//------------------------------// // Everfree // Story: Moonlight // by JasonTheHuman //------------------------------// It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, but Scootaloo recognized this place. After coming here so many nights, it was familiar. A completely still and silent forest grove, bathed in unnatural dim blue light that emanated from somewhere deep beyond the trees. But they had never been here without Luna. “What are we doing back here?” Sweetie Belle said, looking around, her eyes wide. “And what happened to Twilight?” “Luna’s never followed us into a dream before,” Apple Bloom said under her breath. Scootaloo looked down. “She told me she wanted us to try to wake up if we ran into anything dangerous,” she said. “Maybe… that was it.” “I don’t think that was Twilight,” Sweetie Belle said. “She didn’t sound like herself. And she wasn’t acting right.” “Is that it, then?” Apple Bloom said. “Whatever it was, Luna had it backed into a corner. Maybe she’s gonna get this sorted out. I think… it might be over.” Scootaloo paced across the clearing. She looked up at the tangle of branches above them. The light of a full moon could be seen shining down from a star-filled sky. It couldn’t be over, not just like that. It seemed too simple. After all that they had gone through, all the trust Luna had placed in them, that was all they had to do? Let her handle it while they just sat back from a safe distance? “Maybe we can wake ourselves up,” Sweetie Belle said, hopping back up. She raised her front hoof, hesitating, then hit herself across the face. “Ow!” She rubbed her cheek. “Or… maybe not yet.” “This doesn’t feel right,” Scootaloo said. She was still pacing back and forth. Her legs wouldn’t let her stand still. “We can’t just sit back and wait. There has to be more.” Sweetie Belle rubbed her cheek. “What does it mean if we can’t wake up? It’s always been easy to wake ourselves up.” “Uh… m-maybe we should just sit tight for a bit,” Apple Bloom said, tilting her head. “Luna probably sent us here to wait on her. This is where we always meet. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.” Scootaloo shook her head. “If we were really done, I think Luna would have woken us up. It makes no sense for her to send us back here. I mean, this is our meeting spot, right before we go out into another dream…” She gestured around at the empty clearing. It felt odd without Luna here. Scootaloo had come here dozens of times before, but Luna had always been here waiting for them. Ever since that very first night, and every dream they had gone to since then. “Back when this started, it was only going after foals like us,” Scootaloo muttered. “Luna sent me to help Sweetie Belle first, then we both went to Apple Bloom’s dream. But then we got sent to Pinkie Pie’s nightmare. From then on, it was affecting everyone in Equestria…” “You think it was gettin’ more powerful?” Apple Bloom said. “I think it was working its way up,” Scootaloo said, her eyes widening with the realization. “Twilight’s a princess of Equestria now. She might’ve been this thing’s goal the whole time.” After all they had done, all the ponies they had saved, what if they hadn’t stopped it at all? “Well, um…” Sweetie Belle scratched her head. “Apple Bloom’s probably right. Luna’s probably coming back for us. If she’s got any more instructions she’ll come back and tell us what to do next.” Scootaloo shook her head and continued pacing around the clearing. The soft moonlight and complete stillness of the forest no longer seemed soothing like they usually did. Nothing seemed to have changed, but it all felt so unnatural somehow. She looked back at the others. Apple Bloom was sitting there quietly, staring up at the trees, apparently lost in thoughts of her own. Sweetie Belle laid with her head resting on her hooves like she was trying to go to sleep. And Luna was still nowhere to be seen. Apple Bloom sat there inspecting her hooves. “How long d’you think it’s been?” “Maybe an hour. Or ten,” Sweetie Belle replied. She let out a sigh. “I thought she’d come back by now.” Scootaloo stopped pacing, and looked down at her hooves. This waiting wasn’t right. She remembered all of Rainbow Dash’s stories, all the times she’d saved Equestria with the Elements of Harmony. Rainbow Dash would never just wait to be told what to do next. She’d figure it out and take action. She stared out into the darkness beyond the trees. Even after all the times she had been here, she had never thought much about it. This was just a space Luna created so they could meet safely. It had never mattered what might be out there, if there was anything at all. What else was there, though? Scootaloo pointed ahead. “Let’s head out.” Apple Bloom’s eyes followed where her hoof was pointed. “Out… there?” “Of course.” Slowly, Scootaloo took a step forward. Testing it. The ground she stepped on was pitch black, completely covered in shadow. Even her own hoof vanished into the dark once it crossed over the edge. “B-but… If we go out there, what if Luna comes back, and she doesn’t know where to find us?” Sweetie Belle stammered. “Maybe she’s still coming back for us.” Scootaloo didn’t look back. She stared straight off into the dark. “I thought you said you