//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: Operation: Moonfall 
// Story: Agent Con Mane in Nightfeather (to be rewritten) 
// by Fairytail 
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	Spitfire, one again in full regalia, marched up and down in front of her rank and file. Before her were five mares, each standing at attention wearing black and purple flight suits. Strapped to each of their flanks were two metal cylinders. They were as statues, silent with postures erect. Spitfire’s steps were hard and meaningful. Puffs of moonlit clouds kicked up at her hooves. Her scorching, amber eyes judged each Shadowbolt in bridled anticipation. Her heart battered in her chest and her throat swelled at the thought of what was to come. Still she did not show signs of her trepidation to her team.
“Today’s the day, ladies.” she said,  “Captain Nightfeather is counting on us and I don’t want any screw ups! The first Shadowbolt to break formation will be sent back to the academy. Am I understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!” the five Shadowbolts said in unison.
Spitfire quit her march and stood before her soldiers. With all traces of emotion bleached from her face, Spitfire lowered her yellow goggles over her eyes.
“Positions.” she ordered.
The Shadowbolts turned away from their captain and marched to the edge of the cloud. They lowered their knees and raised their haunches. Their movements were synchronized perfectly.
“Set!” Spitfire said.
Still in rehearsed harmony, the Shadowbolts all flared their wings.
Spitfire took on final, deep breath and said with every ounce of conviction, “Commence Rock-a-Bye Filly! Shadowbolts, move out!”
In the mere blink of eye, the flyers took to the heavens. A plume of cloud flowed into the air from where the Shadowbolts once stood. Within seconds, they disappeared into the inky blue sky of the night eternal, en route for Coltlumbia. Spitfire watched until she lost all sight of her mares and for a moment basked in the silence of the chilly night air before taking off herself.

The five Shadowbolts soared through the skies of the New Lunar Republic in standard V formation. They flew beyond the reaches of Cloudsdale and past the outskirts of Manehattan before they saw the signs of their destination. In a valley nestled between the twin mountains of Castor and Pollux was a faint, magenta glow. As they made their way closer, they could make out the outer suburbs of the NLR’s glowing capital. The myriad of buildings, magically enchanted to give off a constant, pleasant light, lined the streets of what many considered to be the most beautiful city in all of ponydom. And in the center of this majestic city, a tall castle with glowing blue walls and bright yellow domes rose like a hand reaching out to stroke the moon eternal that hung high above.
The Shadowbolts peered down below at the tiny lights that dotted the black streets. From above, the city looked just like the night sky, complete with buildings laid out like constellations. Below, the children of the night went about their nightly business. Though some took notice of the five ponies flying high above, there was no need for them to think anything of it. Some even waved upon recognizing the celebrities.
The Shadowbolts flew closer to the brilliant, glowing castle. The tiny houses grew to larger estates and mansions belonging to the wealthy. But as the Shadowbolts flew towards their destination, even those became scarce. For the circular area surrounding the castle in the center of the city, was under the control of the Lunar Guard. Armored ponies, several of them Batponies, marched in formation between the barracks and military offices. Long airstrips crisscrossed in a large area purposed not only for Pegasi to land, but also for the NLR’s impressive fleet of airships which were docked in the nearby hangers. Next to the airstrips were the training fields, where several soldiers were performing push ups and other drills under the constant whistles of belligerent instructors. Nightfeather only chose the best and most loyal of his officers to serve him in his foul operation. The rest, as far as he was concerned, were expendable.
The formation head clenched the tether tied to the canisters on her flank tight in her teeth. With a clear signal of a her hoof, the formation banked and dived closer to the ground. Another signal, and the mares all yanked at their tethers. The metal canisters hissed and trails of smoke followed the aerobatics. There was nothing suspect about this of course, since smoke trails were often incorporated into their routines, so the soldiers below shrugged off the display as a routine training exercise and continued with their patrols and drills.
