Hours later I stare up at the moon from where I stand in the shadows between two buildings. I can almost hear Wooden Toaster's song "Nightmare Night" playing in my head as ponies file into the town hall. Pressing my lips together I wait, and see four stars flash around the moon. In the seconds that follow the craters representing the fabled mare on the Moon vanish. I sigh through my nose as I see the indigo smoke gather over the town hall, and seep through the roof. No sign of Celestia, I suppose this means she anticipated the arrival of Nightmare Moon, and went into hiding.
I can't say I blame her, banishing her sister once must have been heartbreaking enough, and in all honesty if I were in her shoes I wouldn't be able to do it again. I hear the echoing laughter of Nightmare Moon in the Town hall, see the flashes of lightning through the windows, and slink back into the shadows, hurrying to the library.
I hide across the street from the library then, and watch from the shadows. First Twilight charges through the front door, then seconds later the rest of the Mane 6. I look around keeping my eyes peeled... Sure enough after several minutes I see the astral form of Nightmare Moon under the window in a cloud of indigo smoke, eavesdropping on Twilight. Crouched where I am I find a new appreciation for her cunning almost, Nightmare Moon's. She saw Twilight was the only one who recognized her, and instead of arrogantly dismissing her she is ensuring she isn't a credible threat.
Suddenly the smoke moves again, jerking me back to the present... and streaks right for me! My eyes fly wide, and I turn to bolt but she's on me before I have time to borrow another profanity from Little Pip of which I am incredibly fond.
The smoke whirls around me, getting tighter, and tighter, crushing the air from my lungs...
And when it ends I gasps for breath, face down in the grass. I groan as I get to all fours shakily, part of me nagging at me for getting the suit dirty. On the ground in front of me is where the watch fell from my pocket I pick it up as a shadow falls over me in the moonlight. Slowly I look forward then up. First I see armored hooves, then the legs as black as pitch, and then up at her armored chest before finally meeting those cold dragonlike eyes.
"Princess Luna," I whisper, because even like this all I can see is the princess trapped inside. Call me a fool if you wish, but all my life I've done my best to see the good in people... or ponies in this case.
She looks surprised, and then a tad angry. I can't help eyeing her sharpened teeth as she speaks. "That is not my name, I am Nightmare Moon... What manner of creature are you? Furthermore why, and how were you able to attempt spying on me?"
I can't help smiling, my inner fanboy lighting a fire in my chest as I get to my feet. I glance at my watch, and slip it into my pocket. Her eyes flick to that same moon on the front before staring back into my eyes. I take a breath, and clear my throat before I can reply.
"I suppose you could say I'm a fan," I say with the smallest of shrugs. Keeping my fanboy in check is me constantly reminding myself I'm standing in front of the most deadly foe Equestria has ever seen. I mean Discord just messed with ponies, Chrysalis feeds off love, Sombra only sought to enslave them, and even Tirek never killed ponies. Nightmare Moon certainly seemed to have tried back in the show.
The said former princess tilt her head the slightest bit in confusion, "In what manner are you an instrument meant for cooling?"
I can't help it, I smile wider, and snicker into a hand. "Ah... No, it's a slang word, short for "fanatic." I-"
"You have not answered my questions," Nightmare Moon says in a firm tone that makes me reflexively take a step back. She waves a hoof, "I suppose it matters not, i can learn later... But for now you interest me, creature."
"Harley," I reply. "My name is Harley, and I'm a human."
She lowers her eyelids as she listens, "...I sense a potential within you, the echoing remnants of magic, yet no source itself... How a creature such as you can exist is well beyond me." I mull that over with a frown as a smile spreads over her muzzle. "I can change that," she chuckles. "If you seek power then I can provide it, should you choose to serve me. I'm curious to see what you're capable of."
I blink... is she serious? This is incredibly cliche, everyone knows no one with smarts ever accepts that deal, it's never worth it. Yet... Tempting... so very tempting... Back in the human world I always had a sort of Sith outlook on life. Darkness is not always evil, passion is the greatest weapon, and power is what shapes the world. And here it is being offered. The allure is very real, just to know what it would feel like to feel magic float through you would be...
"No," I say firmly. I think ahead to just the sort of future the show had, and if I take this then it could derail all that. "No Luna, I'm not that gullible."
