Future’s Past
The sun had fallen and the moon rose to gleam through the broken window of The Wizard’s Tower. Nightmare Moon turned her back against Terra and faced the six Elements of Harmony. There was no hesitation; Twilight used her magic immediately to spark the reaction that sent a powerful beam of magic into Nightmare Moon. Terra took the initiative, leaping from the floor he pulled Nightmare Moon around to face him, and tore her spirit from Luna and into him.
Weakened and struggling for control between himself and Nightmare Moon, Terra rested against the railing. Luna recovered her senses in time to see into Terra’s eyes for a brief moment; filled with terrible pain and sorrow. She was in shock and was frozen in place as she watched Terra roll over the railing and fall from the tower. Rainbow Dash sped through the window only to stop and hover in the air.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, wondering why she didn’t fly down to try to catch him.
“He’s gone, he just vanished!” Dash said with surprise.
“Princess, are you alright?” Applejack asked as she walked quietly up alongside Luna.
“No, I am afraid; afraid of what Terra has done,” Luna cried worriedly as she stared where Terra last was, only to see the rising moon.
“Where could he have gone? It’s like he teleported,” Twilight wondered out loud as Dash landed alongside of her.
Elsewhere in Equestria, Terra lay upon a floor battling Nightmare Moon within himself for control. He had teleported to the ruins of the old kingdom, deep within the Everfree Forest. Except he was not alone as he anticipated, his solitude was invaded. There was something else here, something evil. Terra watched as dark wisps of mist rose from the cracks of the stone floor. In a futile attempt to rise and escape, in his weakened state he slumped back to the floor in a heap to be engulfed in darkness; a darkness that invades your mind.
“I don’t even know who you are, why should I trust you!” Terra heard Rarity’s voice yell out.
“Why did this happen, we were friends,” Fluttershy’s cry followed.
“We can’t be friends anymore!” Pinkie Pie’s voice rang out.
“Fine then, forget all of you!” Rainbow Dash screamed out angrily.
“This is how it all ends then,” Applejack said sadly.
“It is; our friendship is over!” Twilight Sparkle declared.
“It can’t be,” Spike said sadly.
Everything changed from just voices in the darkness echoing in his mind, and into a world that was seemingly real. Terra found himself standing in the gardens of Canterlot again. Princess Celestia had her back to him at first. As soon as he wanted to say something she turned to face him.
“Why would you return home? Why would you ever even begin to think we would ever want you here again?!” Celestia strictly demanded.
“All I wanted was for things to be the way they were, I wanted to bring that friendship back,” Terra pleaded.
“I will never forgive you for what you did!” Celestia said coldly.
Terra was suddenly on the bridge in Ponyville alongside Luna again. The scene had switched once again but his mind was tricked to believe it was real. The evil that had him in its clutches dragged him deeper into what he could not resolve and what he feared. There is no knowing how far it would take him.
“Luna,” Terra said softly to get her attention.
“You’ve given up on me haven’t you? You’re leaving me behind now, just as you did so long ago. You lied to me Terra,” Luna cried.
“No, I would never abandon you,” Terra said.
“You promised!” Luna screamed, turning to face Terra and transforming instantly into Nightmare Moon.
“I promised you, that meant everything to me,” Terra said sadly.
“All of that harmony, love, and compassion you claim yourself to show for; yet all that follows you is destruction, pain, and sorrow!” Nightmare Moon yelled as she fired a bolt of magic at Terra.
As soon as Terra shut his eyes and clenched his teeth he once again found himself in another place. Standing before what he considered his best friend and greatest ally; Starswirl the Bearded. The evil was taking it ever more personal, and more damaging.
“Your curse Terra? Your curse is that you are destined to die for the ones you care for. The very love for your friends will be your own destruction. You cannot love, or you will die and take all those who matter most with you,” Starswirl said coldly.
“No, I wouldn’t let that happen. You said it yourself!” Terra yelled.
“Then get up fool!” the voice changed demandingly.
“Snap out of it, get up!” the voice changed further, into a more recently familiar tone.
“It’ll find you if you don’t get up, now move Terra!” the voice demanded.
The world within Terra’s mind faded as he staggered onto his hooves; the dark mist breaking away and seeping back into the stone floor with ominous whispers. He didn’t know what to think of the pony standing in front of him. A look of concern on his face and a familiar black Stetson told him to be cautious; it was Tullius.
“We have to get out, it knows you’re here,” Tullius said quickly.
“I can’t, I can’t fly,” Terra muttered.
“Then I’ll have to move us,” Tullius said as a dark void engulfed both of them like before.
“Where are we going then?” Terra asked in the void.
“To an alchemist’s hut in the Everfree forest; the zebra that dwells there is most likely gone right now. I used to trade with her for potions and materials until she became, accepted, in Ponyville,” Tullius said.
“Why there?” Terra asked.
“Well I’m certainly not taking you back to Canterlot again. What happened?” Tullius simply asked.
“I took Nightmare Moon with me,” Terra said plainly.
Tullius gazed at Terra, watching this battered and broken alicorn try to maintain everything that mattered to him the hard way. Though, it’s not like Tullius chose the easy way either. While no one else may know who he is and what his intentions are; it is rather difficult to decide which of them is the greater fool.
“Nightmare Moon was a part of Luna. You understand they will both die if they aren’t united, but you knew that already didn’t you,” Tullius said in an ironic manner that spoke, ‘and they call me the bad guy.’
“It was a last resort,” Terra said quietly, unsure of who he was trying to convince to believe that.
