//------------------------------// // 15. The Abyss // Story: The Night That Never Ended // by BronyCray //------------------------------//            Throughout New Ponyville, barely a sound was made. Few ponies roamed the street, and those that did kept their heads down and their hooves moving quickly. In their homes, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike either spent time with their family or gathered their belongings together. A few grabbed a large tool or heavy object that could be used as a weapon, and fewer still strapped old pieces and scraps of armor to their flanks.               The announcement by Trixie had reached everypony’s ears, and the atmosphere was grim. Some clung to hope of victory, but most settled for hope of survival as they gathered what sparse food they had left. The calm before the storm lulled the town into silence, if not inactivity, as everypony prepared for the coming night.               For Rainbow Dash, the calm was already over. She glided near the cavern ceiling toward the guardhouse, her anxiety mounting with every flap of her wings. The silence of the town below was lost on her as her own mind echoed with her thoughts, having no outlet for the tension inside of her. Passing above the bridge to the guardhouse, she allowed herself to drop slowly back to earth, focusing on the task before her. She touched down outside of the guardhouse, pushing her way through the door.              Dash was surprised at the lack of activity inside. Ponies sat in silence or low conversation all around the room, the colors of the guard uniforms on everypony’s flanks. Although most of them sat idly, they were not lounging by any means. Helmets glinted off every head, and more than a few nervous glances were cast towards the door as Dash opened it. These ponies were as prepared as they were ever going to be, and now had to wait until the storm arrived.               Dash cast her eyes around the room, her query standing out easily. Catching her eye, Big Macintosh stood and nodded wordlessly, walking towards the stairs. Rainbow Dash made her way around the ponies cluttering the room and fell into step behind him as they made their way to the level above.   Dash passed a number of doors as they made their way down the deserted hallway before finally arriving at a seemingly unmarked one. Big Mac grabbed a key ring from a peg beside the door and inserted it. Instead of turning it, however, he turned to Rainbow Dash and spoke for the first time.               “If you try to help her escape again, you’ll be locked up with her.” Big Mac’s face held no hint of malice, instead seeming…almost sad. Dash nodded, knowing that he was probably going against orders by even letting her into the building. Big Mac turned and left, and Rainbow Dash forced herself to bring her troubled mind back to the ground.             The door seemed to loom in front of her like the portal to an abyss, and with tremendous effort she reached out a hoof to push it inwards. She froze as her hoof made contact, her worried mind racing.               It’s not too late, she begged herself, and you can still turn and leave. Let Twilight handle this, she’s much more levelheaded than you. Dash’s hand recoiled for just a moment before she caught herself. No, this is my problem. Come on Rainbow Dash, stay cool, she’s just a pony like anypony else. Dash didn’t push the door open so much as let herself fall forward, the gateway to her personal demon opening easily despite her reservations. _________________               The captain lay in the bed, hooves crossed behind her head as she stared at the ceiling. Hearing the noise of the door, she turned her head and froze. Standing in the doorway was a mirrored version of herself, Dash’s face unreadable as both ponies stared at each other. I knew this was coming, the captain told herself, now play it cool, just like I planned.               Dash was the first to speak, her voice already seeming tired. “Why are you here?” was the simple question, her voice flat and emotionless.               The captain sat up, looking around the room. “I don’t know,” she answered, “I honestly expected to wake up in the dungeons again. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”               The captain looked back toward the mare in the doorway, who looked none too amused at the question dodge. Not wanting to start out on the wrong hoof, the captain spoke again, “Er, sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. I know you’re probably mad about the whole kicking-you-into-boxes thing...” The captain trailed off, Rainbow Dash’s face remaining impassive. “Look, I think we both have questions for each other. I’ll answer yours if you answer mine, alright?”               Dash nodded and walked forward numbly, the door swinging gently closed behind her. The room was sparse and windowless, but a single desk and chair were present. Choosing instead to remain standing, Dash repeated her question. “Why are you here again? You told Rarity you just wanted the fight to be over.”               “I do,” the captain replied instantly, “but Trixie…look, I didn’t lead her here if that’s what you think. She followed me the first time, and was about to kill me when you came.” The captain looked down at her hooves, knowing that her face was blushing. “Thanks, by the way.”               Dash forced her face to remain unreadable, but her voice was incredulous. “Right. Trixie just happened to follow you to New Ponyville and has for some reason taken an interest in antagonizing us again? The two branches of military for Nightmare Moon aren’t working in conjunction?”               