//------------------------------// // Page 2 // Story: Luna's Bloody Nightmare // by Miss Vixen //------------------------------// ‘Twilight was right’ Luna thought as she flew through the night air of Canterlot. ‘I should talk to this young one and find out who he really is, but maybe I should use a gentler approach so that he doesn't flee this time.’ The talk she had just last night with Twilight, at her library in Pony Ville, helped Luna a lot with the situation at hand. She couldn't get this youth, whoever he was, out of her head and the curiosity that arose from him kept pestering her. She had to find out who he was, his back story and everything, just to scratch this itch on her mind. Luna had spent a good half hour flying over the roof tops of Canterlot, looking for him but to no avail. When she finally spotted him, he was creating another painting behind a boutique. He seemed to frequent the back alleys that lay in secret just in between the different buildings of Canterlot. The area that the youth had chosen to work was within a large opening behind the buildings. It could have been turn into a nice garden if some effort was put into it, but these concerns were not hers at the moment. She landed behind him and without arousing suspicion, to the presence of another, she slowly walked closer to him. Luna started to speak but before a hint of air could pass her lips, she was taken into a form of trance by what was in the picture that he was creating. The scene showed a grave with a crying pony who was wearing funeral attire that seemed to disintegrate into a murder of crows, where they would soon fly off the scene if the picture was complete. Luna was amazed by how much actually was held deep within this image. There were many metaphors about life that were very complex and took skill just to comprehend. Luna could only stand there in amazement. An enchanting voice came from the youth. “Do you like it?” Luna shook her head to snap herself out of the trance that held her, where she then replied, “Yes it is very beautiful.” A moment of silence was left between the two before Luna remembered she had questions for him. “Young one there are some things I must know. First is, why did you run away from me last night?” “You told me to stop and I don’t stop for anyone.” the youth replied ‘A typical response from the ego of a rebellious soul’ Luna thought but decided not to let first impressions get the best of her. “Okay, second what is your name?” The young one turning around stated “Ah yes a name is very important and if I remember correctly, from the little time that we have been talking, we haven’t properly introduced ourselves to each other. Though I wasn’t given a name at birth there is only one name that life itself finds suiting for me. I am Nightmare, Bloody Nightmare.” The youth then took a bow showing what manners he had. Luna was taken aback by what had just happened. This young one had showed a side that suggested a sophisticated upbringing, but the name was something else. What pony could ever be called something so horrible as Bloody Nightmare and still find it appropriate. The thought of saying it alone soaked Luna’s tongue with great distaste, but Luna decided to play along to him. “I am Princesses Luna, guardian of the night and raiser of the… I’m sorry I just can’t do this.” “Is there something wrong Princesses?” “YES and it’s your name. It’s just… How can in all of Equestria is a name like Bloody Nightmare ever even be considered appropriate for anypony?” A look of sadness accompanied by a frown appeared on Nightmare’s face. “It’s appropriate because that’s what I am to everyone and what life has been for me.” He turned back around and continued on with his work. “I’m sorry I didn't know.” “It’s alright, I've gotten used to it.” “Still it can’t be all bad for you, can it?” “Well… Life might be exactly as I say or it could be my dark outlook on life, but I’m pretty sure it’s the first one.” Nightmare said, becoming a little annoyed. “Look I have had my dark days where I have felt like what you perceive to be reality, but the truth is by the end of the day it had been much brighter than what I had thought.” Luna walked closer to Nightmare and placed a hoof on his shoulder “Maybe, all you need is a friend.” Nightmare looked up to Luna, only to reply “Friendship, what a cold, dead word.” Luna was stunned, she had once been cold in her beliefs on friendship, but they were never so cold to the point where Nightmare is now and friendship is exactly what warmed those beliefs. “Look, Nightmare if I may call you that, I don’t know what your life has been like, but what I do know is that a true friend can make any situation better no matter what happens, okay.” “You may, but how would I go about to find a friend Princess?” He stated with sarcasm that did not slip past Luna. “I will be your friend and call me Luna.” Nightmare realized Luna was being serious. “Alright I guess I can give it a try. Did you have any other questions?” “Oh, yes I do. How exactly did you become an alicorn? I mean because under normal circumstances a form of magic must be mastered.” Nightmare sat down against a part of the wall that wasn’t covered in paint. “Luna you might want to sit down for this because there is quite a bit of explaining to do.” He stated as he gestured for her to sit down next to him. Luna walked over and sat down. “All right, I’m all ears.” “I guess it started when I was very young, because at that age I was confused about the world and I didn’t understand much. One night as I was laying down to go to sleep, I started thinking long and hard about well... everything almost to the point of meditation and when I woke up the next day I was an alicorn.” “What did you think about Nightmare?” “Well my life was just as bad then as it is now and I just wanted to know why. My transformation could have been triggered when I realized how the world truly works or when I figured out the best way to deal with it was to stop caring about it. I don’t know something just clicked and here I am an alicorn.” Luna looked down and could only think ‘is his life really so horrible and is there a dark side to equestrian that no one sees’. Silence draped over them for a few moments. “That was also the same night when I received my cutie mark.” Nightmare moved his cloak to show the spot on his flank where the cutie mark was located. As Luna looked down, she stated “But your flank is bare.” “Actually it’s not. It has a natural magic field, luckily for me that makes it visible only through the use of magic.” Luna’s eyes and horn glowed, but she gasped when the cutie mark was revealed. She was taken back in pure disgust, “It’s… it’s hideous. Oh Nightmare how could such a cutie mark exist?” Pulling his cloak back over his flank Nightmare replied, “I don’t know Luna. I don’t even know what it’s supposed to be or what it represents, but it’s mine and I’m stuck with it.” Luna looked at him with sympathy in her eyes “I am sorry, I did not know somepony so young could have experienced such a horrible life.” “Don’t worry about it Luna, I’m older than you might think.” The two sat in silence until Luna stood up and turned to Nightmare. “I have my nightly duties to return to so I will be off then.” “Sure thing, I’m going to finish up my work and then be on my way. See you tomorrow Luna.” “Absolutely Nightmare.” Luna said as she took off into the night air of Canterlot. Her mind was now filled with many more questions than of those that were answered tonight, but what arose from it all was concern, concern for her new friend. A pony called Bloody Nightmare.