear, to have her night
ignored... to feel as if nopony cared. One fateful night she did protest,
refusing to lower the moon in the west. All of this in spite of the elder
sister’s distress.”
“Luna, why won’t you lower the moon? It’s time for the sun to come up,”
Diamond Tiara said, over extending the words as she gave a very forced
regal tone to her voice. She and Silver Spoon were on the raised steps
behind the plywood mountains again, calling to each other from either side
of the stage, while the other little actors and actresses continued to pretend
to sleep.
“I am tired of no pony seeing my night. I work so hard on it and all they do
is sleep through it. It’s beautiful but nopony ever sees it but me.”
“Well... well...”
“Looks like somepony forgotten her lines,” Rarity whispered. “Personally, I
don’t think it could have happened to a nastier filly. Did you know how she
used to tease Apple Bloom?”
“Well... what else are ponies supposed to do? It’s too dark to work at night
and, like, it’s too bright to sleep during the day,” Diamond Tiara finally
answered. This caused some chuckles to go through the audience, Luna
herself snorting. Diamond Tiara, in her moment of panic, had reverted to
her normal, snotty way of speaking, a voice comically inappropriate for a
filly that was supposed to be portraying the sun princess.
Celestia took it in good humor, chuckling a little as well.
“I don’t care!” Silver Spoon yelled, able to remember her lines better than
Diamond Tiara. “I won’t have my work be ignored anymore! They are going
to see the majesty of my night, whether they want to or not.”
“But Sister... ,” Diamond Tiara called, only for her voice to fall silence as the
light on Silver Spoon grew dark and Zecora began narrating again.
“But it was too late for kind words to soothe the younger’s heart, too deeply
had she been hurt by the ponies who ignored her sky-bound art. The
bitterness inside her did twist, writhe, and contort, to the point that even the
princess’ exterior did distort.
“Gone was her gentle visage in the emotional monsoon, behind all that was
left was the dreadful Nightmare Moon!”
The light on the right side of the stage clicked on again, and gasps cut
through the audience. Silver Spoon had been replaced by another little filly,
with supposedly fake wings stretched high and perfectly still and an all
black coat. On her flank was a fairly well painted crescent moon cutie mark,
and the fake armor looked rather convincing from a distance. The final
touch was the filly’s eyes, which appeared to be shaped like dragon eyes, a
brilliant turquoise while the whites of the eyes were a lighter, blue/green
color.
“Hey look, Nyx made it!” Applejack whisper-cheered. “Sweet apples, that
little filly does pull off a convincin’ Nightmare Moon.”
“Oh... oh yes, of course,” Rarity agreed, glancing nervously at Twilight.
“She’s... positively a doppelganger.”
“And it's good to see she’s over her tummy ache. Must have just been pre-
show butterflies.” Celestia offered as she leaned over to whisper towards
Twilight.
“Uh... uh yeah... butterflies,” Twilight half answered, the unicorn suddenly
feeling like she was about to lose her dinner.
“Never again will the ponies of Equestria see the sun! I do hereby decree
that this night shall last forever! MUWAHAHAHA!!!” Nyx boasted, faking the
evil laugh at the end which brought a small round of laughter from the
crowd... laughter that made Twilight look around the crowd in disbelief.
Why hadn’t an angry mob formed? Nyx looked too much like Nightmare
Moon, but.. no pony seemed to take the resemblance seriously. Twilight
was baffled. Did they all just think that Nyx’s costume was just that good?
The unicorn couldn’t contemplate the thought for long as Zecora’s voice
drew her attention back to the stage.
“And night did last across the pony lands, despite the elder sister’s pleas
and demands. In the end, with no other choice to be made, the elder sister
had to take up the crusade. With the Elements of Harmony, a power
beyond all measure, the elder banished her sister... an act in which she
took no pleasure.”
The lights on the stage began to flicker on and off in a rainbow of colors as
Nyx offered faked cries of anger and pain. When the lights returned to
normal Nyx had disappeared from view and, in her place, a plywood moon
had been lowered down into view on which was painted the visage of the
Mare in the Moon.
“To the moon the younger was sent, so that the ponies of Equestria she
would never again torment. The elder took on duties two fold, tending both
the moon silver and the sun gold. Harmony was returned, the elder’s
actions many did commend. And for a thousand years all was good... but
this story is not at its end.”
With that the curtains quickly shut, the first act of the play ending to an
appropriate round of applause. There was really only one pony who didn’t
applaud. Luna, while having enjoyed the children’s performance, had sank
down into her seat a little when the filly playing Nightmare Moon appeared
on stage.
The moon princess hung her head, staring at her hooves as memories of
that particular moment in her life came back like angry spirits. Yet, before
Luna could get to lost in her own thoughts, she felt a very gentle touch.
Looking to the touch, the moon princess saw a large white wing gently
draped over her shoulder.
“Are you going to be okay?” Celestia asked very quietly, using her wing to
gently hug Luna to her side.
“Yes... yes, I’ll be alright,” Luna offered, resting her head on Celestia’s
shoulder. “Thanks Tia.”
===================
While the play had the level of professionalism that you’d expect from
something put on by colts and fillies, the crowd as a whole was enjoying it,
even those who weren’t parents. After the first scene ended, the next part
of the play was Twilight meeting up with her friends and Nightmare Moon’s
return. The third act was Twilight and her friends going through the
Everfree Forest, and facing the trials within.
And, of the crowd, Twilight’s friends seemed to be enjoying it the most.
Dash was thrilled to see how awesome she was being portrayed by
Scootaloo while Applejack and Rarity were satisfied by how well their little
sisters were acting. Dinky Doo was pulling off a pretty darn good Twilight,
though the little filly tripped on her lines occasionally, and Pinkie Pie was
still grinning ear to ear from hearing her song about ghosties and giggling
being sung on stage.
It was something they were all enjoying, even Twilight. Nyx had appeared
on stage a number of times more. Well, not exactly on stage. She had
stood on some steps in the background during the town hall scene and,
during the forest scenes, she was lowered down on a rope, saying a few
lines about what she had planned next for the little ponies before being
raised back up.
The unicorn was furious that Nyx had disobeyed her... but she didn’t dare
risk running off to speak with Nyx in the middle of the show; that would
have drawn too much attention. That and Celestia and Luna were just
sitting there, smiling. They didn’t seem at all phased with how much Nyx
resembled Nightmare Moon, even though the filly’s true dragon-like eyes
were visible to everypony.
Twilight needed to figure out a way to explain that before the play ended,
but she couldn’t focus on that too much. The fourth act was about to start,
each act respectably short, but now it was the climax... the part of the play
Twilight was worried about the most. The fourth act was set to occur
against the backdrop of the old castle... and the unicorn feared this scene
might dredge up unwanted memories in Nyx.
“And with the final trial passed the ponies did arrive, to the resting place of
the elements they hoped to revive,” Zecora narrated, the zebra’s part in the
play becoming smaller after the first act. The six ponies playing Twilight
and her friends stepped onto the stage, drawing close to the wooden
pedestals that held the fake Elements of Harmony.
“The Elements of Harmony, we’ve found them,” Dinky Doo chimed out, the
unicorn cast to play the role of Twilight. Unlike the real elements, the fake
ones were set on pedestals low enough to the ground that the little colts
and fillies were able to get them down without actually having to fly or lift
them with magic.
“One, two, three, four... There’s only five!” The pony playing Pinkie Pie
chimed out.
“Squeee!” Pinkie Pie whispered, trying to keep her voice down but finding it
difficult. “I said that... I said that! This is so cool! They got everything just
right.”
“That’s mostly because of you, Sugarcube, since you somehow
remembered everything we exactly said.”
“Oh, that was easy. I just read the transcript.”
“You read the what now?”
“Shhh! I’m trying to watch!” Dash grumbled, knowing her character had a
line coming up.
“Where’s the sixth?” Scootaloo asked, she and the other fillies looking
around while Dinky Doo stepped forward to the five fake elements.
“The book said when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth
Element to be revealed.”
“What the hay is that supposed to mean?” Apple Bloom asked, pulling off
her sister’s thicker accent fairly well.
“I’m not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back, I don’t know what will
happen.”
“Come on now, y’all. She needs to concentrate,” Apple Bloom ordered,
ushering the others fillies off the stage, leaving only Dinky Doo alone with
the fake elements. The little unicorn knelt down beside the painted, round
props and made her horn glow. She was not actually attempting to cast a
spell, but merely making her horn glow for the effect.
The stage, however, began to get enveloped by smoke, fog machines in
the back casting out the thick white clouds as indigo lights shown on the
mist. A few of the students, who had slipped out of costume, used some
ropes to pull the fake pedestal that had held the elements back, out of the
middle of the stage.
Then other students working backstage pulled on some fishing string. The
fishing string was attached to the fake elements of harmony, causing them
to slide away from Dinky Doo and then hang in the air above the right side
of the stage while Nyx stepped into view.
“The Elements!” Dinky cried out, reaching out a hoof. Nyx only replied to
this with a laugh, the lights flickering on stage while students smashed pots
and pans together in the background to simulate thunder and lightning.
Still, despite Nyx’s laughter, Dinky did as the real Twilight Sparkle did. She
lowered her head, and beat her hoof at the ground aggressively.
“You're kidding. You're kidding, right?”
Dinky, however, charged at Nyx, the black filly doing the same. Just as the
two were about to cross paths the stage lights went pitch black. When the
lights came back on Nyx was still in the center of the stage, but Dinky Doo
was over by the fake elements, her horn glowing. Some students began
flashing flashlights on the painted props, trying to make it look like they
were starting to activate.
Nyx raced across the stage, but before she could reach Dinky Doo the
stage lights flashed a bright white, a number of them turned out on the
audience to blind them as well. When the blinding effect was gone, Dinky
Doo was on the far side of the stage, looking like she had been thrown
back while Nyx stood in the center of the fake Elements of Harmony, the
students around her still flicking flashlights on and off and waving them
around as if the elements were about to activate.
“No, no!” Nyx snapped, shrinking back in fear of the fake elements, but as
in reality the elements did not activate, the students playing with the
flashlights stopping while Dinky Doo put on an overly large expression of
shock.
“But... where's the sixth Element?!”
Nyx, however, only broke out her playful, evil laughter as she stomped on
the fake Elements of Harmony, causing some of the more invested crowd
members to gasp. Twilight, however, was holding her breath. This was the
moment, this was the part of the play she had worried about the most.
Nyx finished stomping on the last of the elements, turning about to face
Dinky Doo on the far side of the stage. The filly put on the wickedest smile
she could manage, lifting a hoof to point at
Dinky.
“You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me!?” Nyx exclaimed, her voice
turning very dark, very serious, and very convincing. “Now you will never
see your princess, or your sun!
“The night will last forever!” Nyx finished before letting out an evil laugh, the
most convincing evil laugh the audience had heard from the filly all
evening. It sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine, as she had heard the real
Nightmare Moon say those very same words and in a very similar way. It
made the unicorn swallow nervously, looking over at Celestia and Luna.
The princesses still seemed to be just enjoying the play... but Twilight still
couldn’t shake the thought from her mind.
Nyx had said those last lines too well.
===================
“And thus the night again became ruled over by the younger, banished
from her body the vengeful hunger. And from this story may a lesson you
firmly grip, there is nothing stronger than the power of friendship.”
With those last lines from Zecora, the stage curtains fell shut, and the
audience broke into a roaring round of applause. A few moments later the
curtains opened, Cheerilee stepping onto the stage and offer a few quick
bows and waves.
“Thank you all!” The teacher offered. “I’m happy to see you all enjoyed the
play. The students worked really hard and, because of their efforts, this
became one of the best plays ever put on by Ponyville Elementary School.
Now, let’s have a round of applause for these colts and fillies who did such
an excellent job! First, a round of applause for the colts and fillies who
played our story’s heroes. First, Dinky Doo!”
The crowd complied, stomping hooves as the students began to stream
onto stage. Cheerilee introduced every filly and colt by name as they came
out, doing her best to shout above the applause of her crowd. The first to
come out, doing so one by one, where the fillies who played the parts of
Twilight and her friends. Applejack gave out an extra loud holler when
Apple Bloom came on stage, and Rarity put her hooves together and
whistled when it was Sweetie Belle turn to step out and bow.
“Next, we have the fillies who portrayed our dearest Princess Celestia and
Princess Luna, who grace us with their presence this evening. Diamond
Tiara and Silver Spoon.”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were the next to come out, acting like
proper divas as they smirked and bowed in their Luna and Celestia
costumes. They lingered on the stage for a little longer than they should,
soaking in the appropriate and proper amount of applause. It took
Cheerilee motioning towards them to get the two fillies to back up and
stand in line with the others.
“And now, playing the wicked and dastardly Nightmare Moon, give a big
round of applause for Nyx!”
Twilight was shocked when the crowd cheered very, very loudly as Nyx
nervously walked onto stage, cheering as loud as the applause had been
for Dinky Doo and the other fillies who played the main characters in the
play. Applause that was also a whole lot louder than what Diamond Tiara
and Silver Spoon had received, and, by the looks on their faces, the two
snooty fillies knew it.
Twilight couldn’t keep herself from applauding either, even though Nyx was
still in SO much trouble. Twilight even heard a whistle come from her side,
Celestia putting a hoof to her lips and offering a very loud, very supportive
cheer whistle for Nyx. Even Luna was applauding, despite the fact Nyx had
been portraying something that Luna probably only wished to forget. Did
the two princesses really just believe Nyx was in costume?
It was a saving grace Twilight would never have believed possible.
Nyx shakily bowed just a few times before stepping back to stand with the
others, the rest of the fillies and colts who had played parts in the play
taking the stage and bowing. Some of the colts and fillies then stepped
forward again as they were given credit for the costumes and set
construction. The final two ponies invited up were Lyra and Zecora. The
mint green unicorn had composed the background music and Zecora, of
course, deserved a round of applause for her expert narration, which had
really kicked the play up to the next level with her eloquent narration.
Cheerilee was last to bow, since she was the one that took the stories and
transcribed them for the kids to perform. After that, with a final bow from the
group, the stage’s curtains closed, the performances of the Spring Festival
taking an hour intermission so ponies could stretch and get dinner if they
wanted.
================
“Mommy!” Dinky Doo chirped as she ran up to a gray coated and blond
maned pegasus. “Did I do good?”
“You were wonderful, Muffin,” Ditzy Doo replied, giving her little filly a
nuzzle and a hug. Twilight passed by the warm scene with Rarity,
Applejack, and Rainbow Dash as they moved backstage to where the
students were getting out of their costumes.
It didn’t take long for the quartet to find the fillies they were looking for.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Nyx were drinking some water
from paper cups. Three of the fillies had already gotten out of most of their
costumes, while Nyx was still completely in hers.
“Darlings, that was positively fabulous!” Rarity chimed, alerting the four
fillies to the group’s approach. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle
all quickly turned and ran over, grinning ear to ear. Nyx, however, hung
back, trying not to meet Twilight’s gaze.
“Really, was it good?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Positively pitch perfect,” Rarity assured.
“Yea, big props, Scootaloo, you got me down pat.”
“ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh,” Scootaloo rattled off,
overwhelmed by the fact that she was getting such a compliment from her
personal hero Rainbow Dash.
“How about me, Big Sis?”
“It was like lookin’ in a mirror, Sugarcube,” Applejack praised, giving Apple
Bloom a little noogie. “Y’all did a great job, didn’t they Twilight?”
“Yes, they all did an amazing job,” Twilight agreed. It was the first time
since the unicorn arrived that Nyx chanced looking up, her currently
undisguised dragon eyes meeting Twilight’s eyes. In that silent moment
Nyx was able to smile, seeing that Twilight wasn’t glaring at her with
disappointment or anger.
“E-even me?” Nyx nervously ventured.
“Well shoot, of course Nyx,” Applejack reassured. “Especially that last
Nightmare Moon laugh. Whoa nelly, sent a shiver down my spine.”
“Wow, nice work on her eyes, Twilight,” Dash said, the pegasus fluttering
over and inspecting Nyx’s dragon eyes more closely. “I didn’t know you
knew a spell for this.”
“Oh, uh, j-just something I found in one of my spell books,” Twilight
nervously smiled, thankful that Rainbow Dash had assumed it was a spell.
That was going to be Twilight’s cover story anyway. After all, she did knew
a spell like that... only it was for a pair of glasses.
“That is so awesome. I got to try it.”
“Say what now?”
“Come on Twilight,” Dash said, landing and using a hoof to motion towards
her eyes. “I want to see what I look like with dragon eyes.”
Twilight forced a smile, having not realized that she might actually be asked
to perform the spell. Still, there was no going back now. She’d have to try,
at least once, and if she failed then she could tell Dash she’d do it
tomorrow. And then she’d hope that Dash would forget or that she could
figure out the spell before then.
Still, maybe she could pull it off. It would just be an illusion spell, like the
one she put on Nyx’s glasses... she’d just have to apply it straight to Dash’s
eyes. No big deal... she just had to use it on a live pony... with the opposite
effect... and do it all without blinding Rainbow Dash.
But she could do it... maybe.
Closing her own eyes, the purple unicorn focused her magic as her horn
glowed. She gritted her teeth, concentrating, and then she felt the flash of
the spell going off. For a moment the unicorn didn’t dare to look, fearing
she had done something horrible to Dash. Blinding a pony, now that was
probably a real quick way to ruin a friendship.
But “awwws” of amazement from the other ponies encouraged Twilight to
look at Dash’s eyes. The orbs had been transformed, now looking very
dragon like. A strong pink center, with dagger shaped pupil. Even the
whites of the pegasus’ eyes had been tinted, now a light pink that
complimented the iris color.
“Whoa... this is so awesome!” Dash said, catching her reflection in a nearby
wall mirror. “I am, like, 20% cooler... at least.”
“Well, don’t get used to it. The illusion spell will wear off quickly,” Twilight
lectured, having purposefully worked the magic so Dash’s eyes would only
last for a few hours at best.
“Still, I’m going to enjoy this while it lasts. After we’re done here we got to
find Pinkie Pie. She is so going to freak out when she sees this.”
“Yea, I reckon all you little fillies have worked up quite the appetite with all
this here acting. How about we catch up with Fluttershy and Pinkie and
then all go get dinner together?”
“YEA!!!” The fillies cheered out in unison.
“Sounds good,” Twilight agreed. “Why don’t you go on ahead and find us a
place to eat? I need to help Nyx out of her costume.”
The others offered nods in agreement, heading off the stage and leaving
Twilight and Nyx alone. When their friends were out of sight, Twilight turned
her gaze down on Nyx, raising an eyebrow as she tapped a hoof
expectantly.
“Am... am I in trouble?” The filly asked, trying not to tear up.
“Yes... yes you are, Nyx. You did disobey me,” Twilight replied, but she
soon smiled and raised Nyx’s chin with a gentle hoof. “But... you were right.
It wasn’t fair of me to try and keep you from the play, and you did an
amazing job.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, really,” Twilight reassured as she nuzzled the filly. “Though, would
you mind telling me why I can see your real wings and why you don’t have
your glasses?”
“Well, when I was trying to get my costume on, I kind of... broke the
costume wings. But, I’ve been keeping my wings up like this all night so
nopony has been able to tell the difference.”
“And the glasses?”
“I... forgot them. Cheerilee thought you must have cast a spell on them
since you’re so good with magic.”
“Well, if there was a night to forget your glasses this was it,” Twilight said
with a chuckle. “Now, stay close to me. I’m going to have to teleport us
back to the library real quick so you can get your glasses and vest. Then
we’ll come back here so we can have eat dinner with the others.”
“Really? You... you aren’t going to make me stay at the library?”
“Kind of pointless now that the play is over. So, no, you can come back with
me and have dinner with everypony.”
“T-Thank you, Twilight!”
“And then we’ll discuss your punishment in the morning.”
“...oh...”
================
“But Daddy, how could they cheer louder for her? She was the bad mare,
and I was Princess Celestia!”
“Diamond Tiara, please be quiet and eat your dinner,” The filly’s mother
scolded. Diamond Tiara’s and Silver Spoon’s families were seated together
at one of Ponyville’s cafes. The restaurant was a fair distance from the
Spring Festival, so it wasn’t too crowded. The parents had chatted lightly
about the performance, but had long since gone onto other topics despite
Diamond Tiara’s continued desire to keep whining about what had
happened.
The worst of it was Diamond Tiara hadn’t been able to escape Nyx either.
Within twenty minutes of her family’s arrival at the restaurant, Nyx had
arrived with a large group of ponies, and were now laughing and having fun
at the far end of the restaurant.
“Oh, look Honey,” Diamond Tiara’s mother whispered, drawing the father’s
attention as well Diamond Tiara’s. The whole restaurant, in fact, had turned
their heads, watching as Celestia and Luna not only approached but then
walked into the restaurant.
“I wonder what brings them to this quaint little eatery. It’s not exactly what I
would consider royal class,” Silver Spoon’s mother whispered.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? They were so enamored by our daughters’
performances that they came looking for them. Now, everypony, look your
best,” Diamond’s father assured, and soon the four adults and two fillies
were doing just that, quickly primping and preparing themselves as the
princesses began to walk in their direction. Still, despite Diamond Tiara’s
wide grin, the princesses strolled right on by as if they weren’t even there.
“Where are they going?” Diamond Tiara whispered harshly. “No, they
aren’t... they are! They’re sitting with those losers!”
“Diamond Tiara, hush. It’s isn’t our place to judge who the princesses sit
with.”
“But it isn’t fair! I actually had to dress up and put on a real costume to look
like Celestia. Nyx didn’t have to do anything but put on some fake wings to
look like Nightmare Moon.”
Diamond Tiara’s father opened his mouth to tell his daughter to be quiet,
but as he did, he looked over his shoulder and got a glance of the foal in
question. “She does look a great deal like Nightmare Moon, doesn’t she?”
“Like, totally. She didn’t have to even dye her coat or mane or anything.
Those are her natural colors. It isn’t even fair.”
Diamond Tiara’s father just kept staring, his azure eyes flashing a bit before
he turned back to the table. “Yes, the natural resemblance is uncanny.”
================
“Well... that was a long night,” Twilight yawned, door opening to the library
as she strode inside. Both Spike and Nyx were sleeping soundly, sprawled
across the unicorn’s back; a cute scene, but one that wore Twilight out
since she had to carry them all the way back to the library. Owlowiscious
offered a welcoming hoot, which Twilight returned with a nod as she carried
Spike and Nyx up to the bedroom.
Spike was the first to get tucked into bed, the dragon mumbling something
about Rarity and donuts as he turned over and snuggled into his blanket.
Nyx was next, Twilight slipping the filly out of her vest and glasses before
putting her under the covers.
With the two tucked away, Twilight turned to head down stairs, only to hear
a small voice call out to her.
“Twilight?”
“Oh, sorry Nyx. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Twilight apologized, turning
back to see Nyx’s bright turquoise eyes staring at her in the dark.
“It’s okay. Thank you for letting me go to dinner with everypony.”
“Well, you’re welcome. Now, you should get some sleep. You’ve had a long
day,” The unicorn replied, making sure Nyx was properly tucked into bed.
“Okay... but, Twilight?”
“Yes?”
“You remember what happened in the forest... that thing I remembered or
dreamed about in the castle... how I wanted to hurt you?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Was... was that Nightmare Moon’s memory?”
“What... what makes you ask that?” Twilight said, swallowing nervously.
“When I was on stage... when I was saying my last lines... I remember that
I heard those same words in that nasty memory. And I then started saying
them just like the nasty voice I heard did... like I had really said them
before. Was... what I acted out in the play... was it really the same thing
Nightmare Moon did?”
Twilight froze up a moment, debating how to answer the question. She had
been striving to try and protect Nyx from the truth... but, after the long day,
Twilight didn’t have the metal strength to try and contrive some new lie to
shield Nyx. And Nyx was too smart for anything overly simple.
In the end, Twilight could only nod.
“Yes...”
“And... when I went to the play... every... everypony kept telling me that I...
that I looked just like Nightmare Moon... They said my eyes were perfect
and so were my wings... They thought they were fake but... they’re not.
And... and I don’t know of anypony else who’s an alicorn like me either...
and... and before the play started, I saw that book again and looked at the
picture... and... and after hearing what everypony else said, I...”
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as Nyx tried to brush away some tears that
formed, the unicorn fearing what the filly might have asked next.
“Twilight... is the reason... is the reason I remember that night... remember
you... remember wanting to hurt you... is the reason that I look like
Nightmare Moon... i-is it because I’m.... am I... am I somehow-”
“No,” Twilight said firmly but comfortingly. “You are not Nightmare Moon.”
“But, what about-”
Twilight gently shushed Nyx, the mare sitting down beside the small bed
before gathering her thoughts.
“Nyx... I know you’re little, and you may not understand all of this... but... I
think you deserve to know the truth... or at least, what I think the truth is.
You remember where I found you, in the Everfree Forest? How, at the time,
you didn’t have any memories before then? How you didn’t even have a
name?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I think that is because that was where you were born... or made...
and that you only came into existence a few hours before I arrived. You
weren’t even a pony until that first moment you woke up tangled in that
bush.
“What... what do you meant?”
“Nyx... I believe you were created by a spell.”
“A... spell?”
Twilight nodded.
“You see, there were some very mean, very evil ponies who were trying to
bring Nightmare Moon back.”
“Why... why would they do that?” Nyx asked, sitting up in bed a bit and
pulling the cover on her bed a little closer to her neck.
“I don’t know, but that’s what they were trying to do. They ponynapped me
to use a little of my blood as part of the spell. They even had the pieces of
Nightmare Moon, shreds of her magic and body that survived being purified
by the Elements of Harmony.
“They were going to use all that to bring Nightmare Moon back, and they
were actually able to start the spell. Nightmare Moon began to take form,
started to have a new body... but then Celestia arrived and stopped the
mean ponies. She interrupted the spell, rescued me, and her guards
arrested all the mean, evil ponies involved.
“And... that’s where I came from?”
“The thing about magic is that, if you interrupt a spell, you can’t really be
sure what you’ll get. The spell that was bringing back Nightmare Moon
wasn’t complete when it was interrupted, and... I think you’re the result. I
found you right next to the same clearing where the spell was cast. The
whole reason I was there was because the mean ponies had taken my
saddle bags and left them in that part of the Everfree Forest.”
At this Nyx began to sniffle, tears already starting to stream down her face
as she bit her lower lip.
“But... but that means... I am Nightmare Moon...”
“No! No, Nyx, you’re not.”
“But-but-but you s-said that I c-came from that s-spell!” Nyx blubbered, her
crying turning into full-fledged sobbing. “A-and you said that s-spell was
supposed to bring b-back Nightmare Moon! If that spell m-made me, and I
l-look like Nightmare M-Moon, and I h-have her memories, t-then I must be
Nightmare Moon!”
Nyx let out a wail, not even trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“I’m Nightmare M-Moon! I w-was the one that banished Celestia to the s-
sun! I was the one w-who tried to h-hurt you and y-your friends! I’m a
monster! I’m a bad pony! I’m-”
Before Nyx could continue her breakdown, Twilight brought her head close,
nuzzling the filly’s neck and using a hoof to gently rub Nyx’s back. The filly
responded by hooking her little front legs around the unicorn’s neck,
hugging her tightly while she continued to sob.
“Nyx, you are not Nightmare Moon,” Twilight assured, being both
comforting and firm.
“B-but-”
“You do look like her, and... and you do seem to have some of her
memories... but Nyx, you are not Nightmare Moon. What you are is a
perfectly normal, wonderful, little filly,” Twilight reassured. “A sweet little filly
who has four really great friends. A filly that likes going to school, and was
willing to get in big trouble just so she didn’t let her classmates down.
“Nightmare Moon wouldn’t do any of that; she wouldn’t even have friends.
Nightmare Moon was a bitter, vengeance driven mare who was willing to
doom Equestria to eternal night, just because ponies didn’t stay up at night
to look at the stars.
“And that isn’t you. You aren’t the same pony. You are not Nightmare
Moon, and you will never be her.”
“*sniff* You... you promise?”
“I promise.”
Nyx smiled, but it was a moment of happiness doomed to die quickly as a
fresh frown and new tears appeared on Nyx's face.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I-if I was created by a spell, then... then that means I don’t have a mom
and dad... I... I don’t have a family like my friends... I... I... ”
Twilight soon cursed herself, realizing to late that Nyx figured out more than
the unicorn wanted her to. She had to think fast. Twilight didn’t want Nyx to
have to go to sleep with the knowledge she was born from a spell in the
forest and that she had no real family. That was just too much to put on the
little filly, at least all at once.
“Nyx, just because you weren’t born like a normal pony doesn’t mean you
don’t have a family.”
“*sniff* It... it doesn’t?”
“No. You have all the family you could want right there in Ponyville,”
Twilight reassured. “Family is more than just the ponies you’re related to.
Family can also be your friends and the ponies who care about you. After
all, don’t you have four really great friends?”
“I... I do.”
“And not just them, there are plenty of others who care about you. I mean,
just look at Owlowiscious and Spike. They’re practically your brothers.”
“But... but Owlowiscious is an owl and Spike is a dragon; how can they be
my brothers?”
“Owlowiscious keeps an eye on you when I can’t, and he brings you those
little flowers and other presents once in a while. He’s also helped you with
your homework when I don’t have the time, and, like some big brothers,
he’s gotten himself in trouble to make you happy by letting you go to the
play.
“And Spike, well... he’s your crazy older brother. He looks after you too
and, while he sometimes gives you a hard time, he really appreciates it
when you help him around the library. Both he and Owlowiscious would be
among the first to jump up and help you if you were ever in trouble.
“So, even though Owlowiscious is an owl and Spike is a dragon, they both
treat you like their little sister. They take care of you, and would rather see
themselves get hurt before seeing you get put in any danger.”
“So... if Owlowiscious and Spike are like my older brothers... what does that
make you?”
Twilight felt the air catch in her lungs at this, looking down at the little filly.
What was she to Nyx? What was Nyx to her? She could easily say she was
just an older sister, like Owlowiscious and Spike were brothers, but... that
didn’t feel right.
Applejack was the older sister to Apple Bloom, and while Applejack had to
take some responsibility raising the little filly, they still had a sisterly
relationship. Apple Bloom got on Applejack’s nerves from time to time, and
the orange farm filly sometimes had to reign in her little sister once in a
while like a big sister would.
But... that wasn’t the kind of relationship she had with Nyx. Twilight began
to think of all the things she had done for Nyx since the little filly’s arrival.
She had sent her to school, read bedtime stories to her, made her meals
from time to time. She helped Nyx catch up to the rest of her class, held
sleepovers for her and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Most of all, Twilight thought of the day Nyx got lost in the Everfree Forest
because of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Twilight had never been so
furious or worried. She was really on the verge of turning that spoiled little
brat into a cactus, and then her father came by the library wanting an
apology. Oh, Twilight could have strangled him right there, just wrung his
pompous neck right there.
And yes, one could argue that was anything a big sister would do.
Applejack would have probably beaten the tar out of that father stallion for
trying to defend what his daughter had done. But... sister just didn’t seem to
fit. Twilight... Twilight felt Nyx was more to her than a sister. Nyx depended
on her and, if it weren’t for Twilight, could have easily died in the Everfree
Forest.
No... Twilight was no older sister to Nyx... but there was another name that
seemed to fit... one that slowly floated to the top of the unicorn’s mind.
“Well... Nyx... if I was really honest... I’d say... ,” Twilight had to swallow,
the words getting caught on the knot in her throat. “That... I’m like... well...
your mother.”
There was a moment of silence, Twilight watching Nyx to see the filly’s
reaction. It shifted through a number of expressions in this order: first
shock, then disbelief, and finally, a weak but honest smile.
“You’d r-really want to be my mom?”
“I’d love to be your mother... if.. you’d... let me?” Twilight asked, leaning her
head in close so she was eye to eye with Nyx.
Nyx’s answer was not in word, but in gesture, the filly sitting up in her bed.
Before Twilight knew it, she was once again being hugged by the filly, Nyx
nuzzling the side of the unicorn’s head while her front legs hooked around
Twilight’s neck.
“I... I would love to have you as mom! You’re the best mom ever!”
“Oh... oh Nyx,” Twilight whispered, eyes starting to tear up, even though
she was smiling ear to ear. The pair sat in the moment for a time, Twilight
nuzzling Nyx while the filly continued hugging her neck.
“Twilight?” Nyx asked a few minutes later, still holding tightly to the
unicorns neck.
“Yes, Nyx?”
“Thank you... for everything. I love you.”
“I... I love you too Nyx,” Twilight replied, tears starting to roll down her
cheek. The unicorn very gently pulled herself away, quickly rubbing the
tears off her face with her fore legs before using her magic to tuck Nyx
back into bed. “Now, it’s time to go to sleep. It’s late and you’ve had a long
day.”
“Okay,” The filly alicorn replied, yawning as she snuggled into her bed.
Twilight offered a gentle smile, and, thinking of her own mother, the unicorn
bent forward and gave Nyx the gentlest kiss on the forehead. This seemed
to be the final trick, Nyx drifting off to sleep.
Stepping back from the bed on the tips of her hooves, Twilight began
moving towards the door. It wasn’t what the unicorn expected, being called
mom for the first time. She had always thought she’d want a filly of her own
some day... it just never occurred to Twilight that Nyx could really be that
filly. And she’d have to convince Nyx to keep calling her cousin around
Ponyville, since that was how every pony else thought they were related.
Still, Twilight realized that she had really been acting like Nyx’s mom for a
long time, considering how she had been taking care of the filly. Reading
her to bed at night, and making sure she went to school... Running out to
find her when she got lost and being on the verge of turning Diamond Tiara
into a cactus for the bully filly’s cruel prank...
Yeah... she’d been acting like it, but it was a whole other bucket of hay
actually being called mom. Still, Twilight would think about that in a minute.
First, she needed to go have a world with Owlowiscious about why the owl
had let Nyx sneak out to the play. Yet, just before Twilight could reach the
door, a voice whispered to her.
“Hey, why am I just ‘the older brother’? Can’t I be her uncle or something?”
The unicorn turned, smiling gently as she saw Spike was sitting up in his
bed, hands on his hips as he eyed Twilight from across the room.
“Spike, I was the one who hatched you and raised you before you could
talk and look after yourself. And, technically speaking, you’re still a baby
dragon. So, if anything, I’m sort of a mother to you too.”
“Pfft. Whatever, I still say I’d make a better uncle. Especially if you let me
have back that awesome mustache. No uncle is complete without a
mustache.”
“Sorry Spike, but no mustache. Now you should get some sleep.”
“Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time ‘Mom’,” Spike scoffed before he laid
back down and threw the blanket back over himself, snuggling into his bed.
The baby dragon was back to sleep almost instantly, making Twilight giggle
quietly before she crept out of the bedroom, heading down stairs.
“Owlowiscious, can I have a word with you?”
“Hoo hoo.”
“Uh-oh is right, Mister,” Twilight firmly assured, needing have a word with
the owl of why he let Nyx leave, despite her direct orders.
Chapter 7
Careful Maneuvering
Dear Revered Brother Nexus - High Prophet of The True Queen
I write in regards to the assignment you gave me several weeks past. As
chosen Prophet of Ponyville, I received your orders that we were to search
the Everfree Forest for our queen, that she may have survived the sun
tyrant’s interference in our resurrection spell.
And, as I reported to you just last week, our searches of the forest have
proved fruitless. Those amongst us that are unicorns have not been able to
find traces of our queen’s magic anywhere in the forest. Even the traces
that once remained at the ancient castle have now dissipated.
Yet, this past evening, I believe I have spotted our queen, or at least one
who bears a striking resemblance to her. A filly, who is currently in the care
of Twilight Sparkle. Yes, the same Twilight Sparkle to which we are all so
familiar. I first saw her in an elementary school play, and then once again
later in the evening when she shared a meal with Twilight Sparkle,
Celestia, Luna, and a number of other local mares and fillies.
Upon speaking with my own daughter, who shared a class with the filly for
a number of weeks, I’ve come to discover the filly was admitted as a new
student to Ponyville Elementary around the same time our spell was cast,
near the beginning of spring.
I have been unable to ascertain any further information, due to an
altercation I had previously with Twilight Sparkle, which has put us at odds.
My daughter, who might have proved useful in this matter, has also made
herself just as unwelcome around the Ponyville Library.
I request your guidance in this matter in how you wish for me to proceed,
and patiently await your reply.
For the Night Eternal
For Equestria’s True Queen
Honored Brother Regal Cut - Prophet of Ponyville.
The scroll, which had been hoof delivered to the manor, lay across the
desk in Spell Nexus’s study. The dark blue unicorn was standing near one
of his windows, horn glowing as he held a glass of fine orange juice. He
gently swished the glass, the contents dancing under the gentle motions.
His turquoise eyes focused on the moon, which was a beautiful crescent
shape in the sky.
“A filly...” Nexus whispered to himself before sipping from the glass. “A filly
who attends school, who lives with Twilight Sparkle, who was seen in the
presence of Princess Celestia, no less. Who participated in a school play,
of all things. A filly... it is not what I would have expected.
“What are your plans; what are your schemes?” Nexus asked, as if posing
his questions to the moon itself. “Do you act to keep your enemies close?
Do you seek to find a weakness to exploit? Do you bide your time until you
can overcome the Elements of Harmony and the ponies who wield them?”
Nexus drank from the orange juice again, draining every drop. The glow
about his horn grew just a bit brighter as the unicorn took hold of a large,
elegant pitcher on the nearby table. From the pitcher, he refilled his cup
with the fruit juice, giving it a gentle swirl before setting the pitcher back
down and turning from the window.
“Perhaps you are merely waiting for us, your children, to discover you. To
prove ourselves capable and deserving of your grace.” Nexus mused,
crossing the room. “Though... I assume much taking Regal Cut at his word.
This filly may resemble Nightmare Moon, but a resemblance is not enough.
No doppelganger will do.
“In any case, this warrants further investigation,” Nexus surmised as he
neared his reading table. In the bookshelves on the nearby wall, a book
floated out from the shelves, gripped by Nexus’s levitation magic. Yet the
book the unicorn sought was tucked behind the other. A small black book
floated into view, crossing the room and setting itself down on the writing
desk, the other book was slipping back onto the shelf.
Nexus turned open the book, seeing in it names etched out in his own hoof-
writing. The only true record of Children of Nightmare; the only record of all
the ponies who had sworn strength, magic, and life to the return of
Equestria’s true queen. It was his duty alone to guard such precious
information, for if such a list were to be found by Celestia all hope would be
lost.
The unicorn’s turquoise eyes read across the names and the notes
accompanying them. He would need agents, ponies that could travel to the
small town of Ponyville and verify Regal Cut’s reports. Ones he trusted:
ones like Gray Gale, Night Wind, and Stonewall, who had proven their
loyalty to Nightmare Moon. Ponies who were not just honored brothers and
sisters, but ponies among the Exalted. Those who were just below him in
the order. Him, the one and only Revered brother of the Children of
Nightmare.
Other books began to make their way off the shelves, cradled by levitation
magic as Nexus began checking information. Every move made by the
Children of Nightmare had to be planned with such care, for his opponent
in the high-stakes game of chess was none other than Celestia herself. A
mare with a thousand years of rule and wisdom behind her, who had
stumbled across less thoroughly thought out plans during the cult’s infancy.
He’d have to spread his agents like a fine powder, sprinkle them amongst
ponies that the filly would be brought to interact with. Ones to simply watch
her, others to try and examine her more closely, and others still to simply
ensure all went smoothly.
“Sir?”
Nexus looked up from his work, Proper Etiquette having poked his nose in
the study doorway.
“Yes?”
“There is another letter for you, sir.” Etiquette replied, holding up said scroll
with his magic. It was bound shut with a purple ribbon and a silver, crescent
moon metal seal.
“Thank you, Etiquette,” Nexus replied, taking the letter with his own magic.
“Will you be needing anything else, Sir?”
“No, not at the moment.”
“Very good, Sir,” The butler pony said before removing himself from the
room.
Nexus carefully set down the many books he had been levitating, leaving
them propped open on the floor so he could return to his place once the
letter was written. A purple ribbon with silver seal: it was a sign of a letter
from a brother and sister, and the full moon on the seal indicated it was of
the utmost importance.
Dear Revered Brother Nexus - High Prophet of The True Queen
This is a written report on the coming and going of the unicorns assigned
by Celestia to study and understand the nature of the resurrection spell we
attempted to cast in the forest.
I realize this report comes fairly quickly after my last, and that you did not
expect another from me for another several days. There has been,
however, a few developments I believe you would want to know about
without delay.
First, with the research team moved to the royal archives, their endeavors
in understanding our spell are starting to make steady headway. They are
beginning to decipher the arcane lines we used to augment and focus the
magic in the Everfree Forest clearing. While I will act, as I have, to try and
stall their efforts, I can, at this point, only slow their progress. They will, in
time, decipher the spell.
Secondly, Celestia came to the to the research team this morning to check
on the progress. They reported to her exactly as I have reported to you,
that their progress has now become steady and dependable.
Bastion Yorsets and Celestia then began to chat casually, the princess
talking about the Spring Festival she attended yesterday evening with her
sister in Ponyville. She spoke highly of many of the performances, offering
particular praise for a play put on by the town’s elementary school.
She then, at this point, divulged to Bastion Yorsets that her student,
Twilight Sparkle, was now taking care of a young filly by the name of Nyx.
The only description she offered was that the filly was a black coated
unicorn, and that the filly was a half-cousin.
I would have dismissed this as idle chatter if Bastion Yorsets hadn’t made a
very interesting comment. He divulged that he had grown up knowing
Twilight’s father, and had been the one to invite Twilight to take the
entrance exam for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
In his comments, Bastion admitted it was strange that Twilight had called
Nyx a half cousin. He revealed that, while Twilight’s father has siblings, her
mother is an only child. He further pointed out that Twilight’s father and his
siblings all share the same two parents, making it impossible for the
unicorn to have any half cousins.
Celestia simply offered that Twilight must have misspoken when
introducing Nyx, or that she had a misunderstanding of what a half cousin
was. Bastion accepted this answer, and soon their meeting was over.
Again, I would have believed this as nothing but idle chatter. Yet, later that
day in the barracks, I overheard Celestia’s private guards talking. The two
pegasi were discussing the princess’ day, and, after eavesdropping for a
time, I discovered that the princess made an unscheduled stop on her daily
routine. She went to the Equestria Central Records Office, during what was
supposed to be her lunch hour for the day. From the ponies there she
requested that family records pertaining to Twilight Sparkle and her parents
be delivered to her royal chambers this evening.
I was unable to discover more, since my shift had ended, and I dare not
risk lingering around the castle after work. That is all I have to report at this
time. I will continue my observation of the research team, and will alert you
if I discover anything pressing.
I will submit my next regular report at the scheduled time.
For the Night Eternal
For Equestria’s True Queen
Exalted Sister Night Wind
Nexus licked his lips, his mouth having gone dry. The situation had become
much more perilous. Celestia’s gaze was now turned upon the same black
coated filly, her interest spurred by the blabber mouth, Bastion Yorsets. He
would have to have been a childhood friend of Twilight’s father.
Taking up the orange juice glass, Nexus titled the glass up to his mouth.
With a few swift gulps he empted the glass, shaking his head after he had
finished. The perfectly chilled juice was delicious, but when drunk quickly it
gave the unicorn a momentary brain freeze.
There was now a need for both subtly and some haste, to ascertain who
the filly truly was before Celestia could act in a way to make such
investigation impossible.
The books that had been left on the floor moved back into the air, carried
by Nexus’s magic as he drew out a feather pen and several pieces of
parchment. Feverishly, he began to work, his eyes moving between the
little black record book of the Children of Nightmare and to the many other
tombs that now encircled the unicorn. He would get no sleep that night, as,
in more ways than one, Nexus was racing against the sun and its master.
========
Twilight yawned, making no effort to control or stifle it as she walked down
the path to Ponyville Elementary. The sun was still rising from the horizon,
the sunrise’s tapestry of colors just starting to fade to the constant blue of
midday. Normally, it would have taken an important research trip to make
Twilight get out of bed this early. That was, however, before Nyx came into
her life.
So, it was not an expedition to some a far-off archaeological site or a rare
celestial event that drew Twilight from her warm bed covers. Though, to a
certain little, black filly, it was nearly as important.
A few days after the Spring Festival, Cheerilee announced that she wanted
to try something new for the school. A Saturday where students would set
up educational exhibits and the school would host food and games:
something Cheerilee was playful calling the “Learn and Play Day”. It was
an event that had quickly grown, Ponyville’s schools for older colts and
fillies getting in on the event as well.
And, due to the fact that the event had grown so quickly, Cheerilee had
called on Twilight, Ponyville’s number one organizer, to help get everything
in order. The purple unicorn had been working alongside the teacher for the
past two weeks to organize the event while the students had been
researching and building their educational exhibits. It had turned into quite
a bit of work, but... Twilight had accepted it. Nyx had been so excited about
the event the moment she heard about it, Twilight wanted to be sure it went
off well.
Approaching the schoolhouse, Twilight walked around the brightly painted
building and to the open field behind it. There, Cheerilee was working with
a few other volunteers to get everything set up.
“Good Morning, everypony,” Twilight offered, trying to put on a smile only to
yawn another time.
“Not much for mornings, Twilight?” Cheerilee asked, as she walked over to
meet the unicorn.
“Not usually, no.”
“Well, thank you for offering to come out and give everything one final
check-over before the big day. Everypony seems so excited! This little
weekend may turn into a new Ponyville tradition if it goes off right.”
“Well, let’s get through today first before we start planning for next year,”
Twilight said, her saddle bags opening at the beckon call of the unicorn’s
magic, a checklist and pencil floating into the air in front of Twilight.
“Now, let’s see. Are the exhibit tables set up?”
Cheerilee nodded, pointing a hoof to the area behind the school. Several
circular tables had been borrowed or rented from a number of ponies
around Ponyville and covered in white tablecloths to form a veritable sea of
tables. Each table had two little signs on it with numbers.
“Thirty round tables with tablecloths, with sixty numbered exhibit signs on
yellow paper.”
“Perfect.” Twilight replied, making a check on her list, starting to look
around the area the pair were standing in. “What about food?”
“We’re just about to finish setting up the tables for our little food court. Big
Macintosh has brought in a food cart from Sweet Apple Acres. That just
leaves Danver and the Cakes, who need to arrive and set up their food
stalls.”
“Danver?”
“His family owns and runs the carrot farm next to Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Oh.” Twilight said, lifting a hoof to giggle. “Let me guess: Danver is a type
of carrot.”
“You’d be guessing right,” Cheerilee replied with a chuckle of her own.
“Still, I’d say the food and eating area is all taken care of,” Twilight said,
checking off the next item on the list. “That just leaves the afternoon
activities. Still, I doubt we’ll be able to check that one off just yet.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, we put Rainbow Dash in charge of that. She’s reliable, but she kind
of likes to procrastinate a little. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still back
at home, snoozing away the morning.”
“Boo!”
Twilight quickly turned her head to the side, a little startled by the sudden
third voice in the conversation. It was only then that she took notice of the
sky blue pegasus that was hovering in the air near her head. Cheerilee had
to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing, Rainbow Dash looking at
Twilight with a smug grin.
“Back at home snoozing, huh?”
“Heh heh...” Twilight laughed nervously, forcing a smile. “Rainbow Dash, I...
didn’t expect you to be here this early.”
The pegasus just chuckled, landing next to Twilight and folding her wings.
“Relax, Twilight; on any normal day, I would still be asleep. But this is just
going to be too awesome! I just had to get up early, not only to clear the
skies, but to make sure all my awesome sporting events were ready.”
“What all do you have planned?” Cheerilee asked.
“Oh, tons of stuff. I actually went and checked out a book with a whole
bunch of killer ideas.”
“It was one of the few times she came into the library without crashing.”
Twilight offered, though Rainbow Dash ignored the unicorn and kept going.
“We’ve got something for everypony. Got things for just the kids to do,
things for kids to do with their parents, and things for the parents to do so
the kids can cheer them on. We’ve got games for pegasi, for earth ponies,
for unicorns, and games where you get to mix it up. It is all just going to be
so awesome!”
“Wow, that... sounds like a lot.”
“Like a lot of fun, you mean.” Rainbow Dash corrected as she lifted a hoof,
gently brushing it against her chest. “Yea, I pretty much outdid myself.”
“And, since we got so many ponies to volunteer their time and things for
free,” Cheerilee said with a chirp, reaching under a nearby table and pulling
out a box. “I actually was able to spend the last of the budget on some
prizes for your events.”
“You got prizes? Oh boy, nothing is better than having prizes!” Dash
cheered, the pegasus already digging through the prize box as she took
stock of what all Cheerilee had bought.
“Cool, you got yo-yo’s in here.” Dash eventually offered, pulling her head
out of the box with one of the said yo-yo’s. In a flash, the pegasus had the
yo-yo string around her hoof. Giving it a flick, she sent the little plastic disk
down and up the string in a smooth motion. Another flick, and the yo-yo
was in a simple sleeper trick, where the yo-yo stayed at the bottom of the
string but continued spinning.
“Heh, I used to be pretty good at this,” Dash admitted, a flick of her hoof
bringing the yo-yo out of the sleeper trick. A few more flicks to build up
speed, and then Dash quickly wrapped some of the string around her
hooves, resulting in the yo-yo swinging back and forth inside a triangle of
string.
“This here is called ‘The Pendulum’.”
“That’s great Dash, but shouldn’t you leave the prizes for the ponies who
actually win them?”
“Sure, just one more trick. You heard of ‘Around the World’? Well, this is
my super, double loop, around the sun trick.” With that, Dash gave the yo-
yo a firm flick, the pegasus jumping into the air as she used her wings to
spin herself. Still, a few seconds after starting the trick, Dash flopped to the
ground, Cheerilee and Twilight laughing out loud as Dash had managed to
hog-tie her legs and wings with yo-yo string.
“Oh, wow Dash, that was really something,” Twilight prodded.
“Yeah yeah... laugh it up. Now, are you going to stand there giggling or are
you going to lend me a hoof?”
=============
The Learn and Play Day was in full swing the moment it opened to the
public at 9:00 that morning. The students had already arrived and set up
their exhibits, each having done a project on something that interested
them. There were exhibits about farming techniques, about history, about
how weather was made, and dozens of other little topics where the
students tried to show off their work.
That was the “Learn” part of the “Learn and Play Day”. The students
learned more about subjects they wanted to know more about, and some
parents and other ponies in the community had a chance to learn as well.
“Isn’t this so super duper fun, Fluttershy?!” Pinkie Pie chirped, bouncing
along between the student exhibits while Fluttershy walked calmly beside
her. “I mean, I knew Cotton Candy was good, and I knew how to make it.
Still, I never knew how little pieces of sugar turned into stringy sweet
goodness.”
“Yes, that was a really interesting display.”
“Which one’s been your favorite so far?”
“Well... um...I liked the one about how caterpillars become butterflies. I
already know about that, but the student did such a wonderful job
explaining it.”
“All the kids did a really good job. Oh, I wish I could have an exhibit! I’d do
one about parties!”
“Parties?”
“Parties aren’t as easy as everypony thinks. There are lots of rules I have
to follow for my parties: the Pinkie Pie Party rules,” The pink pony stated
matter of factually.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked in disbelief. “I would never imagine you actually
had rules for your parties.”
“Of course! How do you think they turn out so good? I have rules I can
never ever ever ever never ever break. As long as anypony else doesn’t
break them, then the party is a guaranteed success. Like, Rule #1: - Every
party must has decorations, or Rule #157: If the ratio of fillies and colts to
mares and stallions is at least two to one, there must be a piñata.”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but tilt her head to one side, confusion across her
face.
“Rule #157? How many rules are there?”
“376.”
“Oh... oh my... that’s... that’s a lot of rules.”
“Hey, throwing parties is my special talent, and it is serious business to
make them seriously fun. OH! Hey, there’s Nyx’s booth! We should go see
what she did.”
With that Pinkie Pie bounded ahead, forcing Fluttershy to break into a quick
trot just to catch up. A group of stallions and mares were just stepping
away from Nyx’s booth when the pink earth pony and yellow pegasus came
up, the black filly offering them a smile.
“Hi Fluttershy! Oh...um...h-hi Pinkie Pie.”
