It all happened so fast. Or maybe it was because I was ignorant to the one pony I cared for the most. The one pony that meant as much to me as all of our subjects combined. My sister Luna.
Everything happened so quickly. Our disagreements, my reassurance that her night would be loved and that our subjects, our people would eventually come to see just how beautiful her night was as my day was important to all others. But in the end it was all for not. Luna’s transformation, her rage had won in the end. The negligence she had received for...years, changed her as the years, eons, even passed but I had always thought that eventually they would all see how important she was as I to our nation.
Sadly I was mistaken.
The burning fury within her that I had turned a blind eye on, hoping that our subjects would come to love her night as I did, finally bubbled up and changed her into...something else.
I had never thought about the pain it caused her. Each day I was exalted, yet each night she was ignored. The negligence that went on for years even after the passing of our friend Snow Drop, did nothing but hurt my dear sister.
And in many ways I was at fault. For not giving her the love she deserved. For not keeping an eye on her when rumors started to spread that a monster of the night had been roaming Equestria.
I suppose at first I simply didn’t want to believe it Celestia thought to herself as she now flew over the capital that was the castle of two sisters. Her face expressing one of both concern and sternness as she looked at a dark alicorn with a coat as black as the sky itself floated in front of her with a horrid grin, that only accentuated her now razor sharp teeth.
Then again who would want to believe someone they cared about had become-- had turned into a monster.
“And to think all of this could have been prevented if I just payed a bit more attention to you” she said silently to the dark alicorn.
“Luna, sister, I am sorry but if you-”
A dark confident laughed traveled into the air and stayed there as the dark alicorn scoffed at the absurdity that was being told to her. Nightmare Moon stared at the pony who’d brought about her very existence. The very pony that was the core of all Luna’s bitterness.
All of Luna’s hatred, anger, jealousy, desire. All of Luna’s rage, was what brought about her creation; her existence. And it was all thanks to this alicorn and Luna’s subjects that The Darkness Within Luna had finally been able to break free of its shell and take full control of the princess of the night.
Celestia and Nightmare Moon remained silent. One glaring at the evil creation of darkness before her, the other sure and absolutely resolved in taking what she knew was rightfully hers and had been neglected for so many years.
“Luna. Sister please, if you are still in there fight it! We do not need to fight!” Celestia said in a slightly broken voice.
Nightmare Moon smirked, her horn glowing as she stared at the alicorn Luna had once considered a sister and friend. “There is no Luna anymore, I am Nightmare Moon. And it is time I take what is rightfully mine.”
Celestia’s expression became pained as her horn glowed and she prepared herself for the next oncoming battle.
“Princess Celestia, your reign has ended” the mare said with a flash of confidence in her reptilian eyes. “It is time for the people of Equestria to see the night.”
Princess Celestia said nothing. Her own resolve on what she needed to do beginning to waver as her horn glowed brighter.
Both alicorn’s horns glowed in the sky above. And if one were on the ground and looked up into the darkness that now blocked out the sun’s glorious and rich rays of light they would be able to see two faint flashes of light.
The world remained silent as the two alicorns released a powerful magical blast at each other. And when the two powerful magic energies collided in the sky, the air sung with an explosion that echoed to the very ends of Equus, the ponies of all Equestria cowered in fear as they watched the two energies collide, shaking the very ground below.
And just as the tremors had quickly appeared they soon died in silence. As light vs dark fought above.
Hours had passed since the battle had begun. Parts of the castle destroyed, thousands of once were considered valuable objects smashed, statues broken, and the surrounding area torn asunder
A spark flashed in the dark sky, two alicorns clashing and trading magical blows till finally, Nightmare Moon gained the upperhand.
With a strong and accurate shot from her horn, Nightmare Moon sent Princess Celestia crashing back down to earth, straight through the castle’s new skylight, personally made by Nightmare Moon herself after she’d created the eclipse.
Landing roughly on the ground feeling tired, injured, emotionally exhausted and conflicted with what she was about to do next Celestia slowly rose, stumbled and fell on a knee. Then rose again with a slightly increased pace of breath.
