Morning Dew’s ears twitched as she blinked the sleepiness away. When she opened her eyes, she saw her legs were tied together. Shifting her body, she felt her wings were bound as well. She took a deep breath and was about to yell when she heard voices and bit her lip as she listened.
“You fool! Everything we have accomplished since Sombra’s failure is in jeopardy,” said an unseen mare. Morning Dew scrunched her brows as she listened.
“It worked! I had opened the way into Limbo, I saw the Pony of Shadows myself.” Morning Dew flinched when she heard the voice of Astral Beacon. Her wings twitched.
There was a flash of green magic, and Astral Beacon cried out in pain. “Your success destroyed another city! We need ponies to be afraid, not dead!”
Astral Beacon shouted in rage, “I will succeed where Sombra failed. I will free the Umbrum.”
The mare huffed. “Your plan to use Princess Luna failed. The only reason we won’t kill you is that the Princess of the Night is no longer able to hunt new tantabi. However, without her, there isn’t anypony that could free our brethren.”
Astral Beacon let out a long breath, then spoke in a calmer voice, “Please, I know of another alicorn, and the key to finding him is the filly. When I first met her, I felt a touch of magic very similar to Luna’s. There is another pony whose magic can cross the planes of reality, this Prince Morpheus.”
“It’s still a foolish action, Astral Beacon. Because of your recklessness, Celestia is now suspicious.” Morning Dew heard hoofsteps moving back and forth behind her. “Even if there is such a pony as this Prince Morpheus, you have no idea where he is located.” The voice of the speaker sounded full of anger. Morning Dew flinched at the hate dripping from the words.
Astral Beacon replied. “That’s why I took the filly. His magic in her it’s fading. I must do the tracing spell now before it is gone.”
The mare spoke up again, “This is your last chance, Astral Beacon. The Shadows will be watching.”
Morning Dew heard the rustling of heavy fabric on the floor followed by the hoofsteps coming closer. Then the mare came into her view. What she saw was a black-cloaked figure with glowing yellow eyes.
Dew didn’t see a mouth but the voice came from that cloaked mare. “Seems the young one is awake.” Then the dark cloak rippled like water and turned into a sickly green emaciated pony with a face that was more bone than flesh. Morning Dew squeaked when the ghastly pony smiled and then faded into the shadows.
Morning Dew’s lip quivered. “What are you going to do with me?”
With a prominent limp of his left rear leg, Astral Beacon moved to stand before Morning Dew. “You? Well, nothing, if you behave. I want to see your little friend for myself.” With a glance behind her, his eyes flashed green. “Prepare the ritual.”
A shadow fell on her, and she turned her head to see it was Silver Bar. She made eye contact and saw his eyes were droopy and glowing green.
With his magic, he drew out a knife. Its blade reflected the light from the torches in the room. Her heart thumped in her chest as the blade moved closer to her foreleg. She tugged against the ropes and let out a whimper as the razor-sharp edge stung when it sliced into her skin. Her pleading gaze went to Silver Bar’s face only to be met with that mindless stare.
She cried, “No don’t! Stay back!” Her gaze moved to look at the knife as it cut into her. The sight of her blood sent a shiver down her spine. She then noticed how close the knife was to the ropes. Biting her lower lip, she shifted her forelegs so the blade sliced the bindings.
Silver Bar's face twitched, then a snarl formed on his face, his eyes focused on her with awareness. He took a breath, and his mouth opened to speak, but then the green glow grew stronger, and what conscious thought he had left him.
When Silver Bar withdrew the blade, he nicked a vein, and blood splattered on his face. He didn’t react and just backed up to let a second mind-controlled unicorn move in to catch the blood in a small wooden bowl.
Astral Beacon spoke up, “Careful, if she dies, the magic her body will release will disrupt traces of the foreign magic.”
Morning Dew looked at her leg and saw the cut wasn’t very deep, but it still stung. Tears ran down her cheeks, her ears flat against her skull. One of the unicorns wrapped her leg with a bandage. She flinched as the bandage was bound tight.
Morning Dew said, “I thought Silver Bar was working with you? Why do you have him under your mind control spell?”
Astral Beacon snorted. “Silver Bar was a unicorn supremacist, his hate for the alicorns made him an easy puppet. However, once he learned my real goal, his usefulness was no longer needed. Now be quiet, I don’t need you to be conscious.” Beside him, Silver Bar’s glowing green eyes twitched.
