//------------------------------//
// The Godslaying Brand 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

There were dragons on the walls.

Relief after relief lined the sides of a crystal corridor, blood-red gems forming sculpted, geometric patterns without a trace of foreign material in sight, polished to an infinitely-reflecting sheen. The walls, bearing carvings, showed fields of swords and fire, griffons and ponies dying and burning and fighting a war to end all wars. Spectral horses lined the sky; billowing storm clouds fought the flames with fields of sleet. But each panel was bordered by ribbed support columns, forming unique murals of equal size, and in the center of each devastation were three dragons and a triangular stone.

The beasts had gems in their necks, radiating and refracting light from the center stone, in each pane bathing a separate war in the light of destruction. Their tails were like fishes, and as the light spread in a gradient over every scene, finer details made the rays look almost like musical scores. Everywhere, everything was red.

"What is...!?" Twilight Sparkle took a sharp breath, backing away from one wall and into another. "Aah! Starlight, what is this place!?"

"A memorial," Starlight replied, hooves clicking against the impeccably-cut floor. "And remember, we're in a memory. Nothing you do here can change anything, and nobody we meet will know we're here."

Rainbow Dash didn't seem at all disturbed by the violent imagery. "This is pretty neat," she remarked, hovering and rubbing her chin while inspecting a mural up close. "Kinda creepy, though. Hey Twi, what's this place made out of?"

Twilight was trying not to hyperventilate. "It's fine," she murmured to herself over and over. "This is just a memory. I would not want to be here myself. Or wherever all these are pictures of." She squinted, distracting herself with study. "Wow, that's a lot of griffons. Are we in the Empire?"

"Take a moment to look around," Starlight invited. "You'll figure it out soon enough."

Twilight frowned, growing more comfortable now that the surprise had worn off. "Starlight, is this Star Swirl the Bearded?" She tapped a point on a wall.

Starlight stepped up beside her, nodding. "He's in these."

"His design is very technically accurate," Twilight mused. "And these..." Her gaze drifted to the three central fish dragons, and her ears slowly fell. "I think I know what story these are from," she said with a lump in her throat. "But there are clearly windigoes here. And almost half of these creatures are griffons... Either someone was combining all the apocalyptic literature they could into one carving, or some historian must have missed something and left a lot of stories separate."

"Hey, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash waved to get her attention. "Don't you think a building made of all crystal is weird? Unless we're, like, in the Crystal Empire or something, the only other place I've seen this is your place. Starlight, are we in another Tree of Harmony?"

Starlight grinned and nudged Twilight's shoulder. "She caught on faster than you did."

Twilight brushed her off with a wing. "Hold on. Dating of ancient Equestrian history is extremely imprecise, but I'm trying to see how possible it would be for all this to-"

The sound of hoofsteps cut her off. Everyone turned down the corridor to where a dark figure was approaching: a head taller than most mares in stature, she walked with an armored chest and spread wings, midnight-blue eyes fixed cleanly ahead.

"Princess Luna..." Twilight breathed.

Luna ignored them, marching slowly and purposefully down the hall. The three mares fell into step close behind, and they didn't have far to walk. Soon, the hallway widened into a hexagonal room with a completely translucent floor, the Emblem of the Nine Virtues glazed into it and the center point replaced with a map table just like Twilight's own. Through the floor, they could see a column of crystal tracing away into the depths, connected to the table like a root. An empty sphere of shimmering water hovered over the top of it, just small enough for someone to touch the center without immersing more than their shoulder, and the mural backgrounds changed, each of their backgrounds showing peace and a pony much larger than those around it.

"Luna," a large voice purred.

Uncurling from the floor was a sphinx, big enough to risk hitting her head on the corridor that led in. She bared her teeth in a welcoming smile, spreading wings that could wrap all the way around the table.

"It has been too long, Garsheeva," Princess Luna formally replied. "Unfortunately, it is a long journey, and for all our recent advancements We have yet to find a way to shorten it... so far."

"You were last here six months ago," Garsheeva countered with a warm growl. "When the journey from Canterlot is more than two months, you're almost speedy."

"Yes, well." Luna averted her eyes. "We became lonely."

