//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: For the Night // Story: Deep Dark // by Dragryphon //------------------------------// DEEP DARK Chapter 7: For the Night Written by Dragryphon Edited by Fifth Alicorn, Rhiiazami, and Wanderer D A cascade of thoughts poured through Twilight’s mind, like a roaring river flowing over a waterfall only to be dashed and scattered upon the many rocks below, only to be followed by yet more from above. In the time it took the lavender unicorn to take two breaths and blink once, she had formulated, considered, and discarded numerous plans. Every single one was quite useless without the other Elements to back her up. Not only that, but Twilight Sparkle was blocked from her big crown thingy by the Nightmare in front of her. And not just the Nightmare she had defeated twice before, a Nightmare with diminished power, but one at full strength. No small amount of fear coursed through her body, making the unicorn wish to relieve herself of certain liquids best not mentioned. She was completely alone in facing Nightmare Moon. “I-I’m not afraid of you, Nightmare Moon!” Twilight exclaimed, turning to take a wide-legged stance, snorting through her nostrils while pawing at the floor of the tent. Not necessarily a full-blooded lie. While Twilight was indeed terrified, she was attempting not to show it, and knew she had to stop the Nightmare at whatever cost. Nightmare Moon simply raised an eyebrow, then pulled back with her insulting laugh. Luckily, she did not seem to partake in her usual mane clouds and lightning routine. “Afraid? Oh, my dear foal, I can smell your fear. You reek of it.” The alicorn stepped slowly around the unicorn, drawing Twilight’s gaze like a lighthouse beacon. “I am more interested, however, in what you think you’ll ever be able to do to me alone. In fact...” Nightmare Moon’s mane darted out, the tip wrapping itself around Twilight’s snout, shutting it around her muffled protests, “I could very easily do such things to you as what my sister wrote in that book of hers.” The look of dawning recognition on Twilight’s face was all the confirmation Nightmare Moon needed to know that Twilight knew what she was talking about, bringing about another of her raucous laughs. Twilight could just imagine the thunder and lightning blasting around the two of them. This was the worst idea I’ve had in ages. How could I ever imagine that Luna would have been able to control Nightmare Moon and prevent her from surfacing!? Nightmare Moon released Twilight’s jaw from her mane; the unicorn raised a hoof to rub over it while staring daggers at the alicorn. “What did you do with Luna? What did you do with my aunt!?” the mage demanded, hoping to stall the Nightmare long enough to formulate a plan of action, as well as distract the Goddess from thinking of what things to do to her. Twilight couldn’t imagine the torture it would be to be a... pet beneath Nightmare Moon’s hoof, much less her... lover. Twilight nearly gagged at the thought. Her, a lover to anypony?  Much less an evil mare of darkness who happened to be her aunt. Nightmare Moon slowly marched away from Twilight, her back to the unicorn and her gaze pointed upwards toward the clear tent ceiling; admiring her night, it seemed. While the stars above were crystal clear and glimmered like diamonds, Twilight had more pressing matters to attend to than the inherent beauty of a night sky. Like figuring out a brilliant plan to remove the Nightmare’s corruption from Princess Luna. After several long moments of silence, with Twilight fidgeting in place and not daring to move, Nightmare Moon finally spoke up. “I do believe I am your aunt, my little pony. Do not worry, she is me. Mostly. Or rather, I am her; I am not entirely sure right now. She has yet to figure out how to deal with me, it seems.” Nightmare Moon turned and let her eyes drift over Twilight, the slitted pupils shrinking into a glare. “Or maybe she prefers for me to be in charge. Either way, it is nice to have physical form once again.” "I-I don't get it,” Twilight stammered, captivated by the glare, her violet eyes locked with Nightmare Moon’s turquoise. “What are you talking about?” Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes and returned her gaze upon the tent canopy, ignoring Twilight for the moment and leaving the unicorn to her own thoughts. Alright, this is creepy. She’s just sitting there and not doing anything about me, either like she isn’t interested, or maybe doesn’t care. Am I really not that big of a threat? This truly worried Twilight, for if the Nightmare really did not believe her to be a threat, being only one of the Elements, then, considering their past experiences together, it was quite possibly true. Twilight sat on her haunches and turned her head down to stare at the book she had been reading, confused and more than a bit worried over the events occurring within the tent. They were most certainly not something she had prepared for. So much for being neat and orderly. This is all my fault! I asked Luna to do this and she trusted me, and now I’ve put her back in Nightmare Moon’s control. Why didn’t I prepare something in case this happened!? Damn it, I should have done something to prevent this, she berated herself, even going so far as to swear in the meantime! I could escape now, while she is distracted, and then... Twilight nearly facehoofed at the stupidity of that thought. And then wander around lost in unknown territory on the other side of the world, abandon my friends, and leave Spike an orphan. Twilight clenched her eyes tightly shut, holding back tears. I should have brought him with me. If what Princess Luna said is right, then he’s in danger from whatever Princess Celestia has become. He’s probably terrified for his life right now... like I am. No, I will vanquish the Nightmare once again and... “To answer your question, Twilight Sparkle, Luna and I,” Nightmare Moon interrupted, eliciting a groan from Twilight as she added another tick mark to the tally of interruptions so far. Ignoring the rudeness of the unicorn, Nightmare Moon continued, “She and I, while the same pony, have always deferred to each other in various ways. I have always been the... leader, I guess you would call it in our little relationship, and she the follower. It has not changed in the many centuries we have known each other, and so, when she opened the door she had stuffed me into, she gave me the power over everything.” The Nightmare grinned, then stood as her mane and tail flowed nebulously around her body, hiding it mostly from view. “And now, foal, we have more important things to do, so you shall put aside thoughts of what to do with me and instead focus on thoughts of what to do with your beloved mother,” Nightmare Moon taunted, turning around swiftly to level her intense gaze upon Twilight. “Right now, my land is in danger from the force that created me, I have little idea of everything that is going on, and my rage burns hot in my veins. The call to war sings within my ears, and I feel the strings of destiny attempting to force me to dance to their whims.” She stood tall, taller than Twilight had ever seen her mother stand. “I will do this with your help, whether it is voluntary or not. Luna may hold familial ties to you, but I do not. I may be Luna, but you are merely a tool for me to use, and I will use you until I decide what to do with you after this ordeal is over.” Twilight was about to argue, but then realized that, not only was Nightmare Moon staring down at her with ill intent blazing in her eyes, but if she refused, she may end up just as she had in the alternate timeline. Naught but a plaything to the Nightmare. I may regret this, but she’s right. We have more important things to do than focus on our own petty, or not so petty, squabbles. Equestria is in danger, and so is everypony I know and love! I must do this for everypony! “Fine,” Twilight Sparkle stated matter-of-factly, begrudgingly giving her acceptance to the Nightmare’s terms. “But only until this storm blows over. Then I will personally deal with you and bring Luna back!” A smirk crossed the Nightmare’s face as she turned away, throwing her gaze across the tent’s innards. “I would not have it any other way, but do understand, you are very much outclassed, foal. Knowing your origins, do you truly have the strength to fight not just me, but my corrupted sister as well?” She stepped over the piles of cushions and took a brief glance around the tiny extension that was somehow a kitchen, turning her nose up at the paltry samples she found there. “Or,” the Nightmare started before she turned her head in Twilight’s direction, turquoise eyes piercing into Twilight’s own. “Will you buckle and fall under the stress of what you may have to do?” Standing adamantly, Twilight refused to take her glare away from Nightmare Moon, meeting her eye to eye. She’s testing me. I can feel it. “If I have to, yes, for the safety of Equestria I will fight the both of you, Princesses AND family. But I would much rather not have to fight.” “Indeed,” Nightmare Moon said simply, walking out of the ‘kitchen’ and past the numerous cushions dotting the floor of the tent. “I imagine you are wondering what I shall be doing first, are you not?” The Nightmare peered at Twilight out of the corner of her eye as she walked past, her horn shimmering a dark violet to open and throw aside the tent entrance. Twilight recovered quickly from the sudden change of subject and felt like Nightmare Moon may not know her as well as the unicorn thought she did. “Well, of course. If anything, I am a scholar and a coordinated planner who prefers to have everything neat and in order. A place