//------------------------------// // The Hunter and the Nightmare // Story: The Legend of the God-Hunter // by BobThePlaneswalker //------------------------------// Moon laid on the stone floor of a hallway in Canterlot Castle basking in soft orange lantern light. It was silent. No hoof steps, no creaking doors, and no howling winds. All she could hear was the disembodied whispers of a mind deep in thought. Whispers that were growing louder by the moment. She smiled to herself. It wouldn't be long now. As she suspected, she was soon treated to the brisk patter of busy hooves. She spread herself out, rested her head on a hoof, and put on a confident smirk. Rei passed around the corner, his quill scratching away at a floating mess of papers. Moon cleared her throat. He froze in place, moved the papers off to the side, and looked at her. His eyes doubled. “Kilia! I didn't expect you back so soon!” “Oh I'm so sorry Rei, I didn't mean to scare you I just...” Moon fluttered her eyes. “I just couldn't keep myself away.” Rei drew back. He spent a few moments staring at her as though she was something completely alien and just a bit terrifying. Eventually his eyes narrowed. He cast red rays of light from them and made a few passes over her body before he raised a brow. “Well, Ogrem's Scan would suggest that your form is no magic, yet I am not convinced.” He grinned. “I do apologize but at this point frying your magical faculties is the only way I can truly be certain.” He fired a dark blue bolt straight at her. It passed harmlessly through her head and ricocheted down the hall. “Wha?” he gasped. Moon grinned. “What's the matter Reiky? Is all that magical power of yours doing you no good here in the dreamscape?” “The dreamsca...” He glared at her. “Moon.” She frowned. “I thought you were looking forward to my visit?” He smacked a hoof off of his cranium. “Imbecile, of all the times to be careless.” “Yes,” Moon mused, “this is not the first time I've attempted to get in here. Your mind has proven quite impenetrable up until recent.” She strutted over to him and pulled his face up with a hoof. “What's got you so worked up Reiky? Is everything in Canterlot not going quite as you had hoped?” He batted her hoof away and returned to a boyish grin. “It's all you Moon. I just can't get you out of my head. It's tearing me apart.” She cackled. “Oh I can't really blame you for that.” She motioned across her disguise as Celestia. “I'm sure this isn't making it any easier either.” He scoffed. “Play your games Moon.” He plopped down by one of the lanterns. “I won't be dreaming forever.” She glanced at her false cutie mark. “Say, speaking of Miss Prissy Sunshine, I'm interested to hear how you feel about them bringing her home tomorrow.” Rei snorted. He stretched, curled into a ball, and closed his eyes. Moon pranced over and snuggled up to him. she crossed her front hooves as though casually passing on the latest rumors. “I mean, certainly you're aware that it is happening seeing as your maps are the ones Armor and his team are using to guide them to this- Ifringale is it?” At that Rei's eyes jerked open and the world around them shuddered. Like a field illuminated by a lightning bolt in the black of night his mind flashed before her senses. She put a hoof up to her chin. “Hmm, perhaps you and little Twilight Sparkle are not as close as I had thought.” Her remark bought her another glimpse of his mental state. “So be it,” he remarked. “I shall deal with it in the morning.” He shifted his head away from her and closed his eyes. She probed his mind. She had seen enough that she should be able to get something moving without too much trouble. “Oh don't be such a bore!” She propped her elbows on his back and rested her head. “You really shouldn't let a girl like me entertain herself up here. Just think of all the things I might do.” He opened one eye and puffed a plume of purple smoke into her face. She scowled and waved it away with a hoof. “I see. Well don't mind me then, I'll just be bringing you some dreams —” she skimmed the side of his head with her snout “— and maybe a few nightmares.” She waited for a reaction but none came. It seemed that his mind had actually succeeded in deafening itself to her taunting. Instead she was left to fumble around it with her magic. Invading a mind in that manor is no easy task but, it was doable for a creature of her determination. Her relentlessness rewarded her with a patch of emotions that were being processed. She stretched them into a stream and observed them. They were sparse and inconsistent. She smoothed it out with artificial emotions until it showed a logical progression. It took some time but, as his brain processed the stream, it began to connect the progression with the other stimuli that were concurrently flowing through, grouping them into a virtual experience. A dream was forming. The world around her shifted until she found herself in the middle of Celestia's Canterlot balcony as it basked in the light of the newly risen moon. Its curtains gently swayed. The door swung open and an exhausted Celestia strolled