The Empty Room
Chapter 11
By Wanderer D
The torches around the cavern crackled as Midnight paced back and forth. The others watched him in restless silence.
“This is the result of a plan created by the Guardian more than a thousand years ago.” Midnight began as all the guests in the cavern sat in a circle facing each other. “The Guardian is an entity old as the world.”
He stopped for a moment, surprised as a shimmering light appeared in the middle of the circle. A creature, reptilian and long like a snake, with four red eyes, forearms and three rows of teeth on its open maw appeared on it. He turned to stare at Trixie, who's horn was glowing as she projected the image. Big Mac, Soarin', Lyra and Spike recoiled in horror from the image.
“Ah.” he said, nodding to her. “I had forgotten you met it.”
Trixie's smile was sad as she nodded while the others stared. Big Mac shuffled a bit closer to her and whispered something to her ear. The showmare's smile lost a bit of her sadness.
Midnight cleared his throat. “Its nature is tied to that of our Princesses, although they are not truly aware that he exists. Legend has it that there were once more Princesses around... true, Luna and Celestia were the greatest, but there were more alicorns than we ever knew, each protecting and affecting Equestria with their power in a different way. Their influence is still felt through terms we still use, like the North Wind, or Spring.” As he described, the scene changed to include a caricature of the princesses, like the drawings you would find in a foal's book. Under them, several other alicorns flew around different colors, from green to rusty red flew around.
“One by one they fell into a madness that empowered them, but made them hate each other. And one by one, they had to be destroyed, until the two sisters were left alone.”
The alicorns in the projection darkened and burned, fading into ashes until only the ones representing Celestia and Luna remained.
“The Guardian did not have much luck with them. It seemed that all the trials and fighting had made them stronger. There was no plague, no torment he could devise that would bring them down.”
Images of towns burning, terrified animals stampeding out of the forests and battles with the background silhouette of a manically laughing Gaurdian flashed in front of the gathered ponies.
“That... was a bit much with the Guardian laughing like that.” Midnight commented.
“Hey, I’m a showmare and I’m improvising the whole story!” Trixie growled. “Be appropriately amazed and thankful that the skills of The Great and Powerful Trixie are making your otherwise inane storytelling resemble something remotely interesting!”
Midnight coughed. “The Guardian decided to sleep. He would wake up when the Princesses were weak and he could turn them into his unwitting meals for eternity. He called on his most trusted servant, to whom he gave a set of medallions. Each bore his mark, and all had a special power... once worn, they would make themselves part of the victim's life, rearranging their past to convert them into followers of the Guardian. They would form a 'Council of Nightmares', who would go on to exploit the weaknesses of the Princesses and awaken the Guardian.”
A black unicorn (looking suspiciously like Midnight) approached the Guardian and was given a box. It walked around meeting other ponies and giving them little medallions. The Guardian faded into the background until only its eyes remained visible. And slowly, they closed.
“A thousand years ago, one of the council members discovered an advantage that had never occurred to them to exploit: the sisters' love for their ponies. Knowing that Luna felt a little left out because most ponies back then would not spend time looking at her nightscape, they found their way into the court, spreading rumors about how ponies wanted the nights to be shorter, or to disappear completely.”
The scene played into a familiar set of drawings. The story they all knew played before their eyes. Luna looking down after her hard work at preparing the night, only to find the ponies sleeping.
"His agents struck her where she was the most vulnerable: her heart. Had the Guardian attacked her body or her mind, Luna would have remained strong."
The little cloaked ponies appeared around Luna whispering presumably bad things to her, until she became angry.
“And that's how Nightmare Moon came to be.” Spike said in awe. “Princess Celestia fought her and tried to reason with her, but couldn't. In the end she was forced to exile her to the Moon, where she remained for a thousand years.”
“That is correct. It is well known that she escaped with the aid of the stars roughly a year ago, as the legend foretold, but how Luna freed herself from Nightmare Moon remains a mystery.” Midnight said as Trixie's exposition faded away.
“It was Twilight and the others.” Spike said, drawing gasps from the group. “We were told not to share the story but...” the dragon sighed. “Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are the Elements of Harmony. They fought Nightmare Moon in the old castle in the Everfree Forest and used the Elements to break her free.”
“That explains much.” Midnight was the first to react. He sighed and looked at the others. “It is likely that both Spitfire and Rainbow Dash are being influenced by the Council medallions.”
“But how do you know so much about them, Mr. Midnight?” Lyra asked.
“And how do you and Spike know each other?” Trixie asked.
“What? You don't know?” Spike spoke up before Midnight could say anything. “Midnight is Twilight Sparkle's dad!”
o.0.o
“Shadowbolts?” Spitfire asked Rainbow Dash as the latter nodded tiredly.
