• Published 10th Aug 2019
  • 1,358 Views, 170 Comments

A Nightmare in Eidolon - FolkloreBrony



Nyx is haunted by a mysterious figure tied to her and Princess Luna, one that thrusts her into a world of wonder, imagination, and danger. Welcome to Eidolon, where everyone, and everything, deserves a second glance.

  • ...
14
 170
 1,358

5: The Gift

////
Chapter 5-The Gift
////
In the halls of the High Justice, Nyx slowly walked forward to the trial, led by figures masqueraded in smiling masks. By their forms, she could tell they were ponies, but who she did not know. Their features hidden behind the masks, the only identifying feature to go by were their cutie marks, and they were all the same. Symbols of smiling faces staring back at her as she glanced at them.

It was unsettling.

She had been called here by a higher authority to take part in this ‘trial’, answering to past sins that need to be punished. She didn’t want to go, she wanted to run, but what choice did she have? Especially with the heavy chains wrapped around her neck, held in place as the group of masked fiends led her to the doors of the court.

The courtroom was massive, multiple rows of pews leading up to the judge’s stand, towering ten feet in the air. The walls were ordained with oak and ivory walls, presenting a regal and clean environment for the practice of law. Her escort removed the brace from her neck and backed away, allowing her to rub the sore patches. She saw the jury, composed of all her former servants and advisers, glaring at her with cold and murderous intent. She shied away from their hateful looks, turning her attention to the creature before her, a gamey bipedal thing with long bony legs covered in stocking connected to a round, plump middle. The creature looked away from her with a squinted eye as he made himself presentable, straightening out his wig and long flowing black gown.

The doors to the back of the courtroom burst open, a large monstrous stallion lumbering onto the podium in a judge’s uniform. Nyx’s eyes widened in shock at how massive he was, towering almost to the ceiling itself. The judge took a seat, looking down at her with a cold, piercing eye.

Nyx gulped.

“Good morning, Lord Your Honor,” the lawyer opened, spinning where he stood to turn to Nyx and glare, pointing an accusing claw at her, “as a representative of the crown it will be plainly shown the prisoner before you is, in fact, the very monster who plagues us every waking hour!”

“She’s the devil!” one of the jurors screamed, hunching over the jury box.

“She’s plotting to enslave us now!” another cried in anger and fear.

Nyx shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. “But I was forgiven! The past--!”

“The past is all that matters, no matter how good the present brings,” the lawyer shot her a glance, showing off a crooked toothy smile as he pointed a boney finger in her direction, “as you can clearly see in her very eyes, Your Honor!”

Nyx drew a sharp breath, suddenly realizing she no longer had her glasses, nothing keeping her from being exposed. She stumbled back, feeling incredibly vulnerable as the jury came down on her, leaning over the podium to trap her under the gaze of cold glass eyes.

“The evidence before the court is incontrovertible, I see no reason for the jury to retire!” the judge roared angrily, slamming his mallet down on the ground before her, almost hitting her as it crushed the wood planks before her hooves. “In all my years of judging never before have I seen such evil presented before me, it fills me with disgust! Therefore I sentence you to lose what you hold most dear!”

“Bring forth the prisoners!”

Nyx shook where she stood as several ponies and a dragon were dragged out into the court, shouting out in fear. Bound in chains were her family and friends, Twilight, Spike, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were all dragged forward, forced to their knees by the hooded figures who stood behind them, the crooked, evil smiles being the only feature exposed on the executioners’ faces as they raised their axes in the air above the prisoners’ heads.

“Nyx, please look away,” Twilight told her will tear-filled eyes, unable to do anything with her magic blocked.

“Nyx, help us!” Spike cried out, muffled by the enchanted muzzle over his face.

“Do something!” Scootaloo screamed, yelping in pain as one of the executioners hit her in the back of her head with the butt of his weapon.

Nyx was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. Her friends, her family, were going to be killed because of her and her own past sins. Nyx gritted her teeth, shaking her head as tears fell. She couldn’t just stand there any longer. This was wrong, she had to do something. Nyx suddenly ran forward, trying to save everyone she cared for as the hooded figures brought their axes down, charging her horn to blast the executioners away.

That was her mistake.

The wind was knocked out of her lungs as she was swatted backward by a black talon, throwing her into the front pew with a loud crack! The filly groaned, lifting herself up from the broken wood, only to shrink back as the jury surrounded her, their elongated forms towering over her as they screamed and cried in rage, coming upon her like vultures.

“Guilty!”

“Guilty!”

“Guilty!”

Nyx cried out as each and every one of them hit her, slapping her around, letting out all their rage and hatred. They threw her to the floor and kicked her, clawing and scratching, drawing blood from the defenseless filly. The executioners proceeded to put down their captives before her eyes, powerless to stop them from taking away everyone she cared for. That pain was greater than that dealt to her by the jury, who continued to abuse her unsympathetic to her wails, until the judge banged his mallet, forcing them to back away.

The judge leaped from the altar on top of Nyx and wrapped his talons around the filly’s throat, whipping his body around in the air and slamming her into the ground. Nyx choked and clawed at his grasp, desperate to get a breath of air as her windpipe was slowly crushed. As she held on for her life, the face of the judge morphed and changed, growing black as the night, a deep, demonic cackle erupting from deep within the being. Nyx looked up with trembling eyes as the judge tore away his wig, revealing the horrifying mare in all her terrible glory.

Nightmare Moon herself, her burning turquoise gaze consuming Nyx’s very being.

“You will never escape me!”

Nyx’s eyes widened as her counterpart flung her through the pews with incredible force, wood splintering against her back as she shot through them all and out the courtroom doors. Pain rocketed like electricity down her spine, whimpering and crying as she became crippled by its intensity. Blood poured from her cuts to stain her coat, black and red mixing together in a wet mess.

The walls of the hall crumbled, falling away to reveal a cosmic void of splendor the like she had never seen before. Stars, nebulas and planets surrounded her in a divine display of rage and fury. Colors ignited around her surrounding her in brilliant oranges, purples, greens, and blues. All of it mesmerized her in a collision of awe and fear, holding her in place, unable to move.

Just then a thunderous roar rocked her surrounding world as a large mountainous arm rose out of the depths, plunging down in front of her as black claws dug into the concrete. Her head rose in horror as a colossal giant lifted itself from the ether and stared hungrily at her, letting out a loud animalistic screech.

“Let us be one again!” the venomous monster bellowed, screeching bloody murder as a silver mist formed behind the tar, silent eyes watching it all unfold. The monster wrapped its tendrils around her neck, choking her as it held her in its grasp, its mouth extending so unnaturally that if it were a pony it would have broken its jaw. Nyx struggled and cried, but nothing she did mattered.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t fight. She could only scream as the massive form of Nightmare Moon opened her titan-like jaws, pulling her into her razor-sharp maw as she consumed her whole, while an otherworldly voice spoke.