Astral Beacon stood at the far end of the room, drawing a complicated pattern on the floor. Once he was finished, the other unicorns in the room moved to stand with him in a circle. The bowl was then placed in the center, then all six lit their horns and cast the spell. The auras of their magic blended into a purple hue, then spiraled down into the blood.
After a few heartbeats, Morning Dew watched as Astral Beacon’s facial expression shifted into a grin. Dew lowered her gaze to the blood and saw it was beginning to boil. Rising from the blood were wisps of colored smoke. The majority of the smoke was orange of a similar shade as her coat. Intertwined within the swirling orange was a small amount of blue smoke.
Astral Beacon excitedly exclaimed, “There! That blue has to be his magic.” The unicorns then cast another spell. Astral Beacon’s purple-tainted magic reached out from his horn like a claw of a dragon and plunged into the smoke to grip the blue magic. With a flash the orange dispersed, leaving a sphere of purple with the blue magic formed into a small orb in the center.
As the blue sphere grew, a unicorn screamed in pain, and his horn cracked from the stress. Then a second unicorn collapsed, her eyes rolled, and her body spasmed. Crackling electricity bolts singed the floor and walls till a flash of blinding light forced Morning Dew to shut her eyes. Her ears went flat against her head when she heard a loud pop. When she opened her eyes, she spotted Morpheus suspended above the circle. Dew noticed something was wrong, he didn’t move, he wasn’t even breathing. Her eyes widened and her ears went back “No, Morpheus! Wake up!” Then his mouth opened and his chest expanded as he took his first breath of Equestrian air.
He didn’t know what happened, but he felt as if he couldn’t breathe, as if his lungs had stopped working. All his limbs tingled with pins and needles as if his entire body had fallen asleep and now was going berserk. The sensation of falling came next, and then the sudden hit as he fell onto a hard surface. Opening his eyes, he saw a stone floor and a burnt wooden bowl.
He squinted his eyes and his ears fell flat against his skull. “Dew? I don’t feel so good.” He struggled to lift his head when he heard hoofsteps behind him “Dew, is that you? I can barely see.” Then his eyes focused on the large figure that now stood before him. A dark-gray stallion with green glowing eyes with purple magic smoke emitting from them and his horn. His voice cracked as he spoke in surprise, “Sombra.”
Astral Beacon shook his head. “No, young prince. I am Astral Beacon, and I’m so happy to meet you. Morning Dew told me so much about you.”
From deep in Morpheus’ mind, the chilling voice of Nightmare Moon spoke, I told you she would betray you. Get away from him!
Morpheus grunted as he rose to his hooves. Legs shaking, he lifted his head and looked at Astral Beacon. “I don’t care what you say. Free us or regret it.”
Astral Beacon lifted an iron collar with red gemstones and rune-like markings. “Oh, no, little prince, there is a reason I need you, or should I say your magic.”
Morpheus' eyes widened as he lifted his right front leg and looked at the hoof. “This… isn’t a dream.”
His ears perked up as he noticed the voices of his friends.
Morning Dew yelled, “Morpheus, run!”
Nightmare Moon's voice was laced with anger. That’s a magic suppression collar! Don’t let him get it on you.’
Next came Pinkie’s and it shook with worry. He’s a bad meany head!
He glanced at the door, then looked toward Morning Dew.
With determination, he stared into Astral Beacon’s eyes and said, “Buck you.” Astral’s horn lit up. Morpheus charged and leaped to swing a punch at that horn.
Pain erupted on the left side of his ribcage and he was sent tumbling to the floor. Lifting his head again, he shifted his forelegs under him and pushed himself up.
Astral Beacon snorted. “Stupid colt, trying to fight a full-grown stallion. You don’t even know how to walk properly. Pathetic.”
The last thing Morpheus saw was the blinding flash of purple magic, then the darkness of unconsciousness took over. As his mind retreated, he faintly heard Morning Dew’s cry, “No!”
Nightmare Moon watched it all happen on a magical screen floating in front of her. When the screen went blank, she banished it with a wave of her hoof. The screen burst into particles of colorful lights before fading into nothing. As she stood up the ground started to shake valiantly, along the edge of the island chunks broke off and drifted away to burst into a mist.
Beside her Pinkie's eyes widened, her ears flat against her head as she looked at the changes to the garden. The once vibrant colorful flowers were now fading into gray. Soon after all the colors were fading into shades of gray. “Moony? What’s happening? Everything is going black and white.”
Nightmare Moon snorted. “I told you I am not Moony.” She shook her head. “Morpheus got himself captured. By now he has that cursed collar on, and it’s draining him of his magic. Without his magic, this island is dying.”
