"Dude, check it out! Nightmare Moon's in the new game!"
"No way! I'm next!"
"No way, it's me!"
"This is going to be so awesome!"
Litwak chuckled under his breath as he watched the line grow before the Soul Calibur console. Of course, there would be a long line to try the new game, both one player and versus. Nightmare Moon being present in the game the day it was first playable just added to that. Though he could hear some of the customers wondering about why Nightmare Moon didn't have alternate colors or costumes - and why only one person could play as her at a time - Litwak was pretty sure he could guess as to why.
He sat back and watched with a smile as the first player cleared the campaign mode with Nightmare Moon, all the way up to the battle with Inferno. He started to get nervous at that point, however. He knew that all the characters had drawn image cinematics after campaign victory. He knew he hadn't programmed one in, despite what everyone assumed. He was half afraid of what would happen if one didn't show up.
He needn't have worried. With Inferno's defeat, the first gray scale image appeared, showing Nightmare Moon standing proudly over a scorched battle field against a starry backdrop. Text appeared under it as unusual music played.
Nightmare Moon stood over the battlefield, staring down at her defeated foe.
It had been a long battle, but she had overcome.
And now, a decision awaited. She spoke to the blade.
The next image appeared shortly after. This time the view was from over Nightmare Moon's shoulder, staring down at Soul Edge where it was half embedded in the ground.
"You have fought well, demon. You have great power.
But in the end, that is all you are. Power without control.
That is your destruction."
The text faded, and the next paragraph appeared.
"If that is the sum total of your ambitions, then this is your end.
However...if you would be more, I can make that possible.
Tell me, demon...will you serve your Queen?"
The third image of browns and grays appeared, a close up of Soul Edge's eye, fading as the eye swiveled.
There was silence for a time, the evil sword unresponsive.
Then, without warning, the demonic eye swiveled to lock on its vanquisher.
A voice echoed, carrying no sound, reaching straight into the soul of the listener.
The screen faded to black.
"Yes."
The last image showed Soul Edge's view of Nightmare Moon as she grinned. Above her head, the stars spelled out, "Thank You For Playing".
The customers were going wild. Litwak let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Not only had the sprites taken care of things once again, they'd done an amazing job with it. He briefly wiped his glasses before pushing them back on, turning back to the rest of the arcade, reminding himself he had more to do than just watch whatever Moony was up to that day.
Halloween brought a huge surprise to the first person to put a quarter into Sugar Rush. Instead of the usually brightly colored tracks, the entire game plunged into night, and Nightmare Moon laughed. "The Night shall last Forever!" she proclaimed loudly.
This wasn't something completely new. Ever since Nightmare Moon's 'growth spurt', Eternal Night triggered whenever a player came in first with her every round of the Grand Prix, allowing them to take a victory lap around each of the tracks at night, seeing the beauty the glowing terrain and the stars gave when the sun didn't blot out the light. At the same time, the sound track for the course would be transposed into a Minor key.
This time, however, all the tracks were in night from the start for the entire day. Not only that, but the main background music was very different from normal, and quite familiar. Not only that, but the usual candy along the tracks had been replaced with pumpkins, candy corn, and other Halloween themed treats, with a tree full of candy apples revealing its burden to be brightly colored bats halfway through the track.
At one point as the player drove by spectators, they sang out.
"This is Nightmare Night
This is Nightmare Night
All make way for our Dark Queen, ho!"
The real shocker, though, came with the bonus track that appeared in single race if the player didn't choose to race as Nightmare Moon. Milky Way.
The various karts appeared up amongst the stars on a cotton candy cloud colored dark blue swirled with black. The racers sat in their karts, and then Nightmare Moon flew up in Dream Eater, stardust trailing behind her. Flowing up, the kart caught the tip of the cloud. "Follow the Queen of the Night, mortals, if you dare!" Nightmare Moon proclaimed, turning to drive off. "Witness the beauty of my Night!"
The track took shape behind Dream Eater as it flowed through the night sky, stars twinkling around it with the world a panorama down below. If they drove off the edge of the starlight, they would fall to the world below. If they fell too far behind, the track disappeared behind them. If they pulled ahead of Nightmare Moon, they drove off into infinity. It was definitely a track that required high levels of skill and control...but the view was absolutely breathtaking. And the music was gentle, relaxing, and soft...though everyone who listened felt like there should have been lyrics. When the song ended, so did the track.
Each time the track was played, the path was different, seemingly dictated by the whim of Nightmare Moon, sometimes even defying gravity as the track performed the occasional loop-de-loop or corkscrew.