Fighting her sister or at least what possessed her sister, was far tougher and far more trifling than anything she’d ever faced. Possibly even more so than when they’d had to seal Discord.
Looking up through the giant hole in the ceiling of the castle Celestia stared sadly at the image of Nightmare Moon circling the castle. Those teal dragon eyes staring at her with every feeling of anger and disdain one could have in their entire body.
Celestia stood there. Staring at Nightmare in silence, before she closed her eyes and her horn glowed, activating the mechanism behind her that held the most powerful form of magic in the world. The Elements of Harmony.
“I am sorry sister” she said as tears began to sting her eyes. Turning her back to the skylight Celestia spread her wings and winced slightly before giving them a quick stretch and flapped them gently, carrying herself into the air.
Once in the sky Celestia’s horn glowed and activated the ball that sat atop the device holding five of the elements. The ball glowed in light gold aura and opened, releasing the element of magic.
There all six elements were, Celestia stared at them with pain and hesitation. This was her sister, her friend. One who had stood by her side and helped rule Equestria since they defeated Discord together. Now here she was, the one who was supposed to be closest to Luna, about to deliver a punishment that her little sister surely didn’t deserve if things had only turned out differently.
A loud thud hit the ground behind her, Celestia ears perked up and she turned to see Nightmare Moon now a few feet away from her and the elements. The mare stared at Celestia with indifference, but upon seeing the elements of harmony floating on the device the dark alicorn’s eyes widened for a moment then slanted into one of anger.
“I see” the voice of The Dark alicorn stated coldly. “So this is how you treat your little sister after all she’s been through. After all the pain I’ve endured for eons you decide to finally do away with your sister because you couldn’t take her sob moments anymore eh?” she said with a scornful look.
Celestia winced, her heart feeling like it would break. I have no choice, it is for the good of Equestria...it is my duty.
A part of her said otherwise. Is it? Is it really your duty to send off the only one who understood the weight of the work you have had to endure for the past centuries?
Celestia stared at Nightmare Moon who glared back, the dark alicorn’s wings were spread in a hostile fashion. Her sharp teeth gritted together in rage and her eyes radiating nothing but hate.
Celestia’s horn glowed, three elements floated towards her.
Do you really want to banish the only one who ever understood how you felt? a voice within her asked. She bit her lip and ignored it. Two more elements floated towards her, one remaining; the element of magic.
She is not entirely to blame for all of this you know?
Celestia’s vision began to blur. A voice forced- demanded her attention as she blinked to clear her vision from the tears that threatened to stain her face.
“Well sister” Nightmare Moon said with venom, her horn beginning to glow. “Are you going to fulfill your duty and banish me, like we did to all the others that threatened Equestria?” Nightmare Moon took a step forward, Celestia’s magic now covering the remaining element that would allow her to finish the job.
“Or are you going to betray the one mare who respected and cherished you? Before you completely neglected her like she didn’t even exist” Nightmare Moon asked now directly in front of Celestia on the ground.
Celestia’s conviction dropped like a stone at these words, her magic releasing all but two elements as she stared with a hurt expression while trying to maintain that stoic attitude she had always felt so proud of.
When Nightmare Moon saw the princess of the sun’s confidence fade, she smirked and let out a loud laugh that echoed throughout the ruins of the once beautiful castle. Her sharp teeth in clear view as she threw her head back and bellowed outwardly in triumph.
Hopping into the air and flapping her wings Nightmare Moon floated right in front of Celestia who was still frozen by Nightmare’s words. Celestia stared at those draconic eyes that no longer had a shred of consideration for others. Just a pure desire for acknowledgement.
Nightmare Moon smirked now done laughing and said to Celestia. “I knew you couldn’t do it sister. You are strong and always knew what to do in dire situations, but in the darkest of times like these” Nightmare Moon said with a smug smile. “Your confidence will always falter if you don’t set your heart to what you want to do.”
Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed there was a bright flash of light in the castle room and Celestia was knocked to the ground, her magic losing it’s touch with the Elements of Harmony in the process.
When Celestia looked up, a large intimidating shadow was cast over her by the dark alicorn. Nightmare Moon stared down at Celestia, soaking in the right she was about to receive when the older alicorn was gone and she spread the night all over the world. For all to revel in.
