An unexpected anomaly brings about a new and powerful weapon that inadvertently helped Nightmare defeat Celestia. Nightmare plans on exploiting this new weapon. Little does she know that when you play with fire, you get burned.
An unexpected anomaly brings about a new and powerful weapon that inadvertently helped Nightmare defeat Celestia. Nightmare plans on exploiting this new weapon. Little does she know that when you play with fire, you get burned.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro
On hiatus until I can finish my other projects or find more time to continue writing this as well. Don't worry though, I do have the entire story board written out. I'm not abandoning any of my work.
‘Where am I?’ I struggled to think, to remember what happened, where I was, and more importantly who I was. A dark abyss surrounded me. I breathed faintly as I tried to feel, my body seeming non-existent. I made out thousands of shimmering lights in the far expanse surrounding me. Flashes of distant memories entered my mind; the chaotic emotions flowing through them confused me.
‘Wait,’ I… I remember something. It was important to something I could not recall. I struggled to think hard, the sheer effort of remembering something so important from a mass of images, voices, and emotion were drowning me in a deeper sea of confusion. Putting forth more effort I suddenly recalled what I had forgotten. The shadow… it had been so tempting, so soothing. It promised many things and I took it. I felt relief as the memory spilled forth. Glory, power, reverence, they would all be mine. They were all mine. I was finally the true ruler of Equestria.
A distant nagging pulled at my conscious. Some sort of instinct was screaming at me. The memory pressed harder at me, but I ignored it. I focused on the new feeling burning deep within. It felt… different. After a while it suddenly clicked. It was regret! My smile of victory was short lived as it was replaced again with confusion. Why was I feeling regret? The memory promising great things pressed again on my conscious. I tried to push it away only for it to ground itself harder against me almost painfully. I recoiled and almost lost control of myself as it followed me. The memory was scaring me now. Why would something so great feel so… menacing? I carefully peeked at it again. Instead of listening to the whispered praise I studied it ever so closely. Carefully, I extended my awareness around it and steadied my breathing. The once great promise had something running through it. I couldn’t quite tell what it was but I knew it was wrong; unnatural. I was violently shoved away and it disappeared. A brief bout of panic erupted from me as I looked around and failed to find it.
In my panic induced state another memory burst forth from deep within. The shadow! It wasn’t my friend. It tricked me! Sister! I have to help her! The starry void surrounding me suddenly seemed a lot less inviting. I pushed against it, desperately trying to escape. It didn’t give an inch, furthering my desperate attempts of escape. It reacted by pushing me back, squeezing tighter and tighter. I couldn’t breathe, my lungs aching for air.
‘Tia!’ I silently screamed as the darkness drowned me, enshrouding me in the inescapable black abyss.
Nightmare smirked evilly as she forced Luna back into her prison. Tricking that foolish princess all that time ago had been all too easy. She turned her attention back to her current task. She flew up high into the sky, a dark mist trailing behind the dark alicorn. She truly was the nightmare of foals and ponies alike. She opened her bright cyan eyes, the cat-like pupils focused on the horizon. The dawn was barely visible, the sun failing to rise as Moon had stopped it the second she was free. Concentrating, she pulled mana into her horn and steered the moon over the horizon. With a final tug the moon accelerated into the sky, shining so brightly it lit up the land in a silver light. Nightmare Moon soaked up the light, spreading her limbs wide as the moon filled her with power.
Brimming with energy, the alicorn had a very faint dark purple ambience surrounding her. Her eyes flashed with power as she turned and raced towards the distant castle of Canterlot. The wind streaked past, her specter-like mane waving wildly behind her. In no time she was already above the palace’s airspace. She dived towards the front entrance and slammed into the ground, a small crater forming beneath her.
“Come out Celestia! I know you can hear me!” She yelled loudly, bushes toppling over with the sheer intensity of her voice. After a few moments the ancient wood doors opened, revealing a pure white alicorn. Nightmare smiled and stomped her hoof. “Where are your little guards? Are your playthings too cowardly to stand with you?”
Celestia walked down the short staircase slowly, her eyes never leaving the evil mare before her. “This is between you and me. The guards have nothing to do with it.” Celestia stopped when she was a few meters away. Her eyes softened for a moment. “Sister please. If you can hear me, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were hurting so much! Come back and we can be sisters again.”
Nightmare laughed maniacally, her joy hardening Celestia’s eyes once more. “Ha, ha, ha! You think she can hear you? She’s too busy drowning in her own guilt.” Celestia’s eyes remained stoic, but Moon could detect a slight crack in her façade and decided to exploit it. “It’s pathetic really. The only thing she desires is her own swift death, begging me to end her,” Nightmare lied. “Unfortunately for her I enjoy tormenting that weak minded foal. Watching her shiver in fright when I caress her is just so satisfying.”
Nightmare smiled as Celestia’s face broke into pure rage. She was counting on this; her blinding anger would break her train of thought, causing any plan she had to crumble. “YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!” Part of the stone wall cracked at her voice, the enraged princess pushing off the ground with an impossible speed. Nightmare’s horn lit up as she teleported high into the sky. The sun goddess charged right past where Moon had just been, looking around angrily. She looked up as Nightmare laughed.
“Look at yourself! You can’t even attack somepony accurately even when you have the advantage of surprise!” Celestia flew up into the sky rapidly, moving fast enough to create a shrill whistle in the air. A lance of golden light rocketed up from Celestia, detonating in a giant airburst next to Moon. She was knocked to the side and straightened herself out, shaking the stars out of her vision. She turned in time to receive a wicked hoof strike to her face as Celestia streaked past. Moon reeled back from the blow and allowed herself to drop for a few seconds before flaring her wings, pulling up into a steep arch. She flapped with all her might until she was a few hundred meters in the sky. She turned around and saw Celestia approaching her rapidly.
‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, not going to happen!’ As Celestia came within striking distance Moon teleported behind her. She immediately unleashed a dark stream of magic after the sun goddess. Celestia turned and, seeing the incoming attack, launched her own bright stream of magic. The two super forces collided together, plasma forming from the sheer amount of energy at the point of contact. The two beings stayed locked in position, neither side giving ground. This wouldn’t last for long though as Moon could feel her magic waning from her mass spending of mana. The steady stream of dark magic fell back slightly, Celestia pushing harder to overcome her adversary. Moon was surprised she hadn’t used the Elements yet. Maybe she didn’t even have them. She banished any disruptive thoughts as she pushed back harder as well. Moon had a plan and she only needed a little more time to buy herself for it to be enacted. The moon was directly behind Celestia, the silver orb turning a slight orange as it shifted colors. ‘A… a little more time… before the moon traps her.’ Nightmare thought it only appropriate that the sun goddess face the same punishment as she did, the irony giving her warm fuzzy feelings. She gritted her teeth as she gave it all she had, needing to buy a few more precious seconds.
That’s when the two streams of magic did something peculiar. A huge black dome expanded from the point of contact, purple and gold lightning arching across it like moss growing on a boulder. The dark alicorn saw white specks in the orb and recognized them to be stars. She was however, unable to identify which stars they were. She soon forgot about this as a massive grey and white object the width and height of the dome emerged from the dome in a great show of fire. Both alicorns forgot about each other as they watched the object fly rapidly towards the ground, debris on fire trailing behind it. Moon screamed in agony as a foreign, thing, resonated in her horn. She heard a mare’s voice yelling in her head.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is USAF-SV ‘New Horizons’ calling to control! We are crash landing on an unknown anomaly! Systems critical! Last known location was 13 AU’s out from edge of solar system!” There was a loud amount of static before it continued. “BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!” The object impacted along the valley floor between the other side of the mountain Canterlot sat on and another mountain range. It erupted into flames and split into three large pieces. Multiple explosions rang out as bright balls of flames bloomed from the wreckage.
Moon shook her head and looked at Celestia. She was still clutching her head but seemed to be recovering. Nightmare saw her chance and surrounded Celestia in magic. She rapidly strengthened it as Celestia began fighting against it. With sweat dripping down her face and muscles rippling with fatigue, Nightmare pulled Celestia closer to her. An onyx pendulant appeared on Moon’s chest as she dragged Celestia even closer. A golden aura began funneling from Celestia and into the gem. She screamed as the gem yanked her entire being, physically and mentally, into itself. It pulsed a bright white briefly before dulling down to its original state with the exception of a small white light deep inside. Celestia was gone.
Nightmare laughed manically, reveling in her victory. A bright blue flash reminded her of the burning pile of metal far below. Smiling with curiosity Moon dived towards the wreckage.
Loud alarms dragged Adam from unconsciousness. He opened his eyes and could barely see. The room was dark with a red emergency strobe light interrupting the black void. He closed his eyes as he struggled to remain conscious.
“Adam?!” He heard someone call out. The sound of crunching glass approached him. He felt a pair of hands grab his body armor as he was dragged away from the debris he had been partially buried under. The man slapped his face with the palms of his hands, trying to get him to focus.
“Adam! It’s me, James. Are you okay?” Adam nodded weakly, attempting to stand. “Ah, ah. Take it easy. I’ll carry you okay? We need to get out of here and regroup with any survivors outside. Who knows if this section will go up in flames.”
Adam whined in pain as James hoisted him over his back. Adam faded in and out of consciousness as he watched the floor moving beneath them. He heard the puffs of James’ breath as he continued carrying him out of there. James stopped, jolting Adam awake again. James was breathing very quietly; triggering Adam’s trained instinct to kick in as he copied his breathing. A very faint tapping could be heard. It slowly increased in sound as whatever was causing it approached them. It sounded like it was on the other side of the wall, filling Adam with relieve. Right as it was about to pass them it stopped. Adam felt fear fill up his body as he watched the back of James’ arm slowly rise, the butt of his rifle shifting to sit in his shoulder.
A massive blue shockwave blew out the wall, sending both marines flying into the wall. Adam slumped down onto his side and watched through blurry eyes as an alien figure, illuminated by a bright silver light, stepped through the hole. The dark shape of James got up from the floor quickly. Adam could tell he was crouching and watched as a repeated stream of bright yellow flashes erupted from his figure. Bright purple flashes circled around the alien as it seemed to deflect the rounds. It shifted and charged at James. James tried to roll out of the way but found his feet unwilling to respond. He couldn’t move and Adam watched as James screamed, the alien impaling his fellow brother. His friends form slumped and the alien pulled away from him. Adam felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness, fear welling up inside of him as he could feel the creature looking at him. Before the darkness claimed him he saw the creature approach him and a bright light flared across his vision before succumbing to the void.
The black sheets rose up and down steadily as the strange creature, or ‘human’ as Nightmare had learned, continued to breathe in its slumber. The new queen watched the human from the side of the bed, waiting patiently for him to wake up. She mentally ran through the cover story she planned on giving the human as he would no doubt be confused about his situation. Memory wipes were nasty spells that left the victim in a mass state of confusion and, if not handled properly, could cause the subject to panic, endangering their own life along with any bystanders. Moon thought over everything she had learned.
After Nightmare had brought him back three days ago she attempted to look into his memories, intent on learning about these new creatures and how they could be of use. The memories had flashed by incredibly fast, the alien world and its inhabitants confusing her greatly. She had remembered watching his life through his eyes, the torments and struggles of this ‘Earth’ pleasing her greatly. She had just gotten to the good part when Adam joined the ‘Marines’ of his country when a very strong will pushed her out. She struggled to push past it and all she received was his name, rank, and service number. After listening to the same infuriating sentences and failing to break past his will, she decided to wipe his mind. From what she had experienced he was too big of a threat if he remembered where he came from. Besides, with a little guidance he could become a very powerful ally.
A low moan broke her thoughts as her eyes flicked towards Adam. The marine lifted a hand to his face and rubbed his head. After a moment he stopped. He slowly lowered his hand and gazed up at the ceiling. He blinked a few times before rapidly propping himself up on his elbows. He locked eyes with Moon and froze. Nightmare held his gaze for a minute, watching his muscles clench as he tensed up. Deciding to test the waters she slowly stood up, Adam watching her every move intently. She slowly walked over to the beds edge and stopped. She went to lift a hoof up and climb onto the bed when Adam suddenly pushed himself up against the headboard. Nightmare smiled internally at his cringing form before remembering that she needed to gain his trust.
