Night Mist stood close to Shooting Star as the central cavern filled up. After doing essentially nothing since Nightmare Moon's defeat, many of the gathered Stars were excited to finally be doing something. Meanwhile, Eclipse stood on his stone perch high above their heads.
"Look alive ponies!" he barked across the cavern. "We're going be doing this six times in a row. One for each Spirit of Harmony. When they arrive, be ready to fight if they resist, but don't cause any more harm than necessary. If you understand what I'm saying, raise a hoof."
As one, the entire crowd lifted up their hooves. Night Mist glanced over his shoulder and saw that the orchestra wasn't present this time. Evidently Eclipse had decided it wasn't necessary. Night Mist paid more attention than last time as dark energy began to fill the cave. Everyone's eyes began to glow white as the physical manifestation of their gifts flowed away from their bodies and began to merge into the Dark Storm. With practiced order, all the ponies began to move around to form a circular clearing in the center of the cavern, revealing a white painting on the ground of the symbol of the Stars. A funnel of dark energy formed above the symbol.
Night Mist had learned earlier that the Stars could only summon or relocate beings that they knew the identities of. Because of this, it had been decided ahead of time that Twilight Sparkle would be the first one summoned. Already Night Mist could see her, still being dragged around Ponyville by Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle looked up at the sky in surprise as the Dark Storm appeared above her, and many nearby ponies pointed at the sky and started shouting. Pinkie Pie was sucked up into the wind funnel forming around Twilight Sparkle and was tossed clear out of Ponyville. It didn't matter where she landed. Soon the Dark Storm would come for her too. With a flash of lightning in both Ponyville and the cavern, Twilight Sparkle appeared before the Stars.
The lavender unicorn glanced around frantically, and Night Mist recalled how he had done the exact same thing ten years ago, looking for a familiar face. Her eyes passed right over him, but that was to be expected. He had been one of many ponies she had met earlier, and only for two seconds.
"Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle," Eclipse said good naturally as he swooped down into the clearing. "No need for alarm, no one is going to hurt you."
"Who are you?" Twilight Sparkle demanded to know.
"I'm the Nightmare."
"Are... you trying to say that you're my worst nightmare? Because if you are, that's pretty cheesy."
"Ha, cute. I'll explain it to you. See, down here, Nightmare is a title, like lord or prin-"
Eclipse was suddenly cut off as a pink beam of light knocked him backwards. The white maned pegasus landed on the ground and didn't move. For a split second Night Mist thought Twilight Sparkle had killed him, until Eclipse thrust out a hoof without getting up and sent Twilight flying backwards with a powerful burst of lightning. The unicorn hadn't even hit the ground before Eclipse got up and did it a second time. Then she did hit the ground, and remained there twitching in pain as Eclipse strode over to where she lay. The Nightmare's face was livid by the time he reached Twilight and placed a hoof on her throat.
"Not as cute," he growled. "Guess who's about to get her horn sawed off."
"That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Night Mist said quickly.
Eclipse glared at Night Mist, and the earth pony knew he had just crossed the line.
"Night Mist is right," Shooting Star chimed in, coming to his aid. "We unicorns aren't as dexterous with our hooves and mouths as other ponies. It would be a really crippling if you did that."
Eclipse glanced down at Twilight Sparkle.
"You have a cutie mark for magic," he observed. "If I locked you in a cell, you could just teleport out or something."
"I'll behave," Twilight promised quickly.
"That you will," Eclipse said darkly as he stared down at her, his medallion hanging just a inch away from her face. "Because if you do break out, we'll just bring you back, and then I will cut your horn off after striking every square inch of your body with lightning. Get the idea?"
Twilight Sparkle's ears flattened backwards and she nodded. Eclipse smiled as he motioned for six ponies to escort her out of the central cavern.
"Next on the agenda," Eclipse announced as four of the ponies returned. "Applejack."
