//------------------------------//
// Ch. 11: Mandatory Pointless Side Quest 
// Story: The Moon Shall Rise From Hell's Ashes 
// by TundraStanza 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 11: Mandatory Pointless Side Quest


---{Narrator}

Rainbow Dash was doing everything but foaming at the mouth in her excitement for the next installment of the "Daring Do" series.  In a push to find the author and figure out the reason for the delay, she convinced Twilight to look up the home of A. K. Yearling.  Cross-referencing various locations of last sightings, the two fans and the rest of their friends departed on their long and epic quest.  Pinkie Pie cleverly marked their entire path, creating an actual paint mark to be observed by map viewers above.  The rest just tagged along for in-case-of-emergency support.

But this is not their story.

---{Dilan Shier}

There were three persistent bangs at the door.  Half-asleep, I crawled out of bed and dragged my hooves along the floor.  Even though I had night sky for a mane, I was almost certain that some of it was in the messed up style of bed hair.  Honestly, couldn't the knocking pony at least wait for me to take a decent shower first?  Understanding an implicit 'no', I eventually opened the door.

"Oh hey, Princess Luna," I greeted while forcing a small smile, "What's up?"

"That way." She pointed a hoof toward the ceiling. "Though, that's hardly why I dropped by." She set her hoof down and looked at me with her usual combination of 'professional' and 'I-want-to-strangle-you' face. "You haven't been doing anything lately. With a slight chance of butchering a metaphor, you're practically a roommate that doesn't pay their rent."

I shrugged a wing. "It's been a couple weeks since the last nationwide disaster. Besides, neither you nor I have sensed any dream fear-visions during that time. What could I possibly pay you back with other than through service?"

"That is why I have prepared a small task for you to keep out of trouble." She shuffled around her left side before floating a translucent box in her magical aura. On the inside, it looked like there was a small corsage of flowers inside. Though, I hadn't seen that type of flower before.

"What's that?" I asked the standard question.

"This is a petrified Heart's Desire flower," answered Princess Luna, "It was my mother's favorite. I want you to take this to the old castle in the Everfree Forest, find her nightstand, and place this on top. Oh, and don't forget to give her my regards. Today is her birthday."

"And you won't do this yourself, because...?" I swiveled the wrist area of my front leg.

"You have more free time than you know what to do with," she pointed out, "In contrast, I can always find some other responsibility to task myself."

I woke up to about three quarters of the way. "Isn't the Everfree Forest supposed to be dangerous for pony kind, what with the wild plants that threatened Ponyville and Canterlot just a while ago?"

"The direct path between Ponyville and the castle is safe now, thanks to the fully restored Tree of Harmony's magic," she reminded me.

"Oh, right." I nodded. "The Elements were returned to their source. I still can't believe it."

"Hopefully, some pony won't get any bright ideas in the Elements' absence." Princess Luna gave me a stinkeye.

I shook my head. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Yes, I was rather surprised that you didn't dream of such things," she muttered to the side. After clearing her throat, she added, "I have informed Spirit Sword that he shall accompany you on your journey to ensure that you follow my instruction."

"Wait," I interrupted, "Isn't he the one that flips over his head if he doesn't ensure that you're protected?"

"It was... difficult," she admitted, "but we managed to negotiate. To satisfy his desire that I'll be out of harm's way, Faith Shield will stay by my side."

"Well, I guess that's everything," I declared.  I used my mane's grabbing ability to take hold of the levitating corsage in a box. "I'll be back soon."

"Don't hurry," Princess Luna insisted before trotting out and slamming the door behind her.

"A safe Everfree Forest," I commented again as I gathered my garments, "That isn't an oxymoron, but it sure feels like one."

---

The flight from Canterlot and across Ponyville was mostly uneventful.  At one point, I thought I heard a couple of screams about Nightmare Moon, but they didn't set Ponyville off.  I must have slowed my pace in the middle of my thought.  Spirit Sword told me not to dally.

"Or have you already forgotten the task that you were assigned?" he added.

"No, I haven't forgotten," I answered as I flew a little faster, "Step one: Head to the old castle. Step two: Look around the inside for a nightstand. Step three: Place this corsage and pay respects. Step four: Triple the question marks. Step five: Profit."

Spirit gave me a deadpan look. "This is hardly a capitalist venture."

"No, no, no. See, the joke goes... You know what? Never mind." I shook my head and continued the flight in silence. "Point is, I know what I'm doing."

He simply grunted while nodding in affirmation before turning his attention forward again.

At the edge of the forest, we touched down on the dirt path.  Princess Luna had said not to hurry. So, the trot along the path was slow.  I could hear our hoofsteps follow a specific rhythm.  I glanced around as we went.

