Drip… drip drip… drip… drip drip.
Elusive woke to the sound of water and the feeling of pain shooting up his side. Ugh, he thought, the floor is so cold. He scrunched his face tight and began to bring his hooves to his temples, but his eyes shot open when he heard the sound of chains scraping together. He looked down at his forelegs, where he saw that they were bound by cuffs. Instinctively, he got to his hooves and began to move, only to be stopped when the chains became taut. Elusive looked around from where he stood in the middle of the room and saw that he was surrounded by stone walls. In front of him were iron bars.
“Wha-what happened?” Elusive said, only to bring his hooves back to his head when the pain came back. He touched the tip of his horn, but cried out when he felt a magic inhibitor attached to his horn instead. “Is this the… dungeon?”
“Quiet!”
Elusive yelped when he heard the sound of a metal door slam against the wall. He tried to cast a magic shield, but the pain returned and he fell to the floor. When he opened his eyes, he saw the opened door at the end of the hall. Two silhouettes appeared in the doorway, their shadows stretched along the floor until they came to the edge of the cell. As they approached, Elusive finally could make out that they were thestrals by their leathery wings. One of the stallions stepped forward, reached into a saddlebag, and pulled out a scroll.
“Good, now that you’re awake, we can get this over with.” He unfurled the scroll and began to read out loud as the other stallion unlocked the door and began to pull on the chains. “Under the Order of The Majesties Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Elusive, son of Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks-”
“No…” Elusive said flatly as he struggled against the chains.
“Are charged with the following crimes against the crown: Conspiracy to cause harm to a member of the Royal Family, Conspiracy to cause a riot, Conspiracy to corrupt an Elemental Bearer-”
“It wasn’t like that!” Elusive interrupted again, only to feel a swift punch in his barrel.
“Corporal Keres, we are not to assault the prisoner.”
“He won’t shut up.” The stallion replied as he pulled harder on the chains. “I mean, he’s resisting.”
“Eluding Royal Guard officials, Assault on a Canterlot noble-”
“That was self defense!” Elusive shouted as he was dragged down the hall, stopping every few steps to catch his breath. “This is all... just being blown.... out of proportion!” He glanced to the side, where he saw a familiar pink stallion hiding in a corner of one of the cells, tapping a hoof on the floor. “Bubble Berry, please, come here and help me.” He pulled harder on the chains until he reached the cell bars. The hoof taps stopped. He gasped when he saw Bubble Berry turn around. His mane had deflated and his eyes held a murderous gaze.
“Get… away from me… Elusive.”
He loosened his grip on the bars at the sound of the pony saying his full name. As he felt himself being dragged on the floor, he struggled once more and turned to the guards. “For Celestia’s sake, it was just a cake!”
A moment later, he felt a pair of hooves gripping his legs. He turned back and saw Bubble Berry’s muzzle inches from his. He was so close that Elusive could see his own reflection in the pony’s eyes.
“Let go of the prisoner!” Corporal Keres shouted. He complied, and Elusive once again felt himself dragged away.
“We don’t deserve this!” Elusive shouted to the guards, pointing to himself and Bubble Berry. As they reached the doorway, the bright light blinded him.
“Release him. He is already in our custody.” Elusive knew that voice. He cringed as he opened his eyes to see Dusk Shine standing in front of him. The sound of shackles being undone echoed through the room. Elusive watched as he looked him over and stopped when he saw the newly formed bruise. “One of you two hit him?” He asked as he looked at the two guards.
“He was resisting, My Liege, and I-”
“I don’t care.” he replied cooly. “What he did was awful, but that does not mean that we have to lower ourselves-”
“I’m still here, Dusk Shine.” Elusive started to say but was stopped when he saw him glare in his direction.
“You will refer to me by my title, Elusive.” He winced at the tone and watched as Dusk Shine levitated another scroll in front of him. On the scroll was the list of offenses. He felt something tap his shoulder and saw a quill levitated in his grasp. He turned to the guards. “Leave us.” The two guards nodded to him and then left the room. He turned back to him. “Just sign it, Elusive. Admit to what you did, and we can make this process much easier.”
