//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: A "Not So Pleasent" Reunion // Story: My Little Pony - An Equestrian Emergency - // by IceStorm //------------------------------// Chapter 8: A “Not so Pleasant” Reunion “How is she?” Twilight asked the princess concerned about Ice Storm. Being a unicorn herself she was very aware of the dangers of what using too much magic could do, and the fact that Ice had passed out only moments after she said that she felt tired was alarming. “She’s stable, but she definitely can’t use any more magic today. Had she needed to support that wall any more, it would be an entirely different scenario right now. The fact that she has a steady pulse, if not very strong at the moment and is breathing is reassuring,” Luna answered. “Okay. I’m just worried.” “You and I both, she’s the first truly loyal friend that I’ve had that I’ve been able to see on a regular basis,” Luna stated. “Hello! Element of Loyalty here!” Rainbow Dash announced making Luna smile a bit. “Yes Rainbow, I know. I rarely get to see you though, any of you. I had hoped to have been able to spend more time with you at the wedding, but then everything went haywire there too,” Luna replied. “Hey, You weren’t even in most of it!” “Rainbow!” Rarity exclaimed not happy with the comment. “You’re the absolute last pony that can talk about napping during a bad situation. You spend most of your time in Ponyville doing so!” “Hey guys, can we move away from the lava flow before we start bickering? That is… if it’s alright with everypony…” Fluttershy spoke up. Everypony else nodded and the moved a bit away from where the lava flow was. There was a small valley nearby where they set up a make shift camp for the night. There wasn’t much to be put up, as there were no tents, or much of anything to be gathered. The mountains were bare. Only rock after rock remained visible along the stone path of the winding mountains. Luna while they walked Luna thought about what Rainbow had said, and wondered if she would accept the reality of the matter that things would have been worse had she attempted anything. “I do apologize, Rainbow, if it felt like I didn’t do my part to help defend the wedding when the outbreak happened. It’s not like I really had much of a choice in the matter. After all, it was my responsibility to oversee the night watch, and it’s just impossible for me to stay awake every single minute of every single day. However, I was instantly awoken after the barrier broke, and I saw what was going on. I tried to teleport to the palace, but Chrysalis had some sort of field up that I couldn’t teleport into.” “Twilight could teleport just fine!” “I could have been within the aura already Rainbow, some magics like that will prevent ponies from entering or leaving, but are vulnerable to anywhere inside the zone where magic can be activated,” Twilight explained. “Well then why didn’t she just fly to the palace? She’s an Alicorn for pony sake! She as wings to ya know!” “Um… Rainbow… I think yer missin’ one very big flaw with that thought…” Applejack commented. “Oh? What flaw?” “Changelings,” Luna answered. “If I had tried to come to the aid, it would have been very easy for me to become cloned and create further confusion. As a leader of the Royal Guard, if I had gotten cloned, what little resistance we had would have been removed. And as much as I don’t like admitting it, I’m not as strong as my sister… I think all of my past actions have proven that to be true. My will is generally weaker, as is my resolve, I’ve always gotten sick easier than her, and you’ve seen me side by side with her before my body is so much more frail and fragile than hers,” Luna said almost in a whimper. “When heard that Chrysalis had overpowered Celestia, the only thing I could do was cry… and that’s why I’m even more scared about what we’re going to find when we find Celestia… I’m legitimately scared that we might not be able to save her…” Luna finished in a near broken state. Rainbow looked on to the princess. Yeah she wanted answers, but she wasn’t expecting this. She had to admit at first it sounded like pony apples, but the more she listened and the more she thought about it, and by Luna’s emotional reactions, that she was telling the truth. Rainbow sided and did something very un-rainbow like. She walked over and gave Luna a hug. “I’m sorry princess. I shouldn’t have even brought it up, especially now. I should have known that you were looking out for the safety of everypony, since, well… for the most part, you always have,” she apologized. “How much longer do you think it’s going to take before we find where Princess Celestia is and who had taken her? I’m not one for a lot of the fancy mystery novels, but from what I hear from everypony else, we ain’t got much time.” Apple Jack commented. “With any luck, which is something that so far this trip we haven’t seen, we’ll hopefully find her tomorrow,” Luna answered looking to the sun as it set on another night. *** The next morning Ice Storm was the first to wake up. The lava flow that had been behind them had solidified into near perfect obsidian and the area where she had created her ice shield wall had also solidified into pure obsidian creating an unintentionally miraculous piece of art. That all would have been fine and dandy except that they were still left with the looming fact that the reason they were out here was because Princess Celestia had been kidnapped. The others awoke shortly after Ice, and Luna, upon waking was right next to her. “Ice… Are you okay?” “I have a headache, and I still feel a bit woozy, but I should be fine,” Ice replied. Twilight quickly exhaled a large sigh of relief. “That’s good then. You had us all very worried. I’m well aware of the dangers of over exerting yourself when it comes to magic. When you blacked out, I had begun to fear the worst…” She explained. “I’m sorry Twilight. I didn’t mean to make everypony worry. I just wanted everypony to be safe,” Ice replied. “We know Ice,” Luna said with a brief, friendly nuzzle. She withdrew quickly and looked out into the valley that they had stumbled across yesterday. There were a few patches of trees, and a small stream or creek that flowed through it. Obviously a mountain stream of the sort as it wasn’t on any map. “We should keep moving.” Everypony else nodded. The valley that they had discovered was of decent size. From where they were they could easily see patches of trees and a