//------------------------------// // Reassurance // Story: Lunar Soul // by ShadowedKnight68 //------------------------------// Twilight walked down the halls of her castle quickly, she had a focused look on her face, her mind however was far from focused, so many thoughts raged within her, memories coming up and replaying as if trying to spot something she hadn't at the time. "...Twilight…" Spike spoke up he'd ben worried for her but not just her all the girls recently, he didn't fully understand what was happening but something was going on.. Twilight didn't understand how she didn't see it...how she could have been so easily fooled, after she arrived at Applejack's a letter appeared,she was testing a new spell with spike for when they were separated, that way if he got a letter it could go straight to her….the letter she received at Applejack's was from Rarity and she sounded distressed about something but she didn't say what in the letter. After leaving Bl-Nightmare Moon she went to Rarity's to see what was wrong, she saw the destruction of Rarity's workroom, the mirrors were shattered, and not a single dress hung from the racks, Rarity lay on her fainting couch eating from a bucket of ice cream, numerous empty buckets on the floor beside her. After worryingly asking her what happened she found out that yesterday Nightmare had destroyed the room for no reason after Rarity cleaned her up and made her a dress, Twilight wondered if this was why she came home-...back to the castle so upset. Trying to reassure Rarity that it must have been a misunderstanding and that Nightmare hadn't been sleeping well and that could have been the cause of her outburst, but after arriving home later in the day she was greeted by a raging Applejack who demanded to know where Nightmare was, Twilight said she must be in her room but upon checking she found her nowhere in the castle. Asking wy Applejack as so enraged she found out that Applejack found Nightmare pinning Apple Bloom to the ground, Applejack then saying she told her to leave and Nightmare ran off, she'd figured she had gone here but she obviously had not. With no other choice and so much evidence against her...Twilight knew they needed to find Nightmare and restrain her before bringing the Princesses to deal with her, rounding up the girls they began searching the town, however Rainbow Dash told them they should probably leave Fluttershy at home since she was already pretty fearful of Nightmare Moon and they didn't need to out her through anything stressful. They're days worth of searching came up with nothing unfortunately, Nightmare couldn't be found anywhere in and out of town, even the castle of the two sisters was empty. They'd tried thinking of where she might go, Canterlot being an option thought probably not smart since the Princesses were most likely already looking out for her even without word of her recent actions, unfortunately they didn't know much of anything Nightmare liked...places she'd want to go….none of them really...asked her or spent all that much time getting to know her…. Twilight gritted her teeth thinking back to the times she comforted Nightmare….she was so close...so open to her….and it was all a trick! A scheme to hide her true nature! "Twilight!" Spike yelled. Twilight was snapped out if her thoughts "oh I'm sorry Spike….I've...just been thinking alot." "I know you all have, but no one will tell what happened!" Spike looked at her. Twilight huffed and explained everything, getting a bit heated when retelling him "she tricked all of us...and now she's just vanished!" "......wait so we're talking about the same Nightmare Moon right? The same mare who was crying on the ground and then brought to her bed where you comforted her to sleep?...that Nightmare Moon?" Spike asked in disbelief. "Yes Spike, that same liar…" Twilight glared at nothing in particular. "....I don't believe you." Spike crossed his arms "What?!?" Twilight looked at him wide eyed. "Well she just...didn't seem all to evil anymore...I don't know to many super villains that will cry and then let their enemy pet them, maybe something happened that made her do those things? Or….maybe…..we just need to hear her side of the story?...we can't just judge her because of things she did in the past if she is trying to be better….if we did that Discord wouldn't be our friend today." Twilight blinked in shock "...Spike….when did you…..become so mature..??" "Well I learned from a bunch of good ponies" Spike smiled eyes closed. Twilight smiled and nuzzled him "....alright...I'll keep what you said in