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Chapter 16
A Visitor for Derpy
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Galdo zipped through the air. Again.
Only this time, he wasn’t alone. President Zeldo was drafting behind him.
They soared over the ocean, as they had been for quite some time. Finally, Galdo spotted the outline of the coast in the distance.
Equestria. We’ve beaten them there.
The two griffins flew inland, searching for Canterlot.
This shouldn’t be too hard, thought Galdo. After all, he’d flown this path before.
Once.
After they’d covered a few kilometers,* Galdo began to worry.
*(Griffins use the Metric system, while Equestrians use a mix of Metric, English, and who knows what else. That’s my headcanon and I’m stickin’ to it!)
Luckily, at around that moment Zeldo spotted something.
“There it is!” shouted the Griffin president.
Galdo scoured the ground with his eyes, and spotted the castle. Its faint glow contrasted with the backdrop of the night, but barely.
The two slowed their flight, and descended toward the castle.
They halted their approach, however, when they noticed two figures on the roof.
One was small, while the other was quite large... and ominous-looking.
“Stay behind me, Ambassador,” said Zeldo. She slowed to a near-hover and cautiously approached the castle roof.
As she got closer, she got a better view of the two figures. The small one was a harmless-looking grey pegasus, but the other one...
Could it be?
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“So... can I see her?”
“Of course you may.”
“Thank you, Princess Luna.”
...
“Hey there, sweetie.”
“Oh, hi Timey.”
“You holding up OK?”
“Eh, mostly.”
...
“So, anything I can get you?”
“I’m fine, I think. Luna filled me in on things, so don’t worry about me. Focus on the job you have to do.”
“I will.”
...
Derpy sat in her hospital bed.
She was sad.
For one thing, she’d been beaten up by Chrysalis and imprisoned in the caves beneath the castle, where she’d stayed until Luna found her. Never good for one’s psyche, something like that is.
For another, her wedding with Time Turner had been ruined. Again.
Also, she was worried. She’d just watched her fiancé leave for the wedding-turned-bug-trap, and feared what could happen to him. Who would knowingly and willingly stand inches away from a changeling queen?
But there was nothing she could do now. Even if the medical staff deemed her fit to leave, she would still have to keep herself hidden. Chrysalis still thought she was being stealthy, and they couldn’t let her know she’d been found out.
And then—
*Knock knock*
“Ah, it appears you have another visitor, Miss Derpy,” said the doctor.
(The MD again, I mean. Not Timey. Timey’s at the altar right about now.)
“Let met get the—”
He opened the door.
“—woah nelly!”
The MD fainted, and a certain pitch-black alicorn entered the room.
Derpy looked at the new visitor, wide-eyed.
“NIGHTMARE MOON!?”
“Calm down, calm down,” said Nightmare Moon. “The whole castle’s going to hear you.”
“AHHHH—”
“Silence, cross-eyed one!”
Derpy froze immediately.
Nightmare Moon looked down.
“Er... I mean, please be quiet Derpy. We can’t let anypony hear us.”
Huh? Derpy was confused. Why was Nightmare Moon being nice all the sudden?
(And if she’s trying to be stealthy, why for pony’s sake did she use the Royal Canterlot Voice?)
Nightmare Moon pawed at the ground with her hoof. She looked down dejectedly.
“I, er... I’m sorry I kinda ruined your wedding last night.”
Huh??
“It was just a prank Luna and I were pulling. Guess it kinda got outta hand.”
Huh???
“Anyway, I couldn’t stand the thought of you being stuck in here the whole time. You need to see what’s about to happen!”
“What...” Derpy braved a question. “What’s gonna happen?”
“Chryssie’s gonna get it!” said Nightmare Moon excitedly. “And I’m gonna make sure you’re there to see it!”
She pulled Derpy out of the hospital bed. “Now come on!”
The MD had woken up. “Hey, she can’t go anywhere—”
“Silence, medically educated one!”
...aaand the MD passed out again.
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“Okay, here we are!”
Nightmare Moon had led Derpy onto the roof of the castle. They were situated above the wedding room, and could see the altar through a window.
“Hmm...,” said Nightmare Moon. “Looks like we still have an hour or so. I’ll be right back!”
The alicorn flew off, leaving Derpy alone on the roof.