“Shh, it’s alright.” She slowly pulled herself up onto the bed and inched closer to him. “I’m not going to hurt you.” She stopped when his eyes filled with the intent to run. Moon decided that she was close enough and lied down near his feet. “I am Nightmare Moon, Queen of Equestria and mistress of the night.” She shivered with delight when she heard that said out loud.
Adam stared at her with confusion, slowly calming down as she had made no move to hurt him. He struggled to remember something, anything to help him out in this situation. Finding an empty void, Adam thought over what she said carefully before replying.
“Is that where I am? Equestria?”
Moon smiled and nodded. “Yes. Canterlot to be more specific.”
The name didn’t ring any bells. A drilled instinct forced him to ask the next question. “What happened?”
Adam noticed the dark pony deflate a bit. “You don’t remember?”
Nightmare was extremely proud of her acting skills as Adam shook his head. She went forward with the next step of her plan. “Your kind, humans, have lived in harmony with us Equestrians for a very long time in a neighboring country. My sister however, became corrupt by an evil spirit and attacked your kind. She turned the whole of Equestria against you causing war for many years. After reasoning with Celestia failed I separated from her rule and started a new order, The New Lunar Republic. We fought alongside the humans and, with your technological superiority and guerilla tactics, started defeating the numerous and well resourced Solar Empire. Unfortunately, Celestia harnessed the power of the sun and with a single strike razed your country and its people. This left her incredibly weak and allowed me to banish her, stopping this fruitless war.”
An unending sadness seemed to radiate from Moons eyes as she continued. “When we returned to your country, there was nothing left. I sent out rescue teams and we found nothing. Dust, ashes, and echoes were all that remained. You, on the other hoof, we found in a Solar Guard camp in the middle of the Everfree Forest. After arresting them we hospitalized you. Your wounds sustained from torture were numerous and you were on the brink of death. While magic was able to fix your physical wounds we are unsure how the trauma affected your mental health. The doctors think you may have memory loss. I… I wish I could help you, but I don’t have that kind of power.” She looked away in a false show of shame. “You’ve been asleep here for a few days. I promise that I’ll do anything in my power to help you.”
Adam stared at her for a very long time, breathing in and out slowly as he thought carefully. ‘I’m the last one?’ He stared forward with a blank look, feeling emotionless. There was nothing to feel emotion over, especially since he didn’t even know his own name, much less if he had a family. Moon smiled internally as he bought every word. While he did look lost and confused she was intrigued by his eyes. They were clear and lacked emotion.
‘Perfect.’
Nightmare decided to take a gamble and shuffled closer to him. Adam’s eyes flashed towards her instantly, but he made no move to escape. She continued to crawl towards him until she was right next to him. With a wing she draped him in a sideways embrace. “It’s okay. Nopony can hurt you now.” They stayed that way for a while, Moon rejoicing as she solidified her position with Adam while the human simply tried to remember anything.
They were interrupted when a loud grumble erupted from Adam’s stomach. He looked towards Moon sheepishly while she just smiled at him. “Hungry? I’ll have somepony come right up.” Adam watched as her horn lit up with a very dark blue purple aura. It only stayed that way for a few seconds before disappearing. Moon saw the look of interest on his face.
“See something you like?” She smiled at his look of embarrassment.
“N-no. It’s just that I’ve never seen… whatever that was before.”
“Really? Well, let me ask you this. Do you know your name?” Moon silently let out a breath of relief as he shook his head no. “I’m sorry. You must be suffering from memory loss. You’re name is Adam Larson.” That rang some bells. “You’re a United States Marine and served in Recon Team Echo. That’s all I know I’m afraid. Any records of your life were destroyed.”
Adam nodded. “So, where does that leave us now?”
“Us? Well, I have a new and reformed country to run. I would say you’re welcome to do whatever you like but I think in light of your situation and the war with humans so fresh that you should stay within the safety of the castle.” A sudden thought struck her. “After you eat I’ll show you around. You’ll be an esteemed guest here so don’t hesitate to ask the staff anything. They know their place.”
“I don’t want to be a problem. Is there anything I can do to make myself useful?”
Moon smiled as she came up with an idea. “You can become my assistant if you so wish. That way you have something to do to keep your mind off of things. I could use the company as well.” She suddenly got up and walked off the bed, heading for the door. “Your food is here.” She opened the door right as a brown mare dressed in a chef’s robe and hat raised her hoof to knock, stumbling backwards in fright.
“H-here’s your food as you ordered y-your highness.” She shakily pushed the cart in and withered under the alicorn’s gaze as she awaited further instructions.
“That will be all.” The mare disappeared at inhuman speed. Nightmare shut the door with her magic before turning towards Adam. “I hope you find everything to your liking,” she gestured towards the cart, “you can have whatever you like.”
Adam lifted the blanket off of himself and realized that all he was wearing was his skivvies. He quickly wrapped himself back up and looked at Moon. “Um, do you have any clothes?”
Nightmare smirked as she replied, “Why? Do you need them?” Seeing Adams deadpan stare only sparked further amusement. “We do not have any human clothes. I’ll call a tailor to come take measurements.”
Adam frowned for a moment before he came up with a solution. He stood up and held the blanket out in front of him. He gripped one corner and tossed the rest of it over his shoulder and wrapped it around, tucking the loose end away. He effectively made a toga and looked over himself with a self satisfied smile. He looked up to see Nightmare frowning ever so slightly. He walked over to the cart and opened one lid. His mouth watered as a slight steam wafted from the dish in front of him, carrying the scent of bacon, eggs, and freshly baked bread. He picked up the dish and walked over to the bed’s edge before sitting down. He unrolled a cloth napkin that he had picked up and grasped a fork and knife before digging in with a religious vigor.
He had just reached for a piece of bacon before it levitated away from him and towards Nightmare. He watched as she opened her mouth, a set of fangs greeting him as the strip of bacon disappeared down her gullet. She licked her lips with her eyes closed before opening them and regarding Adam with a very small smile.
“I uh,” Adam cleared his throat, “I thought ponies were herbivores?”
“Most of us are, but some of them are different.”
Adam nodded, still spooked by her smile. He continued eating, Moon still watching him intently as he finished up. With a muffled burp and, “excuse me,” he wiped his lips with the cloth before attempting to take his plate back. He jumped when the cart, his plate, and napkin disappeared in a quick white flash.
Nightmare giggled a bit before she spoke, “Don’t worry about that. Now then, you won’t need that.” Her horn lit up and his makeshift toga vanished, revealing his skivvies in all its masculine glory. Startled, Adam clumsily covered himself.
“Why’d you do that!?”
Nightmare laughed. “The tailor will be here any second.” Just then a knock was heard on the door. “Come in.”
A jet black stallion opened the door. He stepped in wearing a tight black vest with a golden monocle. “Good morning your majesty. You require my services?” He seemed to hold himself a lot more confidently than the room’s previous visitor, a small frown at his lack of respect gracing Moon’s lips.
“While I myself do not, my new friend here does.” The stallion looked towards Adam, his eyes wide with surprise as he took a step back. Nightmare raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
“N-no! I mean, nothing is too big a task for me your highness.”
“Good. Don’t take too long as we have a very busy day today.” The earth pony nodded before stepping closer to Adam, pulling out a tape measure from a hidden pocket. Adam glanced towards Moon and found her busily looking over a piece of parchment on a writing desk located in the corner of her chambers. A sharp metallic rattle distracted him as he found the stallion standing on his hind legs, measuring Adam’s torso.
“Leg- er, arms out please.” Adam complied and scrunched his face as the hot breath of the unnervingly close stallion brushed his face. The tailor didn’t seem to notice as he focused intently on measuring the humans form. The stallion soon finished before peering at his feet inquisitively. “I suppose you’re going to require shoes? Your feet don’t look all that hard at all.”
Adam nodded once, glad that he wasn’t ticklish as the tailor maneuvered his feet one at a time for sizing. “Interesting. I’ll have to see what I can come with. What’s your name?”
“Adam.”
“Well Adam, I’m Silver Thimble. I’ll have some clothes sent up by this evening. The shoes will take some time however as I’ve never seen your kind before. Speaking of wh-“
“That will be quite enough!” Nightmare suddenly appeared in front of the stallion, standing in a fairly aggressive stance. “I believe you said you had some work to do?” Nopony, not even Adam, could have missed the threatening undertone in her voice. The tailor quivered as he bowed lower than physically possible.
“Y-yes your majesty! I’ll b-be on my way!” The stallion crept backwards as fast as possible, his chin practically dragging across the floor as he continued his bow. The doors slammed shut, Adam shocked that splinters of wood haven’t started peeling off of it yet.
“What did he mean by that?” Adam gulped as Moon slowly turned around, a tight lipped smile that almost looked forced planted on her face.
“What ever do you mean?” Adam shook his head, fearing for his own safety as a look of silent murder entered her eyes; who it was for he did not want to find out.
“Nothing.” He cleared his throat and crossed his arms while trying not to look at her directly. “You said something about a tour?”
She took a little longer to answer as she was distracted by his arms, broad shoulders, strong chin, burley chest… She blinked rapidly, banishing her thoughts and the dizziness that accompanied it. “Oh, right. This way.” She opened the door before stopping suddenly. “Um, you’ll need this back.” Her horn lit up again as the previously stolen toga was returned to Adam.
“Uh, thanks.” He rewrapped himself before following Nightmare out the door. They were too far away to hear a slight creaking sound in the room as the portrait overhanging the fireplace shifted ever so slightly, a single strand of black hair falling into the fire.
“And this here is when Celestia finally fell.” Adam nodded as he observed the stained glass in front of him. Moon had just led him through a hallway filled with colored glass portraits of Equestria’s history. The castle was quite fascinating. She had personally shown him around the castle, the gardens, and even the guard barracks. She had made sure to tell the guards on duty that he was no threat and was to be treated as an esteemed guest. Adam had thought that the vampire-like guards looked confused but bowed to her nonetheless.
Adam was really surprised and quite honestly was flattered that the ruler of a country was taking this much time out of her day to give him a tour. He was sure that she was especially busy as the New Lunar Republic was only born a few days ago. “Queen Moon, I-,”
“Please, call me Moon. There is no need for titles between you and I.” Adam nodded in response. “Now then, what were you going to say?”
“I was going to ask, why are you doing this? I’m sure you have more important things to do. You could just have easily had an advisor show me around.”
“True, true. But unlike my sister I care for my subjects and I respect those that are not.” She could almost taste the foul words. “I have made it my personal mission to see that you are set on your hoo… feet before allowing you to go around on your own. You have no home to go to. If it is your wish you can stay here and even become one of my subjects.”
Adam felt uneasy about how quickly she had planned these things out. He mentally shook his head as he reasoned that she was a ruler and meant to have things planned ahead of time. Politics was a chess game after all, one that had many traps in it.
“I’m not sure about becoming a citizen of this nation quite yet Moon. I hope you understand my reserves about jumping into something so quickly with little thought.”
Nightmare’s eye twitched before she responded. “It is perfectly alright. Just know that the offer is still open.”
A bright blue unicorn appeared at the end of the hallway and began making her way towards them. Adam was sure she had a beautiful set of hazel eyes were it not for their dull looking appearance. She lowered her head under Nightmare’s iron gaze.
“Your majesty.”
“What is it Endless Sky?”
“I have come to report that the carriage you requested is prepped and ready to go your highness.”
“Excellent. We shall be there momentarily. Be gone.”
The mare bowed again, refusing to make eye contact or even acknowledge the presence of Adam. She swiftly turned and left the hall rapidly.
Nightmare looked at Adam. “Come, I’m sure you would like to get out of the castle while you have the chance.” They began walking towards the courtyard. “We have an armed escort of my most loyal guards. Anytime you want to go out you must ask me so that I may arrange for an escort. Your safety is paramount and it will only be a matter of time before you can go out by yourself.”
“Are that many peo… er, creatures, still out against mankind?”
She gave him a dead serious look. “You have no idea.”
They stepped outside and walked down a short set of stone stairs. Adam finally got a good look outside and noticed that it was fairly dark outside. Almost like it was dusk. He looked along the horizons and was shocked by what he saw. The moon was blocking out the sun. A solar eclipse.
“Wow…”
Nightmare smirked as she watched Adam admire the eclipse. “Impressive isn’t it?”
“It’s beautiful.” He peered at it closer and noticed something else. “Why is it moving so slowly?”
