//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 // Story: Through the Eyes of Nightmare // by Mister E-Nonymous //------------------------------// Chapter 24 Castle Grounds... Canterlot... Equestria... August 31st... 11:00 AM... The Ponyville Schoolhouse was going on a class field trip to Canterlot. Miss Cheerilee was teaching the class about the sculptures in the garden they were going through. As the class was passing through, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo weren't getting along that day. Moonlight was getting a little worried from her friends behavior. But it wasn't like this a few days before that, when they found out that it was Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom that made her and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony got their Cutie Marks. They all reached a certain statue of a creature made of different animal parts. Cheerilee then asked what that statue represented, the Crusaders saying different things. Such as confusion, evil and chaos. Which were all correct in a way, which all meant Discord. The creature was a draconequus. A being with the head of a pony, and a body of many other creatures. Moonlight then noticed something coming from the chest of the statue, squinting her eyes towards the statue's chest. Just then, she was bumped down to the ground, something falling out of her saddlebags. Moonlight looked towards whoever pushed her, and saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, walking away from her with the class, both fillies giving a look that they felt more superior to her. Moonlight then got up, and followed the rest of the class. As soon as she got to the front of the class, Cheerilee stopped and said, "Before we continue, we were told that it's going to be a hot day. So everypony put on some sunscreen." All the school foals stopped, reached into their saddlebags, and got out their sunscreen. But Moonlight, she couldn't find it anywhere in her saddlebags. "Where is it?" Moonlight asked. She then thought of something. "It must've fell out when Diamond Tiara pushed me over." "Diamond Tiara!" Cheerilee said angrily towards the pink filly. "Is that true? Did you push over Moonlight?" "She should've been watching the class moving on," Diamond Tiara scoffed. "I didn't even push her that hard." Moonlight groaned and said, "I'll be right back." She then rushed back down the path, and saw her bottle of sunscreen. She smiled and grabbed it with her magic. She then used her magic to apply the sunscreen. Although, she couldn't see the spots where she didn't put sunscreen. Even though she tried to look. Then something took the sunscreen from her magic. "Let me help you with that." Moonlight then stopped, got confused, and then she felt something applying the sunscreen on the places she couldn't see or reach. Just then, her saddlebags opened, and the bottle of sunscreen was put back in. "Um... thank... you...?" Moonlight thanked what helped her, before she got a shocking experience. "Boo." It was a creature of different animal parts. Moonlight screamed, and tried running away, but her hooves didn't take her anywhere because her tail was grabbed by the creature. "Oh, Moonie, I thought you'd be a lot more respectable than that," the creature said, starting to circle Moonlight. "I thought that the two of us... could have some fun. Causing Chaos across the land. How would you like that?" Just then, the creature was blasted away from there, letting go of Moonlight. Moonlight looked towards where the blast came from and saw somepony she was glad to see. "Keep away from my niece!" Shining Armor stated. "Uncle Shining!" Moonlight said, running up to him. Shining grabbed Moonlight, and he put her on his back, running towards the rest of the class before the creature recovered. "So the Discord statue wasn't just a statue, but a prison," Shining Armor said. "I'll lead your class away from here." As soon as he said that, he noticed them heading down the path. He ran right pass them, stopped in front of them and said, "Sorry to disappoint you all, but something has come up and all of you have to leave back to Ponyville." "Oh, really?" Cheerilee asked. "Yes, everypony back to the train station, quickly," Shining Armor said. Cheerilee then noticed Moonlight on Shining Armor's back and asked, "Is that one of my students?" "It would seem that the draconequus statue wasn't really a statue, but a prison," Shining Armor said. "And Moonlight here has gotten a bit traumatized. I'll take her home personally to her mom, Twilight Sparkle." "How do you know she's Twilight Sparkle's daughter?" Cheerilee asked. Shining Armor smiled and said, "Twilight Sparkle is my younger sister." That made the class shocked to see that Moonlight not only was she on the back of the captain of the royal guard, but that the captain was her uncle. "Now, get going!" The class then started running away