//------------------------------//
// 6. Nightmare Moon Returns! 
// Story: My Little Sister is a Dragon - Nightmare Moon Arc 
// by AleximusPrime 
//------------------------------//

Several hours passed.  The bat ponies all chanted in a strange creepy incantation as the four stars started to magnetize to the moon and midnight rapidly approached. Nightwatch was using his telescope, while Buttercream used a spyglass that he gave her for her birthday a few years ago.
“Nighty, look how fast they’re moving!” she said, pointing to the night sky.
“I know!  It’s really going to happen after all!” Nightwatch shouted as he looked through the lens. “We have about five minutes left!”
“I can’t believe it’s finally coming,” said Noctura. “All my life I’ve wondered if Nightmare Moon really would return, and now those stars are moving faster than predicted.”
“NOCTURA!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!  YOU ARE GOING TO MISS THE RITUAL!” shouted Oscura.
“I’M COMING!” Noctura shouted back to her. “Sorry, but I should go.  The others really need me to be part of this ceremony.  I still don’t know why though.”
“You sure you don’t wanna watch it with us?” Buttercream asked.
“I would love to, but if I don’t do what they’re doing right now, they will never forgive me.”
Noctura trudged back to the cult.  Buttercream felt bad for her but looked back into the spyglass.
“Nighty, this is so exciting!  What do you think will happen to the moon once the stars touch it?”
“I’m not sure, but I think the ‘Mare in the Moon’ will disappear and then maybe the stars will too.  It does still make me wonder about who created those stars though.  Whoever did it either knew about Luna’s heel turn hundreds of years in advance or else they were still around and decided to use them to free Nightmare Moon.  Mr. Nebula did have a point about how that didn’t make sense, but now that we’re actually seeing it all happen, that makes it even more mysterious.  We’ll worry about that later.  Right now, this prophecy being true is going to shock a lot of astronomers!”
“You’re sure to get a 100% on your presentation now!”
“Well only if Nightmare Moon is defeated.  Let’s hope and pray.”
The chanting of the bat ponies grew more intense.  Some of them took to the skies and flew around in a synchronized pattern.  The ones on the ground waved wooden torches and tapped their hooves.  Others off to the side banged on drums and played instruments as the ritual continued.  Tenebris walked in the middle of a circle next to the fire.  He removed his cloak and threw his shades into the fire, revealing maroon eyes.  He had a necklace with an image of the moon and four stars.  His hair was slicked back and was as grey as his beard.  He opened his bat wings and began reciting lines from a book he was carrying.
“For a thousand years, the chiropterequi have waited for Mother Moon to return.  We have been plagued by the sun each day and tolerated that vicious monarch in the city on the mountainside, but it will no longer matter, for tonight, all shall tremble at the sight of Nightmare Moon.  She will take revenge on her evil sister and will bring about nighttime eternal. The blinding sun will never rise again in Equestria and the bat ponies shall thrive like never before.  We shall conquer this land and no one shall question the Mother of the Night!”
Buttercream grew frightened over Tenebris’ words and had to speak up to Nightwatch.
“Nighty, these bat ponies are starting to creep me out.  Do you think they’re serious about all that?” she whispered.
“I wouldn’t worry about them, Butter.  We both know Nightmare Moon will be defeated,” he replied.
“I hope it’s soon.  I know Noctura’s nice, but I don’t know about the others.”
Buttercream returned to her viewing.  The bat ponies continued to holler and speak in gibberish. The closer the stars got, the louder they screamed.  Buttercream soon forgot about them and watched as the stars came just to the edge of the moon.
“It’s happening!” she squealed.
Finally the stars touched the moon and the bat ponies were all silent.  For a moment, the moon shone brightly and then the spots in the shape of an alicorn head disappeared.  The moon was back to normal now, and the ‘Mare in the Moon’ could no longer be seen. After the silence, the bat ponies joined each other in a unified, cacophonic screech.  Buttercream jumped up and down and Nightwatch backed away from his telescope in disbelief.
“NIGHTY!  IT HAPPENED! IT HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED!”
“I…I can’t believe it.  I was right!  I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!  I KNEW IT! MY CUTIE MARK WASN’T LYING!!”
Nightwatch picked his little sister up with his magic and danced around while spinning her through the air.  She giggled with delight and flailed her arms.  Nightwatch set her back down and she tackled him to the ground.
“I knew you’d be right, Nighty!”
“This is the most exciting thing ever!”
The bat ponies continued to screech and holler in joy, until a deep feminine laugh could be heard echoing across the land.  A cloud of purple smoke descended slowly from the moon down into a small village nearby.
“Was…was that her?” Buttercream asked.
“I think so.  I wonder why she’s going to Ponyville,”
“IT WORKED!” shouted Tenebris. “OUR LADY HAS COME! ALL CHIROPEREQUUS REJOICE!”
The bat ponies took the rest of their shades and threw them into the fire.  They would no longer need them, so they took pleasure in seeing them consumed by the flames. Noctura had a smile on her face but did not take part in the hollering like the others.  She walked over to Nightwatch and Buttercream.
“It has been done,” she said.  “She’s finally here.”
