//------------------------------// // The Shadow of Nightmare Moon // Story: PONYVERSE // by TopWanted //------------------------------// The Shadow of Nightmare Moon ~`(\/)’~ “Wakey wakey. Wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP!!” Rarity’s eyes shot open as the voice echoed in her head. That insidious voice. Her own voice. She could feel it getting stronger. She really was losing control. How much longer until Nightmare took over? She surveyed her new surroundings only to find herself locked to a tall table. Her first instinct was to blast herself free but to her chagrin she couldn’t activate her magic. She screwed her eyes upward and saw some kind of green rubber stopper-like thing at the end of her horn. Every time she tried to use magic the stopper would expand like a bubble but inevitably not pop. She let out a breath she’d been holding in and bit her lip. She was in some kind of laboratory, that was for sure. Electrodes and machinery she’d never seen decorated the brick dungeon like setting. In fact, an entire wall to her right was dedicated to some large circular machine. In the center of it, strapped down like her, was a blue mare with a gold and silver mane. “Suntrix?” The unicorn screamed in pain as the machine she was strapped to began to glow making her horn glow as well. For the briefest moment Suntrix’ eyes became white as if untold power was building up inside her, then the machine shut off and she slumped forward, her eyes closed. “Give it another ten minutes and then try again,” came a voice to her left. Rarity turned and for a moment was surprised to see her friends. Twilight and Pinkie stood by a control board fiddling with the buttons, Twilight taking notes. But Twilight wore a bright yellow uniform and Pinkie wore what looked like gray armor. Her heart sank and she kicked herself for having that moment. They’re this world’s Twilight and Pinkie, nothing more. The two she knew were still… “Well, look who’s up,” Pinkie said as she caught sight of Rarity. Twilight turned toward her as well and let her notepad fall. A crackling yellow aura surrounded Twilight and she floated herself up to be eye level with her. “Hello, Rarity,” Twilight began. “Or do you like to be called Nightmare?” Rarity strained against her bonds. “Do not call me that!” “Why?” Twilight asked with not the smallest hint of animosity. “You are the inheritor of Nightmare Moon, are you not?” “You know nothing of me,” Rarity hissed. “Where am I? Where’s Flutterbat?” Twilight huffed. “Your friend is down below in the dungeons. As for you, welcome to my lab. I thought it would be safer to bring you here than let the guards know you’d been captured.” Safer? Rarity turned toward Suntrix. “What are you doing to her?” Twilight spun in the air and hovered over to the unconscious unicorn. “Suntrix is our test subject right now. She’s been in contact with the Wall and that is of utmost interest to us.” What were they talking about? A wall? “You will let her go or so help me!” “You’re really in no position to make demands,” Twilight shot back. “Besides, I’m the only reason your still alive. If she were to know you were here then-” The doors to the laboratory burst open and a red blur skidded to a halt in front of them. It was that same pony in red that she had seen knock her and Flutterbat out. The pony in red threw off her cowl to reveal a familiar blonde mane and orange coat. “Twi!” “What is it, Applejack?” Twilight said in annoyance. “Ah tried to keep her busy, I really did. But she knows and she’s comin’!” Twilight’s eyes suddenly went wide. She fell to the floor and pointed to Pinkie. “Can we hide her?” Pinkie looked at Rarity on the table and then around the lab. “I don’t think so. She’s pretty big.” “Hey!” Rarity shouted. A loud crash sounded from outside and everypony froze. “Please, oh, please let her be in a good mood.” Twilight muttered under her breath. The doors were kicked off the wall and sent flying, embedding themselves in the far wall. Everypony had to hold a hoof to their eyes as a figure that shined like the sun stepped in. Her fiery red mane and tail flowed behind her regally like a cape and the blue armor she wore seemed as if it was made for a war god. The emblem of the sun was emblazoned on her chest. Celestia took a step in, fire billowing around her hooves as she walked. Rarity’s eyes widened as she looked into her face. There was no trace of the Celestia she knew. There was no playfulness or caring in those eyes. Only a ferocious drive and anger. “Where is Nightmare Moon?!” ===E8DB Rainbow, AJ, and Mare Do-Well sat in the room granted them by the resistance as they waited for Pinkie to wake up. Rainbow began