Elusive shook his head. “The only thing of which I am guilty is getting back at somepony who humiliated me.” He stamped a hoof on the floor. “I had been building my brand in this city for years, and to have to start all over again because of her callousness.” He tossed his mane back. “What about me, Your Highness? What about all of the failed connections and the missed opportunities that I have suffered because of what she did to me?”
“You are still trying to convince yourself that you were wronged?” Dusk Shine asked. “We’ve already spoken to Bubble Berry. It was easy to piece together why you did it.”
“I simply do not know what you are talking about.” he answered. “I will admit that the prank may have been foalish, but I am not guilty of these charges that have been brought against me.” Dusk Shine turned away and shook his head, but Elusive leaned forward and waved a hoof at the scroll. “Come on, you know me. I would never have intended for anything like this to happen.”
“The law doesn’t care about what you intended, Elusive!” Dusk Shine shouted as his wings splayed out so hard that they frayed his jacket. “It only matters what happened.”
“So that’s it, then?” Elusive’s eyes darted around the room. “Because Bluebelle overreacted to a cake.” He glanced up at Dusk Shine’s crown. “What about the elements?” He sighed in relief as Dusk Shine’s eyes grew wide. “If I get punished, what disasters could befall on us? Surely, we can find a way out of this that won’t put all of Equestria at risk?”
Dusk Shine’s eyes darkened. “You mean for you to find a way out of this that won’t put you at risk?” Elusive looked down at the scroll and the quill that had fallen to the floor. A purple aura glowed around them, and they floated up to his head. “Just sign it. Accept what you have done. That’s all I ask.”
“I-” Elusive looked around again. If you sign it, you’ll be destroyed, he thought. He glanced at Dusk Shine’s now frazzled appearance and frayed jacket and took a deep breath. “I see there is nothing I can do. It has been years since I have signed anything by hoof.” He pointed to the small metal cone on his horn. “Could you be a dear and remove this for me? It will only take a moment.” Dusk Shine squinted at him and looked into his eyes. For a moment, Elusive was worried that his gamble wouldn’t work, but then he saw him lightly nod his head.
“I see.” was his only reply, and a moment later, he felt his horn freed.
“Thank you.” Elusive slowly levitated the quill with his own aura, keeping his concentration on the objects in front of him so that Dusk Shine wouldn’t notice his jacket becoming more frayed. “These charges are a bit harsh, don’t you think? Maybe we can discuss with the princesses about changing this to a vandalism charge or something.” He moved the threads of the jacket around Dusk Shine’s forelegs, but kept them loose enough so that he wouldn’t feel it. “After all, even if worse comes to worse, what would happen to poor Sweetie Belle if I were detained for an extended period?” He looked up and saw that Dusk Shine’s eyes had grown even angrier. “After all, what is a little sibling without their big brother?”
“Even now, Elusive?” he heard him ask. “You try to manipulate me into pitying you?”
Elusive drew the threads tight. “I shall not be punished for this. If I have to get to Bluebelle myself, this will be stopped!” He shoved him out of the way and made his way to the door. He heard the sound of Dusk Shine stumbling to the ground as he pushed the door open.
“Stop him!” Dusk Shine shouted. “We can’t let anypony else know what has happened!”
Elusive galloped into the hall and knocked over the two guards who were standing at the door. He closed his eyes and he teleported himself away. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar hallway. A ray of moonlight caught his eye. When he craned his neck up to see the light, he saw a stained glass window and gasped. The eye of Nightmare Moon stared down at him. He looked down and saw the images of his friends, only to see that a part of it was broken, as though somepony had thrown a rock through it where his figure stood.
“There he is!” Elusive leaped and then turned around. In front of him stood Applejack, while Rainbow Blitz hovered just above him. “AJ, get your rope ready!”
“Sure thing, RD.”
Elusive held out his hooves. “Rainbow Blitz, Applejack, you have to listen to me!” He waved his hooves even as the two made their way towards him. “This is all a misunderstanding!”
