> The Cult of Nightmare Moon > by Forgotten Legends > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 Birth of the Cult and the Shadowbolt Elite > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cult of Nightmare Moon started a thousand years ago when Luna grew tired of her sister’s day. Luna had a strong group of subjects who slept in the day and were awake at night. Luna met with them every twelve days, because she knew that she would get one day away from her duties. Luna kept her Nightmare self a secret until the night before the summer solstice. Then on the fifth summer solstice she made her move. Luna refused to lower her moon, but when Celestia tried to reason with her she had had enough. Luna turned into Nightmare Moon and threatened to end her sister’s life. Celestia kept trying to reason with her, but when Luna hit her with a strong blast of magical energy Celestia was forced to take drastic measures. Celestia took the most extreme measures possible, Luna left her with no choice but to use the elements of harmony. She lifted each element and shot a powerful rainbow colored beam at her sister. Luna scream as she felt the elements sending her to the moon. The cult sensed that their goddess was in trouble and looked up at the moon and saw their goddess on the surface. The cult used a powerful spell to create a gate for their goddess to escape from the moon. They had made it possible for her to leave the moon behind as well as that foolish princess. Their goddess formed an aerial stunt team and gave them alicorn powers. The team was called the Shadowbolts. They would make sure that her powers would remain even if Luna regained control over her evil self. The cult used the abandoned castle as a hideout. They knew that the elements were stored here so using a magic spell they had created they disconnected Celestia from the elements of harmony. The cult knew their goddess would come back at full strength to rule over Equestria. They had put a spell on the element of magic that only let a truly powerful unicorn wield its power. The cult saw that a group of six ponies on the night of their goddess’s release from her prison. They knew that they had to stop these ponies on that fateful night. So they spent their time working on their skills with their alicorn powers. The Shadowbolts were planning something even bigger in case their plan to help their goddess failed. They were planning to make the six into Nightmares to create a powerful team to destroy that wretched princess Celestia. They formed an alliance with an even more powerful god, Discord. They told him that he would break free once the six took possession of the elements. Discord liked the idea of becoming free once more. They told him that they needed to learn how to perform his discording spell. They told him that if he was reinprisoned that they would raise a filly as a being of chaos. Discord liked the thought of having a chaotic spawn to keep chaos spread in Equestria. They had a member become mysteriously pregnant. She gave birth to a pink filly she had no irises in her eyes. Her eyes were a swirling pattern. They made sure that she was given the powers of her father figure. They named her Screwball and they implanted false memories so she would see discord as her father. They trained her in use of her powers so she would have full control of her own abilities. Screwball had put several things into the world. Screwball did as her foster parents told her to do. Screwball had created anger, greed, disloyalty, cruelty, and lying. She had put these on the elements of harmony, so when the six took control of them they would turn into their polar opposites when discorded. The cult put the young filly in a magical sleeping room, so that she wouldn’t grow up and die before she met her dad. Screwball slept through the centuries waiting for her awaking. The cult had grown and had new powerful members that would make it easier to revive their goddess Nightmare Moon. They knew that they failed their goddess would never forgive them. Then the cult had members join the royal guard. They knew that Celestia would probably be looking for a new element of magic bearer. They knew that that unicorn would have extremely powerful magical abilities. The cult also had an agent in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. They had her as a judge to see if the unicorn could join the school. Then one day a purple unicorn came to the school, she was named Twilight Sparkle. They were about to fail her, when all of a sudden an explosion caused her to use an enormously powerful magic spell. She had grew the baby dragon and turned them into plants. Then the agent’s enemy Princess Celestia stepped in stopped the unicorn’s powers and made Twilight her personal protégé. The agent reported back to her fellow members about the find. The cult knew they had found the key ingredient for the elements of harmony, and they knew that they had to keep her from making friends. The cult put a spell on her so that she would prefer to be a loner over having friends, because they knew that if she made friends that would be disastrous. They sought out ponies who got their cutie marks on that day. They found two pegasi, two earth ponies, and a unicorn pony. They saw that the pegasi Rainbow Dash was always loyal to her friends, but she wanted to be a part of the Wonderbolts. The other pegasi Fluttershy was so kind and gentle, but she had a side viscous she kept well controlled. The one earth pony Applejack grew up without a mom and dad. All she had was her grandma, big brother, and baby sister. The other earth pony Pinkie Pie had a sad life, up until she saw that rainbow and became happy. Pinkie Pie had made life for her family happy. And finally the unicorn Rarity was dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. She was so generous that she put exquisite gems on the costumes. They knew that these six if they became friend it would ruin their plans. So the night of