The Nightmare begins...
If you are seeing this, dear reader, then I am long since dead.
I lived in a world quite possibly much like your own. Peaceful, calm and so ill prepared... Should you think of proceeding any further, please take this missive to your lords and/or ladies in power, for should this go unheeded, your world will surely fall. Just as the civilizations before us, we failed to see the signs, and it doomed us all.
But before I can tell you how to stop such a foe, I must first tell you how I became aware of it in the first place, lest you be led astray and waste precious time.
My name is Dusk Shine, and it all started one fateful night, days before my first encounter with the Nightmare.
At the time, my land was known as Equestria, a nation filled many with diverse races and magic abundant. It's name and culture may seem funny to some, considering it was mostly populated by humans, but other places probably were not home to magical talking ponies at one point, but when your rulers have lived for millenias at a time, you tend to believe in the strange stuff they have seen. But I digress...
There were three sub-races of human living there, each with their own unique powers and abilities, all of which are based on culture far preceding our own, a culture that had only just enough time to pass on its knowledge to us before it vanished overnight...
The first are of 'Earth', rugged and strong. They are the most grounded of the three, with a deep connection to nature, giving them great strength and tenacity to boot.
The second race couldn't be any further from them, the 'Pegasi', with their ability to sprout wings and take flight at a moment's notice. They can walk on and manipulate clouds with a simple touch and wield the weather in their hands.
The third race, of which I come from, are the 'Unicorns', who are born with a gem embedded in their foreheads, whose size and shape resemble that of the fabled horned- Horses...
Unlike the other races, we can manipulated the magic around and within us to perform many magical feats, such as teleportation, enchantments, shields, and energy blasts, all with a few hand gestures, a few magic words, or so much as a thought.
Naturally, our races disputed over which one was better, and harsh words eventually lead to all out war, a war that spanned for many years, spreading a great and terrible darkness and hatred across the land. Such pain and misery awoke a great and terrible threat, one that threatened to blanket the world in eternal rest. With no other option, the races banded together and beat back their new foe, forging a new treaty that lead to a time of peace and prosperity, but such evils in the world do not completely fade, they merely take on different forms. A Nightmare to behold, that great and abominable force came back again and again, each time wearing a new face, and even as a I write this, I fear it is drawing near...
It was a dark day in the Everfree Forest, more so than usual. The Tree of Harmony glowing weakly behind a lone human as her wings faded away, the girl's blue hair hanging loosely over her face as she knelt over, barely hiding the bright glow of the lavender gem on her forehead. The young Alicorn, a rare sight to behold that had the power of all three races, clutched her gut as she nearly collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. She gave a sigh of relief as she looked around, "I think... I lost it..."
Turning her attention to the Tree, she gasped as the glow began to dim, almost flickering out, "No! Hang on girls, I won't let it end like this..."
Just as she reached out to touch it, a sickening laugh rang out, breaking her train of thought. Spinning around, she eyed it's source, her face turning from a look of concern to a dark scowl, "Twilight Sparkle... Still clinging to hope where there is none..."
A dark Mage chuckled softly as its ebony wings faded behind them, their midnight black ethereal hair pulling away to reveal a familiar face. A pale rose haired girl was in its grasp, struggling against the grip on her neck, whose gaze was quickly drawn to the Alicorn by the tree. She choked weakly, almost inaudibly, "T-twilight... Don't give up..."
The Mage smiled wickedly as their grip on the girl's neck tightened, "What's the matter Twilight? Too scared to say anything to your friend?"
The young Alicorn scowled as she sprouted wings as she took off in a sprint, quickly taking to the air at high speed, "Let her go Nightmare!"
It sighed as it tossed the girl at the rushing Alicorn, who was barely able to stop herself in time to catch her friend, "As you wish... She always was the kindest, but now she too will embrace sleep eternal, as will you and your other friends... It is inevitable."
Twilight looked down at her friend, concerned as she closed her eyes, going limp in her arms, "Flutters..."
"I grow tired of this..."
A bright light engulfed them as all as a small cry was heard, the voice of a child...
"Dusk! Come on, it's time to wake up. The Princess wants to see you."
A young man's eyes creaked open with a groan, his lavender gem glimmering slightly as he shook the sleep from his eyes. Sitting up, the blanket that covered him fell down exposing his chest, he gazed out the window at the rising sun and said, "Another dream about her... Twilight Sparkle..."
Some time later~
A young man with messy sapphire blue hair stopped at the door that lead into the library that served as his dwelling, a sour expression on his face. He looked down the the Cutie Mark on his left hand a moment, pondering his dream for the hundredth time today. His fist clenched as he took a breath. He stepped inside and shouted, “Spike! I’m home, did you find that book yet?”
A loud crash was heard from above. It seems he had just woke up his sleeping companion. He should have been working on the book shelves, not taking a nap. The Human rolled his eyes as he heard the youngling shout, "Coming Dusk!"
Shortly after he was addressed, a young looking humanoid stepped into the lower levels of the library. He was scaly, purple and spiney. At first glance, he looked a bit like a young lizardman, but as fate would have it, he isn’t… He’s a dragon. The dragon known as Spike rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with one purple scaly claw as the other removed a stray book off his gnoggin. His expression was no better than Dusk's, "You could have killed me ya know?"
The human sighed softly, dismissing what he was going to retort with and said, "Sorry Spike, but this is urgent. Besides, i'm sure my dragon brother is tougher than a few little books."
He held out a hand and levitated a book into his grasp, "We need to find a book of Predictions and Prophecies, remember?"
The dragon, who stood at about half of Dusk's height, frowned. He was going to provide a witty comment, but he knew that it would just go over his 'brother's' head. Dusk was like that, a bookworm that'd miss his own death if he was engorged in a good enough book, "Fine..."
The two quickly set to work, looking for the book. It didn't take them long as they knew where most of the books in the library were anyway, "Is this the one you are thinking of?"
Dusk looked over the smaller brother's shoulder, stepping back to avoid Spike's swinging tail as he stated in confirmation, "Why yes, thank you."
Spike held out the book to him, which was gratefully accepted. Despite how much of a pain Dusk could be sometimes, Spike found little else more satisfying than actually being useful. Finding books wasn't exactly the best thing he's ever done, but when you are in a library for most of your days, you get used to going through all the rows, making sure each one is in it's proper place, and only occasionally sneaking a Manga or two to read.
Spike went off on his merry way, pulling another book off the shelf and started to rearrange them when he heard Dusk open the book, but before he could get to far, he became curious. Turning back to his brother, he asked, "So Dusk, you came back pretty early, what happened with Celestia?"
