Redemption of a Nightmare

by Prismfire Productions

Darkness Rises Upon the Wind...

Night.

The tranquil time when everypony finally was able to rest their weary heads from a hard day of productivity. Routines varied depending on age and preference, from the adults dreaming of providing for their families to the innocent foals dreaming of dancing sugar plums, but all had a single pony to thank for giving them rest.

Luna-Moon stood on her balcony, overlooking the tranquil city where her subjects were all currently asleep, each tucked away into their own little corner of her Land of Nod. The full moon, her moon, the very place where she had to endure 1000 years of imprisonment, spread its glow across the landscape; the snow at the top of Mount Canter reflecting like a silvery blanket across a perfect portrait. Yet, behind the serenity, Luna-Moon could tell that something was not right.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, with the silhouettes of barn owls circling the fields around the edge of town, looking and lurking in the shadows the night provided as they searched for their next meal. The tapestry of wildflowers, alive with color during the day, had long since tucked themselves in for the night, storing energy until Celestia's sun arose to feed them once more. If the average observer looked up at the balcony, they would assume that Luna-Moon was simply basking in the night she brought after the closing of every day.

That assumption was very wrong.

"Oh Nebula, Queen of Space," Luna-Moon began, both mares chanting in unison the ancient prayer of the Lunar alicorns. "Keep our subjects safe in place. Protect them all as they go their ways, through our nights and the Invicta's days. All who oppose us shall face our might, and have judgment cast right on sight. We trust in Harmony to guide our path, as we hope not to fall to wrath…"

"I have not heard that prayer in a long time sister," Celestia said, causing Luna-Moon to be startled by the company, not hearing Sol Invicta join her on the balcony as she approached. "What made you decide to say it all of a sudden? It isn't a Lunar holiday or anything…"

"Oh hello Celestia," Luna-Moon said, giving her sister an acknowledged nod. "Does it need to be such to say it?"

"No, no it doesn't," Celestia said, raising her wings in a defensive stance. "I was just curious is all. Considering that the two of you share a mind, and can delve into each other's memories, I'm sure you have seen what I was referring to."

"Zenith, the Isle of the Alicorns," Luna-Moon said, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "We have seen much about it, from the gold streets to the diamond light bulbs, and how it seemed to float on its own accord without the aid of magic. It seemed to be a treasured time from Luna's youth, so I convinced her it was necessary to say the prayer; considering the gathering darkness making itself known in the breeze."

"So you feel it too then? I was afraid of that," Celestia said, sitting down and gazing up at the stars. "It feels different then when you surfaced the first time Moonie, it feels closer and more tactful."

"Likewise," Luna-Moon said, closing her eyes and feeling the breeze, doing her best to try and find the source of the darkness, to no avail. "Thou hast a good read, but thy sense is being muddled like our own. Interestingly enough, Luna reported to us that roughly twenty of thy Zealots be not asleep at this hour, for thy presences are not in the dream realm. Dost thou have an explanation?"

"None," Celestia said, humming in thought as she searched for a reason why so many would-be awake. She could understand one or two, due to having trouble sleeping, but twenty was enough to be a small escort if force was required. "There are no nighttime training regimens currently on the docket, so your guess is as good as mine. Are they all from one unit, or spread out over different ones?"

"They all are part of Satchel Quill's squad," Luna said, Luna-Moon's eyes and speech changing to the younger sister before, in a flash, both night time alicorns were separate entities once again. "By my estimate, they awoke around three hours ago, and it was abrupt. One second they were peacefully dreaming, the next they weren't."

"Satchel? My Captain of the Guard?" Celestia said, a growing feeling of dread starting to creep up her spine as her sister nodded. "This is troublesome. First, we each feel the darkness in the air. Second, my Captain of the Guard rouses a group of his troops up with no warning. Third, not only are they gone, it was an unauthorized maneuver without sending me a report as to why he needed to mobilize."

"Art thou suggesting what we think thou art?" Moonie said, raising an eyebrow at the Solar Princess. "If thy suspicious be correct, we deal with treason most foul this night, an offense subject to death in the dungeons."

"I know," Celestia sighed, finally letting the shudder that had been building loose. "But I don't get it, Satchel is a very loyal guard, one I would trust my own life with. When he was a recruit, he was constantly badgered by others for being an undersized pegasus. and most were ready to throw him out to the curb. However, he didn't let it bring him down, instead using it to push himself harder, soon going from dead last to the top of his class. When the day came that I presented him with the ultimate rank, the very one that he currently holds, I was honored to do so because of how he was able to overcome adversity to achieve it."