Is it just me, or does this forest seem a lot... brighter since I was last here? I wondered. Then again, all I have to compare it to were the times I traveled through during late at night and early morning. Maybe the word I'm looking for is... 'inviting'. The atmosphere of this place is definitely more inviting today.

---

And yet, you, I referred to the ruins of stone in front of me, don't look as inviting.

I could have sworn that this place was bigger than it was on the day I had woken up inside its walls.  Maybe it was because I was more focused on finding out where I was that I didn't really get a good look at where I was.  But that was then. This was now.

I cleared my throat. "So, you want to go in first?"

"This is your search, Dill Anne," reminded Spirit, "Besides, it is proper etiquette for the woman in the group to take the first entrance."

I sighed before exhaling, "Sir, yes, sir."

My stepping was a bit stiff, but I slowly made my way inside.  I looked around the huge hallway as Spirit calmly trotted behind me.  My ear twitched. I heard a creaking noise further back.  Spirit and I swung around just in time to see the large double doors shut themselves.  Their slam left me with unsteady footing.

"Well, that's flipping ominous," I decided.

Spirit turned around again to face the rest of the hallway. "There seems to be something else going on here besides growing moss and rust. Watch yourself."

"Yeah, really." I nodded vigorously before turning around myself. "So... which way would Mama pony sleep?"

"If this castle is anything like the one in Canterlot," figured Spirit, "then the master bedrooms would most likely be in the same general areas." He pointed a hoof straight out. "Let's try the last hallway on the right." He trotted briskly in the direction he had pointed.

"Sounds as good as any other idea." I power walked after him.  I caught a glimpse of the slightly broken throne next to the mostly intact one before moving along.

---{???}

...

You've returned.

...

I've been waiting.

...

---{Dilan Shier}

I stared down the spiral that was shaped like a staircase.  Spirit Sword flew down about three-quarters of the drop before flying back up.  He came back to the same solid floor that I was standing on.

He put a hoof to his chin. "Then again, I distinctly recall her highness saying that she always went upstairs to her parents' side."

"Yeah, unless they're from an underground colony of mole people," I joked, "or gamers in their basements. I don't discriminate."

Spirit stopped scratching his chin and looked at me with a tilted head. "Your world sounds strange, Dill Anne."

"That's the understatement of the millenium," I said while shaking my head.

We headed back through the hallway.  The sight of so many torches that had burned out so long ago was kind of depressing.  Fortunately, it gave way back to the barely depressing throne hall.  For the first time since we arrived, I looked up.  I was surprised to see blue sky.

"Huh," I uttered, "I didn't realize that this area was that open."

"Yes, that ceiling does look like it needs a full replacement," added Spirit.

This time going through, we tried the last hallway on the left.  All the while, we kept scanning the place for abnormalities.  It was quite difficult, considering that I was unfamiliar with this place's norms.

---{???}

...

Take me back.

...

You need me.

...

---{Dilan Shier}

This looked slightly better.  The staircase at the end of this hallway had two platforms and went up from the ground floor.  Though, it probably could have done without the broken chandelier resting on the first platform.  Spirit and I carefully flew over it before stepping at the top of the staircase.

There, a large door with big ring-shaped handles stood in place.  Spirit grabbed the handle on the left and pulled.  I gazed inside.

"Oh, yeah," I said with a nod. "That is a master bedroom."

Although covered with the occasional dustball and large cobweb, the contents of the room otherwise said "bedroom".  A desk standing on its three remaining legs was off to the right.  A stone chair was toppled to the side just in front of that desk.  More toward the back center of the room was a set of purple curtains surrounding what might have been a canopy bed.  I say "might have" because there were only two horizontal bars left in the canopy part.  Just to the left of that was...

"The nightstand!" I exclaimed with a triumphant smile.

I quickly trotted across the room.  As I approached my target, I noticed the painted image of a dark-colored pony wearing red garments.  It kind of gave off an old touch of British vibe.  Anyway, I shuffled the boxed flowers out of my mane and set it gently on the nightstand.

"Your daughter Luna sends her regards," I said while bowing my head. "Happy birthday, Artemesia."

---{???}

...

You will help me speak to her.

"What? Who's there? Show yourself!"

Let me in.

"Yaaaaggh!"

---{Dilan Shier}

My head snapped back up as I spun on my hind legs. "Spirit Sword? What is it?"

He trotted in slowly.  Actually, I don't think trotted is the right word.  It was more like a trudge.  His motions were sluggish at best.  I was getting a bit creeped out at how low his head was hanging.  Though, it quickly snapped up to stare at me directly.

When I saw his purely yellow eye sockets, I wished he had kept his head down.

