Chapter 9
Nightmare Moon's twisted smirk hadn't faded in the slightest. The moment of her long-awaited victory was etched into her long memory. The terrified expression on Celestia's face as a cloud of darkness carried her away shone brightly amongst her most treasured images.
Only slightly dimmer were the faces of the crowd of ponies below. The simple little villagers, staring up in awe and horror as she appeared. She'd seen the same sort of fear one-thousand years ago. Now she couldn't fathom why she'd ever hated it.
The purple unicorn in front of her was trembling as she stepped forward. Her herald gulp as her starry mane reached out and pushed him to the side. He offered no resistance, stepping away to the opposite side of the balcony as the white mare.
"Oh, my beloved subjects," Nightmare Moon spoke, relishing each word as she scanned the crowd. "It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces!"
Most of the audience was silent. One voice rang out from a corner though. A cyan mare with a very colorful mane was charging right at her.
"What did you do with our princess?!" she shouted as she approached.
Somepony below cursed. An orange earth mare jumped up, trying to grab the pegasus' passing tail. She failed as the rainbow mare swerved upward toward the dark alicorn. The black mare just watched as she approached.
"So, we have a hero?" she challenged, her eyes glowing white. "What's wrong? Am I not royal enough for you?"
Nightmare Moon's magic lashed out. The rainbow mare halted in mid-air, snatched up in her telekinetic grasp. The alicorn merely observed the pegasus as she struggled for freedom. There was anger and a bit of fear there, but no sense of familiarity.
"Don't you know who I am?" she growled in the mare's face.
"Some bully who gets her kicks pretending to be an old mare's tale?" responded her captive.
Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped, and a gasp issued from the audience.
"Such insolence!" she shouted, her magic casting the pegasus pony aside.
The mare screamed as she crashed into an elaborate stand. Birds scattered in every direction as she laid still, groaning in pain.
"Rainbow Dash!" the yellow mare that had been cowering near the stand gasped.
"Does my crown no longer count after I've been imprisoned for one-thousand years?" Nightmare Moon shouted, glaring at the ponies cowering below. "It seems some of you must have heard the legend! Did none of you see the signs?"
There was nothing but silence from the ponies trembling below. Nightmare Moon glared down at them, feeling their fear. Some of them were still squeezing their eyes shut, as though she'd just disappear any moment. Like some monster out of a story book.
"I see then," she declared, eyes narrowing. "So it seems Celestia hoped I'd remain just that: A legend."
A smile curled her muzzle as realization dawned. There was nopony below that had ever known her from before. None of them had prepared for her. The thought brought forth a chuckle that slowly grew to full-blown laughter.
"Well, Princess Celestia is no longer here to protect you!" she mocked, her mane flaring above her in a terrible whirlwind. "You'll never see her or your precious sun ever again!"
"Horse apples!" Rainbow Dash's voice cursed.
Nightmare Moon's head spun toward the stubborn pegasus. She was already on her hooves again and darting toward her. With a growl of frustration, the alicorn's magic once more stopped her cold.
"Like anypony..." Rainbow Dash grunted as she tried to break free. "Could have beat the princess!"
There were a few shouts from the audience. Voices of agreement. Nightmare Moon glared down at them, her eyes blazing white. The ponies that had agreed cringed, but another thought came to her. She smiled, her phantasmal tail reaching out to the balcony behind her.
"So, you don't believe me," she taunted, hearing the gasp of horror as she found what she sought. "Perhaps one of your own might convince you otherwise. Mr. Prose?"
A misty claw wrapped around the purple unicorn and dragged him into the air. The nightmare was vaguely aware of somepony else behind her. No doubt the white unicorn trying to escape the balcony. She merely ignored her, instead focusing on raising her herald over the crowd.
"Why don't you tell them just what you saw?" Nightmare Moon asked, a wisp of stars tickling Purple Prose under his chin.
He looked out into the audience, all of whom were staring at him. He opened his mouth, a frightened squeak emerging. The dark alicorn scowled and tightened her grip threateningly. She could feel how fragile he was, and the fear in his eyes showed he knew it to.
"Sh-she's not lying..." Prose managed to whisper, his voice magnified by her magic. "I saw it happen. There was all that black mist... and Princess Celestia just vanished..."
Prose hung his head as somepony below cried out. Even Rainbow Dash had stopped squirming, staring at him in abject horror. Nightmare Moon's previously interrupted chuckle returned. She could feel the fear filling the room, the realization of just what they faced now. Her head was thrown back in laughter.
Laughter that only lasted for a brief moment.
"Seize her!" a beige pony shouted from below. "Only she knows where the princess is!"
Four stark-white pegasi in golden armor shot from the audience. Nightmare Moon's mirth ceased. She grit her teeth at the approaching stallions, gathering magic overhead.