I.

See.

You…


“Auughhhh!”

Sweat poured down her features as Nyx sat up in her bed, staring into the darkness of her room, screaming as she clenched her chest. She could feel her heart pounding so hard that it felt like it would tear out of her body. Sucking in the air, she looked around as she began to come down from her high to take in her surroundings, and breathed. She could see the familiar skeleton branches of the maple tree outside her window, covered in the blanket of late winter snow. She was back in her home, safe inside the castle of Ponyville.

Yet, she felt anything but safe. In the late hours of the night, like so many nights before, it was all the same. Same dreams, same screams into the night, repeated over and over. Months had passed since the nightmares started, and nothing changed. She would sleep, they would come, she’d awake in a cold sweat, then repeat. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for so long, its effects becoming more evident by the day.

Dark bags hung from her eyes as hot burning tears welled up, giving her little comfort as they fell. Her lack of rest was causing her to snap out more and more at her friends, distancing herself from those she cared about. She struggled to put on a happy face, hiding her misery from everyone. But she couldn’t escape, the one thing she desperately needed only filling her with an unnatural dread.

She was afraid to sleep.

The nightmares were horrible. She couldn’t bear it. The thought of having to face them again terrified her, torturing her and robbing her of peace. She wished only to be released of it for one night, one moment of respite before they would come again, invading her like the plague it was.

But to her dismay, that fear only did so much to keep her awake, and as the minutes passed by, so too did her strength. She felt so tired, losing herself in an impossible battle against unconsciousness. The world became ever dimmer...

...and she slept.


The morning sun crept over the horizon to shine into her bedroom, yet the filly didn’t register its warmth. She only let out an annoyed groan, burying herself deeper into the blanket that remained her most loyal friend. Restlessness clawed at the filly’s bones as she nested herself deep inside the sheets, feeling like she just wanted to die.

Nyx felt an insufferable mix of weakness and nausea, her body aching as she moaned for rest. She had spent the entire night awakening from one nightmare to another, never ending for her. Her eyes were red from both exhaustion and the remnants of tears, dampening her cheeks with what remained. She didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything, and thankfully, since it was Sunday, she didn’t have to. She could stay in her room all day and sulk, and as she thought about, yes, that was exactly what she wanted to do.

Until she smelled the pancakes.

Nyx groaned, the conflicting sensations of wanting to puke her guts out and the impulse of stuffing her face with food making her shift out from the covers with an audible poof! She took in a deep whiff of air, noting the hint of vanilla in the air. Yep, definitely pancakes. She licked her lips as she weighed her options, not wanting to move, but the growl coming from her stomach was becoming too much to ignore.

Letting out a sigh, she removed herself from the covers and staggered into the bathroom. If she could smell food that meant that Twilight might be downstairs, and she needed to make herself presentable. Nyx hopped up onto the stool to get to the sink as she turned the knob and splashed the water in her face, letting it clear her puffy eyes and the salt matting her cheeks. She grabbed a towel and looked up, staring at the slit eyes presented to her in the reflection. Nyx frowned, hating them.

Quickly she covered them with her glasses, making them normal. Seeing round irises instead of slits put her mind at ease, taking a comb out to brush away the loose strands of hair out of her mane. Satisfied with her work, she jumped off the platform and made her way to her bedroom door, sucking in air to get herself composed.

The journey from her room to the kitchen was short enough, despite her sluggish movements. Inside she could see Twilight humming to herself as she flipped over several pancakes on a metal slab over the stove. Spike was already munching away at his own stack, preferring to slurp up the syrup by itself while he shoved whole pieces of pancake into his mouth. Putting the current batch on a plate Twilight, levitated it onto the table, looking up just in time to see Nyx enter through the door.

“Well, hey there, sleepyhead. Took you long enough to come down.” She smiled warmly, levitating over a shaking can of whipped cream and strawberry glaze to put on the stack.

“Hey, mom.” She paused, taking in the larger amount of pancakes on her plate compared to Twilight and Spike’s, covered in whipped cream and raspberries. “You cooked? That’s unusual.”

“Well, I just felt like it,” Twilight snorted out a laugh, spraying the cream on her pancakes with blueberries and strawberries.

“Yeah, right.” Nyx nodded her head, taking a seat and staring at the raspberry drizzle. “Why’d you give me more pancakes? Is it some kind of occasion or something?”

Twilight and Spike stole a glance at each other, both chewing on their food slowly before Twilight turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

Nyx nodded her head, cutting a piece of her food and popping it into her mouth, savoring the tart flavor.

“I can’t believe you forgot.” Twilight shook her head in surprise, her horn glowing as she opened a drawer, a candle and lighter floating out as she placed it into Nyx’s pancakes, lighting the candle.

“Happy Birthday, Nyx,” she said soothingly, a warm smile growing on her face as her daughter’s realization kicked in.

“It’s… my birthday?” Nyx asked herself, pondering the thought as Twilight wrapped her wing around the filly in a hug.

“Ten to be exact, or did you forget what age we set too?” Twilight teased her, rubbing her wing up and down her shoulder.

Nyx was at a loss. She had been so distracted by the nightmares that she had lost track of time. That few months had gone by so quickly. Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming had come and gone. Heck, she should have known today was coming since Winter Wrap Up was only a few days away, the early spring finally on their doorstep. Her ears dropped as she contemplated the significance of that. Was it really consuming her thinking that much?

She looked up at her mother and quickly changed her composure, relaxing her muscles as she gave her a smile, taking another bite from the pancakes. Twilight smiled at her, giving her a kiss on the forehead as she returned to her own food, enjoying the flavor of strawberries. Spike, however, looked at her for a long time, reading her expression closely. He knew better than to fall for Nyx’s charade, knowing that she was hiding the pain more than ever. The dragon frowned at the thought of what was going on inside her head that she was so adamant to hide it.

And he shuddered, wondering how bad the nightmares had become.


A few hours later, and the party was underway.

Pinkie Pie had gone all out in the planning, turning the garden just behind Twilight’s castle into a birthday party extravaganza. The gazebo was strung with streamers, confetti purple and teal ribbons tied between it and the marble pillars that encircled the garden. Balloons of the same theme were tied to a circle of tables that curved around the wide open space, filled to the brim with food. It was almost overwhelming, almost. Pinkie had a special talent of taking a party to its limit without going overboard.

Ponies filled the area, talking amongst themselves, friends and family lost in a multitude of conversations overlapping, making it difficult to zero in on one in particular. Many of Ponyville’s main populace attended, happy to take part in such a large celebration. But they were hardly the highlight of the social event.