Left, Right, Left, Right rang out the rhythmic stomping of the patrolling Batponies. To them the night was just like any other, quiet and calm. With a roaring rush of wind the Shadowbolts flew by-- lower than expected for a training exercise. Still the marching soldiers looked up to admire their form, particularly the stallions to admire their figures. As the Pegasi passed, leaving smoke in their wake, the guard continued on their patrol. Left, Right, Right Left, Left, Left. No, that wasn't quite right. The line of guards stumbled on their hooves. They bumped into each other as their eyelids and heads grew heavy and tried to fight against the oncoming darkness. Some tried to cling to each other for support but soon they all collapsed onto the concrete.
The drills instructor stood proud and tall on a graduated platform overlooking the grassy lawn that stretched between two runways. He barked out numbers with his booming, chalkboard voice while his men performed wing ups. Pools of sweat accumulated beneath their strained, purpling muzzles. The roar of the Shadowbolts came and went but the instructor didn't hear it. He was too caught up in his own unique brand of entertainment. One of the soldiers, a new recruit fresh out of the hazing shed, fell over to his side. The instructor barked at the young stallion and threatened him with two months latrine duty, but the stallion did not get up. Another soldier collapsed. Then two more. Soon, all of the trainees collapsed muzzle first into their own sweat pools. Before the instructor could even comprehend what had happened, he felt the darkness come for him too. He continued to yell out insults at the motionless bodies before him to keep his mind on track, but his booming voice turned to a pathetic whisper and he too collapsed; his body nearly falling off of his platform.
The Shadowbolts circled the base several times, allowing their dread mist to fall on every inch. Most of the guards had no chance. They succumbed to the poison before they could even finish a thought. Some soldiers were able to catch wind of what was happening and they futilely attempted to sound an alarm, but the poison was too effective and too quick. Silence fell upon the base without any of the civilians on the outer parts of the city realizing what had happened, nor were they close enough to to the castle to be affected.
At least that was the plan. From the sky, the Shadowbolt squad leader canvassed the area below and caught sight of a single unmarked coach entering the guard base. She scowled and grit her teeth as two Pegasus stallions walked out of the carriage. The two stallions looked around in horror at the sight of hundreds of bodies littering the base. The charcoal colored Pegasus with the fiery red mane took off his sunglasses in dread. The Shadowbolt leader hesitated just slightly at the sight of the civilians, but then motioned to her team and they moved to fly overhead.
The grey Pegasus looked up just in time to see the Shadowbolts approach. He pointed to them and yelled something to his partner. Whatever they were about to do, it wasn't fast enough. The Shadowbolts streaked by like black lightning. As the poison fell down onto the two stallions, they stumbled against the fog in their minds. The grey Pegasus struggled to climb into his coach and unhinged the radio. But before he could even press down the button, he too succumbed and collapsed into the seat.
The Shadowbolts made one more circle to make absolutely certain that nopony in the base remained. There was still just enough poison left in the canisters to fulfill the final stage of their plan. With a motion from the squad leader, they flew towards Luna castle itself.

Within the castle, Princess Luna sat on her grand four poster bed. The lights of her bedroom were dimmed and the curtains to her large window were shut. She removed her crown and armor and looked ready to go to bed. Instead she just sat on her haunches in silence. Although she was tired, she could not shake the bizarre sensation that gripped her heart. She heard the faint sound of something whizzing by outside her window. Curious, Luna slowly trotted over to her window and drew the curtains. From her window she could see brilliant ocean of lights that was her beautiful city. The view, and the knowledge that her subjects could feel safe under the watchful eyes of her castle, gave Luna the solace that allowed her to continue on each and every night cycle. Still, the ice in her gut did not subside. She looked up and stared deeply into the magical full moon that she herself created.
“Our beautiful moon feels paler than usual, and the stars of our night are weeping. Is this truly the end?”
She breathed heavily, and was about to return to her bed when she heard the whizzing sound again. It sounded closer this time. She waited in silence until she could hear it again. Another flyby, and whatever it was was it sounded as if it was spiraling outside the castle, slowly making its way up. The flyby occurred again, and this time Luna could also make out muffled thumps occurring on the floors below her. Luna furrowed her brow and steeled her spirits.
“The Shadowbolts. So he has made his move.”
Luna looked out the window once again just in time to see a blur of purple and black zoom passed her window. A trail of black smoke wafted just outside. She turned and was about to gallop out her door, but her knees buckled. Her bedroom spun before her and even her wings and horn felt numb.
