“Tell us why you’ve been acting so strange,” Smolder demanded, stepping forward.
“Nothing strange has been going on, what are you talking about?” Scootaloo lied.
“We know you lying, stop lying!” Yona declared.
“Please tell us what’s been going on,” Sandbar begged.
“What, what’s been going on,” Apple Bloom repeated slowly, unsure of what to say.
“Yeah, explain why you three have been acting so weird,” Smolder commanded.
“Acting weird?” Scootaloo repeated, fear welling up in her throat.
“Yes, why have you three been acting strange lately,” Ocellus confirmed calmly.
“We can help you through whatever it is you know,” Smolder said, barely lowering her voice.
“I was possessed!” Sweetie Belle screamed, stopping the conflict immediately. Everycreature stared at Sweetie in total shock, the other two crusaders were sure of what they were doing now.
“We just learned about this right before ya came,” Apple Bloom added.
“You were possessed?” Silverstream asked, stepping forward to get a closer look at Sweetie.
“I think so,” Sweetie replied.
“By who?” Gallus questioned.
“Nightmare,” Scootaloo responded, finally calming down.
“How is that even possible?” Sandbar asked.
“I’m not sure, but I know that she was controlling me,” Sweetie answered.
“Does Starlight know of this?” Ocellus asked.
“Not ‘bout Sweetie being possessed,” Apple Bloom revealed.
“How about we go talk to her, and do our own research?” Ocellus suggested.
“Let’s do it!” Scootaloo shouted, she stuck her hoof in the air.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders, yay!”
~~~
The harmony was quiet and calm, yet it sent out waves of distress. There was something wrong, but it was perfection. It was flawless, only it was clearly flawed. Was it somehow better this way? No, it wasn’t, or at least that’s what they said. One mistake, and they would all strike, they said. Everyone would turn against them, against her. Would they turn against themselves, they said they might. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to not turn against them. The silent storm was growing in size, and more of them were figuring out part of the story. There wasn’t any way for her to stop it.
~~~
“Have you found anything yet?” Starlight asked, several books hovering around her.
“Yes, I believe I did. I also sent a letter to Thorax, asking him if he knows anything about strange changelings, hopefully he can help us with whatever Scootaloo may be dealing with.” Luna replied.
“Good, now what did you find?”
“I have found that this spell is formed from very dark magic, a kind so powerful that not even us have seen it before. It is more powerful than me, my sister, and Discord working with the Elements of Harmony,” Luna warned. “I know not how Nightmare has managed to acquire such power, and I fear we may all be doomed if we cannot find a weakness of her’s.”
“Okay, that sounds bad,” Starlight said, “but can I ask why you refer to Nightmare as ‘her’ because she doesn’t have her own gender, she’s just a bunch of sentient dark magic, right?”
“You named your plant,” Luna deadpanned.
“Well, that’s none of your business!” Starlight yelled.
Luna sighed, “Would they even be happy going back to their normal lives after these changes, and is it even possible to change them back?” Luna questioned.
“I, I don’t know. I haven’t talked to them about if we can’t change them back, so far we’re still trying to figure out what Nightmare’s plan is.”
“I agree, we must find out her plan, otherwise Equestria will be thrown into darkness,” Luna said. She flew down next to Starlight, looking at Starlight’s book.
“Perhaps we should bring the crusaders in again, see if any new changes have occurred,” Luna suggested. The time passed swiftly, neither pony slept through the night.
The front doors burst open, and nine creatures stepped into the room. Luna and Starlight turned to face the Crusaders and the Young Six. “We want to know what’s going on,” Smolder demanded.
“What is going on?” Starlight asked, facing the crusaders.
“I was possessed, and they figured that out,” Sweetie Belle said.
“You were possessed?” Starlight repeated.
“If that is true, then it is much worse than I feared. Nightmare may have possessed another pony already, anypony in Ponyville could be possessed. If she got on a train, she could be anywhere in Equestria by now, taking control of anypony. I’ll send word immediately to all the rulers about this new threat,” Luna said.
“Is it possible we could detect where Nightmare is?” Ocellus asked.
“Perhapes, I’ll work on a spell for that. Let’s hope it won’t be too late.”
“It would probably be best to stay together, with this information you’re all major targets. You should also go somewhere Nightmare wouldn’t immediately suspect,” Luna informed.
