Chapter 20
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Moonie? Moonie!
I listen to the sound of my voice echoing back at me in the darkness until it fades completely.
Once my voice is no longer echoing back, I start running, my eyes strained for even the smallest speck of light. If I can find just one speck, I’ll know what direction I need to go in. That will be the way to Moonie’s cage.
It’s been over a week since I first woke up in the hospital. I’ve barely been able to stay awake for long though, so I’ve been spending most of my time searching for Moonie.
Mama had to be wrong. Moonie couldn’t be gone. She was still here, she had to be and I’d find her.
Sure, she’s still the mare who took Mama away from Auntie Tia and tried to doom Equestria to death by night, even if she didn’t realize she’d be leaving ponies to die, but she’s the reason I held on so long when I was being held prisoner.
I needed to find her, to thank her.
Moonie? Moonie! I call out again, my own echoing voice being the only answer. Nightmare?!
After what feels like hours, my running slows to a trot, then my trot to a canter... before I just stop, my head hanging.
Mama’s right, I sniffle, a few tears sliding down my face. You really are gone.
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I opened my eyes, blinking slowly as I looked around the hospital wing. It was a week since I'd first woken up here, and I was still getting used to it.
Mama wasn’t with me, no doubt having to tend to her night duties. Still, I felt lonely without her. Ever since I was rescued, she’d always been there when I woke up. It had made me feel safe. Waking up without her, I felt scared, like somepony might try foalnapping me again, which wasn't at all helped by the pony lying in the bed next to mine.
I hadn't noticed him until he'd moaned during one of the few times I'd been awake (apparently i needed to sleep a lot in order to regain my strength and regenerate my wings and horn).
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Luna stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the hall, rooted to the stop as she heard a gut-retching scream, which was so loud it echoed throughout the castle.
Luna shot down the hall towards the infirmary, moving at speeds that would make Rainbow Dash jealous. When she burst into the infirmary something toppled away from the doors she'd thrust open. It took her a moment to realize it was Stellar.
The little filly rubbed her head, looked up, then shot behind Luna and clung onto her back legs so tightly she was almost cutting of the circulation, her body trembling as if she were in a freezing wind.
“Mama! Don’t let him take me back! Don’t let him! Save me!” her terrified cries were muffled with her face buried in the fur of Luna’s leg, but it was audible.
Luna glanced to see a certain stallion looking at her uncertainly from his bed and sighed. She’d known this wouldn’t be easy to explain and Stellar’s reaction was understandable. As far as she knew, the pony responsible for the suffering she’d been through was laying in that bed.
He waved a hoof cautiously. “Auntie, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Luna gave him a sad smile. “Sorry for disturbing you, nephew, but there’s somepony who I wanted you to meet and to help me explain things to... though she found out about you sooner than I expected.”
Blueblood looked to the form clutching onto her leg, shivering.
He gave a sad smile and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that.”
Luna nodded, looking down to the quivering filly with sad eyes. “I am sorry if she seems scared of you, but that is only because of him. As I told you when you were awake whilst she slept, she has been recovering, but the emotional scars he left will take far longer to heal than the physical ones.”
Blueblood nodded, but before he could go on, the filly stopped him with a cry.
“Mama! Why are you talking so friendly to him?” she practically sobbed, the fear strong in her voice. “He-he kept me trapped in that horrible place and took my wings and horn from me! It’s because of him that Moonie’s gone!”
Luna only thought for a moment how the pony in question (not the one laying in the bed in front of them) would have taken that as a compliment, before sighing yet again and used her magic to move Stellar a little closer and wrapped a wing around her.
“I know he did, sweetie,” she said soothingly. “But, despite what your eyes and ears tell you, this is not the same stallion who held you captive for all that time.”
Stellar glanced up at her, slight confusion mixing with the fear in her eyes.
Luna nodded, then looked to Blueblood. “This is the real Prince Blueblood the Third, son of Glitter Shine and Iron Shield. He was being held prisoner, much like yourself, by a cruel and twisted equine.”
Stellar’s shivers lessened as she looked up at her mother, then glanced at the unicorn stallion, whom she took notice was a lot thinner than was really healthy for a pony and that he had clumps of his mane and fur missing, before returning her eyes to the Alicorn.
Luna nodded. “The stallion who held you captive was using a potion that originated from Zebrica, but has been forbidden by the zebra tribes for many moons.”
Stellar gulped. “Wh-wh-what does it do?”
“It allowed that monster to take on my physical appearance, in every way,” Blueblood answered, only to be met by a squeaking and the filly pressing herself closer to Luna and further from him.