“So what will you do now?” asked Nightwatch.
“The only thing I can do: my clan and I shall help Nightmare Moon build her new empire and take revenge on Celestia.”
“But what about everypony else?  Will the bat ponies hurt them?” Buttercream asked.
“There will be no need for that, so long as everyone submits to Nightmare.  That includes both of you.”
Nightwatch and Buttercream shared nervous glances. Nightwatch turned his head to Noctura and told his new friend something he was scared to say earlier but that she needed to hear.
“Noctura, I know you don’t want to hear this, but the Elements will be used again.  They’re more powerful than you think.  Nightmare Moon won’t stand a chance against them.”
Noctura grimaced and looked away from Nightwatch, trying to hold in her anger.  She refused to believe this, but she did not want to insult her new friends. Unfortunately, someone else had heard what Nightwatch said.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, FOOL?!” shouted Oscura behind him.
Nightwatch turned around and saw Oscura and several other bat ponies behind her.  They all looked like they were ready to fight.
“HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST OUR QUEEN WILL BE DEFEATED!!” screamed one of them.
“SHAME UPON YOU, INFIDEL!” shouted another.
“SHAME!  SHAME! SHAME!” screamed the rest of them.
Buttercream huddled up to her brother in horror.  He covered her with his arms and cast a spell to use a magic shield around them.  Noctura stood in front of them, trying to calm down her fellow cultists. Finally Tenebris came in, scolding the rest of them.
“ENOUGH!” he shouted as they all backed away. “I will deal with them.”
Tenebris walked to Nightwatch and Buttercream with a stern face.
“Tenebris, please, let them be.  They don’t know any better,” Noctura begged.
“Noctura, step aside,” Tenebris ordered.
Noctura reluctantly walked backwards with her ears down.
“Father Tenebris, should we brand them and make them recite the pledge?” asked Oscura with a smile on her face for the first time.
“No, Oscura.  This is a happy night for us all.  Let’s not waste our time.”
Oscura frowned and stomped off as the others backed away while Tenebris turned to Nightwatch and Buttercream.
“Now that Nightmare Moon has returned, you fools best watch what you say about our queen.  The Elements of Harmony will not defeat her.  We have all made sure of it.”
“Uh…you have?” Nightwatch asked as his ears perked up. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nightmare Moon’s coming shall no be interrupted.  Anyone who tries to go up against her must go through-”
“THE ELEMENTS!  THEY’VE BEEN TAKEN!” shouted a voice behind the bat ponies.
Everyone turned to see Nox run in to meet them.  His eye was black and one of his wings was crippled, so he had to travel on foot.
“Nox?  What happened to you?” Oscura said, rushing over to help him up.
“Did you say the Elements have been taken?  By who?” Tenebris asked.
“It was the Brotherhood!  They betrayed us and took the Elements out of the chest!  I think they returned them to the palace!  I didn’t stand a chance!”
“TRAITORS!!  Tenebris, we must stop them!” Oscura said to her leader.
“I knew we should have shattered those orbs before the ritual! Everyone, get back to the camp and arm yourselves!  We will find those fools and make them pay!”
All the bat ponies except Noctura flew off and left for their camp to retrieve their weapons and take on the Brotherhood.  Noctura stood and thought for a moment and then looked back to Nightwatch and Buttercream.
“Noctura, you…you and the other cultists took the Elements?” Nightwatch said, firmly.
“Yes.  Yes, we did.”
“Nocti, why?” asked Buttercream.
“Why wouldn’t we?  You’ve known us all long enough to know we will stop at nothing to see our queen rule all.  The Elements were in the palace and we removed them so no one would find them and use them against her.”
“Noctura, do you have any idea how much this will harm the rest of us if Nightmare Moon isn’t exorcised?” Nightwatch asked as he bravely walked towards the bat pony. “Eternal Night means no sunlight.  That means the plants will stop growing, the land will freeze over and some species will die out!”
“Nightmare Moon will take care of that.  She is powerful.  She will find a way.  The rest of the ponies may evolve into bat ponies as well to adapt to eternal night. It is the only way your species can survive.”
“Noctura, please put aside what the cult believes right now and just think about the rest of us!”
“NO!  NO I WILL NOT!”
Noctura got up in Nightwatch’s face and hissed.  He reared and walked backwards as Buttercream hid behind him.
“I will not put aside my religion!  I am fond of you two, but I have been waiting for this night all my life and I will not let you ruin it for me.  I am going to go help my kin.  Do NOT get in my way!”
Noctura spread her wings and took off to join the others, leaving her friends behind.
“Nighty, we’re gonna stop them, aren’t we?” Buttercream asked.
“Of course we are!  Hop on, Butter!  We’ll find the Elements while they take on the Brotherhood.  If we get there first, we’ll take all five of the orbs and get them to Canterlot.  Hopefully the royal guards will be able to protect them until Celestia can find new wielders.  According to this map, the palace should be…this way!”
“Would it be weird if I said I’m actually rooting for the Brotherhood right now?”
“No, because so am I.”
Nightwatch left all his belongings behind and took off with Buttercream riding his back.  He carried the map with him using his magic and disappeared into the woods, taking a different route so they would go unnoticed.



