//------------------------------//
// 6 - The Potion 
// Story: Once Upon a Nightmare 
// by Maran 
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Chapter 6 – The Potion


The Elements of Harmony had not, in fact, sent Luna to her home.

As soon as the six teens had started to power up, the Nightmare freaked out, making Luna feel its fear and desperation. She tried to get it to calm down while she listened to what Sunset Shimmer had to say. Luna still hoped that they could work together to learn more about magic and find the creatures that could cause trouble for their school. When Sunset called her Nightmare Moon, Luna was shocked, since she had told no one the name of the entity that was giving her magic powers.

Sunset explained that Luna couldn't control her magic, but Luna didn't want to believe it. Just because Sunset didn't know a way to control it didn't mean that it was impossible. But Sunset insisted that they “free” her from the Nightmare. At that point, the Nightmare panicked, saying that they weren't strong enough to resist the Elements of Harmony, so they would have to escape and fight another day. As the multicolored beam of energy arched toward Luna, she felt the Nightmare's magic pulse through her. She thought perhaps it would be better to go somewhere safer. A split second before the rainbow light reached her, Luna teleported. Suddenly she was standing on the lawn in front of her “humble duplex.”

She let out a ragged sigh. That meeting could have gone a lot better.

'We don't need the Element bearers. I have all the knowledge and power you need. We just need to keep those girls out of our way.'

How do you suggest we do that? Maybe create some kind of diversion?

'That's not a bad idea, but I'm thinking of something more like a magic potion that would put them into a deep sleep.'

That was oddly specific. The Nightmare must have thought of this idea ahead of time.

'I knew they would try to use the Elements against us, and I also figured you wouldn't want to kill them.'

Luna raised her eyebrows. Kill them!? You can't be serious!

'No, I was never really serious about killing them, no need to worry.'

The Nightmare did have her worried for a second. You know those six students aren't the otherworldly creatures we need to fight, right?

'Of course. The problem is that they think they need to fight us, and they won't listen to reason. The one in the jacket is dead set on separating us forever. What makes it worse is that if we were parted, you would become even weaker than before we joined, and you would revert to a teenager again.'

Uh, what? Luna slapped her forehead. Why didn't you tell me this before?

'I didn't think of it.'

No...You didn't tell me because you thought I wouldn't agree to join with you if I knew there was a price for ending our partnership.

'All right. You've got me there. I didn't want you to say no.'

Why? Why is it so important that you join with me and not someone else? Luna shook her head.

The Nightmare was quiet for a moment. 'Well, I suppose I've grown fond of you. Attached, you might say. We did spend a thousand years in the moon together.'

You mean the other version of me.

'Yes. You are like her in many ways. Both of you are motivated by a sense of fairness, but unfortunately you lack her ambition. However, I do love your refreshing naivete.'

What were you doing inside the moon?

'The other Celestia banished us there using the only things that can stop us – the Elements of Harmony. She wanted to be the only Princess in Equestria, you see, so she hid us away and let everyone forget that there used to be two co-regents.'

So that was why the Nightmare didn't like Celestia.

'That's right. But your sister is different. I understand that now.'

Do you really?

'Absolutely. Besides, she has no magic, so she's no threat to me. But the new Element bearers are a concern. I can't let them separate us again!'

Luna was about to reply when her phone started buzzing in her pocket – she had magicked pockets into her dress for convenience. She pulled her phone out and saw that Celestia had sent her a text.


Where are you? Are you ok?


'Don't tell her.'

What? Why not? She's probably worried.

'Well then, let her know that you are unharmed. But tell her only enough to prevent her from asking more questions.'

Luna texted:


I'm fine. I went home.


'We should get going, in case the Element bearers come looking for us.'

Now the Nightmare sounded paranoid.

'I'm just being cautious. Besides, we'll need to leave anyway, to get the ingredients for the sleeping potion.'

Luna slipped the phone back into her pocket. First tell me more about it. This potion won't heart them, will it?

'Not at all. It will merely put them in a deep sleep for a while. Just long enough for us to take care of the other monsters.'

That doesn't sound too bad. What are the ingredients?

