What Followed The Dawn

by Anemptyshell

A Mental Prison

Eleven, eleven pairs of eyes. All staring right at me. It was, well, nothing new. Ever since waking up in the Everfree, I'd been watched, tracked, scrutinized, and otherwise observed. So, why these eleven pairs had me writhing in place was well deserved. I'd known for some time this point would be reached. I hadn't thought it'd be because through power not my own, I'd, we'd saved Sabre.

We were once more in the royal antechamber. The same one we'd been sitting in this morning. That seemed so long ago. It was also far less awkward.

I licked my lips and shuffled in my seat for the thousandth time. Chrysalis and Shining Armor sat pointedly at one end of the table, withholding any observable irritation, concern, or panic. It was impressive, even if they had half a decade to master such skills.

The others those being my friends, Tempest, who I wasn't sure what to name her, and then her little hamster friend, Grubber, if I recall. Oh, and Cadence, who looked ready to cry. A truly captivated audience.

"Dark magic, explain," Sombra said.

The room rumbled with grumbles and mumbles of agreement.

"Where to start, so, remember when I died?" I asked. Silence, the answer was clear, more or less. Tempest and Grubber were lost, and Cadance still looked ready to cry. She had a lot of repressed emotions after Nightmare's defeat. It was good she had the best therapists in the country at her beck and call. Two countries, if you count the Crystal Empire.

"We do," Sombra answered.

"So, well, when I was blasted by Nightmare and then again with the Elements. Um, there was a bit of a whoopsie."

"A whoopsie, you say?" Chrysalis mused. She rested a hoof on her cheek and hummed. “Interesting choice of words.”

"Yes?" I answered.

"And what exactly did this whoopsie do?" Blueblood asked. He leaned forward, mouth a terse line, his glorious golden locks bedraggled from before the zeppelins had taken off.

"Um, the Elements don't normally destroy things, right? They are more prone to entrapment and repulsion if we look back on Sombra, Discord, and Tirek's examples. Turned to stone, hurled through time, and blasted back to Tartarus. I was the only time something. Well, less pleasant occurred. Or did it?"

"Oooh, foreshadowing, chilling, I like it," Bright said, clapping his hooves.

"Go on, Shining said. The ex-leader of Equestria's rebel alliance looked pensive as he peered through me and off into the horizon far beyond.

"So, as I see it, maybe it wasn't trying to kill me."

"If we neglect the gaping hole in your chest. Then what was it trying to do?" Sabre asked. He'd glued himself to my side since we returned to the castle. All I could do was shrug and let him do as he pleased.

"Trying to put me back where Discord had found me. While also trying to rip Nightmare from Luna like a bad splinter. Even pulled free, Nightmare was still Nightmare, and without me in my body. Weakened to a shriveled-up speck, or no, she isn't stupid. Crazy, yes, stupid, no."

The sudden thump of Spade slamming his head into the table jarred everyone's attention, at least for the moment away from me. Still face-down, the groundskeeper through this arm high.

"How do you keep getting nigh god-like beings crammed into your head? What this makes, three, four? I mean, come on."

I didn't have a response. No one did. I leaned back in my chair and recounted my first few months in Equestria. Spade had a point. This was ridiculous when you think about it that way. I was just glad Luna wasn't here. If Cadence looked ready to cry, Luna would have been a downright mess.

"So, what do we do, then?" Thorax asked.

“Honestly, we might want to wait a bit," I said. There goes the eleven pairs of eyes right back where they belong. This time, if it were possible, they were even less happy. I held up a hoof in protest.

"Star."

The back of my head throbbed after Sabre promptly whacked me over the head. I shrugged it off and waited for the ache to dull. I think Blueblood would have done the same if he could reach it. I had a feeling this wouldn't be the last whack over the head by the time this was settled.

"I'm just saying. The Princesses should be the priority. I've had Nightmare in my brain for months. It took everything she had just to grab the orb thing back when that Starlight pony tried to deck you."

A murmur amongst the concession. Sabre didn't look happy about it.

"He's right if you don't act soon. The Storm King and that self-serving witch will have all the time they need for whatever plot they have conjured up since our arrival," Tempest said. She'd taken up a post on my other side. She looked almost half as annoyed as Sabre. But I had a feeling nearly none of that had to do with me.