for everything and everything in its place.” Curious, the lavender unicorn cautiously followed the Nightmare, uneasy about their temporary truce. All it will take is a slip-up and I may possibly see the rest of my days tied to a leash. Ugh, what kind of pony would be into that sort of thing? Considering who would do it, though, it’s not like I should be surprised. As Nightmare Moon walked out of the tent, Twilight could only follow in a mixture of worry and curiosity. Could this be some kind of trap? The mare would not put it past Nightmare Moon to be waiting for her to become relaxed, as if that could happen, before springing a trap upon her. And yet... she is a goddess, why would she need to? If I had the power to move the heavens, would I really need to use trickery? The memories of when she had twice defeated the Nightmare rose to the forefront of her mind. And yet, weren’t both those times when she had been horribly weakened to the point of uselessness? Beneath the unmoving night sky, the lavender unicorn could spy the alicorn holding the ebon orb with her magic, her nose mere inches from it in study. The Nightmare’s armor seemed more daunting than ever, now that Twilight understood what she was capable of. Atrocities and war the likes of which Equestria cannot, will not remember or see again. Not if we can stop them. And if I must pair with my old enemy to do so, then so be it. What is she up to? Twilight walked as close as she dared to Nightmare Moon, her inquisitive nature eating her up. It was at that moment, without looking, that Nightmare Moon began to speak. “Earlier, while I was... my other self, I had tripped over this orb, unintentionally touching it with my hoof. Until that point, the only thing it had touched was my magic and my mane. It took me somewhere, the past, if everything I saw was to be believed.” The orb seemed to suck the starlight in, Nightmare’s eyes traveling over the surface, seeing what, Twilight could only imagine. “I saw the Guardians, I presume, fighting Erebus time and time again, each body being destroyed utterly, and each new one more grotesque than the last. They kept mentioning something about their sins.” By this point, the Nightmare was talking more to herself than to Twilight. “That they were still paying for whatever crimes they committed. I can only imagine what atrocities one would have to commit to make an enemy of whatever Erebus may be, to lose their souls, their future, and even their names.” Twilight remained silent as she took this in, her eyes focused upon the orb in front of her. If this thing allows us to see the past, then... It dawned upon Twilight what the Nightmare meant to do, and she brightened up, even becoming excited. A chance to see the past, to see previous generations of ponies and even alicorns! A chance I may never get again! Ohhh, why does Nightmare Moon have to make working with her so tempting? And yet... something did not seem right. The first Nightmare had been condescending, raucous, felt power in her victory. The second was insane, and yet, still the same Nightmare. This one was cold and calculating. Her normal voice was toned down. Still regal and intimidating, but more laid back. “Nightmare Moon, while I understand what you mean, and what you mean to do, why are you so...?” The Goddess’ eyebrow raised, and her head turned to bring her gaze upon the unicorn. Those frigid eyes held little mirth as they scanned over Twilight just as they had the orb. Several awkward and, Twilight wasn’t afraid to admit, terrifying seconds passed in silence before Nightmare Moon replied. “If you mean my attitude and behavior, foal, it is because you forget what you did to me with the Elements. You merged that... worthless sack of flour and I. Her and I are both talking right now, a combination of the two. However, my side overpowers her own, so you see me, not Luna,” Nightmare explained. Her attention went back to the orb, which allowed Twilight to mull over the explanation. So she is still Luna, then? That must be why I’m not her prisoner, the Nightmare before me is a mix of the two, meaning that Luna is still in there! “So...” Twilight began, pawing the ground with a forehoof. “What next?” “This.” Nightmare Moon replied simply, her horn glowing brighter as the Goddess’ magic grasped Twilight, raising the unicorn into the air despite her protests. All at once, the Nightmare dropped the armor from her hoof, then laid the bare limb upon the orb just as Twilight’s own touched it. _______________________ Just the right amount of terror. It was all too perfect. Everypony in her service, from the Captain of the Guard down to the lowliest commoner, was terrified of her, yet not so much that they would rebel. Of course not, she was still their beloved ‘Celestia, Benevolent Ruler of Ponykind.’ That would soon change. In a very short while, Solar Flare would be holding an announcement to all of Canterlot, to all of Equestria. To all the world. Her glorious sun will reach every home and mountain, and she will shine over all of Equestria. Even the dragon, gryphon, centaur, and zebra empires will fall to their knees before her. This will be just the beginning. Trelaria, of course, will also have to be dealt with. Raise the taxes to fund an army, begin a draft, form armed forces reminiscent of her sister’s old forces. The Empress had to admit that many of her ideas were from when her sister had been changed. How an artistic pony such as Luna could ever have had such ambitions and ideas, Solar Flare would probably never know. She was the thinker, not that pathetic excuse for an alicorn. Times change, however, and it was on Nightmare Moon‘s ideas that Solar Flare would build her new empire, then change it to suit herself. The Empress had finished not just cleaning and rearranging her room, but destroying and rebuilding it. Anything that wasn’t a ‘warm’ color was long gone. All that remained now were whites, reds, oranges, and yellows, the many colors of Sol, her Light. To imagine what her mother would think of her now... While Altair may have been Luna’s mentor, Sol was hers, wholly and completely. It did not at all occur to the alicorn that their mother probably would have tried her best to cure Solar Flare. Much to Solar’s annoyance, Philomena had yet to return. Ungrateful bird, she thought as she dragged her gaze across the now clean room. The books had been rearranged, everything in the bathroom had been thrown out and replaced with fresh, untampered products, and even her little hiding hole had been moved to a different place. How those ponies had found it in the first place still eluded the Empress. While Solar Flare wished to be able to just sit back, relax, curl up with a good book, and imagine new, creative ways of subjugating the other races of Equestria into falling rank and file into her new regime, there were more important things to do. Flicking her tail, the alicorn walked over to her dresser, looking into the massive mirror attached and admiring her new form. It still irked her how many ideas she’d taken from Nightmare Moon so far. She had to begrudgingly admit that the mare of darkness had known what she was doing. To the mare’s right, the large double doors to her room opened slightly, admitting the head of one of her guards. His expression was the stern one of her Royal Guard. Beneath it she could detect the usual worship, along with a new emotion. Fear. “Princess,” he said, “it is ti-” “Empress!” Solar Flare barked, staring daggers at the offending guard. It annoyed her immensely how the guards still used her old title and name. “Empress Solar Flare is my new name and title, and you would do well to remember this. There are many who wish to be Royal Guards, and I could always replace you with somepony better equipped to realize this!” The guard quavered in his armor and bowed immediately to the floor, nodding his helmeted head as he stammered out, “Yes, Empress! Forgive me, I was not thinking right. I will see myself out!” The pegasus swiftly made himself scarce, leaving Solar Flare to chuckle quietly to herself. Throwing open the double doors to her room, the Empress stepped out and slammed them behind her, taking a brief glance to either side of her. The corridor was empty, with many castle residents still missing or too terrified to stay in the open for long. This did not faze the alicorn in the least as she majestically made her way down the hallways, her thermal energies at a low to prevent further damage to her castle. The trip was short, and Solar Flare soon found herself upon a high balcony. In fact, it was the same balcony where she had murdered Blueblood. I will find out what that ‘prim and proper’ colt was up to. The balcony had been expertly cleaned already, as had the crumpled mess upon the flagstones below. However, the courtyard was not empty of ponies this time around, instead being filled to the brim with a rainbow-hued crowd of her subjects, cheering, talking, and merry-making as they awaited her announcement. The sounds of trumpets blared through the air, welcoming the Empress to the ledge. Stepping out onto the balcony, the mare stood tall, letting the eternal sun caress her extreme features and illuminate Solar Flare to her subjects below. The reaction that greeted her was one she expected. Gasps of surprise and shock filled the courtyard at the sight of their familiar ruler so changed. The unicorn guards around the perimeter kept the hastily gathered crowd under control. While the eternal day had thrown off sleep schedules everywhere, it was considered late morning by this point, the entire ‘night’ having been used not only to rearrange her quarters, but also to make sure the bulletins and