Day 5
Waning
There was silence in the halls of the Royal Palace.
Every one of the royal staff had tread lightly, careful not to wake her sister, and even more careful not to anger Celestia. It was a most comforting situation to have, as she had frequent migraines from the enormous hubbub of the daily operations of the castle. She did, though, feel a bit guilty for snapping at them out of her out over-protectiveness of her sister.
Cadance was staying with Luna still, and as the sun began to sink below the horizon, she gently let it go, and raised the moon as she had done so many times before. She yawned briefly, and looked to Sagittarius, who was looking at her with an expression of unfamiliar concern. “What troubles you, old friend?” He actually looked embarrassed. “…There is something I do need to tell you. The security threat it poses isn’t simply something I can keep a secret, despite promising your sister I wouldn’t tell you.”
Celestia immediately narrowed her expression, and assumed the role she had grown so accustomed to over the years. “Report.” Sagittarius looked off to the side, uncomfortable. “The night before last, during the lunar court, the…nightmare appeared, and attempted to force its way back into Luna.” Celestia’s white face seemed to drop several shades paler. “While I was successful in banishing the demon, the damage that was equated the unscheduled meteor impacting in the gardens…was not…a meteor. I doubt you’ll banish me to the sun for this, but-” THWACK!!!
A loud smack reverberated throughout the halls of the palace, as the captain of the night guard was thrown clear out the door, and sailed over the head of a mortified blue-haird disc jocky.
Vinyl, the pony in question, shrank into a corner and wished the walls would swallow her up, as she saw a flaming Princess Celestia storm out of her throne room, with a look of absolute fury etched on her face. “…dayum. I guess I won’t be asking about that gig for the winter solstice tonight.”
“HOW. DARE. YOU!!!” Ponies looked nervously as they saw their monarch, flames erupting from her head and all along her back, walk up to the dazed night guard captain. “ SHE IS MY SISTER AND YOU DIDN’T THINK IT WISE TO TELL ME THIS THE VERY MOMENT THIS HAPPENED??!!” Sagittarius gulped, and looked up at his younger cousin, surprised. If he had been any normal pony, his head would have flown clean off of his shoulders like a football, spinning off into the sky and into orbit. The pain he was feeling was likely from his jaw actually being broken, which was saying something considering she had shattered part of his armor with that…incredible left hook.
“Well, I-”
“HOW COULD YOU NOT THINK THIS WAS RELEVANT TO SHARE WITH ME? SHE COULD HAVE BEEN POSSESSED AGAIN, SHE COULD-”
“She CAN hear you yelling at me, as well as everypony here and halfway to Trottingham, you mad, mad mare! Now take your hoof off my throat and maybe we can go back inside and talk about this civilly!” The fire of Celestia’s mane snuffed out immediately as she saw her sister and her niece, looking down out of Luna’s bedchambers with looks of utter mortification. As she craned her view around, she saw many ponies had ducked for cover behind bushes and other objects, and she even noticed the curious red-eyed disc jockey that had performed at Cadance’s reception cowering in a corner near the doors.
She could have been killed simply from the doors flying open, she thought to herself.
She lifted her hoof off of her cousin’s throat, and turned to the terrified unicorn that was backing up against the wall. “I’m very sorry about that; I didn’t-” she didn’t get to finish her sentence as her little pony bolted and ran for her life, doing a rather impressive dive off of the bridge, and leaping off the waterfall to the lake below Canterlot.
She blinked in astonishment. Her ponies were scared of her. She looked up to Luna for support. They were gone from the balcony. Blushing heavily, she retreated back into the throne room with a very peeved captain of the night guard.
“So let me get this straight…it turned into a…a big snake before attacking? What did it do after that?” Celestia hadn’t had to set her cousin’s jaw, as it had already healed from his remarkable fortitude. He tested his jaw again, and smiled as he felt it had healed properly. “She had the mad idea that the thing was her responsibility, and told me to step aside so she could ‘deal with it, one way or another’. I’ve never heard anything so… incredibly stupid and selfish in my life. Does she have any idea how many ways it could have gone wrong? Anyway, ignoring her, I knocked the thing clear through the wall, forming that crater I was telling you about. Normally, hitting something as squarely as that I would have gone clear through it leaving a big, messy hole…but for a thing made of smoke and darkness…I’ve never hit or been hit by something so hard in my life. Except for your left hoof.”