“Yeah... I went with Nightmare Moon and Silent Jade to Ponyville, and we worked pretty well together.” the cyan pegasus smiled hesitantly at Spitfire who was looking slightly hurt. “Hey, it's not like we won't be together, right? I'll still be coming back here... it's just that she needs her own squadron and she had made the offer to me a year ago. When she asked again I couldn't refuse, right?”
“Can't she just get some ponies from the guard to do it?”
“They can't be trusted.” Rainbow Dash said slumping on to the bed.
Spitfire's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Well, when I went with Nightmare Moon I was just flying with her, you know?”
Spitfire nodded, her eyes urging her to continue.
“But, when we arrived in Ponyville, they attacked me and Nightmare Moon. I had to take care of the guard and...” she hesitated.
“And?”
“... and Silent Jade took care of the one that attacked Nightmare Moon.” Rainbow Dash hastily added. “Anyway! This is the second time that the guards have attacked. We can't trust them...” she looked worriedly at Spitfire. “Don't trust them. They might hurt you.” she said softly.
Spitfire nodded and flopped on the bed, next to Dash. “I haven't seen nor heard anything from the other Wonderbolts... but I doubt they're happy.”
Rainbow Dash nodded tiredly.
“Rainbow?”
“Hmm-hm?”
“Do you think I should have felt different about Blizzard dying?”
Rainbow Dash could barely keep her eyes open and yawned. “I... dunno... tired. You felt... an' all...” another yawn. “... but duty... hard to...” her head slumped down and a loud snore shook her frame.
Spitfire smiled at the pegasus next to her and carefully got out of bed, covering the rainbow-maned mare with the bedsheets.
She stifled a yawn of her own. It had been a really long day. She stretched and walked out the door, closing it carefully behind her. She headed to her own room.
o.0.o
The room was very dark. Suddenly, she heard a switch and a light hit her in the face. Sweetie Belle blinked several times. “Hey!”
“So...” Scootaloo walked around her. “You know one of Nightmare Moon's minions.”
“Min-what?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Huh... I heard my mom call Rainbow Dash that.” Scootaloo confessed, scratching the wooden floor with her hoof. It still hurt to think of her idol.
“Oh.”
“Anyway.” Scootaloo was suddenly in Sweetie Belle's face. “You know this Jade pony! Confess!”
“Uh...” Sweetie Belle looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes. I do. Can I go now? I'm hungry.”
“No!” Scootaloo resumed walking around her. “You have to tell us! Ponies want to know! The questions are endless! Why you know her? Is she family? Is she a long lost friend from the past? Did you defeat her in mortal combat for the fate of Equestria in a secret location? Is she a demon? Ponies are asking, Sweetie Belle, and I am going to get an answer!”
“Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom patted her friends' shoulder.
“What?”
“Uh, I hate to break it to you but so far we and the Mayor are the only ones in Ponyville that know that Sweetie Belle knows Jade and I don't think the Mayor really wants to know how she knows her.” she shuffled nervously. “I think the Mayor is afraid to ask.”
Sweetie Belle for her part looked nervous and sad. “I... I can't tell you two right now...” she looked up, eyes begging. “Just... please believe me that she's a good pony.”
“Then why was she with Nightmare Moon?” Scootaloo asked.
“Maybe... maybe we just don't know enough?” Sweetie Belle said.
“That's true!” Apple Bloom said. “Rainbow Dash is with Nightmare Moon too, and we all know she's a good pony. Remember what Twilight Sparkle told us once? That if we want to know something, we need to do research!”
The three smiled, although Sweetie Belle's was a bit unsure and seemed slightly forced.
“Well, you know what this means!” the pegasus said excitedly. “Cutie Mark Crusader Nigthmare Moon Investigators! Yay!”
“But...” Sweetie Belle bit back her words. She also wanted to know what was happening. “Where do we start?”
“There's only one place to find our answers.” Scootaloo said with a serious look. “Canterlot.”
o.0.o
Nightmare Flare stood at the top of the observatory, watching the horizon. She heard the flutter of wings and the sound of displaced air and turned to face her sister, as she landed next to her.
“How was Ponyville, sister?” Nightmare Flare asked.
Nightmare Moon snorted, walking up to stand next to her. “As expected. They didn't like it one bit that there has been a change in power. They even attacked. Rainbow Dash can be trusted... and Jade's skills and loyalty were never in doubt.”
“Whatever happens,” Nightmare Flare smirked. “we will not be pawns.”