Pinkie turned her gaze to Nightmare Moon. “I’m made from his magic! If it’s dying… Does that mean I’m dying too?” She sat down and looked at her hooves. “I’m fading? No, I’m still all pink.”
Nightmare Moon looked at the smaller pony. “Not yet, you did get a boost of magic from the tantabus that was feeding off of Sure Strike. However, one tantabus wouldn’t be enough to keep you alive.”
Pinkie’s hair deflated and hung straight. “Oh… how much time do I have?”
Nightmare Moon looked to the now gray willow tree. “I don’t know, Pinkie. My best guess is a few days. As for me, once the spell matrix that holds this island together breaks, I will be forced back to haunting nightmares of foals or be doomed to be alone for a thousand years.”
Pinkie sprang to her hooves. “Moony! We need to get help! You can dream walk, you can get somepony to rescue Morpheus and Morning Dew!”
Nightmare shook her head. “Didn’t you hear me, Pinkie? I don’t have the magic to go to anypony but the weak-willed, and most of those are foals or idiots. None would have the ability to rescue anyone, nor get others to save Morpheus or that little traitor.”
With a huff, Pinkie grew in size till she was face to face with Nightmare Moon. “First use your eyes, Moony. Morning Dew was tied up, and Astral Beacon was all Sombraing. Either he tortured her or did some mind mumbo jumbo on her, there’s no way she would betray Morpheus willingly.”
She then looked up to the stars. “Second, how much magic do you need to get to Celestia?”
Nightmare Moon raised a brow. “Celestia? Why do you think I would go to her even if I could? Don’t forget I’m bound to the moon because of her.”
Pinkie’s eyes turned green as she faced Nightmare Moon. When she opened her mouth, she didn’t speak with her usual shrill voice. Instead, it was Jennifer’s voice. “How much magic do you need?”
Nightmare Moon looked up, and a bright star moved down, unlike many of the others this one was in an orb of golden magic. “I taught Celestia how to shield her mind, both awake and asleep.” She shook her head. “Just to attempt it, I would need what remains of the garden, and perhaps everything that holds you together.”
Tears ran down Pinkie’s cheeks, and she nodded. She took a deep breath and cried, “Then save him!” Her body started to glow with a soft pink light. It grew stronger as she lifted into the air. Then from her chest burst a billion motes of light that surrounded her in an increasingly complex magical circle.
Nightmare Moon stepped back. “What form of magic is that?”
Pinkie smiled as her whole body began to glow with the pink light. The light spread out, engulfing the garden in a sphere of pink magic. Then the spell collapsed into a mist that flowed into Nightmare Moon’s chest.
Nightmare Moon shook her head as she struggled to grasp what had happened. Then she touched her chest. The magic she was given coursed through her body. “Fool, trusting me to go beg Celestia for help.”
Around her, the vastness of the dream realm stretched out, stars of the minds of sleeping ponies dancing in the endless night sky. Light flashed under her hooves with each step as she moved closer to Celestia’s dreaming mind. She lowered her head and sighed mournfully into the starlit void. She looked back to where the garden once was. Her ears lay low, and her chest tightened with remorse. Then a flash of pink caught her attention. She turned to look at a speck of pink magic that floated beside her. “So I didn’t absorb it all…” The pink light flashed brightly, then dimmed before it floated off into the sea of stars. “Fine! But don’t blame me if she just sits on her plot!” Nightmare Moon snorted. “Celestia never did anything herself!”
Nightmare Moon then approached Celestia’s dream. “Well, sister, we're going to meet again far sooner than either of us expected.” Her horn lit up, and her magic slithered against the protective orb of magic around Celestia’s dream. The orb ruptured and parted. Her mane flowed around her body till only her misty smoke form remained, then the mist moved into the dream.
With the rich aroma of the fresh flowers in the air, Celestia pranced with joy. Just on the other side of the lush curtains was the grand hall decorated for the Gala. The music of the orchestra played for the gathered guests. She smiled as she fought the temptation to peaked through the curtains, instead, she turned to her husband Cosmos.
His platinum hair shimmered as it blew in the ethereal breeze of magic. His golden eyes watched her as she moved; he smiled mischievously. “You know, we could ditch the party and enjoy a lovely night alone.”
Celestia smirked, “As lovely as that sounds, we got guests. Not to mention, I don’t want the annoyance of the nobility complaining if we don’t show up.” She leaned over and nuzzled his neck, then playfully whispered, “Perhaps we can sneak out early.”
The two stepped through the doorway and into the grand hall. Beside the door, one of the party’s guest announcers called out her arrival. “Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, Champion of the Sun, Sole Ruler of Equestria.”
