//------------------------------// // Episode 13: Waking Up // Story: EoH Evolution: Season 5 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Nightmare Moon was concerned. She had been performing her duties of patrolling the dreamscape, warding off bad dreams and ensuring the restful slumber of her subjects. As to be expected of her being the Princess of Dreams, but what troubled Nightmare Moon was how smoothly she was able to perform her duties without Luna trying to drive her out of the dreamscape as she'd done numerous times before. It wasn't that she missed the interruptions, but it was that Luna hadn't been seen through the dreamscape lately. "This isn't normal." Nightmare Moon muttered to herself as she prepared for bed. "Even if she isn't trying to block me from the dreamscape, I would've expected her to be glaring at me as I went through." Her eyes narrowing as she added a new piece of information to the puzzling situation. "On top of that, I've been sensing a strong concentration of negativity from her own dreams. But the most troubling thing about this is the fact that the negativity seems to be willingly produced by Luna. No nightmare is ever intentional. So just what is it that's robbing you of sleep, Luna? I'll have my answers tonight. Even if I have to pull them out of you." And with that, Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and drifted off into the dreamscape. Upon arrival, her eyes snapped open as she felt around the dreamscape with her magic. Searching for any large concentrations of negativity, and finding a small but highly concentrated mass in the same region as Luna's presence. "Found you." Nightmare Moon said with a determined gaze as she spread her wings, and flew off to Luna's dreamscape! Once she landed, Nightmare Moon found herself in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Her birthplace, and the sight of her first defeat. "How ironic. Luna's dream would take place where her nightmare was born." Nightmare Moon said with a pensive expression as she made her way to the throne room. She'd been in the old castle so many times, it felt like her body was on autopilot when navigating it. "I would've thought this would be the last place Luna would dream of. It holds so many significant memories for both herself and me." But before she could continue reflecting on her history, Nightmare Moon felt the concentrated mass of negativity she'd sensed in Luna's dreamscape. And upon sensing it once more, something about it made her go cold. For one, the mass of negativity seemed to move and gravitate towards Luna. It felt like it was alive. But what made this incredibly disturbing for Nightmare Moon was that the mass of negativity was drenched in the signature of Luna's magic! This thing, whatever it was, had been created by Luna! ". . . Why?" Nightmare Moon asked herself as she broke into a full speed run towards the moving mass of negativity! "What could have possessed Luna to create something like this?!" The answer was laid bare before her as Nightmare Moon arrived at the throne room, and saw a mass of smoke floating towards Luna. The lunar princess holding her arms out to her sides in acceptance! "Alright Tantabus." Luna addressed the smoke monster. "Do your worst." Luna closed her eyes as the Tantabus surged into her! Where Luna once stood, Nightmare Moon now saw her past self. Clad in the same silvery armor she'd donned in her first appearance. Luna was used to this dream by now. She had been enduring it willingly every night as a form of penance for her bringing Nightmare Moon into the world. While she had the love and acceptance of her subjects, any form of comfort that brought her was meaningless in her opinion. In part because she felt that she didn't deserve it, but mostly because Nightmare Moon now had an existence all her own. And in Luna's eyes, it was an eternal torment because her past sins made flesh was now walking the earth once again. To Luna, Nightmare Moon's second return was a sign that she hadn't paid enough for her past mistakes. And so, at the suggestion of Blitz Surge, Luna forged a punishment befitting her "unending nightmare" in the form of the Tantabus. A creature that turned her dreams into nightmares. What punishment could be more fitting for one who unleashed a nightmare into the world than having to endure nightmares every night? Unfortunately, Luna's nightmare would not play out as planned that night. Normally, after donning the form of Nightmare Moon, Luna would typically see herself confronted by either her sister of the Main 6. Either of the two banishing her back to the moon to suffer isolation for her