"I never liked that backstabber. She was always so shifty and fake nice. Someone needs to give her what for," Grubber said. He added a one-two jab and hook to top it off.

"And do we even know what they're planning to do?" Chrysalis asked.

"She said something about siphoning magic. A page from Tirek's book, I wonder. To what end though that remains unseen?" Sombra pondered.

"A super-weapon maybe, or mind control lazers. No better, A super Zeppelin. Or, maybe the Storm King is just crazy or maybe stupid?" Bright rattled off the possibilities, all while taking notes. All this time, I still had no idea where he kept his trusty notepad. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know anymore. It might kill the allure.

"Well, if nothing, the whole Nightmare thing explains why Star always argues with himself. Though I suppose it wouldn't be accurate to say himself anymore. More like an inner demon." Blueblood added.

"Relatable," Cadence agreed.

"Tempest Shadow. They were your forces until you met with Stargazer, the Elements, and Discord. Tell us, where might they go from here?"

Chrysalis tapped the table, eyes, bright green eyes that commanded nothing less than obedience. A shiver shot down my spine as I tried my best to avoid eye contact. Tempest was less successful, though she held her composure better than most.

"Mount Aris, most likely. It is one of his more favored conquests. With the power of two alicorns, I doubt many could stop him from expanding his reach across Equiss."

"Yeah, his evil reach would be unreachable," Grubber added.

"So there we have it. Target found, enemy, depicted, and the second great alicorn saving. If this keeps up, I will start filing for worker comp," Spade said, finally rising up from his position on the table.

"I will admit, this is getting a tad formulaic," Blueblod mused, a hoof tapping his chin as he thought.

"Mount Aris it is, then. Though, I do wonder. Where are the Hippogriffs? Surely they did not simply hand their lands over, no?" Sombra asked.

"Fled, mostly. A few are working the mines or other subjugated lines of work. The majority, however, have been missing for some time."

"Hmm, interesting. Are you thinking what I am, oh King of the North?" Chrysalis asked. She gave Sombra a knowing smile.

"I believe I am, Queen of the Changelings," Sombra said. The royal's conspiracy had left the rest of the table silent.

"Blueblood, you're airship is still parked at the port, right?" Shining asked.

"I see where this is going. Yes, I will painstakingly volunteer my ship in the name of saving my oh-so-capturable aunts. Oh, woe is me," The princeling lamented. Tossing a hoof over his face, Blueblood fell back into his chair. "It is oh so hard being me."

"That accounted for. We still have the issue of Nightmare Moon and her place inside Star. I don't like it. It is a risk. I say Stargazer should remain here."

That hurt far more than I would have guessed. All I could do was turn and gape at Sabre, who stood, body tense, teeth grinding. But he was right. Nightmare was weak, even if I didn't truly believe her about how much or how little power she had mustered. She was there. She sat in my head, commentating and reveling in the chaos around me.

"What about, Discord, could he?" Thorax asked.

"Already tried. Before today, he was the only one who knew. He knew from the beginning. The problem is, after the Elements. The only way, Discord could fit me back in was to bind me and Nightmare together. If Nightmare goes, I go with her."

"All the more reason for you to stay," Sabre said. He stood and made to leave. All I could do was watch as he went. Something inside me broke, a dam I had no idea was built. Even Nightmare surprised by with the pungent stew that brewed in the back of my mind.

"He's wrong," Tempest said.

"While he was rather blunt, it is a valid concern. Even when Discord was weakened and working through Star, he could take control, did take control more than once. What is to say, Nightmare Moon couldn't as well?" Shining Said.

If the room wasn't somber before, the mood was thoroughly murdered by now. I slid down in my chair. Nightmare was having fun, at least. Her endless prattle about how weak one pony is or how soft Luna was. It was all white noise. I felt numb, my thoughts barely forming before they melted back into sludge.

"It would be a waste to keep Stargazer here. Be it weakened or not. If the Storm King gets the alicorns first, there is little you can do to stop him. Elements of Harmony or not, all it would take is removing one of you. Then what? Beg, run, and hide. We need every advantage we can get."

Tempest was unfaltering. With her horn repaired, she was all the more bold. She glared out at the others, daring them to riposte. She would not budge. The look in her eye rivaled even Sombra when he was in a particularly foul mood.

