Cosmos sobbed in her dungeon cell. She was chained up like an animal...a less intelligent animal than the one she already was. One ring with eight chains placed around her neck and plastered into the walls. Several more of these rings went around her ankles and had the same amount of chains attached to the walls. It was very dark here, and the heavily armored guards outside weren't helping the situation. They were as silent as they were immobile, and the only thing being heard was the occasional gasp for air coming from Layda. She didn't understand what was going on. Did she do something wrong? How? She's been learning things from everyone around, she's made friends, and she's hugged adorable tiny ponies with bows in their manes.
Upstairs, Twilight had been explaining things with Princess Celestia. She even brought her friends who knew more about this bizarre Nightmare than the rest, namely Rainbow Dash, who had been applauding her ability to learn flying. Yet, something about the princess' face immediately showed that she wouldn't accept anything said here. Her mind was made up. The solution was clear.
Meanwhile, in the dripping stone dungeon where Cosmos resided, Layda had returned to her inner world. The night had fallen since she was taken to the dungeons, and her cell was full of moonlight. Due to this, the lunar tree has grown immensely. It was nearly the size of a sequoia. Learning to channel her magic allowed a more proper intake of lunar energies and growth developpement. The surrounding forest had grown week because of this parasite's energy consumption. Layda hadn't noticed, but little by little, she was losing her new body...and her mind along with it.
Standing in front of the blindingly bright tree stood an unusually tall Cosmos Lune. She was looking up at the plant, and hr body's stars glowed along with it. In fact, Luna had nearly become nothing but stellar dust and a black goop that seemed to be floating and breaking upwards. The little white dots in her body continued to glow, until a few converged towards Layda's direction. The woman was very afraid, but not because of her "friend".
"Layda?"
"Y-yes."
"What is the matter?" the alicorn asked, still staring at her tree.
"Why are they all calling me a threat? Why am I being put in jail?! Why is the princess trying to execute? WHY ARE ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENING TO ME?!"
"Hmhmhm." Cosmos chuckled."BECAUSE I AM NIGHTMARE MOON! I USED you to keep me alive and create a new body for me!"
"NO!"
The woman fell to the floor as the giant alicorn began stomping towards her.
"YES! You are all a pawn that I wished to use. You were but a mould for my broken body, and now that it has reformed completely, I have no more need for you. This is now MY body!"
Layda's world suddenly began to become shrouded in a wide mould of darkness as the Nightmare's only aspects left showing were her bright white teeth and glowing eyes. The woman was trapped in darkness. She was slowig being engulfed within the darkness as well. Nightmare was slowly gaining full control of this new body.
In the real world, Cosmos' cell began to glow brightly, attracting the attention of the guards watching her.
"Hey! Stop that! There's no point in using magic. You can't get out from...what's happening to your leg?"
Cosmos was shaking as if she had an extremely devastating flu, and her left foreleg was like a painted version of the night sky, and it seemed to be ebbing its way upwards like a crack in a wall.
"Stop!" the guard shouted.
The last thing he saw was an evil grin shining from Nightmare's face.
In the throne room, Celestia stood atop her throne whilst Luna, looking disheartened, stood by her side. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, as well as Lyra and Bon-Bon, stood at the foot of the royal seat.
"I have no real proof besides your verbal witnesses, Twilight Sparkle. I understand what you are trying to do, but I cannot forgive her for the tyranny she performed in the past. She separated me from my sister for a thousand years!" Celestia shouted at Twilight.
"And who's fault was it?!"
Everypony turned around to see Nightmare Moon staring at them. She was literally fuming, especially at the foreleg. Her takeover was incomplete, but it would soon be as Layda was crushed underneath all the darkness. Aftera all, garbage must be disposed of.
"What are you doing outside of the dungeon?!" Twilight whimpered.
"Twilight Sparkle. I never liked you, and your teachings were sub-par compared to what Pinkie Pie could have taught me." the Nightmare mocked.
"Wh-what?"
"She taught you magic, and you buff her joy away in an instant?" Celestia snapped.
"Tch. So?" Nightmare spun her eyes.
"What's wrong with you?"Rainbow dropped down in front of the dark alicorn and stared her in the eyes."What just happened? Is it because you were nearly killed and placed in a dungeon that you're like this now?"
"No, but that does add to it. Now step aside."
"Unf!"