mind….let's get the girls and search again…." Spike nodded and the two headed out of the castle. Fluttershy was flying around slowly looking around the edge of the town, after seeing the mess that had happened and helping to calm the animals….she had gotten worried about Blake...she at first thought she did all of it on purpose...but upon looking back to Blake's expression and behavior,, she realized Blake looked scared and apologetic, even her last words brie vanishing were an apology and she didn't need to have Applejack's sense of truth to know when a pony was actually sorry  "um Blake? Please come out…." She called softly as she looked at a tree with a squirrel sitting in it "excuse me Mr Squirrel, have you seen a tall black mare with blue wavy hair?"  The squirrel rubbed it's chin and then chittered. "Oh thank you" Fluttershy smiled flying the direction the squirrel said, flying into the open field she looked around not seeing anything besides a single tree, her eyes suddenly went back to the tree and focused under it where the shade was, beneath the tree was lying Blake. Sighing in relief she began flying over but her pace slowed as she looked at Blake, her eyes were closed, her mane and tail slowly flowing behind her, she looked relaxed and peaceful, Fluttershy remembered being so fearful of Blake because of how she looked, though now she found Blake was actually beautiful looking. Fluttershy's focus shifted from Blake to the sudden movement next to her, a small rabbit hopped through grass by Blake making her eyes widened, she wasn't sure how Blake would react to the rabbit, though she had a fear of the reaction...the animals never reacted calmly around her and if that was what set her off back at the cottage then it could happen once more.. Blake's eyes opened and she gave the rabbit a side glance, her face showing disdain at the rabbit. Fluttershy picked up her pace flying towards them in panic. Blake raised a hoof slowly and moved it over the rabbit, her eyes were cold locked on the rabbit, the rabbit itself looked up and sniffed the air. Fluttershy was freaking out as she tried to fly faster to save the rabbit. Blake's hoof suddenly went down at the rabbit and Fluttershy threw her hooves up covering her eyes as tears formed in them, how could anypony be so cruel?? Especially to an innocent animal? Maybe she was wrong about Blake, she truly is Nightmare Moon. Slowly peaking through her hooves Fluttershy looked towards Nightmare Moon and where the rabbit once was, only...she saw a soft smile on Nightmare Moon's face as her hoof slowly pet the rabbits head, confusion filling Fluttershy as she slowly flew over. "Blake?" She asked softly looking towards the large mare. Blake's body tensed as her eyes locked onto the ground wide and with fear "h-hey Fluttershy…" her voice was quiet and sounded fearful. Fluttershy took a careful step towards her seeing her wings twitch...she was ready to run if she moved closer, taking a step back she sat down "...are you ok…?" "...am I ok?....why are you asking if I am??...after what I did to your home...the animals…" she closed her eyes tightly. "I know you didn't do it on purpose….and while some of the animals said you did...there were others who noticed how stressed you looked...scared…" Fluttershy gingerly moved closer. "I-I'm sorry Fluttershy...you were the last per-pony I wanted to upset….I...I've ruined everyone's life I ever entered…yours...the girls….my parents….maybe...maybe if I never was born everyone would have been happier..?" Blake looked to the ground somberly "No!" Fluttershy suddenly spoke up with a brave voice, Blake looking surprised by it "never say that!....you've been dealing with things no pony should ever have to.." she moved closer "I know you didn't mean to do what you did...and I know that you are trying to prove to us that you're not Nightmare Moon…" Blake kept her gaze away for Fluttershy but when her chin was gently pulled to look at her she found a smiling Fluttershy "everypony deserves to be happy...you as well...and I think...you've been focusing on everyone else's happiness that...you forgot your own.." "But….what if I just bring more pain to everyone?" "I know you won't Blake...I'll help you...and so will our friends" Fluttershy assured. "They aren't my friends…" I said softly, it might have sounded crueler than intended but it was true...after all I'd done… After the destruction I caused at Fluttershy's I could only say I was sorry as my thoughts were on despair and wanting to just...get away from doing any more damage...my magic seeming to activate and