She bares her teeth at me, "My name is-"
"Princess Luna," I say firmly, cutting her off. "What you are now is a selfish version of yourself, twisted by jealousy, and you never realized your true purpose. You never saw what good the nights ever did even if so few ever saw them. Your vanity, and..." I trail off as i realize just what the hell I'm doing. Berating an alicorn that can summon lighting down on me.
And she certainly seems inclined to. "Insolent whelp! I should strike you down here, and now!"
"You won't," I say quickly, a bit panicked. Time to pull something out of my ass! "Because! Because... If i'm wrong I won't know it if I'm dead!"
She hovers over me, her mane swirling in a storm cloud as she considers my words. "...A clever tongue...amusing."
Good Harley, you got the ball rolling, now Act 2. I swallow, and continue, "...How about a bet? A wager... You heard those six in the library, they're headed to the Everfree Forest now to find the Elements of Harmony. If they can defeat you then I'll be proven right. If they can't then I'll take your deal with no questions, and serve you faithfully."
She stares at me a minute, and smiles. "...We have a wager. Do not attempt to flee, because once you lose your courage will decide your fate." With that she dissolves into the smoke of her mane, and streaks off for the forest.
I blink, and look up at the moon, "...Did that seriously just work?" I take a moment to pat myself on the back before I realize I just sent her after the Mane 6! I have no idea if they can totally beat her, i have to do something, I'm already involved in all this so i might as well.
"Think Harley, think," I mutter to myself as I look around. Ponyville is between the Everfree Forest, and myself so I start running. No time to change, armed only with a 9mm pistol under my jacket... I'm so screwed, what good is a gun in a world of magic anyhow?!
I skid to a stop then, gears in my head turning. Nightmare Moon said I had potential for magic, I just needed a source. And pieces fall into place in my head as I smile. "Oh... Oh... LIGHTBULB!"
...
The journey to the castle hadn't been easy, but I made it regardless. I didn't pass Twilight, or her friends on the journey so I assume they're already inside. Really I've never run so far, or fast in my life but I had to do it. I have to get there in time. I really didn't trust the drawbridge but i sprinted it with my eyes closed, and breath held... Luckily so did the bridge.
"C'mon girls, Twilight needs to focus," I hear Applejack say. With a cringe I rush into the castle, and duck into a sideways hall as i hear hoofsteps on stone.
Gotta go faster, run, RUN! There isn't much time left. I really don't expect this to do much good, but it's something at least. Finally I make it to my destination... The library.
No time to think I run partway up a ladder on a bookshelf, and start tossing books over my shoulders. It has to be here, someplace! Come on if Spike can do this then... Ah to hell with it! Putting a hand behind one book I start sweeping them off the shelves with my arm. Panting I keep going. It has to be here, i know it's here, it has to be!
Finally I find what I need. When I pull one particular book free a part of the wall behind me slides open with the grind of stone against stone revealing a barred door with a padlock. Swallowing I look past the bars to see that stone book with spikes under a green light. I take a deep breath before drawing my gun, pressing it sideways to the part of the lock where it touches the door. Shutting my eyes tightly I pray not to get shot with the ricochet as I squeeze the trigger...
The silencer on the gun muffles the shot, but the metal shatters under the point-blank force of the shot. Sighing in relief at my preserved health I pull open the door to step inside. The stairs look awfully brittle right now, and the scene of Spike obliviously avoiding his own demise flashes through my head.
Just don't look down, don't think how deep that pit is, or how there could be spikes... Too late.
My heart pounds in my chest as I put my gun back into my shoulder holster. Maybe if I just distribute my weight over a wider area then I can avoid having it snap on me... Rarity is going to hate me for ruining this suit...
I drop to my knees, and start to crawl up the stairs. They feel pretty solid under me, not even wavering under my weight. Still, not taking any chances. So I crawl to the tops, and wipe a bit of sweat from my eyes before reaching out for the book.
I take it... Nothing happens... Still, best not test my luck. A good call as it turns out, no sooner have I retreated back into the library that the stairs begin to crumble. Mentally I muse that maybe the book had been the source of magic for a spell that had been keeping that stairwell together.
