Confrontations - Ally or Foe?
The Ever Changing Moon
-
Chapter 4
Confrontations
Part 4 - Ally or Foe?
“You… you can’t be serious!” Chains shouted, almost pressing his muzzle against his brothers’. “You said yourself that hunting Nightmare Moon was suicide and a waste of time.”
“New circumstances convinced me otherwise,” Shackles responded, maintaining a calm and collected attitude. “The gain…”
“What gain?!” Chains interupted while his followers walked away, deciding to give them more space. “Have you hit yourself on the head or something? There’s no gain in certain death.”
Limestone spoke up from her position on Shackle’s left, “Hit on the head, not really, but there was that bolt that pierced his wing. Oh, and that traitorous medic…”
“Silence!” Shackles shouted and stomped, sinking his hooves into the muddy soil with a weak splash. “You will not undermine my authority.”
“I’m not, but…” Chains sighed, taking a moment to calm down. “Listen. Over the past years you showed me corruption inside the guild, something you took advantage of. Over those years, I saw how by blindly following orders led to some mistakes, how my devotion and beliefs that we were just and our enemies were purely evil blinded me to those with good hearts.”
He narrowed his eyes and poked his brother’s chest, an action that caused a few gasps among nearby troops. “I also learned that you’re not blind. You’re smart enough to see the big picture and recognize good from evil, yet choose evil for personal gain.”
Shackles slapped his hoof away and groaned, but said nothing in the end.
“We both have flaws and I can tell you’re a greedy bastard, but you’re the most cunning and smart pony I know. I can tell that my clever brother isn’t an idiot who would make decision this stupid, so please, be reasonable.”
Shackles lost his balance, landing on his flank as he massaged his forehead, his facial features showing growing discomfort.
“What’s wrong?” Chains asked, kneeling to his brother as his furious glare was replaced with worry.
“It’s… nothing.”
“Doesn’t seem like nothing to me,” Chains said as he held hoof against Shackle’s forehead, checking its temperature. “You may not look sick, but that last battle must have done some serious harm, and it will only get worse from here.”
“Sh… shut up. You know nothing. The reward-”
“Whatever gain you see in all of this isn’t worth digging deeper into this hellhole. The brother I know would quit while being ahead.” He narrowed his eyes. “You already earned enough riches and spilled way too much blood. Can’t we just quit and lay low?” He gestured at his subordinates, a large squad of at least two hundred hunters who kept a respective distance. “What’s more, the lives of many ponies are in your hooves. At least once in your life, don’t sacrifice others for your personal gain.”
Shackles pushed Chains away, now towering over him with spread wings. “You have grown soft. What happened to your determination? You used to hunt thestrals without hesitation and weren’t bothered by losing comrades in battle. In this business…”
“Just stop!” Chains interrupted. “The time when I believed in our cause without question is gone. There was a time I believed that hunters who lay down their lives to protect Equestria do it for the greater good. “He narrowed his eyes. “Now I see that we are simple pawns, sacrificed in battles that may not do Equestria any favors.”
Chains stood up and poked his brother’s chest as if challenging his authority, his eyes still narrowed. “I’ll be honest with you. In those past months I put up with your greed and manipulations in hope you would help me dig to the bottom of this. I put up with evil in hope to find and destroy greater evil, a great source of corruption.”
Shackles frowned with a smug grin on his face. “So in other words, you put your hopes in one puppeteer to defeat another? Or have I misunderstood you.”
Chains nodded as he lowered his hoof, his face still firm and impassive. “Somepony is pulling the strings, sending us to die this very night. I hope your rebellion will stop this foolishness.” He stomps as his hoof sinks in the mud. His chains, wrapped around his uniform, were far from clean as well. “I don't know why you want to send us to slaughter, but I’m stopping this, here and now.”
Shackles groaned. “Fool! If we withdraw now, all the riches I accumulated for us will be worth noth…” He paused as hoof smacked him in the cheek, leaving a hoofmark which he massaged a moment later. He looked back at his brother in shock. “So that’s your answer.”
