Break Free of the Darkness (1/2)
Fenrir stood in the middle of a large ring of unconscious changelings. He could have killed any or even all of them if he had wished it, but he had no interest in taking their lives. Besides that, he had no desire to find out what would happen if their tainted blood touched his body, already tainted from long years of exposure to the dark regalia hidden under his neck. The two taints were so very distinct and yet, at their core, they were exactly the same.
A sharp flash from beside the massive timberwolf cut into his thoughts and he glanced over to see that the Lunar Princess had just teleported herself next to him. "Princess Luna. I never thought. I would actually meet you. In my lifetime." He turned to face her fully, his giant form casting a long shadow over her. "Now. Is this an honour? Or should I just. Tear out your throat?" His hackles rose and a long, drawn-out growl escaped his throat. "You know. Of what I speak."
Luna stared at the ground, unable to meet the accusation in his glowing yellow eyes."I... There's nothing I can say that would make this right. Nothing could possibly fix what I did to your ancestors. I took them, took their loyalty to me, and twisted it. Twisted their very souls to feed my lust for power. And they died for it." She kept her voice cold and emotionless as she tried her best to distance herself from the atrocities she had committed over a millennium ago.
Fenrir snorted through his nose. "Hmph. So I suppose. You're going to want. This back." His paw reached for the regalia of Nightmare Moon strapped under his neck, but stopped at Luna's shout.
"NO!" Luna recoiled away from him, taking half a step back before she realized what she had done. "Don't let me see it! I... I can't."
After a moment's hesitation, Fenrir's paw dropped to the ground and a smile somehow appeared on his barky muzzle. "I had. Hoped that would be. Your response."
Luna's nostrils flared angrily as she realized exactly what he had just done. "You... you were testing me!"
Fenrir nodded as he crouched down next to her. His giant head, so much larger than her entire body, came close enough that she could have just reached out a hoof and touched it. "I had to know," he said with an apologetic tone in his voice. His breath wafted over her, and she could smell the scent of wood chippings and tree sap.
"Thou had to know what?" she asked disdainfully, covering her nose with a fetlock.
He was silent for a few seconds, and when he spoke, his tone was completely serious. "What side. You would take. My pack smelt snow."
Luna's face remained an expressionless mask. "Is that such an oddity? We were under the impression that snow comes once a year. Were we mistaken?"
A loud whuff of laughter escaped Fenrir's throat. "You really are. As the tales tell you." His head moved slowly from side to side. "No. But when the snow. Carries the same scent. As this." He gestured under his neck, where Luna knew her old regalia was. She could hear it singing to her, calling out for her. Anypony unable to gaze upon its magnificence would be driven insane with the greatness forced into their minds. With it, she could... She would do nothing!
Luna grimaced, realizing she had lost herself in the regalia's song. She had thought that part of her life was behind her. Obviously, she was wrong.
Fenrir had noticed her distraction, and had stopped talking when her eyes glazed over. When he saw she was back with him, he continued where he had left off. "I do not know. What is happening in. The world. But you need. To know this." His voice went grim, and Luna swore the temperature of the Badlands dropped several degrees. "The world needs. Another miracle. Hearth's Warming. I believe it was called. If it does not happen..." His voice faded ominously. "Then. May the Moon watch over us all."
Luna’s great wings slowly beat at her sides as she flew through the air, the scenery of the Everfree Forest rapidly passing beneath her. The foals had told of what had happened to Equestria since she had been captured by the changelings before she sent them safely home. Her feathers whistled as they cut through the air, the speed of her flight tearing through the wind itself. She wasn’t worried about attracting attention from anything that lived in the forest; there wasn’t a single living creature that would dare try to slow her down. Not if enjoyed its status as a living creature, anyway.
Her destination called out to her, and something within her called out to it in return. She could feel the darkness stirring within her, like a thin film of black oil coating her internal organs. It quivered in eager anticipation for what was about to come, practically resonating with the great mass of darkness ahead of Luna.
Luna frowned as she held her hoof up to her chest, a sigh escaping from her lips. Every living creature in the world thought that Luna had been completely purified of her darkness by the Elements of Harmony. They believed that she had been completely freed from Nightmare Moon; that no trace of the evil darkness remained in Luna’s soul.
