//------------------------------// // Rise of the New Moon // Story: Imperial Forclousure // by The Sound of Loneliness //------------------------------// Nightmare Moon found herself in a dark but familiar place. The dream realm. It had been many years since she had seen it last, and even before her death, she neglected this part of her domain. The thought of having to personally intrude on her subjects to protect them from their own dreams seemed rather patronizing to her. Now, though… this place felt different. She felt… at ease. Like she was somewhere where she belonged after many years of being away. Here, surrounded by tiny pinpricks of dreaming ponies and in complete control of all dream matter, she could finally truly rest. Although, there was something that tugged on her. Not physically, but she obviously felt compelled to approach one dream in particular. Should she? It has been so long since she dispelled a nightmare, almost as long as she had crafted one. There was an orange stallion with a bright, sandy mane and tail, and he was dreaming about being chased. Such a common fear it was, so much that it almost seemed banal to her. But what he was being pursued by made this far less simple. It was no monster or beast, but another pony. A thestral, with brightly glowing eyes and long fangs. She stepped in front of the stallion, willing the street to narrow down so she could more easily block it with her bulk. The stallion looked at her in confusion for a moment and even slowed his gallop ever so slightly; then, realizing there was nowhere to run, he was right back to absolute terror. He could not get past her, but he couldn’t go back either. He kept looking back over his shoulder and then back to her, not realizing that neither of his assailants was moving. Nightmare Moon patiently waited for him to notice. Whatever this apparition was, it would not harm him as long as she willed the dream to stop. The stallion eventually noticed that the pony chasing him was just as still as he was, and a look of surprise and confusion once again returned to his gaze. He cautiously looked back at the thestral, then back to her once again. After a momentary hesitation, he turned away from her and slowly, using only the tips of his hooves, inched closer to the thestral, occasionally looking back at her to make sure she never moved either. Nightmare Moon preferred forcing dreamers to overcome their nightmares rather than just dispelling them. She helped but gave no hints as to what the stallion needed to do, allowing him to learn at his own pace. Fear was soon replaced by curiosity as he looked onto the frozen mid-leap thestral, almost suspended in the air. He even found enough courage to touch it. He tried pushing it, but Nightmare Moon did not want it to be malleable enough to be pushed down… not yet. An idea sprang up in her mind. The stallion looked back at the end of the alley but found only the warm lights of the windows and street lamps. He stared at the empty alley in confusion for a moment, then looked back at the thestral, only for the monstrous pony to tackle him to the ground and snap its jaws just shy of his nose. Fear was back on his features as he tried, in vain, to push it off or crawl back. Realizing he had no choice, the stallion gathered all his strength and tried to kick. Although, in the waking world, such a strike would not be possible due to the weight resting on his legs, Nightmare Moon allowed it here as it served her purpose. The thestral was thrown back several steps and knocked on its back, visibly dazed after the hard kick. The stallion immediately got back to his hooves and tried to flee again… only to realize that the alley was a dead end. The thestral was back onto him, catching one of his legs, only for the stallion to kick it again, throwing the creature to the wall as if it weighed nothing. After a moment of wonder, the pony was onto it, kicking it again and again until it stopped moving entirely. Breathing heavily, the stallion looked in bewilderment at his own legs, then back at the prone enemy before him. Nightmare Moon was satisfied. He quickly grasped what he needed to do, and she hoped he would remember to do so in the future, too. After all, he had just as much control over his own dream as she did. She merely had extended power to control those of others and travel through the dream realm. She was prepared to leave the stallion to rest now. “Uh… lady… you there?” he called her unsurely. “I know I saw you there; come out, please.” Hmm… Well… she supposed his wish could be granted. She waited for him to scan the other side of the alley before reappearing. Her suddenly being only a few steps away startled him for a moment. She rustled her feathers ever so slightly in response. “Uh… Hello… I just wanted to say thank you. You did that… whatever it