Derpy looked down through the window. She could see the guests filling in, but neither Time Turner nor Chrysalis were anywhere to be found. She watched the commotion, interested anyway.
Eventually, Nightmare Moon came back.
“You looked cold, so I got you a blanket!”
“Uh... thanks.”
Nightmare Moon draped the blanket over Derpy.
“Also, I brought popcorn!”
She had two large tubs of popcorn—one for herself, and another which she passed to the wall-eyed mare.
Nightmare Moon began munching on the popcorn, and then stopped abruptly.
“Huh... guess we should wait for the show to start,” she said. “I mean really Derpy, don’t you hate it when you’re at the movies and you get popcorn and then you start eating it during the previews and by the time the actual movie starts you’re all out? Gah, that sucks!”
“Uh, yeah...” This was all kinda awkward for Derpy. What the heck was going on?
“Ooh look, there’s Time Turner!”
Derpy looked through the window, her eyes wide. “Timey!”
“Shhh, we gotta stay quiet.”
“Oh, right.”
Time Turner sat on the altar by himself. Derpy’s doppelgänger was nowhere to be found.
“Geez, this is boring!” said Nightmare Moon. “Show up already Chrysalis, we wanna see you diiiie!”
She frowned. “Or at least get beat up really bad or something.”
When the time came, Fake Derpy walked down the asile.
Real Derpy watched, her heart pounding.
Nightmare Moon rubbed her fore-hooves together. “Oh, this is gonna be good!”
And then—
“...yes, Chrysalis, we know it’s you.”
Time Turner bolted. (Phew, thought Derpy.)
Cadence and Shining Armor cast their protective spell.
And then Celestia turned her magic up to eleven and fried Chrysalis. The barrier contained most of it, but the castle still shook a little.
“Yes! Ha ha ha!” Nightmare Moon was now chowing down on the popcorn, laughing maniacally.
And then Celestia started singing.
“This day is going to be perfect,
the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed since last we met.
Now you’ve nowhere left to run, sorry Chryssie but you’re done,
Just who I am did you so soon forget?”
“Oh, she stole your song, Chrysalis! I think you just got burned! Mwahahaha!”
“YOU. RUIN. EVERYTHING!”
“Aww, is widdle Chwyssie mad? Is widdle Chwyssie mad?”
What the heck is up with her? thought Derpy.
“I think soooo! Widdle Chwyssie is mad!”
And then Celestia went into her rant.
“Aww, widdle Cewestia’s mad too!”
Nightmare Moon looked over at Derpy, and made a goofy face.
“But at weast she’s got a weason to be!”
And then Chrysalis charged at Celestia... and they both vanished.
“WHAT!?” Nightmare Moon threw her popcorn up in the air. “What a rip off! Come on Derpy, let’s go find them!”
Before Derpy could object, Nightmare Moon had hoisted the grey pegasus onto her back, and was preparing to take off... and then she saw two figures approaching.
She put Derpy back down.
“Stay behind me.”
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As Zeldo approached the two ponies on the roof, her suspicions were confirmed.
It is, she thought.
It’s Nightmare Moon.
“Greetings!” said Nightmare Moon. “What is thy business?”
Zeldo thought about fleeing, but decided against it.
She’s probably faster than us.
The two griffins landed on the roof a good distance away from Nightmare Moon. Zeldo hadn’t heard much about the infamous mare, but knew enough to keep her distance.
“Seriously,” said Nightmare Moon, dropping the Canterlot Voice, “what are you doing here? There’s plenty going on already.”
Zeldo decided to take a chance. She didn’t have much choice.
“I’m Zeldo, president of the Griffin Nation. This is Ambassador Galdo. We’ve come to speak with Princess Celestia on urgent matters.”
“Such as...?”
Can I really tell her? No, I can’t.
“Look, we have an incredibly important message to deliver and we need to speak to Celestia imme—”
“I’m afraid she’s not available.”
Now that made Zeldo worry.
Maybe Celestia has left! Did Nightmare Moon drive her out?
“But,” said Nightmare Moon, “I’ll see if I can get Luna.”
Huh?
If Celestia had left, why was Luna still here? And wasn’t Nightmare Moon just Luna’s insane alter ego?
Zeldo didn’t know exactly what was going on, but she needed to make sure her message got through.
“I’m coming with you.”
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