to tap her hoof impatiently again. “So this Luna casts some spell that not only takes us to this Faust-forsaken world but also hurts Pinkie. I don’t see why we even stay here! We can’t trust her, she’s Nightmare Moon!” Mare Do-Well did pushup by the door as she waited, stopping to look at Rainbow. “You may have experience with Nightmare Moon but I’ve never come across her. You?” She asked Applejack. The samurai was polishing her blade on the bed next to Pinkie. “Ah’ve never heard of her. Though, like Celestia, there is a demon called Akumutsuki that was said to have once been a god. That mare in there looks a lot like the drawings.” Mare Do-Well stopped her workout and took a few breaths. “I do find it interesting that most of our worlds share ponies in common but some simply don’t exist. Do you think that your legends of demons and gods might just be historical accounts?” Applejack shrugged. “It’s possible, Ah guess. Though there really are gods and demons in mah world. Ah’ve met a few of them.” Mare Do-Well scratched her chin. “Fascinating.” Those two began to prattle on about multiversal theory or whatever, making Rainbow throw up her hooves in boredom. While they talked about things she didn’t want to hear, she snuck out of the room to get a better look around. Seriously, how could they be so nonchalant about this? Right now they were in the den of the beast. Luna created Nightmare Moon. If there was any kind of threat to the world it was her. And Rainbow was going to prove it. Slipping into a cordoned off alcove marked “linen closet” she disrobed and got into the same scarf and goggle get up that almost all the resistance fighters here wore. She peaked her head back out to make sure the coast was clear before getting out. She wrapped the scarf around her just enough to hide her titular mane so she wouldn’t be recognized. The disguise seemed to work since nopony thought to stop her or ask questions. Rainbow made her way through the tunnels going down this path and up another until finally she stopped. “I have no idea where I’m going,” Rainbow muttered. A hoof tapped her on the shoulder and she froze. “Excuse me.” Rainbow slowly turned and saw another Pegasus behind her. The scarf covered her face up just as much as Rainbow but she looked about the same age as her. “Are you new?” “Um, yeah,” Rainbow replied, trying to hide her voice. “I, um, just got here from… Cloudsdale.” Why had she used her hometown? “Really? That’s cool! I’m from Cloudsdale too!” The Pegasus wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her along. “Don’t worry about the unfamiliarity. It’s tough for pegasi to be underground. I know I got lost for the first month I was here.” “Month?” Rainbow muttered. “Um, pardon me asking, but how long have you been here?” “Eighteen months,” the Pegasus replied proudly. “A year and a half!?” Rainbow shouted. Her voice echoed off the walls of the tunnel and everpony around her stopped to look at her. She shrank a bit and coughed politely. “Sorry.” The Pegasus guiding her chuckled. “No, I get it. It can be a little disheartening to think how long we’ve been at this. How much we’ve suffered. How much we’ve lost.” Her voice began to tremble and Rainbow thought she was going to cry. “But we need to keep thinking of the future. No matter how dark today is, there’s always a brighter tomorrow.” Rainbow was silent for a second as they walked. “How?” The Pegasus looked at her. “How can you say there’s a brighter tomorrow when you don’t even know what’s coming today? I mean, for all you know this place could collapse on top of our heads.” It was the Pegasus’ turn to be silent. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” “I didn’t have any friends growing up,” the Pegasus interrupted. “I lived my entire young adult life working toward a singular goal. I wanted to be a Wonderbolt more than anything else.” Rainbow was now listening intently. “So I trained and trained until the day would come when I had my shot. But that didn’t come. Celestia and the Elements overthrew the old order and the Wonderbolts were absorbed into her Solar Guard. That wasn’t my dream. I didn’t want to be some nameless face in a crowd of goose-stepping soldiers. I wanted to fly. I wanted to be remembered. I wanted ponies to shout my name until they were hoarse. Lightning Dust up in lights!” Rainbow felt a cold shiver. She knew she recognized that voice from somewhere. “So what happened?” “I gave up,” Lightning replied. Rainbow waited for her to continue. “…That’s it? You didn’t try to fight or anything?” Lightning chuckled. “I guess I should be more clear. When one dream ends, another always begins.” She stopped and turned to face