out with a steaming cup of cocoa in her aura and a perky Rei just off of her flank. His eyes lacked their crimson mask. They were dragon slitted like Moon's, just a bit darker. Celestia levitated a small table over and rested her beverage on it. She sniffed at the sweet aroma and let her shoulders fall. “So how did your visit go?” she asked. Rei seated himself. “Good. They'll think twice before they make a threat like that again.” Celestia brought a fore-hoof to her temple. She floated her drink up and blew on it. “Rei, I specifically asked you not to threaten them. Did you?” Rei waved a hoof. “Of course not. If anything I was exceptionally kind to them. I gave them a free magic show you know!” He smirked. “You...” She closed her eyes and took a long breath. “You are unbelievable. How many times have I explained to you-” “Easy Kilia,” Rei interrupted. “I'm kidding. I didn't flaunt my magic. I told them where we would be willing to negotiate, why we are supporting Aquestria, and informed them that while we were willing to be reasonable, we would not stand for any further attempts at bullying them.” He grinned. “Sorry; When you're like this, messing with you is just so easy.” Celestia glared at him. At first she looked to be considering bucking him off of the balcony but eventually a her scowl relaxed into a devious grin. “You think I'm uptight do you?” Rei shrugged. “A little bit, yeah.” She pounced on him, knocking him backwards and pinned him against the floor. “Well I think some time running errands for the Aristocracy may remind you of what 'uptight' really is.” Rei grimaced. “Eh-heh, okay, point taken.” Celestia smiled. “Good. I'm glad we understand each other.” Her eyes softened. “And for the record, I acknowledge that I let this stuff get to me sometimes. I'm working on it.” Rei studied her and smiled. “You're a magnificent creature. Have I ever told you that?” Moon could feel Rei's conscious beginning to reject the dream. Celestia gently laid against him and rested her head on his chest. “I've missed you,” she murmured. He wrapped her in his wings. Rei's conscious fiercely contested Moon's control. Frankly, she was as eager as he was to leave this particular dream behind so she let him usurp control and the world around them blurred away. She found herself back in the hall beside Rei. She looked at him in disgust. “I honestly didn't peg you as a sap. It's pathetic that you actually strive to be her little errand boy.” He grunted. “Quite interesting it is that this particular dream elicits such fear in you.” She forced his snout towards her with a hoof. He met her stare with a furious glare. She noted the anger. “Are you afraid of being anything but alone? Afraid of sharing your heart with another?” He pulled away from her grasp. She used her gaseous form to whisk into his view. “Is there something else you fear may happen if such a fate is to come true?” With a shudder his mind spilled feelings of fear and self loathing. She wasted not a single second. She grasped onto their raw forms and gave them strength. Unable to combat her magic, his mind was overrun. The world around her formed into a mountaintop overlooking the densely populated countryside of Equestria. A pitch black cloud loomed above the mountain, peppering the earth with crimson bolts. A grim Reikavra appeared before her, his eyes alight in crimson flames. He stood proud atop the cliff-side and watched as the black cloud overtook Equestria. Once it had nearly reached Canterlot, yellow beams of light cut through it and forced it back towards the mountain. Celestia soared down and landed between Reikavra and her country. “Why are you doing this Rei?” she cried. “What have they done to deserve this?” “They must face judgment,” Rei growled. “They must prove that they are worthy of being a part of Gaea's future.” Celestia shook her head. “They needn't prove that. Their right to exist was granted to them the moment they entered this world.” Rei rolled his eyes. “This fantasy you've been living has caused you to loosen your grip on reality. The multi-verse is filled with far more wretched races than changelings. Gaea will be consumed by the first one to find her if the mortals are not strong.” “If such a threat should appear than they will fight and I will stand by them. But what value is there in a life spent feverishly preparing for a threat that may never come? Today, the only thing that threatens to consume them is you.” “Enough!” Rei snapped. “I've spent far too much time debating this with you. It is more than apparent that we shall never agree. I have risked enough by putting my duties off this long.” He lowered his stance and aimed his horn at Celestia. “I warn you, I will let nothing stand in my way, not even you. If you attempt to hamper my work, you will die.” Celestia stood firm. Her sun flared behind her, ready for war. “I will not let you hurt them,” she declared. “These creatures deserve more than the life you would have for them.” Reikavra's conscious shivered as the scene developed. It desperately tried to halt it but Moon had no plans to let it go as