Princess Celestia entered the party to the bow of several ponies, offering her the respect she was long accustomed to receiving. She gave them a respectful nod, scanning the area for the mare she most desired to see. As she looked around she suddenly noticed a purple hoof waving to her, smiling as the familiar mare ran up to her excitedly.

“Princess Celestia, you’re here!” Twilight chirped, jumping up happily at the presence of her friend and teacher. Celestia smiled warmly, wrapping her hoof around the smaller alicorn to return her affection.

“Hello, Twilight, it is good to see you,” Celestia hummed, noticing that Rarity had tailed Twilight across the garden, a rather unhappy look on her face as her eyes burned right through her fellow princess.

“Greetings to you as well, Rarity, I assume business is treating you well?” Celestia asked in a sing-song voice, smiling as the mare turned to look at her.

“Huh, what?” Rarity asked absentmindedly, her thoughts obviously having been preoccupied with something else. As she looked up to Celestia, her brain finally registered that she was in the presence of Equestria’s greatest monarch, quickly letting out a nervous, exaggerated laugh as she bowed before her.

“Oh yes, thank you for asking. The Canterlot branch of Carousel Boutique is operating smoothly,” she said as she lifted her head, smiling at her out of courtesy.

Twilight directed them both deeper into the gardens, away from the other guests so they could talk privately, “So, where’s Princess Luna?”

“She’s… around,” Celestia paused, remembering the conversation she had with her sister on the chariot ride to Ponyville, “I’m more curious about what you have been up to. Have things been alright around here?”

Twilight shook her head. “It's been… up and down. Rather quiet for the most part, no monster attacks for almost four months. Honestly, I’m just glad the new detail of soldiers came in earlier last week.”

“I trust the new guards have been to your liking?” Celestia asked, turning her head as they walked.

“Oh yes, they’ve performed to my expectations. Thank you by the way, after the Nightmare Night incident I don’t want to take any chances,” Twilight hummed, nodding to a guard that they passed along their path, “I’ve taken every precaution to secure my home.”

Celestia nodded her head. The attack on Luna had been kept quiet to the majority of Equestria, but Celestia had seen fit to inform not only Twilight but the other Elements of Harmony as well. In response, Twilight had tripled the activity of guards in and around Ponyville, making sure the town was sealed tight. No one came or left without her knowing, and everyone was met with suspicion.

Pfft. Precautions, more like overkill,” Rarity muttered, forcing a frown on Twilight’s face.

“Not this again,” Twilight groaned, making Celestia look at the two mares in confusion as they started to debate with each other for the hundredth time. It soon became apparent to the sun princess that they were merely continuing an argument from earlier, and she had walked right into it.

“Well, what do you expect me to say, darling? It’s becoming excessive!” Rarity whined, taking a stand to try and reason with her friend. “It won’t do Nyx any good to be constantly watched.

“So what, Rarity? Would you have me just do nothing? For Celestia’s sake, they beat her!” Twilight strained, offended by Rarity’s implications. Celestia frowned at her name being used that way but kept silent, waiting for the argument to come to its conclusion.

“That’s not what I’m saying, you know that. I'm her godmother, for Celestia's sake, I'm worried too. But you had guards with her on that trip to begin with, do you honestly believe that more would have changed the outcome?” Rarity questioned, not understanding Twilight’s rationale.

“I know it would have made a difference,” Twilight said boastfully, fully committed to her train of thought.

“Twilight…” Rarity started as she placed a hoof on her shoulder, only for Twilight to shrug her off and snap at her.

“It was my mistake!” Twilight shouted suddenly, making the unicorn jump in surprise at the sudden shift of tone. Twilight let out a sigh, shaking her head at Rarity’s suggestion, “I will keep my daughter safe the way I see fit. I won’t let her get hurt again.”

Twilight waited for Rarity to respond, but the mare remained silent, looking away and conceding the argument. She stared at the entrance to the garden, perking up as she watched her parents walk into the party. Twilight beamed, looking up to her former mentor with a smile. “I’d like to talk more, but I want to say hello to mom and dad. If you would excuse me.” Twilight bowed, retreating toward the direction Night Light and Twilight Velvet had wandered off to.

“Twilight is certainly dedicated to keeping her daughter safe,” Celestia pondered, smiling as she watched Twilight talk to her parents from a distance.

“Dedicated. That’s one word to describe it,” Rarity criticized, shaking her head in disapproval.

“You don’t seem particularly happy with her methods,” Celestia weighed in with a firm tone, yet curious to hear the Element of Generosity’s position on the matter.

“Don’t misunderstand me, princess, I understand it’s necessary to take certain precautions, but this has been going on even before your sister’s unfortunate incident.” Rarity paused for a moment, making sure she hadn’t crossed a line mentioning the attack on Luna. When Celestia didn’t react, she continued, “Security has become an obsession for her. It may be necessary now, but what about later?”

Rarity winced, “She’s become bolder in her little ‘security’ project for the past few months, you can see guards all around town now, out in the open for everyone to see.”

“Do you think perhaps you are just being close-minded to what she is trying to accomplish?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow to the mare who didn’t dare look her in the eye, “Equestria, after all, is not too keen on the fact that Nyx is allowed to live among them.”

“Possibly,” Rarity contemplated, the frown on her face growing deeper, “And possibly, she’s turned Ponyville into the filly’s own personal prison.”

Celestia didn’t respond to that, allowing those words to sink in. She was confident that her former student knew what she was doing, she had no doubt about that. But, if what Rarity said was true, how far was she willing to go? What would she do if more threats presented themselves? Celestia frowned as these questions surfaced in her mind, concerned for her former student’s obsessive tendencies.

But in the end, Celestia decided to dismiss it for now. She knew how far she was willing to go to keep her little ponies safe, and she guessed that Twilight was only doing the same for her family. She would still keep a close eye on her, making sure she didn’t go too far. But at the end of the day, Twilight was only doing her duty to protect what she loved.

And how could she fault her for that?


Nyx rubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of her drowsiness. She felt terrible. So many months of adulterated sleep were really starting to take their toll. Her wings drooped lazily against her sides, her magic barely able to lift anything she wished to pick up. Even her coat seemed to grey a little, losing its natural shine only to be replaced with a duller shade.

But as she looked at the object she held in her magic, she found solace that at least there was one thing to brighten her day.

Ignoring her sour mood, Nyx skimmed through the letter sent to her by her aunt and uncle. Spike had handed her the letter a little while ago, and seeing the royal seal, she quickly found a place to be alone to read its contents. It was a fairly sweet letter, wishing her a happy birthday and apologizing that they couldn’t be there, much to her disappointment. But, as she continued further into the script, she understood their reasons. They were still trying to balance out running a kingdom while taking care of their newborn son. But in that memory alone, was what gave her her smile.

