Lunaverse: Galaxy Rangers - Eternal Night

by Rixizu

Chapter 21

Nightmare Moon grunted in pain as Twilight sprayed the alicorn and her copies with bolts. In response, the duplicates vanished into mist that circled around their opponents.

“Long, short. One’s real, and the rest are copies.” Trixie said, backing against her friend in a defensive position. Magnific joined them, sword ready to fight.

“That makes sense!” Twilight said with the utmost fascination and curiosity. “The spell needs a core to function properly. They work as a sort of miniature hive mind with a prime pony as its core. Yet, the copies are also capable of acting on their own initiative. Although, nopony’s quite certain if they have actual free will or not. It’s quite fascinating. In my research, I’ve never heard of anypony using it in battle. The spell is too difficult to maintain. I doubt even Luna could do it. The Planetary Gem must provide an extraordinary amount of power.”

“Yeah…” Trixie had only caught one of every five words of that hurried, excited explanation.

“Pst. What’s with the other Trixie? Is she some failed clone Nightmare Moon cooked up?” Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’ve heard she has been experimenting with CRISPR technology.”

“That’s Kamen Rider Magnific. She’s actually Puissance.” Trixie said. “It’s a long story. She’s tried to save herself from old age by transferring into a new body.” Only the heavens knew why it was her body. Although, if you had to choose a new body, hers was S class.

“Really?” Twilight said, amazing. “I’ve read that body transference is impossible. The soul just rejects the new body.”

Trixie only sighed. “Beats me. Pure bloody-mindedness?”

Twilight nodded like this explained everything. “Makes sense. Hey, Puissance. Can I interview you after we finish this battle? Your new body would make an excellent subject for a research paper!” The eggheaded mare almost danced with joy at the prospect.

“No! Focus on the battle, you foal!” Puissance replied in irritation.

“She could have just given a simple no,” Twilight said, muttering under her breath. The refusal dampened her spirits somewhat.

The smoke floating above them charged, and scythes appeared in a split second, just long enough to slash her opponents across the chest without giving the Rangers and Rider a chance to retaliate. The Nightmare Moons’ attacks were relentless, and her opponents were helpless to fight back. They were just too quick. Twilight summoned a protective shield, but it provided little protection against the onslaught.

Twilight screamed in pain, grabbing at her chest when one of the Nightmare Moon’s scythes slashed against it. Trixie assumed that must be the real Nightbringer. “This isn’t working. Hold on.” In a flash, the mare teleported away, leaving her allies at Nightmare Moon’s mercy.

“She’s right. Bunching together isn’t helping us. Separate!” Trixie winced as she received another slash across the chest, but a rolling leap sent her across the room, drawing three of the Nightmare Moons after her. It seemed she wasn’t the most popular pony among the alicorns. Thankfully, the Nightmare Moon Trixie assumed was the core Nightmare Moon was amongst their number.

Out in the open, Trixie found it easier to dodge Nightmare Moon’s attacks. Dogged as she was, however, provided little opportunity to strike back. During a roll to avoid a scythe to her neck, Trixie misjudged her step and slipped, leaving her helpless on the ground. The Nightmare Moons pounced, eager to rip their prey to pieces. They screamed as Twilight appeared above them and peppered them with bolts as they materialized.

Trixie used this opportunity to rush forward and slash towards a random Nightmare Moon. Her opponent blocked Trixie’s sword with her scythe and ripped the Ranger’s sword from her hooves with a powerful twist of her weapon. Pain coursed through Trixie’s body, but it was clear this wasn’t the core Nightmare Moon. Regardless, Trixie accepted the pain and thrusted her hoof forward. The blow drove the Nightmare Moon back, grimacing in pain.

The other two Nightmare Moons returned to smoke before Twilight’s onslaught could inflict any more damage. Together, they slashed down towards the Corvus Ranger, using their split-second reappearing trick again. Except this time, Trixie noted which Nightmare Moon inflicted more damage on her friend and tracked the path of the smoke form with her eyes. The Nightmare Moon she’d been fighting returned and slashed at Trixie’s head, but she ducked away in time. Trixie’s eyes never left the Real Nightmare Moon as she grabbed her sword from where it had fallen in a rolling leap.

The Nightmare Moon battling Puissance did a similar hit-and-run tactic against her. The four alicorns joined and swirled together, trying to confuse and befuddle their opponents, making it difficult to identify the core Nightmare Moon. It was in vain, however, for Trixie never lost track of her prey. She remained patient, waiting for her opportunity.

Magnific and Twilight attacked the fog forms, hoping to make reformation more difficult. Trixie, however, stood her ground, eyes open and ready.