Only Celestia and Luna herself knew the truth.
A weak growl came from Luna’s midriff, and the Princess of the Night let out an embarrassed chuckle as she rubbed her stomach. She hadn’t eaten since before her capture, and the missed meals were starting to catch up to her.
I suppose a little stop would not be amiss. Fighting on an empty stomach was the quickest way to lose any conflict. Luna cast about on the ground, quickly finding a break in the trees where she could land. The rate of her wingbeats slowed as she descended until her hooves met the cool loam.
With a quick glance around, Luna discarded the idea of eating any of the nearby plants. She needed something that would give her more energy than simple grazing would provide. Her face became an expressionless mask, cool and emotionless as stone. The hunger inside her demanded to be fed, and she knew she had no choice.
Rearing back on her hind hooves, Luna slammed her forehooves on the ground as hard as she could. The land shuddered under the force of the blow, and several branches shed their leaves, the leaves falling to the earth in a slow descent. One bush near Luna shuddered far more fiercely than the others, and a small brown squirrel bolted out into the open.
The furry creature barely got a full body length from the bush before a heavy indigo hoof came down on its back, pinning it to the ground. It squeaked and squirmed, thrashing about in a futile attempt to escape its captor.
Luna felt her heart go out to the animal even as her magic wrapped around it. “Forgive me,” she whispered before shaking her head. “No, you should not forgive me. We... I am sorry.” The squirrel’s struggles slowed and its squeaks weakened. Luna watched in sorrow as the innocent creature closed its eyes one final time as it peacefully slipped into a slumber from which it would never wake.
The Elements of Harmony may have stripped Nightmare Moon away from Luna, but one could not fall as deeply into the darkness as she had without suffering some permanent changes.
Luna bent down towards the comatose squirrel, opening her mouth wide. Two large fangs slid out of their hiding place in her maw, their pointed tips glinting in the evening sunlight.
After a quick stop at a nearby stream to wash any blood out of her coat, Luna took to the air once more. With a meal filling her stomach, her wingbeats were stronger than before, and it wasn’t long before her destination came into view.
The once-mighty parapets of her former castle rose into sight, the crumbling walls speaking a silent testament to the many years that had passed since Luna had last laid eyes on it. Once, it had been the mightiest building in all the lands. The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, it had been called. Ponies would travel from far and wide simply to set eyes on it. Now it was nothing more than a ruin, forgotten by the annals of time.
Luna cautiously flew to the castle’s main door, careful to land on an area that looked like it could still support her weight. The stonework had been worn away by a millennia exposed to the uncontrolled climate of the Everfree, and it looked like the entire castle could collapse at a moment’s notice. Vines running up and down the crumbling structures gave the impression that they were all that was holding the building upright.
The mighty doorway exploded open from within as Luna approached, launching pieces of wood in every direction. One particular piece, larger than her wing, nearly took her head off as it sailed past. A dark mist wafted out from the open portal, ominously flowing towards her. The few grasses that had struggled to cling to life by peeking between the ancient stones withered and died as they were smothered and overwhelmed by the mist. As the cold fog curled and twisted around Luna's fetlocks, a cool voice called out from the darkness within the castle.
"Ah, the ever-humble Princess of the Night brings herself to my abode," the calm voice mocked. "To what might I owe this pleasure?"
"Nightmare Moon," Luna growled out, striding inside the castle. The mist split before her, clearing her a path into the oppressive blackness. "Show thyself! Thou art a blight on Equestria, on our subjects! We have come to end your threat once and for all!"
A cheerful tone entered the disembodied voice, though it never lost its mocking edge. "You recognize me. I'm flattered."
"How could I possibly forget you?" Luna asked, glaring into the gloom as she tried to find her enemy. Even her eyes, more comfortable in darkness than in light, were unable to penetrate the fog. "Especially here, in this place."
"Ah, yes. Our old home, wasn't it?" A loud hoofclop rung out from deeper inside. Luna's sharp eyes caught a flicker of light in the darkness before her adversary confidently strode into view.
