//------------------------------// // Chapter 22 // Story: Changing Lanes // by AutoPony //------------------------------// A low rumble echoed around you, the only sound as you tear through the countryside, chasing the beams of light projected just ahead. The radio was on, but your mind was too preoccupied to make any sense of what was being played. It had been a new lesson in pain getting out of the hospital through your room's window. Thankfully, you had been situated on the ground floor, as you hadn't really thought much of it as you made your silent escape. The awkward landing on the ground reminded you further of the injuries to your shoulder and ribs if the squeeze through the window had not been enough. Other than that, it was a relatively easy and quick jog back to the center of Ponyville to get to the Superbird, and another few minutes of making sure nothing vital was damaged as far as the mechanicals. Thank the heavens for the long nose cone. It may have looked like hell, but the only damage smacking the tree was cosmetic. Still was not going to be fun to repair, though. "Look at you making the clean getaway," mused a voice. Startled, you suddenly sensed another presence alongside you in the passenger seat. "Did I not tell you to stop doing that crap?" you growl. Turning your eyes away from the road, Nightmare Moon's smirk greets you. "I know, but it's just too much fun watching you jump out of your skin," she taunts. You only shake your head, returning your attention back to the road ahead. It had only been an hour since you left Ponyville, and it was likely another hour or two before reaching the castle. "So, why are we heading to Canterlot at this time of the night?" Nightmare asks. "Honestly? I don't know," you admit. "But I can't just sit in a hospital bed after knowing what I caused. It just going to bug the hell out of me." "What you caused, meaning what happened to Twilight? Or are we referring to Luna?" "Both, I suppose," you mumble. The more you think about everything that has taken place, the more it feels like your whole world is crashing down. Yet, even as you see it happening, you don't see any way to stop what has been set in motion. "I'm surprised you went to bat for me when Luna came calling," Nightmare chips in. "That was certainly a stupid decision if you ask me." "Gee, duly noted," you snap back, irritated by her callous statement. "Remind me to not do anything for you ever again." Again the interior of the car falls silent, save for the Hemi engine thundering forward through the night. You still sense Nightmare's presence beside you but are unwilling to acknowledge her anymore. It seems she's back to her normal antagonistic self. The trail ahead abruptly cuts to the left, so you start slowing down, awkwardly downshifting with your left hand. At first, you had attempted to shift with your right arm, busted shoulder and all, but after a few times of that, it was pure agony to do it further. Probably was not the best idea to be driving like this, but it was not as if you were in danger of being pulled over. "You know, you keep doing this Twister-like game of operating this machine, sooner or later you're going to run out of luck." Your frustration has built up to a point that you find yourself unable to keep your mouth shut. You slam the brake pedal to the floor, the sound of tires dragging across gravel filling your ears as you come to a halt. Molten anger courses through your veins as you turn to your unwelcome passenger. "Yeah, who gives a shit? I managed to get my ass whipped by an oversized cockroach, Twilight is evidently a mental wreck, Luna is beyond pissed at me, probably thinks I'm batshit. Oh, and then I get to listen to your snide comments as I try to figure out how to unscrew myself in this whole mess. After I put my heart out there, thinking maybe you aren't so bad after all. My mistake." Nightmare Moon merely stares at you, aghast and caught off-guard by your angry tirade unleashed upon her. It is fine by you, and a rather relieving feeling letting your anguish off your chest in one go. Without a word, you gun the motor and get rolling again, once again the sound of gravel being tossed about reaching your ears, but just barely above the roar of the powerplant. The ride resumed its silence it had previously, though you could tell your passenger had not left. You didn't bother looking over at her, just focusing on the road ahead and going over what to say to Luna when you arrived in Canterlot. What was there to say? Whether she was right or not, you had openly defied her requests, and then defended the one pony she detested the most. 