//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Light Side of the Moon // by Black sun and white mist //------------------------------// "You sure he's ready?" Shining Armor asked the nightmare hunter training boss, Crying Night . "He'll be fine," Crying Night responded. They both glanced at Cheese. The orange stallion was fumbling around with the weapons. Shining winced. "He could die out there, you know?" Shining reminded the trainer. "Most likely from himself with all those weapons." "We'll just give him some catching equipment and send him off on his merry way," Crying Night. "I promise not to give him any weapons." Shining rubbed his chin in thought. "All right," Shining said. "Just watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." "Doing something stupid is probably his cutiemark," Crying Night mumbled. Shining shot him a glare. "I'm just tellin' the truth!" "Just watch," Shining ordered. "Yes, sir!" Crying Night said saluting. Shining seemed satisfied enough. The white stallion walked out of the doorway. Immediately after he left, Crying Night smirked. He was going to have fun. "So you're going to help me with my first catch?" Cheese asked popping up out of nowhere by the trainer. "Gah!" Crying Night exclaimed. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" "Uh…12," Cheese shrugged. "...today." "Just don't do it again," Crying Night scolded for the 13th time. "And in answer to your first question, yes, I will help you." Cheese smiled. He had taken a liking to the nightmare trainer. Too bad the trainer didn't return the favor. "We start right now." "Great," Cheese commented trying to contain his excitement. "Here's some catching equipment and a knife." Crying Night told Cheese as he handed him the gear. "Let's roll." The two ponies exited the hideout (Cheese still had trouble finding his way out because he was so new.) "The Everfree forest is great for finding monsters," Crying Night remarked. "Let's set-up the trap." Crying Night ran a long cord from one tree to another. He then laid a Sun Disk on the ground and turned it on. "You see kid, the monster will trip over the rope, land on the Sun Disk, and get utterly immobilized by the Sun Disk's stunning ability." "Cool," Cheese commented. Cheese's body language screamed nervousness and excitement. It was a strange mix of emotions in Crying Night's opinion. "Don't be so nervous, kid," Crying Night slapped Cheese's back. "Nervous? What makes you think I'm nervous?" Cheese stuttered. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's your body language or the fact that you're sweating pools?" "Heh" "I was nervous on my first hunt too," Crying told Cheese. "You'll get used to it." "I sure hope so." After a few minutes of silence, Crying finally said something, "I, er, have to go to the... bathroom! Yeah bathroom... Stay here and don't move." "Ok," Cheese responded without taking his eyes off of the trap. "I'll just... be going," Crying Night stuttered. Crying ran through some bushes to get back to the stump entrance of the hideout. Let's just see how he does with real-life nightmare hunting. Crying laughed hard at the thought of Cheese coming back all rustled and a bit traumatized. Shining would be so mad at him but Crying would do anything for a good laugh. It was just so boring in the hideout. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheese began to worry after Crying Night didn't come back for a while but he couldn't go and find the trainer because Crying told him to stay still. Cheese couldn't disobey the trainer so he just sat there staring at the trap. After a few hours or so, Cheese's eyes began to droop. He hadn't slept much the past week because of all the training. Maybe he should take a little nap. Cheese dozed off into dreamland. Cheese was pulled out of his dreams when he heard a buzzing sound. Cheese squealed with delight. That meant the trap had been tripped. Crying Night would be so proud. He hopped over the bush he was hiding behind. To his surprise, a pony laid in front of Cheese. A mare for that matter and a pink one too. Her body was skinny and her coat seemed almost faded. Her straight mane and tail were a darker pink in comparison with her body. Cheese was confused. Sun Disks were only set off when they sensed evil. How could this mare be evil? As Cheese neared the mare, he could hear her cursing under her breath. So, that wasn't quite evil. He would be cursing too if he got stunned. Cheese reached over and touched the mare's shoulder. The cursing stopped abruptly. He turned the pink mare over and found what truly