“What is this sensation?” With each step she did all she could to hold back that which tried to take her. By the time she got to the center of her room, her legs no longer obeyed her. Princess Luna collapsed on the floor as an unwelcomed feeling of peace and serenity fogged her mind. She tried to hang on to the fear and concern she felt for her subjects, but the sleep felt so welcoming. “I feel so…” Her eyes shut. “...sister…”

The Shadowbolts spiraled up the castle, cascading it with poison until they reached the top spire. From high above the city, they looked down at their handiwork, unsure of whether to feel proud or mournful. Knowing that dwelling on such things could only lead to regret, the squad leader gave her command, and the Shadowbolts flew back to Cloudsdale. During their flight, from the opposite direction, something else flew out of the clouds. It was a massive behemoth. The flying fortress of metal flew through the air as it’s engines roared like a mighty Dragon. The airship’s enveloping shadow crawled across Coltlumbia. The flying monstrosity dwarfed even the grandest of the NLR warships. The bow of the ship was carved into the face of a Dragon, frozen in a silent battle cry, his teeth razor sharp. Two draconic styled wings sprawled out from the sides of the ship and tore through the sky with their razor sharp tips. A massive collections of artillery cannons in a plethora of sizes lined the deck of the ship, each with enough firepower to reduce an entire army to ashes. But conquest through force of arms was not the goal of the Nightstalker this night. She inched her way closer to Luna Castle and made her descent. The Nightstalker was far to big to fit in any of Coltlumbia’s hangars, and so instead she set herself down on a vacant runway. After she touched down and her engines died, a series of hatches opened up along her sides. From the hatches, long metal planks slid out to create walkways.
Within the airship, just inside one of the exits, Nightfeather stood tall in full armor. His massive grin could not contain his gleeful chuckles.
“Finally, it is time!” Nightfeather turned to his own rank and file that stood in rows ready to make their exit out of the airship. “My loyal soldiers with me! We now march into the castle! I assure you, the poison has dissipated. Everypony within a mile of the castle is now dead. Look upon their corpses as we march the halls to the Sacred Chamber, for this is what happens to those who oppose me. Now, move out!”
Upon command, Nightfeather’s Lunar Guard marched down the walkways and into the graveyard that was the Coltumbia Guard Base. Still within the airship, off to the side, was Joe. His hooves were shackled together, and a fresh dampening spell laced his horn. He watched in grim, silent disgust as Nightfeather’s guard made their way out. His dire thoughts were interrupted by a shove from behind. The hissing, bubbling mass of Larry hovered just above him, and stared him down with his beady, yellow eyes.
“mooove” He hissed.
Joe tutted in response and carefully maneuvered himself down the steep walkway, which proved difficult with shackled hooves. As he made his way down, Joe was able to glance out and see the horrid scene before him. Every direction he looked, the base was littered with corpses. They were piled in heaps and sprawled out into every position imaginable. His stomach churned and the light touch of acid sizzled the back of his tongue. Joe had seen death before, but never on this scale. Joe reached the bottom of the walkway and found himself next to the still grinning Nightfeather.
“I hope you’re proud of yourself.” 
“Oh, I am, Mr. Mane. I am.”
“I wasn't talking about you.”
Larry pushed Joe again and so he marched through the field of death. He stared intently at every body he passed in a vain attempt to memorize their faces. As he walked, he could see a familiar looking coach. Sprawled halfway out of of the coach was another pony. Joe saw a fiery red tail attached to a charcoal grey flank. The Cutie Mark was a shooting star with tail of flames. Joe’s entire body wretched at once and he forgot all about the chains that shackled him and the nightmare behind him. Joe scrambled towards the coach and dragged out Sky Blazer. His eyes were closed and he had the look of a peaceful sleeper.
“Oh no, Sky.” Joe shook sky’s body. He shook sky harder and harder but all he accomplished was making Sky’s head loll back and forth like a rag doll. “Dammit, Sky! Get up!”
Joe looked inside Sky’s coach and saw the small radio dangling from its holster. Joe reached in to grab the radio but was cut short by the shackles. Larry hovered over to him and dragged him by the collar. Larry forcefully prodded Joe and hissed at him to keep moving. As he was being prodded, Joe took one last, angry look at his friend, and then proceeded into the castle.
