In the Everfree Forest, in the ruins of The Castle of The Two Sisters, Nightmare Rarity, the Tantabus, Nightshade and the changed Opal arrived at the entrance. “This place needs quite a lot of fixing.” Nightmare Rarity commented. “And perhaps I could use a more… subtle appearance,” she added as she looked at her new moon like skin. She took a breath and after a few seconds her skin returned to the ivory-like skin of Rarity, within her hair white streaks appeared, her crown morphed back into the tiara Rarity wore with the four pale opals still present. A necklace formed around her neck with a similar look to her tiara. Her gown, however, altered to something a bit more extravagant; as the sides of her dress were split from the end up to below her hips just enough, the top half was a split in the front side that ended just far enough above her bellybutton and her black gloves ended just above her elbows.
“Yeah, so subtle,” Nightshade said looking at her co-conspirator's new attire, the sarcasm was oozing from her voice. “Leaves so much to be imagined.” She was then backhanded by The Tantabus.
“You will hold your tongue.” the demi-specter scolded, only to be sent to the wall by a blast of argent magic. He soon recovered with Nightmare Rarity looking down at him with Opal growling at him.
“You will treat your equal as an equal. Do you understand?” Nightmare Rarity questioned, the authority in her tone was inescapable.
As the Tantabus got up slowly, “Yes, milady,” he groaned.
Nightmare Rarity then turned back to the ruins of the castle. “Now for the matter at hand, Darlings. This place is a fixer-up. And I know just how to fix this up.” She then started to levitated the fallen stones. Both Nightshade and the Tantabus did notice that among the stones both those returned to their place and already in the wall started to twinkle like the stars.
As the three walked into the courtyard of the castle, the holes made by the Diamond Dogs were still, “Not surprising those curs couldn’t clean up after themselves.” Nightmare Rarity gave a sigh and enchanted the soil to start filling in the holes but itself. The three continued to walk into the throne room. After seeing the chandelier still on the ground. She then growled, “Useless fauns!” She then touched the chandelier and as it glowed a dark shade of sapphire blue as it started to levitate and after a minute the chandelier was reattached and hanging from the ceiling yet again.
She then walked to and sat on Celestia’s old throne. “Give me a minute, Darlings.” Nightmare Rarity then shut her eyes and soon an aura started to form around her as it glowed in a mixture of argent and sapphire. It then spread to encompass the room and then continued to spread to encompass the entire castle and after a minute, as Nightshade and the Tantabus were in stupefied awe as the castle was restored to how it was when it was finished but with a few differences. While the solar-themed aspects of the castle were still present it was significantly subdued that was barely noticed. In addition to that, there was a flare about it that just screamed ‘Rarity was here’.
As Nightmare Rarity took a breath to recover from her spell, Opal walked up to her master and place her head in her lap as she started to purr affectionately. “Now, what to call you,” said Nightmare Rarity as she turned her attention to the cat next to her as she lounged on the throne. “The old name you had wasn’t very well suited for inspiring fear, and there are no ways to do some clever wording around pieces of it to do that either.” The dark-colored serval just stared at her a bit then began grooming herself. Nightmare Rarity gave a little chuckle, “Of course you wouldn’t care what I name you, as long as you get mommy’s affection. Now let’s see variants of black are just not imposing enough, besides you need a name that is as tasteful as it is imposing.” Nightmare Rarity continued to muse as soon she found the perfect name, “Serendibite, Serena for short.”
That name rang a bell in Nightshade’s mind, it was her mother’s name and the last time she heard it was the day after she left Nightshade with the envelope.
Nightingale had waited for the twenty-four hours her mother ordered, and she never came back. Nightingale then left their shack and walked her way to the police station. It took her longer than she wanted or what she believed her mother would tolerate. Once inside she walked up to the officer at the reception desk. “Excuse me officer, is Officer Shady Tree available?
“Sorry kid,” said the receptionist, “she was called out to handle a case a few minutes ago if it’s important you can give it to me and I can tell her who it was from.”
Nightingale clutched the envelope close to her ragged form, these were her best clothes and they were clearly beyond use for anyone of more substantial means, “my mother said to only give it to Shady Tree, I don’t want to make her mad, she’s scary when she’s mad.” Nightingale said as she started to tear up.
“You can wait with me,” the officer said as he made space for Nightingale to sit. Nightingale was a little apprehensive, mostly due to her mother making her fearful to do anything new without her okay. But after a moment, Nightingale took the man on up on his offer. After twenty minutes a female police officer, dressed in the blue uniform of the Las Magus Police Department, her hair was blue and her eyes were green, arrived with a man in handcuffs. “Hey Shady, this little girl has something for you.”