announcements had gone out to gather her subjects. And now, many ponies from Canterlot, as well as other towns, stood before her. Solar Flare, of course, knew her coming speech by heart. And, of course, it would bring about drastic changes. There would be new laws, changes to society, and possibly, in the future, a new order to how Equestria would be run. The list of changes would be sweeping, and, of course, the drafting of a military outside of her Royal Guards would need to happen, to keep the outlying kingdoms in check, or even fold them into Equestrian Society. Time to put the Royal ‘Canterlot’ Voice back into action. I do not believe it’s seen much use since my parents’ time but for once or twice. Clearing her throat, Solar Flare nodded her head to the guards on either side of her, who blew her anthem upon large trumpets, causing the ponies gathered below to become silent in anticipation. Shortly after the trumpets ceased their call, Solar Flare raised her head into the air and spoke, the light from her sun framing her body to illuminate her in brilliance to the crowds below. “Our beloved subjects and citizens of Equestria, as thou hast all seen the changes to Our wonderful day, We believe that it is time to explain the new changes to Our nation!” Solar Flare’s voice boomed out over the masses gathered below. The Royal Canterlot Voice, as it was called now, was only ever used during immensely important circumstances. Far below, the crowd of ponies were frozen not just from the power imbued within the Voice, but also from the visage of their Empress. If Celestia had been a shining beacon of love, then Solar Flare was a beacon of Supreme Holiness. “Our sister, the Traitor Luna, hath been judged! She hath broken into the Royal Chambers, stolen objects belonging to thy Empress, and hath plotted with the Elements of Harmony to attack and subdue Us! The Traitor Princess’ Title and throne art hereby revoked; all Our subjects must keepeth watch for her, and to sound the alarms if she appears,” Solar Flare continued, her gaze sweeping across the pony audience as they took in the news. It was time for the next act of her plan. “With the change in rule between Our traitorous sister and Us, Equestria will from hence forth be known as the Solar Empire! Never again shalt the darkness hide the glory of Our light; never again shall Our subjects be terrified of those creatures that stalk the darkness; the tyranny of the Night will no longer affect Our glorious nation! We were once she who was named Celestia, a Princess. Now, We art thy Empress! Empress Solar Flare!” Time passed with the sun high overhead while the Empress continued her lengthy speech, issuing new laws, remarking about current workings of the high government, and answering the occasional question she personally chose from the crowd. The entire time, her brilliance shone across the plaza, dazzling most of the ponies into silence, while the immense fear of change, not just to their lives, but also to their ruler, could be sliced with a sword and could nearly be tasted in the air. Later, the Empress of ponykind would have to talk to her Captains about forming a standing army for her nation. She had the strangest feeling she would soon need it. ______________________________ “Ugh... my head. Why I ever thought to dally in such uncouth eating, Applejack, I will never understand!” Rarity complained in abject humiliation while lying on her back with her hooves pressed against her bloodshot eyes. The pain behind her eyes reminded the white unicorn of the time she had first found the utter delights of alcohol. Those were days she despised remembering, not from nonexistent embarrassing acts of drunkenness, but rather the mornings of hell within her mind after said nights of imbibing numerous types of wines. Sometimes, acting like a high-class unicorn was more trouble than it was worth. “Well, sooorry, Princess! How was ah supposed to know that these flowers were harder than even mah hardest ciders?” Applejack retorted, in a similar position to Rarity with her hat over her face. The two ponies had awoken not even half an hour ago, and until this point, their bellyaching had been thoroughly unable to accomplish much, as they lazily lay in place and announced their miseries to each other in voices that barely rose above a whisper. Any higher and the both of them would suffer quite the large throb of pain. This coming from the work horse who could always drink me under the table the few times we tried, Rarity thought, having absolutely no pity for the one who had brought this hangover down upon herself. Sooner or later she would plot her revenge upon Applejack, but right now her head hurt way too much to think of even the most basic of plans. In fact, Rarity felt it best if she were to just lay here for now in the soft stems of the flowerless plants that had already been consumed the night before. The two friends refused to budge for what felt like a couple hours, though the motionless night and the lack of any physical clock disallowed them the ability to keep track of time. For all they knew, it had been but several short hours from the time they had arrived to when they had woken up. Or days. No, Rarity imagined. We both should know the approximate time even with this unnatural night. I work with constraints, and Applejack’s a farmer. I wonder if the others are alright. Could Nightmare Moon have returned? Either way, after much groaning and complaining on both sides, and as much as Rarity insisted that a lady would never groan or complain without great reason, the two ponies gathered up their belongings and left the field of delicious, and entirely not worth it, flowers behind. Though, not before Rarity had groomed herself as near as possible to perfection as she could with the highly lacking materials she had brought with her in her saddlebags. Applejack had done much eye-rolling and complaints of her own about how important it was that they leave as soon as possible to find the others, which Rarity summarily ignored. When the two had started their journey once again and had begun their walk through the underbrush and trees of the strangely silent forest, Applejack was the first of the two to bring up what had been plaguing Rarity for the past few painful hours. “This night just ain’t natural, Rarity. Nor is this forest! Ah mean, it’s been night ever since we got here, and Ah haven’t heard even a cricket singin’? Maybe? What do ya suppose happened?” Rarity glanced around, noting that not a single insect buzzed around them, no birds in the trees, not even a peep from any sort of wildlife echoed through the ancient and twisted boughs. In more than one way, it was highly unsettling to the unicorn just how different this place was compared to Ponyville. It wasn’t quite the Everfree Forest, but undergrowth predominated heavily amongst the trees, and the trees themselves were older than any she’d seen before. “I would say, darling, that I am at a loss for words on what may be occurring. We just won’t know until we find the others. That dreadful Nightmare Moon may have returned, or...” Rarity gasped and stared over at Applejack with wide, blue eyes, the earth pony’s own staring back with fear of what may be happening. “Erebus has the Princess! What if he did something with her! What if Equestria’s in trouble and we’re not there to help!?” “Whoa there, sugarcube. Let’s find the others and figure out where we are before we get in a big huff over what could be nothin’. Ah mean, Princess Celestia can handle herself,” the farmer claimed matter of factly, throwing a large and confident smile Rarity’s way before it faltered and she added with worry, “Can’t she?” Rarity laughed nervously and bobbed her head, stepping daintily over a root that seemed determined to trip her, “Well, of course she can! She’s our Princess, and who better to deal with all this crazy drama than her!” The two ponies shared a laugh, lightening the dreary mood of the forest around them by quite a bit. Applejack shifted the saddlebags over her flanks to get more comfortable on what could be a long walk, then asked, “Hey, Rarity? Can ya use that fancy horn of yours to find our friends or somethin’? Even just a farm?” Rarity humphed and looked away, lengthening her stride to stroll past Applejack, “I’m not Twilight, dear. There isn’t much I can do with it in the way you want, even if I co-WAHAHA!” Directly in front of the two a heavily armored unicorn appeared out of thin air. The black-as-night armor seemed to be crafted in segments that lent a high dexterity and mobility, even with the obviously heavy metal armor plating every square inch of the unicorn. The pony’s horn and face were covered by a helmet that refused to show anything, even through the eye-slits. All at once, entire segments of the unicorn’s ridged armor came away to hover in the air, revealed to be long shards of razor-sharp steel that could probably shred the two ponies within seconds if they took even the smallest wrong step. Even with the numerous shards pointed at the two, Applejack showed her stubborn nature by holding her ground and snorting at the unicorn that dared to confront her. “Ah don’t think so, if you want a fight, ah’ll-” Rarity swiftly darted over and plugged Applejack’s mouth with her hoof, ceasing the apple-bucker’s challenge. “Erm, um, goodday, sir... or madam. I have to say, while I adore the style of your armor, very fashionable, I must ask as to why you’d threaten us, wherever we are.” Pushing away Rarity’s hoof, Applejack glared at the silent figure before them when suddenly, several more unicorns appeared around them in the same exact armor, and with countless snickts, detached their own