The interior of the castle was just as bad. Everywhere room Joe was taken through was the same. From the drawing room to the lounge, each room was home to unmoving Lunar guards. Each hallway housed a pair of ponies on routine patrol. At the end of one particular hallway, Joe saw a door ornately surrounded with curtain trimming. Two soldiers were collapsed outside the door. A long, plush, red carpet led up to the door which was painted a bold, regal purple. Joe has seen a similar layout in Canterlot Castle, and his instincts told him what was beyond the door. He desperately wanted to look inside and to either quell or confirm his concerns. But Nightfeather’s parade forced him to march on.
Nightfeather brought Joe to a large vault. One again, two Lunar Guards lay collapsed in front of it. Nightfeather ordered his guard to open the vault. Nightfeather disappeared into its confines, but Joe was not permitted to move. Nightfeather emerged holding in his hoof a jeweled scepter. Silver adorned with amethyst.
“What is that?” Joe asked.
“One of my more lucrative investments. The key to the Sacred Chamber.”
The entourage continued on. As Joe was dragged through the beautifully decorated halls of Luna Castle, he saw ever more soldiers lying on the ground. Around every corner there were soldiers. Nothing but soldiers. Something pounded at the back of Joe’s mind. There was something bizarre and unnatural about the castle, but he could not put his hoof on what.
Nightfeather stopped again. Joe now stood in front of a pair of double doors at the end of yet another corridor. The doors were simple wood with simple white paint. No decorations were carved into them and no handles or door knobs could be seen. A glowing blue sigil marked the doors. Joe recognized it as a magic circle, but the formula was entirely foreign to him.
“We’re here.” Nightfeather stroked the simple doors with a longing hoof. “This is the entrance to the Sacred Chamber. Once we pass through this threshold, I can enter the Dream Tree within the Dreamscape! Now, yield unto me your secrets!”
Nightfeather touched the silver scepter to the doors. The amethyst stones on the scepter emitted a brilliant glow, and the magical circle shimmered out of existence. With the sigil gone, the doors opened wide on their own accord to reveal the contents of the Sacred Chamber.
“Finally!” Nightfeather’s voice shook with excitement. “Princess Luna’s Sacred Chamber!”
Joe stepped forward and peered inside. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock.
“It’s empty.”
The room inside was massive, almost as big as the castle foyer, but was devoid of any furniture or decoration. The floor was bare wood panels and the walls were simple layered stone.
“In this world, perhaps.” Nightfeather explained, “But this room runs parallel with the Dream Tree in the Dreamscape. Bring the Dream Gate into the Chamber! Then we will enter the Dream Tree.”
Across the hall opposite the Sacred Chamber, was a window with a small balcony just inside to sit on and admire the view. The window stretched to the ceiling and was wide enough to dock a standard sized airship. Three of the Batpony guards approached the window and all at once they released a sonic shriek. They focused the vibrations of their voice into the window until the glass shattered into fine dust, leaving a gaping hole in the castle wall. On the other side of the window, a small squadron of about a dozen Batponies appeared. Ropes tied around their waists tethered them to their cargo. It was the massive ring shaped device that Joe was almost pushed through into the Nightmare Dreamscape. With careful, precise effort, the Batponies maneuvered the ring through the window and onto the carpet. From there, they rolled the large ring on wheels down the corridor and through the doors into the Sacred Chamber.
“Now,” Nightfeather said, “Activate it!”
The machine hummed to life. Electricity arced between the antennas on top and then shot from side to side across the center of the ring. Just as before, the electricity gathered at the very center and swirled together to form a ball of light. The light exploded and turned the ring into a wall of light. However, unlike before, the gate did not lead into the barren landscape of a nightmare ridden moon, but instead into a vast void. Tiny glowing lights like stars floated about the void like marshmallows cereal, swirling in a bowl of milk. In the distance of the void, Joe could make out a large structure. It was a tree, a literal tree with bark as white as snow and silver leaves. Joe looked to Nightfeather, who was crying with joy.