were tired of waiting.” “I’d rather sit here and be bored than… than…” Sweetie Belle didn’t know how to finish the sentence. “Luna hasn’t come back, and we can’t get ourselves to wake up,” Scootaloo said. “We’ve been through all kinds of dreams before, and this is just like any of those. Whatever is out there, I think we can handle it.” The others were silent. Apple Bloom stared down at her hooves, then slowly raised her head to look at Scootaloo. She walked up to her side. “Fine. But we’re staying as close together as we can. No more going off alone, no matter what happens.” “Deal,” Scootaloo said, with a weak smile. Sweetie Belle looked at both of them, then dashed over and huddled close to Scootaloo’s side. “I still think this is a bad idea,” she whispered. Scootaloo took another step, inching forward into the shadow. And it was as if she’d passed through some invisible curtain. When she looked down, she couldn’t even see her own hoof anymore. Everything was black. The space between the trees they had come from was a faint blue light, fading away with each step they took. She felt a twig snap under her hoof, and the familiar crunch of fallen leaves in the dirt. The forest was still there, even though she couldn’t see it. She reached ahead with a hoof, trying to feel her way ahead. She didn’t want to run headfirst into any trees. Or something worse. A few more steps forward. Slowly feeling her way around trees and uneven ground. Everything had gone pitch black. She couldn’t even tell what direction they had started from. This wasn’t just darkness, it was like they were blind. Sweetie Belle’s voice came from somewhere near Scootaloo’s side, very softly. “I told you we should have waited for Luna to come back…” Scootaloo bit her lip. She didn’t want to admit it, but maybe she was right. Regardless, she kept moving, keeping shoulder-to-shoulder with the others. She took another step forward… It was as if they had crossed some invisible threshold. Scootaloo blinked as she could suddenly see again. Even in the gloomy blue light, it was still something. “Where… are we?” Apple Bloom muttered, looking around. The forest was behind them, and ahead of them was a vast field. In the distance, they could see mountains on the horizon. A river flowed alongside the edge of the woods. There was a cobblestone bridge a little ways off crossing over it. Stars twinkled in the open sky, and the full moon was shining again. Scootaloo shuddered. There was a chill in the air, and the grass had a light dusting of frost. It hadn’t been very cold before they left the woods. It was still unearthly quiet, though. There was no sign of anypony else – nopony on the road, not even a single light shining in the window of a cottage. “Where in Equestria are we?” Apple Bloom repeated. Sweetie Belle tilted her head. “Do you think this even is Equestria?” Scootaloo surveyed the landscape. There did seem to be a path, at least, so that was a good place to start. She let out a sigh of relief, and smiled. “I told you. This is just like any other dream. We just need to start looking around until we find some answers, right?” “I don’t think this is like other dreams,” Sweetie Belle said quietly. “Are you sure we’re even supposed to be out here? It feels like we’re, like, trespassing or something.” “Well, we did get out of the woods. For a while there, I didn’t think we would,” Apple Bloom said. “There’s somethin’ out here, though, so we might as well look around.” Scootaloo led the way over the dirt road leading away from the woods. The thought that their meeting place was actually part of this larger world was strange, somehow. It had always seemed like just a tiny bubble, an in-between station between the real world and the dreams. Though Sweetie Belle did have a point. Something about the utter darkness of the woods made her feel like they were never meant to see what was out here. It was a clear night, and the air was crisp like in late autumn. It was still so quiet, though. Not even a single cricket was chirping. And they seemed to be the only three ponies on the road. On the edge of the path, Scootaloo spotted a stone marker set into the ground. She grinned, and ran up to read what it said. But her hopes were soon dashed when she saw the weathered carving on it. It was faded so much it was impossible to tell if the letters were Equestrian or some other language. There did seem to be an arrow pointing the way they were walking. Sweetie Belle quickened her pace so she wouldn’t get left behind. She looked all around her. “This has got to be somepony’s dream, though, right? Maybe if we find them and wake them up, we’ll wake up too.” Scootaloo was concentrating on the landscape in the distance. There were mountains on the far edge of the horizon. Something about it seemed familiar, but at the same time it was strange. She was pretty sure she’d never been here before. “Any thoughts, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked, turning towards her. Scootaloo ignored her, still studying the mountains. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait. That’s it.” Apple Bloom turned to look at her. “What is?” “That mountain. Don’t you recognize it?” The others turned to look at it, but both shook their heads. “It’s… Canterlot,” Scootaloo said. “Or I guess it should be Canterlot. But the castle isn’t there.” Apple Bloom squinted at it, then her eyes widened. “You’re right! You should be able to see the castle from practically everywhere in Equestria. I could see it from Manehattan just like I could from Ponyville.” “Are you sure?” Sweetie Belle said. “Maybe it’s just a regular old mountain. I mean, we haven’t seen any other cities, either…” Scootaloo blinked. “You’ve got a point… There’s no castle, there’s no towns, there aren’t even any other ponies as far as we can see…” The emptiness of the world suddenly struck her, and she felt incredibly small. It was like they were the only three ponies in the entire world. That forest grove had seemed almost cozy, but out here the world was frighteningly big. “Wait.” Apple Bloom held up a hoof, motioning for them to be quiet. “You girls hear somethin’?” It was a distant clattering sound, very faint in the distance. As they stood there listening to it, it was growing a bit louder. Closer. Scootaloo spun around to see a tired-looking stallion trudging up the road behind them, pulling a rickety wooden cart behind him. He stared ahead with dull eyes, not seeming to notice them until he had nearly run them over. He stopped in mild surprise, and studied them for a moment. “What are you girls doing alone out here?” the pony said, staring at them with wide eyes. His breath froze in a cloud in front of him. “You…” “We’re just trying to find our way around out here,” Scootaloo said, forcing a smile. “Where are you going, anyway?” The stallion shook his head. “Come. Quickly. It is not safe outside for young fillies.” “Huh?” Sweetie Belle took a step back, hiding behind the others. “What do you mean? What’s out here?” Scootaloo said. “Get into the cart. I can take you the rest of the way to Everfree.” The three of them exchanged a glance. “Should we really trust him? He just kinda showed up out of nowhere,” Apple Bloom whispered. “What was he sayin’ about it bein’ dangerous?” “He’s the only pony we’ve seen, though,” Scootaloo said. “Maybe he’ll take us wherever we’re supposed to go. We could find out who’s having this dream.” Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed, and she studied the old stallion some more. Then she shook her head. “Sure, let’s go. We, uh, actually live not too far away from there.” There wasn’t much in the back of the cart. A bundle of firewood, a rolled-up canvas tarp, a few burlap sacks filled with oats that didn’t smell quite right. There was plenty of room for the three of them to pile inside. As soon as they had settled in, the cart started rolling without another word from the stallion pulling it. He stared directly ahead down the road as he silently walked on. “Did he say he was takin’ us to the Everfree Forest? That means we can’t be far from Ponyville, but I don’t recognize a thing around here…” Apple Bloom said, watching the landscape pass by. “He seemed like he was afraid of something,” Sweetie Belle said. “But everypony knows that the real scary stuff is in the Everfree Forest.” Scootaloo snuck another glance at the strange stallion, but he seemed normal enough, if a little quiet. Probably not a monster. But, this being a dream and all, if he suddenly morphed into some horrible creature, she’d be ready to make a break for it. “Let’s just see where we end up,” she said. “We can jump out early if we need to.” The cart rolled along, past some frozen, weed-choked fields surrounded by a rotten and collapsed wooden fence. An old windmill turned slowly, its shadow falling over the barren field. Apple Bloom stared out at it. “I’m still just tryin’ to tell myself to wake up. It’s been so easy other times. And we’ve gotta be dreamin’, right?” “We’ve been here forever. We’re probably going to be late for school if we don’t wake up soon,” Sweetie Belle murmured. Going back to school was the last thing on Scootaloo’s mind right now. If you counted when they first ended up in the library, it seemed like ages. It had definitely been several hours. Most likely longer than they’d ever spent in any one dream. She wanted to keep going, find out what this place was, but if it was true that they couldn’t wake up, even if they tried… Scootaloo was almost getting sleepy in the back of the cart—wondering if it was possible to fall asleep again when she was already dreaming—until she was jostled awake, the wooden wheels rattling over uneven paving. They pulled to a stop, and as Scootaloo lifted her head she saw the rooftops of houses all around her. She hopped out of the cart, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and they looked around at the city street they now found themselves on. Wherever they were, she was sure she had never been anywhere like this before. Scootaloo turned back to the strange pony who had brought them here. “Thanks, but, uh, where are we?” “You had best get home before long. It is late,” the stallion said. “It has been late now for a long time…” Before they could ask him any more questions, he left, pulling his cart down the street and out of sight. The clattering of the wheels faded into a dead silence. These cottages around them were mostly made out of grey stone and thatched roofs. The walls were