Nightmare Moon and I had finally settled in to our new home. But we still had plenty of conquering left to do.
After Nightmare Moon and I settled in to the US Bank Tower, my life got really boring. Boring, hanging out with the Moon Mare herself? Well no, she was still awesome. But the actual conquering part had become routine weeks ago. Sneak in to a police station, implant shadow parasites, then move on. The interesting part to me was the neighborhoods we lived in. Before the US Bank Tower, we would move in to a new home and conquer the police stations around it. Then we would find a new place to live, and do it all over again. We had new sights to see every time we moved around, which broke up the boring repetition of our conquests. But now that we had a permanent home, we returned to the same place no matter how far we had to fly that night. True, it sucked when we lived out in the desert and had to fly several hours each night. And our new home was a lot nicer than any of the abandoned homes we had been living in. But I missed the thrill of moving, of sleeping for the first time in a new place.
Who knew conquering the world could be so dull?
Even the new home became routine. We had no need for Janice nor any of the other staff that Nightmare Moon had enslaved, once her 'Moon Palace' had been completed. We had no guests to entertain nor petitioners to the Night Mare's court. The two of us would come home in the morning, go to our bedroom to sleep, then leave in the evening to do it all over again. We hadn't found any interesting knickknacks during our travels, so our bedroom was still empty beyond our bed and armor stands.
The cities and police stations went by in a blur; they had become so common, that I couldn't be bothered to remember them. Well, I admit there were some things that did change. At her request, I taught Nightmare Moon how to use Google Maps on our borrowed tablet. She then had full control over where and who we conquered. In exchange, she taught me how to monitor the 'savior' dream and control it a little. However, she wouldn't teach me how to create the 'savior' dreams. Her excuse was that it was a 'custom' spell that she had created, and I didn't know the advanced magic necessary to understand it. But I got the feeling that she just didn't want to teach it to me for some reason.
Even with the new skills, the new work got boring real fast. Nothing ever went wrong with the 'savior' dreams, so my job was painfully simple: send the dreamer into a pleasant dream if they chose to help Nightmare Moon, a nightmare otherwise. After those dreams were done, restart the 'savior' dream. Repeat until Nightmare Moon was satisfied that the dreamer was completely enslaved.
Sounds like a lot to do, right? Not really. It was a lot of waiting around, then 'push' a magic button depending on what the dreamer did.
Boooring.
One of the things I do remember from that time, was when we reached the ocean. Sure, I had seen the Pacific Ocean and the Southern California beaches many times before - I lived near one, after all. But the beaches looked very different when one was flying over them with magical wings. The beach was beautiful, and the familiar smell of the sea air brought a soft smile to my face.
It was on one of those boring nights that things finally began to change. That night, we were just south of the LAX International Airport and were flying towards another police station to conquer. I was staring at the ground below out of boredom, and was hoping that something interesting would finally happen to me.
Mmm. That school there looks familiar.
And I swear I've eaten at that Mexican restaurant before.
"Hey, where are we headed to tonight?"
"Eh? Ah, one moment.
"Yes, we are headed to the 'El Segundo' police station this evening."
El Segundo? I think I left my wallet there once.
Wait...
OH.
How could I have forgotten?
I was FROM El Segundo! Or at least, that's where my apartment was. My apartment, my cats...and my old life. I felt a dark chill roll down my spine when I realized it had been over two months since I joined Nightmare Moon's Party of Two. And it looked like I was going to be with her for a really long time. Maybe forever.
So much for looking for adventure, I found a whole new life instead. And what a life it's turned out to be.
I guess that answers my next question to myself, did I want to quit being Nighty's partner in crime and go back to my old life?
Nah, like I'd ever be happy with my old life again. Not after wielding magic and becoming some sort of cat-man. Yeah, I could cast a human illusion over myself and pretend to be the old me. But it would just be an illusion. While I still feel like 'me', the old me is long gone.
I really miss my cats...
At the El Segundo police station, I did my job with even less enthusiasm than before. And Nightmare Moon noticed. After we had returned to her Moon Palace and began to shed our armor, the ebony mare spoke to me.
"I have noticed that you have been quite morose this evening, more so than usual. Is something amiss?"
I was standing listlessly in front of my armor stand, and had made no effort to remove my armor.
"I...I'm sorry Mistress, I'll do better next time."
She of the Night paused while levitating her helmet off her head, and held it midair instead of placing it on her armor stand.
