//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - Welcome to the Ponyville Party // Story: The Adventures of the New Nightmare // by hmaf43 //------------------------------// Nightmare Moon couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she followed her companions toward the town hall. It felt like she was a sacrificial lamb being led to the slaughter, especially with loyal guards trotting behind her, but at least she could joke about it. The purple pony walked beside her, guiding her with utmost diligence. Meanwhile, the purple dragon on her back, Spike, eyed her warily. Nightmare Moon couldn't blame him for feeling uneasy around her. Nightmare Moon felt a twinge of sympathy for the little dragon. She knew the kid didn't trust her, and she couldn't really blame him. After all, in his mind, she was the psycho who beat up the strongest(lol) mare in the Equestria to a pulp and acts like nothing, and her dark, thicc gothic appearance probably didn't help matter. Even if he is an inferior being that is a superhero comic book nerd, she still wants to be on good terms with him. It’s called Justice Ponies, right? She remembered the supervillain of that comic is some kind meshed between Joker and Poison Ivy. Not an obvious ripoff, but still…. Welp, it doesn’t matter now, superhero comics books are a wasted of her precious memory space, an inferior counterparts to its european cousin. Her head should only be used to stored superior forms of entertainments: TV Shows that so innovative or niche that it would be rejected from silversreen, or the bloodied is-this-supposed-to-be-for-a-kid? manga. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she remembered her love for manga, the japanese counterpart of comics books. It was one of the few things that had managed to make her smile in the past, one of few hobbies she can share with her real life friends, mostly because no one in her proximity cared about her Timelord in blue box. And no, that girl who wrote smut fanfic about the Doctor and Sherlock is not her friend, nope. She still have her standard. .....All things considered, Nightmare Moon just hope that she had brought a few volumes of mangas with her when she had transmigrated into this world. Maybe she won’t have time to do introspective as much. She wouldn’t thinks of her friend and her family. The alicorn shook her head, banishing the thought from her mind. Currently, she had more important things to worry about than that. "We're almost there, your highness," Twilight spoke up, breaking the silence. "Just a little bit further." Nightmare Moon nodded, her mind already racing with thoughts of how she would introduce herself to the ponies waiting for her. In her past life as a human, she was an introvert, preferring to keep to herself and avoid large crowds, and while she could talk to people when she needed to, it tired her out quickly. The idea of being the center of conversation and having to meet and greet a bunch of strangers was like hell, to say the least. Larping doesn't count, obviously. She had been surprised to find an invitation letter waiting for her in her new room at the Golden Oak Library. Her heart sank as she realized it was an invitation letter to her welcome to Ponyville party, a mandatory event that all new residents received. And there was something else beside it. A box that contain moonpies, accompanied by a note that read "Hope you like my special treat, Mare of the Moon ;)" A part of her wondered if this was Pinkie Pie's doing. The pink pony had a mischievous streak, and she and Rainbow Dash had always been one to pull elaborate pranks in the shows. Perhaps this was a revenge prank, her way to getting back at Nightmare Moon for that prank. The pink pony was certainly unpredictable, and she had a knack for sensing when something was up. But the idea that the Pink One had somehow known about her personal history was unsettling. Could it be that this version of pink pony had some kind of supernatural sense that allowed her to see into the past beyond the veil of her world? She couldn't help but shudder. Here she thought the dream walking horse that can move the moon is horrifyingly eldritch enough. And to make matters worse, Twilight had somehow been convinced that it was a good idea to attend the party at the town hall. Nightmare Moon couldn't understand why her companion would agree to something like that, especially given her recent encounter with the town's residents. As she pondered these thoughts, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. She had always been more comfortable in her own privacy, and the idea of being surrounded by so many unfamiliar ponies for a long period of time made her uneasy. "Ugh, this normie shit is too much for a low-level introvert like me," Nightmare Moon muttered to herself, trying to lighten her own mood. "I'd rather take on an army any day." In Red Alert that is. She feels a pang of annoyance at the thought of being played like this. But then she took a deep breath and reminded herself of why she is doing this. The ponies of Ponyville may have been intimidated by her before, but