Rainbow of Brocken

by Detsella Morningdew

Chapter 5: Spirits

The seven adventurers walked along the forest path in darkness. Most seemed hesitant to go onward, yet worried that their slow pace would not be fast enough. Pinkie seemed unconcerned as usual.

Calmany looked away from the moon poking through the trees. It looked so different. Certainly there was a beauty about it. But it was... alien. So different from what he grew up with.

"So... this is the Everfree Forest," he said, mostly to distract himself. "I've heard the rumors about being... evil, or something, but I don't live near Ponyville. What are we supposed to look out for in here?"

Applejack was the first to reply. "Well, there's all sorts of nasty critters in here. But that's not it. It just... aint natural."

"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked, curious.

Rainbow grinned. "Nopony knows. You know why? 'Cause anypony who's come in. Never. Came. Out!"

This was met with worried looks from Calmany and Twilight, but eyerolls from everypony else. "Rainbow, quit it. How do you think Granny got those Zap Apples? Still almost got et by Timberwolves, though. An to answer your question, Twi... things just work differently here. Clouds move by themselves. You get caught in a thunderstorm, and you could get struck by lightning."

Fluttershy shuddered. "And the animals... they act so mean sometimes. They don't even need my help for anything." She relaxed. "Still, they aren't that bad. Just different."

Calmany looked around the forest with more interest. "Still, with how dangerous the forest is supposed to be, I'm surprised we haven't run into trouble."

Pinkie made a shushing noise. "Hey! Don't jinx it!"

Rarity snorted. "I think it's difficult enough, with all this icky muck. And I can barely see anything."

"Well I've never had much trouble." Everypony looked at Fluttershy. "I mean, as long as we stay on the path. The plants can get pretty mean."

Everypony decided for sanity's sake not to ask her to clarify.

Calmany sighed. "I just hope Cirra's all right. If Nightmare Moon got her..."

---

"Well here we are. Everfree. Finally."

"Sorry. It's a lot harder to fly with no mass."

Nightmare Moon blinked. "I see. I did not realize it was so recent. And you were a pegasus, too. It makes it so much more difficult to adjust."

Cirra turned around in surprise. Was that... compassion from the "evil" mare? Now more than ever did she need answers.

Nightmare looked almost as if she was going to ask a question, but her face hardened, and she looked back at the ruins of her former home.

And just like that, it's gone, and the air still feels like it's going to kill me. But still... if the old Princess is there, this might not have to be a spy mission at all.

"What happened here? The city... is all of it gone?"

Cirra followed Nightmare's gaze. "There was a city here? All I see is the castle."

"Of course there was a city. Do you think we would rule from a castle in the middle of nowhere? Everfree was the largest city in Equestria, a symbol of unity, of freedom from terror. And yet here it is, covered in chaos and filth." She looked back towards the wisp that Cirra was. "But I need to secure the Elements. And then you have a story to listen to."

---

Calmany stared incredulously at the sea serpent that they had been so frightened of thirty seconds ago. And here Rarity was, complimenting his moustache.

"I'm afraid there hasn't been a proper bridge across this river for many years, darling. But I suppose just this once I can help you ladies across. And gentlecolt, of course." The serpent nodded at Calmany, who tried to smile naturally. It was hard, with the part where he was less than ten times the stature. The rest of the girls, aside from Twilight, just seemed to roll with it, with no questions whatsoever.

"All of these ponies are crazy," he whispered to Twilight. She chuckled. "Yeah, I know. It isn't half bad, is it?"

---

Nightmare Moon laughed. "Ha... ha... I really had nothing to worry about at all!"

Cirra flew upside down in an effort to get back to the ground. "What do you mean?"

"The Elements... they are all dead. Gray. These stone spheres are worthless."

Cirra started. "Wait, really?"

"When she used them against me... I should have known she couldn't use them on her own. That must explain the new mane color. And why she surrendered so fast."

"Oh."

Nightmare Moon turned sharply around. "Do I detect treachery in your voice?"

Cirra stepped back. "No! I just..." She sighed. "Maybe that's how this started. My friends were in danger, and I needed to know more. What you were capable of. What you personality was, other than just angry. And quite possibly... where the Elements were."

Nightmare gritted her teeth. "I suppose I should have expected this. There was no way one of Celestia's ponies would ever like me."

"But I didn't lie. Not really. I know the sister in that story was a good pony. One worthy of love. I see that pony in you, Nightmare. She's been hurt, a lot. Please, I'd just like to know your story."

