The scythe chopped through the air, and several changelings fell to the ground, and yet not once did Princess Luna pause in her advance. She never stopped moving until she reached a room from an older time. It was in direct contrast to the white stone all around her. It was grey, blocky and Luna was all too familiar with what the discoloured marks on the stone were. Still, if they were to have any chance of defeating the Changeling Combine, she would need what lay within. Despite all of her sister’s warnings, they both knew that it was the only way.
‘Am I finally going to get to come out and play?’ whispered a voice in her head.
“No,” said Luna, “I know I can control it this time.”
‘Funny,’ hissed the voice, ‘that’s what you said last time, too.’
Luna narrowed her eyes. Behind her, her scythe Umbra flicked around and decapitated an ambitious changeling.
“I’m not the same as I was last time,” stated Luna, staring at the sealed door.
‘That’s what you said last time too,’ said the voice in her head. A low hiss brought Luna out of her mental conversation to face three of the newer changelings, big, burly brawler-types.
“You never learn, do you?” asked Luna, pushing forwards. Umbra whipped around, driving point first into the first changeling brawler. With a burst of magic, the blade then pushed forward, bisecting the changeling, and slicing straight through the second brawler. The third was a little more intelligent, but the changelings didn’t have the required knowledge to combat a weapon like Luna’s.
Another gentle flick from Luna’s magic, and the scythe slipped a curved point behind the chain securing the door, and sliced through it. Luna’s magic pulled open the doors, and she stepped through, into a room of almost pure darkness.
‘You honestly think that you can control it?’ said the voice in Luna’s head. It was louder now. Like there was another pony in the room.
“I have to. My country is in need.”
‘You said that last time, too,’ it hissed. Luna could make out the shape of a set of armour. Unlike the one resting in the castle, this one was dark in a way that nothing else was. It was like it was sucking all the light out of the area. It may as well have been forged from darkness. She was still recovering. Were she at full power, this invasion would not have been a problem, but her full power would take decades to recover. Decades that she, or Equestria, didn’t have.
“You will not have my body or my mind again, Nightmare. The Nights are my domain. I am just as powerful as you are.”
There was still one final gate between Luna and the armour, but it wasn’t a physical one. And such was the true genius of the Nightmare’s Armour-it would grant nigh-on impossible powers and physical prowess, but you had to want it. Luna had spent years learning how to shut out its taunts and offers, because even if you got the Armour off, the presence in your mind remained there forever, always whispering.
You had to let it into your mind. That was how it took hold, and she could feel the Armour and its power pushing against her mind
‘So you claim,’ hissed Nightmare, ‘but you’ve said that before. Just remember that I can make sure that the ponies really, truly respect you.’
Luna sighed, and relaxed her final mental barrier. The armour dissolved into shadow, and reformed on Luna. Already she could feel the power flooding her, and she slammed her mental barriers back into place.
‘One slip up, Luna,’ whispered Nightmare, ‘I only need to be lucky once. I’ll be waiting.’