He knew he'd get some kind of answer, as sometimes if you can get Dusk to ramble when he's busy reading, he spills the beans even more then what was in the can in the first place. Dusk sighed dejectedly, "The guards didn't even let me get near her, what with the Summer Sun Celebration coming so soon. All that walking around gave me plenty of time to think about recent events... These dreams I've been having, they just can't be a coincidence."
Spike laughed, "The one about that girl? Come on Dusk, you and I both know you have quite the imagination, especially when you discovered their kind in the first place."
Dusk paused at his comment, "What? No No No... It's more then that, this one... This morning... It was so real, and so clear. For the very first time, I really got a good look at her, and I could hear what was going on too!"
He looked at the Cutie Mark on the back of his left hand again and frowned, "She... She was powerful, smart, confident. She was brave in the face of death. It was inspiring. But, they left me with many questions. Who was she fighting, just who is this Nightmare, and why does she have the same mark as me?"
While it was certainly possible for humans to have similar Cutie Marks, for two to have the same ones is just absurd, unheard of! What is a Cutie Mark? Some say it is a human's talent, some even going as far as saying it is their identity. It was a right of passage for most, a discovery that all must find for themselves, and the thought that there would be someone out there with the exact same mark is a frightening prospect. Identity theft to the max…
"Perhaps you've been reading too much Manga..."
Dusk chuckled nervously, "What? I don't read that sort of- Hold that thought."
He skimmed through the pages, muttering to himself, "Elements of Harmony... See Lady in the Moon."
He closed the book and frowned, ‘Lady in the moon? This is bad...'
Now it was Spike's turn to chuckle nervously, Dusk seemed too serious, "Isn't that a bedtime story for little kids? I think you've been reading the Equestrian Inquirer too much."
Dusk pitched him a glare, "For one, I told you that paper is for hacks!"
He went and set the book down on the table and rubbed his temples, lightly brushing the gem on his forehead, "Two, my research is based on factual events... That just so happen to have occurred a thousand years ago."
"Three, this could very well affect the fate of Equestria."
Spike's slight look of worry faded as a memory came to mind, "Didn't you say the same thing about Ponies just last week?"
The Human sighed, the dragonling had him there…
"Like I said, Fate of Equestria!"
He sighed, 'And besides, miss Heartstrings talked me into that. We both know how she is...'
Spike held a piece of parchment and quill aloft as he asked, "Anyway, are we going to send a letter to Celestia or not? You said it's important..."
Dusk immediately brightened up, why didn't he think of that sooner? He smiled as he turned to him and said, "That's a great idea Spike! Thinking ahead, just what I have come to expect from my number one assistant."
"Dear Princess Celestia,
It has come to my attention that Nightmare Moon's escape will happen on the longest day on the thousandth year of her imprisonment, and that day is the tomorrow during the Summer Sun Celebration! Considering the common knowledge of Nightmare Moon's cannibalistic tendencies, it is imperative we act now.
Your faithful student,
Dusk Shine."
He smiled as Spike was nearing the end of the letter, "When you're done, that needs to go straight to the Princess."
"Can... a... bull.... Is...tic..."
Hey, the kid was trying…
Swiftly, Spike finished writing that down and rolled up the letter, "On it!"
With a huff and a puff of green flames, the letter and the smoke from the burning parchment left the building. It was an odd way to send letters, but thankfully dragon fire often has strange properties depending on their intent, and Spike... He could deliver stuff with his.
"There, it's on its way, but don't count on getting a reply. Princess Celestia is busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration."
Dusk stated proudly, "I'm not worried. The Princess trusts me completely, in all my time as her student, she's never doubted me."
Spike interrupted, "But-"
His response was quickly cut off by the sudden need to belch, and so he did. Dusk chuckled as Spike took the letter that had formed from the smoke his belch left behind, "You see, I told you she would take immediate action."
Spike took a moment to calm himself before opening it. Dusk was a little antsy now... Okay, very antsy. He was bouncing around slightly in place, saying, "Well, what does it say? Scramble the troops? Evacuate Canterlot?"
The sudden idea of a ton of guards kicking a vile monster into a pit came to mind as he said, "Call my brother and have him lead is unto a final battle of good versus ev-"
"It says to get a life..."
Dusk paled... Get... A... Life…
"WHAT!"
Later~
The blue and voilet haired human sat back in his royal carriage, lead by two Pegasi Guards in glistening golden armor cross legged as he contemplated his wise Mentor’s letter as his Draconic brother chattered away next to him.
‘My dear student,
Get a life. You are a grown man and therefore are too old to be reading those old fairy tales. There is more to life than staying up late studying… And looking up porongraphy on Ponichan.’
He grumbled to himself, ‘She saw my browser history!’
‘You need a better social life, and to get just that, I have scheduled both you and Spike to oversee this year's Summer Sun celebration hosted in ponyville.’
Spike concluded the letter for what seemed like the hundredth time, “You're concerned Teacher, Princess Celestia.”
He snickered, much to Dusk’s chagrin, “P.s, there is an ulterior motive at work here. I want you to try to make some friends.”
As if that wasn’t clear enough… The human sighed as he thought to himself, ‘Some teacher, she just wants to get rid of me…”
“Big brother? Dusk?”
Looking out over the shifting landscape below them, he stated, “I strive to do my best everyday, and yet… Everyone still sees me as some sort of conspiracy freak with an imagination the size of Celestia’s… Hair. Even her!”
Spike quipped, “Perhaps it has something to do with that time you thought Slenderpony was hiding in your closet.”
Disk stammered, flabbergasted, “I- I was only eight at the time, I’m seventeen now. I’m a lot smarter than I was all those years ago. I just wish everyone would start treating me like an adult and take me more seriously. It sucks knowing something important, and no one takes the time to listen.”
After a moment's pause, he added, “Especially in regards to the Princess…”
Spike leaned over the side of the carriage and looked past the beating wings of their escorts, “Hey! We’re almost there.”
And indeed, they were. He gave his bigger brother a grin and said, “Hey, look at the bright side, the Princess does trust you enough to give you a library to stay in while we are here. And, seeing as it’s our job to oversee things, people will need to listen and help out.”
Dusk blinked in surprise, mulling over the dragon’s words before his expression brightened, “You’re right!”
He gave his little brother a grin to match as he ruffled the kid’s head spines, “Thanks Spike, you’re the best bud.”
Spike chuckled to himself as the young dragon rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, i’ve heard that line before.”