Staring down at the book in my hands I swallow hard. Do I really need this? I know what happened to Rarity, does thinking that leaves me prepared for the effects make me arrogant? What have I just done already by taking this, how have I altered future events if my fears are all for naught...
I set my mouth in a determined line. Best to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it. This is Nightmare Moon, and events are already slightly different with me telling Twilight about my origins. No going back now... So I open the book, and read the spell.
From in the head to out in the world, every thought to action
Hold close this book, and through this spell you'll start a chain reaction
Projecting forth whatever beauty you see
Only when true words are spoken will you finally be set free
Once the spell is recited out loud a green smoke flows from the book into my hands, and up my arms to my face. I'm honestly terrified as I shut my eyes, but I feel the magic pass through my eyelids anyhow. I expected it to feel cold... Instead it's quite warm, like a blanket after a peaceful sleep. Slowly I open my eyes... I don't feel any different. Then again Rarity hadn't noticed anything right away either. Time to see if it worked.
Focussing on the book I imagine it as a sort of pocket-edition of black leather binding, and red edges on the pages. In a small flash of green my thoughts become reality when I think them at the book.
"I wonder if this is how Discord feels," I muse out loud as I slip the book into a pocket on the inside of my jacket. Looking over my suit I notice a few holes, and a lot of dirt from the crawl. I raise my hand which glows for a moment as I fix that.
"Alright," I sigh. "...Game on."
...
It takes me a few minutes to find my way back to the throne room, and then I just follow the shouts of Twilight's friends to the tower. I see Nightmare Moon standing there, looking baffled as the shards of the Elements of Harmony swirl around the Mane 6.
I bet you're all expecting some dramatic word by word retelling of this, but really nothing new happened here. Twilight, and her friends face off against Nightmare Moon, and the moment before they fire the rainbow Nightmare Moon spots me. I'm pretty sure I'm grinning like an idiot, but really I don't care. We've won, I didn't mess anything up, and the events in the show here certainly seem to hold their water. So I stay long enough to see Celestia return, probably drawn by the power of the Elements, and after the heartfelt reunion I turn to leave.
As I walk down the stairs I wonder if I can teleport, thoughts to reality after all. So shutting my eyes I imagine myself inside the clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres.
And just like that I'm there, the rays of the sunrise just starting to enter through the window. Smiling I sit against a wall, and pull out the book. I stare at it for a good while, lost in thought. Perhaps the enchantment takes a long time, or repeated use to take full effect? Constant exposure? I have no idea. All I can think is how I just exposed myself to magic I know is bad, and it was for nothing. There had never been any need for it. In all honesty I'm not sure what to think. Still, I put the book back in my pocket before coming out of the clubhouse. This place is pretty small, maybe I could...
No! And in case I missed it the first time, HELL NO! I can't just let magic be what solves my every problem here, for all I know this magic could be killing me from the inside... Which I hadn't considered before... Oh sweet Celestia...
I perk up, "...Celestia! She lived there, she has to know something." And like that I summon a bicycle, and mount it before riding towards Ponyville. I remember to summon a helmet next, it just feels comfortable.
When I arrive Pinkie is already darting around town hanging streamers, and anchoring balloons. I just look around frantically, she's the only thing around here roughly on eye level with me so she can't be that hard to find...
There! Ditching my bike, and helmet I hurry towards the princesses. I pause a few feet away, my inner Brony trying to wrap my head around what I'm doing. I... Am actually in the presence of Princess Celestia... And one very adorable Luna... Oh wow... I feel my throat seize up as I take them in, they're so much more... Well... More! In person anyhow! More regal, more majestic, more beautiful all around.
Celestia looks at me with surprised eyes, Luna as well. They share a look before Celestia asks, "...Can I...help you...?"
...Huh, what? Oh yeah!
I clear my throat into a fist, and then bend at the waist into a bow, "Your highnesses, princesses of Equestria... It is such an honor to meet you!"
Celestia gives me a small smile, though she still looks a bit weary. "Well thank you..."
Straightening I say, "My name is Harley... And... Please forgive me, but I need to speak with you in private Princess Celestia... It's very urgent."
Luna gives me a look like she doesn't trust me (which hurts quite a bit), then she looks surprised as Celestia puts a wing over her. "I insist my younger sister be involved as well."