"T'would seem he is not as loyal as was thought," Moonie said, making Celestia flinch at the remark. "To fully commit treason, it must be premeditated in nature."

"You don't think I know that?!" Celestia snarled, making Moonie gulp at the wisks of solar flame that briefly manifested at the corners of the Solar Princess' eyes. "Perhaps, we are all overthinking, there must be a more logical conclusion than immediately jumping to treason."

"Very true Tia," Luna said, draping a wing over her sister's back. "But unfortunately, that list of possibilities is very short. At the least, he needs to be reprimanded for doing a maneuver without permission, that much is fact. As such, I suggest that you talk to him in private after the morning sparing exercises are finished, catch him when his guard is lowered the most."

"No, I will ask him when he returns," Celestia said, turning to gaze at the horizon. "He would expect me not to be up at this hour, but this overwhelming feeling is going to make returning to slumber troublesome. It is not quite time for the Empire to return, so it isn't Sombra, but at the same time the darkness feels the same…"

"Corruption? Greed?" Luna said, doing her best to try and ease her sister's troubles. "Power struggle?"

"Possibly," Celestia said, but forced her eyes shut as a powerful feeling pushed itself into her mind. Even with her eyes shut, the landscape opened up before her, and she was horrified by what she saw.

Canterlot, and the mountain it was placed on, were both lit with an auburn flame, with most of the city being reduced to a charred, smoldering rubble that burned Celestia's nostrils. Up ahead, one of the taller buildings hilted onto its side, terrified screams piercing the air as the residents became trapped in the apocalyptic inferno.

"What could be the source of such a vision…" Celestia thought, watching the semi-transparent scene play out in front of her. Most ponies were simply running for their lives, desperate to escape to safety; however, a small fraction of them was fighting each other, and she could only shriek as a head tumbled in front of her, thrown at her from a ghastly shadow from beneath a broken, blood-red moon as a sinister, crackling laughter pounded her ears.

The head of Luna-Moon.

"Sister!" Celestia's senses rebounded at Luna's voice, and when the vision was fully shaken off she saw that Luna had her trapped in a hug. "Tia, are you alright? You spaced out on us and your face morphed into horror."

"I had a vision Lulu," Celestia said, almost on her verge of tears as she graciously returned Luna's embrace. "A very terrible one about your future. If it comes to pass, it will end in your death."

"A vision of our death?" Moonie said, closing her eyes and humming in thought. "Did thy see who smitthed us?"

"No, I didn't," Celestia said, shaking her head to try and keep that image from resurfacing. "All I saw was a pony of shadow with a menacing grin throw a severed head at me beneath a cracked moon during a Lunar Eclipse, and when I saw the head it was yours."

"Interesting," Moonie's tone was thoughtful, pursing her lips as she listened to the details that were given. "Did thy note any other things?"

"It was all semi-transparent, like I was looking through a veil," Celestia said, her demeanor hardening as she looked at Moonie. "I was a fool ignoring Luna the first time. I was a fool again passing off your return until Twilight constantly brought it to my attention. I will not be made a fool a third time. Those first two, however, were solid projections."

"To us, that shows thy vision is not set in stone," Moonie said, opening her eyes. "Still much can change, if we plot our course well."

"I have to agree with her Tia," Luna said, nodding at her other half before looking at her sister. "There is still time for all three of us to prepare, but we all have to be quick like a thief in the night."

"Or like a batpony flying under your stars," Celestia said, noticing an approaching batpony closing in on the balcony. As the figure got closer, she noticed it was Rainbow, and it seemed like she was in a panic as she landed and removed her helmet to shake the knots out her mane. "Hello there Rainbow Dash, is everything alright? You seem like you are in a hurry."

"No, Your Highness, everything is not alright," Rainbow said, dropping her head into a bow. "Me and AJ were out taking a flight and ended up in a competition race from Fillydelphia to back here. Well, that got abandoned because we found a couple who had come from a village on the Northern Boundary. It had been attacked."

"Attacked?" Celestia said, ignoring the looks that Moonie and Luna were giving her. "Were they able to tell by what?"