She remembered going to visit them when Valiant Heart was born. The anxiety she felt wondering if the baby would end up hating her. She didn’t have a good track record with foals. But he never cried, he never fussed, he never even let out a whimper. When she met him, and their eyes locked, he let out the cutest little gurgle she had ever heard and reached out a curious hoof to explore her face.

That memory flooded her mind, and for the first time in a few weeks, she let a smile creep onto her face. That moment cemented her relationship with him in her mind, and she loved her baby cousin with all her heart. And now there were rumors going around that Cadance might be having another baby. Only rumors, that’s what she thought about them, though the more she thought about it, the more she hoped it was true. The letter was a warmth she needed, filling her with a sense of belonging that they had actually thought about her. It was a comfort she was in desperate need of.

“Happy Birthday!”

Nyx squealed as she launched up in the air, startled by the sudden union of four cheery voices surprising her with a greeting. Nyx held a hoof to her chest, catching her heart beating in her chest as she turned around to look at her friends, all four of them oblivious to her anxiety.

“Hey, girls.” Nyx sighed, doing her best to hide her problems away for now.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Peppermint Twist stood behind her huddled together, all wearing big smiles as they looked at her excitedly. They were wholly unaware of the hardships she was dealing with, and she wanted to keep it that way. This was her burden, and she would face it alone.

That didn’t mean it was easy to hide it.

Nyx stared at them with half-lidded eyes, forcing a smile as she turned to face them, “Watcha want?”

“Whaddaya mean, ‘watcha want’? Didn’ ya hear us? Happy birthday!” Apple Bloom reaffirmed, blowing on a party horn she had gotten ahold of.

Sweetie Belle nodded her head. “Did you think we wouldn’t come to personally give you your birthday present ourselves?”

“Yeah, ish super duper! We couldn’t wait until affer cake!” Twist cheered, hopping where she stood while Nyx looked at them curiously.

“You got me a gift?” Nyx asked, surprised knowing her friends really didn’t have much money, perking her interest all the same.

“I mean yeah, what are you gonna get for gifts? Grown-ups are weird giving those. You’ll probably end up with a bunch of boring clothes,” Scootaloo said as if it were a fact, her friends giving her odd looks as she spoke from her own experiences. “If we didn’t make sure to get you an awesome gift, your birthday could’ve ended up really boring!”

“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?”

The five fillies turned, gazing up at the regal form of the night princess who had snuck up on them, her mane flowing in the wind as she offered a warm, inviting smile to all of them.

“Princess Luna!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo cried out in unison, all three of them squealing at the sight of the night princess, rushing over to tackle her into a hug. Luna let out a happy laugh in response to the trio of fillies. Peppermint Twist just stared at her in awe, not believing she was in the presence of the moon princess, while Nyx just watched uncaringly.

“What are you doing here, Princess?!” Scootaloo exclaimed, looking up at her with a beaming smile. Luna chuckled at that, soaking in the admiration she was given by these foals, something she wasn’t used to back in Canterlot.

“Did you really think I would miss Nyx’s birthday? She is a fellow princess, after all.” Luna smirked, the fillies’ smiles growing wider. Nyx frowned at being referred to as a ‘princess’ but didn’t let it be shown for too long.

“Well, Nyx, aren’t you going to open it?”

Nyx steered from her short line of thought to look up at Luna, the princess giving her an expectant look. Nyx then looked at the wrapped box presented to her, sighing with a faint smile as she took it in her magic.

The bow was simple enough, a yellow ribbon tied against a bright red box, little cartoon pony heads decorating the wrapping. Nyx admired the wrapping for a moment before tearing into it, getting it out of the way so she could get to the box underneath. Opening the lid, she peered into it slowly, then completely removed it to pick up the object inside so everyone could see. Hovering in front of them was a silver chain necklace with a pendant in the shape of a shield, five beautiful stones decorating its surface. The jewels were placed expertly, a large midnight blue sapphire decorating the center with four smaller gemstones lining the crest, shimmering yellow, red, white, and orange.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, pretty!”

Nyx jumped, turning her head only to be met with a bush of pink fluff. Pinkie Pie had popped out of nowhere and had moved right beside her head without her noticing. She frowned at her antics disapprovingly, the mare giving her a bright happy smile in return.

Nyx looked at that smile suspiciously, swearing she had startled her on purpose. Nyx frowned deeper when Pinkie’s smile only grew wider as she looked at her, the filly rolling her eyes in response.

Feeling recovered, she looked back at the necklace, admiring its design but otherwise not giving it much thought. Nyx wanted to smile, to show she was appreciative, but she found that she wasn’t in the mood to do so. That was a feeling that was becoming more common.

“A necklace?” Nyx asked, surprised by the undoubtedly pricy gift.

“Hey, don’t act too surprised. We’ll be getting awesome gifts from you on our birthdays too since, you know, you’re rich,” Scootaloo said confidently, frowning when she got a chorus of dirty looks from the other fillies. “What?”

Okay, she smiled at that.

It didn’t last forever, but that smile was something that lifted her spirits a little, if only for a moment. But Pinkie wasn’t having any of it, quick to pick up the filly’s poor attitude.

“Oh come on, Miss Grumpy Pants, it’s your birthday! Big number ten! Smile!” Pinkie proceeded to grab Nyx by the cheeks, stretching out her face to form the most unnatural and painful looking smile Luna had ever seen, forcing Nyx’s teeth and gums to be revealed for all the world to see.

“Oww!” Nyx whined as Pinkie let her go, rubbing her sore cheeks. She shot a glare at Pinkie, who obliviously smiled at her as if nothing was wrong.

Nyx rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the gift. She looked the necklace over one more time before hooking it around her neck, allowing the cold metal to rest against her chest. It complimented her coat color and mane rather well, and she couldn’t help but admire how good it looked on her. Her friends seemed to share the same opinion, giving soft ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ in admiration of the piece of jewelry resting against her breast.

“Ohhh, it looks amazing!” Sweetie Belle cooed, her eyes sparkling at the shiny object. The other fillies nodded in agreement, proud of themselves for picking out such an awesome gift. They could have stared at it forever, if not for the obnoxiously loud growls erupting from their stomachs. Princess Luna's reaction was the harshest, snickering as the fillies blushed in embarrassment. The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned way, beginning to look longingly towards the cupcakes and juice on the refreshments table in the garden.

“Hey Nyx, you wanna go and get somethin’ to eat? I’m starvin’ here,” Apple Bloom asked, her stomach giving an audible growl to emphasize her point.