“It’s not.” Adam looked at her in confusion. “The moon and the sun are not moving.”
Adam spluttered as he attempted to reply. “How is that possible?”
“Magic.” Adam stared at her for a good few moments before quirking an eyebrow. Nightmare frowned at his reaction. She lit up her horn and dragged both celestial bodies along the horizon before it was on the opposite side it was originally on. Adam’s jaw just dropped lower and lower as he watched her controlling huge bodies of matter in space.
Nightmare smirked before walking towards a black carriage. Adam shook himself out of his stupor and began following after her, almost tripping on his toga. Adam nodded politely at the two night guards before climbing in after the queen. He had just barely sat down across from Moon when the carriage began moving. He looked out a window and watched the courtyard go by. He gave an appreciative eye of the architecture. Soon the guards gate house passed by the window and they were out on the streets. He was a little surprised at the lack of ponies out and about. He mentally shrugged, ‘It must be late. I can’t tell if the sun is always covered.’
He glanced back towards Moon and saw her observing him. Adam stared back until he started feeling awkward. He glanced away, watching her still staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He began fidgeting, desperate for her to look somewhere else other than him.
‘What? Is there something on my face?’ Deciding to try and shift her attention to something else he began asking questions. “So, where are we going?”
Much to his relief she glanced out the window. “We are heading towards the new city wall. Much of it was destroyed in the fighting and while I did have it repaired I also arranged for it to have better defenses.” She glanced back at Adam. “It will not be so easy to destroy as it once was before.”
Adam nodded, “And you’re overseeing its construction?”
“Yes, I want to make sure that my design has been followed through to the letter. I will have no mistakes.”
Their ride soon stopped, a guard opening the door for them. Moon stepped out first with Adam following. When he saw the wall he took in a deep breath. It was huge, curving off in the distance on either side as it wrapped around the city. It was also made out of a black stone. Every so often there was an odd outcropping of stone a fair ways up the wall. Adam couldn’t see if it had any discernible purpose. He walked up to the wall and felt it.
“Smooth, is this obsidian?”
“An acute observation. Yes it is. It can withstand much punishment. No explosive, magic, or pickaxe can break through it.”
“And if something else can?”
Nightmare smiled, “I’m glad you asked.” She lit up her horn and Adam noticed a purple glow emanating from the hidden top of those strange protrusions. Suddenly, blue and purple lightning arched along the structures, before a black beam shot out from them and curved inwards towards a beam emanating near the center of the city. A dark blue screen rippled out from the point of contact and ran down along the beams, creating a dome.
“One of the most powerful shields in the known world. It has multiple magic generators powered by magical ley lines crisscrossing throughout the globe. All designed by me.”
Adam whistled. “Wouldn’t want to get on your bad side.”
“Indeed. Come, I’m satisfied with the progress we’ve made.” They both climbed into the chariot and began heading back towards the castle, the shield dropping as they went. Adam looked at the mountain they were perched upon and followed its slope, noticing another mountain chain behind it from this angle. He saw the most peculiar thing. He glimpsed distant tents on the edge of a huge scar in the ground. He was only seeing a small part of the scar but was more interested by the black smoke that was floating from something… nonexistent. It was emanating from a random point in the sky with no source. The curve of the mountainside interrupted his view as the angle changed again.
He looked towards Moon who had her eyes closed, most likely deep in thought. “Where was that smoke coming from?”
Nightmare opened her eyes. “What smoke?”
“Behind the mountain. It was just appearing, almost as if the source was invisible.”
Adam noticed that he gained Nightmares full attention as she sat up straight and looked him dead in the eye. “You are not to go near that place. It is a result of the war and extremely dangerous to approach. I have soldiers and scientists investigating the site.”
Adam nodded, “Understood.”
“Good. Now, we’ll go get your clothes and eat dinner. I have a room arranged for you.” Adam nodded before remaining quiet for the rest of the ride. When they arrived at the castle there were an unusual amount of guards lined in the courtyard. When the carriage stopped Nightmare stepped out quickly. A pegasus in military attire filled with ribbons of every color stepped forward.
“My queen, I bring urgent news.”
“What is it general Steel?”
“We just received a message from the Griffon Empire. They demand that the sun be brought back or they will declare war.”
Nightmare was silent for a few moments before responding, “General, I want every able bodied pony to be drafted and put through a crash course. The griffons are a formidable foe, but they shall be crushed under the iron hooves of the New Lunar Republic. Increase our armament production and… weapon research.”
“As you wish your majesty.”
The general shouted orders to the troops and they began rushing to their duties. Nightmare continued to walk towards the castle with Adam following her.
“Why not bring back the sun? Isn’t it necessary for food to grow and to keep the planet warm?”
Adam expected her to stop as he was sure she didn’t appreciate her actions and decisions being questioned. She however took the question in stride. “The moonlight is enchanted, simulating that of sunlight. Food will still grow and the planet’s climate will stay stable, well at least where the moon is shining. The dark side of the planet is out of luck.”
Adam looked at her incredulously. “So you’re just going to let whatever civilization or life over their freeze to death?”
“Do not worry. The far side of the planet consists of barren deserts, tame less jungles, and endless oceans. There are no known nations in existence.”
Adam nodded, feeling slightly better. Nightmare led him to what seemed to be a random door before they entered. Adam could see cloth, needles, sewing machines, and other equipment scattered throughout the room. Silver Thimble was currently lacing a very simple looking tennis shoe. When Nightmare cleared her throat Thimble jumped.
“Your majesty! Please forgive my ignorance to your arrival.”
“It is of no matter. Have you finished creating appropriate wear for Adam?”
“I have,” Silver levitated a neat pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. “This is all I had time to create but I will continue to make an assortment of clothes until requested otherwise. I also have his shoes finished your highness.”
Nightmare took them with her magic and levitated them to Adam. “You did well, continue to do so and you shall be rewarded.” Thimble bowed as the two left his domain. After pausing to change quickly they began walking down the hall again.
“Is the clothing sufficient?”
Adam felt surprisingly comfortable in clothes that were freshly made, especially the shoes. “They’re perfect. Although, I’m going to need socks.”
Nightmare stopped and looked directly at him. “For what reason do you need erotic clothing?”
Adam looked at her in extreme confusion. “E-exuse me?”
“Socks, they are worn as a costume for bedroom activities.”
Adam shook his hands out in front of him, as if trying to stop her line of thinking. “No, no, no. It’s not like that, at least not for me. Socks prevent my feet from getting chafed and blisters. It’s also sanitary.”
Nightmare thought slowly before nodding. “Yes, your feet are fleshy and are not very tough like a hoof.”
Adam nodded, glad that they had gotten off of her line of thinking. They soon reached the dining hall where an assortment of food awaited them. Adam noticed that there were only two chairs at the long table. “Will no one be joining us?”
“I requested that we would dine alone.” Adam obediently sat on the chair on the long side of the table as he figured the head of the table was for Moon. Nightmare settled down as well before gesturing to Adam to dig in. Adam gladly accepted and ate his fill of exotic meats, vegetables, and succulent fruit. The wine was quite excellent as well. Adam stifled a burp as he wiped his lips with a napkin. He looked towards Moon who had an amused smile.
“You can certainly pack it away.”
“Thank you. It was very generous.”
“It was my pleasure. Now, I have a very busy day tomorrow and if you wish to accompany me you will need your rest. I will show you to your room.”
Adam stood up and followed Moon as she led him through the confusing hallways. When they stopped Adam noticed that the grand doors of Nightmare’s room were right across from his. She opened the door for him and revealed a very nice guest room. It consisted of a large bed, a balcony, a writing desk, and another door to which he assumed was a bathroom.
“I trust you find this satisfactory?”
Adam nodded, “This is more than I could have asked for. Thank you very much.”
“It is no problem I can assure you. If you need anything simply tug on the hanging rope by the bed.” She turned and opened the doors to her room. “Goodnight Adam.”
“Goodnight.” Her door closed, leaving Adam standing halfway in his room. He again mentally thanked her before stepping inside and closing his door. He walked over to his bed and saw a note laying on his bed. Picking it up, he opened it and read.
‘A reminder, if you wish to attend court ask the door guard to escort you there when you awaken. The light’s will turn off by clapping your hands.’ ~Nightmare Moon~
Adam placed the note on his desk before walking to his bed where he stripped, sliding into the heavenly sheets. He sighed and could already feel the day’s events wearing him down. He clapped his hands, plunging the room into darkness. The sweet embrace of sleep soon claimed him.
------------------------------------------------
The ground was vibrating from an unseen source, loud mechanical noises whirring past. Adam looked around and noticed that he was in a tunnel of sorts. People walked past him, their upper faces enclosed by a blue curved screen that glowed gently. He could hear muffled conversations emanating from the visors as they were somehow able to pass others without running into anything. Adam walked alongside one of them and waved his hand in front of their face. When they didn’t respond Adam tried to touch them, only to pass right through their body. Realizing this must be a dream he ignored them and decided to walk towards one of the ends of the tunnel. When he reached it he was shocked by what he saw. Massive towers of rectangular glass spiraled and disappeared into the sky. There were floating lines of machines racing between these structures, some of them lowering down to the ground and moving along the ground while seemingly floating. He watched as the side opened and people got out, the weird head visor things mounted on them as well.
He wandered around, dodging the endless swarms of machines even if he could just walk through them. He eventually reached a large bay and looked at the water. It was a rusty red color with junk floating on the surface. He walked along the concrete path until he reached a series of massive docks. He could see massive containers being moved around by floating machines emitting a blue glow. They pushed them into these massive towers that stretched into the sky. He saw the machines leave the spire and close a set of steel doors. The whole platform the containers sat on rocketed upwards within the spire, disappearing into oblivion. A dull roar caught his attention and he looked out across the bay. He could see massive structures moving away from a very large object. The roar emanated from slight blue vent ports along the bottom. With a loud whine it shuddered and rose into the sky, a set of very large cylinders on the back igniting with more blue lights. They flared brightly and the ship accelerated into the clouds. Adam was dumbstruck as he watched something flightless rise impossibly fast.
The dream suddenly began crumbling around him as he began waking up…
Adam felt someone grabbing onto his arms and desperately shaking up. “Wha-,” A hard object clamped over his mouth, effectively shutting him up.
“Shh! She might hear you!” someone whispered. Adam opened his eyes and identified the intruder as a black mare, her bright golden eyes shining in the dark. Adam calmly took her hoof off his mouth.
“What’s going on? Who are you and what are you doing here?” Adam whispered back.
“You’re in danger!”
“Danger? From who?”
She suddenly looked behind her towards the door. “I don’t have much time but you must listen! The dark queen is lying to you! If you value your life you’ll follow me. I can take you somewhere safe, with friends.”
Adam shook his head. “Why should I believe you?”
“I overheard your discussion with the Nightmare. She lied, there was no war with your kind.”
“Wait, what?”
“Three days ago the night and day fought, the sky was alight with fire as they fought. Something happened, a huge fireball fell from the sky.” The hoof steps of a guard walking past was heard, the mare stopping and peering at the door with her ears up. When they became faint she looked back at Adam. “Quick, we have to leav-,”
The door burst open and the mare screamed in pain as lightning struck her, knocking her off the bed. Adam sat upright and saw Nightmare walking into the room, her horn lit up as she levitated the struggling earth pony towards her.
“What’s this? A solar spy in my castle? Bothering and filling my guests head with lies no less?”
The mare struggled and looked at her defiantly. “You mean your prisoner?”
Nightmare laughed. She turned to the guards standing behind her. “Take her away.” The guards complied and the mare shrieked in protest, fighting the whole time she was dragged out of the room.
“Don’t believe a word she says! She is the enemy! Look for the cras-,” her words were silenced as she finally disappeared down the hallway. Nightmare was staring at Adam with a serious look.
“I’m sorry about that Adam. I will increase the security and make sure to find any other solar spies among the staff.” Adam nodded, still confused. “Come, you will sleep in my chambers tonight.”
Adam coughed slightly, “Is that necessary?”
“But of course. Who’s to say the next interruption won’t be an assassination attempt against you?” Adam nodded unsurely before following Nightmare into her room.
“Weather is good, flight path is good, all monitors are green. What’s your status over?”
“Pre-flight checks out, all systems green, over.”
“New Horizons you are clear for atmosphere exfil. Countdown at 30 and falling, over.”