I was suddenly out in a field... fearful at first I got the idea it may have been a teleportation spell.. Most likely from the amount of magic I used, and the day I went through I collapsed from exhaustion falling asleep right then and there….I only woke the next morning when the sun shines into my eyes. I didn't know where else to go so I sat beneath a nearby tree and just...waited….for once I was happy only because I was away from anybody I could hurt, my existence in this world seemingly to bring harm and pain...whatever higher being deciding what would be...had a sick sense of humor….to unleash me on such a happy world… With a day just to myself my mind honestly wondered, so many different thoughts, why's, how's, and what for…like why did this happen to me? A simple human who'd done nothing all to exciting in life...what connection did I have to this world or this body?...I didn't know and I doubted I ever would... Honestly my time waiting made me wonder if the Princesses would come to take me away...maybe Celestia would send me to the moon as she had the original Nightmare Moon, the land would be safer, I'd be away from anyone I could hurt… Maybe it was for the best?....but then again that solitude would be maddening, that dream told me neither the the moon wasn't the best place to spend a thousands years on….a thousand years…..an impossibly long time yet possible for me now… "But they are" Fluttershy reassured "whatever problems you had we can work through it..if friends gave up on each other then the world wouldn't last...I'll tell the girls if they have doubts to keep trying, I know it will be ok." As much as I wanted to say she was wrong, say it was hooked and just to fly away or to try and teleport again…..I couldn't...that hopeful look in her eyes, the innocents that said she believed her words….made me want to believe too, taking a deep breath and exhaling it i nodded "o-ok…." Fluttershy smiled widely. "I already checked there" Rainbow Dash groaned resting her head on her hoof while sitting in her chair around the crystal map table. "Yes darling we've checked everywhere, I say it's time we send a letter to the Princesses and have them try to find her" Rarity said poofing her mane. Twilight huffed "we have to keep trying, and having the Princesses go and search won't help either, they would have just as much luck as we are" she looked to her friends who all looked like they were out of ideas and frowned. Twilight knew they couldn't just give up "Well it's not like she's just going to appear from thin ai-" she was cut off as the doors to the room opened and Fluttershy waked in smiling. "Oh wow I thought she was really about to just walk in" Rainbow Dash chuckled softly. "Oh well…." Fluttershy looked back and slowly stepping out from the hall and into the room, the tall dark furred mare stepped in, eyes avoiding all the girls. Twilight sat slack jawed, Rainbow Dash mimicking the expression in her own surprise. Rarity and Applejack both went from surprised to glaring at Nightmare Moon, memories still fresh of the days they spent with the mare. Fluttershy noticed the looks and cleared her throat "Blake...has told me what happened during her days with everyone...and I believe we all need to work on how we work with he-them" she had picked up on how Blake reacted to using female pronouns, she'd have to tell the girls later about that. "She's sorry?? Sorry won't fix my boutique and the countless months I spent on those dresses!" Rarity exclaimed. "Or what happened on mah farm and to mah sister!" Applejack glared. "I...I'm sorry about the dresses Rarity…." Blake took a deep shaky breath "I….was not a mare...back home….and...the dresses and makeup made me feel not like me….I panicked and...I think my magic...activated? I don't remember what happened at the boutique…."  Rarity frowned…she'd remembered how Applejack didn't like dresses or normal mare things… "And Applejack I really wasn't doing anything to Apple Bloom….after we talked and I went to get the last of the apples I had kicked a tree that...became loose, it fell over and when I looked back I saw Apple Bloom there and realized she was right in the path of the tree and I ran grabbing her getting her out of the way….but...it's my fault the tree even fell….I won't deny it's my fault all these things happened….but..I don't mean for them to...I just...am not normal." Applejack remembered seeing the fallen tree...but she assumed it was Nightmare trying to get back at her also...Apple Bloom hadn't talked about the day but...she didn't look afraid when Applejack mentioned Nightmare Moon…. "I think we should try harder to help Blake feel more at home here.." Fluttershy said looking at her friends. "I agree with Fluttershy" Twilight said looking to the yellow mare and the tall one "I believe we have been viewing this as a task or job...when we should have been seeing it as something a friend would."  