“Any last words dear sister?” Nightmare Moon asked.
Celestia did not speak, she could not say anything. Just a feeling of regret that she hadn’t done something sooner to stop all this pain and suffering. Just as Nightmare Moon prepared to deliver a knockout blow, the room was flooded in light.
And as the light dimmed a being walked out of it’s embraced on two legs. The man work the standard martial arts training clothing. Appeared to be around the age of his late forties, possibly fifty. His martial arts clothing had been torn at the sleeves as well and as he walked into the ruined throne room he looked around with a slightly confused look on his face. Unsure of how he got here.
“Oi” the man called to the two baffled sisters. “Where am I?”
Celestia and Nightmare Moon exchanged a confused look, then Nightmare responded. “My castle...”
“This is a castle?!” the man said in surprise. “Wow, times have changed.”
Both sisters stared at the man in silence, more confused by the sudden turn of events and his sudden appearance. Then quite suddenly the man got really serious, his expression changing when he finished scanning the castle’s current state and then rested his eyes on Celestia, then finally the mare of the moon.
Nightmare stared back her brows raised quizzically at this strange being. She shrugged him away after a few seconds after the two stared in silence for a few seconds before she turned her attention back to Celestia who should have been by the ground cowering before her. But instead was slowly trying to inch away towards the elements.
Nightmare scowled her horn glowed, wrapped around Celestia’s tail and with a pull she threw Celestia towards one of the broken walls adjacent to them.
Celestia flew towards the wall but before she could gather the strength she needed to stop herself, she felt two strong hands that were covered in small healed scratches grab her.
She looked up and to her surprise she saw the face of the man staring silently at Nightmare Moon., before he gently put her down on the ground.
“How did you move that quickly?” she asked clearly confounded.
The man said nothing and merely moved past the confused Celestia and walked towards Nightmare Moon who immediately erased her surprised expression upon seeing the human approach her.
Standing tall, head held high Nightmare Moon stared at the human as he approached her. Once a few inches from each other the man stopped and looked up at the alicorn slightly taller than him by a few inches.
“What is your name?...And what are you?” Nightmare asked after a few seconds of silence.
The man stared in silence, his eyes narrowed as he studied The Nightmare, scanning her features. The way her mane and tail swished majestically like the other alicorn’s, the way her wings tightly folded to her slender physique that hid a profound amount of power. One that he had noticed the white alicorn seemed hesitant on using.
His eyes glanced back at Nightmare Moon when she slammed a hoof into the dusty linoleum ground that was now caked in debris. “You will answer the ruler of this nation when asked a question” Nightmare commanded her own eyes now glaring into the human.
“What. Are. You? And what is thy name?!” she ordered, her muzzle nearly touching the man’s nose.
Celestia who now stood on the sidelines, prepared to strike Nightmare Moon in case she decided to attack this strange being who came from nowhere.
But then something even stranger happened.
The man laughed. He laughed with the widest grin on his face with the type of elation a child would express when they’d found something they really wanted.
Netero grinned when the dark mare ordered him to stop his annoying display of foolery. “Yosh” he said taking a few steps back and stretching.
“My name is Netero, but you miss” he said turning his head to Celestia. “You can call me your temporary ally.”
Netero stretched his arm, twisting his upper body to the side. “And I’m ningen.”
“Ningen?” Celestia asked.
“Human” Netero replied doing a flip, than some squats to make sure he was getting the blood flowing everywhere.
“And what do you mean by ally?” Nightmare asked with narrowed eyes and a growing scowl.
Netero said nothing as he finished his stretches before turning his attention to Princess Celestia. “I don’t know what’s going on. But before I got here I asked for a strong opponent. One that I could fight to the fullest of my potential without holding back. And from the looks of it it looks like I may have found one.
Celestia moved to stop him, but Netero merely turned his back to the princess. His grin fading and his eyes now fixed on the dark alicorn before him. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two. But as long as I get a good fight” -he smirked- “I could careless.”
