Canterlot – Castle Gardens – a week after Discord's “Attack” -
The Five bearers of the Elements of Harmony currently interested in having a romantic relationship with Maelstrom Knight, Prince and son of Princess Luna, were at the moment standing to attention and in silence as said Moon Alicorn slowly walked in front of each one of them, seizing them up with a cold stare.
A little far to the side, Celestia was watching the drama unfold with a defeated sigh as she shook her head at every snarl of her sister.
“You all...” Luna hissed with narrowed eyes.
“Yes?” Rainbow Dash answered with a challenging tone, actually matching Luna's glare with her own.
“And you especially, Element of Loyalty...you dare corrupt the heir to the Throne of Night?” the over-protective mother asked.
“It's Love, not Corruption...you got the two things mixed-up, your Highness.” Dash answered.
“INSOLENT FILLY! You really expect ME to let the first passing-by take him away from me?!” Luna yelled as she moved at an inch of the rainbow-maned girl's face.
“He is no longer a colt, he can take his own decisions!” Dash yelled back, uncaring of the others looking at her as to plea her to stay put.
“HE SAID THAT I COULD HAVE VERY WELL DISOWNED HIM IF I DIDN'T LIKE HIS STAYING WITH YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!?” the Princess yelled.
“He...he said that?” Twilight asked with wide eyes.
“He showed himself ready to forsake ME, his mother, in order to just stay with her...and you all...” the mare answered with a bitter glare almost drilling an hole in the Unicorn's head.
“Sister, you know that he would never do that instead, but he loves Miss Dash just as much as he loves you; not in the same way, but the two of you are the most important women in his life.” Celestia offered with a calm voice.
“That's not true! He will abandon me...forget my very existence, all because of them!” Luna replied.
“Your Highness, he grew-up without you, and you spent a thousand years without seeing him...neither of you will ever forget the other, we-we just want to take part to the family...i-i-if it's not a problem...” Fluttershy asked timidly.
“So you are not planning to take him away from me? How can I be sure?” Luna asked with narrowed eyes.
“I don't know.” the shy pegasus answered.
“...You still dream about that choker you have hidden under your bed...I am letting this matter drop just because in every dream you are the one wearing it as he pull you closer to have his way with you...but mark my words, I will be watching you closer than every other...Miss Pervertshy.” Luna coldly whispered in her ears as an answer, turning the poor mare deep-red in embarrassment.
“And you all? What are your intentions with my son?” she then asked to the others.
“Ah don't think he will let us keep him apart from you...and personally Ah won't even try to do that as a principle, family must-a be together no matter what! An united family is a darn happy family.” Applejack answered.
“Hn! That's actually a decent answer, worthy of the Element of Honesty.” Luna said with an appreciative nod.
“Thank you, ma'am.” AJ said bowing.
“But this doesn't mean that I will let this go without proper procedures being respected.” the Princess added.
“I am ready for the 'Evaluation', Princess Luna.” Twilight said with her head held high and her mane sparkling in a particularly enticing way.
“So you knew?” Luna asked.
“It's part of Royal Etiquette: “Every mare or stallion that wish to propose him or herself to the Crown to date an Heir must be firstly accepted as suitable contender by the parents.”. Page 62 of Proud Flankisser's book of Etiquette.” Twilight answered.
“Wonderful answer,” the Moon Alicorn said in approval.
“She's my student, I taught her well.” Celestia muttered while discreetly preening, nopony missing her 'TWIMAEL FOREVER!' shirt with both Alicorn and Unicorn's faces kissing inside an huge heart under the text. But all of them just pretended she wasn't wearing it.
“YOU KNEW AND DIDN'T TELL US!?” Dash shrieked with an expression of betrayal.
“Cough! I...I...ehm!...I forgot?” Twilight answered lamely while covering her blushing with a fake coughing fit.
“You cheater...ya did that on purpose!” AJ said with narrowed eyes.
“And I even offered you free muffins, Twi!” Pinkie said pouting.
“Yes, free muffins, but laced with laxatives in the hope that I would not have come here in time,” Twilight answered sneering.
“Those are details.” the pink pony said blushing herself.
“Good thing that I had checked them before then! your smile was even too gentle, luckily Big Mac happened to pass by and take them once I offered.”
“NOT MAH BROTHER!” AJ yelled with wide eyes.
“OH GOD, THE PAIN! THE AGONY! MY FLANK IS ON FIREEEEEEEEEEE!” a far-away echo of agony momentarily reached the gardens, easily ignored by the mares present.