The captain threw out her hooves, gesturing to the room around her. “Do you see any Shadowbolts, foal? If they knew where I was, my men would be breaking down the doors to the town if it meant butting the rock with their own skulls.” The captain lowered her hooves, glaring daggers at Rainbow Dash, “I had no reason to lie to Rarity then, and I didn’t want to come back here. Trixie was going to kill me as a power play for Nightmare Moon, and you saved my life. Just take my thanks and shove off.” She crossed her hooves and looked away, biting her pride.               Dash wanted to sneer at the unmasked Shadowbolt, but what she knew of Trixie stopped her. The arrogant mare would be the kind to jump at the chance for fame and power in Nightmare Moon’s service, and if the captain was anything like herself-               NO! She is nothing like me! She’s working for the enemy-               “My turn,” the captain interrupted Dash’s thoughts, “I told you once that I came here to show you who I was, but that was only half of it. Twilight is dead and I am definitely me, so how are you here?”               Dash thought for a moment, but couldn’t see the harm in answering the question. “It’s…a long story.” Dash struggled for a starting point, and settled for the beginning. “Applejack was helping me practice a trick when I crashed into Twilight’s library, and she wanted me to help her with a spell. Something went wrong and we ended up here.”               Dash saw the captain nod, and the Shadowbolt spoke up “Another world, huh? I figured it had to be something like that. Trixie kept bragging about some eggheaded stuff like that around the time that she finished her mass teleport research-”               “Wait, WHAT?!” interrupted Dash, leaning forward despite herself, “t-that’s the spell Twilight cast to get us here! Trixie knows how to do it?” Dash had completely forgotten about keeping her face impassive, her visage now betraying her hopes.               The captain recoiled, the burst of emotion in the carefully sterile room surprising her, “Err, yea, but I don’t know much more than that. She used it to get me and her army here, but I wouldn’t count on her telling you.”               Dash collected herself, snapping her stance back to the carefully reserved position she had adopted previously. She couldn’t help but look at the captain a little less warily though, the Shadowbolt’s surprise hinting at her unease. For the first time, it occurred to Dash that the Shadowbolt might be as nervous as she was.               Dash was about to ask another question when the captain spoke again. “That doesn’t count, by the way.” The Shadowbolt had also recovered from the earlier outburst, trying to sit on the bed nonchalantly as she made idle conversation. Dash winced inwardly as she recognized her own trick, not sure whether she was glad to have the insight or upset to see the similarities. “You didn’t answer my question. Between what you and Twilight said to me last time I was here, I had already mostly figured that much out. I wanted to know how your world got to be so different from ours.” The captain paused, her voice dropping just a little, “How did your Twilight live?”               The question made Dash pause. So far, not even her closest friends in this world had questioned her so closely about her home. Dash had chalked it up to them being too occupied with their own problems, but now that she was faced with the question she wasn’t sure where to start. “Er, Twilight came to Ponyville about ten months ago, on the same day Nightmare Moon attacked.” The captain nodded, letting Dash know that they were on the same page so far. “We got the elements of harmony and then defeated Nightmare Moon, turning her back into Luna. Then Celestia came and-”               “Wait, wait, wait,” the captain interrupted, “back up, the elements of harmony actually worked?”               Dash blinked. “Well yea, I guess they didn’t for you though, right?” Dash tried to remember what Fluttershy and Pinkie had told them of that night, “Your Twilight never got her element of harmony, and then Nightmare Moon…killed her.” The gravity of the situation was returned to Dash, Oh Celestia, Twilight died. She looked toward the captain in horror, is this what I became without her?               “So…in your world, Twilight got her element of harmony and the day was saved, just like that?” The captain seemed troubled to Rainbow Dash, like her mind wasn’t really on the question.               “Yea. And in your world, she didn’t for some reason.”               “And there were a bunch of lame tests for each of your friends, right?”   Dash knew that the captain was going somewhere with this. She could feel herself getting antsy, not sure what to expect next. “Yea, there was a sea serpent for Rarity and a big cliff for Applejack, even though Fluttershy and I actually saved Twilight there,” Dash tapped her chin with her hoof, trying to remember all the details, “and Pinkie laughed at some trees and I had to repair a bridge after turning down an offer from the Shadow-”   Dash’s heart skipped a beat, and the silence in the room suddenly became deafening, Dash looked the captain in the eyes from across the room, seeing the same confusion that she felt. Dash spoke, but the words were quiet and hoarse, “You…you took their offer, didn’t you?”   The captain looked up at the standing Rainbow Dash, her cheeks flushing with anger. “You mean you turned them down?” She hissed.   “Of course I did!” the pegasus huffed, stamping a hoof. “My friends needed me! So what if some pony stunt team wanted me as the captain?”   