Netero stood in front of the dark alicorn who now looked at him with indifference. “You think you can challenge me? The new ruler of Equestria?” Nightmare Moon asked.
Netero’s now solid expression, only made the dark princesses laugh maniacally.
“So be it. If that is what you want then” Nightmare Moon said, taking into the air. “I won’t hesitate to give you what you desire!” her horn igniting, several statues that still stood in the room came flying towards the human.
Netero closed his eyes, and struck a stance with his left leg out, his right slightly bent in a way he squated. His right hand out, palm forward with only his thumb resting on it while his left arm stayed retracted to his side.
Celestia’s horn glowed and she prepared to strike down all the statues and put an end to all this before something horrible happened. A shout stopped her from doing anything.
“Do not interfere with the battle! I have been waiting for this for years, I will not be deprived of what I have so desperately desired.”
Celestia hesitated, wanting to stop this. End it all before things got out of hand. But his voice was so stern and strict it practically compelled her to obey. She yielded, for now.
The four large unicorn statues came in all four sides, horn’s first, ready to pierce through Netero with enough force that his blood would become a fine pattern on Nightmare’s walls.
But in a flash, Netero’s eyes opened.
One chop to the first statue in reach, it shattered into dust. A fierce turn and a punch on the forehead on another statute and that too became nothing but a pile of dust.
The last two statues that were about to come in contact with Netero, stopped dead in their tracks before the could even do any damage.
Nightmare Moon and Celestia watched with hanging mouths.
Netero had caught the two statues that were twice his size in height, and weighed possibly four times his own weight in both his hands.
Holding the two unicorn statues by the horn, Netero allowed the horns to give out on the weight of the statue before both unicorn statues became hornless when they landed on the ground once more.
Netero’s expression remained impassive as he held two broken unicorn horns in his hands. Nightmare Moon continued to stare in utter bafflement.
“Now then, let’s get serious. Shall we?” Gripping both horn’s tightly to the point of where a vein could be seen on either hand Netero, broke his stance, turned around then hurled the broken horns like spears in Nightmare’s direction.
Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed, in an instant both horn’s stopped. The dark alicorn’s eyes slightly widened when she saw where the two jagged objects were aimed.
“One aimed for your heart” Netero stated as he rubbed his chin slightly interested by how she had been capable of stopping the objects. “The other aimed for your throat” he finished.
A snort. An angered snort, came from Nightmare Moon.
The spears turned around and faced Netero. He raised a brow. One shot at him with insane speeds, which he easily managed to dodge. Only to feel a small bit of pain. Looking down at his arm he saw a large cut on his bicep.
He stared at it then looked up at the mare who grinned at him menacingly.
“Imagery manipulation?” he mumbled. “I see” he said feeling a bit of elation travel through him. “Excellent.”
Nightmare Moon’s grin faded when she saw how he had enjoyed something so small as managing to evade her attack.
“Ignorance is bliss is it not dear sister?” she said to Celestia who now was transfixed by the movements of the human.
“I’ll settle this quickly so we can get back to our fight. Once I’m done with you two I’ll finally be able to plunge Equestria into eternal night.”
Netero blinked slightly surprised by what he’d just heard. He stood straight up with a hand on his hip, scratching the side of his head in confusion. “Wait. You want to plunge your world in eternal darkness?”
“That is correct” Nightmare Moon replied.
Silence.
Then a burst of laughter from Netero. “I can’t-” he laughed harder, pointing at Nightmare Moon and continuously saying the words “baka, baka” as he hugged his sides with every chuckle and loud snort that would escape.
“ENOUGH!” Nightmare’s eyes glowed with power, her voice booming in the ruins as Netero’s chuckles died down.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked seething with fury.
“Ah yes” he said wiping a tear away while suppressing a chuckle as he calmed. “It’s just your idea of ruling is, very unique.”
Nightmare’s rage cooled a bit a slight smug smile crossing her face at the compliment. The levitating horn she held in her magic slowly dropped it’s aim away from Netero as she started to consider having him join her army, once Celestia was gone.
That all changed when Netero spoke the following words: “It’s quite unique. Unique in terms of how ludicrous it is.”