'Let's see...A tuft of cloud, the red band of a rainbow, and the hair of a lion. And it must be stirred in the moonlight.'

A tuft of cloud? But isn't that just water?

'No, it has to be water droplets from the sky.'

Luna wasn't looking forward to flying again. And where was she going to get lion hair?

'Do they not have lions in this world?'

Yes, but none in the area. The closest things to lions around here are the pumas at the nature preserve.

'I've never tried making the potion with puma hair, but it might be close enough.'

What about the rainbow? She gazed up at the silvery overcast sky. There's no rain or sunlight now.

'You're part pegasus now. You can just make a rainbow.'

If you say so. I guess the puma hair would actually be the easiest, so let's start with that. It's been a while since I visited the nature preserve, but I think I can teleport us there.

Closing her eyes, Luna thought of the wooden nature center nestled in the gently rolling hills covered with trees that would be bare this time of year. There was a zap and an electric flash through her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, she was in the middle of the woods, but there was no nature center or any other structures, and the only animals around were birds and squirrels. Luna closed her eyes and refocused her attention, and teleported again. This time, she found herself next to a high chain-link fence, although still in the forest. A golden brown cougar was stretched out on its side about twenty feet away. It lifted its head and fixed Luna with an intense stare, twitching its ears, but it made no move to get up.

Luna froze. This was a terrible idea.

'Don't be afraid. We can just blast it with our magic if it attacks. And we could give ourselves armor for protection.'

She glanced down at the vambraces on her arms. Of course! I should have thought of that myself.

Her hands glowed with an azure aura, and her dress changed into a navy metallic breastplate, cuisses for her thighs, and thick knee-high boots. However, her back, wings, upper arms, shoulders, and head were still exposed.

'We need more material. Even with all our power, we can't create matter from nothing. Earth ponies and some unicorns can replicate organic material, but even they need a sample first.'

More material...Will these trees work?

'Yes, they should do nicely. But we'd better hurry – that kitty is getting up.'

The big cat had pulled its legs underneath its body in a crouch, and its tail lashed about as if it had a mind of its own.

Luna put her hands on the nearest tree, and the bark peeled off and wrapped around her upper body to form a helmet with a visor, and a pauldron covering her shoulders and back just above her wings.  She made gauntlets, rerebraces for her upper arms, and couters for her elbows. The rough bark turned smooth and shiny to match the rest of her armor.

And not a moment too soon. The puma wiggled its haunches and leaped straight for her, its claws extended. It hooked its paw around her neck and dragged her toward the ground. Luna gasped and pushed her hand into its maw. The big cat wrapped both paws around her arm as if it were trying to tear it out of its socket. With her free hand, Luna reached behind its head and pulled out a small clump of hair. It was not difficult, since the puma was shedding naturally due to the changing of seasons. Then she pulled her hand back, made a fist, and punched the top of its head. The cougar let go of her arm and staggered back, its sharp eyes turning glassy. Luna had hit it harder than she meant to with her “earth pony strength.” She hoped it would recover with a bit of rest.

She teleported back home and examined the clump of fur. Then she used some grass to make a satchel to keep it in.

Why couldn't I have just turned grass or bark into lion hair?

'Potions don't work that way. The ingredients have to be authentic, otherwise we could just transform a pile of dirt into a magic potion. Potions have to be easy enough that an earth pony or pegasus or any other intelligent being could make them, but hard enough that a unicorn couldn't create them instantly.'

All right, if you say so. She lifted her gaze to the dreary cloud cover overhead. I guess I'll have to fly now. But how do I get tuft of cloud?

'We can use a jar to collect it.'

Since she didn't like wearing helmets anyway, Luna removed hers and transformed it into a glass jar.

'You're getting so good at using magic. Flying should be as easy for you.'

Luna bit her lip. Maybe it was because she had to use her extra new appendages, but flying was by far the most difficult ability for her to master.

'Well, you'll never master it if you don't practice.'

Steeling herself, Luna took a few running steps and sprang into the air, beating her wings. At least now there was plenty of light to see where she was going – perhaps the perfect level of light, since there was no sun glare. She fixed her gaze up on the clouds and pushed herself up, higher and higher until she bumped against them.