The Dark Storm formed again as a view of the Ponyville marketplace appeared. Applejack was behind her apple stand, and was in the middle of haggling with Frazzle Spark over a bag of apples. Both ponies glanced up, and Night Mist saw Frazzle Spark's eyes widen with recognition. He instantly back pedaled away from the stand, yelling at Applejack to get away from him. Then the winds swirled around the orange colored mare and Applejack vanished with a flash of lightning. She looked just as lost as Twilight Sparkle had when she appeared in the cave.
"What in tarnation?!" she swore. "Who are you ponies?"
"Good afternoon, Applejack," Eclipse greeted politely. "I was going to inform you that you won't be harmed, but it might be more accurate to say you won't be harmed if you cooperate. Can you do that for me?"
"Cooperate? Cooperate with what exactly?" Applejack asked fearfully.
"Nothing much. I just want to stick you in a cell for a while. Later I might want you to tell me a little about the Elements of Harmony, and possibly reverse whatever it is you did to Nightmare Moon. But for now I'm just concerned about the cell."
Applejack warily observed the crowd of ponies surrounding her. Night Mist kept his head down to remain undetected.
"Ah reckon I'll cooperate with the first part," she muttered.
"Wonderful. These ponies right here will take you to your cell. We'll talk more later," Eclipse promised as a group of Stars moved in to escort her out of the central cavern.
Night Mist continued to study the floor miserably until she was out of sight. While he and Applejack were really only causal acquaintances, he still felt like a traitor. Probably because he was one.
"Look alive, ponies! four more go!" Eclipse called out. "Next one is Rainbow Dash."
The Dark Storm formed again and revealed Rainbow Dash, who was chilling on a cloud.
"What the hay?" she sputtered after she appeared in the cave.
"Hello Rainbow Dash. I'm Nightmare Eclipse. No reason to be scared. You'll be fine so long as you cooperate."
"I'm not scared of you!" Rainbow Dash said angrily.
"Really? That's good. I assume your legs are shaking because you need to use the restroom then."
Without any warning Rainbow Dash flew up and zipped off. With a remarkable display of reflexes, Eclipse spun and struck her in the wing with lightning, causing her to fall and hit the ground.
"See, that's the problem with cutie marks," Eclipse said as he walked over to where Rainbow Dash had crash landed. "All I have to do is look at your flank, and I automatically know what you're capable of. You lose the element of surprise."
"You're a jerk," Rainbow Dash growled.
"To be fair, I did warn you it would hurt if you resisted."
Some stallions moved in on Rainbow Dash, but Eclipse waved them off and motioned for some mares to help instead.
"Put her in a cell, but let her use the restroom first, just in case she isn't actually scared," he instructed.
As Rainbow Dash was dragged out yelling insults at Eclipse, Night Mist wondered if the element of surprise was the reason Eclipse hid his own cutie mark beneath a patch.
"Three down, three to go," Eclipse said as he walked back. "Rarity's next."
Within two minutes Rarity was in the cave. Before she could say a word, Eclipse lightly tapped her in the back of the neck with a hoof. He must have been using a little bit of electricity, because the white unicorn twitched at his touch and then collapsed like a sack of rocks.
"Was that really necessary?" asked Night Mist as more Stars moved in to carry Rarity away.
"Yes it was. This is taking way too long. I don't feel like saying hi six times in a row anymore. Pinkie Pie's next."
Night Mist felt rather drained after Pinkie Pie appeared in the cave. Eclipse took her down in the same way he did Rarity.
"Is this the last one?" asked a exhausted Shooting Star.
"Fluttershy's the last one," Eclipse promised.
Night Mist was barely able to stand as Fluttershy was summoned into the cave.
"Oh hey, you're even cuter up close," Eclipse quipped when he saw her.
Fluttershy stared at him in stark terror.
"What?" she squeaked.
Eclipse made a "bzzt" sound effect with his mouth as he repeated the neck touch maneuver, causing her to twitch and collapse. Eclipse sat down wearily as Fluttershy was taken out.
"Well that was exhausting," he remarked. "I'll do the interrogations after a nap. Should I be worried that I enjoyed that?"
"Probably," Night Mist said truthfully.
