//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: The Darkness Shard // by OliverSparkle //------------------------------// As it started to get more dark outside and everypony was in their homes fast asleep and dreaming peacefully, it was time for everyone in the castle to hit the hay and go to sleep as well. In the guest room where the young seven was sleeping in, Lightning was fast asleep in Silverstream’s talon arms as she gently rocked him helping him sleep better. She gently placed the colt on the bed, rested his head on the pillow and slowly pulled the sheet over him. “Goodnight, Lightning,” she whispered in his ear, “Sweet dreams.” The pink hippogriff gave the colt a kiss on the forehead. Just then, the guest room door slowly but quietly opened. The young six turned and saw Princess Luna entering the room as she used her magic to close the door behind her. “Evening, Princess Luna,” greeted Sandbar politely. “Evening, young ones,” replied Luna while smiling, “I trust you’re all going to bed now.” The six nodded their heads in response as Silverstream said, “Yep. I’ve also put the little cutie to bed.” Luna smiled at Silverstream before turning to Lightning who was still asleep in bed. Luna turned back to the students and asked, “How is he doing?” “He was still struggling to sleep and had a few more nightmares,” answered Smolder, “But we’ve managed to calm him and, hopefully, helped him sleep better.” Luna nodded her head in understood before walking up towards the bed. She looked at the colt as she gave him a kiss on the forehead before gently stroking his mane with her hoof. “Did you come to check on him before we all go to sleep?” Gallus asked politely. “Yes,” answered the moon princess while looking at the blue griffon, “But I also came to help him sleep better tonight before we all head off to the Tree of Life tomorrow.” “You are? But, what about everypony else?” Asked Ocellus worriedly, “What if they have nightmares while you’re protecting Lightning from the ones we’re facing?” “Relax, my little changeling,” said Luna softly, “I’ve finished my dream duty and double checked to make sure everypony was dreaming peacefully so I can take care of young Lightning during the night. Everything for tonight is fully under control.” Ocellus let out a calm sigh of relief. “So are you like gonna be with him inside the dreamscape all night making sure no more nightmares haunt him before tomorrow?” Silverstream asked. “Yes,” answered Luna, “It may sound like a hard job and might make me tired in the morning, but it’s the only way to help him before we go to the Tree of Life tomorrow. And I hate seeing him suffer from those horrible nightmares he’s now having.” “So do we,” said Sandbar sadly, “He really doesn’t deserve to be have nightmares that make him unable to sleep okay, especially if they’re about the Storm King event.” “Yona want little pony happy, not sad,” said Yona sadly. Lightning suddenly started to whimper in his sleep. Luckily, Silverstream was close to the bed as she gently stroked his mane while whispering, “Shhh…” That worked, because Lightning felt Silverstream’s gentle stroking and voice and started to calm down while continuing to sleep. Luna was beginning to feel more sad for Lightning Twister after seeing he was still whimpering in his sleep, having more trouble sleeping and still having the nightmares about the Storm King events. There was no telling what other nightmares he’ll have next. She let out a calm sigh before saying, “Listen, I’ll do my part and protect Lightning from any more nightmares. But Smolder and Silverstream, I’ll need you to be by his side in case the nightmares get too hard and I’m unable to stop it.” “We’ll do that for you, Princess Luna,” said Silverstream while Smolder gave the princess a thumbs up and a wink, “We always sleep with Lightning to make sure he’s sleeping during times like this, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Luna smiled at the dragon and hippogriff before turning to the other creatures and said, “Now let’s all go to bed. We need to have enough rest if we are to leave bright and early tomorrow.” “Yes, Princess Luna,” the young six said in unison but quietly so they don’t wake up Lightning. Sandbar and Yona got into their brown sleeping bag, that has light green sea turtles on, as Yona wrapped her hooves around Sandbar pulling him close to her. Sandbar just giggled quietly before snuggling into Yona’s fur. Gallus got into his blue sleeping bag while Ocellus got into her purple sleeping bag, that has the cutie marks of the mane six including Sunset and Starlight’s cutie mark. Smolder got into bed first before carefully and gently wrapping her arms around the poor colt and pulling him close to her chest making sure he was resting peacefully. Silverstream got into the bed next as she gently wrapped her talon arms around Smolder and Lightning but making sure the colt had enough space to breath and move a bit. The hippogriff started to gently but slowly stroke Lightning’s mane to help him sleep a little more better