Garsheeva's body suddenly glowed. Motes of light streamed off her in a river, fading into the air and appearing again in the water sphere, granting it a deep blue, almost starry sheen. The sphinx shrank, as well, reducing in size until she was only a head taller than Luna. "The Daydream system you made has been working well," she commented, stepping forward on smaller paws before spreading her wings and enveloping Luna in a hug. "Your sister still giving you trouble?"

Luna put her wings on Garsheeva's sides in return, looking downcast to the side. "She mistrusts our use of the Immortal Dream. It is not fair, Garsheeva. She has wielded her counterpart for the last millennium, yet will not take steps to recover thine and begrudges us ours no matter what good We write with it. Our sarosians are faring well in thy land, We trust?"

"I monitor them closely," Garsheeva replied. "They seem like viable life forms. Two of the mares have conceived foals, but it's too early to see whether they can sustain themselves as true life without mom around." She teased the back of Luna's mane with a feather.

"Hmm." Luna looked like she knew she was supposed to be grateful, but couldn't bring herself to feel it.

"Show it to me?" Garsheeva asked. "The Immortal Dream."

Slowly, Luna shivered... and with a pulse, something emerged from her chest, tethered to her by a thin cord of ethereal energy. It was a gemstone, the size of a hoof and shining with sapphire radiance, sending midnight light refracting all around the chamber as it floated freely before her, slowly rotating.

"Mmmmm..." Garsheeva stared into it and purred. In the background, the motes of light divested into the water sphere seemed to shift, gravitating in their prison toward the light.

"One will have to make do for both of us," Luna apologized, a tint of frustration in her voice. "But it is ours. Our sister cannot take it away. And our hope will be thine as well."

Garsheeva's face creased slightly. "And what about you? How are you faring against its curse?"

Luna scoffed. "We are better for this so-called curse. As We told thee before, the Immortal Dream has an oversight. It can only grant the wishes of others, not of ourselves. The spirit entombed with it, written of as the Nightmare, is enabling us to use it fully. What use is granting the dreams of others when our sister will not even help ourselves?"

At that, Garsheeva's teeth showed again. "All of these powers are sealed along with curses for whoever takes them. Curses that enable the worst sides of ponies. You lived through this temple's curse nearly destroying the world."

"That is our sister's line," Luna said icily.

Garsheeva instantly backed down. "Have I ever not supported you in this?" She stroked Luna's mane to try to calm her down. "I don't want you to run from it. I want to know how you fare against it."

"The Nightmare is not something to be fared against," Luna replied, remorse sounding like it badly wanted to enter her tone. "Thou hast already beheld our early work thanks to its empowerments in the form of our sarosians. As We continue to complete the requirements and finish the six Nightmare Modules, We will become powerful enough to fix the world in its entirety."

"Oh? And how many do you have now?" Garsheeva rumbled, rubbing Luna's shoulders until she started to unstiffen.

"...One more is asked of us." Luna lifted her head. "Our power is nearly complete. Shall We show thee what We have constructed?"

Garsheeva gave a curious purr.

The hovering Immortal Dream drew back into Luna's chest. Her horn briefly pulsed with shadowy energy before igniting in a midnight blue aura, and two glyphs appeared floating within it. Made of complex triangular runes, one was red and the other midnight blue.

Garsheeva regarded them curiously. "And these are?"

"We dub them Artifices," Luna said, holding the glyphs in her aura. "There are three in total, but We did not deem the third useful. They are cutie marks infused with our deepest power yet, constructed in the image of our three birthrights: thine, our sister's, and ours."

Garsheeva's eyes shone. "Tell me more," she rumbled.

The red one hovered higher in Luna's aura. "This one has a lesser capacity to foretell the future. It is thine." She weighed the blue one. "This one allows for some manner of manipulation in the fabric of cutie marks. In essence, to do what We do, limited to modifications instead of creation." She floated it slowly towards Garsheeva. "It is our gift to thee. Even when months and years wear on, it will allow us to be with thee in spirit, always." In the barest whisper, she added, "It is a terrible thing to be alone."

"I accept." Garsheeva's eyes closed. "And then mine is for you, for the same reasons."

A final shimmer, and the two Artifices disappeared in their respective mares' bodies, blue runes becoming visible where Garsheeva's flank had previously been bare. "It should also grant thee greater ability to control the Daydream proto-" Luna began to mumble.

Garsheeva interrupted her with a kiss.