Rainbow, raising her goggles and lowering her scarf to reveal her face. “I found something else to live for.” “Mommy!” a filly suddenly rushed up and pounced on Lightning’s back hugging her tightly. The filly was black with a mane streaked with blue and yellow. Lightning flipped the kid around and held her under her leg in a hug. “What did I say about tackling ponies?” Lightning asked with a mischievous grin. “Only when they’re not looking,” the filly said as she struggled out of her hooves. “That’s my girl,” Lightning laughed as she forcibly nuzzled with her. “Stormy!” A black stallion with a blue mane trotted towards them, catching his breath. “Phew! Sorry, Lightning. She was out of sight for a second tops. “It’s alright, sweetie.” The two rubbed their noses together affectionately. “Oh, sorry about that,” she said to Dash as she remembered she was there. “I should probably go tuck this one in.” She picked up the filly who giggled as she placed her on her shoulders. “The boss’s chambers are just down that tunnel. Go ask her if you need any more help. She accepts all visitors.” “Bye lady!” the filly on Lightning’s shoulders waved as the family walked away. Rainbow had to pick up her jaw from the ground. “What the hell was that?!” --- After decompressing from what she’d seen Rainbow remembered why she was here. She needed to show everypony just how much of a threat Luna was. She stood before the room that Lightning had pointed to. It was a simple one, like any other. The curtain covering it wasn’t even much better than the others. If she hadn’t been pointed here she would assume this to be a room for any of the resistance members here. To her own surprise, instead of simply walking in Rainbow lifted her hoof and knocked on the wall by the curtain. “Enter,” the voice from inside said. Rainbow gulped and took a step in. Luna sat on a cushion by the low table in the center of her room. A small cup of tea sat steaming beside her while she read a book. She looked up at Rainbow over reading glasses that hung from her nose. “Oh, Rainbow Dash.” She closed the book and got up. “I appreciate the disguise. It would cause much unneeded chaos should anypony here see you.” Rainbow nodded understandingly. “Right, I understand.” She took off the scarf and goggles taking a better look around. Once again, it was all so… normal. At least, for a room in an underground tunnel. Luna walked around the table to a small stove where she physically picked up her teapot and poured another cup. She stopped midway. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t ask first. Did you want any?” Rainbow raised a curious eyebrow but shook her head. “Uh, no thanks.” Luna nodded and simply left the tea. “So what brings you here?” Rainbow shook off her surprise and finally set herself. “Alright, I’m just going to come out and say it. I don’t trust you.” Luna blinked but showed no new expression or reaction. “Yes, I can assume you don’t.” “Yeah! …Wait, what?” Luna sat back on her cushion and steepled her hooves to look over at Dash. “You come from a world where I did some terrible things. Granted as Nightmare Moon, but I do not abandon responsibility for that.” Rainbow was starting to get a little mad at this mare’s cool reaction to everything. She slammed her hooves on the table making Luna’s tea cup wobble. “Listen, I was there when Nightmare Moon attacked. I know the damage she can do.” “And yet you seemed to accept your friend Rarity easily enough,” Luna offered. Rainbow pursed her lips. “Yeah, but…” she sighed, “Rarity isn’t at fault for what she’s done. But if this world works anything like mine, you were!” Luna was silent for a moment before closing her eyes. “You are absolutely correct.” Rainbow grit her teeth, her anger swelling up. She gripped the table this time and flipped it over spilling the tea and book. Luna didn’t seem to change her expression. “Stop… doing that!” “…Doing what?” Rainbow stormed forward and got in her face. “Get angry! Get vicious! Attack! Do something!” “Why?” “Because that’s who you are!!” Rainbow began to breathe heavily and the two stared in silence. She finally collapsed to the ground and wrapped her arms over her head. “I just… I want to know it was you and not her.” Luna blinked and took a deep breath. Magic enveloped Rainbow and she opened her eyes preparing for a fight. Instead Luna simply pushed her out of the way and set the table back where she’d been. Then she raised the fragments of the tea cup and restored it. When all that was done the light left Luna’s artificial horn and she slumped forward. Rainbow stared at her as she took a few heavy breaths. “I’m afraid I cannot offer you the fight you want,” she said