small stream running though the center of it. The panoramic view of mountains that stretched along as far as the eye could see added both a sense of security and a feeling of dread. “Anything yet Luna?” Twilight asked. “Not yet, though the thing is, these mountains are so large and so dense, that If she were in one of the deeper parts of the mountain we’d have to pass right next to the mountain that she was in before I could even sense anything,” Luna explained. “Yeesh, what are the mountains made of? Lead?” Rainbow asked sarcastically. “Yes, actually. The Eponnine Mountains have the highest concentration of lead than any other place in Equestria,” Luna answered leaving Rainbow at a loss for words. “So, basically, unless we search every single mountain individually, the chances of us actually finding her in this place are slim…” Ice gathered. “We’ll find her,” Twilight blurted almost immediately. “We have too…” She finished unable to hide her own concern on the matter. They continued along one of the paths that lead next to the mountains but still remained inside the valley with out of the corner of Luna’s eye she saw something moving in the sky. It was a large, reddish-black figure that appeared to have been another Alicorn. Before she could see anything else though, it passed behind one of the peaks. “Uh…. Anypony else see that thing fly by?” Applejack addressed before Luna nodded. So I wasn’t seeing things… she thought to herself. “No, I saw it too. I only caught a glimpse though. “Only ah glimpse? It stalled over us for a couple seconds,” Applejack replied. “Unfortunately yes… I’m sorry… my mind is… greatly preoccupied at the moment. The only thing I’m even doing anymore is feeling for my sister’s magic…” “Ah… yeah… sorry, I thought that you, your sister, and Cadence were the only Alicorns thought? Where in tarnation did that one come from?” “I’m… honestly not sure…” Luna replied. “I know for a fact that there is one other Alicorn that… well… You never want to meet…” “Did it have red bat-like wings, an ebony horn, a purplish-black coat and a blood-red mane?” Applejack asked making Luna pause dead in her tracks. The look of shock, terror, and fear all made very apparent in her expression as she stuttered for her next words. “I…Is that what… that one looked like?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Ah’m assuming that’s bad… isn’t it…” “We must hurry! If he’s the one that’s captured Princess Celestia, we may already be too late!!!” “He?” Applejack stated inquisitively. “Deadly Revenge…” Luna answered softly… “Come on, Everypony knows he’s an old Mare’s tale,” Rainbow blurted out. “Just like Nightmare Moon was an old Mare’s tale right Rainbow?” Twilight countered. “Ahh… right…” she replied. “We must hurry before he does to her what he did to me!!” Luna yelled taking off in almost a dead run towards the mountain at this point. This made Twilight even worrisome. “What!?” she shrieked. “How do you think I became Nightmare Moon? Despite all the stories that have been told I never once resented anypony. Deadly Revenge killed all of my closest friends and did so many other things to me that I’d rather not go into… until I finally broke under him to agree to get Equestria from my sister. I thought maybe if I relented and did what he wanted, he would release me, then I could free my sister and we could both defeat him together. Needless to say… that didn’t work…” she explained while she ran through tears at this point. Then with in a sudden tremor, Luna stopped as she felt another magic signature, no wait… two of them. She felt the warm radiance that she always felt around her sister and she knew. “Celestia!! Everypony!! Get close to me!! NOW!!!” Luna yelled as her voice turned almost dual-toned as a dark purplish-blue mist began forming around her. The other mares didn’t question her as soon as they heard Celestia and gathered around her. With a quick flash Luna poofed them out of existence along with herself only to be brought back into such lest than five meters from her sister. “Celestia!!” “Luna!! No!! Stay back! It’s a…” “Trap that you sprung nicely, my dear,” an ominous voice spoke from behind her as the dark Alicorn materialized behind her. “My, my, Luna I see that you’ve redeveloped nicely after your ever long banishment. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to have been abandoned by your own sister. To think that your love was so devout to her that you watched so many of your friends die, and now you’re here in a futile attempt to save her and watch even more of your friends die by my hand,” He told her sealing the others in a magic-locked cage while binding the Princess of the Night as he had done her sister. “You’re a disgusting monster!” “Oh am I? I’m just merely pointing out the truths? You sister didn’t once even suspect that you were gone or that anything was the matter. Then once I finally broke you, she didn’t even try to listen to you. She just immediately sent you to the moon. The one mare that you loved the most imprisoning you in the one thing that you loved the most and stealing it’s control from you. Face it Luna, she doesn’t care about you!” “You’re lying!! Luna don’t…” Celestia was cut off as a dark tendril wrapped around her mouth virtually tying it shut. “The only thing she wanted was your moon and she was just waiting for the opportunity to take it from you. Come on now Luna,” he said using his horn to funnel dark energy into her giving her power that she hadn’t felt in a long time. I… remember this power… It’s Nightmare Moon’s power. But I still have her inside of me… does he think that she’s gone? Perhaps I can use this to my advantage… Luna thought to herself formulating her own scheme in her mind. She began to struggle and resist the dark ‘”temptation” that he was putting in her. “Come on Princess. Give into the darkness once again. After all, Nightmare Moon is the only friend of yours I can’t kill…” he threatened as a dark tendril began to work its way towards the icy-blue mare that had been sealed away in the cage. With that Luna had no choice but to give in. She let the darkness consumer her body but had since figured out how to completely control the darkness that was inside of her. After being soul-bonded to the darkness for a millennium, it came with the territory for her. Slowly her midnight blue coat transformed into the black coat that she had worn for so long as she had transformed herself back into Nightmare Moon.