Chapter 7
The dimly lit interior of the Dusk ward, which previously evoked calm and comfort, had now turned into a place nothing short of mayhem. Upturned furniture lay broken at the edges of the room, and multiple cracks and charred spots marked the white vinyl flooring. All but one of the crystal lamps in the room had been shattered, dimming the room even further. Sections of the pristine white walls of the room had been damaged by the impact of destructive spells, littering the room with its concrete rubble. Celestia stood in the middle of all this, holding her breath as she deflected a magical blast with a swing of her horn. The diverted magical charge promptly exploded as it hit a wall to her right, spraying her with shards of debris. She coughed as she breathed in the acrid air, dense with concrete dust.
"Tired already, Celestia? Is it too much for you? Come on. Burn me with that pitiful flame of yours. Or are you too scared to make a move?"
Nightmare Moon measured her opponent, her horn glowing lightly and ready to block any incoming counterattacks. She watched her nemesis cough, desperately trying to blink dust away from her eyes. What a pathetic display. Barely defending against her attacks, she was too cowardly to even attempt to strike her back. Where was that fierce mare that she once fought? Her great power, granted by her ascension, matched only by her pride? Frankly, Nightmare didn't see any, which only irked her further. Something was off.
With her other eye bandaged and covered, she could only see with her right eye, her azure nocturnal eye gleaming in the relative darkness. Her brow furrowed, partly from suspicion but also from pain. Even with all the adrenaline running through her veins, it couldn't distract her from her body in distress. The bandages on her body had turned reddish, the fight reopening whatever wounds she had underneath. In truth, it hurt even just to stand upright. All the muscles in her body were burning, and whenever she put pressure on her bad leg, she involuntarily winced from sharp pains. She did her damnest to hide it, however. On the battlefield and in the royal court alike, showing your weakness meant defeat. The Mare of the Moon was very well aware of it. It was something that she adhered to, despite her distaste for facades.
"Nightmare, you're in no condition to fight." Celestia seemed to plead; the edges of her eyes reddened, presumably from all the dust. "I know the pain you had to live through. I swear in Harmony's name that no harm may come your way. Please, there's no point in fighting anymore. Let us help you."
For Nightmare Moon, however, the words that came out of her mouth felt nothing but disingenuous. Even in her pitiful state, that mare dared to taunt back. She was reminding her of her frailty and mocking her for the failures of the past. The flicker of irritation in Nightmare's mind had turned into a bout of anger as she leered at her opponent.
"You think I don't know that? Do you think of me as a fool, Celestia? My leg may be shattered and my wing may be broken, but you'd be mistaken if you thought that would stop me. You think I held on for countless years on that empty rock for nothing?" Nightmare's nostrils flared as she breathed heavily, and her stoic expression began to break. Her piercing gaze locked onto Celestia's eyes, seeing her shrivel under her scrutiny. "I know that I didn't escape imprisonment on my own. It was your court mages, wasn't it? That arcane circle, all for luring me into this tower of yours. You didn't bring me back for small talk, did you? Just what did you tell your dear subjects about this?"
Celestia looked at her with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. "I-I'm afraid I don't follow, sister. I've longed for your return for so many years, and I've done everything I can to find a way to bring you back. All I did and prepared was for your safety. I did it to save you, to break you out of your banishment! I know you're confused-"
"Am I, Celestia? It's clear to me that you've brought me here for your sad little subterfuge. What more did you tell them, hmm? That your evil sister has escaped from the moon? That I'll bring destruction and eternal night upon Equestria?
"Sister, what are you-"
"I've heard you talk with your guards! Don't you try to deny it! You've taken the sun away from your subjects on purpose, just to blame it on me! And all you had to do was vanquish me at my weakest and take all the glory." The alicorn spoke, her words dripping with contempt as her jaws tightened from anger. "How desperate are you for approval? Have your subjects finally turned against you? Are they finally seeing you for what you truly are?"
Celestia's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she was being accused of, her ears pinned back against her head. "I- it was a mistake! That wasn't my intention, sister, I swear! I've changed! Equestria has changed! I'd never do something like that to you!" Nightmare only scoffed at her in disbelief. Nothing but lies she spouted. Things that she had expected, pathetic drivel that she had heard enough.