with a bowed head. She raised a hoof to her head and rubbed the metal appendage. “Many believe that my sister killed me those years ago. But only she and I know the truth. She had me dead to rights and could have ended my life at any moment, but instead for that brief second I saw the same sister I’d grown up with and loved so dearly.” She brushed some of her mane away from her chest to reveal a white scar on her shoulder. “She spared me, but left me crippled.” Rainbow frowned at the wound and the straight-faced mare who had it. This was not what she had been expecting. “So she shows you some mercy and now you want to destroy her, is that it?” Luna looked up, the first show of surprise on her face. Then she lowered her head in shame once more. “I do not want to fight my sister. Though I can’t honestly say I’ve never wanted to before. She can be stubborn at times but deep down she is a good pony.” She paused and bit her lip as if a memory was coming to the forefront. “Any evil that has befallen this world whether by her or me I take full responsibility. She would not be who she is today if not for me. What I want is to set things right.” The two sat across from each other, staring into the other’s eyes. Why? Why did she keep thinking of Fluttershy and herself when Luna spoke? Is it that she blamed herself for Fluttershy becoming what she was? Because she wasn’t there? No! It was Luna’s fault. Luna’s evil infected her. That’s what happened. It was all her- “I’m sorry,” Rainbow muttered. Luna and even Rainbow seemed surprised at her own words. With trembling hooves Rainbow lowered her head like Luna had done many times since they met. “I… I wanted to believe so badly that I wasn’t responsible for my friend. I wanted… something to blame.” She grit her teeth as she felt tears begin to build up behind her eyes. “I… I’ve been so confused. All these alternate universes and other ponies. It felt like I could just put the blame on somepony else.” Luna looked at her with concerned eyes. “Just because my story is slightly more innocent than yours. You know it doesn’t mean that your Luna wasn’t as evil or corruptive as you believe.” Rainbow shook her head. “No. In the end, it all comes down to me. I left her alone and forgot about her. And in the end, revenge on somepony I don’t even know won’t help. I need to bring her back on my own.” She gave Luna a small smile. “You’ve been trying to do that all this time. Thank you, for teaching me that.” Luna stared at her for a long moment and then smiled as well. Not a small smile either but one that Pinkie would be proud of. Tears began to appear at the edges of her eyes and she quickly turned to wipe them away. “I’m sorry,” she chuckled. “I… just never expected to hear those words.” Rainbow was about to ask what she meant when a bunch of ponies outside began to make a ruckus. From the shouts something appeared to be making its way through the underground tunnels with alarming speed. Rainbow and Luna stood up just as the curtain to her quarters burst open and a vibrating figure with arcs of pink electricity skidded to a halt in front of them. Pinkie was breathing heavily and holding a flashing round object in her hoof. “We’ve got a problem!” ~`(\/)’~ Earlier… Rarity could feel the pressure of the sun princess on her. Celestia stood taller than she’d ever remembered her and the aura she gave off was like staring into the sun itself. “Where is Nightmare Moon?” she repeated as she stepped inside the laboratory, scorch marks trailing after every hoofstep. Behind her walked two familiar ponies. One was the garishly dressed Rarity of this world and the other appeared to be the Rainbow Dash of this world as well, though she appeared to be wearing some kind of golden armor and ancient helmet. “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight grimaced. “I should have known you’d rat us out.” “Element of Loyalty, remember?” Rainbow grinned. Celestia looked at Twilight and immediately saw Rarity beyond that. Her stare seemed to pierce through her and she felt cold despite the immense heat in the room. Celestia stomped toward her, horn aglow with fire before Twilight flew in front of her. “Wait! Stop!” Celestia cast her gaze on Twilight. “You dare to impede me?” “No, of course not, your majesty,” Twilight said bowing her head humbly. “It’s just that… she’s so much better off to us alive!” Celestia’s anger receded only slightly, the room becoming less hot. “What are you talking about, Twilight? This creature is nothing but darkness ponified. It needs to be destroyed.” “Yes, but she has friends,” Twilight insisted. “Friends that would be of great use to us.” “You mean the speedster?” Celestia