Chains noded.
Shackles sighed as his ears dropped. “I suppose it’s foolish of me to risk the life of my family. Thank you for stopping me before I did something I would regret.”
Chains smiled slightly. He walked to Shackles’ side and wrapped his hoof over his shoulder. “This is what brothers are for. I’m glad you saw reason. For a moment I thought you’d become insane.” He shook his head, relief clear on his relaxed features. “Now the question is, should we lay low, try to get to the bottom of this… or-” he failed to finish as soft material with a heavy dose of sleeping powder made contact with his mouth. Whatever defenses he had against sleeping magic was gone.
He slowly realized that a familiar wing had picked this cloth up from his saddlebag when he wasn’t watching. Being backstabbed by his brother wasn’t something he expected. While he learned that his brother was a greedy bastard who would sacrifice others for personal gain, he always shared his gain with the rest of the family, looking after their futures. He was anything but prepared for such betrayal. “W-why…?” His eyes slowly became heavy as his chin soon made contact with the dirt and mud.
“Sleep well, brother. Once you wake up, Nightmare Moon will be dead and we will live a life of luxury on the side of the victor. There’s no need for you to take the risk, just leave everything to me,” Shackles said, gently stroking his brother’s sleeping head before looking up at Chain’s squad. “I order you to keep him safe. This is the only task you need to focus on, understood?”
The ponies nodded as two unicorns levitated Chains onto the back of an earth pony, heading in the opposite direction of where Nightmare Moon was.
Shackles stood up and turned around, his attention at the task ahead while thoughts of riches and temptations circled in his mind. He didn’t mind letting his brother and his squad sit this one out. He had more than enough bodies to throw at the problem, and riches and power wouldn't be worth as much if he couldn't share it with his family. He pictured his kin living in prosperity for generations to come and was going to make it a reality.
He needed to hurry though. The more he delayed, the more hesitation his subordinates would have, especially after what Chains said a moment ago. He still had the authority. Most still respected and feared him, and he was going to use it.
Fluttershy felt as if her hooves became heavier and heavier with each step taken as she followed an enthusiastic musician, who seemed more than happy to lead her towards the princess’ student. Her clan members kept giving her confused glances, occasionally sharing words of encouragement or glancing at their surroundings in search for an ambush.
Could she blame them for such confusion? Not really. After all on this very night they faced multiple unpleasant events with her head held high. But most undoubtedly wondered why meeting this Twilight was such a big deal?
Being awoken from her slumber by the two-faced princess? Quite an unique experience and great honor for a young pureblood, one many would envy her.
Leading efforts and personally healing Fleur de Lis, the mightiest and one of the most important purebloods in Equestria? She just performed her duty to her kin with honor, receiving support and encouragement from her precious friends.
Facing murderers of her family who ruined her life? She still couldn’t believe how well she handled it, a proof how much she matured as past Flutterbat would melt under pressure.
After all that, why meeting a single unicorn left her with this sense of dread? An understandable question that even Fluttershy had trouble answering.
Was it because she was going to meet the student of the sun-bringer herself?
At least when healing Fleur she knew what to do. With the hunters she knew the strength of her enemy. But with Twilight she had no clue what to expect. Was this mare going to be easy to befriend or overpower? Or were they going to get mercilessly smited by her powerful magic? Maybe said student had the ability to wield solar power itself, something she was weak against? It was the unknown that kept her on the edge.
She glanced at the serious, some smiling, faces of her followers and friends, hoping their lives weren’t going to end tonight.
“There she is!” Vinyl shoulded, pointing her hoof at the mare on the middle-part of the bridge. Her horn lit, and a simple sound spell later the noble student turned around and waved at them. “Your turn boss, go get her bat-tiger.”
Fluttershy flinched, nearly losing her balance as Twilight appeared in a flash of light two meters on Vinyl’s left flank. She spread her bat-like wings for the sake of balance, taking quick breaths to calm her nerves. As she looked at the unicorn, she gulped, sensing magic no less than three-times stronger than her own. Sweat slid down her forehead.
