//------------------------------// // The Rise of Nightmare Moon // Story: Of Light and Darkness // by Dragonfire2lm //------------------------------// Wizardmon could sense something was off about the Lunar Princess, he had for a while now yet refused to voice his concerns and simply did what he could to ease his partners doubts and worries over how her subjects saw her. It started as little things, asking for his advice during Night Court, teaching him more about dream walking so he could assist her in the dream realm but eventually she forced herself to work more and adding onto his workload as a result. He strived to do what he could but as the years wore on he could only watch as Princess Luna turned away from the public and looked on at them with bitterness and disdain. He could feel her magic changing and warping as the days went by, her patience running thin and something, something that he could only describe as not Luna took root inside her heart. As much as he tried to help, his efforts to appease the princess of the night only seemed to fuel her downward spiral as she lauded his actions as something to be praised, to be seen as superior to Gatomon and he hated it. And so, Wizardmon stood on the balcony outside Luna’s chambers as the princess raised the moon to mark the beginning of the night and for him, the beginning of the end. “I ask again, will you stand with me as I claim what is mine and take vengeance upon my subjects?” She asked coldly. Wizardmon didn’t trust himself to speak and so, with a heavy heart, he nodded. He knew that it wasn’t about loyalty or the bond they shared it was the knowledge that his partner, his friend was going down a dark path and would need his support, it was both his destiny and his duty as her Digimon to stand by her side regardless of what she became. “Will you raise your might against my sister to id me in claiming my right to rule Equestria alone?” She asked and again, he nodded and all warmth fled his body at her final question. “Will you cast aside your love for Gatomon and face her in battle to serve me?” He closed his eyes, he could feel the wind as it was whipped up into a flurry by Luna’s power, could sense the intensity of both her emotions and magic through their shared bond. When he opened his eyes, Wizardmon had made his choice and nodded one final time. Luna’s mane and tail swirled into a vortex, both partner and Digimon ready for the task ahead, their resolve, their will focused to one singular goal. The Digivice that marked them as partners hovered in front of them, the screen emitting a dark blue light as something emerged from the device. A small dog tag like item floated in front of the pair, encased within was a small, silver chip engraved with the symbol of a crescent moon. Wizardmon recognised it as a tag and crest, for a moment, time stood still as Luna took the crest in her magic and hung it around her neck, the digivice affixing itself to the tag as both glowed brightly. Power and emotions flowed from both objects and into Wizardmon, he was lost in a sea of jealousy, rage and darkness that he knew wasn’t a part of Luna but something else, something alien. He gave in to Luna’s power and emotions but stood firm as the darkness that had invaded his partner attempted to twist him as well. “Wizardmon Digivolve to…!” “That’s odd,” Celestia spoke up from her spot on the balcony outside her chambers. “Luna hasn’t lowered the moon yet…” Gatomon sat up from her spot on her partner’s back, instantly alert despite another sleepless night. She had joined Celestia out on the balcony to watch the solar princess raise the sun but with that one comment, Gatomon felt dread for the first time in many years. “Oh, no… no please no- Wizardmon! Luna!” Gatomon cried out and desperately raced out of the room and down the hall. She barely registered Celestia calling out to her in shock and the sound of her partner running to catch up with her. Gatomon burst through the doors to the throne room and stopped, frozen with terror. A tall, black coated alicorn mare sat atop Celestia’s throne, silver armour covered her legs, chest and head as her green snake like eyes bore Gatomon as the pony seethed with restrained fury. The mare’s starry mane and tail whipped round her violently in an in unseen storm and Gatomon noticed that a digivice, alongside a tag and crest had been fused to the mare’s metal chest plate. She heard Celestia walk into the room and barely had time to push her out of the way as a red whip of energy shot out from the shadows and made to strike the white alicorn. Without even seeing the technique in person Gatomon knew what it was, words failed her as the familar form of a Myotismon walked out of the shadows, readying another Crimson Lightning to attack them with. She paused, her hyperawareness of the situation made her notice some rather odd details about the other digimon, the collar of this Myotismon’s cape was higher, high enough to cover the lower half of his face and she took note of his eyes, a familiar shade of green and looking so sad as if the other digimon wanted to do anything else other than attack her. In her frightened state Gatomon put two and two together and looked over at Celestia, the white alicorn was in shock, the horror of who she was facing was clearly evident of her face as Nightmare Moon and her partner walked forward. No words were exchanged nor needed to be said as Gatomon walked over and pulled out her digivice from her pocket dimension and handed it to Celestia, a determined look on her face. The elder princess looked back at her sister, then over to the doorway where several members of the castle staff were looking on in confusion and fear. Celestia grasped the digivice in her magic and with a spell, fused it to her regalia. A grim look crossed her face as she addressed her sister. “Luna, we beseech thee! Please lower the