from that area. Shining Armor then ran towards the castle with Moonlight still on his back. Castle... Canterlot... Equestria... August 31st... 11:10 AM... Shining Armor ran into the castle's throne room, Moonlight still on his back. He stopped and looked up towards Princess Celestia, who was stunned to see both Shining Armor and Moonlight coming in. "Shining Armor," Princess Celestia said. "Might I ask why you've barged in here? And with your niece?" "Princess Celestia," Shining Armor said, bowing. "There's a slight problem. It would seem that the statue representing Discord... has been broken, and the creature inside it is loose." That made Princess Celestia gasp and say, "Get Moonlight back to Ponyville, and alert your sister about this. Tell her and her friends to meet me up here in Canterlot." "Yes, your highness," Shining Armor said. "I'll get a chariot that can fit six ponies for Twilight and her friends to fit in." Princess Celestia nodded, and then Shining Armor and Moonlight headed out of the throne room. As soon as he left, he looked back at Moonlight. "Everything's going to be okay, Moonlight," Shining Armor said. "I'm gonna get you back home and protect you." "I didn't think something like that was possible," Moonlight said. "I know," Shining Armor said. "Now, let's get you home." Sweet Apple Acres... Ponyville... Equestria... August 31st... 12:00 PM... The Mane 6 and Spike were at Sweet Apple Acres to undo all the craziness going on. Twilight tried using a spell to undo all of the chaos happening, but it failed. She then came up with a plan B. She had Rainbow Dash round up all the pink cotton candy clouds that were raining chocolate milk, then Applejack used her lasso to pull the clouds down to the ground, and all the animals with long legs went over to the cloud, eating it. "You see, Spike?" Twilight asked. "You should never give up. There's nothing we can't overcome if we all work together." Just then, they saw a chariot coming down. It landed right by the group, and out came Shining Armor and Moonlight. All of them were surprised to see both of them exiting the chariot. "Shining Armor?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?" "There's some trouble going on," Shining Armor said before looking around. "I see that it's happening here as well." "So, why are you here?" Twilight asked. "And why did you bring Moonlight back from her field trip?" "Basically, the one causing this was a statue in a part of Canterlot where her school was having their field trip," Shining Armor said. "Princess Celestia expects you all to be in Canterlot. I'll stay here to protect Moonlight. Spike, just in case we need to get in contact with the princess, we're going to need you to stay as well." Spike saluted and said, "You got it, Shining." Then the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony got into the chariot. "Alright, stallions," Shining Armor said. "Get these six mares to the castle." The Royal Guard nodded, and then they started flapping their wings, taking the six mares to Canterlot. "Alright, Moonlight. Let's get you home." Moonlight and Spike nodded, and then both of them got on Shining Armor's back. Then Shining Armor started running towards town. Golden Oaks Library... Ponyville... Equestria... August 31st... 12:30 PM... Shining Armor brought Spike and Moonlight back to the Golden Oaks Library, moving through all the chaos. As soon as they went in, Shining Armor lit up his horn, and then a barrier surrounded the place. "What are you doing?" Moonlight asked. "I put up a barrier that shields the place from Discord's Chaos Magic," Shining Armor said. "Now, we all have to stay here until this chaos all blows over." Moonlight then looked over at the books and asked, "What defeated that thing in the first place?" "According to Princess Celestia, she and Luna had defeated him using the Elements of Harmony," Shining Armor said. Moonlight looked at the bookshelves and saw a book that said, "The Elements of Harmony: The Reference Guide." She walked over towards it and pulled it out. "Maybe there's something in here that can help defeat that thing," Moonlight said. She then opened it up, and she saw five necklaces and a crown, all with gems on them. "What the heck?!" Shining Armor and Spike looked over Moonlight's shoulders and gasped as well. "The Elements of Harmony?!" Spike asked, shocked. "But, I thought they were locked away in Canterlot!" "Discord must've moved them here, and tricking Twilight and her friends," Shining Armor said. "Spike, get a message to the Princess, immediately." Spike saluted, and then he took out a quill and parchment. He then started writing down what happened. As soon as he finished writing, he blew his emerald flames on it, sending it to Princess Celestia. Just then, there was a huge pounding coming from outside. The three of them headed out the door, Moonlight bringing the Elements of Harmony, and all