“Hey there, Nyx.” Pinkie Pie chirped. “What super cool, amazing thing did
you do for your exhibit? Give us the whole rundown.”
“If you don’t mind, that is.” Fluttershy offered, trying to curb Pinkie Pie’s
enthusiasm.
“O-of course not, it’s-” Nyx stated, before she coughed into her hoof to
clear her throat. “I chose to make my Exhibit about Transfiguration Magic.”
“Tranafigurwhatiewhat?”
“Transfiguration. It’s the magic that focuses on turning one thing into
another.” At that, the filly pointed to a number of pictures she had set up on
the backdrop of her exhibit. “Transfiguration Magic can be used to
transform practically anything into anything else. Like a stick into a fancy
walking cane. Or a stone into a hat. Or even an apple into a horse drawn
carriage.
“Transfiguration Magic is only limited by the skill and the ability of the pony
casting it. Skilled unicorns, such as Rarity, can use Transfiguration to turn
fabric into a dress. And Twilight Sparkle is able to transfigure four common
mice into four full sized horses.”
“Hey, I remember that!” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle. “They didn’t exactly
look like horses.”
“A-and that leads me to the next part of my exhibit. The limits of
Transfiguration Magic. Transfiguration magic is always temporary.
Everything transfigured will eventually turn back to normal. This is why
anything that needs to be permanent is still hoof made, like houses and
clothing, since Transfiguration magic only lasts for so long. Otherwise,
there wouldn’t be a need for construction workers, carpenters, or any other
ponies that make things.
“And, as a final part of my exhibit, I-I would like to provide a live
demonstration of Transfiguration Magic.”
Nyx pointed to the rock setting on the table in the center of her exhibit. The
black filly then shut her eyes, her horn and the rock beginning to glow.
Eventually, with a small pop, the rock turned into a potted flower.
“Oooooooooooooo...” Pinkie Pie said, leaning in and sniffing the floor. “It
even smells real.”
“So any, um, questions?”
“No, none at all. That was very well done, Nyx. You should be-” Fluttershy
began to say, only for Pinkie Pie to put her head between the pegasus and
filly.
“OH, I got a question! Have you tried changing anything bigger than a
rock? Oh, do you take requests?”
“W-well... no, but I guess I could try. Um... what did you have in mind?”
“Turn that grass into cotton candy! No, wait, turn that into a candy apple!
No, wait, you should turn that stallion’s bowtie into a squirty flower! OH! No
no no no! I know what you should try to do!” Pinkie Pie smiled, pointing a
hoof at Fluttershy. “Turn her into a tree!”
“A... a tree?” Nyx asked, lowering her head a little, both from confusion and
because of Pinkie Pie’s manic behavior.
“Yea! Turn Fluttershy into a tree.”
“W-why?”
“Because, this one time, on a train, I got talking with Rainbow Dash and
Twilight, and, for some strange reason, Dash thought Fluttershy was a tree,
even though she obviously isn’t. But then Fluttershy said she’d like to be a
tree, so can you turn her into a tree? ”
“I don’t know....”
“Oh come on, just give it a try. You never know unless you try,” Pinkie Pie
encouraged.
“Well...are you okay with this Fluttershy?”
“Well, it won’t hurt, will it?” The pegasus asked quietly.
“It... it shouldn’t.... I hope...”
“And it won’t be permanent?”
“No, Transfiguration Magic is always temporary.” Nyx assured. “That and...
well, the first spell Twilight made me learn when I started this project was
how to break a Transfiguration spell... in case I made a mistake.”
“Well... I am kind of curious what it would be like...”
“See? It will be so much fun!” Pinkie Pie half shouted, bouncing a little in
excitement. Nyx could only swallow hard, having been literally put on the
spot by the pink earth pony as some others in the crowd had gathered.
Taking a deep breath, Nyx shut her eyes as her horn began to glow. First a
single level of glow, then another took shape as the filly focused on her
magic.
============
“Man, some of these booths are really cool!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, she
and Twilight trotting amongst them. “I mean, did you see what Scootaloo
did? She actually explained how my Sonic Rainboom works! I didn’t even
really know how it worked, besides the fact I was breaking the sound
barrier.”
“Yes, all the students have really done-”Twilight began, only to be silenced
as the ground shook and a loud noise cut through the air.
ssssrrrr-RRRRUUUUGGGGHHHH-RRRUUUGGGHHH-frrggggh.....
Trrrssss-ssssttthhh-stttshh...
“What was that?” Twilight asked, regaining her footing from what had felt
like a minor earthquake. When she got no answer, Twilight turned to look at
Dash, who was staring narrowed-eyed in the opposite direction. Following
the pegasus' gaze, Twilight nearly choked on the air in her own lungs at
what she saw.
A large, leafy tree had appeared in the center of the exhibits. It was as tall
as the school house, with a trunk as thick as a pony was long. It was a
weeping willow tree, its long, hanging branches and leaves draping over
the nearby exhibits. The tree, however, was very unusual. Its bark was a
bright yellow, and all of its leaves were a light, frilly pink.
“Oh my gosh! You did it!” Pinkie Pie’s voice burst out above the crowd,
drawing Rainbow Dash and Twilight out of their stupor. The two quickly
raced through the network of tables to the base of the tree. Pinkie Pie had
climbed up into the branches, maneuvering through the limbs around with
speed and agility that would make a monkey proud.
“Pinkie Pie, where the hay did this tree come from?” Dash asked, the
pegasus taking flight as she caught up to Pinkie Pie in the tree’s crown.
“It was amazing! Nyx did it with her magic!”
“Nyx did?” Twilight said, the unicorn looking up and down the tree in
disbelief before her eyes narrowed. “Wait, where is Nyx?”
Twilight’s question was answered with a whimper. When Twilight lifted the
table cloth of a nearby table, the filly was shaking, her head in her hooves,
and a few tears pulling at her eyes.
“Tw-Twilight, I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to! I.... w-well, I meant to, but o-only
because Pinkie Pie told me to a-and Fluttershy said it was okay, b-but I
didn’t think I would be able to do it....”
“Do what?” Twilight asked.
“She turned Fluttershy into a tree!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she hung from
one of the branches.
“Wait... wait wait wait, hold on a sec.” Dash began, pointing a hoof at the
yellow and pink weeping willow. “This, this tree right here. This tree is
Fluttershy.”
“Well duh. Of course it is! I just told you that Nyx turned Fluttershy into a
tree. Seriously Dash, I’d think you’d be happy. After all, you were the one
that thought Fluttershy was a tree when we were on our way to
Appleloosa.”
“I did not! I was being sarcastic.”
“Sarcastic?”
As Dash tried again to explain to Pinkie Pie why she had once called
Fluttershy a tree, Twilight began to glance nervously around the steadily
growing crowd of ponies. They were all murmuring and whispering about
Nyx, considering a filly had just done something that even she wouldn’t
have been able to do without a lot of practice.
Nyx seemed to have picked up on this, the anxious filly having hid under
the table shortly after she had successfully cast the larger transfiguration
spell.
“I... I did something bad, didn’t I?” Nyx sniffled, trying not to cry, but finding
it hard with everypony watching.
“No, no, Nyx, Sweetie, it’s okay,” Twilight whispered, leaning into the little
black filly. “Just remember the first spell I taught you when you started the
project, okay?”
Nyx nodded her head, wiped her eyes, and then shut them. The filly’s horn
glowed again, reaching the same brilliance it had when first casting the
transfiguration spell. Twilight watched and observed the glow around Nyx’s
horn, and how far it radiated out, a sign of how hard a unicorn was straining
their natural magical ability.
The glow got about twice as bright and large as when Nyx was usually
using her horn, before the tree imploded in on itself, its roots being pulled
out of the ground. Dash grabbed Pinkie Pie before she could drop out of
the air, the blue pegasus setting the earth pony down just as a resounding
pop filled the air. With that pop Fluttershy reappeared, the pegasus
dropping to the ground with a small thud.
“Fluttershy, are you okay?” Twilight asked, quickly rushing up to help her
friend back to her hooves.
“Ye... yes, I’m...I’m fine.”
“Oh, what was it like? What was it like?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing in
excitement.
“It was......” Fluttershy began, pausing a moment to collect her thoughts.
Not only did Pinkie Pie and Dash lean in to hear the answer, but any ponies
nearby who had witnessed the feat of magic leaned in as well, eager to
hear the first hoof account of what it was like to be a tree.
“Nice,” Fluttershy finally concluded. Dash’s disappointment in the answer
was reflected on the faces of most ponies who had watched. Hearing that
being turned into a tree was “nice” wasn’t exactly the kind of answer they
had been hoping for.
Pinkie Pie was, as usual, unfazed.
“Oh, now I want to be turned into something! A rose bush... no, a balloon!
NO! Turn me into a cake, turn me into a-”
“Wow, would you look at that! It’s almost lunch time.” Twilight interrupted,
putting a hoof against Pinkie Pie’s mouth while she put on a forced smile.
“Personally, I’m starved. Aren’t you starved, Nyx? Of course you are, you
just turned a pony into a tree. That kind of thing must really work up an
appetite. Why don’t we go get something to eat?”
Not even waiting for an answer from the black filly, Twilight grabbed up Nyx
with a levitation spell and galloped out of the crowd of ponies.
“Aw... but I wanted to be a cake...” Pinkie Pie, her voice ringing with a
twinge of disappointment. The pink pony then quickly perked up, eyes
darting around as she scratched at her neck.
“What’s wrong, Pinkie Pie?”
“Itchy Neck, Itchy Neck.” The pony replied.
“Itchy neck... wait, like Twitchy Tail?” Dash asked.
“No, Silly. Twitchy Tail is when something is about to fall.”
“Then what does Itchy Neck mean?” Fluttershy asked.
“Somepony is watching us.” Pinkie Pie replied, eyes moving around the
now dispersing crowd of ponies.
“Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy just got turned into a tree. Everypony was watching
us.” Dash pointed out.
“No no no no no! That was an innocent ‘wow that’s a really cool thing that
happened’ watching us. No, Itchy Neck is bad kind of watching.”
“Bad kind of watching? What the hay is bad watching?”
“Ssssspyyyyying.” Pinkie Pie replied with a hush. “And the spy is... that
way!”
Without another word the pink pony was off, galloping at a full sprint leaving
a very confused Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
“Ugh... she is so random.”
Chapter 8
You Can’t Hide Magic
Twilight looked on in a half-daze, watching as Nyx gingerly ate at an apple.
The pair were sitting on the grass behind the apple stand, currently being
worked by Big Macintosh. The red stallion, in a simple but very appreciate
act of kindness, allowed the pair to hide away from the crowds after the
tree incident.
The unicorn was in full-on panic mode, though she was doing her best to
keep up a calm facade. She didn't want to make Nyx feel any worse, the
filly already alienated when everypony was looking at her funny.
Still, Twilight’s mind was spinning faster than Dash could fly.
Dragon shaped eyes could be hidden with glasses, wings with a vest, but...
but Nyx had practically blown her disguise right out of the water with that
display of magic. Every pony at the Learn and Play Day had to be talking
about what happened. A tree, as tall as the school house, had popped up
out of nowhere, and just as quickly turned back into a yellow pegasus.
Twilight wasn’t even sure she could pull off that kind of magic, and she was
one of the most gifted unicorns in Equestria. Her special talent was magic
itself; if anypony could do something like that, it would be her. Yet, that feat
of magic had been done by Nyx... a normal filly.
No, despite what Twilight told herself and everypony, Nyx wasn’t entirely
normal. She was an alicorn, and there were only two other alicorns Twilight
knew: Luna and Celestia. Those two had the magical power to move the
sun and moon. They were immortal princesses...
Was... was Nyx the same way? She wasn’t Nightmare Moon, Twilight was
dead sure of that. But... she had come from the spell meant for Nightmare
Moon, and she was an alicorn. Had the filly somehow inherited a gift of
immortality? Would she, when she was older, be able to move the sun and
moon or other heavily bodies? Would she become as grand and regal as
Celestia?
The full weight of parenthood came crushing down on Twilight at this
moment. What was she getting herself into? She was taking care of this filly
like a daughter, like she was Nyx’s mother... and she was barely an adult
herself. And, for all the unicorn knew, she was raising a filly that could
someday sit beside Luna and Celestia as another immortal princess.
And how long would she be able to keep the truth hidden? Dragon shaped
eyes could be hidden, wings could be hidden, but... that kind of magical
power; how much longer would it be before Celestia heard of this prodigy in
Ponyville. Even if the hiccup with turning Fluttershy into a tree was a one-
time thing, what would happen as Nyx got older?
Would Nyx’s magic get more powerful? How big was the filly going to get?
Luna, after all, was only a little bigger than the average pony, but she was
still the younger sister. Luna could easily get bigger in time, just like her
older sister.
Thinking about Celestia.... what if Nyx got to be as big as her? You can’t
hide a pony that big. And what about her mane? What if Nyx’s mane
started to turn magical, started to turn into a swirling cloud of indigo magic
with stars, like the real Nightmare Moon's mane? She could dress Nyx in a
full body suit and that mane would still give her away.
And what would ponies think when they began to realize what Nyx was?
That she had some connection with Nightmare Moon? How long before the
torches and pitchforks came out? How long before the royal guard was
hunting Nyx down? How long before Celestia would banish Nyx to the
moon? Nyx didn’t deserve any of that. She wasn’t Nightmare Moon, she
just wasn’t. She just looked like her... and had her power...and some of her
memories...but she wasn’t-
“Twilight, you okay? Yer lookin’ a might pale.”
The unicorn was snapped out of her spiraling thoughts as she looked up at
Big Macintosh, who had a moment free from customers to check on the
pair.
“Oh... yes, sorry... I’m fine. Just... just a little light headed.”
“You want another apple?”
“No, no thank you, Big Macintosh.” The unicorn replied. “Uh, have they
started the afternoon activities?”
“Don’t think so, but I reckon’ it’s going to start right soon. Saw Applejack
and Apple Bloom headin’ in that direction.”
“Are... are we still going to that, even after what happened?” Nyx asked, a
bit surprised.
“Yes. You didn’t do anything wrong and I know you’ve been looking
forward to it, since all of your friends would be there.” Twilight replied,
getting to her hooves. Those were two valid reasons for them to stay and
participate in the afternoon activities. The greater and unspoken reason,
however, was that Twilight was worried about what would happen if they
left.
The two leaving abruptly would seem out of the ordinary, which would
make her friends worry. They would then come looking for her and Nyx,
expecting an explanation why they left and why Nyx was able to turn
Fluttershy into a tree.
Leaving would invite more unwanted attention.
But if they stayed, then they could try and act like what had happened was
nothing out of the ordinary. Twilight could act like she wasn’t at all surprised
that Nyx was able to turn Fluttershy into a tree, that it was perfectly normal.
This was the farthest from the truth, but Twilight was hoping that maybe,
just maybe, ponies would think Nyx was just a very, very gifted little
unicorn.
For the moment, however, they would continue to hide behind the apple
stand, if only to give Nyx a few more minutes to eat in peace.
================
“I know you’re here somewhere, Spy Spyerton McSpy.” Pinkie Pie
whispered to herself, eyes focused in a hard glare as she surveyed the
crowd of ponies moving about the lunch area and the exhibits. Whoever
had been watching her, Dash, and Fluttershy had slipped away once, but
now Pinkie Pie knew the spy was there, and she would find him or her.
Itchy Neck...
Pinkie Pie’s head snapped to the right, her eyes zipping through the crowd
to meet a pair of brown-gray eyes. Her eyes remained fixed on those eyes
for a moment. The pony who owned those eyes finally seemed to realize
Pinkie Pie was looking right at him, and he quickly ducked around a corner.
Creaky Knee...
“Gotcha...” Pinkie Pie whispered with a slightly devilish grin, starting to
gallop. Creaky Knee was one of her twitches that told her somepony was
trying to get away from her. More importantly, the knee closest to the pony
was the one that got creaky. All together, it meant she could track the spy.
Rounding a corner the spy had just disappeared around, Pinkie Pie
maneuvered through the crowd in hot pursuit. She caught small glances of
somepony at a full gallop just ahead of her, trying to lose her around
corners. The spy knew she was onto him, but that wouldn’t stop her.
Nopony went about being a nasty Spy Spyerton McSpy, especially around
her and her friends.
Creaky Knee Front Left... Creaky Knee Front Right... Creaky Knee Front
Right... Creaky Knee Back Left... Creaky Knee Front Right... Twingy
Ankle...
Pinkie Pie put all four of her hooves to the ground, breaking hard and
sliding to a stop. Twingy Ankle... now the spy wasn’t running, the spy was
hiding. Pinkie Pie’s eyes narrowed, the pony finding herself on one side of
the food court area that had been set up for the Learn and Play Day. There
were ponies at almost every table, eating their lunches while other ponies
mingled about, talking and laughing.
“Oh, he’s good, but Hide and Seek is one of my favorite games. ” Pinkie
Pie whispered, before taking in a deep breath and shouting, “YOU HEAR
THAT?! I’LL FIND YOU!!!”
All the ponies who had been eating their meals and chatting turned to look
at Pinkie Pie, most quite startled by the pink pony’s sudden and very loud
proclamation. Still, Pinkie Pie ignored the confused stares as her eyes
scanned the crowd, eventually taking sight of a pony sitting alone at a table
who had not turned around, her eyes falling on the back of his slicked-back
navy blue mane.
“Gotcha... again.” Pinkie Pie offered with a menacing grin. The pink pony
moved across the food court slowly, stepping between ponies as she did
her best to approach the spy from behind. She was within a few tables
when a face popped in front of her.
“Oh, there you are Pinkie Pie. I was worried when you ran off.” Dash said,
hovering just in front of the pink earth pony. “It’s almost time to start the
afternoon sports and games. You still want to help?”
“No... I don’t... because... I’m tracking... a pony and...” Pinkie Pie replied,
trying to strain her neck to look around Rainbow Dash. Eventually, the
earth pony gently pushed the hovering pegasus out of the way, only to find
the pony she had been creeping up on had vanished. The pink pony
grunted in aggravation, turning and giving an accusing glare to Rainbow
Dash.
“And you let him get away!”
“Whoa... sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up... whatever it is you’re doing.”
Creaky Knee Front Right...
Pinkie Pie’s frown quickly turned back to a sinister smile, her head
snapping in another direction.
“Don’t worry about it, Dashie; now the spy is trying to run away from me
again, and nopony can run away from Pinkamena Diane Pie.”
“Wait, you’re still chasing this imaginary spy?”
Pinkie Pie, however, offered no answer as she galloped across the food
court. She caught sight of a navy-blue tail ducking behind the front door of
the school house, and the earth pony broke into a full sprint to catch up.
She leaped around the corner, eyes darting about to see where the pony
went.
Creaky Knee Front Right... Twingy Ankle...
“Oh, you silly spy. You thought you could hide in the school house, but
nopony can hide from Pinkie Pie.”
The pink earth pony moved to the school’s front door, taking a moment to
gather herself before bursting through the doorway and jumping up onto
her back hooves, pulling a few karate poses as she shouted into the dark.
“Come on out now, Spy Spyerton McSpy! I know you’re in here, and you’re
going to tell me why you’re being a big meanie and spying on me and my
friends!”
“Enough of this,” A voice offered from the back of the dark room. Pinkie Pie
turned, her eyes meeting the same brown-gray eyes she had seen among
the exhibits. The eyes closed, and then, upon reopening, had turned a
brilliant turquoise.
================
“All right, ponies!” Rainbow Dash half-shouted over the remaining crowd.
“It’s time for the last awesome event of the day: the Tug of War
Tournament.”
The parents and other ponies who had come out for the Learn and Play
Day all cheered, having formed into a sizable audience around three
different colored tug of war ropes.
“So, here’s how it’s going to happen. There are teams of four, and each
team has been placed on our tournament roster. There are also three age
groups and teams will fit into the age group of its oldest member. The last
teams standing in each age group will get prizes, and then we’ll let the top
teams tug it out to see which one is the Tug of War Champions of the day.
“Now teams, report to the colored rope you were assigned to and let’s get
tugging.”
The fillies and colts, some younger and some on the verge of being mares
and stallions, cheered and filtered to one of the three ropes. At the red
rope, for the youngest age group, Rarity stood with a clipboard levitating
gently in front of her. Cheerilee had the middle age group, and Applejack
was keeping the oldest ponies in line.
“All right.” Rarity half sang above the sizable crowd of little fillies and colts
that had crowded around her. “First up are the Cutie Mark Crusaders vs.
The Carrot Clan. Those two teams, get to your sides of the rope, and
everypony else stand back, please.”
The young ponies followed the directions. On one side of the rope were
three colts and a filly, all of them with some form of a carrot themed cutie
mark, who took up the rope in their teeth. On the other side of the rope, the
four fillies wearing bright red Cutie Mark Crusader capes got into line.
Sweetie Belle was in the front, Scootaloo behind her. Nyx, who had been
officially inducted into the Cutie Mark Crusaders just after the Spring
Festival, took up the third position. Apple Bloom was at the end, acting as
the team’s anchor.
“Now, while I suggested that having a rope to pull across a line would have
been much cleaner and safer, Rainbow Dash saw fit to use mud pit rules;
something about it being easier to keep track of winners. The goal is to pull
all members of the other team into the mud pit. Everypony understand?”
Rarity asked, motioning towards the mud pit on the ground. The two teams
nodded their heads in agreement, already starting to pull the rope taut
between them.
“And remember, there is a wash station set up if you lose, but... well,
everypony just try their best and have fun, okay?”
The two teams both stared at each other, ready to begin. Able to notice the
eagerness in the team, Rarity didn’t waste another moment.
“Ready... Set... GO!”
The two teams tightened their jaws and began to pull on the rope,
struggling to drag the other team far enough to get the other team in the
mud pit. For a moment, the Carrot Clan team began to get the advantage,
the four earth ponies managing to pull the Crusaders a few steps forward.
Still, the tides turned back as Scootaloo began flapping her wings, much
like when she was riding on her scooter. The added force let the Crusaders
regain their footing, and soon, with a few hard pulls and four splashes from
the other team, they had won the first match.
“YAY! Cutie Mark Crusader Tug of War Champions!” The four cheered in
unison before stepping away from their side of the rope, letting the next two
teams approach.
=========
Due to the tournament ladder, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had two more
rounds of tug of war before they reached their age group’s final match, and
the Crusaders couldn’t be happier who they were facing.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had gotten two of the strongest colts in
the age group on their team, and they had gotten to the final match by
basically relying on those two strong colts. Still, the Crusaders weren’t
about to lose to fillies who liked to call them blank flanks on a regular basis.
That, and Nyx still had a bit of a personal score to settle with Diamond
Tiara and Silver Spoon for the whole Everfree Forest prank.
“Ready... Set... Go!” Rarity shouted, the two teams quickly pulling the rope
taut. Almost immediately the Cutie Mark Crusaders began to lose ground,
the two colts on the other team starting to drag the three fillies back. They
were colts just barely in the youngest age groups; one of them literally had
a birthday within a week.
“Come on!” Apple Bloom grunted through the rope in her mouth. “Pull!”
“We are!” Scootaloo grunted back. “But our hooves are slipping!”
“Ha ha ha! Looks like you four are going to be losers and blank flanks.”
Diamond Tiara called, actually taking her mouth off the rope since the two
older colts on her team were doing all the work.
“Oh... It. Is. On!” Sweetie Belle snapped, the unicorn in the front digging her
hooves into the ground, and finally managing to halt the team’s slow defeat,
just barely able to keep herself from falling in the mud.
“Everypony.” Nyx mumbled out. “Pull hard together. Ready... PULL!”
The four Crusaders put their weight into their unified tug, and actually
managed to regain some ground, each taking a single step back. Nyx
made the “Ready... PULL!” again, and again the fillies were able to reclaim
a single step, slowly dragging back the older stallions.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tried for the first time in the tournament to
really help pull, not wanting to see the Crusaders win. Still, Nyx’s strategy
was working, enough that they were able to get the rope back to where it
had started.
At that point, however, Diamond Tiara’s team figured out a counter strategy
for the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ tactics, the four of them leaning hard into the
rope whenever Nyx called out pull. It lead to a tense stalemate.
“My jaw is starting to hurt,” Sweetie Belle mumbled out.
“Just hold on, we can win this,” Scootaloo countered, trying to pep up the
team as she beat her wings like mad.
“We can’t over-power them,” Nyx grunted, as the Crusaders began to lose
a little of their hard earned ground. “We have to out-think them.”
“And just how are we supposed to do that?” Apple Bloom asked, only for
Nyx to start whispering. Her voice just loud enough for her friends to hear,
and when the plan had been conferred, Nyx began to count.
“Ready... PULL!” Nyx shouted out through the rope in her teeth. Diamond
Tiara’s team, hearing this, quickly pulled, trying to counter act the tug the
Crusaders were about to perform. The crusaders, however, did not pull
back. They instead let Diamond Tiara’s team have some of the slack.
The sudden lack of opposition threw off Diamond Tiara’s team, causing the
stallion they had in the back to trip over his own hooves and fall into the
mud pit. This was what the Crusaders had been hoping for, as Nyx shouted
out another “PULL” and the four fillies took back all the slack they had
given and then some.
“Match over; the Cutie Mark Crusaders win!” Rarity sung out to the cheers
of the crowd and the defeated shouts and whines of Diamond Tiara, who
was not only upset at losing but also because she and her tiara were now
covered in mud.
Diamond Tiara's minor tantrum was properly ignored as the four Cutie Mark
Crusaders high-hoofed, and went over to where Dash was hovering to wait
for the other age groups to finish.
============
“All right, it’s time for our awesome championship round,” Dash announced,
only one tug of war rope remaining. “It’s going to be between the Cutie
Mark Crusaders and The Boulders.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Nyx all looked wide-eyed at
their opponents. By some luck they had managed to beat the middle age
group champion team, but now the four little fillies were facing a team of
four colts that were arguably full grown stallions, or very close to being
considered young adults.
“Now, since one team has an obvious advantage,” Dash said, motioning
towards the four earth ponies of The Boulders. “We’ll allow the Cutie Mark
Crusaders to have an advantage. They can either add another pony to their
team, have one unicorn be allowed to use magic, or they can pick a pony
from The Boulders to sit out.”
The Crusaders quickly huddled up, Apple Bloom quickly offering her
opinion.
“We should ask my big sister to join our team, no, wait! ... we should ask
Big Macintosh to be on our team! I bet he could beat those four big ponies
all by himself.”
“No, I want to beat these colts ourselves. I say we take the biggest and
make him sit out. It'll be four vs. three,” Scootaloo argued.
“What about magic? I’m not that good at it, but Nyx is really good at magic.
She turned Fluttershy into a tree!” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
“You heard about that?” Nyx asked, a bit embarrassed.
“Hard not to, considering everypony here saw the tree. Still, I think Sweetie
Belle is right. Nyx is wicked awesome at magic, and just think how cool it
would be to beat those big ponies without help from anypony else.”
“I don’t know.” Apple Bloom admitted. “Nyx, do you think you have enough
magic?”
“I... I don’t know... maybe, I guess...”
“All right, it’s decided then. Nyx will be our anchor and use her magic.”
Scootaloo concluded, the Crusaders ending their huddle and telling
Rainbow Dash their choice. The pegasus echoed their choice to the crowd,
most of the ponies cheering while one particular purple unicorn looked a
little anxious.
The four nearly full grown stallions on the other team took the rope in their
mouths, smiling like they had already won. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom,
and Scootaloo took the rope up as well, biting down hard as they prepared
for what was going to be a very hard match to win. Nyx stood at the end,
gripping the very end of the rope while her horn glowed. At the moment, the
plan was that she would use her magic to help keep the team’s hooves
from sliding.
“All right, is everypony ready?” Dash asked, looking ta the two teams.
Every pony gave a nod, and with a smile Dash lifted a hoof high into the air.
“Ready... Set... GO!”
SPLASH!!!
Sweetie Belle was in the mud pit within moments of the match starting, the
big stallions on the other team just having to give a sound tug to drag the
little white unicorn into the mud. The other three fillies did their best to pull
back, but, even with Nyx trying to bewitch their hooves to hold tighter to the
ground, The Boulders were able to drag them.
SPLASH!!!
Scootaloo was next, Sweetie Belle just barely able to get out of the way
before the orange pegasus joined her in the mud pt.
SPLASH!!!
The older kids weren’t even trying that hard, practically just dragging the
Crusaders into the mud. Nyx was the last left, the filly’s hooves sliding
across the ground as she was inched closer and closer to the mud pit.
“Come on NYX!” Apple Bloom called out, the farm filly already out of the
mud. “Use more magic!”
“Yea, don’t let them beat you!” Scootaloo offered, stomping a hoof.
The black filly glanced at them, knowing they were right. All she had that
might have been stronger than the other team was her magic, but how
could she use it? She couldn’t do anything too complex, otherwise she’d
lose concentration and be pulled off her hooves, and she couldn’t just pull
harder, because her hooves were sliding across the ground.
What she needed was traction and strength, and one of the spells had to
be something she could cast and forget because she wouldn’t be able to
concentrate on more than one spell at a time. The mud pit was drawing
closer, the older colts playing with Nyx as they inched her closer and closer
to the pit without even really trying. That was the first thing she needed was
to them from pulling her closer to the pit.
Nyx’s horn began to glow a little brighter, and with a flash her hooves
became rooted to the ground, no longer sliding. The older colts were
caught off guard by the sudden stop, but didn’t get to process what was
going on before Nyx began to shift her magic.
She began to just pour the mystic energy into herself, bending the magic
from her horn down into her legs and muscles and jaw. When ponies are
directly exposed to magic, it can have a profound effect. Celestia’s hair was
a constant example, the magic that naturally flowed from the sun princess
giving her the amazing, regal mane. Fill a pony with magic, and their body
will use the energy to make itself better until the magic is gone.
And Nyx could feel it working, feel herself getting just a little stronger. Her
jaw was no longer hurting, and she was able to bite down harder on the
rope. The black filly lifted one of her hooves, revealing the fact that her first
spell had transfigured some of the dirt on the ground into horseshoes with
long spikes, the perfect thing to keep Nyx from sliding.
Magic flowing through her body and her eyes shut tight in concentration,
Nyx took a step back and began to pull, and the rope gave a little. Not
much, but just a little. It was enough to tell Nyx what she was doing was
working and all she needed was more magic.
Calling on her horn, Nyx began pouring as much magic as she could into
her little body, feeling it giving her strength. It also made her mane and tail
feel weird, but the filly couldn’t focus on that. She had to focus on her legs,
taking one step after another. The other team offered valiant resistance,
and at times they were able to stop Nyx's advanced. Still, the match had
become very one sided, and soon Nyx’s ears were greeted with four
sounds.
SPLASH... SPLASH... SPLASH... SPLASH...
The moment Nyx heard the fourth splash, she dropped the rope and
released her magic, panting heavily as she stared at the grass. The magic
began to evaporate from the filly, her body releasing the high concentration
of arcane energies that had been poured into it. Nyx began to feel sore all
over, her jaw especially tender, but she was still smiling.
She had beat the big kids, all by herself. Maybe... maybe now everypony
wouldn’t just think of her as the coward, the crybaby, or the teacher’s pet.
Maybe... maybe they would start cheering her and wouldn’t think she was a
loser anymore. She'd get a first place ribbon, just like her friends, and...
It was at this moment Nyx noticed how very quiet it was.
Looking up, the black filly was surprised to see everypony that had been
watching the match was staring at her, many with their jaws hanging open.
Nyx even caught sight of Twilight, the unicorn looking like she was about to
faint, her narrow eyes darting about the crowd like it could turn into
something very dangerous very quickly.
The silence wasn’t pleasant at all, Nyx starting to feel like she had done
something wrong. The black filly shrunk back a bit, already starting to tear
up and sniffle. She desperately tried to find somepony, anypony, who
wasn’t looking at her like she was weird.
Thankfully, before she could start sobbing, she did found three such ponies
who didn’t think she was weird in the least. It was her friends, the other
Cutie Mark Crusaders slowly coming to terms that their friend just beat four
big colts at a game of tug of war all by herself. And, when that realization
hit them, the three fillies raced towards Nyx in their excitement.
“That was awesome!”
“You did it! You did it!”
“I don’t think even my big sis could have beat all those colts by herself!”
The cheers and admiration from the Crusaders snapped the crowd out of
their stupor. Some of them began to applauded as well, some offering very
well meant cheers. Some were just stomping their hooves on the ground
since it was what was expected. Others didn’t applaud at all, whispering to
each other quietly.
Amongst those who applauded was one pony with brown-gray eyes and a
blue, slicked back mane. He applauded with a gentle smile on his lips, eyes
focused on the little black filly.
============
“Boy, that was crazy.” Rainbow Dash stated as she fluttered in the air,
carrying a box in her hooves. “I mean, little Nyx beating that whole team of
older colts; I didn’t think the crybaby had it in her. What are the chances?”
“It really was amazing,” Fluttershy replied, the pegasus pony walking along
the ground. She, too, was carrying a box on her back, the pair taking some
of the leftover prizes and other things into the school house, helping to
clean up from the Learn and Play Day. “To do all that, Nyx has to have as
much magic as Twilight.”
“Or more!” Dash added, the pegasus pushing open the door and into the
darkened school house. Still, before the pegasus could get two feet into the
door, she ran into something. The blue pegasus jumped a little, quickly
flying backwards as she tried to register what she had run into.
“Pi... Pinkie Pie?” The cyan pegasus eventually mumbled, she and
Fluttershy setting down the boxes they were carrying before moving around
in front of the earth pony. Pinkie Pie was standing still as a statue on her
hind legs in a fake karate pose, eyes focused on a point on the far side of
the room.
“Is... is she even breathing?” Dash asked, noticing how very still Pinkie Pie
was standing.
“Oh no! She’s been Stared!” Fluttershy offered.
“Stared? What’s Stared?”
“You know, The Stare.”
“Oooooh, yeah.” Rainbow Dash replied. “It’s when you stare an animal or
pony down and it makes them do what you want them to.”
“Well, not exactly... but, yes. Well, sometimes, when I use The Stare and I
don’t mean too... well, sometimes I can make the pony or animal I’m staring
at just freeze up.”
“Wait, so you did this to Pinkie Pie?”
“Oh no, it wasn’t me.” Fluttershy quickly defended. “I haven’t done this to
anypony in years. It was only when I first found out I had The Stare that I
accidentally did this once in a while, but I’d never do it on purpose to
another pony. No, some other pony did this.”
“Well, how do we fix it?”
“Well, um... I usually just throw a bit of water on them, but anything that
gives the pony a little shock is enough to snap them out of it.”
“Oh, then I know just the thing.” Rainbow Dash said, hovering up near
Pinkie Pie’s ear and beginning to whisper. “Hey Pinkie Pie! Twilight just got
a letter from Princess Celestia. She wants you to plan the next Grand
Galloping Gala so it’ll be, like, 200% more fun.”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes, which had been narrow and transfixed on a spot on the
far side of the room, went wide, and in a flash, the pink pony was bouncing
off the walls and ceiling, her giggles filling the air.
“Oh, that is so super duper amazing! I am going to make it the best party
ever! I’ll make it the most amazing incredible tremendous wonderfully
terrifically humongous fun party in all of Equestria! Oh the Grand Galloping
Gala will be the greatest party. Oh the Grand Galloping Gala will be the
greatest party. Hip hip, Hooray, It will be the best, all thanks to me, to
Pinkie!”
“Yeah, Pinkie Pie... I was lying.”
The party pony froze up practically mid-jump, defying gravity for a moment
before dropping down to the ground. Springing back to her hooves, Pinkie
Pie trotted over to Dash with a cold glare in her eyes.
“That was not an okay prank, Dashie.”
“Sorry, but it wasn’t meant to be a prank. I needed to say something to
snap you out of being Stared.”
“Stared... wait, I was Stared?”
“You actually know what that is?”
“Oh... um, yes. When... well, when I first met Pinkie Pie she kind of, well...
scared me and, I didn’t mean to but... I used The Stare on her, and she got
Stared.” Fluttershy admitted sheepishly.
“It was the last time she ever did it,” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “Unless you
count today.”
“But Pinkie, I wasn’t the one who used The Stare on you.”
“You weren’t? But then who...” Pinkie Pie began, only for her eyes to
narrow as turned to look at the far end of the room, intending to glare at a
pony that was no longer there. “It was HIM!”
“Him who, Pinkie?”
“The Spy!” The party pony seethed as she trotted across the room and
pointed to a spot on the floor.
“I followed him in here, and he was standing right here, and I had him
cornered, but then he opened his eyes, and they were turquoise instead of
the color they were, and then the next thing I remember is you telling me
Celestia wants me to plan the next Grand Galloping Gala, which, by the
way, is still a very mean prank.” The party loving pony forced out in a single
long breath.
“Look, Pinkie, I said I was sorry!” Dash countered as she flew over by the
earth pony. “But, I guess you weren’t kidding about the spy. I mean, it’s not
like an imaginary pony could have Stared you.”
“But why would anypony be spying on us?” Fluttershy asked as she made
her way across the room, choosing to walk between the desks.
“I don’t know, but I sure as sugar am going to find out... after all the fun
afternoon games though. I would hate to miss the seven legged race, or
watching the tug of war.”
“Uh, Pinkie Pie, you did miss all that.” Dash admitted.
“WHAT!?”
“Yea, you’ve been in here all afternoon. We’re actually cleaning up right
now.”
“Oh... oh now I am going to find that spy! Not just because he was a Spy
Spyerton McSpy. No, now it’s personal. No pony makes Pinkie Pie miss
Pin the Tail on the Pony!”
Chapter 9
Revealing Truths
Twilight walked back to the library with Nyx as the sun began to set near
the western horizon. While Rainbow Dash and a few others stayed to clean
up the Learn and Play Day. It was a moment the unicorn was thankful she
hadn’t volunteered to help, since staying around the school at that point
was the last thing she wanted to do.
Nyx was as happy as she could be, bouncing along with her first place
ribbon from the tug-of-war competition, still wearing her Cutie Mark
Crusader cape and a kazoo in her mouth, her chosen prize from the prize
box. The little filly was content to play the kazoo in a triumphant fan fare
that only she knew the notes to, a sight that made Twilight smile a little.
Twilight was happy that Nyx had a good day, and that it had ended well.
The silence from the crowd after the last round of tug-of-war had been
deafening. Had it not been broken by Nyx’s friends, Twilight could only
imagine how bad the filly would have felt, wondering if she had done
something wrong. But thankfully Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and
Scootaloo had ran up to her and cheered her on, making the black filly very
happy.
Yet, it was only a small drop of happiness in a sea of a very bad situation.
While Nyx was unaware of what had happened, Twilight had been in the
crowd watching when Nyx began to use her magic to try and win that last
round of tug of war. She was using her magic, a lot of it... and that was
when it began to happen.
Nyx’s mane, at first, just seemed to start shimmering, something that may
have just been contributed to a trick of the light. But as the little filly began
to use more and more magic, her mane and tail began to change more,
reflecting the arcane energy that the filly was using.
Her hair began to get lighter, and then actually began to float and wave in
the air, as if Nyx was floating deep underwater instead of standing on solid
ground in a tug of war grudge match. The shimmering of the hair also
began to get more noticeable, starting to focus into a few dots.
It was one of the worst things Twilight could imagine happening. Nyx’s
mane and tail had started to change into the night-blue mane and tail that
Nightmare Moon was known for, infamous for... and the change had started
to happen, right there, with everypony at the Learn and Play Day watching.
By some small miracle, Nyx’s hair didn’t change completely. It got close,
but it didn’t finish the transition. If anything, it more closely resembled
Celestia’s mane, which was still made of hair even though the follicles were
in a rainbow of pastel colors and moved constantly. Nightmare Moon’s
mane and tail, in contrast, were clouds of magical energy, which was why
she was able to use and manipulate them like they were extra appendages.
Everything that happened brought several unwanted thoughts back to the
forefront of Twilight’s mind. For the first time since that evening Nyx had
called her mom, Twilight was starting to doubt herself. Could Nyx really be
Nightmare Moon? The unicorn had always argued that Nyx just looked like
the infamous Mare in the Moon, but... with those memories coming back,
and Nyx’s unbelievable level of magic... was it possible she really was
Nightmare Moon?
Another part of Twilight’s mind snapped at this, cracking a mental whip like
some wild animal tamer trying to drive a beast back into its cage. No, Nyx
was not Nightmare Moon! The filly was too sweet, too well behaved, too...
too sensitive to ever be Nightmare Moon! She had friends and was happy.
While Nightmare Moon laughed at times, it was because she believed she
had won. A maddening laughter that was not born of true happiness.
But Twilight was starting to wonder if she’d have to deal with the fact that
Nyx had the fallen princess’ power. And... possibly even her immortality.
That the filly she was taking care of, was raising... would possibly be alive
for thousands of years after she had gone, with the power to do things like
move the sun and moon. Was she really up to that kind of responsibility, to
shape the life of a filly that could live for the rest of time?
“Twilight, are you okay?” Nyx asked, breaking the unicorn’s train of thought.
The little black filly had noticed how quiet Twilight had been, and ended her
happy kazoo playing to look up at her unofficial mother.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Twilight lied, putting on a smile as she and Nyx neared the
library. “Just tired, that’s all; we’ve had a busy day. Now, why don’t you run
in and show Spike your ribbon? I’m just going to stay outside for a little
while longer.”
Nyx nodded, replacing the kazoo in her mouth and blowing on it loudly as
she ran inside, accidentally scaring one particular dragon quite well.
Twilight smiled at this sight, a smile that faded quickly as the truth of the
situation weighed down on her.
============================
“Dear, you really should drink your tea before it gets cold,” Rarity lectured,
before taking a sip from her own cup. She looked across the table at her
desk, though she might as well have been having a conversation with a
statue. Twilight had hardly said a word since her arrival, choosing to
instead just stare at her cup of tea like it held all the answers in the world.
“Twilight? Twilight!” Rarity snapped, bringing the purple unicorn out of her
thoughts.
“What? Oh! Oh, sorry Rarity. I... I was just thinking about something.”
“That’s all you’ve been doing since you got here, Twilight. All you’ve said to
me is that you wanted to talk, but you haven’t said a single word since then.
What is wrong?”
Twilight sighed, lifting the cup of tea magically as she drank it all down in a
single gulp, something that made Rarity squirm since it wasn’t at all the
manners of a proper mare.
“I’m sorry Rarity, I’m just worried about Nyx.”
“What for, Dear? Don’t tell me she’s gone missing again.”
“No, she’s at school.”
“Then why are you worried?” Rarity asked as she refilled Twilight’s cup of
tea, silently hoping the purple unicorn would drink it properly this time.
“Rarity, everypony in Ponyville has heard what happened at the Learn and
Play Day! They all know Nyx turned Fluttershy into a tree and how she won
the tug of war tournament by herself with her magic. They all saw when her
mane and tail start to turn magical... start to resemble what Nightmare
Moon’s mane and tail used to look like. I’m worried that I won’t be able to
keep her safe for much longer. That everypony in town will realize how
strongly she resembles Nightmare Moon, that Celestia will swoop down
from the palace... that they’ll take her away from me.
“I... I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just lock Nyx up in the library and hide her
away, at least until things calm down.”
“Twilight...” Rarity began, speaking softly. “Locking Nyx up is the last thing
you should do. That would be no better than Celestia banishing her to the
moon. She’d be separated from her friends, from doing the things she loves
like going to school, and it would break her heart having you go from the
pony she loves to the pony that’s keeping her unfairly imprisoned in the
library.”
“But Rarity... I’m just so worried-”
“And that’s perfectly normal. Heavens knows I worry about Sweetie Belle
every time she goes off with her friends to do her Crusading. Those three
fillies have gotten into more danger then I ever did growing up... and I’m
always afraid that somepony will come running into my shop telling me
Sweetie Belle got hurt... or worse.
“But I can’t let my concerns keep Sweetie Belle from enjoying her
childhood. She should be out there with her friends, having fun and even
getting into trouble... not too much trouble mind you, but some.”
“Sweetie Belle is just a normal little unicorn, Rarity. Nyx is-”
“Nyx is just as normal.” Rarity retorted. “Yes, she is an alicorn, and, yes,
she has magical power that you and I could only dream off. She is,
however, still just a normal little filly. She goes to school, she has friends,
she gets teased by bullies, and when she scared or when she is in trouble,
she has somepony that cares about her to come to her rescue... a certain
purple unicorn who is quite the maven herself at magic .”
Twilight smiled a little.
“I... I guess you’re right, Rarity.”
“Trust me, Twilight, it’s a good thing that you are worried about her; never
think otherwise. But don’t ever let your worry make you do things that
wouldn’t be in Nyx’s best interest. Yes, there is a risk of the truth being
discovered when she is out and about Ponyville... but that’s only a risk. You
try to hide her away in the library, and I guarantee the only thing you’ll
really accomplish is making Nyx hate you.”
“How do you know all this, Rarity?”
“Learning from experience.” Rarity offered softly, now staring into her own
cup of tea. “After all, I’ve been taking care of Sweetie Belle all by myself for
the past several years now. After... well... after what happened to our
parents.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Maybe another time, Twilight.” The white unicorn replied. “I tend to get
misty eyed when I think about it too much, and I’ve got ponies coming into
get fitted for some dresses in an hour. I need to look presentable. Still... I
will definitely tell you time.”
“Of course, Rarity,” Twilight offered with a smile. “Whenever you are
ready.”
“Now, in light of all this, I do hope you’re going to let Nyx go to the Cutie
Mark Crusader sleep over Apple Bloom is having at Sweet Apple Acres. I
can only imagine that Nyx is just as excited about it as Sweetie Belle is.
“Probably more excited considering it’s her first sleep over. And... yes, I
think I will let her go.”
“That’s good. Not only will it make Nyx happy, but, if ponies around town
see her going out with her friends, it will help dispel any thoughts that what
happened at the Learn and Play Day was out of the ordinary.”
“Yeah, and, if our friends are any indication, they all just think Nyx is really
good at magic, like me. So... for the moment I can just say that strong
magic runs in our family, and most ponies seem to believe that. After all, I
turned my parents into potted plants and made Spike grow to a full grown
dragon when I was taking my entry exam for Celestia’s School for Gifted
Unicorns, and I was still just a filly myself back then too.”
“You mean the day you got your Cutie Mark? Yes, I heard it was quite the
impressive display, at least from what Sweetie Belle told of the story.”
“Yea, it was pretty crazy.”
“Mind sharing?”
Twilight shook her head, taking a sip of her tea before going into the story,
though she’d try to keep herself from jumping around endlessly saying
“Yes!” as she had done with the Crusaders.
============================
“Well, I don’t think our Cutie Marks have anything to do with bein’ rodeo
ponies.” Apple Bloom said dejectedly, as she pushed open the door to her
bedroom. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Nyx were all following close
behind, their sleeping bags already rolled out on the floor in the yellow farm
filly’s bedroom.
“Though, it was kind of fun seeing Big Macintosh tied up like that,”
Scootaloo offered with a chuckle. “He didn’t even know what hit him.”
“Tell that to my sister,” Apple Bloom replied as she jumped onto her bed.
“Because if she had found it funny, we wouldn’t have been sent to bed
already.”
“Still, I’m pretty tired.” Sweetie Belle admitted, lying down on her sleeping
bag.
“Aw, don’t tell me you want to go to sleep already?” Scootaloo whined.
“Sure, we had to go to bed, but there is still a lot of fun things we could do.”
“Like what?”
“We could tell... ghost stories!” The orange pegasus replied, grabbing a
flashlight and holding it under her face, using it to create a spooky face.
“No offense, Scootaloo, but your ghost stories aren’t that scary.” Apple
Bloom commented. “Even Nyx isn’t afraid of them.”
“Hey!” the black filly whined, though from her tone of voice, she was more
insulted than hurt.
“Okay, then what do you think we should do?” Scootaloo asked.
“We could play a board game.” Sweetie Belle suggested, Nyx smiling at the
idea.
“No, that’s too boring.” Scootaloo replied, making Nyx pout a little bit. She
liked board games...
“Well shoot... what are we goin’ to do then?”
“Um... well, Twilight did give me a book she said really helped with her first
slumber party... which is kind of what this is,” Nyx offered, horn glowing as
she levitated a book from her saddle bags, which were stacked with the
rest by the bedroom door.
“Are slumber parties the same as sleepovers?” Sweetie Belle asked, as
Nyx cracked open the book.
“Well, you spend the night with friends, so I guess they’re the same. Still, I
don’t want to do any sort of makeup stuff,” Scootaloo said, scrunching up
her nose at the thought.
“Me neither,” Nyx agreed, just before she looked up from the book. “We...
could have a pillow fight...”
“We only got four pillows, and my bedroom is too small,” Apple Bloom
countered.
“Oh thank goodness... We could make s-mores.”
“We don’t have marshmallows... or chocolate... or gram-crackers... or even
a fire to roast the marshmallows on,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
“Well... Ghost Stories are in here too, but I think we’ve already decided not
to do that...”
“Bet you’re glad about that, huh?” Scootaloo teased. Nyx glared at the
orange pegasus for a bit, before turning back to the book.
“Here’s another game: Truth or Dare.”
“That could be fun,” Sweetie Bell offered with a smile. “Let’s give it a try.”
“How do you play?” Apple Bloom asked.
Nyx held a hoof on the page in the book, quickly reading it over before
speaking.
“Okay, rules are simple. Somepony starts by asking if another pony wants
to tell the truth or take a dare. If the pony chooses truth, they have to
answer one question truthfully. If they take the dare, they have to do
whatever dare the first pony gives them. Once the question is answered or
the dare is complete, the next pony in the circle takes their turn. Play
continues for as long as desired.”
“That sounds kind of boring, actually,” Scootaloo said bluntly. “I mean, the
truth part sounds all right, but the dares? What could we dare each other to
do?”
“Oh, I know!” Apple Bloom perked up. “Let’s make it Truth and Challenges.
If ya don’t want to answer a question, then ya have to complete a
challenge. If you can’t, then ya have to answer a question.”
“Oh, that sounds way better,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “Let’s do it.”
Nyx wasn’t sure about this idea, but...three of her friends wanted to, so
maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. She used her magic to put the sleepover
guide book back into her bags.
“So, who wants to go first?” Nyx asked.
“Oh, me! Me!” Scootaloo called out, putting a hoof in the air. She then
turned her attention on Apple Bloom. “Truth or Challenge?”
“Um... I’ll go with the Challenge.”
“I challenge you to stand on your head for ten seconds.”
“Ha, is that all?” Apple Bloom replied confidently. Within moments, the
yellow filly was balancing on her head, legs waving around as her friends
counted down.
“10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0!”
Apple Bloom got back on her hooves, smiling but then wavering a little bit,
having to shake her head.
“Whoa, that makes my head all swimmy.”
“Really, let me try?” Sweetie Belle chirped, the unicorn quickly flipping onto
her head. Soon, all four Cutie Mark Crusaders were on their heads,
laughing and giggling as the blood rushed from their legs into their skulls.
====================
“Okay, Nyx... Truth or Challenge?” Apple Bloom offered about an hour
later. The game had turned into a perfect way to spend the last bit of the
sleep over. The four friends had done a lot of strange and silly challenges,
from seeing how long they could hold their breath to having hoof wrestling
contests. Nothing that would be considered a proper dare, but plenty of
very fun challenges.
The black filly bit her lower lip, turquoise eyes focusing on Apple Bloom as
the black filly tried to decide which thing she would do.
“Truth.”
“Tell us something you’ve never told any other pony.”
“Like what?” Nyx asked, caught a little off guard by the very general nature
of the question.
“Anything.”
“Yea, just make it something cool,” Scootaloo added.
“Well... I can’t really think of anything to tell you... but...” Nyx fell silent at
this, glancing back at her vest. “There... there is something I can show
you.”
“Really, what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I think it’s better if you just see it but... you got to promise not to tell any
other pony. Twilight and Rarity know, but they told me I couldn’t show what
I’m about to show you to anypony.”
“Oh boy, this has to be good if Twilight told you to keep it a secret,”
Scootaloo grinned. “But yea, we promise not to tell nopony.”
Nyx turned to look at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the two other fillies
also offering their promise. Still, Nyx wasn’t done.
“And... and you have to promise me you won’t hate me and we’ll still be
friends after I show you.”
“Well, that’s a silly thing to promise.”
