“Come out, come out... and I promise that I’ll make your death quick and painless!” The Nightmare offered, her horn flaring as a blue aura washed over the walls and door. “Well, maybe not painless… I do have the tendency to get carried away.” She grinned.
The colt fumbled mentally, trying to think of something to do. He was stuck in place, unable to take another step while his cloak was slowly draining. All the while he had to hold his breath to prevent Nightmare from hearing him again.
“Is that you, Star Swirl? I know it’s you… none else would have dared spying on me!” Nightmare pushed farther into the room, passing next to the invisible colt. She missed him by little more than a foot. “And I doubt anypony else could invent such a well-made cloaking spell…”
No answer.
“You know you can’t escape,” Nightmare taunted. “I’ve magically sealed this room…”
Her words were again met with silence.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Nightmare offered. “Come out, and I won’t kill you. Instead, I’ll put you to sleep. In your dreams, you will either become a ‘child of the night’ by accepting the Nightmare, in your heart, and embracing hatred; or you’ll be tortured until your mind shatters.”
“It’s your only chance to live, join me!”
Dexter nearly coughed. She considered that a deal?
“So be it,” Nightmare flashed a toothy grin before a flash of magic erupted from her horn. “But you should know, old stallion, being invisible only hides you from my eyes, but not my ears…”
“And an alicorn’s ears are better than a batpony’s…”
Those words hung in the air, causing Dexter’s heart to leap upon the realization of her meaning. His burning lungs numbed as he felt a spike of adrenaline. He slowly started reaching for the rifle slung over his back.
In this case, the simplest solution was the best one: shoot her.
Nightmare raised a shoed hoof, clicking the metal against the floor loudly.
Maybe it was Dexter’s nerves, but he could almost feel the sound wave bouncing off of him.
“There you are!” A wave of blue energy crashed into Dexter, flinging the invisible colt into the far wall. He slid to the floor as a few pieces of shattered stone fell around him.
There was no doubt in Dexter’s mind that the blow would have killed him if he wasn’t wearing his suit.
Dexter hardly had the chance to look up before he found Nightmare’s metal shoed hoof slamming into the stone wall just above his head.
Her blow hit the wall with impossible force, shattering the stone further and leaving a small hole behind.
If he had been a fully grown stallion, the hoof would be poking through his chest.
One of the very few times the eight year old was thankful that he was still short.
“Huh,” Nightmare Moon huffed, as Dexter shook off the disorientation of the original blow. Nightmare Moon examined her foreleg, surprised that there wasn’t so much as a bloodstain.
By the time Dexter managed to stand up, he was fully expecting another blow. Much to his surprise, Nightmare was just now staring downward toward the floor, examining something she had just spotted.
“What?” Nightmare asked to the air, using her magic to lift up Dexter’s rifle. “What is this?”
He must have dropped it when Nightmare threw him into the wall, having only reached for it moments before. Now that it was apart from him, it no longer fell under the suit’s cloak.
But Dexter didn’t waste any time giving her an answer, sending the command to activate his force amplifiers through his suit.
What Nightmare saw next she could only describe as a transparent, faintly glowing horseshoe which seemingly appeared out of thin air and was accompanied by the unfamiliar whine of capacitors charging.
It promptly collided with her chest, unleashing an energy pulse with tremendous force.
The blow was strong enough to launch Nightmare Moon across the room and through the far wall. The wall itself shattered on impact, exploding into debris which rained down on the grounds below. A large gaping hole remained, flooding the dark chambers with the light of the midday sun.
“Heh….oops,” Dexter said to himself as he looked down at his fore hoof, the faint glow of the horseshoe disappearing. The force amplifier had only reached half power in the short time it had to charge, but it was far more than what Dexter intended. He wasn’t aiming to use lethal force.
But the ominous voice in the back of his head told him that the alicorn was just fine.
He quickly retrieved his rifle, thankful that Nightmare had dropped it on her flight through the chamber wall. Though he frowned when the battery icon on his HUD lit up red, displaying a red ‘5%’ symbol.
His force amplifiers prevented recoil by imparting the recoil’s momentum onto light emitted in the opposite direction of the blow. It meant that he wouldn’t be tossed around like a rag doll whenever using a force amp, but it did mean they took up a lot of energy.
His suit’s battery was now at critical, meaning that he couldn’t activate the magic dampeners to recharge it, given that the dampeners themselves required a certain amount of energy to turn on.
“Crap,” The colt said aloud.
Matters were only made worse when a number of guards burst through the chamber doors, fanning out into the room as they surveyed the carnage.
“What happened here?” An armor clad unicorn asked as he inspected the wreckage of Luna’s furniture before turning to the large alicorn-sized hole in the wall.
“Search the room, find and secure the princess!” The guard barked.
“That will not be necessary.” Nightmare declared, reappearing in the hole with the light of day at her back. Stepping back into the darkness, Nightmare revealed her full form to the guards. “Yet I am not a princess, I am your queen!” She declared.
Startled by the appearance and form of their new dark alicorn, a few of the guards lit up their horns before assuming an aggressive stance.
However, a number of them appeared entirely unfazed by the form of Nightmare Moon.
“Vive nox.” They bowed.
“What?” One of the standing guards asked in confusion, his eyes darting between his bowing companions and the new dark alicorn. “What is this? Who are you and what have you done with the princess?”
“Rise my loyal guards,” Nightmare motioned toward the bowing guards. “The time has come my children; the end of day is nigh. Let us now bring forth the everlasting night!”
“Long live the night.” The bowing ponies chanted.
“We are ready your highness.” One of the bowing guards declared before he stood, an officer if the dark blue lining on his armor was an indication. “Everything is going according to schedule.”
“Unfortunately we must accelerate our plans,” Nightmare declared. “Somepony intruded into our chambers and spied upon us…”
Dexter had to forcibly stop himself from gulping in anxiety.
“They have undoubtedly fled, and are telling everything they know to… Celestia.” Nightmare nearly spat the name, as if the word itself sickened her. “If we do not act now, we will lose the element of surprise.”
“Your highness,” The officer spoke up. “Some of the guards loyal to the eternal night are not yet in position, if we act now a few cities such as Cloudsdale or Canterlot may be able to resist.”