“Oh-oooh! Miss Sparkle does have a mean bone in her after all...you are climbing pretty high in my scale, young filly...but do not believe I will accept you any time soon. I still have to give my blessing.” Luna said amused.
“I don't need your blessing! This farce has been gone for far too long, he is not a baby that needs his mommy to decide for him! I'll stay with him whatever you like it or not. Now excuse me, but I have a colt-friend to spend time with, definitely a more enjoyable way to spend time than staying here.” Dash said as she took flight.
“Come back here, Rainbow Dash.” Luna said as a translucent hand of energy left her horn to grab the speeding mare and take her back in front of the Princess.
“What?” the Pegasus asked with venomous tone.
“You dare speak like that to me? What makes you think that I will let you disrespect me like that?” the Moon Alicorn asked with narrowed eyes.
“For the stallion I love? I'll do this and more, you want me gone? Then banish me, because I am not going to break-up with him just to make ya happy!” Dash said growling.
“...Return to your place in the line, I am still not done with you all.” Luna said smirking as she threw Dash back with the others.
“But just so you know, as for now only you and Celestia's student Twilight are the closest at being accepted, because both of you showed the strength of Will I want in a mare that will stay with my Maelstrom...and while you five are still not 'worthy' in my eyes...I will trust my son's judgement enough to give you all the benefit of the doubt. For now.” she then said before turning to walk inside the Castle.
“You all are hereby dismissed, I will soon speak individually with every one of you, not as a Test, but to know better my future daughter-in-law...should any of you show to be worthy of it, of course.” she said without looking back before slamming the door closed once she entered.
“Sigh! I am sorry if my sister is bothering you, but I fear that Storm's leaving us and her Banishment as Nightmare Moon has took a toll on her, now she is latching to her son almost desperately in fear of losing him too, so her judgement takes a dive whenever faced with a “threat” to him.” Celestia said with an apologetic tone.
“We understand, Princess Celestia. we expected something like this happening. Maelstrom himself withstood a meeting with my parents for the same reasons, dad was particularly creative in his threats should he break my heart. Shining is instead being kept in the dark about the whole thing and told it was all part of Discord's game, for his own sake.” Twilight answered bowing.
“Hu-uh! Mister Cake joined my dad too! Both said they would have cooked him on an open fire if he makes me sad...Hihihi! Maelly answered that should that happen he would personally present himself to them with an apple already in his mouth...They were strangely happy to hear that.” Pinkie added giggling.
“Eeyup! He would have the whole Apple Family hunting him down...Ah don't think he will treat me bad!” AJ said grinning.
“I trust him, so I have nothing to fear.” Dash said.
“Angel and my other animal friends circled him with barred fangs and claws, I guess that counts as 'meet the family'...” Fluttershy said looking down.
“Good, but...Dash? Sorry if I am being so bold to ask this...” Celestia said with a small, nervous smile.
“Yes?”
“He is still virgin, right? You two have not mated yet, right?” the Sun Alicorn whispered as low as she could with a pleading, scared tone.
“Of course! It will be our first time, we are waiting to be ready for that and do it 'properly'! Who do you think I am, your Highness?!” Dash whispered back scandalized.
“I was not insinuating, just making sure. Luna's rage would have been legendary at that.” Celestia answered sighing in elation.
“She has no rights over it either...and we did other things.” Dash muttered.
“Other things?” the other asked.
“Well...he has a VERY long tongue normally...and he can make it get even longer...” she muttered looking down with a very red face.
“I don't see the point,” Celestia said confused.
“Me neither, sugarcube.” AJ added shaking her head, the other mares doing the same.
“T-There is this thing where he...i-it's embarrassing!” Dash said.
“You are acting strangely, are you okay?” Celestia said worried.
In answer the rainbow-maned pegasus just leaned closer and surprised the others by whispering something in the Princess' ear, making her eyes shot wide open.
“WHAAAT!?” the Alicorn yelled in shock.
“...It's very addicting,” Dash admitted in shame.
“So that scream...it was you?!” Celestia asked.
“...Yes, I have got better at holding my voice, but it's still hard,”
“What's happening?” Twilight asked worried.
“And what about you?” Celestia asked while ignoring her student.
“I do the same to him, the first time it felt strange, now I-I got used to it.” the other answered.