The girls looked to each other before they nodded, Rarity looking at blake and smiling softly "I... apologize for making you uncomfortable darling...I want to try and actually be generous for you…" Applejack rubbed the back of her neck "ah want to apologise too...ah may have...acted without thinkin...like Rarity said I want to actually try and help ya learn honesty...without bein so harsh on ya." Blake smiled "I'd like that...and...I'll try to..learn control of myself." "I'll help you with that" Fluttershy smiled. "And I'll help with your magic, without pushing you to perform spells" Twilight smiled and glanced to Spike who smiled proudly. "So then..what should we do first?" Rainbow Dash asked looking at all the girls. "I have an idea" Twilight smiled I looked at the girls who surrounded me...each talking with each other, joking, smiling...Twilight did have a good idea about what to do, eating all together was a good way to really become closer to someone... "Oh hey Blake! What's your favorite food??" Pinkie asked excitedly. "Oh it's ba-.....ked...bread...." I was almost about to say bacon when I realized I was surrounded by herbivores, that definitely wouldn't have painted a good picture of me. The girls looked confused "you mean toast?" Twilight asked. "Yeahhh...toast is another name for it...good ol toast..." I smiled nervously. All the girls burst out laughing each finding the reply humorous, I even found myself laughing after a couple of seconds it kind of was a funny thing to say your favorite food was, baked bread. Pinkie giggled falling off her chair making Rainbow Dash snort. I looked around as the girls laughed, maybe things could be better but it was gonna some work from both me and the girls, but...I have hope. "Oh oh! We should have a sleep over!!" Pinkie yelled popping up from the floor. "Oh that's a wonderful idea darling" Rarity smiled "I will have to find somepony to watch Sweetie Belle though." "Why doesn't she have a sleep over at the farm, that way Apple Bloom will have someone to spend time with while ah'm gone" Applejack offered. "Oh good idea" Rarity smiled. "Well then unless anyone has any complaints it's settled" Twilight smiled, the girls nodding smiling. I...was less enthusiastic...my nights haven't been the most successful maybe I could work my way out of it? "Uh...I've...never had a sleep over before so.." "WHAT???" Pinkie exclaimed. "Uh...I've..never have a sleep over?" I looked around seeing numerous shocked expressions "is that...that strange?" "Well now we gotta have a sleep over! We can't just let you not experience a sleep over!! They're sooo important! You get to spend a night with your friends and if you've already won't a day with them the it's like twenty four hours of friendship fun!!" Pinkie had climbed across the table and grabbed Blake by the cheeks pressing their heads together. I blinked "ok...I understand...but can I have my head back?" Pinkie blinked "oh sure" she let go and hopped back to her chair. Rubbing my cheeks I looked at them "uh...I guess...let's have a sleep over" I smiled nervously. The girls all cheered and got to prepping the sleep over. I stood nervously in the bedroom of Twilight, I hadn't actually been in this room before....and there was also the normal embarrassment of being in a girls bedroom...which would soon be filled with six girls...all of which will be sleeping here....as well as me...oh noooooooo... Look no need to panic! You do fine around girls! You can handle this! You haven't had any awkward moments with them....oh god I've had so many, if I'm not fighting or messing things up with them, then I'm having awkward moments with them!!! "Blake?" A gentle hoof touched me and sent me up into the air before I fell down in my back, blinking I looked at s very surprised looking Twilight. "Oh...hey Twilight...what's up?" "Well I noticed you looked a bit...stressed over something?" "No nope I'm all good" I smiled and got up. "....alright..." Twilight eyed her suspiciously before her attention was taken towards the door as the girls walked in carrying the sleeping bags, she lit hr horn and he bed suddenly changed into sleeping bag. "Uh....why'd you do that?" I looked at her "Because it's more fair and fun" she smiled. I looked around