“Solid copy Control, ready to rock, over.”
“Good luck and godspeed. Control out.”
Adam listened carefully through the radio, trying to make sense of everything he had just heard. He was strapped in a rather uncomfortable seat, wearing a strange digital uniform that seemed to be airtight as his head was engulfed in a helmet. He could see a timer in the lower left hand of his visor counting down from 20 seconds. He looked left and right, seeing more people dressed similarly sitting on either side of him. He felt someone tap on his shoulder.
“Hey Adam, you alright?”
Adam didn’t know who the man next to him was and attempted to voice his very thoughts. He was surprised when he heard his voice as it was saying something else other than what he had intended.
“Ah, this is nothing. You remember the time we dropped from the Sky Falcon? They had AA all over the place. That was more intense than this.”
“10 seconds…”
“Yeah, I remember you screaming like a little girl!”
“Oh, shut it James!”
This ‘James’ sported a grin as he nodded and looked forward again. “Reckon we’re going to find anything out there?”
Adam was still attempting to catch up to everything they were saying. From what he could make out the man named ‘James’ was a friend. He felt his vocal cords tense as he began to speak again. “What? You mean aliens? Psh, it’s all dust and rock out there.” “3 seconds…”
The ship began to vibrate as the engines spun up, causing Adam to unwillingly clench up. Adam felt his gut move as the ship picked up momentum, the VTOL thrusters firing madly to lift the behemoth off the ground. James stared straight ahead as he responded, “I can’t help but feel that something big is going to happen.”
Adam, while holding down his lunch, rolled his eyes. “We’re going farther in space than anyone has ever been to before. This is a big thing.” James just shook his head.
“I got a bad feeling.”
“You always do.”
Adam wanted to look around more and ask James more questions but he felt the ship and people around him slipping away. He watched the picture flash out of existence. The darkness was his only company as he attempted to piece together what he had just seen. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a low roaring echoing in the blackness. A distant light caught his attention, the flashing beam racing closer. The roar suddenly became deafening as the light turned into flames and rushed past him. He found himself in the ship again, hanging on to a piece of yellow cargo netting. His arms burned with fatigue as the ship shuddered heavily, flames shooting past everywhere. He heard screaming and explosions, the ship whining louder and louder. A chunk of the wall ripped away, revealing a black sky. His fears of being sucked into space were overridden when he realized that they were crash landing within the atmosphere of… somewhere. His dream halted when the ship crashed heavily, thrusting him into the land of the living.
Adam jolted out of bed, cracking his head on the headboard. He hissed in pain while clutching his throbbing temples, the pressure providing slight relief. An ice cold wave replaced the pain, causing Adam to sigh.
“How is that?”
Adam froze before turning around, catching sight of Nightmare Moon as she regarded with a slight smile. The Marine breathed deeply, settling his nerves.
“Much better thank you.”
Moon continued to eye Adam critically before snuffing loudly. “You had a nightmare didn’t you?” Adam nodded faintly, not surprised that the magical queen of the land could deduce the truth.
Moon climbed out of the bed and stretched luxuriously, her bones popping lowly. She sighed before using her magic to grab her royal regalia. “You’d better get dressed my assistant. We have quite a day ahead of us.” Adam nodded before slipping out of bed, well aware that he was still in his undergarments. Nightmare Moon opened her chamber door and pointed to his door across the room. “I expect there to be new clothes for you in your room. After you get dressed have the one of the guards bring you to me.”
She turned to her right and walked down the hall. “See you in a bit then!” Adam called. He entered his room and found a parcel lying on his bed. He walked over to it and pulled the twine tie apart, unraveling the mailing paper. Inside he found two sets of clothes, both of them being more classy and formal. He struggled slightly as he was unused to such clothes before smiling in triumph. He stepped out of his room and approached the closest guard he could find, eyeing the armored equine with caution.
Adam cleared his throat, “The Queen asked that I be guided to the courtroom please.”
The guard brazenly eyed Adam before snorting. The guard, a male judging by his broad stature, led Adam through the hallways. Adam took the time to think about his recent nightmare, still attempting to figure out all that had happened. Pieces of it had faded away and continued to do so as his subconscious began forgetting the dream. Adam was grasping at thin air at one point, all but giving up on figuring it out. He was able to come to one conclusion. He was a part of an event that seemed to be bigger than he could imagine; and it had gone horribly wrong.
The guard stopped when they reached a large set of wooden doors, a recurring theme that Adam did not fail to notice. Adam opened one of the doors, as the guard had gestured for him to do so, and entered the voluminous chamber. He could see a set of square stone slabs leading up to the massive stone throne. Nightmare Moon was currently occupying the throne, her draconic eyes watching Adam’s approach.
“How nice of you to join us.” Adam stopped at the foot of the stairs and made to kneel before Moon raised her hoof. “Adam, we have had this discussion before. While I do expect respect you are not my subject. Please, treat me more as an… equal, if you will.”
Adam stood straight, “Yes ma’am.”
“Excellent. Now, being an assistant to the crown is a tedious duty and you have many things to learn. For now we’ll start with more trivial things, such as observing the environment and workings of the Royal Court.” She opened her left wing, “You shall stand beside me and pay careful attention.”
Adam nodded and climbed up to the spot Moon had gestured towards. He faced forward and clasped his hands behind him, standing at parade rest. Moon retracted her wing, nodding with satisfaction. She shifted in place before facing forward as well.
“Bring in the first visitor!”
Adam watched the doors open on the far end of the very long chamber. A purple earth pony walked through the threshold and headed towards the throne. The mare kept her head low as she slowly trudged to the foot of the stairs. She was visibly shaking as she knelt on her knees, daring not to look the dreaded queen in the eye.
“What is your name?”
“My name is Budding Radish, your majesty.” While Adam could clearly see that the mare was beyond terrified she did speak rather strongly. The fact that she was still scared bothered Adam but he figured that the citizens were probably afraid of their new ruler’s wrath due to their allegiance with the sun tyrant.
“And why have you come here?”
“Your majesty, I am concerned about the future of Equestria’s crops.”
“Ah, you are a farmer?”
“Yes, from Minneighsota your majesty.”
“What reason gives you concern?”
“The crops are showing signs of mutation your highness. I fear that the lack of sunlight will make them inedible.”
Nightmare Moon stared at the mare who still kept her head low, well aware that she had the queens attention. “As I have already stated throughout the kingdom the moonlight is enchanted and will produce crops just as efficiently as the sun had. You need not worry yourself.”
“With all due respect my queen, I have to disagree. While I may just be a simple farmer I do know my crops. The crops are being altered due to the unnatural and magical influence of the light. The sun’s natural light did not tamper with the genetics of the plant life. If I could jus-,”
“Enough!” The mare shank in fear, quivering more violently before. Nightmare’s glare was focused intently on the mare as she continued. “As you have stated before Ms. Radish, you are but a simple farmer and therefore are not qualified to make such claims. Your crops will continue to grow, feeding you and your nation. You will go home and continue doing your duty. Leave the science to the professionals. Have a good night, you are dismissed.”
The mare nodded and kneeled one more time before galloping out of the room, tears streaming down her face. Nightmare glanced towards Adam out of the corner of her eye. “She will learn to trust the judgment of those in charge.” She eyed Adam carefully, “What do you think?” Adam fidgeted as he thought of a way to respond. Nightmare smiled as she added, “Do not hesitate to speak your mind. You are my assistant and one of your rolls will be a separate source of opinion to confide in.”
Adam breathed deeply, “I think that she may have known what she was talking about.” When Nightmare eyed him incredulously he continued, “She is a farmer and by the sounds of it she’s a good one, especially if her name is anything to go by. She can probably notice when something is afoot when it involves her livelihood. I would have asked her if she had any proof of it.”
Nightmare nodded slowly, thinking carefully about what Adam had said. “You argue a good case. I’ll see to it that someone looks into this.” She smiled at Adam, “You’re doing an excellent job already. You’ll make a fine assistant in no time.”
Adam only smiled nervously before looking forward at the sound of more hoof steps. Adam’s eyebrows lifted when he saw the swagger the approaching pony carried himself with. The baby blue unicorn was groomed to perfection, some of the mares waiting in line swooning at his presence. The stallion didn’t even pretend to not notice this and encouraged it with a flick of his shiny gray mane. The mares promptly fainted. He arrived to the foot of the throne and bowed with a huge sweeping gesture with his hoof. When he looked back up he winked at the queen, his confidence not faltering in the slightest when Nightmare’s disapproving and cold gaze drilled right back at him.
“What is your name, brazen one?”
The stallion cleared his throat, ensuring that his voice would be most eloquent. “My name is Deep Pockets, your majesty. And I have co-,”
“Do not speak further unless invited to, Mr. Pockets.” Moon commanded, irritated at the stallions rather brash ego. “If I recall correctly, you are a member of the surviving noble houses are you not?”
“House Cheapskate, my queen.”
“Yes,” she replied with clear dissatisfaction, “It is as I thought. What can the crown do for you Mr. Pockets?”
“I have come to discuss the momentous problem our nation faces, your highness. If not addressed immediately I fear the repercussions it will have upon all of Eq-,”
“Get to the point, Mr. Pockets. I am a rather busy mare.”
“Er, right. Well, I fear that you are being robbed!”
Nightmare looked upon the stallion carefully, attempting to understand just what exactly he was saying. “Robbed? By whom?”
“Everypony!”
At this point, Moon was just confused. “How so?”
“The tax rate of course! It is much too low and is being used in an insufficient manner.”
The dark alicorn stared at the stallion with a deadpan so dense that Adam’s brain began to hurt. “You believe that the system set by me is insufficient?”
The stallion nodded eagerly. “By spending the treasury on weapons manufacturing, we approach an economic collapse unlike any we’ve ever seen! All those bits will no longer be distributed among other businesses. Shops will close and ponies unemployed. It will be anarchy!”
“And what exactly do you suggest I do?”
“Why, pay the noble houses for our services!”
Nightmare leaned back into her throne and rubbed her head with a fore hoof, regretting ever allowing remnants of the nobles to survive. “What services might you offer?”
“With our influence and contracts we will be able to keep money circulating by investing in multiple businesses. Said businesses will benefit the production of equipment for our impending war.”
Nightmare shook her head. “Said businesses are under your control as you have stated Mr. Pockets. You would receive a direct pay from the crown while seemingly give us exactly what we need. Unfortunately, you would have the power to charge me exactly what you want and can, at any point ground the war to a halt. You would threaten the outcome of the war. I reject your offer and demand that you leave before I change my mind about allowing your house to live on.”
The stallion sputtered before replying, “What about the imminent layoffs? Everypony will be working in the factories, causing a severe demand for other necessities!”
“When we conquer Griffonia there will be plenty of goods to go around. Now, be gone!”
The stallion was rallied by two lunar guards, forced towards the entrance. “Wait! I didn’t get to propose marriage to you yet!”
“Stop!”
Adam watched the two lunar guards step away from the stallion, listening to their queen without question. Nightmare Moon stared at Deep Pockets with barely suppressed disgust. “What did you say?”
“Marriage. I come to claim your hoof in marriage.”
“And why would I marry you?”
“Well a queen must need a king now wouldn’t she? Why not somepony of high class like me? Besides, you obviously need help for your short falls in controlling a modern nation.”
Adam slowly began backing up as he could feel the air around Nightmare Moon dropping in temperature. Her eyes flashed white and the stallions smile dropped for the first and perhaps the last time…
“Court is adjourned for an hour long recess,” Nightmare Moon called out, sighing loudly as she rose from her stone dais. “Come Adam.” She walked down the stairs and headed through the courtroom, her silver horseshoes cracking the broken glass beneath her. Adam glanced out the hole in the wall where a window had previously occupied. It was a long drop.
Adam followed Nightmare into the main foyer before the courtyard. The room was filled with ponies milling about, waiting for their turn to talk with the queen. Nightmare and Adam walked through the space that they cleared, allowing them to exit the far doors. The sight on the other side was strangely familiar to Adam. Armored ponies rushed about, miscellaneous crates were being loaded and unloaded, and uniform lines of guards were drilling. The Drill Sergeant was screaming at a recruit who was chest deep in the mud, struggling to fulfill his orders. Adam instinctively straightened, the presence of the yelling pony urging him to pay closer attention to his surroundings. Nightmare stood still, watching her soldiers hustle about.