Dash looked down at the Shadowbolt, but she stared back stoically. “They offered us everything we ever wanted, and you refused so that you could fix some stupid bridge?”   “What?! I helped my friends save the world!” yelled Rainbow Dash, “You…you betrayed them to Nightmare Moon!” Dash took a reflexive step backward as the realization sunk in. “The Elements of Harmony, they didn’t work because…oh Celestia, this is all your fault. This is all my fault!”   “Nightmare Moon is a god, foal!” The captain snapped, but Rainbow Dash barely heard her as her inner thoughts consumed her, “some stupid rocks couldn’t have been able to beat her.”   Dash turned her eyes back to the captain, her gaze suddenly hardening. “YOU!” she screamed, all pretense of self control gone, “You killed Twilight! You did this to Equestria! You betrayed the spirit of loyalty for personal gain!”   “No, I didn’t!” the captain yelled back, sitting up in the bed, “I didn’t owe those foals anything! Nightmare Moon made me an offer and I took it, where was the harm in that!?”   “You betrayed them!” cried Rainbow Dash, her own disbelief manifesting as repetition, “How…why!?”   “How could I have betrayed them? Just because they live in the same town as me doesn’t mean I should have thrown away my dreams for them!” The captain leaped to her own feet, yelling back at Rainbow Dash.   “They were your friends, and you threw them to the wolves.” Righteous fury filled Dash, her every word dripping venom, “you damned the world for power, of all things! How can you claim to still be loyal to anything?!”   “How can you claim to care about loyalty at all, you idiot! I’m the one who thought about what loyalty means!”   The captain’s words stunned Rainbow Dash momentarily. She had expected an apology, or a tirade about how loyalty was useless, but…the captain still considered herself loyal? She’s insane, Dash thought to herself, she’s completely deluded if she’s managed to rationalize this.   The captain continued, her voice lowering in Dash’s silence. “You sold your life and dreams away to some random mares that you didn’t even like. You just...just gave yourself away like a cheap gift!” The captain stumbled over her own words, disbelief coloring her face. “How can you call yourself loyal when it takes nothing to earn your loyalty?”               Dash was quick to reply, “How can you hate them? They are the best friends I could-”               “How could you not?” The captain interrupted, “Pinkie was just annoying and random, Rarity was obsessed with her own looks, Applejack was stubborn to a fault, and Twilight was just a random egghead that I hadn’t even met until earlier that day! And I was supposed to throw away everything I ever wanted for them?”               Dash hesitated. It was true that it had taken time for her friends to grow on her, and she would probably still dislike Pinkie Pie if she hadn’t discovered their shared love of practical jokes, but...               “No, you’re wrong.” Dash lowered her wings back to her side, her surety calming her voice. “You knew what would happen if the Elements of Harmony didn’t work, and you…” the word betrayed didn’t seem to fit anymore… “switched sides for personal gain at everypony’s expense.”               The captain stood, walking forward until her face was just inches from Dash’s. “Nightmare Moon had already won, Celestia was gone, and I had to choose between trusting some stupid rocks or following my dreams.” Dash snorted, and the captain could feel the hot air on her face. “And you,” she continued as her face wrinkled in hatred, “sold your loyalty for dirt. Your words about it mean nothing when it’s given freely to any passing stranger.”               “And yours means nothing when it was bought by the highest bidder,” retorted Rainbow Dash, shoving her head forward until it connected with the captain’s with a loud CLONK.               “Nightmare Moon earned my respect, instead of just holding me back as some weather pony for the rest of my life,” snarled the captain, pushing Dash backward with her head.               “It doesn’t matter what she bought it with,” pushed back Rainbow Dash, regaining lost ground. “You still sold it to her instead of sticking by your friends.”               “They weren’t my friends! What’s the point of loyalty if it doesn’t take anything to earn it?”               “They would have been! Loyalty has no meaning when it can be bought or sold!”               “You’re wrong!”               “No, you’re wrong!”               “No, you’re-”               Dash caught herself. Her vision was literally filled with the face of the captain as they butted heads, but she took a mental step back from the scene. She hated to admit it, but if there was one pony who could be as stubborn about arguing as she was, it was her. A realization struck her, and she grinned. “-you’re lying!” she finished triumphantly. “If you didn’t care about our friends, then why did you ask me about Twilight? Huh?”         The captain’s gaze faltered as she drew back a bit. “I, err...I was just curious, okay?” She looked down at the ground, and her voice lowered. “Look, maybe I felt a little bad. I didn’t like her, but that doesn’t mean I wanted her to die, you know?”         Dash’s anger settled slightly. She didn’t want to feel any kind of sympathy for this monster...but at least she wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. Taking a step back of her own, Dash took a slow breath and continued. “If you never wanted her to die, why did you help Nightmare Moon? You must have thought of that when you joined the Shadowbolts.”         “I did.” The captain kept her eyes to the ground, and Dash couldn’t see her face. “I tried to think of everything, consider the chances of every outcome. Kinda like...kinda like how Twilight did, I guess. Celestia was already gone, and Nightmare Moon did have a reason to be angry, and she wanted to let me lead the Shadowbolts. It was either that, or trust some stupid rocks to save the world.” The captain looked up, and Dash was surprised to see tears. “I knew ponies might die, but they could have died either way. But actually seeing it happen with Twilight...”         The captain trailed off, but Dash was still thinking hard. “So after she died you all ran, and then you attacked Nightmare Moon-”         “It wasn’t staged, if that’s what you’re thinking.” The captain glared at Dash defensively, her shoulders shifting uncomfortably. “I know what I did was questionable at best, but I owed those fillies nothing. I guess I didn’t really consider the big picture until Nightmare Moon killed Twilight.” The captain lowered her head and paused, “There’s a big difference between knowing that somepony might die and watching it in person.” Despite her words, Rainbow Dash could hear the defiance in her voice, “But I acted rashly, then. There was a lot I didn’t know, and attacking Nightmare Moon accomplished nothing.         “So you aligned with her at the bridge, regretted it after Twilight died, then nearly got yourself killed when you regretted that too?”         “Something like that,” The captain nodded. “I wish it was simpler, but I don’t have an easy way of explaining it. In the end, though, I knew who I wanted to choose. I avoided finding my ‘friends’ after that night because I knew they wouldn’t understand.”                  “I don’t understand!” Rainbow Dash yelled, throwing her hooves up in frustration. “Fluttershy and Rarity and even Applejack all regret having to do what they’ve done to survive. But you caused all of this and still don’t care?!” Dash pulled at her face, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. “I- just-....I don’t get it!”         “I do care! I don’t like seeing the world like this any more than you do, foal!” The captain’s face contorted, her eyes glazing over. “I know that it’s a little bit my fault, but how could I have known? And as far as you ‘just not getting it’?. Maybe that’s where we’re different.” The captain paused, and her voice sank with a sigh. “I can’t imagine how you choosing them over your dreams makes any sense, so I guess you feel the same way about me. Fine, whatever, I don’t need to justify myself to you.” She paused, and Dash released her grip on her head as the pain finally registered. “But I’ve spent every day since that night trying to hold what’s left of Equestria together, so don’t you dare say that I don’t care!”         Dash opened her mouth to yell back, but caught her breath as she looked at the captain’s face. It looked determined, sure, but Dash caught the faint glimmer of moisture as a tear rolled down the captain’s cheek.         Rainbow Dash sighed, her frustration draining softly. “When I learned who you were, it all made sense. You had betrayed your element of harmony just like everypony else apparently had. I figured the fight with Nightmare Moon was staged, at least.”         “I know,” the captain said glumly, “but I made my choice. I didn’t care what those fillies thought of me after that night. Once I took the Shadowbolts’s offer, I knew that was the end of the six of us.” Dash saw the captain draw a hoof across her face, wiping away the last of her tears. “I’ve become a lot of things since then, but I’m not a liar. I never betrayed them, regardless of how you judge me.”         There was a long pause as both mares collected their thoughts, and Dash avoided her gaze. She heard hoofsteps a few moments later, and heard the movement of springs as the captain sat on the edge of the bed.  Listening to the silence that filled the room gave Dash time to think about what the captain had said, and it kinda made sense in some parts, but it wasn’t right. It just couldn’t be right.         “It’s your turn.” came a voice from the bed. Dash lifted her face to see the captain on her back, staring straight at the ceiling with one hoof behind her head. It would have looked relaxed if her body hadn’t been held so rigidly.         “Huh?” Dash mumbled, distracted by the sight of the captain. She tries so hard to keep her cool. Can’t she tell she isn’t fooling anypony?         “To ask a question.” the captain finished, her body tense on the bed. “I asked you about Twilight. Now it’s your turn.”         Dash shook her head. “Oh, uh...” I should ask her to help, she thought to herself as she bit her lip, since that’ was Twilight’s plan. Even if I don’t like her, I can’t let Twilight down. But would she help if I asked?         Dash sat down on the floor, making up her mind. “Do you regret it now? Working for Nightmare Moon and betr-...leaving your friends?”         “Under the same circumstances, I’d make the same choice.” The captain answered without hesitation.         “Yea, I know, you’ve made that pretty clear.” Dash rolled her eyes, “But that’s not what I asked.”         The captain didn’t move, and Rainbow Dash grimaced as she recognized her own tell-tale sign of indecision. When the captain did answer, her voice was slow and certain. “I wish my world could be as happy as yours is, if that’s what you mean. Who wouldn’t?. I guess I...” The captain rolled over quickly, glaring at Dash. “Look, foal, it doesn’t matter anyway. I helped her, and I have to live with it, alright?” She flopped back onto the bed, “What good did regrets ever do anypony, anyway?”         “Because if Trixie ever starts that invasion, all of those girls you nearly died saving will die.” Rainbow Dash walked over to the bed, but the captain didn’t react. “You said you did your best to spare Ponyville, right? Well it needs help again. No matter what Twilight says, this town won’t live through an actual war. Once Trixie finds out exactly where the entrance is, it will be a massacre. Unless we have our own army.”         “Look, foal, I won’t-”         “You said you’ve been fighting day and night to hold this world together, right? Well here’s your chance do actually do some good.” Rainbow Dash paused, but the captain remained silent. “As we speak, Twilight is working to put Rarity and Applejack out of power. With your help, we can turn this town back into something worth protecting.”         Rainbow Dash looked down at the bed, extending a trembling hoof towards the captain. “I hate myself for it, but I don’t hate you for everything you’ve done. If I did, I’d have to hate everypony here or just be a hypocrite. But even if there’s nothing in this town worth saving anymore, even if there’s nothing in this world, it doesn’t have to end like this. We can stop Trixie, prove that not everything is lost. Will you help us?” ___________________              In the Everfree Forest, the first stars of the night were beginning to appear in the sky. Instead of blinking in one by one, like they would in the fading light of sunset, Trixie could see the exact line where they appeared. In one area, the sky was filled with pinpricks of light, but across a slowly receding line there laid only blackness.               Not that Trixie was actually looking at the stars, no matter how beautiful a less busy pony might find the sight. That had just been the first thing to come into her view as Nightmare Moon’s teleport spell ended, and she quickly turned her attention to less simplistic matters.                      Trixie held her head perfectly still as her vision came fully into focus. She had been teleporting for months now, and wasn’t about to let Nightmare Moon see that it still made her groggy. Especially such a far teleport as that! Trixie stifled a groan as her stomach quieted. It had been one thing when she had held all that power, before she had used it to burn out New Ponyville, but without that buffer she felt weak as a kitten.               Nightmare Moon passed in front of her sights, which Trixie realized were still focused on the stars. They really were quite beaut- no, focus! Trixie couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy as she shook her head and immediately regretted it, looking through dazed eyes toward the ruler that strode calmly through the muck of the forest. She isn’t even fazed, she muttered in her mind. Well, I wasn’t either when I brought my whole army here! What makes her so special anyway?               A soft light from around the goddess reminded Trixie why she was here, and she tried to banish the wobble from her knees using sheer force of will. Walking quickly, but not hurrying, to catch up with Nightmare Moon, she came to her side. And not a moment too soon, for just as she came alongside the alicorn, the faces of the Royal Guard came into view around the withered trees.               Nightmare Moon strode through the quickly quieting camp, not even glancing at the ponies around her. Trixie straightened her shoulders and pushed out her chest as she strode alongside her queen, trying to walk over the rough ground while keeping her nose in the air. The two swiftly approached the largest tent in the center of camp, in front of which a bonfire blazed. It wasn’t subtle, Trixie knew, but the overly bright light acted as a beacon for any of her troops nearby. The last thing she needed was for her forces to become disorganized by something as inane as weather.                  Just as she had commanded, her own tent had been set up directly behind the fire. It was far larger than any other tent, as she well deserved, and the tasteful ornamentation along the sides, roof, corners, doorway, door flap, and twin banners bearing her personal insignia helped to lend it that truly unique touch.         Still remaining silent, Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed briefly as the door flaps swung aside. Trixie pushed down her indignation at entering her own tent behind somepony else. A guard at the entrance saluted smartly as she passed by, and Trixie’s head swivelled at the distraction.         “M’am! Your warrant officer returned during your absence from patrol. He has an urgent report for you.” The pony lowered his hoof from his forehead and looked carefully over Trixie’s shoulder, his expression blank.         “Ah, er, yes. Send him in right away!” Trixie affixed her carefully rehearsed expression of slight worry to her face. Nightmare Moon must think that I am troubled by the news, but attempting to hide it. Trixie turned back towards the entrance to the tent and strode inside, head lowered just slightly. All part of the plan.         Trixie looked up as she neared the center of the tent. Off to her side, a four poster bed of light blue lay behind a purple veil, while a round table and several chairs took up the other side of the room. Between both pieces of furniture a small fire pit had been dug, and miscellaneous personal effects stood stacked around the walls. Nightmare Moon had already seated herself at the table, and although it was round, Trixie swore that she was sitting a the head of it.         “Oh my, what a coincidence.” Nightmare Moon’s voice lacked even the barest hint of surprise, and a pang of worry shot up Trixie’s spine before she could quell it. Worry? Why am I worried? Everything is perfect so far!         “I’m deeply sorry, your majesty. I’m afraid I simply must attend to this. I think we can both agree that the duties of leadership come before cordial visits, though you are of course welcome to watch.” A touch defiant, Trixie mused in retrospect, but that can be chalked up to the worry. A shiver ran up her spine again, but this time from excitement. A hint of a smile here, a flash of charisma there, and suddenly you had anypony believing your every word. This was where Trixie thrived.         “Of course Trixie, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your command over my personal guard, after all.” Oops. “Speaking of which, I was rather certain I had forbidden them to aid you in this fools errand...I do hope my memory fails me, for your sake.” Nightmare Moon’s face was blank, but her mane simmered lower with each word.         “Ahh, yes, about that.” Trixie spoke slowly, her mind racing to keep ahead of her tongue, “You told me that I was to use only my own resources, and so I asked for volunteers to aid me. So, er, they aren’t Royal Guard ponies right now, since they are off duty and serving me. Which I believe counts as using my own resources since I mustered them up for myself.” Trixie paused to mentally pat herself on the back, but a raised eyebrow from Nightmare Moon sent her stumbling over her next sentence. “Oh, uh, that is, until their shifts resume. Then of course they are under your command. In fact, they are still under your command. As am I, oh most regal of nights, the dazzling eye of the sky,  the shimmering-”         “Yes, yes, that’s quite enough, Trixie.” Trixie looked up from the ground, which she only just now realized she had been lowering herself towards out of habit. Nightmare Moon looked annoyed, but her mane had begun roiling again. “Your...resourcefulness has served us both well in the past. You continue to prove your worthiness as one of my lieutenants, but be careful not to trod on my own hooves in the future.” Nightmare Moon eyed her with disdain, but Trixie knew she was already in the clear. “Besides, I’d rather hear more of this report. Your...warrant officer, was it? He was doing...?”         “Before he was-, err, before I left to make my report to you, I sent several scouting parties to investigate the location of the rebel base. He was leading one of them, but I can’t imagine what happened.” Now just a slight frown...perfect.         A brief look of worry crossed Nightmare Moon’s face, but she shook her head and her visage grew stern once more. “And I suspect they were attacked, right?”         “Well, I wouldn’t know, my queen. Like I said, I was gone-”         “And like I said, this whole place reeks of one of your schemes. I will be very interested to hear what this warrant officer says happened, and I will personally investigate the truth of the matter.”         Trixie recoiled in fear, but quickly recovered. Masking her worry as indignation, she laced her words with “honest” hurt. “Your Majesty, have I not served you faithfully enough? Have I ever done anything undeserving of your trust?” Nightmare Moon’s brow scrunched up, and she turned her head slightly to the side. Trixie pressed her advantage, lacing her voice with hurt trust, “My queen, I am forever your humble servant, but if you still require persuading, then let this be my test.”         Trixie’s eye glimmered, already knowing her victory was at hand. Nightmare Moon was obviously deep in though, but Trixie already knew that she would find nothing in her memories. Oh yes, Trixie had been planning for months, waiting for a chance to eliminate the captain, but she was always careful to never give the damned alicorn more than a vague feeling of doubt.         Nightmare Moon’s head rose slowly, and she locked eyes with Trixie. “Perhaps...perhaps I am being unfair to you, Trixie.” A large weight lifted from Trixie’s chest, which she was very sure had not been there a moment before. “Perhaps the fault lies with me for assuming your ambition knew no bounds.” Nightmare Moon sighed, and her mane began to roll gently through the air, something Trixie had never seen in her presence. “Though of course, why trust such vague feelings? You are, of course a master of subtlety?”         Trixie’s smile froze, sensing a trap ahead. Cautiously, she nodded her head.         “Then I’m sure you’ve long since learned the art of telling a lie from truth?” Nightmare Moon’s horn began to glow softly, and Trixie hoped the alicorn wouldn’t notice the bead of sweat running down her cheek. “The quickening of the heart, the stutter of breath, the hundreds of telltale signs just screaming for attention?”         “Uh, Your Majesty, as the Royal Inquisitor- that is, I have some experience-”         “Of course you do.” Nightmare Moon interrupted, the glow from her horn dimming slightly. “You are a natural at reading ponies, your success as a showpony before your employment in my court will testify to that. I, however, have no gift for it.” A hollow laugh from the black ruler drew a nervous smile out of Trixie, who wasn’t sure where she was going with this. “You may not realize it, but I’m not infallible, Trixie. I’ve been fooled before, oh yes. I’ve been lied to and cheated by those I thought dear to me, promised eternal rule as equals and then banished for generations. I’ve no gift for catching lies, Trixie, but I’ve a gift for magic.” Nightmare Moon lowered her brow, her mane billowing around her head and reflecting off her eyes and teeth. “That’s why I’ve been practicing a little spell, you see. A little lie catcher for little traitors who pretend and scheme.” Trixie suppressed a gulp, Trying her best to keep from shaking. Nightmare Moon continued, mock concern flooding her voice. “Oh, it wouldn’t work on you of course; such a master of the craft would no doubt have little trouble working around it. But on another pony, say a bumbling officer...my my, whenever will that patrol leader of yours arrive?” Trixie smiled back at her queen, and a shout from outside announced that her warrant officer had, indeed, arrived. As Trixie called out for him to enter, she took care not to break the stare with Nightmare Moon. Her perfectly crafted smile gave her an air of confidence, but beneath her features a world of turmoil had begun. The Great and Powerful Trixie is not going to crack under pressure, she told herself as the tent flap opened. But the glares from Nightmare Moon, the assumptions that the captain was already hurt, and now this spell? That’s why she insisted on coming herself! Damn, she must have known I’d have to entrust an underling for any plan to work in my absence. She’s going to catch me red-hoofed because of that stupid oaf- She shook her head mentally, though she only coughed politely on the outside. Come on Trixie, hold it together. You’ve come this far on your wits and charm, now you just need to trust in this foalish dictator’s idiocy. That’s never failed you before, has it? But another look at Nightmare Moon’s confident glance toward the tent entrance shook Trixie further, her face barely masking her emotions in the flickering light. Moment by moment, she could feel a little bit of her confidence draining away. By the time the warrant officer had fully entered the tent, she could feel a lead weigh in her chest. She caught herself from shuffling her hooves and suppressed a sigh; Oh crap, what have I gotten myself into?   _______________                   The warrant officer gulped as he was waved into the ornate tent. The guard beside the entrance gave him a rare pitying glance as he passed, which did little to ease the small unicorn’s fears. As he pushed his way through the tent flap, he squinted his eyes in pain. The billowing mane of Nightmare Moon filled the room with far more light than even the bonfire outside, and the warrant officer almost whimpered in pain as it filed his vision.                   “Ah, Y-your Majesty!” the warrant officer exclaimed as he fell to the ground, eyes shut tight.   “Ahh, my most trusted lieutenant,” Trixie cooed from somewhere behind the light. “Whatever could be so urgent as to interrupt my meeting with Her Majesty?   “A thousand apologies, Great and Powerful Trixie,” the warrant officer exclaimed, still laying prostrate, “but I bring most dire news. A foul band of rebels ambushed us as we drew nigh upon the portal to the rebel’s refuge, and battle was joined in the darkness of day.” The warrant officer cringed as he looked up, both in fading pain from the light and in fear of Trixie. Though he had rehearsed his lines exhaustively, acting was never a strong point of his.   There was a pause, and then a chuckle. A voice like the wind in the night followed, sounding more mirthful than alarmed. “Heh heh, oh my, it sounds like those foul brigands were most…foul” Nightmare Moon deadpanned, and the warrant officer could see the annoyance more clearly on her face as his vision cleared. “Ahem, and then what happened, most noble of fighters? Surely all your foes were vanquished, else you would have fought to the death.”   “Unless, of course, you prioritized military intelligence over pride, and perhaps allowed one to live so that you could escape and make this report.” Trixie’s voice added from the side.   The warrant officer stumbled over his words for a second, already aware that this was not how Trixie thought the conversation would go. “W-well, the six of us did fierce- err, fought with six of them,” He scrunched his brow as he tried to figure out why Trixie had deviated from the scripted dialogue, “This is where I was forced to come back and report to you immediately, because, uh, Rainbow Dash was with the resistance!” The warrant officer blinked as his eyes adjusted to the new light level, the flaring mane of Nightmare Moon dropping almost instantly to flames only centimeters high. Sweat dripped down his brow as he looked to Trixie nervously, though he felt no heat from the simmering mane. “Ahem, warrant officer, I believe that you must be mistaken.” Even through the sudden gloom, the warrant officer could imagine Trixie’s look of displeasure accompanying that voice. It was a look that he had learned to expect in her service, whether or not he did what he was told. And he was doing as he was told! Trixie had made sure that he knew every line and stutter by heart, down the the frowns and sighs. And yet she was deviating from the plan! He was supposed to walk in, make his sorrowful report, and then walk out before he could botch the job, but now she was going on about mistakes and letting somepony go? Nightmare Moon didn’t know that Trixie knew who the captain was, or...well, something like that. The warrant officer did remember that he was only supposed to mention Rainbow Dash by name, never “the captain”. Trixie had tried to explain why this made something more believable, but they both knew it had gone right over his poor head. “Er, sorry Great and Powerful Trixie, but I’m positive I saw Rainbow Dash fighting