“Yeah, sure,” Nyx nodded, putting the box and wrapping to the side, getting up to follow her friends to the food.

“A moment, Nyx, if you would?” Luna called calmly, making the girl pause in her step. She turned around, looking up to the princess as Luna gestured her to come closer, reluctantly complying. Her friends looked back for a moment before turning back to the tables, shrugging their shoulders, figuring Princess Luna just wanted to say something personal to her.

“So, ten, isn’t it? An admirable milestone, albeit a little redundant considering your true origins,” Luna pointed out, considering the idea before chuckling to herself. “However I can see the appeal of designating an age coinciding with your physical development stage.”

“Uh-huh,” Nyx answered, a tired, bored expression plastered on her face. Luna noted the heavy bags under the filly’s eyes, barely noticeable because of her convenient black coat.

“And I’m certain your future as a princess of the realm will be a promising one indeed,” Luna probed, testing the waters a little for her own purposes.

“I guess,” Nyx muttered, not bothering to meet Luna’s gaze. Luna paused, deciding to dig a little deeper with an aspect more close to home.

“And your friends as well, I’m sure they’ll be proud of your achievements as you master your skills,” she said, looking up. “Even Twilight will be impressed, I’m sure.”

“If they do they do,” Nyx stated flatly, barely any emotion in her words as she shifted the glasses against her muzzle, causing the princess to raise an eyebrow.

“I’m a little surprised by your attitude. Your friends’ admiration and support is surely important to you, is it not?” she asked.

Nyx however only shrugged her shoulders, looking rather uninterested by everything. She turned towards the confections, seeing her friends giggling with each other, staring at them longingly. “Can I go now?”

“I...” Luna started, the protest dying in her throat the moment she saw the pleading look in the filly’s eyes, “...yes, you may go.”

Nyx nodded, turning away and leaving Luna to her thoughts. She was rather taken aback, surprised by the apathetic filly she had spoken to, a stark contrast to the energetic one she had met not two Hearth’s Warmings ago. The Nyx she knew was vibrant, cheerful, alive. But the girl she watched meekly talk to her friends was the opposite of what she knew. She also noted how she clung to those glasses, even though there was no need to use them in her own home, which puzzled Luna deeply. She looked so tired, both perplexing and concerning the night princess. She just wanted to know what was wrong.

“She has nightmares, you know.”

Luna shifted her gaze backward, turning towards the voice that had addressed her. Spike had strolled up right beside her, having listened to her conversation with Nyx with solemn interest. Luna stared at him for a long time, waiting for him to look at her. Yet he only continued to stare straight forward, watching Nyx as she followed her friends out into the garden.

Luna couldn’t bear it any longer, deciding to push the conversation forward herself, “What?”

“She doesn’t like talking about them, Twilight doesn’t even know,” Spike admitted, a deep frown plastered on his face, “It’s been eating me having to lie to her. Heck, I shouldn’t even be telling you this, Nyx made me promise not to say anything, but...”

Spike looked up at her longingly, almost begging for approval. “It’s alright to tell you, right? You and Nyx were the same pony once and… you can see her dreams anyway, so...” Spike trailed off, his own doubts starting to overwhelm him.

“Please, tell me.”

Spike gazed at her hopefully, her demand giving him the confidence needed to say what he should have a long time ago.

“I don’t know what we were thinking, letting her go all the way to Baltimare. All this started because of that mess.” Spike crossed his arms, shaking his head as memories of Nyx coming downstairs as a sobbing, horrible mess came to mind. “But it’s been six months, and nothing’s changed. It’s tearing her apart, I can see it every day. She’s becoming more distant from her friends, and...”

Spike paused, wiping a stray tear from his eye. Luna looked at him sympathetically, understanding how even though they were worlds apart, Spike only had the concern a sibling could for the filly, though he’d never admit it.

“But you know about them, so you’d know what to do. You can make the nightmares go away, right?” he asked, looking at her with wide expecting eyes.

Luna was silent.

Spike looked at her for what seemed like forever, the hope he had felt falling away. Spike’s head drooped, a sense of realization overcoming him as he stared at her. “You… didn’t know about them, did you?” Spike asked, his eyes betraying the feelings of guilt he was experiencing. Luna quickly rushed forward, giving him a hug that he did not expect.

“Do not threat, young Spike,” she told him, her hold becoming tighter but not unwelcome, “I thank you for telling me this. I know it was hard breaking Nyx’s trust, but this was important.”

Spike looked up at her, the slightest hints of tears fading away as he stared into her eyes. “Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I do.” The drake smiled at her answer, the weight on his shoulders being lifted as the princess pulled away. Spike tittered on his own feet, twiddling his thumbs as he stared at her shyly.

“What are you going to do?”

Luna frowned. “I’ll speak to Nyx after the party. As to what I’ll do… let me worry about that,” she said with a bit of uncertainty, something Spike thankfully didn’t catch. His smile was filled with relief as he turned away, leaving the princess alone with her thoughts.

Luna's expression hardened, disturbed by this revolution. She was the guardian of the dream realm, so why hadn’t she seen the nightmares that plagued the filly every day? Luna moved forward, trotting with heavy footsteps as she went to search for her sister. Something was wrong, and she was going to find out what.


Twilight walked with a skip to her step, smiling to all the guards she came across as she made her way to the kitchen. Everything was going just as planned, no snide remarks, no incidents, no nothing. It was turning out to be the perfect birthday for Nyx, just as she had hoped.

If only Nyx wasn’t so down.

Twilight didn’t really understand it. She wasn’t blind, she could see that something had been weighing the filly down for quite some time, but whatever it was she didn’t know. Any time she’d bring it up, Nyx would avoid it like the plague, moving on to another topic as quickly as possible. It was perplexing to her what was on the filly’s mind, and it only hurt her that she wasn’t willing to open up to her about it. But Twilight was patient. She could wait for Nyx to come around and be comfortable enough to tell her what was bothering her.

Until then, she was content with keeping her safe. She had been placing guards around town in secret, monitoring things just in case anyone got any ideas. But when Celestia sent her a letter telling her about some creature that had stolen Luna’s magic, she had vamped up security tenfold. Now the castle itself was filled with guards holding their posts, making the alicorn feel very comfortable.

Twilight turned the corner and headed toward the kitchen, taking in the scent of freshly baked bread. She opened the door and walked inside, staring at the wonderful cake that sat on the counter, waiting for her. Pinkie Pie had really outdone herself this time, the ‘triple-layer fudge-filled chocolate chip awesometastic fit-for-an-alicorn’ cake, as the party planner had described it, was certainly pleasant to look at. The cake had three layers stacked on top of each other, covered in a deep purple frosting and decorated with teal borders and special designs on the side. The top of the cake had little figures of a smiling Nyx, Twilight, and Spike standing together as a family, the words written beneath reading, ‘Happy Birthday, Nyx’.