“Yea, we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We’re going to be best friends for
life.”
“No matter what.”
Nyx nervously smiled, looking at her three friends. Decision made, the
black filly got up from her sleeping bag, and walked across the room into
Apple Bloom’s closet. The black filly shut the door, and for a moment there
was only the sound of rustling from behind the door. Apple Bloom,
Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle all craned their necks, watching anxiously
until the door opened.
Nyx nervously walked out, carrying her vest in her teeth. Once she was a
few steps out of the closet, the black filly spread her wings out, stretching
the feathered appendages for a few moments before letting them fold to
her sides.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom all stared with eyes wide and
jaws hanging open. Nyx could only offer a weak smile, taking a moment to
set down her vest. The silence in the room was a bit unnerving. Nyx
wanted her friends to say something, anything. She started to frown and
tear up just a tiny bit, fears flashing in the filly’s mind.
Had she just made a huge mistake? Had she just lost the three best friends
she had ever known? Had she...
Yet, the growing ball of fears was blown away before it could get too large.
Nyx found herself surrounded by her three friends, who had zipped up to
inspect her long hidden wings with admiration.
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner you had wings?” Apple Bloom asked, a bit in
awe.
“Well, Rarity told me that if ponies knew I had both a horn and wings, that
they would get jealous of me. I... I didn’t ask for them, I just have them...”
“Oh yeah; you could so make Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon jealous.”
Sweetie Belle admitted, offering the thought like it would be something
amazingly fun to do.
“But aren’t you jealous? Rarity said everypony would be... and I don’t want
to do that to anypony...”
“Naw, why would we be jealous?” Applebloom asked. “It’s just part of who
you are. It be as silly as me being jealous of how well Sweetie Belle sings.”
“Or me being jealous of how well Scootaloo rides her scooter.”
“Or me being jealous of how good Apple Bloom is at fixing up things like
our clubhouse.”
“Yea, it’s like my big sister Applejack says: ‘There ain’t no point in bein’
jealous, because it doesn’t change how things are’.”
“Still, why do you have wings and a horn? The only ponies I know that have
both are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at her friends who only
answered her with silent, blank stares. “Well... okay, maybe not so
obvious.”
“Just spit it out, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo replied.
“I bet that one of Nyx’s parents is a unicorn and the other is a pegasus.”
“Is it really that simple?” Sweetie Bell asked. “I mean, isn’t there somepony
in our class that has a mom that’s a unicorn and a dad that’s a pegasus?”
“Maybe it doesn’t happen all the time,” Scootaloo suggested. “I mean, isn’t
there also a pony in our class who has a pair of unicorns as parents but
doesn’t have a horn of her own?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Apple Bloom agreed. “It must only happen some
of the time. Still, it’s pretty cool.”
“Yea, it is,” Scootaloo cheered.
“So... why does Twilight make you wear a vest to hide your wings?”
Sweetie Belle asked.
“Well... like I said, Twilight and Rarity told me that if I didn’t, I might make
other ponies jealous... and I just really, really didn’t want to do that. I didn't
want to hurt anypony's feelings. That, and Twilight is nice. I don’t think
she’d make me do anything without a good reason.”
“Yea, Twilight is pretty cool.... a bit nerdy and not as cool as Rainbow
Dash, but she’s all right,” Scootaloo stated.
“Hey, you know what this means?” Apple Bloom asked with a grin. “If Nyx
is an alicorn... then that means the Cutie Mark Crusaders has one of every
pony!”
“One of every pony?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah! I’m an earth pony, you’re a unicorn, Scootaloo is a pegasus, and
Nyx is an alicorn!”
“Hey, yeah, that’s right!” Scootaloo agreed with a grin. “Anyways, it’s your
turn Nyx.”
The black filly smiled as she laid down on her sleeping bag and enjoyed the
feeling of not having to wear her vest, allowing her wings a few strong flaps
before folding them against her side.
“Okay, Sweetie Belle, Truth or Challenge?”
“Truth!” The little white unicorn answered without a moments’ hesitation.
“What’s the funniest story you have of your big sister Rarity?”
Sweetie Belle snorted, and started giggling.
“Oh, you girls are going to like this.”
It didn't take long for Sweetie Belle to tell the story, and by the end all four
fillies were giggling loudly, laughter that was only ended when a pounding
came at the bedroom door.
“Apple Bloom, you and yer friends get to sleep right this minute, or I’m goin’
come in there and hogtie all of you in your sleepin’ bags!” Applejack
threatened, having been kept up by the girls and their sleep over. “I got
buckin’ to do in the mornin’, and I won’t have you four keepin’ me up all
night.”
The four fillies chimed back an apology, and, with their game ended by
Applejack, the Crusaders decided to call it a night. Nyx flipped the room’s
light switch with her magic, and soon the four fillies were lying in the
darkened room.
Still, before anypony could go to sleep, Nyx broke the silence
“Um... thank you... thank you for still being my friend, even after I showed
you my wings.”
“Aww, of course we would still be your friend!” Sweetie Belle replied from
her own sleeping bag on the verge of going to sleep. “We’re the Cutie Mark
Crusaders; that’s like being friends for life with a cool theme song.”
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
On a quest to find out who we are.
And we will never stop the journey
Not until we have our cutie marks.
While Sweetie Belle had been the one to start singing, the other three
started singing as well. It wasn't the intense, and arguably painful, rock
ballad that they had performed at the talent show. Instead, the three sang it
softly, softly enough that even Scootaloo’s voice was bearable.
To the sound of their own theme song the four drifted off to sleep, none
resting as well as Nyx. She had been able to reveal a truth about herself to
her friends, and they accepted her all the same.
====================
Nexus stared up at the moon through his study window, a glass of orange
juice floating in his levitation magic nearby. He swirled the contents gently,
a visual indication of the fact his mind was chewing over new information
he had been presented. He had received the reports from the spy, and
while some of the information was welcoming, other bits were troubling.
His plan had gone off without a hitch; a few fliers sent out in the mail
inspiring some local teacher in Ponyville to have the Learn and Play Day. It
was the kind of public setting where Nyx wouldn’t be around Twilight
Sparkle the whole time, and thus could be observed and even spoken to.
And the spy had done all that until a pink earth pony started chasing him.
He had watched, he had observed, and even gone up and spoken with Nyx
at her booth.
He had also witnessed and reported the two feats of magic the little filly
performed. Turning a pony into a tree... winning a tug of war game by
herself against four much larger and stronger opponents. It was the kind of
magic that no filly, not even a prodigy like Twilight Sparkle, could possess
at such a young age, let alone be able to control. It was the kind of magic
held only by two others, the alicorns who sat upon the royal thrones.
But while the magical potential was there, the queen was not. The filly did
not act like Nightmare Moon, did not speak condescendingly to the country
bumpkins of Ponyville. The spy described her as nervous and timid, but
also having a few friends. All things that Nexus wouldn’t have believed
would be attributed to Equestria’s true queen, at least when dealing with
the common pony.
But the potential was there, and that would be enough. The filly was, at
best, comparable to a seed, inside of which was all the power and majesty
of Equestria’s true queen. He simply had to complete the original spell. The
lingering magics which had been dispersed by Celestia’s interruption had to
be drawn in from the Everfree Forest. That magic would bear with it the
echos of Nightmare Moon. The memories, the emotions, the essence of
great dark empress that Equestria deserved.
But being able to complete the spell would be difficult. He would need time
to prepare, resources, and above all, he would need to have a powerful
enough spell setup that it could complete the ritual before Celestia could
interfere a second time. Such a powerful spell, however, could not be
constructed in secrecy... at least not very easily.
Nexus sipped at his orange juice, staring out his window as the gears in his
mind spun. There was a need to act quickly, before something happened to
the filly, but he could not act overtly. If he did, he ran the risk of revealing
his true intention to Celestia.
What he needed was-
“Sir?”
“Yes, Proper Etiquette?” Nexus asked, glancing over his shoulder at his
butler, the pony standing in the study's doorway.
“Princess Celestia is at the front door and wishes to have a word with you,
but she wants it to be known this is a request and not a demand. Shall I
see her in?”
“Yes, please.” Nexus replied, closing his eyes. When he reopened them the
turquoise color, a blessing given to those who were of the order, had
disappeared and were replaced by Nexus’s original slate gray eyes. He
then downed the rest of the orange juice in his glass, shivering a little from
the resulting brain freeze. He then moved over to a chair and picked up a
book, putting up the charade that he was enjoying a quiet evening reading
in his study when the princess stepped in.
And the timing was near perfect, Nexus just getting settled into one of his
chairs with a book when the doors opened, Princess Celestia strolling in
while her guards remained in the hallway.
“Thank you for allowing me into your lovely home at such a late hour,
Nexus,” Celestia offered as she strode across the room. “I do hope I wasn’t
interrupting anything.”
“A good book and nothing more.” Nexus lied expertly with a reassuring
smile as he set the book down on a nearby end table. “Still, I find it
surprising you are out and about at such an hour. You are usually in bed by
this time.”
“If I may be honest with you, Nexus... I have been having trouble sleeping,”
Celestia admitted as she came to a stop beside the unicorn.
“Then please, make yourself comfortable,” Nexus replied, motioning to a
large cushion that was kept in the study specifically in case the princess
were to visit. “And tell me what troubles you.”
Celestia took Nexus’s offer, sitting down on the cushion as she began to
speak. She told Spell Nexus about the spell in the forest, about the
research his co-worker Bastion was doing on the spell, and of many other
things Celestia had learned about the Children of Nightmare. Information
Nexus already knew, but the unicorn feigned interest. He listened, and
offered appropriate levels of shock and disbelief.
“To think, ponies trying to resurrect Nightmare Moon. It is hard to believe
some would be so foalish,” Nexus mused when Celestia finished speaking
as he poured a fresh glass of orange juice for himself. He then offered
Celestia some, but she replied with a smile and a shake of her head, a very
gentle refusal.
“But you stopped them,” Nexus said with a smile, lifting his glass in a very
casual toast. “And Equestria continues to thrive in your protective embrace.
So, why have you not been sleeping well?”
“I’ve come to believe that the spell, while interrupted, may not have been
completely unsuccessful.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Do you know my student, Twilight Sparkle?”
“The most magically gifted unicorn I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to
know? Of course I know your student! I would bet that everypony at your
school knows of her, staff and students. Why do you ask?”
“At the Spring Festival in Ponyville, I discovered Twilight was taking care of
a young black-coated filly by the name of Nyx, a filly she said was her half-
cousin. A filly that, if my sources are to be believed, started living with her
the day after the cultists cast their spell in the forest. A filly who, in recent
days, performed two very profound feats of magic at a school weekend
event.”
“Well, I can only imagine magic runs in her family.” Nexus offered before
taking a sip from his glass.
“Yes, I would believe that as well if Nyx was related to Twilight, but I have
checked the family’s records. There is no listing of any relative of Twilight
having a daughter named Nyx. In fact, there is no listing of a Nyx being
born in Equestria in the past several decades. It is as if this filly appeared
out of thin air.”
Nexus, who had been taking another sip from his orange juice glass, froze
up for a single moment. Not long enough for Celestia to notice, but a small
sign that the true Nexus, who was hiding behind sweet words and feigned
interest, was a bit concerned.
“Appeared out of thin air”?” Nexus echoed, “As if... produced by a spell?”
“The same conclusion I reached. Bastion Yorsets has been leading a team
to discover the nature of the spell, which is how I’ve come to know for
certain that it was a ritual designed to bring back Nightmare Moon from the
lingering shreds left behind by the Elements of Harmony, but he cannot
even venture a guess as to what would happen if the spell was interrupted.”
“And so you believe this filly, Nyx, was produced by the spell... a spell
meant to give new life to Nightmare Moon.” Nexus summarized. “I believe I
now understand why you’ve been losing sleep.”
“No... Spell Nexus... you don’t.” Celestia countered as she stood up and
moved across the room. “For it is not as simple as you make it sound.”
“What’s there to make it complex?”
“The fact that Nyx doesn’t act anything like the mare I once knew,” Celestia
replied as she looked to the moon. “Nightmare Moon... the real Nightmare
Moon... the mare my sister became... was a vindictive, deceptive, hateful
pony. She desired to plunge Equestria into eternal night, not just so ponies
would appreciate the beauty of the stars and moon, but so they would also
be deprived of the sun they loved so dearly.
“She was threat to all Equestria, but that was not the worst part. The worst
was that I had to watch as Luna, my dear sister, became that monstrous
mare, bent on vengeance. It was my duty as a big sister to protect her...
and I failed. I failed so horribly that I had to banish her to the moon, seal
her away in the very sky-bound orb she had cared for diligently.
“And now,” Celestia continued, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her regal
composure began to fail, a tired expression taking its place on her face.
“The past few nights... my dreams have been haunted. I see the filly Nyx
growing, becoming the monster I once knew. She laughs, and plunges
Equestria into eternal night before taking away my sister again. I scream
out in the dream... only to find myself sitting up in my own bed in an icy
sweat.
“I fear this filly, Nexus... but at the same time I feel guilty for fearing her.”
“Why would you feel guilty?” Nexus asked.
“Because Nyx has done nothing to warrant such fear,” Celestia answered,
not taking her eyes of the moon. “I have met Nyx personally, over a short
dinner, and she acted nothing like the Nightmare Moon I knew. At first, the
filly seemed honestly scared of me and my sister. She shied away, and
only after some encouragement from Twilight was Nyx even able to say
hello to us.
“It was Luna who was able to finally draw Nyx out of her shell, and, after
that, the filly laughed and spoke excitedly on many topics. She spoke of
friends, spoke of school... spoke of all the things a normal filly her age
would want to talk about: all things Nightmare Moon would never care
about.
“And thus I am torn. I fear Nyx when she has shown no signs of being a
danger. I worry for what she might become, but at the same time I believe
that she is not the same as Nightmare Moon. She is the product of that
spell, and yet she acts like any normal filly as she lives, laughs, and has
friends.
“And that, Nexus, is what is troubling me,” Celestia concluded as she
turned away from the window.
“It is something that would trouble anypony,” Nexus offered, faking his
concern. “I am honored you would come to speak with me about this, but I
must ask... what does Luna think of the filly? Certainly she, who was once
Nightmare Moon, would be able to judge the filly’s true nature.”
“I... I must confess, I have been doing everything in my power to keep this
a secret from Luna. It has not been easy; she was able to sense the same
surge of magic I felt rise up from the Everfree Forest some time ago. But
I’ve been able to convince her it was nothing to worry about and have kept
the rest of what I’ve told you hidden.”
“I find it strange you would want to keep this a secret from Luna. Do you
not trust her with this matter?”
“No, I do trust her, but... I choose to keep this a secret to protect her.”
Celestia admitted. “Call me a foal if you wish, Nexus, but I’m Luna’s big
sister, and I’ve already lost her once to Nightmare Moon.
"I don’t want her getting anywhere near this.
“Furthermore, if Luna were to learn that Nightmare Moon is again a threat
to Equestria, she would blame herself. She would hold herself responsible,
since it was she who became the original Nightmare Moon, and I feel my
sister has suffered enough because of that mistake. She will not be happy
with me if she ever discovers that I’ve been keeping these secrets, but I
would rather face her anger than force her to face that horrible mistake a
second time.
“So... I’ve come to you, Nexus,” Celestia continued as she moved away
from the window, retaking her seat next to the unicorn. “Because, while I
cannot turn to Luna in this, I need somepony to talk to. I need somepony to
give me their honest opinion.
“Am I wrong to fear Nyx? Am I wrong to doubt in my student’s ability to
judge character? Even if she grows to be the same mare in body and
power, could Nyx not be her own mare, devoid of the malice and hatred
that made Nightmare Moon who she was? Or... is there truth in my dreams,
that Nyx will, in time, become the only mare in the world I truly fear?”
Silence fell upon the study at this, Nexus slowly taking his gaze off of
Celestia. He closed his eyes and swirled the orange juice in his glass. To
Celestia, it looked as if the unicorn was considering the question, but in
truth he was considering the situation as a whole.
Celestia, with her weak, tender heart, saw there was a chance the filly was
a threat to Equestria, but did not act because of her feelings. An alicorn of
her power and stature, hesitating to remove a threat to her throne. He’d pity
the princess if her weakness wasn’t so pathetic. And, above that, she
obviously feared what Nightmare Moon’s return would mean. She feared
having to face the alicorn again, Equestria’s true queen no longer held back
by the sun princess’s sister, the feeble Luna.
Indecision, compassion, and fear... all weaknesses that only proved to
Nexus further that Celestia wasn’t fit to rule Equestria, that only the cold
wisdom of Nightmare Moon would ensure the kingdom’s future.
But these weaknesses were not without their purpose. Nexus took a sip
from his glass of orange juice, a means of hiding the smile that was trying
to creep onto his lips before he regained his composure. Yes... these were
weaknesses he could exploit.
“You are not wrong to fear Nyx,” Nexus began, picking his words carefully.
“It is your job, as a ruler of this kingdom, to try and foresee anything that
would arise to threaten Equestria. And right now, the filly is a credible
threat. Nightmare Moon was the worst thing to happen to Equestria in
recorded history, and, if there is even a small chance Nyx could become
the Mare in the Moon, then it is a threat you should take seriously.”
“But I cannot condemn Nyx for what she might do.” Celestia argued. “Not
only would that go against Equestrian law, Twilight would never forgive
me.”
“Your concern for your student is heartwarming, Celestia, but I shouldn’t
need to remind you that you have a whole kingdom to worry about. Is it not
better to save everypony in Equestria from the danger that is Nightmare
Moon, even if it means one particular unicorn doesn’t like you anymore?”
“It is better, Nexus... and perhaps if I was a stronger mare, I could do what
is best for the kingdom. But... I will not act against Nyx unless I am certain
she is a threat, even if it means I must endure several sleepless nights.”
“Then maybe I can offer that certainty,” Nexus replied, smiling gently.
“And how would you do that?”
“If I recall correctly, there is a magical ritual from the zebra homelands that
may just be the answer to this predicament. It would take time to study it,
even longer to prepare the spell, for, if I recall correctly, it is very
complicated. But... if the spell works, you will be able to take a glimpse
inside Nyx’s mind and even her soul. From that glimpse, you should be
able to see whether or not the filly is something you need to fear.”
Celestia smiled, the weights of fear and doubt beginning to lift off the
alicorn’s chest.
“Spell Nexus, do you honestly believe you can prepare this spell? Can you
promise that this spell will do as you say?”
“I don’t know if I can outright promise, but I am very certain,” The unicorn
replied with a confident grin.
“Then, please, coordinate your efforts on the spell with the palace. I will
make arrangements so that anything and everything you will need to
perform this spell is provided.” Celestia said, as she stood up from her
cushion. “Do whatever it takes to get this spell prepared as quickly as
possible.”
“It would be my pleasure to do so, Princess... but, I should warn you: if my
memory about the spell is correct, then Nyx will need to be present. This
isn’t something that can be done unless she's at least in the same room.
Nyx would need to be brought to the spell, taken from Twilight.”
The smile that had only just made its way onto Celestia’s face vanished,
replaced by a frown. For a moment, the sun princess sat in silence,
contemplating the one catch to her and Nexus’ newly hatched plan.
“Nyx would need to be taken from Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia echoed, as if
hoping she had misheard the blue unicorn.
“Yes.” Nexus stated coldly. “I doubt it would be wise to have such a
magically talented unicorn in the room should... well... should the spell
reveal the worst.”
“Then that shall be my part in this,” Celestia said, her heart once again
heavy in her chest. “Spell Nexus, I would ask you to simply focus on
preparing the spell. I... I will handle the task of fetching Nyx personally.”
“Are you sure?”
Celestia nodded.
“Twilight deserves as much.”
“Very well. I will begin preparations in the morning. I will need time to study
the spell, and then I will need time to gather the materials and prepare.
Once the spell is ready, however, I will inform you so that you can fetch the
filly. After that, it will take but a few minutes to know whether or not Nyx is
truly Nightmare Moon and whether or not she poses a threat to Equestria.”
“Thank you, Nexus.” Celestia said, managing a weak, half hearted smile.
“You have been of greater service this evening than I could have hoped
for.”
“Do give me some credit, Princess. My special talent is, after all, creating
and understanding complex spells.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that you were one of
my faithful students,” Celestia teased, the weights of fear and doubt
beginning to lift off the alicorn’s chest. “Now, I believe I’ve taken up enough
of your evening. I shall return to the castle to get some rest, but please
send word to me when you are ready to begin preparing the spell.”
“Of course, Princess.” Nexus replied as he got out of his chair and walked
with Celestia to the door of his study. “And I hope you have a pleasant
evening.”
“Good night to you too, Spell Nexus.” Celestia offered as a final farewell.
Nexus returned it with a wave of his hoof as the princess slipped out the
study doors. Spell Nexus waited until the princess rounded a corner further
down the hall before he pulled the doors shut and moved to the far side of
his study. Looking out the window, he offered a gentle, happy smile as he
watched Celestia enter the courtyard below. Within a few moments she had
boarded her chariot and was being flown off back to the castle.
It was only when Celestia was out of sight that Nexus closed his eyes,
opening them a moment later to reveal the slate gray orbs had returned to
the turquoise color that marked him as a member of the Children of
Nightmare. His gentle grin turned menacing, and the dark blue unicorn had
to fight the urge to laugh out loud.
Horn glowing, Nexus began pulling books off his study shelves. Yes, he
would need time to prepare, but now he had all the time he would need. He
had no fear of Celestia acting, for the princess was waiting for him to help
her act. A second opportunity, a second chance to complete the spell, had
been laid in his hooves by none other than the sun tyrant herself. It was like
fate and destiny were on his side, that the world itself worked to help him
bring back Equestria’s true queen.
“Celestia, you have become a contributing architect in your own demise,”
Nexus whispered, the one bit of gloating he allowed himself before diving
into the work that laid ahead of him.
Chapter 10
Treachery
The doors to the Ponyville School House erupted open with cheers and
flying papers, all the little fillies and colts racing out with wide smiles.
Among them were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were laughing and
giggling right along with all the others. Cheerilee watched with a smile as
the ponies raced off towards town, walking back into a school house with a
bounce in her step that she only got once a year.
The cheer for both Cheerilee and the students all stemmed from the same
source: school was out for the summer.
“No more school, no more school, no more school!” Apple Bloom cheered
several times, bouncing around like Pinkie Pie as she and the other
crusaders made their way into the center of Ponyville.
“Yea, a full summer vacation to find our Cutie Marks! This is going to be
awesome!” Scootaloo offered. “So, what should we try first?
Skateboarding? Paragliding? Wait, no... we should try to be Cutie Mark
Crusader Bungee Jumpers!”
“That all sounds kind of dangerous, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said
anxiously.
“And...scary...” Nyx whimpered with a slight shake.
“Maybe we could start off with something easier.” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“We... uh, we don’t want to go through all your awesome ideas straight
away, do we?”
“No, I guess not,” Scootaloo thought out loud.
“How are we gonna keep track of all our ideas anyways?” Apple Bloom
asked. “Didn’t we already try paragliding before?”
“Did we?” Scootaloo asked, while Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue in
concentration.
“Wait, why would a pegasus need to paraglide anyways?”
“Um...” Nyx began nervously. “I...think I might have an idea to keep track of
everything.”
“What’s that?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Well, Twilight’s always making lists to keep herself organized, so... how
about we all make a list of all the things we want to do to try and find our
cutie marks, and then we’ll combine notes and make one big list together?
That way, we’ll know what we have and haven’t done.”
“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Apple Bloom cheered.
“It is?”
“Uh-huh. If we do that, we’ll be sure to find our cutie marks in no time!”
“Yeah!” The other two cheered in agreement, making Nyx smile, glad she
was able to do something to help out, since her skittish nature did made it
hard for her to participate in the more active ideas, namely the ones she
thought were scary.
After quickly hammering out the details of the plan, the four agreed to meet
at Twilight’s library the next day after lunch with their lists. With a final
“Cutie Mark Crusaders” chant, the group disbanded, each running home to
try and think of as many things they could try during the summer in their
search for their cutie marks.
Nyx practically galloped all the way back to the library, bursting through the
door. Twilight and Spike had been working in the library’s ground floor.
Spike was checking out a few books for an earth pony while Twilight was
putting other books back on the shelf. The purple unicorn didn’t know what
hit her as Nyx tackled her unofficial mother, giggling almost nonstop.
“I’m home!”
“So I see.” Twilight replied, sitting up from her new location on the floor
while Nyx bounced excitedly around her. “And how was your last day of
school?”
“Really fun! Cheerilee ordered some treats for us, and she handed out our
final grades.”
“And how were your final grades?” Twilight asked. Nyx was more than
eager to reply, magically opening her saddle bags as she pulled out her
grade report and held it out. Twilight took the note in her own magic,
holding it at an angle she could read. Her face then lit up in a smile, seeing
the stellar grades Nyx had managed to achieve. They weren’t perfect, but
still pretty darn good for a filly who started two thirds of the way through the
school year.
“So... did I do good?” Nyx asked, a little nervously. “Cheerilee said I did
good but... did I do good?”
“You did amazing.” Twilight replied, setting the grade report on the nearby
table. “In fact, I think we need to celebrate. What do you think, Spike?
Should we take the rest of the afternoon off and do something fun?”
“What about the library? You’re the one always saying we have to keep it
open during the day so that ponies can check out books if they want.”
“Oh, come on Spike, it’s a special occasion. The end of school only comes
once a year.”
“Hey, you don’t have to ask me twice,” The baby dragon said with a laugh,
making a few final notes in the library’s ledger about the books that were
just checked out before slapping it shut. “So, what are we going to do?”
“I think Nyx should decide.”
“Really? I get to pick?”
“Yep, whatever you want to do Nyx.”
“Can we get lunch at the Sugarcube Corner?”
“Yes.”
“And then can we go play at the park?”
“Yes.”
The little filly was practically on the verge of exploding in excitement,
bouncing over towards the door like a certain pink earth pony. Twilight and
Spike quickly followed, the trio locking up the library for the afternoon and
heading off to celebrate.
============
“That was the best afternoon ever!” Nyx cheered as she, Twilight, and
Spike began making their way back to the library as the sun drew close to
the far horizon. All three were smiling ear to ear, having spent the whole
afternoon basically just playing in the park. Games of tag, hide and seek,
and Twilight taking the part of a pretend monster that Nyx and Spike fought
to defeat a number of times. The kind of random, unplanned day of fun that
Twilight had often missed growing up, considering all the time she spent
reading books.
“Can we do it again tomorrow?” Nyx asked.
“Maybe not tomorrow.” Twilight replied while smiling, though slightly worn
out from all the playful running. “But maybe this weekend. After all, weren’t
you going to do something with your friends tomorrow?”
“Yea; we’re each supposed to think up a bunch of things we could try out
over the summer to try and find our Cutie Marks.” Nyx chirped in a reply,
before her smile quickly turned into a panicked frown. “OH NO! ...I... I forgot
to start my list...”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. You have until noon tomorrow. I’m sure, if
you start on the list tonight, you’ll have more than enough things to share
with your friends tomorrow.”
“Yea, don’t worry about it Nyx.” Spike offered, “You got all night to... hey,
Twilight?”
“Yes Spike?”
“Isn’t that Princess Celestia’s chariot outside the library?”
Twilight, who had been paying most of her attention to the baby dragon and
filly riding on her back, looked forward. Spike’s observation had been
accurate; the princesses’ royal chariot was parked just outside the library, a
few pegasus guards hitched to the front and standing at attention.
Curious, Twilight walked up to the library door, opening it slowly as she
peaked her head inside.
“Ah, Twilight, I was wondering where you were.” Celestia offered, the regal
princess sitting on a cushion at the library’s reading table, which was more
of a coffee table for the very tall princess. “I hope you don’t mind, but I
decided to drop in for a visit.”
“Not at all,” Twilight replied as she walked across the room. “I just wished
you had warned me you were coming; I would have cleaned up the library.”
“Yes, and you would have made the whole town put up decorations for my
arrival,” The princess remarked knowingly. “And I was hoping for a more
subtle visit. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I course I don’t mind, but shouldn’t you be in Canterlot for the sunset?”
“One of the benefits of having my sister back is that I can now afford to
sneak away from my duties from time to time. Luna is going to handle the
sunset this evening.”
“Well, make sure to thank Luna for me,” Twilight said with a smile, “Still, are
you hungry? We were about to eat dinner.”
“No thank you, Twilight, but don’t let me stop you. It looks like you three
have had a long day.”
“Yes, but it was a fun day too,” Twilight replied before turning to look at the
dragon and filly riding on her back. “Spike, Nyx, would you two mind
starting dinner? I know I said I’d cook tonight, but...”
Spike waved her off.
“Don’t worry about it Twilight, I know how long it’s been since you’ve had a
chance to talk with Celestia. Come on Nyx, let's go rustle us up some
grub.”
The baby dragon and filly jumped off of Twilight’s back, quickly making their
way into the kitchen. At the same time, Twilight moved over to the reading
table and sat down across from Celestia, offering a smile.
“So, what bring you to Ponyville? Is there another dragon taking nap in the
mountains?” The unicorn joked.
“No, but there is something important I need to talk to you about.” Celestia
replied, her usually cheerful, almost whimsical tone growing more serious
as the alicorn’s horn glowed. There was a flash from behind Twilight, and
when the unicorn turned she saw a few lingering sparkles around the
kitchen door.
Twilight recognized the spell immediately, have seen Celestia use it before.
It was a spell that blocked sound, which meant that what Celestia wanted
to talk about wasn’t meant to be heard by Spike or Nyx.
“Now, Twilight... I’m here because I need to talk to you about Nyx, who I
know is not your cousin.”
Twilight felt her heart skip a beat as she turned her head back towards
Celestia, her eyes meeting Celestia’s knowing gaze. The unicorn at first
had the urge to continue her lie, but... something in the princess’s eyes told
Twilight she couldn’t get away with that. It was just like the few times in the
past she had been in trouble with Celestia for this or that.
There was no point in lying.
“How much do you know?”
“I have my suspicions, which is part of the reason why I’m here. Before I
say another word, I need you to be completely honest with me about Nyx.
Tell me everything.”
Twilight could feel her mouth going dry and a knot forming her throat, but
she began to speak all the same. She told Celestia everything about where
she had found Nyx, about the events in the Everfree Forest... everything.
Every hard fact the unicorn could offer was presented, along with a few of
her own theories. Above all, Twilight made it a point to say a number of
times that she didn’t believe Nyx was Nightmare Moon, despite all the
evidence to the contrary.
Twilight told Celestia everything, and the princess listened intently. Her
face was kept in its normal regal composure, a well practiced mask that
Celestia used when dealing with any serious situation. While Twilight often
looked into Celestia’s eyes, trying to read what the princess was thinking,
the unicorn was unable to determine a thing. A thousand years of being a
monarch of Equestria had given Celestia the best poker face in the entire
kingdom.
It didn’t take too long for Twilight to say everything she wanted to say, but
the unicorn was still exhausted when she had finished. With every word
she said, Twilight had felt anxiety growing and twisting in her belly, and she
was beginning to feel just a little bit weak because of it.
“Thank you for your honesty, Twilight.” The alicorn began, once Twilight
was finished speaking, offering a truly warm smile with her words. “And I
want to say how proud I am of you, even though I wished you had told me
about all this sooner. Few mares would have done what you did. Not only
did you a filly that so strongly resembles Nightmare Moon, but you took her
in. You... you obviously care for her a great deal.”
“I... I do.” Twilight replied, letting herself smile a little.
“M-might,” Celestia began, coughing once to try and improve the strength
in her voice. “Might I ask how much you care?”
“What do you mean, Princess?”
“What is Nyx to you? Are you simply a caregiver, or does Nyx perhaps look
upon you as a friend?”
“Well... ha ha... actually, it’s funny you should ask that. Nyx... well, kind of
thinks of me as...” Twilight grew very quiet at this point, rubbing the back of
her neck and muttering out the final few words at a level that made them
unintelligible to the princess.
“Could you please say that again, Twilight?”
“She... thinks of me as a mother.” The unicorn admitted, managing to say
the words just loud enough for Celestia to clearly hear her. And for a time,
Celestia just sat there, even her brain needing a moment to chew over
what had just been said. Celestia then began to frown, her regal
composure failing as a mixed expression of exhaustion and guilt began to
form on her face.
“Twilight... I wish you hadn’t told me that.” Celestia admitted a few
moments later. “I wish you had just let me believe you were a caregiver to
Nyx, and nothing more... for you have only made what I have to do that
much more difficult.
“I... I need to take Nyx back to Canterlot with me.”
A graveyard-like silence fell upon the room after Celestia’s words, Twilight
looking at her teacher with eyes that were slowly narrowing, her mind
beginning to comprehend the true purpose behind Celestia’s visit that
evening. It was the visit she had been dreading.
“Please understand, Twilight, I take no joy in this,” Celestia continued when
Twilight offered no response. “But, while Nyx shows no signs of being
Nightmare Moon, you cannot deny there is a chance she could be a threat
to Equestria. For all we know, the filly you care for could be a ruse.
Nightmare Moon could be disguising herself and her true intentions as she
bides her time.
“Even if that is not the case, you just admitted that Nyx has some of
Nightmare Moon’s memories. And... in time, should more of her memories
return, Nyx could also remember her hatred of me, her jealousy of the
sun... she could become a threat to Equestria once again.”
“But... but Nyx would never do that!” Twilight argued, strong conviction in
her voice, “She isn’t Nightmare Moon, and she hates those memories.
When she first remembered them, she cried in my hooves. She cried
because she remembered wanting to hurt me, and she couldn’t understand
why. She apologized to me, over and over, because she doesn’t want to
hurt me now.”
“Twilight-”
“And-and-and so what if she is Nightmare Moon?! She hasn’t done
anything wrong! She’s been living here with me for months. I’ve only heard
her talk about making the night last forever twice, and she never meant it!
The first time was during the school play when she had to play the real
Nightmare Moon, and the second time was when we were out stargazing,
and she wished the night would last forever so that we could keep
stargazing together. But she never seriously talked about it!”
“Twilight-” Celestia against tried to interrupt, only for Twilight to continue,
the unicorn starting to tear up.
“And I know what you’re thinking. I thought about it too, at first. That maybe
Nightmare Moon was just trying to trick me, pretending to be a filly... but I
know that’s not true. I can’t tell you how or why... I have no evidence to
prove it... but I know Nyx is a good pony. She isn’t Nightmare Moon. She
just isn’t. And-”
Twilight found herself silenced, not by harsh words or anything so violent.
No, in a span of a few moments, Celestia had circled the table and was
now holding Twilight in an embrace, the white alicorn holding the small
purple unicorn with her neck and one of her hooves.
“Please... please, Twilight... stop.” Celestia asked, her voice ringing with
the echoes of desperation. “You are only making this more difficult for me.”
“But... but why do you have to take her?”
“Because... because... I’m scared, Twilight.” Celestia admitted, words that
rang in Twilight’s mind and shook the foundations of her conscience.
“My dreams have been haunted with vision of Nyx growing into Nightmare
Moon. I see her, threatening not just Equestria, but everypony I hold dear. I
see her threatening you, my sister, everypony I care about. I see her
stealing everything away from me, and... I’m powerless to stop her. These
nightmares have haunted me every night since I heard of the grand acts of
magic Nyx was able to perform.”
“But she isn’t Nightmare Moon...”
“But... still these fears haunt me... and, as Equestria’s princess, I have to
think about the greater good. I have to take every threat seriously, and
Nyx... if she is or will grow to become Nightmare Moon... then she is the
greatest threat Equestria has ever known. It is my duty to do what is
necessary, Twilight. It was my duty a thousand years ago to defeat my
sister, so the sun could rise over Equestria again. It was my duty... and I
would do it again. My actions saved lives, brought joy back to the ponies of
this kingdom... but I never forgave myself for that day.
Celestia began to hug Twilight more tightly, bitter memories surfacing in the
alicorn’s mind.
“I should have done something, Twilight, should have been able to do
something to stop Luna from becoming that monster. I should have noticed,
seen the signs... but I didn’t. I let my little sister become that... that witch...
and it was I who was forced to banish her to the moon for a thousand
years. I failed her, Twilight... all because I didn’t act soon enough to save
her.
“But I won’t let it happen again, Twilight... I cannot wait until Nightmare
Moon has risen again before acting. I cannot give her a chance to take my
sister away again, to hurt anypony... especially those I care for so dearly.
I... I cannot let her have that chance.”
“But she isn’t-” Twilight began to protest again, only to be cut off by
Celestia.
“I know, Twilight... I know... I am not so blinded by my fear that I cannot see
the sweet filly that Nyx appears to be. But... I cannot ignore her. I cannot
turn a blind eye, as I did to my sister’s jealousy a thousand years ago. I
cannot assume that things will work out... that everything will be all right...
because the last time I did that, I failed Luna.”
“But she hasn’t done anything wrong!” Twilight argued through the tears on
her face, the unicorn beginning to sense the hopelessness of her protests.
“I know, Twilight, but take heart in the knowledge that I’m not taking Nyx
away to punish her.”
“You’re... you’re not?”
Celestia shook her head.
“No, I am taking her to hopefully put my fears to rest. Spell Nexus has
prepared an old, powerful spell that will allow me to take a glimpse at who
Nyx really is. A spell to see not only Nyx's mind, but her soul. In that
glimpse, if I find nothing more than traces of what Nightmare Moon used to
be, then I will return Nyx to you with the sunrise.”
“And what if you find more than a few traces?”
“As long as Nyx does not contain the malice, jealousy, and hatred
Nightmare Moon once knew, then she will be returned to you. It was those
feelings and emotions that drove my sister to become Nightmare Moon,
and thus, if they do not exist in Nyx, then she cannot truly be the mare my
sister once was. And this is a spell that can be repeated, so as Nyx grows,
we can continue to monitor the mare she is becoming.”
“But... what if you find that she does contain these feelings? What if you
find-”
“Please... please, Twilight... don’t make me tell you something you don’t
want to hear.” Celestia almost begged, the alicorn holding her unicorn
student more tightly. Twilight, however, fought against the princess’
embrace, pulling herself away as her tear-filled eyes furrowed into a glare.
“NO! I won’t let you take her! Nyx is my daughter, and I know she isn’t
Nightmare Moon! That should be enough for you, or do you not trust me
anymore?”
“Twilight, I do trust you, but-”
“Then please listen and believe me! Nyx. Is. Not. Nightmare Moon!”
Celestia approached Twilight again, and while the unicorn tried to shy
away, the princess pulled her into a comforting embrace for a second time.
Celestia even sat down, allowing her to not only put her hoof and neck
around Twilight, but to also wrap her wings around her student. It was the
most tender and comforting hug the princess could offer.
“Twilight...” The princess began, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m
so... so sorry... I don’t want to do this. But... but I have to know for sure. I
cannot turn a blind eye... assume everything will be all right. I cannot trust
that the evil that was Nightmare Moon will just die away... because the last
time I did that, I lost Luna... I failed my sister. Because of my past inaction,
my sister had to suffer banishment... and I had to suffer without my sister,
my dearest friend, for a thousand years.
“Twilight... I promise that unless I am utterly convinced Nyx is a threat, I will
return her to you in the morning. I will do what is necessary to protect
Equestria... but I am not heartless. If Nyx has a hope of not being
Nightmare Moon, of being a mare of her own, then I will allow her to have
that chance.
“It is no less than what I did for my sister. Once the transformation had
taken hold... once she had become Nightmare Moon, I begged and
pleaded with Luna to lower the moon, to become my sister again. It was
only when I saw there was no hope that I used the Elements of Harmony.
“So please... Twilight, I beg you... beg you not as a princess of Equestria,
or as your teacher. I beg you as a pony who fears for those she cares
about... who fears for her sister... let me take Nyx. Allow me to put these
fears to rest... for you do not know how much they torture me.”
And that’s when Twilight felt it, something that caused her mind to lock up
and the air to catch in her lungs. A single small drop of water landed on the
unicorn’s body before sliding down to the floor. It was a tear... a single tear
that had escaped from Celestia’s eyes and dripped onto Twilight.
Twilight had never seen Celestia cry before, not since the day that Luna
came back.
And, in that moment, the unicorn felt her defiance shutting down. Was
Celestia honestly this scared? How monstrous was Nightmare Moon back
when she first threatened Equestria? And... Twilight was beginning to
wonder if Celestia had a real reason to be scared. She denied it... denied
Nyx was Nightmare Moon... but evidence to the contrary existed.
Nyx was an alicorn... and Twilight had seen for herself the filly’s astounding
magical ability. But... all that paled in comparison to the fact that Nyx had
memories of being Nightmare Moon. She remembered the night she was
defeated, remembered wanting to hurt Twilight. What... what if those
feelings returned, not as memories... but as true desires?
The doubts began eating away at Twilight’s conviction, the unicorn
desperately trying to grasp onto some thought... some idea that would
allow her to continue to believe Nyx wasn’t Nightmare Moon... but there
was none to be had.
“I’ll... I’ll admit it. I’ve... I’ve s-sometimes wondered i-if she could be... but...
even if she is Nightmare Moon... that doesn’t mean she’s evil, does it?”
Twilight asked quietly, struggling with her words. “Ponies can change if
given the chance. I... I now have five amazing friends when. just last year,
my best friend was the library. Ponies can change... can’t we give her that
chance?
“Please... I... I-I just... don’t want to lose her.”
“Twilight, I promise you, I will only do what is absolutely necessary.”
Celestia reassured, a bit of strength returning to her voice. “If there is any
chance... any hope that Nyx can escape her past... then I will give her the
opportunity to do so. But... I need to know what danger she poses... I need
to be able to take precautions, to act before it’s too late. I just... I need to be
able to protect my sister. I care for her, Twilight... as much as you care for
Nyx.
“So please... let me take her to Canterlot. Allow me this one test of Nyx’s
character... and let us both put our doubts to rest.”
Twilight’s last defenses fell at that invitation, of the test not only ending
Celestia’s fears, but killing off the doubts that had, at times, flitted into
Twilight’s mind. A chance to be sure, to know without a doubt, whether or
not Nyx was, or was not, Nightmare Moon, or at least the Nightmare Moon
that would have threaten Equestria. The unicorn’s mind grasped onto the
idea for dear life, using that one thought to quell the storm of doubts that
had risen up.
For a time, Celestia continued to hold Twilight, even as she felt the unicorn
submitting to her request. Still, after a few minutes, the alicorn pulled
herself away slowly, trying to offer Twilight a final reassuring smile before
she moved towards the kitchen. Her spell of silence on the door
evaporated, the sounds of cooking starting to echo into the library’s main
room as Celestia pushed her head through the door.
“Oh, hey Celestia.” Spike offered when he saw the alicorn. “Change your
mind about eating dinner with us?”
“Actually, Spike, I have to leave... but I thought that, before I left, Nyx might
want to take a ride in my chariot.”
The little filly, who had been holding some ingredients for Spike, went wide
eyed and dropped everything she had been carrying.
“Really!? You’d let me take a ride in it!?” The filly asked in disbelief.
“Yes, but it will have to be a quick one. I need to get back to Canterlot
soon.” Celestia offered, forcing a smile. Nyx began to bounce with
excitement, quickly moving over by the princess as the white alicorn back
out of the kitchen door. Spike just laughed and remained in the kitchen,
needing to keep an eye on dinner. That, and he’d ridden in a royal chariot
before, so it wasn’t that big of deal for him.
As Celestia moved to the library’s front door, Nyx bounced alongside her,
already trying to imagine what it would be like to ride in the beautiful chariot
she had seen parked outside. Still, as Celestia opened the door, Nyx
glanced over to Twilight, who was sitting with her head turned down, eyes
hidden by the bangs of her hair.
The excitement that had been filling Nyx died away almost instantly, the filly
taking a weary step towards the unicorn.
“Twilight?” she asked gently. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Twilight didn’t answer, didn’t even turn to look at Nyx. She just kept looking
down at the floor, body trembling a little as tears flowed from her eyes.
“Twilight?” Nyx ventured to ask again, only for Celestia to move over
beside her.
“Twilight will be all right, Nyx.” Celestia tried to reassure the filly, the white
alicorn using a hoof to gently guide Nyx towards the door. “She just needs
a moment to herself. That’s why I wanted to give you a ride in my chariot,
so Twilight can have a little time.”
“But... but why is she sad?” Nyx asked, starting to struggle against
Celestia. “Why can’t I stay with her and try to make her happy?”
“Please, Nyx... Twilight just needs a little time to herself.”
“NO! I... I want to stay with Twilight!” The filly snipped, starting to dart
around Celestia’s hoof and run back to Twilight’s side. The filly, however,
found herself being wrapped in magic. Celestia then made use of all the
speed she could, not wanting to give Nyx the time to panic or call out. She
whisked the filly to her chariot, jumping inside as the guards spread their
wings and began to take off.
The princess held Nyx with her magic, even as the filly began to struggle.
Celestia then began to prepare a sedation spell, not wanting Nyx to have to
be awake for flight to Canterlot and the resulting spell. Still, before she
could put the filly to sleep, Nyx opened her mouth, calling out into the night
with all the strength her little voice could muster.
=================
“MOMMY!!!”
Twilight’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed into dots. The unicorn turned
her head to the slightly ajar library door. Nyx’s cry had surged deep into her
mind, blasting through all the doubts that had taken up residence in
Twilight’s thoughts. The shout blew through it all, stirring something deep
inside that burst forth like a bolt of lightning unleashed from the sky.
WHAT WAS SHE DOING!?!?!?!
It didn’t matter if Nyx was Nightmare Moon or not. It didn’t matter if
someday Nyx would bring about the destruction of Equestria. Nyx... Nyx
was her daughter. She understood why Celestia was scared, but... this
wasn’t right. Twilight treated the filly like her own flesh and blood child. Nyx
was her daughter... and Twilight was her mother.
And no real mother lets her daughter get taken away without a fight.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Twilight bolted for the door, horn already
glowing. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She couldn’t really
hope to face off against Celestia... but she couldn’t just let her take Nyx
away either. She’d do what she could, she’d fight with all the magic she
had... even if it got her thrown in a dungeon or banished.
Nyx deserved that much.
But by the time Twilight got outside, it was too late. The chariot had taken
off and was now flying away. Twilight tried to chase it, running with her
eyes turned skyward. It was something doomed for disaster as Twilight
didn’t watch the path ahead. She tripped on a rock, trembling and crashing
to the ground. hard on the ground. When she looked up again the chariot
was even farther away, being whisked back to Canterlot by the strong
wings of the royal guards who pulled it.
Twilight broke down into tears right there, not caring who saw her or where
she was as she cried openly. She had just done the unforgivable. Even if
Nyx was returned to her the next day, even if Nyx was officially decreed to
not be Nightmare Moon... she would never be able to forgive herself for
what she had done.
It all came rushing in too fast, the realizations and heartaches filling the
unicorn to the brim. She couldn’t cry hard enough and fast enough. The
pain was just too severe. In the end, Twilight couldn’t contain it all, and she
screamed. She cried out to the night with the loudest, most pain-filled voice
that had ever escaped her lips.
“NYX!!!!”
============
Spell Nexus stood, slate gray eyes focused on the chariot that approached
from the sky. He stood just outside a door, the entrance into the grand
throne room of the palace. Inside, the Children of Nightmare worked to set
up the spell, though they did not look the part of Nightmare Moon’s
followers. No, for the moment, the cult looked simply as ponies Nexus had
brought to assist with the spell. The royal guards and Celestia were none
the wiser.
The royal chariot came down from the sky, landing at the door. Celestia
stepped down, looking as if she had been crying the whole way over.
Behind her, a pair of guards moved to the chariot and brought the sleeping
Nyx.
“Are you all right?” Nexus asked, faking concern.
“No... no, I’m not.” Celestia replied, trying keep her composure but
struggling. “I just stole away a filly from her mother... if Nyx isn’t Nightmare
Moon... then what I’ve just done is inexcusable.”
“Such a task should not have fallen to one with a heart as tender as yours,
Your Highness,” Nexus offered solemnly. “But, hopefully, you shall be able
to return her to Twilight unharmed in the morning.”
“No...the harm has already been done, Nexus,” Celestia countered as she
and the dark blue unicorn moved into the throne room.
Nexus offered no words in reply as he and the princess moved across the
hall. Nyx’s sleeping form was placed in the center of the complicated spell
which had been setup in the royal throne room. Four columns stood in a
perfect square about the center, torches burning at their tops. Unicorns that
Nexus had brought in to aid with the spell, secret members of the Children
of Nightmare, fed their magic into the columns which glowed with ancient
runes.
“How does this spell work, Nexus?” Celestia asked as she looked over the
setup.
“The spell will handle all the work. All you need to do is stand in the center
and feed your magic into the columns. When the spell has enough built up
energy, it will automatically activate.”
The sun princess nodded, striding into the center of the ritual while all the
unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies that were working to set up the spell
moved to the sides of the room. Nexus was the only one that stayed close,
standing just on the edge of the spell as he watched the princess with slate
gray eyes.
Celestia approached the center of the spell slowly, her towering shadow
falling over the sleeping form of Nyx. The young filly had been placed
exactly in middle of the arcane lines and standing columns, the focal point
of the magic. Celestia looked down at the little filly, who still looked scared
even though she was asleep. The sun princess watched disguised alicorn
for a time, and then shut her eyes to offer a very quiet prayer.
“Please... my little pony... let Twilight be right about you.”
At that, Celestia took in a deep breath and spread her wings, horn glowing.
Slowly, glowing trails of energy began to form between the princess and
the four evenly spaced columns. Threads of magic which moved and
danced, as if caressed by an intangible wind. Slowly, more and more of
spider web-like threads of magic formed, connecting the tip of Celestia’s
horn to the columns.
As the spell began to build in magic, Nexus slowly circled, staying just
beyond the boarder of the ritual. He passed behind one of the columns,
and, when he re-emerged the other side, his eyes had turned turquoise,
glinting in the light given off by Celestia’s spell.
“How much magic does this require, Nexus?” Celestia called out.
“Just a little more, Your Highness. The columns just need a little more
charge.”
The princess tossed her head, furrowing her eyebrows as she put more of
her magic out into the spell. Celestia chanced a glance down at Nyx, the
filly still sleeping as the lines on the floor began to glow around her. She
would know whether or not to fear Nyx. She would know the truth... if only
so she could know what would need to be done.
Celestia felt a twinge in her horn as the spell reached full power, and
prepared herself for it to activate. She didn’t know what to expect. Perhaps
she would see visions or see Nyx transform into the mare she would
become, but instead Celestia felt the nature of the magic in the spell
change. The stone columns, which had been glowing pastel colors, shifted
to a threatening red tone.
Celestia then felt something hit her in the chest, like she had been bucked
hard. The force was enough that Celestia’s hooves were lifted off the
ground, the white alicorn careening across the room before crashing
against the throne room doors. It was enough to knock the wind from
Celestia’s chest, but still the alicorn quickly clamored to her hooves, looking
in the direction of the spell.
In the moment that Celestia had been thrown from the spell, all the ponies
that had been around the room converged. They all moved inside the ring
drawn on the floor, and standing in the very center of them all was Nexus.
He looked across the room at Celestia, turquoise eyes dancing in joyous
victory.
“For the night eternal, for Equestria’s true queen!” Nexus called, grinning
devilishly before his horn lit up. Energy began to crackle across the stone
columns that Celestia had filled with magic, the harsh red color growing
brighter and brighter as it enveloped Nexus and all the ponies. Then, with a
final flash, it all disappeared.
It was all too late that Celestia realized the treachery that thrived in her
royal court.
============
FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOOM!
Nexus and the rest of the Children of Nightmare appeared in the center of
Ponyville, their arrival announced with the a flash of light and a rumbling
sound of thunder ten times louder than what any storm could produce. It
was a thunder that woke every pony in the town from their sleep, many
drawing outside to see where the noise had come from.
“Form a perimeter.” Nexus ordered to the ponies around him. “Let none
draw near. The spell that will finish our queen’s resurrection has already
begun, but it will take time for her to draw in the magic needed.”
The cult members nodded, quickly spreading out. The earth ponies and
unicorns forming a tight ring around the still glowing red pillars while the
pegasi took to the sky and circled, becoming a threatening air force. Other
members of the cult, who had been told to wait in Ponyville, quickly began
to rush from the nearby homes and shops. They brought with them saddle
bags filled with cloaks, the members of the order donning their uniforms as
their eyes changed to turquoise.
