Even In Darkness, Light Can Be Found

by Night--Mist

A Nightmarish Encounter

The rest of the preparations went as well as anything could. Rarity went into a fashion frenzy dressing both Twilight and Night Mist in fancy bits of attire, and daydreaming about Canterlot. She even tried to woo Night Mist into falling for her, who chuckled, both nervously, and at the fact that this wasn't the first time a young mare tried to woo him. After the fashion frenzy was over, they checked on the music, and Night Mist found it cute about the young mare's shyness, though it wasn't surprising her name was Fluttershy. There was also a party that took place at the library the two would be staying at, and while Night Mist bonded with the ponies, Twilight had secluded herself once more.

Than, they all started to make way for the town hall to wait for Night Mist's mother Celestia. Night Mist stopped and trailed behind the crowd a bit as he took in the calm night air. As he looked to the heavens though. Something caught his attention. Stars were moving towards the Moon. Perplexed by the sight, he stay frozen where he stood. He watched as the Moon flashed a little more brightly for a moment, before the face that was the Mare in the Moon disappeared before his eyes.

He then saw a mist descend directly towards him. Then, everything went black. When he got his senses back, he could see he was no longer in Ponyville, he was in what looked like Canterlot Castle, only, as if it had been far older and much more battle worn from a vicious fight. He heard a mare's voice chuckle. "What a night it has been. Celestia missing in action, ponies stampeding about in panic, and it's only been an hour since the sun hasn't risen. All because of you Night Mist," Said a tall dark mare with a flowing mane much like Celestia's.

"Uh huh, and you are?" Night Mist inquired.

"Princess Nightmare Moon, the goddess of the Night. No doubt you've seen my likeness on the temple walls and the windows of the palace throne room," Nightmare Moon stated.

"I may uh....... you know, they don't do you justice," Night Mist admitted.

"Indeed. I am sure you are wondering why I brought you here. Well, allow me to explain, the moment I was released from my Moon prison, I noticed you watching, but I also noticed something about your appearance. You have the crescent moon upon your forehead. A sign you are destined for great things. In fact you're a lot like me," Nightmare Moon tried to sway him.

"I am nothing like you!" Night Mist spat, knowing the tales and songs from the books he read about her.

"No? Let's see if this sounds familiar. You are different. You are special. But you aren't treated that way by many. I know what that feels like. All too well, it plagued me for generations, but I can change it," Nightmare Moon stated.

"You can?" Night Mist asked.

"Powers of the night. Show this colt's future with me," Nightmare Moon commanded as she charged her horn, than blasted it into the ground.

All of the sudden, Night Mist was surrounded by what appeared to be decor remnant of what he would expect from Nightmare Moon. But that wasn't all. Ponies were bringing gifts of many sorts and bowing in front of him. It wasn't something he had come to know very well, even if his sister Twilight Sparkle was given such praise, as well as his mother. "You see. If you join me, you will finally win the respect of your fellow ponies, you will be my mighty second in command, a true ruler of the Night, and all it's glory. No pony will ever hold prejudice against your heritage ever again. You will be the pony you've always wanted," Nightmare Moon tries to tempt him.

Night Mist stood there in a daze. What he was seeing was overwhelming. Ponies not calling him vulgar names and not publicly trying to humiliate him. A world where he would be respected. But he started to come to his senses as his sister's voice was heard in the distance. He realized, he would be betraying everything he stood for. He'd be betraying the family that took him in. He'd give all that up..... just for a little respect.

"You think that you can deceive me with your tricks Nightmare Moon?" Night Mist scoffed.

"Wha-?" Nightmare Moon hiccuped in shock her ruse hadn't swayed him into submission.

"You'd show me a future where I indeed rule. But I rule it with an iron hoof. Through fear and intimidation. And under your watchful eye to ensure I never raise arms against you. You'd have your own grip of fear on me. That's not the future I want. That's not the pony I want to be. I will not cower under a tyrant who cares only of her own ambitions. No matter what it takes, even if you do succeed in bring Equestria to kneel before you, I will tell you now, my bravery and compassion for others will be one of your greatest challenges you will face, and even if I am to be struck down, others will rally behind my cause," Night Mist stated as he pressed the gem embedded in his necklace and it soon released the armor it held within, the same armor Shining Armor had given him.

Nightmare Moon charged Night Mist to tackle him. But Night Mist, using the skills Celestia and the guards had taught him, and dodged the charge. However, Nightmare Moon was no cluts, and while he dodged the tackling move, Nightmare Moon's horn charged and struck him square in the chest. It flung him clear across the room. He got up from the shock of being thrown, and shook it off, but what Shining Armor had said, breathed true. The Gaia armor had done it's job. "Impossible. That blast should have incapacitated you for hours," NIghtmare Moon stated in shock.

Night Mist regained his composure and battle stance and replied, "Got a little present from my brother to help me take on threats without his presence. Thankfully the blacksmiths were dedicated to this armor they crafted."

Nightmare Moon was enraged and zapped Night Mist again, not to send him flying, but to give him a bit of a painful shock. Night Mist braced, but the pain never came. He looked at his armor, the lightning clung to him for a moment, then it dissipated. "That's interesting," Night Mist awed.

He looked at Nightmare moon who was shocked. "No, I will not be bested by some pampered little ankle biter. I will ensure the night will last forever!" Nightmare Moon spat.

"Pampered? Little?" Night Mist raised an eyebrow.

"Nighty!" Twilight exclaimed as she entered the room.

"Oh, so you know this colt little, young mare?" Nightmare Moon pondered.