The glow that had formed on Nightmare Moon's horn died down. "I suppose... I suppose I can indulge you. Just this once."

"And besides, you never even asked me my name."

Nightmare gave her a weak smile. "You never asked me mine, either."

Cirra looked back up hopefully.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore. I gave up that name a long time ago. But before all this... when I could still call Celestia my sister, I was called Luna."

"Luna? That's a nice name. Very unique."

"Thank you, my... Well... never mind. Your 'legend' you speak of got one thing right. I suppose it did start with jealousy. You see, I was always Equestria's protector. All the monsters that were left after Discord was defeated were nocturnal, so it was natural that I drive them away while I was the more powerful. And Celestia... she dealt with everything else. The new laws, the ponies... everything. 'Everypony is awake during the day,' she said to me. 'It only makes sense.'

"But it was only a few hundred years before barely anypony knew I existed. Nopony was awake during the night. That's when the monsters came out, naturally."

Cirra edged closer to her. "I'm sure ponies appreciated what you did for them. After all, they were able to have that sleep thanks to you." Internally, she was just thinking, Who is Discord, though?

"Of course they did. At first. But when the monster attacks lessened, the legends of those monsters increased. And guess who was always present?"

Cirra sighed. "You."

Nightmare Moon nodded. "Me. Any power I once had in that court of nobles Celestia set up vanished like a puddle in the hot sun. The only real power I had was in the military. But I had nothing to do, nopony to protect, and when I finally was able to do my job, ponies would run from me in fear."

"And did you talk to your sister about this?"

Nightmare snorted. "Of course I did. I was foalish enough to trust her then. But she was always 'too busy' for me. And when she wasn't, she always brushed my concerns off as the simple complaints of an errant foal. She didn't understand, and she didn't want to try, either."

"So you took matters into your own hooves, right?"

She smirked. "Not quite in the way I think you mean. I started to get ponies interested in the night. Or at least, I tried. If I had ponies of my own, perhaps Celestia would let me take on some of her duties. Perhaps I would be respected again. I tried everything to make my sky the most beautiful landscape. I even tried to replicate my sister's festivals she was so fond of. But ponies only remembered the monster they heard, rather than the pony they saw. I had become a symbol, but not the one I wanted. Everything from monsters to nightmares to street lamps running out of oil were somehow my fault."

Cirra looked at her curiously. "Nightmares...?"

"But finally, when some obstinate foal decided to deny me access to my own castle, and Celestia brushed me off one final time, I decided enough was enough. I took on the name ponies gave me, and became the monster they wanted so dearly.

"Then Celestia decided to take my one last connection to her, and banish me with it."

Cirra sighed. "A thousand years... that's a long time, for anything."

Nightmare snorted. "You'll get used to it. Still... I told you my name. What's yours?"

"Cirra."

She smiled slightly. "A good name."

"Well, technically, it's Cirro Stratus, but I don't like that as much."

"I can see why," she said dryly. "Are names really so... descriptive in this time?"

"There's a few exceptions. Like, Celestia's name is a lot different. But I always thought alicorn names must be different or something."

"No, certainly not. I find it quite disconcerting to be named after a cloud. Especially with how close you resemble one at the moment. Yet I suppose our names are not much different. Luna means moon, only in a language far older than this."

"Luna... may I call you that? Luna?"

Nightmare sighed. "It is not who I am anymore, but... yes, if that makes you comfortable, my little pony."

Cirra chuckled. "I'm... yours. Somehow, that seems less sinister than I would have thought."

Nightmare studied her closely. "But are you really mine? Would you stand up for me? Against Celestia, your princess?"

"I suppose I should ask the reverse. Would you stand up for me?"

Nightmare blinked. "If you truly were my pony, of course. How would you say I would not?"

She paused for a few seconds. "I think... I think I would. But I think I would also stand in front of her should you attack."

"I see." She looked down. "I fear I expected too much from you, little one."

"Yet I said I would also stand in front of you should she attack. There's no way I would survive either situation, Luna. I don't know how to fight anyway. But back then, Celestia was wrong. In more ways than one. But so were you. And... I guess I have to admit. It's hard trusting you when I'm fearful for my life. But... I just want it to be like it was in your story and ours. When you were equals."

Nightmare scoffed. "We were never equals. The only thing that was equal was our power."

"But maybe you could be."