since there’ll be four in the bed to help him during the night. Princess Luna carefully got into bed and gently placed her wing over the three before pulling the covers over them and rested her head on the pillow. She looked at the young seven to make sure they’re sleeping. She gave them all a happy smile before taking a calm deep breath and quietly saying to herself, “Okay, let’s do this.” The princess of the moon closed her eyes and fell asleep as her horn started to glow white showing she was now entering the dreamscape to protect Lightning Twister from any more nightmares. Princess Luna opened her eyes and saw she was now in the dreamscape which was a light blue area with tiny white lines and tiny white circles everywhere. “Now, to find Lightning and begin my part,” Luna said to herself before beginning her way through the dreamscape. Princess Luna walked past lots and lots of dream balls which showed her every dream that everypony was having and had no nightmare effect whatsoever, even though she’d just checked to make sure everypony was having peaceful dreams before protecting Lightning from the nightmares he’s having. Luna continued to walk until she saw the dream ball she was looking for. The dream ball was surrounded by darkness flying around it and flying into the ball. That means that dream is a nightmare. “Aha! There you are!” Luna said before walking towards the ball. Luna stared at the dream ball and saw a lot of darkness going into it. She knew for a fact it was Lightning’s nightmare, and it looks like it’s getting more worse now. It made her so sad to think what new nightmares awaits him. “Oh you poor little one,” said Luna sadly, “These nightmares are hurting you more and getting worse each night.” But her sad tone turned into a serious tone with a serious look on her face, “But not tonight. I shall protect you from tonight’s nightmare.” Luna’s horn started to glow as a bright light shone on the nightmare ball and grew brighter and brighter. It started fade away to reveal Luna was no longer in the dreamscape anymore. Luna slowly opened her eyes and suddenly gasped in shock to see what was in the nightmare. She was in the destroyed castle of the two sister with the night sky so dark that was looking like a real life nightmare. “Is this…our old castle?” Luna asked in shock while looking around the area, “How is this possible? What kind of nightmare is the poor pony having?” Suddenly, she heard screaming coming from the far distance of the old castle. “Somepony help me!” Shouted the voice of a colt Luna quickly recognised. “Lightning!” The princess turned the opened door way to the left and saw Lightning running out of it with tears of fear in his eyes. He suddenly saw Luna and ran towards her. “Luna!” Lightning cried. The scared colt hugged Luna’s hoof as he cried into it. Luna gently placed a hoof over Lightning and hugged him. “Lightning, tell me, what’s happening? Who or what is chasing you?” Luna asked softly. Lightning looked at the princess before pointing a shaking hoof at the doorway he came from. Luna looked at that doorway and saw an army of Unversed, shaped as Royal Night Guards which are grey Pegasi with dark purple armour and Unversed symbol on the helmet, running towards them. Luna shockingly stared at the Unversed before glaring at them as the horn started to glow in white grasp while she closed her eyes. She then reopened them to reveal her eyes were now in glowing white. “Enough with this nightmare!” She shouted, “Leave and never return!” A big bright light shone around them making the unversed disappear. The light faded away as Luna’s eyes turned back to normal. Luna looked around before shockingly saying, “Huh?!” Luna looked around and saw that they were still in the old castle meaning they were still in the nightmare. This made her worried but also confused. “I don’t understand!” Luna said worriedly, “That should ended the nightmare and took us back to the dreamscape! How can we still be here?!” Just then, Luna heard the sound of what seems to be clapping coming near but also behind them. Luna and Lightning turned and saw a figure wearing a black coat, and had his hood up, near up top of the staircase clapping his hands like he was amazed of what has just happened. “Very impressive, Luna,” the hooded figure said, “Well done. I’m amazed.” He stopped clapping as he started to walk down the staircase and towards the two. Lightning shook in fear as he hid behind Luna’s hoof while Luna started to glare at the figure. The hooded figure stopped walking when he was down the staircase and to where he was close enough to the two ponies as he looked at them and saw the glare on Luna’s face. “Now is that anyway to show your thanks to someone who said something nice to you, Luna? A thank you would have been nicer.” Luna just continued to glare at the figure. “Are you the figure my sister told me about?” “Sister?” The figure asked confusedly as he didn’t know who she was on about until he quickly remembered the alicorn he’ve met after leaving Fluttershy’s cottage, “Oh, you