mistakes. However, neither of those two were standing before her now. No, Nightmare Moon herself was standing before her. "W-What is this?!" Luna's voice came out instead of Nightmare Moon's! The shock of this situation hitting her full force! "You. . . you can't be here! I AM you! We're the same!" "No. We're not." Nightmare Moon said with a pleading tone in her voice as she advanced on Luna! "What I am, is the vision of yourself that you pictured upon replacing Celestia. Her grace. Her beauty. Her stature and authority. But when I was brought into existence, I didn't have your personality. In the beginning, everything I did was influenced by your negative thoughts and emotions. But my second defeat purged me form you, and gave me my own existence. I'm not tied to you Luna. And I'm also so disappointed in you." "You have no right to say that to me!" Luna roared as she flared her wings out and powered up her magic! "We may no longer be a single being, but your second return is an eternal reminder that I haven't paid enough for my past mistake of creating you!" "But you HAVE paid enough, Luna!" Nightmare Moon countered! "We BOTH have! We endured a thousand years of isolation on the moon! Both of us had to work to gain acceptance and forgiveness for our past actions! But there's a big difference in our paths! I've accepted what I've done, and the fact that it can't be changed. However, I refuse to let that rule over me for the rest of my life like you! If you're still so determined that I'm a part of you, fine! I don't care! But if I've forgiven myself, then by that logic, doesn't that mean YOU forgive yourself?" "I. . . I-" Luna struggled to piece her thoughts together after Nightmare Moon turned her own logic against her! "Luna. . ." Nightmare Moon said firmly as she was now face-to-face with Luna. And she slapped some sense into her. "WAKE UP!" "I don't know whoever put this stupid thought that you need to punish yourself, but they're a complete idiot! You've shown remorse about your actions! Guilt! Shame!" Nightmare Moon cried out as she ripped at the Tantabus! Tearing it off of Luna in chunks in an attempt to pull Luna free from it! "You're NOT as bad as you think you were! Even when I took over, I never wanted to hurt or kill anyone! Because I knew how much you loved your sister! How much you loved your people! I never wanted to cause you pain, Luna! I just wanted you to be happy! And when we returned, when the Elements hit me, I realized how much I'd hurt you! I realized it the second someone dared to fight me because he wanted to see you and your sister happy again! After my second defeat, I was almost certain I didn't deserve the forgiveness your sister and the Element Bearers showed you! But I was proved wrong because I held the same remorse and guilt that you hold now! Because one person was willing to believe in me when everyone else wouldn't!" "Why?" Luna croaked out as she came into view after Nightmare Moon ripped a huge chunk of the Tantabus off! Tears streaming down her face! "I've shown you nothing but disgust. I've treated you so awful. So why show me any kindness? Why help me?" "Because I won't let a chance to make you happy pass me by! And the best way to do that now," Nightmare Moon powered up her magic, and unleashed a gigantic beam of it at the Tantabus-covered Luna! "IS TO WAKE YOU UP!" The Tantabus shrieked in pain as it took the full force of the blast! When the dust settled, the Tantabus was little more than a small ball of smoke and Luna fell to her knees! "You were creating another monster, Luna." Nightmare Moon said as she knelt down to Luna's level. "One that also fed on your negativity. Because you were refusing to do for yourself what everyone else has done for you. But you need to hear this from me more than anyone else: I forgive you. Can you do the same for yourself?" ". . . Yes." Luna said tearfully. And the Tantabus vanished completely with a pop. With it gone, Luna's dreams were once again peaceful. The lunar princess then slept better than she ever had before. And she decided to surprise everyone in the castle by being out and about the next morning. Even Blitz Surge was surprised to see her up. "You look like you've rested well, Luna." Blitz said with a questioning tone. "I thought you were welcoming of a restless night." "Blitz Surge." Luna said firmly as she faced her champion. "Whatever lingering regrets I had are gone. Because I realized all that was doing was preventing me from moving past the mistakes I made. I have moved on." "Impossible." Blitz Surge said with a frown. "You said that you deserved to be punished. That you needed to serve penance for your past