blades to hover threateningly in the air, pointed at the two ponies. “Whoa, nelly. This ain’t good...” ______________________________ “Look, Fluttershy, you can’t always be a scaredy pony all the time, especially not now! We have to find Twilight and the others. I really want to find out from Princess Luna what this whole night thing is about! The sun should have been up by now,” Rainbow Dash lectured Fluttershy as she flew slowly over to the pink-maned pegasus, who insisted on keeping her injured wing tight to her side and her head pointed down at the ground so as not to meet Rainbow’s eyes. “Well, I know, but...” Fluttershy squeaked, trying to find the words for what she wanted to say, but unable to. The two pegasi, after walking a distance, felt it best to camp for the night, with Rainbow bringing down a low flying cloud for their slumber. It was after hours of restless sleep that Rainbow Dash was the first to notice that the night had not given way to day, much less moved at all. “No! No buts! You were afraid of the silence, which I admit is kinda freaky, afraid to climb atop the cloud, afraid that you’d fall off the cloud, afraid to step off the cloud when you woke, and now you start every time you step on a twig!” Rainbow crossed her forelegs in a huff and glared out into the tangled branches of the forest. Her eyes rolled in their sockets for what had to be the seventeenth time today. Tonight. ...Whatever! “Ugh, why did I have to be stuck with you! I don’t want to foal sit you, I’m bad with foals!” “I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized without looking up, then blinked to herself. “Rainbow, I’m older than you. This forest just isn’t natural. There are no insects, no birds in the trees, no critters, and this night...” The rainbow-maned pegasus sighed and stared down at Fluttershy a moment before finally speaking, “Look, we’re probably near that road I saw yesterday. If we’re lucky, we can probably get to whatever town is nearby and have a hot meal and nice beds to sleep in. If I know the others, that’s what they’re thinking, too.” “That sounds... nice.” “Nice? That’s more than nice, it’s... Wait, what’s that sound?” Rainbow Dash twisted her head in all directions, cocking her ears to catch what she was hearing. It almost sounded like... Singing? “Do you hear that, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy glanced up and cocked her head, listening carefully, “I do. It sounds like a lot of ponies are singing.” “Aw yeah!” Rainbow crowed, thrusting a hoof into the air in celebration. “If ponies are here, that means there’s a town nearby! Hellooo home cooked food!” The pegasus dashed forth despite Fluttershy’s cry of “Wait!” Despite Rainbow rushing forth to get to the source of the singing, Fluttershy attempted her best to keep up with the pegasus, “Oh dear, oh dear...” Just as Rainbow Dash approached the underbrush border that led to the forest path, Fluttershy caught up enough to grab hold of Rainbow’s tail in her mouth and, while not pulling her back, at least stopping the pegasus. “Fluttershy!” the sky blue pegasus yelled, “What was that for!? All we have to do is go out and meet them!” “What if they’re all bad ponies? We don’t know where we could be, and this isn’t Equestria, either.” Fluttershy explained with a worried look. “Ugh, fine. We can just spy on them when they come by and... oh! Here they come!” The two pegasi hid themselves deep within a thick bush, peering out from between the large, green leaves. What was coming up from the far end of the road forced both pegasi to silence. A heavily armed and armored army of ponies marched in rank and file, with every single one of them singing in chorus. Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies, every one of them.  Rainbow couldn’t understand half the words, especially at this range, but she noticed that the song was repeated every time it ended. She listened quite intently as the song started once again while the army drew closer, then started passing them by, almost close enough to touch. Est male! Nos omnes vocati sunt ad bellum. Aliquid male! Cornu clamore auditus! Nunc egredieris ad bellum a nobis exigitur, et proiciam super omnes hostium vires! Something is wrong! We have all been called to battle. Something is amiss! The horn’s cry has been heard! We now march forth to war as is required of us, and to throw all our might against our foes! We have so heard that our Queen has returned to bring about her rule once again. In the name of our Queen now do we march to take control of lands we have not seen. We now leave our homes to fight a foe that we have never fought in all our lives. While many battles we have fought in the past, our true mettle shall now be tested. Aliquid est errare! Et excitatus est PRODROMUS! Aliquid est illius! Qui ducit! Ad nostra iam patet acies et sic ad antiquum belli iter. Something is astray! The Harbinger is awakened! Something is awry! He opens the way! Our way is now clear to the battlefields, and thus we march on to an ancient war. What is Equestria, this nation that we fight? A land of ponies so very unlike us. The land of the living, so we have been told, now wages war with the land of the pure. Mortal ponies, every one of them shall fall swiftly to our enchanted blades. The Army of Midnight now marches to victory against mortal ponies who have met their match! Sit nox regnum aeternum, Regina nostra reddidit. Sit nox regnum in aeternum futuri sumus hoc desideratur. Sit nox regnum aeternum, excisum Equestria terris ero. In nomine Domini nostri in aeternum regina Nightmare Moon! Let the night reign for eternity, our Queen has returned. Let the night reign for eternity, this future we have yearned. Let the night reign for eternity, Equestria’s lands will be hewn. All in the eternal name of our Queen, Nightmare Moon! “Nightmare Moon?” Fluttershy squeaked, backing out of the bush deeper into the forest, and most certainly out of sight of the army, their singing and marching drowning out the chance that she or Rainbow could be heard. “I knew that traitor Luna couldn’t be trusted!” Rainbow growled as she followed Fluttershy out of the bushes. "She's back! And is sending an army to attack Equestria! We should-” Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped speaking as she was interrupted by Fluttershy’s terrified shriek. “Ugh, what now, Fluttershy? Did a leaf create a scary sha-” The sound of several metallic snikts caused her to stop again and dart her head to look behind her. Just behind her stood one of the soldiers, hovering lengthy shards of metal in the air around her. Outside of that, the pegasus quickly noticed that the pony wasn’t a unicorn, but a pegasus! Kicking out with her hind legs and striking the pony upside their helm, which seemed to do little to her opponent, but hurt like a rough landing, Rainbow flew forward out of reach of the pegasus over a surprised and cowering Fluttershy, just barely dodging several swipes from the dagger-like shards. “Hah! You couldn’t hit the broadside of Applejack’s barn with that aim!” taunted Rainbow as she flew circles around the pegasus, keeping watch on the trees around them, as well as the branches; but most certainly not making sure that none of the other soldiers heard or saw her. Once again, the daggers flashed past her, thrown by the silent pegasus who kept an eye on every one of one of Rainbow’s movements. The sky blue pegasus vanished into the foliage of the trees, blowing raspberries as she flashed overhead. Just through the leaves Rainbow could see the pegasus watching the trees for her, while Fluttershy cowered low to the ground. What a scaredy pony,  she thought before a lance of pain struck her left wing. Still flapping, Rainbow watched as, behind her, a second pony, this one an earth pony, withdrew her daggers. Half of a single one of Rainbow’s primaries fluttered down before greying and turning to dust; and the entire time, Rainbow could feel the feather die and fall apart. But... it’s only a feather... what happened? A spell of weakness flew through her body, and she dropped down through the foliage, hitting what felt like every single branch on the way down before flumping on the ground. The last thing she saw before the sweet embrace of unconsciousness took her were the two ponies standing over her body, and a wondering thought on how they could use magic. ______________________________ “Faust. How are the calculations working out? The other members of the team all agree we need to figure this out or the project will never fly.” The ivory alicorn with the deep red mane and tail turned her head to study the member of her team, Solstice, who had inquired about the required calculations. Around them lay not quite a laboratory, but more of an arcane study. Shelves were nearly built into the entire wall of the circular chamber, filled with books of every size and color, many bound with physical, magic, or even both kinds of locks. This was not just the personal arcane work room of a powerful alicorn, but the room of the High Lady, herself! In the center, many tables sat full of various types of magical apparati, while in front of the High Lady sat a desk covered in many books of varying ages and a sheaf of notes and calculations only a highly trained mage would understand. Faust sighed and rubbed her eyes with a hoof, then stared down at the pages strewn before her with just a bit of annoyance. At first, this project they were undertaking had been brilliant. However, it quickly broke down as capabilities and logistics came very much into being. This project was the height of their race, the chance to create new life, and furthermore, to prove such things can be done, and Faust