Among those who had been waiting in Ponyville were Night Wind, Gray
Gale, and Stonewall... Nexus’s lieutenants. Joined by them was another in
armor, a thin earth pony with a regal blue mane and a gently turned
mustache. To the locals, he was known as Horte Cuisine, a waiter at a
local restaurant. To a certain pink pony, he had been a spy to be hunted.
To Nexus, Horte Cuisine was the informant that was his eyes and ears at
the Learn and Play Day held by Ponyville Elementary. Somepony in the
community, one who would not be suspected of being an agent. After all,
who would think that a pony that brings food would be working for a cult
bent on resurrecting a fallen princess?
“So, is it really her?” Gray Gale asked, looking at the black filly who was still
sedated from Celestia’s spell.
“Yes; while Celestia would doubt this filly’s power, I can see the truth. Our
queen lies before us.” Nexus offered, looking skyward. The red glowing
columns were acting as magnets, drawing in the wild magical energy that
lingered in the air. Among that magic were trails of indigo smoke, which
began to circle and spin, spiraling down like water in a whirlpool before
feeding into the sleeping Nyx, who physically began to mature, quickly
outgrowing her vest, glasses, and headband.
“Should we be worried about the villagers?” Stonewall asked, seeing the
crowd of ponies growing very quickly, drawn in by the bright glowing red
color of the columns, which was visible from everywhere in Ponyville.
“Our brothers and sisters will keep the crowd at bay, and Celestia will not
be able to follow us quickly enough to interfere. Look, our queen is already
at half the size she should be. We have nothing to fear... nopony can stop
us.”
============
Twilight galloped at a full sprint, Spike barely holding onto her back. She
had seen the flash of light, heard the thunder, but more importantly. sensed
the powerful surge of magic. She didn’t know what was going on, but for
that much magic to be used up at one moment, it had to be something very
large.
The unicorn rounded a corner, and saw the huge crowd of ponies gathered
around the glowing red stone columns in the center of the town. She also
saw the ponies that were keeping the crowd away from said columns,
recognizing the cloaks. It was the cult who had kidnapped her
Twilight felt her blood turn to ice, the unicorn entering a panic as she tried
to push her way through the crowd and get closer. She didn’t know what
the cult was doing in the center of the village, but Twilight knew it was
going to be bad. Still, she would try to stop them, she couldn’t just let them
finish whatever spell they were casting. She just had to get through the
crowd, she just had too...
A crack of thunder made Twilight stop in her tracks, eyes turning skyward.
Above the town, trails of indigo smoke circled, conducting sparks of fierce
blue energy. The crack came as a ring of energy spread out across the sky,
spreading across the night sky like a ripple across a pond.
The ring of energy, however, then abruptly stopped and began flowing
back, drawing into a single tight sphere in the air right about the center of
town. The indigo smoke and other lingering magics in the air were drawn
into the growing sphere of energy, and then, with a single crack of thunder,
all that energy flowed down to the center of the spell being cast.
============
Nyx awoke just as the last of the magic fed into her, body crackling with the
final traces of energy. She lifted herself off the ground, standing up tall,
taller than she had ever stood before in her life.
No... that wasn’t quite true. She... she was this tall before; it had been... a
long time ago...
She looked down as the five ponies that had been standing around her
quickly backed up and bowed.
And, as Nyx looked upon them, she began to smile... and then laugh. It
wasn’t the giggle of a filly, but more of a dry chuckle, one that grew in
volume, becoming loud and haughty. The alicorn then raised her head,
looking at the night sky as her laughter became crazed and maniacal,
ringing loudly over the dead silence that had fallen in Ponyville.
It was the laughter of somepony who had just realized a cruel and terrible
truth.
Nyx finally understood everything. She understood why she woke up in the
Everfree Forest when she did. She understood why she had memories of
fighting Twilight and wanting to harm her. She understood why she was
able to say those lines in that school play so well. And she finally
understood why she looked the way she did.
She remembered what she was. Who she was.
Nyx turned her gaze away from the night sky, looking at the huge crowd of
ponies that filled the center of Ponyville. Ponies who had towered over her
mere moments before, but were now dwarfed by her stature. She
remembered another time when she stood over them, looking upon their
sun-loving faces. How, on the day of the Summer Sun celebration, they
looked on her with fear, even though they didn’t know who she was.
Now they were looking over her with greater fear, for they now knew who
she was. It should have made her happy to be able to inspire such fear in
them.
Instead...it made her feel uneasy....but why?
Nyx gave a very slight shake of the head to banish the thought, putting on a
wicked smile before beginning to speak, her voice managing to be regal,
smooth, and threatening all at the same time.
“My friends, neighbors... subjects... why do you look at me with such fear?
You of all ponies should feel honored! For you will be able to tell your
children and your children’s children that it was you who witnessed the
queen’s rebirth. That it was you who witness her moment of accession and
enlightenment... and that it was you who showed her kindness when she
was incomplete.”
Nyx took a step forward, moving past the cloaked ponies who bowed to her
and moving into the crowd of scared Ponyville residents. Those she
approached quickly moved out of the way, clearing a path, as they should.
“Yes, I was among you this entire time, though I was by no means trying to
deceive you... though it is very easily within my power. No, I truly had no
idea where I was, what was going on... who I was. And yet you graciously
accepted me into your town. When I take what is rightfully mine, I’ll be sure
to remember your kindness... as long as you obey and give me the respect
I deserve.”
Nyx continued to walk through the crowd, none of them daring to move,
speak, or take their eyes off her.
“There are, however, those who deserved to be mentioned. Ponies who
deserve special thanks, for without them, I may not be standing here
tonight with my mind clear and power returned. Among those are two very
special fillies. Now, I wonder where they could be.
“Ah, there you are...Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”
An entire group of ponies suddenly back away, the two young fillies in
question shaking in their hooves as Nyx now towered over them like a
giant.
“Yes, everypony, take a good, long look at these two. When I was still but a
meek, cowardly, and curious filly, it was they who set me up with a prank. It
was they who sent me into the Everfree Forest, and it was there, amongst
the trees, that I came across some of the lingering bits of my magic. It was
because of them that I regained my most important memories... and
regained enough of my power to attract the attention of those who would
finish the spell to give me a life and body of my own, no longer bound to
that foal Luna.
“Yes, you could say that they are directly and fully responsible for me being
able to stand among you as I am, for without that fateful trip, I may have
simply stayed a harmless, timid little filly.”
Nyx leaned her head down, staring at the two fillies who were now terrified
beyond belief from the very same pony they had once bullied and teased.
Nyx, however, gave them the most gentlest of smiles.
“Thank you, you two,” She offered in her sweetest voice, which felt like
poison in the fillies’ ears. “From the bottom of my heart for helping me
change from the biggest loser in Ponyville into the mare I was meant to be.”
At that, Nyx stood up, smirking maliciously as several ponies began to
glare at the two fillies with the highest levels of anger and contempt. Oh
yes... this was a revenge much sweeter than merely pulling them into a
mud pit. Maybe her new subjects might do her a favor and take care of the
two eyesores for her.
“N-Nyx? Is that you?... Why are you doing this? What’s wrong?”
Nyx froze at hearing the small voice, her body become rigid as her dragon-
shaped iris pulsated feverishly with surprise. She let her eyes fall to the
source of the voice, seeing a single young filly staring up at her. It was
Scootaloo, the orange pegasus looking at Nyx, not with eyes filled with
fear, but ones brimming with sadness and confusion. For a moment, Nyx
remembered that Scootaloo lived near the center of town, which would
explain why she was so close to the center of the crowd.
She, however, could not stand to meet Scootaloo’s gaze or speak a direct
reply to the orange pegasus’ question. She could only close her eyes,
making a violent turn as she moved through the crowd in the opposite
direction.
She only stopped after taking several steps, casting her head back, but
keeping her eyes closed: she couldn’t bring herself to look at Scootaloo.
“No, I am not Nyx... or, more accurately, I am no longer her.”
With those few words spoken, Nyx then turned her head forward again.
She then caught sight of a familiar mulberry pony in the crowd, Cheerilee.
Instantly, Nyx’s mind latched onto verbally attacking the teacher, if only to
forget that Scootaloo was watching her from a distance.
“Hello, Cheerilee, my teacher. Yes, I am no longer Nyx... but I am sure you
could tell all these ponies who I really am. After all, you saw the
resemblance just as everypony else did. And was it not you who called me
‘wicked and dastardly’? Was that not why I was perfect for the part in your
little spring play?”
Cheerilee shakily took a few steps back, cringing as Nyx’s mystical indigo
mane held and flicked at her chin. The fear was easy to see, Cheerilee
watching the mane as if it would strike out like a snake at any moment.
After a few tense seconds, Nyx stepped away, her eyes drawn to a pony
that was forcing her way through the crowd.
Within moments the purple unicorn push herself through a final few ponies,
coming to a stop directly in front of Nyx... her eyes streaming with tears,
some fresh while others were long dry.
“Hello, Twilight, my savior, my best friend...and the only one I have ever
called ‘mother’.” Nyx said coolly. “Are you here to lie to me again? Tell me
that I’m not a ‘bitter, vengeance driven mare’? Tell me that the most
obvious answer is wrong even when the proof is right in front of your face?!
Try to comfort me with false words!?
“Or are you here to apologize to me? To beg and grovel at my hooves?
Admit that you were wrong to keep this information from me? Or were you
simply so desperate to care for a filly of your own that you didn’t want to
believe the truth?”
Twilight couldn’t bring herself to say anything, which made Nyx furrowed
her brows and grit her teeth.
“Well?!? ANSWER ME!!!” Nyx shouted, anger welling up inside her from
the mere sight of Twilight. It was, however, not anger from Twilight’s past
actions, from the part she played in Nyx’s defeat. It was not even anger
spawned by the pain of having her very soul and mind torn apart by the
Elements of Harmony, at least that wasn’t the core of her current anger.
No, the core of the anger she felt came from a sense of betrayal. From her
feeling that she had been lied to...had been abandoned. She could feel her
eyes trying to water, but, by sheer will and anger, Nightmare Moon made
them stop and dry.
“You have nothing to say... fine, because your actions have said enough
already. You conspired with Celestia, you let her take me away. You
abandoned the only pony you called a daughter. I guess I know now just
how little I meant to you.”
Nightmare Moon took a step forward, shutting her eyes to force back the
tears that were trying to form as she offered a few final words to Twilight.
“I am ashamed that I had ever called you my mother.”
The black alicorn moved back towards the center of the crowd, to the area
that had been left clear by the ponies in cloaks. The five who had been
standing around her when she first awakened galloped up, quickly bowing
as the blue unicorn spoke.
“Nightmare Moon, our most powerful and majestic Queen.” The unicorn of
the group offered to Nyx who, despite her missing armor, eye shadow, and
cutie mark, was truly the same mare they had long to see in her full glory.
“Celestia and Luna can be seen in the distance along with a large
contingent of the royal guard. It would not be wise to linger here and face
the Royal Sisters. You are reborn, but your power may not be complete.
Let us retreat so that you can gather your strength, so that, when you are
ready, you can bring the princesses beneath your hoof.”
Nyx looked at the unicorn, smiling. Already there were those who were
willing to accept her, to regard her with the same respect they had for the
Royal Sisters.
“I assume you have someplace prepared.”
“Of course, my Queen.”
The black alicorn offered a smile, turning back to the crowd.
“Remember this night well,” She called out. “For it marks the beginning of
the end of the old order of Equestria! Treasure the days that come, for they
shall be your last! For soon, the night shall last forever and I, Nightmare
Moon, shall be Equestria’s one true queen!”
With that Nightmare Moon broke into her maniacal laughter, her mystical
mane swirling. The magical aura consumed all the cloaked cult ponies,
drawing them up in the swirling magic before, in a single flash, they all
disappeared into the night, leaving the shocked ponies of Ponyville to stand
in utter silence.
The silence continued even when Celestia and Luna landed with the royal
guards, arriving far too late. Nightmare Moon had returned.
Chapter 11
The Castle of Nightmare
They were too late. Even when they had her in their sights, they were too
late. Celestia’s worst fears came true. Nyx had become Nightmare Moon...
and Celestia had been the one to deliver the filly to those who would
complete her transformation.
Luna had lingered in Ponyville to find out more about what happened while
Celestia had gone straight back to Canterlot. Upon arriving at the palace,
the sun princess ordered for her generals to be summoned. She didn’t care
if they needed to be roused from their beds or pulled from their spouses.
She needed to speak with them immediately, and was making rare use of
her royal rank to ensure it happened.
That had been a few minutes prior, her most trusted guards off to fetch the
generals. This left Celestia with a moment to herself, and as she waited for
the generals to begin to arrive, the sun princess decided to sit in her throne.
She needed a moment to rest, both physically and mentally.
That moment, however, would be very short as Celestia heard the doors to
the throne room open. She didn’t think her generals could have arrived so
quickly, and in truth they hadn’t. The pony that had entered the room was
Luna, the moon princess striding across the room quickly. Celestia rose
from the throne and walked to meet her sister.
“Luna, I’m surprised you were able to return so quickly. Have you already
finished interviewing the residents of Ponyville?”
“I delegated the task to a number of guards, because there is only one
pony I want to talk to at the moment, and that pony is you. What have you
been hiding from me?”
Celestia winced a bit, realizing the conversation she and her sister were
about to have wasn’t going to be one of their better ones. Still, the sun
princess maintained her composure, putting on a caring face.
“I don’t know what you mean, Sister.”
“Don’t ‘Sister’ me, Celestia,” Luna countered. “ You know something about
that mare that was just seen in Ponyville. The one that looks just like I used
to and is vowing to bring eternal night to Equestria. Now, what. Have. You.
Been. Hiding from me?”
Celestia turned, facing away from her sister, unable to look Luna in the eye
as she began to recount the truth.
“Just a little after the end of winter, a cult ponynapped my personal student,
Twilight Sparkle, as part of an elaborate spell that would have done the
unthinkable. I am happy to say that Twilight suffered nothing worse than a
very small cut on the hoof and some rope burns. The spell in question,
however, was design to take the shreds left behind when you were saved
by the Elements of Harmony.”
“And do what?”
“The spell would have taken those shreds, the lingering magic and echos of
the mare you used to be... and used them to create a new Nightmare
Moon.”
“A... new Nightmare Moon?” Luna echoed in disbelief. “I.. what... How is
that possible?!? I was Nightmare Moon! I became that mare when I let my
anger and jealousy get the best of me! I became that mare when I stole
magic to make myself more powerful... but all those powers and emotions
were destroyed by the Elements of Harmony.”
“They were not destroyed, Luna. The Elements of Harmony are not a force
of destruction. They could only separate you from the power and jealousy
that once possessed you. What was left was in those shreds.”
“But how could power and some lingering echos of my emotions be enough
to make a full grown mare?”
“I do not claim to fully understand it... but you know how magic works just
as well as I do, Sister. Truly pure magic is a rare thing; any magic from a
unicorn can carry with it an echo of its owner. It is why some spells are
stronger when driven by emotions, like anger or happiness. It is why no two
unicorns have the same magic. Magic and the soul are very closely tied.
“And, because of this, I can only assume that an echo of the mare you
used to be, an echo of Nightmare Moon, lingered in the magic that the
Elements of Harmony left behind. That was what the resurrection spell was
meant to focus and strengthen, drawing in not only the magic in the shreds
but any of your old power that remained in the Everfree Forest. Anything
the spell couldn’t find, it would replace with naturally occurring magic.
“It would be from that concentration of magic and your lingering emotions
and thoughts that the cult would have formed a new Nightmare Moon.”
“But... but even if the spell formed a body from that... for Nightmare Moon
to even be alive, for her to be a completely separate mare from
me...wouldn’t that mean she would now also have to have her own-”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Celestia interrupted, turning back to face Luna.
“She is back, and we must stand against her.”
“Sister, I do not disagree with you on that fact, but... if all of this happened
just after winter, then why am I only finding out now?”
“I didn’t want to have to burden you with this knowledge. It was something
that I was supposed to deal with, so you wouldn’t have to.”
“Wouldn’t have to?!? Celestia, what is wrong with you?! I was Nightmare
Moon once! Everything that mare did was my fault! If, somehow, somepony
were to bring that...that....pony back as a complete and separate mare,
then it’s my fault for being her in the first place!”
“Luna, stop it! You aren’t responsi-”
“Yes I am! It’s all my fault!” Luna argued, turning her back on Celestia, the
moon princess unable to stomach even looking at Celestia for the moment.
“If I didn’t let my jealousy and anger get the better of me, we wouldn’t even
be having this conversation in the first place! There wouldn’t be a
Nightmare Moon if it weren’t for my mistakes!”
“Luna, I just felt that-”
“When were you even going to tell me about this?
“Sister, please-”
“Were you...were you ever going to tell me about this?” Luna asked, turning
her head to cast an accusing glare at the sun princess. Celestia didn’t say
anything...she couldn’t say anything... and Luna got her answer from that
silence. A look of disbelief grew on the moon princess’ face as she turned
back to face Celestia.
“....you weren’t ever going to tell me anything... ever. You were hoping to
keep this whole thing a secret!”
“ I was only trying to protect you, keep you from having to-”
“Keep me from what?! Keep me from taking responsibility for my past
mistakes? Keep from doing what I can for the sake of our kingdom, for our
ponies?! Nightmare Moon, either as what I was or...or what she is now, is
still my responsibility! You should have told me about this from the very
beginning!
“If anything, Celestia, the fact that she and I were once one and the same
makes me more qualified to deal with this situation than you ever would be.
At the very least, if our roles were reversed, I would have told you the
truth.”
“I know... and perhaps you are a better mare than me in that regard... but
you’ve had enough to deal with. You’ve only just started to settle back into
castle life, have only just caught up with Equestria’s history and laws.
You’ve been working yourself to the bone to catch up so you can help me
rule... and, I just didn’t want to burden you further. I only did it as your
sister.”
Luna huffed, stomped a hoof... but after a few tense moments nodded her
head.
“I understand Tia... I do. You’ve been protective of me since I came back,
and I appreciate that. Yet, while you are my older sister, we are both
princesses of this kingdom. I hope in the future you’ll trust me enough to tell
me when things like this happen.”
“I... I will try, Sister.”
“I guess that will have to do for the moment.” Luna grumbled, choosing to
focus her frustration on more pressing matters. “Now, we should send word
to your student and her friends. We will need the Elements of Harmony if
we want to be sure we can defeat this new Nightmare Moon.”
“We... may not be able to rely on the Elements of Harmony this time, Luna.”
Celestia admitted.
Luna titled her head a little to the side. “Why not?”
“....do you remember Twilight’s cousin, Nyx? The one who played
Nightmare Moon during the children’s play at the last Spring Festival?”
“Of course; I sat next to her at the dinner we shared after the performance.
She kept asking me questions about the moon, stars, and everything else
that popped into her head. Why do you ask?”
“That filly.... was never Twilight’s cousin, nor is she even related to Twilight
by any familial connection. She had never been seen before until her arrival
in Ponyville a few days after Twilight was rescued.”
Luna needed a moment to take in the information, her mind drawing the
connections. When she realized why Celestia would be bringing up Nyx,
the moon princess’s jaw dropped in shock as her eyes narrowed in
disbelief.
“No.......no, you can’t be saying... You...you don’t mean to tell me that-”
“The filly known as Nyx was the product of the original resurrection spell,
an incomplete copy of Nightmare Moon. And... this evening the cult got
their hooves on her and were able to finish the spell they started... returning
to Nyx all the memories and powers she once possessed. Nyx... was
always Nightmare Moon, at least in part.”
“But... how did the cult get a hold of her? The few ponies I spoke with in
Ponyville before departing said that the cult appeared, and that Nightmare
Moon rose up from the center of the spell. They never saw anypony be
taken into the ritual, and surely Twilight would have sent a letter to you if
she feared Nyx was missing.”
“No... she wouldn’t have.”
“Why?”
“Because... I was the one that took Nyx... I was the one that delivered her
into the hoofs of that cult.” Celestia seethed in anger, tossing her head at
her own blindness.
“WHAT!? Celestia, how could... I mean not telling me is one thing but... did
you actually take Nyx from Twilight? What could have possessed you to...
do you realize that...”
“I AM FULLY AWARE OF WHAT I’VE DONE!” The sun princess snapped,
cutting off Luna’s accusation.
“But... why would you take Nyx away from Twilight?” Luna asked, the tone
of her voice demanding an answer.
“For sometime now, I have feared that Nyx was Nightmare Moon, or at
least somehow tied to the spell cast just after winter. At a school function,
she was able to turn another pony into a tree and displayed other magic
well beyond any unicorn, even Twilight. My dreams became tormented with
images of her growing into the mare you used to be and threatening
everypony I care about.
“I... I had to be sure she wasn’t a threat. I had to know what I was dealing
with, so I could act before she became a danger to Equestria... to Twilight..
to you. So... I spoke with Nexus, and he promised a spell that would allow
me to glimpse Nyx’s soul. That way I could know for certain if she was a
danger... and I took Nyx away from Twilight so that she could be tested.
“But, of course,” Celestia growled, frustration flaring, “It would seem the
greatest threat came not from Nyx, but from Spell Nexus. He was attacked
at the beginning of last fall, his home ransacked for the shreds of
Nightmare Moon. He was hospitalized for weeks... and he show no signs of
treachery... and yet, he not only seems to be a member of that cult, but a
high ranking one.
"He was once my student... why would be he betray me?”
“Why would you betray Twilight?” Luna asked, refocusing the conversation.
“Don’t you think she would have noticed if Nyx acted like the mare I used to
be? Don’t you think she would have sent you a letter if she feared
something was wrong? You once told me you trusted Twilight completely...
why would you doubt her on something so serious?
“And why couldn’t you just wait? If Nyx was going to become Nightmare
Moon. there would have been warnings, signs... she wouldn’t have just
transformed overnight. Why did you have to act before there was an actual
threat? You realize that it’s your fault this happened, don’t you? It’s your
fault Nightmare Moon-”
“I KNOW!!!” Celestia snapped, her composure breaking like a frail twig. The
exhaustion and emotions that Celestia had been trying to control
overwhelmed the princess. “Do you actually think for a moment that I
wanted to do any of this?! To cause a dear student such pain? I do not
need to be told the heinous nature of my actions! I went to Twilight’s home
to take the child, unaware of how much my student had grown to care for
the filly. She had become like a mother, while I was only expecting a mere
caregiver.
“But I could not wait for Nyx to become Nightmare Moon. I could not wait
until that witch was standing on our doorstep with half of Equestria
destroyed in her wake. I had to act preemptively. I had to be able to
prepare, to get ready... so that if Nyx did change into Nightmare Moon, I
would be ready to stop her before anypony got hurt.”
“But why couldn’t you wait, Celestia?” Luna asked as her disbelief-fueled
rage turn into a steady simmer. “Why did you feel you had to act... why
couldn’t you wait?”
“Because the last time I waited, I lost you for a thousand years!” Celestia
bellowed out, beginning to cry. “And... I... I-I don’t want to lose you
again.....”
Luna’s anger cooled as she watched Celestia, the sun princess panting as
she was overcome by the guilt, the fear, and the pain in her heart, all things
made worse by Celestia’s near exhaustion from the stressful events of the
day. The sun princess fought back her tears, but that did not stop a few
from slipping down her cheeks.
“The last time I waited... the last time I decided to just wait and see if things
would get better or worse... was when you were showing the first signs of
your jealousy. I thought... I thought you would get through it. I thought that
surely the ponies of Equestria would begin to appreciate your night as I did
after every sunset and before every sunrise. I decided to wait... to let things
work themselves out.
“And we both know what happened because of that.
“So condemn me for what I’ve done, Luna; it’s no less than I deserve. I
stole a daughter from a mother because I feared the monster she could
become... and because of my actions, I made those fears a reality. But... I
couldn’t just sit by and wait. I couldn’t give Nightmare Moon the chance to
hurt the ponies I care about. I couldn’t let her hurt Twilight... I couldn’t let
her hurt you... I just...
I couldn't stand by... and hope that things would work out... not again.”
“Sister...” Luna began, her voice carrying the first comforting tones the
moon princess had offered since the conversation had begun. Celestia,
however, shied away from the comfort, turning and moving towards the
throne.
“But I can’t think about that now. I can’t think of the what if’s... what I should
have done... what I could have done differently. I can only focus on what’s
ahead right now... which is the threat Nightmare Moon poses. I must be
ready to stand against her.”
“Not ‘I’, Sister... ‘we’.” Luna offered, moving up beside Celestia. “We are
both princesses of this kingdom, and Nightmare Moon is a danger to
ponies I care about too. Just as she threatens me, she threatens you... and
I’m not going to let her hurt my big sister. We’ll work together... we’ll find
her... and if she won’t listen to reason... we’ll do what is necessary to
protect Equestria.”
Celestia smiled, nodding her head and leaning into Luna.
“Thank you, Luna... I... I don’t think I could have faced this if you weren’t
beside me.”
“That’s what sisters are for, Tia.”
===========
Nightmare Moon stood in an elegant hall carved out of fine marble. Regal
columns flanked either side of the hall, rising to a high, arched ceiling which
was dotted with diamonds to portray a copy of the nighttime sky, a
particularly large diamond set to mimic the full moon. Rich purple curtains
were draped everywhere, and torches glowed with glowing white gems,
making the room much like the elegant night.
“Does it please you, my Queen?” Spell Nexus asked, bowing respectfully.
“It does.” Nightmare Moon replied, striding up to her new throne. Rich
night-blue cushions set against rare, black oak from the dragon country.
She sat down in the throne, wings fluttering as she settled into it. Nightmare
Moon could only smile, looking across her room... her throne room.
“Though I am curious as to how you manged to construct such a grand
room in secrecy.”
“It is not just this room, my Queen, but a whole castle.” Nexus replied, lifting
his head. “We found unexpected allies in a clan of wild mutts known as the
Diamond Dogs. They were a more than willing workforce once we
promised to assist them in their search for the precious gemstones that fill
this underground area.
“They dug out this entire cavern, and then assisted in the construction of
the castle. Once you have defeated Celestia and Luna, there is but a few
dozen feet of rock that separate this castle from the surface and, with your
unmatched power, you could easily raise the castle to the surface... a
proclamation of your new place as Equestria’s ruler.”
“And the Diamond Dogs were willing to put forth so effort for the
gemstones? To what end?”
“We.... honestly do not know, Your Majesty. We never questioned why the
Diamond Dogs wanted the gems... they just do. Perhaps they are like
dragons, and eat them. Or perhaps they just like to roll around in piles of
gemstones as hogs roll in mud. Still, whatever their purpose for wanting
gems were, they were a strong, fast, and willing workforce.”
Nightmare Moon’s eye flashed, a spark of curiosity rising in her as she
suddenly found herself wanting to know just what the Diamond Dogs did
with the gems. What did they do with them? Did they really eat them? Roll
around in them? But wouldn’t rolling around in them hurt? Or maybe they
had really thick skin, just like how dragons had thick scales. Maybe they
liked to make jewelry out of them, or used them on clothes!
Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but think of all kinds of questions. Where did
they live? Did they live in the mines or did they have homes to go to? What
did they eat? They obviously didn’t eat ponies if they were willing to work
with Spell Nexus and the Children of Nightmare. Were they carnivores or
omnivores?
Did they wear clothes, and if they did was was it all the time or only
sometimes like ponies? How good were they at making clothes? Where did
they get the cloth for their clothes? Did they use sheep or did they perhaps
use the fur shaved from long-haired Diamond Dogs?
Did they have a form of government? Who was their leader? Did they
recognize the Royal Pony Sisters or were their mines considered to be
outside of Equestria? Nightmare Moon’s mind was boiling with questions,
and she would have at least some of them answered.
“Spell Nexus, I want to see the leader of the Diamond Dogs. If their leader
is unavailable or if they have no de facto leader, then I want to see at least
three to five of them that are considered upstanding members of their
community.”
Nexus looked up at Nightmare Moon with equal parts of curiosity, concern,
and confusion.
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but... part of our agreement with the Diamond
Dogs was that at the conclusion of the deal they would migrate much
further into their tunnels. They haven’t been seen since.”
Nightmare Moon looked down at Nexus, her face utterly blank. She, subtly,
sighed, closing her eyes.
“I see...how unfortunate. Still, if anypony happens to see a Diamond Dog,
please pass on my message that I, Nightmare Moon, would like to keep
communication open with them.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but frown a bit. She hated it when she
couldn’t find the answer to a question. That was her vice, an insatiable
curiosity that drove her to learn as much about a topic until she either knew
everything about it or she couldn’t possibly think another question. It was
why she loved to sit in Cheerilee’s classroom everyday when she was still
in school. Oh, how she found such joy in learning new things from the
mulberry pony who-
Nightmare Moon shut her eyes, forcing the thoughts that had started to run
out of control in her mind back into line before she looked down upon
Nexus. She could not think of those memories anymore; she was a queen.
Cheerilee was no longer her teacher, just another subject that needed to be
brought in line. That’s what they all were.
They were just subjects, nothing more.
============
Nightmare Moon followed Nexus down one of the castle’s many halls,
being given a grand tour of her new home. The castle really was beautiful,
but... the alicorn wasn’t entirely sure about some of the decorations.
Around almost every corner there was a mural, there was a statue, or there
was something depicting her.
That alone would have been creepy, but it wasn’t just images of her
standing or sitting regally. Each mural and statue depicted something. Her
standing over the beaten and defeated bodies of Celestia and Luna. Her
casting a dark shadow over cowering ponies. They were all images of her
triumph and the future Equestria could look forward to.
It was a dark future Nightmare Moon wasn’t entirely sure she liked.
“And here is the royal library,” Nexus offered, drawing the alicorn’s attention
away from the castle decorations as the pair entered the library. “Please
forgive the lack of books on the shelves. We built it to be able to house the
collection from the Canterlot palace, should you decide to keep this castle
once you’ve overthrown the Royal Sisters.”
Nightmare Moon looked upon the shelves which were mostly empty. It
really was a beautiful room, towering bookshelves taking up the walls and a
cool, dark color scheme. It would have been nice if Nightmare Moon didn’t
notice the painting above the library’s fireplace showed her standing over
charred, blackened ruins.
Looking away from the painting, Nightmare Moon took notice of the few
pegasus ponies fluttering about, putting away some books that had been
gathered for the collection.
“Why do all of you have eyes the same color as mine?” Nightmare Moon
asked.
“It is your blessing, my Queen. As you may know, I was once the
headmaster of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Upon your initial
defeat, she tasked me with disposing of your shredded remains. It was
upon examining and interacting with those shreds that I became
enlightened to your wisdom and power.
“It was on that same day my eyes turned into the turquoise color you see
now, and it became a sign of the order. I bestow the gift of these eyes upon
each pony who joins the Children of Nightmare, who pledges their service
to you, the same blessing which grows and thrives within me.”
Nightmare Moon found it a relatively interesting truth. Still, it was only a
minor curiosity, and as Nexus guided her about the library, the alicorn let
her dragon shaped eyes float across the shelves. One book caught her eye
in particular.
Coming to a stop, Nightmare Moon used her magic to remove the book
from the shelf, gently flipping it open to the title page. Grand Tales of
Equestria.
****
“And with that final buck, the wolves were driven from the town,” Twilight
said as she glanced up from the book she was reading aloud. “And the
ponies rejoiced as they were once again saved by the mare among them
brave enough to stay out at night, the village’s own black coated guardian:
Nyx of the Night.”
“And did you really name me after her!?” The filly alicorn asked in disbelief,
Nyx snuggled into her bed as Twilight shut the book which had been the
source of that evening’s bedtime story.
“Yes... though I’ll admit it was mostly because she’s the only other pony
I’ve heard of with a black coat.” Twilight replied as she put the book down.
“Do... do you think I could be as brave as she was someday?”
“Of course. Being brave isn’t like a special talent; you just have to be able
to stand up against the things that scare you.”
“Have you ever stand up to something really scary?”
“Well... this one time, my friends and I had to go face a dragon.”
Nyx’s eyes went wide. “Really!?”
“Oh yes. He was taking a nap in the nearby mountain, and his snoring was
throwing all kinds of black smoke into the air. So, Celestia asked... hey,
wait a minute! You just got a bedtime story, you don’t need another.”
“Awwwww...”
“I promise I’ll tell you the story tomorrow night,” Twilight assured, gently
kissing Nyx on the forehead. “Now, go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Nyx replied with a yawn as she snuggled herself a little further
under her covers.
****
“Your Majesty?”
Nightmare Moon shook her head, snapping the book shut and replacing it
on the shelf.
“My apologies; I can get caught up in my reading.”
“No apologies necessary, my Queen. This is, after all, your library. It is
yours to enjoy whenever you see fit,” Nexus replied. “Though there is still
much of the castle to see.”
“Then lead on. Let me see all that you have prepared for me, my faithful
subject.”
============
“Here we have the guard barracks, where we train those new to the order
to defend this castle. The good news is that word of your return is
spreading, and those I have sent out to recruit new ponies to our cause are
finding several eager to try and get on good terms with you. It would seems
not all Equestria are foalish enough to stand against you.”
Nightmare Moon didn’t offer any words in reply as she saw soldiers in black
armor attacking training dummies, each of which was dyed and designed to
look like a familiar set of mares.
“Why do the training dummies look like Twilight Sparkle and the other
ponies who bear the Elements of Harmony?”
“It is because they who are the greatest threat to you, my Queen. It was
they who defeated you, and we shall not let them even draw close to this
castle. Should they get it in their heads to attempt to bring their unified
power against you again, they will be dealt with immediately.”
This comment was punctuated as a guard attacked a training dummy that
looked like Twilight Sparkle, and, with a single swift motion, beheaded it,
the cotton stuffed head bouncing onto the ground.
“No.” Nightmare Moon stated firmly, her eyes fixed on the beheaded
training dummy.
“My Queen?”
“Should the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony come to the castle, they
are not to be harmed. Twilight Sparkle is to be brought directly to me and
the rest of her friends locked in the dungeon until have decided how I want
to punish them for standing against me once before. The Elements of
Harmony themselves are to be taken from them for safe keeping. They will
all be dealt with by me when and as I see fit.”
“Of course.” Nexus replied, his smile positively devilish. “I can fully
understand your desire to punish them with your own hooves.”
“Yes... and I want one of the training dummies brought to my bed chamber
as well. One of the training dummies that looks like Twilight Sparkle... and it
is to be intact.”
“It will be there before the end of the tour.”
============
“The dining hall is, of course, spacious enough for any sort of event, should
you ever be interested in holding a gala or other such frivolity.” Nexus
explained as the pair walked alongside the long regal table. It was made of
soft, brown oak, covered in a night-blue table cloth.
“You’ll also be happy to know we already have employed a royal chef who
is eager to tickle your taste buds with some of his deserts.”
Without warning, Nightmare Moon found an eager unicorn standing beside
her, levitating a filled-to-the-brim tray with expertly decorated cupcakes.
The cupcakes had purple frosting above a black cake, with a single curl of
white chocolate set delicately on top of the thick swirl of frosting.
*******
“Seriously, who would have thought making cupcakes would be so hard?”
Scootaloo grumbled, the four Cutie Mark Crusaders standing in the middle
of an utterly messy and disorganized kitchen.
“I told you.” Apple Bloom said.
“So Girls, how are things going?” Pinkie Pie chirped, the earth pony sticking
her head into the kitchen.
“Not so good,” Sweetie Belle admitted.
“Please don’t be mad about the mess!” Nyx begged.
“Oh Girls, I’m not mad! You should have seen the mess I made of the
bakery when I first started working for the Cakes. After all, my special talent
is throwing parties, not baking; it was something that took practice for me to
get any good at.” Pinkie Pie reassured. “Now, why don’t we get this place
cleaned up. Then I’ll show you how to make cupcakes one more time?”
The four fillies lit up, eagerly helping to clean up the mess and trying to
make another batch of cupcakes. With Pinkie Pie offering close supervision
and unending enthusiasm, each filly had a batch of cupcakes to take home
that were, at the very least, passable, if not pretty darn good.
*********
“My Queen, do the cupcakes displease you?” Nexus asked, noticing
Nightmare Moon had zoned out again.
“No.” She replied, using magic to gently nudge the tray away. “I am just not
hungry at the moment. Have some delivered to my chamber. I will taste
them later.”
The chef nodded, practically galloping off at that moment to place a select
few of his desserts in the bedchamber while Nexus showed Nightmare
Moon into the kitchen, to show her that it had all the modern conveniences
and the capacity befitting a queen such as her.
============
“And we finally come to your private chambers, my Queen.” Nexus offered,
his horn opening the large, elegant door. “You will find a pair of guards
stationed outside at all hours, should you ever need any assistance. Only
the finest furniture was selected and the decorations were picked out by
myself. Does it please you?”
“Yes.” Nightmare Moon replied, barely even looking at the room as she
stepped inside.
“I am honored to hear you say that, my Queen. Now, you are undoubtedly
tired, considering you were resurrected just a few hours ago. I will leave
you to rest as long as you desire. When you are ready to begin the
campaign to seize Equestria for your own, simply have one of the guards
come find me.”
“I will.” Nightmare Moon replied flatly, watching as Nexus offered a final
bow before leaving. The great black alicorn glanced at the two guards set
outside her room before she shut the door, locked it, and put up a magical
barrier to block not only entry but sound as well. She then turned and truly
took in the room.
Like the rest of the castle, it was decorated like the night sky, with dark
blues and purples accented by moons and stars. A perfectly circular bed
set in the dead center of the room, easily large enough to fit the princess-
sized alicorn comfortably. It stood beneath an intricate fresco of the moon
on the ceiling.
The walls were lined with the rest of the room’s furniture: a fireplace, a
vanity mirror, a set of dressers, a few tables, a bookcase, a door to a small
exterior balcony, and a writing desk. Everything somepony would need to
enjoy a quiet night in their bedroom.
Nightmare Moon circled the room once, looking over all the new furniture
before she turned her attention to the bed. Placed there were all the things
she had requested during the day, carefully presented to her. The
cupcakes from the chef and the training dummy of Twilight Sparkle.
She lifted the cupcakes first, gingerly taking a bite from one. They were
good... so good that they reminded her of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes. Hers were
always so moist... so tasty... maybe the chef-
The cupcakes hit the door a moment later, thrown there by alicorn magic.
They formed a sticky mess, slowly sliding down the wooden surface.
Nightmare Moon glared at the cupcakes as if they were demons, and, as a
final measure, she took the tray that had been holding the desserts and
smashed it against the door as well, flattening the cupcakes. When she
released her magical grip on the tray, the whole gooey mess slid down the
door, leaving a streak of frosting and cupcake crumbs.
The next thing to fall under Nightmare Moon’s hateful gaze was the training
dummy of Twilight Sparkle. She lifted it up with her magical mane, holding
the cotton stuffed doppelganger gingerly before her magic began to
squeeze tightly around its neck.
Nightmare Moon stood there, strangling the lifeless doll for a few minutes
before she threw it on the ground and proceeded to stomp on it. Time and
again she brought her hooves down on the stuffed dummy. When it was
leaking cotton from a number of holes, she lifted it up and threw it across
the room, the mess flopping once before landing far beneath the alicorn’s
new writing desk.
Nightmare Moon let out a slow, heavy pant after the exertion of taking out
her anger on the dummy of Twilight... and as the anger was burnt away,
other emotions began to crawl to fill its place. Without even thinking about
it, Nightmare Moon dropped down onto her bed, not even trying to find her
pillow.
She lay there for a time, her eyes shut... but when she did open them, she
saw herself staring back. A mirror placed along one part of the circular
room’s wall was what held the reflection. It was not a true vision of
Nightmare Moon, not as many ponies knew her. She lacked her armor, she
lacked her purple eye shadow... and oddly enough, she lacked her cutie
mark. She was simply a very large, black alicorn, with a flowing mane of a
star dotted nighttime sky... but that alone was enough.
She was Nightmare Moon, and soon everypony in Equestria would be her
subject. She would rule with a iron hoof, and plunge the kingdom and
Equestria into an eternal night.
After all, it was what she wanted... it was what was expected of her.
Chapter 12
Mother of a Nightmare
“Ah can’t believe Nyx turned out to be Nightmare Moon. It... it just makes
about as much sense as a blue apple,” Applejack commented.
“I can’t believe you were in on it the whole time and didn’t tell us!” Dash
snapped, glaring angrily at Rarity. The while unicorn in question
immediately lifted up a hoof as she sat up defensively, batting her
eyelashes several times.
“Twilight made me promise not to tell! And it’s not like she knew either,”
Rarity argued, "or didn’t you notice that she was crying her eyes out after
Nightmare Moon disappeared? I had to carry the poor thing all the way
back to the library and tuck her into bed.”
“Do you think she will be all right?” Fluttershy asked.
“I... I don’t know, Dear.” Rarity admitted. “Twilight... Twilight is taking what
happened very hard.”
“I’d be more surprised if she didn’t. She loved that little filly like she was her
own,” Applejack pointed out.
“I’d try to cheer her up, but... the only way I know how to cheer up ponies is
with parties... and Twilight doesn’t need a party right now...” Pinkie Pie
said, her voice lacking much of its usual enthusiasm.
“No, she doesn't. Right now, Twilight just need some time. But... I'm sure
she'll be back on her hooves soon.”
“She'd better! Nightmare Moon is alive. That means we need to stop her
again, and we can’t use the Elements of Harmony without her.”
“Dash! Ssshh, Twilight will hear you!” Applejack scolded. Still, the five
friends that currently talked in the main level of the library didn’t realize how
well their voices carried in the old tree. Despite talking in quiet voices, their
words were able to bounce all the way up stairs and reach the bedroom,
and Twilight’s ears.
The unicorn laid in bed, eyes utterly red from crying as she stared out her
window. She laid on the top of her bed, hugging a ripped purple vest, a
bent headband, and a pair of cracked glasses to her chest, all that had
been left in the center of Ponyville after Nyx became Nightmare Moon.
Twilight hugged these items to her chest as tightly as she could, but they
offered her no comfort. They could not replace the little, black filly Twilight
desperately desired to hug. The filly she wanted to be able to talk to, to beg
forgiveness from. They couldn’t replace Nyx.
She knew why she had done it... she knew why, and that simple fact was
tearing up Twilight’s insides like a Parasprite in a basket of apples. A pain
that was only growing more numerous and ravenous with each passing
second. Celestia... she was the princess and a mentor. Some would argue
she was like a second mother to Twilight, considering how close the pair
had gotten while the unicorn was at Celestia’s school.
And when one of the ponies you trust in the world above all else, a pony
who always seems to be right and knows just what to do, tells you... tells
you that the filly you’re caring for needs to be taken away, at least part of
you wants to agree. She had fought, argued, but Celestia didn’t waver, and,
to Twilight, it became like she was trying to move the sun itself... an
impossible task.
So part of her submitted, part of her agreed with what Celestia was saying
and shut down. The logical part of her brain conceded, even though her
heart and other parts of her were screaming for her to do something. She...
she had just shut down... become shell-shocked. The thing she feared the
most in the world happened right in front of her eyes, and she had been
unable to stop it, unable to convince Celestia that Nyx wasn’t a danger to
anypony.
But then Nyx called out... called out to her mother, and Twilight realized
what an idiot she was being... but it was too late. They were gone... and
now all she had left of the filly she cared for like a daughter were her things.
But things couldn’t replace Nyx... they would never be able to replace Nyx.
There was only one thing Twilight desired more than having the little filly
back. She wanted to say she was sorry, to just say the words, whether or
not she was forgiven. She honestly didn’t deserve to be forgiven, but... she
wanted somepony to know that she was sorry. That she’d take it all back if
she could.
But there was only one pony those words would mean anything to, and
Twilight had no clue where Nightmare Moon was. She had vanished, and.
despite the all-out search by the Equestrian army, there was still no sign of
her. It was like she and the cult ponies just disappeared into thin air, which
was actually an accurate description of the spell that was cast.
Twilight herself had tried a number of spells to locate the alicorn. Scrying
Spells, locator spells... they all failed. Twilight could only guess that the cult
were purposefully masking Nightmare Moon’s location, to keep Celestia
and Luna from finding out where they had hidden.
“Hey, did I tell you yet that I figured out who the spy was?” Pinkie Pie’s
voice echoed from the library’s main floor, drawing Twilight’s attention back
to eavesdropping on her friends’ conversation.
“Spy? What spy?” Applejack asked.
“There was a spy at the Learn and Play Day,” Dash answered. “Pinkie Pie
chased him around until he used The Stare to make her freeze up.”
“Yea, and you know who it was? That waiter pony, Horte Cuisine, from the
cafe in town. I saw him standing with all those nasty cult ponies, and I
recognized his mane and those creepy weepy turquoise eyes of his.”
“Pinkie, they... um.... all had turquoise eyes.” Fluttershy pointed out.
“I know, but I could still tell it was him. When he saw me, my nose got
scratchy and my ears got floppy. That means that somepony recognized
me, and he was the only one looking at me.”
“Well shoot, makes you wonder how many other ponies around town were
working with those crazy ponies.”
“Yes it does, Applejack, but I’m sure we’ll find out the extent of that
particular poison in the morning, when we see which ponies are still around
and which are missing.” Rarity offered.
Rainbow Dash said something after that, but Twilight didn’t hear it. The
unicorn’s horn was glowing, stuffing her saddle bags with a number of
different items. She then pushed open her bedroom window, jumping out
onto the small balcony before using her magic to levitate herself down to
the street below.
============
Within minutes, Twilight had made her way to Horte Cuisine’s home, the
waiter stallion and bachelor that lived a few blocks away from the
restaurant where he worked. Twilight made no effort to be stealthy or
discrete as she used her magic to force open the door. The home looked
positively pleasant. Warm, welcoming, and very clean; not at all the kind of
home Twilight would expect a cultist to live in.
Heading up stairs, Twilight found her way to the home’s one bedroom,
again finding the furnishings warm and welcoming. She, however, wasn’t
there to appreciate Horte’s taste in curtains. Moving over to the bed,
Twilight magically opened her saddle bags, a number of items flying out.
An enchanted map of Equestria, a few smooth stones to make the map lay
flat, and then a book, Skillful Seeking - Scrying and Searching Spells.
Flipping open the book to a marked page, Twilight read the instructions and
then quickly began to rummage through the room. She opened drawers,
searched the closet, and utterly ransacked the room. She gathered bits of
jewelry, pictures, anything and everything that was both small and
something a pony might call personal.
With cloud of random items floating around her head, Twilight looked down
at the book and read the instructions on the spell again. She had the
magically prepared map and she had to have some item of Horte’s that
was of great personal value. That would be enough to try and scry for the
waiter’s location.
Because Twilight had a single hope: that, while Nightmare Moon was
protected against scrying spells, some of the cultists were not.
Levitating each item she had collected above the map, Twilight cast the
scrying spell, hoping it would lead her to Horte Cuisine, and, thus, to
Nightmare Moon. For most of the items, the spell had little to no effect, and
any item that failed to work was quickly tossed to the side.
The item that finally worked was an old pocket watch. When the scrying
spell was cast upon it, a thin line of light formed between the watch to a
place on the map. A smile crept onto the unicorn’s face, seeing the scrying
spell was pointing to an area near Ponyville.
Quickly dropping all the other items, Twilight set the watch onto the open
spell book before turning her head. Horn shimmering, the unicorn drew out
another map from her bag, setting it over top of the previous map. It took a
moment for Twilight to enchant the second map so it would work with the
scrying spell, but it was a task she accomplished all the same.
With the new map prepared, which was of Ponyville and the surrounding
area, Twilight grabbed up the pocket watch again, focusing her magic as
she called on the scrying spell again. The line of light formed, and Twilight
took notice it was moving. The line was pointing to the edge of town, but
was slowly moving away.
Twilight watch the spell anxiously for a time, watching as the place the line
was pointing to moved farther away from Ponyville. Then, just as the line
was starting to point to the area of the old gemstone quarries, the spell
suddenly stopped working and the line disappeared. Twilight blinked a few
times, looking up at the watch and wondering if she had done something
wrong. The unicorn, however, couldn’t find a flaw in her scrying spell... it
was still working.
The spell, however, was being blocked.
Eyes flashing, Twilight used a quill to mark on the map where the scrying
spell had last pointed before she quickly packed up all her things. She had
a direction to go and a hunch, which was enough for her. Twilight made no
effort to clean the mess she had left in the room upon her departure, finding
it a very small way for her to get back at the earth pony who had been
spying on her, her friends, and, undoubtedly, Nyx.
The sun was just starting to rise as Twilight set out from Horte Cuisine’s
home. While the unicorn had been up all night, she did not feel tired. She
was a pony on a mission, with her eyes forward and her eyebrows tucked
down in determination as she began walking in the direction of the distant
gem quarries.
============
“Twilight... Sugarcube... are you awake?” Applejack asked. The five friends
of the purple unicorn had decided to spend the night at the library, just in
case Twilight needed them or Nightmare Moon decided to attack. Each had
slept through the night with their Element of Harmony necklace, and Spike
had ensured Twilight’s Tiara was safely tucked away in her bedside table.
Not the best place to hide such an important artifact, but better than leaving
it out in the open.
Applejack saw a mound beneath the covers of the bed, moving over close
beside it.
“Sugarcube... I know your beatin’ yerself up ‘bout what happened, but...
well, you can’t just lie here mopin’. We got to go deal with Nightmare Moon
before she can attack the princesses, and we can’t do it without yer help.”
Twilight didn’t offer a reply, and, after a few anxious moments, Applejack
reached out a hoof to poke the unicorn and make sure she was awake.
When her hoof sunk deeper into the mound beneath the covers of the bed
than it should have, the orange farm pony tore off the covers.
Where she thought Twilight had been lying was instead several
strategically placed pillows, one with a note attached.
By the time you read this, I will undoubtedly be long gone. There is
something I have to do, and I won’t let any of my friends or anypony else
put themselves in danger trying to come with me. There are some things I
have to say, to get off my chest... apologies that have to be voiced.
And there is only one pony I can say them to.
I do not know where I am going, and I doubt that I will return. I don’t expect
everypony to understand why I am doing this, but I have to see Nightm Nyx
my daughter one more time. I have to tell her how sorry I am, even if she
doesn’t believe me.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle
“Horse-feathers!” Applejack cursed. “Twilight, girl, what are you thinkin’?!”
============
Twilight peaked around the corner, taking note of the two guards standing
in the earthen tunnel. After reaching the empty rock quarries outside
Ponyville, it hadn’t taken long for the unicorn to figure out that she needed
to head down into the elaborate tunnel network of the Diamond Dogs.
A few hours of navigating corridors and Twilight knew she was in the right
place, having almost walked into a pair of patrolling guards. In a twisted
mockery of Celestia’s royal guard, the unicorns were wearing armor of a
similar build but it was midnight blue, like the armor worn by Nightmare
Moon. Also, like Celestia’s soldiers, the armor was enchanted to change
the coat color of the pony wearing it. The sturdy built unicorn stallions were
a haunting, almost sickly gray tone beneath the armor.
She had managed to avoid most of the wandering patrols, but now Twilight
faced a pair of guards that stood vigilantly at a single door in the tunnels.
She had no clue what was behind the door. It could be where Nightmare
Moon was or it could easily be a guard barracks filled with a whole platoon
of armored soldiers.
Twilight slipped back behind the corner, having to swallow the nervous knot
in her throat and shore up her courage. She then picked up a nearby loose
gemstone with her magic, floating it in the air for a moment before chucking
it a fair distance down the tunnel. The gemstone clattered against the
stones, its tinkling noise echoing across the solid stone of the walls.
A few tense moments passed, but the guards did not move. When Twilight
looked again, she saw the two unicorns hadn’t moved an inch. They
remained still as statues, minus their ears, which now stood in a little more
erect attention. The purple unicorn’s attempt to draw the guards away from
the door did nothing but make them more alert, a little fact that made
Twilight grit her teeth in aggravation.
“Okay, time for another tactic.” Twilight whispered, horn starting to glow.
She’d have to do this quickly, but maybe it would work. Peeking out from
behind the corner one more time, Twilight cast out her magic. The magic
reached the door, and after taking a few moments to build strength, Twilight
unleashed it.