easily as she had the last. Rei let out a roar and the black cloud engulfed him as he charged towards Celestia. Celestia channeled the power of the sun and let loose her own golden wave that collided with the black mass. The two waves battered and crashed into one another, shaking the entire countryside. They chewed up the stone below and tossed the dusty remains into the air. Rei's storm began to overtake the golden luminance. Celestia's eyes flared and her mane became a billowing flame but still the storm grew closer. When it was within a hoof length of her, Rei pounced from it and tackled her down the side of the mountain. She battered him with her fire as they fell through the air but a webbing of dark blue bolts passed threw her flames and engulfed her body. It devastated her motor skills leaving her to helplessly convulse as they plummeted. Rei suffered her flames for long enough to slam her into a ledge below. She struggled beneath his hooves, desperately gasping to refill her empty lungs. Rei wrapped her fore-legs in his tail and pulled them out of the way so he could thrust his jaw into the flames. When he ripped his head back blood spattered across the stone. Celestia's fire engulfed her body and burned away her empowered form leaving a limp alicorn in its wake. Rei raised his head high into the air and let out a triumphant roar. “No,” Rei's conscious rasped. “AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!” The nightmare collapsed into a flurry of red hues and Rei appeared before her once again, surrounded by entirety of his mind. Moon shrieked with laughter. “This is wonderful! Too easy! Absolutely too —" She peered down at him. “— Easy... There's more to this than emotional stress isn't there?” She scanned him as she mulled over the possible reasons for his lack of mental fortitude. His reactions had been immediate, entirely bypassing his inhibitions. “Have you been drinking?” His face was set with a mixture of horror and realization. Moon let out a shriek more commonly made by mares discussing their crushes. “Oh Reiky this is fantastic! I could not have dreamed of a more delightful turn of events!” She formed a magical chain leash and clasped the collar around his neck. “Come, let us take a peak into those memories of yours.” She tricked his mind into dreaming up a hallway filled with doors. The hallway descended, veering off to the right and disappearing behind itself. Once it solidified, Moon descended, dragging Rei's conscious down with her. She paid close attention to the doors. Some were bright and flawless. Some were plain. Others were battered and worn. Some were clawed and splintered. Some were just downright ugly. The lower they got, the more common the ugly doors became. Eventually they came to a door that was spattered with blood. Something protruded from it, covered in a cloth. Moon lifted the cloth revealing three skulls. She turned to Rei who was desperately attempting to rein in his mind. “This one looks interesting,” she said. She turned her back to it and smiled at him. She bucked it open and waited as his mind painted the memory around her. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Moon found herself in a dark city with large marble buildings and brick roads. She was in an alley. In the distance she could see a large structure with a temple resting atop it. Rei stumbled down the alley with a chalice hovering in his aura. He swayed from side to side eventually tumbling against a wall. He let himself slide down and took a long sip from the chalice. A small clack reverberated down the alleyway. He struggled to his feet and turned towards the source. A white ball of energy erupted from the darkness and slammed into him. It exploded against his chest and threw him into the wall. The chalice fell from his aura and spilled wine across the ground as it rolled towards the hooves of a tall, silver, alicorn male. The alicorn looked from the chalice to Rei and sneered. “Drinking again Rei?” Rei struggled to his feet and faced the alicorn. The alicorn's goons, a sphinx and a centaur, took up his sides. The alicorn fired another small blast from his horn, plastering Rei against the wall. He lunged forward and pinned him with his hooves. “What a pathetic mess thou hast become,” he hissed. “The day has finally arrived that we shall take our rightful place as the masters of this universe and thou art slithering through the alleys with thy belly full of wine.” The alicorn tried to glare into Rei's eyes but Rei hung his head to the side, willfully ignorant of his attempts. The alicorn growled and fired a crackling stream of magic from his horn. It enveloped Rei's body causing him to quiver. The alicorn let up his spell and glared at the smoldering Rei. “Tis no surprise,” he sneered. “A titan's future can never hold anything but death and destruction.” He pressed his snout until it was almost touching the side of Rei's head. “I've watched thee wallow in denial. I've watched thee pretend that thou canst be anything else. Well look where it has gotten thee. Art thou still so naïve to think that thy destiny