If the player won the track, their racer would sit beside Nightmare Moon in Dream Eater, staring up at the moon. "The song's so familiar..." Nightmare Moon whispered softly. "But what does it mean?"
After the same events on December 21st, the longest night of the year, the sprites gathered after closing to celebrate Nightmare Moon's first year as a sprite in the arcade, a major milestone for them. Not all games lasted a full year. However, despite the celebratory mood, she remained melancholy, always glancing up at the moon she had raised for her own party in wonder.
What does it mean? she asked herself silently. She could almost, but not quite, hear the words the song was supposed to have...
Wow, that was nice.
You just love it when we throw ideas your way don't you?
Beautiful
Huh. So she's listening to an instrumental of Luna's Reply... or Lullaby for a Princess, really.... That is interesting...
*sniff* one year already... *sob* They grow up so fast....
She's good at the villainy. Show the gamers how much fun it is being evil, Nightmare!!
Lullaby for a Princess was such an alluring song rife with feels.
Seriously, Releasing World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships in the arcade is'int such a bad idea.
PLEASE DO IT!!! I AM BEGING!!!!
That description of NMM's touches to Sugar Rush for Halloween was beautiful! Have a like and a fav!
Also, I really hope Moony gets a happy ending after all is said and done. She's pretty much found her home by this point (Equestria? What's that?), and I'd hate to see her new family simply ripped away from her.
... Though if this doesn't go the Nyx route and Moony is in fact also Luna, I can see this getting dicey when she remembers she's got a sister longing for her to come back.
EDIT: It's been said before, but we so need fanart of Dream Eater!
Just to note: the song for your second one, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is blocked. Well, at least for me anyways. Not sure about everyone else.
Nice chapter!
That was such a nice chapter well done, awesome job man!
Another enjoyable chapter. Well done.
It's good to see Nightmare Moon being happy with her life at the arcade.
There was so much yes in this chapter.
~Melly~
6138296 we do need some fan art of dream eater. I tried... it didn't turn out too well.
This is why this story has earned a black bolt, over all the other adoptions you've written that haven't. Well done.
Now I'm going to go watch the animation for Lullaby for a Princess again.
This chapter is beautiful, and has earned this story a place in the 'favorite stories' folder in the bookmark bar.
That one was good, but this one's better;
MORE! Sorry... But I loved the chapter and I would love another chapter
Okay, up until now I've been operating under the assumption that this Nightmare Moon was separate from Luna, but in hindsight this makes more sense. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
6138864
Litwak's interaction with the sprites is heavily inspired by that fic.
6138319
Not blocked for me in Canada (and I trip over geoblocked vids here every now and then). Where are you?
6138960 Malaysia.
6138967
Huh. I wonder whether the vid has Malaysia on a blacklist or is using a whitelist that happens to include Canada.
I'm beginning to hope that NM was formed from what was expelled from Luna, explaining the lack of memory and young age. Due to worry of possible threats, Twilight invents a spell that reveals NM's existence, causing panic when she sees her performing one of her dark intros for a game. It'd be awesome to see the Mane 6, the Princesses, and Shining Armor leading a group of guard ponies against the assembled sprites in an all-out brawl in Marvel vs. Capcom once the Equestrian forces teleport to the dimension where Twilight found NM. NM could even wonder why she feels a great sense of satisfaction using her Hypers on Celestia and Twilight. Litwak could gain inspiration from watching video footage of the battle for the characters in his custom game.
6139017 On the other hoof should Celestia, Luna and the Mane 6 come after Moony, I do not see then being successful in subduing Nightmare Moon, they would be more then just a little outnumbered by Nightmare's friends consisting or BOTH Hero's and Villains and Ultimately get there asses kicked by said Hero's and Villains.
I still prefer the original...
6139318
Perhaps Shining Armor can put up one of his super-strong barriers to limit the number of combatants. Wily advises caution as he studies this abnormality, not wishing to risk data erasure or outright game crash by recklessly attacking it.
Otherwise the confrontation can occur in Soul Calibur and the game automatically sets up a tournament with each side forming a team with an equal amount of members.
I can see the inevitable 'Boss Fight' tourney:
BadAnon vs. The Goody Four-Shoes!
Round 1! Ivo Robotnik vs. Fluttershy! FIGHT!!! (Tough as buck, but winnable; just ask that hedgehog...)
through to....