was having the largest logistics nightmares possible. Not only did the magic for such a project lay only in experimental, and sometimes only theoretical magics, but the power needed was undreamt of! Funding for this power was a time-consuming matter, as each drop needed to be carefully collected and stored, and to get some alicorns to give even that much was a job of its own. Behind her, Solstice patiently awaited, knowing that his project leader and High Lady was stressed to the breaking point with keeping this project both on the rails and on time. He wasn’t much to look at, being more built for magic use than anything physical, and possessed the usual pastel color of many of her race. Faust sighed in the way only an overworked, underslept, and completely stretched thin alicorn could manage. “Frustratingly slow. We’ve nearly reached the amount of power needed to ignite the project. However, the calculations to do so still need much work. There are just too many angles to be worked out, and I believe we may have to push the date for ignition back another couple months.” She turned her gaze to a large orb hovering over the worktables in the center of the room. An orb divided in half; one side a brilliant white, the other a light-devouring black. Faust ignored the strange orb for one second to walk over to a window which looked out into the city around her, the alicorn’s hooves tinking against the alabaster stone floor of the workroom. Outside the room’s walls stretched the magnificent city of Sanctum, the twisting spires gleaming in the light of the Eternal Star. All around, buildings of magnificent architecture and decoration stretched in every direction, while numerous alicorns went about their daily business. There, just ahead of her, the Library of Eternity rose high; columns, sculptures, and mosaics adorned every surface, only giving a hint to what lay within. Next to the Library arched the offices and meeting rooms of the Council of Elders. Within, the entire ruling body of the Alicorn nation strove to embody the will of every alicorn from young to old. The Great Chamber had seen millenia of use by numerous Council members, yet they were growing weary, wishing to pass the mantle on to alicorns who could handle the task. Haven was not as new and wondrous as it used to be. And so, a new project was brought into being to upset this discovery. A project to bring about new races, new alicorns, and a whole, entire new world for the Council to shift their attentions to. ************************** “What was that!?” Twilight Sparkle demanded, shaking the images from her head as Nightmare Moon slipped the orb into her Mane of Galaxies. The Nightmare remained silent for a moment, contemplative of the scene she had witnessed through the power of the orb. Was that...? Haven? What is truly going on here? Something was entirely not right about what the Midnight alicorn had witnessed. A new world? “Nightmare Moon, why did you show me this... this.. I don’t know what to call it! What does it have to do with any of what’s going on!” Twilight demanded to know, shaken by her experience with the ebon orb. The Nightmare vowed to not allow any of Twilight’s other friends to be permitted contact with the orb, if a former alicorn was this affected by it. The Bringer of Night turned and calmly glanced down at Twilight, curious of what the lavender unicorn may be feeling about this entire dilemma. “Simple, my little foal. I have already witnessed numerous battles between Erebus and these so called ‘Guardians’ via the orb’s influence. My belief is that it is showing us the beginnings of this so-called ‘war’.” “Oh.” Twilight replied sheepishly, embarrassed she had not already thought of that. “Still, none of that made any sense. What was that place?” Nightmare Moon turned away and glanced upwards through the foliage to stare into her night, unhappy that she was forced to be saddled with such an inquisitive unicorn, ‘family’ or not. “You will find out sooner or later. Best hope it is later.” Twilight ground her teeth at the dodge to her question and stamped her hoof into the loamy earth, “I’d at least like for you to treat me like a pony and not some speck of dust not worth your attention, Luna!” Almost immediately, Twilight regretted opening her mouth. The mare of the night rounded upon the inquisitive foal who dared to question the Nightmare, fury breaking through her usual calm exterior to blaze upon the surprised unicorn. “What do you wish for me to do, foal!?” she demanded, rage dripping from every word, her voice and attitude becoming so much more like the mare of darkness Twilight had faced what felt like years ago. Lightning crackled over every inch of Nightmare Moon’s mane, dread seeping into every iota of air around the two ponies, “Do you wish for me to treat you like my ‘oh so important’ niece, who, at every turn, has done nothing but fight me!? Should I treat you like family and with respect?” The Nightmare snorted and stamped her hoof upon the ground, the impact strong enough to shatter pebbles nearby. “My family betrayed me centuries ago. The one pony I respected, my counterpart, turned her back to me and fought me just as much as you have, foal! Do you understand what it is like to be completely alone in a world that turned its back on you for simply being on the wrong side of the day?” Nightmare Moon violently shook her head, a bolt of lighting striking the ground near Twilight and forcing her to shy away. “My sister, who claimed she would always be at my side, abandoned me to the night. Abandoned me when I called her to my side after my rise. Betrayed me after her surrender, and then imprisoned me in what I called my own for a millennia! My own flesh and blood who claimed to love me with all her heart!” By this point, Twilight was speechless, and more than a little terrified. This was not the Nightmare Moon she had twice fought. The first time, the Mare in the Moon had simply underestimated them, then refused to flee when she had the chance. It had proved to be her downfall. The second, she had been prepared, but woefully underpowered, leading to a second defeat by the hooves of the Elements of Harmony. This time, not only had Twilight called down the full wrath of a Goddess, but she was also alone and woefully out of reach of her Element. How do I find myself in these messes? she thought, eyes frantically darting back and forth while she ran through a checklist of the things she could say or do. Any sort of combat was out of hoof, but not struck off, of course. Diplomacy could work, but it could also fail rather spectacularly. No, Twilight would have to find a way out of this, having fully awoken the Nightmare. Then, just as Nightmare Moon began to advance upon the lavender unicorn, a thought sprung to Twilight’s mind that made her nearly facehoof at the simplicity of it all. And what kind of scholar would I be if I did not try? Taking a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle’s face became one of determination, and she stood on all four hooves, ready to bear the brunt of whatever the rampant alicorn may throw at her. This has to work, knowing Nightmare Moon, but I may be wrong, too! Ohhh, how I wish for the simpler days when we simply had to fix problems between ourselves! That day I ran from the hydra pales in comparison to this. “What was it like, if I may ask?” Twilight finally answered the Nightmare, a picture of a gravestone appearing in the unicorn’s head. The plan, however, seemed to work, as Nightmare Moon stopped in her tracks, looking bewildered and quite taken aback. It obviously was not what she was expecting. The crackling lightning dissipated from the alicorn’s wings, and she stood stock still for several long seconds before responding in a cautious tone, but with anger still dripping from every syllable. “Imagine, foal. Attempt to imagine things your feeble mind could never encompass. You have your friends, but a ruler truly has no one but family. Imagine that you’ve just come into power and the only family outside of your sister just left you, and you never see her for more than a couple hours each day.” Nightmare Moon gnashed her teeth, her turquoise draconic eyes narrowing to glare at Twilight. “Now, just imagine here, my little foal, that no matter what you try, your sister, the one pony you could always count on, knew would always be there for you, claimed she loved you with all her heart and more, no longer took the time, or even tried, to be with you for more than those couple hours.” For a moment, Twilight could almost swear she saw Nightmare Moon’s eyes glisten over with tears forming at the corners; an entirely different emotion than she was prepared for knocked the unicorn mentally off balance. “Imagine as well, that your greatest accomplishments go unnoticed, unloved, and are placed at the hooves of said sister. Imagine nopony loves you, pays attention to you, or even notices you’re there. Or those that do only come for their own self-serving ideals.” Shaking her head, the glare returned, the alicorn’s eyes once again dry, causing Twilight to think she may have been seeing things. She remained quiet as she listened, however. “That... accursed tome. I know you’ve read it, I can see Luna’s memories in front of me like a book,” the Nightmare said, folding her wings to her back and sitting down upon the earth, ignoring the silent orb near them. “It only tells you the basics, the written history. It does not give the feelings, the heartbreak, sorrow, and devastating loneliness that I felt so many years ago.” The Nightmare’s head rose to stare into the eternal night above, her eyes searching amongst them, as if seeking an answer. “No matter what Celestia, your mother, my sister says, I was abandoned to the night, to the loneliness. Countless times, I asked her for company. If it was not State business, it was something else, if not the outright lethargy, that would hit us. She never had time for me. When I first came forth, Luna was terrified of me. Her only friend, the one voice she could constantly talk to during the long, lonely nights...” The Queen of the Night drooped her head to stare back at Twilight, who sat, enraptured to her tale. “...I had hurt her to come forth, and she was afraid of what I could do to her. She came to be, once again, in that short time, my only friend. Our sister had abandoned us once again. We offered her a place at our side, and she refused. In our rage, we destroyed Everfree Forest and raised an army, and we waged war. In our rage, we destroyed Celestia, grinding her to dust, but just when we were about to decide to either take or kill our own sister, the foal, my only friend, rebelled.” Something’s not right, Twilight thought, not moving from her spot as she mulled over everything Nightmare Moon told her. I mean, it matches with what I read in the book of myths, and from the tome I found; Nightmare Moon came into being through Luna’s jealousy. But... what is her part in all this?  “Her part?” Nightmare Moon answered, bringing Twilight to realize she had said that last segment out loud. “Half the atrocities we committed were her ideas, Twilight. Or did your aunt never tell you that, hmm?” Nightmare Moon snorted and rolled her draconic eyes, her regal voice once again coming forth. “Not everything that happened between her and I are in that tome of yours. It wasn’t until after she turned on me that I started creating the ideas fully for myself. The loneliness was hard, very much so, to deal with. I had been abandoned by the only pony in the world who had cared for me; it was like a dagger of ice in my heart.” Nightmare Moon shut her eyes as tight as they would go, and to Twilight’s eyes, the alicorn seemed to shrink in on herself, becoming as vulnerable as Luna had looked after being freed by the Elements. She’s a pony just like any of us, Twilight realized, her heart going out, unbelievably, to the mare of darkness before her. She has her own loves and desires, and a desire to be loved. What was said in that tome? That Nightmare Moon was just a... a copy of Luna... Twilight’s thoughts slowed to a crawl, and then stopped when it dinged on her. She’s Princess Luna... my aunt... my teacher and mother’s sister. But a Luna who strayed from her path, who had her emotions toyed with and changed by whoever, or whatever, Erebus is. She’s as much a victim in this as any of us. The Nightmare, however, continued to speak while Twilight thought, reliving her past, her feelings, and her nightmares all over again. Twilight did not fully realize just how vulnerable the Goddess was at this point. “The final twist of the dagger in my heart was shortly after Celestia surrendered to me. I had thought myself the victor, that I would once again have her by my side, that all ponies would finally fear and love me. I was mistaken.” A growl entered the Nightmare’s throat, and she clenched her teeth to the point of breaking. “Those accursed Elements, she discovered them; she lied to me, and she used them upon me. My own sister banished and imprisoned me in what was mine. It was an eternal torment. Luna was protected from the effects. But me?” A shiver ran across the alicorn’s body as the memories flooded her mind. She stayed silent for several long seconds, bringing Twilight to ask, “What was it like? Was it so bad that you can’t say?” The Nightmare twitched, then her eyes flashed open and locked upon the unicorn, her draconic eyes a mere slit while her body was so tense as to be as a rock. “A thousand years is an eternity alone. Time crawls past as frozen molasses. Slumber did not stay with us the entire journey. No, I was never awake when Luna was, and the cold... the everlasting cold.” Nightmare Moon began to shiver uncontrollably while speaking, “I had no physical body, for I was the moon, and yet the cold was worse than even the poles of this world. I was frozen to the bone, freezing to death, yet could not die. The hunger, the thirst, I was both starving and horribly dehydrated, and I would not die. And when I woke, slumber would not retake me. I would sometimes be awake for years, decades! The silence of everything but my own thoughts, it was maddening, and yet, I was not permitted the sweet embrace of madness!” By this point, Twilight was surprised at the Nightmare, for she was quaking and screeching, most unlike the mare of darkness the unicorn knew. Nopony should ever have to go through that, even her. No matter what Nightmare Moon did before she was banished, not even she deserved all this. What do I do now!? Nightmare Moon’s eyes fixed upon Twilight, her mood changing once again, this time to rage, her voice betraying every ounce of venomous spite, “And you! When I returned, my sister was given her rightful punishment, yet six foals, for foals you are, decided to remove me from my own throne!” Stamping her hoof, the loamy earth erupted from around the Nightmare’s leg, leaving a small pit beneath it. “The Elements struck out at me once again. I was stripped of my little power, shoved back into the recesses of Luna’s mind and driven mad! Vengeance, the need to drive fear, and to kill those who slighted me became all I knew. And when my chance came again, there you were! This time I was prepared from without, and yet, from within, my own twin rebelled, and the Elements, curse their power, struck me down a third and final time, and I was merged with her. And now, I am free once more, and this time, I will make sure to keep my power, and such like you, foal, will never take it from me alone!” Realizing that she was letting her emotions get the better of her, Nightmare Moon immediately calmed down, locking everything behind a mask of midnight icyness. Instead of continuing with her rant, she lifted the ebon orb with her magic and slipped it back into her Mane of Galaxies, then turned back to the tent. “Break it down and store it, I expect you to carry both your bags and my own, foal. We have a long distance to travel.” Then, turning away, Nightmare Moon strolled off a short distance to stare up into the sky, supposedly waiting for the stunned-into-silence Twilight to get to work. It was going to be a long eternal night... ____________________________ That foal! How dare she ask those questions! How did she manage to break my mask!? Nightmare Moon thought furiously as she stepped through the old trees and underbrush of whatever forest the two ponies were currently lost within. Behind her, Twilight trudged along in silence, most likely deep in her own thoughts. The Nightmare ignored the fact that the lavender unicorn was having trouble carrying two sets of saddlebags, one larger than the other, but still seemed to manage the bundles. Why did I reveal all that to her? Niece or not, I hold no relation to the foal, no matter if she is my sister’s daughter. Yet... The Goddess was constantly bothered by this question, the lack of an answer eating her up inside. ...How did she break past my mask like that? I’ve never shed a tear in the thousand years I’ve inhabited this body, so why did I do so now? A sudden realization nearly forced the alicorn to stop in her tracks. Instead, she imperceptibly stumbled. Of course. It wasn’t Twilight. It was my other half. Her emotions are infecting me. The Mare of Midnight growled under her breath, bringing a surprised look from Twilight that quickly turned into one looking away the moment the being of Night glared at the unicorn. The Nightmare wished to bite something. Destroy, tear, rend, anything to get rid of her foul mood. And within a short number of steps, she had it. The two equines had walked into a small clearing where years ago, it seemed a large tree had fallen and taken out its neighbors. “Follow me from the ground, foal. I have a desire to spread my wings.” Before Twilight could respond, the alicorn shot up into the air, beating her powerful wings to get as high as she could as soon as she could. The last time she had managed to fly was... Over a thousand years ago... It had been far too long since she had felt the wind in her face, the adrenaline course through her veins at the thrill of flight, to feel... free. Flying was freedom. The freedom to be your own pony, to follow no rules but those of nature, and even those just barely. It had been ever so long since Nightmare Moon had felt, well, free. This whole... mess with Erebus has prevented me from being free. We all dance to Fate’s strings, even us gods. These thoughts intensified the alicorn’s anger as sparks of lightning ran across her mane. Why should she have to see into whatever Trelaria is, a kingdom she imagined, while Celestia, or whatever her sister is now, quite possibly destroys the land she once ruled over? And trailed by the foal that had defeated her not once, but twice! No, when this was all over, Erebus would have much to answer for. For now, I have this Trelaria to subdue, whatever it may be. Once I have this land under my grasp, I will take back what is rightfully mine. Equestria will have their Queen once more. Ahead of her, even in the dim light of her moon and stars, the Nightmare noticed a large dirt path that snaked its way through into the distance. While the moon and stars gave ample light to see by, the path vanished fairly quickly into the darkness of the night, refusing to show where it led. About time we found some semblance of society. Where there’s a road, there’s a town or city nearby. Maybe