holds anything else?” He waited for a response, but none came. “Thou wilt always be a barbaric waste of life.” He pulled his hooves from Rei and let him topple to the ground. He set a hoof on top of Rei's head. The sphinx glanced nervously between the alicorn and Rei. “Jace, what art thou doing?” “Shut up and stand guard!” Jace commanded. He glared at Rei. “Thou wilt probably die from thy own self pity, but no need to leave it to chance. Thou art a meddler and I'm sick of meddlers. We've already waited too long to take our rightful place at the top of the primordial order.” “Thou art filth,” Rei rasped. “Oh am I? What about thee? Art thou a shining sample of perfection?” Rei remained silent. Jace lowered his head to glare into Rei's eyes. “What is perfection Rei?” He pressed down on Rei's skull. “WHAT IS PERFECTION!?” “Father, Kilia, Volinkar!” Rei sputtered. “Ah. And where are they now Rei? Where are thy idols?” He took a moment to study Rei's face. “They're gone Rei. Fallen from grace because thy perfection is reality's weakness. Thy idols allow themselves to be spat upon and they ask us to do the same.” He slammed his other hoof. “We are gods! We do not stand for such insults! This idealistic world they strive for is a myth. The 'good' creature is nothing but a passive swine who lets the world eat her whole. Reality is just a lot of creatures striving to meet their own needs and it all boils down to a hierarchy of the strong.” Rei soundlessly processed Jace's words. “Admit it,” Jace growled. “Admit that I am right before I kill thee.” “I think you're all right,” Rei mumbled. “What?” Jace growled. “Father is right in that, a world in which all creatures strive to be good is the perfect world and it CAN be obtained. But thou art right in that, a 'good' creature is handicapped by her bonds to the ideal and so she is weak. As long as there are creatures that do not strive to be good, the ideal world cannot be.” “What meaning does such an answer have?” Jace growled. “Art thou intent on wasting my time?” “The meaning is that Kilia and Umarak are still out there, somewhere. The world has a chance to be ideal so long as thee and thy peers are not there to stop it.” He sniffled and his eyes glistened. “Thou saidst it thyself, I can never be a good creature. I am a titan, but dammit —” he swatted Jace's hoof from his head and glared up at him with his tearing blue eyes “— I can clear a path.” Jace's eyes widened. He drew back and started a spell but Rei speared him with blue streak of magic before he could get it off. Jace backpedaled on his hind legs, roaring in pain and collapsed into a mess of boxes. The goon's remained frozen in surprise just long enough for Rei to teleport away. Jace nursed his chest. “Kill him!” he shouted. His goons tried to follow Rei as he flashed around and barraged them with spells. “Track the anchor, not his body!” Jace commanded. A torpedo landed between the two and blasted the sphinx into the wall. The centaur charged down the alley towards Rei. With a snap and a flash he crashed to the ground and lay limp. Another torpedo sailed over his body and slammed directly into the sphinx. Jace shook off his disorientation and nervously circled on the spot, unable to find Rei. “You're insane!” he shouted. He wildly fired a few spells into the darkness. A small white speck of energy flew out and slipped into one of his spells as he charged it. It erupted into wave of magic and consumed his horn. He toppled to the ground, shrieking in pain. Rei materialized from the darkness and stood over him. Jace rolled onto his belly and attempted to stand. The shouts of other immortals reached them in the alley. Rei slashed at the back of Jace's fore-hooves with the spines of his tail. Jace shrieked and tumbled back to the ground. Rei wrapped his tail around Jace's head. He squeezed his eyes shut as a stream of tears ran down his face. He took a deep breath, and gave his tail a swift jerk. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The world around Moon faded away and she found herself back in the corridor. She turned to Rei and took him in. “That's part of you I haven't seen.” Rei didn't respond. Moon tugged on him and continued down the corridor. The doors continued to come, the lower they got the more common doors adorned with veiled skulls became. After a while they were no longer veiled. As she went even further the skulls were adorned with jewels and small bones, as though some creature had actually taken the time to make them presentable. She came across one particular door which had the bones arranged with a set of feathers in such a way that it was actually attractive. She looked back to Rei who was now in tremors. She smiled. “How about this one?” He feverishly kept his eyes locked on the floor. Moon cackled and tore it open. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Moon found herself in a cave along the wall of a mountain. The mountain was beset by a dark smog. The smog weaved through the caverns, saturating the entire mountain. Packs of griffons fled from the its halls. Before her, a griffon family huddled together. There were two elders, a male and female, and one young hatchling which huddled under the male's legs. The male pushed the little hatchling over to the female. “Please Ariel, just take Vicken and go. The black storm is here for me. There is no reason the two of you should be caught in its wake.” Ariel looked as though she would contest his request but she nodded. She kneeled to look at Vicken and motioned to him with a claw. “Come Vicken, grandfather will protect us. But he can only do that if we leave now.” Vicken shook his head. “No!” he shouted. “Come with us grandfather!” His grandfather yanked him out from his legs and held him at eye level. “Vicken I command thee, leave with thy grandmother. Never leave her side.” Vicken squirmed. His grandfather caught his eyes and melted his resistance. The grandfather laid him on the small of Ariel's back and she took off into the air. Once they disappeared from the exit the male turned to face the smog. A slow laugh emanated from it, dragging on as a body emerged from within. “The black storm,” Rei's voice said. “Ha! I've not heard that one.” The smoke permeated from his body as he exited the cloud. “Reikavra,” the griffon said. Rei smiled. Small streams of smog rose from his glowing eyes. “Hello Gerrol.” “I've heard it was thee. I did not want to believe it was truly one of us but, I suppose there is no denying it now. Thou art the one murdering thy peers.” Rei circled Gerrol. “In a world where justice is absolute, death must be a potential penalty.” “Justice?” Gerrol glared at him. “By what power dost thou have a right to judge us?” “Judge you? Ha!” Rei slid beside him and draped a wing over his shoulders. “I am not judging thee. I am merely carrying out thy sentence.” “And what have I done?” Gerrol asked. “Ignored thy duties to the mortals,” Rei replied. “We are to be their guides, their mentors. We are certainly not to frolic about amongst them and sprinkle our blessed blood throughout their populace.” Gerrol scowled. “Thou meanest have a family? Whatever could be wrong with that?” Rei pulled away from Gerrol and meandered down the hall. “What could be wrong with having a family,” he mused. “Tell me Gerrol, is it true that the warrior Archion is your child?” Gerrol froze. When Rei glanced back at him he nodded. “Archion was my first to Ariel.” “Dost thou know, Gerrol, approximately how many lives he has taken?” Gerrol's head drooped and his eyes closed. “Tis no small number.” Rei nodded. “'Tis well over five hundred.” “He is a soldier!” Gerrol snapped. “This is true,” Rei replied. “However, the same cannot be said for all of his victims.” Gerrol's face quivered. “Dost thou understand my meaning?” Rei asked. Gerrol stared at him. “The life of a mortal,” Rei continued, “is too short to ever truly respect the power of our blessed blood. Power corrupts Gerrol. To bring a mortal into this world with a power he cannot ever comprehend is to bring into this world a monster.” “He's not a monster!” Gerrol shouted. “'Tis my fault. I was not there for him. I can save him. I can help him to repent!” Rei pulled a bloodied helmet from his pack and tossed it before Gerrol. “'Tis too late for that. He had a power he could not handle and an ego to match. He was beyond saving.” Gerrol cried out and wrapped the helmet in his foreclaws. Rei arced a brow. “Dost thou not know of his crimes?” “Of course I do!” Gerrol snapped. “Then thou hast no reason to shed tears for him. Justice has been served. Thou shouldst rejoice.” Gerrol look up to Rei, his eyes red with the strain. “I pity thee Rei.” Rei stared at him for a moment before letting out a sharp laugh. “Thou hast piqued my interest Gerrol. Why dost thou pity me?” “Because this quest has twisted thy heart so that thou wilt never know the wonders of love. Thou wilt never know love so deep it grants the strength to stand before an endless army. Love so strong that it allows thee to see the good in a creature, even when no other creature can. Thou hast doomed thyself to a life of solitude. There is no fate I fear more.” Rei froze. His wings drooped and he stood motionless. His eyes sharpened and glared back at Gerrol as his horn illuminated. “No,” he said as he lifted Gerrol, still clutching the helmet, into the air. “Love, family, they are fleeting pursuits. Their value nigh meaningless in comparison to that of destiny.” The black smog surrounded them cracking with crimson bolts. “Gerrol of the line of Falcion, thou hast failed to uphold the duties of a God and therefore are no longer worthy of the gift of immortality. 'Tis time that thy life come to an end.” Gerrol looked up from the helmet and smiled. “Farewell Reikavra. May thou seest the error in thy ways before 'tis too late.” Rei growled. The smog roared and enveloped Gerrol, masking the sound of his cries. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The memory cleared away and left Moon back in the corridor. Rei was cowering on the floor shivering. There was more that he didn't want her to see. There were so many memories though, his intoxication would not last long enough for her to investigate every one. It would all serve simply to tell her something about his soul anyway. Diving all the way into his soul was dangerous. It would consume a lot of her energy and he would have a severe advantage there. However she was so close and she had him so weak. It had taken her weeks to get this opportunity; she could not squander it. Besides, what did she, Nightmare Moon, have to fear? She pushed her body for energy and constructed the spell to pierce into his soul. Rei snapped his eyes open and looked at her. “What are you doing?” Moon smiled. “You shall see.” The spell erupted from her horn. Rei cried out in pain. The spell tore a hole in the wall and a black haze creeped through. “You fool!” Rei spat. Moon smirked. His reaction confirmed her suspicions. She tugged on Rei's chain and flew through. She could see a light peering through the haze. She approached it, stopping when she was close enough to make out the source. What she found was a thick black smog captive within a multihued aura. The smog flickered with crimson light. It surrounded four spheres each of which had its own pale coloration. One was orange, another gold, one red, and the last navy. “What do we have here?” she muttered. Rei glared at her with more spite than she had ever thought he could possibly emit. She beamed at him. “So tell me Rei, —” she prodded the aura “— is this what you're so afraid of? That nightmare with Celestia, that's what you'll become if this gets out isn't it? This is the part of you that we saw in those memories.” He shook his head. “Not even close. The me in those memories was a mere shadow of what's locked in there. I descended further and further into madness for months beyond what you saw during Gerrol's execution. It's horribly dangerous. Put aside your arrogance and let us leave. Every being in the realm is at risk if it is released, even you.” Moon smirked. “Oh is that so?” “Moon, now is not the time for this,” Rei said. “I can't even bare to think what that part of me is like now that it's been brewing for so long.” Moon hummed and stared into the aura. “What is it that floats amongst the smog?” “Nothing,” Rei snapped. She focused on one of them. It looked so familiar. She had seen things like this before. She fumbled about in her brain until she found the connection. Her eyes doubled. “They're elements aren't they?” She felt his mind tremor. “They can't be the elements of harmony though. What are they?” she asked. Rei shivered. “The Elements of Immortality, back during Ifringale we used them to augment our-” “YOU'RE LIEING!” Moon roared. “You think I can't tell?! —” she charged her horn “— Tell me the truth or I'll decimate this little safety net.” “Alright, alright!” Rei stammered. “They've been named the Elements of Ambition. Determination, Willpower, Focus, and Diligence.” Moon observed them. “Are they more powerful than the Elements of Harmony?” “They're... different,” Rei replied. “Explain,” Moon commanded. “Ambition seeks one bearer, harmony many,” Rei said. “The power of many will always trump the power of one.” “You wield them,” Moon remarked. “That's why you're so powerful. If harmony is stronger, why did you win when Twilight and her friends challenged you?” Rei's eyes thinned. Moon activated her horn, eliciting a growl. “It didn't come easy,” he replied. “However, even with Celestia in the equation, I am still centuries more experienced with martial magic than young Twilight and her friends. More often it is the experience of the wielder, not the power of the tools that decides the outcome.” “Why do you fear them?” Moon asked. “You must have a reason for keeping such power hidden away.” “Because they had a large part to play in creating that.” He pointed to the smog surrounding the elements. “They were locked away a long, long time ago and for good reason. An unchecked obsession with accomplishing a goal detaches one from the world. Twists her concept of morality. It makes her insane.” Moon scoffed. “Morality is subjective. These...” She gazed at them and beamed. “I could crush Twilight and her paltry friends with these. I could crush Celestia and night would finally rule the day for good. I could crush anything I wanted!” “No!” Rei snapped. “Moon, if you try to get them you're going to unleash that, —” he pointed to the smog “— and Moon, that is the sum of all of our world's sins. If that get's out, Equestria will be beset by an evil the likes of which hasn't been seen for centuries. The world will be rent apart until it is a mutilated pile that would make even your skin crawl. I beg you, don't do this.” Moon ripped his head towards hers. “Stifle these useless attempts to scare me. I am Nightmare Moon, and nopony bucks with Nightmare Moon.” She let out an insane laugh and flared her horn. “Not even the Gods!” “Moon no!” Rei shouted. She gathered all of her hate, all of her rage and built it into a mass at the edge of her horn. Rei warped in the way of her shot. “NO!” She warped behind him and fired the mass at the aura. It collided with it and slowly fused into the bright hues. The colors faded and evaporated