Remember the Moon

by Leviathan

Survival

Paradise allowed itself a small smirk and a contemptuous glance in my direction. “It appears you’ve lost Miss Luna. This barrier I have put up is quite resilient and I highly doubt these simple spears would be able to pierce it. As for you, my telekinetic field has a firm hold on you, ensuring that you won’t flee while my blade...greets you.” I doubted it was the type of greeting Hallmark made a card for.

I could not help but snicker. Finally, I had an advantage! And thanks to the overconfidence of this thing. Was it really so egotistical that it didn’t prepare a back-up plan? Did it truly think that it was the only player in this game, the only one of manipulating the enemy?

“Hear my words, inglorious filth! You think far too highly of your own ability!” I spat at it. “You are unfamiliar with this spell I have cast, correct?” I heard a sharp intake of breath at the comment. So I was correct in my earlier assumption. Wonderful.

“There is a reason for that, I assure you. You see, this is an archaic spell fashioned far before your time. It was banned by the unicorn council over two millennia ago due to its strange properties. These spears drain the energy of anything they pass through.” I paused for a moment to let Paradise process my words. Its expression did not change.

“However, that is where the controversy of this spell emerges. It doesn’t just drain magic. It slaughters it. This spell acts like kudzu, it spreads its energy over a substance, suffocating it slowly. Then it leaves a hollow shell behind. So if these spears touch any form of magic they destroy it.” Paradise’s working pupil dilated.

I gave it a menacing glare, locking my eyes with its. “This renders your barrier useless. And if these spears were to hit you they would likely incapacitate your magic for a short time...That is, if they don’t kill you.”

For a moment silence reigned. Then Paradise’s sharp, frozen pitch permeated the air. “Then it appears we are at a stalemate.”

“No, we are not.” My confidence was replaced by a sense of duty now.

The mongrel peered at me questioningly for a moment unable to decipher what I meant. “I don’t follow. What ever do you mean? It seems as if neither one of us has the advantage so I would assume that is a stalemate, no?” I gave her a sad, but determined, smile.

“That would be true, if I had no cause. However, this is about more then self-preservation. My intent is not to rid of you to ensure my own survival. It is to ensure the survival of Equestria.” Paradise did not interrupt as I spoke. It merely listened with narrowed eyes.

“I am fully prepared to sacrifice myself for this greater cause, for something more precious than my survival. I do this for more than just base instinct, for more than just survival, for more than just a meal, for more than just honor.” I probably would’ve died anyways, right? “I do this in defense of the ideals in which Equestria represents. Ideals that I will not allow to perish at your hands, beast!!!”

Paradise simply stared at me, as if summing up what I had said. It wasn’t until a complete moment had passed that its lips parted. “I find you ponies to be so strange. You all seem to be prone to sudden, sporadic changes in mood that simply baffle me.” I narrowed my gaze for a moment, not exactly sure how to respond to what it had just said.

Paradise simply continued on, the irony apparently lost on its intellect. “One minute you are fighting me off in order to ensure your survival. Now your combating me in hopes of keeping me from overtaking your precious nation and ideals. You can’t have self-preservation and a hive-mind bundled into one package.” I was about to protest its comparison of a hive-mind to Equestria but Paradise did not falter in its speech.

“I mean, seriously, it is insane how you all think. And as for the supposed “ideals” that you represent-” The intense glare I was getting from Paradise held me still, freezing me to my aerial position.

“-Complete and utter nonsense. There are only three traits in which we take basis, in which we should take basis. Survival, Instinct, and Subjugation. That is all that matters in this kingdom. Friendship, love, emotion...these matter not.” The look in which I was affixed with was so hollow, so empty. It was sickening to think that any being truly felt that way.

I had to swallow the lump in my throat down as my opponent once again surprised me. I felt like retching, not because of any incantation or curse, but because of those words. For any being to truly feel this way, for them to truly give up on everything decent, everything worthwhile, was disheartening. Even if the creature were my enemy.

What could have prompted such a desolate attitude? What could have brought a creature to such despair, to such a desolate place, that their only thought was survival? Is survival our purpose in this world? Is the entirety of our existence exactly that? Just an existence?