“It’s beautiful…” Nightfeather struggled to tear his eyes away from the Dream Gate. He left the Sacred Chamber and walked over to the hole where the window once stood. “That was the signal. Ah, there she is.”
A pony flew through the window and landed next to Nightfeather. It was Spitfire, once again dressed in her Shadowbolt attire.
“My congratulations to you, Lieutenant!” Nightfeather said, “You and your Shadowbolts did an admirable job! Now bring me the Nightmare Cage!”
“Yes, Captain.” Spitfire leaned her head out the window and yelled out, “Ok, fly it in!”
She stepped back and two more Shadowbolts appeared outside. They carried in their hooves a heavy looking box. Joe could not tell what material it was made out of, but it was slightly larger than a pony, black with red trimming. A demonic looking face adorned the front of the box. They dropped the cargo in front of Nightfeather who stroked it longingly.
As Joe looked at the box, his eyes strained. A searing pain rang in his ears. His heart was beating faster and his breathing quickened. He looked to the Batponies beside him and by their expressions and gulping, he figured they must be feeling the same sensation.
Nightfeather turned his attention to his guard and motioned them to take in the sight of the Nightmare Cage. “Surely everypony can feel the fear? The tremendous power that leaks out from this cage is only a fraction of the true terror that lurks inside, awaiting to be released upon this world!” Nightfeather closed his eyes and relished in the cage’s presence. He had the look of a stallion pleasuring himself in private. When he was done, he looked to Joe.with vibrant eyes. “Come here, Mr. Mane.”
Joe was suddenly pushed forward by Larry. Nightfeather brought the cage and Joe with him into the Sacred Chamber, just outside the Dream gate. He removed the shackled from Joe’s hooves and instead shackled just one of his hooves to the handle of the Nightmare Cage.
“What the heck are you doing?” Joe yanked at the chain but it would not give way. The fear that attempted to overtake his mind was even more overwhelming right next to the cage.
Nightfeather chuckled, “For once, you are exactly where I want you, Mr. Mane. Now then. You There! Help Larry carry the Cage into the Dream Tree.
One of the Batponies stepped forward and grabbed one of the handle in his jaws. Larry’s cloudy paw picked up the other side. They moved forward, forcing Joe to keep up with them. He looked back, and Nightfeather was walking just behind them, with the most pleased smile plastered on his face.
Larry, Joe and the guard stepped through the Dream Gate. As the otherworldly air touched Joe’s skin, he felt the sensation familiar. It was that special flavor of nostalgia that one feels when revisiting their childhood home. Joe could suddenly recall every dream he had ever forgotten, and recognize the realm in which they took place. As they walked across the starry void and made their way closer to the Tree, Joe could see the finer beauty of the structure. The tree was white and silver, but within the cracks between the bark and the vein of the leaves, Joe could make out a faint rainbow glow. From the trees roots which floated fully exposed in the void and small holes at the base of the tree, a silvery rainbow liquid flowed out and drizzled into the nothingness below. The liquid pooled together and formed the glowing stars which surrounded them. Joe got close enough to one of the stars and peered into it. Within the glowing orb, Joe could make out the image of a young, orange filly flying through the sky with outstretched wings. In another one was a Pegasus mare in a Wonderbolts outfit being showered with diamonds. And in a third he saw what looked to be a wedding between a white Unicorn and a purple Dragon. 
They finally arrived at the base of the Tree. Joe underestimated the size of the structure. It looked to be as large as Luna’s Castle itself. A small burrow, more than big enough to allow a pony in, served as an opening into the Tree. Inside the Tree was a massive hollow chamber. A cylinder of silvery rainbow wood that rose to the top of the tree, beyond Joe’s sight. Visible in the walls of the tree were hollow veins through which the silvery liquid flowed. Larry and the Guard brought Joe and the Nightmare Cage to the center of the Tree chamber. Through the shackle, Joe could feel the cage pulsing like a heartbeat.
“So this is the Dream Tree.” Joe said in astonishment, “Then those tiny rivers flowing out of the roots are...”