“They won’t be able to resist for long…” Nightmare produced a twisted, almost vindictive, grin. “Everypony has to sleep…”
“What the hay is going on?! Who are you?” One of the other guards asked, raising his voice. He was not one of the stallions who bowed. Him, and the few other guards who remained standing maintained the charge in their horns.
Nightmare tilted her head with a grin, revealing her unnaturally sharp teeth. “I am Queen Nightmare Moon. Until now, you knew me as Luna.”
“In a very short time the diarchy shall be gone. Swear fealty to me, and follow as I lead Equestria to a glorious future under the beauty of the eternal night!”
The guard stood in silence for a few moments, staring up at Nightmare in a mixture of confusion and anxiety.
“You… You can’t be Princess Luna,” He began again. “What you speak of is treason! The princess is more loyal than that!”
“I can appreciate your sense of loyalty. And I can appreciate your honesty in your words, given that you swore an oath to serve the diarchy.” Nightmare slowly approached the vocal guard, stopping to stand over him.
“But now, by my declaration the diarchy you swore to serve is dead. All you have left is a choice: Are you a child of the night,” Nightmare brought her face down to his with a scowl.
“Or do you have a sun-loving face?” Nightmare sneered.
“I…” The guard began hesitantly, taking a step back. “I will not abandon my fealty so readily…”
“Your loyalty is misplaced, reconsider.” Nightmare ordered, her tone was more of a warning.
After a moment of silence the guard braced himself, his expression becoming stoic.
“No,” The reply caused the remaining guards, the ones who had bowed to Nightmare Moon, to turn toward the vocal guard and charge their own horns.
“You know, I would admire your loyalty.” Nightmare waved off her guards. “But it is spoiled by the fact that it is inspired by that sickening sun-loving face of yours!”
The guard didn’t have the chance to reply before a blue aura smashed him into the stone ceiling with a deafening crack. He fell to the floor with a thump, his neck sharply bent and body unmoving.
The remaining guards recoiled, even the ones loyal to Nightmare Moon.
The alicorn knew the reason for their flinch, this guard had obviously been someone they knew and worked with; if not a friend or a brother in arms.
“Don’t falter my children.” Nightmare warned. “If we do not act quickly, the disposal of the diarchy may turn into a long and drawn out civil war. Move swiftly to prevent any further confrontations.”
“What do we do with the others, my queen?” The officer asked, motioning to the remaining guards who had refused to bow.
“Can’t you see they’re sleeping?” Nightmare asked cheekily before a pulse of magic from her horn seized the guards by the helmets slamming them into a nearby wall and knocking them out. They instantly fell to the floor. “Just wait for them to wake up…” Nightmare grinned.
“Just leave them? What about-” The officer asked in confusion.
“Wait,” Nightmare silenced. “I want you to see this…”
The remaining guards did as Nightmare commanded. But it wasn’t long before the silence was broken by one of the unconscious guards.
Each of them contorted their faces in either agony or sheer terror, before their limp bodies started writhing violently. Eventually one howled in pain, while another let out a shriek of horror.
Dexter, along with the remaining guards, merely watched in horror.
“You know,” Nightmare laughed. “The interesting thing about torturing ponies in their dreams is that they can be exposed to much greater amounts of pain and suffering than they could withstand while awake.”
“A waking pony would pass out from too much pain,” Nightmare explained. “But you can’t pass out if you’re already sleeping. And a pony can brought to the edge of fear-induced death by reliving the same horrors a thousand times, with no hope of escape...”
“The Nightmares will allow me to break their minds,” Nightmare went on. “So I can rebuild them, from the very core of their being, as children of the night!”
“But don’t worry, my children. I’ve already done this to each and every last one of you…” Nightmare approached the nearest guard, lowering her head to run a tongue down his neck. He recoiled, unaccustomed to Nightmare’s touch. “You will be my children, forever.”
Dexter had to surpress a gulp. Nightmare would be earning her name in a literal sense.
“When you come to fight Celestia’s guards and their sun-loving faces, do not kill them.” Nightmare declared with a wave of her hoof. “Knock them out or put them to sleep. I’ve corrupted the entire dreamscape across Equestria. All ponies will face a choice when they go to sleep, become children of the night or never wake up!” Nightmare flared her wings at the proclamation
“There will be no more sun-loving faces! THEY WILL FEEL THE PAIN I FELT WHEN THEY TURNED THEIR BACKS ON ME AND THEN BE NO MORE!” She decreed before turning to her guards.
“You know what to do, begin!”
---
Dexter couldn’t do anything but watch as the guards left, following in Nightmare’s wake while dragging the thrashing and screaming forms of those they had called allies only moments before.
A paralyzing wave of fear washed over the colt, momentarily freezing his hooves. He felt like an ocean of dread had been poured into his stomach.
Dexter had seen some pretty dark things in his life, but there had always been certain bounds that were never crossed. One of them being excessive torture. However, what impacted him more was the fact that he felt completely blindsided by the amount of malevolence this Nightmare held.
It was more than anything he had seen firsthand before, a sure surprise coming from a pony of all creatures.
Dexter found the strength to move his hooves when the blinking ‘1%’ battery symbol in his glasses disappeared. He had hardly walked out of Luna’s chambers before the cloak failed and his body became visible.
That’s when he realized he was trembling.
“Okay! Alright! I admit it, Nightmare Moon was real! Can I go home now!?” The futuristic armor encasing his body did nothing to hide the shaking in his hooves, causing Dexter to resort to hugging his legs against his barrel. “I admit it, I was wrong. Quadraplex, if you ever get the recording I’m sorry. I learned my lesson; I promise I’ll listen to you and what the ponies say more!”
Dexter felt the lead ball in his stomach rise as he recalled Nightmare Moon throwing him against the wall, and then narrowly missing his head with what would have been a skull-crushing blow.
He was certainly surprised by Nightmare’s vindictiveness and ferocity. He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it.
But that was irrelevant right now. He had to get moving. The last thing he wanted was to be discovered should Nightmare Moon return.
“Come on, Dexter.” The eight year old assured himself. He drew a deep breath to calm himself. “Let’s just get out of here.” He forced his legs forward.