three of them seeing Discord pounding the barrier with a door basher. "Not! Fair!" Discord shouted. "I was going to have some fun with messing with those six mares and their personalities, and you're messing with it!" "You think it's fun to mess with the lives of other ponies for no reason?" Shining Armor asked, angrily. "I'm making sure that you're going back where you belong!" Discord gave Shining Armor an angry look, and then he saw Moonlight. He smirked and said, "Hello, there, Moonie." Moonlight got scared and stepped back, hiding behind Shining Armor. "Oh, what have we here?" Discord asked, looking up and down Moonlight's body from outside the barrier. "It would seem that we have a victim from the curse of the Eye of the Night." "How would you know about those diamonds?!" Spike asked, angrily, hugging Moonlight. "Who do you think was the one who put that curse on those diamonds in the first place?" Discord asked, smirking. Moonlight's eyes narrowed. Then from the corners of her eyes, tears started streaming. She then got angry, and stomped towards Discord. "IT WAS YOU?!" Moonlight shouted, using the Royal Canterlot Voice. "YOU MADE ME THIS WAY?! WHY?!" Discord had some sound cancelling headphones over his ears, but they weren't helping much. He then removed them and said, "I just like to cause chaos whenever I want to. Oh, those poor saps never saw it coming." He then put the headphones back on. "IT'S NOT FUNNY FOR THOSE WHO WERE USING THOSE DIAMONDS!!" Moonlight continued shouting. She then got out of the barrier, walking towards Discord. "YOU'RE THE REASON I ENDED UP THIS WAY!!" "Moonlight! No!" Spike shouted, running towards the filly. "Get back in the barrier!" Shining Armor said. It was too late. Moonlight was then floating up in the air, like she was in a zero gravity field. Discord then went face to face with Moonlight, smirking. "Oh, my little pony," Discord said, giving Moonlight an evil glare. "It would seem that you need an attitude adjustment. I will make sure that you're going to appreciate what I've done." Just then, circles of colors came from Discord's pupils, then repeating from Moonlight's. She was being hypnotized. "NO!!" Spike and Shining Armor shouted, running out of the barrier. When they were about to grab Moonlight, they were both trapped in two separate cages. "Hey!" Spike shouted. He then kicked the cage, hurting his foot. "Ow!! Let us out!" He then started pounding on the cage, trying to get out. "Sorry, you two," said Discord, smirking. "This is my way of ruling Equestria through Chaos, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." "Moonlight!" Spike and Shining Armor shouted, trying to get Moonlight to snap out of it. Moonlight's Subconscious... August 31st... Time: Unknown... Moonlight woke up. She looked around and saw that she was in a world full of complete chaos. Moonlight then tried to move, but her limbs were stuck. She looked at her right foreleg, and saw that it was shackled and chained up. Along with her other hooves, her wings, and even her tail. Moonlight then tried to pull them free, but when she tried, the chains stretched like rubber bands and snapped back. "What?!" Moonlight asked. She then looked around, looking for somepony to help her. "Help! Somepony! Help!" "Nick..." came a faint voice. Moonlight stopped struggling, looking around. Just then, her scenery changed to New York City, and the chains wrapped around her vanished. She looked around, searching for the voice. "Nick..." the voice repeated. "M-Mommy?" Moonlight asked, looking around. She saw that she was in Central Park. She then started running, trying to find the source of the voice. "Nick..." When the voice came again, Moonlight stopped, and turned her head towards the voice. There, she saw two silhouettes. Silhouettes of two humans she hadn't seen in a long time. She then started running towards them, but another voice came in. "You're seriously going to fall for that?" Moonlight stopped and looked around. "Who... who's there?" Moonlight asked, getting nervous. Moonlight then heard hoofsteps, coming from behind her. Moonlight turned around and saw a cloaked figure coming towards her. The figure was around her size, and Moonlight was getting nervous. "Don't be afraid, Nick," the figure said. "I'm not here to hurt you. I can't hurt you even if I wanted to." "Who are you?" Moonlight asked. "All I can say is... a friend," the figure said, removing the cloak, showing what she looks like. Moonlight was astonished by the figure's appearance. She looked almost exactly like her current body. Moonlight then stepped back, getting away from the figure. "Who... who are you?" Moonlight asked. "Ever since you had the mental trouble that day, Princess Luna decided to come up with a way to make sure you wouldn't be corrupted again," the filly said. "I am your subconscious guardian. You may call me Nyx." "Nyx?" Moonlight asked. "Like the