Nightmare Moon's Mask

by yoshiXII

Day Three: Pinkie Pie

Get up. New day.

I blinked slowly. Staring at the ceiling, I wondered how I was surviving on such few hours of sleep. Every part of my body wanted to just stay on the grass and fall back to sleep. But, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. Not with the horrors that awaited me.

I asked the mask why it wanted to do this. Why did it need to break all six of the elements when it could just break one of the bearers and be content?

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to psychologically break down someone, so I decided I needed to practice a bit. Plus, if the other five bearers can bring the broken bearer back to her senses, then my whole plan could be ruined.

I shook my head, trying not to buy into the mask’s logic. Even with my active resistance of its ideas, I still can’t shake the feeling of understanding. If you can twist your mindset enough, perhaps the devastation it causes can be justified.

Maybe I was delirious with the lack of sleep. Maybe I couldn’t think straight with it tampering with me. For whatever reason, I couldn’t find any error with its logic.

After pondering this, I finally got up. Walked outside as usual and this time the mask chose the element with a blue balloon. I remembered the pink pony with yellow and blue balloons on her flank. All she did when she talked to me was exclaim how I was a stranger. Maybe she was scared of people like Fluttershy.

I teleported to the middle of Ponyville. My sight instantly strayed toward the local bakery. The frosting covering the edge of the roof and the pink cupcake sticking out of the normal building made it look like a gingerbread house.

I felt myself walking without my will. So it begins. When I made it to the shop, I slowly crossed the threshold into the store. For some reason or another, the store was entirely dark. Maybe the mask’s intrepid conversions were being noticed. I had hope that this would be the case, since this might be able to stop it.

“Surprise! Welcome to Ponyville!” I heard the pink pony say.

The lights flared on and I saw something that touched my heart. The pink pony jumped out in front of me and blew her party streamer. Everywhere along the ceiling was adorned with streamers with confetti floating around. Balloons were attached to tables and presents were strewn about the entire store. Ponies gathered around tables and looked earnestly at me.

I...I was speechless. This pink pony barely knew me and yet she felt it necessary to welcome me, even though I was a stranger. Even though I was different and I had this weird mask on me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in control and I couldn’t express my gratitude.

For the first time since I got the mask, I tried fighting for control. It’s hard to describe, but imagine trying to fill your soul into every part of your body while an infection has already taken your spot. That was essentially what I was trying to do; only the mask wouldn’t let up an inch. Forcing my way back into myself was like trying to flood a dam that had no cracks. I tried making my own cracks but it didn’t work.

Eventually I gave up. It wasn’t working and I was tired. There simply wasn’t enough energy for me to overcome this powerful foe. I knew that it was probably angry for me trying to fight and would probably assert its power later, but for the time being, I was too angry to care.

“Helloooo? Is that a cosplay of Nightmare Moon?” The pink pony giggles turned into snorts.

I shook my head. “Hello, Pinkie Pie.”

“Aww, how cute. You already know my name.” Pinkie Pie’s energy and passion was contagious. I felt myself craving sugar until the point where I turned into a party animal.

“Let’s see.” I tapped my chin with my hoof. “Element of Laughter. Obnoxious. Random and sometimes annoying. Loves parties and eats boatloads of sugar. Breaks into song?” I could hear the mask’s confusion. “Can be insecure without friends.”

“Watcha talking ‘bout? Can’t you see we got a party starting here? C’mon, cheer up. We’re here to make sure that you feel welcome here and there’s no better way than a Pinkie Pie party.” Pinkie broke into a wide grin.

“Pinkie, don’t you feel like you are odd? Like everyone else doesn’t like you at all, but are stuck with you because they don’t want you to explode?”

“Oh, I know what you need. Be right back.” Pinkie dashed into further into the store. I presumed she was going into the kitchen, but for what I didn’t know.

I walked towards her. “Yet you continue your act to please ponies every day. Secretly, you aren’t like this. You do have logic and think, but decide to erase that to make way for this life. The life of only pleasing other ponies when they don’t need to be pleased.”

“Ah! Here we go.” Pinkie pranced back toward me with a cupcake in her hoof. “Eat up. This will cheer you up.”

I squirmed. “Uh, no thanks. Can you pay attention to me?”

Pinkie snorted. “Pay attention? Hah, nice joke. Here.” She proceeded to smoosh the cupcake against the mask.

I could feel the irritation and anger of the mask brewing all around the shop. Pinkie, oblivious to this, started laughing again and fell on the floor in tears. “Sorry about that,” Pinkie said, wiping a tear away.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, isn’t it time that you grew up? To leave this partying to others and move on with your life? You hunger for other ponies so much that you’ve become addicted to their praises. But, when you starve, it turns you into a monster. That’s when you lose it. That’s why ponies keep their distance from you. You’re too annoying to them and too random for investment of time.”

Pinkie, by this time, was done laughing and actually looked intently at me. “You know, now that I think about it,” Pinkie said tapping her chin. I died a little, thinking that she gave up. “I think we need more music.” She jumped up and galloped over to the corner of the store where four musicians were playing. She whispered something into their ears and the music descended to cacophony.