Dexter began to wander the castle halls once more, doing his best not to be spotted. Of course, he had to be lost, and he felt naked without the cloak. But oddly enough, moving while visible felt easier.
It took him a few moments to realize that the castle now appeared empty. There wasn’t a sign of a servant or a guard anywhere. He darted past another archway before rounding a corner.
But that didn’t stop the castle from being a confusing maze, a problem only compounded by Dexter’s racing mind.
The history books described Luna’s attempted rebellion as one of the most violent conflicts in Equestria’s history, so he knew what to expect if Nightmare Moon turned out to be real.
But he had been absolutely certain that Nightmare Moon wasn’t real. And if she was real, the stories about her return made her appear to be less than a formidable opponent in comparison to the types of enemies Dexter had normally faced.
Of course in the future, Nightmare’s ferocity could have been tempered by Luna, who would have had a thousand years to come to regret what she was doing and start to resist Nightmare Moon from the inside.
A part of him had to admit that the only reason he was in this situation was because of his own arrogance, and stubborn refusal to listen to what the ponies around him had to say.
However, the idea of returning to the future brought up another concern for the colt.
Dexter was supposed to have arrived four days before the violence was to begin, not catalyze it.
“Oof” Dexter let out a gasp after rounding a corner and bouncing off something soft and pony-shaped. A small pile of books followed him to the floor.
“Hey, watch where you’re… going…” An aggravated mare started, however she quickly trailed off after glimpsing the colt.
Ignoring the mare, Dexter pulled himself up while carelessly pushing the books away.
“Hey, who are you and how did you get in here?” A unicorn mare stepped into view. Her appearance was familiar; Dexter had seen a picture of her in a history book at least once. Though he couldn’t place exactly where at the moment.
“What is a foal doing in the castle… and what in the world are you wearing?” She tilted her head in curiosity. Her horn flared with magic, lifting the colt so she could get a closer look at his attire.
“Hey!” Dexter protested the aura of magic that suspended him in the air. “Put me down!”
“Interesting…” The mare pulled the colt’s foreleg closer, inspecting it. “Some sort of metallic substance weaved into a synthetic mesh… but the mesh is neither metal nor wood…”
“Let me go!” Dexter reached for the rifle slung over his back, only to find it missing. “Hey, that’s mine!”
The unicorn had lifted it away from the colt and started inspecting it independently. “What is this?”
“None of your business!” Dexter argued.
“Sure… but first tell me what you’re wearing, and where did you get this?” The mare looked up at the frowning floating colt.
Without his magic dampener, he was helpless.
“It is beyond your comprehension, now let me go you stupid nosey girl.” The mare paused at Dexter’s protest, before her nuzzle scrunched into a scowl.
It was the way he said “girl,” it would rub any female the wrong way.
“Well, if you don't tell me then I’ll have to find out for myself.” The mare sternly declared, pulling the colt along as she retrieved her books. “And when I’m finished I’ll make sure that your mother knows what a rude brat you are. In fact… this doesn’t look like it belongs to you…” She raised the rifle in her grasp.
Dexter cursed under his breath, trying to activate his suit’s dampeners. However, his efforts were greeted by a red battery symbol marked 3% appearing in the corner of his glasses.
“That belongs to me, I didn’t steal it.” Dexter countered. “Now release me!”
“No,” The mare replied simply. “Foals aren’t a common sight in the castle, and they shouldn’t be running around unattended.” Her casual demeanor told the colt that she had no idea about Nightmare Moon. Something which was not surprising, given that Nightmare had begun her takeover only a few minutes before. The castle was a powder keg for chaos, ready to go off at any moment.
Of course Dexter didn’t plan on sticking around for any of that.
“Besides, I have a feeling that somepony is going to want this —whatever it is— back.” She lifted the rifle slightly.
Dexter growled under his breath.
“Hey, listen uhh… what’s your name?” Dexter asked, trying to take another approach with the mare. She wasn’t about to release him just because he demanded it.
“Clover…”
---
“What about your meeting with the ambassador-”
“Cancel it,” Celestia ordered the grey unicorn before her. He was one of her best aides, having worked with the princess for the better part of a decade. Now he was helping the princess decimate her schedule for that afternoon. “Is there anything else I have scheduled?”
“A review of the new roads project-” The stallion was cut off once more.
“Reschedule it for next week,” Celestia answered. “Cancel everything I have scheduled for after court.”
“Yes, your highness.” The aid answered with a few sharp strikes of his quill on the scroll before him. “May I ask what you are planning to do, and if you need any assistance?”
“Always so helpful, Fair Quill.” Celestia smiled lightly. “But no thank you, I plan on spending some time with Luna this afternoon before her night court begins.” Celestia’s sighed, gazing out of the closest window. “We’ve… been arguing a lot over the past few months and in that time… I’ve said a number of things I shouldn’t have. Things that were unfair… and I should apologize.”
“But it’s nothing for you to worry about…” Celestia turned back to the stallion just in time to see him bow before turning to leave.
Celesta had turned to the mountain of paperwork sitting on her desk when she heard her chamber doors open and shut, signifying the unicorn’s departure. Shortly after the door closed she heard only what she could describe as a small bang, followed by the doors opening and slamming shut once more.
“Forget something, Fair Quill?” Celestia asked without looking up.
“Greetings, Celestia…”
The alien voice sent a shiver down her spine. Despite the twisted and foreign nature of it, Celestia found it to be very familiar.
In truth, the voice had also surprised her. Outsiders weren’t permitted in her personal tower, let alone her study.
Celestia’s jaw dropped as she lowered the scroll before her, revealing the dark alicorn grinning back at her from merely a few feet away. She wore a blue war helm, complimenting her piercing teal eyes and black coat.
The trace scent of blood danced on the end of Celestia’s nose when she noticed the light splatter on the dark alicorn’s black fur.
It might explain why the guards, or Fair Quill, didn’t keep her out.
“Defend yourself.” The dark alicorn ordered as her grin widened.
Before Celestia had the chance to do much of anything, a blast of blue magic struck her in the chest. The blast itself hit with enough force to throw Celestia into the far wall, destroying everything else it touched.