Celestia stopped and looked at the announcer with a raised brow. “Sole ruler? Dainty, what is the meaning of this?”
The pony turned with a puzzled expression on her face. “Princess? You are all alone.” She leaned closer and softly whispered with a worried tone, “My grandmother was Dainty, I’m Pristine.”
Celestia's attention returned to Cosmos, only to see that he wasn’t there. Shocked, she faced Pristine again and gasped as Pristine's face grew more wrinkles and her hair changed to shades of gray. Celestia's attention then went to the gathered ponies and watched as they rapidly aged and then their skin and clothing decayed to dust, their bones collapsing to the ground.
Vines grew along the crumbled marble pillars of the grand hall, and long cobwebs sparkled with dew in the moonlight that shone from the holes in the ceiling. In the center stood Celestia all alone in a beautiful display of death. She released a wordless scream of rage and reared up, then brought her hooves down on the cracked floor. “I will not allow myself to endure this nightmare!”
Her will pushed against the nightmare, trees burst from the stone, bright shrubbery grew and hid the remains of the ponies. She took a moment to listen to birds' chirps and the leaves rustling, then she opened her eyes to see the bright sunny spring day in the royal garden.
She looked around at the beauty and peace of the dream. “Much better…”
Celestia’s ears perked up, then she spun around to look to the east. “Who’s there! I can tell when someone is in my dreams.”
The sky grew dark with storm clouds. Once they overcame every sign of the sky, a patch opened and revealed the moon. Lit from behind by the full moon stood Nightmare Moon, unfolding her bat-like wings. “I’m glad you still remember our lesson. I hate to imagine what kind of tantabus you could spawn.”
Celestia stepped back, her eyes wide as she watched “How? You are supposed to be banished.”
Nightmare Moon sighed, then leaped off the cloud and glided to the garden below. She faced Celestia with a playful smirk. “Indeed, you succeeded to banish my physical form, however, I still can visit the dreams of our dear little ponies.”
Celestia moved to face Nightmare Moon. “So now you have come to attack me where I have no help.”
Nightmare then rolled her eyes. “Just like before, jumping to conclusions. I tried to tell you what was happening, but all you could see was the dark magic corrupting me.”
Then Nightmare Moon’s shadow stretched out from under her hooves, growing darker as it consumed the garden, even the grass, and the sky above. Every element of the dream was gone, leaving just the two alicorns alone in a black void. Then the shadows parted like a curtain to reveal the castle’s throne room as it was right before the fight.
Nightmare Moon walked slowly over to Celestia. “Let's look at that argument again, shall we? Perhaps this time you’ll listen.” She then turned and pointed to the thrones as a dream version of Luna stepped out from behind them.
Luna called out, “Celestia! We were betrayed!” Her nostrils flared with rage “Summon the guards! We need to capture them before it’s too late.”
Celestia watched a dream version of herself walk into the room with a determined expression. She sighed and spoke to Nightmare Moon, “I had no idea what you were talking about, Luna. Who betrayed you?”
Nightmare Moon snorted. “Oh, now you ask, but when I needed you, all you did was confront me.” Nightmare Moon motioned to the dream version of Celestia approaching the thrones.
Nightmare Moon chuckled as she heard David’s voice speaking from nowhere. “Oh, this is interesting,” Celestia narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by her own dream double’s accusing tone of voice. “Luna, what have you done? I can feel the dark magic from here.”
Celestia shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t so judgemental…”
Nightmare Moon snorted, waved a hoof, and stopped the dream. Then she faced Celestia fully. “Are you sure? Look at how you stood, Celestia. You were confronting me like a foal. I understand why you were like that. Starswirl taught us that any pony that gets corrupted goes insane.”
Nightmare Moon sighed. “And that’s the problem, you focused on the fact I was being influenced by dark magic, you didn’t give me a chance to explain. Now I can show you what happened.”
The colors of the throne room faded to gray, and the stone melted and moved like clay. Once the stones finished shifting, the dream solidified and the two stood in one of the castle’s spare rooms. Celestia's eyes widened when she saw Luna tied up on a table. Around her neck was a black collar embedded with red gemstones that glowed with a dark reddish hue.
Luna struggled against her restraints as Astral Beacon and Misty Dawn walked into the room. With venom in her voice, Misty spoke, “Feeling helpless, Luna? The great and powerful alicorn brought down to her knees.”
Celestia shook her head. “Misty? She was found dead, her neck snapped by magic.”