“Are ya really gonna try lyin’ to me?”
“No, just listen to me, please.” Elusive begged. He saw the two look at each other and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the lasso lower to the ground. “I will tell you what happened, just let me explain why I did it. Please?”
“I hate it when he begs.” Rainbow Blitz spat out. “If he were a pegasus, he’d have been-”
“Let him talk, RD.”
“Ugh.” He crossed his hooves across his chest. “Fine.” He turned to Elusive. “Why’d you do it?”
Elusive set his hooves down and tried to think of where to begin. He opened his mouth to speak, but then paused. It was an eye for an eye. She got me covered in cake, and then I did the same. “You see, it was really a matter of doing to her what she did to me.” He saw Applejack raise an eyebrow. “You all remember the gala, right? How she put me in the way of your cake, Applejack? The one that Rainbow Blitz caused to fly through the air?”
“Ignorin’ what’s bein’ implied with that statement,” Applejack answered, “why do you think she did it?”
“Who knows?” Elusive said. “I was a perfect gentlecolt to her all evening.” He looked at both ponies and could tell that they weren’t buying it. He slumped his shoulders and lowered his head. “Fine. I was doing it to get her to model for my clothing, all right?”
“Ya weren’t exactly subtle about how ya treated her, Elusive.”
“So let me get this straight.” Rainbow Blitz said as he flew over to Elusive. “You were using her and she saw through it. So you hold a grudge for how long? And what about Bubble Berry, huh? How do you think he feels?”
Elusive took a step back. “I saw him, Rainbow Blitz. I… I…”
“You’ve been letting this grudge take over you for all this time. And you didn’t care who it hurt, as long as you got your revenge. All you ever cared about was yourself. Element of Generosity my ass.”
“Rainbow.” Applejack shouted as he trotted up to them. he turned back to Elusive. “Elusive, just answer me this.”
“Yes?”
“You wanted Her Highness to model the clothes to build business. Is that why you made our fancy get ups, too?”
“How could you even ask that? I would never-” Elusive stopped as his memories turned to that day. Oh, it'll be a little bit of work, but it will be a wonderful boost for my business. “What I mean to say is…” It will be a wonderful boost for my business. He heard Applejack sigh.
“Ah thought so.”
“Can we take him, now, AJ? I bet the princess already has somepony in mind for a replacement.”
Elusive jumped back. “No!” He felt his horn light up. “I AM the Element of Generosity! I don’t care what you think, I will show you that everything has been misconstrued!”
“You need to give up, Elusive.”
“Ah don’t need to be the Element of Honesty to see that you are lyin’ to yourself.”
Elusive shuddered as his horn continued to glow. A moment later, he heard the sound of glass shattering. He looked up to see shards of the stained glass window falling to the ground. When he saw the other two stallions leap back, he began to gallop away. He heard the sound of yelling, hooves thundering, and wings flapping. Ahead of him was a large door. His aura surrounded it, and it flung open. The moment he was through, he slammed the door shut and locked it. He could hear them talking to each other on the other side, followed by the sound of hoofsteps fading away.
The sound of sobs echoed behind Elusive, and he looked around and saw that he was in another ballroom. Mirrors lined one side all the way down to the door at the other end, while the other side held windows that overlooked the gardens. In the distance, he could see a figure huddled in the corner, but it was too dark to see clearly. As he walked slowly down the room, the figure became more clear. His eyes widened when he saw a mess of pink mane and tail surrounding a small, yellow frame. As he drew closer, he could finally start to hear the words being choked out between the sobs.
“You’re so stupid.” Butterscotch said as he looked into the mirror. “That’s why everypony walks over you. You’re so stupid that you couldn’t even see it.” A small, high-pitched whimper echoed through the room, and Elusive edged closer. He was close enough to see the tears forming. Before he could reach him, he saw Butterscotch’s eyes open and watched as he gazed angrily at his own reflection. The words he spoke next sent a chill up Elusive’s spine.