“Not again! This forest just loves to mess up with my teleportation. At this rate I’ll end up in a tree or underground, grrr…” Twilight groaned, stomping, before turning towards the musician. “Was that sound magic? Wow. You totally need to tell me about it once this mess is over, sound-based spells are very rare and hard to perform,” she said as her tail flapped left-right in excitement. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, what’s yours?”
“Vinyl Scratch, but for mares like yourself, it's Agent DJ-Pon-the-third,” she responded, fixing her glasses.
“Agent? Oh, that uniform, I get it. Anyway, why are you here?” she asked while gesturing towards the rest of the approaching group. “This place is a battlefield full of hunters, hostile animals and one angered princess. Civilians should stay in Ponyville and wait for things to calm down.”
“Civilians? I have you know we’re anything but,” Vinyl said with a frown before gesturing at the rest of the group. “Thestrals, pureblood, former huntress. If anything, we're a special force.”
“Wait, what?!” Twilight asked, quickly turning and examining the group, which only made Fluttershy hide her face behind her bat-like wings. “Hey, I remember you! You’re all candidates chosen by the Elements. The princess was right saying you would be the first to jump into action.”
”Howdy, Twilight. We were lookin’ for ya,” Applejack spoke first, getting ahead of the group. “And yeah, obviously yer not the only one who wants to make things right, am Ah right?” She winked at Fluttershy, who silently nodded, yet refused to speak.
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she looked at the crossbow and a few bolts in an arrow case, both attached atop the pony's back, and she could tell more weapons hid inside this pony’s saddlebag. Her attention shifted to metallic bracelets, similar to the ones used by hunters as each was equipped with a protroclile blade. “You’re not an ordinary farm pony, Applejack... being an Element Bearer aside.”
The earth pony chuckled nervously. “Ya got me there, but Ah’m an ally, Ah assure ya. Mah's loyalty is to Flutters’ clan, not corrupted stuck-in-the-mud guild.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac nodded in agreement.
Twilight examined the tall stallion, not spotting any offensive weapon, though she could see a sizable shield on the stallion’s back and a saddlebag way bigger than the one on his sister.
There was also a third Apple among the group, hiding most of his features under a cape, yet eyes shining red in the darkness of the night betrayed his secret. If I remember correctly, thestrals can hide their features behind illusions, but he… wait… she blinked, did she say Flutters… as if… She looked around, searching for one particular pony among the group.
There was Rarity wearing an elegant cape, a mix of bloody-red mixed with silvery-white, though other details were difficult to spot so late at night. Her eyes and ears revealed her species.
Pinkie Pie kept bouncing up and down with her usual smile, one fit for the Element of Laughter.
A grey mare wearing a helmet waved at her, flapping her wings enthusiastically while a wide toothy and fanged smile could be seen under her crossed derpy eyes. Why is she even here?
Finally there was rainbow-maned pegasus who seemed to be hovering over…
Twilight blinked. She could see pink mane and tail emerge from under the trembling cape, as well as a little yellow pointy ear, but what about the rest?
“Excuse me,” she said, addressing the hidden ball of trembling fur. “I know it may sound silly, but when Applejack said Flutters’ clan, she couldn’t mean Fluttershy, right… right?”
Her eyes became wide the moment the head of the yellow mare emerged from under the cape. Aside from pointy ears and red shining puppy eyes, the resemblance to a pony on the picture at the gravestone was impossible to ignore.
Twilight’s horn lit as she wrapped her magic around the curled pony, levitating her to her hooves. She ignored the screeching yelp, examining the pony with keen studious eyes. “Are those bat wings? And your eyes and cutie mark, no, this can’t be!” Not wasting a moment, she levitated the cape away, then teleported away black agent’s suit which earned her an angered glare from Rarity. With no clothes to get in the way, she could see the yellow fur clearly, confirming her suspicions.
Fluttershy stood still like a statue, refusing to take a single breath while sweat covered her entire body.
“Are you really Fluttershy? I thought you were dead.”