moon and stop this madness, let us help thee!” she fried out and The Nightmare snarled at her in response. “Help? You want to help me now? The time for idle pleasantries and falsehoods ends now!” Nightmare snapped. “Myotismon, destroy them!” Gatomon was the first to act, she rushed forward, she could feel the strength of her bond with Celestia, how it gave her the power she needed to face the one she loved in combat. She was stronger, faster and moved with enough speed to catch the other digimon off guard. “Lightning Paw!” She cried out as holy energy gathered in her forepaw and she sent it slamming into Myotismon’s stomach with the full strength of an alicorns might. The blow staggered Myotismon and before either of them knew, they were both tumbling out of the window that just so happened to be behind them. She felt power through her bond with Celestia and grim yet hopeful determination from the solar alicorn. The two shared the same thought, idea and will and golden light engulfed the throne room. They weren’t going to fight their loved ones, they were going to save them. That same light surrounded Gatomon and she felt ll of Celestia’s fear, hope and love for her sister, her pride and joy t seeing Gatomon and Wizardmon find happiness together and the selflessness both Celestia and her Digimon embodied to serve Equestria. “Gatomon, Digivolve to…Angewomon!” She spread her new wings and hovered in the air as Myotismon floated before her, he looked surprised at the sudden change in her appearance and seemed to be studying her as she got her bearings. She realized she lacked the winged helmet Angewomon normally wore and instead her face was in plain sight, with her glasses still intact. “Ok, I have wings, six of them! This is weird!” Angewomon said s she flailed around in the air. “Don’t you dare laugh!” Myotismon still chuckled good naturedly, despite the glare from the angel digimon. She rolled her eyes and finally righted herself. "Hello Angewomon..." Myotismon said calmly. "...I don't want to do this..." Angewomon admitted as she watched Celestia fly off into the night with her sister hot on her heels. "But we have to, our partners need us." Myotismon replied, still calm despite the sad expression he wore. The two floated in the air for a moment, Angewomon laughed bitterly and looked over the princesses as they did battle, beams of magic lighting up the night sky and impacting clouds with enough force to shatter stone."...If something happens could you tell Celestia my true name? It's just kinda funny, I've been hiding a part of myself from her- I just wanted to be there for without the baggage of a prior home or family I'll never see again so-" "You embraced your role as her Digimon so she wouldn't worry." He observed. "Yeah..." Myotismon was lost for words until finally as explosions and the Nightmare’s cries of fury broke the silence of the night, he spoke. "All this time... I was the only one you showed that pain to...Lily if something happens to me-" "I won't fight you, I refuse! I'll heal you and Luna- if I don't..." Angewomon trailed off, she trembled in fear for she knew what would happen if she could do something. She opened her mouth to reason with her beloved but he laughed sadly and interrupted her. “Magnus, my name is Magnus and from the looks of things-"” He prepared his crimson lighting once more as Celestia was struck with one of Nightmare Moon’s attacks, the white alicorn was sent crashing down into one of the lesser used rooms in the castle’s lower floors. “No... Please, you don’t have to do this!” Angewomon begged as The Nightmare cackled with laughter. "I'm sorry Lily, The Nightmare commands that I fight," Myotismon replied and darted forward to strike."Crimson Lightning!" The mark hit home, the red whip lashed at Angewomon's wings and she was sent tumbling to the ground below in a panicked glide as her remaining wings just barely supported her weight. She got up on shaky legs but was bowled over by a swarm of bats. She sat up as a shadow feel over her. Myotismon loomed overhead. “Why aren’t you fighting back?” he asked. The angel sat there, scared, confused, emotionally and physically wounded, she felt drained and weary as she warped and dedigivoled back into her champion form. “There’s nothing left to fight for...” Gatomon said weakly. A bright light lit up the night and both digimon watched as Celestia rose into the air, a swirling vortex of energy around her as she wielded six gemstones in her magic. “I’m so sorry…” Gatomon said softly and the feline digimon broke down sobbing as Nightmare Moon was banished. When she had calmed down, Myotismon was gone and so, Gatomon ran into the forest in search of him. She found her beloved, once more a Wizardmon, in a small clearing, his digivice in hand. Elated, she ran towards him. “Lily, stop!” he commanded, his voice fearful and movements shaky as he used his staff to support himself. “it’s not safe…” “Magnus?” she asked, her voice sounded so small and weak in contrast to her usual relaxed nature. “S-something was wrong with Luna, a dark presence corrupted her and I can still feel it,” he explained. “It feed off of or used her emotions to gain a hold of her, I-I’m not safe-you need to go!” “I’m not just going to leave you like this!” she protested. “You have to, I’ll find a way to cure myself of this corruption, just trust me… please Lily...” he begged and she could tell his heart was breaking just as hers was. She blinked back tears as she forced out a reply. “Nightmare Moon will return in a thousand years and new bearers of the Elements of Harmony will be selected to defeat her and save Luna… I-if you’re not back by then, t-then I’ll bring you home no matter what, alright?” Wizardmon nodded, the pair of them trying their hardest not to cry. “See you in a thousand years… Love you…” “I love you too.” Gatomon replied and watched him hobble away.