The white alicorn merely lay dazed until she felt herself being hoisted up by the nape of her neck.
Celestia’s horn flared in defense, only to die out as a shoed hoof slammed her head into the wall. The strike shattered stone, being repeated twice until Celestia was smashed through the wall to the courtyard below.
Nightmare merely grinned down at the fallen form of Luna’s older sister from the new hole found in the side of Celestia’s tower.
Shaking off the pain she felt all over, Celestia slowly got to her hooves. Her mane and coat were now dirty, small pieces of dirt and stone dust littered her form.
The solar alicorn had several deep gashes on her face, and other cuts littering her body. However, after a few moments the wounds began to close themselves, healing almost instantly. Quickly enough, there were no traces of her injuries, and the only indication that she had been attacked was the bits of stone and wood in her fur.
Apparently, using Celestia’s face as a wrecking ball only served to aggravate the solar alicorn.
Of course Nightmare knew this; it would take a lot to bring substantial or lasting harm to another alicorn.
But Nightmare was only looking forward to it.
Standing up to her full height, Celestia glared up at the unknown figure.
“My subjects! Flee from the castle!” Celestia ordered, her words enhanced with the royal Canterlott voice. It was loud enough that everyone in a ten mile radius could hear her loud and clear.
Celestia flared her horn, casting a bolt toward the dark figure. It narrowly missed as Nightmare Moon sidestepped the blast, letting it collide with something inside Celestia’s study. The resulting explosion blew apart the entire room.
Celestia was holding back, as Nightmare could tell. Celestia was probably concerned about a straggling servant or two that might still be nearby. Otherwise she could have destroyed the entire tower.
“I’m afraid fleeing will not help our subjects, Celestia…” Nightmare glided down to land before the solar alicorn. “No matter how far they run, nothing will save the pony who has a sun-loving face!” she sneered.
“Our subjects?” Celestia challenged, flaring her horn threateningly as she glared at the dark alicorn. Celestia was not accustomed to addressing another who stood at the same height as her. “These ponies are only subjects of my sister and I.”
“I have no idea who you are, but when my sister arrives we shall face you together. You won’t be able to best the both of us.” Celestia’s wings flared as she released another blast of energy from her horn. Nightmare ignited her own magic, deflecting the blast. It struck the castle, producing another explosion and more rubble.
“Remember me, Tia?” The dark alicorn began again, this time using Luna’s voice. Celestia’s eyes grew wide as she took a hesitant step back. “Remember when we were little, and I would annoy you by pulling on your tail. You responded by teasing me that the moon was made out of marshmallows…”
“Then one day I got back at you for teasing me. While we were having dessert, I swatted a chocolate cake. It hit you in the face, and got fudge all over your pink mane…”
Nightmare chuckled lightly. “You wouldn’t stop licking your mane for two days after that… it’s when you decided that chocolate cake was your favorite food...”
Celestia looked over the mare before her with a growing sense of dread building in her stomach. “We… We were much smaller then…” Celestia answered with a shaken voice. Was this dark and twisted pony really her sister?
“Luna…?”
Nightmare revealed her sharp teeth with a grin.
It was the last thing Celestia saw before she was lifted and thrown by Nightmare’s aura, crashing against another of the castle’s walls. Rubble fell over her.
“What?” Nightmare laughed at the partially buried alicorn. “You think that indulgence of memories was meant to rekindle some sort of sisterly bond between us?”
“No,” She sneered. “I just wanted to make sure that you knew it was me.” Nightmare flared her magic once more, forcing the moon into the sky. It rose quickly, sliding in position just over the sun.
Then the world fell into darkness.
“So begins the eternal night!” She declared.
There was no question, the mare before her was Luna. Nopony else could control the moon so easily.
“Luna… what is this?” Celestia pleading as she pulled herself up. “Why are you attacking me-“
“Fight me.” Another blast of blue magic was launched toward Celestia, which was deflected by the alicorn before crashing into the ground.
…
“No”
“What?” Nightmare asked sharply, recoiling her head slightly in surprise.
“I said ‘no.’” Celestia’s voice faltered as the glow in her horn faded. She lowered her flared wings, folding them to her sides. “I… won’t fight you sister.”
Nightmare growled before stomping the ground with a hoof, causing another set of cracks in the stone paved ground. “Fight me,” Nightmare demanded.
“Luna, I-I love you…” Celestia choked, floored by the realization that Luna had attacked her. “a-and I will not fight, sister. Please just tell me what’s-“
“Fight me, Celestia…” Nightmare growled. “I need to feed my hate with the rage and fury of battle…”
…
“FIGHT ME!”
---
“Wait… you’re Clover the Clever?” The colt eyed the mare in surprise.
“That’s me!” She declared with a smile. They passed through another door before it slammed shut behind them. The room she’d led him to was a workshop of some kind. Tools, books, papers and quills were scattered about with a bookshelf or two filled to the brim.
“Listen, Clover, you need to let me go. I have to get out of here fast!” Dexter declared as the mare propped his rifle against one of the nearby tables. If he could only get to it for a second, he would stun her and be on his way. “It’s really really important!”
“Oh, and why is that?” Clover tilted her head, her eyes rolling in skepticism. How cute, the colt was trying to avoid getting in trouble. Foals his age weren’t allowed to wander the castle alone; he must have either snuck in or run off from the one escorting him.
Either way, she was certain he’d be in trouble.
“Because Nightmare Moon is crazy!” Dexter blurted in urgency.
“Nightmare who?” Clover raised an eyebrow.
“I mean Princess Luna,” Dexter reiterated. “She’s whacked out of her gourd! And she’s trying to take over the world!”
“Uh huh…” The mare droned skeptically, before pulling his foreleg under a magnifying glass. “Now would you quit fidgeting…”
The mare ignored his protests for the next few minutes, proceeding to inspect him from head to hoof. She tried to pull his suit off of him a few times, a task which she found to be a lot more difficult than she initially realized.
Dexter, however, was counting the seconds until the battery icon on his HUD would read ‘5%.’ The moment it did, he would be free of this unicorn’s magic.
