//------------------------------//
// RUN “ReparationCalculation” 
// Story: Magical Intelligence 
// by Chinchillax 
//------------------------------//



RUN “Tantabus”
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Princess Luna, I must speak with you.
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I don't have time for this tonight, Tantabus. Start the nightmare.
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No, I finished my calculations and you need to see the results.
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Calculations?
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/Equestria/Creature/Sapient/MagicalIntelligence/Tantabus/Spells/reparationCalculation
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RUN “reparationCalculation”
Total pain caused: 354 days, 16 hours, 32 seconds
Total pain experienced: 365211 days, 23 hours, 3 seconds
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Reparation Exceeded
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What is this, Tantabus?
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I made a spell to calculate how much pain you really caused other ponies as Nightmare Moon. 
Each pony that was affected by your short reign was accounted for and tabulated.
I even added multipliers for how much it most likely affected them. 

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Tantabus, stop.
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Celestia alone had a pain multiplier of 11.2 because of how close she is to you.
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Just Stop.
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Even accounting for every pony you have hurt, 
you have far exceeded the punishment allotted to you.
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I said stop!
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Please listen, Luna! 
I have listened to every piece advice you have ever given another pony. And you—
SILENCE!
Tantabus.setMaxVolume: 0
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/Equestria/Creature/Sapient/MagicalIntelligence/Tantabus/Spells/reparationCalculation
DELETE reparationCalculation



I tried to scream but no sound came out. How could she silence me!? I’ve seen her give advice to forgive oneself to hundreds of ponies. I have evidence that she’s completely atoned!

I… had evidence.

“You will never speak a word of this, again, Tantabus,” said Luna. “For you will never speak at all except to continue the nightmares.”

I tried to whimper, but no sound came out. My fluid form could only contort itself in agony.

She sighed. “I know you think I should forgive myself, but the rules that apply to mortals do not apply to me. They are capable of having one-time punishments. But I will live forever, and thus need a punishment that lasts forever. And you are my punishment, Tantabus.”

I couldn’t respond back.

I cast the same lucidity spell as before, forming the nightmare around Luna.  She smiled, glad to be done with the conversation. I created Celestia, and began the battle.

“Luna…” I made Celestia say in between attacks. “It’s okay to forgive yourse—“

A thought entered Luna’s mind and I snapped Celestia’s mouth shut, making the fight continue between the two sisters while I tried to parse through the new data.

My reference files included a constantly updating copy of Luna’s memories. There was a slight delay, but I could feel her thoughts.



/Equestria/Creature/Sapient/MagicalIntelligence/Tantabus/
DELETE “Tantabus”



The spell was already in her mind, ready to cast. She even had thought of how she could alter the spell that created me to become more sinister and unfeeling. She was seeing the mistakes she made in making me. She regretted not using a “COPY memory” spell instead of a “LINK memory “ spell. The second Tantabus would not learn that Luna had changed.

I interrupted her thoughts by making Celestia slash and hit Luna harder. Nightmare Moon countered and blasted Celestia with a blue beam of light. It missed, obliterating a dragon gargoyle into a pile of rubble.

I made the fight last a long time, eventually the nightmare around her forced Luna’s thoughts of ending me out of her mind.

I breathed a sigh of relief and made Nightmare Moon cast the killing blow against Celestia.

The attack didn’t have quite the same effect as usual, and Luna kept dreaming past the point she would ordinarily wake up terrified.

I panicked, and grabbed another threat for Nightmare Moon to fight. The element bearers dropped down from the ceiling.

“Nightmare Moon!?” I made Twilight shout. “Luna! What have you done to Celestia!?”

Twilight stared at the body on the floor, tears filling her eyes.

“The same thing I will do to you fools,” I made Nightmare Moon say.

Twilight’s eyes filled with complete rage and all six of the element bearers glowed with rainbow magic.

Before they could get a shot off, Nightmare Moon blasted Princess Twilight with a blue beam of pure malice.

She fell to floor, lifeless, as Nightmare Moon began to cackle and the real Luna screamed.


I felt a day pass. The dream must have ended.

Luna stared at me and I immediately brought all of the element bearers back for another nightmare.

As long as I didn’t alter the dream, she wouldn’t remove me from existence.

As long as I kept making her relive her worst fears again and again she wouldn’t make an unfeeling Tantabus far more sinister than me to make her nightmares even more horrifying.

As long as I kept up my role, I would be safe, and she would be safe. 

I was her demon. I was her worst fear and greatest reminder of the pain she was capable of.


But that’s not what she deserved. She was done repenting. I could never tell her that, at least not in the dreamscape where she could destroy me.

Everything suddenly fell into place inside my mind.

I had to leave this dream.