Luna gave him an apologetic smile, before continuing. “This potion was forbidden because it was Dark Magic. If drunken for long periods of time, it twists the mind of the drinker. And Blueblood’s impersonator has been pretending to be Blueblood since before my return.”
Stellar pulled a little back as she stared up at her mother, her eyes going wide. “What?”
Luna nodded to Blueblood, indicating for him to speak. Stellar squeaked, but made no other signs as to her feelings.
Blueblood took a deep breath. “It was about two years before Auntie returned from the moon, not that I even knew that was going to happen, I had always viewed the tale of the Mare in the Moon as just a pony’s tale but—”
He stopped himself and cleared his throat before returning to the story at hoof.
“Anyway, I was visiting the city of the Kingdom of Saddle Arabia, on Aunt Celestia’s request, to discuss matters with the Duke and Duchess. The meeting was fine, but afterwards, I was held up due to my chariot to Canterlot being delayed. Apparently the weather teams had arranged for a storm, so I needed to find accommodation for the night.
"Not wishing to inconvenience the Duke and Duchess, I tried to find a local Motel, since I only planned on staying the night. When I arrived the family running it seemed very surprised that a member of royalty would wish to stay even a night in their humble inn. I soon learned that they were descended from a noble family who had been stripped of their title shortly after the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon.”
Both Stellar and Luna exchanged glances at the mention of the name.
“They had lost their title and rank due to speaking against Princess Luna, claiming she had always been Nightmare and that Celestia was a fool to have ever thought otherwise and should have done worse than banishment. The length they went to emphasize this is something I cannot tell a filly as young as yourself, but it resulted in their titles and rank being removed and banishment from Canterlot.
"However, throughout the generations, their descendants learned not to see this as an insult and a robbing of what was rightfully theirs. They took it in their stride and formed bonds with the communities they chose to live in, just as these ponies had.”
Blueblood heaved a heavy sigh.
“One of their sons, however, a young stallion by the name of Alchemist, was not of those willing to live as they were. His special talent was in brewing potions, most of which his family sold as specialty items for their tenants. However,” he sighed, closing his eyes, “he also was one of the few descendants that still held a grudge against Aunt Celestia for banishing them and when he met me, he made it clear he resented my very being and thought of me as nothing but scum.”
“He was the scum!” Stellar said, a flare of anger entering her eyes. “No, scum’s too good for him. Saying he’s scum is an insult to scum!”
Blueblood nodded. “I agree, little princess. Anyway, his family apologized for his behavior to me and I put it out of my mind and went to sleep that night.”
He shivered.
“But when I awoke, I found myself in some kind of dark realm, where I couldn’t tell where it was. I was chained to a wall by magical metal, with a magical inhibitor on my horn.
"I had no idea how long I waited in fear, wondering where I was. But, after what felt like an eternity Alchemist appeared, a lamp held between his teeth lighting his way to me. At first, I thought he had come to save me, until he bit into and took some of my mane and tail and added it to a potion vial he was was holding with a hoof. He drank it and, before my eyes, he changed, his form growing taller and more to my own physique. His mane and fur changed to those like mine and his Cutie Mark was replaced by my own mark.”
Stellar shivered as her eyes went wide. “Y-you mean... Polyjuice Potion is real?”
Luna leaned down and nuzzled her daughter to calm her. “No, daughter. Polyjuice Potion is just a made-up thing for a story. The potion Alchemist used was Dark Magic. Nephew, continue.”
Blueblood did so. “I was unsure how long I waited for him to stop pretending to be me, to at least send me away with warning never to return and change my name. But, after what I have come to learn was over a month, whenever he came to feed me the small helping he did, he talked to me as if he were me. He was no longer pretending.”
Stellar frowned. “But... I don’t understand.” She looked to her mother. “Why would he do that? Was he really that stuck-up?”
Luna nodded, then shook her head. “Indeed, he was that stuck-up, but that was not why he spoke to Blueblood that way. The potion is Dark Magic. If consumed as regularly as Alchemist was doing so, it twists the mind, much like the Alicorn Amulet did to Trixie Lulamoon. However, due to the constant consumption of the potion, Alchemist came to believe that he truly was Blueblood. From what we’ve gathered, he came to believe that he had an illness (that illness being he would transform into his original form) and that the potion was the cure.”
“Meaning he kept taking it, thinking he needed it and taking my mane and fur in order to complete the potion,” Blueblood went on. “It got to a point where he no longer saw me as a living pony, but as a thing that provided him with the last ingredients he needed for the potion.”
