//------------------------------//
// Monster 
// Story: Road to Twilight 
// by ShadowBrony 
//------------------------------//

Nyx finally understood everything. She understood why she woke up in the Everfree Forest when she did. She understood why she had memories of fighting Twilight Sparkle. She remembered what she was, who she was.

Memories of her past life came in clear as day in her mind. The day she fought against her sister. The battle that took place, along with the banishment soon afterwards. The many years spent trap seemly forever within the moon. Her return and eventual defeat by Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight…

The name filled her with rage, yet something felt off. 

Nyx shook her head. No, she is Nightmare Moon, the true princess of the night! Such confusion should not be plaguing her mind!

Nightmare Moon turned her gaze away from the night sky and looked across the crowd of ponies that filled the center of Ponyville. They were ponies who had towered over her mere moments before, but were now dwarfed by her. She remembered another time when she stood over them, looking upon their sun-loving faces. She remembered how, on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, they looked upon her with fear. 

And now… now they were looking over her with greater fear, for now they knew who she was. It should have made her happy. Inspiring such fear should have filled her with joy. Yet it made her feel… uneasy. 

Nyx gave her head a slight shake to banish that small, stray thought. But still it lingered. She should be enjoying this, she was sure of it. She put on a wicked smile and spoke to the crowd with a voice that was regal, smooth, and threatening.
“My friends, neighbors… subjects, why do you look upon me with such fear?” NM asked. “You of all ponies should feel honored! For you will be able to tell your children and your children’s children that it was you who witnessed your queen’s rebirth. That it was you who witnessed her moment of ascension and full power. That it was you who showed her kindness when she was incomplete.”

Again, a sharp feeling rose in the back of her mind. Nightmare Moon was starting to grow tired of this. What could possibly be the matter with her? NM shook the feeling away best she could and continued her speech.

Nightmare Moon took a step forward, moving past the cloaked ponies who bowed to her. She walked into the crowd, and ponies in her way quickly cleared a path, as they should. “Yes, I was among you this entire time, though I was by no means trying to deceive you. No, I truly had no idea who I was, where I was, what was going on. And yet you graciously accepted me into your community. When I take what is rightfully mine, I’ll be sure to remember your kindness… as long as you obey me and give me the respect I deserve.

“No…”

Nightmare Moon stopped dead in her tracks. Who dared to defy her? The voice was so loud she thought it had come from the crowd. But soon she realized, it came from her own mind. “This defiantly does not feel right. Why am I talking like this? This just doesn’t feel like me anymore. It should, yet at the same time…” Nightmare Moon blinked and clinched her teeth, "Why must my mind be plagued with these emotions? Where are they coming from?!”Nightmare Moon shook her head and stared out into the crowd, and saw three ponies that made her heart stop. 

It wasn’t the sight of them that made her heart stop but what she saw as their eyes locked with hers. Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, her best friends, were looking upon her in fear. And it hurt to see them that way. They had been there for her. Her friends had been there in the beginning as much as…Mom.

Nightmare Moon wanted to growl and stomp these feelings away but they continued to pester her. They seemed to be there only to hold her back. To make her feel stuff that should no longer be felt by a being like herself. She was Nightmare Moon, the one who would bring darkness to all the…

Just then, Scootaloo spoke up, “Nyx, is that you? What's wrong with you? Why are you doing this?”

Nightmare Moon hesitated mid thought.

Nightmare Moon could not stand to meet Scootaloo’s gaze or speak a direct reply to her question. She could only turn away as quickly as the crowd could clear a path. It was only after she had distanced herself from Scootaloo that NM stopped and cast her head back. “No, I am not your friend… or, more accurately, I am no longer her.”

For some reason, saying those words felt like she had just kicked herself in the gut. Nightmare Moon’s hooves became heavy. She wanted to look amongst the crowd and spread vengeance upon every pony that wronged her. She wanted to find Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and thank them for helping her remember who she was and have the town blame them for their troubles to come. But it no longer felt right.

"I am a bringer of the Night. I am the one who once brought Celestia to her knees. I am the one who will take Equestria as my own as well as give it the eternal Night it deserves. I shall not let these feelings deter me. I AM NIGHTMARE MOON!" 

“NO YOU'RE NOT!” 

The voice seemed so foreign and out of nowhere that she actually glanced around to see who had spoken, only to realize, it had again come from her own mind. 

What?

The voice spoke up again, it sounded like her voice from when she was a filly, “You're Nyx. You're loved by many and are not who you say you are. Those awful ponies made you who you are now. But that doesn’t mean that is who you have to be!”

Nightmare Moon staggered a bit, and turned her head to face the crowd. However, there was one pony standing out amongst them. A purple unicorn with tears in her eyes.

“Mom…” She whispered.

The pony who had been there for her. The one who helped her, and was there for her when she needed it most. She cared for her like a mother. She was kind to her. She was there for her even when she was taken, and tried to save her twice in just the past few hours. 

