//------------------------------// // Can You Save Me Now? // Story: Nightmare's Return // by CanterlotGuardian //------------------------------// The entire hive seemed to be crackling with an invisible energy. Every Changeling in the land was on edge. Though specific details had been withheld from them due to planning issues, Chrysalis had issued a mental edict the very same night that Nightmare Moon had come to her and came to inhabit her body. After a few hours of discussing the plans of how to resurrect her in a new body, Chrysalis used the mind-network that was naturally present in the minds of all her subjects, to relay the message that soon the world would have a glorious new ruler, and that Chrysalis herself was chosen to bring about this change. Because this link never slept, all of the Changelings kept getting bits and pieces of Chrysalis' emotions during the previous two weeks. Pain when the presence of another soul within her mortal shell (besides her own) caused her body to rebel and wrack itself with wave after wave of agony, elation when piece after piece of the puzzle fell into place after long hours of planning and execution... And now, anticipation was being sent out over the hive network. None of this was intentional on Chrysalis' part, but her emotions were so strong and so vivid that the link was transmitting them regardless of her intention. Thus, her subjects buzzed among themselves, talking about what could possibly be happening. They assumed it was because of the upcoming ritual to resurrect Nightmare Moon, which the previous night they had been told would be coming up the very next night at midnight. Now, it was only four hours away. The time was soon approaching... and Chrysalis knew this. Chrysalis strode down a long corridor, in an underground construct set back a ways from the Royal Palace. She had this building constructed for when it came time for her to birth a new brood of Changelings, so that she could have the privacy that she needed, save for a trusted few guards who would watch over her and ensure that should she need their help, they would be able to come to her aid within seconds. Adriu was one of these guards. There were two others besides him, but Adriu was the favored one amongst her guards, and the others knew it. They didn't resent it, though. That just meant that should they fail her in any way, their punishment would be less severe than that Adriu would receive. Chrysalis looked around her, wide-eyed, as though this was the first time that she was experiencing anything within this building. This was not her that was seeing things this way, though, but Nightmare Moon. Though Nightmare resided within Chrysalis' body, she was not always in control of the Queen's consciousness. In fact, the only times that Nightmare Moon took over full function of her body, was when Chrysalis offered her express permission to do so. This had been one of those times. Because Chrysalis generally bred a new brood once a month, around the same time every month, Nightmare Moon had not been present within her body the last time she bred. Now, because this chamber was also being used for the ceremony now, Nightmare was taking in the surroundings, wanting to know what the building was like and how it would be used. “Where is the ceremony going to be held?” Nightmare Moon spoke out loud, for Chrysalis' benefit. Chrysalis could still hear everything that Nightmare spoke aloud, and though she was not in control of her body, her consciousness was still active, and she would reply telepathically to Nightmare with her responses to whatever statements or queries Nightmare had. The entire building was deserted, save for her, so she did not worry about anyone seeing her essentially talking to herself, or that when Nightmare spoke in Chrysalis' body, Nightmare's voice was the one that came out. “There is a room at the far end of the corridor,” Chrysalis replied. “You won't be able to miss it. The doors are adorned far more ornately than any other in this building, with perhaps the sole exception of the doors that lead to my breeding pool.” “Your... what?” Chrysalis smiled silently. She had forgotten for a moment that she hadn't really even told Nightmare about the specifics of what went on in that place. It had been a secret even from her. “This is where I go when I have to breed a new litter. Once a month, I come out here to that secret room, with only my most trusted guards, and there I birth a new brood.” Something occurred to her, and she voiced her concern. “What is going to change when you are in command? Will I still be able to go about my regular business as Queen?” “Most certainly,” Nightmare replied in what Chrysalis assumed was supposed to be a reassuring tone. “You are the vessel by which my dreams shall be fulfilled, after all. Nothing will change for you and your subjects. That much, I can promise you.” “Thank you...” Chrysalis said quietly. They passed the door that led to her breeding pool, and Nightmare had to admit to herself, it was the most adorned door she had probably ever seen. There were visages of flowers and grassy pastures, as well as likenesses of herself and her guards. It was all very well-done, and she had to wonder who the craftsman of such a work of art was. “There it is,” Chrysalis said as they approached the final door, which was itself a stunning work of art. “The place where all of this is going to be completed in just a few hours. My guards and the other Changeling royalty should be here within the hour. All preparations are already finished, though. We made sure of that last night.” As she pushed the door open, Nightmare Moon asked another question. “Who are the other members of the royalty that you mentioned? Tell me more.” “There are three princes and three princesses that make up the Royal Court. These are the first six Changelings that I ever birthed, and they have lived far longer than any Changeling that I have ever created. Still to this day, they are unwaveringly loyal to me. There is a seventh member of the Court, a Changeling