overgrown with vines, and tall dry grass poked out from the cobblestone street. Light shone from some of the windows, and occasionally Scootaloo could catch a glimpse of a pair of eyes watching them before ducking back inside and out of sight. She turned to the others and gave a shrug, then started down the empty, silent street. The houses were packed closer together than in Ponyville, so it was more of a city than a town. But the buildings weren’t as big as they were in Manehattan, or as stately as they were in Canterlot. The whole place just seemed cold. “I did hear that guy right, didn’t I?” Sweetie Belle said, looking back over her shoulder as if he might reappear. “He called this place Everfree. It sure doesn’t look like the Everfree Forest.” “Maybe if we find somepony, they could tell us a little bit about this place,” Apple Bloom said. She squinted, looking down the streets in all directions. Completely deserted. The three of them continued down the street. They heard a separate set of hoofsteps echoing down the street, the pace much quicker than their own. Scootaloo held up a hoof, motioning for them to stop. A mare came into view. She was walking quickly, her head down, making a sharp turn around the corner like she was trying to disappear before anypony noticed her. Apple Bloom ran up, waving her down. “Hey! ‘Scuse me!” The pony scowled, then lifted her head to stare at them. “What are you doing? Children like you should not be wandering the streets alone.” Her tone was sharp. “Well, uh, you see, we’re not from around here,” Apple Bloom said. “This city’s called Everfree, ain’t it? Could you tell us a little about—“ “You should go home.” The mare turned around and dashed down an alleyway, into the shadows and out of sight. Apple Bloom looked back at the others. “Well, that wasn’t much help.” “What is it with this place?” Sweetie Belle said. “Everypony’s acting like they’re afraid of something…” “It’s definitely some kind of nightmare…” Scootaloo said. They continued down the empty street. Other than some muffled voices from within a cottage, or a door quickly slamming shut as they came near, there were no other ponies outside at this hour. The full moon still hung motionless in the sky. It was tough to say how many hours had passed since they had first arrived here, but time seemed to be standing still in this dream. They came into a large courtyard. A stone fountain was at the center of the town square, but it had dried up and was now covered in thorny vines. It looked like it had sat that way for years. It was hard to believe anypony still lived in this city. Sweetie Belle looked around, and stared up at the sky. “Wait. I know this,” she said suddenly. She pointed up, at a tall structure on the horizon, outlined against the night sky. Scootaloo squinted at it. “Is that…” “I think that might be the old castle from the Everfree Forest,” Sweetie Belle said. “Except it’s not falling apart anymore.” “The Castle of the Two Sisters…” Apple Bloom muttered. She looked around the deserted square. “And didn’t he call this city Everfree?” It was all starting to make sense. The strange way the ponies here talked, the unfamiliar landscape, this city they had never heard of before. “I remember something Luna said to me a long time ago,” Scootaloo muttered. “Last Nightmare Night, when she came back to Ponyville. She told me she still felt out of place in today’s Equestria. I… think we’re in the Equestria that she lived in a thousand years ago.” The old castle had been destroyed when Luna fought against Celestia. This town had probably been abandoned and grown into the Everfree Forest over time. But in this dream, it was still here, and the castle was still standing. “So, um…” Sweetie Belle stared up at the castle, a black outline against the deep blue night sky. The windows in the towers were dark. “Do you think Luna’s in there?” The last they had seen of Luna, she had been in a standoff. Scootaloo could still see that strange gleam in Twilight’s eye. The magic had been just about to start flying when Luna had sent them all away. To this place. Had she intended for them to leave the forest after all? “I don’t know,” Scootaloo said at last. “But we might find something up there.” They took off galloping across the town square, past the houses at the edge of town. The cobblestone street became a long, winding path leading up the hill to the castle gates. A snowflake drifted down and landed on Scootaloo’s nose as she started the climb towards the castle. By the time they had reached the gates, a light snowfall had started. The temperature seemed to have dropped at least a couple degrees since they first arrived in this dream. The castle itself was in much more pristine condition than its counterpart in the real world, but it was nothing like Canterlot Castle. It had none of the glistening shine or sweeping curves. The walls were rough, cold grey stone. This wasn’t a palace, it was a fortress ready for battle. The closer she looked, though, the more she could see that some of the stones in the wall were noticeably lighter in color. Newer. And a section on one of the towers had fallen away completely. The sight of the damage gave Scootaloo a slightly uneasy feeling. The few ponies they had