"Oh, you're a real class act, sister. Have you no shame? After all this time, this is what you use me for?!" Nightmare bared her fangs out after she yelled out, her limbs shaking from anger that had been simmering inside her. "You thought you could get away with it. But you don't realize what a mistake you've made by bringing me down here." Her right eye narrowed, and her voice turned frigid with hatred.
"You should have just let me rot on the moon."
Before her sister could say anything in response, the mare of the moon cast a spell as fast as she could, and her long horn flashed bright with her teal magic.
When Celestia took notice of Nightmare's spell cast, she reacted quickly, but not quickly enough. Before she could even lower her horn to deflect it, the first magical beam had already been fired at her at lightning speed. But Celestia's golden peytral reacted immediately. The centuries-old enchantment embedded in it came to life, glowing and humming loudly as it sprang into activation. The enchantment, in all its limited power, strained to divert the magical attack from its wearer, bending the beam away from Celestia by the skin of the teeth. When Celestia had fully processed what had happened, only the side of her neck was slightly burned by being grazed by the searing magic bolt.
Drat. Nightmare growled as her attack only managed to startle her target, harmlessly hitting the wall behind her instead. But there was no time to hesitate; she had to maintain the offensive. Without pause, she began to cast successive spells with all her might. Multiple arcane bolts shot out of her horn, firing in rapid bursts as she set her eyes on her target.
Celestia, however, was quick to recover from her initial blunder as she hastily formed a golden, translucent wall in front of her, defending against the volley of spells that pelted her. Against her relentless attack, the mare of the sun held on by the narrowest margins, mending her barrier as sparks flew and more and more cracks formed upon impact. Their spells illuminated the dark room, lighting up their surroundings with the colors of their respective magical auras. Celestia spoke as she withstood the assault, trying to tell her sister about something, but Nightmare disregarded all of it. Most of them were drowned out by the sounds of spellcasting. Whatever words she did manage to hear, however, fell on deaf ears as the spell barrage continued for what felt like an eternity. Celestia, despite that, remained unrelenting. As the fight went on, her pleas escalated into yelling, to the point where Nightmare could not ignore her cries. It was starting to irritate her.
"Nightmare, you have to stop! Harmony would not want this!"
"Don't you dare sully her name further!" Pausing her spellcasting, Nightmare stomped her hoof against the floor, exasperated by what she thought were more vapid excuses. "That audacity of yours truly has no bounds. Do you think I won't remember? Eternity may have passed, but I still remember what you've let happen! We promised, Celestia! We were supposed to bring harmony to the land! Uphold harmony's values and bring peace! But you gave all of that up when it became too heavy to uphold, didn't you?" Once again, her horn began to glow cyan as she started to conjure up another spell. Celestia reacted immediately, her own horn humming louder as she readied herself to fortify her wall against whatever powerful spell her sister was about to throw at her.
"You've let harmony down! You've failed our friends, our subjects, and everyone! You, have failed Equestria!"
Consumed with rage, Nightmare unleashed her spell after its difficult conjuration. Celestia, none the wiser of what was about to come, cautiously watched her behind the safety of her barrier with a worried expression. This changed into panic, however, as she noticed the ground below her faintly glowing cyan. As she frantically jumped to her side, the floor on which she stood fractions of seconds ago erupted, the explosion shooting out debris and knocking the frightened mare down to the ground. Concussed and reeling in pain, Celestia withdrew her wall and instead covered herself with a bubble shield that covered her on all sides. She moaned in pain, the side of her body littered with scratches and bruises. Clutching her stomach with one hoof in discomfort, she took shallow breaths as she tried to steady herself.
Nightmare grunted in frustration. As beads of sweat kept rolling down her aching head, she huffed as she tried to catch her breath from all her spellcasting. What should have been a quick, decisive battle against Celestia was still ongoing. Despite her best efforts to take her down, that blasted mare was still standing. Not only did she manage to fend off her spell barrage, but the one spell that managed to hit her, the one that would have easily taken a regular pony out of commission, only made her bleed a little. Had Celestia grown stronger, or was she just that weakened?