“Huh?” She pulled off one of her gauntlets and touched the cloud. It felt like damp cotton, solid but pliable. It was impossible.

'You're part pegasus. Pegasi interact with clouds as if they were solid.'

This is weird, even for today. She grabbed a handful of cottony cloud and tore it off, placing it in her jar. Then she risked looking down at the ground far, far below. Landing was always the trickiest part.

'Before we land, we should break up these clouds.'

All of them? Luna gazed around at the thick clouds stretching in every direction as far as she could see.

'A good portion of them, at least. We need sunlight to make a proper rainbow. It's either that or teleport somewhere sunny.'

Luna stared, hovering in place. She doubted that she could teleport that far. At best, it would take several jumps.

'Just try to bust the clouds. It might not be as difficult as you think.'

She blew out air through her nose. Then she punched the cloud, leaving a fist-sized hole. At this rate, she might break up a few square feet before the clouds drifted past Canterlot on their own.

'Do it like a pegasus. Back up and fly up at an angle, as fast as you can with your fist out.'

Swallowing, Luna lowered herself several yards and then zoomed up to meet the clouds fist-first. They broke apart like wet paper, and she went up through them until she burst through into sunlight. Blinking, she peered down through the narrow hole she'd made. She hovered low over the clouds until her feet dragged on them, and she stumbled for footing before she put her weight on both feet. On the cloud.

'That was a hundred times better than our last landing!'

The cloud felt like a mattress covered in damp cotton. It was surreal, to say the least. As Luna regarded the level floor of clouds gleaming in the sunlight, she wondered if she couldn't make the rainbow up there.

'We could, but we'd need to make a rain cloud. Actually, that should be easier than clearing the sky or teleporting to a sunny spot on the ground.'

What do I need to do?

So the Nightmare instructed her in tearing off a “pony-sized” section of cloud and kneading it like bread dough until it rose and turned dark. She punched the baby rain cloud, and water poured down.

So this is how they control the weather in your world?

'Yes, it takes a large team of pegasi working together.'

It sounded like hard work.

Luna's magic aura glowed around her hands as she morphed her gauntlets into another jar. She held the jar under the rain cloud, and when she had collected about four ounces of water, she flapped her wings, generating a breeze. The water glowed white, and she slowed her wings and brought her jar closer to them so she could touch one of her wingtips to the surface. As soon as it dipped into the water, the colors appeared: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and even indigo. She only needed red, however. Now she just had to wait for nightfall to mix the ingredients.

'No we don't. How did you miss it?'

Miss what?

'The moon!'

Now? Luna squinted and looked around until she spotted the wide crescent moon above the horizon of clouds, pale against the blue sky. Does that count as moonlight?

'We can see it, therefore the moon's light is reaching us.'

That was convenient. Are you sure it doesn't have to be just moonlight?

'Trust me, I've done this before.'

All right, I suppose you know what you're talking about. She opened the jar containing the cloud, and then stuck her fingers into the red stripe of the liquid rainbow. When she pulled them out, the glowing red substance stuck to her fingers like sauce. Then she dipped her fingers into the cloud and stirred vigorously, breaking it up in smaller chunks until it was a cloud puree. Finally, she upended the bag of puma hair over the mixture, and as soon as it plopped in, the potion emitted a puff of steam, and the concoction changed from red to orange.

'It is done. One spoonful of this potion mixed into food or drink should put anyone to sleep. What should we put it in?'

Oh, you're asking me what to do now?

'You know the Element bearers better than I do. What do they like?'

Luna thought for a moment. Cider? Everyone loves cider, especially this time of year.

'I defer to your judgment. We'll mix the potion with cider and give it directly to the girls to make sure they drink it.'

How will I convince them to sit down and drink cider with me?

'Well, we can make ourselves look like a normal person for a few minutes. I haven't tried it here yet, but given our success with transforming objects, I'm sure we can do it.'

A normal person...Could it be any normal person?

'Oh, definitely. In fact, our best bet is to turn into someone they trust.'

And then Luna had an awful idea. She was confident that it would work, but it was an awful idea nonetheless.