No. No matter what answers exist to those questions, no matter the validity of my ideals, I have a purpose. I represent something. Even if I were perish upon this blood stained field in this Celestia-forsaken forest, I would not die. I would be able to live on vicariously through the ideals I defended, the ideals that the pony community uphold.

I gave Paradise a stony glare. I hovered in place for a moment. I drew my tongue outwards to wet my lips. They were dry, chapped courtesy of the icy breeze that flowed through the Night. One of the minuscule cracks splintered leaving another trail of blood to trace its way down my face.

My tongue tucked itself back into my throat as my words slipped past my throat, quiet, but powerful. “Friendship, love, emotion...these things hold no survival value; rather they give value to survival. Your existence is without purpose, without flourish, without life. So I ask you, why live on as you do? Why not give in to the next generation?” I may have been a bit hopeful it would give up right then and there.

A small chuckle escaped the monster, which slowly rose in pitch until it reached a rather loud crescendo. “I serve a purpose. My purpose is to be a predator. I lurk, picking off ponies and other magically-inclined creatures like you. I am a killer, a ripper, an absorbent feasting upon the energy you endow me with.” A sadistic grin appeared on Paradise’s face, one that fit in very well with the one emblazoned on its frost bitten left-face. “Like you said earlier- a carnivore.”

“I am that which shall consume you before the day ends! I am a nightmare from which you shall not awake! I am the insanity you choose to hide from, come back to haunt you. Witness my being now as you die!” Strangely the color within Paradise’s eyes (even the deadened one) had drained and changed.

They had both faded from their respective colors and into a soft grey, a mysterious smoke that veiled what lay beneath. Peering at them for too long brought up a feeling akin to those I had experienced when witnessing the rift. They just lacked the colorful nature the rift possessed. And the triangles. There were lots of triangles in the rift.

It was clear what my fate was to be. “If I am to die then I shall take sanctity in the knowledge that you have been brought with me. Know now, mongrel, that these ideals you dismissed are your undoing. Know that the knowledge this nation of insane foals possesses has been your downfall. Now prepare yourself, cur!” I charged more energy into the spell.

In my mind I could feel Paradise doing the same with its telekinetic grip. I was to go down in flames, in defense for Equestria. Strangely enough both Paradise and I were prey to a Nightmare. I was prey to a beast grown in the Ether and Paradise was prey to a over zealous princess bent on proving her loyalty to her subjects. What a droll fate for the both of us.

Well there were a few upsides to my predicament. For one I would be saving countless lives by ridding the world of this inter-dimensional monster. Maybe my sister would even erect a statue in my honor. The only statue honoring me at the moment resided in my sisters room in Canterlot castle. It was a bobble-head. A nice bobble-head, but a bobble-head.

Maybe this statue could be life-sized and placed in the gardens! Perhaps they could even move the life-size statue of Nightmare Moon out of the garden. I really hated that statue. The legs were too stubby and made me look chubby.

I would have fired the sculptor but it turns out he was blind and only had one hoof in which to hold the chisel. So instead I promoted him. I mean if you can make a life-size statue while standing on your head and only using your one back-hoof you deserve a friggin’ medal.

They would probably hire him to do my new sculpture though, huh? Gosh maybe they should just get me a bronze plate. That would be so much easier. Here I was thinking that a statue would be easy to memorialize me with, but noooooo-...Oh right I was about to die. Forgot about that for a moment.

So this is how it would end, huh? I would die defending Equestria from an Ectoplasmic Phantasm...a creature born in the Ether, one of immense evil. A creature so evil that it drew power from the very word. The goddess and mistress of the Night would kill a Nightmare and die by its hands. How oddly fitting.

Or was this thing even evil? Its words had been suggestive that its perception was limited, thus rendering Paradise incapable of deciding between good and evil. Perhaps it was wrong of me to say that something was evil just because it was a predator.

It is not my place to judge that which has been introduced into the world is it? To call Paradise evil just because it requires magic to survive may be cruel. Yet, I felt I knew what evil was, and I thought I had seen it deep within that beast. I had seen a threat to my ideals.

This creature didn’t just survive, it used the bones and skills of my ancestors as a weapon. That is a sacrilege of nature, defying death, not even allowing one’s victims to rest while situated in the grave. It was a horrible act indeed.