“It’s… a long story,” Rainbow Dash spoke up as she landed next to the bat-winged mare.
“Excuse me,” Rarity interrupted, though failing to get the attention of the studious mare. “First off, would you kindly stop examining Mistress Flutterbat like that? Second, please do NOT take off someone’s uniform against their will! It is both impolite and very disrespectful.” She levitated over the cape and black suit, putting it back on Fluttershy with her levitation.
“Mistress? Flutterbat? Wait!” her ears perked up as she pulled Fluttershy’s wing towards herself for a closer examination. “Those wings are way bigger and more sturdy than wings of your average thestral. But for you to be a pureblood.” She laughed. “Yeah, right, like the Element of Kindness would choose a user of black magic to wield it.”
“Hey!” Dash shouted, freeing Fluttershy’s wing before giving the unicorn a disapproving glare. “Are you saying purebloods can’t be chosen? I’ll let you know my friend here is the kindest pony I ever met. Race has nothing to do with it.”
Fluttershy kept staring back in confusion. “Element of Kindness, what are you talking about?”
Rarity sat between Twilight and Fluttershy, holding her hooves appologicaly. “My deepest apologies, Mistress. We forgot to mention that Twilight Sparkle informed us about the Elements of Harmony and that we were chosen to unlock their powers.” She chuckled nervously. “In our defense, a lot has been happening tonight, so it slipped our minds.”
“Elements… elements, where did I hear that word?” Fluttershy rubbed the top of her head, now deep in thoughts.
Twilight watched as the unicorn thestral bowed respectfully to Fluttershy who stopped her in turn. She took a deep breath and spoke up, “Alright, now I have even more questions. First, are you really a pureblood? It isn’t a prank?”
“Y-yes…” Fluttershy noded, her legs trembling and voice lacking any confidence. “I am. A young one though. Still not even one century-old.”
“One century you consider young? Most ponies wish they could say the same about themselves, but I suppose it comes down with the race.” Without hesitation, she opened her saddlebag, levitating paper and pen before writing down notes of the highest scientific value.
“Next question, why were you faking your own death?”
“I… didn’t fake it. I was just sleeping.” She raised her foreleg defensively before glancing at her friends.
“Ya kinda did, but it was Fancy’s idea,” Applejack pointed out.
“Interesting,” Twilight said, adding more notes at a quick pace, her pen heating up. “So sleeping for months or years is a thing. Is it similar to a bear's hibernation or something like that?”
Upon hearing an animal’s name, Fluttershy relaxed a little, no longer as tense. “It is more like the birth of a butterfly. Each hundred years we sleep for one year to heal our minds and adapt to great power.” She lowered her head as her ears dropped. A few bats landed on her shoulders in an attempt to cheer her up. “Though my rest was forced prematurely and it lasted longer than it should. I am still some years before my hundredth birthday.”
“I see, I see, and what’s up with the MIstress or Flutters clan?”
Fluttershy smiled sheepishly.
Rainbow Dash spoke in her stead. “Flutters is short for Fluttershy. It is our boss’s name and she’s a great one, I tell you.” She pointed at Rarity who held her head high. “She turned Rarity in order to save her life.” Then looked at Applejack. “The Apples were foes at first but she earned their loyalty, and then won Hawkeye’s freedom, and I tell you, it was the hardest thing imaginable, like one neverending nightmare.”
Applejack and Hawkeye looked at each other, then looked away, blushing.
Pinkie jumped from behind Twilight, starling her as she yelped and nearly dropped her notes. “And she made lotsa ponies and animals happy, though she was rarely happy herself, which was really sad and unfair.” Pinkie’s ears dropped as she started nuzzling Fluttershy’s side as if being a little kitty.
“Good, good,” Twilight said as she returned to writing her notes, her pen now minutes away from melting and paper from catching on fire. “So you're a respected leader who faced a lot of hardship, which led to your premature nap. Your territory is in Ponyville and you even managed to convince your enemies to join you. I take it you must have a strong adventurous spirit, bold nature, a lot of confidence and determination that helps you tackle problems head on. Oh, and fighting spirit as well. I bet you’re a seasoned fighter.”