The two mares leaned into each other's embrace as Twilight, Starlight and Rainbow Dash watched silently. "Heh heh..." Rainbow chuckled under her breath as the sovereigns went on. "If I didn't have a feeling something really bad is about to happen, this would make awesome blackmail..."

Starlight kicked her. Eventually, Luna broke off the kiss, resting her chin high on Garsheeva's shoulder, a tear leaking through her clenched eyelid. "We love thee," she murmured. "We feel less alone here. If things were always like this, perhaps it would be bearable."

"All this power hasn't set your heart at ease," Garsheeva remarked. "Has it ever gotten better?"

"It could," Luna insisted. "We must simply go further. We have not fully unlocked the Immortal Dream's power. It is the genesis of the world's creative power. Surely when We can control it fully, it will finally be enough..."

Garsheeva sighed. "Ordinary creatures live their lives to contentment with an ion of the power we hold, even without our birthrights. We were created to be goddesses. Climbing higher... where will it end?"

"We know not," Luna apologized. "But We must find it."

Garsheeva closed her eyes and held Luna, and was silent.

"...We have another gift for thee," Luna said.

"Oh?"

Luna stepped back, breaking the embrace... and a black sword with a triangular hole in the hilt dropped to the floor at her hooves, caught in her aura before it could clatter. "The Nightmare Modules have begun working for us alone," she calmly declared, offering it hilt-first to Garsheeva. "Our own emotions have become sufficient to power them. As much as this spared us and sped our work, it is a catalyst We no longer require."

Garsheeva stared at the sword. "I recall gifting that to you. If you don't want it, I can take it back... It isn't a borrowed item."

Luna's ears fell.

Gently, Garsheeva pushed the sword to her, closing the distance again and putting a paw in Luna's starry mane. "Think of it as something I can give you," she rumbled. "A gift. You made me this, after all." The runes glittered quietly on her flank.

"No. We... Thou may wish for it in the coming moments." Luna swallowed and looked away, a note of wretchedness entering her voice.

"Hmmm?" Garsheeva frowned.

Luna's horn pulsed again with shadow... and her coat darkened until it was pitch-black, her teeth elongated to match Garsheeva's sharp fangs, and she grew until she was the sphinx's equal in stature.

Garsheeva nodded, waiting for an explanation.

"This is Nightmare Module Six," Nightmare Moon explained, Twilight and Rainbow Dash both shivering slightly from her image. "Control of our form as befitting our sister's equal or better." Her voice was sharper, older, harder, with much of its emotion wrung into proud edges instead. "As We said, only one Element remains to be inverted before the Nightmare will fully unlock the Immortal Dream's power to us."

"And?" Garsheeva met her slitted eye for slitted eye.

"...That Element is Loyalty," Nightmare Moon said. "It requires a betrayal."

Ice crept into Garsheeva's posture. "I see," she answered, bowing imperceptibly. "And you really believe the Immortal Dream's sealing curse can bring you more happiness than the mare who loves you?"

Nightmare Moon's mask cracked for half a heartbeat, then was fixed. "We are not captive to the Nightmare. The spirit stipulates that it can only empower a willing host, and the moment they desire otherwise, it is forced away. We are also not captive to its demands. It requires the greatest betrayal We could make, but does not say what must happen before or after that occurs."

"I see." Garsheeva inclined her head. "You wish for me to act as a willing sacrifice of sorts."

"It pains our heart," Nightmare Moon promised. "The Nightmare chills us, inuring us to much emotional pain. On many nights preparing for this, We cast it out for a time, allowing ourselves to feel fully what We were doing and ensure it was judged in our right mind. This trial will pass; We are sure of it. But We will only finish things with thy support and approval. Turn us back now, and We will destroy what We have made."

Garsheeva straightened, doing her best to look down on the alicorn. "Return to your real form."

Luna shrank, her coat blending back to dusky blue as her features returned to normal.

"My princess," Garsheeva whispered, stretching out a feather and lifting Luna's chin. "You know what I desire. If this will ruin you, you know better than I do. If it will save you, the same. My decision is in your hooves. If you lie, it won't matter whether I stop you. I'll have already lost you."

A wretched look broke across Luna's features. "We... We..."

Garsheeva pulled her into another embrace.