even a hamlet or bunch of houses. Something that would get me to where I need to go. The alicorn banked within the air, slightly saddened by the fact her flight was coming to an abrupt end. The descent through the air and amongst the trees happened much too quickly for the Nightmare’s tastes. Plumage parted before the alicorn as she glided down through the forest, landing next to Twilight Sparkle, who had seen her coming. “What did you see, Nightmare Moon?” she asked, visibly straining to lift both sets of saddlebags, one of which much larger than the other, made for an alicorn’s body. Luna’s Nightmare quickly picked up Twilight’s distress, and, for some reason, felt the need to help her. After all, the saddlebags were her own, why should the unicorn be saddled with the responsibility to bear them? Her horn lit with a brief flash, and with a flick, her own saddlebags lifted effortlessly off Twilight’s back and flowed through the air to settle themselves upon the alicorn’s own haunches, bringing a a smile from the unicorn and a profuse, “Thank you.” A stiff wind blew through the trees, the lack of noise within the forest punctuated by the lonely whistling. While the Nightmare herself was not unsettled by the absence of noise, she could not say the same for the unicorn before her. “There is a well traveled road not more than a few hundred ponylengths from us. We follow that, and we’ll quickly find ourselves wherever we need to go,” the mare explained to the unicorn before her, then turned away with a flick of her Mane of Galaxies. Before she started to walk again, Nightmare Moon twisted her head to stare at Twilight with a single turquoise eye, then whispered in a low tone of voice, “You do not know what true freedom is, Twilight Sparkle. And you never know what you had until you’ve lost it for a millennium.” The lavender unicorn seemed a bit at a loss of what to say in reply to Nightmare’s sudden change of topic as the alicorn walked away in the direction she had seen the road. Already the Nightmare wished to stretch her wings once again, but it would not do for her to take to the air until she truly had the time to enjoy it, and that time was not now. Too many things depended on not just her, but her subjects as well. Six foals will once again have to wield the Elements of Harmony against not just her sister, but also Erebus. And once they were out of her way, Nightmare Moon would have nothing to stop her from ruling over both Equestria and Trelaria, as well as dealing with the Elements once and for all. So, why then, did the Bringer of the Night have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that this would only be the end of her? “Nightmare Moon?” Twilight’s mention of her name drew the alicorn out of her thoughts and she looked back at the unicorn, who seemed to be doing much better now that she did not have to tote both sets of saddlebags. “Yes, my subject?” Nightmare replied, keeping a neutral tone to her voice so as to not betray her feelings. Something felt wrong, not just with the situation as a whole, but also with herself. The Nightmare was usually not one to second-guess, so why was she doing so now? Twilight glanced briefly to the side, showing nothing that would betray she noticed that the Goddess had said subject instead of foal. Casting her gaze out amongst the trees and silence of the forest, it unnerved the unicorn more than a little. This silence could only be unnatural, for even the Everfree Forest, the most dangerous area of Equestria, teemed with life everywhere, down to the very insects that flew through the air. What happened here to reveal nothing of the local fauna? “Look,” Twilight started, giving a sigh. “This place creeps me out, I’ll be honest about that, and I’d rather not walk in silence the entire time. I mean, I just have so many questions to ask you. I never thought I’d ever have to work with you, so I’ve been thinking and feel it’s best if I learned more about you!” She flashed a genuine smile up at Nightmare Moon and quickened her pace to end up beside the alicorn. “I mean, I feel as if I should be fighting you right now, and yet...” Twilight shook her head, grimacing to herself while Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow, interested in this change of events. Twilight would be worth more to her as a willing companion than one forced to work as her tool. “And yet...?” she asked, curious to see where the unicorn was going with this. The alicorn turned her head to stare down at Twilight, her segmented armor clinking as she did so. “I... don’t know,” Twilight answered, a sour taste in her mouth at having to use that phrase. She despised not knowing something. “Maybe it’s just that you’re still Luna, or your perspective on things. I just feel that I should be helping you with this quest instead of fighting, as if I’m dancing to the strings of Fate.” Nightmare Moon started internally and hissed under her breath. There it was again. The strings of Fate. Is there somepony holding those strings? Or something? I would not doubt if Erebus were playing some sort of game and positioning us across the board. She herself was a master at chess, and knew that the only pony who could ever defeat her was her father. It was one of her exceedingly rare memories of the times before she became the Nightmare, but it was one the Goddess knew well. I will defeat the other players of this game. “You are not the only one. Something is playing with us, I felt it too, but it will be no use to dwell on it until we find a way to cut the strings. Until then, your questions, my foalish subject?” Twilight looked away into the trees once more, to get her gaze away from the alicorn’s intense stare. “I, well... ohhh, this is hard to do! What were your parents like, for starters?” The lavender unicorn turned her head to look expectantly at Nightmare Moon, who swiftly twisted her head away. For several long seconds of their walk through the forest, Nightmare Moon remained silent as Twilight’s wide smile became more forced with each passing second. Eventually, she sighed and replied in as quiet a tone as possible. “I do not remember. You stole my memories when you first used the Elements.” “What? I didn’t quite get th-” Nightmare Moon stopped in her tracked, whirled about, and shoved her face right into Twilight’s, her eyes a blazing cauldron of anger, “You. Stole. My. Memories. When you used the Elements upon me, you wiped away an insurmountable number of my memories! All I have left are twisted remnants and everything after I came into power!” Twilight backed up a couple steps in startlement, her eyes growing wide at the sudden change in Nightmare Moon’s emotions. “I... I... I di-” The sound of something, many somethings, moving up the nearby road distracted Nightmare Moon long enough for her to twist about and stare in that direction, leaving Twilight to breath a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from her brow. Following the alicorn at a safe distance, Twilight swerved around a large tree and nearly tripped over the sudden root that was on one side. Pushing through some of the undergrowth, Nightmare slipped through a thick bush to find herself upon the greatly beaten path of the road, which was much larger than the first appearances she had received from the sky and pounded flat by the hooves of countless ponies. Walking out to the middle, the Goddess of the Night stood at attention in the middle while Twilight, a short moment later, joined and stood behind her. The creatures approaching from down the wide path could only be described as heavily armed and armored ponies of all types, in rank and file stretching from one side of the path to the other. And they were singing. The Nightmare could catch bits of pieces of what they were saying, a lot of which sounded like Ancient Equestrian, a language she had not heard in centuries. “What-” Twilight started before a glare from the alicorn silenced her immediately. The snort of annoyance that came from her afterward was ignored by the Bringer of Night, whose gaze was focused upon the army marching toward them. Nightmare Moon simply stood there, unmoving, for the several long moments it took for the army to come close, whereupon it stopped several ponylengths away. Twilight glanced up at the alicorn behind her, worry evident in the unicorn’s eyes when the ranks parted to reveal three ponies in extravagant armor step forth, their faces and coat hidden under their armor. With a brief glace to the army behind them, the soldiers all began kneeling, while the three ponies who were obviously commanding officers walked up to, and then too bowed before, the Nightmare. The lead officer was the first to speak, raising his head from the bow, the depths of his helm hiding all his facial features, other than that the soldier was a unicorn stallion, while another officer was a pegasus, and the third an earth pony. Their weapons were strange as well, showing to hold powerful magics to the Nightmare’s gaze. “My Queen, it is the greatest honor that could befall me for you to appear before us, and it will be a greater honor if you are here to join us in our war.” His voice was oddly hollow, though the alicorn took it as an effect of his helm. Nightmare Moon truly had no clue what was going on; however, she quickly went along with it and replied, “As much as I wish to join you in battle, my subjects, I must decline. I have other appointments that require my attention, one of which is to regain my throne.” “Indeed.” For a moment, Nightmare Moon could swear that the trio’s gaze turned to Twilight, and did not enjoy her presence, which seemed to be confirmed upon what the lead officer said next. “My Queen, we