The Four Nightmare Moons swirled around their opponents, and each reappeared randomly to strike at their foes. Trixie accepted the hits while her allies fought back in vain. The core Nightmare Moon still hadn’t reformed. More careful about picking her target.

Now! Trixie threw her body into the real Nightmare Moon as she reformed, using herself as a battering ram. In a single swift motion, grabbed the stunned Nightmare Moon from behind, holding her in place.

“Attack now!” Trixie hoped her allies would understand her meaning.

The eyes of the Nightmare Moon attacking Twilight widened in shock as the mare disappeared and teleported right before the alicorn Trixie had grappled, energy gathering around her guns.

“Unyielding Judgment!”

Magnific wasn’t slacking off either. After bending down, she pulled out her disk and reinserted it into her buckle. A Nightmare Moon screamed in pain as the pure force of the Rider’s jump kick threw her aside.

“Rider Kick Perfection!”

Nightmare Moon gasped in shock, trying to return to her smoke form before the two special attacks connected. But she wasn’t quick enough, and both attacks barreled into her. Trixie released her at the last moment, twisting around to unleash her own special attack.

“Searing Blade!”

The other three Nightmare Moon howled in pain and disappeared into nothingness as the core Nightmare Moon lost her spell. The alicorn gasped in shock as Nightbringer fell from her hooves and snapped in two. It couldn’t withstand the power the Rider and Rangers had thrown into it.

“Impossible.” Nightmare Moon stared at her broken weapon in shock. The attacks had left her body bruised and battered, and blood trickled from her mouth.

“Guys!” Trixie sighed in relief when Cheerilee, Raindrops, and Carrot Top burst into the courtyard. Her relief grew a thousandfold when Ditzy flew in to join them in her normal armor, free from the Venus Planetary Gem’s influence. Her celebration was short-lived, however. The sluggish way the Pink Ranger moved broke Trixie’s heart, and a horrible suspicion popped into her mind.

“So, the others have finally arrived.” The Nightmare Moon scowled. “Have you betrayed me too, Ditzy? You know what will happen to your daughter.”

Ditzy snorted, and Trixie heard a smile in her friend’s oddly scratchy voice. “I was never on your side. And Dinky? Thanks to your sister’s friend, she’s returned to normal. Means I can finally concentrate on kicking your flank. I’ve got a score to settle with you.”

“Oh.” Trixie’s heart sank, realizing she’d been correct. The age in the Pink Ranger’s voice confirmed her worst fears. The destruction of the Venus Gem had stolen Ditzy’s youth. Trixie wanted to scream and cry about the total unfairness of it all. While Ditzy wasn’t a perfect pony, she deserved so much better.

Somehow, Ditzy seemed to read her thoughts. “Yeah, I know. But it was necessary. Rangers make sacrifices, remember?”

Twilight shook her head, distraught. “It’s not right!”

“That sister of mine!” The Nightmare Moon snarled in rage, returning the Rangers to the battle at hoof. “Again, she ruins everything!”

Ditzy stepped forward. “I hate what you did to me and my daughter, Nightmare Moon. But you’re a victim too. Please, stop this fight and let us help you. You can’t beat us all!”

“You’ve lost Nightbringer. What more can you do?” Trixie asked.

“That’s right, you can’t!” Another wall burst to pieces, and Lyra jumped into the courtyard with Cadance standing behind her.

“Was that necessary?” Trixie pointed to the door next to the Cygnus Ranger.

“Maybe, but you’re always taught me that grand entrances are the best,” Lyra replied.

At this rate, nothing would remain of the royal castle! Still, her friend’s antics amused Trixie.

“More pests!” The Nightmare Moon shook with rage. “I refuse to lose. This won’t be over until I draw my final breath!”

“Ha! What can you do? We’ve got you surrounded!” Lyra said, puffing out her chest.

“Please, Luna. Stop this.” Cadance said. “Enough damage has been done.”

“Luna, have you seen the streets of Canterlot?” Trixie said. “They’re barren. So are the halls of the castle you love so dear. All the servants and guards have abandoned you. They’re scared of you, of what you’ve become. Is this what you want? You’ve always taught me that a princess without her ponies is nothing. Your sister forgot that and looked at what happened to her?!”

Trixie’s earns flattered against her head. “I still remember the day you told me about the day you battled Corona. Despite your best efforts, I could see the pain behind those eyes. It broke your heart to see your dear sister so twisted from what you loved about her. And now you’re the pony hurting the citizens of Equestria. Please, don’t make the same mistake as Celestia.”

Nightmare Moon swung her head back and forth, both dismayed and angered. Her student’s words had touched her former mentor dearly, leaving her conflicted. A battle raged within Luna’s heart for control of her soul. For a moment, Trixie thought her mentor had finally broken the curse corrupting her mind. A horrible pit formed in her stomach as Luna’s face twisted into a snarl.