'Only trying to help' was not going to cut it for an apology at all, and after this experience with the spirit you defended, you have literally nothing to put a positive spin upon her. "I did appreciate you sticking up for me," murmurs Nightmare, barely audible above the sounds of the road. You still ignore her, an obvious attempt to get you talking to her again. It's not going to work this time. Instead, the miles fly by, not a sound from either of you, sans a few grunts of pain when you moved the wrong way. But as you closed in on the city in the distance, one headlight pod abruptly goes out, leaving you half blind to the path ahead. "Why now?" you moan in frustration, rolling your eyes. With no other options and not enthused about the idea of crashing in the middle of nowhere, you quickly pull to the side of the road and cut the motor. Minding your sore ribcage, you slide out of the seat after opening the door, gingerly rising upright and shuffling to the front of the car. In hindsight, you were stupid to not bother to bring any tools with you. Fortunately, the headlights are still working, but the headlight bucket has evidently slipped off the track, sinking back into the crumpled nose piece. With only one hand available, you pry with what strength you have, moving the pod a little bit, but not near enough to where it was previously. Something seems to have jammed it from the inside, causing more resistance than you can overcome. You just stare at the front of the Superbird, unsure what to do now. "Just focus on what you're trying to do," comes Nightmare's voice from beside you. "Relax and just feel it come to you." You turn to her, trying to understand the gibberish she is spouting to you. "What the hell are you talking about?" you bark. Her face twists into a scowl, not taking kindly to your harsh tone. "Do you want to keep going or sit here and pout like a little foal?" she snaps back. "Try prying on it again, but relax and focus on what you're trying to do," she repeats. Your eyes go back to the stubborn headlights, following the directions given to you despite your reservations. Clearing your head of the storm inside, you begin to pry on the bucket again, pulling upward as you visualize it moving. After a few seconds, it starts to move, rising inch by inch. As you watch in awe, your hand faintly glows with a blue energy, before finally, you get the headlight door fully open. Dropping your hand away, the headlight stays open, as the blue haze you witnessed fades away into nothing. Without a word, you slowly step away from your car, before heading back to the driver's door and climbing inside again, closing the door with little enthusiasm. Did that really just happen? "It did happen, I can assure you that much." Nightmare Moon interrupts your personal thoughts, as yet again she sits next to you in the car. "So what, I got my magic cherry popped a couple of days ago, and now I'm a walking dynamo like any other alicorn?" Nightmare shakes her head in response, disappointing you a little bit. "No, I don't think so. To be honest, I was not entirely convinced that would work, I just figured it was worth a try," she says. Her tone changes a bit as she looks you over from head to toe. "How do you feel right now?" "What?" "I'm guessing just fine then," she notes. "Evidently the pain you felt in recalling that memory was not just because of casting magic." Understanding now what she was asking about, you feel your blood pressure rise just a bit. "Wait, so that was an experiment? What if you had been wrong and I was out on the ground convulsing?" you demand. But Nightmare retains her composure even as you raise your voice at her. "No, I was sure enough magic itself was not the cause of your issues to talk you through that," Nightmare calmly responds. Even though she seems sincere in her answer, you're a bit miffed that she pulled a stunt like that. You start up the engine once again and take off with a brisk row through the gears. "Look, I'm sorry," she says after a moment. You don't turn to the alicorn before responding back. "Are you really sorry? Or are you just trying to be an attention whore? Because I'm getting a lot of mixed messages." "Have I ever apologized before?" That answer is enough to grab your attention, finally glancing over at her again. Nightmare Moon does not meet your gaze, instead looking forward through the windshield. "And for what it's worth, I did appreciate you sticking your neck out for me when Luna interrupted our talk. I did not expect that." Rather than cave into the mare, you keep pushing with a stern voice. "Then why do you keep acting like a snarky bitch? It's irritating as hell, and it doesn't help your case at all. As I said, you just seem to be pressing for attention at this point, when I thought you were turning a corner." "I am trying to adjust myself, believe me when I say that," she responds somberly, turning to meet your skeptic gaze. "I suppose I fall into the same habits more often than not. I'm used to being ignored, locked away in isolation, so reacting properly is... it takes some thought process." While you try your best to stay mad at her, you see something in her eyes that tells you, this is complete sincerity. Sure, the dream you had gave you glimpses of a different Nightmare Moon, but this time, there is a distinct lack of pride, bottled up anger she has always possessed. In fact, as you look upon her form, you see less of the fiend that tortured you those few days while trapped in Luna's body, and more of the Luna you knew just months ago, before