A Fatal Error Has Occurred

by Orderly Disassembly

Ch - 9 - Nightmare's Calling

The squeal of bone on rock grated upon the air in my prison. I needed that sound. Needed it to drive back the screeching in my head. Now I had to hide from the quiet, but why? It was always fine before, it stayed just out of audibility, an ethereal reminder that I was alive. But now the ghostly scratching sent spears of pain through my skull.

Silence was my ally, why did it turn on me?

I clawed at the walls of my cage to forestall the piercing howl. But it always came back the moment I tried to stop, the moment I tried to rest. It hid in the shadows, gleefully waiting for my will to falter.

Back in my old cell, I could hear the odd shout, scream, or weeping. Back then, I had help, but now I was far away from all of that, ironically closer to the exit than I’d ever been before and at the same time further from freedom than ever.

I had no more tools at hand, I had no more people to use as fulcrums. No more prisoners to surround me, no more royals to visit me, and the parasite had gone silent as well.

I was alone. I was impotent. I was buried. And yet I smiled, because none of these things would last. Eventually, either the royals would need me again or someone would get curious and come poking around down here. It might be a year, it might be a millennium, whichever is the case, I’ll be ready and waiting.

Nothing lasts forever.

So I smiled and so I clawed, passing the time and making living bearable by grinding inexorably towards freedom. Even if nothing else changes, even if no one comes, I will rise, like a mountain from a set of flat plains.

---

I don’t know how long I remained like that. It could’ve been minutes, it could’ve been days, but what I do know is how it ended.

The rock at the far end of my cage cracked, splitting apart rock and opening a hole to the beyond. I recoiled from the rut I’d dig in the wall. As minuscule as it was, I couldn’t risk the royals noticing and finding away to take what little I had left.

My head darted from side to side, but I decided to just run to the center of the room, take a seat, face a random direction, and turn to look at the interloper.

An ethereal blue mane eluded to Luna’s return, but my suspicions were quickly dashed upon the ground as the form of a black alicorn came into view. Her fanged mouth turned upward in a cruel smile before she let out a low chuckle.

“The mighty ‘artist’ reduced to a mewling kitten pawing at its cage? Why am I not surprised?”

I matched her smile with my own. I couldn’t afford weakness at the moment. I never could, but these coming moments would be crucial.

“Are you here to fulfill your end of the deal, Nightmare of Moon?”

She paused at the name, her grin fell for a moment before returning with vigor. A glint of malice twinkled in her eye as she spoke.

“Oh, no more pet names like ‘Little Moon’ or ‘Parasite’?”

I shook my head at that.

“No no, before, you were a shadow hiding beneath a giant, so I called you by what you were. A Little Moon, a parasite, but now you’ve come into your own. You are no longer a mere moon, you’re the Nightmare that haunts it.”

I tilted my head before adding.

“That is, if you followed my teachings.”

Of course, that was all a farce meant to stroke her ego. I just had one deal break on me. I didn’t want to suffer through the fallout of this one falling through as well. I’d call it my ‘last hope’ but it is neither my last plan nor a true ‘hope.’ A chance, that’s all it is.

The Nightmare chuckled as she walked closer. The slits that were her eyes sharpened to a razor's edge as she drew close.

“I suppose you need to be educated of your place, Subject.”

My face was thrust into the floor, and I felt a hoof step on the back of my head.

“Which would be beneath my hoof, worm.”

I grunted at the insult. I could feel the searing rage return. I wanted to pull her apart both physically and mentally. Her wings plucked like a black chicken, her eyes boiled and shoved down her throat, her head sundered from her shoulders and left to rot upon a pike, I wanted all of that.

I wheezed out a response to fill the expectant silence.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

For a brief moment, the grinding squeal in my head stopped as my own internal screams replaced it. I promised, no, I etched a reminder upon the shards of my shattered soul to rip out whatever this overbearing fool might consider a mind and plunge it into the deepest folds of reality.

The Nightmare spoke after lifting her hoof and scoffing at me.

“It seems you learn quickly. Now rise, Subject, you will serve me at the castle.”

I will make her see how truly small she is, how truly insignificant whatever her meager dreams are. Then I will grind her essence to dust on the anvil of Eternity.

I smiled as I stood up, brushing off what little dust had accumulated. But remained silent. I had nothing to say to this imbecile, just promises made in the dark.

---

I walked behind Nightmare of Moon with my hands behind my back. I kept my eyes straight ahead, not daring to show sentimentality. I had to keep a careful balance between subservience and self-assuredness.