FINAL ROUND! QUEEN NIGHTMARE MOON vs. PRINCESS LUNA! FIGHT!!! (OMGWTFBBQ?!!?)
Probably let Litwalk have something like this in a dream as an inspiration...
That or somehow, someone made this video and sent him it...the sprite will certainly have something to talk about.
*groans*... I don' wanna wayet fer nek chaptah', AH WANNIT NOW, FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE
Me, atm with this fic.
I think you have offically broken my "d'aw metre."
This is one of the best things I've ever read. This is a combination of two of my favourite things. Video games and ponies.
Thank you.
Now, It just needs some more Sonic and we're all good.
6139446 ohhh interesting!
Nightmare Moon, with her appearance it was then that all traditional gamers everywhere became hardcore bronies...
Heh, seriously I want more games with these story elements in them, that hint to gamers her backstory, or place her in a winning ending situation, does ANYONE think it would be awesome for her to be in Mortal Kombat? I DO!
I mean she is practically ageless in the realms of the arcade, I wonder if there will be any problems with it becoming obsolete, I mean gaming ages eventually.
Now, to adulthood where she can be in 18+ worthy games of GORE!
Awesome! Nice implimentation of my suggestion, I'm honored you liked it that much.
6139318 Yeah, but I'm fairly sure that after a bit of fighting they'd break off and try to open negotiations. Plus, Moony might be so excited to see other ponies she starts acting like Pinkie Pie. And you know as soon as she calls Ralph "Daddy" that the Equestria group's jaws will drop.
6140673 True, especially if Luna (best princess) and Celestia at there.
Luna hearing Nightmare Moon call the large man with large hands Daddy turned her head and looked to her sister and said one thing "Sister I think we have seriously misunderstood the situation here"
6140716 Yeah, I can see that happening!
6140725 As could I
Transcending history and the world...a tale of nightmares and cameos, eternally retold.
^What I think the opening SC narration would be replaced by if NMM was the last to win at Arcade Ladder or a Versus match.
Maybe when her game is finally made, a hidden bonus level could be unlocked showing moony's backstory and making her a bit more of a misguided anti-hero than outright villainous tyrant.
SO! Just had a thought. This fic needs to end with Cellybeans sneakily kidnapping Moonie to bring her back to Equestria 'to face justice' or some shit.
And then the sequel comes, in which Ralph goes to Equestria and goes 'Oh, you want a fucking villain? Come at me, bro.'
It will be called 'I'M GONNA WRECK IT!'
6144420 Jolly good show, old bean, jolly good show!
Have a cookie.
1+ the idea.
Litwak's simple solution to how the game is meant to go: create the world, assign characters roles in terms of villainy (Nim obviously taking the top spot as final boss villain) then just leave every thing else to the sprites. We saw how Nim wrote her own cutscene, what's to stop her doing the same here? I get the feeling Nim might not be completely satisfied with the original code anyway, and might go about changing it a bit to make it more like home.
interesting chapter.
6144420
Celestia would not bring Luna back to Equestria to punish her for what she tried to do, she would bring Luna back to apologize for 'being so blind' and not doing anything to stop her nightmare.
And Ralph would not be like that, he come there to rescue Luna from Celestia.
Also - if that does happen (Celestia taking home to Equestria), it would have to end in Luna finding where she truly belongs and having a very sad ending scene of Ralph having leave his little Moony and return home.
6138887 if Celestia does come to bring Luna home, that is how it shall be. (about what's above ^)
(got carried away)
I admit, I was expecting the KH version of "This is Halloween", given the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc1YgQXuP0E
She misses Tia -_-
6154729 There is also the question of the setting in the time line.
I mean is this even Luna here? Or is this perhaps only the nightmare that was sliced from Luna by the elements?
The latter seems more likely to me. Her powers, as well as Luna's, where reduced by the elements to ensure there in threat in them, before they can be reformed. And both looked quite younger, with nightmare being even more a child.
It would also fit with her missing 'shared' (with Luna) memories, since her being was cleansed as well. And as such the un-pure thoughts and memories where removed or sealed away, just so she can start over again. Harmony magic may have send her there to experience friendship, as part of a reformation process.
You are magnificent.
I love this so much. Especially the way you have taken the potential to expound upon the world of Wreck-it Ralph and run with a wild card, Moony. we have some solid foreshadowing for MLP to become a full game in the arcade.
Your Nightmare Moon has a bizarre duality that I guess has a tendency to come standard for villain characters in wreck-It Ralph. Love it.
That would be bucking AWESOME!!!