The dark veil lifted from around them, revealing the inside of a simple hut filled with various kinds of potions and herbs. Odd decorations covered the walls and a large cauldron was in the very middle. Nobody was home so Tullius went straight to work putting together a mixture composed mostly of a strange blue flower.
“The problem now is that you need to be hidden,” Tullius said as he ground several ingredients into a bowl.
“We left already, how would it find me? What is it, and why is it that I should trust you?” Terra demanded.
“It is something far worse than I am, and it knows you now. It knows your aura, the very essence of your existence; and it will hunt you down,” Tullius said with concern.
“Why does any of this matter to you then; why were you there?” Terra asked calmly.
“I need you alive Terra, and I need you to trust me as you expect those you care about to trust you,” Tullius said.
“Then how would you hide me?” Terra asked curiously.
“After you drink this mixture it will make you far more susceptible to magic. Making it much easier for me to take everything that makes you, you and hide it away deep within your body’s mind,” Tullius said.
“Everything that’s me?” Terra questioned suspiciously.
“Memories, personality, some physical attributes, as well as the prime decisions you would specifically make. Your body would be living its own life with you along for the ride,” Tullius said it like it wasn’t much trouble at all.
“I’d be powerless!” Terra said unhappily.
“Better than dead, or worse. Look at it this way; at least you will have some company while you’re in there,” Tullius said referring to Nightmare Moon.
“How long?” Terra asked.
“A few days until you’re healed, then I will let you back out; and just in time for what they call the Gala in Canterlot as well,” Tullius said.
“Somehow I know you, but I feel that I had forgotten,” Terra said.
“I deserved to be forgotten. Are you ready?” Tullius asked, ready to move on from the conversation.
Even though Terra can still sense evil in Tullius, he found no other reason to distrust him. Besides, this seems to be the only way to speak with Nightmare Moon face to face in his own mind as well. He needs to convince Nightmare Moon to return to Luna, and let Luna remain in control. This was a dangerous option, but it is the only one Terra has.
Terra took the bowl and drank the mixture. He quickly slumped to the floor and fell asleep. Tullius used the magic he had at his disposal to cast the spell that would lock Terra within himself. Terra’s body changed from a grand alicorn to a simple earth pony with a solid red-orange mane and tail. As for Terra himself, he entered the prison of his very own consciousness.
Within Terra’s mind he walked about in a world comprised of his memories, structures and buildings merging into one another, entire cities drifting aimlessly by through the clouds, and ghosts of the past walking through each other with whispers that couldn’t be understood. The only things in control of themselves were Terra and Nightmare Moon. They met with each other in a grassy field under a night sky, but the field curves upward and transitions into day.
“It’s troubling how the inside of your mind looks as though it was the work of Discord Terra,” Nightmare Moon pointed out smartly.
“Tullius didn’t lie,” Terra said with relief.
“These are your memories aren’t they?” Nightmare Moon questioned.
“They are,” Terra admitted.
“I witnessed some of them while I’ve been in here. Why would you torture yourself to hold onto such things?” Nightmare Moon inquired.
“They mattered, as much as it hurts to remember, I have to know the reasons for what I do,” Terra said.
“To choose Luna over me!” Nightmare Moon claimed.
“You are Luna, you are part of her. She was always ready to take command, to take action and make quick decisions. You may be more warlike and often violent but even you can show grace,” Terra said honestly.
“If I don’t?” Nightmare Moon asked.
“Then the both of you will die,” Terra said sadly.
“I have no choice then, I have to return to her,” Nightmare Moon said plainly.
“It will be a few days until we can get out,” Terra said.
“What did you do all of that time I was imprisoned?” Nightmare Moon asked.
“I recovered from my battle, and limiting your sentencing,” Terra said, ironic that he is now recovering from her again.
“It took you a thousand years for you to recover?” Nightmare Moon asked, rather surprised.
“I’m not invincible!” Terra joked.
“It seems even Equestria’s white knight can fall off of his fiery steep,” Nightmare Moon said.
“The Fire Prince, Alicorn of Harmony, and Equestria’s White Knight. If there was anything that Tullius was right about is that whatever evil that was is going to come for me; and all I would do is bring danger to those I care about most,” Terra said with disappointment.
Here it is, that after all she had done, all the hearts she had broken and sorrow she created; Nightmare Moon, Luna, is still loved. Her friend from the past never did give up on her, why would he now? Terra may be hurt and heartbroken, but to her he is a hero even if he doesn’t know it or believe it. If there is one thing that she knows about Terra that she can hold above all else, is that Terra will never quit to save those he loves even if it destroys him; like he promised.
A vivid memory took place in Terra’s mind as though it were triggered by Nightmare Moon’s thoughts. Terra was with Starswirl the Bearded, having a rather important conversation. Unlike the evil that showed half-truths and lies. This was something else, a clear and truthful memory of Starswirl, and there was a distinct power felt even to be in his presence.
“So what does this burden mean then?” Terra asked Starswirl.
“Terra, your sacrifices are for the love of others, and as far as you would take them, it would mean your own destruction,” Starswirl said in a solid and wise tone.
“I won’t let that stop me,” Terra said.
“I know,” Starswirl said with a laugh.
“I promised her that she wouldn’t be alone,” Terra said sadly.
“She is gone Terra, there is nothing we can do for her right now,” Starswirl said.
“Then I will leave, I will find some way to save our kingdom; and I promise that I will find a way to save her!” Terra declared as he walked away from his best friend for the last time.