"Now I know something is amiss. Your work was never the issue, I have no complaints. It is merely that thy mood has changed. And thou hast not called me 'Mistress' in a long time."
"Oh.
"I guess I was pretty distracted tonight."
In a magical blink, my armor was finally on its stand. My feet dragged across the carpet as I sluggishly made my way to our bed. I mechanically lifted the sheets on my side, then flopped my butt down on the soft mattress. But before I could slip beneath the covers, I felt the soft touch of a hoof against my furred shoulder. It took me a moment to register the touch, and its meaning. My body turned of its own accord until I was facing an unarmored Nightmare Moon, who was sitting on her side of the bed. She had a soft and kind smile on her muzzle.
"I wish to hear that which has been bothering you. I know that I am not good at being patient, nor in sharing feelings with thee.
"But for you, I shall try."
How was I supposed to keep my feelings hidden inside after that? So I opened up to her, and hoped she wouldn't laugh at me for something so stupid.
"So, um. Tonight? The police station we took over tonight? I used to live a few blocks away, before you met me."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I think we flew over the place that you and I first met at, on our way there."
"I had not noticed."
"I almost didn't. But once I did, all these memories came back. Everywhere I looked, I saw places I walked to or ate at or hung out with friends. And all I could think of was my old life."
"Hmm. Unfortunate."
"What?"
"Eh? Ah, I mean that...it is unfortunate that you miss your old life so.
"I surmise that...um...you wish to return to your old life!"
"Oh, hell no. This new life with you is so much better than my old one. But I left my old life incomplete. Unfinished. I want to end it somehow, kind of wrap it up in my head so I know it's done."
I reached out and cradled Luna's muzzle in my hand, then gently rubbed her jaw with my thumb.
"Besides, If I left I'd have to give you up."
Luna smiled softly, then let out a soft giggle that sounded to me like the tinkling of bells.
"Thou knowest how to make a mare feel special."
"Only the best for you, my Moon Princess."
I gently let her muzzle go and let my hand rest in my lap.
"The only problem with ending my old life is, when can I find the time? Our nights are taken up by conquering the local police, and we sleep all day. Do I have to wait until we have finished conquering these lands?"
"Not necessarily, my handsome warrior. I may have a solution for thee."
"Oh?"
"Yes. You may recall that I have the ability to go without sleep if I choose to. I can test your magical wellspring, and if you have enough power I can give you the spells you shall need."
"That's great! Let's do it."
"Such an eager stallion.
"Very well, give me a few moments to make my examination."
Luna lit her horn and let her magic wash over me. After a minute or so, the spell winked out.
"Your magical wellspring has greatly grown since I last examined it. You appear to have sufficient magical reserves to go without sleep for approximately four days, provided you do not overexert yourself. One moment while I give you the spells."
Whee, another magical download!
God, I am such a geek.
Okay, here we go.
This seems to be a spell that I don't have to cast, it's always on when I am awake. It feels like the one that feeds me with magic when I don't eat. But instead of sustenance, this spell will keep me rested and alert no matter how long I stay awake.
Huh, it also works on exercise as well. So I could keep running and running far beyond my normal endurance, because this set of spells will just restore me and keep me going. Well, until my magic runs out anyway. Could I work out in the gym all day, and just get stronger and stronger?
Hmm, I'll have to be careful. With these spells running, I will never get sleepy again. But how will I fall asleep?
Oh, just got a spell that lets me fall asleep when I want to. That's good. I have to be calm and relaxed and have my eyes closed in order to activate it, though. A safeguard to avoid activating it by accident? Oh, here's a memory that tells me it's hard to recharge magic if I don't sleep. Nag nag nag, but it's still a good reminder.
Looks like I'll have to choose when I go to sleep from now on. I guess that's why Nighty always goes to bed at dusk.
Hmm. If I'm in control of my sleep cycle now, how will I know when it's time to wake up? Better ask Luna after this is done.
Another spell, this one monitors my magical wellspring and gives me a warning when it's running low. Hah, it's my own personal low battery warning! I wonder if I can set it at the classic 15%, 10% and 5%? Ah crap, no settings. Whomever made this magical app sucks at making apps.
And that's the last spell.
I opened my eyes and saw the Night Mare doing the same.
"There. You now have the ability to function without sleep. Be cautious in using it, one can easily enter magical exhaustion if one is not careful."