mean that white alicorn I’ve met this morning! Now I remember. Yes, I am the one she told you about.” “Who are you and what do you want with Lightning Twister?” “Uh-uh-uh,” said the mysterious figure while waving his finger from left to right, “That I can not say it. My name remains a mystery till I fancy telling you my name. But for now, you may call, Darkness. Yes, that sounds like a name I can live with till my real name comes. And of course, I do control darkness as well. My darkness.” Luna was now getting tired of his nonsense. “Whoever you are, you have no right to be here!” Luna said angrily while spreading her wings, “You have made a big mistake entering the poor colt’s dreams and giving him these horrible nightmares! And you should know that I can end nightmares and stop those that threaten to hurt my ponies!” “Oh really?” Said a familiar voice that made Luna’s anger turn into a surprised and shock look. Luna turned to the doorway on the right and saw a shadowy pony figure in it that she recognised. “Then how come you haven’t stopped…me?” The pony figure stepped out from the doorway to reveal a tall black alicorn wearing a pale purplish blue armor, had a purple blotch with her crescent moon symbol on her flank, her eyes were cerulean monstrous, had razor sharp teeth and her mane and tail was a purple glimmering cloud as she laughed evilly. It was Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna stared at her evil self in shock while Lightning hugged Luna’s hoof tightly in great fear as he have never met or seen Nightmare Moon before. “No. This can’t be! You can’t be here! Twilight and her friends freed me from being you!” “Oh I’m still here, Luna!” Nightmare Moon said as she approached the two, “You may have gotten rid of me in the real world, but here in the dreams, you can’t get rid of me that easily!” “You have no right to be here, Nightmare Moon! Leave Lightning Twister alone, leave this dream and don’t ever return!” That’s when Lightning Twister started to remember the story Twilight told him and the other students at the School of Friendship a few months back. He remembered hearing the story of how Luna became Nightmare Moon and how Twilight and the girls stopped her when she returned. “N-Nightmare Moon? Y-You’re the evil v-version of P-Princess L-Luna.” “That’s right,” said Nightmare Moon staring at the scared colt, “So glad you’re starting to know who I am, especially after hearing the story of how Twilight Sparkle and her friends ruined everything for me!” Luna glared at Nightmare Moon and moved her hoof over Lightning to keep safe away from the Mare in the Moon. “You leave him alone!” “Well, I’m glad to see you two reunited again,” said Darkness, “However I must leave now. I have other meetings to attend. Bye-bye for now.” A dark corridor suddenly appeared behind Darkness as he stepped backwards into it. “Come back this instant!” Luna shouted angrily. But it was too late, the dark corridor disappeared leaving only Princess Luna, Lightning Twister and Nightmare Moon in the castle. “Well, looks like it’s just us then,” said Nightmare Moon while walking around the two, “And good thing too. Because I still have unfinished business with you, Luna!” “Threaten me all you want, Nightmare Moon! But I did not fear you anymore and I won’t let you hurt Lightning Twister!” “Oh you wouldn’t need to worry too much on the colt,” smacked Nightmare Moon, “All I want, is to torture him since he’s the son of Fluttershy, one of the ponies that defeated me long ago.” “I told you to leave him alone!” Shouted Luna angrily. “Ha! And how are you going to stop me? Huh? You can’t stop me, remember? I’m you and you’re me! We’re the same, Luna!” “We maybe the same, but I’m not like you anymore! I’m not jealous of Celestia, I refuse to let the night last forever, I don’t bring harm to ponies and I DON’t let nightmares harm them either!” Nightmare Moon stopped walking and glared at Luna. “So you say,” she hissed, “But in the inside of you, you know you can still turn into me, but refuse to turn into me when you know I’m needed. You’ve just locked me away so I can’t harm anypony or make the night last forever when you know how much you wanted to see the moon shone in the night.” Lightning continued to shake in fear while whimpering a bit as Nightmare Moon continued, “And I will go back to my banishment place! You can not make me go back! I won’t let you or your sister make me go BACK!” That last word echoed in the hall which made Luna and Lightning tumble back and landed on the ground. Lightning was the first one to get up as he saw Nightmare Moon glaring at him while growling angrily. That made Lightning scream in fear before running away into the doorway on the left just as Luna got back up again and shockingly but worriedly saw the colt running into the left side of the castle. Nightmare Moon chased after Lightning as she ran into the doorway the scared colt ran into. “Be careful, young Lightning!” Luna cried worriedly while running after them, “There could be tons of other nightmares in there!” Luna was now inside the hallway of the left doorway and saw Lightning very far away running from Nightmare Moon. Luna ran after them. She promised she would protect Lightning from any more nightmares and she wasn’t gonna break that promise. Lightning quickly ran into the library and closed the door before hiding underneath the pillows while shaking in fear. Nightmare Moon busted the door open and looked around the room searching for the pony. “Come now, little pony,” she said while still looking as she walked into the library, “Don’t be scared. Step out, and I promise I won’t bite.” Lightning ignored her and continued to hide under the pillows. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Nightmare Moon saw the pillows shaking giving her a clue to where Lightning was hiding. The evil alicorn grinned before walking to the pillows. She used her magic to lift up one of the pillows to reveal the colt as he looked at the alicorn in fear. “Gotcha!” Lightning let out another scream of fear before running towards the door. But before he could escape, the door locked shut by Nightmare Moon’s magic keeping Lightning from escaping. Lightning stood near the now closed door and shook in fear while turning towards the evil alicorn as she walked towards him. “Nice try, little pony. But you won’t be getting away THAT easily. And don’t even think that good for nothing Princess Luna will save you this time! She can’t stop me!” “P-Please! L-let m-me leave!” Lightning whimpered in fear, “I-I d-didn’t do a-anything to you!” “That maybe so,” she said, “But you are Fluttershy’s son, which means I can torture you to make it part of my revenge on those ponies that ruined my night! But yet, I don’t even know why you still want her as your new mother, especially after what she and the others have done before you came.” “H-Huh?” Nightmare Moon smirked at his reaction. “Oh? Didn’t Twilight tell you? Surely she’s been telling you stories about the other adventures your mother and her friends have had over these past few moons. Did she not tell you how she defeated Chrysalis, saved Cadence’s wedding, and how her brother, friends and teacher abandoned her?” The evil alicorn grinned while waiting for the colt’s response. Lightning was surprised, but also confused, by what Nightmare Moon has just said to him. “M-Momma, abandoning A-Auntie T-Twilight, a-at Cadence’s wedding? N-No. No, s-she and m-my o-other aunties wouldn’t d-do that to Auntie Twilight. Y-You’re making that up!” “Oh I’m not, Lightning Twister,” said Nightmare Moon, “Princess Celestia has been sending your mother and aunts to do her dirty work while she hides behind her throne in fear, and the wedding was one of them. While Shining, the girls and Celestia prepare the wedding for the fake Cadence, Twilight was left alone only to find the real Cadence and stopped the fake wedding from ending with Changelings feeding love from everypony.” “T-That’s not t-true! T-They wouldn’t do t-that t-to h-her! M-Momma w-wouldn’t either!” “Believe what you want! But what I’m saying to you, is true! Sooner or later, you’ll find out that it’s all true! Before you came into the family, the girls have made great mistakes! Mistakes that they wished they didn’t make in the first place! Especially when Twilight try to steal Queen Novo’s pearl!” Lightning still find it all hard to believe, especially since he’s been with them for so long that they’ve never told them the mistakes they have made during their adventures before Fluttershy adopted him. “N-No. S-She d-didn’t. S-She w-wouldn’t!” “Oh yes she did,” said Nightmare Moon with a grin, “She tried to steal the pearl just so she and the girls can save Equestria from The Storm King, even after Queen Novo said no to them. Not that she knew what she was doing or what she was getting herself into, but she did managed to lose the trust from the queen. After that, she and her friends had an argument about her actions and she yelled at Pinkie Pie making it so easy for Tempest Shadow capture her last princess to give The Storm King the magic he was after.” Lightning shook his head while saying, “N-No. Y-You’re lying!” Nightmare Moon started to glare angrily at Lightning again as she magically wrapped the colt in a dark blue grasp and lifted him up near her making him more scared than ever. “I’M NOT LYING TO YOU!” Nightmare Moon shouted, “I’M TELLING YOU WHAT YOUR MOTHER REFUSED TO TELL YOU! ALL WHAT I SAID IS TRUE! YOUR FAMILY HAS MADE GREAT MISTAKES OVER THE PAST MOONS! YOU SHOULD BE MAD AT YOUR MOTHER FOR WHAT SHE DIDN’T TELL YOU AND WHAT SHE DID TO TWILIGHT!” “N-No!” Lightning said bravely, but was still scared, “I-I l-love M-Momma or my a-aunties! I c-can’t be mad a-at t-them!” Nightmare Moon was getting more and more angry by Lightning not believing in her or doing what she believes he should do right now. She was about to torture him a lot until she heard the door busted open. Lightning and Nightmare Moon looked at the door to reveal it was an angry Princess Luna that broke the door. And boy, did she had a very angry expression on her