"Well too bad, it was fun. I'm going to bed now," Eclipse announced as he briskly departed the cavern. "Someone keep the prisoners separated, don't leave them unattended, blah blah blah."
All of the Stars silently watched him leave. Once he was gone, they started drifting out to do the same.
"Do you want me to lead you to a cell so you can take a break too?" Shooting Star offered Night Mist.
"Actually, I would prefer if you helped me find where Twilight Sparkle is being held," Night Mist said thoughtfully. "I have a few questions for her."
"I don't recall Eclipse giving you permission to question her," Shooting Star replied with a light frown.
"Do you recall Eclipse telling me not to question her?"
"Uh, no."
"So why would he object to me doing something he was already planning to do? It has to be done, one way or the other."
"I guess I can help you then," Shooting Star said uneasily. "So long as you're sure it would be okay with him."
"Well, you know him better than I do, so you would be the better judge of that."
"I'm sure he'll be okay with it," Shooting Star said with a little more confidence. "If not, he'll just have to get over it."
"Is someone feeling a little rebellious?" Night Mist wondered dryly.
"A little rebellious," Shooting Star conceded. "If I had to guess, Twilight Sparkle is being kept in the closest cell. It's this way."
"I've meaning to ask, why is that all the cells are far away from each other?" Night Mist asked as he followed Shooting Star out of the main cavern. "I noticed that there where no other cells near the one I slept in."
"Its funny you ask, because for the longest time, they were all together," Shooting Star started to explain. "After Umbra died and Eclipse decided he would be the next Nightmare, he made a lot of changes. His reasoning behind redesigning the cell locations was that if a prisoner that wasn't a Star escaped, they wouldn't be able to find any fellow prisoners and escape easily with teamwork."
"So if one got free, he or she would first have to find the other cells in order to free any allies, and they would most likely be caught before then," Night Mist mused. "Were there any others than wanted to be the Nightmare after Umbra died?"
"Oh, lots. In the past, the Nightmares would apprentice their own sons or daughters to succeed them, but all of Umbra's family died with him in the cave in. Eclipse was the one who stepped up and really took control though. He got everyone to rebuild and move on. No one's challenged his rule since."
"Did Eclipse lose anyone to the cave in?"
"Everyone did. Eclipse lost both of his parents when it happened. He was above ground to keep his eyes healthy at the time, that's why he didn't die with them."
"How many years ago was the cave in exactly?"
"Seven."
Night Mist gave a start at the number. That meant Eclipse had barely been a teenager when he became the Nightmare.
"The timing couldn't have been worse for him," Shooting Star went on. "I remember it so clearly. I saw him run down from the surface holding a giant leaf over his flank. He was yammering about how he had earned his cutie mark, but he wanted his parents to see it first. Needless to say, he didn't get the chance. He disappeared for a while after that, but once came he back he had that patch of his and he was wearing the star medallion."
"And he's never shown anyone his cutie mark since?" Night Mist asked in disbelief.
"Never. Said the honor of being the first to see it belonged to his parents, and his parents alone. Oh hey, we're here."
Night Mist glanced up and saw two Stars guarding a wooden door.
"Aren't you going to go in?" Shooting Star prompted.
"In a minute, I need to think first," Night Mist decided.
Night Mist closed his eyes and thought hard. Hearing how Eclipse came to power grieved him. He couldn't help but draw parallels to his own story on how he earned his cutie mark. Like Eclipse, his special day had been marred by circumstances. Would should have been a joyous event was now a constant reminder of the day he learned the truth. Night Mist had put up with seeing his own cutie mark, for the sake of keeping his secret. He couldn't help but wonder what the real reason Eclipse hid his to this day was. Was it because he truly thought it gave him an edge, like he had implied to Rainbow Dash, or was it because he still hated being reminded of the day his parents died?
Yet there were implications as well. Night Mist knew that every true thing, every fact, always led to a logical conclusion. In this case, it meant that Eclipse had been biased when he had decided that Nightmare Moon was being mind controlled. If she wasn't, then that meant she truly did want to disband the Stars. This meant that Eclipse's parents, along with many other ponies, had died for nothing. Night Mist's real parents included.
