Crossed Lines

by Bronyxy

4 Ripe for Conquest

“So” crowed the malevolent black alicorn, “Shall we discuss how I am going to take over my new kingdom?”
“You won’t get away with it, Nightmare Moon!” growled Twilight, bracing her hooves defiantly and boresighting her horn straight at her enemy.

“Oh please” dismissed the evil mare contemptuously, “Your puny magic stands as nothing next to mine. I rule an entire kingdom by fear because of the magic under my control. You honestly have no idea what I could do to you. Or your friend. If you attack me, you had better pray that you finish me with your first shot. If you fail, then I could choose to grant your friend here immortality and subject her to an eternal damnation of unending pain and watch her suffer any time I get bored. Oh, and as a special treat, I could invite you to watch as well.”

Flutterbat hissed dangerously by Twilight’s side, displaying none of the timorousness of her alter-ego. If there was to be a fight, Twilight had one ally in the room.
“GO ON!” screamed the black alicorn defiantly, “DO IT! I dare you!”

Twilight needed the Elements of Harmony. She needed Celestia and Luna. Above all, she needed a plan. All she had was anger, with the kindest pony she knew offered in sacrifice if she failed.
Twilight deflated. Broken. Out of options.
Nightmare Moon laughed pitilessly.
“I knew you would see it my way” she gloated.

“Now tell me the power structure of this world and do not try to trick me!”
Twilight bowed her head. She knew she had no choice and wept involuntary tears of angry impotence as she outlined the ruling quadrature of her beautiful and peaceful land that she was betraying with every word.

Nightmare Moon listened intently, mentally drawing up plans for how best to execute her audacious coup d’état. In her world, the only opposition had been her sister. Their battle had been close, too close for comfort as she recalled, and even then she had only prevailed by not fighting fair. In this world she would have to tackle not one but four adversaries. However, one was in front of her and totally subservient, at least for now.

The weak link would be Cadence, she reasoned. Nightmare Moon had never known her in her own world, but she was clearly a second ranking alicorn; she hadn’t even got any control over sun or moon or anything important, just love magic. Love magic – that’s not even worthy of a royal status!
She was probably some weak, vacuous, simpering doe-eyed pin-up, as shallow as she was vain, but an alicorn nonetheless and she would have power even if she wasn’t using it or even aware of it. She would be a great place to start.

“Very well” said Nightmare Moon as she drained the last information she wanted from the trapped and desperately self-loathing Princess of Friendship before her, “You have given me what I need to know. Now, what to do with the pair of you?”
Twilight couldn’t even bring herself to lift her head following her betrayal, but felt a comforting hug as a feathered primrose wing drew her close.
“It’s OK, Twilight” came a soft voice, “You couldn’t do anything else.”

“My guards are waiting at the portal in my world. I will send you to their tender care so I know I can call on you when I need a bargaining chip, or a sacrifice. Into the portal with you!”

Nightmare Moon rose, her stature radiating supreme confidence as she gestured them to the Crystal Mirror that shimmered in front of them.
“Well, go on then!” she demanded.

Twilight looked up with hate in her eyes before stepping through closely followed by Fluttershy, who didn’t want to be stuck in a room, any room, with Nightmare Moon on her own and nudged forward eagerly – even a land of eternal night would be better than that.

They stepped out blinking into the bright sunshine of a late morning outside an imposing redbrick building. Above them, unseen in the bright morning light a rainbow coloured twisted double helix shone briefly and then dissipated.

It took Twilight only an instant to recognise that they had been directed along to the other portal emanating from the mirror, but that did not mean they were safe; just facing different challenges. Quickly recovering from her mild disorientation, she straightened up and smoothed down her familiar purple skirt and light blue top, whereas Fluttershy was on all fours in a green skirt with a white top looking distinctly out of place.
“Fluttershy, you’re not a pony in this world; you’re a human! You’ve got to stand on your hindlegs; here let me help …”
The pink haired teenager grimaced, clinging uncertainly to Twilight for support as she braved the new sensation, but felt very odd indeed.
“Oh, I don’t think I like this very much” she whimpered, “Can’t I go back to being a pony?”
“No. No you can’t. You mustn’t draw attention to yourself. There’s already another Fluttershy in this world and it’s going to be a little awkward if you get mistaken for each other.”
“Or meet each other” she added, pulling an apprehensive face.

As she clung on for dear life, Fluttershy suddenly commented “Where are my hooves? What are these?”
“Those are hands. It’s what everyone has here.”
Fluttershy giggled, “You said everyone, not everypony … That’s a funny word!”

“Hey Twilight!” came a familiar male voice, “You’re back! It’s great to see you again!”
Twilight turned and saw a teenage boy in blue jeans with a black jacket and blue hair.
“Heeyyy Flash” she replied nervously, “Can I introduce you to my friend Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy ducked behind Twilight as Flash replied, “You’ve been gone way too long. You know she and her friends all hang with us when they can.”
“Ohhh yes, of course” she replied.
“I’m scared Twilight” came a tiny voice from behind her.
“Hey, wait a minute” noted Flash, “Aren’t you supposed to be on the field trip today?”