"I will, I will. I'll be careful."
"We shall see. Even I overexerted myself once I realized I could stay up all night and day with no consequences."
Whatever. I guess this is one of those 'you'll understand when you're older' things. I hate those, especially when they turn out to be right.
"Oh, a question. I can make myself fall asleep, but how will I know when to wake up?"
"As you always have, when your body is rested. These spells do not interfere with that process, they merely replace your exhaustion with magic in some way. When you invoke the 'sleep' spell, the spells reverse so you may properly rest. However, once you awaken the spell will reactivate and restore you regardless of how much sleep you have received."
"Oh, alright.
"Unless you have an objection, I'll start wrapping up my old life tomorrow morning."
"As you wish. Good night."
"Good night."
Ok, here we go.
Eyes closed and relaxed, check.
Oh, that's cute. The sleep spell just 'lit' up in my mind. Guess it's ready.
SLEEP.
I awoke as I always did, with my sense of 'self' returning slowly to the waking world. Some evenings, I woke up a bit before Nightmare Moon. If I did, I would try and sleep some more until she was ready to start her night. I rolled over to face the ebony mare, and opened my eyes to see if she was awake.
I saw a large lump in the bed that told me Nightmare Moon was still in bed and likely asleep.
And then I was AWAKE.
What the hell?
That was better than a Mountain Dew or a cup of coffee.
Was that the 'stay awake' spell? Must have been.
Well, it's not time to get up yet so I'll just go back to sleep.
Eyes closed and relaxed, check.
Huh, the sleep spell isn't activating. Maybe I need to relax some more.
Nope, not working. Maybe if I count sheep? One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, beep beep...
...Nine sheep, ten sheep. Nope, not working.
Guess it's time to get out of bed.
I opened my eyes again and crawled out of bed. Then walked over to Nightmare Moon's armor stand, and picked up the tablet she was using to navigate us around Los Angeles. I figured I could play some games on it or surf the web. Unfortunately, the battery was at 7% and we didn't have a charger for it. I made a mental note to grab one tonight, and set the tablet back down. I didn't want to kill the tablet's battery and earn the ire of my dark Queen.
With nothing to do, I wandered over to the throne room and flopped down on the couch. Then promptly lost myself into a daydream.
"Ah, there you are."
I snapped out of the daydream, and turned to see the ebony form of Nightmare Moon. She was standing off to the side of the couch, at the bottom of the 'L' right next to the shoji door. She had not yet put on her armor.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I couldn't sleep."
"Truly? Did the sleep spells malfunction?"
"Well, no. But I woke up and couldn't use the spell to make myself fall asleep again."
"I see. If the sleep spell will not activate, then you are fully rested and do not require any more sleep."
"Oh."
"Do not worry, you will become accustomed to the spell's actions upon you in time.
"But for now, it is time to don our armor and begin or evening."
"Alright. Oh, do you like cats?"
"Eh? I do not understand."
"Oh, I adopted three cats in my old life: two black cats and a tortoiseshell. I was going to bring them here to live with us. Will that be a problem?"
"Ah, I see. You mean pet felines. I do not mind, though they will remain your responsibility. I do NOT clean litter boxes."
"Sure, sure. They're my responsibility."
Nightmare Moon walked around the edge of the couch and stepped up onto the dais. She then climbed onto the couch and sat down next to me.
"I have never understood owning pets. They always seemed like too much trouble."
"Cats can be independent, depending on their personality. Others can be just as affectionate and needy of your time as dogs. My cats are my companions, my furry friends. I always feel happy when they are around."
"I see. You wish to keep them by your side, always?"
"Well yeah, they're family. They might as well be my own kids."
"Why not turn them into Shadowbolts, then?"
"Wait, what? You can do that?"
"Verily. How else do you think my Shadowbolts were born? The spell was originally used to raise prized warriors and Generals from the dead, after they had fallen on the battlefield or had perished from old age. The resulting magical construct was a mere copy of the original pony and could not operate on its own. However, it would have the memories and personality of the deceased. The construct could then advise or train the living for many years afterwards.
"I discovered a new use for this spell when I cast it upon a pony that was fatally wounded. The resulting magical construct was stable, reliable and most importantly, could think on its own. As he was a magical construct, I was able to add an enchantment to him so I could summon and de-summon him at will. And thus, my first Shadowbolt was born."