"Uh... heh... heh..." I chuckled nervously, "and Faith said you didn't have a sense of humor.  Heh... heh..."

My hope that this was all a terrible joke was in vain.  The reply I got was not in the vampire's own voice, but in a whisper that sent chills through me.

"Don't leave again."

Come to think of it, I actually wrapped my tail around my chest to try and stop the cold feeling from piercing me.  I figured it wasn't working since the rest of my body still shook in place.  With my only idea of defense gone, I decided to do what I did before my fight with the Everfree vines.  I held my tail just above and beside my head in a sword-ready position.

"Who are you and what have you done with Spirit Sword?" I asked as loudly as my nervous throat could muster.

"You are my source. Come back."

What the heck is this thing talking about? I wondered, None of what it just said makes any sense.

There is a bud of hatred.

I clenched my teeth. Oh, so you're still there. You had me worried.

But it only covers his surface. It does not pool from within. The incompatible souls interfere with each other.

"Return to me. Give in."

I ignored the external demon and tried to concentrate on the internal voice. What do you mean 'surface'? Does that mean you can't get rid of it through a simple strangulation?

My tail's occupant went silent.

Gosh darn it.

Whatever was controlling Spirit let out a high-pitched wail.  My ears flopped down as my tail moved to cover them.

"Ow!" I grunted. "Where are my earplugs when I really need them?"

The battish pony took flight inside of this terribly large bedroom.  It swooped all around the place in a sporadic zig-zag pattern.  Before I knew it, my side had a painful do-over of my first scuffle in Ponyville.  Having the cut happen again didn't make it any more bearable or desirable.

"Gah!" I cried out, "That stings!"

"Let us be together."

The yellow eyes' host received a quick buck upside the head.

"Sorry," I commented, "but I don't swing, full stop."

The ghost quickly recuperated its puppet and headbutted me.  That was followed by another series of zig-zagging around the room.  I got another cut in the opposite side.  Then, the guard's jaw somehow caught my neck.  Just because his teeth weren't really a vampire's didn't mean that they were any less painful and annoying.

"Okay, this is getting too weird for me," I said while raising a hoof high. "Sorry, Spirit Sword, but I know for a fact that you can shake off the pain from this!" I went for a hook-shaped punch.

It was about when I saw sparks dancing around a squirming pony that I realized the mistake I had made.

Oh, crap! I forgot about Spectrum's hoof!

Spirit fell to the floor just in front of me.  I was about to mourn over my most recently prepared barbeque, but then something else happened.  A dark shadow emerged from around the pony and rose just above him.  The shadow stared with yellow lights near where eyes should have been.  I couldn't really tell, but the shadow almost looked like the right size and shape for... Nightmare Moon.

"Just what... are you?" I inquired with my eyes wide.

Now, there is nothing to interfere.

I was so caught up in the shape of my newest foe that I was surprised by the smoke of red that rushed past my head.  My tail grabbed onto thin air, but it seemed to be effective.  The yellow lights in the figure shrunk and narrowed.  Come to think of it, the entire shadow was shrinking.

Within a matter of maybe twenty seconds, the yellow-eyed shadow ceased to be.  I felt disturbed and relieved simultaneously.  My tail returned to its default position and length.  Spirit rubbed his head and stood up.

He groaned. "You really took a gamble with that electrical punch."

"I panicked and forgot about it, okay?"  I corrected him.

He shook his head. "You've already completed the tasks required of you aside from triple-question marks and profiting. Shall I wait for you to do those?"

"Those aren't actual steps." I rubbed my eyes. "Never mind. Let's get out of this joint."

But as I unfurled my wings, the cuts in my sides decided to remind me of their existence.  Some power must have had a really bad sense of humor to make non-lethal wounds hurt the most.

---{Luna, Third-person POV}

The Princess of the Night was having trouble deciding.  There were a few troublesome dreams happening from three different locations at once for the past couple of days.  They weren't nightmares per se, but they were compilations of daily troubles and worries.  The problem was, there was only enough time during the night to visit two of these potential dreamers.  So, she was trying to keep a physical list of the various ways to settle the subconscious minds in the best managed time.

"Hey, Spirit!" called Faith's voice from outside her door. "How'd the job go?"  The door opened a bit. "Uh, Partner? Equestria to Spirit Sword!"

She watched as her other guard walked in.  Though, his hoof steps seemed a little exaggerated.

"Spirit Sword?" asked Luna, "Are you all right? Where's Dill Anne?"

That's when she saw his turquoise eyes.

"Princess Luna," spoke Nightmare Moon's voice, "I could use some help, please."

For a split second, Luna's eye twitched.

---