"We created a seventh Nightmare Module," Luna cried, voice starting to shake. "One not correspondent to any Element of Harmony or required by the Nightmare. We call it the Star Module. It allows the wielder to withdraw and transfer cutie marks between ponies effortlessly and at will." She gulped. "A module designed specifically annul thy immortality by force and allow one to cause thee to perish."

Garsheeva frowned, but wrapped her wings around Luna's shaking form. "I forgive you."

"Nnnghk..." Luna rubbed her face on Garsheeva's shoulder. "W-We... are sorry..."

"Is that enough?" Garsheeva quietly asked.

"The condition is satisfied," Luna promised. "We can assume the Nightmare's full ability upon telling this to thee. Then the Immortal Dream will be able to overcome its shortcoming and grant any desire whatsoever. I-If We can attain that..."

"Shhh," Garsheeva urged, rubbing her gently.

As the two embraced, Rainbow turned to Starlight with a frown. "Uhhh..."

Starlight's eyes were closed.

Eventually, Luna stepped back. "Creating this module was enough," she shakily declared. "We are free to determine what We do with it. And..."

Her horn pulsed one more time, withdrawing another cutie mark from her body... only this one seemed half-there, like it flickered and wasn't fully formed. Its surface was nebulous, and looked deeper than a flat icon, and Luna held it to Garsheeva.

"We leave it in thy control," she promised. "This is a half-formed cutie mark with the Star Module's information woven into its core. With our Artifice, thou can finish or weave it into whatever mark thou please."

Garsheeva frowned at the thing.

"This is our gift and curse to thee," Luna apologized, holding her head high. "Do not lose it or attempt to be rid of it. We have not studied the lifestream of the world well enough to understand what happens when our own creations pass beyond the deaths of their mortal hosts, but it is not impossible fragments or even the whole of this Nightmare Module could somehow resurface. Neither have We studied the longevity of methods for containing cutie marks, beyond the equine lifespan. Please take care."

"Store it in a pony..." Garsheeva frowned at the hovering partial cutie mark. "Alright. Give it to me."

The brand floated into her chest with a soft puff of light.

"What next?" Garsheeva asked, looking up.

"Next? We..." Luna looked at the floor. "We will... have finished. We will show our sister what We have accomplished, reveal everything to her. Perhaps it will win her favor. Perhaps We will have to struggle onward. We need more, Garsheeva. Seeing the world live happily apart tears at our heart greater than all of the trials of the Nightmare. But We will show her We have mastered the Immortal Dream safely, and she will love us, and they will too. This will all finally be over. We won't have to watch as everyone else has everything We deserve anymore. We will share and be harmonic, and..." She gulped. "Tell us it is true. After all this distance, the prospect of her rejection is..."

Garsheeva looked with worry on her, but spread a paw between the backs of her ears, caressing both of them at once. "She will. She will accept the unjustness of her holding her power while neither of us can cling to ours. You will find the fulfillment you're looking for."

"We must," Luna whispered. "There is no other alternative. Because if We did not, there would be nothing left We could do."

"Then don't wait for my sake," Garsheeva urged. "Return to Canterlot. When this is all over, we can live together again as survivors of a ruined age."

Luna heaved a last shudder, then sprung to her hooves. "We will see thee again," she vowed, marching for the exit without looking back. Behind her, the motes of light in the water flared, winking out, and Garsheeva's size swelled again until she was once again as big as the table.

"Quick," Starlight urged, not leaving Twilight time to blink. "Follow her. There's slightly more."

The three mares raced after Luna's retreating hoofsteps, the princess's long stride giving her an advantage. Quickly, though, they reached her stopped in the corridor, staring ahead with a blank expression.

"We cannot see ye," she uttered, "whomever ye may be. This is a last message to those who view the memory We are about to create. We are Princess Luna, and We have lied."

She bowed her head. "The race of sphinxes is immortal by design. Their longevity comes from consuming the cutie marks of others, releasing their bodies and souls to mortal fates while deconstructing the emotional energy of their hopes. All sphinxes are capable of this."

With stricken eyes, Luna continued on, whispering such that everyone had to lean close to hear. "She realizes it, but our gift would not only allow for draining her and rendering her mortal. It would also allow any to rise to match her themselves, imbuing themselves with a host of marks stolen from their populace. It is a god-slaying mark. But her secret is well-kept, and the Nightmare Module woven into this cutie mark could remain hidden forever unless someone knew to go looking for it."