“General Steel!”
Adam about faced quickly as Moon called out. The pegasus she had addressed quickly maneuvered his way through the yard, saluting stiffly. “Reporting, your majesty.”
“How are we progressing?”
“We are ahead of schedule. There was little resistance to the draft and equipment deliveries are pouring in at a steady rate.”
“And the Griffons?”
“Mobilizing. There are several large invasion forces building at strategic hard points along our border ma’am.”
Adam continued to listen intently, his eyes still roving around the yard. A small wagon rattled past, a particularly nasty patch of cobblestone causing it to shudder violently. A large green case slipped out the back, landing on the ground with a dull thud. The metallic ring drew the two ponies and humans attention. The wagon stopped and the driver hurriedly unharnessed himself. Adam’s attention was zeroed in on the case, more particularly, the writing on the case.
“USMC?”
Nightmare’s gaze locked onto Adam, searching for any change in his demeanor. General Steel was currently yelling at the driver for not properly securing cargo and potentially damaging it. The name had a familiar ring to it. Adam watched as the driver placed it back onto the wagon, securing it down under the watchful gaze of the General. The wagon pulled away and Nightmare nudged Adam towards the castle.
“What was that?”
“It’s classified, but what I can tell you is that it can potentially tip the war in our favor.”
Adam thought for a moment, struggling to break through the fog that clouded his mind. Nightmare continued to subtly eye him, wary of his attempts to recall his past.
“You said I was a Marine right? A soldier from… what did you call it? The United States?” Nightmare nodded, prepping a stun spell if he continued thinking down such a dangerous tract. “USMC…” It suddenly clicked. “United States Marines. I don’t know what the ‘C’ stands for but did that come from my country?”
Nightmare decided that out right lying would not be wise and that she could still potentially save the situation. “Yes, it is.”
Adam smiled excitedly. “Can I see it?”
“No.” Moon’s simple but blunt response gave Adam pause. “Before you ask why you need to understand that there were things that your people did that are considered to be war crimes. Mind you, you didn’t wipe out an entire country. You were however developing weapons that would devastate a country.”
Adam’s mind attempted to wrap around such a device. He chose his next words carefully. “Did we use one?”
“No, but you certainly had a plentiful amount of them. I cannot allow you to see it until we have deemed it safe and have disarmed the weapon.”
The Marine nodded, albeit reluctantly. Adam believed that if he could see something like it that it could potentially spark more of his memories. Nightmare smiled at Adam. “Don’t worry Adam; I’m sure you’ll remember soon.” When Adam still didn’t improve in mood Nightmare attempted a different angle. “Hey, cheer up! We have a celebration to attend to tonight! Relax, have some fun. It’ll be a good time.”
“Party?”
Nightmare tilted her head, “Well, it’s more of a formal gathering acknowledging the end of Celestia’s rule and the beginning of a new age.”
“Ah.”
Shaking her head, Moon continued a brisk trot. “Come, we need to get some formal clothes for you.”
Adam did not envy Silver Thimble.
The air was filled with joyous music, the low murmur of conversation underlying the sound. The cavernous room was brightly lit, revealing beautiful shades of colored cloth hanging from the walls and being worn by the occupying ponies. There was a large table piled high with food as well as numerous dining tables for one to take a moments respite and chat with friends. The center of the room was cleared into a dance floor, revealing the cool marble beneath. At the back of the room was an elegant wooden platform for performers to peacefully share their namesake.
Adam was honestly having a good time. There was food, music, and quite surprisingly, good company. What more could a guy want? Well, let’s not discuss that.
Finishing off a rather delicious pasta, Adam wiped his mouth with a napkin, reaching for his wine glass after. Nightmare was currently somewhere else in the room, no doubt having to play the game of politics with the nobles of the room. The human swirled his glass, sipping from it periodically. His eyes were drawn to the band stage as another musical number began playing, the sad song of a very talented cello player catching his utmost attention. Closing his eyes and focusing on the music, Adam cancelled out the drone of conversation and listened as the music pulled at his emotions, allowing him to truly appreciate the power and message music could bring to one. He opened his eyes and glanced about the nobles with disinterest. The ponies were well dressed, no doubt attempting to create a flashy display of wealth and influence. The Marine did not care for such antics and instead dragged his gaze away.
He honestly didn’t know what he should be doing. He was not used to a crowd with the current air oozing from them. Setting his wine down and leaning back, Adam noticed that the vaulted ceiling was painted. His curiosity peaked, Adam’s eyes roved about the massive art piece. It was split into several equal sections, all depicting what Adam deduced to be pieces of history in Equestria. The first one showed the three different types of ponies confronting each other, their stiff legged stances clueing in on their obvious tensions with one another. The next scene proved to be more violent, fires burning cities in the distant landscape while the ponies charged at each other in full armor. Flicking his gaze, Adam continued to browse through the visual story, his interest gaining as the painting became more complex and difficult to figure out. A roaring blizzard froze the land with monstrous forms of what seemed to have once been ponies expelling freezing breath.
Six figures were trapped in a cave, three of them already succumbing to the freezing air. The remaining ponies huddled together, attempting to keep warm judging by their tear streaked faces. Following it was a picture of a large magical pulse exploding out from them, forcing the cold away. The final image consisted of the ponies standing on equal grounds with one another, presenting gifts in an effort to show their friendship. Adam smiled slightly, rather pleased by such a simple story of friendship. He wished he could recall if he had had experienced anything similar.
Breathing deeply, Adam stopped slouching and sat up, brushing his hands on his tuxedo before freezing, the mare occupying the seat across from him watching him intently.
“Uh, can I help you?” The mare, which Adam recognized to be the pony he had seen playing the cello, did not respond immediately, instead flickering her gaze from one side of Adam’s face to the other. Her stoicism gave nothing away, an air of indifference floating about her. Before Adam became increasingly more uncomfortable the mare slowly blinked.
“Forgive me for staring, but I was merely curious about the one who was staring at me.”
Adam relaxed slightly, lightly chuckling at her response. “Sorry if I unnerved you.”
The mare waved him off, “Not at all. I know an admirer when I see one.” Adam blinked in surprise before nodding. The mare smiled again before continuing, “My name’s Octavia. A musician for the Canterlot Orchestra.”
“Adam Larson, ex-Marine and newly appointed assistant to the Queen.”
“As I’ve heard. Forgive me if I’m rude, but I can’t help but find you rather peculiar.”
Adam once again chuckled. “No offense taken. I was in the same shoes when I first woke up, only to find myself in the bed of the Queen.”
Octavia coughed before gesturing a nearby waiter for wine. “Well that’s something isn’t it?”
“You’re telling me.”
The musician giggled before taking a sip of wine, relaxing slightly. She looked around the room, grimacing at the nobles. Adam smiled, a pers-, uh, pony after his own heart. “Don’t like them much do you?”
Octavia smirked. “The only reason I put up with them is because I get paid to do it.” Her smirk disappeared in a flash however. “I’d rather play for ponies who actually listen. Finding work in the music industry, especially after the creation of the new empire, is hard to come by. I have to take what I can get.” Adam nodded sagely, perfectly understanding the desire to be at peace. The mare sighed before looking back up with a smile. “Enough about depressing subjects. Tell me a bit about yourself. It’s not often one crosses a new individual like yourself.”
“Not much to tell I’m afraid. Up to a few days ago I had no idea who I was. I was injured and am currently struggling with memory loss.”
Octavia gasped, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bring up something like that!”
“It’s alright. I’d tell you more if I could remember. All I know is that I was a soldier.”
“A Marine was it?” Adam nodded, prompting the grey mare to continue. “You certainly don’t look like a soldier or act like one.”
Adam shrugged, looking down at his new tuxedo. “What can I say? Someone raised me right.”
“I can most assuredly agree with that.”
Adam took another sip of his wine, giving him a brief moment to gather his thoughts. Setting the glass down he asked, “What about you? You must have an interesting story if you are among the higher class like this.”
Octavia chuckled before nodding. “Alright then, you might want to get comfortable…”
“… and then the prick thought that I would still go home with him! Can you believe that?” Adam laughed loudly as he listened to Octavia, shaking his head as he wiped a stray tear of merriment away.
“Wow. He sounded like a real piece of work.” Octavia stifled a giggle, quieting down. Adam smiled and polished off his glass, feeling very upbeat about his night.
“Well well, looks like you made some new friends.”
Adam looked over and spotted Nightmare Moon walking towards him. With a smile he gestured to Octavia with a hand, “I did indeed. This is Octavia. Octavia, Queen Nightmare Moon.”
“Good evening your majesty.”
Adam turned and looked at Octavia, noticing she had since then lost her informal attitude and sat ram rod straight, bowing her head slightly while addressing the Queen.
“A good evening to you as well.” She looked at Adam. “She must be fine company to have occupied you for the entire party.”
Confused by her statement, Adam glanced around quickly, noticing that the room was practically empty with only a few stragglers headed out the door. Adam cleared his throat, “My apologies.”
“There is no need to be. I’m well aware how… unentertaining these can be. I did invite you to have fun after all.” She looked back to Octavia. “Your cello playing was most satisfactory. Expect my business in the future, Dame Octavia.”
Adam looked to Octavia in shock. “What?”
Octavia sighed, “Yeah, I was awarded that title a while back when I was fresh out of the university. I had caught Celestia’s eye when I was performing in the band for my first play.”
Adam looked to Nightmare when Octavia said the name of her sister, watching carefully for her reaction. Nightmare glanced right back at him and explained.
“Even though Celestia is gone it does not mean all her decisions were for naught. She saw an aspiring young mare, as do I.”
Adam nodded before looking back to Octavia. “Well, my apologies for not addressing prope-,”
“Not one more word. I will have none of that pish posh.” Octavia glanced at Nightmare, careful about stepping over boundaries. “I consider you a friend and wish you to think of me as such.”
Dumbly, Adam nodded slowly. Nightmare smiled before she saw the form of General Steel gesturing for her from a far curtain. “If you would excuse me, I’ll be but a moment.”
“Of course, your highness.” Octavia and Adam watched Nightmare walk away before Octavia suddenly perked up. “Say, do you know how to play any instruments?”
Adam didn’t need a second to think as he replied, “I don’t remember anything, but who knows?”
Octavia sported a thoughtful look before standing up. “Well there’s only one way to find out!” She gestured for Adam to follow her as she began trotting over to the band stand. She quickly climbed up the set of side stairs while Adam simply climbed up over the low edge. Adam could guess where Octavia was already going with this. The mare grabbed her cello and presented it to Adam. “Here, try this.”
Adam carefully took it from her and attempted to position it as he had seen her holding it earlier. A thought struck him suddenly. “How will I know what to play?”
Octavia sported a wide smile as she replied, “A musician, if well versed in his or her art, will be able to play even the simplest of chords from muscle memory.”
Adam could see her line of reasoning before shrugging. “Well here goes nothing.” He drew the bow across the strings… almost immediately regretting it as he somehow made the beautiful instrument produce a horrific squealing sound. He stopped and recovered from his wince. Without looking he handed the instrument back to Octavia, who was not deterred in the slightest. Adam rubbed one of his arms nervously, not so sure if this was actually a good idea.
Octavia saw this while scouting for different instruments. “Don’t feel bad. We have to start somewhere after all,” she reassured. A glint of brass caught her eye. Diving into the maze of equipment and instruments, Octavia pulled out a brightly polished trumpet. “Try this one.”
Adam lifted the trumpet and placed the mouthpiece to his lips, pursing them tightly as he blew. The trumpet blared loudly, causing him to jump. Octavia pulled it from him, tossing it back into the pile while she routed around for more. “Not that one. Let’s try something else.”
The two went at it for several minutes, trying out a variety of instruments. They were unaware that the eyes of the queen were watching them. Adam yelped when he broke the string on a guitar, handing it quickly back to Octavia.
“Well, we tried just about everything,” Octavia sighed.
Adam glanced apologetically at Octavia. “Sorry, I guess I wasn’t musical.”
Octavia nodded in defeat, turning around to head down the stairs before a large object in the back caught her attention. “Of course!” she exclaimed. She grabbed Adam’s hand and dragged him over to what Adam recognized to be a piano. She quickly pushed Adam onto the bench and stood back, watching him with hope filled eyes.