The bat ponies flew above the treetops, surveying the forest to find Bleat, Bellow and Dagger.  They were armed with small bladed weapons attached to their front legs and some were wearing helmets and shields.  Tenebris had on some armor that he intended to use for ceremonies when he would one day work for Nightmare Moon, but he needed them for battle now.
“Anything, Oscura?” Tenebris asked over his shoulder.
“Nothing yet,” she called back.
“Keep searching.  They most likely went to the palace to place them back in the pedestal. If we cannot find them, we’ll go check the palace and then destroy the orbs.”
“FATHER TENEBRIS!  DOWN THERE!” shouted another bat pony.
They all looked and saw the Brotherhood walking in a small clearing.  Bellow and Bleat immediately looked up.  Their horns started glowing, and Dagger slithered away to hide in a tree.
“We trusted you!” shouted Tenebris.  “Let us aside and you will not get hurt!”
“IDIOTS!  YOU WILL NOT PASS!” Bellow roared as he charged up his horns with red magic.
Several bat ponies flew towards the raging bull.  He shot a beam from the tips of his horns that met together to form a more powerful beam.  They dodged the beam just in time, but one was knocked back and left unconscious, falling into a tree.
Bleat back-flipped to evade a spear that was thrown right at him. He landed on the side of a large, steep rock and climbed up it.  The bat ponies were not ready and two of them flew too close to the rock.  Bleat jumped between them while screeching and did a spinning kick to both of their faces.  They fell to the ground in a heap.  Another bat pony charged Bleat, but Bleat stood his ground and allowed the bat pony to ram right into his head.  Being a goat, Bleat was unaffected, while the bat pony was knocked out instantly from the impact and tossed aside with Bleat’s magic.
Back on the ground, several bat ponies tried to corner Bellow until something leapt out of the trees behind them.  They looked back to see Dagger right in front of the moon holding several knives in his curled tail.  As he fell to the earth, he swung his tail and threw the knives right at them. Two of them jumped to avoid the knives, while the other one blocked it with his bladed gauntlet.  Dagger landed in front of him and took out another knife to engage in close combat.  The bat pony was well trained, but Dagger was quick with a blade as well and proved to be a nuisance.
Bellow shot a beam at the bat pony that was fighting Dagger, and he was thrown into the rock that Bleat was standing on.  Bleat jumped down and fought using his horns against a bat pony with a spear while Bellow bucked several of them with his rear legs.  He started running at full-tilt speed, smashing into any oncoming opponents.  Finally, the remaining bat ponies stopped fighting and flew up to meet each other in midair.  Fighting the Brotherhood was doing them no good.
“Where are the Elements?!” asked an angered Tenebris.
“We destroyed them!” Bleat answered.
“Liar!  One of our guards said he saw you taking them back to the palace!”
“Well you’re not getting them back!” shouted Bellow.
“I don’t know why you wish to see our Lady defeated, but that ram is dead, fools!  He is not coming back!  Submit to Nightmare Moon or perish!” Tenebris hollered.
Bellow was about to blast them until he was interrupted.
“AHEM!” said a raspy voice from behind. “I’ll take it from here, brothers.”
The bat ponies all looked back to see a cloaked figure standing atop a cliff.  Before any of them could lay a hoof on him, he cast a spell by tapping his hooves on the ground in a pattern.  An explosion of energy emitted from him and hit all of the bat ponies.  They were paralyzed and fell to the ground.  Bleat, Bellow and Dagger were left unaffected.
“Bray!  Thank the Ram you found us!” Bleat called.
Bray tapped his left hoof two times on the ground and teleported in front of them.  He threw back his hood, revealing an orange cowl with some holes for his long ears to poke through.  Around his neck was a necklace with the same brooch that the others had.  He smiled wickedly at them.
“I told you I would arrive.  I saw the moon the moment it happened and the bat ponies’ screeching wasn’t difficult to locate,” he said.
“Bray, we put the Elements back, but these fools will awaken soon,” Bellow told the donkey.
“We should probably just take them to Princess Celestia and pretend we’re on her side.  I’ll do it. I’m a bounty hunter, maybe she’ll think I was paid by one of her guards,” Dagger said.
“That won’t be necessary, Dagger.  I have utmost faith the new wielders are already on their way to find those orbs right as we speak.  They will stop Nightmare Moon, and then the Golem will be brought to life.”
“How so?” asked Bleat.
“There are six mares traveling to the palace right now. They are young and naïve, but I just witnessed one of them tame a wild manticore.  I think that one might be the Element of Kindness.”
“The Element of Kindness?” asked Bellow.
“Shhh!  Do you hear that?” Bleat whispered.
They all stopped and heard faint screaming in the distance, followed by laughter.  
“Pinkie, what are you doing?  Run!” shouted one of the voices.
“Oh girls, don’t you see?” said another voice in a rather happy tone.
The laughter then turned into singing.  They all ran towards the noise about a hundred yards. They reached the edge of a precipice and listened harder.
“What in the name of the Ram is going on down there?” asked Bellow.
“What is this, a musical?” asked Dagger as he covered both sides of his head with his tail.
“QUIET!  Listen.” whispered Bray.