“I have asked Rainbow Dash to become the captain of the Shadowbolts once again.” Nightmare Moon said after a moment. “She agreed. She'll begin looking for good fliers soon. Sister, I cannot trust the guards.”
“They believe it was you that corrupted me. Their dedication and loyalty is to be commended, but treason cannot be forgiven.” The Sun Goddess said. “Choose wisely, sister.”
“I will.” Nightmare Moon said. “Do you have a plan?”
Nightmare Flare nodded and looked at her sister from the corner of her eye. “There are many questions to be answered yet. But I want to start my own search as soon as possible.”
“I understand, sister.” Nightmare Moon nodded. “We will find your daughter.”
“Did you feel her in Ponyville?”
“No.” Nightmare Moon sighed. “All of the unicorns attacking me were mediocre in magic. The pegasi chasing after Rainbow Dash showed none of the natural grace needed... and the earth ponies had no magic at all, hidden or otherwise.”
Nightmare Flare remained impassive. “So my daughter is not in Ponyville. Very well. I will conduct my own search here in Canterlot.” she turned around and started trotting away.
Nightmare Moon did not answer. She just looked up at the Eclipse for a long time.
o.0.o
“Wait.” Trixie said looking at Midnight. “You are Twilight Sparkle's father?! Then...” she looked towards one of the side caverns.
“Yes.” Midnight sighed. “That's me inside.”
“But that doesn't make sense.” Lyra said. “You're right here. How can you be there?”
“Well...”
“Oh, just show them!” Trixie said, pushing the older unicorn so hard he stumbled and fell on top of Lyra.
“Eep!” the mint-green unicorn closed her eyes, expecting Twilight's father to crush her under his weight. When nothing happened she opened her eyes again. She slowly turned around to see him standing up while glaring at Trixie.
“Wow!” Spike said. “How did you do that?! You went right through her!”
Soarin' was at a loss for words.
“W-what happened?” Lyra asked, stepping back.
“He went through you.” Trixie said. “Literally.”
Lyra blinked. “But how?”
“Was that a trick, Trixie?” Spike asked eagerly, his earlier grumpiness towards the mare gone in between the impressive magical presentation and the latest 'trick'. “Can you show me how to do it?”
“All you have to do is kick the bucket.” Midnight growled.
“Really? Hmm.” the little dragon looked around. “Are there any buckets around?”
Midnight facehoofed while Trixie suppressed a smile.
“Y-you mean you're...” Lyra stammered, paling.
“Yes.” the elder unicorn nodded.
“But...” Soarin' finally spoke up looking from him to Trixie. “How did she...” his words died as he stared.
Trixie had somehow lifted up from the ground and hovered towards him. She wasn’t using magic, since her horn did not glow. Smiling, the showmare approached him until they were face to face. She slowly became translucent and pushed her ethereal hoof through his head. “Boo!”
o.0.o
“And that is why you will never, ever do that again.” Midnight said sternly to a sheepish Trixie while Big Macintosh finished tying Lyra's legs, picked her up and put her down next to an equally gagged, tied, wide-eyed and whimpering Soarin' and Spike.
While Applejack was well-known for her lasso skills, her brother was no slouch. Somepony had to have taught her, after all.
The three struggled to get loose, but Big Mac's knots were too good for that. “Eeyup.” the draft pony sighed. “I hope nopony out there heard the screams, cries for help and the pounding on the door.”
Midnight sighed. “Well, very few ponies ever come down here. We might have gotten lucky.”
“I did not know you could do that, Trixie.” Big Machintosh commented.
“Oh, while you were gone earlier today I started experimenting.” Trixie said. “Would have been useful to know I could float.”
“It was a risk.” Midnight pointed out. “You didn't know what could have happened to you by doing all of that.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie fears nothing.”
“That may be.” the male unicorn grumbled. “But I'd rather not loose allies to careless experimenting.”
“Okay, but you still have some explaining to do.” Trixie said, giving him a hard look. “You told me and Big Mac that you had gotten a Council of Nightmares Medallion years ago and had been enchanted by it into servitude for the last ten years until you got into a fight and died.” her eyes narrowed. “You never mentioned you were Twilight's father... why didn't you? Especially with-” she cut herself short, staring at him slack-jawed.
“Trixie?” Big Mac looked at her with a frown.
“You... you killed Twilight!” Trixie shouted, an accusing and shaking hoof pointing at the elder unicorn.
This elicited a series of muffled screams from the bound ponies and dragon.
Midnight looked away in shame. He closed his eyes. “That is the danger of the medallions... they twist your reality and the longer you live in that lie, the more it becomes truth to you.”