Twilight smiled at the cake, knowing she was going to love it. It wasn’t every day you turned ten, after all, even if she wasn’t really. That did little to dissuade them from treating it that way, however, and as such it only called for the best. Twilight hummed as she lifted the cake up in her magic, holding it in front of her, resisting the temptation to steal a taste.

“Wonderful day, isn’t it?”

Twilight jumped at the sudden, unexpected voice, almost dropping the cake from her magic. She turned around to face whoever had entered the kitchen with her, glaring in surprise when she saw her. Leaning on the wall just behind the door, a cloaked mare stood, looking at her with a smile, her eyes hidden behind a hood.

Twilight furrowed her brow, not recognizing the mare at all. Placing the cake back down on the counter, she looked around the kitchen, wondering how the mare had been able to get past the guards, the mere thought making her uneasy. She had become obsessed with security, and now she found that someone had actually gotten past her careful planning.

Twilight returned her attention back to the mare, raising her eyebrow as she registered what she had said before, pondering those words.

“Birthdays, I mean. A time when friends and family come together to celebrate… you. Depressing if you’re robbed of them. Forgotten,” the cloaked pony mused, holding up a whip of icing and pressing it to her lips, enjoying its sweet taste before her expression twisted into a frown. “I can’t remember the last one I was given.”

“Is there something you want?” Twilight asked, feeling a little uneasy by this stranger’s presence.

“Well, I figured I’d come and say hello, give the girl the gift I’ve been saving for her,” the figure said, stepping away from the wall and facing Twilight, the hairs on the back of the alicorn’s neck standing on end.

“Whatever you want to give her, you can give it to me,” Twilight offered, never taking her eyes off the mare, her words giving off more of an aggressive vibe than anything. The mare only laughed at her.

“Oh no, I’m afraid that won’t do. You see, I worked hard to get ahold of this,” the mare chuckled to herself, not bothering to reveal what this ‘gift’ she thoughtfully spoke of was, “I mean really, do you realize how difficult it is to break into a princess’ bedchambers?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, her wings flaring out in both shock and aggression. “You’re the one who attacked Princess Luna!”

The mare sneered at her, looking offended. “That’s a relative view of events. You say attack, I say commandeering what didn’t belong to her,” she said, words dripping with contempt.

Twilight growled at her, taking a defensive stance as she realized why the mare was here, ready to take the mysterious individual down herself. “I won’t let you hurt my daughter.”

Hurt?” The mare scoffed, looking as if she had just been slapped. She then remembered exactly who she was talking to, letting out an understanding chuckle as she spoke, “You’ve done such a good job protecting her, raising her as your own. You should be proud, Twilight Sparkle, she couldn't have asked for a better mother. But your labor is over, Princess.”

Before Twilight could react, a black tendril shot out from within the pony’s cloak, pushing into Twilight’s mouth and forcing itself down her throat. Twilight’s body went stiff as she gagged and choked, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the dark mass entered her being, overloading her senses as her mind faded into darkness. Her body slumped, swaying aimlessly where she stood for a few moments as she slowly raised her head, her irises jet black. The cloaked pony smiled as she watched Twilight’s eyes return to normal, save for the crimson glow emitting from them, the alicorn smiling back as she finished the cloaked mare’s words.

“It’s time to bring her home.”


“A marvelous joke indeed, Mr. Rich.” Celestia chuckled, taking a sip from her glass as Filthy Rich grinned with confidence. She had been discussing topics with various ponies since she had first arrived, putting up with the usual attention her subjects gave her. Not that she minded at all, she rather enjoyed interacting with her little ponies. From business to politics to everyday matters, she talked about variety of topics with an even wider array of individuals. Currently, she was speaking to Filthy Rich and a clocksmith named Time Turner, local business ponies who were eager for her attention.

Yet, she wished Luna was around to mingle as well. It was rare for them to be a part of events together, their interactions thinned out rather unfortunately to a few words at breakfast and dinner on most days. It was a problem she wanted to work on, but for the moment that was what they had to deal with. So being here together, she had hoped to spend a lot of it with her sister, as well as visit her student’s family. But Luna had run off the moment they had arrived, muttered something about needing to catch up on a few things. Celestia sighed, a little saddened by her sister’s rather forward, business-first nature, wishing she’s let loose for once and spend that time with her.

“Sister!”

Celestia spun around, a little startled as her rather stealthy little sister had managed to sneak up behind her for the millionth time in their long lifespan. Celestia pressed a hoof to her chest and recovered her composure, still able to be spooked by her sister’s antics after all these years. Yet she was happy to see her, finding it rather quaint that she had popped up just as she had been thinking about her.

“Oh, Luna! I didn’t see you coming.” Celestia smiled warmly, offering an apology to the ponies she had speaking with to give her attention to the night princess.

“Be as it may, we have a few things to discuss.” Luna’s eyes shifted left and right, leaning in to whisper into Celestia’s ear when she was sure no one else would hear. “Please meet me after the party, we need to talk with Nyx as soon as possible,” she said, turning away to take a seat.

“Sister?” Celestia muttered, seeing how troubled Luna looked.

“Attention, everypony!”

Celestia’s attention was drawn away from what Luna had said to look at a certain Element of Laughter dancing around the center of the crowd with the biggest smile on her face, infecting anyone who looked at her to share a smile as well.

“It’s time for our favorite little birthday alicorn to blow out the candles and make her birthday wish!” Pinkie cheered, yanking on the cord of the party cannon as it went off with a bang, actual fireworks firing off, startling everyone. But nobody minded, clapping their hooves and cheering in excitement.

Everyone moved to the tables, waiting for the main event to begin. Nyx sat at the head table surrounded by Spike, her grandparents and her closest friends, Twist munching on some potato chips while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were deep in a certain debate that had them arguing and pointing hooves at each other to empathize their points, much to Spike and Sweetie Belle’s amusement and Nyx’s indifference. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy sat at the opposite table, along with several townsfolk and foals chatting away with each other. The table Luna had sat down at mirrored the other, save for Rarity and Applejack who turned to Princess Luna to strike up a conversation. Celestia took a seat next to Luna, still pondering what her sister had to say that was so important. That thought didn’t stay for long as everyone’s attention was brought to the castle doors, anticipation arising as they opened.

“Happy Birthday to you…!”