named Adriu. He is not technically royalty in the sense that he is not a member of the Six, but he is in charge of all my royal guards; he has proven his loyalty to me many times over and thus has earned a permanent place on the Court.” The door opened effortlessly, as though it had been oiled to perfection just for this one moment. It opened up into a cavernous room, ornately decorated with stained glass windows depicting what appeared to be significant moments from the Nation's history. Some were epic battle victories, others showed accords struck with dignitaries from other nations. There was even one of Chrysalis standing alone on a grassy knoll, staring up at a sunset. “So what is the plan for this ceremony?” Nightmare asked. “How is this all going to work?” “My royal scribes searched for weeks for a spell in order to make this work. We had thought long and hard about how to make this work, and the only thing we could come up with was a spell. However, when we found a spell suitable for our purposes, we also discovered that the costs were going to be... more than we had initially accounted for.” “Costs? How so?” “The ritual that would have to take place while the spell was being cast would require a sacrifice, as I may have mentioned previously. This is why the one called Rainbow Dash is in my chambers. She will be the sacrifice, and thus will provide you with a new body, one that you can modify to your liking if you so desire.” Nightmare remembered them talking about this previously, but it struck her just then how cold and calculating Chrysalis could be. “I am certainly glad that I chose you to aid in this endeavor. I would certainly not want you to be against me.” “I cannot lie,” Chrysalis admitted, “my motivations for helping you with this are not purely selfless. I am spitting in the face of the laws of the universe just by allowing your spirit to occupy my body. Vessels like ours are not supposed to house more than one spirit, and if they do... Well, bad things happen. I have been wracked by pain for hours on end some days, as my spirit threatened to expel yours forcefully to regain its sanity of sorts. The only times when it didn't do so, were times like this when I allowed you to fully take over my body. This forces my spirit into submission, and the pain subsides Otherwise, I live with it close to constantly.” “Well in a few hours, that will not be an issue,” Nightmare commented almost offhandedly. “If everything is ready, then call your guards in here. I will allow you to regain control of your body for the remainder of the night.” A moment's silence passed, then Chrysalis shook her head, as though trying to clear mental cobwebs out of it. “I will never get used to that feeling...” she murmured. “It's a good thing that this was the last time I will have had to deal with it...” She sent out a telepathic ping to her guards and the Royal Court, telling them that the time had come for them to gather for the final preparations to be made. She also pinged Adriu, telling him to bring Dash with him to the Hall. She settled down onto the ground, letting the cold marble mat her fur with delightful coolness. She smiled. Soon, it would all be over. --- Twilight and the others raced along the desert road. Her legs ached from the strain, but she ignored it for the most part. They needed to get to the Changeling lands before the ritual was to take place. If they could make it there on time, they could stop Nightmare Moon from escaping back into their world- possibly this time, for good. Cadance was flying alongside them, and Shining Armor and Zecora ran headlong alongside Twilight. The landscape whipped past them at a blinding pace. They had little bearing of their direction, only that they knew generally where they needed to head from the information that Luna had given them from when she took her own trip to the Changeling lands. They were traveling the exact route that Luna had taken. Luna had also warned them of a few of the dangers that they would have to face along the way, namely the constant patrols by the Changeling guards. They would have to find a way to slip past them, but they would worry about that when the time came, they had decided. Shining sent Twilight a mental message: “How much further?” “About an hour's run,” Twilight sent back. “I know, we're all tired, but this is the most important thing we've ever had to do. Rainbow's life is counting on it, and it could be that all of Equestria is in the balance. If Nightmare Moon returns, who knows if the Elements will be able to stop her this time... Especially if she is able to use one of the Elements' bodies as a vessel for her own spirit.” They grew silent as they ran, each of them going over options in their mind. Without the other Elements there at first, they would have to plan for just themselves. The addition of the Elements later would just make their plans easier to execute. The fact that three of them wielded magic would definitely be of help to them, and Twilight knew that Zecora- though unable to use unicorn/alicorn magic like the rest- was far from helpless. The satchel of potions and herbs strapped across her back was proof of that. But aside from magic and Zecora's knowledge... What else did they have going for them? They were running headlong into a nation where the inhabitants were knowingly hostile towards them, and Twilight was sure that the Changelings hadn't quite forgiven them yet for expelling them so forcefully from Canterlot during the wedding. The Changelings themselves had magic available to them, as well as being able to feed on love to fuel themselves and their powers. Chrysalis had already informed them so graciously during the wedding that Shining Armor and Cadance's love for each other was so strong that it had allowed her the power to defeat Celestia in single combat. And now, the entire Changeling nation would be there to feed off that love. Twilight and Zecora both had love for their family and friends- not to mention for Celestia and the other Elements- so they would have that as