actions! That justice would be done!" "Those were actions that I was not solely responsible for. Furthermore, justice is about fairness. And I was not being fair to myself." Luna said calmly. "No one is perfect, Blitz Surge. Though my sister and I are goddesses, we are not without flaws. One of mine being how immaturely I dealt with my sister overshadowing me. And because you influenced me to create the Tantabus, I was blind to the fact it was growing more powerful as it inflicted more nightmares upon me. Your suggestion could have lead to a threat that could breach both the dreaming and waking worlds." "I could have easily bested it." Blitz Surge replied. "Or do you doubt my capability as your champion? Just like those fools in the Elements of Heroism doubted me being the perfect choice for their leader?" "Where are you going with this, Blitz Surge?" Luna asked as she crossed her arms. "Because it sounds dangerously familiar." "Luna, we both have been denied what we are so righteously owed!" Blitz Surge began. "You were overshadowed by your elder sister, and ignored for so many years! I was denied my chance to rise as a hero each time a threat rose and was defeated by Burst Stream and his band of foolish friends! But now? Now that can all change!" Blitz Surge unsheathed his katana, and the blade soon glowed with a rainbow-colored light! Upon seeing it, Luna's eyes widened! "It can't be!" Luna gasped. "How did you obtain the power of Harmony?!" "I am a TRUE hero." Blitz Surge answered with a smirk as he sheathed his blade. "That is why this new power was bestowed upon me so that I may dispense justice. Not even an Avatar can compare to the power of Harmony! Luna, don't you see? If you and I combine our power we could-" "I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF THIS!" Luna shouted in the Royal Castalot Voice! Her boisterous denial shocking Blitz Surge! "I was immature, and foolish when I grew jealous of the love Celestia had gained from our subjects. But upon my return, I realized that it was a love she deserved. She always cared for me. All she ever wanted was for me to know I was loved. If not by all our subjects, then by her if nothing else. And like a fool, I refused to see that because I was too blinded by what I thought I deserved. And you know full well where that led for me. Dear Blitz, the path you speak of leads nowhere good. I implore you, abandon it!" "You're asking me to forsake what I've been working towards my whole life?" Blitz Surge asked angrily. "I thought you would understand Luna. If you really loved me-" "Blitz Surge, I DO love you." Luna said with a hurt look on her face. "That's why I am trying to dissuade you from your current course!" "Then you don't love me enough." Blitz Surge said coldly. "You doubt me. You deny me. Just like those fools in the Elements of Heroism, you can't see that I am the true hero of this world! All Burst Stream had to do was either get captured, or die at the hands of his enemies for me to prove that! When all hope would have seemed lost, I would rise and smite the evils that had risen!" ". . . You would have let evil rampage just to position yourself as some semblance of a savior?" Luna asked in disbelief. Shock and horror etched onto her face and reflected in her eyes! Her mouth slightly agape at Blitz Surge's declaration! "Why?!" "Luna, can't you understand?" Blitz Surge asked with a seemingly sincere smile. "We're the same-" "No you're not." Nightmare Moon said coldly as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere! The blade of her broadsword raised against Blitz Surge's throat! "Luna wanted love. You want glory, but weren't willing to do the work to earn it." "How could I have been hailed as a hero if I were dead?" Blitz asked crossly. "Follow Burst Stream's example." Nightmare Moon said with a glare. "Luna? Let's go elsewhere. Our current company is far from pleasant." "You would get between a goddess and her beloved?" Blitz Surge asked with a smirk. "How cruel of you, Nightmare Moon." "Maybe you don't understand how a relationship works." Nightmare Moon said with an icy edge in her voice. "Because right now, I'm having a hard time believing you ever prioritized Luna's happiness." "Maybe Burst Stream's departure has caused you to grow jealous of Luna and I." Blitz said with a sneer. "If you apologize, I might consider asking you to join our relationship." "I wouldn't be missing out on anything worthwhile." Nightmare Moon hissed as she took Luna by the hand, and led her away. "Still think he's boyfriend material?" "I. . . " Luna sighed sadly. "I don't think the Tantabus was the only thing feeding off my negativity."