//------------------------------// // The Applications Of Power // Story: Dancing In The Shadows // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Echo managed to sleep much easier that night, Nocturne's latest recording not being nearly as unsettling as the last. He was actually quite chipper as he woke up the next morning. "Well, look at you." Sunset smiled. "Not everypony who wakes up in a muddy hole can be this positive." "Well, most ponies who wake up in a muddy hole don't have much to be positive about." Echo grinned. "Our mission is coming along nicely. We're learning more about the pack every day, and my father's recordings may in fact provide valuable evidence that Nightcrawlers aren't the threat Malus thinks they are." "What about Artorias?" Sunset asked. "We're going to have to bring up that assassination attempt at some point." "Yes, but only after we've fully gained his trust." Echo nodded. "As of right now, he only tolerates us. We must approach him with matter after he has accepted us." "Which could take some time." Sunset snorted. "Alas, time is the one thing we don't have." Echo sighed. "Malus could put his ridiculous Registration Act into being any day now, so we're going to have to try our best." "Our best bet is to keep making friends with the others." Sunset declared. "Whatever he may be, Artorias cares about them. And if they come to trust us, he just might do the same." "An excellent stratagem, my darling." Echo nuzzled. "I have my moments." Sunset chuckled. The two newlyweds went over to the kitchen chamber, sharing breakfast with the others. "Salutations, honored guests." Willow smiled, their talk yesterday having endeared the pair to him. "Good morning." Moana added. "Hi!" Snow beamed. "Morning, you two." Elatha smiled. "Yeah, whatever." Wave snorted. "Nice to see you always get up so bright and early." Nano smiled. "As a former military stallion, I admire that." "Thank you." Echo smiled. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" "More patrolling, or foraging?" Sunset asked. "I'll be going on patrol." Artorias declared. "Nano, you're with me. Since yesterday's foraging was so successful, the rest of you can stay behind and train with Aether." "Training, eh?" Echo smiled. "You think we get this good by ourselves, batty?" Wave smirked. "It takes constant work to make a pony as tough as me." "Considering Echo beat you easily, that's not saying much." Sunset smirked. "Your husband got lucky, lady." Wave scowled. "If he messes with me again, I'll show 'im who's tough." "Knock it off, Wave." Elatha growled. "Do you mind if Sunset and I sit in on this training session of yours?" Echo asked Aether. "It would be quite... educational." "I suppose there would be no harm in that." Aether shrugged. "Fair enough, you can sit in." "Fine." Artorias stood. "Nano, come on." "Yes, sir." Nano nodded, following Artorias out of the chamber. Not long after, the others finished their breakfast. "Now, then." Aether smiled. "To the training arena." "You guys coming?" Sunset asked. "Oh, we're fine." Elatha shrugged. "I'm not really much of a fighter, and Snow is way too young." "But I won't be forever." Snow smirked. Echo and Sunset followed the others to the training arena they briefly saw during the tour. Echo and Sunset took their seats on two of the flat stones, as the pack members lined up in front of Aether. "Alright folks." Aether smiled. "Since we have an audience this time around, what do you say we put on a show?" "Oh, yeah." Wave smirked. "I'm gonna show bat boy what a real Nightcrawler can do..." "Must you always make this into a competition?" Willow sighed. "Such a child..." "Watch it, pal." Wave snorted. "Or you'll see how tough I am firsthoof." "Boy, please." Moana sighed. "Let's save the fighting for when we're actually sparring, okay?" "Verily, dear lady." Willow nodded. "My thoughts exactly." Wave snarled. "We'll start off with some basic moves." Aether lifted up some targets. "You know what to do." Willow fired a gust of wind that blew his target away. Wave's scream shattered his. Moana crumbled hers with a concentrated stream of water. "Excellent." Aether nodded. "Now... the dodging exercise!" He lifted up numerous pebbles with his magic. "And remember, you have to stay solid for this one!" Aether launched the pebbles at his three students. All three of them showed impressive agility and reaction time, dodging the pebbles as if they were moving in slow motion. "Impressive." Echo