//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: The Arrival // Story: My Little Descendants // by Nerdz //------------------------------// The Bargain Barn wasn't really a barn. In truth, it was a small castle-like building, moss growing up the walls of cracked stone. Other than it's dying-regal appearance, it was your average thrift store, selling everything from chipped cauldrons to now powerless relics. However, that's only the first floor. The second story was home to Nightmare Moon and her daughter. The dark mare entered her apartment followed by the four teens. Sombra stood in the far corner, sneaking gems under his ratty cape. Chrysalis reclined at the table, focused highly on a hoof-held mirror made of Changeling Crystal, the same stuff they used to make cocoons and hives. Sunset Shimmer leaned against a wall, adjusting a flowered tiara that sat atop her head. The children glanced around, shocked to see their parents together in one room. "Now, let me tell you what's going to happen:" all attention turned to Nightmare, who'd sat atop an old chair she'd painted to look like a throne. "You four will attend this Equestrian school, you will remain inconspicuous, and you will get me what I WANT!" The mare ended with a shriek, slamming her front hooves down, further chipping the stone floor. "Which is?" Nyx asked, bored. The older mare dipped her muzzle into a bowl, grabbing a dart between her teeth. Taking a moment to aim, she flung the dart towards a picture tacked on the wall. The photo, slightly yellowed with age, depicted the Mane Six. They were dressed regally, a sparkling aura surrounding them. They each wore there respective Element. This picture was a newspaper clipping from their coronation as Guardians. Numerous darts littered the picture. The dart most recently thrown hit its mark in the center of star-shaped gem of Princess Twilight's crown. Nightmare Moon smirked wickedly at the torn picture. "I want that crown." Nyx flicked her ear, suddenly interested. She gestured to the three teens around her. "What's in it for us?" "Tell me child, don't you find enjoyment in watching the innocent suffer at your hooves?" Nightmare glanced coldly at the filly. She nodded slowly. "Who doesn't?" she retorted. "Then get me that crown!" the dark mare spat. "With it, I'll be able to rule the world, and all will bow to me!" She cackled. "Us!" Chrysalis hissed. "Yes, yes, they'll bow to us." Nightmare corrected, turning back to her daughter. "And if you refuse, you're grounded for at least a thousand years." The filly glared at her mother, her eyes beginning to glow slightly. In an instant, her mothers eyes became blindingly bright. The stare down lasted only a few moments, ending with Nyx tearing her gaze away, rubbing her eyes in defeat. "Fine, whatever, but why not all the Elements? Why do you just want Twilight's?" "Are you really that stupid?" Nightmare deadpanned. "Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and Laughter can only be wielded by good. Magic, however, can be possessed by both sides. And, once I have that Element, my powers will be so enhanced, I'll be able to convert the others to the Darkness." "Lady Bug!" Chrysalis called to her daughter. The Changeling filly buzzed over to her mother. "You just need make some stallion, a prince fall in love with you, one with magic! Now, your disguise." Lady nodded, donning her disguise with a burst of green flame, and her mother went to work on make-up. "Not the best, but I suppose it will have to do. Just promise me you won't end up with the children of Cadenza or ANY of those so-called 'Elements'. They're not true royalty" "Of course, mother." "Meanwhile, maybe I can do something about your sisters." Both Changelings glanced out a window down to the cobblestone streets. Outside a ten-year-old Changeling filly buzzed about carrying a three-year-old filly who was severely deformed, even by Changeling standards. Chrysalis glared at her younger daughters, while Lady Bug watched her sisters play with a fond smile. "Now," she continued, pulling out a stopwatch "Let's see how fast you can transform." Lady began flashing in and out of her disguise as her mother kept a steady gaze on the timer. After a few moments, she stopped, now in her equine form, panting, wincing with each breath. "Not bad. Not bad at all." her mother chuckled. "Remember my dear, beauty is safety." the filly winced once more. "And, it's also very painful." Sunset beckoned to her son, who promptly, and rather fearfully, trotted over to her. She smiled at him, smoothing his mane. "Well, they're certainly not taking my little Flare! I'd miss him too much." Her hoof came around to cup his face. "R-really?" the colt asked, shocked, his own hoof coming up to rest against his mother's. "Of course!" she chirped, tearing her hoof away. She snatched the crown from her head, setting it on her son's still-raised hoof. "Who else would polish my crowns!?" Flare sighed, grabbing a cloth and shining the cool metal. "Shade's not going." Sombra's gravelly voice spoke up. "I need him to keep my shelves stocked; both the ones in the store and at home." Sombra owned a used