“For the sake of this land, PLEASE make sure Luna never finds out...or at least not until you and Maelstrom get married,” Celestia pleaded, trying to cast away from her mind the conjured images of that 'cunnilingus' and 'analingus' act, ESPECIALLY since her dear nephew was the perpetrator of those things.
“Where is Mael now, Princess Celestia?” AJ asked, trying to ignore Pinkie's whining at Dash to know what she told to the Alicorn.
“If I got the details right, he and Discord had went to take care of some non-described issue, I got along with this just by virtue of the fact that both the Prince and that mad Draconequus seems to get along in a good enough way to stop Discord from causing mischief in the immediate future,” Celestia answered.
They all turned to look at Dash when the mare finally caved in to Pinkie's demands with a frustrated growl.
“OKAY! FINE! He likes to lick and suck my marehood and butt-hole while I do the same to his 'Thing', okay?!” she admitted.
“...”
“...”
Meanwhile – Everfree Forest – with Maelstrom and Discord -
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” a far-away shrilly scream echoed everywhere in the forest reaching the ears of both Chaos Entity and blond Alicorn Prince, the latter transformed in the flaming form of his Sage Chakra Cloak to use energy-made hands to tear-off from the ground and destroy to nothingness several evil-looking seeds.
“Hoy! That sounded like the Element Bearers screaming in shock...” Discord said absent-minded as he too took away the same seeds from the terrain.
“Three hundred and fifty!...shut up and keep taking those things away!” Mael said annoyed as a new seed got turned to ashes by the flaming cloak of chakra.
“I am surprised my Plunderseeds still have to take over.” the Chaos Entity admitted.
“Why you did this, again?” the Prince asked.
“Time ago I planted the Plunderseeds the same moment Celestia and Luna defeated me; I wanted to use them to steal the Tree of Harmony and capture the royal sisters; the seeds should have sprouted "ages ago", but I think that the tree still has enough magic to keep them from carrying out their original purpose.” he answered.
“And then why you asked me to take them away BEFORE they could do that?” Maelstrom asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Had I asked to Celestia or Luna those two would have turned me to stone the same instant I finished talking before coming here themselves, same going for the Elements of Harmony; they would have gone for 'First shooting then asking questions' instead of giving me a chance to explain.” Discord admitted frowning.
“And what about me?” the Prince asked.
“You are different, you grew-up in a world that teaches that Reality is not “Black or White” but that everything can be seen in shades of Grey, with things being “Not so bad” or “Not so good” instead of fully “Evil VS Good”. I had issues back there and wanted both Princesses gone and Chaos ruling everywhere,” the Draconequus answered while forcing out a new seed and dispelling it with a snap of his fingers.
“And now? What do you want?”
“I still prefer Chaos, but I want something to be left behind so to rule over the world...”
“Something...or somepony? Like a friend?”
“...”
“...Down there, there is another cluster of seeds, right under the Tree of Harmony.” Discord simply answered after a moment of short, uncomfortable silence.
“I'll get them. What would have happened had I not been here? Had the seeds took over?” Maelstrom asked.
“I would have talked the Elements into addressing the situation...probably hiding everything behind a supposed 'Lesson' about Friendship, or Duty or Morality...depending on the situation. The problem is that should that have happened they would have been forced to sacrifice their Elements to power-up the exhausted reserves of the Tree. But since you are here, I can skip that and hopefully hide the whole thing with no-one ever knowing. If I have to stay around, the less I get pointed at for bringing ruin the better.” Discord answered.
“So you would have forced them to give-up the power we may have later needed to defeat another Bad Guy weak ONLY to the Elements of Harmony?” the blond Alicorn asked with narrowed eyes.
“I am many things, what I am not is being good at admitting of making a mistake. Back there I had issues, now I have others, but I still won't ever admit that I personally planted those seeds unless a disgrace like their blooming comes along...don't force me to erase your memories once we have done.” the draconequus answered.
“I won't talk, but for future references, come talk to me if you need. I hardly judge people, so I will at least let you go through a first explanation before actually judging.”
“Good. We have almost made it, barely a dozen and all of them will be gone...I didn't remember using this much.” Discord said nodding.
One hour later and the last remaining Plunderseed was turned to dust, and barely an instant later the Tree of Harmony gave-out a blinding flash of light of almost-palpable happiness.
“...It's a nice tree, it would have been a pity had you destroyed it.” Maelstrom said with a small smile.