The heavy wooden door swung open with a slam, crashing against the
stone wall on the far side. Despite being trained, the two guards jumped a
little when the door opened so suddenly. They quickly looked inside, trying
to see who had thrown it open. Twilight, however, did the best she could to
study and focus on the room beyond the door. She took in every detail she
could, painting a picture in mind as long as she dared before hiding behind
the corner again.
She then waited there until she heard the guards re-close the door, and
then waited a little longer after that, to make sure they weren’t going to
come searching for her. When both of those conditions were satisfied,
Twilight smiled and began picturing the far side of the door in her head,
trying to recall every detail. When she held a solid image of the destination
in mind, her horn glowed with magic and she disappeared in a flash.
Twilight didn’t dare open her eyes for a moment, fearing she may have
aimed incorrectly and appeared directly in front of the guards. Still, when
nothing reached out to grab her the unicorn risked a look, and smiled when
she saw she teleported to exactly where she wanted to be, on the far side
of the door.
With guards bypassed and a new trick for getting by any future obstacles,
Twilight continued down the tunnel. It went straight for a long time before
ending in a right turn, and upon reaching the right turn, Twilight peaked
around the corner and almost let out an audible gasp at what she saw.
A huge cavern had been carved out of the solid rock. It stretched on for
what had to be twenty or thirty stories, and was easily several dozen city
blocks wide across. Even more impressive what was built in the cavern. A
castle, both elegant and terrifying, had been erected in the deep
underground cavern, its tallest tower just a few feet short of scrapping the
ceiling.
It was undoubtedly the castle of Nightmare Moon, and Twilight was
suddenly regretting not bringing her friends along. Still... she quickly shook
this fear from her mind. If she had brought her friends along, it would be to
face, and defeat, Nightmare Moon using the Elements of Harmony, and
she... she couldn’t be a part of that.
That wasn’t why she had come searching for Nightmare Moon.
Twilight hung back in the small access tunnel for a time, watching the many
patrols of guards that kept watch from the castle’s high walls. As if being
underground wasn’t enough, the castle still had defensive walls, which only
made Twilight’s approach that more difficult.
Yet, remembering her trick for getting by the last pair of guards, Twilight
began looking about the castle. She then saw an opening: a balcony on the
tallest tower. Grinning to herself, Twilight focused her magic and teleported.
With that single, simple spell the unicorn found herself standing on the
balcony, having bypassed all of the castle’s outer security.
She’d have to be sure to tell Princess Celestia about the trick. Her mentor
would undoubted like to know how easy it was for the magically-inclined
unicorn to sneak into such a heavily guarded castle by just popping around
using her teleportation spell.
For the moment, however, Twilight shelved that thought and poked her
head into the room the balcony was attached to. It seemed to be a room
that existed only as a means of accessing the highest balcony of the castle,
a room elegantly decorated with a night time sky on the ceiling and a map
of Ponyville on the floor, but otherwise completely devoid of furniture. It
seemed a shame to waste such a perfect room, but Twilight didn’t think
about it long as she moved towards the far stairwell and made her descent.
Twilight felt a lot less sure about what she was doing, having almost
screamed when she came across a room filled with dismembered and
broken training dummies. Training dummies that looked a great deal like
her and her friends. After she saw a number of the dummies were missing
their heads, Twilight couldn’t help but lift a hoof to her neck and swallow
nervously. It was a good thing she had been able to avoid the castle guards
so far.
After slipping back out of the storage closet she had hidden in, Twilight
made sure the pair of patrolling guards were well past before she continued
down the hallway. The castle was kept lit with a number of enchanted
gemstones, the precious jewels a fairly easy to come by resource in the
tunnel network of the Diamond Dogs. That, and with the castle so far
underground there was no hope for natural lighting. It made sense that
everything had to be lit with a non-burning light source.
These, however, were all side concerns. Twilight had been scouring the
rooms for probably an hour with no sign of Nightmare Moon, but the castle
was pretty large. There was also a chance Nightmare Moon was moving
around. The alicorn could have moved to another part of the castle Twilight
had already checked, for all the unicorn knew.
These worrisome thoughts were dispelled when Twilight heard another
patrol of guards approaching, the unicorn quickly ducking into an open
door. She didn’t have time to shut the door without drawing suspicion, so
Twilight hid in the dark room as she watched the guards pass by just
outside.
The guards stepped into view, but with them was another pony... a pony
Twilight recognized. Spell Nexus, the headmaster to Celestia’s School of
Gifted Unicorns. The purple unicorn could only panic and wonder why he
was in the castle. Had he been kidnapped? Was he being held captive?
Did Nightmare Moon want to torture him for information?
Despite the danger to herself, Twilight also saw an opportunity. If she set
him free, he could go tell Celestia and Luna where Nightmare Moon was.
That way, they could prepare and plan an attack against the castle. He was
also a unicorn with a talent for magic, and that meant he might be able to
wield the Element of Magic in her place. He could possibly complete the
Elements of Harmony, since Twilight doubted she’d be leaving the castle
once she presented herself to Nightmare Moon.
Before Twilight even really knew what she was doing, she jumped back into
the corridor with her horn glowing. With a single resounding clang, she
used her magic to smash the helmets of the two guards together, making
them slump over on the floor in a daze. Twilight then wrapped her magic
around Spell Nexus and drug him away as she galloped down the halls,
putting as much distance as possible between her and the guards she had
just attacked.
For five minutes Twilight ran and, when she was finally satisfied that she
wasn’t being followed, she came to a stop and released Spell Nexus from
her levitation magic, the blue unicorn looking at her in disbelief.
“Don’t worry...” Twilight said between pants as she poked her head around
a corner. “I don’t know why Nightmare Moon kidnapped you, but you don’t
have to worry. I can get you out of here.”
“But Miss Sparkle, what in the world are you doing down here? How did
you even find this place?” Spell Nexus asked.
“My friend, Pinkie Pie, figured out that a pony in Ponyville named Horte
Cuisine was part of this crazy cult. So I used a scrying spell on some of his
things, and saw him moving towards the gemstone quarries before he
suddenly disappeared. So, I guessed that there was really only one reason
there would be protective spells over the quarries.”
“But how did you get by the guards?”
“Oh, that was easy.” Twilight replied, still looking around the corner to make
sure no guards were coming. “I know a teleportation spell, so I just popped
by the guards whenever I needed to. That’s actually how I plan to get you
out of here. Once I’m sure the coast is clear, I’ll teleport us up to a balcony.
There, I can teleport us down to a cavern entrance. You’ll have to find your
own back to the surface from there, but I’m sure you can manage. I’ve got
something I have to do here.”
“Oh, I can assure you, Miss Sparkle, that won’t be necessary.”
“Won’t be- what do you mean-”
THUNK
Twilight felt something firm strike the back of her head, and the world fell
away in an instant. Behind her, Spell Nexus frowned, lowering the hoof he
had just used to strike Twilight. Nexus then lifted his head, drawing in a
deep breath.
“GUARDS!”
Nexus’ bellow brought three pairs of guards running, including the pair that
had been attacked by Twilight. Nexus looked at each set of guards, and
pointed to them in turn.
“You two, take her to the dungeons, and, if she resists, don’t be gentle. You
two, go fetch the best unicorn sorcerers we have and tell them we need to
expand the defensive spells. The anti-scrying spell needs to include
Ponyville.”
“And you two,” Nexus said, pointing a hoof at the two guards who were
supposed to be protecting him. “Be thankful I need you for something,
otherwise you’d be in the dungeon for letting yourselves get defeated by
single unicorn mare. Now, I want you to go and alert all the tunnel guards
to be on the lookout for the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. It sounds
as if this one came here alone, but I do not want to be surprised if the
others decide to show up.”
The three pairs of guards all snapped to attention and saluted, before
quickly going about their tasks. Nexus followed the guards that carried the
unconscious Twilight, smiling to himself gently.
“You shall be presented to the queen in time, Twilight. But first, I need to
hear how you do that lovely little teleportation spell of yours. Can’t have
other unicorns like you sneaking into the palace, now can we?”
=============
The pair of servants at the entrance of the throne room pushed the large
doors open, quickly bowing as Nightmare Moon stepped through. The
fallen princess had been returned to the frightful image so many ponies
knew her by. She once again had on her purple eye shadow, something to
accent her otherwise utterly black appearance, and she was once again
clad in her regal armor. Elegant horse shoes, a chest plate with a crescent
moon, her neck plate, and the sleek helmet which fit her head so perfectly.
All that was missing was her cutie mark, something that perturbed
Nightmare Moon to no end. She was a full grown alicorn. a queen, and yet
she was still a blank flank. Nexus had offered an explanation that her
original cutie mark was actually Luna’s cutie mark, that it had been the
moon princess’ special talent to move the moon across the sky. Now that
she had her own body, and was her own mare, Nexus surmised that
Nightmare Moon might have a different special talent.
He then, of course, quickly went about flattering Nightmare Moon
endlessly, saying her Cutie Mark would undoubtedly be a crown or
something else that would appear when she defeated Celestia and Luna
and took her rightful place as the queen of Equestria. Nightmare Moon let
her thoughts linger on her blank flank for just a few minutes, before she
looked to the far end of the throne room.
Nexus was standing near the throne, smiling gently as he drank from a
glass of orange juice, his favorite drink. Orange juice was good, but
Nightmare Moon had tasted some of Applejack’s famous Sweet Apple
Acres apple juice. Now that was a good juice. She had first tasted it with
Twilight, when she was being introduced to the unicorn’s friends for the first
time. Applejack seemed scary, the earth pony so strong that she could
properly buck an apple tree with a single kick, but the moment she tried
that apple juice, she had-
Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and cracked her thoughts back into line,
forcing herself to end her recollection of the memory as she sat in her
throne.
“My Queen, you are looking positively radiant in your new armor.”
“Thank you, Spell Nexus. The blacksmith you recruited does fine work.”
“The finest, my Queen. You deserve nothing less.”
“Is there anything else you wish for me to attend to today?”
“There is but one matter; a bit of good news.”
“News?”
“Bring her in.” Nexus called. At the beckoning of the unicorn, a set of doors
to the side of the throne room opened and a pair of guards came trotting in.
They dragged between them a partially limp body, which they then
deposited on the floor just below Nightmare Moon’s throne.
“She was found sneaking around the castle corridors, and it appears that
she came here alone. A rather stupid thing to do, considering she is
supposed to be the smartest one of her rag tag group of friends.”
Nexus chuckled at his own insult but Nightmare Moon remained still as
stone. The breath had got caught in her chest, and her eyes were fixed on
the battered figured on the floor below her.
It was Twilight Sparkle, and the unicorn looked like she had been on the
losing end of a brutal fight. Her mane and coat were a mess and she was
covered in small knicks and scratches. The unicorn’s right eye was puffy
and swollen, like she had been hit in the face.
“Stand before your queen!” Nexus barked, using a bit of magic to lift
Twilight off the ground. The sudden movement seemed to snap the unicorn
out of her stupor, her legs flailing around a moment until she realized she
was being levitated. When Nexus was sure Twilight would be able to stand
on her own hooves, he lowered her back to the ground. And Twilight did
stand, though she lifted up her front right leg, as if it hurt to put weight down
on it.
“So, how do you wish to have her dealt with, my Queen? I can only imagine
some of the tortures you could inflict upon her... and then, after you’ve had
your revenge, perhaps a beheading? Or maybe it would send a more
powerful message to have her hanged?”
“Leave us.”
Nexus was a little caught off-guard.
“Pardon, my Queen?”
“Leave. Us.” Nightmare Moon seethed, her dragon eyes focusing on Nexus
in a firm, angered gaze. “No other pony is to be in this room except me and
Twilight, and nopony is to enter until I call for you.”
“Of... of course.” Nexus partially stammered, quickly galloping around the
hall. He did not have to echo Nightmare Moon’s orders to any of the ponies
who had been in the room, all of them quickly fleeing and locking the doors
in. Nexus was the last to leave, slipping out the front entrance. Nightmare
Moon waited until she heard a click of the door’s great locks before she
turned her gaze back to Twilight.
The alicorn rose from her throne, wings spreading wide as she cast her
shadow across Twilight, the unicorn taking an anxious step back in fear,
the terror glinting in Twilight’s one unharmed eye.
“What are you doing here?” Nightmare Moon asked, her voice dripping with
hatred and paranoia. “Have you come to try and purify me as you did
before? Come to use the Elements of Harmony to save Equestria? Have
you come to destroy what you helped protect? To fix the mistake you made
believing I was not Nightmare Moon!?”
“I... I... I...”
The black alicorn slammed a hoof.
“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?”
“I came to say I’m sorry.”
Twilight’s words echoed hauntingly across the hall, the unicorn’s voice
lingering in the air. Nightmare Moon remained still as stone for a time, but
then she stepped back. The alicorn folded her wings and sat back down in
her throne.
“It is too late for apologies. I have learned just how much....or rather, how
little I meant to you when you let Celestia take me away.”
“But-”
“Don’t try to lie to me. I see through your charade. Celestia came to visit,
you two talked in private... and then she came into the library kitchen,
saying she wants to let me have a ride in her chariot. Of course, I was
naive enough to believe her... but you knew what was going on. You knew,
and that’s why couldn’t even look at me when she was taking me out the
door. You conspired with her against me... you knew what she was going to
do, and you. Did. Nothing to stop her.”
“Please, Nyx... I’m so sorry.” Twilight said, looking up at Nightmare Moon
through her one good eye, the other still completely swollen shut.
“My name is not Nyx. It is Nightmare Moon.”
“You can call yourself what you want: Nightmare Moon, Queen Moon, the
Empress of Equestria. You’ll always be Nyx to me.”
Nightmare Moon’s gaze hardened.
“Oh, how so very sentimental of you, Twilight Sparkle. Pity that sentiment
wasn’t there when Celestia was taking me away. Though, now that I think
about it, you probably wanted her to take me away.”
“No... no Nyx I didn’t-”
“Yes you did! You saw who I was, you saw the truth, and, no matter how
much you denied it, you were scared of what I would become. So you let
Celestia take me away... just take me away, so you could forget about me
and go back to your happy little life. Go back... and pretend... pretend like I
was never even there...”
“I... I was scared. I’ll admit it,” Twilight said, trying to defend herself, taking
a single anxious step closer to the alicorn. “Celestia was scared too... and...
and she convinced me that... I had to let her take you... so that you could
be tested. So she could be sure whether or not you were Nightmare Moon.
And, if you weren’t, she was going to bring you back... Celestia never
meant to take you away forever.”
“Sweet lies and nothing more.”
“No, Nyx, it’s the truth. I heard you call out to me... and not as Twilight. You
called out to me as your mother... and I realized what I was doing, and I
tried to stop Celestia... I raced out and I was ready to fight Celestia for
you... but you two were already gone. I wanted to stop it Nyx... I did.”
“A touching story... but that’s all it is.” Nightmare Moon snipped, “No matter
what your intentions were, it was your actions that set all this in motion. It is
through your actions that you have done ill against me, and for which you
shall receive no forgiveness.
“And do not think I have forgotten the stream of lies you have filled my
head with. You said I was not Nightmare Moon, that I could never be her.
Well, if that was true, we wouldn't be sitting here would we? I have to
wonder if the lie was more your own sake than my own... if you weren’t
trying to deny the truth that stared you in the face.”
“It wasn’t a lie, Nyx... and it still isn’t a lie... or at least, it doesn’t have to
be.”
“You are truly in denial when you can look upon me as I am and not see
me as Nightmare Moon.”
“Nyx, ponies choose who they want to be. We all have that choice, and so
do you. You are only Nightmare Moon if you want to be... and the Nyx I
know wouldn’t want to be doing all this. She wouldn’t want to take over
Equestria, or make her friends worry.”
“Worry?! HA! Who is foalish enough to worry about me?!”
“I can think of three... three Crusaders who were your closest friends.”
A memory flashed in Nightmare Moon’s mind, of Scootaloo staring up at
her. The one pony in the crowd, besides Twilight, who hadn’t looked at her
in fear. Whose eyes had been filled with concern and sadness.
“They will need to learn that their friend is never coming back,” Nightmare
Moon offered coldly, taking her gaze off of Twilight. “That she’s gone
forever.”
“She doesn’t have to be, Nyx, you don’t have to be-”
“ENOUGH!!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, the command punctuated by the
alicorn’s wings unfurling. Still, Nyx held back her anger for the moment and
folded her wings again, tucking them against her side.
“Nexus! Guards! Come in here at once!”
The blue unicorn and two guards slipped into the room within seconds, the
three galloping up and bowing to their queen.
“You called, Your Highness?”
“With Twilight Sparkle in our custody, there is no threat posed by the
Elements of Harmony. Celestia and Luna are defenseless. We must simply
wait for the prime opportunity to strike against the Royal Sisters. Soon, I will
fly for Canterlot to take the kingdom, but for this day, I wish to retire to my
chambers and rest.”
“Of course, Your Excellence. And what would you have me do with Twilight
Sparkle?”
“You have done quite enough already, Spell Nexus,” Nightmare Moon
seethed, her words dripping with her disappointment.
“Y-your Majesty?”
Nightmare Moon once again stood up and unfolded her wings, only this
time she was walking towards Spell Nexus, forcing the dark blue unicorn to
back up into a wall as the alicorn kept getting closer and closer, towering
over him.
“Do you... at all... recall my direct orders, Nexus?”
“Your majesty, I-”
“I told you... that if any of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony were
found, they were to be captured unharmed, and Twilight Sparkle directly
brought to me immediately.”
“Y-your Highness, you must understand-”
“SILENCE FOAL!!!” Nightmare Moon snapped, “I gave you one simple
order, and you failed to follow in spirit or letter! Give me one single reason
why I shouldn’t have your head for this insubordination!”
“My...m-my queen, I... I-I...” Spell Nexus stuttered, trying to find words to
defend his actions. When he was unable to do that, the unicorn dropped to
the floor, bowing as low as he could. “Forgive me, Your Highness... I acted
only in your best interest. I beg you, have mercy.”
Nightmare Moon remained silent for a time, glaring daggers at Nexus, but
she then huffed and turned, walking back to her throne.
“I will forgive this grave sin you have committed against me and show you
the mercy you don’t deserve, if you can follow my next order to the letter
and without fail.”
“Anything, Your Highness.”
Nightmare Moon turned and sat in her throne, tucking her wings away
carefully.
“Twilight Sparkle is to be taken to the dungeon and be given a cell of her
own. Her injuries are to be tended by the finest doctors we have available,
given the same treatment you would to any of our own ponies. Ensure that
she has a proper blanket and pillow. She is also to be fed properly while
she is in our custody, and not just bread and water. She is to be given real
food, food you yourself would be willing to eat, Nexus.”
“But... but Your Highness. She-”
“DO YOU QUESTION MY WILL, NEXUS!?!” Nightmare Moon snapped,
wings unfurling again out of instinct. “I will deal with Twilight Sparkle in my
own way at a time of my choosing. Until then, you shall follow my orders
and treat her as I have directed!
“And... if I discover that she has been harmed in any way, by you or the
guards again, it will not be her hanging from the gallows! Do I make myself
clear?!”
“O... of, of course Your Majesty. I will see to it personally.” Nexus replied,
quickly scampering up to the throne and offering another bow.
“Good. And to ensure that you obey, here is a small taste of my wrath as
punishment, to remind you of the price of disobedience.”
With that, a small bolt of lightning crackled from Nightmare Moon’s mane,
striking Nexus on his flank. The unicorn would have probably yelped in
pain, but instead bit back the cry as he continued to bow. The bolt left a
small mark of singed hair and it had done no real damage, but it was quite
painful and the spot would be tender for days to come.
Once the worst of the pain had subsided, Nexus stood and rushed off,
intending to relay the black alicorn’s orders lest he further experienced his
master’s wrath. Nightmare Moon watched Nexus leave, and only once
Nexus was out of the room did she allow herself a few breaths to calm
down. She then glanced over those ponies who were still in the room, a few
guards and Twilight. Most were looking at her in fear, some of the guards
visibly shaking from the display of anger and power.
“I am now retiring for the day,” Nightmare Moon announced as she stood
from her throne, forcing herself to look straight as she walked past Twilight
and towards the throne room doors. She then glanced at two guards, who
quickly snapped to attention under gaze.
“I expect you to escort Twilight Sparkle to her cell and ensure that
everything I told Spell Nexus to do is done. Report to me directly if anypony
has failed to obey my orders.”
“Yes, my Queen,” the two guards replied in unison before moving over to
Twilight. Where the unicorn had been tossed roughly into the room, the
guards now handled her as if she was the most fragile thing in the world.
They escorted the unicorn from the room, even helping Twilight keep the
weight off of her one hurt hoof.
Doing everything they could to keep Nightmare Moon from redirecting her
anger to them.
=============
Nightmare Moon moved into her bedroom and slammed the door behind
herself, throwing up her magical sound proofing as she began to stomp
around the room. She was tempted to topple furniture, to cause destruction
for the sake of it. She was just so angry...
But the source of the anger was making Nightmare Moon’s mind spin. She
was not angry at Twilight, even after all the unicorn had done wrong. No,
her anger stemmed from a far different source. She was enraged at Nexus
and her guards for what they did to Twilight: for bring the unicorn to her, her
hooves beaten and with a black eye.
The worst part was that Nightmare Moon didn’t understand why she was
angry. What did she care? Twilight had given her up, abandoned her... had
lied to her constantly about the fact she wasn’t Nightmare Moon. She
should have been happy to see the unicorn get a small fraction of the
punishment she deserved. Nexus was right; Twilight deserved be tortured
before finally being hung from the gallows... but then, why was she still so
angry that the unicorn had been hurt?
Nightmare Moon stomped around her room for half an hour, her mind going
in circles as she tried to figure out why she had been so angry, why she
was still so angry. She even tried throwing a few books across the room,
doing anything to try and relieve her rage, but it still remained.
The alicorn‘s horn began to glow, armor floating off and landing in a pile at
the door. She needed to think, and the armor was starting to become too
much of a distraction. It fit her well, but armor was always in some way
uncomfortable.
Armor removed, Nightmare Moon flopped down onto her bed, not even
bothering to clean off her eye shadow as she tossed and turned violently,
trying to expend the frustration that just continued to boil inside her.
Who was she angry at? Was it Twilight? Was it Nexus? Was it the guards?
Who was it?
The alicorn finally stopped tossing, flopping to one side as her eyes gazed
off into the distance. Once again, the alicorn found herself staring at the
mirror on one side of her room... and for the first time in the half hour of
rage and confusion, Nightmare Moon asked herself a single, silent
question.
Was she angry with herself?
It was a thought that took root like a seed and began to grow into other
thoughts. The first of those thoughts was it didn’t make any sense. What
reason did she have to be angry with herself? She was a queen, with loyal
servants and soon a kingdom of her own. If anything, she should be happy
of how successful she was going to be.
But it was success that became tainted with the thought of Twilight in the
dungeons below. Did she really want to succeed when it meant Twilight
had to get hurt? Not just physically either. Nightmare Moon was about to
attack Celestia, the pony that was a teacher and mentor to Twilight, a pony
the unicorn cared about deeply. How much would it hurt Twilight when she
heard the news that Celestia had been defeated.
And why did she even care?
Nightmare Moon’s rage returned, but only for a few moments before she
just gave up. The alicorn was mentally exhausted, and she decided to try
and disregard her thoughts as she turned over on the bed, putting her back
to the mirror.
Her gaze now was focused on her writing desk, and soon drifted to the item
that had been thrown beneath it the previous evening: the mostly destroyed
training dummy of Twilight Sparkle. Without even really thinking about it,
Nightmare Moon lifted her head, horn glowing as she drew out the tattered
and ripped dummy. Her magic flowed into it, the ripped threads repairing
themselves, as the puffs of cotton were drawn back inside. Within
moments, the training dummy was once again in pristine condition.
After looking at the dummy for a time, Nightmare Moon floated it into bed
beside her, hooking her legs around it. The material was rough, but, with a
bit more magic, Nightmare Moon turned the sturdy, unforgiving potato bag
fabric into something softer, a substance that felt almost like a real pony
coat. In her legs, the training dummy became much more a doll.
Her grip on the life sized doll tightened as Nightmare Moon thought of
Twilight, alone, in the dungeons, in pain from her injuries... in greater pain
because of what the alicorn had said and done. Nightmare Moon had seen
it when the unicorn was in the throne room. There was true remorse in her
eyes. Twilight meant every word she said, every apology she offered.
But Twilight was wrong about one thing. She was Nightmare Moon. She
was the Mare in the Moon. There was no escaping the truth, and, thus,
there was no escaping being Nightmare Moon.
She was Nightmare Moon... and she could never be Nyx again.
Chapter 13
All Hail The Queen
CLANG... CLANG
CLANG... CLANG
CLANG... CLANG
“Move move MOVE! I want this changing of the guard done NOW!” One of
the guard captains bellowed, stomping along the battlements of the royal
palace, his rough, dry voice echoing off the stone castle like thunder.
Armored soldiers were running quickly in every direction, their armor
glinting in the last traces of the setting sun.
In the few, short minutes, several dozen soldiers had run off the
battlements, only to be replaced by an equal number of new guards. The
new guards stood in a line, standing in stiff attention as the guard captain
walked down the line. White pegasi, dark gray unicorns, and iron gray earth
ponies, the armor of the castle enchanted so that no matter what pony put
on the metal, they looked the same from the outside. Some of the soldiers
were even female, but the magic hid them all the same.
“All right, I want you ponies to listen and listen GOOD!” The captain
snapped as he spun and began walking back down the line. “I’m NOT
going to sugar coat it: Equestria. Is. In. Crisis! We’ve been on high alert
since Nightmare Moon’s return seven days ago, and though the royal guard
is known for its diligence and endurance, even they need to rest.
“So that’s where you newbies from the training camp come in. You will
EACH be paired off with a seasoned army pony, and you WILL patrol this
castle and I EXPECT you give it your all. Luna is currently leading the
armies in the search for Nightmare Moon while Celestia rests, and we’re
going to make this the BEST night of sleep she’s ever had, AREN’T WE?!”
“Sir, yes Sir!” The line of newly recruited soldiers retorted.
“So you keep your EYES on the skies and horizon. NO PONY gets close to
the castle, NO PONY disturbs Celestia, and, if you see Nightmare Moon, I
expect you to do. Your. Duty. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?”
“Sir, yes Sir!”
“GOOD! Now report to your posts,” The guard captain finished, the line of
soldiers quickly dispersing. The several dozen new recruits each quickly
met up with one of the seasoned veterans that were still on duty, forming
teams of two as they began to patrol the castle.
The night wore on slowly as the moon rose up into the heavens. The night
was still, quiet, and, for many of the seasoned soldiers, it all felt too quiet.
The new recruits also began to act a little jittery, but most kept their mouths
shut and just patrolled. One, however, chose to break the silence.
“So... uh... what have you heard about Nightmare Moon?” The young
unicorn asked as she and the senior guard she had been paired with
rounded a corner in the castle’s many hallways.
“Nothing good.”
“I... I heard from another guard that Nightmare Moon is actually more
powerful than Celestia. That she can shape shift, and turn into a cloud.
That she can-”
“Kid, take a breath and stop thinking about it,” The veteran guard lectured,
keeping his tone flat and professional. “ You’ll never make it through the
shift if you psych yourself out.”
“Sorry, sorry... I-I just, I’m worried.”
“Well, you’d be a foal not to be, but you can’t let that get to ya. Just try and
think about something else.”
“Oh... okay... uh... s-so, where is... um... where is Luna and the rest of the
regular army?”
“In the Manehatten area, doing aerial and magical sweeps for anything out
of the ordinary.”
“Manehatten... that’s a few hours away flying, isn’t it?
“A few hours for a normal pegasus, maybe an hour for Luna.”
“But... what if Nightmare Moon attacks the castle?” The younger guard
asked nervously, glancing around at the shadows of the hallway. “W-won’t
it take too long for Luna to get back?”
“The second anypony sees a sign of Nightmare Moon, we’ve got some of
the best and brightest unicorns ready to cast some protective hocus pocus.
We’ll hold our ground... and by the time Nightmare Moon gets through us,
Luna will be back.
“Nightmare Moon may be strong, but she can’t take on both princesses at
the same time.” The veteran guard assured, letting his voice become a little
kinder.
“So... uh, where are the protective spells?”
“Library; where else would egg-heads set up something like that?”
“And where is Celestia?”
“She should be in her bed chamber resting, though I’ve heard from some
servants she’s been pacing the halls the past few nights. Can’t really blame
her. I’d be anxious too if I knew Nightmare Moon was out to get me.”
“Wonderful... that’s... that’s good to know.” The younger guard said, her
voice shifting a little in tone. It was enough of a change that the veteran
guard turned, wanting to ask the recruit what was wrong. The words,
however, never left his mouth as the unicorn found himself in a indigo
cloud. His shouts of panic muffled, and in time the guard fell silent.
When the cloud pulled away, he slumped over onto the floor, lost in a deep
sleep.
All around the castle, the new recruits were doing the same thing, each
attacking the veteran guards they had been paired with. Some of the
recruits then made their way to the library, slipping in and putting the
unicorns that would have cast the protective wards to sleep. In a few, short
minutes, every defender in the castle had been dealt with.
And with the castle guard defeated, the traitorous new recruits began to
break into clouds of smoke, these clouds zipping and whipping through the
halls of the castle before forming into a single mass just outside Celestia’s
bed chamber.
When all the clouds had gathered, the indigo mist swirled and, from it,
Nightmare Moon materialized. The alicorn smiled, looking down at one of
the guards she had just put to sleep and giving his helmet a gentle tap.
“Nexus was right; this really was too easy,” Nightmare Moon mused, letting
her voice return to its normal tone. “So eager were the guards to fill their
ranks with fresh minds and eyes that, when a whole group of ponies arrived
at the training grounds, they were more than willing to put me... all of me, to
work.”
The alicorn had used the same trick she had used on Rainbow Dash.
Nightmare Moon divided herself into multiple clones that then took on the
shape of other ponies. For the cyan pegasus, she had become a trio of
aerial aces, the Shadowbolts. In a much grander example of her shape
shifting power, she had taken the place of several dozen guards in training,
who had been kept from reaching their duties by Nexus and the Children of
Nightmare.
It had been interesting being an army of ponies. Nightmare Moon had
never before divide herself up into so many copies, but it had served its
purpose. The castle was undefended, no word of alarm had been sent to
Luna... and Nightmare Moon had Celestia all to herself. It was a grand
gambit of a plan, one Nexus hadn’t entirely approved of, since it meant
sparing the castle guard.
Still, Nightmare Moon found herself... uneasy about dealing with the guards
in a more permanent manner. That was, however, a minor concern at the
moment. The alicorn instead focused on the reason why she was in the
castle. Glancing about for a moment, Nightmare Moon got her bearings,
and started to walk down one of the castle halls, beginning her search for
Celestia.
===========
The first room Nightmare Moon had checked was Celestia’s bed chambers,
where the alicorn should have been resting. But, she was not there, and so
Nightmare Moon was forced to begin searching the rest of the castle. She
worked her way down from one of the towers, checking every room for
Celestia. It was a search she had time for; Luna would not return to the
castle before dawn, but Nightmare Moon was beginning to fear Celestia
may have sensed something was wrong and fled.
Nearing the ground floor of the castle, Nightmare Moon was about to round
a corner in the hallway, when a noise began to reach her ears: hoofsteps.
Almost instantly, the alicorn had turned into a cloud of smoke, disguising
herself once again as a rookie pegasus guard. She then waited a few
moments for the hoofsteps to get closer before she rounded the corner
quickly, jumping out to confront the unknown pony.
“HALT! Who goes there?”
The pony in question jumped, fumbling with his unicorn magic as he tried to
keep the covered tray he was carrying from hitting the floor. It was a frantic
few seconds of juggling, but eventually the unicorn got a hold of the tray
and breathed a sigh of relief before looking up at the disguised Nightmare
Moon.
“My-my apologies, I am Silver Platter; I work in the royal kitchens.” The
unicorn stallion offered hurriedly, thankful that it was only a guard that had
startled him.
“Only guards are supposed to be out at this hour.” Nightmare Moon
snipped, disguising her voice so she sounded like one of the young
recruits. “What are you doing?”
“Delivering a meal to Celestia.”
Nightmare Moon let her fake anger cool, relaxing her body as she folded
her wings.
“Isn’t it rather late for Celestia to be eating?”
“Yes, but her pet phoenix delivered the order to the kitchen, and I’m not
exactly in a place to question the princess’ eating habits.”
“I suppose not.” Nightmare Moon offered with a chuckle as an idea formed
in her head, “But I cannot allow anypony to wander the halls. I will escort
you to the princess... though... I do not know where she is.”
“Oh, Celestia has requested the meal be brought to the throne room.”
Silver Platter replied as he walked up beside the guard.
“Then I will allow you to set the pace.” Nightmare Moon replied, shifting as
she and the unicorn began to walk down the castle halls.
“I’m honestly surprised I didn’t run into a guard sooner,” Silver Platter
admitted, the stallion trying to make some small talk. “And don’t you ponies
usually walk around in pairs?”
“I’m just a reserve brought in so that the normal royal guard can rest, and
there aren’t enough of us to keep paired patrols.”
“I guess that makes sense. The royal guard has probably been getting less
sleep than Celestia and Luna, pulling double and triple shifts if what I’ve
heard is true. From what I heard, Celestia tried to tell them all this wasn’t
necessary, that she and Luna could take care of Nightmare Moon together,
but the generals wouldn’t hear of it.”
“So all the guards and precautions are being done against Celestia’s
wishes?”
Silver Platter nodded.
“Yes ma’am, but what else are we supposed to do? The princesses are in
danger, and if we don’t try and protect them, no pony will.”
“So you would face Nightmare Moon, despite being horribly out matched,
just to protect Celestia?”
“Me? Oh heavens no!” Silver Platter replied, laughing nervously. “I’m just a
unicorn that’s loves bringing good food to good ponies. But that’s what you
and the other guards are doing, and I can respect that.”
“T-thank you...” Nightmare Moon choked out, the words tasting rotten in her
mouth. She shouldn't have been accepting thanks when she was the one
that the guards and princesses feared. Still, Nightmare Moon kept her
composure. She kept quiet for a time, letting the last conversation subject
die in the silence before bringing up another, since the servant pony
seemed a bit nervous.
“What are you bringing the princess?”
“Nothing much... a lot of comfort food actually, though I can certainly
understand why she wants it. Stressful times, after all.” Silver Platter began
as he levitated the plate he was carrying lower and lifted up the lid. “We’ve
got a bowl of Maroon Carrot Soup, a few freshly picked apples from the
princess’ golden apple tree, and a very large slice of cloud cake with a
frosting flower.”
“But that soup is purple.”
“But of course! Maroon carrots are purple, so it would make sense that
soup made from them would be purple. That ,and they are sweeter in flavor
than most common carrots.”
“I prefer celery soup myself,” Nightmare Moon offered as Silver Platter put
the lid back on the serving tray ,and levitated both high above his head.
The pair rounded a corner and a set of very large doors came into view.
“And I’m a fan of tomato soup.” The unicorn waiter smiled. “But, it looks like
we’re here. If you wouldn’t mind, could you wait out here for a moment? It
will just take me a couple minutes to give Celestia her meal and then you
can escort me back to the kitchen.”
“I don’t believe that will be necessary.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’ll be asleep.” Nightmare Moon explained, and before Silver
Platter could turn around the alicorn had enveloped him in the indigo cloud
that was her body. It was but a few moments before the waiter lay fast
asleep on the floor, Nightmare Moon reforming herself into the waiter’s
exact copy as she held the covered serving tray aloft in her magic.
==========
Celestia sat back in her throne, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. She was
tired, and would have rather been asleep, but... sleep was not coming
easily to the princess. Too much weighed on her mind. Anxiety of
wondering when Nightmare Moon would attack, concern for Luna, and fear
for what had happened to Twilight Sparkle, since no pony had seen or
heard from her student in days.
KNOCK... KNOCK...
Celestia perked her ears up, moving her gaze from the ceiling to the throne
room doors as a figure poked his head inside.
“My apologies if I disturbed you, Your Highness, but I have the meal you
requested.”
“Thank you, Silver Platter.” Celestia greeted, making it a point to know all
the names of the castle staff. “And I do apologize for making a request like
this so late in the evening.”
“No apologies necessary, Your Highness,” Silver Platter replied as he
crossed the room and presented the serving tray for the princess. “Though
I hope you do not mind if I linger. That way I can take the dishes back to
the kitchen once you’ve finished.”
“I do not mind in the slightest.” Celestia said with a smile as she used her
own magic to remove the lid from the serving tray. She sniffed the warm
soup, the aroma’s offering some comfort for the princess. While few knew
about it, and even fewer would admit it, Celestia had a tendency to eat
when she was anxious, to seek comfort in sweet and savory foods.
A habit that, thankfully, didn’t cause Celestia too much trouble since she
was rarely truly nervous, but after Nightmare Moon was dealt with, she
would need to put herself on a diet to get her eating habits back in order.
She had indulged in cloud cake a few too many times over the past week.
The pegasus-made dessert was her great weakness, at least when it came
to food.
The soup danced across the princess’ tongue and warmed her insides,
while the apples from her golden apple tree offered a crisp freshness
unmatched by any other fruit in the kingdom. And, finally, each bite of the
cloud cake melted in the princess’s mouth, coating her tongue in its light,
but rich, flavor.
The last thing to met Celestia’s tongue was the large, frosting flower that
had been on top of the slice of cloud cake, the sun princess saving the
thick, sugary decoration for last. A smile slipped onto the alicorn’s face as
she leaned back in her throne and enjoyed the lingering flavors in her
mouth.
“I trust the meal was to your liking?” Silver Platter asked as he took the
empty tray in his magic, setting it off to one side before starting to walk
around the back of the throne.
“It was delicious; be sure to extend my thanks to the kitchen staff. I may
just be able to get to sleep tonight thanks to that meal.”
“Good... everypony deserves a good... last meal.”
Celestia snapped her head to the side, watching as a figure stepped out
from behind her throne. Where Silver Platter had been the pony to move
behind the regal seat, the pony that stepped into Celestia’s vision was
decidedly not the unicorn waiter.
Nightmare Moon smiled slyly as she positioned herself directly in front of
Celestia’s throne, having returned to her normal form.
“How... how did you get in here?”
“You should be more careful when bringing in new recruits, Celestia; they
aren’t always as loyal as your normal guards.”
“So, what happened? Did some of your cultists infiltrate the castle?”
“Like I needed them to do this.” Nightmare Moon mused, breaking into a
cloud. The cloud divided itself into multiple pieces, those pieces floating
down to the floor just below the throne before they manifested themselves
into several dozen of Celestia’s guards, though they all looked up at the
princesses with the black alicorn’s turquoise dragon eyes.
“It would seem you are just as powerful as you were a thousand years ago,
even though you lack the power Luna currently possess.”
“You can thank Spell Nexus for that. Whatever power Luna retained was
replaced by power drawn from the Everfree Forest.” Nightmare Moon
explained as she reformed herself.
“And what of my guards and servants? I can only imagine you went through
them to get to me.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Celestia; I have no quarrel with them.
Your guards are all sound asleep, catching up on the rest they deprived
themselves of by protecting you. As to your servants, they are unaware of
what occurs, except for Silver Platter. He sleeps in the hallway just outside
this room.”
“You... didn’t hurt anypony?”
“I had no need to.”
“You had no need to bring lightning down on the ponies at the Summer Sun
Celebration, and yet you had no qualms doing so then,” Celestia attested
as she rose from her throne, starting to walk down towards Nightmare
Moon. “Now you are showing mercy and restraint.... which makes me
wonder... perhaps you are not the same mare I once knew.”
“HA! You’re just as delusional as Twilight Sparkle.”
“Twilight... so I take it you know where my student is.”
“She’s in my dungeon.” Nightmare Moon answered, moving away as
Celestia reach the bottom of her very large and extravagant throne. The
pair of alicorns then began to circle each other in the center of the throne
room.
“And how did she end up there?”
“She came to me, if you would believe it. I would have thought you’d taught
her better than to go running to the very ponies that would want to capture
her, but that’s what she did. She wanted to sell me some sob story about
how sorry she was for what happened. It was a truly pathetic sight.”
“Yet you let her live... even though, as long as she is alive, the Elements of
Harmony are still a threat to you.”
“I will tell you what I told Spell Nexus. I will deal with Twilight Sparkle in my
own way and in my own time, ” Nightmare Moon snipped, horn beginning to
glow. “Besides, you have more important things to be worried about
Celestia.”
Nightmare Moon’s magic surged, and in the air beside the alicorn a magical
blade took shape. It was forged of what looked like black metal, that shined
and flashed like calm water beneath the night sky. While alicorns were very
powerful, they were not totally immortal. Their strength came from the
amount of magic they held, and the best tool to counter that magic was a
weapon of pure arcane energy, much like the sword Nightmare Moon now
wielded.
“But why would you give Twilight’s friends a chance to rescue her? Why
would you risk them reuniting and using of the Elements of Harmony?”
Celestia asked as she formed her own magical sword, holding it in a
defensive position as she and Nightmare Moon continued to circle one
another.
“They are not a risk as long as I have Twilight Sparkle, and they would
have to come to me to get her. Yes... they would soon meet the same fate
she did if they were even able to find my castle. They would be captured...
and brought to me unharmed before I decided their fate.”
“Unharmed?” Celestia echoed, cocking an eyebrow. “You ordered your
forces to have them brought to you unharmed?”
“I will not let Spell Nexus, or any pony of the guard, take the vengeance I
deserve for what those ponies did to me at the last Summer Sun
Celebration.”
“So then, what do you intend to do with them?”
“Whatever I see fit! Their fate is in my hooves, just like yours!”
Nightmare Moon struck out, launching herself at Celestia as she swung her
sword in a wide arch. The sun princess blocked the blow, the clang of
metal striking metal echoing across the throne room walls. Nightmare Moon
then attempted a thrust, but Celestia spread her wings. With a single
powerful flap, she threw herself back, dodging the blade and putting more
distance between herself and Nightmare Moon.
“Answer me this, Nightmare Moon. You say Twilight’s fate rests in your
hooves, yet it sounds as if you have done nothing to her since you captured
her. What are you waiting for?” Celestia asked, raising her blade as she
blocked a downward swing from Nightmare Moon. “Could you have not
already taken your vengeance?”
“My actions are not to be questioned by the likes of you or Nexus. I am
Equestria’s true queen; I am beyond reproach.”
“So Nexus is questioning you? Why is that?” Celestia inquired as she
blocked another blow, her and Nightmare Moon’s swords locking for a few
moments. After struggling against each other the two alicorns leaped back,
taking a moment to regain their footings. Celestia resumed her defensive
stance while Nightmare Moon charged again.
“Because he is a foal who believes he understands my every desire, but I
am not so easily understood by such common ponies. He knows of my
desire to seize Equestria, and he acts to support that, as he should. But it
was also his hooves that hurt Twilight, that injured her to draw out the truth
of her teleportation spell. It was his belief that I would have her hanged or
beheaded, his belief that such a thing was my desire.”
“And isn’t it? Would it not be simpler for you to let him do as he wishes with
Twilight, so that you do not have to fear her or the Elements of Harmony?”
“Nopony hurts Twilight except ME!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, swinging
her sword wide, an attack Celestia chose to dodge. The white alicorn leapt
into the air, using her wings to flip over once before she landed on her four
hooves, still holding her sword defensively.
“And have you? Have you hurt Twilight?
“No; she has been recovering from the injuries given to her by Nexus,
under the care of my castle’s doctor.”
“So you are healing her.”
“I am healing her simply so that she can properly appreciate the pain I will
induce when I take my due justice for what she’s done!”
“And what has she done, Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked, the sun
princess now going a bit on the offensive. She struck out, her and
Nightmare Moon’s swords meeting as the pair struggling against one
another.
“She conspired with you against me! She betrayed, lied, and abandoned
me!”
“Those were things done only to Nyx, to the filly you used to be. Why do
they matter now?”
“BECAUSE SHE ABANDONED ME!” Nightmare Moon raged, putting all
her strength into her sword. It was enough to force Celestia’s blade out of
the way. The sun princess dodged, but not before the tip of Nightmare
Moon’s sword nicked the Celestia’s cheek, leaving a very small cut that
began to weep blood.
“Now silence your tongue and quit holding back!” Nightmare moon
snapped, pointing her sword at Celestia. “Fight me, coward! I dare you...”
“Something we are both guilty of." Celestia retorted as she gently wiped the
blood from the side of her face. "Why are you holding back, Nightmare
Moon? Why do you show mercy to my guards when, a year ago, you were
content to shoot them out of the air with lightning? Why do you fight now
only to injure me, and why have you not taken your so-called vengeance
against Twilight?”
“I... I...”
Nightmare Moon struggled with her words, her mind locking up as she was
faced with Celestia’s questions. Why was she holding back? Why wasn’t
she giving it her all? She had practiced with a sword as the guards in
training, she knew how to fight, so why wasn’t going for the killing blows?
“Nightmare Moon,” Celestia offered, lowering her sword as the fight slipped
into a lull. “I know you’ve been hurt, and I do not deserve forgiveness for
the part I played in turning you into this. But if this is not what you want,
then please relent and end this attack. It is not too late.”
“IT WAS ALWAYS TOO LATE FOR ME!!!” Nightmare Moon shouted, her
mane starting to surge and swirl. “You speak as if I had a chance, but you
could never ignore what I’ve done in the past! That is why you feared me...
why you took me away from Twilight! You offered me no chance to atone
for my past, and thus I will not offer you any mercy! I. Hold. Back. No
longer!”
Nightmare Moon launched herself Celestia, this time accompanying her
charge with a volley of lightning bolts. Celestia managed to block a few of
the arcane bolts with her sword, but she was struck by others. The bolts,
however, did little more than cause the alicorn to wince, distracting her but
not keeping her from blocking Nightmare Moon’s sword strike.
But the rage and magic behind Nightmare Moon’s blade would prove too
much. Before Celestia could retreat, her own sword began to crack and
fracture before bursting apart beneath Nightmare Moon’s attack.
The breaking of the sword threw the sun princess into the air, the magic
kicking back on her. She rolled and bounced across the throne room floor,
eventually coming to a stop at the base of her own throne. Shards of the
shattered blade had speckled Celestia with small cuts, and her breathing
was labored as the pain of the magical kickback pulsed in her body.
When Celestia was finally able to recover, it was too late. Nightmare Moon
stood over her, the black magical blade she wielded placed against
Celestia’s neck. It would take only the slightest twitch to end it all, and for a
moment the pair just stared at each other.
But Celestia did not close her eyes, did not wait for the bitter end. Instead
she looked directly into Nightmare Moon’s gaze, and kept her vision locked
with that of the other alicorn’s. The moments turned into seconds, time
slowly slipping by. Nightmare Moon remained still as stone, not removing
her blade from Celestia’s neck and yet, at the same time, not finishing the
fight.
“Be sure you want to do this,” Celestia said, her tone soft while carrying the
undertones of a warning. “Be sure this is the mare you want to be, because
there is no going back. If you finish me here, you will secure Equestria for
your own... but even in Twilight’s eyes you will be a monster.”
Nightmare Moon took in a deep breath, pressing the blade of her sword
into Celestia’s neck.
Still, when the black alicorn released the breath, she moved the sword
away.
“Your time will come, but before then you will know the pain I’ve suffered.”
Nightmare Moon said, though her voice lacked its usual forcefulness. “For
a thousand years you shall be banished to the sun, held amongst its magic,
just as I was held by the moon. And once you’ve known my suffering, only
then shall I take my final revenge.”
Nightmare Moon’s magical mane began to wrap itself around Celestia, the
fallen princesses drawing on the sun princess’ magic as she prepared her
spell. When the magic had built up, Nightmare Moon completely encased
Celestia in her star field of a mane, and, from within, formed the
banishment spell.
There was a flash of light, and when Nightmare Moon removed her mane
Celestia was gone. With alicorn sent to her imprisonment, Nightmare Moon
lifted her eyes. She stared at the now empty royal throne, and, after a few
moments, she lifted her sword and thrust it forward, crying out in rage as
she sunk the sword deep into the chair’s back.
============
Luna banked to one side, looking over Canterlot. It was nearly dawn, and
she was returning to the castle so that Celestia could fly out and meet the
army and continue the search for Nightmare Moon. Yet, as Luna drew
close to the castle, she began to take notice how still... how quiet the castle
was. She saw no guards moving along the battlements, saw no pony at all.
Some servants should have at least been out tending to the early morning
chores, but there was nopony to be seen.
The moon princess felt the air catch in her chest, and. with a few furious
flaps of her wings, Luna surged forward towards the castle, diving down
into the courtyard. She did not land nor slow down, instead throwing open
the castle doors with her magic as she soared through the castle halls. It
was something Celestia was unable to do because of her size, but Luna
was still small enough that her wingspan fit inside the corridors.
The corridors were deserted, utterly empty, and it did nothing to improve
Luna’s nerves. She flew with even greater speed, fearing the worst as she
raced amongst the halls. Luna first went to Celestia’s bedroom, but when
the alicorn wasn’t there Luna went to the next likely place: the throne room.
When she couldn’t sleep, Celestia always liked to go sit and the throne
room.
“Sister? Sister, are you in here?” Luna called, landing in the throne room
doorway. She looked first to the throne, desperately hoping to see Celestia
there. But the throne was empty, with a large hole in the backing, and
standing just in front of the throne was an all black alicorn, with a swirling
magical mane and tail.
Luna felt herself tense when she saw Nightmare Moon, a figure she had
only ever before seen reflected back in a mirror. Was this really what she
used to look like? She could now see why so many ponies told scary
stories about her. An all black mare, with a magical mane and tail of the
night and piercing dragon eyes... it was the kind of things nightmares were
made off.
But the small glimpse Luna could get of Nightmare Moon’s eyes was not
what she would have expected. The alicorn was not glaring at Celestia’s
throne nor was her expression happy. It was a look of confusion, the look
that belonged to a mare that was having trouble understanding what she
was doing.
It was a look Luna had seen looking back at her from a mirror when those
eyes were her own.
Swallowing nervously, Luna drew up her courage and began to walk across
the room. Though there was a regal red rug that ran from the door to
Celestia’s throne, the moon princess’ hoof steps were still audible.
Nightmare Moon’s ears first swiveled to pick up on the sound, and when
Luna was halfway across the room the black coated alicorn turned her
head.
“You’re back earlier than I expected... or perhaps it is later in the morning
than I realize,” Nightmare Moon remarked quietly, turning to face Luna.
“Where is Celestia?”
“Your precious sister is getting a taste of her own medicine. She has been
banished to the sun.”
“Only banished? We feared-”
“Do not take this as a sign of mercy. I merely wished for Celestia to know
the torture of imprisonment that I endured for a thousand years. Once she
has known that, then her life is forfeit.”
“Imprisonment ‘we’ endured,” Luna corrected as she took a careful step
closer. “Or do you forget where you came from?”
“I have not forgotten... all the memories I have are either my own or the
memories from when you were the one called Nightmare Moon. It is from
those memories that I know my desires and destiny... a destiny you were
too weak to seize for your own. A destiny that will be mine.”
“But is it a destiny you want?”
“It is all I know and all that is expected of me. I cannot recall any time when
I did not want this, the eternal night and the defeat of Equestria’s royalty...
which includes you.” Nightmare Moon answered, manifesting her magical
sword as she began to walk towards Luna. “Now defend yourself.”
“Is that truly all you can remember?” Luna countered as her own magic
flared, the moon princess forming two smaller, shorter blades which floated
on either side of her. “Do you not recall the time you spent with Twilight,
Nyx?”
“Do not call me that. I am Nightmare Moon.”
“But do you remember the time you spent with Twilight?”
“Of course I do; I would not forget something so recent so easily.”
“Then you have memories beyond being Nightmare Moon, beyond the
memories you had to inherit from me.”
“What is your point? So I have my own memories; they are a few short
months compared to the hundreds of years of memories I have from the
time when we were one and the same.”
“But I know those memories are a thousand times happier than the
memories we share. I came to know you briefly, Nyx, at the dinner after the
Spring Festival play. You talked of friends, of school, of Twilight... you were
happy. Why are you throwing that away to pursue old desires that were
never yours?”