“Thanks, Chuck, Hey can someone book this bozo and throw him in the drunk tank?” Shady Tree asked another officer took the man to booking. Turning to the receptionist, Shady noticed Nightingale. “Hey there,” she said in a reassuring truly motherly tone.
Nightingale held out the envelope given to her, “My mommy wanted me to give this to you.”
Officer Shady Tree accepted the envelope and opened it. There were several pages, most of which were in code. “…Serena...” Shady said in a whisper that Nightingale almost didn’t hear. “So she didn’t come back?” Shady asked. Nightingale shook her head. “Chuck can you keep an eye on Nightingale for a moment, I have to make a couple of calls.”
“Sure, Shades.”
After Shady left, just before she was out of earshot of Nightingale, “You idiot!” she exclaimed as if she was speaking to someone not there.
“Nightshade, Nightshade, Darling, are you alright?” Nightmare Rarity asked with some concern. “You seemed to space out, I hope this doesn’t mean your resolve is encountering...challenges.”
“No, just thinking of what I’m gonna do to all those people who deserve my ire,” Nightshade tried to deflect, the last thing she needed was to be questioned about her capabilities again. “I’d be more concerned about your near specter underling, aren't you afraid you'll lose him to the Void?”
Seeing the challenge, “I am our lady’s devotee, the highest ranked member of those in her service, that affords me certain...benefits,” said Tantabus as he slipped into the shadows and reappeared stand on the ceiling upside down, “you barely passed the initiation, acolyte of darkness, your skills in its ways are limited at best, even if you do have some level of talent.”
It was not worth arguing with the Tantabus, Nightshade knew, a demonstration was in order. Raising her left hand and pointing to the Tantabus, “What are you doing?” he asked only to notice too late that she was turning his very blood within the still human parts of him. He started to go ‘Ah, Ah,” in pain as he fell from the ceiling to the floor and started to twist and turn against his will as he was forced up to his knees. As he looked up to the face of his challenger, Nightshade ended her hold, “What are you?” He asked in a cross of horror and terror.
“Blood is mostly water, as is the human body. My mother taught me how to use my connection with water to do that.” Nightshade then started to walk away. “You may have been born to Darkness, but it chose me.” As she turned she started to hear Nightmare Rarity laugh at the Tantabus, having been upstaged by what he deemed to be a lower level agent. As she walked away she remembered the first time she used her power to show she was not someone to be pushed around.
It was almost a week since her mother’s failure to return home and Nightingale was placed in a foster home, but she didn’t seem to be cooperating with her foster family. What made things worse, at least in their eyes, was that she hadn’t ever attended a single day of school. So, they had enrolled her after only three days with them, despite her protests against it, and this day would now be her first official day of school. She hated the word and was pretty sure she’d hate it as a thing too.
As she stood in front of the class as the teacher introduced her, “Okay everyone, this is Nightingale and she’ll be joining our class.”
“She looks like a mangy dog.” a boy said in a clearly teasing manner
“Keep her away, I don’t want her lice.” a girl then shouted compounding the bullying as all the children mocked her in laughter.
Nightingale did not hear any more, she didn’t cry, even though tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She started to breathe as if she was about to blow her top. She then stared at the girl that mocked her as she raised her left hand. “Sing for me!” Nightingale exclaimed as she started to bend her fingers and twist her wrist. The girl’s arm started to move on its own causing her to scream and cry in pain. “Sing.” All the children screamed in fright and ran to the farthest corner of the room from Nightingale.
“NIGHTINGALE! STOP IT!” the teacher ordered.
Nightingale released her hold, “My mother taught me that, I doubt your mother could teach you anything like it. Not bad for a mangy louse-ridden cur?” Nightingale asked the entire class rhetorically and then took an empty seat close to the door. She then turned to the boy that started it all as he cautiously returned to his seat, “I’ll deal with you after school, coward.” After seeing him wet his pants, Nightingale could do nothing but laugh at the boy’s own misery and fear. ‘Maybe school won’t be so bad,’ Nightingale thought to herself as she chuckled evilly.
After the eight or so hours that she was to be held in the school, which all things considered was better than the time her mother had her begging on the street for loose change, she thought she would be out of the school. Before she left the teacher told her to give a note to her foster parents, she didn’t think much of it since her mother and her mother’s ‘acquaintances’ had used her as a courier before. Why should a simple message be any trouble?
When she got back she gave the note to her foster parents and headed to ‘her room’ to do ‘homework’, best not get on the wrong side of the person that was responsible for almost eight hours of her day for five days out of the week.