was. So.. thanks.” “I accept your gratitude,” she said curtly. “So, do you know anyplace where we can be safe from more of those… creatures? I have been seeing them all around the town no matter where I go.” “No, there is no place safe for you here, for this is your dream. When you awaken, you shall forget it just like you do all others.” “Wait… a dream?” he looked around his surroundings. “But it feels so real…” “Look again,” Nightmare Moon said dispassionately. He did, and the alley was gone entirely, replaced with a blank void. He stared back at her in awe for a few moments before finding his words again, “Who are you?” he asked. “That is not important. Know that I am here to aid you in overcoming your nightmares. I only forced you to confront them head-on; everything else was your own doing. I did this so next time you would not need my aid.” “Oooohhh!” he cooed. “I understand! My ma told me stories about meeting you once! You’re Princess Luna, aren’t you? The Princess of the Night and the Watchmare of Dreams! You look… different from how she described you, though…” he looked her over again. Nightmare Moon winced at that, “No… you are mistaken. Luna is someone entirely different.” “But she’s the only one who can come to other ponies' dreams… if you are not her, then I don’t know.” “It is not wise to pry at others, my little pony,” she said in a threatening tone. “Sorry,” he stepped back warily. A question popped up in Nightmare Moon’s mind. Perhaps not really important, but she had been sent here for a reason, “Is your mother’s name Scootaloo by any chance?” the color of his coat lined up. He was also a pegasus… “Yes. Do you know her too?” “Not personally. I suppose this world is much smaller than it seems. How is your esteemed mother?” “She is good, I guess. She’s a driver. Often drives me and her friends around the town when her job lets her borrow the car. She always said she wanted to fly, but driving is the next best thing.” Nightmare Moon smiled contently; at least someone was in a place where she belonged, “Luna will be glad to hear.” “You know Luna too?!” “I do,” Nightmare Moon admitted; she reckoned it was too late to deny it. “She is my sister.” The excitement was immediately replaced with confusion, “...You are not Princess Celestia,” he pointed out. “I am not. Luna has more than one sister. Even though only one of us is related to her by blood.” “But you have both wings and a horn, and you are not Princess Twilight or Cadance either.” “My name is Nightmare Moon. Your mother has likely used my name to frighten you against staying up late,” Nightmare Moon remarked bitterly. “But… isn’t that just one of Luna’s names? I never heard any stories about you as separate from her.” “I have been known as her, but to suit my own needs. Few ponies would obey me if they knew that the one giving orders was the feared and terrible Nightmare Moon instead of kind and loving Luna.” “So… you were the Empress?” “I was. And may I never be again.” “That’s… wow. I didn’t imagine I’d meet the Empress when I was going to sleep. So cool! I am going to tell Mom; oh, she’s going to flip out! You have to see her too sometime and bring Luna too! They used to be friends.” “As nice as that would be, that is not possible. Luna no longer sleeps, which is the only way to enter the dream realm. Neither do I, for that matter. This is… unusual.” “Wait, you don’t sleep? But everypony needs to sleep sometime… don’t you at least nap?” “No. I am dead, my little pony. I exist as a specter, while Luna is a vampony. Neither of us can dream.” “Oh… you both must be really tired from being awake all the time.” “You cannot even imagine,” Nightmare Moon groaned aloud. “Although that is hardly due to sleep. Once you have lived to be a thousand years old, you would understand how tiring living truly is. For me, though, not even death is an escape. Though it has been rather pleasant in comparison.” “Okay, not sure I understand why you’re here, though. Didn’t you say that you can’t dream?” “I cannot… under normal circumstances. I have been recalled to undo the harm I have caused, and I asked the Tree of Harmony for guidance on how to best achieve such a task. In response, it sent me here. It seems even in death, the dream realm recognizes me.” “Well, you look pretty alive to me,” he was even brave enough to approach and touch her on the foreleg. “You are warm and soft. Not at all like a dead pony is.” “This is not my true form but a projection, just like yours is. The dream realm is malleable and can change form. I can shape it in any way I wish, and so can you, although you are doing it unconsciously. In the waking world, I have no physical form at all.” “Maybe I can help? The Tree did send you here for a reason, right?” “Indeed. Although I do not know why or how can you help. My task is as much beyond you as it is beyond me, and you likely know even less than I do. So far I have been failing to make any progress, but in failure, I have learned some of the wrong approaches.” “What have you been up to?” “What I am most knowledgeable about… War. I know many ways of defeating an enemy with the force of arms, but none of them are suitable. Violence does not make our obstacles wane… but grow. My sister asked me to stop, and so I did. Yet I see no other option. As it currently stands, we must take power away from a sprawling bureaucratic state with significant military and administrative resources.”   “An alicorn’s potential for destruction can be truly terrifying, and I could muster four of them, but even then, I could only destroy my enemy while controlling territory demands much more force than I have. All reasonable calculations predict short-term failure and long-term war of attrition. I will win, but for that, so many ponies would have to die that the victory will mean nothing, for there will be no more Equestria. I have asked for guidance, and now I am here… with you.”  Nightmare Moon looked intently at the pony in front of her. He was not much like his mother; he had full-sized wings for one. He was no great philosopher, or even a warrior… his cutie mark suggested he was a cook. “Well…” he recoiled slightly from her stare. “I’d be happy to help. You helped me after all. What can I do?” “That is the pertinent question, isn’t it? You see, I do not know. The riddle that I must solve seemingly requires the impossible. I must restore the world to how it was before I irreversibly changed it. Now my very existence seems to sully it. My warriors flock to me, only to find disappointment in seeing that I am unwilling to lead them to further conquest; meanwhile, my rivals seem to beat themselves into a frenzy of war preparations from the mere knowledge that I am still here. At the same time, we must defeat the usurpers in power to return it back to Princess Celestia, yet it cannot be done through violent means. I do not know how to even approach this great task that I have before me.” “Well… the thing ponies liked most about the world that used to be is the safety and stability. So, maybe that’s what you should begin with.” “I am afraid that is simply not possible. My mere presence puts all of my allies in danger, for my enemies will go to great lengths to weaken me. I cannot promise safety until after I am victorious. For stability, though… that is even harder. There is a myriad of reasons for unrest within a realm, most of which I have no power over, be I alicorn or shade.” “Sometimes, even just showing that you are trying can help a lot,” he offered with a shrug. “My boss is a bit of a plothole and never gives me any extra checks, even if we’re cooking for big guests from Manehatten. But he really cares about us all. Our dishwasher once had a hospital refuse him because they were short on staff, and my boss went there himself and gave them such a talk that they gave our co-worker the best room. You don’t have to be perfect; you just need to make the effort when others wouldn’t.” “That… is a fresh perspective, to be sure. I suppose your boss is a good leader to you. If I am to demonstrate that I am a source of benefits, they will be much less opposed to my presence. And if my aid is required, they will be more inclined to listen to my words. As my other sister said: A leader’s purpose is to serve others, not have others serve them.  “But to that end, I will require much power… and I do not possess any at the moment. I could act through others, but the influence is directly dependent on visibility, and working through even someone as greatly respected as Twilight Sparkle will have a much-reduced effect than doing so personally. Perhaps my soldiers are not so different from common ponies after all. The only general they can respect is the one they can see.” “Well… if that makes it any clearer to you. How are you going to do that, though?” “To begin, it seems I would have to enlist the services of a necromancer. I would require a physical body. Then… well, I suppose we shall see.” The stallion looked deep in thought for a moment; Nightmare Moon began wondering if he was easily distracted, “I think that’s what I can help you with,” he suddenly said. “My mom told me a story about how Princess Luna once created a shared dream among many ponies to catch an evil creature in their dreams before it could enter the real world. If you can do anything you want here, why not make your own body from scratch and then simply leave?” Nightmare Moon first opened her mouth to say that it was impossible but stopped herself and pondered instead. Neither she nor Luna had practiced methods of accomplishing such a feat, for that would surely mean the death of their material form. But now that she was already dead, she had nothing to