There was silence as Stellar took in all of this, reflected back on her imprisonment and compared it to what the stallion before her had also been through.
After what felt like hours, she took a few tentative steps away from Luna, towards the bed, then looked away.
Blueblood gave a small smile. “It’s alright, little cousin,” he said warmly. “I understand it is hard for you to look at a face you remember only for horrible reasons. We can take this slowly. No need to rush, okay?”
She gave a small nod, but didn’t make eye contact.
Blueblood chuckled. “Well, I think proper introductions are in order.” He cleared his throat, then grinned and gave as best a bow he could from the bed. “Hello, Stellar Nova. I am Prince Blueblood. It is an honour to meet you at last.”
Stellar did not answer right away, but, after a few minutes of silence, she bowed her head a little. “He-hell-ll-llo, Prince B-B-B-B-Bluebl-bl-bl-blood. I’m P-P-Princes Stellar N-Nova. N-n-n-nice to meet you, t-t-t-too.”
Luna smiled at the scene. It would take some time before Stellar would feel at ease around Blueblood and be able to act like a member of family towards him, but this was a good first step.
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I look at the sleeping form of Blueblood... and notice the uncomfortable expression he’s wearing. He keeps whimpering and twitching in his sleep.
Frowning, I close my eyes again, focusing on him as my consciousness fades.
I find myself once more in darkness... only this isn’t like the darkness I have searched through all week to find Moonie in vain. It’s... it feels... wrong.
Please! Blueblood’s voice calls in pain and horror from within the darkness. Let me go! I want to see my aunt again! Please, this is Inequine!
Shut up, you thing, Blueblood’s voice sounds in reply, but in a way that makes me shiver, as I had had to listen to it for all the time I was held prisoner. I need what I take from you to cure myself. And she is my aunt, not yours.
My legs are stuck in place, not wanting to move, to not get any closer to that voice I hear in my nightmares. However, the sound of Blueblood, the real Blueblood’s scream seems to snap me out of it.
My eyes narrowing, I remember this is a dream and focus.
Within moments, I’m standing in front of a scene that makes me want to hurl.
Blueblood is chained to a wall by metal with magical runes engraved in them. On his horn is a magical inhibitor. His coat and mane are missing more chucks of hair than he has in the waking world now. To top it off, his body is as thin as I have come to know him as.
It is the pony in front of him that makes my gut twist in fear and my blood pump with boiling rage.
The pony before Blueblood, holding a vial of a glowing potion, is a stallion who looks just like Blueblood, only this one is looking healthy and strong, with a powerful build and well-groomed mane, tail and fur, wearing a collar that would have been on a shirt if a human was wearing it.
While I’d known him as Blueblood throughout my imprisonment, I now know him by another, Alchemist.
The real Blueblood lifts his head, and I feel rage boil stronger within me as I see tears staining his cheeks. When he sees me, his eyes widen in fear. Get out of here! he screams, his eyes darting from me to the fake, healthy-looking Blueblood drinking the potion. He’ll get you too!
At once the fake Blueblood turns and notices me.
I wince as those eyes meet mine and he scowls.
You! You demon! I’ll make you pay for taking my aunt away for a thousand years!
He starts moving towards me and I look to the real Blueblood with pleading eyes. This isn’t real, Blueblood. This is just a dream. You’re not a prisoner anymore, you never will be again! This is your dream. He can’t hurt you if you don’t let him. But I’m too weak to stop him right now. Only you can!
In truth, I’m kinda kicking myself for not thinking this through. I’d tried visiting a few dreams during the week and the few that had been nightmares I’d been powerless in. If Mama hadn’t come to mine and the ponies whose dreams I was in at the time, I’m not sure what might have happened.
Blueblood just slumps against the wall, his face sagging. I can’t do anything. He has blocked my magic. I’m powerless.
But I just told you, I cry, my voice getting a little more frantic as the fake comes closer to me, despite my backing away, this is your dream. You control what happens here, not him. He’s just a part of it. Those chains aren’t real. The inhibitor isn’t either. Please, Blueblood. Do something!
I scream as I feel the fake’s magical aura surround me and lift me up, the magical grip tight around me.
Now, I’m going to do what I should’ve done... ages ago, the fake says, a knife appear by his head, held in the same aura.
Leave her alone.
The knife pulls back, ready to swing at me and I brace myself for the pain.
I said, leave her ALONE! The sudden blast of sound to my ears is followed by the sound of chains shattering.