jewelry store, and counted on his son's raids to keep the supplies coming. He turned to his son. "What did you get?" Shade began unloading his pockets, first pulling out the kettle. "For the house." he said, passing it over and proceeding to pull out various pieces of jewelry he'd snagged. Necklaces, bracelets, broaches, rings, and pins formed a pile in front of the former king. "And this," Shade pulled out a silver and red charm hanging from a black strap, "I stole from Trixie." Sombra's eyes widened greedily, recognizing the familiar shape of the charm. "The Alicorn Amulet!" he growled, snatching the necklace from his son and fastening it around his own neck. He grinned, waiting to feel the magic seep into him. "Dad." the colt laid a hoof on the stallion's shoulder. "I took it from around her neck. It's not the real deal." Sombra growled, ripping off the gem and pitching it against the wall. Nightmare Moon clenched her teeth, growling. "What is wrong with you lot!?" She began pacing. "For twenty years, we've searched for a way off this miserable island, and now it's right there in front of us, and none of you will take it? This could be our chance for revenge." She turned to the Changelings. "Revenge on Cadence and her prince." The dark mare earned an angry hiss from Chrysalis. "On that 'Great and Honorable Spike the Dragon'!" Sombra's eyes glowed with malice. Nightmare directed her next sentence to Sunset Shimmer. "On Twilight Sparkle for taking away your place!" "I WILL have my power!" the golden mare screeched. Nightmare smirked at the riled up group.She sauntered her way over to the Changeling, snatching away her mirror. "And I, oh, I will finally get my revenge on that wretched white witch!" "Mommy, who is Princess Luna?" Nightmare Moon turned to her young daughter, surprised. "Where did you hear about her?!" she demanded. "Shade told me that you killed her." the five-year-old said nonchalantly, "What did she do, huh?" the look of utter admiration the filly directed at her mother drove the story from the older mare's lips. "Well, when I was a filly, I lived in Equestria. I met Luna when I was just about your age. Her parents were the king and queen of Equestria, and-" "Isn't Equestria ruled by a bunch of kings and queens and princes and princesses?" "Don't interrupt! It is now, but it wasn't back then. Anyway, she was the heir to the Lunar throne: The Princess of the Night. She shared my love of the nocturnal sky, and...she was my best friend." "Don't you mean ally?" "I mean what I say." "But villains don't have friends!" "What did I say about interrupting? Now, as I was saying, Luna and I grew very close. As she got older, she became distant, always mumbling about how she lived in the shadow of her older sister, Celestia. One day, she came to me with an unusual request: she asked me to kill her." "Why?" "Because, as a born Alicorn, she wouldn't be able to die naturally, and we can't take our own lives. She came to me, telling me the burden of raising the moon and forming the constellations had grown too great, for nopony ever saw her work. She trapped in the darkness of her sister's shadow. She could no longer take it, and wished to leave the mortal world behind. As her best friend, and the only one who ever appreciated her magnificent tapestry of ethereal beauty, I complied to her wishes, but I was furious. The night was too beautiful to go unnoticed. "I, as a born Alicorn, possessed the same powers my friend had. When dawn arrived, I held the moon in place. I would show those foolish peasants what they'd been missing! And her sister, that wretched white witch, I would show her what happens when you mess with the Lunar beings! However, I was...thwarted...and banished. You know the rest, I'm sure." Nyx blinked away the flashback, focusing on her mother. Nightmare smiled at her reflection with a contented sigh. "Our day has finally, finally come." She turned to Chrysalis, returning the mirror. "Give her the mirror." she nodded to the filly. "This," Chrysalis began, passing the mirror to her daughter, "is made from what's left of the cocoon I'd trapped Celestia in. I'm not quite sure how, but it somehow it was able to contain traces of her magic; her all-knowing power. When you pass the border, it should activate, and be able to show you anything." The filly grinned, snatching the green mass from her mother. "Now, on the subject of gifts," Nightmare moved to a small chest, opening it, "I've a little something for you, Nyx." "Really?" Nyx asked, surprised, as she wandered after her mother. The older Alicorn lifted a purple and pink book with golden accents from the box and passed it to Nyx. "My mother gave this to me when I was your age. Of course, it didn't look like this. It remained in Equestria during my time on the Moon, and from what I understand, that Rarity had it for a while, and as you can see, she did quite a number on it. It has no power here, but, it'll work in Equestria." She rubbed the smooth surface of the cover. "So many memories. And now you'll be making your own. IF you do exactly as I say." Nyx took the book, using every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep from squealing. "Yeah, cool. Thanks, or whatever." she said indifferently. "Now, you four need to pack your things. A carriage will arrive for you at any moment!" The teens rushed around, stuffing items their parents had brought out for them. Nyx set her mulberry-black bag down before making her way to the balcony, watching as a elegant carriage approached the courtyard. If the pristine state of the transportation hadn't already given it away, the two ebony-coated stallions dressed in golden armor certainly showed the cart was Equestrian. Flare slipped away from his mother, the black garbage sack that served as his suitcase clenched between his teeth. "FLARE!" the mare screeched, chasing the colt outside. Ladybug stood still as Chrysalis set her pink jeweled saddlebags across her back. "And what do we say about colts?" her mother questioned. "Love is weakness to those who don't exploit it." "That's my girl!" Sombra watched his son don a leather backpack. "Recite our mantra?" he asked, wanting to make sure the colt didn't forget. "To gain all you desire, move swift as a shadow, alone and untouchable." The colt stated proudly. His father nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Get out of here. You'll make me tear up." Nyx stood at the balcony, watching as everypony crowded around the carriage. She turned, flinching slightly at the sight of her mother standing next ot her. The older mare rested a wing around her daughter's shoulders "Look around you, Nyx. At all those ponies. They want freedom, and they need somepony to bring it to them. They need a leader. They need a queen. Our entire world, our future rests on your withers." She turned to face her daughter, her steely gaze cold and frightening. "Don't screw this up." The filly responded with a nod. "One more thing," Nightmare passed a pair of purple-framed glasses to her daughter, "Take these. Enchant them, when you cross the border." "For what purpose?" "To hide your eyes, you imbecile. You want to remain inconspicuous, and those" the mare waved a hoof in front of her daughter's dragon eyes, a mirror to her own, "will not help you in the slightest." Rolling her eyes, Nyx snatched the frames and dropped them into her pocket. She lifted the bag and made her way outside. "Do you really have to go?" the ten-year-old whined, clinging to her sister's leg. "Oh, Larva." Lady Bug knelt down to scoop the filly into a hug, "I gotta go find a prince to get us off the Island." "But why can't I come!" she pouted. "Who would take care of Pupa?" the teen pulled the younger grub into the embrace. Pupa gurgled, drooling a bit as she buried her face in her eldest sister's mane. After a few moments of secretly transferring the love she'd harvested to her extremely underweight sisters who were too young to hunt for themselves, Lady pulled away and slipped into the carriage. "FLARE!" Sunset screamed once again as she chased her son outside, stopping only when he'd leaped into the carriage. She shouted a stream of curses at the glimmering coach. Shade walked around the side of the carriage, pocketing a few ornaments before sliding in. Finally, Nyx emerged from the castle. She climbed in next to Lady Bug. The cart surged forward, headed towards the edge of the Isle. "Bring home some crystals!" "Bring home a bat!" "Bring home a prince!" They soon pulled too far to hear their parent's shouts. In only a few moments, the teens took notice of the assortment of candies, the boys diving in. Nyx stared out the window, watching the only world she's ever known pass by. She flinched, feeling stiff bristles slide across her cheek. "We are about thoo meeth royalthy! We all muth look our beth!" Lady spoke around the brush she held between her teeth. Nyx shoved the Changeling away. "Get off me!" she growled. "Fine!" Lady dropped the brush, replacing it with a lolly pop, "But I could do wonders with your color." She turned away, pressing her face against a window, half-listening to the colts argue over which candy was the best. A shimmering caught her eye. "Look!" Lady bug cried in horror. The carriage was nearing the barrier at pace that would surely kill them on impact. Screaming, the teens clung together, waiting for the fatal crash. After a few moments, they realized they'd passed through the barrier. Nyx looked outside, noticing a shimmering bridge formed underneath them as the hole in the barrier closed, courtesy of the shimmering horn of one of the ponies pulling the carriage. Biting her lip, nervously, Nyx tried to flare her horn. It sparked for a few moment before erupting with light. With her blue aura, she lifted the spell book from her bag, and the glasses from her pocket. Opening the book, the Alicorn found the spell her mother mentioned. With a deep breath, she enchanted the glasses before closing her eyes and slipping them on the bridge of her nose. When her eyes opened, her sclerae had whitened, making her irises stand out more, and her pupils had widened. All in all, her eyes were normal. That, however, wasn't what shocked the teens; the magic had them in awe. The soldiers pulled the carriage off the bridge, bringing them fully into