at everyone's sleeping bag, they matched their colors and even had their cutiemarks in them which was actually pretty cute, they all had sleeping bags for the sleep over...except for me, I guess I could sleep on the floor...made sense I mean I did ruin thier days....maybe I shouldn't even sleep in the same room as them...or even the castle at all...yeah...I don't deserve this comfort... "Oh blake darling" Rarity walked over after setting up her sleeping bag, she took another roll off her back and set it in front if the larger mare with her magic "I figured you didn't have one of your own and fortunately I had a spare, I'm sorry I didn't have time to give it some flare but I hope it's alright" she smiled. I looked down to the rolled up sleeping bag, the dark thoughts that had begun to cloud my mind dissipated, I smiled "than you Rarity, it's perfect." She smiled. "Oh good, thank you Rarity I was about to make one for her" Twilight smiled and trotted over to the other girls. I unrolled my new sleeping bag with my nose, it was a simple grey color but I liked it, never had a sleeping bag before but....it was nice to be given one.. "Alright so what should we do first?" Twilight looked to be friends. "Well I brought mud masks and some other beauty care items" Rarity levitated her saddlebag in the air. I froze in the middle of unrolling the bag, my eyes looking to Rarity's saddlebag, there was probably makeup in there....she'd want to put it on me....of course she would, why did I think she'd change?! Rarity glanced at Blake and lowered the saddlebags remembering earlier "w-well we don't need to this first but it's here for later..." She slid it behind her back. "Hmm what about s'mores, ah brought all the stuff" she set out the crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. "Oh good idea Applejack" Twilight smiled and stood before suddenly pinkie leapt into the air behind her. "PILLOW FIGHT!!!" Pinkie roared and smacked Twilight in the back of the head with the pillow. Twilight went face first into the floor, and pinkie looked for her next target. Rainbow Dash grabbed a pillow and flew into the air, she was not loosing to Pinkie in a pillow fight. Fluttershy shuffled into her sleeping bag head looking out as she looked around. Rarity squinted at Pinkie "Pinkie...my mane will get messy....don't think about it..." Pinkie squinted back and cocked the pillow "I won't..." She leapt at her. "Pinkie no!!" Rarity threw a pillow through the air at her before pinkie dodged it mid air and wacked rarity with the pillow making a pomf noise. Pinkie stood and looked around for her other targets, just three to go... Applejack was huddled in a corner with a grouping of pillows and Rainbow Dash was up in the air holding a pillow. I looked around, it'd had gone from sleep over to a fricken war! Pinkie seemed to take pillow fights seriously...oh no she's looking at me...crud what do I do?? Pinkie stood on her hind legs and spun the pillow around her head like nunchucks before holding it out ready. I kicked a pillow at her in panic. The pillow whacked pinkie in the face before sliding off "oh no!...I've been hit...blehh" she fell face first into the pillow. Well that went rather well....oh wait the last two... Applejack looked pretty cozy in that corner so she wasn't budging and Rainbow Dash was-flying right at me!! I ducked as she swooped by swinging the pillow. "Dang it, Blake I'm gonna win this, I have the high ground" Rainbow dash held her pillow ready. ....did...did she just...does she know?....Is there pony starwars?... questions for later, I grabbed a pillow with my teeth and looked towards Rainbow Dash intense focus in my eyes. Rainbow Dash Flew down pillow held out forward. I ran towards her holding my head up high with the pillow, I then quickly ran to the right away from her. Rainbow Dash shook her head surprised before chasing after her, she really thought she could escape her? Hah! She was a Wonderbolt! I kept running glancing back, good she was following...plan was working... Rainbow Dash sped up trying to touch blake with the pillow, just a couple more inches and....she'd....be...tagged! She lunged forward but Blake's head ducked down causing her to gasp as she saw Applejack in the corner with her pillow shields, Applejack sporting a surprised expression as well With an explosion of feathers Rainbow Dash crashed into Applejack making thier pillows release their feathers, they laid in a pile of feathers, Rainbow Dash raised her hoof up before dropping it in defeat. I dropped my pillow and smiled victoriously, for my first pillow fight I had claimed victory! Now I stood the champion of sleep overs!! Because none could surpass I!! Pillow lord!! A pillow tapped the back of Blake's hind leg. Blake blinked and crane she'd neck back, her eyes wide as she saw huddled on the ground still in sleeping bag and a pillow held in her mouth was none other than Fluttershy "no....my....power..." I collapsed into the pile of feathers and mares. After a moment of silence...the room was filled with a cacophony of laughter from each of the girls. "Fluttershy I can't believe you were able to stay hidden that whole time!!