The fake looks over his shoulder. I look there too. Blueblood has broken the chains, which are fading away as they fall off of his body. The inhibitor lies on the black ground, burnt to a crisp.
What? the fake snarls, both in anger and surprise. How is that possible?
My young cousin is right! Blueblood says, standing tall, his body filling out until it matched the fake’s appearance. This is my dream and I am no longer your captive. Now, RELEASE HER!
The shout is followed by a blast of magical energy that slams into the fake. As it flows over him, it quickly covers me, before I feel myself on the ground again, only I can feel somepony standing over me.
I look up to see Blueblood glaring ahead and follow his gaze. Standing away from us, staggering is a brown-coated Earth Pony stallion with a dark-brown mane and tail and a black pot filled with a golden liquid for a Cutie Mark. No longer was there a fake Blueblood. It was now Alchemist we could see before us.
Be gone from my dream, you disgrace to equine kind! Blueblood declares, his voice filled the authoritative tone I’d heard Mama, Auntie Tia and even Twilight using every now and then.
As he finished speaking, the darkness behind Alchemist seemed to open up to reveal a swirling vortex of star.
No! Alchemist cries, running, but not moving as a wind began blowing from the opening, pulling him towards it. I must save Equestria from that monster! I am Blueblood, saviour of ponykind and destroyer of Nightmare Moon! I am Blueblooooooood!
He voice faded away as he was pulled into the opening and fell into the void of stars. As soon as his voice had faded, the opening closed and there was a flash of white light.
When it faded, I opened my eyes, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the light.
We were now standing in what I think are the Canterlot Castle gardens, though some things were different than the last time I’d been here. The sky was a bright blue, with barely a cloud visible.
Thank you.
I’m taken aback when I feel a nuzzle, but relax as I feel it is gentle.
I look up to see Blueblood smiling at me. You really do have the power to protect others in their dreams.
I feel a slight blush n my cheeks and look down. Only because of Mama. She taught me how.
He grunts in approval. And she is a wonderful mare. I feel the night is in good hooves with the two off you.
I blink. The night?
He seems to notice my confusion, because he lays down on his stomach and beckons me to lay down with him. I do and he looks down at me. You’re mother protects the dreams of her subjects. And it would seem you do the same.
No, I don’t, I shake my head. I just visit dreams when I don’t have any myself and help out if I can. I’m no protector like Mama. Besides, not everypony cares for me.
Blueblood blinks in confusion. Are you referring to ponies who only see you as Nightmare Moon? Because, let me assure you, little cousin, if there are any ponies still out there that feel that way, they are heartless creatures. I’ve seen what that monster did to you and anypony who sees you now and thinks of you as a monster clearly has no emotions.
I snort. No. I mean the ponies that pretended to care for me when they were looking after me.
His eyes widen. You mean the Element Bearers?
I remain silent, but nod. And Celestia.
He blinks again, confusion entering his expression. But... you’ve called her Auntie Tia before?
I snort. I do it for Mama. I still hate Tia and Twilight and the others.
He frowns at me. Hate? That is a powerful word, little filly. The pony that held us both captive, yes, I can understand you saying you hate him. But, can you honestly, in good conscience, say you hate those ponies, when they were trying to do the same thing the mare you call your mother was doing? You can forgive her, but not them?
I don’t meet his eyes and just stare at the blue flower in front of me.
But, he doesn’t continue. He waits for me to answer him, the silence stretching on between us.
The silence is... I really don’t like it. It leaves me with nothing to do but think about what he asked.
Going over it, thinking about all the times Twilight would teach me things I didn’t understand, how Applejack taught me how to buck apples, how Rarity would talk to me like I was an adult when I wanted her to, how Fluttershy was always so nice to me and let me play with her animals, how Rainbow Dash taught me and Scootaloo to fly, giving me a Sky Sister, how Pinkie Pie, once I’d gotten used to her... Pinkieness, always made me smile...
No... I sigh after what feels like hours of silence between us. I... I don’t hate them
Blueblood nods. See? I told you—”
But that doesn’t mean I forgive them! I cut him off, looking up at him with a frown. They... they should have told me. If they’d told me a certain way... I think I could have handled it. But they didn’t. They kept it hidden and...
While I’ll agree they could have handled the situation a lot better and should have told you. But... if you were to ask me, I think you have somewhat forgiven them. With that being said, he looks down at me, I know you can’t just forget it... but I think there’s something more to why you feel this way.
I look away, not wanting to meet his eyes.