“I blame my need of being overly-chaotic for attacking it. Now let's go before someone comes investigating the light, now that the Plunderseeds are gone the tree should be able to recharge by itself, so your girls won't need to sacrifice their Elements.”
“Sounds good to me, if you need me I'll be seeing what Applejack is doing, if this whole 'herd' mess has to work I'll need to start acting like a proper colt-friend with the others as well...Sigh! It would have been so much easier with only Dash to worry about, but I don't want to hurt the others, so for now I'll try to make the best of it...”
“It could have been worse.”
“Changing subject; do you think anypony will ever notice our intervention if we don't talk?” the Prince asked curios as both walked away.
“Nope! This is a secret we will take to our graves! NO-ONE will ever know our involvement or that we have even set foot here.” Discord answered shacking his head.
Unseen by them the Tree of Harmony gave-out a last shy flash of light while growing of few inches in height; because now, under the star shaped-light in the centre (shape somehow resembling Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark), the marking of a spiral formed by nine fox tails and a stylized “D” had appeared on the trunk of the plant to keep company to Celestia and Luna's cutie marks in the same area; and should someone with good ears strain their hearing, a faint mischievous giggling could almost be heard coming from the plant itself for an instant before disappearing.
“Hoy! I was wondering...is that you the one that is trying to play match-maker between Twilight's pet dragon and the Element of Generosity?” Discord asked.
“Yep! But I still can't say we are seeing results...perhaps one day in the distant future,” Maelstrom answered sighing.
“Perhaps...” the draconequus echoed with a similar sigh.
Meanwhile – Ponyville -
“Mmmmmh! Oh, God! How much I have dreamed to do this with you!”
“Did I tell you to stop kissing?” the mare lying on the comfy puff said in mock annoyance.
“No, Mistress!”
“Then be a good boy and return scratching my tonsils with that French-whatever style of kiss, and remember! Until you grow into a teenage body to match your mind, this whole thing is a secret!”
“Yes, Mistress Rarity!”
“Good Spikey-wakey, now go back exercising what you have been taught and remember to lick behind my teeth, I like it in there.”
“Yes, Mistress!”
At the same time – with Luna – Fluttershy's home -
The Princess of the Moon was silently moving towards the shy Pegasus' place clad in full camouflage gear and face-paint while covered, just to be sure, in enough obscuring Magic to turn an army invisible all focused on her alone.
“First Subject, Herd Member Fluttershy, Codename 'Pervertshy'...” Luna muttered to the small recording device near her while following every movement of the other mare through binoculars.
The Unaware pony was happily moving through her normal routine and taking care of her animals with a gentle smile on her face and a maternal tone of voice.
“Nonono! Let the others eat something too, don't be greedy!” she said while gently moving one of the fox kits slightly away from the dish to let the other members of the small litter reach the food.
“Is it good? Good boys! Eat everything and get strong as your daddy and mommy.” Fluttershy said giggling as the small foxes swarmed her yipping and cooing around her to get her full attention and nuzzles.
“GUH! That's horrible! She is...she is showing to be good mother-mat-material...GURGLE!” Luna groaned with a green face as the Horrifying (from her perspective) image of the Mare and LUNA'S Son Maelstrom together and laughing with one or two fillies trotting around them just like those foxes were doing flashed in her mind.
“I am over one thousand years old...I am too young to be a grandmother!” the Princess said shaking her head to banish the images.
“Calm down...Breath In...Breath Out...she will surely buck-up along the way and then I will pounce on that and sweet-talk my baby colt about her being unworthy...I can do this!” Luna muttered while breathing long and slowly.
A subtle flashing of her horn and a near spider got hypnotized into following Luna's orders, another spell to make it stronger and faster and the little thing soon assaulted Fluttershy covering the shy Pegasus in a thick cocoon of webs hanging upside-down in a matter of seconds.
“THERE! Now I want to see how you answer to that! Being overly-gentle won't make nice kids! But spoiled brats!” Luna said in victory.
“What's the meaning of this, Spidey?” Fluttershy said with a scolding tone and narrowed eyes making the small spider look down in shame.
“Eh!?”
“Jokes are good and funny until somepony gets hurt, what would have happened had I hit my head? Or what if somepony is afraid of heights? Have you thought about it? I am disappointed in you.” the Pegasus asked with a perfect 'Angry Mom' tone of voice.
To the Princess' shock she could literally heard the spider click its tiny mandibles as if in blabbering an excuse.