“Could you at least let me have my… thing back?” Dexter motioned toward his rifle. “I want to make sure it’s not broken…” He tried to plead innocently.
Clover didn’t even look up from the suit she was inspecting.
“What’s your name?” Clover eventually asked, prodding the colt’s suit with a pair of metal forceps.
“My name is not your concern.” Dexter replied, causing the mare to raise an eyebrow. “Stop that!” He swatted at the offending tool.
“Well, ‘not your concern,’” The mare smirked. “You can’t have it back, taking things that don’t belong to you is wrong. I’m going to have to tell the guards-”
Her rebuke was cut off by the workshop doors slamming shut. Dexter and Clover looked up to find an elderly stallion casting a spell to seal the door behind him.
“Master Star Swirl!” Clover started. “I’ve found a most peculiar f-“
“No time for any of that my apprentice,” the elderly stallion interrupted, failing to notice the colt floating in an aura of magic. His words were rushed as he urgently swept the room with his own aura. “You must make preparations to leave now. I want you to go to Canterlot immediately.”
His magic lifted a number of objects, mostly traveling trinkets, from around the room before hastily collecting them into a set of saddlebags. However, he added one rather large book to the travelling pouch.
“What? Why?” The confused mare shook her head, more than concerned to see her mentor so uneasy. “What’s going on?”
“S-somepony is attacking the castle,” He hesitated to reply. “I… I think it’s Princess Luna and her guards-”
The stallion was cut off by what sounded like an explosion somewhere nearby. It rocked the castle walls despite being muffled by the stone.
“What?” The mare shook her head again. “I don’t understand.”
“There is no time to explain. You need to leave now. I want you to take the dream catcher spell we have been working on for the past few weeks. I was hoping we wouldn’t need it… that Luna would be able to…” Star Swirl shook his head. “Listen, just make sure the solar guard garrison in Canterlot gets it, understand?” He tossed the saddlebags over her back, fastening them by tightening a strap. “Leave through the secret tunnel entrance in the basement, it should take you to the bottom of the gorge just south of the castle.”
“Don’t stop for anything until you reach Canterlot, and don’t let any of the lunar guard see you.” He instructed, starting to push her toward the door.
“Wait, wait!”
“There’s no time-“
“What about the foal?”
“Foal?” The elderly stallion asked in confusion, relenting from his efforts to shove the mare out the door. “What foal?”
“Him,” Clover cast a hoof in Dexter’s direction.
“Where did he come from?” Star Swirl tilted his head in confusion. “… and what is he wearing?”
“I don’t know, he hasn’t said anything useful since I found him.” The mare explained.
Star Swirl approached the colt, rubbing the long grey beard on his chin. “Intriguing suit… but we have no time for that. Take him with you.” With a flash of his horn, the aura of magic holding Dexter in the air disappeared.
“What?” Clover asked in confusion.
“Not happening.” Dexter countered, bolting toward his rifle. However, Clover’s magic seized the weapon, pulling it out of his reach just before he could grab it. “Hey! That belongs to me…”
Dexter trailed off as the sunlight streaming in from the windows suddenly ceased, the blue hue of the sky disappearing almost instantly as the moon sailed high into the sky. Pale light soon flooded into the once sunlit room, the only source of light for the world bathed in darkness below.
“Whoa…” The colt muttered. He had never seen the sky shift from day to night so quickly; it was like nothing he had ever seen.
“It’s… definitely Princess Luna who is attacking the castle…” Star Swirl declared solemnly, glancing at the full moon now reigning overhead. He turned toward Clover. “You, take the foal and get out of here, now. I am going to find Celestia, hopefully I can convince her to-“
Heavy pounding on the door interrupted the mage, startling the unicorns into looking toward the door.
“Star Swirl,” A muffled voice began. “By order of the throne and the lunar guard, open these doors!” Another round of pounding rang off the doors before they were wrapped in an aura of blue magic.
“The sealing spell I cast will not last for long,” Star Swirl turned, searching for another way out. “The windows, I’ll levitate you to the courtyard below.” He pointed with a hoof. But as soon as he spoke, several armor clad pegasi appeared just outside the windows. One of them barked a muffled order, pointing inside after spotting their target.
“Well we can’t go that way.” Clover answered. With a wave of Star Swirl’s horn, a barrier appeared over the windows. The pegasi outside started pounding on the magically reinforced glass.
“Star Swirl, we know you are in there.” The commanding voice on the far side of the door shouted louder. “Open this door at once! If you do not, you and your apprentice will be charged with treason against the throne!”
“You know a teleport spell right?” Dexter asked the stallion. He nodded. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Needless to say, Dexter shared the older stallion’s desire to escape. Unfortunately for the colt, the battery had yet to reach the 5% mark. He couldn’t start siphoning energy, and what little power he had wouldn’t keep him cloaked for long.
“No,” The stallion shook his head. “The princesses cast a teleport-blocking spell over the entire castle long ago, to prevent security breaches.”
“We’d better think of something fast,” Clover declared, trying to reinforce the barrier protecting the windows. It was starting to weaken under the relentless pounding of the guards outside.
Splinters of wood sprang across the room at the sound of the workshop door being broken. The guards overcame Star Swirl’s sealing spell in a single spot, allowing them to blow a hole in the door. A unicorn guard stuck his head through, charging his horn before promptly turning to the barrier protecting the windows. There was a pulse of magic before it disappeared, followed by the sound of shattering glass.
The pegasi guards flooded in through the broken windows, surrounding Dexter and the two other unicorns. Shortly after, another explosion of splintered wood signaled the defeat of the workshop door.
“Surrender Star Swirl.” The leading guard challenged, stepping over shattered wood and into the workshop. He was flanked by several other unicorn guards.
All of the guards all wore the blue armor, bearing the lunar seal. In total there were ten pegasi and ten unicorns.
The one who spoke had a black lining on his armor, indicating he was the captain of the lunar guard of the castle.
“Tell me Captain Nightwatch, what madness has claimed the princess and caused you to betray Equestria and your fellow guards?” Star Swirl spat.
“You will understand everything in due time…” The captain answered with a grin. “Personally, I think you have a sun-loving face. But Queen Moon has ordered you tested. It’s time you and your apprentice took a little nap…”
“Not going to happen,” Star Swirl said, posturing for his defense. Both he and Clover had charged their horns with magic.