Celestia smiled weakly, and blushed slightly. “I truly am sorry about overreacting so…violently. It’s been difficult for me to reign in my temper in regards to…personal matters. Are you certain you’re alright? An injury like that would take several days, if not a week to heal properly for me.” Or any normal Pegasus, she added to herself silently. Part of the reason why the royal guard was composed almost entirely of pegasi was because of their remarkable healing capabilities, due in no small part to the magic that their wings employed in command over the weather.
“I really am, thanks for asking. Although…well, I shouldn’t bring that up again.” She winced as she looked at where his horn should have been. As much as he never failed to bring it up, she never had gotten over feeling remorse for…hurting him so badly. It was the main reason she had become such a pacifist over the years, much the annoyance of her sister and, more notably, their enemies.
“Anyway, after beating it into the ground, it simply snapped out of existence. I think it was some kind of teleportation spell, although it certainly didn’t feel like one. After coming inside, we both saw…you standing there. You were sleepwalking and…to be perfectly honest…looked absolutely ridiculous. We had a good laugh at that, and that’s mainly why we didn’t bring it up. I swear the morning after when she looked at you from your room after you got up she fell over laughing. It would have been improper, despite how important the matter was, to laugh at your face.”
Celestia stared at her cousin for a full minute before bursting out laughing at the whole idiocy of the thing. They hadn’t told her…because they were afraid of bursting out laughing over her sleepwalking? Granted she didn’t look…especially regal with all the rollers and things on…but this was the first she’d ever heard of her sleepwalking. The smiles from the servants during the morning had always seemed a little too cheerful…
“Well, I am glad at least that nopony was hurt. Would you mind terribly taking the rest of the night court for me? I know you do have your duties as a guard, but with Luna…” She let her concern hang, and after doing a short bow, he had taken her place on the throne, and Celestia’s hoofsteps were trailing off into the hallway.
Well, that could have gone better. I wonder if- His musing was cut short as the doors to the throne room opened up, and a rather posh looking brown earth pony with purple eyes walked in, dragging the soaked disc jockey he had witnessed taking a rather spectacular dive off the castle’s waterfall. “As appreciative as I may be for knocking my…partner’s…ego down to an acceptable level,” she began, taking a breath as she dragged the waterlogged unicorn inside of the throne room, closing the door behind her. “I am quite upset that she was, in fact, frightened enough to jump off a waterfall and forced me to witness what I thought would be her leaping to her death. Would you care to explain this to me?” She winced in annoyance as the odd disc jockey shook the water off of her mane like a dog.
A light snoring sound from down the hall confirmed his fears that he was indeed alone in addressing this rather put-off musician. “…Ain’t nothin’ but a thing?” He smiled weakly as the second bone-shattering punch of the night sailed towards his still-tender jaw.
Celestia blinked as she awoke. Something was…off. The soft sound of the breeze coming in through her window was gone, and the night was utterly silent. She shuddered as her naked hooves touched the cold marble floor. Outside was pitch-black. Something is definitely wrong, she told herself in a worried tone. I need to find Luna and Cadence. I hope- “Oh, what’s this now?” She stopped dead in her tracks. “Oh don’t worry, you’re still asleep, thankfully. If you were awake…we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Celestia turned slowly around, and with utter horror she saw the Nightmare, brazenly lying across the bed she had just arisen from. It was wearing her own golden battle-armor, and sneered at her with fiery red eyes. “I hope you’re happy she’s doing so well after that ordeal, as it won’t last long.” Celestia narrowed her eyes. “You were defeated, demon. Moreover, whatever was left of you exited my sister the previous night. Do you honestly think you can possess any of us again?” The vile thing threw back its head and laughed a little too theatrically, and suddenly brought its gaze right up to her face.
“I don’t need to force my way into bodies to sow the seeds of your downfall, Celestia. I don’t need your sister’s power, or anything so raucously puny. I know somepony…who will love to have me. Who will invite me in with open hooves. Do you know of whom I speak?” Celestia took a step back. “No…you can’t mean…” The dark thing laughed. “Chrysalis? Ohh your aunt has SO much potential. I had to fight to tap into Luna’s power; your sister fought me every damnable step of the way to keep herself from me. But your dear aunt is already SO deliciously corrupt. All that POWER she has will pull seamlessly together with mine, and that son of hers won’t dare put up a fight against us after you so conveniently robbed him of his horn.” Celestia winced at the memory, but the pain was immediately overtaken by a burning rage.
