Shining Armor walked out of his tent and stretched. The changeling camp felt deserted even with the amethyst changeling queen sitting on the bench resting her chin on a pyramid made of her hooves. Past interactions between Shadowstep and Shining had been peculiar at best but the appearance of Twilight earlier had set him on edge. Ready to jump away at any second, he approached the changeling.
"Where is everypony?"
"Starlight is working on a magic circle around the Golden Oaks library. Your sister went there as well to help before the reawakened Nightmare Moon appears. Six hasn't been seen in over a week-"
Shining Armor shifted uncomfortably.
"-and Cross is doing his business."
"What's with him anyway? He's been sort of secluded last few days."
"He hurt the feelings of one of the ponies supposed to watch us and he took it hard it seems."
"Feelings? He didn't tear off his legs or something?"
"Inner wounds are more difficult to heal. He turned into the other camp leader's coltfriend to drain love from him but he didn't know the one he turned into was dead already. Things happened, Cross needs to recover from it."
"I wouldn't think a changeling would have a problem with something this small."
"You still think we are just some immoral creatures set on devouring your race. I won't try to persuade you otherwise because I don't care enough about you to do so. Cross, though, isn't a changeling."
"What? He changes into stuff all the time."
"Have you seen him without a disguise?"
Shining stopped. It was true that the first time he'd met Cross in the camp he'd proved to him he was a changeling by turning his front leg into a changeling one but that was about it.
"What is he then?"
"An experiment. He was patched together from pieces of various creatures by a dragon sorcerer. I was a part of that experiment and he's partially a changeling just because of it. Do you want to hear the whole story?"
"I'd much rather go help Twilight in Ponyville."
"When Starlight finishes the spell we will roll out whether Cross is here or not. Going against the Nightmare host unprotected is suicide."
Shining sat down at the table as well, clearing a layer of snow from the bench.
"Fine, fire away."
"I'll keep it short. Technically, the story concerns you as well."
"How come?"
"Have you ever wondered why your wife is so young when love is a force strong enough and has existed for thousands of years?"
"No, I haven't. Is she older than she looks? Am I married to Equestria's hottest MILF?"
Somewhere, queen Chrysalis suffered a minor aneurism for no reason at all.
"No. I met the previous alicorn of Love. He was a pretty cool guy actually. Unfortunately for him, he got captured by the dragon sorcerer I was talking about. The dragon wanted to create some sort of new breed or something. They can live for millenia and this guy was pretty insane in the old teapot... or he was just bored. I didn't really ask him."
"How did you get into all that?"
"He saved me from dying in the desert saying he needed an assistant. I eventually found out that I was just another one of the species he wanted to mix into his supersoldier. While I was working with him he let me feed from the alicorn of Love as much as I wanted to. Honestly, he was a sweet pony and the nicest guy you could ever meet... and do other things with, heh."
"Awww. Can changelings even fall in love? Isn't it like ponies falling in cake?"
"I'll punch you, banshee."
"Okay okay," Shining muffled a laugh with his hoof.
"It started as me just feeding on him in various disguises but I couldn't fool him and realized my mind control didn't work on him at all. I think it's a trait your wife inherited. In the end the dragon finished preparing the mixing ritual but I found out enough about it to modify it a little. I made the affected area bigger and allowed it to absorb dragonkind as well. After escaping the holding cage I lured the dragon close enough to get him affected. Every creature still in the holding cells died the second the ritual activated and it ripped out a part of my and the dragon's souls and power as well. Not being in the cells, both of us survived and saw the final product of the spell."
"Cross."
"Yeah. I gave him the name afterwards as a joke. Unfortunately for the dragon, the fading minds of his victims filled Cross with enough rage to, with my help, kill the sorcerer," Shadowstep smiled to herself.
"What's so funny?"
"I just remembered his curious face when he looked at me for the first time. He was born from blood, treachery and insanity and yet he still is pure like a foal in some aspects."
"He doesn't seem like a good soldier with that attitude. I know what we want from our guards and I'm not sure he would pass."
"And yet, he could easily shred your entire Crystal Guard to pieces. He does what I tell him to do even if he doesn't like it."
"So wait... is he somehow related to my wife?"
"Hm? Not at all. When alicorn of something dies completely for whatever reason then a new one will be born soon enough. Your wife is in no way related to him or the last alicorn of Love. It just explains why she's so young. Just imagine if she was a stallion. You'd be polishing something different from your guard chestplate."
