//------------------------------// // Celestia vs. Nightmare Moon: Battle // Story: Deadliest Pony // by NightmareDash //------------------------------// So now that our fighters are ready, the data's been plugged in, we can see how this will play out. But don't worry, my little ponies, I'll be stopping the action every once and a while to comment on this gorefest. NightmareDash, take it away! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia stood on the observation platform, outside her quarters, watching the sky. It looked like evening outside, but somehow she felt that it was premature. The moon was rising too early. Behind her, a dark figure materialized from the shadows, coated in an aura of darkness. "Surely you knew this day was coming, sister." Surprised by a voice she thought dead, Celestia spun around on the platform, looking back into her room. In front of her stood a menace she did not believe could have returned. "Luna, what is this? Why do you look like Nightmare Moon?" "Because I am Nightmare Moon! Isn't it obvious? You didn't honestly think this side of me would disappear, did you? After all, you can't get rid of me without killing your precious little Luna! So I've hung back in my shadows, plotting, waiting. And now, vengeance will be mine." "Luna, snap out of this! This isn't you! You're stronger than her!" "Oh my... you still think we're separate entities! How many times will it take before you figure it out, sister? Luna and Nightmare Moon are one and the same! Nightmare Moon is just what happens when Luna gets pissed. And guess what? She's pretty damn pissed at you. Twice before you've attacked me, the first time to keep total power, the second to show off your new lapdogs. Let's hope three is a charm." "If you've really gone evil for good, sister, then you are a threat to Equestria... I will do what I must." "Keep telling yourself that, sister. It'll work just as well as it didn't when you sent me to the moon." "Please, Luna. I'm giving you one last chance. Forget this. Let's be sisters again. I don't want to fight you. After what happened the first time, you don't know what I went through." Nightmare Moon disappeared, leaving Luna in her place. She was sobbing, looking completely weak and pathetic. "Please, Tia, help me! She's trying to take control of me again! Tia, help! I'm scared!" With the whimper accompanying this last phrase, Celestia's family instincts took over. She ran from the balcony to her sister's side, leaning down to comfort her. "I won't let her, Luna. I'm going to protect you this time." She craned her neck around Luna's, nuzzling her. But she felt her head lifted upward, as Luna changed back into the much taller Nightmare Moon. Her elongated horn glowed a sickly blue, and she twisted her head sideways, driving her horn into her sister's shoulder. "Gotcha!" Ooh, the cheap shot! Celestia falls for it every time! Immediately feeling the effects of not only the stab wound, but the magical poison, Celestia crumpled to the floor. "Poison... how could you?" "It's easy, if you know how. You were always too soft, sister. It was your biggest weakness, and I'm glad to see you still have it. And you made the mistake of trusting me, Equestria's public enemy #1!" "Ugh... guards!" "You're wasting your time, sister. They are, how should I say, occupied at the moment." Outside the doors of Celestia's quarters, a fierce battle was raging in the halls. A squadron of Equestrian Royal Guardsponies had met a strike force of Lunar Guards, each side having one earth pony, two pegasi, and two unicorns each. They were already engaged in combat, with the earth ponies fighting closest to the door. The two were trading blows, sometimes dodging, sometimes absorbing the impact with their armor. This duel continued evenly, until the ERG tried to swing around and buck the LG. This proved to be a mistake, as the LG slid under his hind-legs and beneath him. The LG kicked out the ERG's forelegs with his hind-legs, grabbing onto the bucking hooves with his own. The ERG was now supported entirely on top of the LG, hoof-to-hoof. He rolled the ERG over, reversing positions so that he was on top. He then bucked, aiming low with his hooves and knocking off the ERG's helmet. With his head now exposed, he stood no chance against the LG's ensuing curb stomp, immediately going out cold. Above them, in the large clearance the hallway afforded, two pairs of pegasi were dueling. The LG pegasi had had an advantage at the beginning, but somehow the ERG had gotten a second wind. One of them descended upon an LG, slamming him out of the sky from above. He power-dove, grabbing the LG off the ground and dragging him across the room. At the last possible second, he let go, pulling up and allowing the LG to crash into the wall. He was out. The ERG's eyes turned to his partner, who had been engaged by the other LG. They were grappling in the air, until the LG grabbed around the ERG's waist, pulling his wings shut. No sooner had this happened than they both careened through a large stained-glass window at the end of the hall. The LG, unable to support both of their weights, dropped from the sky towards a jagged crevice below. He pulled in his wings, intentionally accelerating the descent. "Are you crazy? We'll both be killed if you don't let go!" "No concern to me. Long live Princess Lunaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The