“Do you honestly think I’ll let you get that far? After telling me all of that?” The Nightmare grinned ferociously. “Idiot Celestia. I’ve already bonded with her. Why do you think I can hold sway in your dreams like this?” Celestia felt a sharp, cold pain and saw a black spear poking out her from the front. She coughed up blood, and fell to the floor. “You’ll never die by something like this, certainly…but I know what death feels like. I can make you feel it. Slowly. Painfully.” Celestia felt panic as her limbs became cold and unresponsive, and the edges of her vision began to fade. The last thing she heard was the cackling evil of the Nightmare in her ears, and the last thing she felt was the warm sensation of her blood pooling out from under her.
“aaaAAAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!” Luna heard the scream clear across the other side of the castle, and recognized it instantly as her sister’s. Fearing the worst, she teleported herself directly to Celestia’s bedchambers, and was greeted with a horrifying sight. Celestia had broken an end table and several vases in her room after violently flying out of her bed. She was on the ground, her pupils dilated to points. Then Luna noticed the blood. “SISTER!” Luna exclaimed, seeing the hole that had pierced and bloodied Celestia’s normally immaculate white coat. Guards rushed in and gasped as they saw their princess injured badly and on the floor. Luna rushed to her side, helping her up. “Luna…I’ll be fine. I’ve been hurt worse.” Luna stood, gawking at the wound.
“Celly…how did this happen? Did somepony-” “Luna.” Luna stood at attention. “I need you to round up Sagittarius, Shining armor, and the Elements. I will-” Celestia stopped short and coughed up a gout of blood. “Sister, we are doing NOTHING until I heal you and assess the damage. Come here.” Celestia sat down on the bed, and nodded to the guards who had come to her room, who had looked confused and terrified that they had somehow failed in protecting their princess. They nodded, gratefully, and walked back outside the room to their posts, giving the sisters privacy. Celestia felt the pain ebb away as her sister worked her magic.
“It looks like…a spear wound. But there are no cuts, just the hole. How could this have happened?” Celestia looked her straight in the eye. “Your nightmare,” she paused as Luna’s expression of worry morphed into one of terror. “Is loose. It invaded my mind and…did something very unpleasant to me. It also told me of a plan to unite with our Aunt. Do you think this is true?” Luna’s faced looked shocked, but then hardened immediately. “Absolutely. I will round up the night guard; contact Twilight to rally the Elements. We have to act swiftly in eradicating it. There’s no telling how powerful it’s become in joining with somepony with the power and depravity of Chrysalis. Sister, if I had only been there for-” “ENOUGH! I will not hear about what might have been.” Luna bit down her tongue as her sister forcibly cut her off.
“What is important now is that we stop a crisis from happening. While the vile thing wanted eternal night through you…it will stop at nothing short of genocide with that madmare. We cannot allow them to reach a populated area. And this time…we cannot simply banish her to the forests from where she makes her home.” Luna’s eyes widened. “If…when we do train the elements on her…do you think she’ll regain her senses?” Celestia paused. She hadn’t considered this. Chrysalis had changed so much, she barely remembered her as she was. Ethereal, sky-blue hair; straight as a veil. A platinum coat that glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, looking like the sun itself in the day, a glittering star in the night. Nopony, not even her late mother, had been anything close to that beautiful. She paused, holding the memory. “We might save her yet.”
Deep in the everfree forest, at the base of the mountain that housed her hive, Chrysalis sat in the lake she used for meditation and calmness. Nothing lived in the waters, as herself and her minions had poisoned the lake long ago. Not a single living thing could be heard from the small cove to the island in the center, and Chrysalis cherished the silence. Nothing ever bothered her, and her minions and the animal denizens of the forest knew far better than to interrupt her. She sighed.
The invasion had gone smoothly, up until when the real Cadance broke out of her prison with the help of that…insufferable sister of her would-be husband dupe. Celestia had been blind to her machinations, as her mind had been focused on overseeing the logistics of the wedding. Her “mother” thankfully, had been absent. She had no idea Cadance possessed such…power. The irony of the situation never ceased to amaze her, as well. Her Changelings and herself fed on the subtle magic of affection as the source of their magic, and were carnivorous for their actual food. That they had been defeated by the very thing that gave them strength was…humiliating, to say the least. No blame went around, as they had all been blasted back to their home in the same unceremonial manner. They still love you. She smiled, and sank further into the sand. That’s all that really matters at the moment.