“What?!” Everypony, including VInyl and Fluttershy shouted in unison.
“Why would you think that?” Dash asked as she launched herself into the air, shaking her hooves. “I mean, she is really cool and all, but bold and adventurous? What gave you that idea?”
Ditzy flew over to Twilight, landing smoothly as there was no sun to weaken her. “Fluttershy won over the loyalty of others by being calm, collected, kind, and thanks to her peaceful personality and understanding nature, but she’s also very shy and relies on others to give her courage. You’re a terrible judge of character.”
Twilight frowned and rolled her eyes. “Well, excuse-me for making assumptions about a pony I never met.”
“Are the questions… over?” Fluttershy asked as she tapped her forehooves nervously while in sitting position.
“Over?” She giggled. “I have like fifty more. We’re just getting started,” Twilight said with a wide grin while levitating over another paper.
Fluttershy took a step back, nearly falling over. “Fifty more!?”
Vinyl poked Twilight’s shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt this lovely Q and A, but aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Like what?”
Vinyl facehooved. “I dunno, like finding Nightmare Moon and stopping a slaughter? Those sound important.”
Twilight blushed. “Oh… oh… how could I forget?” Without hesitation she ran towards the bridge while pulling everypony with her levitation, earning a few surprised yelps as even Big Mac seemed powerless against the pulling force.
Once on the other side of the bridge, she glanced at levitated pureblood. “You can answer my questions while we search. I finally get to learn so much about purebloods, I’m so excited!”
Fluttershy just stared back dumbfounded. This wasn’t a warlock or an archmage doing sun-princess’s bidding, but a super curious, ever enthusiastic goofball.
“Now for my next questions: Is this true that purebloods become more powerful with age with no limits that holds back ordinary ponies?” Twilight asked, but before Fluttershy could say a word, another question followed. “For example, last summer I managed to get my levitation to lift forty tons of weight. How old a pureblood would need to be to lift such a weight? Do they lift it like earth ponies? Can they levitate stuff? What’s your lifting prowess?”
“F-fourty tons?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide. But before her fear of Twilight’s raw power could kick in, one warm enthusiastic smile and glance of those knowledge-hungry eyes calmed her down. There was no point to be afraid. After all, in terms of power and abilities she surpasses her friends, yet they still trust her. It wouldn’t be fair if she feared an innocent pony like Twilight for the same reason.
Ruins of her own castle, a place where she once shared power with her traitorous sister, a place of her banishment and her return, a safe oasis inside this monster-filled forest.
To think I would withdraw to this cursed place to avoid my pursuers. Oh the irony. She frowned as she observed the scenery from one of the towers, specifically one particular ravine with a bridge leading to the castle.
She didn’t really need the walls for protection or towers for higher ground in battle. She was perfectly capable of ambushing her enemies by using trees and magic to camouflage her presence. However, even she needed a moment to catch a breath and relax her muscles. Furthermore, even with her connection to the moon, she still required a long time to recharge her powerful magic.
While unicorn magic wasn’t as strong, it required only hours to recover. Regenerating powerful alicorn magic took days. She knew she could dispose of the hunters easily if she wanted, but the art was in winning with minimal cost. She wasn’t planning to rush her enemies, only to be left vulnerable for the days to come.
She looked up, now admiring the sky as it would soon become tapestry for her creativity. The moon that once served as her prison now displayed her dominance over Celestia. Why did she give up her control of heavenly bodies this easily? If she’s truly willing to surrender, her subjects don't seem to share her sentiment. She glanced at a spot on her wing that not long ago was hit by a silver bolt, now perfectly healthy.
Ponies of Ponyville gave me hope for peace, but this ambush filled me with doubt. Should I strive for peace even after taking so many lives, or join those loyal to me and rule with an iron hoof?
We cannot tell if thou is being poetic or overly dramatic.
“Luna?” Nightmare Moon said before standing and closing her eyes. Luna, where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in past three hours.