Nightmare's thoughts were leaning toward the latter. She'd powered through the fight to the best of her abilities, her every attack fueled with anger and anguish. Her mind demanded vengeance and vindication, but her body struggled to comply. She didn't even notice that her head was beginning to droop. Despite her attempts to shake it off, her distress was becoming more and more evident. Along with her body burning in pain, she was slowing down. An unsettling cold and fatigue gradually crept in, followed by nausea and dizziness. She wasn't liking this at all.
This is taking too long, Nightmare thought, her brow creasing as she watched Celestia slowly get back up. As much as she would like to insist that her counterpart was a fool, she also knew that wasn't the case. Celestia was a shrewd mare, and Nightmare did not doubt that she knew exactly what she was doing. She must have been aware that she was the lesser spellcaster and a fighter; the Elements of Harmony were her only saving grace in their last confrontation, after all. Now, she was being methodical, strictly playing to her advantage. She was stalling, waiting for her injured opponent to tire itself out and to be left defenseless eventually. If she kept this up and the fight dragged on even further... Nightmare wasn't so sure about her chance of winning. She was running out of both time and options, and she could not play into her enemy's hooves anymore. If Celestia wanted to keep cowering behind her shield, then fine. She'd cast something powerful enough that could break through it—something that would incapacitate her for good.
Standing back upright and collecting her thoughts as best as she could, Nightmare Moon began to channel one of her more powerful spells at her disposal. It was a complex spell normally cast by multiple unicorns, no doubt challenging, but a feat more than capable for somepony like her. In utmost concentration, she gathered her remaining magic, putting together a spell that she hadn't cast for quite some time. At the tip of her horn, magic began to concentrate, with blue arcs of electricity crackling and swirling into a sphere. With little regard for its caster's safety, the powerful spell began to drain her reserves and whatever remaining strength she had. An immense pressure built up in her head, making it feel like her horn was about to explode. A gut feeling, based on her experience as a seasoned spellcaster, warned her of two things. That one, in her current state, this spell would be too powerful for her to control. And two, she knew that, for subduing Celestia, this spell would be too destructive. But Nightmare, her mind clouded with fury, failed to acknowledge them. Perhaps when defeat was not an option, there was no time for caution. At least, that's how she reasoned. She couldn't stop. It was do or die; there was no turning back now.
"Nightmare, stop!"
She's persistent; I'll give her that. Nightmare ignored her as she weaved her spell in haste, trying to drown Celestia's voice out with her thoughts.
"I know you're hurting. I know how badly you're hurt, both in your body and mind. I cannot imagine the pain you're enduring right now."
But I won't let her break my concentration.
"You've suffered enough, sister. I- I just can't bear to see you hurt anymore."
I mustn't lose focus.
"I understand your reluctance to trust me. The actions I've taken in hindsight, blinded by my conviction..."
I shall not fail.
Carefully directing the flow of her magical output, the vengeful alicorn felt her spell near its completion. Minutely vibrating, the cyan ball of lightning, in its barely stabilized form, floated at the tip of her horn. Unlike the quiet hum it emitted, the sheer thaumic pressure of it was deceptively overwhelming, threatening to escape her control at her slightest mistake. Nearing one-third of her size, it contained an arcane storm that would be unleashed upon her target. This was it. She was going to finish this fight.
"...I'm sorry."
Nightmare's grip on her spell wavered for a split second before she quickly regained control of it. She thought she'd misheard and that her exhausted mind was playing tricks on her. When Celestia took a deep breath and continued her monologue, however, she was proven wrong.
"I failed to see the struggles within you. When concerns and grievances ate away at you, I accused you of being myopic as I glossed over them. I took your trust for granted; all the while I failed to see my failures, unaware of my blindness." Celestia's voice was laden with remorse, unable to look her sister in the eye anymore. "And worst of all, it was you who had to suffer the most for my mistakes. I have failed you most gravely, Nightmare. Not just as a Diarch of Equestria, but as your sister as well. I'm truly sorry. For everything."