“I… hate you.”
As the sobbing started again, Elusive covered his muzzle and choked back a sob of his own. He managed to close the final gap between the two of them, but when he reached Butterscotch, he simply jerked his head up to him.
“What are you doing here?” Butterscotch asked as he backed away.
“Butterscotch, please, I-”
“Go away!” Butterscotch turned and galloped to the other door.
‘Wait, Butterscotch. Wait!” He saw his hoof come to rest on the door. Elusive stopped a few feets away from him and waited as Butterscotch turned slightly towards him. He watched as his mane fell down enough to cover his eye, but even in the dimness that surrounded the two of them, Elusive could still see the light in his eyes reflecting off of the moonlight that came through the windows. “Please, Butterscotch.” He trembled. “I… I can’t lose you, too.” He took another step forward, only to see him press closer against the door.
“All of the times you were nice to me, I thought-” Butterscotch cut himself off. “All that time, I thought you-” he shook his head. “I was so blind.”
“No, darling, don’t-”
“Don’t call me that!” Elusive jumped back at the timid pony’s sudden aggressiveness. He opened the door behind him. “Don’t call me that ever again!”
Before he could say anything, Butterscotch ran out the door and slammed it shut behind him. Elusive felt his eyes burning. He turned to the mirror next to him, but everything had become a blur. He wiped his eyes and continued to stare into the mirror.
Elusive now, what have you done
How could you be so blind
Reflections of this stallion
I want to run
From what it is I find
Elusive looked around at the reflections, only to see his own gaze staring back at him. He closed his eyes and turned away.
But now I see, it’s only me
Who made these thoughts come true
If everypony could see
What’s become of me
I know not what to do
He reached out to one of the mirrors, only to see it crack the moment his hoof touched it.
How can I escape?
More cracks appeared in the mirror. Elusive turned around, only to see that the other mirrors had begun to crack, as well. What’s going on, he thought.
Or am I too late?
He flinched the moment the mirrors shattered. As the glass fell to the floor, he gasped when he saw nothing but blackness behind them.
If only I could find a way to make things right
A figure appeared from behind the mirror he had been looking into. Elusive could tell that it was his reflection, but something was off about it.
Elusive what do you think you could possibly do
I have seen the dreams you always dream
You can’t simply lie and say, you simply didn’t know
that this fate of yours was unforeseen
The two stood muzzle to muzzle.
I did not mean for this nightmare to happen
I know I can make it right, I swear
Your friends have left you, for you let this happen
And I know what it is that you fear
My only fear is that I was mistaken
My only fear is that you appeared
All that I know is that you must disappear
Elusive’s reflection smiled, revealing a row of pointed fangs.
Stupid colt, can you not tell just who it is I am?
Look into my eyes so you can see
So much hatred deep within you, now we become one
Thanks for giving yourself up to me
Elusive stared into the creature’s cat-like eyes and backed away. He knew that face - it was the same face he had seen on Nightmare Moon.
You cannot take me, I shall not allow you
An Element still resides in me
That thing is useless! Your friends disavow you
All that resides in you shall only be me
I will banish you! You shall never take me
You’ll be destroyed of this I am sure
Our powers shall stop you like they did before
Nightmare began to laugh as he lashed out and snatched Elusive into his grasp.
You can’t deny it forever
“No!” Elusive shouted as he tried to release himself from Nightmare’s grip to run away.
You can run but you cannot hide
“No!” He continued as a bright purple aura surrounded him.
Now our fates shall never be severed
It’s too late now, you’ll never escape from
Your hate inside
Elusive felt Nightmare’s hooves melt into his fur.
Leave me be
I know that I
Can make it right
It’s too late
Can’t you see?
My friends will destroy you
“Who’d want to be friends with you?” Nightmare whispered as he held him close. Elusive’s vision became blurry again as the sting of tears grew in his eyes.
I’ll stay strong! Wait and see
You’re too late! You are me!
You
won’t get in
Let the nightmare begin
“No!” Elusive screamed. “Never!” He winced as Nightmare seeped further inside of him.