A cold chill filled the room, that immediately made Netero smile kindly at the mare who’s face was now expressionless. That itself showing just how much he had enraged her with that one statement.
Celestia’s horn immediately glowed, deciding enough was enough. Taking off with her horn glowing the princess of the sun gathered the elements around her and flew in between Netero and Nightmare Moon just as a few sparks of magic flew out of Nightmare’s glowing horn.
“Enough is enough Luna” Celestia said firmly.
“I agree” Netero stated, now inches away from the mare of the sun. “It is over. For you.”
Before Celestia could cast a spell that would immobilize him, Netero swiftly moved behind her and did a neck chop. Princess Celestia fell unconscious instantaneously.
Netero simply picked her up in his arms, not at all surprised at how light she was despite the fact that she was much taller than he. Walking to the previous spot she’d been standing Netero placed the alicorn gently on the ground, staring at her with observation.
The look she gave that one, he thought his eyes moving in the direction of where Nightmare Moon was. Netero sighed, perhaps going all out would not be the best option. Killing this one would do no good, besides I need to find a way to get back so I can resume my training.
Standing back up and moving away from Celestia, Netero turned his attention back to Nightmare Moon who now stared at him with an impassive expression.
“Mataku, Ok. You” he said looking at Nightmare Moon with a casual expression. “Our fight will have to end quickly, your sister will be awake in about twelve minutes so let’s end this quickly alright?”
Nightmare Moon, the alicorn that would bring eternal night onto the world. The alicorn feared for countless acts that to this very moment remained merely rumors, stared at the martial artist with consideration.
“Hm” she said with a scornful chuckle. “I never thought I’d ever meet someone as arrogant as Tirek. At least he had the power to pose a serious threat, but now I know that there are some things in this world I’ve yet to discover.”
Netero smiled. “Like that horrible idea you have.”
Insolence.
Something that was quite well known to Nightmare Moon with the many things she had done to cause an uproar of rumors. Many many times she had tried to persuade few guards of the Royal guard to tell her that they cherished her night as much as they cherished Celestia’s day.
But time and time again she’d been refused even the smallest forms of appreciation. Save the well deserved “thank you” she had given them every single night since taking over for the unicorns centuries ago.
Yet no, even then not a single thank you. Not a single show of gratitude was ever given to her. The alicorn who gave ponies the opportunity to rest at night after a hard day’s work. The alicorn who gave not only their subjects but Celestia’s guards the break they surely didn’t deserve after a day of standing around and doing absolutely nothing when no one was in danger.
And now here she was. Ready to banish her sister to the sun, only to be stopped by this human. Who not only was not afraid of her form or the power she held, but laughed at her ideal, her goal.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes glowed white with magic. The broken horn she’d been carrying in magic suddenly split into hundreds of thousands of horns.
Netero’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the horns which now moved to surround him.
“Beg” the mare’s voice said.
Netero suppressed the urge to laugh at this statement and turned with a calm expression to Nightmare Moon.
“I’m sorry?” he said feigning confusion.
“You heard me. Beg. You do not come into my realm and tell me my goal for a new world order is foolish. Beg for your life and I shall consider sparing you after I have banished my sister.”
Netero said nothing, he merely blinked staring silently at Nightmare Moon with consideration.
The small smile he’d been holding now faded as his lips straightened into a serious blank line. “I never beg. I fight.”
“Then you will die for challenging me.” With that the horns were launched in Netero’s direction, clouds of smoke rising into the air as some horns hit the ground and others made contact with their target.
Finally when Nightmare Moon had finished her assault she stopped the remaining horns and squinted into the smoky atmosphere that was below her.
When the smoke cleared Nightmare Moon expected to see a bloody pile skewered into nothing. What she saw instead was a pyramid made out of the castle grounds. The pyramid had a majority of the horns she had launched at Netero imbedded in them, Some going in deep others not at all, and a couple laying scattered on the ground.
A second passed and nothing happened. Nightmare Moon grinned.
Insolence, it never ends. She turned her attention to her unconscious sister, but froze in the air when she heard movement.