"Celestia help me."
The crunching of snow revealed a batpony returning to the camp, head low.
"I take it the apology didn't go well," Shadowstep sighed.
"He... didn't want to talk to me at all. I can't blame him," Cross didn't even look up.
"Cheer up, sargeant. We've got some godslaying to do."
"Is Starlight ready?"
"Probably. The Nightmare's power suddenly weakened considerably. Banshee, are you coming?"
"Of course!" Shining Armor stood up, "I can't let Twilight face Nightmare Moon by herself."
"Good," Shadowstep stood up, "I'll give you a ride BUT you will obey my every order. You are temporarily under my command and you will do what I say no matter the circumstances. If I can't trust you then you can stay here."
Cross disappeared in his tent.
"All right," Shining agreed, "But-"
"No buts. I know you might be inclined to bodyblock for your sister or something stupid like that but that won't help us."
"Fine! I used to be a guard. I can obey orders."
"Good. Let's fly. Cross will catch up with us, he's faster than me. Especially with you on my back."
The blackfire explosion obliterated all tentacles, black smoke and other signs of Nightmare's power from the area.
Choking's knees gave out and she fell on the ground, eyes fixed on princess Luna lying on the ground with weak wisps of darkness swirling around her. Her mind stopped completely. She didn't care about the Nightguards attacking the rest of the group. She just watched the small pile of ash in front of Luna.
"DIE, YOU BUCKING BITCH! DIE!"
It wasn't Choking's scream, it was Guiding Light's who charged unmoving Luna. The black smoke thickned again and swatted her away. Nightmare Moon didn't reform though. It was still just princess Luna with living darkness dancing around her.
"Suppressing fire!" yelled somepony from above.
The black tendrils began moving again, slithering over Luna's coat. Bolts of violet energy began slowing the progress of the tentacles. Still firing salvo after salvo from her horn, Shadowtep landed and Shining Armor jumped off from her back. Cross landed a second later.
The barrage wasn't enough to stop anything though. Shadowstep's magic made small craters in the dark bubble rising around Luna but other than that the Nightmare seemed to grow stronger again.
"Cross," Shadowstep barked, "Help with the Nightguards-"
Cross looked at Luna slumped on the ground. Something felt familiar about her. She was in agony. Not physical but mental and the Nightmare was feeding from her. He tried to look into Luna's mind but he couldn't get far, he didn't have to. The image of a dead batpony was exactly the same he knew from Heavy Hoof.
"No, you do that, commander. I... think I can end this," said Cross.
Without a word, Shadowstep turned her head and began obliterating the opposition. The second she stopped focusing on suppressing the Nightmare it began growing again.
Cross trotted over to Luna. The blows from the black tendrils hurt but he was tough enough to take them for now.
He had promised Heavy Hoof and himself he would never again shapeshift into Sharp Biscuit and disgrace his memory. His chance to stop feeling the pain he'd felt since the hunt would be gone if he failed here or if Heavy ever found out about what he was going to do. He had to break the promise to the guard who had almost killed himself fighting against him just to stop him from using Sharp's form.
Green fire swirled around him and the black tentacles stopped right before hitting him again.
Luna looked up.
"Sharp?"
Shapeshifted Cross thought about what to say.
"It's over, princess," he said soothingly.
"Have I... protected my subjects?" Luna's exhausted voice was just more than a whisper.
"Almost. You have to let me go, princess. I," Cross hesitated. The gambit began, "will be by your side but you have to look forward, not dwell in the past."
"Am I a good... princess?"
"The one and only."
Luna slowly breathed out.
The black aura around her withered away and the Nightguards wavered in their attack. Their movements slowed down and eventually they slumped on the ground.
"Phew," Cross wiped his forehead, "Scary."
Luna's eyes opened and looked straight at him.
"Thank you... whoever you are," she said and began snoring quietly.
"She won't escape this time!" growled Guiding and, fangs bared, jumped towards Luna again.
This time she stopped in mid-air, surrounded by black shadow.
In a burst of purple flames, Void appeared and lowered Guiding Light on the ground.
"You were given a chance at a high price. Do not waste it pointlessly, others need you," said his deep voice.