"That's cool. But why only three? I would think that an army of Shadowbolts would be awesome."
"Perhaps. But the constructs take considerable magic to summon, and my magic is not limitless. Summoning an army would leave me exhausted and unable to fight for many days."
"Oh, ok. But even then, why just three Shadowbolts?"
"I did not choose that number specifically. The third Shadowbolt had fallen in battle a mere three days before I was banished by my accursed sister. I may still add more Shadowbolts in the future."
"Hmm, alright. Won't this spell kill my cats, though?"
"In truth, I am uncertain. I have only used the spell on an uninjured pony once, the Shadowbolt mare. She was just past her prime, and desired to be forever young and strong. Thus, she made an eager volunteer. With the other two Shadowbolts, their dying bodies were consumed and a new construct was created. But with the volunteer, her body was changed instead. In her case, I believe her essence was retained and she is still the same pony that she was before. The males are mere constructs."
"That doesn't sound very convincing."
"My apologies. I can guarantee that they will not perish, but I do not know what form they will take. The spell was made for ponies, after all."
"Hmmm, I suppose. I guess I'll bring them here and you can convert them."
"That shall not be necessary. I can give you access to the spell and you can convert them yourself."
"You can teach me the spell? Cool, I'm ready."
"Ah, not exactly. The spell has its nuances, and as such I cannot simply impart the knowledge of the spell to you. However, I can enchant the gemstone in your armor and allow you to access the spell through me."
"Uh, I don't understand."
"It is not necessary for you to do so. Come with me."
The two of us stood up and walked across the throne room, through the conference room and into our bedroom. Nightmare Moon paused in front of my armor stand, which still held my armor.
"Give me a moment to impart the spell into your armor's gemstone."
"Wait a minute. Won't this tire you out like it did making the gems for my wings?"
"Not in the slightest. Those were special gemstones, ones that manifested physical wings when specific pegasus magic flowed through them. They are very complex gems and ones that I had not personally made before. That is why there were so many defective gems, I did not have the experience to make them correctly and without flaws.
"However, in this case your gemstone will merely be enchanted to transfer magic and spells from me through you. I have created these gemstones many times for my minions, and they are simple to enchant. Forsooth, this enchantment is the exact reason that I included the gemstone into your chest armor.
"Your concern is greatly appreciated, but it is unnecessary this time."
The ebony mare lit her horn and touched the tip to the gemstone in my armor. After a few moments, she lifted her head and smiled at me.
"There, the enchantment is complete. Now, don your armor and I shall review its new feature with you."
One magical 'put on my armor' spell, and I was ready. But instead of waiting for instructions, I sunk my magic into the gemstone and tried to figure out what had changed. And I found quite a bit.
"It looks like you added several spell slots into the gem. There's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 slots here, with 'center' being neutral. 'Up' and 'front' have spells in them, while 'down', 'left', 'right' and 'back' are empty. 'Up' feels like the signal spell you taught me before, do I still need to put a hand on the gem to activate it?"
Nightmare Moon chuckled at my child-like enthusiasm.
"Nay, I can hear it ring loud and clear. The other spell is the Shadowbolt creation spell. Using the spell is simple: concentrate on the target or targets, then push magic into the 'front' spell slot until the spell activates. Essentially, the spell in your gemstone accesses my magic and knowledge to craft the spell. Your magic is used to power it."
"Sounds easy."
"That is its intention. However, be aware that I will know what spells you are trying to cast through me. And I have the ability to deny it to you.
"I also have the ability to induce a feedback into the spell. The feedback can be as little as a small vibration, or it can be a painful backlash. I can also destroy your gemstone if I choose. This ability is merely a safeguard, to prevent anypony from abusing the spells I have lent to you."
The dark mare smiled at me, then reached up and tenderly touched the underside of my chin with a hoof.
"You have earned my trust many times over, but abuse has happened and I must protect myself. I have no intention of ever using this ability upon you, ever. No threat to you is intended, my Captain. Yet I felt it necessary to inform you that this ability exists."
No threat, my ass. Implicit threat received loud and clear. Betray her, and ka-boom.
Not like I was planning on betraying her, anyway
"You are now ready to create your own Shadowbolts, and we are ready to start our night of conquest. After I don my armor, of course."
True to her word, we were out the door as soon as the mare had put on her armor. Our target was the El Segundo police station, to complete our conquest there. But after our night was over, my exciting day was about to begin.