Nightmare Moon vs. OC

by TundraStanza

Ch. 7: Simply After

---{#51}
In the Equestria parallel to the Earth-verse...

I was visiting my friend's house for an extended vacation. Queen Chrysalis had insisted that I needed a little rest. Apparently, my recent stress was giving the Hive's mind a headache. I didn't mind too terribly much. After all, Spirit Redeemer made for good company. So, I was a bit surprised when another drone approached the house soon after my arrival.

"My Liege." He held up a scroll and presented it to me.

"Ninety-nine." I shook my head. "I consider you a changeling of the same caliber as I. Refrain from addressing me as a superior."

"Well, you know," he said with a shrug. "Old habits die hard."

"Mm-hm." I was busy scanning the scroll for its contents.

It seemed that Twilight Sparkle's connection with the magic of her other selves allowed small windows in which she could communicate with them. Additionally, it allowed conversations with those that were standing nearby any of the three of her. She was rather excited by the idea of keeping tabs on all of the possible divergences between our world and the others. I had been invited to the Golden Oaks Library to see if I could make due on my word to discuss with the alternate universe Hives to see what could be done about the rise of empathy among changelings.

I suppose I might as well humor her, I thought. It's not like they'll actually listen to reason when sneaking and pillaging have been the standard and easy ways for so long. I hurried on over anyway.

---{Tundra Stanza}
Katana-verse Equus...

"Are you sure you're okay, Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow for the fifth time that day. "You did go missing longer than the rest of us."

"I'm fine, Rainbow Dash, really," insisted Fluttershy. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I am." She sank in her chair. "Am I not supposed to be okay?"

"Ease up a little," I said while looking at Dash. "We're here for a friendly checkup, not a prisoner interrogation."

Dash sighed and took a step back. "I'm just trying to figure out what exactly happened back there."

"I don't really know what happened." Fluttershy shook her head. "Wabisuke was apologizing for some reason. Next thing I know, I'm getting trapped by a bright light that dropped me off in a weird blanket of white and black halves."

"Darn it." Dash kicked the wood floor. "It's the same story with everypony we ask... those that disappeared anyway. Nopony remembers anything after the funky teleports."

"At least you managed to help us deal with the problem directly." I tried showing her an encouraging smile. "Doesn't that feel good?"

Dash blew a bit of mane out of her eyes. "Fat lot of help I was. All I managed to do was sacrifice myself along with an enraged dragon."

"But if you hadn't done that, the rest of us wouldn't have had the opening we needed to strike the Discorded creature." I lightly punched her shoulder. "You're awesome, RD."

She rubbed that spot with a hoof and chuckled. "Thanks, TS. I needed that."

---{Dilan Shier}
Alternate Equus Prime...

The next day was a bit unnerving. I could swear that Princess Luna and Princess Twilight were asking every question that they could to somehow trip me up. The inquiries were starting to all sound so similar that I just had to lay my head against the table and tune them out. Was I not the cause of that Nightmare attack? How did I possibly know which of my extra minds to apply to that enemy otherwise? On and on, I didn't know those answers but that wasn't good enough for their curiosities and accusations.

"Could you excuse me for a while?" asked Princess Celestia gently as she stood up. "I need some air." Her hoof steps echoed through the room. "Oh, Dilan, why don't you come with me?"

I lifted my head and blinked a couple of times. Had I heard her right? I looked over to where she was standing. She had a sort of expectant expression, though it was difficult for me to tell without looking at her for a few seconds. Hastily, I nodded and stood up as well. I welcomed the excuse to move away from my symbiotic half as well as the more intimidating princess.

Princess Celestia led me through the garden area. Eventually, she stopped just at the edge of a large pool. She leaned her head over and looked at the water.

"Look closely," she requested. "What do you see?"

I leaned over to look as well. What I saw was my reflection, or at least what it currently was. Nightmare Moon's basic facial structure was decked up with Posh's dark mane, Reflect Sun's eye, and Star Bright's blue-dipped horn. The smoky red tail danced around to remind me of Tail Demon's presence. I lifted my hoof and saw Spectrum's anklet. My whole appearance was simultaneously comical and terrifying.

"I see what I've become," I finally answer. "It's an amalgamation of everything I'd pour into the kitchen sink."

"Is that so?"

I turned back to look at her. Why would she ask what I saw if she didn't want that kind of answer?

"Because I see a cannonball."

I blinked without comprehension. "Wait, what?"

She suddenly leaped into the air with a short holler. She grabbed her back legs with her front legs. Her wings folded up, and she broke the surface of the water with all of herself at once. I couldn't close my mouth at the surprise, even after some water splashed against me.

One second later, she was facing upward and her mane was sparkling against the transparent liquid. She looked like a swimming model straight out of a camera commercial. She smiled as she lifted a hoof and patted the water a little.

"Come on in! Refresh yourself!"

I shook my head out of my stupor. "A-A-Alright." Before I could object, my legs were already making the jump. On instinct, my wings opened up and carried me past Celestia's position. The sudden realization of what I was doing caused my wings to snap shut. My consequence was to immediately submerge.

I scrambled my legs to get my head above surface. I could hear myself breathing excessively loudly. I had no previous idea how strange and yet... welcome feeling of getting my hide this wet and cold. A bit of dog-paddling later, I was shivering next to Celestia.

"Oh you are just adorable, Dilan." She grabbed me under her left wing and pulled me in. Her wet hide rubbed against mine. ... I needed an adult. Wait, I was an adult!

"Hey!" shouted a familiar voice. "You don't get to hog the pool without me!"

Luna splashed both of us with her entry dive. But all that succeeded in doing was eliciting a laugh from Celestia and a chuckle from me.

"Well, when you roam, do what the roamers do," muttered Princess Twilight as she practically slammed her stomach against the water's surface.

I sucked in a breath and shrunk my lips to a long "oo". That belly flop had to have been painful.

---{???}

"You want to be in an equal society? Very well then. We shall give you the exact same punishment as anypony else that commits felonious thievery."

She humorlessly snorted at the warning she had received. News reached her that the universes had been properly separated. However, the changeling's goop was still blocking her magic. She didn't like that, but any attempts to remove it by hoof were met with the substance reacting like a solid barrier. So she settled for rolling over on the dungeon slab that was meant as a prisoner's bed.

"Package for you, Glimmer."

She turned over slightly, not really showing any interest. After a while, she sighed and stood up from the oh-so-comfy rock. The package in question had already been opened and checked by the guards, probably to prevent tools of escape from being delivered remotely. Still, she wondered what it could even be and who would send anything to her of all ponies. She flipped open on side of the box to reveal a folded up letter.

Dear Starlight,

I had just one of these left. Enjoy!

Your old friend,
Sugar Belle

She shook the box and out popped the remaining content. It was a rather unappetizing stub that just barely resembled a muffin. She recognized it as her old town's most common cuisine. She placed a hoof against her face.

"Feather me."
---

Author's Note:

Can you see why I don't write sequels?

Comments

[TundraStanza]

6164901 , A little of Column A and a little of Column B.