nodded. "Yeah, not bad." Sunset shrugged. "And now for the hoof-to-hoof combat exercises." Aether declared. "Take your positions..." Willow, Wave and Moana all adopted battle stances. "And... go!" Aether declared. Wave started things off with a sonic scream, which Willow countered with a powerful gust of wind. "It takes more than a blaringly loud voice to best me." Willow smirked. "Least I'm not fulla hot air!" Wave snorted. "What's the matter, too many beans last night?" "Such vulgarity." Willow scowled. "You call that wit?" "At least folks know what I'm talking about." Wave snorted. "Unlike you, Mr 'Wherefore art thou'." "Don't forget about me, boys!" Moana moved in with her water powers, trapping the two in water bubbles up to their necks. "Impressive as always, my lady." Willow admitted. "But not impressive enough!" Willow used his ability to become wind to escape the bubble. "Thanks missy, but I already had a shower today!" Wave smirked. He screamed into the bubble, breaking it apart. And now comes a maelstrom!" Willow fired a gust of wind Moana's way, but she turned herself into water and avoided it. "And here's a flashflood!" Moana reformed and charged at Wave, tackling him to the ground and pinning him on his front. "Off my back, woman!" Wave snarled, breaking free and pushing Moana aside. "That is not how you address a lady!" Willow yelled, fired a wind blast that knocked Wave off his hooves. "Why, thank you, Willow." Moana smiled. "You're so chivalrous." "You are welcome, my lady." Willow blushed. He offered his hoof. "Please, allow me to help you up." "Gladly." Moana accepted the hoof... then flipped Willow onto his back. "Gotcha!" "Oof!" Willow groaned. "Et tu, Moana?" Moana used her water powers to pin both Willow and Wave to the ground. "Okay, I give already!" Wave yelled. "I yield." Willow said calmly. "Moana wins!" Aether smirked. "Sorry about that." Moana said, as she let Willow up. "That's okay." Willow shrugged. "All's fair in love and war, after all." "Good work out there." Aether told Moana. "You're really coming along." "Thank, Aether." Moana blushed. "Why don't you take a seat alongside our guests, so Wave and Willow can focus on a little one-on-one practice?" Aether suggested. "Okay." Moana nodded. "Yeah, honey." Wave smirked. "Let the stallions have their time." "All I see here is one stallion, and one colt." Willow sneered. "Ooh, you're gonna regret that!" Wave snickered. "And... go!" Aether yelled. Wave and Willow entered into another tussle, throwing out gusts and screams like nopony's business. "It'll take more than your li'l gusts to nail me, wind boy!" Wave chided his opponant as he dodged the attack. "As always, your mouth makes promises that your body can't keep." Willow shot back. "Is that what ya think, bro?" Wave smirked. "Then listen up!" Wave unleashed a scream that struck Willow dead on. "Ahhh!" Willow groaned, covering his ears. "Here's a little something from one blowhard to another!" Willow unleashed more wind blasts, which Wave managed to dodge, getting closer to his foe When Wave got close enough, he tried to take Willow by surprise, and jump him from behind. Using another scream to catch his opponant off hard, he manoeuvered over to his back. "You mine now, theatre boy." He whispered as he pounced. Unfortunately for him, Willow spotted him at the last second, and turned intangible just in time. "Not today, methinks!" He smirked, as Wave faceplanted. He then leapt on Wave and put him in a half Nelson. "Submit!" He urged. "Submit!" "Okay, fine!" Wave gagged. "Now get offa me!" "And this one goes to Willow." Aether smiled, as Willow let Wave up. "You got lucky, pal." Wave scowled. "Oh, really?" Willow smirked. "Would you care to make it two out of three?" "...Maybe later." Wave scoffed. "Afraid, are we?" Willow smirked. "Please." Wave snarled. "You only won because fighting you and Moana before tired me out." "Whatever helps you sleep at night." Willow snorted. "That's enough, you two." Aether declared. "Now, how about you go get some water? I'm sure you must be parched." "Verily." Willow nodded. "Maybe a little..." Wave shrugged. "As for me, I need to check up on the lookout." Aether declared. "Moana, please escort our guests back to the kitchen." "Of course." Moana nodded. She turned to Echo and Sunset. "Follow me, please." "Those were some pretty good moves out there." Sunset declared. "Yes, most impressive." Echo agreed. "You really are quite skilled." "Oh, I can't take all the