“Touche’ aren’t we?” Netero’s voice came from within the large pyramid. The structure collapsed, raising more dust into the air, a second later Netero came out, with only one or two scratches on his arms. His hands looking quite dusty as well.
“How did you- that should have killed you!” Nightmare Moon yelled.
“But it didn’t” Netero stated. “Now Princess, if you’re going to fight for what you want you better take this challenge more seriously” he stated with a grin.
Nightmare’s eyes burned white with magical essence as the remaining horns went flying in Netero’s direction. The human ran in the opposite direction away from the horns and towards the wall.
Nightmare’s onslaught of arrow like horns following him all the way. It wasn’t until Netero reached one of the sister’s throne’s did he place a foot on it and launch himself straight forward in the direction of Nightmare, swatting away the solid horns as they flew at him and as he closed the distance between him and Nightmare.
Nightmare stopped her attack, time slowing as Netero grew closer and drew back his arm as if he were going to pierce through reality itself, for a brief second Nightmare wasn’t sure what to do, but a quick glance behind her showed she still had three more horns left at her disposal.
She grinned. Snapping her head back in Netero’s direction Nightmare Moon teleported out of the way just in time as Netero shot his hand towards a certain point in her neck.
His calm expression slightly stiffened when he saw ahead of him after she teleported were the three horns now on the ground. Placed up in a dangerous manner, each horn now extended and grown in length to a good six inches.
Smart he thought.
Quickly crossing his arms in an X as he descended down towards the ground Netero, tilted his body so his arms were in front of him. As soon as he was close enough to the jagged objects that would mean certain death, he quickly thrusted both arms out to his side, chopping all three pointed parts off to a more dull side where he landed on one horn with his hands.
He looked forward just in time to see a cobalt blast of aura shoot at him. It him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and tearing a hole in his shirt.
Landing on the ground, and quickly making it to his feet Netero jumped out of the way using the horns as a shield when another blast of magic came his way.
The objects exploded, Netero quickly making it safely away without a scratch. What he hadn’t expected was a swirl of magic surrounding him.
Nightmare Moon had changed into her intangible form. Surrounding Netero and encompassing him in her magical form she began spinning in circles, slowly picking up the speed around him.
Netero’s eyes narrowed as he waited for something to come out at him but nothing did. It was then he realized what this alicorn was trying to do.
My air supply. She’s cutting it off. As if reading his mind Nightmare Moon picked up the pace, Netero starting to feel slightly light headed as it continued.
Drawing back an arm and giving one swift strike he hit the wall of magic with his bare fist. Part of Nightmare Moon’s magical form blew out into the open, before quickly reforming with rest and continuing the cycle.
Netero coughed and fell on one knee. He was starting to lose consciousness. His body needed oxygen or else he’d pass out.
Time was running.
Managing to get up on his feet Netero stumbled, starting to feel dizzy. He stopped on a foot, determined to end this fight in the next six minutes or less.
He gave another strike, Nightmare Moon’s spinning form blew away briefly, but not as large as it had before, quickly joining with the rest of her to continue cutting off his supply.
Things were looking grim. Netero’s eyes started to grow lidded. He began drawing in more, longer, deeper breaths.
“One last time” he mumbled, feeling his chest tighten as his brain screamed for oxygen.
Lifting his right hand up into the air. Netero brought the side of his hand down on the ground with all the focused force he could muster as he began to slip.
It worked.
The force broke through Nightmare Moon’s suction, throwing the part of her intangible figure that touched the ground into the air. Before the magical energy had a chance to reform with the rest of the dark alicorn, Netero clapped both hands together with such a force that Nightmare Moon was scattered everywhere.
Falling to one knee and drawing in a deep breath, Netero coughed viciously before relaxing and settling with a grin on his face.
He looked around to see parts of the mare’s magical energy form gather into one giant cyan violet cloud of energy before completely reforming into a tired Nightmare.
Both took their time drawing breath.
Finally Nightmare Moon spoke, “You have...that much...power, yet you didn’t use it in the beginning?” she said between pants and an annoyed expression.
Netero chuckled. “I’ve been holding back this entire time. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Looking both crossed and offended by this statement, Nightmare switched back to her energy form and divided herself, not once, not twice.