Moreover, a lot of other things pointed to Nightmare Moon's sincerity. If Celestia had known about the Stars, then naturally she would have told the Spirits of Harmony about them. Applejack hadn't known who the Stars were, so obviously she had not been warned. Furthermore, none of the Spirits of Harmony had been wearing the elements when they had been taken. Princess Celestia would have insisted they keep them on if she had known. The evidence all pointed to the version of the story he had heard telepathically. It had to be true. All he needed now was proof. Unless he had proof, Eclipse would never believe him.
"I know what I'm going to ask Twilight Sparkle," Night Mist announced as he eyes opened.
Shooting Star motioned for the two guarding Stars to let them through and then closed the door after she followed Night Mist inside. Steel bars and a steel gate with a lock were the only features in the room, asides from the torches on the stone walls. Twilight Sparkle was sitting behind the bars, and she glanced up when she heard the door.
"I remember you two. You're the ponies who suggested not cutting my horn off," she recalled.
"Yes, that was us," Night Mist confirmed, thinking it best not to mention they had technically met in Ponyville. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"
"Are you going to electrocute me if I do mind?"
"I can't do that, actually."
"Not allowed or unable?"
"Second definitely, not sure about the first. Not that I would if I could," Night Mist said hastily.
"You must think I'm stupid."
"What?"
"You think I can't see what your doing? It's really obvious. You're both the 'nice ones' who acts like you're on my side. You all set up the whole, how about we don't cut her horn off thing ahead of time, and the pegasus with the lightning is the 'mean and scary' one."
"Actually no, that's not it at all. That was totally unplanned," Shooting Star corrected.
"Oh I see, Mister lightning is the boss, and you two are just the underlings who are trying to help. Let me guess, you were forced to help kidnap me right?"
"That's not it either," Night Mist said with strained patience.
"So you helped out of your own free will?" Twilight Sparkle asked with a raised brow.
"Um, yes," Night Mist winced, realizing what he just admitted to.
"Why?"
"It's a long story. But right now I really need to ask you a few things."
"I don't feel very inclined to answer any questions."
What if we did it as an exchange? For every straight answer you give for my questions, I'll give a straight answer for your questions," Night Mist suggested.
"I don't think this is how an interrogation works," Shooting Star said disapprovingly. "Eclipse wouldn't approve of you giving out information."
"I don't really care if Eclipse approves or not right now," Night Mist snapped.
"What?!" Shooting Star said in shock.
"I'll do the question exchange, but only if I go first," Twilight Sparkle offered.
"Go ahead," Night Mist prompted as he placed a hoof over Shooting Star's mouth to silence her objection.
"How did I get here?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"A magic process known as the Dark Storm, which has the ability to summon or relocate anyone in the world, or the moon. Now for my question. Is there a way to tell for sure if somepony is being mind controlled by magic?"
"Yes, anyone that's being mind controlled will always have glowing green eyes. How is it that the pegasus from earlier was able to shoot lightning out of his hooves?"
"That pegasus inherited an ability that was given to his ancestors by Nightmare Moon. Where are the Elements of Harmony located right now?"
"I'm done answering questions," Twilight Sparkle decided. "I don't want to tell you that."
"I answered two of your questions. You owe me one more answer before we're even."
"Ask me a different question then. You never said it had to be your first choice."
"Fine. Did Princess Celestia warn you about the group of ponies you saw earlier when the Dark Storm summoned you?"
"No, I don't know who you ponies are. If she knows who you are, why wouldn't she tell me?"
"Loaded question. I don't actually know for sure if she knows about them, er, us."
"Very well. I have no more questions."
"Aren't you curious about why you're here?"
"I'll answer that one for free. I am, but eventually I'm going to find out anyway without giving out any more information that could possibly be used against me."
"Fair enough," Night Mist shrugged. "You've been very helpful all the same. Shooting Star, could you direct me to the library?"
Shooting Star blinked.
"Sorry, what did you say? I was thinking about something."