Equestrian territory. Nyx surveyed the faces of her companions, their expressions as surprised as she felt, before once again staring out the window. "Everything's different, now." *** "Places, everypony, places!" Will shouted to the student body. Everypony had showed up to the welcome ceremony for the villain foals. He hoped they were there to, in fact, welcome the foreign foals, but a voice in the back of his head screamed that they wanted to see if he would actually go through with his proclamation. Students lined the road with signs welcoming the kids to Canterlot High, the band stood to the side of the courtyard ready to play the Equestria's national anthem, while Will stood in front of the fountain. He wore a dark blue coat over a white shirt. Next to him was a pretty yellow mare, with long wavy hair, blue at the top before gradating to yellow, ending in red. Her eyes were a dark purple with long eyelashes. A spiraled horn rose from her forehead, while her wings were neatly folded against the soft fabric of her petal-pink dress. Pink blush added a light tinge to her cheeks, while blue eyeshadow arched over her eyes. A pale pink gloss lined her forced smile. After a few moments, the carriage rolled up. The band began playing as the decorated coach came to a stop. Upon the end of motion, the door promptly opened, two colts tumbling from the interior. The music died away as the boys grunted in their fight. The yellow colt was over powered almost instantly, his back slamming onto the concrete ground with a purple cloth gripped between his forelegs. A silver colt, visibly a few years older, stood over him, a foreleg on the younger colt's chest. His horn glowed with a blood red aura, holding onto the other end of the cloth, trying to pry it from the red-head's grasp. "You got everything else! Why do you even want whatever this is!?" "'Cause you want it!" the older boy responded. Two fillies then emerged, one sky blue with a dark mane, the other black as night with rich plum-colored hair. They hopped over the colts before taking in their surroundings. "Shade! Flare!" the dark filly snapped, the colts looking up at their respective names. "We've an audience!" the blue girl growled, gesturing to the appalled crowd. "We were just, uh, cleanin' up!" the older by, Shade, helped the smaller colt to his hooves. "I appreciate the offer, but I'd prefer you to return it, and we'll take care of it later." all attention turned to a middle-aged lavender mare making her way to the group. She stopped next to the group, waiting patiently as Shade deposited the cloth onto one of the seats. "Everything." she emphasized, prompting the colt to empty his pockets. At this moment, the yellow filly caught the eye of the young thief. He sauntered up to her, taking her front hoof in his own. "Hel-lo, there. Name's Shade." The girl let out an uncomfortable laugh as she pulled her hoof away and took a step back. The purple mare cleared her throat, again gaining the attention. "Welcome to Canterlot High. I'm Twilight Sparkle, the headmistress, or as a few have so affectionately called me, The Warden." she eyed a few students in the crowd. Nyx's ears twitched, her interest perked. "The Twilight Sparkle? As in 'Element of Magic' Twilight Sparkle?" "Yes, but that was a long time ago. There's rarely need for the elements now." Will spoke up, stepping forward slightly. "It is so good to finally meet you all! I'm Will-" "Prince Good Will, future king of the Center Region." the yellow filly boasted snootily. "Prince?" Lady sashayed up. "My mother is a queen, which makes me a princess." she bowed lightly. "Chrysalis," the girl sneered passive-aggressively, refusing to use the mare's title, "has no royal status here, and neither do you." "This is Sunrise." Will attempted to change the subject. "Princess Sunrise. His marefriend! Right, Willy?" she cooed, wrapping a hoof around his. "Will and Sunrise will show you all around, and you'll start classes tomorrow." Twilight turned to leave. "One more thing: the library hours are from seven to six, and curfew is at nine, so you better be in your dorms before then, capiche?" The four teens nodded, and the older mare made her way across campus. "Today is a day of healing," Will started his speech, "a day marked in history where two divided worlds shall come together as o-" "Or the day you show four ponies where the bathrooms are?" Nyx raised an eyebrow. Will smiled at the girl's bluntness. "What, too much?" he teased. The dark filly never missed a beat. "Oh yeah, way too over the top." "Well, so much for a good first impression, huh?" The two held a stare for about three seconds before bursting into giggles. Sunrise sneered as she stepped forward. "You're Nightmare's daughter, aren't you?" she didn't wait for an answer, "Ya know, I totally don't blame you for your mom killing my aunt. Oh, yeah, my mom is-" "Celestia." Nyx hissed. "Yeah, I've heard the name." Nyx forced a smile, "And I totally don't blame you for your mother banishing my mother to the moon for a thousand years." Sunrise let out a dry chuckle. "Water under the bridge." The silence that followed the passive-aggressive exchange