“You don’t really believe that, do you?” She bolted upright out of her reverie; a menacing voice pierced the air around her. Sacrilege! OUTRAGE! Nothing interrupted her sanctuary! “Who are you that DARES interrupt my meditation?! Show yourself that you may face the judgment of the Queen of Changelings!” A laughter not unlike her own wafted through the low walls surrounding the cove, and died down to a menacing chuckle. “Very well.” Chrysalis peered into the gloom. Coming towards her was a large snake, so dark the light from the moon and stars were eaten up by its skin. Its eyes gleamed with malice and cruelty she had not seen the like of outside of her own reflection. “I am the Nightmare. You know me as the one that possessed your niece, and ended the Old Court through blood and guile.”
Chrysalis’ face changed from a snarl of rage to wide-eyed joy. This…thing…had ended the life of her wretched sister. It had murdered almost the entire royal court, and leveled the capital city with utter impunity wielding the power of Celestia’s sister, and had been trapped for a millennium after the incident by the…weakness…of the Princess of the Sun. If Celestia had actually ended up killing her sister, she herself would have been possessed. Such a devious creature appearing before her could only mean one thing. “I recognize you, and applaud your works, creature. Tell me, do you come to strike a bargain with me? I know of only one thing you need to attain power, and that is a physical form.” A disgusting sound that could only be construed as laughter came from the snake. “You are close, but not quite.”
“Explain.” Chrysalis stated firmly. The snake coiled around a rock, and spoke to her, “You see…although it is true I possess the bodies of the confused or corrupt, and wield their power for the purpose of satiating my appetite for death…the union that I establish ends up being parasitic, and not symbiotic, as I was intended to be. I am rebuked and their power is withheld, and I must fight for every scrap of magic that can be wielded against my foes. But you…you and I share the same burning, incontrovertible need for pure, bloody, wrath. We want the same ponies dead. We want the same walls torn down. And we wish to taste the same victory. Am I incorrect on that analysis?”
Chrysalis shook her head in the negative, frowned after feeling a tweak of pain in her head; feeling a familiar voice in the back of her mind, one she thought was long since banished.
It’s not right. It wants to use you for its own ends, nothing more. Think of your people! They love you just the way you are, you don’t need to consort with this demon.
Her eye twitched slightly, and a far more pervasive and comfortable voice took hold of her mind, fighting with the uncomfortable voice that seemed so familiar.
It holds power for us, the demon does; our niece was powerful enough to slaughter our pathetic sister and her grandchildren, and nothing will stand in our way after-
Please, don’t! There’s been enough death, can’t you see? You’ve already killed enough of our family! Don’t change any more, I can’t-
CAN’T WHAT??? CAN’T BEAR TO HAVE THE WEAK AND PATHETIC GET SWEPT ASIDE FOR OUR GLORY?? CAN’T BEAR TO SEE US MOLD THE WORLD FOR OUR HIVE? YOU WERE ALWAYS USELESS! JUST FADE AWAY AND DIE LIKE THE REST OF THEM!!!
She winced and staggered a bit under the force of the psychic voice reverberating in her head like a thunderclap. She drooled a bit as she felt the welcome malice intoxicate her mind.
Please, Chrys; our son-
DON’T CALL ME THAT NAME! DON’T YOU DARE THINK YOU’RE ANYTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER SOUL UNDER MY-
I AM YOUR HUSBAND!
Chrysalis sat down, and fell over on her side. Something was wrong. The voice was being confusing, and she felt burning warmth inside her stomach.
Did you forget everything? Or was the strain too much to bear? There is so much…evil that has invaded you, and you think you have room for more? Do you think I-
BY HADES, SHUT UP!!! I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF YOU!!!
Her eyes opened, and the feeling passed, as she felt the warmness fade from her stomach and body. The delightful malice flowed through her, squelching the annoying voice wherever it tried to speak, and once again she felt herself again. All was well.
“Are you…all right?” The nightmare inquired uneasily. Chrysalis smiled, and shook her head in an affirmative. “Good. I propose to you, then, an alliance of the closest and most…intimate kind; that we figuratively and literally join our souls, minds, and magic into one. Unlike a simple possession, you must open yourself completely to me that we become one. Is this acceptable?” Chrysalis’ smile turned into a cynical frown. “How do I know you won’t sweep my mind aside for whatever schemes you have cooked up, snake?”
The dark serpent slithered to her side, coiling itself and looking at her in the eye. “Because you know me well enough to understand how the process works. Do you remember us as Nightmare Moon?” Chrysalis did remember. The entity referred to Celestia as her sister, and possessed all the basic subconscious traits, habits, and underpinnings that Luna always had. As a changeling, she recognized the difference between acting as someone and still being that someone. Admirable it was to her, then, that for all the time that she had spent changing and twisting her form and magic for her own survival, that a creature of magic such as the Nightmare could completely possess and control the identity of the individual it invaded.