The taint of the cruel spirit had contaminated Celestia's entire body. Her white coat had muted to a light gray and a strip of darkness danced through her flowing mane, entwining with and overwhelming the other colours. Her luminescent sun cutie mark had been dimmed, offering neither light nor warmth. But most noticeable of all was the absence of her horn. The spiralling white pillar came to an abrupt halt after only a few inches, replaced with a black horn of darkest ebony. The missing segment of Celestia's horn had been stabbed into the alicorn's chest, embedded in the flesh like an impaled spear. The skin around it had puckered and scarred in odd shapes, like Nightmare Moon had fought with it but had been unable to remove it despite her best efforts.
Just as Luna had feared, her older sister's body had been completely taken over, leaving behind no trace of the kindness she had known so well in the taller alicorn's slit azure eyes. Nightmare Moon broadly grinned, revealing a pair of pure white fangs residing in Celestia's mouth. "It's ironic," she said with a glance at the crumbling walls around them. "Here we are once again. History really does tend to repeat itself. I wonder... will it end the same way as well?"
"This time will be different!" Luna proclaimed, flaring her wings out wide. Lightning flashed outside, piercing through the darkness for an instant. "You will not have me, and you will not have her!"
"Brave words, little night princess," Nightmare Moon taunted. She leaned towards Luna, her tongue licking gently at the sharp fangs protruding from her mouth. "But words will get you nowhere. What makes you think this time will end any differently than last time? Once again, the older sister will defeat the younger." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Only this time, I will be the only one who wins."
Surprisingly, Luna threw her head back and laughed. "Your lies are shallow and petty. I am ashamed to think I once fell for them." She looked meaningfully at the horn embedded in Nightmare Moon's chest. "You act like my sister has already fallen to you, but that is nothing but a weak falsehood. She fights still. She keeps you sealed within this building. You divided us one thousand years ago, but our minds are clear now. You do not fight just me; you face her as well."
A snarl appeared on Nightmare Moon's face for a second before it disappeared, but it was enough to confirm Luna's suspicions. A cool confident smile replaced the anger. "That's so sweet of you, little princess. So sweet that I think my teeth melted just hearing you say it."
A fierce glow surrounded Luna's horn. "Do not worry. Soon, you will not have to hear anything I say ever again."
Nightmare Moon's own horn started to glow, emitting a dark light that shone from within. "Oh, you're most certainly right about that. Soon, you won't be able to even speak."
The two alicorns stared each other down for several tense seconds, neither willing to back down or show the slightest hint of weakness. An unseen signal passed between the two and they both launched themselves forward at the same time. Two glowing horns collided with enough force to send cracks tearing through the fragile stonework of the long-abandoned castle, ripples of magic spreading even beyond that.
In the mental landscape that the two of them were trapped in, Discord rapped his knuckles painfully against Twilight's skull. "Focus, Twilight Sparkle. You're just not getting into the spirit of things. You can't force this magic. Just guide it and you'll soon be shaping the world."
Rubbing the painful spot on her scalp, Twilight glared up at him. Since she was unable to break the bond Discord had apparently forged with her (she'd tried), she'd had to accept him teaching her whatever he wanted. Maybe she would even learn something important.
But with Discord as her teacher, that was seeming more unlikely by the second.
"I really don't think you're cut out to be a teacher," Twilight grumbled. Several hours had passed since they had started, and she didn't feel like she was getting any closer. Hay, she was pretty sure he was deliberately wasting her time. So far, he'd just said nonsense about "steering the magic" or "letting it roam free". Ridiculous! Everypony knew that magic had to be carefully controlled and guided. Even foals knew that.
"Really?" Discord casually popped his large tooth out of his mouth before inspecting it for a few seconds. Letting out a disinterested grunt, he stuck it on the tip of Twilight's horn. "Tell me, where do think you could possibly get a better teacher than me for World magic?"
Twilight smirked. "Zecora could teach me. She's a shaman, and I'm sure she knows all about it. Or I could, you know, not learn it at all because you obviously want me to."