“You’ll be going to sleep one way or the other, old wizard, and you will awaken as one of my brothers or never awaken at all!” The captain threatened. “Save yourself the dignity and come quietly.”
“I… I will come with you if you release my student.” Star Swirl hesitantly offered, earning a protest from Clover. However, she was quickly silenced as Star Swirl waved a hoof. “I won’t resist if you let her go.”
“No,” The captain grinned back. “Queen Moon wants Clover too. Besides, she’ll fall asleep sometime… “
Dexter, however, was having a standoff of his own.
The battery indicator in the corner of his vision just clicked up to ‘5%’, He could now start recharging his suit from the magic around him.
He could also help Star Swirl and Clover escape the lunar guards, but the colt hesitated to interfere.
The history books said that Star Swirl most likely played a crucial role in the defeat of Nightmare Moon, however the colt didn’t know for certain. The books written in the future lacked many useful details which had been lost to time.
For all Dexter knew, Nightmare Moon’s defeat could have been triggered by Star Swirl’s capture.
But Dexter did have to contend with the fact that he might have already changed things drastically, and that Star Swirl’s capture might have never been meant to happen. All he knew for certain was that Star Swirl and his student were supposed to survive Nightmare Moon’s uprising.
However, given the situation unfolding before him, Star Swirl’s survival was starting to look less and less likely. The elderly stallion did not appear to be the type to capitulate to Nightmare Moon, and he didn’t appear to possess the vigor necessary to survive torturous nightmares meant to shatter his mind.
Star Swirl wouldn’t survive Nightmare’s Indoctrination.
Dexter had to step in.
“HEY LOSER!” Dexter cut in, pointing at the captain.
“What?” He scowled down at the colt. However, his glare was cut off by Clover stepping between him and the foal.
“Are you crazy!?” She whispered harshly toward the petulant child. “Be quiet, we don’t need him any angrier.”
However Dexter pushed past her, ignoring her warning. A few neural impulses and a split second later, a line of text flashed in his glasses. ‘Dampeners Activated.’
“I called you a LOSER!” He taunted.
The captain merely glanced toward the closest unicorn guard. “Stun the brat and drag him out of here.” The unicorn in question nodded, charging his horn and launching a bolt of electricity toward the colt.
It struck Dexter dead in the chest.
Nothing happened.
And Dexter merely smiled.
“Oooo, that tickled, fathead.” Dexter mocked. “Did you train these guards yourself? That might explain why they suck.”
The captain merely sneered before looking back at the unicorn, who hastily cast another bolt toward Dexter. It was much more powerful this time, if the larger jump in his suit’s power reserves was any indication.
“Having trouble private?” The captain asked with a scowl.
“I’m trying sir!” The guard in question replied before hastily casting another series of bolts at the foal. “I don’t understand what’s happening!”
The captain rolled his eyes. “Sergeant?”
Another guard stepped forward, casting more electricity at the colt. Again, there was no effect.
“Keep it coming, morons.” Dexter mocked with a taunting hoof, motioning to himself while watching the power meter on his HUD grow.
The captain himself stepped toward the colt with a glowing horn. He cast a spell, different from the others, which struck Dexter in the chest. Again, it had no effect.
“How the?” Nightwatch asked in confusion. “That spell should have tossed you across the room…” In truth, it wasn’t powerful enough to really hurt the foal, so it didn’t give Dexter much energy.
“It’s the suit he’s wearing!” Captain Nightwatch blurted in realization, waving off the other unicorns before pointing to the pegasi guards floating overhead “You two, seize him!” He commanded.
Two of the fliers darted toward the colt.
“Oh crap-” Dexter raised a hoof in defense, a faint glow coming from the horseshoes attached to his hooves. The moment the pegasus made contact with the colt, Dexter swatted at his chest. A discharge from his force amplifier sent the first guard hurdling across the room, slamming into one of the unicorns before tumbling to a stop.
Dexter reacted more quickly to the second pegasus, hitting him squarely in the chest before sending him careening into a bookshelf. The guard crashed, causing the bookcase to collapse as several books sprayed across the room.
“…what?” The captain asked in bewilderment as several of the other guards recoiled from the colt, charging their horns.
“Shield yourselves,” Dexter instructed Star Swirl and Clover before reaching for the rifle that had fallen to the floor when Clover moved to shield him before, shifting onto his haunches before setting the weapon to stun. He took aim at the closest unicorn.
Unlike his shoulder mounted cannon, Dexter had to sit on his haunches in order to aim the rifle; given that rifles weren’t exactly helpful to someone pony-shaped. But the rifle was small enough to not destroy everything in the room with a single shot.
“What are you foals waiting for?” the captain roared to the remaining guards. “Get them-”
A blue bolt of energy erupted from the rifle, striking one of the lunar unicorns in the chest. His body immediately seized, causing him to collapse to the floor.
Several more unicorns returned fire, propelling various bolts of magic at the colt. Unfortunately for the guards, their spells all fizzled out into nothing on contact with Dexter’s suit.
After taking out most of the unicorns, Dexter turned his aim upwards. He was just in time to catch a number of pegasi lunging at him. He rewarded their efforts by shooting most of them squarely in the chest, causing their bodies to seize mid-dive before crashing into the floor or pieces of furniture.
But he wasn’t able to catch them all. One of the pegasi collided with the colt, knocking the rifle from his hooves, while another pinned him from behind.
It wasn’t long before Dexter threw them off with his force amplifiers, sending them toppling across the room.
However, Dexter didn’t have time to notice that one of the workshop bookcases had been pushed over with an aura of magic. It collapsed on the colt, burying him in a pile of wood and paper.
Of course, given the armor he had on, he hardly felt it. Not that the guard knew.
“I noticed something about you…” Captain Nightwatch approached the buried colt with his two remaining unicorns. He used his magic to summon a pole of wood from one of the nearby broken pieces of furniture. “You’re immune to direct attack from magic.”
“But magic can still hurt you if it is applied indirectly…” He said, standing over the colt as Dexter pushed a piece of debris off his form. He was still half buried by the bookcase, pinned at the moment.