No, she's not- She has to be lying.
"For that, I've made a vow, sister. Whatever happened, whatever it cost, I was determined to bring you back safely. I did everything in my power to keep that promise, but when you got injured, I- I didn't know what to do. I panicked, and you've gotten me so worried that everything else slipped past my mind, even my duty to raise the sun." Celestia's head drooped further in shame. "I'm not proud to admit my negligence, but I swear to harmony that with everything I tried to do, I did it to make things right. For all of us."
She's just trying to deceive you.
Nightmare tried her best to focus on the spell in her grasp, but Celestia's words managed to worm their way into her head. A myriad of memories and thoughts began to resurface from within her mind.
"I may sound disingenuous to you. I know it's too late. I also know that I can't undo what I've done with mere words... but it's something that I owe you regardless." Celestia muttered, slowly raising her head back up. Her reddened eyes were now glistening, looking directly into her sister's eyes. "It's not just me who's been waiting for your return. Your subjects—they've been waiting for so long. Do you remember their cheers? They've all gathered to welcome you."
That couldn't be right. Did all of that really happen? Nightmare's eye trembled at the mention of her subjects; her attempts at blocking Celestia's voice out proved more and more futile. The hazy memories in her head were coming back once more. Her escape, her confrontation with the gathered crowd, the flashes of memories that she had deemed to be false. Her concentration muddied further, confusion taking place.
"They're worried sick about you. Please, return to us, sister. Whatever problems arise or whatever doubts you may have, I promise that I'll do my best to help you. Just like old times. Just like the Everfree." Celestia spoke, a wistful smile slowly blossoming as she looked with a hopeful expression.
"Nightmare, could you... could you give your ungrateful sister another chance?"
Nightmare hated this. Countless years did she spend on the moon, imagining the day she would get her revenge on her. A day where she'd beat her into submission, take initiative, and finally set Equestria on its right path. Not this. What was Celestia doing? Just what on Equestria was she planning, and how was she making her feel so... conflicted?
"Enough! Enough with your games!"
Desperately trying to clear her mind of any doubt, Nightmare yelled out in frustration. Putting her full focus back on her spell, she weaved it to completion, its light burning even brighter. Her head throbbed as she felt the immense power gathered within her grasp, ready to be unleashed. Promptly, her horn was lowered and pointed directly at her adversary. The large ball of lightning floated an inch away from the tip of her horn, crackling and trembling whenever her grip on it loosened. It was a manifestation, not just of her arcane prowess but also of the anger and mistrust she'd been carrying for so long. The entirety of the room was bathed in its teal light, overpowering the other colors. It was almost blinding.
Eyes wide, Celestia fell silent, the light of her sister's spell reflecting off her teary eyes. Her ears flattened and her mouth slightly agape, she stood with a heartbroken expression.
"You honestly think I'd believe you? After everything you've done to me? We could have chosen to change Equestria for the better. We could have done it together!" Nightmare blinked profusely, trying to blink the blurriness out of her eye. "But I wasn't good enough for you, was I? That's why you chose them over me. I bet you didn't even hesitate before you stabbed me in the back."
"I'm so sorry. What I've done to you that day, what you had to suffer for my mistake—I was wrong back then. Looking at your form... I thought something had gone wrong, that something else had taken hold over you." Celestia pleaded, her voice reeking of desperation, which only made her sister scoff.
"You think you know everything about me? I've always been myself, and whatever form I decide to take doesn't matter! If there's anyone who has lost themselves, that would be you, Celestia! No matter what scheme you're trying to pull, no matter how hard you try to stop me, I will not falter! I will not surrender! And I will not stop until one of us falls!"
Celestia looked devastated, wincing as her sister lashed out at her. Her mouth moved as if she were trying to say something back, but her swollen throat only managed to let barely audible croaks out of her. For a moment, the room fell into silence aside from the hum of the charged-up spell. It took multiple attempts before she could speak again, her voice now trembling ever so slightly.
"I... I understand. Whether I receive forgiveness or not isn't for me to decide."