a food source as well. The cons of the situation seemed to far outweigh the pros, and Twilight was starting to feel more than a bit overwhelmed by it all. She knew that they couldn't stop now, though. Too much was on the line, and she didn't know how she could live with herself if she gave up now. She could tell that everyone else was feeling the same way, as well. And so they ran. --- The doors to the great hall opened, and the Changeling royalty stepped inside. They were used to seeing this room, but it had been quite a while since it had been needed to be used. At their side was Adriu, who was leading Rainbow Dash into the room. Dash had an absent look on her face, and Chrysalis could tell that she had lost more than a little sleep since being taken in. “Take your places,” Chrysalis commanded, and the Court walked to the sides of the room, spacing themselves equally along the sides of the room. Adriu walked Rainbow to the center of the room, where a circle had been drawn, along with some Changeling runes along the outside of it. This was where the sacrifice was to be taking place. Chrysalis strode to the front of the room and turned, facing the Court and Adriu. She spoke then, with all of the authority of the Queen of an entire Nation. “In just a few hours- less than two hours, to be more specific- the most significant event in Equestrian history will take place. I am proud to be standing here with you all, my most trusted of subjects. At midnight, history will be made, in a huge way.” She directed her attention to Dash. “I am almost sorry that it had to be you. I would have much preferred it to be Twilight who stood here today as the intended sacrifice, but in the end that would have proven to be too problematic. Twilight's magic is stronger than any I have ever seen, and that would have been too much of a liability. You, on the other hand... You are strong, both physically and mentally. Someone of a lesser caliber would have folded like a house of cards days or even weeks ago. And yet here you are. You may look defeated, but I can still see a fire in your eyes. The fire that has suited you so well for your life. I am proud of you, and Adriu has informed me of his admiration for you as well.” She let that sink in for a moment, then stomped her hoof twice on the ground, the noise echoing throughout the entire chamber. The door opened once again, and the Guard stepped in. There were twenty official members of the Royal Guard, including Adriu, but only five were ever on duty at one time. This time, though, the full nineteen other Guard members were present, and once they were all in the room, the door shut again. “You all are my most trusted subjects,” Chrysalis began as the guards took their places. “I would not have you guarding me if I did not place my utmost faith in your loyalty to me... and that loyalty would not have been earned if it weren't for your actions. So thank you all.” They remained silent; this was protocol until they were directly asked a question. “I have but one order for you this night, my Guard. And it is a simple one: Stay alert. This one's friends-” she motioned to Rainbow- “are as fiercely loyal to her as she is to them. Rainbow Dash is not the Element of Loyalty for no reason. None of them bear their Element titles for no reason. “I am almost a hundred percent positive that the other Elements will be coming here tonight to save their friend, and to stop this ritual from taking place. You will stop them at all costs. Is that clear?” Their shout echoed throughout the hall, shaking the windows: “Understood!” Chrysalis smiled. “Excellent. In two hours' time, we shall begin. No one leaves this room until the ritual is completed.” She laid on the floor and closed her eyes. --- About an hour and a half later, Twilight and her friends saw the place that Luna had marked as the official entrance into the Changeling lands. They slowed to a trot, and then to a normal walk. Twilight spotted a shady outcropping of rock ahead, and she motioned to them to follow her. Once there, they sat down in the shade, and Twilight used her magic to conjure up flasks of water for them all. They drank appreciatively as they sat there. “We're almost there,” Twilight said encouragingly. “Just a few more miles to go, and we will be close enough to the Changeling hall to where I can just teleport us all there without fear of missing our mark. Luna described the place enough for me to know just about where it is.” “What are the chances that they will start the ritual early?” Cadance asked after she was done drinking. “To throw us off and make it to where by the time we get there, it's already too late? I don't think they're oblivious to the notion that we might come and try to stop them, after all.” Twilight was stunned. She hadn't factored that into her plans at all. “We have to keep going then!” She stood up, and it seemed as though every joint in her body protested. She gritted her teeth against the ache, though. They all did. They continued on at a manageable pace. They had no choice. --- At fifteen minutes until midnight, a Changeling entered the room, bearing the materials that would be used in the sacrifice. She set them all up in the center of the room, surrounding Rainbow Dash, who was still in the center of the circle. Once she was done setting everything up, which took about five minutes, she left the hall, closing the door behind her. As the remaining minutes crept past, Rainbow looked around at all the Changelings, and at the stained-glass windows in the hall. As long as she could find a way to get out of her chains, she figured she stood a decent chance of being able to barrel her way into one of the glass windows. Assuming it shattered, she could then escape. She saw all the guards around her, though, and her resolve weakened a bit. If push came to shove, though, she would do it. Provided her friends didn't show up before that, obviously. At exactly midnight, Chrysalis cleared her throat, and all small talk in the room ceased. “It is time,” was all she said. “Let us begin.”