lose. “That may be possible,” Nightmare Moon said musingly. “Although I never gave much thought to how I wish to look. I suppose I can simply recreate my old appearance.” Nightmare Moon looked herself over. Her pitch-black fur was soft, velvety, and just puffy enough to have some volume for style. Her bluish-black feathers in her wings. Her flowing, nebula mane. Locks of fur just above her hooves. Luna’s body was stunning in its beauty, even if she did change her coat’s colors and added height for a more imposing appearance. Her sharp teeth and slitted eyes provided her advantages in battle. Yet all this seemed obsolete to Nightmare Moon, this was simply not her. “I have always seen my own visage as another way of communicating.” Nightmare Moon struck a pose by extending her wings upwards, double her own height. “I can be imposing, or mysterious,” she folded her wings and angled her head slightly up. “But at all times - superior. Looks are extremely important for a ruler, as by the looks my subjects know my authority. But this all seems unnecessary now… If I am to provoke trust instead of terror, I’ll require something else.” “Something else? Do you mean… a different color?” “Among other things, my fangs would have to go too. Maybe less height… or maybe less muscle. I suppose I do look like I could kick an average tree over.” “Yeah, your size is pretty intimidating,” the stallion agreed. “Hmm…” Nightmare Moon considered which size to use for a moment. She was the exact same height as Celestia; she intended this to indicate that they were on equal footing. Luna’s slightly shorter but still tall stature seemed like an obvious choice. “How is this?” Nightmare Moon asked, willing her body to shrink. “Eh… Well, I suppose you do need to stand out a bit, but it’s still a bit big.” “You are absolutely correct; I must stand out. I suppose my wondrous black coat is next, then.” “Well, maybe not necessarily,” he quickly spoke up. “You could add some accents, you know, maybe add spots of white to your nose or sides or something. Just so ponies can see that you aren’t some darkness demon or anything.” Truth be told, there were times when Nightmare Moon considered doing something similar. For a ball, she thought about dying the edges of her feathers in white to accentuate them more; it would go nicely with her old silver jewelry too… Nightmare Moon had the very tips of her feathers turn snow-white, but that was not enough. She also had the locks on her legs gradually turn white. Dispensing with the white, she added more dark blue to her legs so that the white of the locks wouldn’t contrast too much with the black of the rest of her legs. Looking over her mostly barren back, Nightmare Moon also added tiny patches of white across her back, sides, and thighs and willed them to gleam in the light like metal. She decided to stop there for now. She made a graceful round turn, fully extending her wings, and looked questioningly at her only critic. “Whoa…” he breathed out. Nightmare Moon giggled, “Am I already so beautiful that you have forgotten any semblance of speech?” With a smile, she decided to complete her looks with some tasteful attire, as well. She chose a flowing, see-through gown to barely cover her back and left a few strips hanging down past her barrel, ending with crescent pendants. This would enhance the mystical theme she chose for the moment. Next was her head. She briefly considered a tiara but decided it to be in poor taste. Instead, she chose a necklace of concentric silver chains ending with a singular red ruby at the last circle. She created a few more airy chains to put in her mane, adding a few rubies to break the monotony of white over her body. Admiring her work, she made a few dancing passes and turned around to see if the pendants moved as they should. Noticing the jaw-dropped awe of her audience, a sly smirk appeared on her face. She continued her dance. Willing a majestic hall to appear around them, Nightmare Moon filled it with ponies in suits and dresses. She looked at the stallion expectantly. It took several seconds for the stallion to realize where they were and what she wanted him to do. “M-My…” he cleared his throat after stammering. “My Lady, may I have a dance?” She beamed at him, “You may.” She stepped back and formally bowed to him; he clumsily repeated her gesture. Quite uncouth, but she reckoned she could make a prince out of him in a decade or two. But for now, she wished to see him move. He took her offered hoof and looked up at her unsurely; their still, quite-apparent size difference would not make things easy for him; luckily, this was but a dream. “Do what you feel is right,” she said to him with an encouraging smile. “Dancing with a partner is an expression of passion more than it is skill.” That dispelled some of his stiffness as he gripped her foreleg