After all her insults and accusations, Nightmare expected her to finally grow a backbone and strike back, or at least be angered. Instead, what she did next perplexed her. As her head hung low in resignation, the barrier around Celestia's body shimmered and receded until it disappeared completely. She then began to take her regalia off of her body one by one, placing her hoofshoes and peytral by her side.
"Just what do you think you are doing?"
"I yield. If it means I can put an end to this, I'll yield. I beg you, this needs to stop. We don't have to fight each other anymore." The former monarch slowly took her crown, her last piece of regalia, and placed it on the ground next to her. It was a clear act of surrender, but a gesture that Nightmare could not comprehend from somepony like Celestia.
"What is this? You're sorely mistaken if you think you deserve mercy! If you've planned to face me, at least show some respect by putting up a fight!"
"No. I won't make the same mistake again. I can't bring myself to hurt you, sister. I just can't." Celestia spoke, crestfallen and remorseful. "I want you to know that I'm not asking to be spared of your judgment; I only ask that you hear my apology. Whatever punishment or consequence you believe I deserve, I'm prepared to face it. The only thing I wish," Celestia muttered as she closed her eyes, tears trailing down her face. "is for you to find peace."
"Ha! You think this pathetic display would save you?! Do you think you can deceive me so easily? I won't give you the chance. I'll strike you down a hundred times if it means I'll do the right thing!" Nightmare shouted at her, but the pathetic mare she was facing wouldn't budge. With her eyes closed and her head hanging low, she wept as more tears fell from her cheek.
"If that's the punishment you deem just, I... I understand." Celestia sobbed silently, and the tears that she choked down left pauses and stutters between her words. "I-if anything goes wrong... If you're faced with trouble you can't overcome, seek out my former students. They'll help you with every power they have."
"Silence! Your words mean nothing to me!"
"Whatever happens, whatever choice you may make, I want- I want you to know that I've always loved you. May Harmony guide us, no matter what."
What Nightmare should do next was an easy one—obvious, even. Defenseless and exposed, Celestia was in shambles, the last of her meager fighting spirit gone. With the spell ready to be fired at her will, she had a clear shot at her. Her victory was just within reach; there was no reason for her to hesitate from striking her opponent. At least, that was what she initially thought, until her concerning suspicions were still left unsolved.
Why?
Nightmare couldn't understand. Why was Celestia acting like this? Yes, she did expect her to be defeated, just not this way. It should have been a cathartic moment. Knocking that self-righteous mare down, breaking her bones, to exact the revenge that she'd dreamed so much of. Except that wasn't exactly what was happening, and she almost felt robbed of it. The fight had been strictly one-sided, to the point where Celestia hadn't even tried to lay a hoof on her. Compared to the last time she fought her, it was as if she was a different pony. Nightmare's mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Unfortunately, none of it made any sense. What was Celestia trying to pull off here? What goal was there to achieve by giving up so easily and handing the victory over to her like this? Unless...
Nightmare's eye widened as something clicked inside her head. The other possibility. She thought it was preposterous, wishful thinking that couldn't be further from reality. She'd been dismissing it ever since she'd been brought back down here. But with the situation unfolding in front of her in ways she did not expect, everything began to fall into place. The way she was "allowed" to escape the tower crawling with guards so easily, only to be met with a crowd that didn't cower at the sight of her but welcomed her with a roaring cheer of adoration. Celestia's apparent humility and concern, and her reluctance to fight her at all. Could it be? After all this time?
Don't fool yourself. She doesn't need me, and I have no reason to believe her.
She needs you. She was telling the truth.
Quiet. You're setting us up for failure, and you know it.
There's still hope.
Haven't you learned anything? Remember what she's done to us! She cannot be trusted!
Conflicted and uncertain, numerous thoughts and arguments clashed within Nightmare's mind. Her rage sought retribution and violence—to see Celestia suffer just so she could appease her age-old resentment. Her paranoia warned her of Celestia's lies, imploring her to stick with her plans. A small part of her psyche, however, was whispering ideas of hope that she'd buried away many years ago, instilling doubt in her. Nestled deep in her subconscious, her old companion was passive and docile. Except now, unlike its usual behavior, it was intruding on her at a difficult moment, much to her annoyance. Despite being voiceless, it communicated, projecting its thoughts directly into her mind.