all of this drama between the two of you. It takes you aback, trying to understand exactly what the hell is going on in this awkward, twisted triangle. "Alright, since you're being mellow right now and want me to believe you're trying to change, riddle me this." As you speak, your gaze hardens again to prevent Nightmare from sensing any sympathy from you. "Earlier you told me that you and Luna had more in common than you were letting on. Before that, you had told me that Luna had created you out of the jealousy and anger she harbored towards her sister. Now, if you want me to believe you're trying to change for the better, I want you to connect those dots and lead me to the next one." "If you want what I know, you will promise me not a word gets to Luna from you," she demands quietly. Her gaze now holds a silent, stern determination towards you, waiting for a response that suits her. "Scout's honor," you say. "You weren't a Scout, you quit after only a couple months," Nightmare responds, devoid of emotion. "It's a saying, stop going through my memories when you're bored. I swear I won't say anything to her, even if I don't understand why I would speak aloud whatever you tell me." "You're promising me because I still haven't decided whether she is in denial or has already forgotten. And I don't know what it will do to her should she remember what I'm going to tell you." That sentence gets your undivided attention. Or at least as much as possible, as you continue to head down the empty road. "I was, in essence, created from Luna. But before I became a separate entity there was just us. Us, being Luna, her and I as one being. I didn't actually come into being as you know me until after our thousand-year exile ended. Not until after Celestia's protege and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to end our return and bring Luna back to her normal self. That is the point that I began to exist as you see me now." "Wait, so you're saying the Elements of Harmony created you? How does that make any sense at all?" you interject. Nightmare Moon stares at you, stupefied. "Are you really that dense?" she shouts. Within a moment of her outburst, she shakes her head, calming herself. "No, the Elements did not create me from Luna, they split us from one being into two. The best way to put it I guess would be the magic took what one would consider the 'corrupt' part of Luna and blasted it away, leaving her back to her normal self she once was. Free of the jealousy and anger. I am that part of her." "So, you never convinced her to turn on her sister like she said she did? You weren't even part of the equation." "No. You see why I do not want you running around with this. As I said, part of me is beginning to believe Luna is not in denial, so much as she doesn't remember what happened. Whether that be because I retain those memories of the past that came with me, or those memories are blocked from her mind. Or maybe a combination of the two, I have no idea." Nightmare rubs her temple with a hoof as you continue to alternate your glance between here and where you're headed. "Now that I've calmed down some from being just a literal ball of pure, seething anger, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on what happened, which is why I'm beginning to question what I thought I knew," she continues. "Most foes that have met up against the Elements of Harmony have not lived to speak about it. Or if they have lived, remain as they once were after being freed from their prison, such as Discord. The more that I've been able to speak to you, I feel that I've been able to let go of all of that hatred, the general, nonsensical anger. I didn't get that when I was within Luna's mind, not that I necessarily blame her, I suppose." "You think eventually you're just going to turn back into Luna proper then, or what?" you ask, feeling rather overwhelmed by this mountain of information hurled at you. "I don't know, but I doubt it. Who is to say what exactly makes an individual just that, a separate being with his or her own ideals and desires. I mean, no offense, but I feel nothing towards you, not like Luna does, relationship-wise. So I must be my own pony at this point, I guess." "That's a relief, because that would just be creepy having someone else in my head that was in love with me. But this is getting too philosophical here, at least I understand that much of what's going on," you say. Letting everything sink in, one more question bubbles up to the surface of your mind. "By the way, you told Luna she was repeating history again, what did you mean?" Nightmare purses her lips, remaining quiet for a time. "That one... I'm sorry but I will not explain," she says, finally giving you some sort of response. "That is between Luna and me for the time being. It is up to her to change her course, that is all I will say." While disappointed by the answer, you at least get a better picture of the tension between the two alicorns. But it leads you to another sickening conclusion. If Luna does remember what happened all those years ago, it means she's