the six trying to get the elements they tried to keep them apart. Their plan backfire much to their horror, and the six became the new bearers of elements of harmony. So the Shadowbolts set their plan into action, and they told the others the plan. They kept hidden but put things in motion and made a new group, The Legion of Shadows. They took six hardened pegasi criminal members and made them into the new Shadowbolt elite team. > Chapter 2 The Shadowbolt Elite's Members and their Plans > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The members of the Shadowbolt elite are the most dangerous members of the cult. They have different background and skills. Each one of the six has different ties to the world around them. Each of the six have different powers. Some powers are scary, some beautiful, and some are downright demented. They are led by a former Wonderbolt member and Spitfire’s older sister. We will start with Blackfire, Spitfire’s big sister and Shadowbolt elite leader. Blackfire was hoping that her grandpa and former captain would make her captain. She was furious when her grandpa the captain, made her sister Spitfire a rookie, the new captain. She threaten to end her grandpa’s life for this insult when she was on the team for six years and had made it to third-in-command and her sister started just a week ago. Blackfire was promptly arrested and put in jail for three months. After she got out she found an aerial stunt team needing a captain. Blackfire joined and formed a team using her prison buddies a members. They were given alicorn powers by the Cult of Nightmare Moon. Blackfire had given special powers to her team but kept herself stronger than them. She can turn into mist and fly faster than light itself. Now we move on to the co-captain Bluebell Blitz, She is the younger sister to Soarin’, despite this she has a scary past. She was the manager at the Rainbow Factory. After the boss closed the factory she was found out by the police after which she was promptly arrested. When her big brother found out he tried to kill her, because he found out his baby sister is a cold blooded killer. Broken hearted she left never to see him again, she met Blackfire in prison the two talked and decided that if they got the chance they would destroy the Wonderbolts. Her powers include the ability to see what her enemies are doing and manipulating emotions of her enemies. Now we move onto Night Storm, he is the fastest member next to Blackfire. Night Storm is the boss of the Manehattan Mafia he is the one who funds all of the project for the Cult of Nightmare Moon itself. He was arrested selling magic grass potions to young colts and fillies, little did he know that the potions killed those poor kids. He was arrested and put in a prison where he met Blackfire, but his fellow member paid for him to get out. Now Night Storm felt bad for his five newest friends he had made so he paid for them to get out of prison. Now because of that he is a Shadowbolt, he enjoy spreading fear in Equestria. Night Storm’s powers include the ability to manipulate the wings of all winged creatures he has ever met. Night Storm has killed several of the police that arrested him and raped their children and families. Now we are on to Nightshade, she is unique compared to the rest of the team, because she is a bat winged pegasi. She was at one point a royal guard bent on single handedly turning Princess Luna back to Nightmare Moon. If it wasn’t for a stinking new recruit named Lightning Blitzstar. She despised the lunar princess more than Celestia, her reason being she turned in Nightmare Moon then turned back to normal stating that she would never become that psycho-slut ever again. The cult when they worshiped her they would mystically put all the mares in the group into heat. Now onto her powers she can alter how events will play or have played out to an extent, she made it so it was a cover up of a plot she is still a cult spy in the guard. Now we move on to the double terror team Crash & Burn, now these two pegasi are extremely dangerous. They were a killer duo who worked for hire, they had killed several ponies that were seen as a threat to their fun. They were arrest by the royal guard and put in a mental asylum. Blackfire knew them because she had hired them before. Blackfire had Night Storm bust them out so they could join them. Now Crash he was born in to the Canterlot nobles, here is the thing though he was beaten and abused by his parents and older siblings. One day he had had enough of the abuse and his killed his entire family in cold blood. His powers include being able to telekinetically pull the blood through the eyes of her targets. Now Burn she was born and abandoned to die by her parents, she would have died if it wasn’t for Screwball finding her. Screwball took her to the cult and raised as one of them, and it was there she met her husband Crash. Her powers are she can choke her pony target just by flicking her tail. Now here is the scary part about these two, when they are together they can kill their target just by kissing each other. They are the most feared couple in all of Equestria. They only obey Blackfire and any Nightmare status member of the cult. The two hate being apart for the other. When the group is together they can control the minds of any pony they choose. The cult is going to use them to turn the elements of harmony bearers in a team of six nightmares. The six will be used to turn Luna into Nightmare Moon and banish Luna’s good half to the moon with no escape. Then they will banish Celestia to the moon where the two sisters can watch the darkness fall over Equestria. The cult is using the plan made by the original Shadowbolts. The plan was to turn the elements in a new breed of nightmares, which then they would offer themselves up as a way to create a breed of nightmare guards for the night goddess herself. The Nightmare Six would put themselves in a very fertile heat, so they would become the mothers