She cares about you. You believe it too.
Stop interfering! Why are you even doing this?
For you. For your sister. For Everyone.
I'm not taking any chances this time; I won't let myself be betrayed again!
She's not going to shield herself. You're about to do something you'll regret.
You think I'll care? What matters is that I finish this once and for all. Whatever happens to her, she deserves it!
With her face scrunched up in pain and mental disarray, Nightmare struggled to quiet her mind. Her once-steadfast conviction was now shaken, and she found her bravado slowly fleeting as anxiety took its place instead. Everything was at stake now. With her heart racing like mad, she found herself unable to make up her mind. She sought revenge; that was true. But what did she really want, deep down in her heart? As her confidence waned, so did her strength. She took deep breaths, struggling to keep her destructive spell in check. The spell of this magnitude just wasn't made to be held this long. The overgrown magical force was ravenous. Eager to grow out of its caster's control, it pulled any nearby magic onto itself, now forcibly draining its caster's last remaining magic reserves with no impediment.
Hesitation is fear; fear is weakness... Nightmare repeatedly reminded herself in a last-ditch effort to get a hold of herself. Now, desperation had forced her hoof. Knowing that time was running out, she'd finally decided on what needed to be done—something she didn't want, but what was right. Shouting in frustration and anguish, Nightmare Moon swung her horn as she let go of the spell. With nothing to hold it back, the ball of lightning was shot from her horn, crackling with magic as it instantly became unstable mid-air. Before Nightmare could even shield her face, a blinding light and the sound of an ear-splitting thunderclap assaulted her eyes and ears.
For a fraction of a second, the large room was filled with pure light as the arcane storm simultaneously unleashed its massive salvo of lightning bolts in its target direction. Then, as quickly as it came, all light within the room was extinguished. In the end, only two things remained in the Dusk Ward: pitch darkness and deathly silence.
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11778708
No it’s not. All genre tags are always blue. Does the alternate universe tag really come up as one in the settings menu?
11801436
You can create a new story without publishing it to see the categorizations. It seems like I can use [Alternate universe] and other non blue genre tags as one of the mandatory genre tags needed for a story. It only says "Maximum of 3 blue tags", and seeing how I could publish without choosing any of the blue ones, I didn't think it was mandatory. Added the [Drama] tag for good measure.
Nice cliffhanger. I can honestly see the story go either way at this point, but I hope that things go well for the both of them.
And now it looks like we're right around the end. Let's hope it ends well for both NMM/Luna and Celestia.
Dam you cliffhanger!
Windsprinter made his user page, posted here, then got banned two hours later.
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So, what happened?
11802044
Shit post fuckery faster then me from a Rosie o Donell all nude review I suspect
Few words could hurst Celestia more than those. And if it is her very sister who is using them...
Just look in a mirror and you know the answer.
Please, Listen to her!
Let's hope she was targeting the door, so the medics can rush in and patch the two alicorns up again.
Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.
What kind of background music do you think was played during/after the battle?
Huh?Celestia had been......killed?I hope everything is alright.
A few odd grammatical quirks, but so far a good story.
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Oh god, I just fed some of my story through an online grammar checker and it's showing me corrections that Grammarly missed. Thanks for telling me. English isn't my first language, so I may have trouble writing fluently, especially in creative writing. I'll try to be more vigilant from now on.
Hmm, personally I would've led with a "It's been a thousand years. Judge what I've built like you judged it before. If you feel I have failed again then I'll surrender to whatever punishment you think is best." right off the bat. Or at least something similar.
Why this route, 1 give her power. 2 make her think things are different. 3 to act first before any other communications could happen.
The most important part would be to act *first* instead of letting her have the first word and control the conversation.
NIghtmare moon my beloved 💖
Not a cliffhanger, not a cliffhanger, not a cliffhanger...
P.S. This cat in the blog... Mood me after work.
The more "evil" Nightmare tries to sound, the more pitiful she acts.