//------------------------------// // Ch 1: Lost & Found // Story: If You Had To Choose // by Black Hailstorm //------------------------------// A barren land filled with cold air was difficult to navigate in a perpetual night. The ground was cracked in almost a puzzle sort of fashion, plants in this part of the region had begun to die. From the carnivorous plants, to the nocturnal predators, it was as if the eclipse had only made the Badlands several times worse. Frosted flakes despite their inability to stick to the ground with each drop from above, did not help the situation in the slightest, and the lightest wind could make almost anyone shiver. A chilling breeze blew in from the south and Princess Celestia could see her breath as she trotted forward. Every step announced with each shod hoof. Every step occasionally cracking the dirt that had begun to cake with a thin, weak layer of ice. When Celestia came to a stop she stood on top of a slope, watching and surveying as her guards combed the arid grounds and every second that ticked was a second that brought nothing but anxiety. Unicorn horns lit the way, many in groups with pegasi or earth ponies while lanterns were lit to aid in lighting the path. It was odd how the light worked as time passed. On the first day the sun had been blocked by the moon things had not been as dim or as dark, but with each passing day, as far as her internal clock told her, the shadows seemed to stretch as the moon crossed paths with the largest light of all. Always getting darker. Always stretching across the land ever wider. As if she willed the shadows and wanted them to swallow the whole world in the same darkness that touched her heart. Sister, Celestia watched a plane of glowing dots move about in the ever stretching dark, please rethink these actions. But in her heart, a part of her knew that Luna's stubbornness would seep into that thing. A part of her knew that the Nightmare wouldn't give up so easily. And that was the thing that made this all so difficult. Pegasi soared overhead, illuminated by light carried in their helmets as they flew from section to section, searching long and hard for the items that could be used to restore peace to the world. Earth ponies used their attuned senses to the very earth itself, feeling and searching for the prized items of Equestria. It had been like this for days. Hours of searching. Hours of hunting. Hours of trying to find a different solution to what was slowly and gradually becoming the inevitable and most obvious. A part of the Princess was grateful for her soldiers faith in her actions. And if she were being honest, the Princess knew she could not find the Elements alone. They only had one of them so far, Magic which had been simple to find, but finding Luna's was proving to be much more difficult than she thought. Eyes closed Celestia breathed in nostril stinging air and focused on her surroundings. Just like her own she could feel the connection, even if it was faint and oh so very weak it was still there. There was no doubt it was only one with how faint the feeling was, then again Luna would never hide two things in the same place and there was no doubt she had not considered her connection to the Elements to be so string. There was no doubt in her mind though, this was one of Luna's. One of her Elements. "Princess!" The sound of flapping wings descended and a grass green pegasus snapped to salute with the light stone in his helmet shining in a almost brilliant light. "We've found an entrance to a underground cave. It was hidden by illusion magic Your Highness." "Lead the way, quickly." Celestia took off with a trot. "We must hurry before she notices." "Right, please follow me." And without another word the guard spread his wings and took off into the skies, the solar princess right by his side, the dark moon watching as the sun cast a dreadful light from behind the moon. Private Cartwheel Drag landed with as much grace as possible. He was tired. Hours spent searching with only a few minutes of slumber did that but training, adrenaline and survival instinct was the only thing keeping him going. Then again in situations like this, rest wasn't a priority nor did he have the lenience to think much about it. Not that rest was really possible when it was hard to tell what day it was or what time it even was when there was no moon or sun to help with that process. At least not in the normal sense anyway. Trotting twice as fast to keep up with the long legged alicorn the trooper guided the path forward through the rocky dry ground, up a incline and towards the largest light source in front of a wall of stone where several other guards, most of them unicorns, stood gathered and waiting. "Princess", a pale lemon yellow unicorn saluted. Right behind him, several soldiers did the same. "Sergeant Lemon Twist", the princess nodded as she came to a stop in front of the amber eyed stallion, "situation?" Horn glowing a bright red, giving the unicorn's eyes a luminous appearance, Sergeant Twist lifted up a single pebble and tossed it into the wall of solid stone in front of him. The pebble went soaring in a arc through the air and then in a odd display that was even visible with the dim light, the whole cliff shifted with a ripple effect of glowing blueish-purple energy becoming transparent. It shook, jiggled, wobbled, and swayed to the left then to the right all as the faint sound of the hurled stone hit something solid from within and echoed down into