I consider this... It couldn't hurt I suppose. So with a nod I lead the way to town hall. Pinkie will probably use the time to organize the party, and Celestia posts her guards outside to make sure nopony listens in on us. I look around, sitting at a table with my hands folded on the table. I wait for the princesses to take their seats as well before I begin. I start by explaining my situation just as I had to Twilight. Luna still look skeptical, but Celestia seems to be able to tell I'm not lying.
And before I go any farther let me just tell you how unnerving it is for your Waifu to not like you back... particularly when said waifu isn't even the same species, and makes you question your own ethics of having a waifu in the first place. But that's a headache for another time.
"This is certainly interesting," Celestia says. "So to summarize our entire universe is a show meant to entertain adolescents?"
I nod, "Pretty much."
"And... You're familiar with it?"
...Wait, is Celestia calling me out on being a Brony? The fuck?
My thoughts must show on my face because she quickly amends, "I am just being sure I have my facts straight. After all you said events of last night coincide rather strongly with the first episode of this show. That implies that you have some future knowledge of events."
I relax a bit, "Yes that's about it in a nutshell."
Celestia furrows her eyebrows, "So are there events ahead that you felt you needed to pull us aside for?"
I blink, and think hard. "...Nothing major until after the Grand Galloping Gala... And just that when you bring your Phoenix to Ponyville, don't be alarmed when she goes missing, I promise Philameana will be in goo hooves."
Celestia nods, "I see, so what was so urgent?"
I swallow hard, and is it wrong I felt like I was confessing to my mother here? Like that feeling when you confess for sticking your hand in the cookie jar before dinner? Still I sigh, "...I was worried that my very being here had drastically changed events... so... I took precautions..." Reaching into my coat I put the book on the table. "This came from the castle... It was stone at the time..."
Both princesses look shocked at it, and Celestia looks up at me critically. "...Interesting...I sense the magic within you, however it's very faint... you have great magical potential, but for the moment it appears that something about you is suppressing the power somewhat. Extraordinary..."
I blink slowly, "So... I'm not in danger? I mean in the show when Rarity got the book she was overwhelmed by the power, she got so obsessive on using it..."
Celestia taps her chin with a hoof, "That is a very real concern... But for the moment you seem to be in control. I would keep a diary if I were you, monitor your progress with the magic, and record how you use it. This control could be simple biology, or willpower... only time will tell."
I nod, and look to Luna with a smile. "...There is something I would like to show you both... Something made by the fans of the show..." I take out my phone, and sort through the downloaded videos until I find the one I'm looking for. Turning it to them I hit the play button. They both look at the device in fascination for a moment... The the animation for Lullaby For a Princess starts playing. They watch it with wide eyes, and I actually feel kinda guilty for showing them this when they're both put to tears. When the credits roll, I exit the video, and shut off my phone.
Celestia, and Luna look to each other, and hug tightly as moisture trickles from their eyes. Luna looks up at me with a soft smile, "...Thank you..."
I bow my head to her with a smile of my own. "...I'll keep an eye on Ponyville for the two of you. For most the show episodes ended with Twilight sending letters to Princess Celestia. I'll keep you both posted as well... I might have some help. I understand Special Agent Sweety Drops is undercover here, if you could provide something I can give her to show I'm sincerely working with you..."
Celestia nods, and levitates over a napkin. I give her a pen from my pocket, and she writes something out before giving it to me. "For her eyes only. Expect a parcel from me in the mail within the coming weeks. I will provide you with means to contact us."
I nod, and pocket the napkin. "Yes your majesty." And with that I stand, and bow to them before we leave the town hall. Most Ponyville has come out of hiding now, and I set off to find Twilight. I need to tell her to keep my origin under wraps.
I find her pretty easily though once i see Pinkie in the distance shouting, "A PARTY!" I decide to let the scene play out from the sidelines, and I look down as my Cubby rubs against my legs with a purr. Picking him up I chuckle as I stoke the back of his neck. He nuzzles into my neck as I hold him close.
"Things just got a lot more interesting buddy," I tell him softly. In the crowd I spot the blue/pink mane of Bon Bon, aka Sweety Drops. With a smile I set my cat on anearby barrel where he watches the ponies right beside me. "Very interesting indeed.