of new nightmare pony children. So they could give their goddess Nightmare Moon a new army of nightmares. > Chapter 3 The first two Nightmares Magic and Loyalty > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first stage of the cult’s plan was to turn Luna into a partial member. They had Nightshade use her cult abilities to make Luna want to be Nightmare Moon again. Then they planted a spell in her mind that would turn the Element of Magic and Loyalty into nightmares. Once this was done the first stage of their plan was set in motion. The next morning Luna had Twilight come to her room, for a chat. Twilight wanted to talk about who the Cult of Nightmare Moon was. Luna said, “Twilight I forget what all I know. So I have a knowledge spell that I shall cast on you.” Twilight eagerly said, “Go ahead and cast the spell on me!” Luna cast the spell which was actually a modified discording spell. Twilight felt a rush of information and a strange presence overtake her young mind. Now Luna sudden regained her original mind and noticed Twilight’s eyes glowing white. Luna asked, “Twilight are you okay?” Twilight cackled and said, “Of course you foolish Princess!” Luna gasped and said, “You seem different Twilight.” Twilight said, “I am just more knowledgeable on the Cult of Nightmare Moon.” Luna brushed it off as a small incident and Twilight trotted off to her room. Twilight locked the doors and windows and lowered a cover over each one of her windows. She didn’t want anyone to see her transform in a Nightmare. As time ticked by her coat went from lavender to a deep purple almost black and her wings lost their feathers and turned into bat wings. When Twilight awoke the next morning she was completely transformed into a nightmare alicorn. Nightmare Twilight telepathically told the cult she was transformed and was ready to continue on with the plans. Twilight saw her powers gave her the ability to suppress unicorn and alicorn magic. She used a spell to make herself look normal during the day and nightmarish at night. Twilight told the guard she was going to go to Ponyville. Twilight was going to speed along the plan and be close to the hideout. When she got to Ponyville she ran into Rainbow Dash. Twilight knew that the Shadowbolts had tempted her before and she told her there was an elite aerial team she wanted her to meet. Twilight took Rainbow to an old racetrack on the outskirts of Ponyville. She had told her Shadowbolt subjects to meet them at dusk, so they could talk. Twilight took Rainbow to see the old raceway so she could have a new place to practice. Rainbow was amazed by the old raceway, she thought it was the coolest thing she had seen. Rainbow went to the locker room and saw flight suits that were similar to Wonderbolt uniforms. Above one of the lockers was a name Rainbow Spectrum and picture of him in uniform. She looked inside and say a letter in it. The letter said, Dear Honey, I hope can see you again soon, our little filly Rainbow Dash is growing up fast. I hope she will get to meet you soon. She has been accepted in the junior speedster flight camp and she got her cutie mark on her first day. Also she performed you signature move, the sonic rainboom. See you soon your wife, Firefly Rainbow finished reading the letter and saw this locker was her dad’s locker. Then she went to the hall of fame. A book read these are the best members of our flight team the Shadowbolts. Rainbow Dash trotted down and saw a picture of her mom and her dad one right next to each other. Rainbow heard a voice down the hall from where she was at. She trotted over to see who it was. She saw a rainbow tail walk down the fourth hallway. She was hopeful it was her dad, so she flew and tackled the pegasus. The pegasus said, “Hey, hey who are you?” Rainbow said, “I found a letter in a locker and saw it was from my mom, Firefly.” The pegasus said, “Rainbow Dash is that you?” Rainbow Dash said, “Yes daddy it is me!” The pegasi father and daughter gave each other a long overdue hug. Rainbow Spectrum was surprised to see how beautiful his young filly had grown up to be. The two caught up and Twilight found them in the locker room talking. Twilight said, “Rainbow Dash why don’t you join your dad’s team? As a princess I have the ability to get you a good rank in the team.” Rainbow Dash said, “Twilight please can you?” Rainbow Spectrum said, “Princess will you do as you planned to do?’ Twilight cast a spell on Rainbow Dash and she slowly transformed in a nightmare pegasi. Rainbow saw her new stronger body and loved the new her. Her one cyan blue coat was now a Navy Blue and her wings were larger and bat like in design. Rainbow Spectrum said, “Now what can the Shadowbolts do for the first two of the nightmare race.” Nightmare Rainbow said, “Father, I want you to be my personal bodyguard.” Rainbow Spectrum said, “I shall not let anything happen to my baby girl and Mistress!” Nightmare Twilight said, “Rainbow Dash, I am going to cast a spell on you so you are like me.” Rainbow Dash said, “No need to waste you magic, I can alter how ponies see me with a cult abilities.” Nightmare Rainbow activated her magical perception filter so nopony could see how she really looked. The three went back to Ponyville and went to their homes for the night. Rainbow took her dad to her house and took him inside. Her dad was surprised to see how clean her house was. Rainbow set up a room for her dad to sleep in so he could protect her at night. Rainbow wrote a letter to the Wonderbolts saying that she quits she is now captain of the Shadowbolts. The next day she had Derpy fly the letter to the academy. She flew over to her Cloudsdale home to see her mom. Firefly was happy to see her daughter and her husband after so long. The old lovers decided to catch up with each other. Rainbow went to her old room and grabbed her favorite blanket. When she got back down stairs her mom was in her old flight suit. So the three went to see Twilight to receive their first orders.