“And you are going to repay her kindness by being an evil princess that no pony likes.”  

For the first time, Nightmare Moon glanced up at the night sky above her and then really stared hard at the scared ponies surrounding her. Nightmare Moon stood there for a moment in silence until Nexus came over to her. 

“Is there something wrong?”

Nightmare Moon did not look at him; instead she focused her eyes on Twilight. A tear fell from Nightmare Moon’s face. 
Nexus noticed this and took a step back in surprise. Nightmare Moon muttered something to him he could not quit make out.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I said… Who am I?”

Nexus looked at her in shock for a moment before answering, “You’re Nightmare Moon, the bringer of darkness and the one true ruler of Equestria.”

“Yes, but why?”

Nexus was silent for a moment, “I…Don’t understand.” Nexus ran through the spell in his head, did something go wrong? Did she perhaps not gain back all her memories? Or did it have to do with how the spell was performed. Perhaps the memories of herself as a filly were conflicting with her original desires. But she is Nightmare Moon; that should not matter. She is the one who is supposed to bring eternal night and rule forever. Why is she not the leader he thought she would be?

“You are Nightmare Moon, we brought you back with that spell,” he said out loud.

“You mean, you did this.” She gestured to her current look, “You turned me into this.”

Nexus smiled and nodded, “Yes your resurrection is all thanks to me and your followers.”

Nightmare Moon stared off into space in shock. 

They turned me into this. But I didn’t ask for this. Now my friends, my family, everyone will fear me. They will see me as a monster. I am a monster. Nightmare Moon felt her filly self reawaken as she felt tears begin to roll freely from her face. Then at last the realization hit her. She may never be loved by anypony ever again. Sadness then quickly turned to anger.

Nexus gasped in surprise as he felt himself suddenly jerked up off the ground and now was completely eye to eye with Nightmare Moon; her glowing cat like eyes practically staring into his soul. 

“Let me clarify,” she said coldly, “You turned me into this.”

Nexus’s stared back in confusion but nodded his head.

“You made me into Nightmare Moon…”

Again the stallion nodded.

“YOU TURNED ME INTO A MONSTER!”

Nexus’s eyes grew wide as Nightmare Moon tossed him into the air. He cried out in surprise as he flew high into the air. He began to flail however as gravity began to take hold and drag him back down. But just before he hit the ground, Nightmare Moon caught him with her magic.

“Turn me back to normal.”

Nexus shook his head as his face went from fear to one of anger.

“It’s impossible at this point. I doubt even an Alicorn can change what you have become.”

“SO I’M STUCK LIKE THIS?!”

Nexus’s eyes began to grow cold and sighed, “Yes.”

Infuriated, Nightmare Moon flung him into a building nearby. Ponies watched as he went clear through the wall. A loud crashing noise soon followed. The Followers quickly ran to help their leader, leaving Nightmare Moon all alone surrounded by still fearful ponies.

Nightmare Moon lay where she was as she began to cry again. No pony moved, unsure of what to do, all except for one.
Nightmare Moon…No Nyx, felt like her whole life had just ended. No more hanging out with her friends. No more being liked. No more fun. No more…

Nyx suddenly gasped in surprise as two hooves embraced her around her neck. Nyx looked up and saw her mom, smiling up at her. 

“But how could you still love me?! I’m Nightmare Moon. I’m a terrible pony, a monster!”

“You’re wrong. You may look like Nightmare Moon, but deep down, I still see you Nyx. I still see my daughter.” 

Nyx eyes widened for a moment before she accepted the embrace. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Nyx didn’t even care anymore about the crowd. She just wanted to stay here like this forever.

Twi watched from the side lines with a smile on her face. She knew that things were going to get complicated from here on out. But from what Twi could tell, it could have gone a lot worst. For moment Twi actually wondered what could have happened had they not tried to save her. Would she think that Twilight had betrayed her? Maybe taken over and banished the other princesses? Guess she will never know. But it looked like things were going to be ok, for now. 

Though, Twi couldn’t help but notice a rather nagging feeling. Twi glanced over at the hole in the house. The followers seemed to have backed off for some reason. However Nexus could now be seen making his way out. He did not look happy. In fact, his eyes appeared be almost glowing with rage. 

“Nightmare Moon!” Nexus practically spat the name as he said it.

Both Twilight and Nyx looked up at him startled. The crowd dispersed giving them a clear view of him. 

“It is obvious to me that the spell has failed and my true ruler is still trapped within. But fear not, for I have the power to bring you back. In the mean time, your army shall take over. 

Nyx glanced at the few followers standing nearby. “What army?”

Nexus grinned bigger than anyone thought possible. Then he rose up his head. Pure black shadows that once hid below the crowd seems to break away from their hosts. Nyx and Twilight watched in horror as the shadows seemed to converge around Nexus. The shadows morphed and changed in shape. Then they rose up like a fish out of water. Blank yellow eyes appeared on them. They were small but menacing as they appeared to have claws and twitched at any movement around them. Twi however gritted her teeth before yelling, “Everpony! Run! These things are monsters, don’t get too close.”