“Yes…” Nightmare turned into a cloud of mist. “Forever…” He disappeared.
Let me go, Nightmare
I shall fight you
as long as I live
You still don’t get it, Elusive.
Everything inside burned. Elusive started to scream as he felt the immense heat reach up his neck and down his spine, through his limbs, and into his chest. As he fell to the ground, he saw pieces of his reflection in the mirror shards. He watched as his own eyes developed a cat-like appearance and his teeth elongated into fangs. In the distance, he heard a door slam against a wall. His vision tunneled, but he could still see the hooves running towards him. And then everything went black.
*****
Drip… drip drip… drip… drip drip.
Elusive awoke with a start. Ugh, he thought, the floor is so cold… wait. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by stone walls once again. He moved his hooves slowly, only to hear the sound of chains. He shivered and looked away, only to see iron bars. I’m… in the dungeon… again? He shook his head in confusion and raised his shackled hooves to his head. Hoofcuffs… yes… magic inhibitor… yes. He looked through the bars into the darkness to see if Bubble Berry was still in the nearby cell, but he couldn’t see anything. Was it all a nightmare? Elusive looked towards the doors expectantly, awaiting the arrival of guards.
hello friend…
Elusive screamed and backed away as far as he could, but the chains kept him near the middle of the room.
“Who-who’s there?” He shouted.
“Quiet!”
The door slammed open, casting a rectangle of light on the floor. Two silhouettes appeared in the doorway, but even from the distance, Elusive could see horns on top of their heads.
Have you forgotten about me so soon?
The hoofsteps drew nearer, and Elusive began to quiver as his gaze moved along the floor to the front of the cell. I don’t understand, he thought, it was just a nightmare. He looked at the two guards, whose expressions remained neutral. The click of the lock echoed through the room, and the guards entered the cell, all the while Elusive’s mind turned to the dream. You’ve destroyed Bubble Berry, he thought, not to mention ruined your friendships. You can’t even begin to comprehend what you’ve done to Butterscotch.
Aren’t you forgetting something?
“Step forward.” Elusive heard the command and slowly nodded his head as he got to his hooves once more. One of the guard’s horns started to glow, and a scroll appeared. “Under the Order of The Majesties Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Elusive, son of Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks…” Elusive nodded dumbly as the charges he had heard only moments ago were read aloud.
This can be fixed, you know…
“What?” he asked, only to receive a stern look from one of the guards.
“Eluding Royal Guard officials,” the guard continued, “assault on a Canterlot noble...”
I need you, Elusive… and you need me, too… there’s nopony else to protect you but me… I can make them forget, Elusive…
He felt a familiar tug on his hooves and saw that the other guard was pulling on the chains. His pulse quickened and his breathing hitched for a moment, but he complied. As he passed a nearby cell, he saw Bubble Berry sitting in a corner, poking his hoof on the floor.
Everything that you have done… I can take it all away… it will be like it never happened.
“Shut up!” Elusive shouted as he held his hooves to his ears to drown out the noise. He felt a hoof slam against his barrel and he fell to the floor once more. “Aah!”
Just let us finish what we started… what YOU started… you’ll still have your revenge… and nopony shall be the wiser…
“Bubble Berry, listen!” Elusive begged as he ignored the pain in his head and the rest of his body and pulled himself to the bars of Bubble Berry’s cell. “None of this was your fault, do you hear me?” He struggled as his body was surrounded in the guards’ auras. He smiled weakly when he saw the stallion turn towards him. “It was me, it was all me! I’m the one who convinced you to replace the frosting! I was the one. I used you! You did nothing wrong!”
Elusive’s hooves were wrested from the bars and he felt his body being dragged along the stone floor. He cried out, not because of the pain in his body, but because he watched as Bubble Berry simply turned away once more. At that moment, he stopped resisting and simply let the harsh surface drag against his fur. He felt it scratch along his barrel, his chest, and his chin that now hung limply on the stones.