“Well, that’s something we need to talk about actually …” replied Twilight, “You see, this isn’t your Fluttershy; she’s straight from Equestria and hasn’t set hoof here before.”
“Oh, so there’s two Fluttershys now then?”
“Got it in one. We’re going to head for Pinkie’s pad, so people don’t get freaked out by seeing double Fluttershys. But, and this is really important, Flash – we need to see all of you as soon as we can, OK. I know this sounds a cliché, but the fate of your world is at stake.”
“Er, right Twilight” he said, taken aback, “D’you have a key?”
“Um, not actually.”
“Here, take mine. I’ll rustle the gang together as soon as they get back and I’ll see you at Pinkie’s.”
“Thanks Flash” she smiled gratefully and leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek.
“Hey, now that I like” he said, “Maybe the fate of the world should be at stake more often?”
“Don’t even go there, Flash” she warned, “It happens all too often, trust me!”

As the day drew on, Ember became curious as to why her hostess had failed to return, her surprise being reflected by obvious rising angst from Spike.
“I think we should send a search party” suggested Spike, stroking his neck as a reflex action reflecting his concern, “You know, just in case she’s gotten lost in the castle …”
“Her own castle?” replied Ember dryly.
Spike stroked his neck again and giggled nervously.
“Come on Spike, let’s go see what’s happened to her” said Ember, rising from the table.
“What about the others?” asked Spike.
“Oh, I don’t think we need worry that they’ll get lost” she replied, then looked at him mischievously, “Unless you think we should tie them to their chairs, just to make sure?”
Spike chuckled with genuine mirth and happily followed Ember.

“I see you haven’t got your wings yet” Ember observed.
Spike looked down sadly, waiting for some cheap jibe about his young years. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when Ember knelt down and gestured him onto her back, rushing to take up the opportunity.
“Just like old times” she said, recalling their adventure together during the gauntlet of fire, “Dragon Lord Spike!”
For the third time that day Spike found himself flying through the corridors of the Castle of Friendship. As much as he loved Twilight, she wasn’t a dragon and there was some undefinable quality about the close bond with a creature of his own species, especially a dragon like Ember. He was prepared to make one exception to this rule, most notably that if Rarity had wings again he would be with her in a heartbeat. “Mmmmm, Rarity” he mused to himself.
“Say again?” asked Ember aware that her passenger had said something but not sure what.
“Um, great dexterity” he floundered.
“Uh, huh” she replied, a slight grin forming on her face. She knew how he felt about the pony dressmaker.

Under Spike’s direction, they pulled up by two guards; an earth pony and his smaller unicorn colleague, both getting somewhat overwhelmed by the day’s events.
“Hi guys” greeted Spike, “Uh, can you remember how long ago it was that Princess Twilight and Fluttershy left the room?”
“They haven’t” replied the earth pony.
“What, you mean they’re still in there?” asked Ember, “That was, like, this morning already.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“I think you had better let us in then” she insisted moving forward assertively, “They could be in trouble.”
The guards looked at each other then unlocked the door for them. The day was rapidly descending from weird into totally unexplained.

Spike led the way into the dark room, glad of his nightdragon vision that showed him a clear view of the room.
“S’funny” he said, “No bats.”
He leaned back out through the door to talk to the guards.
“Has anypony been in there to clear the bats out?”
“Nopony or any other creature has been in since Princess Twilight and her yellow bat friend went in there.”

While they were talking, a wisp of blue smoke slipped out behind them unseen and headed off down the corridor.

Comments

[Doctor_Den]

The weak link would be Cadence, she reasoned. Nightmare Moon had never known her in her own world, but she was clearly a second ranking alicorn; she hadn’t even got any control over sun or moon or anything important, just love magic. Love magic – that’s not even worthy of a royal status! She was probably some weak, vacuous, simpering doe-eyed pin-up, as shallow as she was vain, but an alicorn nonetheless and she would have power even if she wasn’t using it or even aware of it. She would be a great place to start.

ironically, Cadence is a character who can theoretically stop the Nightmare moon with just one spell. As Cadence said earlier, her magic allows the target to remember all the warm feelings and love that have been forgotten or buried in consciousness. If we take into account the fact that nightmare moon is Princess Luna's alterego mired in envy and anger, then the magic of Cadence should remind Nightmare moon that once before her fall she loved her sister, thereby removing the veil of rage.
Although theoretically this can only work if there is no helmet on the head of Nightmare moon at the time of casting the spell. When I mention the characters who wear the helmet, Magneto is the first to come to my mind. who wears a helmet so that no one can influence his mind, read his mind, or enter his dreams. (in special moments of anxiety, he even sleeps with a helmet on).
for some reason I want to believe that the nightmare moon wears a helmet for a similar reason, as if completely closing from everyone and telling others (especially my sister): "your poisonous lies will no longer work on me, out of my head!"