Rearranging Perspectives

by The Dimension Traveler

Shadows Reborn Nightmares Restored

Rearranging Perspectives

Chapter 10: Shadows Reborn Nightmares Restored

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“Everyone stay calm,” Sam hissed to his team. Truth be told, Sam was barely suppressing the impulse to bolt himself. His mind was sorting through possible explain how Nightmare Moon was standing right in front of him when he knew Luna was still back in Canterlot. Was this a trick by Discord? Or had Chrysalis returned?

“Nightmare Moon, how are you here? Weren’t you destroyed?” Sam asked cautiously

“I…I am not sure…” Nightmare Moon shook her head as if to clear it, “but that does not matter! As soon as I regain my full strength, I SHALL MAKE THE NIGHT LAST FOREVER!” Nightmare Moon crowed

“Don’t you think finding out how you were brought back from non-existence and given your own body independent of Luna’s is a little bit more important?” Sam asked before his brain caught up with his mouth.

“YOU DARE TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO?!” Nightmare Moon bellowed

“No, no, it was merely a suggestion!” Sam backtracked, “But while we’re talking, what did you do to the citizens of Manehatten?”

“YOU ACCUSE ME OF SPIRITING AWAY PONIES?! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!” With that, Nightmare Moon threw a bolt of lightning at Sam and the battle was on.

“Scatter!” Sam ordered as he ducked behind a trash can.

“We’re gonna die!” Quickdraw cried from his spot behind a newsstand.

“Are you deaf? She’s said she’s not at full power! We’ve still got a chance!” Iron Sides shouted

“Now isn’t the time for talking!” Bronze Shield snapped and got to work casting his boosting spells.

“GERONIMO!” Light Touch called as he charged down the street right at Nightmare Moon.

“Again? Really?!” Nightmare Moon

“Not quite!” Wind Rider exclaimed as she dropped down onto Nightmare Moon from above. The dark mare tried to throw Wind Rider, but the pegasus managed to stay on as her teammates took the opportunity to attack.

Trixie started casting illusionary fire to further throw Nightmare Moon off while Sam and Iron Sides charged in with their weapons at the ready while Bronze Shield backed them up with shielding spells. In the scuffle, Iron Sides managed to nail Nightmare Moon in the head and that’s when Nightmare Moon decided she had had enough.

“BEGONE!” She roared and blasted everyone away with a wave of raw magic. Nightmare Moon then flew upwards and began raining down lightning seemingly at random. “LEAVE ME BE!

“Retreat!” Sam called out and they all raced back to the train. Behind them, they could hear Nightmare Moon screaming.

##########################

“What did you find in Manehatten?” Celestia asked at the debriefing. Thankfully, Sam had had a lot of time to think things over on the train ride.

“When we arrived at Manehatten, we found everypony there had gone missing, as if they had suddenly been plucked from where they had been standing,” Sam began, “However, before we could find the entity we were ambushed…by Nightmare Moon.” The room suddenly erupted into chaos.

“WHAT?! NIGHTMARE MOON?! ART THOU CERTAIN?!” Luna shouted, accidentally slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice and ye olden speech patterns in her shock.

“NIGHTMARE MOON?! BUT THE ELEMENTS DESTROYED HER!” Rainbow Dash yelled

“HOW IS SHE EXISTING WITHOUT LUNA?!” Twilight exclaimed

“Everypony, please calm down,” Celestia’s calm, yet forceful voice cut through the din and the uproar stopped. “Please continue Sam.”

“Nightmare Moon appeared, but when asked about how she had returned, she said she didn’t know and seemed to become confused for a moment. After that, she claimed she still wished to bring eternal night and then became enraged when we suggested she had kidnapped the ponies. Then a fight broke out and after Iron Sides managed to land a blow to Nightmare Moon’s head. After that, we retreated, but we did hear Nightmare Moon screaming for some reason,” Sam reported

“Are you sure it wasn’t Discord or Chrysalis?” Celestia questioned

“During the fight Nightmare Moon hit us with raw magic. I could tell it was neither Discord’s nor Chrysalis’ magic. Personally, I think this was the ‘secret project’ the Sun Eater told us about. However, I think it went wrong somehow and instead of a reborn Nightmare Moon completely devoted to them, they got this. It’s also possible that there’s a connection to how they raised Nightmare Moon and why the denizens of Manehatten had vanished,” Sam theorized

“Then we must got to Manehatten at once and destroy Nightmare Moon once and for all!” Luna declared

“Slow down Luna, that might not be necessary,” Sam said and everyone in the room looked at him like he was crazy.

“And why wouldn’t it be necessary?” Celestia asked skeptically

“Well, answer me this first: what was Nightmare Moon?” Sam replied

“My jealousy and hate which eventually literally consumed me and created the Nightmare Moon persona,” Luan answered quietly

“Exactly; Luna’s jealousy and hate, it was Luna’s feelings and desires that drove Nightmare Moon. But now, Nightmare Moon is her own mare…” Sam left the others in the room to finish the thought.

“You aren’t suggesting…?” Twilight said, hesitant to finish the sentence.

“I am. I think it’s possible that the failure was precisely because they didn’t have Luna’s emotions to use as a base. It’s also possible that the Changeling invasion was a front to attempt to harvest Luna’s emotions for that very cause. What they got instead was an alicorn who looked and had similar mannerisms to the Nightmare Moon who was bonded to Luna before the Elements took her out, but who had none of the drives. Thus, they tried to slap some sort of mind control or distortion spell on her. However, either Nightmare Moon escaped before the spell was complete or due to her alicorn nature, she was able to begin breaking down the spell,” Sam speculated

“On the off chance that you are correct, what do you propose we do?” Celestia asked

“The safest option would be to hit her with the strongest purification spell you’ve got. If she truly is her own mare now, it will only dispose of any controlling spells on her. If she’s still only the manifestation of Luna’s Darkness, then it will eliminate her. Either way, the problem is solved,” Sam replied

“But a spell like that would take hours to set up. How would we get Nightmare Moon to stay still long enough?” Twilight wondered

“Nightmare Moon didn’t seem to notice us until we were inside the city itself. I suggest we set up around the boarders of Manehatten while a separate team of mages sets up a barrier around Manehatten to keep Nightmare Moon in should she try to escape. It’ll take a lot of time and energy, but as she is, Nightmare Moon is too big a threat to consider half measures,” Sam answered

“If it is alright, I would like to be the one to cast the purification spell,” Luna suddenly said

“I don’t see any problem with it,” Sam remarked after a bit of thought, “In fact, having it done by one of the princesses will probably increase our chances of success.”

“If that is what you want Luna, then I don’t see why not,” Celestia answered

“Thank you, sister, now if you’ll all excuse me, I wish to start preparing. The sooner this is over, the better.”

Author's Note:

CMC Purifiers AWAY! xP

This chapter is dedicated to Rainbowdashy because this chapter would have likely taken a few weeks if RD hadn't told me to get on with it.

Also, no promises, but Cthulhu might be making an appearance in the next chapter. Maybe.

Comments

[The Dimension Traveler]

3130098

I am aware of this and added it for that exact reason. You'll understand why in a later chapter.

[Insanitys Rules]

good chapter

[The Dimension Traveler]

3141370

I was hoping someone would notice. Yes, Quickdraw is indeed my shout-out to The most rootin tootin-est, holler hootin-est, Quick Draw McGraw!

To be completely honest, I can't tell you why I did it, but I find an element of chaos in my writing means I'm doing something right.

[Voltrasin]

3141370Sup?
Hi.
We didn't know you like this story as well.
Hola, amigo. How you been?