“They are my desires. I want vengeance, I want Equestria... I want ponies
to look upon the beauty of my night.”
“But it isn’t your night. It’s mine.” Luna stressed, “It was my jealousy of
Celestia that turned me into you, my loathing of the ponies who slept
through my night... but that’s because I was the one that made it. I was the
one being ignored, not you. It isn’t your night the ponies ignored, so why do
you feel you need to do this?”
“Well, it will soon be my night. With you gone, I shall inherit not only your
memories but your status as ruler of the nighttime sky. I will make it more
beautiful than you ever could. And ponies will look upon it, and be in such
awe that they will love the night, and forget all about the sun.”
“Nyx, you don’t have to be what I was. You can escape it, or do you forget
that I was able to change what I was? I’m not Nightmare Moon anymore,
which means you don’t have to be either.”
Nightmare Moon hung her head, letting her sword lower.
“No... you are wrong... for it is not just your memories I inherited. The
loathing, the fear, and the hatred Equestria had for you became mine. You
were left to live a happy life again thanks to the Elements of Harmony while
I... I... I became your scapegoat, the monster in the dark that you were
saved from.”
“Nyx... I am so sorry, Nyx. Because of me, you had to be born of darkness.
You had to be born alone in the worst place imaginable... and you had to
be born with my past. I never asked nor wanted you to take responsibility
for what I did. I should be the one to bear those burdens, not you... but.. if
you don’t stop this, you’ll have your own sins. It won’t be my past that
haunts you, but your own.
“Nyx, just think for a second and-”
“I told you not to call me that! I. Am. Nightmare Moon!” The black alicorn
seethed. “It is what I am, it is the only thing I can be. It is the only thing
Equestria will ever see; no matter what you say, they will only ever see
Nightmare Moon.
“I am Nyx no longer.” The black alicorn proclaimed as she lifted her head,
eyes flashing with determination as she raised her sword again. “Now
defend yourself. If I have to be Nightmare Moon, than I shall also be
Equestria’s Queen. I will seize the destiny you were too weak to grasp,
and, in time, the ponies shall forget about you, forget about Celestia, forget
about the sun, and they shall love the night.”
“I... I'm sorry Nyx, b-but I can’t just let you do this.” Luna stated shakily,
trying to keep a firm stance though she fully realized how outmatched she
was. The moon princess lifted her twin blades, taking up a defensive
position. “I-I will fight to protect Equestria.”
“You will fight... you will fall... and then you’ll share Celestia’s fate.”
Nightmare Moon seethed as she lifted her sword, “Because this is my
kingdom now.”
============
Whispers and hushed voices filled the Ponyville square, every pony in town
gathering just outside the town hall. The sun was supposed to have risen
several hours ago, but, instead, the moon still lingered in the center of the
sky, looking down upon the world with its pale glow. What was worse now
was that the Mare in the Moon had returned. The dark pattern of craters
across the moon’s surface which took the shape of a unicorn head once
again looked down on the kingdom of ponies.
On the steps of the town hall, the Mayor of Ponyville moved up to the
podium. It looked like she had been crying, but the mayor her eyes and
cleared her throat, forcing herself to be strong.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville it... it is my duty... my solemn
duty... to announce that Princess Luna and Princess Celestia have... have
been defeated...”
A hushed gasp cascaded through the crowd, ponies looking at each other
with disbelief, but none daring to speak as they hung on every word that left
the mayor’s mouth.
“I received word from just after sun... when the sunrise was due to occur.
During the night, Nightmare Moon took Canterlot castle without raising an
alarm. She defeated Celestia, and then laid in wait until Luna returned to
the castle a few hours ago. Both princesses have... are now imprisoned in
the sun and the moon respectively, banished to the c-celestial bodies they
once guided across the sky.
“Nightmare Moon has hereby decreed herself Queen of Equestria, and the
Children of Nightmare... the ponies responsible for her return... are already
taking control of the government. I have been told that... that any open
rebellion against the new crown will be met harshly and... and that...”
The mayor had to lick her lips, her voice trembling as she forced out the
final words.
“A-and that we h-have seen the last of the s-sun. That this night... will last...
f-f-for... forever.”
Another gasp cut through the crowd, a few ponies even fainting.
“Oh Miss Mayor, you speak as if this is some great tragedy.”
Every head in the crowd spun around, looking back to see Nightmare Moon
striding towards the crowd. She was flanked on either side by two of her
own royal guard, clad in armor that matched hers in color and eyes with
brilliant turquoise.
The crowd quickly parted and made a path, much like they did the day
Nightmare Moon first returned. Some even bowed as she passed, a sight
that made Nightmare Moon smile a bit. It was a start; she couldn’t expect
them all to be so eager to bow right away. It would take time, but now...
now she had all the time in the world.
Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed as she moved the podium off the town hall
stage, the mayor quickly retreating back as the black alicorn climbed up
onto the city hall's veranda. She passed a glance at the mayor. She was
shaking like a leaf, but the mare still managed to bow. Satisfied with the
level of respect, Nightmare Moon then turned to face the crowd, her voice
ringing out through the night.
“Citizens of Ponyville, it is hard to believe that merely a week ago I stood
amongst you, freshly reborn, and now I am already your queen. One must
truly wonder how sturdy your monarchy was, considering how easily it was
toppled.
“But toppled it I have, and I now stand as your one true queen. Under me,
Equestria shall flourish under the eternal night. You need not fear for your
crops or your homes, for while the night can be cold, those most loyal to
me have already begun the act of making this kingdom a place that can
thrive beneath the moonlight. They have been long prepared for the night
eternal.
“And there is further reason to rejoice. For, as I promised on the day of my
return, I have not forgotten the kindness you all offered me when I was but
a scared little filly. For this, I have decided to give Ponyville a great honor,
bestow upon it a gift no other town or city in Equestria will share.”
The ground shook, a distant rumbling reaching the ear of everypony as
Nightmare Moon's eyes glowed. All eyes turned to the distant rock
quarries, in the hills just beyond Ponyville. For a moment there was
nothing, but, as the rumbling continued, a single pointed spire began to rise
up. That first spire was joined by others, and soon a whole castle had risen
up like a mountain from the quarries, looking down upon Ponyville like a
giant ready to strike.
“For the time being, Canterlot shall remain the administrative capitol of
Equestria. The bureaucrats and politicians shall continue their labors
amongst the white stone streets of the mountain-built city. But Ponyville
shall be the true heart of this kingdom, for it is here I make my castle and
my home.
“So rejoice, residents of Ponyville, for this town shall soon see prosperity
unmatched as it slowly becomes the beating heart of Equestria.”
“You... y-you,” The mayor tried to utter out, her voice shaking as she forced
out the words. “You... honor us, Your Highness. We... w-we will gladly
serve as your home.”
Nightmare Moon smiled. “Well chosen words, Mayor. I will let you keep
your position.”
“Well, some of us ain’t goin’ down without a fight!”
The black alicorn flicked her gaze up as every pony in the crowd turned
their head. Standing beyond the crowd were six ponies. Five of them she
recognized. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all
standing, wearing their Elements of Harmony necklaces. Some stood
firmly, while Fluttershy was hiding behind Rarity. Still, all five of them were
there.
The sixth pony, however, was one Nightmare Moon did not recognize. She
appeared to be a simple earth pony with a blue coat with white and silver
hair. She was, for some reason, wearing a light purple, pointed hat and
cape. Both articles of clothing were decorated with silver and gold colored
stars. The pony stood with her head held aloft, her posture reminding the
alicorn of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
Nightmare Moon hated her already.
“Well well well, I was wondering when you five would show up. Who’s the
new mare?”
“Her name is-” Applejack began, only for the blue pony to interrupt her.
“I believe that I can speak for myself, thank you very much.” the new pony
snipped. She turned and gave Nightmare Moon a confident grin and glare,
as if she was looking down at some pony far beneath her. It was an
expression that only inspired confusion in Nightmare Moon.
Who would be so foalish as to not fear her?
“Remember this face well, Nightmare Moon, for it will be the face of your
doom!” The blue pony exclaimed as she pointed a hoof at the newly self-
appointed queen. “For on this day, it will be I, the Great and Powerful
Trixie, who will single-hoofedly vanquish you and bring peace and order
back to Equestria!”
An eruption of magical fireworks and firecrackers erupted from behind the
blue pony, as if in some fanfare for the words.
“You're kidding. You're kidding, right?”
“I assure you, Nightmare Moon, this is no jest.” The pony offered. A light
purple glow encased the mare’s hat, causing it to rise up and shift back on
the pony’s head. The adjustment revealed that the blue pony was, in fact, a
unicorn. “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, shall defeat you.”
“Okay, this has to be a joke.” Nightmare Moon scoffed. “Do you have any
idea who I am? Do you even have a clue to the power that courses though
every fiber of my being?”
“I am fully aware of your power, but I wield a far greater one, and with it I
shall send you back to the dark pit you crawled you from. For you see, I am
not merely a unicorn but I am the most magical unicorn that has ever
existed!”
Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but gape. This... this foal... she was either
completely clueless or had death wish. Who was crazy enough to be so
boastful? The only time Nightmare Moon had ever heard of a pony with
such an ego was when-
Nightmare Moon’s eyes pulsed, a realization striking her. She... she knew
this mare. Not personally, but she had heard of her. Twilight had told her a
story once about a blue unicorn that had come into town, boasting she had
defeated a Ursa Major. But when an Ursa Minor came into town, the
unicorn was unable to do anything, leaving Twilight to save the day.
It was one of her favorite bedtime stories.
The black alicorn smirked, speaking with a deceptively gentle tone, “Oh...
oh yes, I’ve heard of you before, Great and Powering Trixie."
“Y-you... you have? I mean, of course you have! Far and wide has been
spread the tales of the miraculous feats of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
The unicorn exclaimed as she released more firework magic in the air.
“Yes, I know who you are. You are the egomaniac with a tacky hat that
almost destroyed Ponyville with your boasting.”
That sucked the air right out of Trixie’s lungs, the unicorns eyes tiny as
dots.
“At least...” Nightmare Moon continued, smiling devilishly. “That’s how
Rarity put it. When Twilight told me about the last time you were here, she
was more... polite, though she basically said the same thing.”
“Wait, you know her?! And you told her that?!?” Trixie hissed as she glared
daggers at Rarity.
“Hey, don’t get mad at her! She’s not the one boasting that she’s going to
'save the day' all by herself!” Rainbow Dash retorted in Rarity’s defense.
“And I shouldn't need to remind you that your Element of Magic isn’t worth
a rotten apple without the rest of us.” Applejack added, pointing an
accusing hoof at Trixie.
“As amusing as it is to meet the overconfident show pony from one of the
stories Twilight told me,” Nightmare Moon interrupted, keeping the six
ponies from squabbling amongst themselves further, “I am curious as to
what makes you think you actually stand a chance against me. Just how do
you plan to defeat me, immortal alicorn, when you are nothing more than a
mere unicorn?
“I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, intend to use the most powerful magic
known to pony kind, for I am the new Bearer of the Element of Magic!”
Trixie exclaimed, lifting her hat again and revealing a familiar tiara. The
unicorn quickly adjusted her hat, replacing it on her head and putting the
tiara on top of it, allowing the mare to proudly wear both at the same time.
For the first time since her transformation, Nightmare Moon felt real fear.
Even if she was annoyingly boastful, Trixie was still a unicorn whose
special talent was magic itself... and that might be enough to complete the
Elements of Harmony. It was a fear of Nightmare Moon’s that became
validated as the blue unicorn began to focus her magic, the Elements of
Harmony beginning to react. It was the first sign that the six ponies were
actually going to pose a threat, the jeweled necklaces and tiara coming to
life as they lifted the ponies off the ground.
Nightmare Moon instinctively worked herself down into a defensive
position, ready to leap clear of the attack from the Elements of Harmony.
She had been torn apart by the magical rainbow once; she wouldn’t let it
happen again. She’d jump out of the way, try to escape, but she would not
go down a second time so easily.
The six ponies were enveloped in light, and after a few tense moments the
rainbow appeared... but instead of being afraid for her life, Nightmare Moon
was struck with the overpowering desire to laugh.
The rainbow spat out by the Elements of Harmony was the size of a small
candy bar, and floating through the air lazily with mismatched and sickly
colors. It drifted on the wind like a leaf, and when it finally did reach
Nightmare Moon and struck her, the rainbow did not burn or hurt. Its only
effect was that it made that one small patch of her body feel slightly warmer
than the rest, rather pleasant sensation, actually.
Yet, as Nightmare Moon tried to contain her laughter from the pitiful display
by the Elements of Harmony, she was struck by a curious desire to teach
the show pony a lesson and have a little fun at the same time. Taking in a
deep breath, Nightmare Moon groaned loudly, as if in anguish, and then let
her body burst into indigo smoke which seemed to disappear into thin air.
To all ponies watching, it appeared she had been defeated.
It was a sight that left the crowd utterly stunned, turning back to look as the
six ponies that had used the Elements of Harmony were lowered back to
the ground. They landed gently, collapsing on the street and lying
motionless for a time.
Unlike the time with Twilight Sparkle, in which the six had never felt better,
they were now covered with scuffs and scratches. It was like the ancient
magic had worked against them, not with them. Trixie herself hastily
shoved the tiara off her head, throwing the valuable artifact into the dirt as
she rubbed the sides of her skull. Her head was pounding with the worst
headache she had ever felt in her life.
“Is... is it over?” Rarity asked, forcing herself to her hooves as she looked
around and saw no sign of Nightmare Moon.
“I... I reckon it is. I didn’t think it’ll be that easy a second time, or that Trixie
would actually be able to sub in for Twilight.”
“You doubted that I could be the new Bearer of the Element of Magic?” the
blue unicorn asked, despite her splitting head. “Don't you know, you can
always bet on the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
At that the town that had gathered, staring to celebrate and cheer
Nightmare Moon’s defeat. Soon Celestia and Luna would grace the town
with their presence. The moon would be lowered and the sun would rise
and everything would be normal. And, as sure as the sun would rise, Trixie
stood up and began to bask in the adulation, soaking it all in.
“Yes! Yes, celebrate ponies of Ponyville! For I, The Great and Powerful
Trixie, have saved Equestria all by herself! I truly am the greatest equine
who has ever lived!”
Very quickly the cheers from the crowd began to die, the Ponyville
residents beginning to remember why they didn’t particularly like the “Great
and Powerful” Trixie. Still, they wouldn’t let Trixie’s gloating ruin their
happiness. Nightmare Moon had been defeated, it was a day to celebrate.
Still, amongst the growing celebration, there was one pony who was crying.
“Fluttershy, Dear, what’s wrong?” Rarity asked, the four friends gathering
around the pegasus while Trixie continued to soak in the cheers from the
crowd.
“Yeah, sugarcube, no need for ya to be crying. Everythin’s going back to
normal again.”
“N-no it isn’t!” Fluttershy whimpered through tears. “Nyx... Nyx is gone
now... and Twilight will be so... so...”
Before anypony could offer the yellow pegasus a word of comfort, the
Bearers of the Elements of Harmony suddenly found themselves being
levitated into the air. An indigo tornado surrounded them, swirling and
spinning the six ponies as the tornado carried the six to the center of the
crowd, depositing the mares in a pile right on the front steps of the town
hall.
It took a moment for the six mares to recover from being spun around.
Pinkie Pie was the first to sit up, her eyes spinning.
“Did...did anypony get the license plate number of the chariot that hit us?”
The pink earth ponies question drew out a haughty laugh, the swirling
tornado of indigo moved away from the ponies and materializing into
Nightmare Moon. The alicorn glared down at the mares for a moment, her
eyes still glowing as all six of the Elements of Harmony floated gently inside
her mane. Yet, as her eyes returned to normal Nightmare Moon smiled.
For a moment Nightmare Moon considered enacting her revenge on the
mares who had just attacked her; that was what Nexus would have her do.
Still, she was feeling merciful, if only because the Elements of Harmony did
nothing to her. Maybe it was because they used the wrong mare or...
perhaps it was because of some other reason. At the moment, Nightmare
Moon didn’t really care why the Elements of Harmony hadn’t worked.
Instead, she focused her attention to the blue unicorn that actually believed
herself to be a match for Equestria’s new queen. It really was laughable;
Trixie wasn’t even in the same league as Twilight Sparkle, let alone an
alicorn like Nightmare Moon.
Trixie was still out of it, but was beginning to recover from being spun in a
tornado. She sat up and rubbed her head as Nightmare Moon loomed over
her. When unicorn finally opened her eyes, Trixie was staring straight into
the face of Nightmare Moon, who was grinning rather mischievously.
“Gotcha.” she whispered, making Trixie yelp and stumble back, flopping
down onto her flank.
“To celebrate your rather disappointing rebellion, I believe I will be taking a
trophy to remember this day.”
At that Nightmare Moon let her mane violently strike out at Trixie, making
her flinch as the tendrils of the black alicorn’s mane drew close. But
Nightmare Moon didn’t touch a hair on Trixie’s head, instead using her
magical mane to remove the show pony’s hat and cape.
“What? Afraid that I would take your pretty little head?” Nightmare Moon
sardonically asked. “Don’t worry, if I want that I’ll come back for it. Now, if I
remember Twilight's story correctly, this is the part where you realize what
a foal you've made of yourself and you run away.”
“Mark my words, you haven’t seen the last of me!” Trixie vowed. “For while
you may have won the battle, the war is far over! The Great and Powerful
Trixie never runs away, she only makes tactical retreats!”
At that, Trixie used her magic to summon a smoke screen, one that quickly
vanished as the show pony fled Ponyville in very much the same way she
had during the Ursa Minor incident. It left much of Ponyville’s crowd
groaning and smacking their faces with their hooves, most wondering why
they had actually believed Trixie was able to defeat an alicorn.
While the crowd was disappointed, Nightmare Moon was positively giddy,
reveling in her most recent success. The one thing left that could possibly
defeat her, the Elements of Harmony, were now in her possession. She
could now make sure they were never used again. The alicorn was so
thrilled, she couldn’t keep herself from having a little more fun.
Looking over the crowd of ponies that hung on her every word out of fear,
Nightmare Moon once again turn into an indigo cloud, swirling and
condensing before she re-materialized. Still, instead of a regal alicorn,
Nightmare Moon now had the exact appearance of Trixie herself, wearing
the very cape and hat she plucked from the mare but a few moments ago.
“Behold, Ponyville!” the shape shifted alicorn shouted out in Trixie’s own
voice. “I am the Weak and Cowardly Trixie! Thrill as I attempt to pretend
that sparklers and flashes of light are worthy of admiration! Be dazzled as I
bored you with speeches about my own unfounded belief in my own
abilities! Gasp as I turn tail and run at the first sign of danger!”
The Not-Trixie began to laugh haughtily, finding amusement at her own
joke. Still, the performance was met with utter silence, nopony in the crowd
offering as much as a chortle or giggle. The Not-Trixie looked out at the
frighten audience, first with a look of being hurt before her expression
contorted into one of annoyance.
“Hmph. Plebeians. You would think they would appreciate a mare that can
shape-shift at will.” Nightmare Moon grumbled as she changed back into
her normal appearance, the Elements of Harmony still in her mane while
Trixie’s hat and cape found a temporary home in her tail.
Still, with her impromptu attempt at celebrity roasting failing to earn even a
giggle, Nightmare Moon redirected her focus on the five remaining mares
that dared to opposed her. She expected them to be shocked, filled with
fear, to be trembling in her shadow... but they were, in fact, arguing
amongst themselves.
“I told you we shouldn’t have used her.” Rainbow Dash grumbled, glaring at
Applejack.
“Oh hush up you; she was the only unicorn we could find who had a special
talent for magic, and even that was a long shot.”
“So, my little ponies,” Nightmare Moon began, ending the disagreement
and forcing the five mares to take notice of her, “What am I going to do with
you?”
“Do whatever you want, you can’t make us talk!” Dash shouted defiantly.
“Yea!” Pinkie Pie agreed, only to look quizzically at Rainbow Dash a
moment later. “Wait, what would we talk to her about?”
“Pinkie Pie, Shhhh...”
Nightmare Moon chuckled.
“Your bickering alone is very amusing to me. How would you five like to be
my personal court jesters? I’ll even let you have visitation rights with
Twilight Sparkle.”
“Your Majesty, the law dictates that there is only one punishment for those
who dare to attack you.” One of her guards quickly offered with a respectful
bow. Nightmare Moon glared into empty space and sighed heavily, as if
somepony was interrupting her fun.
“Let me guess... this is one of Nexus’ laws.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And what does this law say?”
“That any pony that attacks your royal grace is to meet the gallows.”
“Did... did he just say... gallows?” Rarity offered in a hushed, disbelieving
whisper.
“He... he did Sugarcube.”
“But... but what about the animals at my cottage? There are some that
need their medicine. I have to go take care of them.” Fluttershy worried,
starting to tear up in a panic. “There is a little ferret that needs his
bandages changed and... and there are song birds that are just about
ready to take their first flight. What will happen if I’m not there to catch them
if they fall?”
“You be strong, Sugarcube. I promise all those little animals will get along
just fine,” Applejack tried to reassure. “Just... just like how Big Mac and
Apple Bloom and Granny Smith will get along. It will be hard, specially
when the next Apple Bucking season comes. Don’t think Big Macintosh will
be able to handle all them trees himself... but Apple Bloom's gettin’ big.
She’ll be buckin’ apples any year now... she’ll be able to help.”
“But... but I can’t go to the gallows! I just can’t! Who will...who will look after
Sweetie Belle? I’m...I’m the only family she has left...”
“And... and who will throw the parties when I’m gone?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Who's going to make the cake when I'm gone? The Cakes will have their
anniversary party soon, and there is a wedding party that we have to cater,
and then there is a birthday party for Lyra, and...”
"This isn't fair...” Dash complained, trying hard not to sob or cry, even
though the tears were starting to form. “I was going to go to the Wonderbolt
tryouts this summer... I was going to be a Wonderbolt. And I promised
Scootaloo that I would teach her how to fly next year when her wings were
stronger...I promised her that I would...who's going to teach her now?
And...and who's going to clear the weather in Ponyville if I'm not around?"
Nightmare Moon watched as all five ponies began to break down, many
beginning to cry as they realized the cost their attempted rebellion would
bring. As she watched them, she felt a tightness forming in her chest as
she focused in on what each was saying, of all the lives that would be
effected if the five were forced to face the gallows.
Nightmare Moon couldn’t help it. For some reason, some reason she
couldn’t explain, she... she hated the thought of sending those five to the
gallows. She... didn’t want to see that happen to them. Just the thought of it
was making her lip quiver and her eyes start to tear up, especially when
she thought about how Twilight would react if she heard the news.
Nightmare Moon quickly used her mane to subtly dry her tears, reforming
her steely composure. She had decided what to do with the five who dared
to opposed her.
“Shall we take them into custody, Your Majesty?” The guards asked,
moving a few steps towards the five mares, only to suddenly be stopped by
Nightmare Moon’s wings.
“No, you are to let them go.”
“WHAT!?”
The question had come from not just the guards, but the five mares as
well... who stared up at Nightmare Moon in disbelief.
“I said that you are to let them go! I am officially pardoning them as my first
act as Queen of Equestria.”
“But, my Queen, the law says-”
“AM I, OR AM I NOT, YOUR QUEEN?!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “Now,
return to the castle and inform Nexus I want him to take me through all the
new laws he’s enacted. Every single one of them! And let him know that if
he dares enact any more laws without my permission or consent, that I will
consider it an act of treason!”
“But my Queen, we aren’t supposed to leave your side for any-”
“NOW!!!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, her angry shout punctuated by a
lightning bolt directed at the hooves of the guards, making them jump into
the air and take off, soaring as fast as their wings could take them to the
now-above ground castle. Nightmare Moon kept her eyes on the guards for
a few more moments before turning her gaze down on the five mares.
“You’re... you’re letting us go... just like that?” Rarity asked in disbelief.
“It is a repayment of kindness, and nothing more,” Nightmare Moon
answered coldly as she spread her wings. “For the kindness you showed
me when I was but a cowardly filly, I am now sparing your lives.
“Do not expect the same mercy should you try and rise up against me
again.”
With those final words, the black alicorn took flight. She circled once over
Ponyville, looking down at the crowd and seeing their fear filled eyes. She
then turned in the direction of her freshly-risen castle, the Elements of
Harmony, along with Trixie’s hat and cape, floating in her magical mane
and tail as the alicorn flew away.
===========
With a flutter of wings, Nightmare Moon landed on her bedroom balcony,
stepping inside. She floated the Elements of Harmony to a nearby dresser,
tucking them away along with the pieces of her armor, removing her helmet
last and hanging it off a stud in the wall. The cape and hat of Trixie she
simply tossed onto a table, the alicorn intending to deal with them later.
Using a wet cloth from her vanity, she cleaned away her eye shadow. The
now simply-black Nightmare Moon gently laid down on her bed, breathing
out slowly. The past few hours had been physically, mentally, and
emotionally exhausting... but yet, as the alicorn tried to rest, she found
sleep would not come easily.
Her mind began to turn, go over the alicorn’s actions of the past few
hours... Nightmare Moon struggling to understand her recent choices.
First, she didn’t attack the guards. They could have easily sent the entire
Children of Nightmare at the castle and seized it by force. In fact, that was
what the royal guard expected her to do, to be a direct threat to them.
But.... she hated that plan. She knew that somepony on both sides would
have gotten hurt... so she instead used her magic to become a few dozen
ponies, ordinary ponies, and spent time as recruits. She trained, got a taste
of what it was like to be a defender of Equestria... and even got to know
some senior guards, even if just a little bit. Got to hear about their wives
and husbands, their fathers and mothers, their sons and daughters... and
once she heard that, the only way she could attack was by the least painful
non-lethal weapon she had, an ability to put other ponies to sleep.
Second, she didn’t kill Celestia or Luna. Why did she spare them? They
were still a threat to her; they would always be a threat to her. Even if they
were locked away in the sun and moon, they would find a way to get out. It
would have been smarter to just kill them, but... no, she hadn't done it. She
couldn’t do it. Even though it would have made her rule truly eternal, she
chose not to kill them, even when they had expected her to.
She didn’t even attack head on. She held back on Celestia until she
challenged her, and she even went easy on Luna, only attacking until the
moon princess' swords backfired like Celestia's. It was a moderately painful
defeat, but far less than if Luna had actually be struck by Nightmare Moon's
sword
She went easy on them... and, after that, she let Twilight’s friends go
completely unpunished. Those six together were the greatest threat to her
rule. It would have made more sense to take them out... permanently.
But she hadn’t. When they started to worry about not being there for their
family and friends, Nightmare Moon felt an emotion she didn’t remember
feeling when she first faced them, when their paths had crossed in the
Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters... back when she was still just a
shade of Luna.
Compassion.
She honestly, truly, did not want to kill them, not only because they had
friends and families that would have been devastated, not only because it
would have broke Twilight’s heart, but...she truly did not want to see
anypony face the gallows.
She didn’t want to kill... she had no desire to kill. Even if somepony
attacked her, even if somepony hated her, she... didn’t want to kill. She
didn’t want to see anypony die at her hooves if she could help it. She was...
was... was afraid to see anypony die.
Nightmare Moon violently shook her head, standing up tall, regal and
proud. Afraid? What did she had to be afraid of? She was no longer that
scared, crybaby Nyx. She was Nightmare Moon: Eternal Queen of
Equestria, the Bringer of the Night Eternal! She was the sole alicorn left in
the world, the most powerful pony that ever lived and would ever live! She
had nothing to be afraid of; NOTHING!
She had won, in all aspects her victory was absolute. She had everything
she had ever wanted. Celestia and Luna were banished to the sun and
moon respectively. She now held the Elements of Harmony, the one force
that could defeat her. She was now the one true Queen of Equestria, and
she would reign for millennia to come. And there was no other alicorn or
unicorn powerful enough to challenge her magic, magic that was
practically, as far as the average pony was concerned, all-powerful.
It was her victory... so then why did it felt so hollow?
Chapter 14
Once a Crusader
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
Cheerilee looked up from her book, not expecting any company. The
teacher was curled up with a blanket in her home, a fire roaring in the
fireplace. Nightmare Moon had taken over Equestria one week ago, and,
without the sun’s warmth, the kingdom had been slowly getting colder and
colder. At the moment, the air outside was still mildly bearable. Cheerilee,
however, doubted that would last for much longer.
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
The second set of knocks drew Cheerilee out of the warm sport she had
made for herself on the couch. She moved to the door, checking through
the peep hole first. She never used to worry about which ponies were on
her doorstep, but ever since Nightmare Moon took power... well, she didn’t
feel as safe as she used to.
However, the ponies on her doorstep were not royal guards, Nightmare
Moon, or anypony that looked dangerous. It was instead three familiar
fillies, who Cheerilee quickly opened the door for.
“Girls, what are you doing out here in the dark?” The mulberry pony asked
with a smile.
“It’s always dark now.” Scootaloo replied, standing beside Sweetie Belle
and Apple Bloom on Cheerilee's front step.
“Oh... I guess that’s true. Still, what can I do for you three?”
“Cheerilee, can we ask you some questions?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I’ve
been trying to get Rarity to tell me what’s going on, but she won’t say
anything.”
“The same with Applejack and Big Macintosh.”
“And my parents too,” Scootaloo finished.
Cheerilee smile weakened.
“Girls... I really don’t think its my place, especially if your families don’t-”
“Please, Cheerilee!” The three Crusaders begged in unison.
“Oh... okay. Still, why don’t you come inside?” Cheerilee suggested,
stepping back to let the fillies in. “Can’t have you three standing outside in
the cold.”
Once the Crusaders were inside, Cheerilee pulled her door shut and
rubbed one of her legs to drive away the chill. She guided the fillies to her
living room, letting them jump up onto her couch while she leapt up onto a
smaller chair, grabbing up a free blanket and wrapping herself in it.
“So Girls, what questions did you want to ask me?”
“We wanted to know what happened to Nyx,” Apple Bloom explained.
“Yeah, how did she get so big? Why does she look like, and call herself,
Nightmare Moon?” Scootaloo asked.
“And why is she making it dark all the time?” Sweetie Belle added.
“Girls... I really don’t think I-” Cheerilee began, but her final protest died in
her mouth as she saw the concern in the eyes of the three fillies she had
brought into her home.
She didn’t want to do this. She would have much rather lied and said that
Nyx was just confused...and...if she could be hopeful for a moment, maybe
that was the case. Maybe Nyx was still alive in the monster that took over
Equestria. It was hard to imagine a filly as sweet, innocent, and timid as her
becoming...
Cheerilee sighed. She didn’t want to do it, but they needed to know the
truth, even if their family didn’t think they were ready to hear it. But at the
very least, she could try not to make them panic too much by
overemphasizing what was going on...maybe give them a little bit of
hope...because it was a hope that Cheerilee was holding onto herself.
“Girls, I’m only telling you this because you’re really concerned about your
friend...but you have to promise me that you won’t tell your families what I
will tell you. Can you do that for me?”
The three fillies nodded their heads, eager to learn anything they could
about why their friend was looking and acting the way she was.
“Now, I don’t claim to understand it all myself, but...it seems that the reason
Nyx looks and acts like Nightmare Moon is because...she was Nightmare
Moon all along.”
“This whole time?”
“No way; Nyx isn’t like that at all, is she?”
“Again, I’m not sure exactly what happened... but, from what I’ve heard,
Nightmare Moon became a filly, and that filly was Nyx, your friend. Twilight
told me she was her cousin, but...I’m suspecting that was just what Twilight
said to cover up the truth.”
“But....even if Nyx is Nightmare Moon, why would she make it dark all the
time? She always liked it when the sun was out.”
Cheerilee sighed, once again trying to think very carefully on how to phrase
her words. She wanted to tell them the truth as she understood it, that
when Nyx became Nightmare Moon, she remembered all her old desires
and wishes... but that seemed too harsh of a truth for the fillies.
Cheerilee decided she sugar coat the truth a little for them.
“I think Nyx is just confused, Dears. Wouldn’t you be confused if you
suddenly found yourself all grown up, with a lot of strange memories,
magical powers, and a bunch of ponies calling you Queen?” Cheerilee
offered, hoping the three fillies would accept her explanation.
“I... guess that makes sense,” Sweetie Belle said.
“You see, Girls, when Nyx grew up, she remembered who she used to be,
which was a very different pony than the one we got to know. Now, she’s
just confused about who she is, and she just doesn’t really know which
pony she is supposed to be. So... she’s being the pony she used to be...
has memories of being. Its also, unfortunately, the mare everypony expects
her to be... which is Nightmare Moon.”
“But...if she’s just confused...that means she could be Nyx again, right?
Maybe she doesn’t like being Nightmare Moon.”
“Y-yeah! I mean, if she was really Nightmare Moon, she wouldn’t have let
my Big Sis and her friends go. That proves she is still Nyx!”
Cheerilee tried to give a hopeful smile, even though it was hard to smile
these days.
“I hope so, Girls. I hope that Nyx will remember not who she used to be as
Nightmare Moon, but who she used to be when she was your friend.
Maybe...maybe she just needs some time to think about things. I bet, as
soon as she's figured a few things out, she’ll eventually put things back to
the way they were.
“Now, do you have any other questions?”
“No, Cheerilee.” The three chimed, almost like they were back in class.
“Okay; Now, why don’t you run along and go play? Oh, and please make
sure to shut the door when you leave.”
The three fillies nodded, jumping down from Cheerilee’s couch and offering
some quick “Thank You’s”, before leaving their teacher’s home. Lining up
side to side, the three fillies walked down the street together.
“I feel bad for Nyx,” Scootaloo said, glancing at her two friends. “I can’t
imagine what it would be like to be confused about who you are.”
“Yea, it’s like having a different cutie mark on each of your flanks. You
wouldn’t know if your special talent was supposed to be one or the other.”
Sweetie Belle agreed.
“Too bad we can’t do anything to help her.”
“Yea, too bad.”
The unicorn and pegasus filly continued to walk, not noticing that their third
friend had stopped dead in her tracks. When they did take notice, they
looked back to see Apple Bloom staring at the ground, like she was
thinking about something.
“Hey, Apple Bloom... you okay?”
The farm filly was quiet for a few moments more before snapping her head
up.
“Crusaders, we have a friend who doesn’t know who she is.” Apple Bloom
stated, speaking like a general to her troops. “A fellow Crusader in that big
nasty castle that is confused, and you know what she needs?”
“Um... no.” Sweetie Belle replied, not understanding why Apple Bloom was
acting or speaking the way she was.
“Well, I do. She needs somepony to remind her who she is. To remind her
that she has friends, friends that want to be able to play with her in the
sunshine again. And Crusaders, we’re just the ponies to do it.”
Scootaloo smiled, getting into the attitude.
“Yea, let’s go show Nyx that Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together no matter
what!”
“Guys, you do realize Nyx is in that big scary castle, and that the castle
guarded by all those big scary ponies in armor, right?” Sweetie Belle
pointed out.
“So? We’ll just sneak past the guards.”
“Yea... we could be Cutie Mark Crusader,” Scootaloo began, only to fall
silent and look over at her friends. “Uh, what’s a pony called when they
sneak into places like a castle?”
“Boogie Mare?”
“No.”
“Infiltrator?”
“Close, but no...”
“Spy?”
“That’s it!” Scootaloo said with a bounce. “We’ll be Cutie Mark Crusader
Spies!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at this, the three ponies high-
hoofing before quickly running.
==========
Nightmare Moon descended a spiraling stone staircase of her castle,
thankful that she was not constantly flanked by guards when she was in her
own home. The past week had all been about transferring the power over
Equestria from the Royal Pony Sisters to her. Members of the Children of
Nightmare were put into important positions of power, if they weren’t
already in such positions, and the government, while shaky, was once
again turning.
Nexus dealt with most of the politics, something Nightmare Moon was
thankful for... though she still kept a careful eye on what he was doing.
After discovering that he had levied a number of new laws, each of which
were punishable with death, Nightmare Moon had the laws re-written on
the spot, despite Nexus’s protests.
Yes, she would need to keep a closer eye on what he was doing.
At the moment, however, court was over. It was past 6:00 pm, and the
castle was ending business for the day. Nightmare Moon would be
expected in the dinning hall soon for dinner, to speak with lords and ladies
who had sided with her new regime... all of which had her turquoise eyes. A
sign that Nexus was spreading what he called her “blessing” around quite
freely.
Nightmare Moon was starting to get a little sick of seeing everypony around
her with the same colored eyes. She decided that as soon as she was
done here, she was going to tell Spell Nexus that she wasn’t going to
attend dinner, that she just wasn’t in the mood. She was Equestria’s queen,
what was he going to do?
Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Nightmare Moon pushed the
thoughts from her mind and strode down the dimly lit hallway. She was
down in her castle dungeons, passing by the many empty cells until she
reached the one at the very end... the only occupied cell.
Twilight Sparkle sat up from her cot, having wrapped herself tightly in the
blanket. Twilight was unharmed, but still bore one sign of her imprisonment.
A metal collar was secured to the unicorn’s neck, something that blocked
her magic. It ensured the unicorn could not escape through her
teleportation spell or even by levitating a key.
“I trust the guards have been treating you as I ordered.”
“They bring me my meals and nothing else,” Twilight replied softly.
“Good. That’s... good.” Nightmare Moon said as she looked away, not able
to bring herself to look at Twilight... not when she was like this. “And are
your injuries healed?”
“My ankle is still a little tender, but I’m fine............ How are you doing?”
“I am perfectly fine. I am the Queen of Equestria. Everypony is enjoying the
beauty of an eternal night, the Children of Nightmare are settling into
control of the government, and Equestria is mine to rule. I couldn't be
happier.”
“You don't sound happy.”
“What would you know about how I sound when I'm happy?”
“Because I've seen you happy, Nyx. I've heard you laugh, seen you smile.
You may say you’re happy, but I can tell you’re not.”
“You don't know what you’re talking about,” Nightmare Moon snipped, “I
told you, I'm happy. I have achieved my goals, and I am now the Queen of
Equestria. I have made the night last forever... and that makes me happy.”
“Nyx, please... if you don't like what you’re doing, then stop. You don't have
to be Nightmare Moon. You don't have to do any of this.”
“And what would you have me do, Twilight? Give up the crown? Release
Celestia and Luna?”
“Yes.” Twilight answered, pulling herself out from underneath her blanket
and moving to the cell door, getting as close as she could to Nightmare
Moon.
“Then you would have me sign away my own freedom. The moment
Celestia and Luna are free, they will work together to make sure I take their
place... and I will not spend another thousand years banished to the moon.
It is too late to go back now, Twilight, even if I wanted to.”
“But... do you want to?”
“No... because I know there is no going back. There is no forgiveness.
That’s what you and Celestia have taught me, your final lesson as the mare
I once called mother. No matter how good I behaved, no matter how good
of pony I was... I was marked by the mare I used to be. I am Nightmare
Moon, because that is the only thing I can ever be... because that’s the only
thing anypony can ever see.”
Nightmare Moon had enough, turning and striding down the hall towards
the staircase. Twilight watched the alicorn for as long as she could,
pressing her face up against the bars. The unicorn listened until she
couldn’t hear hoofsteps anymore before she finally moved away from the
cell door, climbing back into her cot and wrapping herself in her blanket.
And like the few other times Nightmare Moon had come to visit, Twilight
found herself crying without even realizing it. The unicorn wiped the tears
from her face, lying down on her side as she rested her head on her pillow,
letting the tears form a damp spot in the fabric.
She didn’t see Nightmare Moon... she saw her daughter, confused and
lost... and Twilight cried. She cried because she didn’t know what she could
say or do to help Nyx find herself.
==========
“Halt, who goes there?” A guard snapped from the top of the castle
gatehouse.
“Apple delivery,” Big Macintosh called up to the guards, the great red
stallion hooked to a wagon filled with apples. “Y’all ordered them
yesterday.”
The guards on the top of the gatehouse flipped through some paperwork,
but then poked their heads over the edge again. “Proceed. Unload the
wagon just inside the gate and then leave. You got that?”
“Eeyup.” was all Big Macintosh offered in reply, watching as the castle
gates opened before pulling his cart inside. As the farm pony was
instructed, he unloaded the baskets of apples and then left, the gate sliding
shut behind him. Once the cart was gone, servants from the castle’s
kitchen came out to fetch the baskets of apples, carry them inside, and
place them in the pantry for storage.
Once all the apples were moved, The last of the kitchen servants shut the
light off in the pantry as he left, pulling the door shut with a click. For a time,
the inside of the pantry was pitch black and utterly quiet... but after a single
minute of that silence, a rustling sound began to filter through the air. A
sound punctuated with the sound of apples hitting the floor.
“Coast is clear.”
After some straining and grunting, a light flared to life in the room. The light
sat at the very tip of a little white unicorn horn, the horn attached to the
head of Sweetie Belle. The little white filly was poking her head out from a
basket of apples, looking around the room. Apple Bloom was already out of
her own basket of apples, the yellow filly pulling out her Cutie Mark
Crusader cape, while, from a third basket, Scootaloo popped into view.
“This was an awesome plan, Apple Bloom!”
“Thanks,” The farm filly replied. “It’s a good thing I overheard Applejack and
Big Macintosh talkin’ about the delivery to the castle. I don’t know how we
would have gotten in otherwise.”
“But now what do we do, now that we’re here?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Simple. If Nyx is in the castle, she has to eat sometime, right? Well, that’s
the best part about us bein’ in the kitchen and it bein’ so close to dinner
time. We’ll just wait until somepony makes her dinner-”
"Then we’ll use our super spy skills to follow that pony, and she will lead us
right to Nyx!” Scootaloo offered before striking a dramatic, kung-fu pose.
“But... we aren’t even in the kitchen. We’re in a pantry, and we don’t have
super spy skills,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
“Well... it’s still a solid plan.”
“Hey, get some of those apples,” a fourth voice spoke from outside the
door.
The three fillies jumped, ducking d into a corner of the pantry and hiding
behind some bags of potatoes as the door opened. One of the kitchen
workers stepped inside, lingering for only a moment as he grabbed one of
the baskets of apples. He then turned to leave, letting the door swing shut
under its own weight.
The door was about to snap shut again when Scootaloo bolted out of the
hiding place got her hoof in the way. She winced a little as the heavy door
hit her hoof, but the orange pegasus had succeeded in keeping the door
cracked open. The other two fillies quickly moved over beside Scootaloo,
the three peaking out the crack in the door.
There seemed to be two sides to the kitchen. On one side, a team of chef
ponies were making a bunch of very plain looking meals, food being mass
produced in large quantities. On the other side of the kitchen, however, one
chef worked diligently on a few smaller plates, stacking them with much
more delicious looking food.
“I bet that’s Nyx’s dinner.” Scootaloo whispered, pointing at the chef
working away from all the others.
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, she’s supposed to be queen or something like that, and I never seen
food like that. So, it must be something really fancy, and queens eat fancy
food.”
“Makes sense to me,” Sweetie Belle remarked.
“But how are we gonna follow him to where Nyx is?”
“Look, he’s putting some of the plates onto that cart. We’ll just take one of
those big silver things he’s using to cover the plates with and hide on the
bottom of the cart.”
“But how are we going to get that lid?” Apple Bloom asked. The answer,
this time, came from Sweetie Belle. The little unicorn grunted and shut her
eyes tight as her horn began to glow. Shakily, one of the largest silver plate
covers began to float up into the air, moving lazily along the ceiling towards
where the crusaders were hiding. It dipped and bobbed a number of times
as Sweetie Belle struggled to keep the item lifted, but it remained aloft.
“That’s it, just a little closer.”
“I... I can’t... do it.”
“Come on Sweetie Belle, just a little farther.”
“I... I just... can’t.” Sweetie Belle answered, her magical grasp on the silver
lid breaking. The lid dropped like a rock, landing on the floor with a clatter.
The abrupt noise caused many of the cooks in the kitchen to jump, and
soon all eyes were on the silver cover.
The nearest cook, the one who had been preparing the fancy food, trotted
over to the silver plate cover. He picked up the lid magically, looking
beneath it and expecting to find some ruined food. Still, there was nothing
there... but as the cook lifted his eyes, he noticed the pantry door was
open.
Curiosity getting the best of him, the chef used his magic to open the pantry
door while he kept the serving dish lid in the air beside him. He looked all
around the pantry, but when he saw nothing he looked back at the other
chefs and shrugged. With no apparent explanation for where the lid had
come from, the chefs in the kitchen went back to their tasks, writing off the
event as a mystery.
The chef that currently held the mysterious plate cover went back to work
as well, picking up a particularly large plate, laid out elegantly with a
number of sugary desserts, with his magic . He took the lid, and, after using
a wash cloth to clean the bottom rim, he placed it on the plate of desserts.
He then gently set both the plate and lid down on the bottom of the serving
cart before getting back to his cooking.
“Whew... nice move, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom whispered, she and the
other fillies beneath the lid now set atop the dessert plate.
In the last possible moment, the orange pegasus had grabbed her two
friends and dove out of the pantry. The serving lid had come down right on
top of the trio, and, by pressing their legs against interior sides, the trio
managed to keep themselves inside the silver lid, even as it was lifted off
the ground.
Still, now that they were on their way to Nyx, the trio let themselves get
down from the inside of the lid, carefully stepping around the deserts on the
plate the lid was now covering.
“Man, these sure do look good.” Scootaloo offered, once Sweetie Belle had
made her horn light up, letting the fillies see the sweets they were standing
amongst. “You... you think Nyx would mind if we had some?”
“She always liked to share the treats she brought to school with us,” Apple
Bloom offered.
“Yeah, and now she has a whole kitchen of ponies to make her all the
sweets she wants.”
The three fillies smiled at each other for a few more moments before
turning their attention down to the pastries beneath them, licking their lips.
==========
“Your dinner, Your Majesty,” The waiter pony Horte Cuisine offered,
pushing the dinner cart into Nightmare Moon’s bedroom. “The royal chef
also prepared a selection of desserts for you. They are on the plate on the
bottom of the cart.”
“Thank you, you can just leave it there,” The black alicorn replied, having
only just arrived back in her room herself, caught in the process of
removing her shoes. Horte Cuisine just offered a nod in reply, backing out
of the room with a bow before pulling the door shut. Nightmare Moon only
sighed at the sight, having already grown tired with the constant pomp and
circumstance the castle staff went through.
Having cleaned off her eye shadow, the now all-natural Nightmare Moon
moved over to the food cart, horn glowing as she lifted a lid off her dinner
proper. The royal chef had, of course, taken her very simple request and
turned it into some artful bit of overly fancy food. The sandwich was cut into
weird angles and stacked like some fancy piece of art. Her side salad had
also suffered, the green leaves garnished with strange looking flowers.
The only thing that looked simple was the soup; then again, it’s hard to
mess up soup.
Leaving the sandwich and salad, Nightmare Moon took up the soup in her
magic, levitating it over to the bed with her as she went to resume her
reading. The one benefit she had come to enjoy as Equestria’s new queen
was access to the royal library. Some of the books she had been able to
read were amazing... one of the few things that brought her comfort...
despite the few times the books inspired lingering memories of the
Ponyville library, Spike, and Twilight.
Holding the soup with her magic, Nightmare Moon drew out a spoonful and
drank it gently, Rarity's lessons in etiquette lingering with the alicorn,
despite everything that had happened. She did not slurp and did not spill:
she ate the soup like a proper mare.
AAAchoo!
Caught off guard, Nightmare Moon almost dropped the whole bowl of soup.
By a small stroke of luck she managed to save it, but not before spilling a
few drops of soup on her bedspread. The alicorn furrowed her eyebrows at
the mess. With a bit of magic she drew up the soup from the fabric,
levitating it over to the garbage. Nightmare Moon then set the bowl down
on a nearby table, turning her eyes to the source of the sneeze she had
heard.
It was the dinner cart, specifically the dessert tray on the bottom. Climbing
out of bed, Nightmare Moon strode over to the cart and lowered her head
down, bringing her ear close to the silver lid that covered what was
supposedly a plate of desserts. She listened for a moment, and was able to
discern tiny voices whispering beneath the lid.
Eyebrows furrowing further, Nightmare Moon grabbed up the tray with her
magic and carried it to the bed. She placed it directly in the center before
spreading her wings, the alicorn preparing to face whatever was under the
lid.
She lifted the lid off in a single, abrupt motion, revealing three tiny figures.
Three fillies, covered in crumbs from long eaten desserts and looking up at
her, startled by how abruptly their hiding place had been uncovered.
The fear in the filly's eyes, however, was replaced with happiness as the
three red cape-wearing crusaders smiled and jumped up, moving to the
edge of the bed, completely un-intimidated by Nightmare Moon’s staunch
stance, and wide spread wings.
“See? I told you we’d find her,” Scootaloo said. “My plan was just that
awesome.”
“It was sure was!” Apple Bloom cheered. “And boy Nyx, you sure got big!
You’re as tall as Princess Celestia!”
“Um... we’re sorry if we ate your food. We... kind of missed dinner,” Sweetie
Belle apologized, the little white unicorn gently tapping her hooves
together.
“Yea, sorry about that.” Scootaloo added, rubbing the back of her neck.
“You aren’t too mad, are you?”
Mad? Nightmare Moon was honestly unable to process anything at the
moment. She was still as a statute, mind and body locked up like a
machine with a wrench thrown into its gears. Her jaw hung open, and her
turquoise, dragon like eyes had narrowed as she stared down at the three
little fillies that had managed to find their way to her bedroom without being
detected by the guards.
“Whoa... Nyx, is this your room?” Apple Bloom asked, the filly looking
around the space in awe. “It's so... big.”
“And beautiful.”
“Well, Nyx isn’t exactly as small as us anymore,” Scootaloo pointed out.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle, look over there. She has a vanidy mirror like your
sister.”
“It’s called a vanity mirror.” The little unicorn corrected, the three fillies
jumping down from the bed and scampering over to the mirror, jumping up
onto the surface and looking at their reflections.
“Oh, I got crumbs in my mane and my tail,” Sweetie Belle whined, using a
bit of her magic to try and clear the crumbs away.
“Well, that's what you get in sittin’ in one of the desserts,” Apple Bloom said
flatly.
“It wasn’t my fault! The cart shook. At least I didn’t eat it, like Scootaloo
did.”
“What? It was still good... just a little smushed,” The orange pegasus
defended as she opened a small makeup box that was on the top of the
vanity, taking notice of the large amount of purple eyeshadow inside.
“Wow, that’s a lot of makeup. Didn’t know you were into-”
Scootaloo did not get to finish her sentence as the makeup box was
snapped shut by Nightmare Moon’s mane. The black alicorn rushed over to
where the three little filly’s were, looking down at them with panicked eyes.
“I-I’m not! It’s just that everypony here keeps expecting me to-”
Nightmare Moon caught herself, giving her head a firm shake. No...no, she
couldn’t talk like that anymore. Even if they were her friends... were once
her friends... that wasn’t who she was anymore.
“What are you three doing here?” she asked, voice firm, but not harsh.
“We wanted to help you so you weren’t so confused,” Apple Bloom said as
she and the other crusaders turned away from the mirror and looked at
Nightmare Moon. The alicorn still had a significant height advantage, even
though the fillies were standing on top of her vanity table, but the fillies
either didn't care or didn't notice.
“Confused?”
“Yea,” Sweetie Belle answered. “Cheerilee said that you were confused
about who you were, and so you were trying to be the pony other ponies
expected you to be.”
“And that’s why you made it so that the sun doesn’t come up. Because
you’re confused,” Apple Bloom added.
“So we decided to come help you remember who you are, so you're not
confused anymore. After all, Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together.”
“We even brought you a cape!” Sweetie Belle chirped, the little unicorn
sticking her head beneath her own cape before bringing out a fourth small
little red cape, with the blue Cutie Mark Crusader emblem and the interior
made with golden fabric.
“We tried to bring your old one, but we couldn’t find it at the library. So, I
decided to make you a new one... though, now that I think about it... I
probably should have made it bigger,” Sweetie Belle admitted, holding up
the tiny cape to the princess-sized Nightmare Moon.
“Oh yea... a whole lot bigger,” Scootaloo said with a nod.
Nightmare Moon was again struck speechless, her eyes focused on the
little red cape. She gingerly lifted a hoof to it, Sweetie Belle letting the black
alicorn take it. Nightmare Moon held it up to her eyes, focusing on the
haphazardly sown blue emblem with a rearing, smiling, cap wearing yellow
filly on it.