Nightshade stopped along her walk, if worse came to worse she could still make anyone move to her will. She made the more spectral-like Tantabus, odds were the still flesh and blood demigoddesses and Nightmare Rarity would be more subjectable to that power. “Can’t underestimate a backup plan,” she whispered.
Back in the throne room, Nightmare Rarity finished her laugh and thought about what she just witnessed. Nightshade had successfully manipulated the blood of the Tantabus, and he was effectively three-fourth a specter. She frowned at the implications and inferences that can be made on the matter. She then got up from her throne. “She’s too dangerous to be left unchecked, especially if her loyalty is called into question. And my debt to her is far from repaid. If Luna somehow makes a better offer…” Nightmare Rarity then walked out of the throne room and caught up with Nightshade. “Nightshade, Darling, would you accompany me to the library. I think there might be a book with a spell that will ensure our victory.” Nightmare Rarity equivocate.
Not sensing any other motive, “Sure, whatever.” Nightshade said dismissively. After a ten minute walk, they arrived at the library within the castle. Nightmare Rarity then walked in as did Nightshade. After witnessing Nightmare Rarity started reading through books for what felt like forever, Nightshade elected to leave, maybe do a patrol, as she reached the wall of the castle she landed and couldn’t help but think about the last time she was actually in a library.
Still under the name, Nightingale and a week into her career as a Wonderbolt, Nightshade looked through the restricted section of the library, reading elemental tomes which were deemed forbidden. She needed an edge over her teammates so as to better stand out. As she made her way through the fifteenth tome, the others before seemed to hold promise but proved useless to her at the moment, she found a ritual for changing the elemental type of somebody from one type to any other given type, it even showed a chart indicating different elements and giving a summary of what they could potentially go along with their apparent rarity. At the bottom of the list it had light, with six known users listed as the number known, and darkness, with only three users known. When she read what darkness could do she smiled, that was the element more in line with her self-image. Water, while useful at times, was something she didn’t quite like using. The other Wonderbolts could be as flashy as they wanted, she wanted to have something that could allow her to subtly take what she wanted so as to not get anyone to claim she was ‘misusing’ her abilities.
What did any of them know about any of the common rabble, all of them had practically bragged about growing up in homes that weren’t in desperate need of funds to the point that the parents were literally abusing their children. Happy families like that made her sick, they knew nothing of strife or any of the other things that had come to define her childhood.
After some thought, she realized that she needed a new name. Nightingale was a soft name for a clueless little girl, she needed a name that better defined her. Nightshade, that was a much better name, it defined everything about her in a single word. Beautiful and Deadly.
“Nightshade, what are you doing?” came the voice of the Tantabus, breaking Nightshade from the reverie she was having as she looked down from the castle wall.
“Just thinking,” said Nightshade without turning around to face the other follower of Nightmare Rarity, “of some things from the past, and how I will correct the problems that still exist.”
“Just remember to not let your vendettas get in the way of doing your duty, you’re free to act on them as long as you maintain your obligations to our mistress.” The Tantabus ordered and then continued on his own walk.
After the Tantabus left, “I am not the one trying to do the same thing expecting a different result.” Nightshade commented as she looked out beyond the wall and her memories again took hold.
Nightshade arrived at the office of the commander of the Wonderbolts. “You called me in, Sir,” Nightshade said in salute.
“Yes, Nightingale. At ease.” Nightshade shifted her stance to be at the state of ease. “It’s about the promotion you have applied for.” the man said.
Nightshade silently grunted at her old name, “Yes Sir?” she asked.
He took a breath, “Well, there this no reason to beat around the bush. We are … how should I say… going in a different direction. Your mentee Spitfire came highly recommended. Maybe for the next opening, you are dismissed.” Nightshade left in silence, her anger slowly boiling. She had been turned down in favor of her still wet-eared mentee. She who developed all the new moves, she who figured out how to incorporate everyone’s element into the routine, she who was the leader of the largest wing, she who broke every old record and made thrice that many new ones, she who has highest recruitment rate and highest recruit success rate. This injustice will not stand.
About twenty minutes later in the locker room, Nightshade slammed her locker door with her fist. “Of course they would pick the ‘princess’ over me, her dad was a decorated member of this team while I’m an ‘unknown’ potential danger. It’s not my fault every month some fool can’t follow simple instructions.” When she opened the door to her locker she put so much force into it that the door made another loud slam and left a dent in the one next to hers.
“Looks like Nightinflail, got shot down.” one of the other female Wonderbolts in room teased Nightshade.