Dusk chuckled softly to himself, “This is just a minor thing, so why worry?”
He clenched his fist as he spoke, “We’ll blow through this in a flash and then I can get back to warning Celestia about Nightmare Moon’s reawakening.”
He stood up tall and proud as he gave a dramatic pose, getting a soft chuckle from Spike as his drab grey trainee’s robes billowed in the breeze, “Then I’ll finally get the recognition as I deserve!”
His dramatic moment was lost when the carriage landed on the ground, knocking them both off balance and back into their seats. Dusk chuckled nervously as he got back to his feet, “Yeah…”
Spike chimed in as he and Dusk got out of the carriage and dismissed the guards, “But Dusk, what are you gonna do about your other task? The Princess said you should try to make friends.”
Dusk rubbed his temples, as if annoyed by Spike’s question, “She also said we were in charge of the Preparations… Friends can wait, after all, Equestria is at stake here.”
As they walked through the busy streets of Ponyville, they saw many humans of various races rushing hither and thither. Spike said in an almost excited tone, “Everyone looks like they are working hard on the festival. Maybe we should join in on the fun?”
Dusk shook his head, simply walking off, “Sorry Spike, but we don’t have time to waste on fun.”
“Come on bro!”
“No.”
“Come on Dusk!”
“No way Spike!”
Spike continued his plead only once more before stating, “Fine.. How about we at least introduce ourselves to someone? We could use a guide.”
He shrugged, ‘We probably would need to do that anyway.’
Spike waved at a young looking girl as she surveyed the scene of people setting up a few signs and flags. She made a camera with her hands and panned out, making an exaggerated zooming sound with her mouth.
She wore a vibrant pink shirt with light blue suspenders holding up her baggy shorts. Dusk felt the dark pink was a bit much. She couldn’t be any pinker if she tried, specially considering her hair. It was long and flowing, bubbly even, giving her a bright and spontaneous look.
Spike trotted over to the odd girl and gave her a light tap, prompting the girl to focus her ‘camera’ on him, “Hello there, I’m Spike, and this is my brother Dusk Shine.”
He pointed over to dusk, who gave a nervous chuckle, caught slightly off guard by his brother’s sudden actions, “Uhh…. Hi?”
He almost jumped as the girl gasped long in surprise, the girl leaping into the air and defying gravity as she did so. Before the odd sight could sink in however, she disappeared, leaving an oddly human shaped smoke cloud behind in her place.
They deadpanned, “Well, I think she’s certainly peculiar…”
Dusk retorted, “Many psychologists would have a different opinion.”
He shrugged, turning to Spike and said, “Anyway, what’s the first thing we are supposed to do?”
Spike pulled out a scroll from his purple shorts that he used to cover himself when out in public and opened it, “Well, first off, we are going to a place known as Sweet Apple Acres. The family there is providing all the food.”
Dusk blinked in surprised, “All the food?”
Spike nodded, “Seems so… Come on, I think I see a sign!”
The Human nodded as spike lead him down the street, “That’s about as country as something can get… Let’s hope this doesn’t end with one of us in a shotgun wedding…”
Meanwhile, the girl from before watched them as they left, poking her head out from an alleyway, “How… Could it have been wrong?”
It took a little searching for the sign that Spike had mentioned, and a food detour, twice, but the duo eventually made it to Sweet Apple Acres.The dragon pointed out as they approached the quant farm, “Just remember, the one we are looking for is named Applejack.”
Dusk looked up at the image of a large apple that was on the sigh overlooking the gated entrance to the farm, “Applejack huh?”
As they headed inside, a loud noise assaulted their ears, “Yee haw!”
They turned their head to see a blonde haired girl in a stetson rush down a tree. Leaping into the air, the girl coiled up momentarily for a swift, powerful kick to the tree, knocking many of the tree’s apples into buckets at the tree’s base. With a huff, the girl wiped her brow and looked up at the two after she grabbed one of the buckets, having just noticed them. Dusk was a little stunned by her show of strength. She must have been of Earth then. The duo walked over to her and quickly introduced themselves, feeling that it’d be rude for them to simply show up unannounced and not do so, “Hello there, my name is Dusk Shine and-”
“Howdy there partner! The name’s Applejack, proud member of the Apple Family. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, here we enjoy meetin’ new folks and making new friends It’s a pleasure to meet ya.”
She extended a hand to him with a wink, offering a handshake, which he mistook for flirting. With a slight shrug her took her hand and kissed it, ‘Might as well…’
Surprised by Dusk’s behavior, her grip on the bucket’s handle tightened, “I am here by order of Prin-”
Dusk was stifled by the feeling of something heavy crashing into his head, Applejack had just bashed him on the head with the bucket full of Apple she was holding. Spike rushed to his fallen brother’s side, his face torn between the expression of humor and horror, “Big bro!”
Spike looked up at the young woman and said, “Don’t you think you overdid it?”
She shook her head, “Not at all bud, had to do something to teach ‘im ah’m not the flirtin’ type.”
Spike grinned nervously as Dusk groaned softly, “The only thing I think he’ll learn is what Elysium is like in the afterlife…”
The Girl turned away as she adjusted her hat, “Sorry bout that, truly ah am, but ah don’ have much time for romance and the like… Ah’m busy waitin’ for some folks from Canterlot.”
Spike stifled a laugh as he stated, “That’d be us.”
The girl paled, as she looked back at them, “eh?”
He continued, “We’re the ones from canterlot. We were sent to check on the Preparations for the Celebration, and the guy whose head was just crushed was chosen by Celestia herself to supervise everything.”
As if the girl had just seen a ghost she rushed over to Dusk and helped him up. Brushing him off, she said, “Sorry ‘bout that sugarcube, ah didn’ know… Just glad no one got really ugly..”
Dusk held his head up as he staggered, trying to stay standing, “I have a skull fissure, and that’s not ugly?”
The girl took his hand and shook it violently, nearly making him fall over again. If Spike wasn’t holding him up, he very well could have, “Ah don’ think we’ve been properly introduced, mah name is Applejack. Dusk Shine was it?”
He nodded slowly, “Yeah… You’re in charge of the food right?”
Applejack smiled widely, “Indeed. Yer lucky you came here first purdy boy, yer just in time for the Apple Family Reunion brunch.”
She finally let go of his arm and headed toward a triangle on a post over by the front gate and signalled everyone within ear shot, “Soup’s on everyone!”
This time, Dusk did fall over as the ground beneath the duo shook violently, “What is that!?”