LG continued to shout as they disappeared into the rift. A second later, there was an audible "thud" from the bottom. Dang, they are hardcore. Outside the palace walls, two ERG unicorns stood guard, keeping the castle in lockdown. Their presence was commanding, but from half a mile away, they looked a lot less intimidating through an LG unicorn's telescopic-lense goggles. He stared down one of them from afar, and his horn began to glow. After a quick charge-up, the silence of the area was shattered by a single beam of darkness, moving at lightspeed. It tore through the ERG's armor, punching a hole cleanly through his stomach and leaving scorch marks in the castle wall. It was only visible for a second, but it was long enough for the other guard to spot the LG sniper. He hurled a ball of magical energy upwards, arcing towards him. The sniper tried to run for cover, but somehow the shot was adjusting its course with his movements. Streaking down upon him, it rocketed into the ground at his hooves, blasting him upward. If he was alive after the blast, he certainly wasn't when he hit the ground. The ERG returned to his fallen comrade, only to find a corpse: there was no hope of revival. But there was little time for grievance: he caught sight of another LG approaching at full gallop. He drew back into a fighting stance, and launched a pulse bolt at him. The LG sidestepped it, and jumped into the air. Upon landing, he fired his own stream of bolts. The ERG rolled away from them, and they both started to circle each other. "No treachery will go unpunished, lunar guardstallion. Reconsider your position." "I would advise you to do the same. Oppression shall never prevail while I draw breath." Illuminating their horns with magic, both guards charged headlong at each other. When they met, their horns clashed with a reverberating crack. Sparks flew from both unicorns as they struck the other's horn, in what would be considered an Equestrian form of fencing. Parry followed attack, and the indecisive battle continued. Neither side could gain any sort of edge, until the LG backflipped away from the confrontation. "Coward!" "No. Victor." No sooner had the words been spoke than a navy-blue tendril of magic spawned from the LG's horn. It snaked across the ground, catching the awe-struck guard by a front hoof. Twisting his head back, the LG yanked him towards him, and timing his back hooves, delivered a powerful buck. He then swung his head around, flinging the guard through the air and pulling him down behind him. The tendril unwound, but slinked upwards, towards the ERG's neck. It recoiled itself there, already tightening around him. The LG nodded, slinging the ERG's head to the ground as he gasped for air. An ever-dwindling supply came to him, and soon it was barely enough to speak. "Tr...ait...or! ..Y...ou're...alr....eady...dead...." The LG walked over to his captive, the noose shortening as he grew closer. Bracing himself, he violently swung his head to the right, snapping the ERG's neck in the process. "Shut up, you old fool." The tendril dissipated, and his magical focus shifted to his mind. He was using a kind of telepathy, enabling other guards to hear him. "This is Blackout. Targets eliminated, all forces move in. Prepare to storm the palace." Watch out guys, we're dealing with a badass here. From hidden posts a mile away, an army of Lunar Guards overran the palace's exterior defenses, preparing to begin a siege. As they breached the inner gates of the courtyard, they found an equal army of Equestrian Royal Guards waiting for them. Battle commenced immediately, as both lines charged each other. Shadowbolts and Wonderbolts dueled in the skies, and magical bolts flared across the field from both sides. Back in the castle, Nightmare Moon took her sister's poisoning as the perfect chance to gloat. "You foal, you thought you could oppress me for millennia on end, and I would just take it? Then you banish me for a thousand years, hoping to do what, make me think about what I'd done? Please, sister, you are no longer my mother. Time-outs do not work on me. Those centuries were painful, but they gave me plenty of time to brood. And experiment with magic, I might add. You'd be surprised what one can do out of sheer boredom. But now I've returned, and we are equals, as it was meant to be. But the day has reigned supreme for too long. Night has earned an equal period of superiority, and so it shall be." But returning her eyes to her sister, she found her up on her feet and ready to fight. "I may still be soft, Nightmare Moon, but you are still talkative. It gave me a chance to heal your dark poison. And please don't call me sister anymore. My sister died when you came to be." "Very well, tyrant." Nightmare Moon charged at Celestia, horn lowered for another stab. Celestia leapt over her, using her wings to extend her jump. Nightmare Moon spun around, ready to strike again, but Celestia beat her on the counterattack. She loosed a string of magical bolts, forcing Nightmare Moon to jump and dodge about. By the time she was back on all four hooves, her target was already preparing a stronger blow. Celestia's wings were spread, her horn was glowing, and small pellets of magic were forming about her. With a mighty gust from her wings, she unleashed a Thermal Barrage. Bullets of pure solar energy streamed throughout the