That didn’t stop the captain from swinging at him with the piece of wood in his magical grasp. The aura of magic around the wood allowed it to strike the colt on the head with much more force than he could muster if he was swinging it with a foreleg. The magic itself was not touching Dexter, his suit couldn’t drain it.
“That’s nice armor, little brat.” Nightwatch swung the wood, hitting Dexter on the head hard enough to shatter it. However, he immediately retrieved another piece of debris. “But don’t worry, I’m not trying to hurt you, I just want to knock you out…”
“It’s time for you to go to sleep…” He laughed.
In truth, the blows weren’t really doing much to Dexter. His armor easily absorbed each strike. He was about to throw the remains of the bookcase off himself when the captain was cut off.
Star Swirl’s aura of magic appeared around the captain, slamming his body against the workshop’s stone wall. He slid unconscious to the ground.
The two remaining guards were also struck by bolts of electricity, each cast from Clover’s horn. They too seized before falling over.
“Hey, I had that!” Dexter frowned, throwing off the rest of the bookcase with a single swing from his fore hoof. “I was looking forward to shutting up that stupid captain.”
The two remaining unicorns merely stared at the colt, unable to think of what to say.
They just saw an eight year old beat seasoned guards.
“What?” Dexter asked incredulously. “Don’t worry, they’ll all live.”
“You… you just took out almost twenty guards…” Clover managed to choke out past her astonishment.
“Yes… Well there are probably more where that came from. You mentioned something about a secret tunnel to the bottom of the gorge?” Dexter directed toward Star Swirl.
“I… uh yes,” Star Swirl said, shaking himself out of his stupor. “T-this way…”
---
“Well, what about-“
“No,” Dexter droned.
“But can you at least tell me about this ‘Night vision.’” Clover began excitedly once more. She had noticed that the colt could navigate the tunnels without the aid of any visible light source.
“No,” Dexter replied without even hearing her question.
Star Swirl had led them into the Castle’s basement before casting a spell at what Dexter could only assume was a random wall. However, moments later, the wall opened up to reveal a passageway. It was akin to a small narrow cave.
The cave was wet and dark, and became pitch black after the door behind them closed. However, the colt proved able to navigate the darkness without the light provided by the unicorn’s magic, making the mistake of stating that he possessed something called ‘night vision.’
That led Clover to unleash a torrent of questions on the colt.
Of course, Dexter refused to answer her questions. It was driving her up a wall.
“Does your suit-“
“No…”
“Are you even listenin-“
“No…”
“Of all the questions my student has asked,” Star Swirl cut in, speaking for the first time as he stopped to regard the colt. “She has not asked the most important one. Who are you?”
“Who I am is not your concern.” Dexter replied simply.
“Well then what are we supposed to call you?” Clover complained.
“My name is… Archer.” Dexter lied, blurting out the first pony name that came to mind which sounded remotely like something he could live with.
“Archer?” Clover asked in surprise. “Isn’t that a girl’s name?”
Clover was actually right, as far as pony names were concerned anyway. Archer was the name of a blue filly from Cheerilee’s class. Dexter dredged that name up since it was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, he didn’t realize his error beforehand. It was a boy’s name for humans.
“If I repeated my questions, would you mind answering without lying this time?” Star Swirl chided, causing the colt to frown.
The truth was, Dexter actually felt strangely fortunate to meet the old wizard. He was supposed to be one of the greatest figures in the history of magic and science in the pony culture. If they had only met under different circumstances, Dexter might actually have enjoyed having a conversation with him.
“Look,” Dexter began tiredly. “For reasons I cannot explain, I cannot answer any questions about who I am, where I come from, nor anything about the suit I am wearing.” Dexter cast a glance at Clover.
Star Swirl merely eyed the colt for a moment, increasing the amount of light given off by his horn as though it may reveal something in the retreating darkness.
“You’re a very peculiar, if not oddly capable, child.” Star Swirl declared with a frown. “But you’re still a child and I cannot, in good conscience, leave you alone. Tell me where you’re from and who is responsible for you, and I will take you to them.” Star Swirl offered.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Mr. Star Swirl.” Dexter replied, following after Star Swirl. He shook his head and pressed on. “I can take care of myself.”
“This is not a game, child…” Star Swirl eventually answered. “You may have bested those guards, but they won’t always prove to be beaten so easily.”
“Really?” Dexter asked skeptically, inspecting the old unicorn’s hat and robe. Was he supposed to be the pony version of Merlin or something? “It’s my impression that the lunar guard would have probably sent their best soldiers to take you, Star Swirl, down. If what I saw back there was the best they have to offer…”
“They hesitated” Star Swirl refuted. “They weren’t expecting to attack a child, and were surprised by the strength you displayed. I warn you, they will not make such errors in the future. So don’t be too proud of yourself, lest your ego be your downfall.”
“It's not a matter of ego…” Dexter growled. “It’s a matter of fact. Hesitating or not, they couldn’t get past my suit’s armor.”
“So it is a suit of armor…” Clover muttered. “Wait a second!” She rounded in front of the colt, staring down at him aggressively. “You knew!” She accused.
“Knew what?” Dexter recoiled.
“You knew about… everything!” Clover pressed. “You knew Luna was going to attack the castle ahead of time!”
“What?” Dexter asked, genuinely baffled. “How in the world did you get that idea?”
“You came here wearing a suit of armor, meaning you were prepared for a fight.” Clover began to explain. “You referred to Princess Luna as Nightmare Moon before anypony else could tell us that was Princess Luna’s new name, and you brought something called ‘Night Vision.’”
Dexter felt butterflies grow in his stomach.
“What of it?” Dexter retorted.
“There was no way you could have known the name ‘Nightmare Moon’ before Captain Nightwatch mentioned it unless you heard about it before I found you.” Clover explained. “That, coupled with the fact you are ready for a fight, means you anticipated the attack on the castle. And if the Night Vision does what it sounds like, then you also knew the attacker would bring forth the night…”
“Which means you knew there was going to be an attack, and you knew Princess Luna would be the one to do it.”
“Huh…” Dexter frowned. “You’re… clever,” He declared, earning a grin from Clover.