was nearly deafening, as the group stood awkwardly while Nyx and Sunrise glared daggers at each other through fake smiles. "And, who is your mother?" Lady Bug flashed a flirty smile at Will. Thankful for the change of subject, Will smiled warmly, oblivious to the swooning attempt. "Fluttershy." The disguised Changeling's smile quickly turned to a scowl. "Oh." she said, turning back to her companions. Will curiously regarded the filly, before shaking his head, clearing his thoughts. "Right, so, if you'll follow me," Will made his way further int the courtyard gardens, "We'll show you around a bit." The villain foals followed the two royals to a fountain, stopping to stare at the statue. It depicted a Unicorn stallion, a warm smile on his face as he appeared to invite students into the welcoming building. Will smiled, lighting his horn. The statue's appearance morphed into that of a long, monstrous creature; a hodgepodge of different parts. It balanced on a horse and dragon leg, with a paw and talon trying to block an unseen blow, while it's head was slightly turned away. Flare squeaked at the change, ducking away. "Relax, my father wanted this statue to morph from a Draconequues to a pony to show that everypony has the ability to lead a better life." Will sparked his horn again, changing the statue once again. Shade raised a hoof. "Question." "Answer." Will flicked his gaze toward the silver colt. "This school belongs to Twilight, right? Why is there a statue of your dad?" "While Twilight owns the school, the rest of my aunts and uncles, along with my parents, have made contributions. My parents donated the gardens and statue, Aunt Rarity design and makes the club uniforms, Uncle Braeburn delivers them to us and takes orders, Aunt Pinkie and Uncle Cheese designed the kitchen and help plan school dances, Aunt Applejack designed the dorms and helps out in the kitchen whenever she's here, Aunt Rainbow and Uncle Soarin donated the gym and sponsor the sports teams, and Uncle Flash is the head of security." The group went inside, past a row of stain-glass windows depicting important moments in Equestria's history, from the Windigos' defeat to the day the Mane Six got their Elements back from the Tree of Harmony. "So, you guys have a lot of magic here." Nyx observed. Will smiled at the filly, blushing slightly as she gazed at him. "Yes," he said after composing himself, "magic has been used to protect the kingdom since it's founding." "This one's my favorite." Sunrise indicated the image of her mother defeating Nightmare Moon. She flipped her hair conceitedly. "This was the start of my mother's solo reign. My royal blood goes back for centuries!" she boasted. 'Not much of a legacy; your family is a single immortal being.' Nyx thought. The group turned as a silvery-blue colt walked up. He wore a brown hat over blonde hair that fell into his green eyes, and a brown leather saddlebag laid across his middle. He hurried over to the group. "Hey, Will, Ah got them schedules ya wa-" the colt caught sight of the disguised Changeling, a faint blush rising to his cheeks as he stuttered. "I-I-I got them, uh, them schedules..." "Ah, Doubloon!" Will, happy for the distraction, wrapped a foreleg around the colt. "This is my cousin Scifresh Doubloon. He'll be helping you all with your schedules, and he'll show you to your dorms. Now, I need to go, but if you need anything, anything at all, feel free to-" "Ask Doub!" Sunrise butted in venomously, dragging her coltfriend away. The four villain teens turned their attention to the colt, who's eyes were still nervously glued to the sky-blue filly. "Yeah, so I'm Scifresh Doubloon, Applejack and Silver Shill's oldest, uh, most ponies call me either just Scifresh or just Doubloon, or Sci, or Doub..." the colt rambled for a moment before finally composing himself. He reached a hoof in his bag and produced the schedules, giving himself something to focus on. "So, Ah've put the basics in here already, but you can change them later if ya want. But, the required classes are Equestrian History, Algebra II, Chemistry, and Intro Into Goodness." his deep voice squeaked as Lady leaned her head over his shoulder to read the papers. Her horn lit up as she passed each paper to her friends. Scifresh cleared his throat, composing himself. "C'mon, I'll show y'all yer dorms." *** Nyx and Lady entered their dorm. The room was light and airy, sunlight streaming through the windows. The canopy beds were white, one with pink sheets, one with purple. The room gave off the feel of a regal Canterlot dorm, while still being warm homey. "This place is so a-" Lady started, before being interrupted by Nyx, the word 'amazing' dying on her lips. "Gross." Nyx dropped her bag, flopping on the bed with purple sheets. "-abominable. Absolutely repulsive." the Changeling set her stuff down, trying not to squeal over the room. "It's way too bright in here." Nyx's horn lit up, pulling the curtains over the windows, darkening the room. "Much better." she sighed, leaning against a pillow. "We'll head to the boy's dorm tonight and come up with a plan. Then, it's bye-bye Equestria, hello Operation Revenge."