"You? Intentionally refusing to learn something?" Discord met her argument with a loud bark of laughter. "I think we both know better than that, don't we?"
Twilight's smirk twisted into a grimace. It pained her to admit it, but he was right. Even knowing that he wanted her to learn about this strange brand of magic wouldn't be enough to stop her from wanting to know all about it.
"As for your friend... Zecora, was it?" Discord continued, wrapping his eagle claw arm across her shoulders. "That name sounds like a zebra's. Well, let me tell you a little secret." He grabbed her ear and pulled it close, dropping his voice to a loud stage whisper. "I was the one who taught the zebras that magic in the first place."
Cheerfully ignoring Twilight's jaw-drop, Discord merrily continued. "Your problem is that you're thinking of it in terms of your natural unicorn magic. You're trying to force the magic through all at once. But World magic, ah... World magic is subtle."
"Nothing about you is subtle," Twilight noted sarcastically.
Discord ignored her. "Have you ever played with dominoes, Twilight Sparkle? Ever lined them up for the simple joy of knocking them down, watching as they fall one by one? World magic is a lot like that. You're trying to knock down all the dominoes at the same time, when all it takes is one simple change. One small change, like changing a single domino from standing to falling." He chuckled. "From one small change spreads more changes, from those change spreads further changes, all until you reach the goal you desire."
"Wh-?" Twilight's intended question died in her throat as a ripple passed through the empty void, everything swelling in a wave of motion before dissipating once more. "What was that?"
For his part, Discord looked excited. Hopping off of Twilight's back, he wheeled out the magic mirror once more. "It's starting," he said gleefully, prancing like a eager foal. The mirror crackled and sputtered, static flashing across it, prompting Discord to give it a solid smack. "Come on, come on, don't do this... Aha!" The image abruptly cleared, showing a crystal clear image of two fighting alicorns.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" Twilight shouted, unconsciously leaning forward towards the image. Wait a minute, she thought. Princess Celestia looks odd... "Is that-?"
"Nightmare Moon?" Discord finished Twilight's question as he dropped down next to her. "Yes. Luna's fighting against the demons of her past for her sister's very soul. Should she fall, both Princesses are going to be swallowed up by the darkness, never to return. Neither of them realize it, but if their battle reaches this far, then it must be tearing through the realm of dreamers as well. Even as we speak, every sleeping creature in Equestria is experience terrible nightmares; facing their worst fears and deepest shames. No matter how this battle ends, the results are going to ripple all across Equestria. Popcorn?" He shrugged when she didn't respond and pulled the striped bucket back, grabbing a clawful of the salty treat and tossing it into his mouth. "Oh well. More for me."
Luna dove behind one of the few remaining stone columns, taking cover from another one of Nightmare's magical blasts. Blood dripped from several small wounds covering her body, covering her coat with thin red streaks. On their own, the cuts were inconsequential and could be safely ignored. All together... they were still inconsequential.
"What's the matter, little princess?" Nightmare's voice taunted as another magical blast slammed into Luna's cover. "I thought you were going to defeat me?" Luna stuck her muzzle out but hastily fell back as a bolt of pure light nearly took it off. This fight was not going as she had hoped. Nightmare was able to fully control Celestia's prodigious magical strength, using it freely in conjunction with her own dark powers.
The pillar shuddered as another magical bolt hit it and Luna knew it wouldn't survive another hit. Quickly raising a protective barrier around herself, she sprinted out into the open. Her shield wavered as it was struck by another shot of light, but it managed to stand firm. Luna disappeared with a sudden pop, reappearing an instant later behind Nightmare Moon. Bringing her hooves to bear, Luna swung them as hard as she could at her enemy's skull, and had to suppress a scream of frustration as Nightmare dissipated into a black mist which her hooves harmlessly passed through.
"You've gotten weak," Nightmare called out, her sultry voice seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. "Or maybe you were just always weak? Maybe it was only because of me that you were able to put up a fight against your sister in the first place. You never had the will to stand up for yourself until I was there to give you that little... push you needed."