I can make all of the pain go away… I can take away your friend’s pain.
But I will still know, he thought, knowing by now that speaking out loud would do nothing to help his case and would, in fact, make the ponies around him question his mental state even further. The burning in his body returned; it was the feeling of another body inside of him, struggling against his bones, tearing through his muscles.
I said I can make all of the pain go away, Elusive... all of your friends’ pain… and yours, as well.
“Release him. He is already in our custody.” By this time, Elusive had finally been dragged out of the dungeon and into a waiting room. He looked behind him, only to see the others standing on the other side. As he struggled to balance himself, he noticed that Dusk Shine had approached him and was inspecting his barrel. “One of you two hit him?”
“It was my fault, My Liege.” Elusive blurted before the guard could respond. He ignored the confused expression the guards gave him, but instead focused only on the grounds in front of Dusk Shine. “I struggled. I am certain that my actions caused them to believe that I was a threat.”
“Look at me, Elusive.” He simply turned his head further downward, but then saw Dusk Shine’s purple aura surround him. “I said, look at me.” His gaze moved upward and he found himself staring into the prince’s eyes. “The list of charges has been read. Do you challenge them?” The scroll appeared by his side, alongside a quill. Elusive shook his head. “Very well, then.”
Look at you, Elusive… your fur is matted and your mane is horrendous… you look like some common harlot… do you like it? You do, don’t you?
Elusive ignored the voice and reached a hoof out to grab the quill. They weren’t very dextrous from the years of simply using his magic for fine motor skills, but that didn’t stop him from signing his name at the bottom of the scroll. When he finished, both items disappeared. From behind the others, Princess Luna took a step forward.
“I sensed a familiar entity around you when I found you, Elusive, but I can no longer sense it in the castle. I trust you understand of what it is I speak?”
“I do, Your Highness.”
Princess Luna nodded. “Good.” Her horn glowed, and a box appeared next to her. His elemental necklace appeared, and it hovered inches from his muzzle. “I would suggest putting this on, so that you can be fully cleansed of what has happened.”
Yes… take the necklace… take it… I can make all of the pain go away… I can make things as they should be… I can make things right… You don’t have to do anything, Elusive… just take it!
Elusive slowly reached out a hoof. All I have to do is take it, he thought, it is being offered to me freely. His eyes filled with the glow of the purple gemstone. It filled his vision. Everything else in the room seemed to shimmer in and out of existence.
I don’t deserve it.
DO IT, ELUSIVE!
“No!” He shouted and stamped his hoof to the floor. Princess Luna jumped back, but the guards and the stallions leaped forward, grimacing at him. He sat on his haunches and turned away from the necklace. “The truth, Your Highness, is that you were, indeed, too late. Even now, I can hear Nightmare in my head. I feel him inside me. He tells me that all I must do is take what you are offering me and that everything will be fine.”
Sighing, Elusive turned to Applejack. “But that is a lie. I cannot simply take something that I now know in my heart I do not deserve.” His eyes watered and he felt his muzzle become wet with tears. He looked over to Butterscotch. His body was pressed tightly against Applejack’s side, who responded by rubbing a hoof up and down his back. “I am truly sorry.” He heard Rainbow Blitz scoff. “And I know that I have no right to expect you to believe that, nor anything else that I say.”
What are you doing, you idiot? Take the necklace! TAKE IT!
Elusive held his hooves to his head, only to feel another set of hooves stop him. He looked up and saw Princess Luna staring down at him.
“You do realize what this means, do you not?” She asked. “What is inside of you cannot be cleansed overnight. Where we send you, you cannot return from on your own. You will have to wait.” She raised a hoof to the others. “When you return, all that you see will have been taken away from you.”
Elusive let forth a cry. “Your Highness,” he sniffled, “They have already been taken away from me. I have nopony but myself to blame.” He watched as the necklace disappeared. Princess Luna’s eyes turned white, and she began to hover in midair. A white light burst forth and shone around Elusive. He watched as everything began to melt away.