Before he knew what hit him, he felt a bunch of hand grab him off the ground and carried him over to a table, which he found Spike similarly seated nearby. Applejack stood by them, proudly presenting everyone that had gathered, “Meet the Apple Family!”
One by one, people came up to the table and somehow managed to stack a ton of dishes full of apple related products and treats in front of them, “Apple Cobbler, Caramel Apples, Apple Cupcakes, Apple Cakes, Apple Pie, Apple Strudel, Apple Flan-”
He muttered to Spike, “We have to eat all this?”
Spike responded with a whisper of his own, “I got no problem with it.”
“Apple Butter, Applesauce, Pippin Tart, Winesap, Mr. Fuji, Northern Spy-”
After about thirty or so more names and treats, they finally stopped coming…
Nevermind, “And last, but not least, Big Macintosh, Applebloom and finally Granny Smith.”
Applejack shouted, “Wake up Granny Smith, We’ve got guests. They are here for the party.”
She even commented as Dusk had a mouth full of food, “I’d even say yer already part of the family.”
Dusk nearly choked on his food at this. Swallowing he said, “Actually, I don’t think I’m all that hungry. Besides I have a lot to do, preparing for the Apocalypse and all that.”
The large quantity of Awws was deafening. As he stood up, he noticed the eyes of a little girl, about the same size as Spike gazing up at him, “Aren’tcha stayin’ fer Brunch?”
He frowned, “I’m sorry but…”
His expression faltered more as she began to pout, “I have to… Get Ready… Nightmare Moon is…”
The Elderly woman known as Granny Smith stepped up to them, smiling, “This handsome young man has some very important things to do Apple Bloom…”
Her gaze shifted from the little girl to Dusk, “But a Canterlot Gentleman would never disappoint a little girl, right?”
Dusk Shine shuffled nervously, “I… Uh…”
He sighed, defeated, “I’ll stay for Brunch…”
The ground shook once more as he was quickly crowded as the guys shouted, ‘Yee Haw!’
“Do you know the Princess?”
“How old are you?”
“May I touch your Cutiemark?”
Applejack chuckled softly as Applebloom walked over to him, “Big sis!”
Applejack looked down at her as she continued, “Your boyfriend is really cool.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“....”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Yeah, it was nice for ya to bring him along.”
Applejack shouted, “He ain’t mah boyfriend!”
Granny Smith smiled at the responce her comment got, “He sure is a cute one.”
“Granny!”
Much food later~
Spike helped the wobbly Dusk Shine back into town after a long time spent of eating. Dusk groaned loudly as the two stopped so he could catch his breath, “So what’s… The next… Thing?”
Spike pulled out the list once more as Dusk hobbled over to a barrel, “Let’s see... Looks like the weather.”
Dusk stated bluntly, “Goodie… I think I’m gonna puke…”
Spike quipped, trailing off, “I’m honestly impressed you were able to eat so much.”
“The food was delicious! I hope we can stop by again some time and see if they have more… As a Dragon, I can eat a lot more then someone like you.”
Spike’s parade was halted by the sound of his brother retching into a nearby barrel, “Uhh… Bro?”
It didn’t take long for Dusk to empty his stomach's contents and the two continued on their way, albeit Spike was a bit grossed out, “Anyway… The girl who is in charge is named Rainbow Dash.”
Dusk looked up at the sky and snorted, “Well, it seems someone is slacking off.”
“How are we expected to watch the sunrise with all these clouds in the sk-”
It was this time that Dusk was cut off as a large blue streak collided with him, taking him to the ground before Spike could even comment on the situation. When he turned around, he spotted a girl pinning Dusk’s head to the ground with her rear as he flailed futily to get up. The girl was sporting a light blue tank top, barely covering her bandaged chest and the wings on her back, giving her a very slim figure, right down to her tight grey shorts. She flipped her prismatic hair out of her eyes as she pulled up her goggles, “Ugh... My head.”
Dusk tried to shout, ‘Get off me,’ but it was muffled by the girl’s rump. She gasped as she got off him anyway, but not to let him up exactly. Instead, she was kicking him, “What in Celestia’s name were you doing down there!?”
She huffed as she turned away from her handiwork, an injured Dusk Shine as he lay on the ground, covering his face and possibly broken nose, “What are ya, one of those pervs in my fan club? Just stay down…”
The unicorn coughed as he sat up, “I’m afraid you are… Mistaken… We’re from canterlot and-”
The strange girl pulled a 180 as she noted, “Canterlot?”
She picked him up by his lapel, showing a surprising amount of strength for a pegasus, “Yo egghead, you said you’re from Canterlot right?”
“Egghead?”
She gave him a straight face and dropped him, as if ignoring what he just said and continued with her train of thought, plowing through his, “You ever see them? Have you ever met Spitfire?”
His response caught her off guard, making her frown, “The Captain of the Wonderbolts, who else?”
“The Wonderbolts?”
She facepalmed for a moment before stating, “You live in Canterlot, and have never even heard of them… By Celestia, what kind of Egghead are you?”
With a clenched fist and great fervor, she struck a dramatic pose, “Come on, they are THE Wonderbolts, the most talented acrobats in all of Equestria!”
With a chuckle, she stated matter of factly, “They are going to be performing tomorrow during the Celebration, and I’m going to be there to show them all of my best moves. They’ll be so impressed, they will have no choice but to allow the GREAT Rainbow Dash to join them.”
Dusk questioned, “So… You’re Rainbow Dash?”
She posed nce again, “The one and only! Captain of the Weather teams and fastest flier in Equestria.”
Dusk deadpanned, much to Spike’s dismay, “And a slacker…”
Rainbow blinked in surprise, taking in his words for a moment before asking, “What did you say, punk?”
Dusk smirked, “Well, the sky is a mess, and here you are, stunt flying all day.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled as she looked up at the skies above the town and said, “Oh, is that all? I can clear this in ten seconds flat all my myself.”
“Prove it.”
That was all the challenge she needed. Pulling her goggles over her eyes once more, she concentrated, summoning her impressive wingspan before taking to the sky. Rushing hither and thither, she busted clouds as if they were never there in the first place.
“She’s good…”
“Come on, she’s amazing!”
True to her word, the sky was indeed clear, “What did I say? Ten. Seconds. Flat.”
She flew upside down and past them, showing off. Unbeknownst to Dusk, she had deposited a small cloud above him, “And as a bonus…”
With a snap of her fingers, the cloud started to rain on Dusk Shine a few moments before dispersing. This sudden ‘storm’ made Spike back away slowly, “That should help you get rid of the shame and humiliation.”