She smiled slightly. "I like your optimism, Cirra, but... it's just not possible. Even if I were to release her to speak, I would have to raise the sun to do so. And at dawn, she's the strongest she ever is. I would be back on the moon. And possibly you as well, if you really meant what you said."

Cirra looked down. "Sorry, there's another thing. Could you raise the sun eventually? I mean, the days can be shorter or something, but..."

Nightmare frowned. "Why is that?"

Cirra shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, it's the same problem with eternal day, just reversed. Everything would freeze. No crops would grow. That kind of thing. I mean, maybe you had a plan to make things work. I don't think I'd have much problem. But... other ponies might just see you as the one that took away the day. And Celestia."

"I just thought if my night was unavoidable.... maybe ponies would start to notice it."

"It isn't how it was like a thousand years ago. Besides, people take the day for granted just as much as-"

The front doors burst open, and seven ponies rushed in.

"Nightmare Moon!" shouted Rainbow Dash, taking off into the air.

"The Elements!" exclaimed Twilight, looking past them.

"...Cirra?" said Calmany, looking up at her in confusion.

Nightmare looked at the group in surprise, then back at a tense-looking Cirra.

She looked at Calmany, who was glancing between them in confusion. "Um... I can explain?"

Nightmare grabbed her in her magic. "This is no time. We need to get somewhere private."

And with that, they disappeared in a flash of dark.

---

Rainbow stomped a hoof on the stone floor. "I can't believe she would do that to us! I trusted her!"

Calmany looked shaken. "I... I'm sure she wouldn't do something like that, right?"

Rainbow snorted. "Well, they looked pretty buddy-buddy to me! What else could it be?"

"Maybe they were just talking it out?" Fluttershy proposed. "We didn't hear what they were talking about."

Applejack shook her head. "Fluttershy, I know you like to think the best of everypony, but she looked way too guilty for it to just be a negotiation. Nah, there's sumthin' up here, and I want to know what."

Twilight gave a sideways glance to Calmany. "Did anypony else notice she was talking just fine?"

"Oooh!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Maybe she made a spooooky deal with Black Snooty!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, not everything unusual is a nefarious deal or a secret spy invasion." She looked at the spot they disappeared in. "Still...."

Twilight shook her head. "No matter. The Elements are right here. We just need to figure out how to use them. Calmany, did you remember to bring the book with?"

---

"Sorry about that. You were saying something. Are you implying that ponies actually accept my night?" She sighed. "Of course they would, now that Celestia's running it."

"Those monsters you talked about... aside from places like the Everfree Forest, there aren't really any... threats. We haven't been at war for over three hundred years. There really isn't much to fear from the night anymore. I mean, ponies still sleep through it, but... there's a lot of astronomers, too. Ponies that stay up late just for fun. But..." Cirra looked around the small room they were in. Despite all the dust, and the draft from a lack of windows, it was quite the cozy room. "Where did you take me, Luna?"

Nightmare waved her off. "Just my quarters. But never mind that. You say they appreciate my sky? After a thousand years of nothing changing? That just seems... unusual."

"I mean, most of the astronomers are just geeks like Twilight who just like mapping out everything. But something has to keep them there, right? And besides...." She blushed. "A lot of ponies find it romantic."

"You... you are serious. After all these years..." She sighed. "But Celestia.... she would never forgive me for hurting her ponies. I don't think I could."

"Don't you miss your sister?"

"Of course I do!"

"Wouldn't she feel the same way?"

"I... I don't know. Cirra, it's taking me almost all of my power to keep her in the sun. If I even raise the sun... it's just too dangerous."

Cirra gasped. "Wait, you have to keep her up there? I thought it was just a one-time thing. A spell or something."

Nightmare gritted her teeth. "No, the only the Elements can give that kind of power. And they are useless now."

She sighed. "If only I could talk to her or something. But if you sent me to the sun..."

"No chance. You wouldn't survive a second in that heat."

"No, I know that. I was just trying to find a way we could communicate where you wouldn't be at a disadvantage."

Nightmare looked at her closely. "You... really are determined about this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! I want both of you to be happy. And... you just told me the reason why the shorter day thing would never work."

Nightmare looked down. "Oh..."

Cirra suddenly started. "Wait, I just got another idea."

"Hm?"

"Can you... pretend to be locked back in the moon, without actually being trapped?"

Comments

[Detsella Morningdew]

9043237
Also, you got your wish.

[The Watcher Face]

9043984
Oh wow. Dang this is getting better by the second.

[Samellan]

Yeah, sorry gets pretty different from the canon. Good thing, too!