//------------------------------// // Stuck in the Everfree (Part two) // Story: The Fall of Spike the Dragon // by Wrangle Wolfe //------------------------------// We were rushing through the forest, trees flying past us and the ground blurry, until everything stopped. I looked at the manticore, whose back I was still resting on, as he scanned the forest and flicked his ears. "What's wr-" I tried to ask, but he quickly cut me off with a 'shush'. I wondered what could be so bad until I saw two red eyes glowing in the darkness. I looked closer, trying to figure out what it was until everything turned black and cold. It was if I were in a dreamless sleep, the kind where you don't realize that you are sleeping, until the manticore's concerned face invaded my vision. I blinked a few times, wondering what just happened. The manticore seemed to read my mind as I woke up. "A cockatrice." He stated. I wanted to facehoof. I easily got a cockatrice to turn me into stone. "How foolish of me to not see that coming." I muttered. "I wasn't exactly expecting it either, I just knew that I heard something in the bushes and I tried to pinpoint where it was." He said, picking me up in his maw and gently placing me onto his back. "We must be more careful in the future. Otherwise, you might not survive." I nodded, relaxing as he began to slowly continue walking in the direction we were headed before. I let out a stressed sigh and a tear came out of my eye. "I can't believe this is happening. After so much, I cannot believe this is happening." "Must be hard." "And I can't help but think... did I trigger this?" "What?!" "Equestria was in peace for a thousand years. The time I was gone. Before that, we had to deal with Discord, Sombra, Tirek, The Sirens, so many other villains and demons. Then I left and there was harmony. Now, when I come back after being banished on the moon, they all want to come back and attack our innocent ponies. Then Chrysalis attacks, and now one of our poor little subjects has become a huge murderous insane beast who cannot control his rage and sorrow. Did my magic somehow disrupt and awaken these beasts when I came back? It did take a lot of magic to bring me back... I don't even know any more." "Do you realize how insane you're sounding right now?" "I've been stuck on the moon for a thousand years, ostracized by everypony, fought evil beasts, watched hundreds of ponies die, some by my hooves and now I've had to watch helplessly as my sister's horn was torn right off of her head! I don't just sound insane... I am insane." I said quietly. There was a moment of silence before I started talking once more. "But I have to keep up this proper, regal act but to be truthful, I want to scream in rage. There are some days, where I struggle to keep my mind intact so that I can lower the moon. Casting magic is a mental task after all..." "Wait a second... You and Celestia both raise the moon and sun right?" "Yes that is common knowledge." "You and Celestia...?" I frowned for a moment and I jumped as I realized what he meant. How could I have been so blind? "Th-the sun... She has no horn... I have to do it! I have to raise and lower the sun! Oh no... this.... is bad." "What's wrong? Can't you...?" "I've never raised or lowered both of them before. Celestia... is connected to the sun in such a way that it's easy for her to raise it. She had trouble raising the moon... but she has more power than me. While I'm a better fighter, her magical prowess is very impressive. How...how will I do both?" "I think you've forgotten something, Luna." The manticore said, now looking at her in panic. "Wh...wha-" And then it hit me. "I... I-it doesn't matter if I can't control both... my magic still won't work... I forgot.... I never... We're going to die! It will get too hot! We will burn to death! The radiation from the sun will damage and kill us off!" I panicked "And the other side of Equus... will freeze." "Hey, don't think like that. Look, we'll find a way to get your magic back. And hey, didn't the unicorns do it before you and Celestia did? And we still have Discord. We have some hope." The manticore assured me. I calmed down. "I guess the stress is getting to me..." I said. "I can't think rationally at all..." "It's fine, Luna." There was a moment of silence as I thought. But I didn't want to think. The more I thought about what was happening, about the present, the future and life itself, the more depressed I get. I thought about the ponies who were screaming in agony as they tried to crawl away from green flames, their blood spilling out of them, eyes open wide and crying for me to save them. But I couldn't. I sat there, useless, and then I was tossed like a ragdoll. "It's not fine." "Luna, listen..." "NO, YOU LISTEN! Listen really closely! My ponies are burning to death out there and it's my responsibility to protect them! And I CAN'T! I can't save them! They're dying, all of them! And you know what the worst part is? It's my fault! I gave him a message and hoped he would understand it. I didn't tell him directly what to do, because I figured he would learn a lesson after it! And he never understood it! AND I DIDN'T TELL HIM! I knew he was smart, but sometimes anger clouds your intelligence! OF ALL PONIES I SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD! I SHOULD HAVE HELPED HIM! SO MANY PONIES ARE DYING BECAUSE OF ME!" "LUNA! Shush!" "No! I can't shush! I need to say this. I've been bottling all of my problems. I turned into Nightmare Moon because I didn't talk about what was wrong!" "Luna..." "Ponies are dying gruesome deaths because I just couldn't open my mouth!" "Luna!" "I'VE RUINED SO MANY LIVES BECAUSE OF MY IDIOCITY!" A loud roar echoed through the forest. It went on for about twenty seconds before the forest was completely quiet. I couldn't even hear and of the forest critters making noise. I looked to see the manticore frowning at me. "It's not your fault, okay?! Stop blaming yourself! I hate it when ponies blame themselves! That's what I did when my best friend died, but I was blinded by sadness and anger..." "W-what?" "Yes, I had a friend. He was one of the few sentient timberwolves out there. We've been through everything together. I had been frozen in fear and I hadn't said anything and he died. A hydra killed him. It was the first one I had seen and it terrified me... I had been enraged, I wanted to kill that monster!" He yelled. "But it was starving... It doesn't excuse its actions but... well, it was either my friend or it. And it won." He sighed as a tear ran down his face. "Since there weren't many sentient creatures out here, and I didn't want to get any more friends, I stayed out here, isolated and alone..." The manticore then looked at me "But you're the first creature I spoken to in years... hundreds and hundreds of years... I feel your pain, Luna." He said softly. "I-I'm sorry about what happened... You're... you're right. I shouldn't blame myself. It won't make the situation any better..." "Great. I'm glad you finally realized." He smiled. "Now, it's getting pretty late. The everfree is full of vicious nocturnal animals, and it's worse in here now than in the daytime. Let's go find us a cave shall we?" He said, going around the forest in search for a nearby cave. I yawned and fell asleep. My magic was drained, and so I was drowsy throughout the entire talk. At the last minute I realized something... When I do into the dream realm, I'll see how many ponies did not survive under Spike's wrath.