face. “Nightmare Moon! Release that colt from your grasp this instant!” She shouted. “P-Princess L-Luna, help m-me!” Nightmare Moon growled angrily at the princess before throwing Lightning to the pile of pillows as he landed safely on the dark pink one. “I am so getting tired of you ruining my fun, Princess Luna!” Said the angry evil alicorn, “You’re really getting on my nerves!” “I was born to stop nightmares to harming everypony’s sleep, including you, Nightmare Moon. We maybe the same, but like I said, I don’t do what you do anymore. I am Princess Luna, princess of the moon, protector of dreams! And I will not let you, Darkness or anymore nightmares harm Lightning Twister!” Luna’s eyes and horn started to glow bright white again, “Now leave this dream, AND NEVER RETURN!” A beam of bright light shot out from Luna’s horn and aimed towards Nightmare Moon which made her scared and afraid than she was when the mane six defeated her with the Elements of Harmony. “NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!” Nightmare Moon shouted as she started screaming while the beam of light shot on her causing her to fade away with the light shining brighter and brighter making the old castle disappear too. The bright light disappeared to reveal the dreamscape which Princess Luna and Lightning Twister are finally back in. Luna opened her eyes to see that it had worked and she was back where she and Lightning should be by now. She smiled happily before looking at the poor colt who was now curled into a ball crying quietly. Luna walked over to Lightning as he slowly moved his head to look at the princess coming up to him and to show the tears in his eyes. Luna gave him a sad smile before sitting her haunches and holding her hooves out to him. “Come here, little one,” she said softly. Lightning got up and ran towards Luna as she jumped onto her, buried his face into Luna’s chest fur and continued to cry. Luna hugged the colt while gently stroking his back in comfort. “Shh…it’s okay, sweetheart,” she whispered in his ear, “It’s over now. I’m here. I’ve got you.” Lightning sniffled a bit before bringing his face out of Luna’s chest and looked at the princess before asking, “P-Princess L-Luna, i-is it t-true what happened a-at C-Cadence’s W-Wedding? Did S-Shining, Celestia, M-Momma a-and m-my other aunties a-abandoned A-Auntie T-Twilight?” Luna sadly looked at Lightning. She knew sooner or later, Lightning was going to hear about what his mother and aunties did before he came into the family, especially the bad actions they pulled. She nodded her head before answering, “Yes, they did. And during the rest of day, Twilight told me and Cadence all about the rehearsal night after Shining and Flurry Heart had an argument about her not allowed to go to the Tree of Life tomorrow to help you. Your mother was also worried that you’d be mad at her for abandoning your Auntie Twilight that night.” Lightning was now starting to believe that what Nightmare Moon had said to him was true. Even though what his mother did was hurtful, he knew it was long ago, but he also refused to be mad at his mother for something that was done before he came into the family. “B-But I c-can’t b-be mad at h-her!” He said, “It w-was d-done moons ago! A-And I-I don’t want t-to b-be mad at her f-for a-abandoning Auntie Twilight! I-I don’t w-wanna!” “Shh…then you don’t have to,” said Luna softly, “It’s your choice whether you want to be mad at her for that action or let it go. Nopony’s gonna make you change your mind. Not even me.” The poor colt rested his head on Luna’s chest and let his tears soak into it. “P-Please don’t tell Momma I k-know w-what s-she and my other aunts d-did. P-Please.” “I won’t, little one,” said Luna as she gently stroked Lightning’s mane with her hoof while smiling at him, “You can tell her you’re not mad at her when she does tell you what she and the others did, okay?” “O-Okay,” sniffled Lightning. Lightning suddenly started to worry he was going get more nightmares like the one he just had, even he now know where he and his friends and family were going tomorrow, even ones based on the events that have happened before Fluttershy adopted him but with bad endings. Luna quickly noticed this and gently patted his back before saying, “Don’t worry, dear one. I’ll make sure no more nightmares try to harm you during our journey to the Tree of Life.” “But w-what a-about everypony e-else’s dreams?” Lightning asked worriedly after hearing that. “I’ll make sure they’re dreaming peacefully before helping you, don’t worry,” answered Luna softly, “Now just relax, and I’ll make sure no more nightmares haunt you tonight.” Lightning nodded his head in understood and continued to rest his head on Luna’s chest. Luna continued to hug Lightning as she gently stroked his back with her hoof. The darkness were flying around them as they weren’t able to reach the colt since Princess Luna has used her magic to create a protective bubble to keep the darkness away from Lightning while she takes care of him in the dreamscape during the night.