Paradise also expressed a joy in the abominable acts it took part of. A truly horrifying thing. There was no question, this beast was not a mongrel, or an abomination, or even a beast. No, this thing was a pure form of evil, something that just by existing disrupts the order established in the world.

What I was doing was not only a service to my nation, but to nature. I should take pride in being the demise of such an abhorrent entity. Yes, that is what I shall tell myself. That is what I had to tell myself. Taking a life would never be easy, no matter what manner of life it was.

Paradise and I just pooled our respective energies for a moment, content to stare at each other. I wondered if the same thoughts were flowing through its head. Was it, perhaps, questioning my motives...and its own? If it was it was surely going through the same process I was, only it was justifying itself and condemning me.

After a few seconds we both just leveled off our spells. Silence was the only thing permeating the air after that. That deafening silence(Hooray for cliches)...

I could have cried out then, given out my last words to the world, but I didn’t. There was no need...I was content. Even if my fate were to be reduced to this. Even though my fate was to die here I could feel it, stirring ever gently in my chest...

Peace. I was at peace. I was able to resign myself to my destiny because I knew it would not lead to my demise. No, this would lead to something much better. This action would allow me to become one with the ideals I represented.

No longer would I defend them, I would symbolize them. I would be that being foals regard as a hero. The nation had already forgiven me for my past sins, more or less. Now I would be able to forgive myself.

I tightened the restraints upon my spears, preparing for the release. Paradise did the same with its weapon and barrier.

At that very moment a faint whisper penetrated my thoughts. No, not a whisper a shout. And a rather loud, obnoxious one at that.

I turned my head to see a familiar figure far below me, sprinting through the clearing at her very fastest pace. She was right next to the cave. “No, stop, don’t do it!!!” The pony screamed over and over. Either she was shouting this at me or Paradise. It was rather hard to tell if she meant to save the bloodthirsty monster or her faithful Defender of the Night.

Yes, it required a great deal of deductive reasoning to deduce she meant me. And dirt. it required a lot of dirt. But then again, what doesn’t require dirt anymore?

“Rainfall, what are you doing here!?!” I screamed at the oncoming filly. “Get out of here!!!”

She stared at me and screamed, “No, I can’t without you!!! You can’t die yet...we haven’t finished our story!!!” There was a reflective tint shining off of her, indicating flowing tears.

I winced at that. For her to come back at all was foalish, but it was the sort of curiosity I normally encouraged in ponies. Curiosity, a trait that I felt I embodied and I tried to teach to others, would be that which butchered this filly’s innocence.

There was no scenario in which blood would not be spilled now. Whether it was mine, Paradise’s, or both of ours. There was no possible outcome that would not scar this filly, no possible route that this situation could go that would have a positive affect on her mind.

So now my defense of Equestria required not only a sacrifice on my part, but on this filly’s part. My thoughts were broken when Paradise addressed the new presence.

“So I finally see the little filly again. How are you today?” If sardonicism could be liquified I would swear that Paradise’s tone was dripping with the substance.

Rainfall quivered for a moment, whether from fear or anger I could not tell. Perhaps it was both. “You...I want...I...” Her voice was full of pure, unadulterated hate. hate one so young should not have to experience.

Paradise’s face broke out into a wide smile as she heard Rainfall stutter. “Your mother begged for mercy you know. She was on her knees, pleading for her life... You know what I did? I ripped her apart, piece by piece, eating away at her magic as she was brought into the rift.”

“...” Rainfall began to shake rather violently. “...Shut up...” Her words were hardly audible. Only a trained ear would have been able to make them out.

Paradise’s grin grew. She was enjoying this. She was absorbed by this. I had a chance. A faint one, but a chance. Very slowly and carefully I began to twist a few of the spears in my direction, slowly and carefully. More specifically towards the blade above me and the telekinetic grips holding me.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you. As I was saying, your mother was screaming the entire time. Horribly annoying. A lot like yours only louder and strangely higher pitch. She even said your name a few ti-”

“I said shut up!!!” Rainfall was screaming. She could have been foaming at the mouth. The tears flowed freely down her face and she was shaking so much that I felt an earthquake was in order.

Paradise gave her a mirthless smirk. “Do you hate me? Do you wish me harm? I killed your mother and I’m about to kill your friend. how does that make you feel, eh? Because if I were you I would want revenge.”