“I am not happy, Spidey. I taught you better than playing dangerous games! Now untie me and think about what you have done, do this again and next time it will be going to be 'the corner' for you.” the mare answered, making the small animal nod and gently put her down.
The hay! It even wrote 'Sorry, Mama Fluttershy!” with its web before retreating under a rock!
“She can be strict...she can be strict?...SHE can be STRICT?! Another point for her being a good future mother for my dearest son's future babies?!” a deep breath was taken before...
“DAAAAAAMN IIIIIIT!” a roar of fury mixed at disbelief echoed in the huge garden startling the shy mare so much to have her miss the small flash of teleportation of Luna.
“Grrrrr! This means nothing! Just because one of them MIGHT be a good choice for a future wife doesn't mean that the others will! It only takes one of them failing to have the rest follow her outside the door flying at terminal velocity...hopefully via my own royal hooves kicking them out.” the Moon Alicorn thought growling as she reached the Apple Family's Apple tree acres where she knew (Via -Cough!- Paid informations – Cough!- from a Night Guard) that Maelstrom was visiting to help the Element of Honesty in her harvesting as a form of...Date.
(- Add here puking fit of Luna - )
Few Minutes Later – With Applejack -
AJ was actually feeling pretty nervous at the moment, not only because the stallion currently bucking the tree near hers with a darned charming smile on his face and clones helping moving the filled boxes in storage with the others.
It wasn't even because Big Mac and Granny Smith had started insinuating about AJ and the Prince forming a couple being a nice idea with the discretion of a stampede of dragons, luckily only managing to have him answer with a joke or a laughing fit defusing the thing rapidly, all for the sake of AJ's embarrassment at his family's actions.
No, her nervousness was to be pointed at two sources, one was the strange feeling of somepony glaring at the back of her head as if hoping for it to catch fire followed by the disembodied muttering-like sounds she kept hearing coming from around her, mostly seemingly lamenting the way she and her family were accepting Maelstrom in their group.
Luckily though she never heard the other half of Luna's mutterings, detailing where Applejack could shove her apples and her cautious flirting with the blond Alicorn.
The biggest concern for the Farm-mare were Dash' words about her...'Dealings' with the Prince, making her subconsciously steal a glance or two at his legs, flank and the rest of his muscles; thing that he missed but Luna surely didn't.
“Heya, Boss!” Bloom said trotting near the Prince and moving one bottle in front of him as soon as she reached him.
“Bloomie! What are you doing here, ya little menace?” the blond Alicorn answered grinning.
“I am not a menace!” she said pouting.
“I saw your attempt at pranking and cooking...it was horrible!” Maelstrom answered with a fake horrified expression that made her pout grow stronger.
“Nuu! I am not that bad! And I even brought you some water in case you were thirsty...that's not how a brother should treat a little sister!” Bloom answered pushing the bottle closer to him with her tiny head.
“I am your big brother now?” he asked chuckling.
“...Once you'll have married AJ, yes, you'll be.” the filly answered smirking.
“EEEEEEEP!” from far away AJ's shriek reached them, not only showing that she was eavesdropping but also covering Luna's strangled scream at the mere idea.
“Bloomie...”
“DON'T CALL ME 'BLOOMIE'!” Bloom said with a fierce embarrassed blush.
“Yes I will, instead! Because it sounds cute...wanna see something cool?” he answered.
“Something cool? What is it?” the little filly asked curious.
“Watch this, without hooves or Magic!” the Prince sticking out his tongue.
To AJ the action happened in slow-motion with the thick tongue of the Alicorn coming out of his mouth, then it kept coming out, and then came out some more until it circled one of the apples in a clearly already-experienced manoeuvre that brought the fruit to his mouth where he took a bite once released it.
“That's disgusting, Boss! Why would that be useful?” Bloom asked with a grimace.
“To scare little fillies and colts mostly...but I usually use it to taste things thoroughly.” the Prince answered with an innocent smile, the innuendo sailing clearly above the younger mare present in virtue of innocence and above Princess Luna's head out of sheer denial about him doing anything perverted EVER.
AJ though...AJ remembered the details of Dash's games with her Colt-friend and the other usage of that long, thick and surely pleasantly warm tongue...gently prodding around, tenderly caressing everywhere, tasting every inch and reaching deep down where nothing else could and hungrily demanding its fill until...