Pinkie jumped back to me. “That’s better. Hey, do you want to play a game?” She grabbed my hoof and pointed to a group of ponies watching a pony blindfolded. “We’ve got Pin the Tail on the Pony over there.”

I pulled away from her hoof. “Pinkie, I’m serious. Think about how pathetic your existence in Equestria is. How meaningless you are, even to your friend. Even your element seems fake. Element of Laughter is like being principal of a home school. What is with you?”

Pinkie squinted at me. “Mister, I think we have a problem here. I see everypony’s smile besides yours. C’mon take of your mask.” She attempted to pull it off. “Hold on,” she grunted with exertion.

“What are you doing? Stop it!” The mask seemed frightened.

“It’s not budging!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I’ve had enough.”

I watched sadly as Pinkie’s pink colors dissolved into monochrome. Gone was the energetic and playful pony and in her place was a dejected pony that pretended to like parties, but secretly despised them. She groaned as she attended to everypony else around her.

As I grew feeling into my limbs again, I wondered how the mask would react to my act of resistance. It didn’t dole any punishment which meant it either ignored me or it couldn’t feel me.

Nevertheless, my feeling of grief completely overwhelmed me. If I wasn’t possessed by Nightmare Moon, then I could have had a great time being welcomed. A party just for me. But, I couldn’t. It wouldn’t let me.

I wanted to go party anyways, regardless, but seeing the despondent Pinkie made me think otherwise. I felt too guilty to even consider having a good time while such a depressed pony was lurking.

So, I trotted back home, ashamed and wistful. I lay on the ground again, telling myself not to go to sleep. I managed to keep this ruse going for a few minutes, before I realized that I was way too tired. I yawned, before sleep suffocated me.

“Hello, Skull Kid. Come sit with me.”

I blinked. Right in front of me was Nightmare Moon. Not just the mask, but an entire pony that illustrated her features, though her body wasn’t distinct. She exuded vileness and death, but I sat to the right of her on the log. A fire crackled in front of us.

I was so thankful that this wasn’t one of my nightmares again, that I grew comfortable in her company. Staring at the flames soothed me in more ways than one and for the first time since I picked up the mask, I relaxed.

“What is a pony’s life?” she asked.

I turned toward her. Was she going to go off on a philosophical debate with me? Considering how evil she was, I couldn’t imagine that she would have any thought at all for anything.

“Well,” I said, trying to get my answer, “a pony’s life is a blank slate. Each pony is unique in their respect and they deserve to live peacefully. Every pony is capable of being detrimental or helpful towards society, but it’s their own choice. A pony is someone who can make a difference and be special.

Nightmare Moon remained silent, contemplating my answer. “That’s true, but what if the society they’ve wrought is inherently flawed. What if it’s better to play God and erase them in order to start anew?”

I tried to grasp that idea. “I don’t think that’s fair. Divine Interference should never be the answer. Ponies should be able to fix their civilization so that they can be better denizens of this planet. If they mess things up, it should be on their shoulders, not ours.”

“But throughout the history of every world I’ve been to, they don’t change. I’ve seen people fight devastating wars and promise never to fight again. Yet, in a couple of decades, they go at it again. It seems as though they don’t learn from their mistakes.”

“Yes, but the point is that society won’t be perfect. In order to have a thriving civilization, there has to be flaws for people to solve. Utopia will never be obtained. If you just keep wiping them out and introducing new humans, ponies, or other creatures; you’re just rolling the dice again and hoping for the best. Nothing is perfect and genocide will only harm civilization. It’s not possible to suspend them in their primitive form. They will always start building even greater and become where they are now. And don’t think that I can’t see your previous work on Equestria. You’ve done this before to this place.”

We remained silent for a few moments. “I think that my reasoning is just an excuse,” Nightmare Moon admitted. “No matter how much I twist my logic, it all boils down to me deriving enjoyment from the destruction of civilization. I don’t know why. When I took control of Princess Luna, I didn’t know what I could do. I took complete control of her body and turned into a monster. Then, I caused so much destruction to ponies that I caused a dark age where ponies degraded that still lasts today.

“Eventually, Celestia banished me to the moon. I was furious, though I bided my time there. After a thousand years, I managed to come back for my vengeance, but those six ponies stopped me. I suppose it was for the better. I was converted into a mere mask until the Salesman picked me up.”

“Did you know why the Salesman wanted you?” I asked earnestly.

She shook her head. “He promised that he would allow me to spread my destruction even further. That’s when he dropped me onto the ground and you picked me up. For some reason, I haven’t thought about myself until now.” She glanced at me. “I think I’m pathetic, having such meager desires.”

“Does that mean you’ll stop with your destruction?” I was hopeful.

Nightmare Moon nodded. “I think from now on, I’ll...” she trailed off.

Suddenly, her eyes turned completely white. “How could you induce me with such foolish morals?” she yelled.

I didn’t know what happened at the time, but I think I know the answer. Since she was inherently evil, no matter how much she regrets her actions, she will always revert back. That was the ultimate source of my problems: her nature. I couldn’t stop it, even now when I was so close to stopping this ordeal.

I felt a shove behind me. I closed my eyes as flames licked me.