Everyone began to sing as Twilight walked out of the door to the garden, Rainbow Dash even bringing her hooves to her mouth to give out an enthusiastic whistle. Twilight Velvet and Night Light gave Nyx a hug, whispering something they wanted to say to her. Scootaloo and Applebloom didn’t seem to notice, however, still squabbling as Apple Bloom playfully stuffed some cupcake icing into the Scootaloo’s nose, the pegasus snorting and sneezing as she wiped the frosting out of her fur while Spike burst out laughing. Sweetie Belle and Peppermint Twist giggled uncontrollably.

Celestia leaned into Luna’s ear. “Almost reminds me of our childhood, don’t you agree, sister?” She gestured to the two fillies, having watched them since their argument began.

Luna smiled at her sister’s comment and turned to the center table, watching the cake being brought out by Twilight. It was a lovely cake, decorated in teals and purples, complimenting the filly’s more appealing colors. Everyone looked at the cake with admiration, the flickering candles capturing their attention. But as Luna watched Twilight walking towards Nyx, her gaze was drawn elsewhere, something in the back of her mind telling her something was wrong.

Happy Birthday to you…!”

Nyx, despite putting on a smile for show, looked at the candles with longing eyes, thinking about all the things she desired. In another time, she would have wished for something superficial as any child would. A toy, a puppy, a favorite dessert or food, or anything that was both temporary and inconsequential. But to Nyx, that one wish meant more to her than anything, hoping for peace for both her and her family. The nightmares, the fear, the scorn she knew many ponies held for her. She just wanted it to all go away.

“Happy Birthday, dear Nyx…”

Luna narrowed her eyes on Twilight, unsure why she felt so uneasy. Leaning forward, she watched as Twilight lowered her head next to Nyx, looking at the filly with a smile that unsettled her for some reason. She watched even closer as the mare’s eyes finally opened, revealing, to her horror, those same crimson orbs that were burned into her memory from last Nightmare Night.

“Happy Birthday, to...”

Time seemed to slow. Clutching the necklace around her neck, Nyx leaned forward, ready to blow out the candles, never noticing the twisted smiled her mother gave her as she leaned forward as well, whispering a single word into the filly’s ear.

“...Me.”

Luna was too slow in her reaction, and no one else noticed until it was too late. Nyx lurched forward, rising in the air as if she had been stabbed by some invisible force that picked her up and held on, refusing to let go as she gasped for air. And then the wall of shadow fell, bursting out from Twilight and wrapping itself around the filly. The mass held her in the air, turning the air cold by its presence. Now having no further use of Twilight, the mist cast her aside and fully enveloped Nyx, focusing on her completely.

The sudden appearance of the silver mist took everyone by surprise, further alarmed as it sent out a magical wave that blasted them out of their seats, throwing them to the ground. Night Light held his wife as they backed away, trying to get away from the apparition. Spike was thrown from the table into a column, groaning as he slid down into a bush. The Cutie Mark Crusaders hid under an upturned table, watching with fearful interest at what was happening to their friend as they called out her name. A few guards recovered and rushed forward in response to the cloud as it grew dark, only for black tendrils to lash out at them angrily, swatting them away like flies. Nyx screamed, more out of confusion than pain, dangling in the air as the mist twisted around her, seeping its way inside of her body.

“Help!”

Luna was the first to act, leaping forward towards the mist. Two columns of emerald fire erupted just as she moved forward, revealing two figures adorn in silver and forest green armor. But to their surprise, she didn’t stop, she didn’t react, she only swung her hoof into the first one’s snout.

The guard fell back with an angry yelp, knocked off his hooves and landing into a table, glasses and plates shattering on impact. Luna lunged at him to strike again, but he quickly recovered, rolling out of the way just as she brought her hoof down. Luna twisted her neck and glared at him menacingly, only for her eyes to shrink into pinpricks as a yellow whip of magic lashed out at her, striking her in the cheek. Luna recoiled, surprised by the incantation, wiping a bit of blood away from the fresh wound. She looked back at her foe with newfound caution, eyes widening as his horn glowed bright yellow, a magical bullwhip circling over his head for momentum. How is he able to perform a spell so advanced? she wondered, dodging as he lashed at her again, barely able to keep out from its touch.

The second guard rushed forward to aid his partner but was stopped by Celestia, staring him down coldly as her horn ignited. The guard paused for a moment, assessing the situation before he posed in defiance, horn igniting a faded gray. Celestia sneered, remembering all too well the last fight she had partaken in with these brutes. She was ready. She had prepared herself to be able to counteract their fighting skills, to hold her own against the physical strategies that they incorporated in hoof-to-hoof combat.

But, the sudden use of a magical whip that was currently lashing at her sister, and now the spiked, heavy mace levitating beside the Arabian in front of her? She hadn’t exactly been ready for that.

Celestia narrowed her eyes into a dark scowl. Even Equestria’s greatest mages had to train their whole lives in the arcane before they could hope to perform such feats of magic, and by then many of them were too old to even consider it. But these stallions were young and strong, in the middle of their prime. And they weren’t letting up. She didn’t have time to dwell too long on this as the cloaked warrior brought his mace down on her, her horn lighting up to produce a physical shield between her and the weapon.

While Twilight remained unconscious, the remaining Elements were next to enter the fray, determined to come to the aid of their princesses. The shadow, however, had other ideas. Dark tentacles shot right after them, sharp endings impacting the earth in front of each of them, spraying debris in their eyes. Unable to see, none of them noticed as the tendrils formed together, rising up to create two massive walls that towered over their heads, blocking them from the fight within its barriers. Rubbing the dirt from their eyes, the five friends only had time to register the mass in front of them before the walls swung outwards, slamming into them and tossing them away from the fight.

Between the two sisters, they were both on the defense. The Arabians were skilled in their tactics, able to keep the princesses on the ropes. The two dodged and swayed, keeping their distance from the weapons that threatened to slash their skin and break their bones. Soon Celestia and Luna were back to back, giving each other a quick look of acknowledgment before facing their attackers.

The sisters decided to switch opponents, igniting their horns to produce their own weapon of choice to even the odds. Luna formed a disk-like shield that she held in front of her, her eyes peering over the top edge to glare at the mace held in the soldier’s magic. The night princess cautiously stepped forward, watching his steps before he suddenly lunged, swiping the blunt head across the surface of her shield, resonating with a loud, deafening dong! Luna grunted at the blow but stood her ground, the shield proving to hold. Celestia, on the other hand, had materialized a sword, its golden shimmer reflecting onto her coat. Her opponent quickly swung the whip at her, cracking the air as she ducked her head, barely noticing as he flicked his horn, the whip snapping back painfully to rip her head off. She quickly rolled out of the way, but not before the cord slashed across her shoulder and leg, hissing painfully as her white coat was dyed red.