With Luna – not far away -
“Why is she looking at him like that? Her eyes seems empty...and is that...is that blood coming out from her nose? Is she injured?” Luna thought while looking curious at the Element of Honesty going through a mental 'Blue screen' and looking at the Prince with unfocused eyes.
“This is another failure! That mare never tried to go too fast! The hay, she is the one taking things slowly so they can know each other better, and both are hard-working ponies that love big families and are honest to a fault and even too much eager to help their friends...” the Princess muttered shivering as the things both had in common kept piling-up in front of her very eyes, and Maelstrom's laugh echoing Applejack's giggles after one of her jokes must have been the worst sound she had ever heard.
Her musing stopped as the couple passed near the tree she was hiding on, forcing her to stop doing any noise so to not be discovered, though the Princess' son did momentarily stopped to look at the tree with narrowed eyes before grinning and giving it a nonchalant kick with one hoof before joining AJ in walking towards the rest of the Apple family.
“What did he-OH!” Luna muttered confused, actually jumping when one of the apples of the tree fell on her head getting stuck on her horn.
“Eh! I should have known he would have spotted me, he is my baby boy after all! Shinobi training notwithstanding.” the Moon Alicorn said amused, snorting when her cheeky son looked back to wink at her and flashing a knowing grin.
“He knows me too well...” she muttered shaking her head.
“That he does!” a new voice said amused.
“EEEEP!” the Princess shrieked falling from the tree from the surprise.
“Did I spook you, oh little peeping-tom?” Discord said as his face appeared on one of the fallen apples.
“This is not fun, Discord.” Luna hissed as she got up, removing every twig from her mane in a flash of Magic.
“It is instead! From my side at least.” the Draconequus answered as his mismatched body appeared in front of the Moon Alicorn.
“What do you want?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
“Knowing what you are doing stalking the Element Bearers and why you are trying to sabotage them in some way may be a nice start.” Discord asked grinning.
“I am not stalking them, I am 'Analysing them from afar'! and what I do is not sabotage, it's 'Testing their Will'! There is a difference!” Luna answered indignant.
“...Putting living snakes inside a pie so to have them jump Pinkie is testing her Will?” the Draconequus asked with crossed arms.
“Of course! It's testing her will of staying with a Stallion clearly above her level! I am doing this for their own good!” she answered.
“Our own good, uh?!” a very well known voice said from behind the Princess.
“Discord? You have not brought behind me the Element Bearers to hear me dig my own grave, right?” Luna asked with a pleading tone.
“...I fear he did, mother.” Maelstrom answered uneasy.
“...Fan-Censored-Tastic...” the Moon Alicorn said groaning.
“And you kiss your son with that mouth, Lulu? For shame!” Discord said laughing.
“Another jab and I'll burn those filthy books you seem to love.” the Princess answered growling.
“YOU WOULDN'T DARE!”
“We have other matters to discuss now,” Dash said with a bitter glare.
“Listen, I am just a mother afraid to see her son get his heart broken by an uncaring mare! Why a father can harass a colt-friend because dating his baby girl and I can't do the same for my Maelstrom?” Luna asked.
“Your Highness? We understand that, but you are going overboard! My father is very protective of me, but he would never do that!” Twilight answered shaking her head.
“Eeyup! Big Mac as well gets mad when a stallion speaks to me, but Ah can say he would never stalk me!” AJ added.
“Really?” The Princess asked.
“Of course!” both mares answered.
Without breaking eye-contact Luna's horn flared in magic creating a 'rope' that rapidly moved in one of the bushes before re-emerging with the struggling forms of Big Mac, Igneous Rock and Twilight's father all held upside-down in front of the mares.
“DAD?!” Twilight yelled with wide eyes.
“Daddy?” Pinkie asked confused.
“MAC!? What the hay?!”
“Those gentlemen were spying on my son the whole time, just like I was admittedly doing with you all.” Luna said nonchalant.
“With all due respect, you can't prove it, your Highness!” Igneous tried saying.
At that the Moon Alicorn simply shook the three stallions making cameras, recording disks, video-cameras, stacks of pictures with red circles around Maelstrom's head and pages upon pages of tightly written notes fall down to the floor.
“Wow, that's creepy.” the blond Prince muttered in awe.
“There is a very valid explanation behind this, honey...”
“And it is?” Twilight asked back.
“We...ehm...we...”
“We were just curious!” Mac answered making the two fathers with him nod eagerly.
“Enough! This thing is getting ridiculous...I know this situation is strange, but can we try to resolve it ourselves? Give us a chance, only once.” Maelstrom asked.