*********
“Why are we going to the club house again? I thought we were going to go
and try to be Cutie Mark Crusader Couch Salesponies with Mr. Davenport,”
Nyx asked as she followed Apple Bloom to Sweet Apple Acres where, in a
more secluded, private part of the farm, was a simple club house. A hoof-
me-down from Applejack and current headquarters of the Cutie Mark
Crusaders.
“We are, but we need to go pick up something first,” The farm filly replied
before nosing open the door to the shop. She then stepped back, letting
Nyx walk in first. The little black filly didn't think much of it until she
suddenly found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle standing in front of her, big
smiles on their faces.
“Oh... hi everypony; I... I thought you were going to meet us at Sofa’s and
Quills.”
“We were, but first we got a surprise for you,” Scootaloo said, grinning ear
to ear.
“A surprise... oh, um, really? What is it?”
“First you gotta close your eyes, and keep them closed.”
Nyx closed her eyes as fast as she could, keeping them sealed tight even
as she felt something made of fabric fall on her back. She stood there,
biting her lower lip in anticipation, but she wouldn't let herself peek.
“May I look yet?”
“Yes!” Sweetie Belle chirped, and Nyx opened her eyes and looked back.
There, on her back, on top of her usual vest, was the signature red cape of
the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“Consider yourself an official Cutie Mark Crusader,” Applebloom
announced happily. Nyx looked over at the cape, a smile spreading onto
her face. That smile was soon joined by tears, Nyx's eyes gently leaking.
“Th-thank you....thank y-you so much...” She sputtered out, having to close
her eyes and wipe away some tears.
“Told ya she would cry.” Scootaloo teased with a grin on her face.
“Scootaloo! That’s mean!” Sweetie Belle chided, though she was surprised
to hear Nyx giggling a bit.
“It’s okay, I’m just... so happy to have three great friends like you.”
“And we’re glad to have you as our friend too.” Applebloom said with a
smile, a smile that all four fillies shared together as both friends and Cutie
Mark Crusaders.
*********
Nightmare Moon shook her head, reclaiming her thoughts from the memory
that had forced itself to the front of her mind. The three small crusaders
were still looking up her, smiling as they waited for the black alicorn’s
response. For a moment longer, Nightmare Moon looked at the little cape,
and then gently set it down on the side of the vanity.
“Girls... we need to talk.” Nightmare Moon spoke, neither as a friend nor as
a queen, but as an adult speaking seriously to children. She stepped away
from the vanity, motioning with a hoof for the fillies to follow her. Apple
Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo did just that, being lead across the
room to Nightmare Moon's bed. The three fillies jumped up first, sitting
down on the edge as Nightmare Moon climbed up and laid down on her
stomach, which brought her head at least somewhat closer to the heads of
the fillies she once called her friends.
“First of all, you shouldn’t have come here. You put yourself in a lot of
danger sneaking into the palace. If one of my guards had found you, it
would have been very bad... and I can’t imagine how worried everypony is,
since I know you didn't tell anypony where you were going.”
“Well, if we had, they would have stopped us.” Apple Bloom offered.
“For good reason.” Nightmare Moon scolded, causing the three fillies to
flatten their ears.
“W-we just... just wanted to help. We were worried about you.”
“I... I know Sweetie Belle... and I appreciate your concern. But I don’t need
help. I’m the Queen of Equestria now.”
“What about Celestia and Luna? What happened to them?”
“Hasn’t anypony told you?”
The three fillies hesitated, but eventually nodded their heads.
“Nopony has told us directly, but...sometimes we hear them whisperin’,”
Apple Bloom admitted. “They said you locked the princesses up in the sun
and moon, and you were the one makin’ it dark all the time. That isn’t true,
is it?”
“It....it is...I won’t lie to you, you...should know the truth.” Nightmare Moon
said with a sigh, afraid of how her former friends would act.
“But...why would you do that?
“It’s... it’s complicated, Scootaloo,” Nightmare Moon replied, trying to
defend herself against the fillies. “I... I-I have a lot of expectations that I
have to live up to.”
“That’s what Cheerilee said too.”
“She did?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Yea, she said that, since you don’t really know the
pony you’re supposed to be, you’re being the pony others expect you to
be.”
“But that’s why were here,” Scootaloo added. “To remind you who you
really are.”
“And... and... who am I to you three, now that I’m like this?” Nightmare
Moon asked, partially fearing the answer.
“Well...you did look scary the other night...” Scootaloo said, making
Nightmare Moon close her eyes and lower her head in shame.
“But now that we’re all here...you don’t seem that scary at all.”
Nightmare Moon quickly lifted her head back up, unable to believe what
she was hearing.
“I...I don’t?”
“Nope! I think you’re just confused, and if that’s true, then you’re still our
friend, Nyx. A pony that is really awesome at magic.”
“And a pony that’s also really good at school and is always ready to answer
Cheerilee’s questions.”
“And who is always really nice and fun to play with.”
The black alicorn was finding it difficult to breathe, a tightness in her chest
forming that she couldn’t shake away, no matter how hard she tried to
banish it with her thoughts.
“But... you do know who I am, right? You know why everypony calls
me....why I call myself Nightmare Moon.”
“Cheerilee said that you were always Nightmare Moon, but... we’ve never
really met Nightmare Moon. We’ve only ever known you, Nyx,” Apple
Bloom explained. “And I think you just need somepony to tell you that you
don’t have to be the bad pony everypony else expects you to be. You can
just be yourself, even if you do look like Nightmare Moon.”
“Yea, it doesn’t matter what a pony looks like on the outside. It’s who that
pony is on the inside that counts.”
“That, and getting a cutie mark,” Scootaloo added. “Hey! I bet you’ve got
your cutie mark! Oh, what is it? What is it!?”
“I... don’t have a cutie mark yet.” Nightmare Moon replied, looking back at
her utterly blank flank.
“Well, don’t worry about it, Nyx. Everypony finds their special talent sooner
or later. You’ll just have to keep crusading with us until you find it. After all,
that’s what the Cutie Mark Crusaders are all about,” Apple Bloom
reassured.
“I... I think... I think I would like that.” Nightmare Moon replied... letting
herself smile even the slightest bit... a smile that was wiped away when the
door to her bed chambers opened.
“I do apologize for this, my Queen, but there was something I wanted to-”
Nexus began, only for the unicorn to freeze up as he looked at the three
small fillies that were sitting on the Nightmare Moon’s bed.
==========
“They need to be made an example of,” Nexus grumbled, pacing around
anxiously. Before Nightmare Moon could stop him, the unicorn had called
for the guards. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were now held
out in the hallway, being held by her soldiers.
“They are fillies, Nexus, ones who were my friends when I was, myself, just
a cowardly filly. They meant no harm.”
“It is not the intent that matters, but the action taken. They snuck into your
castle, and were able to reach your bed chambers without detection. That
kind of trespassing cannot be allowed, or how long will it be before
assassins begin roaming these very halls? NO! They need to be made an
example of!”
“So what would you have me do? Let them hang from the gallows?”
“If that’s what it takes to ensure your rule as Queen is unquestioned, then
yes.” Nexus replied sternly. “I respect your wishes, my Queen, but, if I may
speak frankly, you have already shown far too much mercy. You’ve allowed
the mares who bore the Elements of Harmony to go free, when they should
be rotting in the dungeon with Twilight Sparkle at the very least. Now,
because of that, these three fillies believed they could just waltz up to you
like you are any regular pony... and such disrespect cannot be condoned.
“To put it simply, my Queen, we cannot just allow them to go unpunished.”
Nightmare Moon’s gaze turned into a glare as she fixed her dragon orbs on
Nexus. Her advisor was proving less loyal than she would have thought
possible, or perchance she was the one not meeting up to his expectations.
Still, there was no mistaking the intent in his eyes. If she ordered that the
fillies be set free... Nightmare Moon had little doubt that Nexus would make
an example of them all the same.
If she did not levy the punishment herself, then she would have no say in
what the punishment was. Still, she would have to place her words
carefully... or risk Nexus still taking things into his own hooves.
“Very well; they are to be imprisoned in the dungeon. Place them in the
same cell with Twilight Sparkle. Those three are small, and there is no
sense for us wasting cell space giving each their own. Offer them an
additional blanket and pillow; that is all they should need. They are not to
be touched or harmed... and hopefully, after a few weeks or months in the
dungeon, they will know proper respect for their queen.”
This answer seemed to please Spell Nexus, the unicorn offering a smile.
“Very good, Your Highness. I will have the guards escort them there
straight away.”
With that the royal advisor turned, and stepped out of the room. Nightmare
Moon shut and locked her bedroom door once Nexus left, and quickly
moved over to her writing desk. Drawing out a scroll, feather pen, and ink
bottle, the black alicorn began to write.
Twilight Sparkle,
On this evening, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle snuck into the
castle and managed to make it to my royal chambers. I would have sent
them home if Nexus had not discovered them. They are currently being
taken down to the dungeon, to be placed in your cell.
Please believe me when I say this: I would have set them free, but I fear
what actions Nexus would take if I had. He saw their act of coming to see
me as a sign of disrespect, one he demanded be punished. If I didn't
punish them myself, I truly fear he would have taken matters into his own
hooves.
So I have ordered them to be imprisoned, so that they will not come to
harm from Nexus. They will be placed in your cell, where I trust you will do
what you can to ensure they are safe until such time that I can release
them.
I know I have no right to ask favors of you at this point, but please protect
them. If you will not do this for me, than please do it for them.
Nightmare Moon
Nightmare Moon rolled the letter before taking hold of it with her mane. She
then let her whole body turned in into the inky, indigo cloud. She surged out
the window, zipping around the palace as she raced to beat Nexus and the
guards to the dungeon. It was, thankfully, an easy feat, the black alicorn
able to arrive well before her advisor.
Releasing the scroll from her magic, Nightmare Moon dropped her letter
right in front of Twilight Sparkle. The piece of parchments sudden
appearance startled Twilight, but her eyes quickly turned upward.
Nightmare Moon let the unicorn catch a glimpse of her smoky body before
slipping away, something that would hopefully inspire Twilight to read the
letter immediately.
Nightmare Moon then left, returning to her bedroom just in case Nexus
decided to return. Thankfully, the blue unicorn never came back, and, after
a time, the alicorn turned into smoke a second time and snuck back down
to the dungeon.
They were scared and confused, but her friends were okay. Twilight was
doing her best to comfort them and they seemed unharmed. It was a sight
that brought a wave of relief to Nightmare Moon, something that clung to
her mind as she returned to her bedroom and laid down to rest. Her friends
might hate her for locking them up, but it was more important to keep them
safe.
Returning to her room, Nightmare Moon laid down on her bed and let her
mind drift. For a time she pondered just how her friends had managed to
get into the castle, but that curiosity was being slowly pushed away by
more painful thoughts. Thoughts dredged up by the unexpected visit from
the crusaders. The most painful of those thoughts was a simple, single
truth that stung like a hateful bee in the alicorn's her brain.
She still didn’t have her cutie mark.
A cutie mark is supposed to appear when a pony finds that one thing that
makes them special, their special talent. Nexus had assured that after she
defeated the princesses, and took over Equestria, that her cutie mark
would appear. He promised that her special talent and destiny was to be
the Queen of Equestria... but if that was the truth, then why was she still a
blank flank?
What did it mean? Did it mean that everything she had done, everything
she accomplished... did it mean all that was for nothing? What was her
special talent supposed to be? Nexus said it was her destiny, and it was
the only thing she could remember wanting from her old memories. She
wanted Equestria, she wanted the eternal night... this was what she
wanted.
Yet... even that wasn’t true. Luna's words echoed in the alicorn's mind from
when the two had fought. Those were Luna’s thoughts and Luna’s desires.
It was her jealous rage that had once been the sole defining feature of
Nightmare Moon. They were her driving motivation when she was but a
shade or mental infection of the moon princess... but she wasn’t just a
shade anymore. She was a pony of her own, given life, breath, and blood
of her own.
And in that simple reality, where she was a mare of her own, Nightmare
Moon began to wonder what she was actually doing. Was she truly meant
to be the Queen of Equestria? Was she supposed to live up to the twisted
shadow that her past created?
For, if that was true, then why hadn’t her cutie mark appeared?
Chapter 15
Missing Joy
“I am a full grown mare, Nexus; explain how it is even possible?” Nightmare
Moon grumbled out, feeling exhausted after yelling for what was probably a
half hour.
The dark blue unicorn took an anxious step back, having been on the
receiving end of Nightmare Moon’s first royal rant. The three intruding fillies
had been placed in the dungeon the day before, and as soon as the castle
opened for business the next morning, Nightmare Moon went on a verbal
rampage. She stormed into the throne room, shouted for everypony else to
leave, and proceeded to chew out Nexus about one thing.
The thing that had nipped at her mind all night, haunted her dreams, and
hurt like an old wound that had been ripped open by the visit from the Cutie
Mark Crusaders.
Her utter lack of a cutie mark.
“Your... Your Highness, I’m certain there is an explanation,” Nexus replied,
doing his best to try and calm Nightmare Moon without inviting her wrath at
the same time. “After all, while you have obtained the title of queen, you
have left much of the monotony of the job to me, a task I am glad to take.
Still, perhaps your flank remains as it is simply because you have not taken
a more active role in ruling.”
“And what is a queen supposed to do when she rules?”
“If... if I may be so bold as to speak about your predecessor, Princess
Celestia would fairly regularly hold court in her castle. Ponies would come
to make requests of the throne, and she would decided whether their
request was worthy of not only her attention, but the attention of the
kingdom as a whole.”
“And if my special talent is to be queen, this will make my mark appear?”
“Most certainly, Your Highness.”
“Then announce that I shall be holding court every day, from when the
castle opens in the morning to when it closes at night. Let it be known that
it will be this way until I deem otherwise or until my cutie mark appears.”
==============
The proclamation was made within the hour, messenger pegasi flying out
to every corner of Equestria with news that the land’s new queen was
opening her court to the public. And come the ponies did, some traveling
from the farthest reaches of the kingdom. When Nightmare opened her
castle for the first day of her court, she was surprised to see the line
stretched all the way to Ponyville, where many of the more distant travelers
had made their temporary lodging.
They stood outside, forming a line long before the castle opened, despite
the continuing, growing chill of the night eternal. They had bundled up in
winter saddles, boots and scarves, despite the fact the calendar said it was
supposed to be midsummer. They had all come to see her... and for a
moment, Nightmare Moon dared to believe that maybe she was destined to
be queen.
The black alicorn nestled herself into throne the last minute before her
court was to begin. The ponies from outside had already been let onto the
castle ground, the line moving forward so its front now sat just beyond the
throne room doors. Nightmare Moon adjusted her armor and even took a
moment to preen an out of place feather on her wings, wanting to greet the
first pony who came through the door in all her regal beauty.
The clock clicked to the next minute, a few of the grander clocks in the
castle chiming out the hour. With the last chime, the doors to the throne
room opened, servants guiding the line of ponies through. They came to a
stop half way across the throne room, the many ponies who had come
looking upon their queen with wide eyes, all of which Nightmare Moon
could see danced with fear.
The first in the line stepped forward, a pony farmer that Nightmare Moon
found vaguely familiar. His cutie mark was of several carrots lying on their
side, and, while he wore a large brimmed hat, he quickly removed it once
he reached the foot of her throne.
“It is an honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty. I am Danver, and my
family runs a carrot farm just outside of Ponyville.”
“You are the neighbors to the Apple family, correct?”
“Yes, your... uh... glorious Majesty.” Danver replied, needing a moment to
find an appropriate compliment.
“And what request do you bring to this court?”
“I... I... I...”
“Speak, Danver Carrot.”
“I... I would request that you would raise the sun, Your Highness.”
Nightmare Moon’s eye brows furrowed, her words dripping with resentment
as if it was poison.
“The sun?”
The carrot farmer Danver winced, taking a step back.
“My... my crops are wilting, Your Highness. Your unicorns have come to
help me replant but... but we cannot just replant this late into summer. The
carrots won’t be ripe in time for the harvest and... and I can only imagine
how much colder it will get when winter sets in. All... all I request is that...
that for a few more months you allow the sun to shine. To give us ponies a
chance to grow and harvest our crops for winter.”
“Like my rule over this kingdom, the night shall be eternal. Your request is
denied!”
Danver did not argue or protest, instead turning tail and sprinting out of the
throne room at a full gallop. His quick departure made many of the ponies
in the line shift uneasily, but they all stayed, though many looked much
more fearful than they had been moments before.
Nightmare Moon took a moment to compose herself before calling for the
next pony. How dare he ask to see the sun? If there was one thing that she
was known for, it was that she would make the night last forever. It was
part of who she was, part of the pony the Children of Nightmare and all of
Equestria expected her to be.
Still, with a few moments, her temper cooled, and Nightmare Moon
motioned for the next pony in line to come forward. He appeared to be a
business mare, dressed with a tie, collar, and cuffs. He bowed, and
introduce himself in almost the exact same way the carrot farmer had.
Nightmare Moon could only guess her servants were instructing the
petitioners on how to speak to her.
And just as his introduction was similar, so was his request. He asked for
the sun to be raised. His reasons were far different than the farmer, and
Nightmare Moon didn’t even really listen to them as she found herself
gritting her teeth. She denied the business pony’s request, and quickly
called for the next.
Pony after pony came to her, and time after time Nightmare Moon heard
the same request. They wanted the sun; they wanted their day. And while
none dared speak it, she could tell that they wanted more than just their
sun. They wanted the Royal Sisters back. They wanted Equestria to go
back to the way it was. But it was too late for that. She was queen now, and
they would have to deal with it.
After spending hours listening to ponies request the sun, Nightmare Moon
had enough. She stood up from her throne, spreading out her wings in a
display of her aggravation.
“Let it be known that the next petitioner who asks for the sun to be raised
will locked in the dungeon. I will never. Raise. The. Sun. I am queen now,
and as queen, I have decreed that Equestria shall live in a night eternal.
Now, all those who have a request for the sun to be raised, or for Celestia
and Luna to be freed, should leave... Now!”
Every pony in line turned and bolted, many screaming in panic as they ran
from the throne room. This just seemed to fuel the anger burning in
Nightmare Moon’s chest, but she did not pursue the petitioners. She was
glad they were gone, glad to be rid of their sun-loving faces. How dare they
ask her to raise the sun, when it was her desire to see the night eternal.
Though... it would be nice to see the sun again... for just a few minutes.
Nightmare Moon cursed as her own mind betrayed her, the great black
alicorn sitting in her throne and glaring at the floor tiles, trying to decide
which one she would smash to try and release her pent-up frustration. On
top of it all, she could tell that her special talent was not in being queen... or
at the very least, it wasn’t in holding court. No cutie mark would come of
this, and that was the entire reason she had agreed to hold court in the first
place.
Just as Nightmare Moon had picked out the part of the floor that was going
to be the unfortunate victim of her aggravation, she heard somepony
approaching. Two sets of hooves walking down the hall towards her throne
room. Were there still petitioners... still ponies who had a request not
related to the sun... or were there ponies just too stupid to take a hint?
The black alicorn sat up in her throne as she watched the doors, eventually
seeing two ponies come into view: a pair of pegasi, a mare and a stallion.
The stallion was fairly large, with a very short-cut blond mane and brown
coat. A heavy set pony, who looked to be fairly middle aged and had a
rough shadow across his face from not shaving, a rare example of a pony
that could grow a beard.
The mare was average sized, with a lavender coat and a mane that was a
mixture of different tones of yellow. She was a surprisingly splash of color
compared to the stallion, and yet the pair walked up together and
approached the throne together, bowing down respectfully. They were
ponies she recognized... ponies she had met once or twice before, but
Nightmare Moon failed to remember their names and how she knew them.
“It is an honor to be in your presence, your Majesty.” The stallion began, “I
am Boxxy Brown, and this is my wife Cloud Kicker.”
“And what do you want?”
“We’d... “ Boxxy Brown began, choking a little on his words but forcing
them out all the same. “We’d like to know if our daughter can come home.”
“And who is your daughter?”
“Scootaloo, Your Highness.”
Nightmare Moon felt her heart seize up in her chest. She now realized why
the pair were familiar; they were Scootaloo’s parents. She had seen them
only in passing, when she and the other Crusaders went by Scootaloo’s
house to pick up the orange pegasi. It was strange to think such a brightly
colored and spirited filly came from these two, but then again, little ponies
didn’t always look and act like their parents.
“I... I am afraid she cannot.”
“Why?... please, Your Highness, whatever Scootaloo has done wrong,
can’t you show her mercy?” Cloud Kicker asked, her voice trembling. She
was on the verge of breaking down, but she was holding herself together...
if only barely.
“I cannot.”
And that was enough to break what little control Cloud Kicker had over
herself, the mother wailing as she dropped to her knees.
“Please, she needs to be at home, not locked in a dungeon! I promise,
whatever she did wrong, we’ll make sure she never does it again! We’ll
even move out of Equestria, we'll do whatever you want! Just let us have
our little filly back!”
“Cloud Kicker...” Boxxy Brown said, trying to offer his wife some comfort as
she began to cry on his shoulder.
Nightmare Moon kept her gaze on the pair for a time longer before looking
up. Without a word, she motioned for the servants to leave, her guards as
well. The throne room was once again sealed up: sealed like it had been
the day Twilight Sparkle was brought before her, with no prying eyes to see
what she was about to do.
The black alicorn stood from her throne and closed the distance between
her and Scootaloo’s parents. Boxxy Brown looked up at the alicorn in fear
while Cloud Kicker only continued to cry, the mother too worried about her
daughter to even notice what was going on. Yet, to Boxxy’s surprise,
Nightmare Moon lowered her head down, putting herself at the same eye
level as the parents.
“I do not wish to cause you two, or Scootaloo, pain... and I realize you miss
her. I would have set her free, but my advisor demanded that she be
punished for trespassing in the castle. I feared that if I did not take action
myself, he would take action for me... action far more severe than I would
have liked.
“So I cannot release Scootaloo yet, but she is safe, I assure you. While she
is in the dungeon, she is not locked up alone. She shares a cell with
Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and is being watched over by Twilight Sparkle.
The four of them are keeping each other strong, and they are being well
cared for. You will find Scootaloo no worse for wear when she is returned
to you, and she will be set free in time.
“I... I just can’t do it right now.” Nightmare Moon said softly, almost
apologetically.
“But when? When can she come home?” Cloud Kicker asked.
“Request an audience with me again in a few weeks. My advisor should be
satisfied with the punishment by that time, and I will be able to release not
only Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom as well. And, if you
would do me a favor, share this information with Rarity and Applejack...
they are undoubtedly just as worried about their family.”
Boxxy Brown nodded his head. “We will do that.”
“Good,” Nightmare Moon offered in reply, turning her back on the parents.
“Despite what you may think of me, what I’ve done is in their best interest. I
have come to realize my advisor is... far less forgiving than I am. If he had
been allowed to pick the punishment of the fillies... it would have been far
worse than a few weeks spent in the dungeon.”
Boxxy Brown and Cloud Kicker nodded. And, unlike all the petitioners
before them, the pair bowed a second time. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“I also ask you do not speak of our agreement. I would not have word of
this reach Spell Nexus.”
“We’ll only tell Rarity and Applejack, so that they will know that Apple
Bloom and Sweetie Belle are safe,” Boxxy Brown assured. “Come on,
Cloud Kicker.”
The mare nodded, tears still streaming down her face, but Cloud Kicker
was at least partially comforted by the notion that her daughter would be
returned soon. When the pair left the throne room, the servants moved
back in as Nightmare Moon just sat back down in her throne.
“Are there any other petitioners?”
“No,” One of the servants replied.
Nightmare Moon offered a weak nod.
“Then I am ending court today. Have the gate guards notified and let the
ponies of Equestria know that they must come asking for an audience, that
I shall no longer be holding open court.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
==============
Despite the failure of holding court, Nexus continue to offer possible things
for Nightmare Moon to do that he believed would expose her cutie mark.
Every aspect of ruling the kingdom, from making speeches, to helping form
laws... Nightmare Moon even sat through what was an utterly boring tax
meeting, but her flank remained utterly blank.
When a week of trying different royal duties failed, Nexus began suggesting
other talents related to the night-time sky. He suggested Nightmare Moon
try changing the appearance of the stars, turn the night into her tapestry
and fill it with such beauty that all of Equestria would forget about her sun.
To make them want the eternal night just as much as she did, so they
would never want to be parted with the beauty of her sky bound art.
Yet, when Nightmare Moon did try her hoof at changing the stars in the
night time sky... she quickly regretted it. Memories flashed of art projects in
Cheerilee’s class, where some of the students were able to produce fairly
well done pictures. Hers, however, always turned out foalish. The only way
she knew how to draw a pony was with a stick figure. About the only pony
less skilled with art in the class was Sweetie Belle, and that’s just because
she kept forgetting to wash out her brush between colors when they were
painting.
Any change Nightmare Moon made to the night sky was no improvement.
She tried to make constellations, but there was a subtlety to Luna’s
artwork. The constellations had vague resemblances to the creatures they
were supposed to be, but were also up for interpretation. All the while, the
true constellations remained images hidden within the grander picture of
the sky, coming to the surface only when one’s eyes searched for them.
This was a stark contrast to anything Nightmare Moon attempted. The
constellations she made stood out like graffiti on the tapestry of the night,
the rough and haphazard brushstrokes of a painter that might as well have
been purposefully trying to desecrate another artist’s work. For an entire
night Nightmare Moon attempted to make the sky her own, but every
change she began was removed in disgust a few minutes later.
And the only thing that Nightmare Moon succeeded in doing over the
course of the night was building up her frustration. Her cutie mark had once
been a moon; she was supposed to have a special talent for this, for
tending the night sky... but if anything, her actions were equivalent to a foal
who had found hoof paints.
As a nearby clock chimed the morning hour, Nightmare Moon finally had
enough. With a stomp of her hoof, she used her magic to wipe away her
latest failure before she let her whole body turn to smoke. She zipped
through the air like an angry snake, returning to the balcony of her bedroom
and stomping inside.
She moved straight to her mirror, turning sideways so she could stare at
her still very blank flank. She glared at that patch of her coat, as if trying to
force her cutie mark to appear through sheer will alone. When that didn’t
work, the black alicorn shut her eyes tight and fought the urge to smash her
bedroom mirror for daring to show her embarrassing blankness.
What made her special? Was there anything that made Nightmare Moon
special, beyond being a pony that every other pony feared and despised?
Opening her eyes again, she let her angry glare turn from her blank flank to
her armor. At the moment, it was just as much as a mockery as her absent
cutie mark... she was no war pony, no terror who would strike down those
who stood in her way. If she was, then she would not have spared Twilight
or any of the Elements of Harmony. Armor was something worn by a killer
or a soldier, and she was neither. Without even a thought, Nightmare Moon
magically removed her armor, tossing it all into a corner with a loud clatter.
Her eye shadow was next to go, another thing that Nightmare Moon had
grown tired of applying. Yet she applied it anyway to meet the expectations
of Nexus and the Children of Nightmare. A wet cloth removed every trace
of the makeup, and once again Nightmare Moon looked upon herself as
simply a black mare.
And how befitting was her black coat. She was nothing but a shade... a
shadow... a poison... an infection of thought and magic that had taken
captive of the true guardian of the nighttime sky. Even the cutie mark she
once possessed was just a twisted shadow of Luna’s. It had been Luna’s
talent for the sky, Luna’s jealousy and emotion, Luna’s desire that had
formed and given purpose to Nightmare Moon.
But now that she was separated from Luna, made a mare of her own...
what did that leave? The desires that Nightmare Moon remembered, once
burned within her like a fire, had gone ice cold, lingering only in her
memories. She had no desires of her own, no wishes of her own... could it
be possible she didn’t even have a special talent of her own? That she had
no cutie mark because she would never have one?
Unable to stand her reflection in the mirror anymore, Nightmare Moon
moved to her bedroom balcony, choosing to look out across Equestria. Two
weeks the single night had lasted, and the effects were visible. Plants were
wilting all across the kingdom, even the staunch and sturdy Everfree forest
was looking sickly. The few ponies out so early in the day were bundled up
against the strong, nipping cold. Bundled up like it was the dead of winter,
when it was in fact supposed to be summer.
Nightmare Moon’s mind wandered as did her eyes as she looked upon
Ponyville. She saw Sweet Apple Acres, and thought of Applejack. The
orchards were looking weak; how much longer would the trees be able to
survive?
Nexus had seen fit to put the replacement of the trees in Sweet Apple
Acres at the very bottom of the replanting list. While some orchards across
the Equestria had already been replaced with apple trees that could grow
under the moonlight and in the cold of night, Applejack’s family would not
be replanted until practically the end of fall... and by then they would have
no food of their own. Ponyville itself would also suffer, since the Apple
family provided a great deal of the winter stores.
Nightmare Moon violently shook her head. Why did she care about this?
The Nightmare Moon she used to have been would have just laughed at
the hardship, revealed in the suffering, but such sights no longer inspired
joy in the alicorn’s chest... instead spawning only guilt.
When she was but a twisted reflection of Luna, Nightmare Moon had been
filled with nothing but vengeance, anger, and jealousy... but now that she
her own mare, there was something else there. She did not know where it
came from, whether it was already there when she awoke in the Everfree
forest, if it was implanted in her during the time she was Nyx... but
Nightmare Moon could feel a part of herself that hadn’t been there before
she became Nyx.
...and it was a part that did care about the suffering of others, the part that
made sure Twilight and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were safe, unharmed,
and taken care of in her dungeon. It was a part that feared what any more
eternal night would do to Equestria.
Nightmare Moon glanced upward at the sky, her chest filling with a mixture
of emotions. She was disgusted with the moon and stars, tired of seeing
the night sky, thirsting to feel the sun on her coat, and wishing to end the
suffering she had imposed on Equestria. This all accumulated into one
thought, which lead to one desire, which lead to a single decision.
With her mane swirling gently and her eyes glowing white, Nightmare Moon
stretched her magic to the heavens. Without a warning to anypony
watching below, the moon began to move across the sky, racing across the
inky blackness. Within five minutes it had reached the west and began to
set beyond the distant horizon, but Nightmare Moon did not look to her
sinking moon.
Instead, her gaze focused eastward.
A bit of red started sneaking into, and mixing with, the dark blue and black
of the night. It was just barely a shimmer at first, but it began to grow
slowly. The red fringes were soon pushed farther into the sky by an orange
core, and the orange pushed higher as a bright warm yellow sphere began
to peak over the horizon.
This was against everything she was supposed to stand for, everything she
was supposed to want. Yet, Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but smile. She
could already feel a few of the sun’s golden rays striking her coat and filling
her with warmth. Her eyes moved to the sky which began to shift from inky
blackness to a bright, cheerful blue. The stars slowly faded, their light
masked by the brilliance of the sun.
It was daytime in Equestria.
Leaving her armor behind, the queen made her way to the royal throne
room.... slightly curious as to just how long it would take before somepony
came running in, looking for her in a panic.
==============
“My Queen, I have dire news!” Nexus yelled as he burst into her throne
room, a number of soldiers following in his wake. Still, the unicorn’s panic
was met only by a cool pair of eyes and a small smirk from Nightmare
Moon.
“Ten minutes? I was sure it would have taken you longer than that,”
Nightmare Moon mused.
“My Queen?” Nexus asked, he and the soldiers coming to a stop at the foot
of the throne, confusion painted across their faces.
“It is nothing. Now, what pressing business do you have that makes you
feel you can burst into my throne room and make such a spectacle of
yourself?”
“Your Majesty, the moon has set and the sun is beginning to rise. In mere
minutes it will clear the eastern horizon. Celestia has obviously escaped
her imprisonment, and it is only a matter of time before she comes to strike
you down. I have already alerted the guard, and the castle is preparing to
defend. We will do all we can to assist you in the upcoming battle, and-”
“That will not be necessary. You can tell the guards there is nothing to
fear.”
“Your confidence is refreshing, my Queen, but now Celestia has the
advantage of surprise. We do not know when or how she will attack. She
could be plotting an attack even as we speak.”
“That would be true if Celestia had escaped the sun, but I assure you she is
still in there.”
“But... but then why...why is the sun rising? Surely it is not you-”
“Yes Nexus, I am the one that lowered the moon, and it is by my will and
power the sun climbs into the sky.”
Nexus could only look at Nightmare Moon in shock, mouth agape.
“B-b-but... but Your Highness, why would you end your own night? Is it not
your deepest desire to have Equestria forever bathed in the glory of the
moon and the stars, so no pony can ignore the beauty of the night?”
“Don’t be foalish!” Nightmare Moon barked. “Have you even felt how cold it
is outside the castle? Have you even seen the plants beginning to wilt? It is
a miracle Equestria has survived two weeks of constant night, but to expect
this kingdom to survive an eternity is ludicrous!”
“My Queen, if this is about the progress of turning Equestria into a paradise
that can survive the eternal night, then I assure you-”
“That your renovations would come too late. Half of Equestria would have
starved and the rest would have frozen to death. And things are not as they
were a thousand years ago, Nexus. There are now ponies who live, work...
spend their entire lives sleeping through the day and being awake at night.
There are ponies who appreciate the beauty of the night, but there is
beauty to be found in the day and sunlight as well.
“Beauty that I have decided to rule over. I have decided that as long as I
am the supreme ruler of Equestria, I will raise and lower the sun and moon
myself. I will do just as Celestia did for a thousand years, and I shall be her
better. I shall hold dominion over both heavily orbs, and be the purveyor of
their beauty not for merely a thousand years, but for all eternity. I shall be
the eternal mistress of both day and night.”
Nexus obviously wanted to argue more, wanted to try and convince his
queen that bringing back the day was not a good idea, but Nightmare Moon
kept him silent with a single hard glare. Eventually, the dark blue unicorn
bowed, as did the rest of the soldiers.
“ ...as you wish, my Queen. Is there anything else you would like me to
know?”
“Yes; I will be taking leave of the castle today.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. I shall have somepony fetch your armor and-”
“No, I shall be going out just as I am.”
“But your Highness, I really think-”
“I’LL DECIDE WHAT I WILL AND WILL NOT WEAR!!! NOW AWAY WITH
YOU!!!”
Nexus bolted, the guards following behind him. Nightmare Moon let an
irritated sigh escape from her nostrils as she moved towards the throne
room doors. Within minutes, the black alicorn had reached one of the
castle’s many balconies and she looked upon the sun and rich blue sky
with a smile... like she was greeting a friend she had long missed. The
warm rays fell on her black coat and filled her with warmth.
A gust of wind carried with it the sounds of cheers and what Nightmare
Moon believed was music. Turning her eyes towards the source, she
looked down into Ponyville. Ponies all about the town were rushing out into
the streets, many gathering in the town square.
Her subjects... her “unblessed” subjects... they were as happy to see the
sun as she was. They were rejoicing in its light and warmth, and it was a
thought that actually made Nightmare Moon happy. A rare emotion she had
not truly felt since she had taken over Equestria... and for once, she did not
try to explain or wonder why she felt the way she did. She just let it soak in
like the rays of the sun... and just let it lift up her long weighed down soul.
And, like misery, happiness at times loves company. Before she even really
thought it through, Nightmare Moon had taken flight, letting her black wings
carry her down to Ponyville and the impromptu celebration.
==============
Never had Ponyville been overtaken by a party so quickly. Pinkie Pie was
working with several pegasi, including the lightning quick Rainbow Dash, to
hurriedly put up decorations for a party that had arguably already started. A
local DJ pony, who had been employed for such events as Rarity’s fashion
show for Hoity Toity, was already spinning disks and filling the air with
music.
The whole town had been enveloped in the block party, ponies shouting
their joy to the heavens. Warmth was already filling the air, driving away the
long lingering chill of the extended night. Ponies who had bundled up were
now tossing off boots, winter saddles, and scarves to bask in the sunshine.
Every cloud was cleared away by a certain cyan colored pegasus, the sky
completely unmarred.
So enthralled were the ponies with the celebration, they didn’t take notice
of the indigo cloud lingering in the shadows of the nearby trees. Nightmare
Moon watched them, and would have been grinning ear to ear if she wasn’t
a floating mass of magical energy.
Now this felt good... this felt right. Seeing ponies laughing and playing in
the sun, overflowing with happiness and joy without a care in the world.
This was what Equestria was meant to be like. This was the Equestria she
had seen through innocent eyes, and it was not an Equestria locked in an
eternal night.
Nexus could go eat moldy hay for all Nightmare Moon cared. This was how
she was going to rule. She would move the sun and moon just like Celestia
did. It didn’t matter what she used to want, what the Children of Nightmare
thought she would want. She was the Queen of Equestria, she could want
and do whatever she pleased and she didn’t want to make the ponies
suffer under eternal night. She wanted to see both the sun and the moon
as much as they did.
The black alicorn’s mind began to get away from her, imagination rolling.
They were so happy, so overjoyed to see their sun... maybe now they
would not look on her in fear. Maybe they would even thank her for bringing
back the sun. Yes, she’d appear before them, and, instead of cowering in
fear, they would finally see that she wasn’t a monster. That she could be as
just, regal, and caring as Celestia.
Yes, she would appear before them, smile down at them. She would do as
Celestia did and affectionately call them “my little ponies”, and speak in the
sweetest, softest voice she could manage. She’d show them, the Children
of Nightmare, and Nexus that she was her own mare, that there was more
to her than the vengeance, rage, and anger.
She’d show them they would never have to fear another eternal night.
A few mares and stallions nearby began to cheer, lifting glasses of quickly
prepared purple punch, and Nightmare Moon felt her mental smile widening
as she listened to each cheer.
“Hooray for the sun!” One offered.
“Hooray for the day!”
“I say we raise a glass, toast Equestria’s true Royalty.”
The others nodded lifting their glasses. “To Celestia and Luna!”
...
Nightmare Moon’s heart dropped in her chest.
They... they weren’t just celebrating because the sun was out. No... they
were celebrating her defeat. They thought the sunrise mean Celestia had
come back, that Equestria was once again ruled by the Royal Pony Sisters.
That she had been defeated.
In an instant, Nightmare Moon felt the urge to bring back the night, to take
back the day she had given them until they could appreciate it, could
appreciate her. She began reaching her magic to the sky, about to steal
away the sun... but then her will and determination faultered.
It... it had been two long weeks of night... and these ponies would be
heartbroken enough when they learned that she was the one that rose the
sun.
The cloud that was Nightmare Moon slunk off, sneaking between the
hooves of the dancing ponies as she retreated from the party, the
happiness, and the joy. She would let them have their day, let them have
their celebration... but she could not bring herself to stay there. The joy, the
laughter, the dancing, the music... each was like a dagger being twisted in
her heart.
==============
On the far outskirts of Ponyville, where the party and its music were nothing
more than haunting tones on the wind, Nightmare Moon laid down on the
grass. In one of the town’s many exterior parks, she hid in the shade of a
weeping willow, the long hanging branches hiding her from any ponies that
might walk past on the path.
She was alone for the moment, which was just what the queen wanted.
Her heart ached, the pain flowing from the deep-cutting words of the ponies
who celebrated in the center of Ponyville. The happiness that had flickered
inside the black alicorn had been slain in cold blood the moment she heard
that the ponies were celebrating her assumed defeat, leaving Nightmare
Moon to once again wallow in... whatever ponies were supposed to wallow
in.
The worst part was that she had tasted happiness again, the true
happiness she once knew so well. It was like giving a single swallow of
water to a pony lost in a desert. A moment of refreshment that was, in truth,
only a taunt... a single moment of relief that only left the soul craving for
more.
Why wasn’t she happy? Nightmare Moon had everything she could hope
for, cutie mark or not. She had ultimate power, magic unstoppable, an
entire kingdom was in her hooves to do as she saw fit. She was the one
true Queen of Equestria.
So why was she utterly miserable? Wasn’t there anything that could make
her happy? What had made her happy in the past?
The last question stirred Nightmare Moon’s mind, answers bubbling to the
surface. Memories that, in truth, Nightmare Moon didn’t want to endure.
She knew what had made her happy in the past, and it was not power or a
crown. It was not a thing or a trinket... it was the ponies.
It was ponies like Twilight Sparkle, who had taken a lost, scared little filly
into her home and treated her like a daughter. Ponies like Cheerilee, who
were eager to teach. Ponies like Twist, who Nightmare Moon could do
school work with. Ponies like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who searched to
find the one thing that made each of them special.
It was all the ponies of Ponyville, who had once looked upon her with
smiles and happy faces, as just another pony in their humble little town.
Nightmare Moon groaned as she laid her head on the ground and covered
her head with her hooves, her mystical mane wavering through. Why did
this keep happening? Why did it seem that almost every little thing or every
quiet moment caused her to think back to when she was still Nyx? Was that
really the only time she was ever truly happy in life? What was it that made
those short months more important than the hundreds of years she spent
as Nightmare Moon?
Why did the ponies used to have that made her happy? And why did
nothing she thought she wanted did? Having eternal night didn’t make her
happy. Being a queen didn’t make her happy. Even with a whole country at
her mercy, she wasn’t happy. What did she want? Why did she even
wanted to rule in the first place?
Before she could stop herself, Nightmare Moon remembered exactly why
she desired all of this, thinking back to when she wasn’t yet her own pony,
but merely a shade of Luna.
Luna was jealous and envious of Celestia, feeling that she was
unappreciated. All she wanted was for ponies to love her night the same
way they loved Celestia’s day. That complex thought became distilled,
refined, and became the central fuel for all the hatred and vengeance that
had used to fill the black alicorn.
She just wanted to be... to be...
Loved.
Love? Was that it? Was that all she really wanted? Nightmare Moon began
to think back, slipping through her memories. All her plans focused back on
that single thought. Luna wanted ponies to love her night, and so did she
once. Luna wanted to be the sole ruler of Equestria so she would be as
loved as her sister, and Nightmare Moon had shared that desire.
Even after she had been stripped away from Luna by the Elements of
Harmony, that one core truth had lingered, a simple thought so ingrained in
who she used to be, that not even the Elements of Harmony could wash it
away.
She just wanted to be loved?
And she had been loved... she had been loved as Nyx. Twilight had loved
her, she had friends... and she was happy... and she had ruined it all. She
might have been queen, but nopony loved her or would ever truly love her.
She was a monster, a tyrant, and even if she ruled the kingdom with the
same kindness and caring once showed to it by the Royal Sisters, it
wouldn’t matter. Those who meant the most to her would be long dead by
the time she was accepted by everypony else... if ever.
It was enough to make Nightmare Moon, the former Mare in the Moon, the
eternal Queen of Equestria, the only remaining alicorn in Equestria... it was
enough to make the most powerful pony in the entire world.... cry. She
didn’t wail, didn’t bawl... but cry she did. In the protective shade of the tree,
she wept in silence, not trying to hide the tears coming from her eyes.
And for the longest time, that was all Nightmare Moon did. She just let
herself cry, ignoring all the world around her. The black alicorn didn’t know
or care how long she cried to herself beneath the shade of the tree, but her
crying was abruptly stopped by a tiny voice.
“Are you okay?”
Nightmare Moon snapped her head up in shock. Who would even dare
approach the queen when she was obviously in a bad mood?
Who would even.... care?
It took Nightmare Moon a moment to locate the source of the voice, its
owner having retreated outside the sagging branches of the weeping
willow, which hung practically to the ground. Still, after a few moments, the
pony dared to push her head through the hanging branches of the willow. A
filly, roughly the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders... one who
Nightmare Moon recognized instantly.
Cream-white coat, curly red hair, admittedly dorky purple glasses, and a
cutie mark of two crossed candy canes in the shape of a heart. There...
there was no mistaking the pony Nightmare Moon had spent hours with at
school, one she played with almost every recess.
A little filly named Twist.
“I... I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Twist offered in her nasally tone. “I... I just
heard somepony crying while I was going back to my house to get some of
the peppermint sticks I made. I’ll... I’ll leave you alone if you want...”
“No.” Nightmare Moon said before she could even really think what she
was doing. “Please... it’s been a long time, Twist. You don’t have to go if
you don’t want.”
“You sure?”
”Yes... and you don’t have to call me Your Highness. I’d... I’d like it if you
could just call me Nyx.”
The little filly smiled a little at this, moving beneath the canopy of the
weeping willow.
“My mom said you had gone bad and mean, and that you were the one that
made it dark all the time... but I told her that wasn’t true, that the Nyx I knew
wouldn’t be so mean. Though... you sure did get big.”
Nightmare Moon felt the filly’s words dig into her heart, the truth hurting.
She had been a monster and a tyrant, and nopony was ever going to forget
the two weeks she made them suffer without seeing the sun. Still, she did
not snap at Twist, didn’t try to defend herself. She would not risk scaring
away one of the few ponies that dared approach her.
“I was... confused for a while, Twist. I did make it dark all the time, but... I’m
sorry about what I did. I... I realize now how much I was hurting
everypony... and I promise, I won’t ever do it again,” Nightmare Moon
replied, trying to pick her words... keep them simple and sincere... just like
how she used to talk.
“It’s okay, Nyx. It was actually kind of fun at first. I’ve never been able to
play outside after dark before. I had some really fun games of hide and
seek with some friends from school, though I bet you would have been able
to really hide well in the dark... well, maybe if you weren’t so big.
“Hey, you should come to the party in town! It’s super fun. Everypony is
outside, dancing and playing.”
“I would like to Twist, but... I don’t think I can. I’m very busy,” Nightmare
Moon lied.
Twist sighed a little. “That’s what Apple Bloom always says too, at least
before she went to visit her family over a week ago.”
Visit her family; a white lie offered by either Applejack or Twist’s parents so
the little filly didn’t know that Apple Bloom and the other crusaders were
locked away in the castle dungeon.
“Why does Apple Bloom always say that?” Nightmare Moon asked.
“Because she’s always doing things with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle,
being a Cutie Mark Crusader.” Twist replied, kicking at the dirt a little. “I’m
happy I got my cutie mark, but, ever since I did, Apple Bloom has only ever
wanted to play with me during recess... and now that school’s over, I doubt
she’ll want to play with me at all... all because I can’t be a Cutie Mark
Crusader.
“Almost wish my cutie mark hadn’t appeared...”
“Twist... I want you to wait here just for a moment.” Nightmare Moon said,
the alicorn getting to her hooves. “I have to run and get something, but I
promise I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, just don’t take too long. I want to go to the party.”
Nightmare Moon nodded, and in a swirl of indigo cloud she disappeared.
Twist hardly had to wait a full minute before the alicorn had returned,
appearing from a swirling vortex of her smoky mane. She then laid back
down on the grass by Twist, smiling gently.
“Okay, I want to close your eyes. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Really?!” Twist said, bouncing on her hooves.
“Yes, but you have to close your eyes... and no peaking.”
The candy cane colored filly shut her eyes tight, squeezing the eyelids shut
to the point that she was contorting her face into a silly expression.
Nightmare Moon had to stifle a small laugh at the sight, but continued
about her work as she took something she had carried back from the castle
in her mane, and carefully draped it over Twist’s back.
“Okay, you can look now.”
Twist snapped her eyes open, and then looked to the thing Nightmare
Moon had tied onto her. A smile practically exploded onto Twist’s face
when she saw the red cape with a familiar blue and yellow emblem.
“As an official member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Queen of
Equestria, I hereby declare you an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader. Now you
can play with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle all you want.”
“Really... even though I already have my Cutie Mark?”
“Being a Crusader isn’t just about finding your own cutie mark, but also
helping a friend find their special talent. And who better to help a friend get
their cutie mark than a pony who already has hers?”
Twist bounced. “Oh, I can’t wait until Apple Bloom comes back from visiting
her family! I bet I could show her and her other friends how I make candy,
and then maybe they could have a cutie mark like mine.”
“I’m sure Apple Bloom will be back sooner than you think,” Nightmare Moon
offered, still unable to admit that she knew where Apple Bloom really was.
“Thanks Nyx; this is so sweet. I can’t wait to show everypony.” Twist
offered, looking back at her cape before looking forward again, a bit of a
realization on her face. “Oh, I forgot; I was bringing back some of my
peppermint sticks to the party.”
“Well, you’d better run along then.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the party?”
“I’m sorry Twist but... I really don’t think I should go.”
“Okay.” The creme colored filly replied, but not before reaching into her
saddle bags and drawing out one of the peppermint sticks. It was wrapped
in colorful tissue paper and had a big red bow on it.
“Here, you should at least have one.”
“Oh...oh Twist, no, I couldn’t...”
“They’ll make you smile.” The filly assured, after setting the peppermint
stick down on the ground. It was too much for Nightmare Moon to bear, the
black alicorn gingerly taking up the peppermint stick in her magic.
“Thank you Twist.”
“Okay, I’d better get going... but, Nyx?”
“Yes?”
“Is the sun going to rise tomorrow? Or is going to be dark for a long time
again?”
“I’ll make you a deal, Twist. If you promise not to tell anypony that you saw
me, or that I was the one that raised the sun today, I’ll make the sun rise
again every day.”
“Does it have to be a Pinkie Pie Promise?” The filly asked, still having an
uneasy memory of the pink earth pony shouting “forever” at them back
during the school year.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Okay, I promise Nyx,” The filly replied with a smile, “but I hope you change
your mind and come to the party. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Still, if you
don’t, I’ll see you later, okay?”
Nightmare Moon nodded, and watched as Twist slipped out from
underneath the canopy of the weeping willow. With just a touch of magic,
the black alicorn pushed back some of the hanging branches, watching as
Twist bounced towards town, singing the Cutie Mark Crusader theme song
as she went.
It was a moment of happiness... a single true moment of happiness that
Nightmare Moon had missed so dearly since being fully resurrected... but
as the moment ended and the warmth faded, the cold wind of reality cut the
alicorn even deeper.
==========
Nightmare Moon remained where she was until towards the end of the day,
when the celebrations had died down and the sun was nearing the far
horizon. The alicorn made the sun set and the moon rise from hiding place
beneath the tree, and lingered there a bit longer before she dared leave.
She moved through Ponyville as a mystical shadow, making her way slowly
to her destination: the Ponyville Library. While Nightmare Moon was happy
to give Twist the new Crusader cape that Sweetie Belle had made... the
alicorn found her insides turning at the thought of no longer having the little
bit of red fabric, with gold fabric lining and the little, haphazardly made blue
emblem. She was happy to give her cape to Twist, but the alicorn still
wanted a cape of her own.
But the cape she had given away was a new cape. The one Sweetie Belle
had brought her when she, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo snuck into the
castle. Her cape... her first cape, it was still safe. It was tucked away inside
a hiding spot she had found in the library.
A pony had returned a library book damaged, and Twilight was forced to
throw it away. A number of pages had been torn out and damaged, but,
around the same time, Twilight had been reading a story to Nightmare
Moon where the main character hid things inside a hollowed out book.
Thus, the damaged book had become the best hiding spot. Not even
Twilight knew about it. Nightmare Moon kept the book with a small
collection of other books under her bed. All of them were just storybooks,
her favorite stories. Twilight had ordered the filly her own copies, so she
could read them whenever she wanted and never have to worry about the
books being checked out.
Among the story books was a blue tome, an old collection of fairy tales,
where the title of the book had been worn off with time and age. Only a few
letters could still be made out, and Twilight was planning to have the book
rebound if it hadn’t come back to the library damaged.
But inside that book Nightmare Moon had cut away the pages, having to
sneak a pair of scissors. She had cut away the interior, and created an
empty space where a few things could be kept. Inside that book were her
treasures, amongst them her original Cutie Mark Crusader cape.
And in thinking about the cape and its hiding place, Nightmare Moon began
to think of the other treasures she had hidden away in the same place. She
wanted them back. Maybe even needed to have them. She was grasping at
the happiness she once knew, trying to collect and hold every fond memory
she had. She didn’t want to forget, didn’t want to just ignore what had
happened, and having those few treasures would help her hold fast to
memories that would slowly fade away otherwise.
The cloud that was Nightmare Moon drew close to the library at this point,
and the alicorn was struck with a bit of déjà vu as she approached one of
the windows. She had been in that place, done the same thing before. She
had crept up to the library as a cloud and peaked in the window, back when
she was spying on Twilight Sparkle and the other five ponies that would
wield the Elements of Harmony.