“Dreams, Mr. Mane.” Nightfeather said, “And soon they will be horrifying Nightmares.” Another pulse of head splitting energy radiated from the Nightmare Cage. Joe couldn't help but hold his head against the pain. “Already the Nightmare Forces are beginning to stir. Soon the cage will open and the Tree will be corrupted.”
The cage suddenly emitted a ghastly scream. It was a terrifying demonic screech that rattled the very Dream Tree itself. Joe could hear the echoes of the scream travelling away, rippling across all the Dreamscape.

The scream did indeed travel across the entire dreamscape and as the screaming shock wave passed through the tiny stars, they burst like bubbles. And with every bubble burst, somepony in the world woke up from their sleep with a start, having been awoken by the demonic sound.
On particular pony that was awoken by the scream heard across the dreams found himself lying on cold earth, next to his partner outside their carriage in the guard encampment surrounding Luna Castle. Sky Black got up to his hooves, unsure of what had just happened. As his partner, Agent Ambush, was also waking up, Sky looked around the base. Thousands of Lunar Guards that lay sprawled across the base were also getting up. Sky was not sure when he fell asleep, but he remembered his dream just as vividly as when he was having it. He dreamed about Joe being brought into a giant Tree and Nightfeather preparing to unleash something horrible. He looked up at Luna Castle and saw a hole in the castle where a window once stood. He knew that that was the location of the Sacred Chamber. And he somehow knew that is where Joe was being held. Sky looked around and noticed that all the soldiers on the base were also looking at the same section of the castle with concern on their faces.
“I guess they all had the same dream. That means that the Nightmare Cage is in the Dream Tree. So, she was telling the truth.” Sky looked around. The Lunar Guard were still shaking the drowsiness from their heads and staring around in confusion. Sky knew that the situation couldn't wait. It was high time these stallions saw some real action. “Everypony on their hooves.” The guards all turned to the LIA agent and recognized his authority. Sky Blazer took his wing cannon out of the coach and strapped it to his wing. He then picked up his sunglasses off the floor and put them on. The guard all stood at attention ready for orders. “Lunar Guard, switch to your golden ceremonial armor! We need to differentiate yourselves from Nightfeather and the rest of his traitors. Our mission is to destroy the Nightmare Cage and shut down the Dream Gate! Pass these orders to everypony else. We’ll need the full strength of the Lunar Guard for this one. As for your previous Captain Nightfeather… He is to be captured dead or alive. Move out!” 
On cue, The Lunar Guard galloped and flew at full force, first to the barracks to change their armor and then to the castle itself. The Earth ponies and Unicorns stormed the castle dead on from the front, while the Pegasi made straight for the former window with Sky leading the charge.

Within the Dream Tree, the Nightmare Cage continued to pulse. Tiny wisps of inky black smoke leaked from the crack of the lid. Nightfeather trotted away and stopped just beyond the entrance of the tree. Just slightly away, the portal that led back to the Sacred Chamber remained as a gap in reality. The single Batpony guard was double checking the lock to Joe’s cuff. 
Nightfeather turned his head and gave Joe one last triumphant glance. “As much as I would love to actually see the Tree become distorted by the evil forces, I’m afraid it may prove hazardous for my health. Look on the bright side, Mr. Mane. You’ll be able to witness the spectacle for yourself.” Nightfeather turned and headed back towards the portal. “It’s only a matter of time before--”
Nightfeather gasped in horror at what he saw. On the other side of the portal, within Luna’s Castle, Nightfeather’s soldiers were doing battle with the rest of the Lunar Guard. The Sacred Chamber had turned into a battleground, where two opposing forces fought for control of the Dream Gate. echoing from the portal were the sounds of clanking armor, discharging Wing Cannons, magical spells and the wails of injured and dying ponies.
The Batpony accompanying Nightfeather turned to see the commotion for himself, only to see Nightfeather already halfway to the portal, galloping at full speed. The soldier rushed after him, but by the time he could scramble out of the Dream Tree, Nightfeather was already through the portal and back into the Sacred Chamber.
“Wait, Captain!” The guard called out, “What about us? You can’t leave us in here!”