“You don’t understand. Nopony does. If my ponies can’t love me by choice, I will force them instead. They’ll have no choice but to love me once they realize that I’m the only one protecting them from oblivion. They’ll learn soon enough.”

Nightmare Moon regained her composure, her mouth twisting into a parody of a smile. “I suppose that’s why I need to destroy all of you. You’re their champion. You give them hope. It is a duty only I, Nightmare Moon, can perform. If I’m to become Equestria’s hero, I must destroy you!”

Oh, Luna. Trixie wanted to weep. Every fiber of her being rebelled against fighting the pony that almost raised her. Why couldn’t Luna see reason?

“Well, we still have you outnumbered!” Lyra said. “How about that?! Your little gems will run out, eventually!”

Bless Lyra for still having some spunk in her. It brought a smile to Trixie’s mouth and lightened her spirits. She was grateful she wasn’t alone in this battle.

“You think me defeated?” Much to Trixie’s surprise, Nightmare Moon’s mouth twisted into a victorious smile. “And you’re wrong. The power within these gems is almost boundless. Shall I show you?”

The alicorn grabbed the two planetary gems from her neck and tore them off. She studied them in her hooves for a moment before breaking into a victorious grin. Everypony gasped in shock as Nightmare Moon opened her mouth wide and bit into the gems. With a loud crack, they shattered within her mouth, and the alicorn swallowed them.

“I heard my sister summoned a dragon when she first fought you.” Nightmare Moon transformed into inky blackness and expanded. Her hooves transformed into claws, and her tail became long and reptilian, with sharp barbs at the end. The alicorn’s neck expanded, and her face became snake-like with sharp jagged teeth. Her wings expanded, almost blocking out the starry sky. The dragon’s scales were like the night, and tiny stars sparkled within. Her eyes blazed with pale blue moonlight and stared down towards her prey coldly.

“I can do better. I can become one!” The dragon form of Nightmare Moon said. The creature roared, and the power of its howl almost sent everypony to their knees. “You shall learn that the power of Nightmare Moon is beyond any limit!”

“Luna! What have you done to yourself!” Trixie said, alarmed. Had Nightmare Moon absorbed the Planetary Gems into her being? How could they free her mentor from its evil influence now?

“No!” Cadance yelped, backing up a step. She understood the implications, just as Trixie had. It took a moment for the princess of Cavallia to compose herself, but she gritted her teeth in determination. “If we must fight you to the end, we will.”

“How did it come to this?” Lyra said, her body sagging.

“This isn’t over!” Trixie snarled. “Somehow, we’ll beat some sense into you and bring you back to normal!”

“Right!” Her fellow Rangers replied, getting behind their leader.

Puissance snorted. “It seems my doom is tied to these foals. No matter. I have no intention of losing!”

“Shall I show you my power?” Nightmare Moon unleashed a roar that shook the entire building. Trixie’s body jerked, finding herself paralyzed on the spot. It left them open for the dragon’s next attack.

The dragon’s mouth opened, and cobalt blue energy gathered within her fangs. In a mighty breath, she unleashed blue lightning on her helpless opponents. Their group screamed in pain as it devastated the surrounding area, turning the courtyard into rubble. Nopony was standing when her energy breath finished.

“Nice shot.” Pain wracked Trixie’s body, and she had difficulty pushing the stone debris off her body. Her previous fight with Nightmare Moon had left her drained, making her almost useless in this fight. Her other friends were not doing much better, also battle weary. Only Twilight and Lyra seemed fresh, returning to their hooves the quickest. Cadance seemed already out of the fight.

In a flash, Twilight teleported away while Lyra ran to the right, drawing the dragon’s attention. She unleashed volleys of arrows into Nightmare Moon as she ran, but they bounced harmlessly off her scale.

Nightmare Moon snorted. “Useless.”

She winced in pain in surprise as Twilight appeared on her snout, blasting her in the face with bolts. It provided Trixie’s team the time needed to return to their hooves and charge their opponent. Nightmare Moon moved her head back and snapped her mighty jaws, trying to catch Twilight with her fangs. But the Corvus Ranger teleported away, appearing above her and blasting the dragon several more times in the face.

Trixie charged forward, thrusting her sword into Nightmare Moon’s side, only for her scales to deflect the blow harmlessly. Her friends weren’t doing much better, unable to inflict any damage with their weapons. The dragon’s scales were crazy tough. With speed belying her size, Nightmare Moon swung her tail around. Trixie howled in pain as it struck her, driving her and her allies back.

“Aim for a single spot!” Trixie jumped towards a random spot in Nightmare Moon’s armor, pressing a button on her morpher. “Searing Blade!”