“Stow it, Crash Test,” said Nightshade with more vindication than usual. The other Skyborn, Comet Tail being her real name, flinched, said other member had joined around the same time as Nightingale, along with the other Wonderbolts in the locker room, Cloud Cover, Windswept, Speed O’Sound, Blitzwing, and Silverbolt, and earned the nickname that had practically oozed venom when Nightingale said it.
“Maybe if you weren’t so...abrasive they would have actually given you a shot,” Windswept added.
“Alright that’s enough, the facts are we screwed up in that practice run, Nightingale is the lead of our wing and seeing that they thought Nightingale was not command-material they decided to not give her a greater command. Don’t rub it in her face.” Silverbolt said as he tried to stop a fight erupting in the locker room. “Besides Spitfire is a joke, who gets crashed into by five newer recruits on the same day?” Everyone but Nightshade laughed.
“It’s not Nightingale.” Nightshade muttered, everyone stopped to see Nightshade shift around as if she was trying to contain something, “Nightingale was a stupid little girl that couldn’t even make it a day without whoring herself for six bits to the worst of deviants, Nightingale was a stupid little girl that would be called a mangy cur because she never had a real meal, Nightingale was a stupid little girl that couldn’t even deliver a message on time. I AM NOT NIGHTINGALE, I HAVEN’T BEEN SINCE I JOINED THE WONDERBOLTS! I AM NIGHTSHADE!! AND YOU’LL REMEMBER IT WHEN YOU SEE THE PEARLY GATES!!!” Nightshade shouted as she grabbed her bow and took aim.
Squeaky Clean was making his rounds, again, for longer than those hotshots like Nightingale had been around he had been the go-to cleaning guy for the Wonderbolts. What Nightingale and the others that were complaining didn’t get was that it wasn’t just their skills and attitude in a show or practice, it was also what they were like out of the spotlight as well. It was the duty of him and the rest of the support staff that most didn’t take much note of to report in on any rumors and actions on the Wonderbolts’ campus. Why did Spitfire practically jump in the rankings from seemingly nowhere? The answer was three key criteria, she actually took note of the support staff and acknowledged their plights, she knew when to put on an act and when to keep it stowed, she actually showed signs of noticing and correcting mistakes instead of repeating them dozens of times on some misguided belief that she was doing everything right the entire time. In short, she knew just how expansive the team was and how to notice areas that needed improvement in both herself and her fellow Wonderbolts.
“Whoa there,” said Silverbolt, “think about what you’re about to do, do you really want to deal with the consequences? I don’t just mean the immediate results, I mean the ones that can crop up later.”
Squeaky Clean cautiously approached, hoping his suspicions were wrong.
“You mean you all shutting up after I put a bolt or two through your throats?” Nightshade snarled.
“While that would indeed silence us, or worse,” said Silver addressing the the short-term outcome, “I’m talking about the big picture, what do you think it will look like if you waltz out of here with several injured or dead bodies lining the floor,” one thing about Silverbolt is he kept the group grounded by pointing out the worst case scenarios to get everyone to shape up, “you’ll go to trial and possibly found guilty. After that you’ll probably be stripped of your commission as a Wonderbolt, even if you are found innocent, have your bow taken away and stored at an undisclosed location and probably serve community service or jail time. Do you really want to risk all the hard work you’ve put into this team for some short-term satisfaction?”
Nightshade made a go at thinking it through for a few seconds before just shooting Silverbolt in the heart with an ebony colored arrow and saying, “The heart of the team is always the most worthless,” as it was clear the light was dying from his eyes. She then made good on her promise and shot more of the ebony colored bolts through the necks of her remaining wing members and chuckled as they fell to the dead.
Upon seeing the beginning of this, Squeaky Clean made a mad dash for the Wonderbolts’ command office. He barely managed to make it outside, and full view of the command office window that the Wonderbolts captain at the time, Air Strike, along with two of the captains before him and Spitfire were enjoying some cold cider while watching the events down below. Nightshade, however, followed him and as he exited the complex she riddled him with her bolts of elemental darkness. Seeing him fall she let loose enough ebony bolts that tore Squeaky’s body apart so bad that he was almost unrecognizable. Nightshade then heard the alarms, signifying that the MP was on their way. Nightshade knew she had nowhere to go and could not escape. A fight would have also been pointless. As soon as she heard Spitfire shout “On your knees,” she knew it was all over.
Nightshade snapped out of her memory as she noticed a group of people arrive in the area not far from the castle, she recognized most of them, namely the rainbow-haired elementalist, “Well kid, you just don’t seem to learn.” She muttered to herself, “Hey Tanny! We got company!” She shouted as she took to flight into the castle to alert her co-conspirators.