Nightmare Night Chapter 22 draft complete... · 5:49pm Oct 28th, 2019
Tentatively titled "Art of the Deal", it's currently currently coming in a little shallow at only 6700 words. I may try to sneak in another section, but I wanted something finished for prereaders now to make sure it would be ready in time for Halloween. It will launch then, though my ambitions for it had to be curtailed somewhat.
It strikes me now that the story is becoming less about corruptive kink than conflict at this point, with duels and battles between major characters (like Starlight and Eclipse, or shortly Eclipse and Nightmarity) taking center stage. Part of the reason for that is that my erotic batteries seem a bit drained at this point, for whatever reason, which is something htat's happened to me in the past. I may have to take a break from the story after this to let them recharge, but that's good news for readers of Firefly, which I'd shift over to working on in the meantime.
While you're waiting for the Thursday release, here's a teaser to tide you over:
While the storm raged outside, the two prospective regents sat themselves down at the friendship table, joined by their underlings. To emphasize their opposing sides, Nightmarity transformed her side of the room to a scene out of a Steedgyptian palace while Twilight kept her side Coltic, the two sets of decor clashing heavily, though it was only Nightmarity that seemed excessively bothered by it.
“I don’t know what disgusts me more, darling--your poor design taste or your inexplicable inability to recognize your better,” Nightmare said from her side of the table.
“My better currently has already seen her first plan fail, and has nothing more than a pathetic prince and a crippled chaos god under her control,” she noted with a nod over to Discord, who was being shielded by Flutterbat from the ongoing interest of the Pie sisters.
“Believe what you wish, darling,” Nightmarity made herself comfortable in Rarity’s Friendship Map seat across from Eclipse, who was also joined by Pinkamena in her own chair. “I am more than ready to begin discussing the terms of your surrender, but before we begin, there is a minor matter to attend to.”
“Oh?” Eclipse asked with an arched eyeridge.
“Why yes, darling. For it would seem we have a spy outside, and an infiltrator inside.”
Eclipse frowned. “A spy and an infiltrator? What do you--”
Before she could finish, Nightmarity zapped one of Shadowdash’s newest soldiers, causing her transformation to dissolve and reveal… a black-and-green pony like figure with green eyes and insectile wings over a glimmering carapace.
“A Changeling!” Showowdash and the rest of her thestral soldiers recognized, instantly tackling the revealed creature and, immune to his magic, brought her before their queen.
“Well, well…” Eclipse noted as the Changeling stared at her altered form, wide-eyed and visibly sweating. “An excellent disguise if I didn’t detect you. It would seem Chrysalis is still keeping tabs on us, then. Now the question becomes, what shall we do with you…?” she asked idly. “I would love to send you as both a message and curse carrier to Chrysalis.”
“Then let us convert it, my queen!” Shadowdash begged to eager nods from her fellow bat-ponies. “It would seem a suitable punishment given how much they enjoy seducing us!”
“A tempting proposition,” Eclipse agreed with an evil grin. “I would love to see what this wondrous magic would do to a Changeling. And it would be nice to have his hive serve us for a change. He could be our agent to spread the curse to Chrysalis’ hive, and through him, we could bend them to our will.”
“An interesting idea. But I think not,” Nightmarity replied, and then magically teleported the changeling to her side, turning her head to zap a mirror, opening a fresh portal to an unknown destination.
“You’re letting him go?” Eclipse asked in disbelief. “When you could use him to corrupt and convert his hive?”
“There is no need. Because his hive already serves me, darling,” she replied, and then held the captured Changeling up before her, who was staring at her in fear, his unaltered organ quickly becoming erect from the sheer amount of potent mating magic in the room, his desire for love making him even more susceptible to it than most.
“I see you wish to service me, my revealed friend. Please me, and I will grant that wish in due course, engorging you with love for it. But for now, return to your ruler and tell Queen Chrysalis that her hive’s former patron has returned, and our original deal remains in effect,” she said almost pleasantly, but then her eyes narrowed. “Tell her that she will obey me as her great-great-great grandmother once promised, or watch as I turn her own hive against her and cast her out of it--if she is lucky.”
“Y-yes, m-mistress!” The Changeling barely croaked before he was bodily tossed into the portal, through which the structure of his desert hive was visible for just a moment before it closed behind him.
“I thought you had some sense after such a long life, Nightmare. But I suppose not. You truly are a foal if you believe Chrysalis can be trusted!” Eclipse said in disgust.
But Nightmarity waved off her concerns. “I know she can’t. But that just means she’s useful in other ways,” the possessed Rarity answered evenly. “For now, that takes care of one potential issue. But another remains. There is a presence outside. An exotic magic whose owner I know well. She has fought me in the dreamscape and thwarted my attempts to take new hosts before. But now that I have one, she is very vulnerable to me.” She bared her sharp teeth in an unpleasant predatory smile. “You have made a grave mistake coming here, Spellsinger. I suggest you flee while you can.”
“Spellsinger? You mean Delta Requiem,” Eclipse’s eyes narrowed and for a moment there was some genuine concern in her eyes. “She must have followed Celestia. Her powers are unique and her presence could be… problematic. She will be difficult to capture or convert.”
Perhaps for you, darling,” Nightmarity chuckled, accepting a mug of fresh fruit wine from Blueblood, who was now dressed as a Steedgyptian servant. “‘Twould seem she has already detected me and fled--a wise choice, dreamwalker. Be assured she will not approach as long as I am here, and I can deal with her at my leisure. Now to business, then…”
The chapter is to prereaders now. It will launch on Halloween morning.
Nightmarity does have some cards left but I doubt Eclipse has revealed her hoof and that changeling will likely be punished by Chrysalis for being detected and bringing her a message she doesn't like.
"Art of the Deal" I see what you did there. Can we expect a chapter down the line titled "Art of the Comeback"?
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I don't think it's giving much away to say that you're mostly correct there. The question is, Chryssie may not be happy about it, but will she heed the warning?
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Maybe.
Might not be enough of the story left for that, but we'll see.
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Doesn't have to be in the same story