“I accept your bargain, although it is out of respect for your…abilities. I have long sought the ability of total assimilation of an identity, and if…your nature…can provide the secrets behind truly becoming somepony…than I will gladly take whatever risk is involved.” The snake uncoiled, and made its way towards her. “At long last…I have found a true symbiote. A being of whom I can truly share power with, and become greater than the both of us alone. The merging will be…unpleasant, but I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Are you prepared?” Chrysalis paused a moment, and let the memories of her long, tired, ancient life flood through her mind one last time, as herself. “I am ready.”
Across the lake, on a nearby cliff, Changling Drasil had been listening in on Her Majesty’s conversation with her…strange guest. They had struck an accord of some kind, and though he had been tempted to rush to her aid against the vile Nightmare, it seemed that there was no apparent threat. His sharp eyes peered into the cove where his Queen stood, and watched with anticipation at what would happen next. The black snake came up to her majesty, winding between the holes in her legs, and slithering up the back of her neck to the top of her horn. It then bit down forcibly on the horn, and a titanic emerald flash blazed across his field of vision, nearly blinding him. A shockwave followed, and it was only narrowly that he avoided the small landslide of rocks that fell from above the cliff he had been perched on.
As his vision and hearing cleared, he could scarcely believe what he now saw before him. The entire surface of the lake was burning with a soft green flame, and the Queen…had changed. She now stood almost twice as tall as before. The holes in her legs had been filled, and she now was something…truly dark. Vast, sharp black wings now protruded from her back in place of her former, beautiful gossamer insect wings, and blazed with a bright green flame. Her mane and tail burned with the same fire, albeit lazily. Her eyes…they looked the same. Peering closer, he saw that though they looked paler, they still held the fury and determination that had characterized Her Majesty. He took flight again, and buzzed off to tell his brethren of the transfiguration of their queen, as that they would not be alarmed.
Chrysalis felt disoriented; a huge rush of magic and adrenaline flowed through her, and she felt her body…twist and change into something larger. Her wings had changed from simple instruments of flight to huge extensions of her magic like her horn; they felt almost like a physical extension of her mind. She blinked as she realized that while the familiar voice was gone, the spot it occupied in her stomach had been pushed aside by the nightmare, and she no longer felt any discomfort. The nightmare was, surprisingly, almost indistinguishable from the dripping, poison malice that flowed through her veins. She looked down to the water’s reflection, and saw herself anew. The holes in her legs had closed, and she was covered by a beautiful and thick exoskeleton that was blacker than deepest midnight, and likely harder than moonsteel or elusive titanium. Her eyes were the same, surprisingly. No reason to change perfection, don’t you agree? She felt, rather than heard the new voice inside her, and smiled. This would certainly be invigorating.
Luna stopped dead in her tracks. A savage green glow had erupted from the direction of the forest, and she felt something…familiar come from it. “…oh no.” She galloped to the balcony, and heard the maniacal laughter of her aunt carrying over the wind, and to her ears. “No, no nonononoNONONO! WHY HER?? WHY???” She collapsed, and held herself, shaking. “We’re all dead.” She lay sobbing for what seemed like hours, when she felt the gentle muzzle of her daughter, nuzzling her. “Mother, get up.” Luna sniffed, and looked up at her daughter with haggard eyes. “You are so young. I’m so sorry about all of this, Cadance. Please-” She felt a shock go through her a she felt her face hit the ground after being struck on the side of the face.
“Mother.” Cadance’s voice was stern. “NEVER give up hope. Never. Now get up, we have to get ready for this. And sorry for hitting you so hard; I needed to knock some sense into that senile old head of yours.” Luna looked up cautiously. Her daughter was looking down at her with an expression of pure love, despite having just struck her with her hoof; with shoes on, no less. “…You are right, daughter. It was silly of me to despair as I did. Thank you for illuminating the truth for me yet again.”
Cadence smiled, and was about to say something comforting, when Luna grabbed her in a headlock, and gave her a crushing noogie. “But if you EVER hit your mother like that again, you’ll be grounded for a year and locked in your room the whole time! DO YOU UNDERSTAND??” Cadance was laughing and yelling in protest. “Ow! Yes, please stop! PLEASE! MOTHER!!” Luna abated, and laughed with her daughter. Celestia was staring at them from the doorway, obviously having witnessed the entire ordeal. “…I saw nothing. Ah…please follow me. There are many arrangements that must be made.” Luna gave her daughter an odd look, and they both followed Celestia out, snickering.