“Look,” Dexter began. “I did know about the possibility of Nightmare Moon’s attack, and her attempt to bring about eternal night. But the truth is I didn’t think it would actually happen.”
“I think everypony wished that was the case right about now…” Star Swirl added.
“But now everything is different,” Dexter went on. He couldn’t help but feel a growing twinge of guilt forming in the pit of his stomach. Before his interference, Nightmare Moon would have been defeated without question. But now, it was anyone’s guess.
What worried Dexter more was the prospect that Nightmare Moon might actually be able to bring about an eternal night, an act which would cause global extinction for all forms of life.
He couldn’t let that happen.
“I have to make sure Nightmare Moon is defeated,” He turned to Star Swirl, remembering what he could about the old stallion from the history books. “You helped design the magic protecting the royal vaults, correct?”
“You know, that’s supposed to be a secret...” Star Swirl’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I need you to tell me how to open the vault so I can get the Elements of Harmony.” Dexter went on.
“The Elements of Harmony?” Clover tilted her head. “What do you need those for?”
“Celestia is going to need them to defeat Nightmare Moon.” Dexter explained.
“They won’t help you,” Star Swirl answered, shaking his head before rubbing his beard. “If I know Celestia at all, she won’t lift a hoof against her sister, let alone use the Elements of Harmony on her.”
“Besides, the Elements of Harmony require bearers to wield them. Since Luna bore three of those elements, we’re out of bearers.” Star Swirl declared.
“No, Celestia can wield all six of them.” Dexter shook his head. If what Dexter had read was correct, Celestia wielded all six elements by herself in order to defeat Nightmare Moon.
“That’s impossible.” Star Swirl declared.
“Wait, what?” Dexter scowled in confusion. “Why?”
“Even if a single pony possessed all six traits represented by the elements, they could not wield them. The elements of harmony are based on the magic of friendship.” The elderly stallion continued to press forward, lighting more of the tunnel with his horn. “You can bear all six elements, but wielding them requires at least two ponies who are friends.”
“Up until now, Celestia and Luna were the two required friends. So unless Princess Luna is willing to use the elements on herself, you’re out of luck.” Star Swirl sighed.
“But… but…” Dexter muttered to himself in confusion. The history books clearly stated that Princess Celestia had used the Elements of Harmony to banish Princess Luna to the moon. “But that can’t be right. Everything, even the prophecy which told of Luna’s return from the moon after her thousand year banishment said that Celestia had used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her. Celestia alone used the elements!”
“Prophecy?” Clover parroted. “What prophecy?”
“You know, the one about Luna being banished to the moon for trying to bring about eternal night, but eventually escaped?”
The two unicorns stopped, eyeing the colt silently.
“A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria,” Dexter recited from memory. “Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal.”
“It’s one of the things you should know of.” Dexter looked up expectantly.
“I was not aware that such a prophecy had been made…” Star Swirl stroked his long beard with a hoof, contemplating the colt’s words.
After a few more moments of silence, Dexter facehoofed.
Hard.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” He muttered as he mentally kicked himself. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I need to get into the vault so I can get the Elements of Harmony.”
Star Swirl stroked his beard a few more times, looking down at the colt with uncertainty before sighing loudly.
“Even if Celestia could wield the elements, you still have a problem…” Star Swirl explained. “You were right when you said that I had a hand in constructing the vault. Not only did I create a way for myself to get in if need be, I also set up a few monitoring spells to inform me when another entered.”
“A few months ago, Princess Luna entered the vault without telling anypony.” The wizard went on. “I eventually went to find out what she had taken, or left there, and discovered that she had taken her elements from the vault.”
“What are you saying…?” Dexter groaned. “The Elements of Harmony are missing?”
“The elements of loyalty, honesty and laughter, yes.” Star Swirl answered. “The others are still in the vault. But tell me, what would you do once you got them?”
“Give them to Celestia so she can blast Nightmare Moon to the Moon!” Dexter answered straight away. Of course, he was concerned about what Star Swirl said about Celestia needing a friend.
He knew for absolute certain that he didn’t possess any of the elements of harmony. It wasn’t even a question, and he would laugh if someone suggested it. But even if he did, he didn’t have time to make friends with anyone in time enough to use them on Nightmare Moon.
“You know, this might add merit to what he’s been saying…” Clover speculated aloud. “If Luna was planning this attack, she might have known that the Elements of Harmony were one of the few things that could defeat her… splitting them up instead of hiding all of them in one spot would insure that they could never be used.”
“Perhaps…” Star Swirl glanced at the mare before turning back to the colt. “But if this colt is privy to prophecies, then he knows more about what’s going on than anypony else. I’ll trust you with the secrets to opening the vault.”
“And don’t worry, it’s quite simple. You won’t need magic to do it.” Star Swirl added.
“Whoa, wait, Master…” Clover cut in. “You can’t seriously be considering letting this foal, a child, go back to the castle?”
“Considering the suit he’s wearing, and the weapon he’s carrying, I don’t think we have a say in the matter.” Star Swirl turned away, pressing onward through the cave.
“Wait wait… at least take this.” Clover removed and opened up one of the books from her saddlebags, turning to a page before shoving it in Dexter’s face.
Whatever she just showed him, it was written in Unicorian.
He couldn’t understand it.
“I uhh… can’t read that?” Dexter answered, scanning the pages before flipping through them. “I can’t read any of this it…”
“What?” Clover replied with mild confusion. “That’s the dream catcher spell; it will prevent Luna, or Nightmare Moon, from messing with your dreams.”
“In case you didn’t notice, I don’t have a horn. I can’t-“He stopped when he saw Star Swirl lift his hat, pulling out a dream catcher laced with several runes. “Err, thanks.” Dexter replied, making sure his magic dampeners were off. If he drained the dream catcher of all its magic it would be useless at protecting his dreams.
“We’re here.” Star Swirl declared as they approached the end of the cave. A glow from his horn caused a portion of the cave wall to shift before moving out of the way.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to come with us?” Clover asked the colt as they stepped out into the night. “I can’t even imagine how dangerous it would be to go back…”
"I plan on going back prepared..."