Harrowed, she finished, "This is the extent of the treachery demanded of us to ascend past immortality and gain mastery of this pinnacle of the world. The memory of this conversation, We will seal in a Nightmare Module, the one ye are watching now. We plead forgiveness from any power high enough to mete it, though We know none exists. The world being designed in such a way, requiring such sacrifices to become that power, is a testament that if anyone was that high, they would be too broken and ruthless to ever care about us. We dream of becoming that power, of becoming so indispensable to everyone that We will be loved, and will never have to be alone. But should that quest ever cause us to lose our love for those We wish to be loved by, We entreat ye: take our weapons and strike us down. The Nightmare Modules are tools of loneliness and jealousy, but We crafted them to protect those We care about with everything in our heart. That is why We shall leave them here for others to find. Garsheeva's curse from us is also a gift: a power she can bestow on a trusted ally to finish her should she ever carry herself too far. Likewise, should We ever lose ourselves, our Nightmare Modules will lend their strength to protect ye from us. We wish, from the bottom of our heart, to be a harmonic mare who is given harmony as much as We tried to bestow it to others. This is our plea."

The world immediately began to fracture, and then Twilight, Starlight and Rainbow Dash were falling upwards, tumbling through a tunnel in the sky.





Starlight was the first to regain her senses, standing in Twilight's sofa room in the crystal tree. She waited patiently for her friends, both of whom were blinking in stupefaction.

"So let me get this straight," Rainbow Dash eventually said, shaking her head like it was waterlogged. "Princess Luna and Garsheeva were lovers back before Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, Celestia had some artifact those two were jealous of, Luna got one for herself, it was cursed..." She dug in an ear with a hoof. "And the curse just asked her to do stuff that turned her evil out of desperation? And she left the Nightmare Modules sitting around so someone who could use them would have a thing to fight her if she ever did turn evil?"

"Luna was afraid of herself." Starlight nodded. "I've never met her in person, but I've watched that memory dozens of times. When I first saw that, I understood what Glimmer was warning me of with how I could go too far. I... feel for her a lot." She looked away. "I imagined myself making weapons someone else told me to make, but secretly willing that they could cut me down if I ever went too far, after watching that. At least, I tried to. I couldn't comprehend it." She sighed. "I guess you know how successful I was in breaking away from using them and not fixing my problems by force..."

"Yeah, that seventh one..." Rainbow twiddled her hooves.

Starlight shrugged. "When it had a similar name to me, how was I supposed to not read into it? Not that there aren't hundreds of ponies in Equestria with Star in their name, but..."

"That's rough." Rainbow looked away. "I guess maybe we need to talk to Luna too, huh? After we blasted her three years ago, I sorta figured that was a done deal."

"I have to admit, I'm a little intimidated at the idea of meeting her in person..." Starlight rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "But the same can be said for Celestia. Hey, Twilight? Are you okay?"

Twilight was staring into space. "Starlight?"

Starlight tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"The Immortal Dream," Twilight said. "That's what it looked like? Exactly what it looked like? That was the real thing?"

"I don't see any reason why not." Starlight started glib, then caught on that Twilight's serious tone wasn't improving. "Why? Is it important?"

"Wait here for a moment, girls," Twilight requested, then teleported away in a flash of light.

Starlight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and shrugged.

Minutes later, Twilight opened the door and strode back in, a triangular red gemstone held in her aura. It was immaculately cut, with the ghost of an otherworldly light that looked like it was waiting to be activated. She tilted her head, showing it off. "And there were three of them, right? Is there any chance this is another?"

Starlight fell out of her chair.

"Uh, Twi?" Rainbow blinked at the fallen unicorn. "Hypothetically, like, supposing it was... where did you find it?"

Twilight's ears sheepishly folded. "Innn my basement..."

Starlight snapped upright, cracking out of her shock like a breaking twig. "What are you doing with one of those in your basement!?"

Twilight blushed furiously. "Look, it's a very long story involving some singing fish dragons Star Swirl banished to another world! Just is it or isn't it?"

"We need to go see Celestia, right now," Starlight declared, instantly getting ready. "And Luna too, if she's awake. And just to be safe, don't let anyone touch that who isn't immortal."