asked. Twilight nodded. “We already have the traveler! Why do we need the speedster?” “Because…” Twilight began fumbling for words. “Because we’ve been having trouble using her,” Pinkie interjected pointing to Suntrix who still hung on the far wall. “The way she travels is different than any we’ve found. But we do know how the speedster travels.” “Y- Yeah,” Applejack added nervously. “Plus we could even make more suits like this if we had her.” Everypony seemed to look nervously at each other as they waited for the solar empress before them to respond. “So you’re saying you want to use her as bait? Everypony but evil Rarity and Rainbow nodded. Rainbow leaned in to say something to her. “We just heard that the others in her party arrived and were taken in by the Resistance. This could be an opportunity to route them out.” A look passed through the princess’ face that made Rarity shudder. The fire behind her eyes. It was like she finally found something she had been looking for and delighted in the thought of burning it. Celestia stood up tall and addressed all present. “I would have a word with the abomination.” She paused as no one responded. “Alone.” They all scurried toward the door, Twilight and Applejack last. AJ gave one last look to Rarity’s still restrained form on the table before closing the door. Now, besides Suntrix’ unconscious body, they were alone. Celestia walked over to her, the heat baring down and making her sweat nervous bullets. Then to her surprise the princess released her restraints. “Get up,” she commanded. Rarity hesitantly got to her feet and stood face to face with the white alicorn. Despite her augmented size, Rarity still stood a full head below her. Take her. The familiar voice whispered in her head. Destroy her and run. Rarity forced herself to ignore it. “Why did you release me?” Celestia’s stern expression left her and for a moment Rarity saw the same face she’d seen many a time back in her own world. One of compassion and mercy. Celestia’s aura seemed to fade with her anger and she could see lines appearing on the immortal goddess’ face. Factors of age, stress, and even sadness. “I am glad Twilight calmed me down, since I do not know what I would have done otherwise.” She looked straight into Rarity’s eyes. “You are not the Nightmare, at least fully, correct?” Rarity quickly shook her head. “No. I’m in full control.” Sure you are. Celestia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and her aura dissipated even further letting Rarity know just how much she was on guard and maybe even holding back. The princess took a seat by the tables of chemistry equipment and sighed deeply. “I know of your plight, Rarity. I’ve followed the speedster for quite a while and saw how they recruited you. I know you are not at fault.” Rarity was speechless. This seemed like such a drastic change in tone to the ruler she’d seen moments earlier. It almost made her uncomfortable, as if the pony before her were unstable. “Again, why let me go?” Rarity asked a little more forcefully. “I could just escape right now.” “No, you couldn’t.” No, she couldn’t. Celestia’s power was immense and Rarity could feel it in her core. She wouldn’t last a minute against her. At least the way she was now. She stood up once more and towered over her. “I should be more clear. I pity you, Rarity, but that is as far as my sympathy goes. The truth is that you harbor an evil that could cause devastating disaster. You are still a prisoner and will be treated as such. Then when your friends arrive along with… whoever else, you will be executed for the safety of this world and all others.” Rarity’s eyes bulged. “You can’t! I-” A golden aura surrounded Rarity and she was lifted onto the wall where four shackles magically protruded from the mortar and bound her. She fell limply to the floor feeling drained. Celestia walked toward her menacingly, the heat around her rising again. “I do what I do for all ponies. Do not think yourself special.” She turned to leave and saw on the table a small round device with the letters “PP” on it. She grabbed it and flashed it at her. “This belongs to the speedster, correct? Some kind of communication device?” She pressed a red button on the side and the device began to beep. “I hope that means they’re on their way.” Celestia gave a small grin as she turned to leave. Rarity growled as she tried to reach out with her hooves but the shackles kept her in place. She struggled until Celestia left the room and then she collapsed. Outside the lab, Celestia shut the doors and proceeded down the hallway. She didn’t notice that a mare stood in watch behind the doors. Her red and white dress trembling with her body.