Guiding stopped growling. The alicorn was right. She was a leader now, she had her hive to protect, whatever little remained of it after the skirmish with Nightguards. Sending a mental command, she looked sternly at Void one last time before leaving, followed by other Nightmare changelings.
"I KNEW you wouldn't resist," Discord clapped slowly, standing up from his folding chair.
Void took a step back and flared his wings.
"Remember," Discord narrowed his eyes, "You owe me one."
A little flash of light and the god of chaos was gone. In a black flame burning itself into vapor, so was Void.
Choking, drenched in sweat and tears, ignored everypony and just went home. There was no reason to stay in Ponyville anymore. Somepony would eventually take care of Luna or they might let her freeze during the night. Choking was not so secretly hoping for the second.
A week later.
Choking had stolen the money the mercenary left in the library before he could return for it and she'd returned to Canterlot as a fairly wealthy pony.
The days had passed but sometimes she hadn't even bothered to get out of bed. In the end she'd decided to fill the emptiness inside by alcohol... a lot of it.
Here she was, in the bar called The Lucky Horseshoe, washing away the foul taste in her mouth by an even fouler concoction made by Archie Bald, the bartender.
Two wibbly ponies approached her table.
"Good evening, commander," said Heavy Hoof, a statuesque white earthpony.
"Wuzz gud 'bout it?" Choking mumbled.
"Miss Darkness," said the second pony whom Choking identified after a while as princess Luna, "I wish to speak with you."
"I wush Blaze wuz 'ere."
"I can't help with that. I wish to apologize."
"Go 'pologize yurself."
"I want you to take Sharp Biscuit's place as my bodyguard."
"Buck off."
"Sharp was there for me when I needed a friend. I don't need somepony to take care of me anymore. I need somepony who will not hesitate to slit my throat if I go wrong again."
Choking threw her mug at Luna, gaining the attention of everypony in the bar.
"Buck yoo! Buck yer job! Buck e'rything! 'NOTHER DRINK!" she waved her hoof.
Heavy shook his head and poked the princess. Their prolonged presence would do more harm than good.
Minutes passed and a hooded stranger sat down at the table.
"Wuddya want?"
"A drink," Void, in his incognito form, drew back his hood and waved at the bartender.
"Why didya save her? Why not let her rot?" Choking looked at who was basically a smaller version of the blackfire alicorn pleadingly.
"Nightmare Moon destroyed Scream's mind. She does not recognize me. She cannot talk and does not move by herself," Void rolled his lips bitterly, "I did what I thought was best."
That got through Choking's drunked haze. Void was in exactly the same situation as her... almost.
"Dun wanna be alone. Hurts too mush."
Void levitated something from his robe. It was a black feather burning weakly with purple-black fire.
"You are my friend as much as Blazing Light was and I want to help."
"Piss off wit' plumes. Can't fly 'nymore."
"If you choose to take my feather you will forget everything about Blazing. You will know what you went through but the pain of losing him will go away. I remember him telling me about your love for flight and this will give you back your wings. It is only fair since you lost yours because of him."
Choking sat there, watching the burning feather.
"Archibald's coctails are amazing. I should come here more often," Void finished his drink and stood up.
"Tell Scream she's hot," Choking smiled.
"Every single day," Void hid his face under the hood again and left.
Choking kept watching the feather.
"I shuss' want the pain to stop..."
She put her head on the table, feeling the soft and warm texture of Void's flame on her cheek. Relishing the heat penetrating her head, she drifted to sleep on the bar table.
Archibald, or Archie Bald, nudged his regular customer when it was closing time.
"Yo, Darky, wake up!"
"Hmm?" Choking shook her head.
"Time to go home."
"Oh. Thanks, Archie."
"No problem. Come again soon!"
"Sure thing."
Choking walked out of the door, ready to walk home. Her back twitched and something brushed her sides.
She looked left. A purple, almost black, pegasus wing with blackfire shimmer was where her bat wing used to be what felt like ages ago.
She looked right. A red-gold phoenix wing was there, responding to her muscle memory perfectly.
Both wings felt incredibly warm, like a pleasant, steamy bath, making her relax. She flapped them experimentally and with a jump took to Canterlot sky.
"I should apologize to the princess, there was no reason for me acting like that. Maybe the bodyguard offer still stands."
Screeching happily as wind rushed around her body once again, she sparked through the night sky.