“Oh, FINE! Is not like my wife is against this, she will be already hard to deal with once she will heard about me stalking you, but if she heard me refusing this I will never live it down.” Twilight's father answered grumbling.
“Just remember that should you hurt my little princess I will hurt you, badly.” Igneous added sighing.
“Aye! Aye! If AJ is sure Ah will step back, just-a keep yer hooves away from strange places.” Mac said nodding, the three of them finally moved back to stand on their own hooves and released from Luna's Magic.
“...”
“...”
“...So?” Dash asked with narrowed eyes.
“So, what?” Luna asked back.
“We are still waiting for you to stand back, mother.” the Prince said.
“Do I have to?” the Moon Alicorn asked whining.
“Mom...please. I love Dash and I am trying to settle things with the others.” the former shinobi pleaded moving closer to her.
“But I just want what's best for you,” she answered sighing.
“You are enjoying this little drama, don't you?” Rarity muttered while glaring at Discord.
“I was expecting a brawl with lots of kicks flying around like in those talk-shows in the late-night TV that always hosts those dysfunctional families throwing chairs at each other actually.” the Draconequus answered shrugging.
“Okay. Okay I will try and let you deal with this without interfering.” Luna finally said groaning in defeat.
“Thank you, mother. This means a lot to me.” Maelstrom said nuzzling her with a wide smile.
“I want to hear a promise though, just to be sure.” Dash said with crossed hooves.
“Oh, Fine! I promise...”
Later that night – Royal Castle – Canterlot – Luna's Room -
“I promise to NEVER stop saying that this is an horrible idea!” the Moon Princess growled as she slammed her room's door closed.
“An herd...AN HERD! They think that my beloved son is something they can share like some sort of treat!” she said in distaste.
“And he belongs only to you, right?” a distorted voice asked mockingly.
“W-Who's there? SHOW YOURSELF!” Luna ordered scanning the room.
“I don't need to show myself, you are already seeing me.” the voice said laughing as the Princess' eyes went drawn to her mirror.
In there the smirking face of Nightmare Moon stood looking back at her with a wide, fanged smile.
“YOU! You do not exist! You are just a mockery of me! A filthy corrupted version!” the Moon Alicorn said.
“Me? A copy? A mockery of you? I am the REAL Luna, you are just a little scared filly afraid of her true colours!” Nightmare Moon answered chuckling.
“The Elements destroyed you, you are a mere memory!” Luna replied stepping back a little.
“Ooh! In that you are right! The Elements destroyed the Nightmare Moon created by the 'Nightmare Force' but I...I am the REAL Luna, the one that silly Corruption awakened from her slumber, the one YOU buried in your subconscious because ashamed of it! I am what you always wanted to be, the one you SHOULD have always been! Not a weakling clinging to her past like a blanket!” the reflection said snarling.
“I am not a weakling!” Luna replied with a quivering voice.
“Look at you, all trembling, all WEAK! You are disgusting! You are letting some brats force themselves in your perfect life, all because you can't make your authority get respected as it should! This is MY reign, MY Castle and that is MY SON! And YOU are the one that is costing me everything with your being so damn spineless to protect it!” Nightmare Moon yelled enraged.
“YOU ARE NOT ME!” Luna yelled in answer with scared eyes.
“No, No I am not. But that is easily fixed.” the Corrupted mare said simply as it jumped out of the mirror to pounce on the Princess, soon making her body get covered by a thick, tar-like dark sludge covering her mouth as well to prevent her from screaming.
“UUUUUUHM! Much, much better!” the once-again Corrupted mare said with a pleased moan as she stood to look at the still-normal mirror and winking as the image of Nightmare Moon appeared to return the gesture.
“Now, first things first. A little make-up adjustment for my precious baby, then the renovations for MY Reign of Eternal Night will start.” Nightmare Moon said with a small smile as she happily trotted towards Maelstrom's room.
With the Prince -
“This feeling...NARUTO! WAKE-UP!” Kurama yelled as he felt the malevolent presence break-down the room door to enter.
“WHAT THE-ARGH!” the blond Alicorn had the time to say before the Corrupted Princess pounced on him with a wide smile.
“It's time to wake-up, my wonderful son! We have a kingdom to rule!” Nightmare Moon said with a purring voice.
“What have you done to my UMPF!” Maelstrom tried saying before the Princess' mouth covered his forcing something thick down his throat.