The hall was hewn straight from the rock of whatever Tartarus was made under. The slate gray rock melded with the atmosphere, the foggy air seeming to blend seamlessly with the walls and ceiling. Had I a choice, a torch would’ve attempted to pierce the miasma but Nightmare of Moon seems fond of dimness.

I let my thoughts drift back to scheming. If I show too much will she’ll try to break me. If I seem too weak she would toss me in the trash.

I felt the ashes of rage smolder deep in my soul and relished the sensation for a moment before suffocating it as well.

I couldn’t afford anger, not at the moment.

However, all I need is one good opening…

I shook the thought from my head before locking my eyes straight ahead once more. The gloomy air seemed to thin before my eyes and I felt lighter. Sensation returned to my face and old aches made themselves known. It was like a blanket was being slowly pulled off my soul, my body reacting as it should.

Smiling became easier and I felt tempted to whistle a tune, if only to anger the Nightmare… tempted indeed. However, I squashed the desire and bound my emotions again.

I couldn’t antagonize her, not yet.

The Nightmare glanced over her shoulder, likely checking I hadn’t veered off. Her eyes remained on me for a moment before she turned forward again. Had I lungs, I may have let out a breath at that.

We passed by a large group of passed out guards. My blue eye spotted code swirling above their heads that suggested the presence of magic. What spell exactly was beyond me as I only got a cursory glance.

Every check was an opportunity for disaster. She could strike me for being too joyful. She could bind my magic tighter if she thought I looked too free. She could just change her mind and leave me down here.

Again.

With no options left besides digging through miles of stone.

While whispering, talking, screaming for something to change, for someone to come, anyone.

But nobody came.

Except someone had, the Nightmare did. As much as I hate her, she at least kept her promise. Partially at least.

We came to a pair of thick stone doors. Their blocky forms were already parted for us to pass through. The Nightmare of Moon trotted through, and I followed close behind. I noticed a dozen more sleeping guards at the entrance as we left, but I decided not to comment.

I’m not free yet, but I’m close.

Radiant light singed my eyes, making me grunt as I covered them with a tattered sleeve. The red eye was blinded by what felt like a torch in my skull while the blue one simply ached from the density of the code it perceived.

After a moment of being stunned I heard the Nightmare snort.

“You are impressed by that? I can, at the very least, understand why ponies would be fond of the sunset, so many colors blend together to herald my wonderful moon. But at noon? It is simply garish.”

Ah, the sun, that’s what the great ball of pain is. I thought it’d be more serene and peaceful like Celestia. The sun felt energetic, violent even, as if it was on the brink of exploding!

I let my smile widen a hair, not enough for the Nightmare to notice. A memory had struck me, of the time Celestia visited me that short time ago. She’d been much the same as her precious sun is now: volatile, dangerous.

While I was reminiscing, the Nightmare had started trotting towards the tree line of an incredibly dark forest. I hurried to follow while watching the trees.

My red eye saw a gloomy forest with numerous plants and damp ground. Plant life covered the ground while the trees spread out umbrellas of leaves held up by gnarled branches. Thankfully a small stone path cut straight through.

Meanwhile, my blue eye could spot random sparks of code flying around at random. Sometimes it’d hit a tree and the bark would contort to make a face, another it’d swirl into the air to contribute to the gloomy atmosphere.

My smile was cast in shadow as we passed beneath the canopy.

I’ll have my freedom, and I’ll have it soon.

I can feel it on my bones.

Chap fin—

Author's Note:

Alrighty, feels good to be getting back into the groove of things. I've already got a first draft of the next chapter to! So enjoy this, and be ready for an update next Monday.

Hopefully I can hold schedule this time. If not, oh well, I'll get this thing finished eventually, just like with Chaotic Visage and The Guardian of the Bridge...

Feel free to leave criticisms, thoughts, or anything else about the story in the comments. I like seeing more comments the most, because it tells me why people stay or leave, so again, leave a few words down below if you have the time!

see ya next Monday

Comments

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

This is pretty nice. Is this a crossover with Undertale? Either way this is pretty well done.

[Orderly Disassembly]

11679360
The MC is based off of one of the many AU's

[ILikeFood]

This is certainly interesting. I'm not really sure what to expect. Looking forward to seeing whatever you do with this.

[nighters]

I hope Fatal gets to knit maybe make monster food and destroy some MLP AU doomed timelines while under the ownership of Nightmare, I wonder if this will touch on the MLP comics then just possibly undertale stuff?

[Nez12213]

Nice to see this updated. I saw my comment mentioned last chapter and I'm glad you found somewhere to go with this. For some reason i didn't expect Celestia to be able to break their deal. I kind of expected it to all be over once Fatal was free. No complaints though. This is great. Let's see where Nightmare of Moon takes us.