But twelve times.
Netero rose to his feet, his breath now caught and another mischievous grin forming his face as he stared at THIRTEEN Nightmare Moon’s. The level of excitement he was now starting to feel was astounding.
One of the copies of Nightmare Moon stared in confusion. “Why are you smiling in the face of your defeat?” she asked.
“In the face of your death!” another stated with emphasis as her iron clad hoof hit and cracked the ground beneath her.
Netero’s ran a hand over his face, pushing back a strand of hair in the process as he stared at all thirteen alicorns. “Because, I don’t need to hold back anymore if you aren’t.”
Netero took off in the alicorn group’s direction. A myriad of charged magical shots were sent his way but Netero was able to nimbly dodge most of them, ignoring the burning pain he felt when those that connected with him hit.. Just as he was about to hit one of the clones with an open palm all of a sudden they all disappeared.
He looked around. The room was empty, save for the still unconscious Celestia.
If he had been counting correctly he had about 4 minutes till she woke up again and tried to interrupt the fight. He needed to finish this and quickly.
Feeling his body freeze as if wrapped by an invisible force Netero found himself being flung right into the thrones. He went through one, an audible crack and painful sound of skin landing on metal, sang throughout the room.
Landing on the ground and doing a few rolls, Netero stopped sitting up. He looked up just in time to see two of the copies soaring towards him at full speed, forehooves out and ready to crush his ribs into powder.
Quickly standing up, running right towards the two clones, Netero slid on his knees along the ground right under both Nightmare Moon copies and struck them firmly in the sides.
Both went down instantly paralyzed.
Netero got up and stared at them shaking his head. “I don’t know what made you think fighting a martial artist up close was a good idea.”
“How bout from a distance then?” the alicorn’s voice called, wrapping him in her magic before slinging him into the ground with all the force she could muster.
Netero went right into the ground. Practically embedded in there his body sore and fresh new line of cuts covering his arms in the process allowing a little blood to seep out.
Not giving him the chance to recover, two of the clones dove on either side of him, landed on his left and right and then tried to strike him down with one of their hooves.
Bad move.
Netero instantly caught both. And much to the two clone’s surprise despite their immense strength as alicorn’s even more so now that they’d allowed this magical enhancement on Luna’s body.
There was a struggle. Both alicorn’s forehoof shook in the human’s grasp as they added all their weight into the blow. Only managing to get his hand down a few inches, back into it’s cast before Netero’s face grew stern and he pushed back with his own strength. Slowly pushing both mare’s forehooves away from him as he turned their shaking power filled hoof toward each other.
Lifting both hoofs till they were practically near either copy’s cheek, Netero quickly released his grip on their hooves and watched the two alicorn copies punch each other into a k.o.
With that, using his hands for support Netero jumped out of his own crater and watched as the clones all gathered back into a single ticked off alicorn.
Netero grinned.
Then Nightmare Moon gave a complacent smile.
“What are you so happy about?” Netero asked as the alicorn landed a couple feet away from him.
“This.”
Hooves shot out of the ground directly beneath Netero, surprising him greatly as two alicorn copies of Nightmare Moon emerged out of the ground and firmly wrapped their forelegs tightly around both of his own legs.
Netero looked genuinely surprised. Both alicorns were holding his legs firmly to the ground grinning at him devilishly.
“So, Netero was it?” Nightmare asked with a cocky look on her face. A moan from Celestia told them that the alicorn would soon be awakening.
“Any last words?” Nightmare Moon asked as she created a multitude of copies that added up to at least twenty.
Netero looked at the two alicorn’s tightly restraining him. Then looked at the the alicorns now waiting for him to speak so they could finish him off.
He sighed. “This was fun while it lasted.”
Nightmare Moon’s copies all collectively smirked, and with a shout they all charged in unison towards the human.
Netero closed his eyes. Accepting fate as he raised both hands up slowly in a practiced position, one he’d recently mastered and had practiced harshly for the last three years.
His eyes snapped open. The two alicorn’s holding him down suddenly lost their smirks, their eyes widening as they sensed this new level of intensity radiating off every fiber of this human.