us.” He winced, his stomach seizing at the memory of pain. Shifting his weight slightly, he opened his mouth to continue before being cut off. “Allow me to interject, officer.” Nightmare Moon’s voice had lowered from her mocking mirth earlier, and the warrant officer noticed her horn begin to glow dimly. He tried not to think of what those cold eyes were planning on using that magic for. “You say you saw Rainbow Dash, known to have been dead for months, magically reappear?” “Er, well, I wouldn’t say magically, Your Highness, since, you know... no horn... er, sorry?” The warrant officer stumbled, no longer sure what he was supposed to be saying. With no other option presented to him, he grasped at repetition. “But, uh, yea! Rainbow Dash was there, and she fought my men!” Nightmare Moon glowered for a moment, but seemed satisfied. The warrant officer looked towards Trixie desperately for help, but she was staring absently at Nightmare Moon. The warrant officer's stomach dropped at seeing no guidance coming from her for the first time in...well, for a long time, anyway. “And your patrol just happened across her in the woods?” “Well, yea, we kinda stumbled on her by mistake.” He thought for a moment, not sure whether or not he should be improvising too much. “We were near the entrance of the rebel base, or where we think it is, when a giant rock moved aside and she was standing there with four other ponies!” He gulped as he finished, not sure what to expect. With every word, the glow on Nightmare Moon’s horn remained steady, and he was beginning to imagine all the horrible things it could erupt into at any moment. “Thank you, warrant officer,” Trixie finally spoke up, “This is indeed alarming news, and we will need to further discuss-” “WAIT!” Nightmare Moon’s voice split the air with a crack, her mane erupting outwards for a moment before shrinking back to a more normal height. Standing and striding towards the quivering officer, she lowered her horn until it was mere inches from his face. “I refuse to believe that Rainbow Dash is standing with the enemy! Did you attack her first!?” “N-no, she charged one of my guards-” “Did she kill any of my guard!?” “Did you kill her? If you harmed one feather on her, I swear I will see you burn for the rest of your pathetic life!” Nightmare Moon’s eyes flashed fire, the fury behind them matched only by the bonfire on her back that roiled with every word. The warrant officer couldn’t tear his eyes away from the faintly glowing horn just inches from his face, shivering in terror underneath the towering alicorn. “No, oh please, she’s still alive! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! She was going to take me prisoner, but I slipped away and ran the rest of the way back here as soon as I could! The rebels killed everypony else I’m sorry please please don’t kill me!” His last words ended in a squeal, eyes shutting tight against his impending doom. He felt a whoosh of air and opened an eye cautiously, watching his ruler round on Trixie. “YOU!” she screamed, “you did something! I know you’re plotting something against her, I’ve known it for months! You...you tricked her into defecting against me! You sabotaged my spell! Tell me that the sky is red!” The warrant officer blinked in surprise, but Trixie’s face showed only sorrow and pity. “The sky is red,” she calmly stated. Instantly, Nightmare Moon’s horn erupted, a white light almost drowning out the shades of purple and black cast by her mane. A moment later it was gone, replaced by a howl of fury from the alicorn. “NO! It’s not true! I made sure it wouldn’t never happen again! She’s the element of loyalty! She can’t betray me!” Closing her eyes and digging her hooves into the ground, Nightmare Moon snarled from between gritted teeth. “I’ll prove you wrong, you traitorous foal! You think you’re the only one who can connect with other ponies minds?!” The warrant officer saw her gasp for breath, redoubling her efforts as the spell built power. “I am a god! I won’t be double crossed again! I know you’re behind this, Trixie, and I’ll find my captain and figure out how!” “Your majesty, please! It took me months of practicing before I could master that spell-” “SILENCE! You’re just afraid I’ll find her, aren’t you?” The warrant officer stayed frozen on the floor, but even he could hear the paranoid cracks in his ruler’s voice. “You’re afraid I’ll find out how you set up this elaborate plot? Well you should be! I’m not some lowly showpony like you! I’m Nightmare Moon! If you can do it, then I damn well can too!” With her mane lashing fruitlessly at the ceiling and walls of the tent, Nightmare Moon kept her eyes shut tight as her horn flared over and over, casting enough light to illuminate every shadow of the gloomy room. For the first time in his life, the warrant officer saw fear written on Trixie’s face as she looked around desperately, trying to get away from the magical buildup. The warrant officer could feel a tug in his horn as it naturally pulled slightly towards the arcane epicenter, and he was sure every unicorn nearby was feeling it as well. He tried to stand and run, but his legs stayed locked underneath him. He had only known fear like this once before, when The Great and Powerful Trixie had punished him and his partner for failing her. He had been so sure he was about to die, and- A muffled bang rang out as the queen’s horn flared again, banishing the memories from the warrant officer’s mind. With no way to comprehend the strength of the magic he was witnessing, all he could do was whimper in terror as Nightmare Moon drew in more power.