"And if Nightmare does gain control?" Spade asked.

"Let us ask her."

Tempest turned to me. I flinched in a slump. I blinked slowly and shrugged. Tempest leaned in before promptly slapping my cheek with a resounding smack. I pushed back, nearly tipping my chain as I flailed.

"Get a hold of yourself. You look pathetic," Tempest said.

"Faust, fine," I snapped. "Ask away."

"Would you allow a foe such as the Storm King the chance to crush you by mindlessly wasting time fighting your ex-subjects? Are you that petty, Nightmare Moon, that foolish?" Tempest asked.

I spun an idle hoof as I let Nightmare answer. In the form of a manic rant, of course. I don't even know if she could manage anything else anymore. If there was a single ray of light in the confines of Nightmare's prison. It was that clearly being stuck in my head had some effect on her, as much as she had on me.

"She swears that all would fall to her one way or another, that the Storm King is a mindless ape, one she would smite without a second thought. Then she went on a tirade about her divinity. Then spiraled into her own ego. If I had to translate, she'd smite the closest foe. So if the Storm King is there, then yes, she'd fight him."

"That's not good enough, even if she would fight the Storm King. That is a conditional alliance rather than one we can assure," Cadence said.

"True," I agreed.

"It still remains better than walking into a fight you can't win," Tempest said, slamming her forehooves into the table and groaning. "Then what? You've yet to offer any alternative."

"What about the Hippogriffs? If we found them and teamed up. Maybe we could catch the Storm King off guard," Thorax said.

"My child has a point," Chrysalis said.

Tempest surrendered, returning to her seat and widely dismissing the group. "Do as you wish, though. Let it be known. My pledge is to Stargazer, not to Equestria, not to your Princesses. If he stays, so do I."

"Hey, That's cheating," Bright hopped onto the meeting table, and before anyone could stop him, he was stomping his way towards Tempest, who was smiling all the while.

"Ha, and thus, we have reached an impasse. Clever mare, you sat back and held your last card, ready to reduce all arguments to ultimatums. I respect that, Tempest Shadow.

Sombra was smirking right back at Tempest. At that moment, a friendship was built. I'd be happy for Sombra, the glum loner he is and all. But, this ultimately meant this entire trip would be a massive headache. Nightmare was cackling. It was clear between Sombra, Tempest, and Nightmare a truly twisted, if not even realized, alliance was forged.

"Well, who wants to hunt some chicken ponies then? I asked.

"Star, language," Cadence gasped.

"There is no reason to insult an entire race just because you're in a bad mood. Shame on you," Blue said, tutting me as Cadance added a rather harsh face of shame and disappointment.

I slapped a hoof into my muzzle. Faust, have mercy on me, please.

"Okay, geez. Who wants to hunt a kingdom's worth of missing Hippogriffs that lost their home to a deranged supervillain? Is that better?"

"Much, thank you," Cadence said. She offered a patient nod. The kind one gives a child who accidentally says a no-no word.

"That settled. We really must be off if we have any hope of outpacing the Storm King's fleet," Blueblood said. Then stood and made his way out of the meeting room. The rest of us quickly followed suit.

Sabre was not going to be happy. But I don't think I really cared right now. Let him seeth, see how he likes it.

"Hey, Star?" Thorax had sidled beside me as we made it into the main hall. He offered a smile, which I had no choice but to return. Someone, heck, most ponies would probably flay me if I didn't. Honestly, I was probably first in line for that same flaying.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Please don't be mad at Sabre. He means well. He cares. He really does. I promise. So please don't be mad."

I took a deep breath and sucked on a lip. "Yeah, I know. It's just—"

"He only wants to keep you safe. We all do, but he," Thorax stopped himself and sped up. "We really should hurry."

"Right, of course."

So, to lands unknown, we save the world again. Setting Sabre and Nightmare Moon aside. I don't know why I even go on these adventures. The Elements of Harmony are a win condition to ninety-five percent of all Equestria's problems.

Well, it was too late to back out now. I wasn't gonna let Sabre have this win. Nightmare or no Nightmare, Stargazer was no coward. He was a thestral with a lot of psychological trauma and a bad habit of picking up mind parasites. I coughed. Perhaps I wasn't making much of a case for myself. But I'd never forgive myself if I didn't go and someone got hurt.

"Let the storm rage."