We didn’t want to distract thee in the midst of combat.
I see. And what is your take on our current situation? What do you believe we should do?
I believe we should welcome our guests, look.
“Huh?” Nightmare Moon felt her head turning due to Luna’s influence, directing her attention to the ravine. “Well, who do we have here?”
She narrowed her eyes as she tried to recognize the intruders, her dragon-like pupils set on her prey. “My sister's student, what a surprise, and who’s accompanying her?”
Despite the distance, she recognized faces of other ponies as a limited source of light wasn’t an issue for her. “I see Miss Flutterbat brought her clan with her, but why are they here?” She grit her teeth, feeling rising frustration. “Twilight did mention that there are Element Bearers in Ponyville and Fluttershy is the missing Element of Kindness, and they just happened to go towards the ruins with Elements inside. Coincidence? I think not.”
First, thou need not to talk to thyself, we can hear thy thoughts just fine. Second, there’s no need for hasty assumptions, Luna pointed out.
They are assumptions until proven true. Let’s spy on our little intruders to find out.
If spying is the name of the game, we may have an idea how, here’s what we should do… Luna said before sharing her plan as a little grin formed on Nightmare's lips.
“So in other words, you can use dark magic for manipulation of non-living objects and substances with great specialization in blood. It lets you heal yourself and others at a rapid pace, mend the greatest wounds, or make blood into the strongest acid for offense. I can’t believe that your species can use blood like a whip!”
Fluttershy nodded, then sighed as she lowered her head. She and her clan now ventured through numerous passages of the ruined castle, bypassing crumbling pillars and walls as dust seemed to scatter from even the lightest step. Be it an old dirty carpet or pure stone, small clouds of dust seemed to accompany the marching group.
“Now my next question is about the effect of silver and sunlight on your metabolism.” Twilight smiled awkwardly as her ears dropped, her tone wavering. “It’s not that I’m trying to learn more about your weaknesses! I already got some data from thestrals at the castle, but I do want to know how it is different between a pureblood and a turned pony… Ummm… are you tired?”
“N-no, just overwhelmed. It feels like your questions never ends. “Fluttershy smiled, not even forcing it, all her fears gone. As a studious pony herself who did well in school and enjoyed reading books in comfort next to a fireplace, she could relate to Twilight’s personality and her thirst for knowledge. “May I suggest we discuss after this once this conflict is over? Maybe during a tea party or picnic at dawn.”
“Sure, I’ll hold you on to that.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I’m looking forward to that. Maybe I can learn a thing or two as well.”
Applejack whispered to Hawkeye, “First she was terrified, and now they’re chattin’ buddies. Seems smart ponies stick together.”
Rarity picked up on the whisper. “Maybe we can expand our clan by one member. Having support of the princess’ student would be beneficial and increase prestige of our clan. Though I find Twilight’s lack of manners stunning, considering she was taught by Her Highness herself.”
Ditzy flew over to a nearby wall, poking it lightly. The moment it crumbled, a little “Oops,” escaped her mouth.
Dash rolled her eyes before poking Vinyl impatiently. “Are you sure she’s hiding here? We’ve been on the lookout, walking through those halls for minutes.”
“I sure am. My ears and magic are top tier. The Two-faced Princess is inside the room before us.”
The group entered into a large, empty chamber, immediately noticing what looked like a fountain at its center. Six arms extended from the central structure, each except one holding a large stone sphere on a small disk.
They quickly examined their surroundings, yet alicorn was nowhere to be seen.
“That’s odd. I’ve been hearing hoofsteps and breathing for the past few minutes. She must be here,” Vinyl said as she walked towards the source of the voice. She rounded the central structure, then stomped in aggravation. “Oh come on!”
“What’s wrong?” Dash asked as she flew, the others joining her a moment later.
Fluttershy blinked in confusion. Instead of an alicorn, they spotted a shadowy figure, one that was the shape of a pony but made of blue fog with numerous tiny stars shining on its body. Said figure shot Vinyl a raspberry before vanishing into nightness.