Adam eyed the beautiful polished look of the black piano, knowing full well that this was an elegant instrument. He cracked his fingers quickly before resting his hands in what he guessed felt natural to him. He struck a few chords, surprising himself when a quick jaunty tune registered in his ears.
Octavia’s smile almost broke her face in half. “I think we found a winner.”
Adam smiled with her as he instinctively played quick chords that were random in nature, drawing from a hidden part in his mind. After a few minutes of playing short, easy songs Octavia raised her hoof. “Why don’t you try something more complicated? See if you know something else.”
Adam frowned in thought, attempting to recall anything that could fulfill her request. Octavia touched his arm, dragging his attention back to her. She shook her head at him, “Don’t try to remember. Just close your eyes and play.”
Adam nodded slowly, turning his attention back to the white keys before him. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply for a few seconds, calming himself and clearing any thoughts that were running rampant through his head. With a few tentative strokes, he played another short chorus, albeit it was more complex and required quicker hand movement. He stopped and opened his eyes; his hands itching to continue playing as he suddenly remembered how to play.
Smiling widely he unbuttoned his cuff links and rolled up his sleeves. Sitting straighter, he placed his hands back on the keys and readied his feet on the pedals. Taking another deep breath his fingers began to move.
Octavia’s smile relaxed as she closed her eyes and listened to the new music. The beginning started out beautiful enough, the light playing sounding pleasantly in her ears. She was surprised as the tone became louder and heavier, the music taking an almost darker turn. It wasn’t unwelcomed, just unexpected. Adam was focused entirely on his motions, his hands moving with incredible fluidity across the piano. He could not recall where he learned it, but he was nonetheless happy. He peeked at Octavia and smiled when he saw her breathing deeply, listening to the music intently. Closing his eyes, he continued to play on.
Nightmare Moon had long since finished talking with General Steel and was, quite frankly, enraptured by the music Adam was playing. For some unfathomable reason, the tone of the music drew her in, tempting her. The song had a very clear dark undertone, matching her feelings perfectly. Strangely, she felt an alien tingling wash throughout her body. Nightmare didn’t understand the feeling at first, but as the song continued and the feeling intensified every time she glanced at Adam, it soon became apparent. Her smile turned fairly cruel in nature, her fangs flashing brightly. Her eye lids dropped as ideas raced through her head. For now however, she would bide her time.
Adam’s hands slowed down, the song drawing to a close. Octavia broke out of her trance and clopped her hooves loudly, applauding Adam. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Adam waved her off before standing up, cracking his back. He turned and jumped slightly, seeing as Nightmare was practically in his face.
“Your playing is most excellent.” She took a step back, “I shall ask you to play again, but for now it is late. Dame Octavia, it has been a pleasure. You will be hearing from one of my messengers soon.”
“I look forward to it, your majesty.”
Octavia nodded to Adam before turning and climbing off the stage, trotting for the exit. Nightmare turned to Adam and gestured with her head for them to leave. Adam yawned loudly, nodding in agreement as he was more than ready for bed. The two set off for her chambers, Nightmare still insistent that Adam share her quarters for his own protection.
The guards held the chamber doors open for Adam and Moon, softly closing the doors behind them. Nightmare Moon began taking her royal regalia off, watching as Adam grabbed a towel from a small closet.
“I have a few things to wrap up Adam. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’m just going to take a quick shower. I smell of perfume and heavy cologne.” Adam shook his head. “You’d think that the nobles would have the decency to not drown everyone with vapors.”
Nightmare laughed, nodding her head in agreement. “Yes, I completely understand.” She watched Adam disappear into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and shortly followed by the sound of running water. Nightmare turned her attention back to her current task. She addressed a few scrolls that were lying on her desk, filling them out and prepping them for delivery tomorrow.
Finishing, she quickly hopped into bed and waited…
Meanwhile, Adam had just finished washing up. He checked himself over before turning to grab his clothes.
Which weren’t where he had left them. In fact, they were missing from the room entirely. He checked the room over, still finding nothing. Sighing in frustration, Adam slowly opened the door. Nightmare was in bed, looking up at him innocently.
“Is there something wrong?”
Adam rubbed his chin nervously before replying. “I, uh, I seem to have misplaced my clothes.”
Nightmare smiled. A smile which gave Adam the jitters, her gaze seeming almost predatory in nature. “I don’t see what the problem is. They are not necessary after all.”
Adam spluttered, attempting to create a coherent sentence. “I, but, what? I’ll be sharing your bed though!”
“And? I still don’t see where the issue lies.”
“Well uh, I mean, it just, sort of hangs out there…”
Nightmare raised an eyebrow. Adam sighed explosively. “You’re not going to use your magic to get me my clothes are you?” Nightmare just smiled, shaking her head no. Adam sighed with resignation as he began to move. Even though he moved as quickly as possible without jostling… stuff… too much, he knew that Moon still got an eyeful. He quickly climbed into the sheets beside her, facing his body towards the edge and away from the mare.
The candlelight went out as Nightmare snuffed them out, causing Adam to relax slightly. That was, until she pushed right up against his back, draping a hoof and a wing over him. He felt her breath on the back of his neck, causing him to subtly clench up. Nightmare giggled, squeezing Adam slightly. Adam eyes widened when he felt something wet slide across his ear lobe quickly, the sensitive skin cooling in the night air.
Adam was extremely uncomfortable as Nightmare leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “Goodnight Adam.”
Adam woke up slowly as a hazy heat radiated through his eyelids. Ignoring his body’s desire to awaken, Adam rolled over and allowed himself to fall asleep. Anywhere from five minutes to 30 seconds passed before he began to feel uncomfortable. The suns heat combined with the blanket laying upon him was starting to become too much. That, combined with nature’s call, made him groan in agitation before he opened his eyes. Blinking, he tossed the blanket off with one hand while rolling onto his back. He stared up at the stationary ceiling fan before taking a deep breath. He released it as he sat up rapidly and rotated to swing his feet off of the bed.
The young adult placed his feet in a pair of slippers before standing up, stretching his arms languidly in the process. Dressed in just his boxers and a shirt, Adam reached for his robe hanging at the foot of his bed. Slipping the warm covering on, he walked over to his window, peering through the already open shades. The second story window offered a large view of the uniform houses and low cut lawns of the street he lived on. He turned his gaze upwards, admiring the summer blue sky, a few fluffy clouds sluggishly making their way across the endless space. He looked down as a little bell rang twice, the paperboy passing by on his bike. His neighbor across the street waved at the boy as he tossed the daily paper onto his doorstep. The green suburbs were quite peaceful today, prompting a happy sigh from Adam.
Finished with his perusing of the area, Adam turned and headed out of his room. He headed along the hallway before making his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He quickly put together a bowl of cereal and sat down at the breakfast bar, turning on the small TV on the counter. Adam heard a door open upstairs and a pair of feet coming down the stairs. He briefly glanced towards his dad as he walked into the room.
“Morning. Beautiful day isn’t it?”
Adam nodded in response. “Think I may go to the lake today.”
His dad began tending to the coffee machine, his suits sleeves rolled up to prevent getting them dirty. A cheeky smile split his face. “Scouting out this years bikinis eh?”
Adam smiled and just shook his head. “I figured I’d give James a call, see if he can hangout for a bit. We need to finish planning for our hike this year.”
Adam’s dad checked his watch before he began buttering toast. “Mom’s plane will be landing at 11 today. Just make sure you don’t forget about her.You remember which gate she’ll be at?”
“Gate B,” Adam responded without fail. Leaving his dad be, he absentmindedly watched the news as he continued eating his breakfast. The weather report claimed that it would be clear today and tomorrow with a 30% chance of rain the following night. The cameras moved back over to the reporter.
“Another incident with an Equestrian occurred early this morning when a pegasus crossed international airspace. The AF responded with a pair of F-14s to escort the pony back into Equestria. The pegasus, apparently protesting for and I quote, “the pegasus right to fly anywhere they want,” did not comply with the AF pilots. As per the two century old Lunar Embargo, the pilots were given the green light to engage the pegasus by non-lethal means. 20 seconds and over three hundred CD rounds later, the bruised and battered pony was chased out of United States airspace.”
The reporter continued to drone on, but Adam was no longer paying any attention. His dad was currently sitting at the dining table nearby, glancing over paperwork as he sipped his coffee and ate his own breakfast.
“That’s the seventh one this month,” Adam frowned. “Ignorant tresspasses like this have been increasing all year.” Adam turned towards his father. “Why are the Equestrians lashing out?”
Adam’s dad took another sip of his coffee before placing it down. “The Equestrian’s haven’t been having a good year in the global market. More and more countries have been turning to man-made goods as it doesn’t rely on magic.”
That made sense to Adam. His dad, being a higher up in one of the largest international transport companies in the U.S., had informed him about the exorbitant prices Equestrians charged for their magically infused products. Said products didn’t even match the quality of the cheap goods made by the technologically advanced humans. Add that with Equestria’s aggressive imperialistic past and it becomes easy to see why most countries treated the ponies with animosity.
“Well, their princess still hasn’t addressed this issue.” Adam shook his head. “People are going to lash back pretty soon, especially after the incident with that unicorn and the amulet.”
Adam’s dad waved his hand. “Nah, only the extremists would, if at all, retaliate. Most people are satisfied with how the government has been handling the issue. Border security has been increased and there are more strict punishments for border violations.”
“Hmm,” Adam mused. “Well, let’s hope that works.”
Adam pulled his cell phone out and briefly messaged James, inviting him to the lake. With that finished, Adam quickly finished off his cereal. Tilting the bowl back, he drank the cold milk and stood up, making his way over to the sink.
“Before you head out, could you grab the newspaper? Add it to the others your mom’s missed. You know how she gets about her crosswords.”
Adam gave him a thumbs up in passing as he walked through the house. He opened the front door and stepped out, the awning shading the cool concrete steps from the sun. Adam bent down and picked up the newspaper, stopping briefly to look down a few houses when he heard a loud bang. A garbage truck was making it’s rounds, the sounds coming from the trash cans being knocked about. Something odd surfaced on Adam’s conscious, overriding the brief interest in the local trash collector.
He looked around, particularly eyeing the small amount of trees and along the powerlines.
‘Birds. Where are the birds?’
He stood for a few more seconds in mild befuddlement before giving a final cursory glance around. Eventually concluding that it must be the loud noise of the utility machine, Adam turned around and walked back through the front door. He stepped into the living room and tossed the paper into a nearby wicker basket filled with older papers and an assortment of yarn. Checking the time, he quickly made his way upstairs to get dressed. He grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a simple T-shirt before jogging down the stairs.
“You better hurry up dad! You’re gonna be late!” Adam pulled out his running shoes before slipping them on.
“You don’t worry about me. Have a good time alright? Stay out of trouble!”
“Later!”
Adam grabbed his car keys out of a bowl in the entryway before stepping back outside. Moving quickly, he moved towards his car. It wasn’t a junker, but being a recent high school graduate doesn’t mean you have the funds for a new car. Adam got into the drivers seat and closed the door, settling himself before placing the keys into the ignition. As the car jumped to life, a faint jingle emanated from his pocket. Adam pulled out his phone and viewed the response from James.
‘Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.’
Smiling, Adam placed his phone in the center console. He went to reach for the gear shift before his radio suddenly blared loudly with a long series of electronic beeps. Adam sighed.
‘Perfect timing as usual to test the EAS.’
Adam waited patiently for the normal man’s voice to declare that this was a successful radio test before he could continue on with his day. As usual, the man’s voice did come over the radio, but it wasn’t the pre-recorded message that he heard countless times throughout his life.
“This is an emergency broadcast sanctioned from the Secretary of Defense. As of 9:18 on Tuesday, the 15th of July, the United States has declared war against the Equestrian Provinces in retaliation to a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Fleet. Anyone living within 100 miles of the Equestrian border are ordered to evacuate in anticipation of a ground invasion.”
Adam’s phone went off again, the sound failing to register as Adam gaped in shock at what he was hearing.
“Take only what is necessary and follow instructions given by your local authorities and military personnel. You are asked to keep calm and move quickly but safely.”
There was a brief pause on the radio.
“The President of the United States will now address the nation.”
A series of clicks, random technical chatter, and finally the president’s voice came over the car’s speakers.
“Today, the Equestrians have violated the centuries of peace we’ve struggled to maintain and nurture between our two nations. A combined group of naval and air forces attacked a small battle group traversing international waters, waters which we do not share with the Equestrians. Messages between the strike force and Equestria were intercepted, confirming that Princess Celestia sanctioned the attack.”