story, Nyx of the Night?" The figure known as Nyx nodded. She then said, "And right now, you're about to be corrupted by the Lord of Chaos." She then pointed at the two figures. "Those two aren't your birth parents. They're a mental illusion created by Discord to make you do what he wants. He wants you to keep the Elements of Harmony away from your adoptive mother and her friends." "Wh-what?" Moonlight asked. "Don't give in to Discord's chaos," Nyx said. "The best thing for you to do is to let your parents go. No matter what, they will always be apart of your heart. It's time to say goodbye to them." Moonlight then looked over at the silhouettes. She had tears in her eyes as she watched the silhouette of her birth mother waving her arms for her to come towards her. Moonlight then started crying. With a silent voice, Moonlight said to the silhouettes, "Good... goodbye, Mommy... goodbye, daddy..." She then turned away from them, following Nyx away from the silhouettes. Golden Oaks Library... Ponyville... Equestria... August 31st... 12:35 PM... Shining Armor and Spike were trying to bust out of their cages as fast as possible to save Moonlight. Discord then let go of Moonlight, dropping her to the ground. "MOONLIGHT!!" Shining Armor and Spike shouted. Just then, the cages around them vanished. They then ran towards Moonlight, trying to see if she was okay. "I wouldn't get your hopes up," Discord said. "She's now what I want her to be. She'll be leaving Ponyville, and taking the Elements of Harmony with her." "No... I'm... not..." Those three words did not come from any of the three males there. The three of them looked towards Moonlight. She turned towards Discord, giving him an angry glare. "I'm not what you want me to be," Moonlight said. "I'm not going to be what you want me to be. You might have made me what I am today, but I will not be what you want me to be!" Discord gasped at what came out of Moonlight's mouth. He then asked, "How is this possible? Nopony can resist my chaotic corruption." "Maybe because she's not like any other pony!" The group looked over and saw the Mane 6 running towards them. Moonlight smiled, and tossed the Elements of Harmony towards the Mane 6. Twilight caught the Elements of Harmony in her own magic, and put them on her friends and her own head. Then the six of them activated their Elements and created a Rainbow Laser, heading towards Discord. "No. NO!!!" Discord shouted as his body was being turned to stone. Then his statue fell over, and everything in Ponyville went back to normal. After the Mane 6 returned to the ground, they walked over to Moonlight, Spike and Shining Armor. Twilight then pulled Moonlight in for a hug, saying, "Thanks for letting us know. I couldn't ask anypony else to be my child." Moonlight smiled as she was hugging Twilight, but the smile faded when she remembered something that Discord said. Shining Armor walked up to Twilight and said, "Twylie, there's something you have to know." Castle... Canterlot... Equestria... September 1st... 12:00 PM... The next day, the Mane 6 reported what happened about Discord, and what he had done over 1000 years ago. Princess Celestia was very surprised at the news. "So, it was Discord who was responsible for making the Eye of the Night having a monstrous transformation enchantment," Princess Celestia repeated. "I should have known. Only he would have done something so cruel just for fun." "So, even though Moonlight was unintentionally brought here, I wouldn't ask her for any other foal to call my own," Twilight said, looking down at Moonlight. "She's my foal, and I'm not going to let anything else change my mind." Moonlight smiled up at Twilight, and hugged her. Princess Celestia smiled and said, "I couldn't be any more prouder of you, Twilight. You have become a whole lot more social than when you were around her age." "I guess I couldn't ask for anything else," Twilight said. She then turned around. "Alright, girls, and Spike. Let's head on back to Ponyville." The Mane 6, Spike and Moonlight headed for the door. But as she was walking, she heard a voice she heard. "You did good, Moonlight." Moonlight's eyes narrowed and saw Nyx walking right beside her. At first, she was about to ask her something, but then she looked around to see the Mane 6 and Spike continuing their walking through the castle. "Don't worry about them," Nyx said, smiling. "Nopony can see or hear me but you. I'm going to be a part of you, to protect you from corruptions." Moonlight was about to speak out loud, but Nyx spoke again. "Don't talk out loud. Just think, and I'll respond." "Am I going to have to tell Mom about this?" Moonlight thought. "The choice is up to you," Nyx said. "I'll be waiting to talk to you if you want me to." She then faded from her view. Moonlight then smiled, and sped up to Twilight, walking with her until they reach the Train Station, ready to head home. THE END?