the cave's entrance below. "An illusion as you can see clearly, Your Majesty." The unicorn's horn glowed a bit brighter to help in providing a bit more light as the low cliff stabilized. "Tingles over there", a unicorn mare that stood not far behind Lemon Twist nodded her head, "was quicker to pick up on the Nightmare's magic than I was. Wouldn't have known without her." Turning her gaze to the young mare Princess Celestia offered her a warm smile. "Thank you Tingles. We may not have found the Element hidden in this place without you." "Princess!" An alarmed voice interrupted before the mare could respond, a pegasus stallion landed with a thud and his heavy breathe was just barely visible in dim light. "Princess, we have a problem." The guard spoke in a rasp voice and nearly toppled as he took a shaky step forward. The warm gold glow that steadied him was the only thing that prevented him from tumbling to the ground. "Speak, Captain." "Sergeants Flint, Wisp, Tide, and Captain Gust along with their troops have all not returned to the rendezvous point of meeting. We were supposed to confirm our numbers before conglomerating back. There's been no sightings, no location flares, and no signals to indicate they've found anything. They were supposed to send a purple flare out in case of danger...I..." the bruised pegasus slumped, "we haven't seen any. One of my unicorns sent a flare out and we waited with no response. On our way back here to report this, we were ambushed." "Ambushed?" Private Drag echoed. "Then..." his wings spread out just a little as he looked around, squinting in the dark and trying to see any signs of shapes in the sky. "Then...what happened to the others?" "They are still fighting. Sergeant Spirit is leading the others in my steed. We must hurry if we are to catch up with them." "You left your squad instead of sending somepony else to deliver this message?" Sergeant Twist growled. "Sickening." In a blink the cerise red pegasus was in front of the pale yellow unicorn. Glaring at him, both eye-to-eye. "Don't act as if you would've done better. Time was short--" "Yes, time is short. But you had no right in leaving your squad behind. A captain is--" "Enough." A gold aura separated both pegasus from unicorn. "We do not have time for this. Sergeant Twist, go with Captain Flake. Take your troops and follow him. If you hurry, you can make it there quickly." "Yes, but Princess this cave might--" "Do not worry about the cave. I will handle it. Go, now. And be safe. Flake?" "Yes, My Liege?" "Give him the directions to your last position. Teleportation will get you there quicker. All of you be safe, I will see you soon." Honesty. Princess Celestia was certain. The element in this cave was the Element of Honesty. She could feel the vague familiarity of its presence and as she traveled through the pitch black dark, she wondered why Luna had hidden it here. Underground, in a cave that was cold, isolated, and echoed with the sounds of drips and drops all of which were drowned out by the steps of her very golden shod hooves. It was as if all of this was just a way to remind her of her own role to play in her sister's own descent away from the light. A role she hadn't even realized she was playing till it was far too late. Or maybe she'd known, and simply believed that much like her, Luna would adapt. Adjust. And get over some of the extra features that came with the position and title of being a royal. After all, to her, it wasn't too long ago when the noble houses had been considering them unworthy holders to the Equestrian Crown after Star Swirl disappeared and there was no pony to silence them before Discord came to be. Every step forward made the feeling just a bit stronger. It was a thrum, like a drum in the base of her horn and it tingled from horn down to the spine as she moved and grew closer and closer to the source. For a moment Celestia paused at the sight in front of her. Her horn flared with radiant light and two orbs of glowing energy floated around her, orbiting before taking off and moving forward. Banishing the darkness and all the shadows that dared cross its path as the temple and the stone staircase ahead of it was brightened and came to a much clearer view. Since the first day Nightmare Moon had made her first appearance, her debut so to speak, and raised the moon to block out the sun so much had changed. She had heard the rumors when they began years ago, had sent many of her own officers to investigate but the leads had never been fruitful or always disappeared. There was always trouble. Always something new to deal with, always something else to do and she'd been too busy to focus on rumors for too long. There had been reports back then that there were some strange groups gathering. Ponies that seemed to view them in a way that, while uncomfortable, was in another perspective understandable. She had seen it then, in to a degree there was no doubt she was seeing it now. Whomever had ambushed the Captain and her soldiers, were no doubt followers of Luna or this new entity Nightmare Moon. After all, it wasn't every pony that could banish demons to another realm, lead a war with a significantly smaller army and survive a gruesome fight with one of the Changeling Hives, or defeat a wizard that was presumed to be dead and gone. Yes, it was overconfidence. Much like Tirek, she believed they could solve any problem easily. And ironically enough, much like Tirek in a way Celestia could see for the first time