Picking through the wreckage of a destroyed passenger plane is never an easy task. A task made harder if one did not know what they were picking through.
Such was the task faced by Steel Wall, an earth pony of the royal guard. His platoon had been given the unpleasant task of collect all material that appeared to have been personal belongings. A task made all the more uncomfortable when one of the first things found was what papered to be a child’s toy. Still, it was better then what the platoon they had replaced was tasked with. Many of their numbers were emotionally broken by it. Steel Wall forced the thought from his mind and focused on his task at hoof.
Ahead of him was a small metal suitcase, its candy pink paintwork all but burnt away.
Adjusting his facemask that had been issued to him as protection from any dangerous chemicals, he moved up to the case. After prodding and examining the outside, he proceeded to open it up. His heart sank and a lump developed in his throat. The cases contents which were largely untouched by the flames’ clearly belonged to a young infant, a fact made clear by the rag doll neatly tucked in as if in a bed.
Steel wall slowly closed the case and gave himself a moment to compose himself, moving case upright and gripping the top handle. It was at this moment that Steel Wall noticed an unusual object that was underneath the case. In the dirt resting against some twisted metal, was a small obelisk made of smooth granite. Raising an eyebrow to this strange item, Steel Wall reached down to pick it up.
This seemingly innocent decision would haunt him for the rest of his life.
As soon as his hoof touched the stone obelisk, runes carved in its surface suddenly glow white as Nightmare Moon broke the last of the seals holding her inside. Before Steel Wall could react, an indigo cloud shot out of the glowing runes straight at him and entered his being through his mouth and nostrils.
Steel Wall reared back and tried to shout out an alarm but his voice was strangled in his throat. Worse still, he felt magically infused tendrils work their way throughout his body and taking control.
Steel wall had received training on how to thwart a spell trying to take control of his being but this was different. This creature was already in his mind and overriding his commands. Steel wall was at her mercy.
Nightmare Moon let out a sinister smile through Steel Wall’s lips. She’d been waiting patiently for over a day and a half for the right moment. After the raging fires finally died down, that ponies started to wonder amongst the wreckage. She mused at the sight of a society inhabited by intelligent ponies. Several came close enough for to latch onto but they were never alone. Somepony would have noticed her taking control of one of their kin and she wanted to keep her existence secret, for now.
This Earth pony was not the kind of host Nightmare Moon would have preferred but it would do for now. Capturing this host was easy enough for her but a true test presented itself behind her, as another pony approached.
“Steel Wall’ is everything alright?”
Nightmare Moon quickly searched her host's memories and concluded that the voice came from a pegasus called Stern Wind, Steel Wall’s sergeant.
“Yes sir,” Nightmare Moon replied with Steel Wall’s voice. “I just found a child’s case..”
“I see,” Stern Winds Replied. “Don’t think about it Steel. Just put it with the rest of it”
“Yes, sir.” Picking up the case in the right hoof, she brought the other down hard on her former prison. Her host's powerful frame breaking the stone obelisk in half. With this action, Nightmare Moon let out another smile and with a quick flash of indigo in Steel Wall’s eyes.