He slumped down on the floor. “We found out that Celestia was in a very emotional position, although not why. While Spitfire scouted around, I was to go into the hall and investigate... see if we could find anything to exploit to break her will and let the Nightmare out.” he chuckled. “Imagine my surprise when out of no-where I see Twilight Sparkle. She obviously knew what was happening, and I needed to know. I was bound by the medallion’s magic to kill whoever saw me during a mission for the Guardian and so I had to... I had to kill her.”
Big Mac stood next to Trixie who looked completely appalled, silently supportive. She noticed how close he was and smiled shakily in appreciation. The stallion just nodded.
On the floor Spike was giving Midnight a glare that would have set the ghost on fire had it been possible.
“The medallion's history in my mind played very different from the truth.” Midnight sighed. “Years ago, I was so proud of Twilight for not only impressing everyone with her power, but also by getting accepted and then selected by Princess Celestia herself to be her personal student.” his eyes clouded over as he remembered with a faint smile. “I had never been so proud of anything! I mean, sure, there were plenty of moments when I was proud of my little filly as she grew, but... right then, it was all her. She studied so hard and practiced for hours and hours. And she was finally there! But... it drew attention. The wrong sort of attention.”
The gathered ponies exchanged glances. Even the three tied 'guests' had stopped struggling as they listened.
“One night... a pony in a black cloak knocked on the door to our house.” Midnight's voice turned strained. “My wife, Star Dancer was asleep... so I went to answer it. When I did... it was a unicorn... her magic threw me back before I could react. I felt the cold metal of the medallion against my chest... I couldn't move... I heard Star Dancer shout my name...” he stopped.
The cavern was completely silent.
Midnight drew a shuddering breath. “I... told Twilight that Star had had an accident...” he gritted his teeth. “T-the medallion made me resent that Twilight turned to Celestia in the sudden absence of her mother... Twilight already greatly admired the Princess but after that... i-in any case, I tried to get her to come back home, but she wouldn't... the plan to use her to get to Celestia as a member of the Council never came to be.”
“What happened?” Trixie asked softly, her eyes concentrating on the stone floor.
Midnight sighed. “Last night... I fought her and she fought back, despite having been working for hours on whatever she had been doing, despite the emotional shock... I hated it, but deep inside I was very, very proud of her. She didn't have any experience in combat magic but... she was so resourceful!”
Spike was looking at him with an unreadable expression. The little dragon remembered the wall of the castle exploding. Hearing Princess Luna tell Rainbow Dash that Twilight... his Twilight was gone.
“At the very end, her magic was so strong the medallion cracked. It didn't break its control over me... I don't know if even destroying the thing completely would have done that... but it allowed me a split second to try and teleport the both of us out of there. Needless to say, when I arrived here, I was already dead.” the elder unicorn looked sadly at the other room. “And the teleportation did not work as I expected. There was no Twilight with me.” he looked down in defeat. “I had failed her again.”
Big Mac had been untying the others as they seemed to have calm down. Spike stood up, his little fist shaking and tears streaming down his face. He glared at the ghost of the elder unicorn. Midnight would not meet his gaze.
“We should show them what's in the other room.” Big Mac suggested.
Midnight hesitated, then nodded. The silent group followed the navy-blue unicorn into the other chamber.
Lyra was the first to notice the body. She screeched. “Is that...?!”
“What's left of me.” Midnight said. “Yes.”
Spike went up to the cloaked remains and gave them a resentful kick. He turned to glare at Midnight. “I know you were not in control... but I hate you.”
The unicorn simply nodded.
The group continued around the shrine until they all stood staring.
“W-what?” Soarin' asked in wonder.
“I don't know.” Midnight confessed looking at it with no small measure of wonder himself. “But whenever I look at it... I feel hope.”
Spike gulped, his eyes bright, reflecting the light that came from... it.
o.0.o
Lyra, Big Macintosh, Soarin' and Spike stood at the entrance to the cave, looking back towards Trixie and Midnight.
“We'll start gathering information, then.” Soarin' said.
“Remember not to engage any members of the Council...” Midnight warned. “Although I doubt they'll be too interested in trying to capture anyone. Right now, they think they won.”
Lyra nodded nervously. “I'll see if I can get in contact with Applejack and the others.”
“And I'll try to find out how much Twilight has really changed.” Spike said.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie commands you to be careful, Big Mac.” the blue unicorn said. “And to come back soon.”
The draft pony smiled. “Eeyup.”
With a last nod, the group walked away after Soarin' and Big Mac closed the doors. They walked in silence for a while, following the road towards Canterlot when Spike just couldn't handle it anymore.
“Okay, so, what is going on between you and Trixie?”
o.0.o End Chapter 11 o.0.o