	 


	Soooooo, giggle at the ghostly


	Guffaw at the grossly


	Crack up at the creepy


	Whoop it up with the weepy


	Chortle at the kooky


	Snortle at the spooky


	And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he’s got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna AHAHAHAHA…haha…ha…


	LAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!


	 

Bray peered in between some trees to see six colorful mares in a grove.  A pink one with curly, magenta hair was dancing around and singing while the others were laughing at some trees.  The trees had monstrous faces, but the faces started to puff away into magic smoke as they laughed.  The pink one finished her song and they all lay on the ground, laughing with her.
“And that one must be the Element of Laughter.  Interesting,” said Bray, stroking his chin.
“Those girls are the ones?” asked Bleat.
“Undoubtedly.  It all makes sense now.  Celestia set this up so those six would find the Elements and free her sister.”
“Bray, we shouldn’t allow those ponies to brandish the Elements of Harmony.  They could become a hindrance to our plans,” whispered Bellow.
“I beg to differ.  I think they will do exactly what needs to be done.  That is why we will leave them alone.  Let them fight.  Let the battles ensue and allow the Elements of Harmony to keep being used over and over again.  Let all that magic flow throughout the airwaves.”
“Of course.  Just as the prophecy stated it would!” Bleat said with a sinister smile.
“And then our master will be free,” Bellow added as he finally started to crack a smile.
“You animals and your prophecies,” Dagger said, sarcastically.
“Just you wait, Dagger,” Bray told the cobra. “I know you don’t care about what we are fighting for right now, but if you want anarchy in this pathetic land, it is exactly what you will get should the Ram return, and mark my words, he will return.  But I digress.  Allow those little ones to go do their deeds.  We need to prepare the Golem.  I have a feeling it will happen any moment now.”
Bray and his minions turned away to go back to their dark business.  They left all the bat ponies on the ground, still paralyzed from the spell, but in the shadows, Noctura remained unharmed.  She had been avoiding the fight all along and now had the opportunity to destroy the Elements herself.
“I hope they’re okay,” she said, looking at her fellow cultists on the ground. “Now is my chance to save Nightmare Moon and prove myself worthy.”