The Nightmare Knights Become A Band

by SwordTune


Verse 17

“Iron Will assures he has learned his lesson. No funny business.”
Once he had taken the paperwork, Luna began walking through the setlist with his assistants and giving them instructions for the sound and lighting. Normally, the rehearsals and equipment checks would be done in advance, but being replacements for a performer left them short on time.
Iron Will watched with a smile as the Knights worked with his crew.
Luna was surprised at how skilled the goats were. In the two weeks leading up to the concert, the band had focused their time into preparing their performance. Placement, movement, and presentation were planned out and re-planned. But in a few short hours, the goats learned it all. Of course, with such short notice, they had to keep things simple.
And being their first concert with more than one song to play, Luna was thankful for the simplicity.
Tempest and Starlight talked with two goats as they ran through their movements across the stage. They wanted to cross the stage and switch places throughout the performance to keep the audience tracking them. For that, they needed the cords on their guitars untangled at all times.
Further back, even Svengallop seemed satisfied as the goats got him everything he asked of them, from carrot shakes to a better chair to sit on while he tested his keyboard. He was not all fun and games, though. As the band’s sound expert, he checked the speakers and ran through the sound sequence with the goat in charge of audio.
Luna took a look at the stage and swivelled her head around to Iron Will. “You could have asked for any band as a replacement, why mine?”
“Huh?” Iron Will looked at Luna, a little confused.
“Sorry, perhaps I should rephrase. What do the Nightmare Knights bring to your concert, beyond marketing with my name.”
“Oh, haha!” Iron Will laughed nervously. “Do not worry, Princess Luna. Iron Will knows music is more than just good marketing! Iron Will’s Assertiveness Training Program had a lot of music to express its goals and message. Music is about expression, right?”
“Alright, I believe you, but that doesn’t answer my question. Why us?” Luna asked. “Also, just call me Luna.”
Iron Will laughed again. “Well, ah, it’s embarrassing. Iron Will heard your album and felt what you were trying to say. You see, Princess--ah, Luna--you might be surprised to know that Iron Will doesn’t have… the best reputation.”
“So my band tells me. Go on.”
“Well, Iron Will knows that the one called Tempest was part of the Storm King’s army. You were once Nightmare Moon. And your drummer, well, Iron Will read that the Washouts lost a member recently.”
“Well, not too recent,” Luna said. “It was, what, half a year ago? A year maybe? Actually, I’m not too sure myself.”
“Iron Will saw their show in August, so a few months at least,” he nodded. “But we’re getting ourselves off track. Iron Will knows the Nightmare Knights are about acceptance, accepting our flaws. And Iron Will plans to remake his image so that all ponies will stop questioning the validity of his business practices!”
“Well,” Luna stared oddly at how he was posing. Minotaurs were large, and it was almost as if he couldn’t stop himself from flexing around. It was almost disturbing. “That’s certainly one way to interpret our music. Though I guess expecting anything less materialistic from you was too much.”
Iron Will shrugged. “What can Iron Will say? He is a creature of business. And habit. A lot of habits, actually. How old were you when you stopped sucking your thumb?”
Luna looked down at her hooves. “Uh… zero years old?”
“Wow,” he gawked. “That’s amazing.”


The concert was set to start just after sunset. That left the evening lit by the fading sun, but dark enough for the stage lights to show their full power.
Celestia and Twilight made their way through the thickening crowd. Most of the guests were ponies, but Fillydelphia had a growing population of dragons and hippogriffs, being closer to Equestria’s southern border. Quite a few of them showed themselves that evening, the dragons even offering light and warmth on that cool night with low fires in their mouths.
Even this late, there was enough light in the sky to clearly see the two alicorns’ faces. But they hid under hooded cloaks, intent on watching the concert unharassed by overeager ponies.
“I wish I could’ve had time to talk to Luna,” Twilight said. “After Canterlot, I had so many questions about her band. I almost gave the prize to the Nightmare Knights after that, but Rara and Sapphire Shores overruled me. Haha!”
“I’m sure Luna prefers it that way,” Celestia replied. “She seems intent on her own success, free from her reputation as a princess.”
“Well, even if I don’t know what she’s thinking, I’m glad for her,” Twilight said. “She went through a lot just to come back from the moon. When I think about all the dreams she guarded, even as Nightmare Moon, I’m honestly amazed.”
Celestia turned her head to Twilight. “As Nightmare Moon? Since when did she say that?”
“Oh, that was when she was teaching me how to raise the moon and protect dreams,” Twilight explained. “She said even from the moon she was connected to the Dream Realm. When she was Nightmare Moon, she thought she’d return as Equestria’s favourite princess if she kept redirecting nightmares.”
“Did she, now?”
Twilight shrugged. “I guess it makes sense. If she wasn’t guarding nightmares for a thousand years, where would they have gone? It’s not as if you or Cadence could have done it.”
“I-I guess… but she never told me about that.” Celestia directed her words to Twilight, but she murmured so softly that the young princess couldn’t have possibly heard her.
The empty lot was becoming a lot less empty now. Ponies crowded in behind Twilight and Celestia, packing them deep into the middle of the audience. Shoulders bumped against Celestia, hooves stepped on hooves. There was barely room enough to breathe. But Twilight seemed to have an even harder time with it.
Being a head taller than every pony else was an advantage Twilight did not yet have. The Princess of Friendship was in many ways still an introvert by nature. She preferred quiet nights and long sunny days over raves and loud parties. Twilight held her hood down with some magic, keeping her face hidden.
“Woo!” an energetic stallion a few rows back called out to Celestia, motioning to her cloak. “Getting into the spirit, nice!”
She feigned a smile, as she was so used to doing, but she really didn’t understand what was so exciting. She had seen Luna’s performance at Canterlot, but if she wanted to listen to music, she didn’t have to pack herself into what felt like a can of tuna.
Twilight shuffled and pulled a leg out from between two dragons who were already humming together. Perhaps it was a bad idea inviting her. She just wanted someone she could confide in and admit she was scared of losing her sister. But, perhaps coming alone would have sent a better message to Luna. At the end of the day, she just wanted them to be together.