It would seem she'd need to do this the hard way.
Spike twisted, trying to watch the pegasus guards as they swooped past him.
"Hey wait!" he shouted, unable to even wave his hooves.
His voice was no longer amplified. The guards didn't seem to hear him over the shouts from the ponies below. The crowd's voices were just so much background noise though. Too many calling out support, trying to find safety, or even just screaming in fear.
He managed to turn himself enough to face the balcony. Only Nightmare Moon stood there now. Spike found some small comfort that at least Rarity had gotten away. Far less comforting was the white glow in the alicorn's eyes as the guards drew closer.
"Stay away from me—" she started to shout, magic gathering in the swirling cloud forming over her head.
A multi-colored streak suddenly flew right into her face. She faltered for a moment as Rainbow Dash began to fly dizzying circles around her. Spike could feel his head spin just trying to watch her. Nightmare Moon's tail lashed out, snatching at the mare.
And let go of Spike in the process.
The stallion gasped as he felt the energy surrounding him dissipate. For a sickening moment he simply hung in mid-air. Then he was plunging toward the floor below with a scream.
"Gotcha!" an all-to-familiar voice cheered as gray hooves fastened under his forelegs.
Spike's thoughts were a jumble for a second. Looking up he found the smiling face of Ditzy Doo as she carried him toward the ground.
"Huh?" he managed to grunt out, summing up his mental state rather well.
Ditzy just kept her grin the whole way down, depositing Spike on the floor. His eyes moved from the mare, finding himself near the backstage door again. He could see Time Turner and Rarity coming out of it before a purple dragon filled his vision. Spike gasped in surprise as Twilight tackled him to the floor, her arms locked around him in a tight embrace.
"You're okay!" she practically sobbed. "Oh Spike I... I thought..."
"Yeah, I'm fine," he finally realized, patting the dragoness on the back. "Thanks to Ditzy."
The mailmare blushed, fluttering her wings a bit in response. There was a cheerful giggle from nearby. Dinky sprinted seemingly from nowhere, pressing up against her side in a loving nuzzle. Cheerilee stepped over, patting Ditzy Doo on the back with one hoof.
"Seems you're a hero today, Ditzy," Cheerilee congratulated the gray mare.
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Time Turner pointed out, gesturing back toward the balcony.
Spike followed his hoof. The guards surrounding Nightmare Moon had been forced back by a swirling mass of dark clouds. The black-coated mare was glaring from within the twister, while the guards battered against it. Rainbow Dash was still up there as well, leaving her namesake contrail as she spun around the alicorn.
"So that's your weather manager?" Spike asked, staring at Time Turner as he got back up. "Is she crazy or something?"
"Not crazy," Time Turner corrected before biting his lip for a moment. "Miss Dash is just... very passionate."
"ENOUGH!"
Nightmare Moon's voice exploded from above, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Rainbow Dash and the guards were sent careening in all directions as a miniature lightning storm raged around her. Spike cringed in terror, knowing he wasn't the only pony doing so.
"It would seem you're reluctant to accept my rule," Nightmare Moon called out, her voice carrying a threatening echo. "Perhaps an example needs to be made!"
The storm around her ceased, but her starry mane still swirled above. Twilight tightened her grip on Spike. He saw Ditzy Doo pull her daughter close and cover her eyes. The cloud of energy spread further, turning solid black as it began to tremble.
Spike could only gasp in horror right before the dark mass fell over entire room.
He twisted, struggling to pull himself from the endless nothingness that surrounded him. This wasn't simply darkness, a mere absence of light. This was an absence of anything. Even calling it a vacuum would be assuming something had been meant to exist there.
Spike let out a silent scream, feeling the vast emptiness probing at him...
... and all at once it was gone. The stallion sat bolt upright from the floor of Town Hall. His coat was slick with a cold sweat. Twilight was moaning softly as she got up, holding her head as though in pain.
"Spike?" she managed to say, her voice hoarse and raspy. "What happened?"
"I—" Spike stopped himself and looked around, suddenly aware of how quiet it was. "I don't know."
There were more groans. Other ponies were coming around, shaking their heads and stumbling back to their hooves. Spike struggled to think, wondering just what sort of spell could have knocked out everypony in the room in one shot.
"Is everypony alright?" Cheerilee asked, her mane being brushed flat by Rarity's magic as the two slowly stood again.
"I think so," Rarity said, her blue magic tending to her own frazzled mane. "Somehow."
"I've certainly been worse," Time Turner admitted, one hoof to his head.
Spike glanced up to the balcony, brow scrunching with worry. There was no sign of Nightmare Moon up there. The strange black cloud from her mane still hovered around the ceiling though. The reporter shivered at the sight of it. It wasn't moving, rather it almost seemed to be waiting for something.