“A fake was doing all that noise? Was I just… beaten at my own game?” Vinyl sat, fixed her glasses and murmured, “Respect.”
Rainbow Dash made a quick round over the room, confirming that no one else was there.
“One, two, three, four, five…” Twilight levitated over a picture with similar-looking orbs. “Those must be the Elements that Princess Celestia mentioned. All turned to stone. The Element of Magic is still missing though.” She stomped in excitement before giving the pureblood a hopeful smile. “My mentor thought they were out of reach, but with you being alive, we can harness their power!” She sat and clapped with growing enthusiasm.
“Can somepony please fill me in on what's the deal behind those Elements. I keep hearing about them, but…” Her eyes became wide at realization as she remembered her parents teachings. “Wait… Elements of Harmony, the ones that banished the Two-faced Princess.” She gasped. “Are you saying we were chosen by them?”
“Precisely,” Twilight answered, smiling cheerfully.
Fluttershy took a step back. “Oh… I get it. You want to use the Elements to deal with Nightmare Moon. Well, it’s not happening because we’re not betraying her.” She turned around and spread her wings. “Everypony, we’re leaving.”
“I dunno, the Elements would prove quite useful to fix mess in Canterlot,” Vinyl pointed out as she kept searching, her face showing confusion.
“No! We are loyal to Nightmare Moon and to Luna, I swore it in my dream. I believe she can fix everything, but I refuse using the artefacts that banished her.”
“B-but…” Twilight said as her ears dropped.
“No buts,” Dash said.
“Ah’m with Fluttershy,” Applejack cut in.
“If she says no, so do we,” Rarity added, and soon Twilight was left alone on the other side of the room as others followed their leader and friend.
“Thank you, my loyal subjects.”
Everypony looked around in search of eoching voices, only for their attention to focus on star-filled fog berging into a familiar pony.
Fluttershy bowed with her friends following her example.
“Stand,” Nightmare Moon said as she eyed the group, giving them a proud smile. “See Rainbow Dash, you can learn a lot about loyalty from your leader.”
“You’re still on that? I apologised for assaulting you, give it a rest.”
The princess chuckled, though hiding it behind her hoof.
“You can conceal all soundwaves while in your fog form? Double respect,” Vinyl said as she fixed her glasses. “I like you more and more.”
Nightmare Moon ignored the annoying prankster as her attention shifted towards a trembling abandoned pony. She couldn’t tell if her sister’s student wanted to reactivate the Elements to use them against her, but it no longer mattered. No allies, no friends, all alone.
While powerful, Twilight was no match for her, and without help of Fluttershy’s clan the Elements wouldn’t heed her call. Now the question was, where does Twilight’s loyalty really lie?
Nightmare Moon approached the unicorn who walked backward in response, fear clear on her face. While there were still hunters out there that needed to be dealt with and some sort of mess in Canterlot that needed her attention, she could leave it for later. Is she really willing to become my subject, or will she prove to be my enemy? I must know before deciding her fate.
Pity we can’t use separated bodies. We could pull off a 'good guard, bad guard' routine on her, Luna suggested.
There’s no need for that. For interrogation, intimidation is the key. I’ll make her tell us the truth, Nightmare Moon answered mentally, displaying her fangs and spreading her wings. She was going to learn the true intentions of her sister’s student, one way or another.
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nice chapter.
So glad to see you updating this story again!
Oh wow. Nice to have you back, comrade! This is glorious
Ahh...good story to fill my boredom of this self distancing. Hope you guys well
l love this story i hope it keeps on
That was quick.
10155892
You mean next chapter or something else?
10155956
Next chapter. Never seen this story update so soon
Things keep getting more and more interesting.
10154618
We all are. With PostNinja and Changeing Winter both MIA, we need all the Fluttershy writers we can get.
10158995
I get the feeling there's story behind it. Care to elaborate?
10159261
Not much, actually. Both are Changeling Fluttershy authors, have been MIA for nearly two years, and I was reminded of their unfinished works because Fimfiction promoted them in relation to your fic.