ever she now saw things through Scorpan's eyes in a different light. In many ways she had betrayed Luna, much like Tirek had allowed his views to betray what little remained of his nation back then and his brother. Years of victory had made her complacent and she hadn't even realized it or when that complacency even settled in and as she stepped forward, down the stone stairs, ears perked and her senses alert she began to wonder how her soldiers were doing. If they somehow secretly hated her for making them do this. For making them search for the Elements when the simplest solution (which was debatable) was to mobilize an army with allied forces and hunt down the Nightmare before she did much more damage and caused the world irreparable harm. Looking back on it now, it had begun with Tirek. The confidence, not the fear or the creeping sense of dread. Stopping a centuar who could eat magic like candy only to defeat him with magic, was ironic. But at the same time it did so much to one's sense of self-worth and confidence at the same time. When facing Discord she'd been terrified but she'd put on a mask, with Sombra it'd been sadness, with the undead army of Uttar it had been disgust and anger, with Tirek it hadn't been fear but annoyance-- but with the Nightmare, it was a growing sense of dread. Dread that threatened to crush her as she realized the second option she was being forced into. A smart tactic to push her into as Nightmare Moon knew it was an option she would never consider, never dream of trying because taking the option meant losing a part of herself in the process and losing someone so much more important to her than even Equestria. Which brought up the most important question of all. When the straw was down, her hoof forced, what would she choose? Her sister or her subjects and nation? It wasn't easy being part of an absolute power, just like it wasn't easy being a princess. If she had the chance to go back in time to see Platinum once more, she'd apologize. Because now she truly understood why her old friend had so gladly been willing to escape from this heavy golden crown. One thousand statues of white stone held up a smooth grey ceiling. These statues or pillars of massive proportions shined a light from their eyes and horns, bathing the whole place in pure artificial light. Princess Celestia eyed each statue as she moved through the small temple that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Her hooves were silent yet swift as she moved and every step she took, was a cautious one. She'd been through many temples in her past. Some riddled with moss or other signs of age and decay. Many had held traps of some shape or form. Trying to kill any that were unwanted, and many had been narrowly escaped had it not been for the aid of friends. Like many of those times before, she had went in alone. This time, she was certain there'd be no friendly back up or aide. Giant statues that were neither minotaur nor centaur stared blankly at the ground and they seemed to almost be staring at her. Watching her, despite the fact their heads never turned and the only thing that glowed were their eyes and goat-like horns. The faces were apeish, almost Monkey like, different from a minotaur yet similar to a Centaur. Human, if she recalled correctly, but their kind did not exist here and these creatures were different from them. Her memories of these creatures or lessons related to their kind was vague, oh so vague but oh so familiar. If her mind weren't muddled with so many thoughts on what was needed to be done or the concern that nipped at her for the safety of her guards she might've had a clearer mind to reason and recollect what exactly she was staring at but the situation didn't call for dilly-dallying and Celestia knew she was wasting time. But for some odd reason, she could not help but stare. The half-man, half-goat statues held up the world as they stared blankly at the ground down below. For one brief second Celestia's ears perked as though she heard movement and with a blaze of her horn, she turned to the threat that threatened her only to find nothing at all. The shadows are her guide--and a cloak to aptly hide--your time slowly fades, dear Sun maid. Turning to face the statues that paved the hallway of her path, Celestia waited for one more second, feeling as though she needed to. When that second ended, she blinked away. Quickening her chase for the element before it was too late. "Luna..." hooves clipped and clopped. Metal clanked, and the dark blue alicorn turned. "It is Nightmare Moon." "Sister--" "You lost the right to call Us that a long time ago." Came the bitter snarl and somehow these words were more painful than any attack. "You don't mean that." Celestia eyed her contemporary who now matched her size and height. "Honesty. We mean what was said, and We say what We mean." "Honesty is the last thing I see before my eyes, Luna. This is not Honesty. This is--" "This is what I've always wanted to be." "And I don't believe you." The Sun shook her head while the Moon glowered where she stood. "You never did, did you?" Nightmare Moon smiled, and every tooth her smile revealed was one that belonged to only a carnivore. "You will lose if you face me here and now. Go. Go to your soldiers. Help them. They will all die if you do not. And We know you well. You cannot turn from those that need help. Even those that have darkened themselves you still always give one final chance." "But I'm not the only one who gives