credit." Moana said humbly. Aether's the real wonder here. He taught us all how to use our powers to their full potential." "How so?" Echo asked. "I didn't think my powers were worth much to begin with." Moana recalled. "All I could do was cry endless streams of tears. I thought I'd be no help at all to this pack. But Aether helped me to look beyond what I thought were the limits of my powers. I concentrated hard, trying to think of a way I could use them, and then I realized I could control the water that flowed out of my eyes. I could direct it, make it take on shapes, even use it to attack my enemies. But that wasn't the end of it. I kept on practicing, and finally, I learned that I could turn into water." "I guess there's always a learning curve to these things." Sunset noted. "Aether taught us all to dig deeper to tap into greater applications of our power, and unlock our full potential." Moana smiled. "From what I've heard, Willow could only make wind that could only hinder little birds, and Wave had trouble controlling the volume of his voice before they were inducted into the pack. Aether changed all that, helping them to see what they could really do with their powers. "How do you mean 'heard'?" Sunset asked. "I'm actually the newest Nightcrawler to join the pack." Moana admitted. "I joined only a few months ago." "That recently?" Echo asked. "That's right." Moana nodded. "Before my powers activated, I was just an ordinary college student, living over in Whinnyapolis... who was always getting bullied." "Bullied?" Sunset gasped. "Yes." Moana nodded. "There was a bunch of mean girls at the college. They had a lot of targets, but I seemed to be their favorite. They would pick on me over every little thing; My mane, my face, my test scores. It was so awful that I was often left crying from the pain of it all. That actually made things worse, as my tormentors gave me the name 'Moaning Moana' because of it." "You poor thing." Echo sighed. "Finally, I decided I'd had enough." Moana's face hardened. "Hoping to get payback at those jerks, I sneaked into the forbidden dark magic section of our local library and found a spell that would make the mean girls who made my life a misery break out in hives." "That seemed a little extreme, didn't it?" Sunset frowned. "In hindsight, yes. But it wasn't permanent, and it would had taught them a lesson." Moana declared, "I found them in the gym and used the spell... but unforuntately, I must have read it wrong because it backfired on me. I was left standing there, covered in hives, and everypony was laughing at me. Utterly humiliated, I started crying again. I had never cried like that before. I was crying so hard that I just couldn't stop, and I was soaking in tears... so much tears, in fact, that they pouring out of me like waterfalls." "I see." Echo nodded. "The dark magic spell must have activated your Tenebros gene." "The bullies were too busy laughing at me to realize the danger, and they ended up being washed away and drowned in my own tears." Moana sniffed. "Once I stopped crying, I realised what I'd done. I had killed them. Despite all the pain and misery they put me through, I had never wanted that. Overcome with guilt, I started crying all over again, leaving streams of water trailing behind me as I ran. I don't know how long I ran for. I just knew that I had to get away. Eventually, I tired myself out. I sat down in a clearing just outside of Whinneyapolis, and I kept on crying, scared and confused over what I had become. I thought the dark magic had turned me into a monster, and that I was nothing but a blight upon others." "Let me guess." Sunset smiled. "That's where Artorias and the others came in?" "Actually, no." Moana declared. "It was Elatha, who found me. I was a little afraid at first, since she looks so... odd, but I also warned her to stay back, not wanting to kill another. Elatha showed no fear or hate, and just sat down beside me. She told me the truth about what I was, that I was no monster, that I was beautiful the way I was, and that what happened wasn't my fault. She offered me a place to stay, where I could be with my own kind, and not be judged over what I am. After everything I had been through in college, the idea of not being made fun of appealed to me, so I agreed to come with Elatha. She brought me here, where the rest of the pack accepted me with open hooves. It felt so good to have a place to belong, where nopony called me names, and actually valued