"I do. He's my brother. And one of my closest friends," Twilight Sparkle stated.

"Then perhaps he'll be a little more submissive if I teach his sister a painful lesson," Nightmare Moon stated.

Twilight went wide eyed, as she saw Nightmare Moon charge up her horn. But, just as Nightmare Moon was about to blast Twilight with her magic, there was a moment of shock and awe, as Twilight watched Nightmare Moon get tackled by Night Mist. Both went slamming into the side of the room. "No one.... hurts my sister. No one," Night Mist spat.

Night Mist threw a few good punches in, but then, his hoof was stopped. It was caught in Nightmare Moon's magic. "Finally, some rage from you," Nightmare Moon chuckled.

Night Mist gasped as he saw the marks and bruises he left her disappear. "I need fierce ponies willing to be aggressive enough to keep the kingdom in check. And your display was exemplary," Nightmare Moon complimented.

Night Mist couldn't believe what he had just done. He had just punched somepony. All his hatred had gone into those strikes he made at Nightmare Moon. He was becoming exactly the colt she wanted as her second in command. Then, he remember what Celestia had told him. He remembered her saing, 'Don't let the hatred win. Keep your eyes open to the truth.' He had thought she meant others' hatred, but now realized, it was his own hatred. For a moment he let it win, but then he came back to his senses.

His thoughts were interuppted as Nightmare Moon stated, "But you did strike your Princess. So we'll have to think of some sort of punishment for that."

Night Mist watched as her eyes glowed, and he went wide eyed as she then forced him up against the wall, unable to reach the ground or her, flailing his hooves in a fit of desperation. "Perhaps a week in the depths of Tartarus will help improve your behavior," Nightmare Moon stated.

Just then, a flash alerted both of them. "The real thing you should have kept your focus on, was my sister. While you've been occupied with me, she and her new friends were able to get to the elements," Night Mist smiled, as he was held aloft against the wall.

Nightmare Moon was wide eyed. She saw the Elements of Harmony now in gem form, and adorned by Twilight and the five other mares that had accompanied her here. Nightmare Moon had let go of Night Mist, and he fell to the ground, as he watched Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rairty start to be surrounded by a light of pureness, and then as Nightmare Moon sent a blast in their direction, it was canceled out, as the mares charged up enough, to send a rainbow of magical pureness, and it struck down on Nightmare Moon, who screamed in defeat as she was engulfed by a tornado of color, "I Hate Rainbows!"

Just then, the room was taken over by a bright flash, and Night Mist shielded his eyes. When the light dissipated, he opened them again, Twilight and her friends were all laying sprawled on the ground, and getting up. Night Mist tried to get up, but soon came to realize his brief fight with the Dark Mare of the Night, had taken more out of him than he had realized, and collapsed once more. "NIGHTY!!!" Twilight screamed.

She galloped over to her brother, and nuzzled him to see if he was okay. "I'm fine Twi. I..... I....." Night Mist passed out, before he could utter any more words. The short battle had taken a tole on him.

When he came to, he found himself laying on his back, and a felt a blanket covering his torso. His vision was blurry for a bit, but as he came to, he came to see his siblings, parents, and old and new friends were there to greet his awakening as he was laying in the Ponyville hospital. "Did we win?" Was the first thing he had to ask.

Everypony else chuckled. "Yes Night Mist. The battle is over, and Nightmare Moon is no more. Thanks to the elements, she was purged from the pony she was hosting...... my sister," Celestia stated.

"........... So..... you're Princess Luna?" Night Mist asked.

Luna nodded as she looked at him. "............... I...... I thought you were.... taller," Night Mist admitted.

Luna herself laughed, "Well....... that's what happens when a darkness clings itself to you. Imagine if Celestia let darkness cling to her."

"Now there's a picture," Cadence chimed in.

Everypony laughed again, including Night Mist. "But..... if you don't mind me asking young colt...... they said your name was Night Mist?" Luna inquired.

"Yes," Night Mist replied.

"I-I had a son named Night Mist," Luna sated.

Celestia gasped, then thought. "I thought your name had sounded familiar when I first met you Nighty. But, I hadn't realized it was the same name as Luna's son," Celestia admited.

"Well, I mean, I can't have been the same pony. Her son would be over 1000 years old, if he is still alive. I was still a little kid when you found me, mother Tia," Night Mist pointed out.

Luna sat there and thought some things over. There may have been something she knew that she looked like she was trying to figure out how to best explain it.

Author's Note:

End of chapter 5. And with that, I end the chapter on a cliff hanger. I didn't give Night Mist any ability to wield the elements, but did let the Gaia armor reveal some of it's many defenses. It's just full of surprises. I am sorry if it feels a little rushed. But when the next chapter does come about, it will explain why Nightmare Moon was originally so interested in Night Mist to begin with. There was more that she knew that no one else knew.

To avoid plagiarism, I did borrow some lines from Barbie Fairytopia, and some of the story was inspired by other parts of that movie. I've got 4 sisters, so don't judge me for watching Barbie movies.

Anways, what will Luna reveal? Also, how long was Night Mist out? And......... how did I end up in a party howitzer?

Pinkie: Hehe Haha. A party pony never reveals her secrets. *Pulls the trigger rope, and blast me clear across Equestria towards the Canterlot throne room.*

Night Mist: "AAAAAAH HOO HOO HOOEY!!!"

Luna: Oh dear. Well, while I teleport to help my mother and sister catch my son in the throne room, let him know what you thought of this chapter.