would gladly take over the caretaking and interrogation of your prisoner if you would deign to allow us such a privilege, perhaps?.” Momentarily, the alicorn was taken off guard and risked a glance back at Twilight; wide were the unicorn’s eyes, full of fear that became more evident with each passing second. For a moment there, she felt sorry for the unicorn until she realized what she was doing. Giving a hiss of distaste, the Nightmare barked, “She is mine and not to be touched. She will be dealt with when her usefulness has come to an end.” This shook Twilight out of her silence and she glared angrily up at Nightmare Moon, “You lied to me! To all of us! You never were redeemed, were you!? You’ve been working against us this entire time, haven’t you!?” Twilight showed nothing but anger and betrayal upon her face, and fell backwards upon her tail the moment Nightmare Moon whirled upon the unicorn with rage in her eyes. “I do believe I’ve heard quite enough from you today, Twilight Sparkle! The only reason you stand here alive is that I believe you are more useful as such rather than than dead! If you wish to question me once more, a collar around your neck will be the least of your worries, stupid foal! Am I understood!?” The heat in the Nightmare’s voice would have scorched anypony near enough to hear it, even more so the pony it was directed at. Twilight felt as if she had been dragged tailfirst through an inferno and back, barely able to give a quiet nod while the image of having escaped such a close shave echoed within her head. This was most certainly not the time to poke the alicorn for reactions, especially not with an army right on their doorstep. Nightmare Moon pivoted back to the officer of the army, her eyes carrying her gaze to the rank and files beyond the three ponies. “You intrigue me. Tell me, do you have other prisoners?” Instead of directly addressing his queen, the unnamed and unmarked officer barked an order without moving from his position, “Bring forth the prisoners, all of them! Our Queen requires their presence.” A shuffling occurred within the ranks of the soldiers, while the muffled cries of ponies could be heard, but not yet seen. It wasn’t until the group of prisoners broke out into the open that the alicorn raised a single eyebrow and Twilight gasped out, “Girls!” Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy all were bound by light chains, preventing much movement, while the pegasi’ wings were tied to their sides and Rarity sported what could only be an ebon band around her horn. An inhibitor. While Rarity and Applejack appeared unhurt, Fluttershy was cradling her bandaged wing and Rainbow Dash seemed to be quite roughed up, showing she had put in a good fight and got the brunt of the force. Harnesses holding their mouths tightly shut kept all of them from speaking, or even biting, though Rarity would probably call such an action uncouth. All at once, the four ponies noticed Twilight and brightened up, only to spy the Nightmare holding their friend back with a hoof. What could only be the sounds of growling and Rainbow trying to yell “Traitor” came from the ponies, while Twilight glanced desperately up at the Nightmare to go to her friends. “What is to become of them, my soldiers?” the self-entitled Queen asked nonchalantly, throwing a bored eye across the battered forms of Twilight’s friends. While she would have need of the Elements, right now the five ponies would just become a hazard to the alicorn if they were brought altogether. In due time she would have a use for them, but for now, the Nightmare felt she could let them stew. The lead unicorn, flanked by his two pegasus underofficers, gave a very audible chuckle that reverberated through his helm, “They will be interrogated as to their purpose in Trelaria, and then summarily executed. The living hold no ground here in Trelaria, and only the Pure may rule. Minus current company, of course, my Queen.” Fluttershy fell over in a dead faint, as did Rarity in a melodramatic way. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared on in horror, their eyes wide in horror with the rainbow pegasus even tearing up. “I see.” Nightmare Moon said with a flat tone, taking note that Twilight had ceased to struggle and looked on with a blank stare, her mouth hanging open in shock. “I have a better plan,” she offered, a smirk coming to her lips. “Release them, but only after we are long gone. I’ll have need of them at... a later time. I do not wish for them to become a thorn in my side until then.” “It shall be done, my liege.” The officer stood up and bowed his head, showing no disappointment with the new orders. The alicorn nodded briefly, then, with her magic she grabbed hold of and lifted Twilight into the air, carrying the non-responding unicorn off to the side of the road. Just before she started down the path, she turned her head back to the officers and asked, “Lastly, I must be off to retake my throne. Whereupon is the way that I must take to reach civilization?” The three officers had been on their way back into the ranks of their army, though the only one that had spoken stopped and saluted Nightmare Moon with a hoof to his chest, “Follow the road back the way we came, you will eventually reach Stormhaven, the shining beacon of Trelaria. Until we march back from victory, my Queen.”  He slipped back into the ranks and file, which started marching and singing again. Twilight finally snapped out of her self-induced mind-breakage, then breathed a sigh of relief as the army began to pass them by. “Thank you, Nightmare, for saving my friends,” she said as she smiled up at the alicorn with gratitude. “Is it just me or did those ponies give of a feeling of being... wrong?” “I did not do it for you, foal, I truly do need them at a later time. And of course it felt wrong,” Nightmare Moon replied matter-of-factly, not even taking a glance at the unicorn. “They weren’t alive.” END CHAPTER 7 BEHIND THE SCENES: Oh sweet Celestia. Did anypony watch DRESS.MOV? Yea... it was, um... something. We like something! I really liked its... mane? My Mexican blood was boiling. It’s been a week or two since this chapter started, and yet all we have is the DRESS.MOV comment in the “Behind the Scenes”. I’m actually a little ashamed of our lack of screwing around I wonder if the masses will be offended by the lack of scumbaggery going on in this chapter’s “Behind the Scenes”. At this point, The Cantina will overtake us is villainry          me: Go look at the post on EqD Also, I still need a word For comatose but not quite I keep thinking reverie, but that's not the right one, either wandererd: Brain-lapse. Self-induced brain lapse me: Hmmm rhiiazami: torpid me: Twilight finally snapped out of her self-induced wandererd: torpor is more like actual sleep Twilight finally snapped out of her self-induced climax rhiiazami: XD me: Oh my wandererd: Well, she just saw the whole gang tied up and gagged. What did you expect? A mare has needs! me: XD That's in the Behind the Scenes “They weren’t alive.” (“I pity the foal that encounters them!”) I’d actually love to see a song done for the Army of the Night’s singing. Artist liberties are permitted, as long as it still contains a few things. One, it has to be the Army of the Night singing. Two, they need to praise Nightmare Moon and talk of how Erebus/The Harbinger opens the way. Three, Equestria has to be named as their target. If you do it, she won’t kill you right away when she finally claims world domination. Incentive! The original ‘song’. Est male! Nos omnes vocati sunt ad bellum. Aliquid male! Quisque et nunc eget EVAGINO nostrum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, nunc, moveat nos omnes ad pugnam Contra illos inimicos nostros, ut tota nostra ostendet? Something is wrong! We have all been called to battle. Something is amiss! We all now unsheathe our metal. Our services are now required, we all move to fight, Against those our enemies, we will show our entire might! The Lunar Empire strikes forth, our Queen has returned! In our ruler’s absence our Chancellor has long governed! He has sent us out in the name of our Queen, To lands that until now have remained unseen. Trelaria has always been our home, everlasting. We have fought many battles, unflinching. Now a new battle arises fast before us, to lands that have now gained our notice. Aliquid est errare! Aliquam erat acutus herbas. Aliquid est illius! Et PRODROMUS commonetur. PRODROMUS semitis saeculum per clara et sic de aliis nostris damus agmine magno animo! Something is astray! Our blades have been sharpened. Something is awry! The Harbinger is summoned. Through the Harbinger our path is forever clear, and thus with our marching we give forth a mighty cheer! What is this Equestria we fight? This land we have yet to subjugate! A land of ponies so unlike us, soon to be ours by mandate! The armies of Trelaria march forth by command, to wage a war that for ages has been planned. Mortal ponies, they shall now all fall to our blades. Every town, city, and village will be eclipsed by our raids. No force, living or dead can match the armies of Trelaria! Not even those mortal ponies of our enemy, Equestria! Sit nox regnum aeternum, Regina nostra reddidit. Sit nox regnum in aeternum futuri sumus hoc desideratur. Sit nox regnum aeternum, excisum Equestria terris ero. In nomine Domini nostri in aeternum regina Nightmare Moon! Let the night reign for eternity, our Queen has returned. Let the night reign for eternity, this future we have yearned. Let the night reign for eternity, Equestria’s lands will be hewn. All in the eternal name of our Queen, Nightmare Moon! Nixxing this, more like a poem than a battle tune.