Dusk frowned as he examined his now wet exterior, “Buck me…”
“And as an apology for kicking you in the face a bit ago, how about I blow dry your hair… TORNADO STYLE!”
And with that, she was off, spiraling around a startled Dusk Shine in a tight, quick circle, erupting a small tornado around him. Just as fast as she had started, she ended, leaving Dusk dazed and confused. Spike and Rainbow exchanged glances before bursting into laughter, “What?”
“Your hair!”
That was all Spike was able to blurt out in his fit, leaving Dusk to examine his reflection in a pool of water. His hair had poofed out, giving him a hairstyle similar to that of of a certain warrior of comedy.
Spike laughed, “You look like circus clown.”
No, not that warrior.
“More like Neighpoleon dynamite!”
That one!
Dusk sighed as he looked away. It took a little time, but the two eventually stopped laughing. Rainbow smiled as she stood up, approaching him, “Ya know what Egghead, you’re pretty funny.”
Dusk Shine sighed, rolling his eyes, “It’s Dusk Shine. My name is Dusk Shine.”
She smiled with a wink as she adjusted her goggles with her left hand, revealing her Cutie Mark, “Well ‘Mister Dusk Shine’, you don’t seem like that bad of a guy. If we were to hang out, I bet some of my coolness might even rub off on you.”
Dusk glared daggers at her, “Never…”
She chuckled softly as she took to the sky once more, “Anyway, catch you later little dragon dude… and the eggheaded Dusk Shine.”
Spike smiled, “She seems pretty cool.”
“More like annoying.”
Dusk stomped off, perturbed, “Come on… We don’t have time for any more distractions. Let’s just hope we don’t run into any more crazy girls.”
Their next stop lead them to the Town Hall. Looking around, Spike commented, “Decorations… Beautiful.”
Dusk nodded in agreement, “Yeah, the decorations look like they are coming along nicely. At this rate, we’ll be at the library in no time.”
Spike reached up to turn Dusk’s head, “No, not the decor, her!”
Dusk saw her, the fair complexioned girl with wavy indigo hair and a small star under her right left. By the white gem on her forehead, he could tell she was a Unicorn, and the gems on her left hand suggested that she has an eye for fashion and beauty. That made sense why she’d be here decorating, but why was-
“Spike? Are you crushing?”
Spike smiled with glee, “She’s the most beautiful girl I have ever seen! Come on dusk, you just have to be my wingman here. I’ll do the dishes for a year, i’ll even throw in making my bed for the rest of my life.”
Dusk scoffed, “You already do those…”
Spike then went too far, “Then I won’t tell your mom where you keep your ‘Special Magazines’.”
Dusk rubbed his temples, “Then it was your fault that mom wouldn’t even look me in the eye for a whole week and dad giving me the birds and the bees talk, wasn’t it?”
Spike smiled, emboldened, “Do it, or I’ll tell everyone about how you still sleep with that stupid doll.”
Dusk snapped, “Leave Miss Smartypants out of this!”
Spike gave him the puppy-dog eyes, “Come on big bro, i’m desperate.”
“I can see that…”
He sighed as he walked off, “Fine, i’ll try to help, just chill your hormones why don’t ya, you’re pants can’t handle it.”
Spike gasped as Dusk approached the girl, “Good Afternoon Miss.”
“My name is Dusk Shine, and i’d like to introduce you to my good friend Sp-”
“MOTHER OF CELESTIA!”
The girl somehow paled upon laying eyes on him, “What in the world is that thing?”
Dusk frowned, “His name is Spike.”
Spike chimed in, “Hey!”
She shook her head, “No, I mean your hair.”
Dusk and Spike shared a glance, “Hair?”
Dusk looked back at her and shrugged, “I was just going to fix it back home.”
The girl stomped a foot, startling them both, “Heavens no!”
“Well, we were just about to leave…”
The girl stepped off the stage and started to shove him towards the door, “I simply cannot allow someone to walk around looking like that, my principles would never allow it!”
She shot him a death glare, “And I won’t take no for an answer.”
He gulped, “Yes ma’am!”
Within moments, she had dragged him over to a place known a the Carousel Boutique and sat down in a chair, “Now relax Darling… This won’t take long.”
Shortly thereafter, Dusk protested, his hair full of suds and a silk cape covering his body, “Uhhh… Miss Rarity, I don’t want to be a bother.”
She waved away what he was going to say as Spike helped her decide on a hairspray, “Nonsense Darling, it’s the least I can do. But really, I simply must know the name of the ruffian that caused this tragedy.”
Dusk sighed, “It was a multi colored pegasus…”
“Rainbow Dash!”
Dusk raised an eyebrow at her, “Friend of yours?”
Rarity chuckled as she resumed her work with Dusk’s hair, “I would hardly call her a friend. I don’t have much of a reason to be friends with such an unrefined girl such as her.”
With a flourish, she exclaimed, “There, all done.”
She positioned the chair towards the mirror so that Dusk could see her handy-work. He was certainly surprised, “Rarity, you have a talent…”
She didn’t catch the disdain in his voice as she stated, “It suits you magnificently. It’s almost as if you’ve been born with it.”
The hair in question was straight, on a cross and arrow even… He looked like a girl… The only thing that kept him from exploding was how uncanny it looked to Twilight’s. Instead, he calmly stated, “I know I may look a little girly, but you do know i’m a guy, right?”
She frowned, “Oh!”
She chuckled softly and said, “Of course I know that, I just thought that the style would suit you. You wanted to try something new didn’t you?”
He shook his head, hilariously enough it made his hair almost like new, as it was before he had never had it messed with in the first place, “No? My deepest apologies…”
She perked up at a certain thought, “Oh, pardon me, but I don’t recall hearing your name.”
He shrugged softly and said, “Call me Dusk Shine.”
Spike chimed in, “And I’m Spike!”
Rarity’s eyes widened as she jumped into his face, “Dusk Shine? THE Dusk Shine? The personal protege of Princess Celestia?”
Dusk gulped, “Uh… Yes?”
“It’s an honor to meet you… Oh!~<3 It’s almost as if you’re a prince.”
If Dusk wasn’t nervous before, he is now. Spike snorted, “Well, i’m his brother, so wouldn’t that make me a prince?”
Rarity looked down at the dragon and asked, “A thousand pardons, but who are you?”
Spike face faulted, “I’m… Spike… I was helping you for like… Two hours.”