me being with them. I've stayed here ever since, and I've never looked back." "I'm sorry you had to suffer so much before finding a pace where you could be accepted." Echo declared. "So am I." Moana declared. "But as nice as it is, having a place to belong, the memory of those awful girls still haunts me. I'm always worrying that I'm not doing enough for the pack, that I'm not living up to their expectations." "Well I say, you're doing pretty good." Sunset smiled. "You walloped Wave and Willow in practice, remember?" "Yeah, I did." Moana chuckled. "And what we've seen, you are quite the dedicated and loyal pony." Echo declared. "Thanks." Moana gushed. "So don't sell yourself short." Sunset grinned. "Take it from a mare who has a less-than-rosy past herself: You have to stop focusing on the past, and set your gaze on the present." "I suppose I could try." Moana nodded. "And it wouldn't hurt to smile a little more." Sunset added. "You have a really nice smile." "Oh, really?" Moana chuckled. "I guess I could try that, too... Thanks for the support." "Our pleasure." Echo declared. "Any time." Sunset agreed. That evening, Echo and Sunset listened to the next recording. "The lock of hair I... acquired from Mandragora has truly been an eye-opener." Nocturne's voice declared. "Under close examination, I learned that the dark magic is infused into a Nightcrawler's very DNA. Even this tiny lock of hair possesses great power locked within it. And the Tenebros gene itself... wondrous. Seeing it under my microscope was a true delight. To think, that such a tiny thing could be the catalyst for such great power. And the applications of that power... the very possibilities are endless. Alas, a single hair is not much to go on. If I am to continue my research, I will need something much larger than a hair. Much, much larger..." "Okay, I'll admit that was a little ominous." Sunset declared. "Let's just hope the next recording doesn't have him saying that he cut off somepony's leg." "Not funny, Sunset." Echo pouted. "Honestly, I'm sure your dad wouldn't go that far." Sunset smiled. "He was a respected scientist, after all, and not a butcher." "That is true." Echo nodded. "Father never actually hurt anypony in his life. I highly doubt he would maim another pony, even in the name of research. Unlocking the secrets of the Nightcrawlers wouldn't have driven to such extremes..." "Speaking of extremes, I wonder how things are going back home?" Sunset asked. "You think Shining and Cadance are managing to hold off Malus and that stupid Registration Act of his?" "I have the utmost faith in them." Echo declared. "I know we can count on them to hold off Malus' scheming until we return." "It's still hard to believe Shining is actually on your side now." Sunset admitted. "It wasn't too long ago when he hated your guts." "True." Echo nodded. "I'm just glad those days are over. There's enough hate in this world already." "Ain't that the truth?" Sunset sighed, as they climbed into their hammocks. "Fortunately, for every pony filled with heart, there are a dozen more filling to listen to reason." Echo declared. "Let's just hope we find that reason soon." Sunset declared. The two held hooves once more as they drifted off to sleep. Over in the Crystal Empire, Shining and Cadance were holding a conference with Senator Malus. "I fail to see why you are still standing against the Registration Act." Malus growled. "Your Empire has suffered greatly because of dark magic and Nightcrawlers. Wouldn't you and your citizens feel safer, knowing that those Nightcrawlers were all identified and contained?" "But what of the Nightcrawler's themselves?" Cadance asked. "How safe would they feel, when your Registration Act demands they be rounded up and tagged like cattle?" "If they cooperate, they will have nothing to fear." Malus claimed. "But I've heard of what you plan to do to those who don't cooperate." Shining frowned. "You plan to lock them up, claiming they are a 'threat' when all they have done is refuse to play your little game." "Game?" Malus scowled. "This no game. I am only trying to protect Equestria. You know as well as I do the applications of such unnatural power. It's for the good of everypony that we keep that power under wraps." "What about those who don't even have their powers yet?" Cadance asked. "How will they fit into this?" "Ah, that's the next step of the Registration Act." Malus declared. "Once all active Nightcrawlers have been identified, I