"The part about mind control magic always resulting in glowing green eyes?" Night Mist guessed.
"Um, yeah," Shooting Star said in surprise, " How did you-"
"I'm a detective," Night Mist said dismissively.
"Detectives don't kidnap ponies," Twilight Sparkle pointed out.
Night Mist cringed as he felt a heavy blow of guilt. Twilight Sparkle was dead right. Now it was very clear to him that he had been wrong. Wrong to not tell anyone about the Stars. Wrong to join them. Wrong to help with the kidnapping. Every move he had made had been morally, ethically, and logically wrong. He didn't deserve to be called a detective.
Shooting Star, upon seeing the pained expression of realization on Night Mist's face, turned wrathfully onto Twilight Sparkle.
"You can shut your mouth you-"
"That's enough!" Night Mist interrupted before he faced Twilight Sparkle again. "You're right, detectives don't kidnap ponies. In fact, detectives don't do a lot of the things that I've done."
"Wait, you're actually a detective? I thought you were being sarcastic," Twilight Sparkle said in surprise.
"No, ironically, detective work is what I do for a living. I've actually caught criminals who have done far less than what I've done." Night Mist said painfully. "It's clear to me now that I've been a hypocrite, and that I owe you an apology."
Both Shooting Star's and Twilight Sparkle's jaws dropped.
"I've had countless chances to prevent all of this from happening, but I did nothing for reasons that are, quite frankly, stupid and insecure. I've erroneously decided that morality was determined by whoever rules the land. Even if Nightmare Moon hadn't decided to step down from bringing about eternal night and succeeded in her goals, I still would have been wrong to support her."
"You wanted Nightmare Moon to win?" Twilight Sparkle sputtered. "Why?!"
"I'm a Star of Nightmare Moon," Night Mist explained. "Before Nightmare Moon was banished, she created a secret society, a cult, if you will, to free her. The first members of this society were my ancestors, and they were promised either they or their descendents would become the highest caste in a new Equestria after Nightmare Moon was freed."
"The Stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about night time eternal," Twilight Sparkle realized.
"You've read the prophecy?"
"Its how I found out about Nightmare Moon. I assumed that the stars mentioned were the ones in the sky, but now I get it."
"Good, because now I'm going to need your help to solve this mess that I've created. Do you know of any books that would confirm what you told me about mind control?"
"Magic of the Mind, by Aurora Light," Twilight Sparkle suggested. "He's a royal wizard from Canterlot, an expert on the subject."
"Um, are you planning to tell Eclipse about any of this?" Shooting Star asked. "He's going to want to know."
"I'm going to make a case to convince him," Night Mist revealed. "With the book as proof, along with a whole lot of other evidence, it should be enough to convince him to let the Spirits of Harmony go and disband the Stars."
"Unless the book was written by Princess Celestia, just to make it look like Nightmare Moon wasn't being controlled," a voice suddenly said.
Night Mist spun around. Standing in the doorway was Eclipse. It took Night Mist a moment to find his voice.
"That's highly unlikely," Night Mist countered. "If the book contained inaccurate information about how mind magic works, it would be rebuked by other respectable scholars in the wizard community."
"Unless Celestia controls them too."
"Come on, Eclipse. Princess Celestia mind controlling every wizard who knows anything about mind magic is ridiculous. Heck, I bet Twilight Sparkle could give us a demonstration and prove that glowing green eyes is always a side effect of mind control spells right now."
"Nightmare Moon is being mind controlled, Night Mist, that's a fact," Eclipse insisted as he stepped closer to the silver maned earth pony.
"That's an assertion without any evidence," Night Mist argued as he stepped forward as well. "Nightmare Moon isn't being mind controlled, and I can prove it to you."
"Then Celestia has you fooled, just like everyone else," Eclipse said stubbornly. "You've been suckered by her tricks and schemes."
"You're being unreasonable, Eclipse."
"No, you are!" Eclipse shot back without a shred of creativity as his rage broke loose. "You're a part of it too! It's all a scheme to get rid of the Stars! In fact, I bet you're the one who called in the army right outside the cave!"