she knew that she has to put their fears to rest. Even if it meant enduring the normie's small talk and socializing. If she could be on good terms with the ponies of Ponyville, she would have an easier time trying to achieve her goals. As they approached the town hall, Nightmare Moon took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. She knew that she would have to put on a brave face and try to project confidence, even if she was feeling anxious on the inside. "Remember, your highness," Twilight Sparkle said, placing a reassuring hoof on Nightmare Moon's shoulder. "Just be yourself. They'll come to see that you're not so different from them after all." The alicorn of night nodded, grateful for Twilight's support. She took a moment to compose herself, and then open the door. "Surprise!"/"Nightmare Moon dies!" Bang! "Ahhhhh!" “What?! Are you out of your mind, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed incredulously, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Why on Equestria would you throw a party for that bully of a mare, a phycho who hurt the Princess!?" Rainbow Dash stamped her hoof on the ground in frustration, unable to fathom why her friend would do something so outrageous. Pinkie Pie smiled brightly, unfazed by Rainbow Dash's outburst. "Oh, Rainbow, you're such a silly filly sometimes. Everypony deserves to have a party, no exception!" she said cheerfully, surveying the decorations with pride. “Besides, the Princess is already recovered enough to take a trip out, maybe that's just how alicorns play with each other.” Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to retort, but then a sudden thought occurred to her. The Wonderbolts. That despicable creature who had caused harm to Princess Celestia could be her ticket to joining the Wonderbolts. If she could somehow take down Nightmare Moon and defeat her in combat, she might gain enough frame to earn recognition from the Wonderbolts. "They're here!" Pinkie Pie announced excitedly. "Everyone, get into position! Lights out in three...two...one..." The room plunged into darkness, and Rainbow Dash's heart began to race with anticipation. She could feel her pulse pounding in her ears as the front door creaked open, revealing the Mare of the Moon standing in the doorway. Without a moment's hesitation, Rainbow Dash lunged into the air, her wings guided her towards the Mare of the Moon. Her front hooves raised high in the air. Her speed increased with every passing second, her eyes fixed firmly on the black alicorn's hooves, horn, and wings, looking for any sign of retaliation. “Nightmare Moon dies!” She shouted in glee, framed and honored she will receive as a hero! But perhaps she was too focused on the alicorn, for she failed to notice the brilliant purple glow emanating from a unicorn's horn standing beside Nightmare Moon. Before she knew it, there was a deafening bang and a sickening splat, and Rainbow Dash found herself lying on the ground, unconscious. Bon Bon, or rather, Agent Sweetie Drops, couldn't believe the mess she had found herself in. She had been to countless unexpected situations in her line of work, but nothing could have prepared her for this. As she looked around at the chaos that had ensued party, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself, thinking that she was going to need a lot more sugar to get through this party In all her years as an agent for S.M.I.L.E.,the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria, a part of the great machination that is the Equestrian intelligence apparatus, she had never expected to be at The Mare of The Moon's welcome-to-Ponyville party. At first, It was supposed to be a low-profile recon mission, keep an eye on the black alicorn and report back. But then, Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's protégé, had gone and shot a military-grade counter offensive spell at the rainbow mane pegasus. Don't get her wrong, the mare had definitely deserved it, she had made a surprise attack on Nightmare Moon, after all, but Sweetie Drops couldn't help but think it was excessive. That spell is doesn't have built-in safeguard, it could cripple somepony for life. Was that really the first instinctual spell that came into the unicorn's mind? She knows that the mare was trained to hold her ground against an alicorn but still. "Ahh!" The sound of ponies screaming around her still continued as Sweetie Drops drank her tea. As she took a bite of her cake, she observed The black alicorn. Her expression is priceless, her eyes bulging in shock at the screams of ponies around her. She, as a secret agent, remained unfazed, but her candy-maker disguise identity, Bonbon, sure wasn't. "Ah!" In a split second, Bonbon joined the crowds, screaming along with them in terror, blending in perfectly. She couldn't help but wonder what other unexpected situations awaited her in her career as a secret agent. Would she ever get used to the madness that seemed to surround this town? Only time would tell. Little did she know, things were about to get even crazier for her as the alicorn of night herself has laid eyes upon her.