will set in motion mandatory screenings for all foals above a certain age. From what we've been able to discover, the Tenebros gene has never activated in a pony any earlier than puberty, which gives an accurate margin for error." "Mandatory screenings?" Shining frowned. "Bad enough you're planning on ostracising innocent Nightcrawlers, now you want to out all the ones who aren't even active?" "Forewarned is forearmed." Malus said bluntly. "If we know who has the gene, we'll know who to watch out for when the inevitable happens." "And what about what happens in the meantime?" Cadance asked. "Think about all those poor foals will be forced to go through. They will have to suffer the stigma of being labelled future Nightcrawlers. They and their families will be easy targets for all the bigots out there, not to mention be unable to defend themselves. You may as well just paint bullseyes on them!" "Now, now." Malus shook his head. "Calm yourself, Princess. We won't be going public with the names of future Nightcrawlers. We'll just put them on our list of potential threats." "Potential threats?" Shining snarled. "You'll just automatically presume that all those foals will grow up to be monsters?" "Of course not." Malus retorted. "We have no intention of making them targets. We just want to be prepared. Of course, we'll have to make regular check-ins, so we know when their Tenebros gene has activated... then they can be properly registered. All in the interest of public safety, you understand." "Sure it is." Cadance snorted. "And all it takes is an invasion of privacy and forced examinations. I'm sure the foals and their families will love that." "I admire your idealism, Princess, really I do." Malus declared. "But this is the real world. Life isn't as rosy as some like to think it is. I'm just a realist, trying to keep our world safe. And if that means a few have to suffer control in order for that to happen, then so be it. " "You are such a liar." Shining said coldly. "...Excuse me?" Malus frowned. "You think I can't see through you?" Shining scowled. "I know irrational hatred when I see it. I felt it myself, not too long ago. You fear and hate Nightcrawlers, and you're trying to spread that fear and hate to others. That's what this Registration Act of yours is really all about: Fear. And as long as I'm Prince, I won't let that fear into the Crystal Empire." "Such a pity." Malus shook his head. "So determined, yet so misguided. You're not the first Nightcrawler lover I've met your highness, and you doubtless won't be the last. Ponies like you will be the death of us all." "Why?" Cadance asked. "Because we see Nightcrawlers as actual ponies, and not as monsters? It's called compassion!" "More like 'bleeding heart rhetoric'." Malus snorted. "Did you ever think reaching out to the Nightcrawlers could do more good than oppressing them?" Shining asked. "No, actually." Malus scowled. "Because Nightcrawlers aren't interested in being reached out to. They simply want to live their lives, not knowing that they are ticking time bombs that will destroy all us regular ponies if we do not keep them in check. And some of them has the gall to believe they're better than us. Just ask the one who attacked my office and tried to assassinate me. You know, the head terrorist of those 'Shadow Stalkers'?" "So you judge all Nightcrawlers by the actions of a few?" Cadance asked. "That's called 'prejudice'." "And we won't let you spread your prejudice here." Shining added. "Not by a long shot. Neither will Celestia." "It doesn't matter, any way." Malus smirked. "You can stall as much as you like, but the end result will be the same. Sooner or later, the Registration Act will become law, and all those mistakes of nature will be rounded up and taken far away from the normal ponies. In the end, I will win. It's a shame, really. Those Nightcrawlers are really just victims of inferior, corrupt genetics. But there isn't anything that can be done to change that now, so we'll just have to deal with them in the most efficient and cautious way possible. And my Registration Act is that way. Good evening, your highnesses." With that, Malus left the throneroom. "That... gargoyle!" Cadance snarled. "We can't let him get away with this!" "Our only hope to turn this around is for Echo to find the evidence he needs to prove that those 'Shadow Stalkers' aren't the monsters Malus wants the world to think they are." Shining frowned. "Come on, Echo. Don't let us down..."