"Dinky?" Ditzy Doo's voice suddenly cut in.
Spike looked away from the cloud as Ditzy spoke up. The gray mare was cradling her daughter in her forehooves. The filly hung there, limp and breathing softly.
"Dinky, what's wrong?!" Ditzy asked frantically, gently shaking the lavender filly. "Wh-why won't you wake up?"
Spike could suddenly feel a cold dread squeezing his chest. New voices shouted from elsewhere in the room, growing to a cacophony.
"Rumble! Come on, bro, wake up!"
"Apple Bloom!"
Spike looked to those near him. Cheerilee had a look of horrid familiarity with each name joining the shouts. Rarity was shaking her head, her eyes suddenly darting about as though looking for somepony. A cold chuckle sounded from above, slowly silencing the cries and drawing his gaze up again.
A pair of cruel eyes appeared on the cloud, glaring down at the audience. A dark-gray streak suddenly flew up at them. Thunderlane's face was a mask of rage as he drove for the nightmare cloud.
"You!" he shouted as he approached. "What did you do to my brother?!"
The stallion passed through the cloud as though it weren't even there. He spun back around, struggling to kick and bite it with similar results.
"Consider this a warning, Ponyville!" Nightmare Moon's voice echoed as she ignored the attempts at her destruction. "Until you accept my rule your foals shall remain locked in an endless slumber! Trapped forever in a world of nightmares!"
Thunderlane let out one final cry of fury, plunging through the cloud once more. He shot through to the other side, striking the ground with a resounding crack of splitting floor boards. Spike barely winced at the noise, distracted by Ditzy as she shook her head frantically.
No," Ditzy croaked out, tears filling her eyes. "No, no, no. Please, not Dinky..."
"I hope you enjoyed this day, my little ponies," Nightmare Moon went on, her eyes widening in mirth. "For it was your last! From now on, the night shall last FOREVER!"
More horrendous laughter filled the room, the cloud spinning in midair. It swiftly shrank away to nothing. Spike fell to a seated position, his mind struggling to process just how fast everything had happened. Twilight slumped against him as he looked around.
Ditzy was inconsolable, sobbing against Dinky's tiny body. Cheerilee was obviously doing her best to calm her, gently laying a hoof over her shoulders. The teacher looked up with her own eyes watering as more crying and frightened shouting carried from around the room.
Time Turner was looking around and seemed to spot something. His mouth moved as though speaking, but over the other voices he was impossible to hear. The earth stallion took off into the crowd, heading for the main stage. Spike just nodded, not even sure if anything being said was directed at him.
He turned his head again, his mind trying to process something. Somepony was missing from the group...
"Rarity?" Spike asked, getting back to his hooves.
Twilight let out a surprised yelp as she fell to the ground at his sudden movement. Spike carefully trotted through the crowd, picking his way past grieving parents and sleeping foals. His eyes scanned all over for the ivory mare, lost among a sea of colors.
"What were you thinking Dash?" Thunderlane's trembling voice rose above the crowd.
Spike stopped in his search, his eyes suddenly going to an area clear of other ponies. Thunderlane stood there, his body shaking from the impact of his landing. Or possibly from Rumble's tiny body curled on his back. Rainbow Dash simply locked eyes with him, the two glaring daggers at each other.
"You just had to go and get in her face!" Thunderlane accused, taking a step closer. "And now... now..."
"Hey, back off Thunderlane!" Dash shot back, wings flaring. "At least I tried to do something! What was I supposed to do? Just let her win?"
Rather than shouting, Thunderlane seemed to shrink. His wings folded to his sides and he just looked back at Rumble. Dash snorted before turning and storming back off into the crowd.
As ponies cleared to make way for her, Spike spotted a glimpse of white. Green eyes widened as he saw Rarity sitting near an overturned food table. He started toward her, carefully moving around the spilled pastries and punch.
"Rarity?" Spike asked as he approached. "Are you oka—"
He cut himself off as he realized it wasn't the food Rarity was staring at. A little, white unicorn filly lay on the ground before her. Her mane was a pale lavender and pink, done in gentle curls. Rarity had one hoof over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"My... my little sister Sweetie Belle," Rarity managed to choke out, eyes never leaving the filly. "I was... I was supposed to spend some time with her. After our interview. I... I..."
She turned toward Spike, her blue eyes piercing into the stallion. The purple unicorn drew back at her accusing stare.
"You... you were back there," she said, her voice gaining in volume. "Celestia had been waiting there before and then you... you..."
Rarity was trembling with both grief and anger. Spike tried to speak, but was suddenly very aware of hundreds of eyes on him again. He looked around, seeing ponies looking at him thanks to Rarity's outburst. Mutterings and whispers were starting, and he saw a few of the angrier looking ones stepping closer.