He was all but ignored as Rarity turned her attention back to Dusk, “Look at you Dusk, a prince in those tattered robes. Tell me, do you have something to wear for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
He shook his head, finally taking a look at the grey robes that he had been wearing today. They were torn in a few places, no doubt due to Rainbow’s stunt. He couldn’t possibly go in these like he had planned, “I… Guess not.”
Rarity smiled, “Allow me to rectify that, free of charge.”
That was certainly generous of her… Dusk simply watched as she went off to gather what he assumed would be stuff to repair his robes, but to his surprise, she wasn’t planning on that. She came back and took his measurements and said in a sultry tone, “This will only take a bit… I do have talent for fashion after all.”
She sighed softly, “Anyway Dusk, you wouldn’t happen to have a girlfriend, would you?”
He gulped, “Actually…”
‘Besides the Princess and my babysitter, the only girl I really talked to was miss Heartstrings…’
Rarity scoffed as she began to weave fabrics together on a mannequin with her magic, “Really? A handsome young man like yourself should know about a thousand girls in Canterlot.”
“You know mister Shine, I’ve always believed in Destiny and what it has prepared for me. Oh, ever since I was a little girl, I always knew that I would meet my sweet prince one day. Then he and I would be bound together by the red string of Destiny. Our love would even outshine Celestia’s sun!”
Dusk and Spike sweatdropped, ‘Would you like some cheese with that ham?’
Rarity sighed as she finished his new Purple robes and boots. Handing them to him, she stated, “And one day, we’d have our happy ending… Together for all eternity...”
Dusk quickly changed into his new outfit. He muttered to himself, “Not bad… It fits perfectly.”
As he exited the changing room Rarity asked, “Mr Shine, do you believe in Destiny?”
Oh no! Time to go. Dusk grabbed Spike and rushed out the door before Rarity could see them, “Darling?”
After some running, Dusk sighed, “Looks like she’s not following us.”
“The last thing I need is some crazy fan girl chasing me in a wedding dress.”
Spike frowned, “Hey big bro…”
He growled, “You ruined my first impression you jerk!”
The lavender haired human shot him a look, “That crazy girl could have kidnapped us, and you’re focused on you your first impression?”
He scoffed as he continued, “I don’t have time to help you with that psycho. Besides, I don’t see what the big deal is about having a girlfriend…”
He rolled his eyes at the thought, “Love has the potential to make anyone stupid and oblivious…”
Spike smiled, “Well, I guess a guy as smart as you would never fall for that sort of thing, right?”
Dusk paused, startling Spike, “Big bro?”
“Now, follow me, please.”
As if on cue, he was assaulted by many thoughts, ‘Such a nice figure… Such a beautiful melody comes from her gorgeous, delicate mouth… Her silk-like pink hair and velvety yellow feathers fill my eyes with grace… Such Kindness… Such a beautiful smile…’
Spike folded his arms and smirked, “Uh… Big bro? You still there? You started staring about five minutes ago…”
After a moment's pause, he added, “And you’re drooling!”
Dusk snapped out of his trance and shouted at the dragon, “That’s not true!”
Spike sighed, “It is, just look! You even startled this poor girl to the point that she started to cry.”
And indeed, she was… Oh how much it pained him to see her weep. He had to say something, anything… He was in such a rush to console her, that it came out a bit odd, “I-I’mnotapervertorstalker.What's Your Name.I'm Dusk Shine”
She muttered, “Uh… I’m Fluttershy…”
He chuckled warmly, “I’m sorry, what was that?”
The yellow clad pegasus backed away slightly, hiding her face behind her hair, “I’m Fluttershy…”
Dusk tried again, “I didn’t quite catch that.”
By now, she shied away, “I’m Fluttershy”
Spike sighed, “She said her name is Fluttershy. She’s the last one on the list!”
When Fluttershy caught sight of Spike, she bowled over Dusk and gasped, “A Baby dragon!”
She rushed over to Spike and pulled him into a big hug, “Oh! You are just so cute! I’ve never seen a dragon in person before… Especially one like this.”
Dusk rubbed his head as he slowly got up, surveying the scene as Fluttershy let him down, “And what is this little angel’s name?”
Spike smiled as he stated proudly, “Hi! My name is Spike.”
Fluttershy gave the dragon a boop on the nose and said, “Hi there Spike, i’m Fluttershy. Oh, you must have quite the story to tell, living amongst ponies instead of your own kind.”
Spike gave Dusk a sly grin as he stated, “Well, well, well, it looks like somebody is interested in little ol’ me…”
Dusk sighed as Fluttershy asked, “Can you tell me about yourself?”
“What would you like to know?”
She beamed, “Everything!”
It was then that he knew exactly how Spike felt just a little bit ago with Rarity. What made it worse was that Spike was enjoying every minute of it. The look that Spike gave him meant one thing… He was never going to be able to speak with Fluttershy.
“Well… It all started when I was a purple and green egg.”
What happened next was the worst three hours of Dusk Shine’s life… So far anyway. Spike left out no detail about himself and all of Dusk’s Personal stuff. From braces, to Smartypants, he told it all... Dusk was fuming by the time they had reached the library, “And that is everything up till today? Anything else?”
Before Fluttershy could respond, Dusk stated, his words laced with a potent venom, “Sorry Fluttershy, but it is time for Spike’s nap.”
Spike frowned, “What? But I’m not tired?”
Time to get a little sneaky… Dusk’s gem glowed dully as he swiped his finger gently in Spike’s direction, causing the walking dragon to trip over an invisible stone, “Oww…”
Dusk feigned innocence as he gasped, “Aww… It looks like you are so tired, you can’t even keep your wittle balwance.”
Fluttershy was oblivious to his underhanded tactics and gave him a concerned look, “Oh, you poor thing! Even children need their beauty sleep… Okay Mister Dusk Shine, i’ll leave, just promise you’ll feed Spiky her leafy greens, how else will she get big and strong?”
Dusk gave Spike an evil grin as he rubbed his snout, “Did you just call me a girl?”
Dusk picked up Spike with his magic and carried him in his arms, “Don’t worry, she’ll be well taken care of… And by the way, I’m 17. I'm a little too young to be called Mister just yet. Just call me Dusk.”
While this was true for right now, his birthday was coming up soon. Only a few months away, but he wasn't going to get into technicalities regarding age with someone he just met.
She giggled in response, “Okay Dusk…”
She turned away, revealing her Pegasi tattoo on the opening of her buttercup yellow shirt to him as she sprouted her wing in preparation to take off, but before she did, she glanced back at him and giggled, “You know, it’s pretty funny… We’re the same age.”