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed "well actually I can..." "I was so close...I could taste victory...no wait that's a feather" i spit the feather our and sat up smiling The girls giggled and started cleaning up the mess. I helped the best I could, glancing to Rarity her mane indeed was a mess now....but we didn't look upset, I guess she was saying that for dramatics, I couldn't help but chuckle softly as I cleaned, the pillow fight was waaay more fun than I thought! "Alright, now we can have some s'mores" Applejack smirked and glanced at pinkie who was pulling a pillow from her mane before slowly pushing it back in upon being caught. Wait how were we cooking the s'mores? We're inside and unless they wanna try making a fire indoors then I'm about to see some magic... Twilight lit her horn and suddenly a small floating flame appeared in the middle of the circle they had made, Applejack handed out the roasting sticks which sported marshmallows on them to each of the girls. I looked at the stick as it was held out to me, I looked at each if the girls as they held theirs with their hooves....how??? It just..stuck there for them...not wanting to risk it I grabbed the presented stick with both hooves punching them together to hold it, the girls looked at me strangely before focusing on roasting their marshmallows. I held mine forward over the flame and watched the magical purple fire beneath begin to roast mine as well as the others marshmallows, I kept pulling mine away from the fire when I feared it would burn, I never liked the whole black coating marshmallows would get when they burned, dipping the marshmallow down to the fire it suddenly caught flames, I panicked and quickly yanked the stick up out of the fire and lowered it to see the damage of my marshmallow....only there was no marshmallow...looking around in fear I then cringed as I saw the marshmallow stuck to the ceiling. "Blake?" Twilight spoke up. "What marshmallow?!" "What?" "Nothing uhh what's up??" Smooth Blake....smooth... Twilight looked confused before she shook her head "I wanted to ask if you liked staying here at the castle?" "Oh uh yeah it's nice...thank you again for letting me." "Oh you don't need to thank me, but...you don't sound fully content." "Well...." I rubbed the back of my neck "it's nice really, living in a huge castle...but it doesn't feel homey...and I feel like I'm relying on you all the time...honestly I feel like I rely on everybody...my parents...now you guys...." I sighed looking at my hooves. Twilight frowned "Blake you don't need to worry about that, I'm happy helping you out, we all are." The girls around her nodding in agreement. "I know we didn't have the best experience together darling but I we all definitely care about you and want to help in any way we can" Rarity smiled. "Thank you...all of you" I smiled, I felt a bit...more comfortable now. Rarity smiled, before a marshmallow plopped onto her horn and the girls erupted into laughter Yeah....I was definitely more comfortable here... Twilight yawned "well I'm pretty beat...I think I'm going to turn in." Pinkie yawned loudly "yeahhh me too." Rarity finished putting a mud mask on. Applejack yawned and smacked her lips together "yeah Ah'm gonna hit the hay too" Sleep? No....that meant I was going to have a bad dream...the night was going so well! Maybe I could convince them?? "Uhh what about um...a board game?" "I'm to tired to play" Rainbow Dash yawned and stretched. "But...but..." I looked between them all. They began heading to their sleeping bags "don't worry Blake, we'll have all tommorow to do more together" Twilight comforted as she got into her sleeping bag. I frowned as all the girls were getting to bed, I shuffled into my own sleeping bag but didn't try sleeping...maybe I could stay up all night?...shouldn't be to bad...yeah...like when I was young...just gotta occupy myself...in this dark room....with sleeping girls........bad brain! Bad thoughts! Just....relax and chill....easy...