"What are you fighting for, Princess Luna?" The word Princess was said with a great deal of disdain, as if Nightmare was intentionally emphasising the word. "You, who had so nearly made yourself a Queen. You, who was never appreciated by Celestia's ponies? Are you seriously fighting for those ponies now? What have they ever done for you?"
"It doesn't matter what they've done for us," Luna said, still looking for where Nightmare was hiding herself. "They are our ponies just as much as they are Celestia's ponies. Our duty is to protect them against creatures that hide in the darkness. To protect them from their nightmares."
"Or their Nightmares, is it?" Nightmare Moon finished for her. A beam of pitch black darkness tore through the mist, and Luna had to quickly throw herself out of the way to dodge it. She fired a beam of her own magic in the direction the attack had come from, but her blast failed to hit anything. This confounded mist was messing with her senses, preventing her from simply sensing out Nightmare Moon. She was going to get rid of it.
Luna's eyes glowed brightly and her wings flared out wide as waves of power poured off of her. The mist couldn't stand against Luna's will and dissipated like morning fog when struck by the harsh rays of morning sun. With her camouflaging haze destroyed and nowhere to hide, Nightmare Moon easily came into view.
Right in front of Luna.
Charging towards Luna.
Her horn heading straight for Luna's neck.
Pure instinct was the only thing that saved Luna's life. Nightmare Moon's horn pierced right through Luna's reflexively raised leg in an explosion of bright red blood, splattering both of them in gore before slowing to a halt well clear of Luna's exposed throat.
Nightmare smirked as she pushed in, her pitch black horn moving slowly forward inch by incredibly painful inch. "I know you well," the possessed solar princess mocked. "You always drop your guard whenever you use your more powerful magics." Luna tried to get away - running, flying, teleporting, anything! - but her body refused to obey her commands. Nightmare was pumping her magic directly into Luna's bloodstream, completely paralyzing the smaller alicorn's body.
The horn slid forward with agonizing slowness, blood running down it in streams to pour down Nightmare's face. Red rivulets fell to the ground below, disappearing forever into the many cracks that spiderwebbed throughout the stonework. The sharp point of the horn of pure darkness came to a rest against the centre of Princess Luna's neck, a tiny drop of blood welling from where the horn touched.
"Goodbye, Luna," Nightmare Moon said with finality.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight yelled as she watched Luna struggle to prevent the black horn from impaling her throat. Twilight's nose was almost pressed against the glassy surface of the magic mirror and her hooves held the sides.
An almost-empty bucket of popcorn hit the back of her head. "Hey, down in front!" Discord called out. "I can't see!"
Twilight wheeled towards him. "YOU!" she shrieked. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"Oh, you flatter me." Discord licked at his talons, giving her large puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm actually mostly unrelated to what's going on. This," he waved his claw vaguely in the direction of the mirror, "was not part of my original plan."
"'Not part of your plan'?" Twilight repeated. "And you think that makes it okay?" She lowered her horn and prepared to charge. Even if it wouldn't do any good, stabbing him would still make her feel better.
Discord waved his claw disdainfully at her actions. "Oh, please. Do you really think any plan of mine would be so...?" He hesitated as he searched for the word he was looking for.
"Chaotic?" Twilight suggested drolly.
"Idiotic," Discord said in a flat voice. "There's no style, no panache. Really, what's the point in a dead world?" He shook his head before turning to look at her, a silly yet oddly intimidating smile plastered on his face. "And that's where you come in."
Discord swooped over to her, wrapping her up in his serpentine body. Before she could even think to struggle, his mouth stopped next to her ear and he started to chant. His voice reverberated in her skull, making his words stick in her mind.
"The power is yours to save the sun and the moon.
But in exchange, I demand a single boon.
In the future, I will make you a request.
And you will follow it to your ability's best.
You will own me one lone favour.
That is my price to be your Princess's saviour."
Twilight swallowed. Part of her - a large part - wanted to tell Discord to take his offer and shove it where the sun didn't shine. But all it took was a single glance at Luna struggling in the magic mirror to tell her she didn't have that choice. She was well and truly trapped. "Fine," she whispered.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Discord asked, cupping his paw over his ear and leaning in so his ear was next to her mouth. "You're going to have to repeat that."