“This will help you my son...now open your eyes!” Nightmare Moon said, pleased to see the other Alicorn's eyes turn blood red with slit pupils.
Celestia's room – few minutes later -
The Sun Alicorn awoke screaming as the oppressing feeling of blood-lust washed over her and seemingly encompassed Canterlot in its entirety, growing in strength and in maliciousness until it settled to simply being THE darkest source of Negative Emotions she had ever felt, so much that even she could simply not comprehend how something so Evil could exist.
The ending result of the entity's approaching her was the whole wall holding the door to her room vaporising along a great part of the room itself to let Nightmare Moon enter with a clearly smug grin.
“YOU! What have you done to my sister?!” Celestia demanded.
“I am your sister! I am the true side of her she never acknowledged, her real-self!” the Dark Mare answered smirking.
“You lie! My sister never was such a foul creature! Your aura of Darkness is even worse than what I remembered,” the Sun Alicorn answered in disgust.
“Oh! That is not me...this wonderful power is none other than my dear son finally getting free of his self-imposed limitations, do you remember him?” Nightmare Moon answered chuckling.
“MAELSTROM! What have you done?!” the Sun Princess demanded with wide eyes.
“I helped him, dear sister...he is a new pony now. And soon he will rule this land with me, in our perfect world of Eternal Night.” the Alicorn answered happily.
“GRAAAAAAAAAH!” in answer to her words an inhuman roar echoed everywhere making the whole Castle and the area around it tremble.
“W-What have you done to him?” Celestia asked backing away in fear.
“May I present you the improved 'version' of my precious baby...From Maelstrom Knight...to NIGHTMARE KING!” Nightmare Moon said laughing as the Corrupted Prince showed himself.
The Deformed Alicorn was now sporting a body seemingly made of flaming dark-red energy with his face reduced to a pure-white set of shining eyes and an equally-shining 'opening' mimicking a fanged mouth; his ears were now longer, his horn now with its tip twisted into an hook and his wings more similar to the ones of a bat.
His tail had been split into six fox-like ones while an huge fox skeleton was covering his head, body, hooves and back like a sort of armour with the skull helmet presenting an hole to make room to the sharp horn.
“MAELSTROM!” Celestia screamed in horror as her own spirit seemed to freeze solid at the unmatched Evil Feeling emanating from her nephew.
“Here she is, my son! The mare that has forced us to be separated, the cause of our sufferance! Of our misery! Show her what do we think about her meddling in our affairs!” the Corrupted Luna said with a crazed smile.
“GRAAAAAAH!” the Prince screamed as tiny spheres of energy converged in his mouth.
“Maelstrom, it's me! Celestia! Snap out of it!” the Sun Alicorn pleaded with wide eyes.
“Too late, sister. Consider this my way to tell you that your services as Princess are no longer needed, farewell.” Nightmare Moon said chuckling.
“NOOOOO!”
“BIJU DAMA!” Maelstrom roared as the colossal beam of chakra disintegrated the whole room and erased a good portion of the gardens before a Magical shield managed to redirect the attack up in the sky briefly illuminating everything with the resulting explosion.
“Tch! I underestimated your abilities, sister.” Nightmare Moon said sneering.
“E-E-Elements...I need...the Elements...” and heavily wounded Celestia said weakly with one of her badly-burned wings falling limp behind her.
“Another shot, dear. Your aunt is still breathing.” Nightmare Moon said annoyed making the Corrupted Prince nod with a grunt.
“I...I'll save you both, e-even if it will be the last thing I do...” Celestia answered using her last remaining strength to teleport away to alert Twilight and the others.
“A guess, my son. Where did she go?” the Corrupted Princess asked bored.
“Elements.” Nightmare King answered with a growling voice.
“Yes, she is indeed so very predictable. Let's go, once removed her and those pesky girls we will have the full attention of our beloved subjects and soon even them will forget about those weaklings. Shall we go?” she asked kissing the cheek of the Biju-Cloak-covered Alicorn.
“Yes.” he answered.
“Then follow me! Bwahahahahaha!” Nightmare Moon said letting her chilling laugh fill the night as the two powerful forces disappeared in a flash of darkness to hunt-down the Elements and the wounded Sun Alicorn Princess.
Troubles have just started, next Chapter will have the Elements and Celestia fight against Nightmare Moon and the full might of a berserk Jinchuuriki in his six-tailed Cloak state backing-up his own Alicorn Powers.