"Unfortunately no," Rainbow said, pulling out a notepad from the pocket in her uniform. "Sunshine Glade, unicorn, and Shadow Slight, batpony, were asleep in their home until Sunshine woke to the sound of breaking glass. Soon, it was discovered that a bedroom belonging to their oldest foal, who no longer lives with the couple. Gathering what they could, and their baby filly, they bolted. They caught our attention by Shadow flying up and intercepting us before we could turn around for the return leg. Seeing us in uniform gave him the idea we were part of your guard Princess Luna-Moon, and after he and Sunshine told us what had happened, I raced here as fast as my leather could carry me."

"Hmmm, we suppose that misconception needs to be addressed," Luna-Moon said, eyeing Rainbow from mane to hoof, liking what she saw in the athletic mare. "Would thou be interested in joining the New Lunar Republic? We need to restart our ranks, and both thee and Applejack seem like fine candidates. It would not interrupt thy cloudbucking, nor thy dreams of being a Wonderbolt, and it would give an excuse to sleep in after shift change."

"So, let me get this straight," Rainbow said, tapping a hoof under her chin. "You're giving me and Applejack the option to be bonafide, actual guards under your command, and I get to sleep in late since my schedule will not interfere with my current job? I'm in, but AJ will be tougher to come around to, after all, she has her farm duties to tend to."

"Which," Luna-Moon said, pursing her lips with a smirk. "Would include time off for harvest season, and her stipend can help fund whatever her farm needs."

"I'll ask, but I think we have gotten off track," Rainbow said, slightly coughing to clear her throat. "So what do you want me to do Princess? AJ is currently flying back above the train to ensure there are no further accidents, they insisted it to ease their nerves."

"Listen close Lieutenant," Luna-Moon said, Rainbow instantly snapping a salute. "Go back to the train, inform Dame Applejack of our offer and give her back up. When the train arrives in Canterlot, bring them straight here, and should anypony give thee slack tell them thou are following our orders. Got it?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Spreading her wings, refastening her helmet, and taking back off into the night, Rainbow was out of the princess' sight in less than two minutes as she headed back towards Fillydelphia.

"This just changed things…" Celestia said, looking off in the direction of the prismatic batpony's flight path. "Seems our enemy is already on the move."

"Quite so sister," Luna-Moon said, following Celestia's gaze into the night sky. "We agree with thy assessment. Question is, how should we plan?"

"First and foremost, interview my Captain," Celestia said, lowering her head with a sigh. "Then get the report from that couple. After that, we go based off what we learn. I'm just defeated in that you have returned just a short while ago, and already there are things out to get you."

"Circumstances are less than ideal, but consider it a test for us," Luna-Moon said, causing Celestia to look at her in confusion. "This is the test Harmony laid for us, why Harmony chose to spare us, so we will take the path she has put before us. We will stay true to our agreement sister, and will do what is necessary to protect our subjects."

"That… that's actually a logical way to see it," Celestia said, nodding in approval. "But I do not want to lose you so soon, especially since we do not know what we are up against."

"Does it matter sister?" Luna-Moon said, all the weight of the world being lifted off Celestia's shoulders with that one question. "We art in this together, and we will win together."

"I hope so Luna-Moon," Celestia said, finally showing the crack of a smile. "But do you think the Goddess of the Heavens will be as merciful as Harmony?"

"She normally is," Luna-Moon said, Luna being the one in charge of the vocal cords for the moment. "I mean, she did have Harmony ensure that we had the means to be able to live long enough to return, even if it was unconventional. She gave us comfort when our parents sacrificed themselves to defeat Entropy when we were young, so I see no reason why she wouldn't help us now. Harmony is slowly weakening against the rising tide of darkness sister, we have to take the course of action that might be our greatest ally, even if it is on nothing more than on the wing of a prayer song."

"Look at us," Celestia said, softly chuckling as she used a wing to wipe a tear from her eyes. "The leadership of Equestria, talking about resorting to things our subjects often do to us. What would they ever think of us not being goddesses like they believe?"

"Relatability, we think," Luna-Moon said, Moonie now in control. "Shows we are not above our subjects, for we have shown that we are not perfect. Our subjects will feel more at ease around us, should they find out that is. Dost thou remember the way our parents told us she loves to be pleased?"

"Oh goodness," Celestia said, closing her eyes in concentration. "It has been a long time since I thought about it. Umm… If I remember correctly, wasn't it by a heart song?"

"Thou are correct," Luna-Moon said, nodding at Celestia's answer. "Thou hast always had the better singing voice than us, so thou lead and we will follow."

"Oh come on, don't sell yourself short," Celestia said, nuzzling her sister. "You have a lovely voice, but if you insist, I will start."

"Go ahead sister," Luna-Moon said, gesturing with a wing. "It is alright."