She gave him one final wave before taking off, “Take care, and see you soon.”
He sighed happily as he watched her fly off into the distance, “There she goes…”
Spike growled as he struggled out of Dusk’s arms and back to the ground, “Really Dusk?”
Dusk snorted and turned towards the library door, “What?”
He paid Spike’s rage no heed as he opened the door and headed into the pitch black interior, “Anyway, we’re here and in one piece. We got everything done on the list. Now we can get ready for Nightmare Mo-!”
He was startled when bumped into a large object, said object was large, heavy, and surprisingly soft. There was a soft girlish giggle before Dusk illuminated the area with his magic.
“SURPRISE!”
It was that girl from earlier, the one with all the pink. He jumped back in shock, “Wh-who are you, and what are you doing in my house?”
She struck a kawaii pose, stating, “My name is Pinkie Pie, but you can just call me Pinkie!”
He said, straightening himself slightly, “Well that answers that question, but you never said why you were in my house…”
She smiled widely as she pointed into the dark corners of the room, “Well, seeing as you are new in town, I just had to throw you a... “
The rest of the room lit up, revealing a large group of people, party supplies, and food lines up everywhere, “Welcome to Ponyville-”
“Party!”
She giggled happily as she took him by the arm and lead him over to the snack area, blathering on about something… He was lost, and this was his own house, “I was just walking down the street, going about my day, wondering why all the celebrating was going on and admiring the decorations when I thought, either i’m in some kind of loop of this day or something, because I swear I’ve seen it before. It’s almost like some sort of story when all of a sudden you showed up being all super cute and all that. So I figured, if you are some super cute boy and you decide to talk to me out of the blue, it must be some kind of shipping story, and who doesn’t like a good ship? Did I mention that I found you cute? If that’s the case, and I was the first person you talked to, I must be one of the female leads, even more exciting than that, I must be the one to have you in the end.”
He had zoned out quite a bit ago as he took a random bottle off the table and started to drink it. Had his mouth not started to tingle, he might have actually asked what she meant by have him in the end… That was all too creepy.
“Oh yeah, and Dusky?”
He stopped, “Yes?”
“You are drinking hot sauce.”
That was when the tingling sensation hit him all at once. His mouth was burning!
“WATER! WATER!”
Spike went over to the bottle that Dusk had dropped when he had rushed off to find something to tame the flames. He took a sniff of it before saying, “Not bad…”
“Yummy ^.^”
She giggled once more before saying, “One scene later!”
Spike looked up at her inquisitively, saying, “What?”
She winked at him before walking off, leaving Spike to ponder what the buck she just said.
Sadly, scene transitions were not her job, but this place did seem as good as any to see what Dusk was up to. Having found water, he sat alone in what was his room, staring up at the moon and stars, pondering the legend of the Lady in the Moon.
He put a hand on the window as the thought to himself, ‘There just has to be something i’m missing…”
‘I’m supposed to be here on behalf of the Princess, but ever since I’ve arrived, i’ve been hurt, shamed, kidnapped, and nearly poisoned.... Well… Sort of… But. I still can't help but wonder… What was she thinking? I’ve been her apprentice for as long as I can remember, and yet I still can’t imagine what she has planned for me.’
He sighed as Spike entered the room, “Hey Dusk, guess what, they put this awesome diving board on the-”
He was caught off guard when Pinkie stormed into the room, “Out of the way Spike, Love interest coming through!”
Dusk sighed, “Can’t I think about my assignment in peace… Buck my life…”
Pinkie smiled as she was about to pull him into another hug, “Come on Dusk, live a li-”
“NO!”
He shouted, nearly knocking her over with his voice alone, “I don’t want a hug.”
Spike frowned, now it was his turn to be concerned, “Dusk… There is still plenty of time before the ceremony, why don’t we just head back down to the party.”
Dusk shook his head, “I can’t Spike. There is still so much left to think about… Honestly, this is all just a giant waste of time.”
“A Giant… Waste… Of time?”
The room went silent as Pinkie clenched her fists, popping audibly. In the time Dusk could blink, he was hoisted to his feet by Pinkie, who he had assumed was by the door just a second ago. That bubbly personality she had a bit ago… It was as flat as a soda in the hot summer sun, “How can you say it’s a waste to time? Don’t you know how much fun they can be? How much they can mean to people that don’t have time? Imagine everyone down there partying, if they were to all die tomorrow, do you think they’d want to go out sad and alone? BUCK NO THEY DON’T. Some people live life to the fullest because they know that they are one disaster away from Tartarus and Elysium… Is there something wrong with having fun. What have you done, huh? From what i’ve gathered, you don’t look like you’ve had any at all!”
Dusk scowled, “Fun! How can I have fun? Do you honestly think I came here because I wanted to? I came here to find out about the return of Nightmare Moon and stop it! Ya know that disaster you just talked about, it’s somebody's job to keep it from happening if it can be helped, and by Faust I will help. I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR FUN! I have more important things to do right now, so Pinkie… Can you please just leave me al-”
The girl grabbed Dusk Shine and pulled him into a big hug, and when I say big… I mean it. He was almost suffocated by her large strawberry scented bosom. He was surprised he didn’t notice it before, but then again, the most he could remember about her before all of this was her freak out at the sight of him… And he was ignoring her at the party to notice so… Yeah…
“Ya know what silly, you just don’t have any friends to help you yet... Who knows, it could be fun. So… Why don’t we start over. That way, we can be friends!”
He struggled to break free from her strawberry scented grip, panting, “Friends? Why… What was that!”
She giggled happily, her bubbly personality had returned in full force, “A Hug silly, my grandma once told me they can get rid of any kind of anger. Now that you’re happy, we can go play together.”
Dusk was dumbfounded by her logic, but he had no room to argue, not when she was dragging him out of the house to see the attractions… Sadly, their ‘fun’ was short lived as the bell in town hall rang, signaling everyone to go there for the Summer Sun Celebration that was about to begin, “Aww… Oh well, looks like we have to do this another time Dusky ~<3”
He had no idea where that heart came from, but he didn’t have time to question it, they had places to be, and fates to face. He was out of time…
When they arrive, they saw many familiar faces, like Applejack and her little Sister, Applebloom. Dusk rubbed his head as he remembered their meeting… They next saw Rarity. He shivered, another nightmare…
“Ten bits says that Rarity and I hookup tonight.”