"I said..." Twilight blushed angrily, refusing to look at him. "I said fine." Fluttershy would have been impressed with her lack of volume.
"Diiiidn't quite catch that," Discord prompted, getting even closer to her.
"I SAID FINE!" Twilight bellowed, turning her head so she was screaming directly in his ear. Livid tears poured from her eyes, and she was so caught up in her rage and self-loathing that she didn't notice Discord falling away from her, clutching his assaulted ear. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR!?"
"Actually," Discord panted from where he was lying on the non-existent ground, "yeah." He lifted his eagle-taloned arm and snapped it directly in her face. Twilight recoiled as a bright flash of light completely stole her sight away, fading to reveal...
Discord sitting in front of her with a tub of dirt tucked under his arm.
Twilight blinked before slapping herself in the face with her hoof. That had been anti-climactic. "Aren't you going to do something?" she mumbled at him past the hoof covering her face.
"Nope!" Discord replied brightly as he dug into the dirt, picking out up a large clump and shoving the whole thing into his mouth. "There's nothing for me to do," he said, spraying her with pebbles. He paused, frowning slightly at his own choice of words while he swallowed his mouthful. Pulling a tissue out from his own thin beard, he dabbed it at his lips. "Actually, that's not right. I've already done it. Did it before you even left Ponyville, actually. Even if you had refused my offer, I still would have helped Luna. She's just too entertaining to lose." He appeared to take a great deal of pleasure from the horrified look she was giving him. Reaching over, he plucked his tooth off her horn and stuck it back in his mouth. "Look forward to that favour you owe me."
Twilight wanted to scream.
Unable to move, unable to cast any spells, unable to escape, Luna knew she could only accept her fate. She closed her eyes on the evil sight of the darkness enshrouding the older alicorn, sending her mind back to think on the happier times shared with Celestia. Back before Equestria had been founded, when it had only been the two - later three - of them.
I'm sorry, sister. Luna thought as a tear dripped down her cheek. I have failed you.
One second passed, then another. Luna felt a sharp, painful tug on her leg and nearly collapsed as Nightmare's horn smoothly slid out of her wound. Her eyelids shot open to see that Nightmare was no longer looking in her direction; instead, the evil mare's attention had turned to the open entrance.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Nightmare said, a sinister smile on her face. "My darling pawn makes his long-awaited appearance, is it?"
Luna looked at whatever had caught Nightmare's attention and her eyebrow rose at the sight. A denizen from the forest had dared to enter the location of the alicorns' combat. The evening sun, so representative of the boundary between the day and the night, stood in the sky directly at its back, preventing her from seeing any more than its silhouette.
That was more than enough. It looked extremely similar to the creature that had been working with the changelings but there were enough different enough to make it clear that this was a separate individual. Luna drew herself up to her full height and glared at the newcomer, though the effect was spoiled somewhat when she accidently put some weight on her injured leg and it almost gave out under her.
She had heard of this creature from the foals. This was the creature of Discord's that was to blame for Nightmare Moon possessing Celestia.
A quiet growl escaped Luna's throat. She was going to destroy this creature.
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I'm interested to see how John is going to beat Nightmare Moon, since it just wouldn't do for Discord's champion and/or for Luna to die.
Human, meet Nightmare.
Nightmare, meet Human Nightmare?
Ah, Mr Anderson, Weve been expecting you.
Man.... No mater what happens, this is the best Discord I've ever seen.
3962553 The last time the two tangoed, John shoved Celestia's horn into her chest. As is clearly noted here, Nightmare couldn't pull it out.
I'm sure he'll manage in a very satisfying way.
I find that in most fictions, spinoffs or not, most intelligent species have a mental function that when their brain recognizes a superior race (much as in a sci fi book I once read where advanced alien species enslaved midevil age empires, not whites are superior to blacks or the other way around) they fall to them. We as humans do not have this and as a result have a stronger will and increased violence as well as we can develop technology faster (average 2-3 times faster). I find that mlp ponies have this to a point but to a point because they are taught by celestial to be harmonious and not violent. This makes their will weaker. Long story short the humans find each other and dominate the planet and also john wins.