The strength that Nightmare currently possessed was unfathomable. She simply swiped the pegasus aside and closened towards Celestia.
"What about us?" Bon-Bon plead."Are you going to forget us? We sheltered you, Cosmos!"
"Cosmos? No longer. I am Nightmare Moon again! I'll engulf Luna into my shadows to be whole again. This is WHY I'M HERE!"
Nightmare Moon bolted into Celestia, tackling her and passing through several walls of the castle. Twilight and Lyra helped up their friend, while Luna simply stared at the hole.
"I don't get it. Why would she do this? She was so kind before." Lyra sniffled as she helped Rainbow Dash to her hooves.
"That is not Cosmos."Luna spoke serenely.
"I know! She is downright mean and rude! I'll know what to do when she is asking me for help afterwards. Hmph!" Bon-Bon growled.
"No. The orange is fading."
"What orange." Rainbow wondered as she rubbed her head.
"The orange that I've been sensing within her the whole time we have been in view."
"You noticed too?" Twilight added as she stepped next to the alicorn.
"Yes. There was another soul in that body. A kindred spirit. It only wished for discovery."
"What are you talking about? It was definately Nightmare Moon. I'm going to sock her...when I get to her." Rainbow roared at the top of her lungs.
"No. You four will try and capture her. Hold her down. There are three unicorns and one pegasus. You should be able to tackle her with your speed, Rainbow Dash, while you three hold her down with your magic after she is stunned."
"What are you planning, Princess?" Twilight asked.
"I will go into the confines of the orange one's mind and pull her out. It is up to her what to do with the remainder of Nightmare Moon's essence. No more questions. My sister is in danger. Let us go at once!"
"Right!"
Although it had only been a few minutes, the entrance hall was completely destroyed. The stairs were torn to bits, the windows destroyed with small bits of glass lingering for dear life as they threatened to fall, and several pieces of the surrounding pillars and white walls were covered in black scorch marks. On the floor, Celestia struggled for freedom as an angered Nightmare Moon held her down. While the white alicorn was covered in bruises and burns, the dark alicorn's body was covered with holes emitting a bright white light. She was furious.
"This, dear sister, is what happens when you anger me. Luna may have not been able to do it, but now I'm free from her nauseating influences and free to terminate you as I see fit. Now, bid farewell to--"
The alicorn was tossed off her feet as a metallic echo spread through the air. Rainbow Dash had been given a guard's helmet, and this allowed for maximum effect as the nightmare found herself on the floor, ibcapable of proper movement. As she began to recover, the three unicorns held her down with their magic. Rainbow quickly retrieved her senses and tried to help Celestia back up. The wounded pony looked to see her sister walking towards the paralyzed evil, a face of stern determination painted across her visage.
"L-Luna! What are you doing?!"
"Something I must!"
"No! Don't go in there!"
It was too late. Luna's horn had already reached Nightmare's head, and both froze in place as a gentle hum emanated from the younger sister's horn.
Luna was finally inside. Judging from where she had landed, this place was once a strong and verdant world of autumn beauty. Now it was just a shadow of its former self as a dark muk covered everything. Tall trees had withered and died, and the dry leaves on the once green ground had lost all color but gray and a faint brown. Luna could sense that orange, but she would have to hurry. It was growing fainter and fainter as time passed. So, without a minute to spare, the mare rushed out into the dark fog.
Every step, and she felt like she was sinking into the muk. Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be found, but this was normal, in a way. She was more concentrated on killing Celestia than anything. It was only a matter of time before she sensed Luna and kicked her out.
"I can feel you." Luna whispered. "I can feel you in this fog. Don't let yourself be consumed. This isn't what you need! Did you not come here for friends?!" Luna shouted once more into the open.
A faint voice groaned in response:"Yes."
"Than why are you letting yourself decay? Grow once more!"
"I can't. How can I after she betrayed me? If my first friend for this world is gone, what else do I have?"
"You just said it yourself. Your first friend. You have others. Who harbored you into their home? Who taught you flight when you could naught but budge your wings? Who helped you control magic and perform spells when magic was a foreign subject to you? You have friends. You were just so dependant on one for guidance that you let yourself be consumed by naivety. It is not your fault. Free yourself from her grasp, and I...no. WE, shall be your friends and guide you through this world. You are not alone. We will even help you return to your own world when you wish it."