Immediately the crowd dispersed and ran the creatures ran amongst them. Some the Shadows seemed ready to give chase as the ponies tried to get away. Twi ran into the fray, attacking any Shadow that got too close to her or anypony else. Soon however, the square was cleared of all ponies and only Twilight, Nyx, Twi and Nexus were all that could be seen. The followers seemed to have disappeared along with the crowd.

Twi ran up in front of Nyx and Twilight. Her Keyblade flashed into existence as Shadows surrounded them. Twi locked eyes with Nexus as he pointed his hoof in a commanding tone.

“Capture Nightmare Moon, the fate of the two Twilights are left to you.” 

Twi, Nyx and Twilight stood battle ready as the Shadows quickly closed in. 
*

Celestia stood on her balcony as her troops built their defenses. She knew that with the possible return of Nightmare Moon, she could not leave her Kingdom unguarded. Though she looked stoic and calm in such an emergency, on the inside, she was filled with sorrow and regret. She could hear somepony coming up behind her; she did not need to look to see who it was. “Luna, I did not expect to see you here. I thought you would still be amongst the guards helping with the defenses.” 

Luna walked up and stood next to her sister, her non ethereal mane barely blowing in the breeze. He light blue fur seemed to move as the breeze took hold. “My sister, am I not allowed to stand by you when I can tell you are in need of it most? Your sorrows may be hidden from everypony else, but I can see them as clear stars in the night that surrounds us.”

Celestia lowered her head as her regal posture began to wane. “Luna, this is all my fault. We would not be standing here preparing for the worst had my fears not gotten the better of me. Perhaps I could have even seen through Spell Nexus’s false intentions." Celestia flinched as she slammed her hoof into the ground, "Why…How was I so blind?”

Luna placed her wing around her sister in a comforting hug, “Though your actions may have caused such horrible consequences, it was my sins in the beginning that are truly to blame. I am sorry, for being so blind myself back then.”
Celestia didn't know what to say. So instead she nuzzled her sister lovingly. "It seems that we are not as perfect as our subjects say we are."

The sisters stood there in silence as moon reached its highest point in the sky.
*

Twilight let out a long sigh as the last creature of the dark army disappeared. Twi was panting hard and Nyx was looking a little winded as well. But they had done it. These Shadows had finally been defeated. She would have to remember to take the time and read up on these strange new creatures later after this was all over.

Twi glanced over at Twilight, “Nice work. I had almost forgotten how nice it is to have a variety of combat spells. You did awesome as well Nyx.” Nyx nodded her head but said nothing. Despite the battle that had just occurred, it had done nothing to really get her mind off of what had just happened or what was possible to come. 

Twi walked over and tried to place a reassuring hoof on her, “Don’t worry. Everything will work out. I am sure that there is at least some way to fix this. The princesses…” Twi stopped mid speech as she realized that even if they could fix Nyx, there is no way Nyx would want to go near them anyways. Celestia did take her away by force and changed her. Twi also figured that Nyx may believe that Luna would strike her down for looking like this. Twi knew that was not true, but it would be tough to convince Nyx otherwise. 

Nyx gazed longingly at Twi, “Thanks, but if I ever see Celestia again, I don’t think I will be getting my life back afterwards. If anything, I will be lucky to escape with my life at all.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’d rather not take the chance.”

Twilight walked up to her and nuzzled her, “We don’t have to face them right away. But we are going to have to do so at some point if we want any chance of changing you back.”

“But what if they attack me? Banish me to the moon? I am Nightmare Moon after all. Look at me!”

Twilight took a step back and looked up and down at Nyx, “I am, and all I see is a filly trapped and in need of some help. Don’t worry Nyx. I won’t let them hurt you. They will have to go through me first. And this time, I won’t give them the chance to take you away from me.”

Nyx smiled and embraced Twilight, her eyes beginning to fill with tears again, “Thanks mom."

Twilight accepted the embraced. “You're my daughter, and I will care for you always. No matter what.”

Twi nodded her head and smiled. Then a realization hit her. Nexus was still nearby. Twi glanced around until she spotted him surrounded by his followers. She locked eyes with him as he looked up. Nexus grinned as his followers began to emit a dark aura.

“You seemed to have destroyed that pitiful army. I’ll admit, I over estimated them. But this, is something that not even you nor will your counterpart be able to destroy.”

Twilight and Nyx turned around as Nexus let out laugh of triumph. 

“Look upon this Nightmare Moon. See the power that Darkness can give you!”

Twi let out a gasp of surprise as the ground began to shake. Nexus only smiled as he too began to be covered in a dark aura. Then the ground in front of them cracked. And then all of Tartarus broke loose.
*