And Nightmare Moon couldn’t stop herself as she peaked in the same
window, only to find a very different scene.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself, Spike? You are more than
welcome to keep staying with me and Sweetie Belle.” Rarity offered, the
white unicorn standing in the center of the room.
“No, I need to be here and make sure the library is in tip-top shape for
when Twilight comes back. I mean, the sun came up, which means
Celestia has to be back. And if Celestia is back, it won’t be long before
she’s freed Twilight, and I don’t want Twilight to come back to a dirty
library.”
“You really are her number one assistant, aren’t you?” Rarity praised with a
smile.
“You bet I am.” Spike stated proudly.
“Well then, I won’t keep you from your cleaning... but, if you get hungry, I
want you to come over to the boutique. While I can’t promise you jewels,
you are always more than welcome to spend dinner with me and Sweetie
Belle.
“And don’t stay up too late,” Rarity finished as she turned to leave.
Nightmare Moon quickly shrunk back, hiding her cloud-like body to make
sure she wasn’t seen by Rarity. Once the white unicorn was far enough
away, the alicorn risked peaking in the window again, watching as Spike
walked over to Twilight’s writing desk. He began to clean, but soon paused
to pickup a nearby picture frame.
It was a picture of him and Twilight. The two were posing for the picture,
undoubtedly a shot for a school yearbook or something back when Twilight
was attending Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Both she and Spike
looked younger in the image, at a time when the baby dragon was just
starting to act more like Twilight’s assistant.
The baby dragon smiled at the picture before hugging it to his chest.
“I’ve missed you, Twilight; it will be nice having you back.” The dragon said,
intending for only himself to hear the words.
But there was another who heard the words... and Nightmare Moon slunk
away from the window, beginning to make her way back to the palace.
She didn’t have the heart to take away the hope that was filling Spike’s
chest. The baby dragon would find out soon enough that it was Nightmare
Moon, not Celestia, that raised the sun... and that Twilight Sparkle would
have to remain in the castle dungeon.
He had the hope of a happy reunion with Twilight... and Nightmare Moon
saw no point in taking that hope away so quickly. She would have her
guards fetch the treasure book, have them wait until Spike left the library,
so that none would know what was taken.
==========
The waiting was excruciating, Nightmare Moon sitting in her throne room
and not wanting to move an inch, just in case the guards would arrive with
her treasure book.
She had made the book sound like something far worse than it was, as if
the tome contained her grand plans for Equestria or a dark magic spell she
had researched. Nexus was more than eager to hear about such a book,
and even volunteered to go take the book from the library with his own
hooves, to ensure its contents was never opened.
It was an offer Nightmare Moon didn’t refuse, though she insisted that
Spike had to be out of the library. When Nexus asked why, she gave him
the simple logic that no pony or dragon in Ponyville was to know that the
book even existed, and that seemed to thrill Nexus to the point that he
would have probably waited years for Spike to leave the library before
securing the book.
Thankfully, it had only taken hours. A short time after the sunrise,
Nightmare Moon heard the doors to her throne room open, Nexus poking
his head in.
“Were you successful?” Nightmare Moon asked, getting up from her throne
and walking across the room to meet Nexus half-way. The loyal blue
unicorn just smiled as he levitated the book beside him, offering a bow as
he and the alicorn met in the middle of the room.
“Of course, my Queen. The book was in Twilight’s Library, just where you
said, and the baby dragon was out fetching breakfast for himself at the
time. No pony saw us enter or exit.
“I have also ensured that nopony has even cracked the cover. The book
has remained tightly closed since it was removed from its hiding spot, as
per your request.”
“Excellent.” Nightmare Moon offered, taking the book in her own magic.
“You have done well, Nexus.”
“You honor me, Your Highness. Though... if I may be so bold... what
exactly does this book contain? You have spoken of it as if it holds
something of unfathomable importance, but I find myself wondering how
such a simple-looking book could contain something so-”
“Do you question my word, Nexus?!” Nightmare Moon hissed out, leaning
in close and glaring coldly at the unicorn. The unicorn had to swallow
nervously, trying to force down the knot that had formed in his throat.
“No... Never my Queen! Perish the thought!”
“Good... Now I request privacy. It is of the utmost importance I am not
disturbed. I want the throne room sealed, and you are to assist the guards
in keeping watch until such time I say otherwise.”
“Yes, my Queen,” Nexus offered with a bow before quickly jogging off,
shouting at the guards. Within moments, the throne room was sealed, as it
had been sealed twice before.
But now, the alicorn was truly alone in the room... just as she wanted.
Holding the book in her magic, Nightmare Moon let a hoof gently brush
across the cover, the alicorn licking her lips a moment before cracking open
the cover. . There, amongst the hollowed out pages, were her treasures...
and Nightmare Moon felt the air catch in her lungs.
Lying right on top, and taking up the largest part of the book’s interior, was
her original Cutie Mark Crusader cape. It was frayed on a few edges and
had a stain on one corner, all things that had happened as she had worn
the cape on her adventures with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple
Bloom.
Removing the cape, Nightmare Moon gently draped it across the cover of
the book as she looked at the other items inside. Her blue ribbon from the
Learn and Play Day, little trinkets that she had gathered from her many
attempts to find her cutie mark. Marbles, old coins... things that had no
significant monetary value. Things no other pony would consider treasures.
But, to her, they were utterly priceless.
Before she could even stop herself, the alicorn found her magic reaching
out to one of the trinkets... her kazoo. The cheap, little thing she had won
along with the blue ribbon from the Learn and Play Day’s tug of war match.
She drew the kazoo out with her magic, and soon found the toy against her
lips.
It felt so much smaller now, as if she could break it just by holding it her
mouth. Still, Nightmare Moon held the kazoo with the most delicate care,
and she breathed out. The little kazoo gave up its note, which sounded
against the halls of the throne room with a haunting tone. A tone that
dredged up memories that Nightmare Moon couldn’t ignore.
She had regained her treasures, and the fond memories that were tied to
them... but that was all they were: memories. Just memories. But that
wasn’t enough to soothe Nightmare Moon.
Right now, Spike was happier than the alicorn. Why? Because he had
hope. He had hope and belief that Twilight would return, and that brought
him greater joy than just the memories he had of the unicorn.
But Nightmare Moon... she had no hope. She had felt a flutter of happiness
in her chest after talking with Twist the previous morning... but how long
would it be before Twist was turned against her? How long before the filly
learned the truth and, like all the others, expected her to be a monster?
And how long would it be before she would able to feel the flutter of
happiness again? Feel the warmth it brought? It had been weeks since she
was resurrected; what if the next fleeting moment of happiness she could
grasp onto didn’t come for weeks, or months... or years... or decades?
Was there even a hope of her ever being truly happy again?
Chapter 16
To Harden a Soft Heart
For a full week, Nightmare Moon dutifully raised and lowered the sun,
making the days pass as they did before her rule. She did that and little
else, choosing to sequester herself in her chambers otherwise. She kept
tabs on how the kingdom was being ruled, made sure Spell Nexus didn't
overstep certain boundaries. Yet, beyond that, Nightmare Moon could
hardly bring herself to rise from her bed, her heart weighing too heavily in
her chest.
News had been spread that it was she who raised the sun, that it was by
her choice that the eternal night ended. It had been some of the most
startling news to ever hit Equestria, falling just short of the alicorn’s very
quick rise to power.
The reactions to the news were mixed.
The Children of Nightmare sulked, Nexus in particular, seeing her decision
as a sign of weakness that needed to end. Still, they would dare not say
such a thing to their Queen's face, but even she could hear whispers just
as well as any regular pony.
The general populace at large seemed uneasy, as if Nightmare Moon was
only teasing them with a few sunny days. That she would suddenly bring
back the eternal night without warning. That she was only playing some
sick game, or that she had something far worse planned for Equestria.
And if there were those who truly appreciated her returning the sun to the
sky each day... Nightmare Moon didn’t hear about them. Their voices were
quiet whispers, lost in a sea of shouts from the rest of Equestria. Lost in the
chorus of voices from those who either feared she would return the night
eternal or demanded that she did.
It was a surrounding storm, which only aggravated the storm that billowed
in Nightmare Moon's mind. She kept trying to understand why she felt the
way she did. Kept asking the same questions over and over again. Why
was she only happy when she was with Twist and the Cutie Mark
Crusaders, or thinking of her time as Nyx? Why did she not have the same
driving desires she once had? Why was she showing so much mercy,
when the old Nightmare Moon was merciless?
This endless merry-go-round of thoughts drove Nightmare Moon into her
depression, making her hide in her bed chamber and lock away the world;
pretend it didn’t exist. Sequestering herself in the silence as she tried to
understand what was wrong with her.
But at times, the world will not be ignored.
STOO-ONGK!!!
“Hey, I said you can't enter!”
“Grab her!”
TRISH! CLANG!! CLONK!!!
“Halt... I said HALT!”
“Watch it, she's making a run at the door!”
“Somepony get some pegasi here to help us catch her!”
“Watch out!”
TRISH!! THRONG!! STREEECHK!!!! TISH!!!
“That... that's it! We got her! We've got her surrounded.”
“No pony makes a foal out of us! You are under arrest for trespassing on
castle grounds! Everypony, rush her on three... two... one...”
“RRRAAAAA!”
KKKRRRAASSH-TRISSH. Clang clang....
Nightmare Moon bolted up from her bed, eyes narrowed into points of
anger as she moved to her balcony. She burst outside, wings unfurling as
she turned her gaze down on the castle courtyard below. It was early
morning, the alicorn having just raised the sun a few hours before.
Despite the early hour, Nightmare Moon took in the deepest breath she
could manage before bellowing at the top of her lungs. The sheer volume
of her voice undoubtedly scared some ponies in Ponyville awake.
“WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE!?”
All that answered was moaning and groaning, a large portion of the castle
guard piled on top of each other in the center of the main courtyard. The
cause of the commotion was just near the defeated guards. Giggling and
bouncing around them playfully, as if it was all a game, was Pinkie Pie.
“You ponies are silly! That isn't how you play tag.”
Nightmare Moon didn't know whether to be shocked at what she was
seeing, to be enraged her guards had been so easily defeated, or to drop
on the floor and laugh her head off. A single hyper pink pony had just
bested her guards without meaning to. The world could probably be on the
verge of ending, and Pinkie Pie would still be Pinkie Pie.
“HALT!” Several fresh guards shouted, the unicorn soldiers having been
drawn by the commotion. Their horns were already glowing, undoubtedly
ready to either grab Pinkie Pie with levitation magic or use far more
dangerous spells to stop the bouncing intruder.
“Oh, do you guys want to play tag too? Okay, but remember that I'm ‘It’,
and you have to run away from me. These ponies just didn't get it; they
kept running towards me.”
“This is no game; you are trespassing in the royal castle of Queen
Nightmare Moon. Surrender now and you will not be harmed... much.”
“Guards, at ease.”
The unicorns, who had been on the verge of using magic to tie down and
grab the pink earth pony, quickly snapped to attention as Nightmare Moon
glided down from her bedroom balcony, landing near the commotion.
“Your Highness, this pony has trespassed in your royal castle!”
“Yes, I CAN see that,” Nightmare Moon replied, looking down at Pinkie Pie.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, I came here to come see you, but when I asked the guards, they told
me ‘No, any petitioners that want an audience with the glorious Nightmare
Moon must make an appointment, and be approved by Spell Nexus’.”
Pinkie began, speaking the last sentence in a gruff voice, mimicking or
mocking the guards.
“But then I told them that I wasn't a medical practitioner and that if I wanted
to be part of an audience, I'd go watch a fun play, or maybe listen to a pony
band. All I wanted was to talk to you, but they told me to go away.
“But I really need to talk to you, so I didn't leave. Then they opened the
gates to make me leave, and I decided that if they were silly enough to
leave the castle gates open, then they probably didn't mind if I came inside.
And then all these silly guards started chasing me, and before I knew it, we
were having a super fun game of tag.”
Nightmare Moon lifted a hoof to her mouth, trying her very best not to laugh
in front of her guards. She didn't know what it was that she found so funny.
It could have been Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, how her guards had been
made to look like foals, or maybe she just that desperate for a laugh.
In any case, Nightmare Moon truly struggled to keep herself from laughing,
a smile slipping onto her lips. Still, with a forced cough the alicorn was able
to regain her serious expression as she looked down at Pinkie Pie.
“And why did you want to see me?”
“To give you this.” Pinkie Pie replied, the pony reaching back into her curly
tail and pulling out an envelope. She held it gingerly in her teeth until
Nightmare took the envelope with her magic, opening it right there and
removing its contents.
It was... it was an invitation... to a party... to Twist's birthday party.
In a flash, the mild humor Nightmare Moon found in the situation was
replaced with a seething anger as she threw the invitation onto the ground
and stomped on it with a hoof.
“What cruel joke are you playing?!?”
“Joke? What joke? Did somepony tell a joke? Ooooooo, was it a knock
knock joke? I love knock knock jokes! My absolute favorite goes like this.
The first pony says 'knock knock', and the other pony says 'who's there',
and then the first pony says-”
“PINKIE PIE!” Nightmare Moon snapped loudly, causing most of her
guards, as well as the pink earth pony, to jump. “I'm talking about the
invitation.”
“Oh... giggle, that's not a joke, you silly filly.”
“Do you think I am so foalish?!? Why would I want to attend some little
filly's birthday party? Why would she even want me there? What makes you
think I'd believe her parents would even allow her to send an invitation to
me, even if Twist did want to invite me? I should lock you in the dungeon
for this cruel prank!”
“But... this isn't a prank.”
“Then answer the questions I just asked you.”
“Oh... okay. Let me see... uh... you asked a lot of questions.” Pinkie Pie
began, looking skyward as if she was going to pluck the answer from the
clouds.
"Um... okay. No, I don't think you’re foalish. You're too big to be a filly, let
alone a foal. Why would you want to attend a party? Well it’s a party, and
everypony likes parties. Second, why did Twist want to invite you? She said
it's because she never saw you at the super fun block party we had when
the sun came up again.
"As for Twist's parents, they kind of don't know she sent you an invitation.
The party's going to be at Sugarcube Corner, so I was handing out all the
invitations, and Twist asked that, if I had an extra one, that I would bring it
to you.
“And, honestly, I wasn't sure at first. I mean, parties are always more fun
when there are more ponies, but even I didn't think it was a good idea to
invite you. But then Twist told me that you weren't really as mean as
everypony thinks you are, and that she still wanted you at her party. So I
smiled, and I told her, 'Silly Filly, I always have ten extra invitations just in
case'. So after delivering all the other invitations, I bounced right over here
to bring you yours!
“So, are you going to come? It's today, and it's going to be super fun.”
Nightmare Moon let her gaze shift down to the smashed invitation, the
alicorn carefully lifting it up and using her magic to straighten it. She then
folded the invitation, and held it back out to Pinkie Pie.
“No, I am not coming.”
“Aw, why not? Twist was really hoping you would come. She promised to
make lots of peppermint sticks. She said you liked them.”
“Tell Twist thank you for the invitation, but... I cannot attend.”
“Well... okay.” Pinkie Pie replied, taking the invitation and slipping it back
into the curly hair of her tail. “It’s still a party even if all the guests cannot
come. Still, there's always room for more ponies at a party. So, if you want
to come, the party’s going to be today at noon. Just feel free to drop by if
you want. I know Twist will be super happy if she thinks you’re not coming,
and then you do come. It will be like a surprise!
“Well, I got to get back to Sugarcube Corner.” The earth pony offered,
spinning on her hooves. “See you later, Queen Nyxie.”
And, with that, Pinkie Pie started bouncing away, heading out the castle
front gates and down the road to Ponyville.
“Your Majesty, would you like us to pursue and arrest her?” One of the
unicorn guards asked.
“That depends. Do you think you can actually catch her?” Nightmare Moon
asked, looking to the pile of guards that were just starting to get back on
their hooves. “And do you want to risk making foals of yourselves if you
can't?”
The guards glanced at each other, and then decided quietly to go back to
their normal patrols. Nightmare Moon watch the humorous scene slowly
disappear, the normal staunchness of the castle returning... and for a
moment, the black alicorn wished that Pinkie Pie had hung around for just a
little longer.
============
The queen returned to her bed chamber, intending to resume the
depressed wallowing she had been interrupted from. She laid down on her
bed, shutting her eyes as she relinquished herself to her thoughts.
Thoughts that, before Pinkie Pie's interruption, had been an endless
questions to which the Nightmare Moon had no answers. Concerns over
how all of Equestria was expecting her to be a tyrant and monster... and
why she was finding it so difficult to live up to that expectation.
But those thoughts, those tortuous thoughts, were now being pushed back.
Like a brave hero facing a pack of wolves, a single thought was fighting
against the dark, clinging emotions that had weighed down the black
alicorn.
Twist wanted her to come to her birthday party. She had never been to a
birthday party before, and Nightmare Moon couldn't deny that some part of
her was finding the invitation strangely tempting. For a moment, the full
grown alicorn was a filly again, letting herself fantasize about what the party
would be like. What kind of cake would it be? Would there be games?
Of course there would be games! If Pinkie Pie was involved then there
would, at the very least, be Pin the Tail on the Pony. Maybe even a pinata!
Still, the fantasies of the party slowly died as Nightmare Moon looked at
herself in her bedroom mirror, and was forced to remember she wasn't Nyx
anymore. She wasn't a filly anymore, she was an adult and the Queen of
Equestria. She was Nightmare Moon, the bringer of the eternal night, and
the monster who banished Celestia and Luna to the sun and moon.
According to what Nexus, the Children of Nightmare, and most of Equestria
expected, she was supposed to be an evil tyrant. Heartless, cold, and-
Nightmare Moon looked away from the mirror in aggravation. She... she
was tired of this. Tired of being pulled in two so very different directions.
She was supposed to be Nightmare Moon, and she was trying to be the
terror and tyrant they expected. A mare to be feared. That was who the
Children of Nightmare expected her to be, that was what all of Equestria
expected her to be... that was who she used to be.
But... she just wasn't the same. Nightmare Moon had been denying it,
trying to find her purpose in who she used to be, to be the mare she used
to be... but the bitter truth was she wasn't the same. She wasn't Nightmare
Moon... but she wasn't Nyx either. No, she could never be just simple,
innocent Nyx again. She had done too much, hurt too many... the sins that
stained her soul were as black as her coat, and could never be washed
away.
She could not be Nyx... and so she could only be Nightmare Moon. That
was the only pony she could be. She would not go to Twist's party; she
could pretend she was never invited. That's what the old Nightmare Moon
would have done. Still... alicorn couldn't bring herself to absolutely ignore
Twist's special day.
She had to do something for the filly... something extra special.
============
KNOCK... KNOCK..
Pinkie Pie bounced over to the front door of Sugarcube Corner, opening it
with a bright smile. Twist’s birthday party was in full swing, the only
unaccounted-for guest being Nightmare Moon. The party, however, was
still turning out fun, the music and happiness of the party flowing out into
the street as Pinkie Pie held the door open.
“Hi, what can I do for you stallions?”
The pair of Nightmare Moon’s royal guards remained stone faced, stepping
to the side to reveal a large birthday present, wrapped in purple wrapping
paper and blue ribbons, with a few holes in the top.
“We were ordered to deliver this present to a filly named Twist, and to see
to it that she opened it immediately.”
“A surprise present! OH, that's so fun! Just a second.” Pinkie Pie replied,
galloping back into the party. In moments the earth pony had found the
guest of honor, whisking Twist away from the conversation she was having
with a few other party guests, and bringing her to the large present sitting
on the front step.
“Whoa, is that for me?” Twist asked when she saw the present, which was
larger than she was.
“That's what they said,” Pinkie Pie replied, motioning towards the guards,
“and, they also said you had to open it right away. Sooooo...open it, open
it!”
The filly nodded, just as eager as Pinkie Pie to see what was inside. She
took hold of one of the loose bits of the ribbon with her teeth, Twist pulling
back as the ribbon on top became untied. Without warning, the top of the
box exploded open, shooting confetti everywhere as three figures popped
up, smiling ear to ear.
“Happy Birthday!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all cheered,
leaping out of the box with their front legs held over their head in the
excited fanfare.
“OH MY GOSH!” Twist shouted, practically leaping at the three fillies. “I
thought you girls were all out of town!”
“Well, we were, but... let's just say Nyx helped us get back home early,”
Apple Bloom partially lied.
“This is so awesome! The only way it could be better was if Nyx was able to
come.”
“Sorry Twist, but she can't.” Sweetie Belle said as she and the other
Crusaders got out of the larger present. “But, Nyx wanted us to tell you she
really wanted to come.”
“Yea, and she also sent you a present... well, a present besides us. It's in
the bottom of the box.”
“Oh, I'll get it.” Pinkie Pie chirped, the earth pony bounding into the air
before diving into the larger box. A moment later she resurfaced, holding a
much more reasonably sized present in her teeth which she set down in
front of Twist. Again, the little cream colored filly couldn't be stopped as she
opened the box.
“What is it? What is it?” Apple Bloom asked.
Twist brought her head back out of the box, licking some chocolate off her
lips. “It's fudge, and it's really good.”
“Oh, can I have some?” Scootaloo asked, quickly zipping over to the side of
the present.
“Sure.” Twist replied, letting each of the crusaders and Pinkie Pie dig into
the present, and take one of the careful cut squares of fudge. Soon, all their
eyes were lighting up, having never tasted such amazing fudge before.
============
A strong frown hung on Nexus's face as he descended into the castle
dungeons. The unicorn had just been interrupted from his late lunch by a
piece of very disturbing news. News that Nexus wished to act on
immediately.
He was unaccompanied by guards, and, in fact, had secretly reworked the
guard patrols so that he wouldn't have to worry about anypony interrupting
him. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Nexus strode along the empty cells
of the castle dungeon until he reached the one at the very end, the only
one that was occupied.
Twilight Sparkle was sitting up in her cot by the time Nexus came into view,
the blue unicorn turning to face the mare as they glared at each other
through the bars.
“You... this is all your fault.”
“Well that's wonderfully specific.” Twilight mocked, showing she had no
love for the unicorn who had turned her little Nyx into a full-grown
Nightmare Moon. “And just what is 'all my fault'?”
“Do you realize what Nightmare Moon did today?”
“No. All I know is that she came to take Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and
Scootaloo away. She didn't tell me what she was going to do with them.”
“Well, I'll tell you what she did. She let. Them. Go.”
A smile blossomed onto Twilight’s face as she stood from her cot. “She
did?”
“Yes... but it wasn't just that. No... she wrapped those fillies up in a
present... and then wasted the royal guards’ time by having two of her
soldiers deliver the present to a birthday party. She also sent another gift...
fudge made by the royal chef.”
The smile on Twilight's face turned to a triumphant grin. “That's my girl.”
“NO!” Nexus snapped, his voice filling the dungeon and echoing with his
rage. “The queen is in no way your daughter, no matter what lies you filled
her head with. If anything, you have ruined her.”
“Ruined her?”
“It is you who softened her heart, filled her mind with notions of compassion
and laughter. It is you who taught her to love the sun, who allowed her to
have friends. Friends only bring weakness. A true queen must think only of
the kingdom and her own wishes, but now, Nightmare Moon is so soft-
hearted she is sending birthday presents to a little filly!”
“You may call that ruining her, Spell Nexus, but personally, I'm proud of
Nyx. She-”
“SHE IS NOT NYX! She is Nightmare Moon! She is meant to bring the
eternal night to Equestria, to make the ponies of this kingdom suffer for
how they scorned her in the past! To make you and your friends pay for
defeating her with the Elements of Harmony. That is what Nightmare Moon
should be doing.”
“That is what the true Nightmare Moon would do, but the pony you call
Queen is not her. She is her own mare, and can choose for herself who
she wants to be. And, just so you know, I'm proud to hear that my Nyx is
choosing to be the pony she wants to be, not the monster you want her to
be.”
Nexus shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, biting back a scream of rage. He
stamped his hooves, tossed his head, doing his very best to keep himself
from strangling Twilight Sparkle through the bars of her cell.
Still, after a few tense moments, the unicorn seemed to calm down. He was
still plenty angry, but now the anger was back under control, allowing him
to refocus his glare upon the unicorn on the other side of the bars.
“I do not know why I am so surprised. You were a student of Celestia, the
bleeding heart who used to sit upon Equestria's throne. The one who
sought peace above all else, who did not see that, under proper leadership,
Equestria could rise to control so much more, to be so much more.
“And as the teacher passed the lessons onto the student, so did the
students pass on the poisoned knowledge of kindness to the filly in her
care. And even after my queen was reborn, even when Nightmare Moon
returned as the mare she was meant to be, you did not stop. You came to
the castle, speaking apologies and sweet words. It was you who refreshed
the poison of kindness in Nightmare Moon's veins.
“But there is still hope...” Nexus said, horn glowing as he clicked open the
lock on the cell. Twilight quickly retreated, pressing herself against the back
wall of the cell as Nexus moved slowly towards her, his dark shadow falling
upon the unicorn as his turquoise eyes flashing menacingly.
“If... if you hurt me, Nyx will-”
“Oh, you misunderstand, Twilight Sparkle. I have no intention of hurting
you. In fact, quite the opposite. After all, there is no better cure for a soft
heart than to be betrayed by one you hold dear.”
===========
“And she wouldn't say why she wanted to see me?”
“No.” Nexus replied as he walked alongside Nightmare Moon, heading into
the dungeon. “The guards only reported that she started screaming,
demanding to see you. I would not have brought it to your attention, but she
has refused to eat her lunch.”
“I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Nexus,” Nightmare Moon
replied. “But I would have you wait at the bottom of the stairwell. I will
speak with Twilight Sparkle alone.”
“Of course, your Majesty,” Nexus agreed, the pair reaching the dungeon.
As he was asked, Nexus remained at the base of the steps while
Nightmare Moon walked to the far end of the hall, turning to look in on the
cell that contained Twilight. The unicorn was lying on her cot, body almost
completely covered with a blanket as she laid on her side, facing the wall.
“You wanted to see me?” Nightmare Moon spoke softly, wishing to keep
Nexus from overhearing the conversation.
“Yes... please, the... the guards... they...”
Nightmare Moon felt her heart skip a beat, her magic opening the door to
the cell as she rushed in.
“Did they hurt you?”
Twilight mumbled something, but Nightmare Moon didn't hear. The alicorn
quickly bent close, bringing her head next to Twilight’s.
“Did the guards do something to you?”
“I'm sorry... I'm sorry...”
“Twilight, no, whatever they did to you, it wasn't your fault.” Nightmare
Moon reassured, bending in close as she tried to nuzzle the unicorn's neck.
“I'm sorry... I’m sorry... I’m sorry... that I ever found you in the forest.”
In but a single breath, Nightmare Moon felt the atmosphere in the cell
change. The panic and fear she felt for Twilight was replaced with dread.
And within moments of that last, whispered word escaping Twilight's lips,
the alicorn felt a searing pain in her right shoulder.
The alicorn jumped back, stumbling and falling onto the floor of the cell.
She looked back at her shoulder, a large gash now visible. It was painful...
the first physical pain Nightmare Moon had felt since she had been tangled
in that thorn bush. And this pain... this pain was caused by Twilight.
Looking back at the unicorn, Nightmare Moon saw Twilight getting up from
her cot slowly. The anti-magic ring that was supposed to be around
Twilight’s neck was gone, the brace lying on the pillow of the unicorn’s bed.
In the air beside Twilight floated a magical weapon, a thin but sharp
dagger. Not as dangerous as a sword, but still something that could be
lethal.
“Twilight... what are you doing?” Nightmare Moon asked, scrambling to try
and get to her hooves, but the small space of the cell was making it difficult
for the alicorn to find room to maneuver.
“Fixing my mistake.”
“M-m-mistake?”
“Yes,” The unicorn replied as she began to move towards Nightmare Moon,
the magical dagger floating threateningly beside her. “You’re a monster...
you’re a tyrant... I should have never saved you from the forest.”
“Twilight... Twilight, what’s wrong? Why- why are you...” Nightmare Moon
stuttered out, her voice growing weak as she began to hyperventilate.
“It’s... i-it’s me... it’s Nyx... d-don’t you remember-”
“I remember perfectly what you’ve done. You took over Equestria, you
banished my teacher to the sun, and you brought eternal night to Equestria.
You locked up three innocent fillies, and made me promise them everything
would be all right before you took them away.”
“I took them away to let them go. I let them go, Twilight. You have to
believe me. You... y-you always believed me.”
The unicorn stood over Nightmare Moon, the alicorn still too panicked to
coordinate herself enough to get back to her hooves. Now, the alicorn
could only stare, her eyes meeting the murderous intent that currently lived
in Twilight’s gaze.
“You are a monster... and I should never have saved you. That’s what
being in this dungeon has helped me realize. That you were, you are... and
you will always be a monster... and I’m ashamed I ever called you my
daughter.”
“N-n-n-no... n-n-n-no...” Nightmare Moon began to weep. “Twilight...
Twilight don’t say that. Please... please don’t say that! I... I-I’m sorry did all
this! Just... please... don’t say that. I’m sorry.”
“There is no forgiveness,” Twilight said coldly as she began to raise the
dagger. “I can never forgive myself for believing you were anything but a
monster... and now, I’m going to fix my mistake. I’m going to fix. It. All.”
“NOOOO!!!” Nightmare Moon cried out, the alicorn truly scared for her life.
In a flash, Spell Nexus was at the cell door, his magic wrapping around
Twilight. The unicorn was pushed up against the wall, Nexus holding her in
place.
“GUARDS! The Queen is injured!” Nexus shouted out. Within moments, a
patrol of soldiers arrived, the guards taking Nightmare Moon from the cell
while Nexus used his magic to re-secure the anti-magic brace to Twilight’s
neck. Then, when the queen was out of her cell, Nexus slammed the door
shut, and then turned to follow behind the royal guards as they carried
Nightmare Moon away.
Nexus, however, didn’t follow too closely. After all, he didn’t want the
guards, or his queen, noticing the grin on his face.
===========
Nightmare Moon laid on her bed, head resting on her tear-soaked pillow as
she hugged her Twilight Sparkle doll to her chest. The alicorn had not
moved from that spot for hours, having locked herself in her room and
hidden away from the world. She didn’t care what Spell Nexus or any of the
Children of Nightmare thought. She wanted to cry... after what happened,
she deserved that much.
Her world... in a single brief moment, her world her world had been
shattered. The one solid, constant foundation she had been able to rely on
through the chaos of becoming queen had just crumbled.
Twilight had attacked her... Twilight had called her a monster. Twilight...
was ashamed of her.
Those thoughts hurt more than the wound in Nightmare Moon’s shoulder,
which had been bandaged and cared for. It was a pain in her chest, like
someone had stabbed her with a dagger, and was now twisting it. Twilight,
the one who always believed she was still Nyx... the one who raised her as
Nyx... had turned her back on the alicorn.
She really was a monster... who was she kidding? She was Nightmare
Moon, the Queen of Equestria, the most monstrous monster that Equestria
had ever known. Any hopes and desires to the contrary were nothing but
lies and falsehoods the alicorn was creating for herself. If Twilight... if even
Twilight was unable to see her as anything but a monster... then she had
no hope.
She was Nightmare Moon... and there was no escaping it.
The alicorn’s thoughts turned as she hugged the Twilight Sparkle doll she
had made from one of the training dummies. She wanted to say she was
sorry, sorry for everything she had done. She’d take it all back if it would
make Twilight love her again... but... what was the point? The unicorn
herself said there was no forgiveness.
There would never be forgiveness... she was Nightmare Moon... and
Nightmare Moon could never be forgiven.
Shuddering as a fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes, Nightmare Moon
turned over on her bed, trying to find a dry path on her pillow to rest her
head on. Her eyes flicked to the clock, allowing Nightmare Moon to see she
had spent the whole afternoon just lying there... it honestly felt longer than
that.
Still, the clock showed it was almost time for her to make the sun set. She
was tempted to just blow it off, to leave the world in the amber glow of
dusk... but, at the same time... she had a responsibility to Equestria. Even if
Twilight hated her... even if every pony thought she was a monster... she
wouldn’t let them down. She’d make the sun and moon go through their
cycle, rise and set.
It was the one thing she seemed to be able to do that didn’t make
somepony hate her even more.
Taking in a deep breath, Nightmare Moon had to draw up on every ounce
of energy of she had left to haul herself up from the bed and walk slowly to
her balcony. She hadn’t done anything but lay there all afternoon, but she
was still exhausted. Mentally and emotionally exhausted... and as soon as
she was on her hooves, she wanted to lay back down.
Yet, the alicorn found the strength to reach her bedroom’s balcony,
stepping into the cool evening air. She turned her gaze to the west, where
the sun was waiting to be tucked below the horizon, the sky already starting
to glow with the warm, golden colors of the sunset.
Nightmare Moon reached out her magic, and did what was needed to
nudge the sun. Thankfully, the golden orb seemed all but willing to sink
below the horizon, starting to set. Nightmare Moon then turned her magic
eastward, waking the moon from its slumber and calling it up into the sky.
The two celestial orbs were beginning their dance, exchanging control of
the sky as the west was set ablaze with color by the sunset and the east
began to bask in the cool light of the moon. It was a beautiful sight, one
Nightmare Moon lingered to enjoy for a few minutes before turning,
intending to retreat back to her bed.
Yet, just as Nightmare Moon turned, she took notice of something out of
the ordinary. There was a huge crowd of ponies outside the castle gates,
and on top of the gatehouse, Nexus was standing with a large contingent of
soldiers. The gatehouse itself had also been modified. Jutting out from the
top of the battlements was a platform, a simple structure of wood timbers,
and a rope.
It was a set of gallows... and some pony was standing on the edge of the
platform, a noose around her neck... and the mare in question was staring
up at Nightmare Moon.
===========
Spell Nexus made every attempt to remain stoic and serious, to be
professional, but he could not contain his giddiness. This was it, this was
what he needed and hoped for. It had all worked beautifully, and now he
was finally going to be able to get rid of Twilight Sparkle. Get rid of the
mare that was injecting the poison of kindness into his Queen, making her
weak.
The unicorn moved to the edge of the castle’s gatehouse, looking over the
beautiful set of gallows that had been constructed over the course of the
afternoon. A single long, thin wooden platform extended from the top of the
gatehouse out, over the waiting crowd of ponies below. Above that platform
were a number of thick timbers, constructed and laid out to support a
single, hanging rope.
The rope itself was long, one end tied into a hangman’s noose. He had
measured the rope himself. Once a pony was pushed off the platform, they
would fall almost all the way to the ground below, a dreadful long fall that
everypony below would watch. Then, just before their hooves would reach
the ground below the gatehouse, the rope would snap taut. The victim
would be dead almost instantly, but, more importantly, they would hang in
clear view of the ponies below.
It was a thing of beauty to Nexus.
The sound of marching hooves drew Nexus’ attention away from the
gallows, and to a quartet of guards. The guards were just reaching the top
of the stairs that connected the castle battlement’s to the courtyard below,
and standing between the guard was a particular purple unicorn.
Spell Nexus smiled as he looked over Twilight Sparkle. Her ankles were
shackled in heavy irons, and she had an anti-magic collar around her neck.
Yet, he knew she wouldn’t resist. She wouldn’t try to escape or flee, but it
sent a message. It sent a message that would reverberate across
Equestria.
The ponies: they would look upon his queen and the Children of Nightmare
with the fear and respect they deserved. They would inspire fear and
loyalty, even if her highness continued to raise the sun. That small act of
kindness could possibly turn into a very convincing bit of leverage. After all,
the threat of an eternal night still lingered. Should the ponies try to stand up
or revolt, Nightmare Moon would be able to bring back the eternal night
until their spirits and wills were broken.
Yet all that was just frosting on the cake, side benefits from the unicorn
achieving his true goal. Nightmare Moon would once again act like the
queen she was meant to be. Right after her resurrection, the alicorn had
been the queen he expected, the queen Equestria deserved... but then
Twilight came to the castle, speaking her sweet words and apologies... and
things had only gone downhill from there.
But now... now the queen thought that Twilight hated her, that even Twilight
was now calling her Nightmare Moon. It was the deep cut that would make
Nightmare Moon the mare she used to be, a cut that would end the streak
of kindness the alicorn had been exhibiting. He had done it for the queen’s
own good, and he did not wish to hurt her majesty.
Still, it was something that had to be done.
While Nexus had been contemplating all this, the guards guided Twilight to
the gallows, the unicorn walking out onto the platform. She stood there,
eyes shut as she faced the crowd, who looked on in disbelief and worry.
Some even began to call out in protest, but a few, quick passes by the
castle’s pegasus guards silenced those that would speak out against the
execution.
Then, the moment came, the sun halfway set. Twilight was going to fall with
the last traces of the sun... and so it was time for Nexus to begin his
speech. Moving to the edge of the castle battlements, Nexus used a spell
to magically increase the volume his voice, his words flowing out across the
crowd and echoing off the castle’s stone walls.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Nexus began, his voice serious, though a smile still
lingered on his lips, “You are accused of attempting to assassinate her
royal majesty, the regent of the sun and moon, our beloved Nightmare
Moon. The attack in question occurred earlier today, after you lured our
queen into your dungeon cell. After drawing our queen close, you
proceeded to attack her with a magically manifested dagger. Do you deny
these charges as I have read them?”
“No,” Twilight answered, her voice hollow and flat.
“Then, for your crimes against this crown and kingdom, you are hereby
sentenced to execution by hanging, a sentence that is to be handed down
immediately. “ Nexus continued, his horn glowing as he secured the noose
around Twilight’s neck.
“Do you have any final words?”
For the first time since she had been guided to the gallows, Twilight turned,
and looked back at Nexus. She looked at him through her turquoise eyes,
shaking her head once. Nexus returned this with a smile, his horn already
starting to glow as he prepared to push Twilight from the edge of the
platform... to finally finish off the unicorn.
Yet, as Twilight turned to look forward again, her eyes drifted up and she
caught sight of a black alicorn watching from a distant castle balcony. Their
eyes locked, and remained that way for several moments. Nightmare Moon
visibly bristled, her wings already spreading while Twilight just continued to
look in her direction.
The brief moment of eye contact between two was then broken by Nexus.
Letting his smile crack into a maniacal grin, the unicorn used his magic to
shove Twilight off the platform, her purple body growing limp as she soared
out into the open air.
Everypony below gasped as Twilight began to fall. The rope on the noose
was long, and the unicorn would only reach its end just before she was
about to hit the ground. A long, few seconds of falling before the final snap.
Some ponies hid their eyes, unable to watch what was about to occur.
Others were unable to look away, no matter how they tried.
Further and further Twilight fell, the rope eating up its slack. Nexus had
moved to the edge of the gatehouse, watching as the moment of his
triumph drew closer. His eager eyes betrayed the fact he was enjoying the
execution, that he was drinking in every moment. The grin on his face was
one of victory, as if he had won some great battle.
The rope was about to snap taught, the air was about to be filled with a
sickening crack. Nexus held his breath, bit his lip. The guards, the ponies
below... no one dared blink.
And then...it didn't happen.
For a moment, the crowd, guards, and Nexus had to stare at the rope when
what they expected to happen didn’t occur. There was no snap of the rope
or crack of a neck. The rope just swung lazily back and forth. The unicorn
and noose that had once been at end of the rope had vanished, gone so
fast that no pony had been able to see what had happened.
Nexus was the first to speak, his angry bellow echoing across the castle
walls.
“WHERE DID SHE GO!?!?!”
===============
Nightmare Moon had never moved so fast, had never put so magic into
becoming a cloud of energy. She had never managed to create a
doppelganger so quickly, a fake Nightmare Moon she left in her bedroom,
in case Nexus came looking for her. The alicorn had never done so much
so quickly at the same time, and it had been a strain on her magic.
But... but she had done it. She had saved Twilight.
She was currently carrying Twilight away from Ponyville, the indigo cloud
that was Nightmare Moon flying off into the Everfree Forest. Almost
instinctual, Nightmare Moon found her way to the Ancient Castle of the
Royal Pony Sisters. It was someplace forgotten; there would be no ponies
around, and it was someplace Nexus would never think to look. The blue
unicorn had undoubtedly started sending out troops to find the pony that
was supposed to be hanging from the other end of his rope.
Moving to the safest part of the castle, the alicorn entered the old throne
room. It had been the place of her greatest defeat, but, at the moment,
Nightmare Moon didn’t care. She very carefully deposited Twilight on the
floor, before letting her body re-solidify.
Once her hooves were on solid ground again, Nightmare Moon rushed over
to Twilight, lowering her head as her horn glowed. She removed the
shackles and anti-magic brace, tossing the hunks of metal away. The next
thing was the noose, Nightmare Moon gingerly lifting it off of the unicorn's
neck before tossing it away, not wanting to look at the horrible piece of rope
for a moment longer than she needed to.
And with that, Twilight was free and Nightmare Moon held her breath. What
would the mare do... would she try to attack again? The alicorn wasn’t sure
she could bare being attacked by Twilight a second time, verbally or
physically. Still, she had to be sure Twilight was safe. She just had to be
sure.
And, after a few moments, Twilight began to recover from being whisked
away so abruptly from her own execution. It was a sign of life Nightmare
Moon was thankful of, but her heart still seized up in her chest when
Twilight opened her eyes, revealing a pair of turquoise colored orbs.
Turquoise eyes... Twilight had turquoise eyes... which meant that Nexus
had blessed her.
Was... was that why Twilight had attacked... was Nexus behind it?
Nightmare Moon had always wondered what being blessed did, since Spell
Nexus always said it opened a pony’s mind to the wisdom of her rule. She
had wondered, in the back of her mind, if the blessing didn’t do more than
that. If the blessing, in fact, twisted a pony’s vision so they saw the truth
Nexus wanted them to see. Yet, whenever she asked about it, Nexus
always assured her otherwise.
But... a flutter of hope came to life in Nightmare Moon’s chest. If Twilight
was blessed, there was a chance that the unicorn really didn’t mean what
she had said. Maybe... maybe she could fix this... maybe she could undo
what Nexus had done.
Twilight was still bowing respectively, and, after taking a moment to steady
herself, Nightmare Moon sat down in front of the unicorn and cleared her
throat.
“Please... rise.” Nightmare Moon said, and that was what Twilight did. The
unicorn stood up, her turquoise eyes once again locking with the alicorns.
“Why did you attack me earlier?”
“Spell Nexus instructed me to attack you, so that you would remember the
mare you are meant to be, so that I could no longer poison you with
kindness. He told me what to say, and I said it so that you would be able to
become the queen you were meant to be.”
“And... did Nexus do something to you before that?”
“He came to my cell in the dungeon,” Twilight answered flatly, “And offered
me the blessing of your magic. I then saw that you truly are meant to be
Equestria’s one and only queen. That is your destiny, and I had no right
keeping you from it.”
“No... no, you had every right to try and keep me from becoming a
monster,” Nightmare Moon whispered, the alicorn wanting to cry but forcing
herself to stay strong. She couldn’t be weak, not now... Twilight needed
her.
“How does a blessing work? Nexus has never let me see the blessing
ritual, so tell me how it is done?”
“Nexus opened his mouth, and a bit of black cloud slipped out. He then bit
down, cutting off a piece of that cloud. That cloud then went down my
mouth, and after a few moments, I saw the truth.”
“Down your mouth...” Nightmare Moon echoed, licking her lips as she
shifted anxiously. “Twilight... I’m going to try something... and if it works,
you should be your old self again... but... it may not work. Do you trust
me?”
“Of course, my Queen,” Twilight answered, though Nightmare Moon could
tell it was more the blessing speaking than it was the real Twilight. Still, the
alicorn took a deep breath and composed herself, calling on her magic.
She had to at least try.
Slowly, the alicorn reached out and surrounded Twilight with her magical,
indigo mane. The floating cloud of encircled the unicorn, holding onto her
gently. Nightmare Moon then gently opened Twilight’s mouth, and very
slowly, she began to feed a bit of her magical mane down inside.
She kept her mane small and thin, so that the mass of magic wouldn’t keep
Twilight from breathing. Still, Nightmare Moon gently fed more and more of
her magic down inside of Twilight, exploring the open space of the
unicorn’s lungs.
Nightmare Moon hoped to find something, anything that might have been
the manifestation of the blessing Nexus had put on the unicorn. She,
however, was unable to sense any foreign magic. It disheartened the
alicorn, Nightmare Moon beginning to fear that being blessed was a
permanent thing... that she had lost her real mother forever.
Yet, where Nyx would have broken down at such thoughts, Nightmare
Moon shook her head and shoved the thoughts away. No, Twilight wasn’t
beyond rescue. She could bring the real Twilight Sparkle back. Magic like
this had to have a manifestation, it had to be hiding someplace.
She just had to find it.
Thus the search began, Nightmare Moon’s mane very gently seeping
through the walls of Twilight’s lungs and beginning to pass through the rest
of the unicorn’s body. Muscles, nerves, bones, organs... Nightmare Moon
swept each with her magic, searching for Nexus’ “blessing”.
Fetlocks, haunches, ankles, back legs, thighs, hooves, chest, torso,
forelegs, elbows; Nightmare Moon let her magic stretch into every fiber of
Twilight’s body and still she was unable to find the foreign magic. Running
out of places to look, Nightmare Moon swept her magic up towards
Twilight's head.
And that’s when she felt it. Clinging to back of Twilight's skull, like a
parasite or tumor, was mass of magic. It lingered and mixed with the
muscles and bones that were already inhabiting the physical space. It was
magic, but more importantly, it was foreign, not at all like the magic that
naturally occurred in and filled the unicorn’s body.
Nightmare Moon reached out to grasp the magical mass with her mane,
slowly feeling out the extent of its presence. While there was a center core
to the mass, there were also long tendrils, like roots, spread all across
Twilight’s skull. Some of the roots even reached out to the unicorn’s eyes,
undoubtedly why the changed color.
There was no doubt in Nightmare Moons’ mind. The thing she had just
found was the blessing, and without a moment’s hesitation, she began to
attack the mass with her own magic.
The tumor of magic fought back; it tried to repel the alicorn’s attack, but it
was no match. Nightmare Moon began to burn it away slowly, being extra
careful to not hurt Twilight in the process. She cleared away the center part
of the mass and every root, checking three times to make sure the mass
was gone before removing her mane.
Then... Nightmare Moon waited, holding her breath. Twilight had zoned out
during the procedure, and for a time, the alicorn feared she had done some
harm to the unicorn. Yet, after a few tense minutes, Twilight began to
groan, eyes furrowing as she lifted a hoof to her head. She shut her eyes,
and kept them shut for a time as she rubbed her forehead, the unicorn
suffering from a very nasty headache.
But then Twilight opened her eyes, and Nightmare Moon felt a wave of
relief wash over her and a smile blossom onto her face. The eyes were
once again purple... the blessing had been removed.
She had done it.
“Urgh, My head is killing me,” Twilight moaned as she lowered a hoof and
began to look around. “What happened? Where am-”
Twilight didn’t get to finish her last question as she suddenly felt herself get
taken up in an embrace, her face buried into black fur. Without a word,
Nightmare Moon had moved closer to Twilight, drawing in and hugging the
unicorn tightly to her chest as her great black wings encircled the unicorn,
joining in the embrace.
“Oh... oh thank you. Thank you for being okay,” Nightmare Moon
whispered, bending down and nuzzling at Twilight’s neck.
“Nyx... what... what’s going on?” Twilight said, managing to pull her head
out from the alicorn’s chest so she could look in the direction of her head.
“Don’t worry, you’re someplace safe. You’re safe... and I won’t let Nexus
ever hurt you again.”
“Nexus... wait... did he do something?”
“Don’t you remember?”
“I... I think... maybe,” Twilight admitted, the unicorn’s head still throbbing,
though she found some comfort in Nightmare Moon’s embrace.
“It’s a bit hazy... but... it’s getting clearer. Nexus came to my cell, he was
blaming me for how you’ve been acting. Then... then he came... into the
cell. I tried to escape... tried run out and find the guards, but he pinned me
and then... something black came out of his mouth and... urgh, my head.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to try to remember everything right now,”
Nightmare Moon reassured. “Just take your time.”
Twilight nodded, smiling a little as she let herself settle into Nightmare
Moon’s embrace.
“The next thing I remember after that is hearing your voice. I... I was lying
on my cot... I... I said something, and then you came into my cell. And
then...”
Twilight audibly gasped, pulling herself away from Nightmare Moon as her
eyes narrowed. The unicorn quickly shoved the alicorn’s wing out of the
way, looking at the bandages across Nightmare Moon’s shoulder.
“It’s not your fault, Twilight,” Nightmare Moon quickly reassured.
“But... but I stabbed you! W-why w-would I stab you? H-how did I stab you?
I... I don’t even know how I cast that spell!” Twilight began to panic,
breathing becoming rushed. Nightmare Moon, however, drew Twilight back
into the embrace of her wings, hugging the unicorn as tightly as possible,
as if fearing she would be ripped away at any moment.
“Twilight... you... were being controlled,” Nightmare Moon admitted, once
the unicorn had calmed down a little.
“Controlled? How?”
“Anypony that joins the Children of Nightmare receives a blessing from
Nexus. It’s supposed to be a blessing of my magic, something Nexus
received when he first dealt with the shreds that were left after you and
your friends defeated me with the Elements of Harmony.
“It’s the reason why all the Children of Nightmare have turquoise eyes.
Nexus said that the blessing of magic opened ponies’ eyes to what good I
could bring as Queen of Equestria. That it was the blessing that opened his
eyes, inspiring him to form the Children of Nightmare and try to resurrect
me.
“And... I think that’s what he did. He used the blessing to make you attack
me, so that he could use you against me. Use you to make me into the
queen he thinks I should be.”
“I’m so sorry, Nyx. I... I would never... never in a million years want to hurt
you.”
Nightmare Moon nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes and running down
her cheek.
“I know... I know, Twilight... and I’m sorry... I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“I... I believed it... I believed you hated me... and because of that... they
almost... they were almost able to...”
“To what?”
Nightmare Moon just shook her head.
“I... I didn’t know they were going to do it. You have to believe I didn’t
know... I would have never let them, you have believe that. I... I wouldn’t
want to lose you like that.”
“Nyx, what are you talking about?”
“I... I almost wasn’t able to save you. If I hadn’t gone out onto the balcony
then... if I hadn’t turned to look... then... then you could have... could
have...”
“Could have what?” Twilight asked fearfully, her memories still not
completely returned. “W-what almost happened?”
Nightmare Moon couldn’t bring herself to say it, so instead she pulled her
head away from Twilight’s and folded her wings. The alicorn then used a
hoof to motion in a particular direction.
The unicorn's eyes moved to look where Nightmare Moon was pointing,
and there, lying on the ruined castle floor, was the noose that had,
moments before, been around Twilight’s neck.
Twilight lifted a hoof to her neck, her breathing once again starting to
become panicked, as she came to terms with the fact that she had almost
been hanged. Yet, instead of trying to embrace and comfort the unicorn,
Nightmare Moon instead got to her hooves.
She took a few steps, looking across the old throne room as a few
memories flitted in her head. Memories of her first defeat in the castle by
Twilight and her friends with the Elements of Harmony. Her coming to the
castle as Nyx, and regaining the first of her lost memories and powers.
Memories that were being drowned out as Nightmare Moon thought of
Nexus, and what the blue unicorn had almost done.
“Twilight... I want you to go to Zecora’s hut.” Nightmare Moon instructed,
keeping her back turned to the unicorn. “I want you to go there and hide.
You can’t let the royal guard find you. They have undoubtedly been given
orders to kill you on sight... and I need to know you’re someplace safe.”
“What... why? Nyx, what are you going to do?” Twilight asked, not liking the
very serious tone of the alicorn’s voice.
“I would have words with Spell Nexus,” Nightmare Moon replied, spreading
her wings. “And Twilight... stop calling me Nyx.”
“But-”
“Nyx would have never let Nexus get so close to taking you away. Nyx...
would have known something was wrong when you started shouting like
that. I’m... I’m not your daughter anymore Twilight... I don’t deserve to be
called Nyx anymore... I don’t deserve a mother as wonderful as you. I’ve...
I’ve done too much wrong... there is no forgiveness for me. There is no
forgiveness for Nightmare Moon.
“But, while there is no redemption for me... for what Nexus has done, there
will be retribution.”
With that, Nightmare Moon spread her wings, and before Twilight could
offer a word in protest, the alicorn had taken flight, circling once, before
flying off towards her castle.