“Adam!”
Adam opened the car door and jumped out, running towards the house as his dad ran out to him.
“Dad!”
Adam’s dad grabbed him, “Pack some clothes, food, and grab the radio! I’ll be at the gun safe!”
Before the two could run inside a dull roar could be heard in the sky. Adam and his dad turned their attention upwards in time to watch a jet fly overhead. Adam spotted distant specks high in the sky, squinting to try and make them out. The jet turned towards the objects and throttled towards them, Adam watching in wide eyes as yellow and blue flashes began flying through the sky.
“They’re already here…” Adam whispered.
Just then the air suddenly became charged, static electricity popping in the air. Small portals began opening in the airspace above the town, frighteningly close to where Adam was standing. Groups of armored pegasi began unloading from the portals, strange devices strapped to their backs. They split up and began diving towards the ground in every direction. Adam began taking steps back when a blue pulse discharged from one of the closer pegasi. The blue bolt struck a house across the street and obliterated it in a bright blue fire ball.
Adam fell over as the massive concussion wave rolled over him, shattering glass everywhere. His jumbled senses registered screams and the loud droning sounds of the tornado, now air raid, sirens.
“Adam!” The young adult struggled to his feet, shuffling over to his dad as he was picking himself up. “Adam! We gotta go! Now!”
The two abandoned their previous plans and ran straight for Adam’s running car. Adam jumped into the drivers seat and immediately threw it into reverse, his dad barely getting in before he floored the gas.
“Head towards Olson’s! We’ll take the county road! Don’t stay out in the open!”
Adam was already speeding forward along the road, avoiding people in the street.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” Adam yelled as swerved around other cars heading in the opposite direction.
“They’re headed for the highway! We’ll be safer on the back roads!”
Adam barely heard his father as he continued speeding down the street. Another car was in front of them and seemed to have the same idea, Adam using it as his linebacker as they continued dodging the chaos. They were approaching an intersection when Adam saw a pegasus swooping in from the right.
“Shit!”
Adam jerked the wheel left just as he saw the pony’s weapon discharge, the blue magic taking out the section of road, including the lead vehicle. The car bucked violently as it jumped the corner of the curb, the wheels struggling to find purchase on the wet grass. He gunned it onto the next street, temporarily evading the pegasus.
They traveled around the corner on the suburban road, a huge pile of debris coming into view. Adam slammed on the brakes, the car sliding forward and colliding with some of the rubble. The car stalled out when Adam attempted to put it into reverse. Adam grabbed the keys and attempted to start it again, the engine struggling to turn over.
“Come on, come on!”
“Adam, we need to go, now!”
“I’m trying!”
Pumping the gas pedal, the vehicle finally roared to life, Adam shouting in triumph. He looked up and grabbed the gear shifter when he spotted another pegasus diving towards them.
“Move!”
Adam’s foot became lead as the car screamed backwards, the pegasus heading right for them. Adam realized that there was no way that they would be able to outrun the pony. Luckily for them, a jet suddenly blew right over them, shooting down the pegasus with a quick burst from it’s cannons. Adam slowed the car down to a stop, his chest heaving as adrenaline made his lungs suck in air, feeding his muscles oxygen for extended use. Adam quickly turned the car around and drove.
He felt a hand grab his shoulder and squeeze. “We’re alright. Just stick to the plan.”
Adam looked over and saw his dad smiling reassuringly at him. A loud boom echoed in front of him, dragging his attention forward. An Equestrian Sky Carriage was trailing smoke as an F-14 gave chase, missiles screaming away from their locks. The rockets raced to their target and made contact, shredding the enemy vehicle. It began to drop before a secondary explosion ripped from the falling wreckage, no doubt caused from the magical ordinance located within. A piece was thrown at the jet and clipped its wing, causing it to become enveloped in flames.
Adam raised his arm to his face as the falling jet headed right at them.
“NOOO!” Adam yelled as he rapidly sat up, his voice box stinging and his lungs heaving. A cold sweat poured down his skin, causing him to shiver violently. His fists clenched the thin blankets, his grip threatening to tear the fabric. He jumped slightly when something cool caressed down his back. He turned to his right to find Nightmare’s cool blue eyes peering at him, a wing outstretched to rub his back.
“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re alright.”
Adam dook a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He closed his eyes and sighed. Nightmare watched as the human stopped shivering, fatigue settling into the exhausted being.
Nightmare moved a couple inches closer to Adam. “Did you have a nightmare?” Adam merely nodded. “Would you like to talk about it?”
Adam remained silent for a few moments before he responded, “I, I think I’m regaining a bit of my memory. I was younger and at home….” Adam struggled to think. “It was a beautiful day. It was, it was the day that we were attacked.”
Adam shivered again. Nightmare nodded a few times. “I see. What happened next?”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t want talk about it.”
“Alright, if that is what you wish,” the dark queen said. She rubbed his back a few more times before using her magic to pull the blanket up. “You should go back to sleep Adam.”
The human nodded before laying back down, allowing the nightmare to cover him with the blanket. Moon shuffled closer to him and shared her body heat with Adam. She did her best to comfort him, eventually easing him back to sleep. Confirming that he was unconscious by listening to his deep breathing, she moved her head to rest on his shoulder. Smiling cruelly, she lit up her horn, the dark magic coalescing over Adam’s head.
He wouldn’t be having any peaceful dreams tonight.
“Good morning Adam. How did you sleep?”
Adam watched as Nightmare walked into the bedroom, having just taken a shower judging from the steam that billowed out from behind her. Adam nursed the cup of coffee that the maid had brought in with the breakfast cart before responding.
“Could have been better.”
A small frown dragged across Nightmare’s muzzle. “As I thought, you were very restless last night.”
Adam winced. “Sorry about that. Uh, maybe it should be better that I sleep in t-,”
“Nonsense!” Nightmare interrupted. “I have slept in far worse conditions. A troubled friend is certainly no deterrent for me!” She moved over to the breakfast cart and picked out a few fruits. “Besides, the worst thing I could do right now is leave you alone to suffer throughout the night.”
Adam watched Moon begin eating before finishing off his coffee. He sighed before standing up, a robe draping around his body. He had woken up to find it hanging on the end of the bedpost.
“What’s the plan for the day?”
Nightmare swallowed before replying, “Well, Court is the first thing on the list. After that I have a meeting with General Steel. There is nothing else further scheduled for the day.” She took another bite of the apple she held upon her hoof. “You better clean up before we leave.”
Adam looked at himself and agreed having felt the oily sheen of his sweat upon his skin. He put a hand up to his head and felt the massive gnarl of hair that could have been mistaken for a bird’s nest. “Right. What about clothes?”
Nightmare snorted before mana built up around her horn. A quick pop later and Adam’s clothes were lying on the foot of the bed.
“Thank you,” Adam said as he moved towards them and swept them up into his arms. “I’ll be as quick as I can,” he declared before walking quickly into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later found Adam and Moon walking down the hallway together towards the courtroom. Adam idly scratched his chin, wondering if this would soon become a routine. It was at that point that he suddenly noticed the coarse hair on his neck and jawline.
“I need a shave.”
“Hmm?” Nightmare questioned.
“A shave. I’m starting to grow out a beard.”
Nightmare looked up to him while they still continued moving forward, her eyes looking a bit closer. “Yes, I was wondering what that was all about.”
“Do you have anything to shave with?”
“Well, we do have some hair tools, but they may be too rough for you. We’ll see to it later though.”
Adam nodded in agreement before they pulled up to a side entrance to the courtroom, the two pushing through it and walking towards the throne. Adam watched as Nightmare climbed into the stone monument before he stood to her left in a parade rest position.
Nightmare nodded towards one of the guards near the far door, waiting patiently as he opened it and stuck his head through, talking to the outside doors.
Several moments passed before he stepped back from the door while it was being pulled open. A small group of guards dragged in a pony with a black sack wrapped around it’s head, Adam guessing it to be a unicorn by the way the bag stuck upwards into a pointed tip. They stopped before the throne’s steps before forcing the dirty pony to their knees. A feminine grunt left the figure.
One of the guards bowed before reporting, “Your Majesty, we bring forth former Princess Celestia’s protege, now traitor to the crown, Twilight Sparkle.”
The bag was ripped off of the mare’s head, a brilliant pair of purple eyes blinking rapidly in the bright light; a pair of eyes that Adam could see were filled with a fiery determination and anger.
Nightmare Moon leaned forward, a cruel smile forming on her face.
Adam looked between the bound purple mare and the black queen, a slight sense of unease coursing through him. The mare had a set of metal cuffs locked around her legs, a lengthy chain connecting them to allow her slight mobility. A large black ring sat on her horn, a blue ethereal glow pulsing from deep within. The mare’s sharp eyes looked at Adam in surprise before they too narrowed in anger.
“So, if it isn’t the notorious Twilight Sparkle. I’ve heard many… whimsical tales about you.” Nightmare sat back in her throne, a very smug grin splitting her muzzle.
Twilight’s attention swung back to Nightmare, “I could say the same about you.”
“Indeed.” Nightmare looked at the bottom of her silver horseshoe. “Tell me, how does it feel for such an explementary character as yourself to fail not only your teacher, but the Princess of an entire nation?”
The purple pony’s eyes hardened. “It’s hard to swallow, but I don’t think it’s as bad as spending 1,000 years in a cold, dark vacuum.”
“SILENCE!” The banners hanging in the room fluttered violently from the Queen’s shout. “I will not be made a mockery by somepony the likes of you!” Nightmare folded her raised wings before calming down. She watched Twilight, brooding in her own thoughts. Her gaze flickered to one of the escorts.
“Where was she apprehended?”
The guard nodded, “We found her near the outskirts of Trottingham. She was evacuating a group of civilians from the town before scout units from the Enforcers intercepted her. She fought hard but they triumphed, your majesty.”
“Have any of her collaborators been found as well?”
“No your majesty.”
“Very well,” she looked back to Twilight. “I’m going to be very brief with you, Twilight Sparkle. This little rebellion of yours won’t last for long. My armies will crush any resistance your petty little friends put together.” She raised her head. “Why don’t you just save me the trouble and tell me where they are?”
Twilight attempted to get to her hooves, only for one of the guards to kick her back down. She exhaled before she regained her breath and stared defiantly back. “I’ll never betray my friends! Especially not to you!”
Nightmare closed her eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment she opened her eyes, “Since I’m not entirely lacking of heart, I’ll give you one more chance. You tell me where your friends are and I can promise that you will be imprisoned for life, but treated fairly.”
Nightmare’s eyes narrowed before she leaned closer. “If you do not comply I will ensure that there will be strict punishments.”
Twilight snorted before she pawed at the ground. Her horn lit up before the ring suddenly sparked, electricity arcing up and down her horn. She collapsed and writhed on the ground, silently screaming as her lungs struggled to draw air.
Adam looked away, the perverse sight making him cringe. ‘This is wrong.’ He deliberated on intervening before his mind caught up to his emotions. He couldn’t intervene, he wasn’t in charge, and judging by the dangerous glint in Nightmare’s eye, it would be unwise to step in between. He watched as the electricity died out, leaving the pony to spasm on the floor. He frowned before looking away again, focusing solely on the ground at his feet.
Nightmare waited while Twilight coughed before giving a single nod in finality. “Very well then. Counselor,” a brown unicorn standing far off to the side took a step forward. “Execute the dragon.”
The unicorn hesitated before a sharp glare from Moon cowed him. “Yes, your majesty,” the unicorn bowed before moving to leave.
Twilight struggled to lift her head, “Spike?” She struggled to breathe before a new sense of urgency caused her to begin struggling violently. “Spike! No! You can’t do this!”
“You brought this upon yourself Sparkle.”
Twilight pushed herself up to her hooves. “No! He’s just a baby dragon! He’s innocent, I swear!”
Adam glanced at Nightmare and felt a large weight settle in his gut. Her eyes were cold, hard, and contained naught an ounce of sympathy. “You have the blood of the innocent on your hooves! You will find that you are the one to blame! Guards! Take her to the dungeon!”
The guards grabbed the struggling pony and began dragging her away.
“Spike!”