made her evil. Her blue slitted eyes and jewel in her chest identified her. She was part of the Nightmare Army and ranked highly too. Only the top ranks of the Nightmare Army got jewels in their chests. The mare's eyes grew dark but she didn't say a word. Cheese got excited. His first catch was a doozy. Cheese laid the mare on the ground and took a step back. He reached from behind the bushes to get a metal cube. He turned it on, threw it by the mare, and the cube instantly transformed into a glowing blue cage. Cheese threw a ball at the mare and chains wrapped all around her body and stripped her of the stuff she carried. The stun should wear off soon enough but she still wouldn't be able to get out. Cheese took a look at the pink mare's gear. He had no idea what any of it did but he'd bring it along anyway. The mare struggled in the chains. "It's no use trying to escape," Cheese told the mare. The stun seemed to have lost its effects and just in time too. Cheese barely noticed her jewel light up a dark green. A shot of lightning came out of the jewel and it just barely missed Cheese. "Whoa," Cheese exclaimed noticing the burnt marks to the side of him. "You are a prize!" Can all of the ponies with chest jewels do that too? Oh wow! Cheese took a strap and weaved it around the bars of the cage and his body. He then proceeded to start pulling the cage to the stump. "Oops," Cheese said embarrassed. "Almost forgot." He took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the mare's eyes. "We wouldn't want you to see where the hideout was now would we?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheese walked through the halls of the hideout confidently. Sure, he drew the stares of passing ponies but he was proud of his catch. He was about to walk into the room that connected to Shining Armor's office until he heard a familiar voice. "I dropped that sucker," Crying Night boasted to a pegasus stallion unaware of the eavesdropping Cheese Sandwich. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he comes back!" "That was a smart move," the other pegasus remarked. "Did you see how skinny he was? He couldn't last a day." "I know," Crying Night sighed. "Shining Armor made me take him in." "And what about his ridiculous name?" the pegasus asked already knowing the answer. "Cheese Sandwich is quite a weird name and I've heard some weird names," Crying admitted. Cheese couldn't believe what he was hearing. A mix of emotions went through him. First sadness, then anger, then disappointment. Finally, Cheese decided to show off his prize. He moved the blindfold off of the mare's face and to her mouth. He also removed a little of the chains exposing her chest jewel. Standing up tall, Cheese walked into the room. The two stallion's conversation ended immediately and as he passed by, their jaws dropped. With a humph and a flick of his tail Cheese slammed the door to Shining's office. Shining Armor had mountains of paper on his desk. Shining's focus was completely on a important piece of paper. "Yes?" Shining asked irritated. "You won't believe what I caught today sir!" Cheese enthusiastically said. Shining sighed. "I don't have time for this Cheese. I just got word in that Nightmare Moon's top spy is on their way. The spy could be walking among us now and we wouldn't even know it." "Oh, but please?" Cheese pleaded. Shining made a quick glance at Cheese's catch, then back to his papers, and then back to Cheese's catch. Shining's eyes grew wide but quickly turned into a dark glare directed at the pink mare Cheese caught. The mare returned the favor. "Long time, no see," Shining Armor growled as he used his magic to take off the cloth from the mare's mouth. "Come to apologize?" The pink mare spat at Shining's hooves. "You've met this pony before?" Cheese asked confused. "Yes I have," Shining turned to Cheese. "She's the one who took my sister and my love. She's also one of Nightmare Moon's lackeys. Isn't that right, Pinkie Pie?" "Don't call me that," the pink mare growled. "You know better than to trifle with me! I should have executed you when I got the chance!" The pink mare's jewel lit up green and it shot a beam at Shining. Shining easily dodged it. "And yet you didn't," Shining taunted. "Letting me go was a mistake. I will be your downfall!" Shining slammed one of his forelegs into the mare's face. Cheese stood watching in horror as Shining struck more blows. "Shining stop!" Cheese yelled finally. Cheese stepped in front of Shining Armor to stop him. Shining took a step back with a tear running down his face. "Take this mare to the infirmary," Shining instructed covering his face, "And put a magic-blocking collar on her." Cheese immediately obeyed and ran out of the room with the pink mare. Shining sat back down and rubbed his good eye. You'll get your chance he thought. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkamena struggled in her chains. She fired blast after blast from her jewel. Nothing seemed to work. Pinkamena mentally kicked herself for getting into this situation. In her haste, she failed to recognize the trip wire and the Sun Disk. It embarrassed her even more that a new nightmare hunter caught her. Pinkamena fired more blasts to get her anger out. She finally had to give up because her elemental magic was drained. Finally, the stallion who had captured her entered the room with a nervous looking pony in scrubs. Pinkamena had heard armor-butt say his name was Cheese. Cheese was carrying a metal collar in his hooves. "Hi Pinkie!" Cheese said enthusiastically. "I'm Cheese!" Pinkamena said nothing in return. She didn't want to give up any information after all. "This doctor here will treat your injuries." "What caused her injuries?" the doctor asked. "Um," Cheese droned. "She fell?" The doctor looked at him suspiciously but didn't push any further. "Put on the collar first, Mr.Sandwich," the doctor ordered. Ahah! Pinkamena got his last name. Now she could make sure the skinny stallion was punished as soon as she escaped. "Ok," Cheese responded simply. He reached over to put the collar on Pinkamena's neck. Pinkamena reached deep into her magic reserves. She found just enough to send a distress signal to the other bearers. Fluttershy was probably the only one who would care but that was enough. Her jewel glowed a faint green. The doctor saw this and took a step back but Cheese continued to put the collar on her neck. Her jewel immediately stopped glowing and Pinkamena felt weak. All her magic was now blocked. It felt like a kick to the stomach. She really hoped the others got the signal. Pinkamena was so worn out that she didn't pay any mind to the doctor checking her injuries. Darkness ate at her eyes and Pinkamena slipped into unconsciousness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack was walking down the corridor to her daily political meeting. Rainbow Dash was flying by her side. "'Ah haven't seen Pinkamena in a while," Applejack commented. "Do ya think she left?" "Maybe," Rainbow Dash responded in her gravelly voice. "Who cares anyway?" Applejack lit up her chest jewel and sent her a message. "We need her for the plan idiot!"Applejack berated Rainbow. Rainbow Dash only rolled her eyes and sighed. Rainbow's jewel lit up to reply. "I know. I just wish we didn't!"Rainbow retorted. Applejack stopped abruptly and glared with her green slitted eyes at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash did the same. Their faces almost touched. It lasted for minutes until their jewels lit up. It was a distress signal. From Pinkamena. "Oh crud," Rainbow said. Applejack broke into a quick run towards the throne room while Rainbow Dash flew. They slammed the doors open to find that Twilight Sparkle was already there giving the news to the Queen, Nightmare Moon. "We need to find her," Twilight explained to the Queen quickly. "Did she tell you where her location was?" the Queen asked. "No my Queen," Twilight responded. "That's unfortunate," the Queen muttered. "We need to find Pinkamena right away! We need her to infiltrate the Griffon Kingdom with her excellent spy skills!" The Queen walked out of the throne room, barely noticing Rainbow and Applejack. After she left Fluttershy entered along with a very tired looking Rarity. We need to find her!" Rarity hissed through her jewel. "I hope she's ok," Fluttershy worried. "I really don't care for her," Rainbow Dash said, "But we need her for the plan!" "We've been working on the plan for months!" Applejack complained. "All our hard work, gone!" "Quiet every pony," Twilight spat. "Stop cluttering up my element with all your complaining! We'll find her. Meet me at 12 a.m. in the castle's library." "Why do you get to choose the spot to meet?" Rainbow Dash complained. Twilight glared at Rainbow. 12 a.m. in the castle library," Twilight growled. "Be there."Twilight swished her tail as she left the room. All the other bearers took one last look at each other and went their separate ways. All the bearers were mad at Twilight but Fluttershy wasn't. How could she be mad when her best friend was missing? Worry and fear waltzed about her mind. "Please be ok,"Fluttershy thought to herself.