Luna backed away with each strike dealt to her, patiently waiting for her time to retaliate. That came sooner rather than later, the guard growing cocky as he swung his mace upward into the shield, forcing the disk to rise over her head. What he didn’t realize was that this left his face completely open to attack, which she capitalized on when she swung her shield forward, clocking him in the nose and knocking his helmet off, falling onto the grass with a thud!

The other guard saw his comrade go down and doubled his efforts, whipping the princess back like a circus animal. He swung his whip around and lashed at her, trying to wrap the leather around her legs. Unfortunately for him, Celestia got a lucky swing in and the whip ended up wrapping itself around her sword, forcing them into a tug-of-war match that she was easily winning. Celestia forced him forward, dragging him closer with every inch of the whip she wrapped around her sword. Knowing he wasn't going to break free, the Arabian canceled the whip from his magic, rolling forward to conjure a new weapon to use against her.

Celestia was ready for this.

Just as he came out of his roll Celestia dove, bringing the butt of her sword upward. The butt connected with the bottom of his jaw, forcing him back as his teeth clenched painfully. Just as he head lurched backward the shift in weight forced him on his hindlegs, exposing his unprotected underbelly. She took that advantage and ran with it, quickly slashing against his barrel, solid magic meeting flesh. The guard howled as the gash was opened, sending him backward onto the grass as blood ran from his gaping wound. Celestia moved forward, her sword raised ready to strike and finish the job, but hesitated.

She watched the fallen Arabian curl into a ball, trying to keep the blood from flowing, his partner quickly crawling to his side for aid. Logic told her to end it now, but her instincts were screaming at her to hold back. Have restraint, show mercy. Her opponent was broken, there was no reason to continue. Luna joined her and was about to move forward, but Celestia stopped her with a raised wing, shaking her head, telling her to stop.

The one guard who was still in one piece looked over the wound dealt to his comrade, grimacing at the large bleeding gash running from his chest down to just above his stomach. Any lower and he would have been disemboweled. He brushed his hoof against his cheek, comforting him as his horn glowed, magic pouring into the wound. The injured Arabian growled and cried in agony, the magic forcing the wound closed to the best of his ability, but leaving it still damaged. He then looked up to the sisters, his features exposed to them since he lost his helmet when Luna knocked him in the head. His gazed burned into them as they raised their weapons, signaling their nonverbal demand for them to surrender.

And then he smiled.

Celestia and Luna’s eyes widened in alarm as the two guards faded into dust, the mist being sucked back toward the silver mass flailing and screaming behind them. Then they realized that the walls the mist had conjured were gone, leaving only the swirling mass of cloud holding Nyx in the air. They both rushed forward to try and do something to stop it, but they were too late. The mist forced itself into the filly’s body, making her convulse as it completely entered her, the air strained and screeching before she just dropped, bouncing off the table and rolling into the grass.

Celestia rushed forward, looking down to the filly lying in the grass. She lowered her head and nuzzled her, inspecting her to see what it had done. Her heart stopped when she realized the filly didn’t move, her mind racing a million miles a second as she went to check her pulse, fearing the worst.

“Nyx?”

Celestia’s breath caught in her throat, looking up to see that Twilight had awoken, dazed and confused about what was going on. Her eyes then looked onto Celestia, wondering why she was staring at her with those horror-filled eyes. Then she looked closer to the ground, her own eyes growing like saucers.

“Nyx?” Twilight called desperately, crawling over to the filly who lay in the grass unmoving. Celestia backed away, watching as the younger princess pressed her hoof against the filly’s fur, hoping that she would show some sign of life, but she remained unmoved. Twilight’s eyes became heavy with dread as she moved close, shaking her harder.

“Nyx!” Twilight shouted her name, rolling her over to see why she wasn’t responding. Her eyes widened when her little form didn’t resist, falling on her back with her eyes closed and her mouth lazily open. The air caught in Twilight’s throat, panic flooding her mind as she quickly picked the girl up, shaking her hard.

“Come on, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up!” Twilight pleaded, cradling Nyx’s limp body in her arms. She didn’t wake up, almost as if death had taken hold. Twilight lost all sense of reality, so lost in the dark she never noticed the shallow breath the filly took as her chest rose and fell. “No, please! Wake up! Nyx!”

Celestia watched on as pain rose up from her gut, guilt overcoming her that she had failed her student, her friend. Twilight’s friends had recovered and quickly ran to her side, gasping as they surrounded the mother rocking back and forth, cradling her child to try and reason with her. Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were the last to appear, the dragon clutching his fists in anger while Nyx’s friends looked on in shock. Twilight’s parents rushed forward, desperate to comfort their daughter. Luna looked to be on the verge of an outburst, her expression souring horribly as her eyes darted around in some vain hope that the guards would return.

And that was when she spotted her.

Luna saw the figure moving out of the corner of her eye, whipping around and firing her horn at the cloaked pony. The fiend had been trying to sneak away while they were distracted, but Luna was far more observant than the average pony. Her reaction, however, was immediate, an orange shield forming in front of the mare to protect her, several arcane runes circling around her horn. Luna was surprised, recognizing the old form of magic being displayed to her. But she didn’t let it distract her for long, knowing already how to break that kind of spell.

The mare was startled when Luna fired her counterspell, her shield shattered the moment it impacted. Luna lunged at her, catching the mare completely by surprise as they rolled back onto the dirt. The two struggled against each other trying to get the upper hand, punching and kicking each other as screams of anger filled the court.

“You will pay for this outrage, fiend!” Luna growled as she grabbed the mare’s hood, tearing it off of her head, “I will personally see to it that you’re thrown into the deepest dungeon to ro--!”

Luna stared into the emerald eyes that stared up at her and fell back, the vicious words she wanted to say dying in her throat. Her irises shrank into pinpricks as she stared on and on and on, taking in her form, her coat, her mane. She couldn’t speak, frozen in time as the royal guard rushed over, grabbing the angry mare and hauling her away, snapping and cursing at them in the old tongue.

Celestia let her head rise to watch the mare being taken away, her attention drawn to the one-thousand yard stare her sister was trapped in. With reluctance she pulled herself away from the crying mare in front of her, walking over to Luna’s side to see what was wrong.

“Sister, what is it? What troubles you?” she asked, lowering her head to look at her in the eye. Luna, not even registering her presence, looked on, her lips quivering as though she were teetering between a gasp of shock or crying.

“G… G...”

“Sister?” Celestia asked, showing her growing concern.

Luna sucked in air, disbelief welling up inside of her as a hot tear rolled down her cheek, shed for a pony who, up to only a few moments ago, she thought was dead.

“Gari?”


Author's Note:

Down the rabbit hole we go...

Remember to tell me what you think in the comments!