from the area leaving a hole in the shield. “No! Moon, you imbecile!” Rei cried. The black mass pressed against the rainbow aura until it began to crack. The smog shattered its weakening bounds and poured out. Rei's conscious let out a pained wail as he was consumed by the smog. Moon retreated into the air and frantically searched for the Elements as the smog consumed Rei's soul. Its expansion slowed until eventually it settled. From within its core, the Element's light emanated. Moon dived for them but they were sucked off into the smog. Rei's slow laugh proceeded him as he rose from the smog. The smog formed a column upon which he laid as it levitated him towards her. He smiled and stared at her with eyes as crimson flames. “Nightmare Moon,” he said. “I owe you a great deal of thanks. I had lost my way. If it were not for you I may have never found it.” Moon looked him over. “Think nothing of it,” she replied. “You even introduced me to a world that I had never known,” Rei said. Moon tilted her head. “I... did?” Rei nodded. “The dreamscape Moon.” “Ah, yes,” she replied. “This is the first time I've ever consciously traversed it,” Rei said as he gazed about the magical representation of his soul. “I was not aware that traversing it could bring souls so close together.” He set a ravenous grin on her and licked his lips. “I can practically taste yours.” Moon shivered but she quickly masked it with laughter. “Please, I've been infiltrating souls for centuries. One hundred of you couldn't catch me.” “You're probably right,” Rei replied. He laid his head on his hoof. “I wonder though, how does a being like you get sustenance? All living entities need to pull energy from something, no reason to think that you would be any different.” He bopped a hoof off of his chin. “Considering that you seem to be capable of existing exclusively within the dreamscape, it would be reasonable to surmise that it is there that you get your sustenance, would it not?” Moon's gaze narrowed. “Perhaps the dreams and nightmares of others is what sustains you,” Rei continued. “If I were to, oh I don't know, snuff out the lives of anything capable of dreaming, the only place you would have left for sustenance would be my mind. I wouldn't need to catch you. I would need only to wait.” He grinned. “This is all hypothetical of course.” Moon cackled. “You need to work on your bluff Reiky. You're absolutely transparent.” Rei smiled. “You're right. I'm not so foolish as to pay such a steep price just to catch you. Who says I need to though?” He motioned with a hoof and levitated the Elements of Ambition from the smog. “I've got bait.” He studied her. “The answer to all of your troubles. It's right here Moon.” The smog slowly rolled behind her, moving to cut off her escape. Damn him! Moon let out a low chuckle which burst into shrieks of laughter. “Oh Reiky, your much more fun when you're like this!” He rose to his feet and spread his wings. “Why thank you Moon.” “Unfortunately, there are other matters which I must attend to so I'm going to have to end this particular visit.” She flared her horn. “We should do this again though.” He grinned. “Agreed.” Moon spun around and jetted towards the hole to the corridor. Rei let out a thunderous roar and the smog engulfed him. It illuminated with crimson static and rushed after her. A wall of smog passed over the exit to cut her off. Moon wrung her body for energy and managed to launch a beam. To her relief, the wall was still thin enough that she was able to break through. When she erupted into the corridor she found her exit already saturated with the black haze. She took her cloud form and darted for the dreamscape. The smog was rolling out just behind her and fast as she was moving, every moment brought it a bit closer. It launched crimson bolts at her from all angles forcing her to jolt back and forth. The dodging hampered her progress and the haze in the hall collected around her. She threw up her shield and furiously pressed forward against its pull but her speed still dissipated. The smog thundered closer, eager to swallow her whole. She wrenched her very being for energy and unleashed it as an explosion of magic which freed her from the haze's grasp. She sheared through Rei's dream, finally making it to the dreamscape. There she was easily able to outrun him but his laugh still echoed after her. “Gone but not forgotten Moon,” he called. “Gone but not forgotten.” His words trailed off as he fell out of range but Moon's worries remained. That last eruption had cost her dearly. She had tapped into the very energy that held her being together. She raced through the dreamscape leaving bits of herself in her wake. She burst into Luna's mind and wrapped around her conscious. Moon clasped on for dear life, feverishly scarfing up every bit of energy her nightmares produced. It was fortunate that Luna's mental state was such a mess, it would take every bit of energy Moon could get to win the race against the disintegration of her being. She let out a very abstract groan. From the looks of things, it was going to be a long night.