Much to the Ranger’s shock, her attack struck open air. The dragon had transformed into black mist before Trixie’s super attack had connected. She screamed in pain as the dragon’s claws raked against her armor as the monster reappeared. Puissance summoned her blue form and sent a torrent of water towards their foe to similar results, hitting nothing. Another tail whip sent her team flying. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t seem to injure the creature.

“Any ideas?” A groaning Ditzy besides Trixie said.

She can still cast spells? That’s just cheating! “Keep fighting! Together, we’re unstoppable!”

Yet damaging the dragon proved difficult, and her mist form flew high into the air before solidifying. Energy gathered around her mouth, and she unleashed her breath weapon upon her gathered enemies.

“She’s too powerful!” A groaning Twilight said, writhing on the ground.

“This is bad!” Puissance tried and failed to rise back to her hooves.

“Was there any doubt? You never stood a chance against Equestria’s invincible queen!” Nightmare Moon said, landing next to her enemy’s prone bodies.

---

Spike trembled behind a broken stone pillar as the battle raged between the Rangers and Nightmare Moon. Somehow, the alicorn princess had transformed herself into a monstrous dragon. Trixie and her friends couldn’t even touch the beast despite her size. He watched helplessly as the pony dragon brought devastation onto her enemies.

This is insane! While his memories of that incident were fragmented, Spike still remembered when Celestia transformed him into a full-sized dragon well. He recalled the feel of the sharpness of his claws and the power in his muscles. That dragon seemed puny compared to Nightmare Moon.

A scream of pain escaped his lips as the power of Nightmare Moon’s breath weapon blew him off his hooves. Spike landed gracelessly on his face. He yelped as he realized he stood wide out in the open, scampering behind some broken chunks of stone.

“So, it seems nothing can stop Aunty Luna.” A voice said, making Spike jump. Much to his surprise, another pony princess hid a few hooves beside him. Thank Celestia Nightmare Moon was too intent on the Rangers to care about them.

“You’re a curious creature. What are you doing here? You should flee to safety.” Cadance, the last princess of Equestria, said.

“I thought I could help Trixie fight Nightmare Moon. I’m trying to rescue Princess Celestia.” Spike’s spines fell, depressed by his uselessness.

“You’re very brave,” Cadance replied. “I can sense the love you have for my pseudo-aunt.”

“Some use that is.”

The pony princess brightened, energized by some force Spike couldn’t understand. “Love is never weak or useless!”

Cadance stomped a hoof, an idea popping into her head. “And you can help. I’d almost forgotten about it...”

“Sorry.”

“There’s a hidden weapon nearby that might change the tide!” Cadance said, eyes lighting with excitement. “It’s in a bush nearby. You can retrieve it and pass it to Trixie!”

“Okay?” Was this mare for real? That sounded too good to be true. “What about you?”

“I’ll buy some time! I’m not out of the fight yet!” Cadance gave a brief description of a suitcase’s location and flew off to join the battle. Pink beams of energy made the pony dragon howl in pain and outrage.

I can’t help but notice the princess hadn’t explained how this suitcase would actually help against the insane fake dragon pony. Still, his tiny legs jogged across the destroyed courtyard, hoping whatever this suitcase was, it would turn the tide of battle.

Behind him, the battle raged on, and its prospects weren’t looking good. Nightmare Moon always seemed a step ahead of them, ready to unleash untold devastation on her enemies with her breath weapon. Even looking upon Nightmare Moon’s fake dragon form brought fear to Spike’s heart. It made his legs tremble, and he wasn’t even facing the terrible beast. Only his love for his princess pushed him forward.

“Please be here!” Spike found the spot Princess Cadance mentioned. Despite the fighting, the bushes had stayed intact. For a moment, he feared he’d have to waste time searching the multitude of bushes that lined the castle’s entrance. Spike spotted something grey poking from some foliage to his left. With some effort, he pulled the suitcase from its hiding spot.

“Let’s see here.” Spike fiddled with the suitcase locking, trying to open the stupid thing. The case itself was too big and awkward to carry. He refused to drag the thing across the rubble.

“What is this?” The suitcase snapped open, revealing its contents. It appeared to be some sort of cannon. It was super high-tech and had gleaming black metal. Or was that blue? The top contained a spot for seven keys across the main control panel. Along its body, various constellations glowed with a faint light.

“Wow, so cool!” At least the secret weapon hadn’t disappointed him. Though it left Spike at a loss, unsure how he’d transport the stupid thing to the Rangers.

An enormous explosion knocked Spike from his revere, eyes widening in shock. The Rangers screamed in pain as Nightmare Moon thrashed them with her tail, and she followed up with a blast from her breath weapon. The Rangers lost their transformations as the energy wave blasted them across the courtyard. They landed in their civilian forms, beaten up and unconscious.