Just you wait, Elusive… now, it is just you and me… I will stay right here… I will always be here… I will make you go crazy… I will never stop… You will be mine.
Elusive closed his eyes. “I deserve it.” he replied as everything went black.
*****
Drip drip… drip… drip drip… drip.
Elusive opened his eyes, only to see that he was on a stone floor. He immediately jumped up. “No!” He cried. “Please, just make this nightmare end! Help me!” He cradled himself in his hooves and started rocking back and forth. “Please… somepony… anypony…” There was a sudden noise and he jerked his head towards a door as it opened and a certain blue alicorn walked in. “Princess Luna?”
She made her way over to him, but he turned his gaze away. He felt a hoof touch his chin and gently nudge his head up. Her smile was serene, but her gaze was stoic, as though she didn’t see anything, but rather her smile told her everything that was around her.
“You were finally able to open the door.” she said.
“What?” he asked. “What do you mean?”
“I will admit that when I first came down here, I wanted nothing more than to throw you into the dungeons.” Princess Luna looked around the room. “But Nightmare was here, I know that energy intimately.”
“No, Your Highness.” Elusive fell to her hooves and grabbed onto them. “He’s in me, I hear him. You have to send me away, you have to-” Elusive felt a hoof on his head again, and he looked up.
“No, he is not.” She replied. “He is gone. Though I will admit you were dangerously close to succumbing to his influence. But you did fight him off, in the end.” She sighed and looked away. “At least you can say that for yourself.”
“Your Highness?” He saw her point above him.
“You fell down from an area backstage. The fall rendered you unconscious. You were open to his influence, but your fall fully opened your mind up to him.” She pointed towards the door. “I can fight him in my ponies’ dreams, but the hold he had on you rendered me incapable of coming to your aid. How did you do it?”
Elusive looked at his hooves and rubbed his forelegs as he remembered the feeling of shackles. He thought of the way the others looked at him during the dream. “I didn’t do anything, Your Highness.” He felt himself pressed against Princess Luna’s side, and the tears started to fall again. “I-I didn’t do anything.” He stammered. “All I’ve d-done is hurt everypony.”
“Elusive, you are not the only pony to whom this has happened.”
“Your Highness,” he sniffed, “I remember the… unfortunate… circumstance surrounding our first encounter.” he looked up to her. “So that’s it? Because Nightmare had a role in this, you’re going to forgive me?”
“That is not my call to make.” she answered. “Whether or not you can do anything to make the others forgive you is solely their prerogative. However, knowing these events, I will tell them what I have found, as well.”
“No.” Elusive answered with such power that Princess Luna was shocked. He got up and began to pace around the room. “I am not going to believe that this was all some outside force. I let it in. I could have stopped at any time, but I didn’t. I see that now. I have nopony to blame but myself. And all for what? To be famous?” He laughed to himself. “I bet if you all had a choice, you would have chosen another pony to represent generosity.” He continued around the room until he ran up against Princess Luna, who had moved to stand in his way.
“Though your intention to accept responsibility now is a positive development,” she said, “I am afraid that does not change what has been done.” Princess Luna sighed and made her way to the door. “The party, the guests, the relations with King Aeolus - Elusive, everything that you have done, even if the only ones in Equestria who know about your role in this are confined to the castle, barring your ability to turn back time, seeking forgiveness may be out of your grasp for now.”
Elusive appeared beside Princess Luna next to the door. “I’m sorry, but could you repeat that last part?”
“I said, even if the only ones in Equestria who know about your role in this are confined to the castle, barring your ability to turn back time, seeking forgiveness may be out of your grasp for now.”
“You’re right.” He smiled as images of the ballroom galloped through his thoughts. “I cannot turn back time. I cannot change what I have done. However, if you will give me the opportunity, I may be able to at least help the others move past this.”
Princess Luna watched as he walked through the doorway and into the hall. “Hmm.” she said to herself as she trotted close behind. “Well, I suppose that if I can be forgiven after trying to destroy my sister to stop the sun from ever rising over Equestria again, Elusive does have a chance.”