been continuing to lie to you, and Nightmare has been the more reliable one the past few days. Even so, you still don't blindly trust Nightmare Moon, even if she seems to have come around a bit. But nonetheless, it's a thought you would not have ever expected to have. It was another solid hour of driving before you finally reached the outskirts of Canterlot, and close to another hour spent navigating through the city streets before reaching the castle gates. Entering the castle gates, and furthermore, the castle itself was simple enough. The perks of not only being unique in this world, but a close friend of one of the princesses, as a nod of acknowledgment from the guards is the most you get from them. Most of the way here had been silent, as Nightmare Moon had disappeared shortly after your talk with her. Evidently, she knew you needed some time to sort everything out in your mind. Or perhaps she had overheard your thoughts that you still didn't completely trust her, which bothered her. It was hard to say. But now, wandering through the nearly empty hallways of the castle, you kind of wish she was here. You knew the basics of the castle, such as the dining room, throne room, as well as the private chambers of the princesses. But without a sign of either Celestia or Luna anywhere, you were a bit stumped at this point. of where to look. "Chances are they're in the dungeon," you hear Nightmare Moon's voice echo in your head. Very helpful, you shoot back quickly. I don't suppose you have any idea where that may be, do you? Just as you finish your thought, you feel drawn a certain direction, without Nightmare needing to speak a word back. You follow your internal guide, through familiar territory as you pass both Celestia's and Luna's rooms once again. But it doesn't go much farther than that, as you reach the end of the hall. Instead, you stand there, absolutely confounded as to why Nightmare has led you here and just stopped, facing the wall. Uh, is our GPS recalculating or something? Need an update? you ask, feeling rather stupid. "Pipe down, smartass," is the instant reply you get before she continues. "The entrance is hidden from prying eyes. You don't think the princesses of Equestria would just have a big sign that says 'Dungeon' pointing the way to go, do you?" If it was, it would explain why this land has had so many issues with baddies, you joke. To your surprise, you sense a bit of laughter on the other end of this odd conversation. "You do have a point. No, you see that statue on the table to your right?" she asks. You look down upon her direction and spot a bust of the two royal sisters together, chiseled out of what looks to be marble. "Turn it so their faces are looking at the wall." As you do so, the wall in front of you abruptly shimmers and disappears, leaving a doorway that leads not to a room, but a set of stairs that quickly spiral clockwise in a downward direction. Unlike the pristine walls of the castle proper, the walls flanking either side of the staircase - as well as the staircase itself - seem neglected and unfinished. The way down is not exactly welcoming, with very little light to lead the way, aside from some rather fitting torches. Definitely very dungeon-esque. But you've made it this far, so you make your way through, spying another bust of the princesses on a ledge just past the entrance, also facing toward the wall. You turn it, and as you assumed, the doorway disappears behind you, replaced once again by a wall. However, this side is more fitting with the rest of your surroundings at this point in time, raw and dusty. You make a note in your mind to ask Luna about how they come up with this stuff when you two make up. If you make up. It is quite a long way down the staircase, at least a hundred steps, if not more. Though not well-lit, the torchlight available is at least ample, making your way down with no incident. However, it is a rather claustrophobic experience, as the staircase only allows you perhaps a foot on either side of you, at most. Once at the bottom, the narrow corridor expands just a bit to allow more breathing room, much to your relief. In addition, the lighting is just a bit better, aided by a marked increase of torches along the walls on either side. With only one way to go, you head forward, spotting a light right in front of you at the end of the hall. When you reach it, you find the path splits away in either direction, leaving you with a choice. Or, more truthfully, a blind guess. "Don't ask me," comes Nightmare Moon's voice. "It's cells down either hallway, which leads to another branch on either side. They went a bit overboard when this was built, I guess." Just as you are about to respond, something strikes you in the back, the unexpected hit dropping you flat to the floor. Instantly, pain surges through your chest as your rib injury is aggravated by the fall. Even as you struggle to get your breath back and understand what is going on, you feel a pressure on your back, as if someone or something is holding you down. "Don't move a muscle," warns an unfamiliar voice above you.