She lit up her horn only to be violently shocked one more, her scream threatening to pop Adam’s ear drums. She broke down into hysterical tears as she stopped her futile struggling, allowing herself to be carried away. “Spike, no! I’m so sorry Spike!”
Adam watched as she disappeared around the corner, a final call for the dragon echoing from the hall before it fell silent.
A brief glance at Nightmare gave Adam pause. It stunned him to see her reclining back into her throne as if nothing had happened.
“Shame that she didn’t tell us the location of her friends,” Nightmare declared.
Adam found himself glumly agreeing, his reasoning for it much further off from what the dark queen was thinking.
His thoughts were interrupted when General Steel walked into the courtroom, his hooves carrying him swiftly towards the throne.
“Ah, General Steel. What can I do for you?”
He bowed before he spoke. “My Queen, there has been a… development.”
“Oh?” A single eyebrow rose.
The General cleared his throat, “It is better discussed privately my Queen.” His gaze flickered to Adam before he looked back to Nightmare.
Seeing the cue, she stood up. “I’ll be right back Adam. There are matters I must discuss privately with the General.”
The two walked away from the throne and entered one of the small servant hallways. The General shifted uncomfortably as Nightmare’s pelt made contact with him, the large alicorn barely squeezing into the hallway. He turned around and almost shivered when he felt her breath on his muzzle.
“Well?”
He cleared his throat again. “My Queen, there has been news from the crash site.” He waited patiently before he heard an irritated sigh from the mare.
“On with it, do not keep me waiting.”
“Of course.” He tweaked his uniform. “We think that there may have been other survivors from the crash.”
He closed his eyes and waited for the rage of his queen to befall him, his ears pinned behind his head and his tail tucked.
“... Interesting.” He paused in disbelief before slowly opening his eyes and perking one ear carefully. “That is quite the development.”
“Your Majesty?”
She leaned closer to him, causing him to flinch again. “We cannot allow this. Order the troops that unless they carry the seal of the crown, they are to be killed on site. Adam must not encounter any survivors.” She leaned away from him. “That is all.”
He bowed quickly. “Yes, your majesty.”
“Counselor, I trust that you carried out my orders without fail?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
Adam flexed his leg muscles in an effort to relieve them of his discomfort. He had been standing in one place for well over four hours, his thoughts ranging over a multitude of things in an effort to distract him from the now boring workings of the courtroom.
‘If what Nightmare said was true, then I can see why I wouldn’t be cut out for this.’
His gaze focused and he found himself to be staring at a particularly unspectacular part of the stone floor. Shifting to get his blood flowing, he looked around. Nightmare was still sitting in her throne, having attentively talked with the nobles in the court and other ponies who arrived to voice their concerns.
“Excellent. I think we’ll find our prisoner to be far more cooperative after she’s had some time to think over her situation.”
Adam felt a mental shudder run through him after hearing her cold logic.
Nightmare closed her eyes and sighed. “Is there anything else left on today’s schedule?”
“There is the meeting with the R&D Department, your Highness.”
Adam perked up slightly at the promise of a change of scenery.
Nightmare snorted before opening her eyes. “Very well. Court is adjourned for today.” She stepped off her throne and stretched, the sharp clicks causing the few leaving ponies to wince. “Ah, much better.” She looked towards Adam, watching as he cracked his neck. An amused grin split her muzzle. “Hmm, looks like we do have something in common. I can tell that the atmosphere in here isn’t quite to your taste.”
Adam clasped his hands together. “I wouldn’t say that. It’s rather interesting to see the daily work of a government with my own eyes.”
Nightmare smirked slightly. “Oh really? I thought the glazed look you had in your eyes earlier signified that you were a million miles away.”
“Well, ah, you see-,”
Nightmare shook her head, “It is of no concern. It’s not for everypony. Come,” she started walking down the red carpet towards the exit. “We have a meeting to attend.”
Adam tagged along and walked right alongside her. They stayed silent as they moved through a few short corridors, exiting into one of the many courtyards. However, there was a very large concrete building with a wide glass roof sitting in the middle of the green grass. A few guards made their rounds while a strangely dressed unicorn guard stood by the entrance. The mare was wearing a hooded black cloak, her eyes hidden from view.
“What’s this building?” Adam asked, watching the cloaked figure as they approached the building.
The guard stepped aside as the queen passed, only bowing her head slightly before resuming her post after they had passed.
“This is the Royal Laboratory. Only the best and the brightest are allowed in here, working on securing the interests of Equestria.”
Adam looked around as they stepped into a wide room filled with tables, books, and ponies wearing white coats and safety glasses. There was a ton of strange equipment piled around the room and complex glass creations littered the tables. Liquid bubbled in their vials and small puffs of smoke emanated from several areas. The ponies ignored the two newcomers as they went about perfecting their alchemy.
Nightmare walked past the bustling scientists and headed towards a dead end between two bookshelves. Adam was about to question her motives before her horn lit up and the floor in front of her shifted downwards, revealing a long, black staircase.
Seeing the look on Adam’s face, Nightmare explained, “The top floor, while they do actually work, is a mere ruse. The real magic happens down below in the Vault.”
Adam gave a silent “oh” before they stepped into the darkness, a dull blue glow from the queen leading them down into it’s depths.
They didn’t have to travel far before they reached the bottom of the stairs. A large steel door blocked their path with no discernable device to open said door. Nightmare approached the door and knocked on it. A few seconds later, a golden circle appeared on the door, the room on the other side coming into view through what Adam deduced was a magical hole in the door. A pony peered through from the other side, looked at Nightmare and Adam, and then stepped away, the magical portal falling away. A series of loud clicks echoed before the door slowly swung outwards towards them. The pony stood next to the door and allowed them in. As Adam passed through the door, a small wave of nausea struck him.
“This room is the most secured room in the world. It doesn’t even exist in this realm. What you just felt was caused by the portal we stepped through.”
Adam heard the door clamp shut behind them. “Doesn’t exist?”
Nightmare smiled. “We are in a pocket dimension created by none other than Star Swirl the Bearded.”
Adam’s eyes popped open in shock. “H-how?” Nightmare quirked an eyebrow. “... Right, magic.”
The room seemed to stretch on forever in all directions, dozens, maybe even hundreds, of ponies were working on machines and other strange things large and small. Adam even saw a machine that looked like a primitive car.
Adam continued to follow behind Nightmare. “So, what are we here for then?”
Nightmare frowned briefly. “We are here for a meeting with my top scientist, Dr. Spud.”
“...”
Nightmare smirked. “I thought so too.”
The two continued along an invisible path before they, surprisingly, encountered another door. However, calling it a door would be an understatement. It was more like a very, very large hangar door. Adam noticed that there was a smaller entrance located on the door itself. Nightmare magicked the smaller door open and they stepped inside.
A very long table was set to their left while more strange computers and other scanning equipment sat to their right. Only a dozen or so ponies occupied the area, Nightmare heading towards whom Adam assumed was Dr. Spud.
The pony was facing away from them and leaning over a machine, the top half of his body buried into its components. His fellow assistants took a few steps back as the queen approached.
“Dr.”
The stallion jumped, his head crashing against something inside of the machine. Several loud yet muffled curses echoed from within before the brown pony pulled his head out, a hoof rubbing against the top of his head.
“Who the buck interu-,” he paused when he turned around, his eyes widening.
Adam stared at the unicorn. Dr. Spud was quite an interesting sight. The brown unicorn was small and lanky. His eyes were bloodshot from long work hours and a lack of caffeine. His lab coat was ripped and torn with a few occasional burn marks and, interestingly enough, he wore a red bow tie. His most striking feature was his horn, if you could even call it that anymore. It was broken off and only a small bit of slightly jagged bone was left behind near the top of his skull.
Nightmare merely tightened her lips. Dr. Spud began spluttering, struggling to get a word out. Nightmare sighed, “Dr. You were saying?”
He took in a deep breath. “It was nothing, your majesty. I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon.”
Adam began following the doctor and Nightmare, tuning out the mad ramblings of the scientist. He turned his gaze to the tables they were passing, eyeing the strange lumps of metal and other bits of machinery. Most of it looked like it was destroyed or scraps of something bigger, well, what used to be bigger.
The small party stopped at one of the tables. To Adam’s surprise, the Dr. picked up a small, machined cylinder with magic, small sparks flying from the broken end of his horn. Adam turned his attention towards the metal container, filing a question about his horn into his brain to ask Nightmare later.The metal container had a rubber coating around most of its length, leaving the two ends to shine dully in the bright light. It looked like it had some sort of button on one end.
“This is something I like to call, The Harlot.”
Both Nightmare and Adam raised an eyebrow at the doctor.
“Excuse me?”
Dr. Spud blinked and adopted a confused look.
Nightmare sighed. “What does it do to warrant such a name?”
“Hmmm? Oh! Yes, of course!” He adjusted his red bow tie. “It’s really quite simple. In the event that somepony needs to subdue a fellow pony, this little bugger will literally suck the magic out of them, resulting in unconsciousness.”
Adam smothered a chuckle. “Makes sense.”
“Yes,” Nightmare looked at Adam irritably. “The name is fitting.” She shook her head. “Stallions.”
Dr. Spud hadn’t heard them as he was already moving on to another object on the table. As he continued to show his queen the different doo-hickies he and his team had made, Adam gazed again at the different things on the table. Feeling curiosity wash over him, he reached out and fiddled with a few of the devices.
A sharp sting on the back of Adam’s hand caused him to drop it and reel back from the table.
“Ah, ah! No touching!”
Adam grumbled inaudibly at the doctor before rocking slightly on his heels to help pass the time. It wasn’t much longer until Nightmare herself finally had enough.
“Dr. as much as I’d love to see more of your… hard work, I need to know if there has been any more progress on any of the more top priority projects.”
Dr. Spud’s smile turned upside down. “Yes, well, we are having some problems, but I can show you what we’ve been able to work out so far.”
They moved down towards a wall on the far side, a large glass pane meant for viewing into the room beyond and a door nestled into the white expanse. Dr. Spud opened the door and led them through a small decontamination chamber, Adam holding his breath and squinting his eyes as the gaseous vapor hissed around them. With a green light winking and a loud buzzing noise, the door on the far side opened. Adam stepped through and found himself in another, yet smaller room. Several crates were piled to the ceiling and a sandbag wall sat near them, a set of targets sitting on the other side of the room.
‘A gun range.’
The Doctor opened up one of the crates, using his magic to pull out a sleek metal creation.
“We’re having some trouble with the new weapons. Earth ponies can’t hold them, pegasi can’t aim, and most unicorns can’t handle the recoil while maintaining accuracy. Bottom line, if you don’t have magic, you can’t even fire it, the trigger is too small.”
Nightmare looked to be deep in thought before looking at the rifle and then to Adam. “Well, we have someone who may be able to demonstrate how to properly use it right here.”
Adam gave a questioning look to Nightmare, receiving only an encouraging nod. Adam tightened his lips before looking at the Doctor expectantly. The Doctor seemed to hesitate before giving in, floating the weapon over to Adam. The Marine plucked it out of the air and held it in front of him for a few seconds, looking it over.
“It’s an M4.” Adam held it up to his shoulder and aimed down it briefly.
“M4?” Dr. Spud asked.
Adam held the weapon sideways and released the magazine, checking it. “It’s a carbine. This model has a selective firing type of semi-automatic or three round burst.” He eyed the shiny brass rounds in the magazine before placing it back within the rifle.
After taking a few moments to relax, he placed his finger on the trigger and, after having let out a breath, pulled smoothly back in one continuous motion. The rifle bucked into his shoulder, causing him to blink and draw in a breath. His finger let off the trigger and he lifted his head up away from the rifle to look down the range.
The Dr. simply placed the binoculars down and shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve got to make the triggers larger!”
Nightmare smiled briefly before stepping between them. “Before you run off, if I may, we have a few more things to discuss.” She looked at Adam. “We’ll be right back.” She turned back to the Dr. and nodded for him to move away and accompany her. Adam watched them go and frowned, not appreciating being left out and alone, again.
He sighed and looked around before his eyes locked onto the pair of binoculars sitting on the table by the discarded weapon. He shrugged before picking them up and facing the target, lifting the tool up to his eyes. He smirked when he saw a nice grouping sitting just a bit left to the bullseye. Putting them back down, he picked up the rifle and began fiddling with it as if it was the most natural thing in the world, waiting for Nightmare’s instruction.