Nightmare Moon blinked and looked to Celestia. “I see. I can’t say I feel remorse. As you can tell, the last memories I have of her aren’t pleasant.”
The image of Luna cried out, “Misty! Why are you doing this? We were friends.”
Misty smirked. “Friends don’t get their friend's husband killed! All those soldiers are gone because you and Celestia were weak. You go around prancing proclaiming you are strong, but when the Crystal Empire needed you, you failed.”
Astral Beacon shook his head. “Ladies, don’t waste your energy arguing.” He smiled as he looked at Luna. “After all, I need every bit of energy from you to open Limbo.”
He moved to a piece of furniture covered with a cloth and pulled the fabric free, revealing a horseshoe-shaped mirror with the same red gemstones. “I have been studying Starswirl’s mirrors for years, and I finally got one that should work. All it needs is magic… magic tied to the Misty Planes.”
Luna struggled against the bindings. “You can’t! The Far Planes are worse than the chaos of Discord’s realm! Limbo is a timeless void, you risk reality itself coming undone!”
Astral nodded. “Indeed Limbo where Starswirl sent the Pony of Shadows.” He lit his horn with a soft orange glow, then tapped his horn to the frame of the mirror. The gemstones glowed brighter, and Luna screamed as the collar responded.
Celestia gasped and her ears lowered down in shock as the collar worked its magic. Tendrils of her blue magic filled the air as it traveled from her struggling form and into the silvery mirror. It wasn’t long before the mirror turned dark, and the misty-filled landscape of Limbo was seen. Dark mist seeped out of the mirror and sought out prey.
Astral Beacon backpedaled away from the mist, but a tendril lashed out. It struck his right foreleg, leaving a dark gray blotch.
Celestia tilted her head as she spoke with a thoughtful tone, “Astral Beacon had a cast on his right leg, he said it was due to being wounded in the collapse of the city.”
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Of course, you believed him without question. Now watch as I saved Equestria and doomed myself.”
On the other side of the mirror, green ghost-like ponies stepped from the mist. Then a larger shadow emerged. A dark twisted version of an alicorn, smoke-like wings spread and two glowing white eyes peering right at Luna.
Luna's eyes widened. “No!” Her vision shifted to the dark mist, and she started to draw the corruption into herself. The mist responded and flowed into her flanks, her very cutie mark.
Dark magic erupted from her horn with an aura so dark it seemed to absorb light. Her hate-filled eyes focused on a spot where the Pony of Shadows stood. She then sent a spiraling sphere of black and green magic into the void of Limbo. For a brief moment, a second portal opened and a colorful town of ponies was seen, and one strange bipedal ape looking up.
Nightmare Moon yelled, “Enough!” The dream vision vanished into the mist, leaving Celestia and herself standing once again in the royal garden. She then faced Celestia. “Yes, dear Celestia, I did use dark magic. I used it to alter the spell and prevent Stygian from escaping.”
As she turned to look at Celestia, her eyes changed to those of Luna. A tear ran down her cheek. “Morpheus is the product of my actions and my magic, his form is modeled off of my own, even our cutie marks are similar. Do you understand, Celestia? In a bizarre way, he’s my son. Every moment here dooms me to that banishment you cast upon me, but I’m risking it in the hope you save him. You must stop Astral Beacon before it’s too late.” Then her body dissolved into mist, and she retreated from the dream.
Celestia ran to the portal, only for it to close before her. She lowered her head. “Luna…” She awoke with her face wet from crying and her chest heaving. She gathered her bearings and slowly got out of bed. A quick use of her telekinesis later, the cot she was using as her bed was remade. She glanced at her face in the mirror of the vanity. With a sigh, she took a few moments to wipe away the tear streaks and compose her emotions.
She looked at her own reflection and spoke softly, “Okay, either she’s lying or she's telling the truth? What would she gain from the lie? I was already planning on going to the estates, so that is not it.”
She ran a towel over her face. “Is she trying to drive a wedge between me and Astral Beacon? I would know the truth about him when I see him in the morning, so that can't be her plan either.”
She turned and started pacing in the tent. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at the painting of Star Swirl the Bearded. “Father, what should I do? You were always so logical and straightforward.” She rubbed her temple. “Evidence, you would have sought out evidence, and that’s at the Siver Estates.”
Having made her mind up. she headed out of the tent. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air. High above, the moon shone, and she looked at the image of an alicorn on its surface. She nodded to the moon, then turned to face the two guards stationed outside her tent.
“Get Commander Hard Knocks, up! I want the Sunburn Regiment ready to move in half an hour!”