Clenching his fists, and placing both arms at his side, Netero managed to bend his knees just a bit despite the weight of the alicorns holding him down. He waited for the first group to reach. Then unleashed a massive fury, the likes of which Nightmare Moon had never seen.
“Ten thousand punches of fury” Netero whispered, each strike hitting it’s target, two punches straying from the army that charged him and knocking out the two clones that held him down in one spot.
Nightmare Moon’s mouth dropped, watching as every single alicorn copy that charged into the barrage of blurs was downed in an instant. Eventually Netero stopped, all the copies having fallen unconscious.
Landing on the ground once more Nightmare Moon gathered her copies, as they all turned to energy and rejoined with her.
Once the deed was done she looked up at Netero with both annoyance, and gave a look that one could only assume was a form of respect.
“You had a trump like that waiting and you didn’t pull it out till now?”
Netero rubbed the bruises on his hands. “Never said it was a trump did I?”
Not wasting a second for Nightmare Moon to act or make another comment, Netero appeared instantly in front of the dark alicorn. One swift tap to the neck and she fell to the ground instantly falling in an unconscious state.
The sound of hooves coming towards him, made Netero spin in place and face the white alicorn he had knocked out previously. When Celestia saw her sister lying on the ground unconscious her horn glowed, but Netero raised a reassuring hand to calm her.
“She’s fine. She’s only unconscious” he said soothingly.
Princess Celestia’s horn ceased its glow as she stared at the unconscious form of her sister. She then looked around at the new state the castle was in, in comparison to before this human got here.
She sighed, a sad breath turning her attention to Netero only to look at him in surprise as she watched his body slowly cease to exist. Quickly she moved towards him watching him fade from existence.
“Are you alright?” the princess asked.
“I suppose” Netero stated. “I believe I’m returning to my world having achieved what I wanted to some degree. But princess, there’s something I must absolutely need to tell you.”
Celestia gave him a confused look and nodded.
“I don’t know the history between you two. And why she was so insistent on harming you, but where I am from there are a lot of things people fight for. Power, money, proof of strength. One thing we all have in common though is resolve.”
Celestia opened her mouth to speak but one slightly injured finger of Netero’s rose to silence her. “I do not know what happened to make your sister retaliate in such a manner, but it is clear to me that you never intended to harm in anyway. Am I correct?”
Celestia hesitated but seeing the human’s legs and now his lower half fade from existence seemed to slightly spur her to answer. “Y-Yes...you are correct.”
Netero stared in silence at the princess for a few seconds. Celestia stared back, seeming to see something in those eyes that had reached a level of wisdom that possibly she herself had yet to experience despite all her years as a ruler.
“Princess” Netero’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I may not know what the future holds. But if you ever wish to prevent things like this to happen again; your sister turning on you, or anyone you care about for that fact.
His eyes glowed with a fire of wisdom that Celestia saw for a brief moment then was gone and replaced with the strictness of a teacher. “You must have resolve to accomplish what is necessary. Though I may not have been here long I noticed your hesitance. A ruler must not hesitate, especially when making decisions. Especially if they are decisions that one may or may not regret later. I have not regretted a single one of my actions since I began taking up martial arts and perfecting its style as well as achieving enlightenment while doing so.
“And being a ruler you will need to make tough decisions. Just be sure you don’t regret them later on. Understand?”
Celestia stared in silence. Letting Netero’s word’s soak in. A few seconds had passed and the man was now almost completely gone. She nodded her head.
“I understand” she said with a weak smile.
Netero nodded, parting with a smile of his own before he completely disappeared.
With the human gone Celestia turned her attention to her unconscious sister and sat by her side. A sad smile crossing her face as she gathered the elements of harmony around her with her magic.
“I am sorry dear sister, but the human, Netero is right. I must make tough decisions when the call is needed. And so” the elements spun around her as she parted with Nightmare Moon who had begun to stir.
A second passed, Nightmare Moon awoke just in time to see Celestia begin to activate the power of the elements.
The last thing Nightmare Moon heard from the princess of the sun’s lips before the elements struck her was: “This is goodbye, but not forever.”