battleground, constantly following Nightmare Moon. She used her wings and magic to dodge and block as best she could, but it eventually caught up to her: she was floored by a burst of shots. Wasting no time, Celestia charged ahead and leapt up to deliver the killing blow. But as she descended upon her foe, her outstretched hoof met only stonework. She looked around to see a cloud of neon navy-blue gas about her, remnants of Nightmare Moon's physical form. Celestia constantly turned about, waiting for her to rematerialize. But it was for naught: Nightmare Moon was able to spring up behind her and buck her off her hooves. Celestia tumbled foward, and though she quickly uprighted herself, it was too late to avoid another attack. A dark beam of energy reaching from Nightmare Moon's horn coiled aorund her torso, stunning her with shadowy power. But after the shock subsided, the beam was still there, and Celestia could feel herself losing energy, becoming weaker every second. "I expected you would be surprised, Celestia. I developed this technique on the moon, just to use on you. Not your smartest idea, was it? Every second it holds on gives me more of your strength. Can't you just feel yourself weakening?" Ignoring the invitation for banter, Celestia charged herself with a low amount of sunlight, spreading a white infection across the draining beam and knocking back Nightmare Moon as it got to her. Noticing this effectiveness, Celestia had an idea. Nightmare Moon regained her hoofing, only to find Celestia staring her down, clad in white, magical armor. "I remember the Solar Cloak. Then the endgame begins; so be it." Both princesses charged each other, soon trading blows and parrying quickly. But every connection knocked Nightmare Moon back a little, until Celestia landed a solid head slam, taking her to the ground. She was back up momentarily, and took to her wings in an effort to avoid direct combat, However, this approach was flawed, as Celestia was able to fly as well, and getting level with her foe, began an aerial combination of kicks, punches, and body-blows. Smashing Nightmare Moon to the floor below, Celestia dropped to the masonry as well. She walked closer until she stood over Nightmare Moon, charged her horn, and prepared to deliver the final blow. "No mercy this time. No banishment, no second chances. No regret, no guilt, nothing. Only killing you, and protecting Equestria." "Go ahead. You've proven my point perfectly." Celestia, unprepared for the response, flinched at the possibility. "What do you mean?" "You've become a tyrant, Celestia. I saw it first, and look at what you did to me. You gained a thousand years of pure dictatorship, no sharing of power, no accountability, no checks or balances. Not that it wasn't like that in the first place. But now that you're putting me down for good, the rest of Equestria will see you for the oppressive ruler you are. My guards may have to push the process along a little, but you'll find that nothing helps a cause better than a martyr. I may be gone today, but tomorrow it will be your little ponies with you in their sights. And one of two things will happen: they will either bring you down, or you will have no Equestria to rule. Either way, I may die, but you are the real loser." Wow, I guess I taught her more than I thought. "No! That will never happen!" "Of course it won't. It could never happen in Equestria, most noble Celestia's dream of perfection come true! But that perfection is like your armor: all I need is one chink." Rested, Nightmare Moon sublimated into her mane, but quickly reformed below Celestia, kicking her in the stomach. Celestia flew backwards, and somehow landed on her hooves. Her armor was holding up, but Nightmare Moon had released her own stream of magical energy bolts. They came upon Celestia at great speed, bouncing off her armor in a continuous line of shots. But no sooner had the blitz stopped than Celestia fell back into weariness, dropping her magical armor. She slowly returned to her hooves, only to find her enemy gone. "Where are you, Nightmare Moon? Show yourself and fight me!" "What's wrong, princess? Did I wear out the battery on your favorite toy?" Before Celestia could respond, a tentacle of magical gas shot out of the darkness, solidifying and punching her in the face. BOOM! Headshot! Several more tentacles materialized across the room, striking her from random directions, then retracting. After several hits, a beaten and weary Celestia fell to her knees on the floor. In response, Nightmare Moon dropped from the rafters above. She approached Celestia, and her mane began to grow. It eventually became gaseous, and she tossed it foward, enveloping her enemy's face. Celestia could not find any oxygen to breath, face completely surrounded by the gas. She began to cough and sputter, and keeled over as she looked at her sister. "Luna.... please.... no...." "It's too late for that, Celestia. As you said before, Luna is dead. Only Nightmare Moon remains." Her body, heart, and now hope broken, Celestia layed her head to the ground, closing her eyes, never to open them again. Nightmare Moon stared upon her, watching the vibrance in her hair fade and her body begin to lose its luster. She retracted her mane, and turned from Celestia's corpse. "It is done. No more interference. Now, the night shall last FOREVER!!!" Victory: Nightmare Moon!