more firmly and stepped back. Nightmare Moon followed his lead. His routine was fairly basic, consisting of spins and rhythmic steps. She wouldn’t be surprised if he learned this dance for his graduation party at school. Still, she appreciated him trying. Dancing was something she always craved to do, but she very rarely got the opportunity. “You know, most of my subjects would not dare to ask me out for a dance,” she remarked. “I suppose they were much too afraid of disappointing their Empress. I rarely had an opportunity for a quiet dance as a result.” “Really?” he asked incredulously. “The last one was my late Captain of the Guard. It is a Canterlot tradition that, at a gala, the Princess dances with the Captain of her Guard before everyone else joins with their selected partners. That was such a lovely night; my guards went out of their way to organize a party for me.” “Oh, that was very sweet of them. You must have gotten a fair few gifts, too.” “Not as many as you may imagine. Although I had some,” Nightmare Moon dreamily smiled, remembering how an innocent colt in her guard brought her a bouquet of white roses. Oh, if only he knew the meaning. “I sometimes received flowers from my guards, although if you would take my advice: never allow a soldier to pick a gift for a mare. It may have unintended significance,” she finished with a wry smirk. “From guards? Wasn’t it just their job? I couldn’t do that…” “No, it is not just a job, my little pony,” Nightmare Moon stepped away from him with a sigh. “As you may guess, I hardly needed any guards in the first place. Assassins would suffer a rather… grizzly end if they ever managed to sneak into my quarters. No, guards were a status symbol. Nothing signals the importance of a pony quite like a well-maintained and groomed guard detail. This may seem inglorious, but I assure you, I intended it to be anything but. I picked my own guards myself for their glorious deeds and afforded them a life in my palace instead of a remote barrack, or worse… a trench. None ever refused. I also allowed them much freedom. They were well-paid, allowed to buy property in the capital, and had other benefits. Of course, I also happened to be rather popular in the army, and guarding me was considered a great honor. No one ever had enough courage to court me, but gifts would occasionally find their way to me all the same.” “I’d gift you flowers too if you lived in my town. You are very pretty,” he sheepishly said. “Why, thank you! You can’t imagine how few ponies ever said so to me. But mayhaps that would not be quite appropriate for me to accept any further advances. I am more than a thousand years older than you in the end.” “Alright… Are we ever going to meet again?” “Perhaps, would you wish us to? After all, this is a dream, and you will not remember it for long once you wake.” “Totally! I never imagined you’d be so cool! You probably know so many stories! Maybe we could play some buckball, too!” Nightmare Moon chuckled, “I am sure your friends would be less than eager to play ball with Nightmare Moon of all creatures. I believe parents still scare their foals with my name.” “Yeah, with Nightmare Moon. Trust me, everyone would love to meet you, Moon!” “Well, The first part of my name does indeed seem like it has outlived its usefulness... You have been of great aid to me, my little pony,” she courteously bowed to him. “Well then. I suppose, unless you desire to spend just a little more time together, I should prepare to take my leave. You see, once you wake, your dream shall disappear, together with me and this new body we crafted. It would be most unfortunate if your awakening came earlier rather than later. But I promise that we will meet again. I may not be able to visit you in the waking world just yet, but I can promise you that I will find you in your dreams. Perhaps I might even bring my sister, although she might be less eager to meet you than you are to meet her.” “Yeah… I get it. You gotta go do important things. While I… well… I’ll return to cooking food for some big wigs from one ministry or another. They shift every other day, so I stopped caring which one.” “Don’t be so crestfallen over it. A cook is a noble and important profession. I would have long perished had it not been for the multitudes of my kitchen staff. By the stars, my mother would have had me flogged if she saw me trying to learn to prepare food myself. Simply because you do not give orders to thousands of ponies with each stroke on parchment does not make you any less important.” “Well… it’s just that sometimes I wish I could do something big, you know? Like you, or Twilight Sparkle. Something that would help everyone.” “Well… perhaps that could be arranged,” Moon smiled conspiratorially. “My sister Luna wishes to speak to a certain pony that you may just know the location of.”