“Well, we still need to hear everything else that’s happened,” Gallus said.
“The crusader’s clubhouse is too small,” Scootaloo replied.
“We probably shouldn’t go through the Everfree Forest right now either,” Silverstream added.
“Sweetie Belle, is your room at Rarity’s place big enough for all of us?” Apple Bloom asked.
“It might be,” Sweetie replied.
“It’s probably one of our best options right now, so let’s go!” Sandbar decided.
~~~
Rarity sewed another outfit, hardly paying any attention to the dress, she was lost in thought.
Click.
“Sweetie Belle had brought the crusaders over, along with the young six, so there wasn’t much else to do in her home,” Rarity thought.
Click.
“They we’re going to have a sleepover.”
Click.
“Sweetie Belle was growing up, and she already had her own job.”
Click.
“She would be a mare soon.”
Click.
“Could she handle that? Sweetie Belle was growing up, she might not even have time to visit her anymore.”
Click.
“She might not want to visit her anymore.”
Click.
“Sweetie might hate her,” Rarity realized.
Click.
“Where was that noise coming from? It wouldn’t stop mocking her since…”
Click.
“Sweetie had come back to her house, possessed,” Rarity panicked.
Click.
Rarity ran up the stairs, fearing for the worst.
~~~
“Nightmare cast a bunch of dark magic on all three of you?” Silverstream resounded.
“Yeah, and it changed us, like I’m pretty sure I am a changeling now. Ocellus?” Scootaloo asked, turning back into a changeling.
“You look like a changeling, but how did Nightmare even survive for this long? This is the same Nightmare that was Luna’s Anger, the same one that took control of Rarity?” Ocellus asked.
“When did that even happen?” Sandbar asked.
“I’m not sure, ah remember it happening, but I can’t remember when,” Apple Bloom answered.
“Yona want know more,” Yona said.
“Okay, basically, Apple Bloom’s eyes glow red and Sweetie’s glow green,” Scootaloo supplied.
“They aren’t glowing right now,” Gallus observed.
“So, Starlight’s pretty sure Ah’m undead now,” Apple Bloom replied, letting her changes show. Her coat darkened, her mane and tail became more pale, and her eyes burned with a reddish orange fire.
“Now that’s pretty scary,” Silverstream said, stepping backwards and then forwards. Apple Bloom returned to her usual form.
“Okay, so what happened to you, except for getting possessed. Scootaloo said your eyes also glow,” Smolder asked.
“Yes, we found out my eyes now glow bright green when I do magic, and we think they glow yellow when danger is around. Every time my eyes turn yellow there is also a lot of smoke, but they haven’t turned yellow since I was possessed,” Sweetie replied, flicking her ear. “We also know that the Breathing Veil didn’t have any effect on me, I didn’t glow at all, Starlight even had me eat a petal, and I didn’t glow,” Sweetie Belle finished, flicking her ear again.
“What Breathing Veil Sweetie Belle ate do?” Yona inquired.
“The Breathing Veil is a flower which will show if a creature is undead by glowing black, if not it will glow a light red. It will glow red before switching over to one of those two colors, but some creatures have to ingest it to see it’s effects because the flower cannot get through things like thick scales,” Ocellus stated.
“Like mine,” Smolder provided, showing her arm to Yona.
“So how did you not glow at all?” Gallus asked.
“We don’t know,” Scootaloo responded.
“We should look into this, it could help us,” Sandbar declared.
“Does any other creature hear that strange clicking noise?” Silverstream asked. They all became as quiet as possible, listening for the sound of clicking.
The clicking echoed in the eerie silence. The only other noises that could be heard were hushed breathing, singing birds, and a muffled sewing machine downstairs. It was a ceaseless clicking, ringing in their ears.
They knew they couldn’t stop it, yet they didn’t even understand what it was. A feeling of dread washed over them, it was even deeper for her.
~~~
Click.
Rarity grabbed the handle and turned.
Click.
“Why would it not stop?” Rarity asked.
Click.
“The storm is growing,” she thought.
Click.
“There is nothing they can do,” she thought, a new fear flooding through her.
Click.
“Nothing I can do,” she realized.
Click.
“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity opened the door.
“Why?” She asked once more, knowing she wouldn't receive her answer here.