"Hmmm…" Celestia mused, idly rubbing a hoof against the floor. "How about…"

"No no no!" Luna-Moon said, her exclamation making Celestia slightly flinch. "We apologize, but that sounds like a badly worded parody of the villain song from that blockbuster Bridleway play."

"Um, maybe because that is the tune?" Celestia's sheepish look did nothing to crack Luna-Moon's deadpan, making her sigh. "Sorry sister, perhaps my second verse will be better than the first."

*SLAP*

"I deserved that…" Celestia grumbled, rubbing the check that Luna-Moon had hit. "That I really did…"

"Dost thou think Goddess will be appeased with poorly ripped off Bucknee tunes?!" Luna-Moon said, getting muzzle to muzzle with Celestia as she glared into the Solar Princess' eyes. "Thou. Art. A. PRINCESS! We know thy can come up with something better than that!"

For the next several minutes, not a sound came from the balcony as Celestia searched and searched for the proper tune and wording. The ghastly cone of silence grew and grew, even crickets bending to the muten hammer blow.

Then they felt it.

The wave of Harmony reached out to the two alicorns, crashing into them like a thunderous tsunami and filling their entire being with a sense of peace. Celestia had felt it only one time before, during the first days of Luna's banishment as she poured heart out to the winds of the earth as it lifted it through cloud, sky, and space. For Luna-Moon, however, it was the first time that she had willingly let Harmony fuel her as Celestia began to sing.

And for the first time in 1000 years, the sisters fully embraced in peace, hoping the song was carried upon the winds of Harmony.

A light flashed in the master bedroom of the largest mansion in the Noble Corner. Prince Blueblood, feeling invigorated with new energy, teleported into his lavishly furnished bedroom and tossed his disguise onto the bed.

"Phase One… complete," Blueblood said, trotting over to the Roaman mirror that occupied one corner of the room as he looked back at his reflection. To his eyes, whether it was due to exhaustion or the flickering candlelight, his mane appeared longer but he thought nothing of it. "Soon, dear Auntie, you'll be free of the darkness…"

Due to the hour and being exhausted from chain teleporting all the way to his room, Blueblood retired for the night by sliding under his imported silk sheets and fell into a peaceful slumber. However, a small, ever-growing part of him did not.

With Peachhill's close proximity to the Frozen North, there was an extra layer of danger by being a resident that the rest of Equestria did not have to deal with. Despite not having to deal with changeling invasions, crazed fillies, or a certain pony who freaked out over the tiniest of incorrect details, every winter the village had to deal with Windegos. Madame Nightengale helped, giving every family a special potion to spread above their doorways to keep the evil spirits at bay; however, there was another, far darker and more powerful threat that was always lurking in the shadows.

The Umbrum.

Everypony only knew of the ancient, corrupted spirits from the tales of King Sombra. How the Queen of Dark Magic had corrupted the love-struck unicorn, eventually leading to his betrayal of Queen Amore and his soul succumbing to darkness. Yet, rumors often swirled that it was not her that corrupted the former Emperial Consort, but instead one of her more powerful followers that had turned Sombra into a puppet for the Umbrum Queen's plans.

Little did anypony know, that rumor was actually the truth.

The Queen herself had remained hidden, escaping from the rest of her kind when they all were banished, but as a result she had to reduce herself to nothing more to a presence without a host body. For over 1000 years she waited, so when she felt Blueblood's dark desires, she was drawn in like iron in a magnetic field.

Seeping in was easy. Disguising herself as smoke, she entered through his nose as he watched the first house ignite in an auburn blaze of glory. Filtering through his respiratory system and his bloodstream, she took root in a part of him that would go unnoticed, where she could grow and extend her influence.

Alas, her new host was not perfect, since he was male, and his thaumic pathways were so weak and underdeveloped from nonuse that giving him the energy to chain teleport over such a vast distance nearly erased her essence. Already, the first minor and -mostly- noticeable changes had already begun, but after 1000 years of dormancy she knew she could wait just a little longer for her plan to be realized.

"Soon," Umbra said, knowing that nopony would hear her as she swirled around her pocket of control. "The sisters will pay dearly for helping Amore banish my kind. As soon as I reconstruct and strengthen this body to suit my needs, there will be nothing standing between me and my objective. This host already hates the Night One, so is by that hate I will be born anew!"

Crackling to herself, Umbra spread herself over the entirety of her space, and the horrified screams of millions went unheard as they began to lose their tails.