The look on Rainfall’s face was enough to tell Paradise that she was correct in her assumption. “Good. Let the hate flow through you. Let it guide you. It’s the only thing in this world that can help you.” The emotion present in Paradise’s voice earlier vanished, now replaced by an apathetic overtone.

My spears tilted, just a little more and I might be able to survive this encounter unscathed. Any feelings of ‘being at peace’ I had earlier vanished. Who could possibly be at peace now? I would have liked to interject then and tell Rainfall not to listen to Paradise, but this engagement was currently resulting in my salvation.

Rainfall began to speak again, slur present, but starting to abide. “...B-But wh-why did you...Why did you do it?”

Paradise stared at Rainfall again before another wide grin crossed its features. Its voice came out as a faint, but harsh whisper. “Reason is for madmen.” With that its body contorted in laughter, a jolly laughter that sounded as if it had just followed some incredibly dirty joke.

Rainfall stared for a moment. She was obviously taken aback by the display. I had no idea if she was even paying attention to me anymore. “My mother used to tell me stuff.”

Paradise stopped laughing and her gaze narrowed at the young filly. “...” She was obviously expecting more from the young filly.

Rainfall’s head was hanging and her tears were dropping into the dirt. Faint sniffles could be heard from her. “She...she used to tell me that it was wrong to hate. She told me that we should beat our enemies with love. She told me that we should incapacitate them with love and tolerance.”

All that got was a scoff from Paradise. “That is by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever-”

“And you know what?” Interjected Rainfall, who now sat on the ground staring up at Paradise, “I’m going to love and tolerate you to death.” Her eyes darted over to me.

The motion was not lost on Paradise who turned its head towards me in a rush. It was too late though, I was ready.

In one quick, successive burst I shot a portion of the spears towards my restraints while the majority of the spears bore down on Paradise. Even if there was a chance to preserve myself I would still ensure Paradise’s demise. I pressured the limits of the spell to garner as much speed from the spears rocketing at me as possible.

I could feel Paradise releasing the sword, bringing it down upon me. I could not bare to stare upwards at the guillotine. I could feel a rush of wind pass over the nape of my neck, no doubt created by the arcing motion of the weapon and the shear amount of energy it emitted.

The course of these events took place in the space of a breath, yet I was so aware of everything passing me by. I could see the background of Paradise Grove outlining its greatest production of evil. The forest itself was so calm, so remarkably peaceful.

The battle that was ravishing this clearing was lost on the rest of the world. We were small, hidden in a grove, between some mountains, east of Canterlot. This place was home to such great evil, yet I could not stand to call something that appeared so serene grotesque and abhorrent.

The perversion of nature that was Paradise was born of the Ether, merely introduced through the actual forest. The forest itself was innocent, it did not bear a criminal, no, it merely housed one. It was an accessory. It wouldn’t be the first time something sinister lurked in the shadows of the grove.

In the corner of my eye I could see Rainfall looking up at me. It was hard to tell at that distance, but her eyes almost seemed to be pleading with me. They begged for me to survive. They begged that I live to comfort her.

I could not fail Rainfall. The tears that soaked her cheeks symbolized that which she had been forced to accept in such a short time. The death of her mother, the release of a monster, knowledge of what hatred truly meant all grasped her; so young a filly should not be forced to face such ideas, especially not within the span of a day.

I could not force the added stress of losing a friend. That would simply be unfair. No this moment, this defining moment...I just couldn’t die yet.

I was likely one of the only ponies who even knew Rainfall at this point. Without a family, without friends...what would be her fate? She would be cast into an orphanage, granted it would likely be a stable one, and grow-up with little to no help. She would be a mental outcast, a hermit who distanced herself from others in order to avoid pain.

I would have to live. Just for her. Not for Equestria or my sister, but for Rainfall: the little filly without a home. Besides, if I died I wouldn’t get to look at my beautiful Night.

Comments

[Luna Secret Stallion]

damn this story makes me sweat

[Fanatic-FanGirl]

I still don't get it why you have so little viewers but this story is GOOD!!! FANTASTIC EVEN!!!
each chapter you manage to get me into it even more, each chapter you could had easily end it there but you ended up bring more than expected, from conflict to solution to more conflict
I be honest with you and say that I ended up looking forward to my mornings hoping you update since dec