seen in the city had been on edge, too. Something was definitely wrong here. “I’m pretty sure the castle out in the Everfree Forest was in way worse shape than this,” Sweetie Belle said, examining the wall. Scootaloo nodded. “I think we can get in, though. Maybe Luna’s expecting us.” She tried to put on a brave face. The three of them all pushed their weight into one of the heavy wooden doors of the castle gate, and it slowly creaked open, casting a narrow strip of light over the hall inside. Despite the light they had seen coming from the windows of the castle, it seemed almost darker inside than it had been outside. The torches lining the hallway were all lit, but burned with odd greenish flames. The three fillies standing in the corridor cast long shadows against the wall. A grand staircase curved up ahead of them. Banners hung down from the ceiling above the landing and all along the hall. All of them were a dark blue, with a crescent moon insignia. “Just like Luna’s cutie mark,” Sweetie Belle said. “Maybe she is somewhere in here. I don’t see why she wouldn’t have met us in the usual place, though.” “But… all of those banners have Luna’s mark on ‘em,” Apple Bloom said, frowning. “You’re right. Whenever we’ve gone to Canterlot Castle, usually half of them had a sun on them,” Scootaloo said. “Luna!” Sweetie Belle called out. Her voice echoed throughout the room. “We came here to find you! Are you home?” No response. They took the stairs up, passing by some narrow arched windows set into the stone wall. Outside, the snow had started to fall harder, and it collected on the edge of the walls. The second floor of the castle was equally dark, cold and empty. The corridors branched off in two separate directions. Just like in the library, which now felt like another lifetime, it looked like they could stretch on into infinity. But a huge arched door was just ahead of them, and it looked important. Scootaloo pushed it open, and stepped into a long, high-vaulted room. At the far end stood a single throne, under another crescent-moon banner. Apple Bloom followed her inside, staring at the huge chamber. “L-Luna? You in here?” she said. Sweetie Belle silently crept in, sticking close behind her. The moonlight filtered through a series of stained glass windows lining the hall. They sort of reminded her of the ones in the grand hallway in Canterlot Castle, the ones that told the stories of Rainbow Dash’s and the other Element bearers’ adventures. Scootaloo stepped up to the first window to examine it, and let out a gasp. The two figures were easy to identify—the white one was Celestia, and the blue one would be Luna. In the first window, Celestia stood on the balcony of a tower, with a crowd of ponies looking up to her, while Luna stood far in the background, watching from a distance. In the next window, Luna and Celestia stood alone in the clouds. Celestia’s head was turned away, her eyes closed. Even in the crude style, the sadness seemed real. “Isn’t this… y’know, that story?” Sweetie Belle whispered. Scootaloo walked ahead to the next one. The two princesses were depicted in flight above a darkened landscape, a beam of light shining from Luna’s horn, enveloping her sister. “I’m starting to think it isn’t,” Scootaloo said quietly. Slowly, Scootaloo came to the next window, though she already knew how this must end. In the final panel, Luna was alone, outlined against a full moon. Her wings were spread out wide, and ponies on the ground looked up at her. As Scootaloo leaned closer to the glass, it was hard to tell if they were supposed to be watching her with admiration or fear. “Who dares to enter the Castle of the Night?” “Luna?” Scootaloo whirled around at the sound of the booming voice, but there was a hard edge to the princess’s voice that she was not used to hearing. Princess Luna stood at the far end of the hall, outlined in the moonlight. She seemed taller than usual. Her coat was a deep black, and instead of her crown, she was wearing armor. “Have you three foals come here alone?” she demanded, eyeing the three of them with an expression of distaste. “What business could you have with us?” “L-Luna, it’s us. Remember?” Scootaloo tried to smile, but she knew full well that, somehow, this wasn’t Luna. Sweetie Belle had spun around and sprinted for the doors, but they slammed shut before she could leave, with a force that seemed to shake the entire room. She turned around and stared at the dark figure, completely speechless. “Y-You, um…” Apple Bloom stammered. “What happened to Twilight back there? In that dream we were just in?” Luna stared at her, and slowly took a step forwards. The three of them backed away as she advanced towards them. “We do not know what you are talking about. You should know that the castle is off limits to commoners, especially if they are going to waste my time.” “Luna, you have to stop! Whatever’s going on, this isn’t you!” Scootaloo shouted, her voice hoarse. Nightmare Moon turned and fixated her gaze on Scootaloo, her eyes narrowing. She spoke in a voice that echoed throughout the hall and seemed to surround them. “We have not gone by that name for a long time. Not since we defeated our sister, and took our rightful place as the true ruler of Equestria!”