Spike turned, trying to find an opening. Before he could he found a pair of rose-colored eyes locked with his own. Rainbow Dash had, once again, sped out of nowhere and was now directly in front of him.
"You know, Rarity has a point," she said, taking a step closer to Spike. "Just what was going on back there?"
"No-nothing," Spike stammered out as he fell to his rump.
"Oh, nothing huh?" Rainbow Dash scoffed, still pushing closer. "You were the last pony to see Princess Celestia! You already announced it to the whole town!"
Her face was right up in his, her eyes sparking with anger.
"Plus I heard you've been asking questions all over town," she accused, leaning so close Spike almost rolled onto his back. "Are you a spy or something?!"
"No..." he tried to squeak out.
More questions and accusations started to ring out around him. Spike's throat felt like sandpaper as the circle closed in around him. His head was spinning, his vision filled with nothing but glaring eyes as voices he couldn't answer rang in his ears.
"Everypony!" Mayor Mare's voice suddenly boomed over the crowd. "Everypony, your attention please!"
The shouts of the crowd were slowly dying down. Spike remained stock still though, barely able to register anything going on around him.
"I know we're facing dire straights," the mayor shouted through a megaphone from the central stage. "But we must prioritize the safety of the foals first!"
There was some general buzz of consent from the audience. A sigh of relief could be heard over the megaphone before Mayor Mare cleared her throat to continue.
"Time Turner and the town doctors are already prepping Ponyville General Hospital," she announced, waving toward the exit doors. "Right now we need everypony to focus on getting our foals there! In an orderly manner, please!"
The exit doors were swung open at the political pony's gesture. Rarity cast one last glare at Spike before turning away from him. Her magic gently lifted her younger sister onto her back as she followed the crowd.
"W-wait," Spike managed to stammer out, eyes glancing about.
Most ponies weren't even looking at him, most of them too caught up in the fillies or colts they were carrying. The few that glanced his way had only an angry glare. He grunted as one of the bolder ponies shoved him on their way past.
"It's not like that," he pleaded, straining to make himself heard. "I'm not... I didn't want to..."
The last few ponies headed out the doors, which slammed closed. The reporter was left sitting alone in Town Hall, his head sinking to the floor. He twitched a bit as he felt a clawed hand settle on his back. He slowly turned his head to find Twilight. He sniffled a bit as the dragon silently pulled him into a gentle hug.
"I..." he managed to whisper. "I didn't do anything."
Twilight didn't say anything, only squeezed tighter. Spike relented and put one of his forelegs around her back. He blinked away the tears blurring his vision, feeling the boiling drops hit his cheeks. The sudden horrid weight of knowing how Ponyville felt about him felt like it was crushing his chest.
"W-we..." He wiped his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. "C-Canterlot... we should get home."
"Spike?" Twilight asked as he released her.
"Twi, they all hate me," he said to her, his magic pulling his hat lower over his eyes. "I just... I just don't want to be around if they decide to come back."
The dragoness opened her mouth but stopped. Her jaw closed and she slowly nodded her head. Spike sniffled again, turning and heading toward the doors. His lonely hoofsteps echoed off the walls.
"Spike!" Twilight's voice gasped out.
He spun around, heart hammering against his ribs. For a brief moment he expected Nightmare Moon again. Instead, he saw Twilight pointing at something.
Spike's eyes followed her claw to a purple tail sticking out from under one of the tables. His magic gently lifted the tablecloth, revealing an orange pegasus filly. Her tail twitched and her tiny wings fluttered as she moaned gently in her enchanted sleep.
"She must have gotten lost during the panic," Twilight realized, gently brushing a claw over the child.
Twilight looked up to Spike. He tried to glance away, to look back toward the doors. It was too late though, purple eyes met green and Spike knew he had no choice but to listen.
"We need to help her," she said.
"Twilight, you know what they'll do if I go to the hospital," Spike argued, trembling with fear. "And they know you work with me. What if they—"
Twilight shook her head and Spike sighed. He knew she was right. Even he couldn't buy the excuses he'd tried to come up with. His magic reached out and gently lifted the filly, laying her across his back.
"Alright, to the hospital then," he said to Twilight as they started toward the doors. "And you run if they come after me."
"No way," Twilight protested, patting his side. "We're gonna clear this mess up together."
Spike didn't have the will to argue, but the feeling of his friend's claw against him gave him some comfort. He looked ahead to the moonlit streets, recalling seeing the hospital with Ditzy earlier.
"A good reporter wouldn't run from a story anyway, right?" Twilight challenged as she clambered onto his back behind the filly.
Spike looked back and locked eyes with the dragon again. A small smile came back and he just nodded before setting off.