Is it because you felt they were trying to force something onto you? If so, I can assure you, after speaking with both your mother and all the ponies and dragon involved, they weren’t trying to—
I’m angry at myself, okay?!
He hesitates, blinking.
I glare up at him, tears in my eyes.
Wh... why? he finally manages to get out.
I shut my eyes. Because I hurt them all! I stand up and walk away so he doesn’t see me crying. Moonie told me. They were just trying to make sure I didn’t get hurt and I just shouted at them all and treated them so horribly, without even thinking about it.
Ghostly figures of the ponies in question appear before me, along with a ghostly version of myself.
I called Twilight thoughtless teacher's pet who only looked after me because Tia told her to and Spike a heartless dragon like the rest of his kind.
The image showed myself shouting at Twilight and Spike, the Alicorn looking shocked, whilst the dragon’s eyes teared up.
I called Rarity a selfish mare and set her gifts on fire!
Rarity levitated over a box, wearing an apologetic expression, but I just lit up my horn and the box burned to ashes before I shouted those words at Rarity, before slamming the door closed in her face.
I called Rainbow a stuck-up mare who cares only about herself and her image!
Rainbow was shot out of the sky as she approached me in the very fancy backyard of Fancy Pants' mansion.
I called Fluttershy a heartless monster who pretended to be kind to a filly she couldn’t care less about!
Fluttershy’s eyes brimmed with tears as I glared at her and turned my back on her and slammed the door behind me.
And I don't even wanna know what I'd have said if I met up with Applejack or Pinkie before everything happened!
An image of both Pinkie and Applejack looking heartbroken appeared, before all the images faded away.
I hate myself because all I do is hurt and makes things harder for others when they’re trying to help me! But I can’t forgive them either, because... because... the tears are flowing freely now and my body is trembling. Because they hurt me, okay?! I can’t just pretend that didn’t happen but... by not pretending... I’m only hurting them more and... and...
I feel a pair of hooves wrap around me and I turn around, burying my face into the white coat of the stallion and just let the floodgates go.
I cry into Blueblood’s coat for what feels like forever. When I finally feel myself calming down, I notice we’re laying down like we were before.
Do you feel a bit better now? he asks with a gentle smile.
I nod, rubbing my nose with a foreleg.
He nods and then looks up into the sky. Let’s talk about something else now. You say you are not like your mother, correct?
I sniff, nodding.
Well, Luna not only protects ponies in their dreams, but she also raises the moon and moves the stars. He smirks. And, from the stories she’s told me whilst you’ve slept, you’ve done so with the stars yourself from time to time.
I frown up at him. I only did that for my friends because they wants to see stars in certain shapes. I look down, pouting. Mama always scolded me in my dreams for being too careless when I did, saying I needed to learn better control first.
He actually chuckles at that. That may be, but it proves you do the same as your mother. While you may not control the moon, you do move the stars and helping others in their dreams is the same as protecting them, so you do that too. You are a true Protector of the Night, like your mother.
I blink, thinking it over.
He... did have a point, kinda. I mean, I can’t move the moon, I doubt I’ll even be able to do that when I grow up, especially now that Nightmare is gone. I feel a lot weaker without her, so I know I’m nowhere near as good as the mare I now call my mother.
But, I did move the stars from time to time and sometimes Mama hadn’t even minded. And all the ponies I helped out in dreams were always thankful for it.
My eyes widen as I realize what he’s trying to tell me. A part of me has still always felt I didn’t have a right to call Mama that, or that I was even worthy of being a princess, since I was just Nightmare Moon given a body that was smaller than when she and Mama were one.
But... I wasn’t a not-pony or something. I had friends at school, and had a family that loves me... and ponies that care about me that I can’t feel happy about completely right now. I still cared for them, but it was tainted by what they’d done.
Still, I did everything he said and I was happy with it. I liked being a Princess and Protector of the Night.
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I blink as I open my eyes. I can hear something, a shimmering sound, but it doesn’t sound like a magical aura. And who turned on the lights?
I look up and frown. "The lights aren’t on? Then where’s...?"
I blink as I notice it’s coming from behind me. Turning my head, my eyes widen. My Cutie Mark! It... it’s glowing! Like what the CMC told me happened when Troubleshoes he learned the true meaning of his Cutie Mark.
It takes a few seconds for that to work through my mind, before I close my eyes, a smile on my face. I think I understand.
I am Stellar Nova, Princess of the Night and daughter of Princess Luna. After Blueblood explained to me how I always done so much like Mama, I've accepted who I am.