Just as the Batpony was about reach the portal, Nightfeather raised his hoof and smashed the control panel of the machine. The Batpony leaped for the portal but he was too late. the portal blinked out of existence. The sounds of the battle within the castle were silence, leaving only eerie tranquility of the Dreamscape and the pulsating heartbeat of the Nightmare Cage, leaving Joe, Larry and the poor soldier trapped within.
“Looks like your glorious leader doesn't give squat about you.” Joe said.
The Batpony twirled around with terror in his tiny pupils. “We’re trapped. No, I don’t want to die!” He looked around the Tree in total panic. His breathing was raspy and uneven. He then turned his terror stricken attention to the pulsing box in the middle of the chamber. “The Cage! We have to stop the cage!”
The Batpony galloped towards the box. As time went on, more and more of the black smoke leaked out of the sides. Just as the guard was about to approach the cage, he was stopped by a wall of smoke. Larry hovered between the guard and the Nightmare Cage. The Batpony tried to step around the Nightmare creature, but Larry effortlessly blocked him with every maneuver.
“What are you doing!?” yelled the guard, “Out of my way, you freak!”
“The Cage must open.” Larry said. But it didn't sound like anything Larry ever said before. He did not speak in a hissing whisper. Instead, his voice was deeper, more tangible. Larry reached out his hand and grabbed the guard by the throat. He raised the pony high into the air, and no matter how much the pony squirmed, Larry’s arm would not budge. The inky black substance of Larry’s hand billowed and stretched around the pony’s neck. in an instant, his hand tightened and strangled the pony with snap. The guard’s flailing hooves went limp, and Larry allowed the dead body to crumple on the ground next to Joe. 
“The Nightmares will rule.” Larry said in his new commanding voice as he raised his smoking arms into the air.
Larry had his back turned to Joe, who looked down at the guard’s purple, lifeless face. Joe made sure that Larry was preoccupied with his own gloating, and then quietly slipped his hoof into the guard’s armor and pulled out the small key. Joe swiftly inserted the key into his cuff and jangled it around until the lock clicked. The cuff slipped off of his hoof and fell against the side of the Nightmare Cage with a rattled.
Larry heard the noise and turned around to face the now free Con Mane. “You! You must die!”
Joe lowered her head to the floor while keeping his eyes squarely on Larry. He dug at the floor with his hoof and flared his nostrils. “I've been meaning to get some alone time with you. I got a score to settle for Flitter and Cloudchaser.”
Larry laughed. Larry actually laughed. It was a booming cackle demonically echoed throughout the tree. Joe was taken aback as his blood ran cold.
“Foolish pony! You believe you can defeat me? And my brothers?”
Larry removed the fedora from his head. Billowing black smoke, just like the smoke that continued to boil out from the slowly opening cage, erupted from within. Just like before, the smoke from Larry’s hat tuned into serpentine Nightmare forces that hissed and crackled and swirled around the Tree. After circling the room for several moments, they descended on Joe. Joe leaped to the side and covered his head. He looked again only to discover that the Nightmares weren't diving for him. They were diving for the Nightmare Cage. The Nightmares slithered in between the cracks of the lid and entered the cage.
After a few moments of dreadful silence, the lid of the cage came flying off with a loud bang. A tornado of darkness swirled from the open box and towered to the top of the tree. Larry continued to laugh hysterically as he raised his arms towards the tornado. The swirling blackness then charged its focused and converged onto Larry. Joe could only watch as Larry absorbed all of the darkness into his body. Larry, as a result, was growing larger and larger. The part of his body that resembled a tuxedo gave up the disguise and became black smoke as well. As Larry grew, his features distorted. The bubbly paws that were his hand grew longer and sharper like claws, with talons longer than a Dragon’s. Two black, bat-like wings erupted from Larry’s bulging back. Two pairs of curved, pointed horns, black as ebony, grew from his skull. His eyes were no longer yellow, but were instead, large and flaming red.
Larry continued to grow until he absorbed all of the black smoke. Darkness no long flew from the Nightmare Cage, It sat in the center of the room, just a harmless empty box. But Larry was now ten times the size he was before. He was a colossus of billowing black smoke that dripped like ink. He stared down at the puny pony who looked up at the monster with unrivaled terror.
“We are the Nightmare!” The new Larry bellowed, “And we shall be the rulers of this world! This Tree is ours!”