Keep dreaming… Rainbow Dash was chilling up on a balcony, looking bored. Pinkie was bouncing up and down beside him, spouting off a lot of words that he tried to tune out, ‘Stay calm Dusk… Even in the face of Death, I must not blink, my resolve must be like steel, my attention- oh look Fluttershy is conducting her birds… Aww… I wish I was one of those birds.’
That was when Mayor took the stage, escorted by a gaggle of Royal Guards. He had hoped that Celestia would at least have his brother be present as back up, but it looked like he would have to face this alone… With Spike… And Pinkie… Somehow…
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I stand before you this day, to introduce our guest… The ruler and protector of our fine homeland… Introducing, Princess Celestia!”
She gave the signal for the curtains to be opened as an applause. To everyone’s surprise, it was found to be empty, save for a large black spell circle that had formed in their place.
“Greeting subjects… Looking for somepony?”
Out of the circle came a black glob of some icky tar substance, which quickly took the form of a tall woman. Her bright silver armor and fancy clothes accentuated her features. The most odd features were the large black, almost bat like wings she had sprouting from her back, and the inky black hair that floated in a non existent breeze. Upon looking closer, he also noticed what appeared to be a black gem on her forehead… There was no doubt about it, she was an Alicorn, and she looked terrifying. Her complexion appeared dark, even in the light, though Dusk knew better, at most, she was actually a darker olive, though her wild hair and an air of dark magics made her appear different to the untrained eye.
She grinned widely as Pinkie gasped, “You’re not the Princess!”
“Oh my precious subjects… Rejoice! For your true ruler has returned.”
A mixed bag of emotions were thrown around the room… Some panicked, others were scared witless, some were brave, others were frozen in their spot. Dusk growled softly to himself as he clenched his fist, his eyes flickering brightly for a moment before going dim. Something about her made his blood boil.
The Mayor frowned as she shouted, “What have you done with our Princess?”
The dark Woman shot her an icy glare, “Does my crown no longer count in Equestria after so long? Am I not worthy of thine… Devotion?”
The Mayor stammered, “S-seize her!”
At the Mayor’s command, the guards sprouted wings and took fight to take on the mystery woman. They didn’t stand a chance… With the snap of her fingers, they were all knocked out of the sky with bolts of lightning out of the ether. She chuckled softly to herself as a few ponies rushed to the fallen guards. They were alive, for now, “Do you really want to know what we have done with thy fair princess?”
“She surrendered to me without hesitation.”
She folded her arms and smiled, “She was lucky, like those guards… We were merciful. She has become nothing more than a bauble, a trinket to be worn… Her power is now mine to command.”
As if to prove a point, she held out a bright sun pendant around her neck. Inside, Dusk could feel a powerful and familiar presence… Celestia was indeed in there! The woman stepped forward, eyeing the fallen guards, “Mayhaps I was not merciful enough… They could make good sustenance. Tis been a thousand years since I had a good meal… They could become a part of me. Surely they could use a higher purpose then guarding doors.”
Did she plan on eating them or something… Drain their magic? He didn’t know, but he knew he had to stop her. As she approached them, he dark hair seemed to snake towards towards them, licking at their armored feet. Dusk was about to step in, but a blue blur halted him. It stomped down on the ‘snakes’ at incredible speed. It was Rainbow Dash who stepped into the fray, her angry gaze not wavering from the Woman, “Listen lady, I don’t know where you came from, but around here, we don’t eat other humans.”
She laughed, “Oh… Such a childish statement. You obviously do not understand who you are talking to, but I will make do… I am a Queen that listens to her subjects. Tell me young one, what can your Queen do for you?”
Rainbow chuckled as she took an offensive stance, “Well your 'highness'…”
She took a blinding lunge towards her, Dusk barely was able to keep up, “Why don’t you just turn around, bend over, and stick your own head right back up your ass where you came from.”
The woman chuckled softly as she merely sidestepped Rainbow’s attack, “Oh, how vulgar. Child, do you think you can hurt me?”
Rainbow stopped and punched again and again, and again, but the Woman continued to dodge her, until…
-Smack-
Rainbow’s fists were both caught by one hand in speed that no one could even see. She gasped, “H-how?”
The Woman laughed, “You call those punches? Let me show you the punch of a goddess…”
Fluttershy gasped, “Rainbow, no!”
Fist of the Enders
Twilight Vanguard
The next thing she knew was the feeling of getting bucked in the gut mid flight… She flew backwards and would have nearly collided with the wall had she not been caught by the heroic looking Dusk Shine, who had short range teleported into her path to stop her. Dusk landed on the ground safely and handed her off to Fluttershy, “Keep an eye on her…”
Dusk Shine stepped forward, his fists clenched and ready for action as he approached the mysterious Woman.
“Impressive. You managed to use a level twenty shield spell in a fraction of a second… You must be a powerful mage to save that girl, otherwise, she’d be all over the walls right now. You have my respect…”
Dusk frowned, “Don’t patronize me. I know who you are.”
He pointed at her accusingly, “You are the Lady in the Moon, Nightmare Moon!”
Nightmare Moon chuckled softly, “Ah, so we have not been forgotten… Then you know why we are here?”
There was clamor behind them as Rainbow started to rouse… She was tough. There was much debate going on on whether or not this was true, whether this was really happening to them, or if this was all some nasty prank.
She smiled widely once more, “Relax my subjects, and rejoice, for the sun has fallen and the Night shall last forever. Bear witness the the dawn of a new age, the age of the Dark.”
Before Dusk Shine could react, he was coiled up in Nightmare Moon’s hair. He struggled and squirmed in her grip as she pulled him close, “You are a noble Unicorn… Would you kindly grant us the honor of hearing your name.”
Dusk Shine put on a brave face… He had to. He looked her in the eye and stated proudly, “My name is Dusk Shine, Princess Celestia most trusted Student. I swear… You will not get away with this Nightmare!”
She smiled, “So you are Princess Celestia’s prized pupil… Well Dusk… As you know, in the end… Anything that belongs to Celestia…”
She leaned in closer, her gaze unflinching nearly breaking his resolve, “Will be mine…”
She stopped mere centimeters away from his lips. Instead, she rose up and placed a kiss on his gem, eliciting a loud gasp from everyone, none more so than rarity… Such is a gesture that is reserved for… Intimate moments between Unicorn Lovers.
She chuckled as she let him go. She then started to fade out into the darkness, “If you survive this Dusk Shine, know that even you, her prized pupil, will belong to me!”
He stood there momentarily, long after she had gone. Then suddenly, he fell backward, hitting the ground with a loud thud… His heart just stopped and he was pitching a tent.