The stage was hot like before.
Those lights were no joke. Despite the evening’s cool air, Luna could feel their heat on her face. The cheering crowd managed to take her mind off the brightness, however. Poppin said the sales of CDs were going up, but she wondered how many in the audience actually knew her songs. That left the crowd interactions a little limited. Singing along was up in the air.
But that was neither here nor there. The Nightmare Knights were the opening act for the night. So, they had to get right on with it.
“How are we doing this evening, everyone?” Luna cried out. Every pony, dragon, and hippogriff in the crowd called back a different answer. A wave of stomps and applause hung in the air.
Tempest and Starlight took their places next to Luna, and behind her, she could hear Lightning Dust and Svengallop ready and waiting.
“Alright Fillydelphia!” Luna called out into her microphone. “For those of you new to what we have in store, we are the Nightmare Knights! And I am your humble...” She signalled to the others by spreading her wings.
And they answered in unison. “Domina Matrum!”
The drums started up, precluding the song’s beat, but their voices of four knights was not enough. “Come on and hear you say it!” Luna told the crowd. Some ponies, and all the hippogriffs, responded in turn.
“That’s good. It’s the language of a bygone age, and old-griff diact. I hate to admit it, but I’m getting a little bit on the old side too, hehe.” A rumble of chuckles and laughter rolled through the crowd.
“Domina!” Luna said clearly. “A little history to get us all started, yeah? Let me hear you say it. Domina!”
In one loud push, the voice oF hundreds replied, “Domina!”
“Yes! Good.” She fluttered her wings and passed over to the other side of the stage. “I think this side was a little better though. Let’s see if they can do the next part. After Domina it’s Matrum. Let me hear it!”
“Matrum!” they all answered.
Luna scrunched her face. “Maybe I was wrong,” she grinned, going back to the opposite side of the stage. “Alright, your turn! Maybe this was where I heard those strong voices. Repeat after me, Matrum!
And again, they replied with equal power.
Luna laughed. “Aw, what the heck. I can’t tell, you’re all perfect.” She turned her face and shot a quick wink to Lightning Dust. Now the drums started picking, ridden by the growing power of the guitars.
“This is for all you lovely creatures here tonight! Tonight, I will be your…”
And the Knights answered with their mics. “Domina Matrum!

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

Domina Matrum

-

Through the dark we battle on

The frightful night’s upon us

All the hordes of Canterlot

The heretics who rise by the dawn.

-

Knights across Equestria

Go to the moon and higher

Rectify the virgin sun

The prophecy will wait no longer

-

Run far from the sun

War has begun

Driven by night’s desire

-

Run, run from the sun

And from the eye of the dawn

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

Domina Matrum

-

Friends across Equestria

And those beyond the veil

Raise up now the fallen one

The repairment of your denial

-

Scorching day and silent night

Your dreams will join together

Disregard the holy sun

Sing beside the Nightmare Choir

-

Run far from the sun

War has begun

Driven by night’s desire

-

Run, run from the sun

And from the eye of the dawn

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

-

Defectum, nobilium

Exultum, nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

Domina Matrum

-

Run far from the sun

War has begun

Driven by night’s desire

-

Run, run from the sun

And from the eye of the dawn

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

-

Defectum nobilium

Exultum in nocturnum

Defectum, exultum

Domina Matrum

-

Domina Matrum