There was a long silence, but the voice answered:
"Really?"
"Yes. It is a promise."
"HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY MIND! OUT!"
"I WILL NOT LEAVE, NIGHTMARE MOON!"
"Oh hoho. Yes you will. And you will do it like this." the voice echoed.
The world rumbled a little, then Luna was literally ejected from her position and thrown outwards into a nearby wall, while the three unicorns simply screamed in pain as their horns were hit by a magical backlash. Nightmare Moon wasn't joking with her threats.
"Luna! Are you alright?!" Celestia struggled to shout as she scampered to her hooves.
"Yes. It is now up to the orange one to free herself or not."
"You don't need to listen to her. You have me! You need nopony else." a smile was hinted at the end of this sentence.
"Hmph. In my family, back to our Gaelic ancestors, we have a creed by which we follow. We never betray, or we punish those who have done so. You betrayed me. My friend dared to hurt me emotionally. For that, you must be punished."
"Wh-what are you doing?! STOP!"
"I'm taking my body back. And, you know what? I'm going to change it."
"You wouldn't dare."
"WATCH ME!"
The whole inner world began to shake as the darkness began to recede, and life was brought back into the plant life and sky. Layda's soul was glowing a bright Autumn orange, and Nightmare Moon began to yell as she tried to fight against this anger and need for friendship. In the real world, the glowing goop began to shrink back into the left foreleg, where it began to concentrate at the hoof. As it shrunk away, orange, yellow, brown, and red replaced the colors of night. As Layda retook control, the Lunar tree within her, unexpectedly, simply glowed brighter.
"The Harvest Moon?" she thought to herself.
Finally, after several minutes of screaming, Layda's world was now free, and the nightmare rested firmly on the surface of her left hoof. Her body was changed. While it retained the general form of Nightmare Moon, her armor had now turned into autumn leaves of similar shape. Her eyes were a bright yellow while her mane and tail were a bright orange striped with several misty images of leaves flowing in them. Brown, yellow, and even red crossed through these extensions. Her coat itself was a mixture of yellow and green, yet, she had no cutie mark this time. Everypony stared at her for a moment before approaching. She was smiling evily at a trembling blob on her hoof. It seemed to be wanting to hide from the gaze of this furious alicorn.
"What are you going to do with her now?" Luna asked.
"You should destroy her, like that, she doesn't bother us anymore!" Rainbow yelled in the air.
"No. That's too extreme, Rainbow Dash. Maybe banishing would be enough."
"That didn't help last time. Maybe--" Bon-Bon was quickly interrupted by Lyra.
"We can put her in a jar and keep her like a fish or something!"
Everypony just stared at her in disbelief of what they just heard.
"What?"
"Enough! The decision is hers."Celestia said.
There was a long silence, but Layda finally spoke.
"I'll turn her into a fairy who will be forced to do what I say when I say it."
"A fairy. You mean a flutterpony?" Lyra wondered.
"That's what they're called her? Than that's it. Stand back."
The group did as told. What they didn't know was that guards and the other servants of the castle had been watching the whole time. Channeling the lunar tree's might, Layda fired off a beam at the glob, illuminating it, and after several moments, it flashed brightly. Nightmare Moon was flying about with butterfly wings. She was horrified by what her punishment was, and decided to start yelling at Layda and threaten her, yet the new alicorn didn't care.
"Quite a cute addition. What shall we be calling you now?" Celestia asked.
"Hmmm. How about...Harvest Moon?"
"Hmmm. Yes. It traces to both your origins and your appearance. It is a good name." Luna smiled.
"I think I have much tutoring to do with you and my friends if I am to learn how to live in this world and eventually return to mine." Harvest smiled in return.
"Alright! I have tons of things to teach you now that you're an alicorn."
"You'll be staying with us though, right?" Lyra asked.
"Don't be silly. She can't anymore. She's a totally different pony." the turquoise mare's friend replied.
As the five moved forward, talking with eachoher, Twilight just sat back and looked at a pouting Nightmare fairy with a face of adoration and pity. The flutterpony caught sight of this and asked:
"What are you looking at?!"
"You're just so cute now!"
Twilight screamed like a little filly and grabbed the fairy in her forelegs and rubbed her head against her several times. Nightmare Moon was annoyed.
"Ugh. I will be having a tough life after this. I can already picture myself trying to commit suicide."