others a second chance." The princess commented and her eyes stayed fixed on the Nightmare. Very well aware that just above them both, the Element of Honesty stood on a statue that rested on the ceiling. "Can you do it?" Nightmare Moon asked and her horn glowed a dark purple light. "Will you do it?" "I haven't an idea what you mean" The princess replied as her horn too glowed. "Can you kill me? Us. Her. Your own sister." "No." Not a second after the word was coldly spoken did Nightmare Moon burst out with laughter, a vile cackle that combined Luna's gasping guffaws with a proud and arrogant trumpeting titter. "Because I won't have to." Celestia finished and her eyes glinted a steely glare as her face remained perfectly calm and a single brow rose. And like a pin, all the laughter died. "...What makes you say that?" the Nightmare's face was neutral also but the flicker of anger in her eyes was there. Their expression were similar now, almost like they were twins. Strands of indigo and silver hair billowed behind her, while strands of blue, green, pink, light red, yellow, and more shifted and changed; both of their manes and tails shifted and altered, moving as if carried by some mystic magical wind as each felt their emotions flare. But only Nightmare's turned to anger as she"What makes so confident you can defeat me so easily?" "Because, I know my sister. And she is not a monster." One second passed and two different eyes stared at one another unblinking. "If you knew Us well, you would not have lost the Elements. Relinquish power to me, and I will not kill you Celestia." "If you think I will give up, then you do not know me at all. I fear more for you specter, for I've faced much worse--" "Together." The Nightmare interjected and her eyes narrowed with a aggravated glare. "We've fought much worse together. Never alone. But look around Celestia. Look around you, and know that here... you are alone. This is my domain. The darkness is my realm, my home, my foundation. Just as you cannot move the moon so easily unless I give you the right, so too do you lack the power of the dark. I can banish it--", her horn flared just a bit brighter, the shadows of pillars turned and angled as if light itself had shifted positions and they moved away from the two sisters, "--and I can summon it", the shadows rose, widened, grew and stretched, all of them reaching for the dark alicorn. All of them trying to touch her but never coming anywhere near her hooves. "We've moved on and are tired of being your shadow. No more. I am done. We will have what is ours. Our years of patience, hard work, and effort will no longer be ignored. One chance, give up your half of the power. Relinquish what is rightfully mine, and I will spare your life and exile you from our kingdom with only your name destroyed." "Never. Not if this darkness is what you plan to leave the world in. It will never survive, and you know it." "That is for me to decide." Nightmare Moon growled. "Then your decision is a foolish one. Even as we talk", the Princess blew a cold visible breath, "it grows ever colder. What do you rule if all life dies? The crops will wither, the other nations will not stand for these actions and even now I am well aware that every day that passes is a day that invites more strife. What will you do when you face these odds?" "I will know that I ruled. And that I found a means to preserve the life We took charge of." Eyes closed, Princess Celestia let out a breath through her nostrils. A tired sigh. Stubborn. And she knew what this had to come to. "Then you leave me no choice." Celestia's light blazed and the darkness was pushed back but stayed in the corners of their surroundings. "Yes", Nightmare Moon responded, a serrated toothy grin forming as her barrel shook with hidden mirth. "Yes, I suppose I don't. You know Celestia", Nightmare Moon offered a chuckle "you may be be the bearer of Magic for now, but after all these years...I too have been practicing my magic." Her smile faded and the black ink of shadows returned. Shadows became as dark as night and light that shined was blocked out. "And I brought surprises of my own." Several creatures rose from the dark, springing forth as if they were hurled, and in a blaze of light to push all back, Princess Celestia found her attackers to be beings not from this world. "...We will meet again, Princess. There is only one way for this to end, and you know how this will go." Scowling, Celestia turned to look for the Element only to find it gone. In the returned light of the temple she heard the echoing sound of laughter. Laughter that bounced off the walls, punctured her ears and ignited the fury in her breast. She burned like the sun caught ablaze like wood to make fire, and through the aether Princess Celestia returned to the surface now a beacon of light in the cold and dark. She soared into the air, higher and higher, till the chill was almost painful and when she stopped she was hundreds upon hundreds of feet in the air. Try as she might she found no Nightmare. Try as she might, she could see no Element. Feel no Element and in that instant she knew she had failed. A chill colder than the temperature gripped her heart as flakes of snow touched rained around her. And in that chill, Princess Celestia saw a flare. A purple flare, a call for help. Infuriated, enraged, burning with a desire to protect, Celestia flew. She flew for her little ponies, because they were the only thing in reach she could still protect.